Water is one of our most vital and limited resources — and today, the pressures on the water sector are only increasing. Climate change, aging infrastructure, new regulations, and rising customer expectations all demand faster, more flexible ways of working.
In our last paper, we introduced Open Water: a practical approach built on transparency, collaboration, and open knowledge-sharing, designed to help the sector innovate, adapt, and move forward together. The first paper explored open source software, open data, and open collaboration. In this paper, we turn to three more critical drivers: open platforms, digital marketplaces, and communities.
We’ll examine what makes a platform truly open — and why that matters for water utilities seeking interoperability, flexibility, and long-term resilience. We’ll explore how digital marketplaces can close the gap between technology and real-world needs. And we’ll show how communities are turning Open Water principles into real-world progress through shared learning, collaboration, and action.
Our goal is practical: to highlight tools, models, and examples that can help utilities and technology partners work more openly, more effectively, and more resiliently — for a stronger water future.
Read the whitepaper now
Expert contributors
Maddy Zimmerman
Americas Manager, SWAN
Dr. Robert Bornhofen
Director of Innovation at DC Water
Dragan Savić
Global Advisor, KWR Water Research Institute
