Since 2018, Beaver Water District (BWD) has been offering the Citizens Water Academy (CWA). The goal of the academy is to educate Northwest Arkansas community leaders about the importance of drinking water to our economy, how we treat water from Beaver Lake, and how the District interacts with local partners and the customer cities. Upon completion of the academy, the participants will be prepared to serve as ambassadors for Beaver Water District and the protection of Beaver Lake.
The 2026 CWA curriculum included a mix of classroom sessions and tours. The tours are always a highlight as participants get to see sections of the facility most tours do not get to see, such as our laboratory, the intake on Beaver Lake, and the pilot plant – a miniature version of the drinking water facility that allows for research. The 2026 participants met for three hours each week for four weeks with the final day being extended to 5 hours including a graduation luncheon.
This year’s group of leaders included: Sam Ata with Washington County, Terrius Bruce with Rhythmic Alliance for Community Sustainability, Max Deitchler with Kutak Rock, Nikk Fors with Rockline Industries, Jessica Lewallen with ULI Northwest Arkansas, Gisela Mejia with Signature Bank of Arkansas, Marson Nance with NWA Land Trust, Troy Reed with the City of Elkins, Sherry Rodriguez with Arkansas Department of Health (Benton County), Olivia Schaap with H2Ozarks, Sophia Stephenson with the Arkansas Environmental Education Association, Beau Walker with Xtremis, and Susan Watkins with the Beaver Watershed Alliance Board of Directors.
Graduates are really the ones that shape the Academy. Feedback is gathered on topics of importance, timing, and activities. The graduates also provide recommendations for attendees for next year’s Academy. The District staff listens and adjusts as requested. One of the quotes from this past year that was greatly cherished by our staff was “I felt valued and appreciated as an attendee.” Another fond quote that made us chuckle a bit was, “The knowledge I have gained from the Academy has already turned me into a BWD nerd. I am having conversations (as the perfect moment comes up) with friends and strangers about our water supply, its challenges, and the vision to have it prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly growing area.” We do love fellow water nerds and knowing our ambassadors are helping spread water knowledge. Thank you to all of the 2026 attendees for your time and dedication to the Academy.
This winter was not just about the 2026 class, past graduates were looking for more. Following up on requests from the 2024 & 2025 graduates, the District hosted the first CWA Alumni event in early February. This meeting allowed those alumni guests to come back and see the progress being made on projects like the clearwell, western corridor project, and solar park, as well as hear about the capital improvement/infrastructure plan that is currently being implemented. About 20 alumni came out for the event, and their feedback ensured that there will be more alumni events in the future.
If you have an interest in the next Citizens Water Academy or other programs offered by the District, please email Trish at touei@bwdh2o.org for more information.