Spotlight on… Water Technology

Water makes up over 70% of the surface of our planet and is required by all living things. Water is our most essential public service and is fundamental to global industries, especially for cooling systems, manufacturing processes, and food production.

In 2025, annual domestic water consumption stands at around 226 billion cubic metres while industry uses four times that, at 1,000 billion cubic metres. Yet according to the World Health Organization, nearly 2.2 billion people do not have access to safe and clean drinking water due to water scarcity, pollution, and climate change.

It is clear that industries and public services need more skilled people to take on these challenges and improve water security and quality.

Water Technology as a skill competition has been designed to help young talent understand, monitor, and improve our water systems. To ensure skills excellence, Competitors are rigorously tested on both technical expertise and transversal or life skills.

Qishan Liu, WorldSkills Skills Competition Manager for Water Technology, explains, “Competitors must demonstrate a deep understanding of water and wastewater treatment, covering chemical and biological characteristics. They also need to have mechanical, electrical, automation, digitalization, and monitoring and evaluation skills.”

Hilmar Tetsch, WorldSkills Chief Expert for Water Technology, expands on the life skills that are also tested. He says, “We are looking for communication skills. We want to see how Competitors plan and prioritize tasks, and how they manage resources.”

But Water Technology is clearly more than effective infrastructure and efficient planning.

As a skill, Water Technology supports three of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially particularly Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), and Climate Action (SDG 13).

The importance of this is not lost on WorldSkills Champions.

Aswatha Narayana is a WorldSkills Champion. He represented WorldSkills India at WorldSkills Kazan 2019. He appreciates the vital role his skill has, saying, “Globally, less than 20% of wastewater is adequately treated. The need to make water clean and accessible for both domestic and industrial use is evident.”

He continues, “Overall, the skill helps in ensuring proper sanitation as this plays a crucial role in public health and safety that leads to sustainable community development across the globe.”

As global water challenges grow more complex, WorldSkills Occupational Standards and WorldSkills Test Projects at Competitions are adapting to mirror the needs of the water industry and prepare young professionals for future careers. This must include a greater focus on sustainability.

Hilmar Tetsch, WorldSkills Chief Expert for Water Technology, reflects on how Water Technology has pioneered sustainable practices. He says, “Since 2019, our Best Sustainable Practice Award has recognized Competitors who integrate environmentally responsible solutions.” Of course in 2024, sustainable practices were added to all Test Projects across all skill competitions at WorldSkills Lyon 2024.

Qishan Liu says this will only continue, saying, “A special focus must be placed on the challenges posed by climate change. In the next five to ten years, Water Technology will evolve to include the increased use of wastewater recycling, the reuse of water, and water conservation.”

He adds, “Technical skills will also test the use of Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and data analytics for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and optimizing water distribution systems.”

Aswatha acknowledges that the breadth of skills needed for Water Technology can be a surprise for some.

He says, “One unexpected aspect of Water Technology is that it is multidisciplinary in nature. It is not limited to understanding chemical and biological water treatment processes. One also requires competencies in mechanics, electrical automation, and environmental protection to excel in this field. Understanding of social and economic settings is also crucial, as effective water technology solutions must integrate community and industrial practices.”

Aswatha himself has been able to progress far in his career and puts this down to his WorldSkills success and the focus on skills excellence. He won the first gold medal in WorldSkills India’s history and is now completing a Masters in Water Resources Engineering and Management at the University of Stuttgart.

He is passionate about Water Technology and urges more young people to take up this vital skill, saying, “In the near future, three out of four jobs will be directly or indirectly dependent on water. The importance of this occupation is second to none. Water is for life so be a water technologist.”

Find out more about water technology.