Certificate badge with a blue circle in the center, displaying 'CPRO-W²' and 'Certified Public Risk Officer Water & Wastewater'. It mentions the American Association of Water Distribution & Management Series and has a black border with white text, and a small icon of an open book at the bottom.

CPRO-W²: The Nation’s Premier Risk Management Designation for Water and Wastewater Professionals

Building a More Resilient Water Sector

There is an urgent need for integrated risk management in the water sector in light of increasing uncertainty from climate change, escalating regulatory demands, and financial constraints. The Certified Public Risk Officer - Water & Wastewater (CPRO-W²) designation shifts risk management from isolated responses to a comprehensive enterprise-wide framework.  

Designed specifically for the water sector and in collaboration with leading utilities, candidates gain practical awareness of utility operations and learn how to implement self-reinforcing enterprise risk management systems that enhance organizational performance and community resilience. Candidates also learn how to effectively communicate risk management strategies with regulators, stakeholders, and external financial partners.

Congratulations to the inaugural CPRO- W² Master Leadership Class graduates who have successfully earned their designations as Certified Public Risk Officer.

Certification badge for a Certified Public Risk Officer in Water & Wastewater, part of the American Association of Water Distribution & Management Series.

Sign up to be notified when registration for the next cohort opens in 2026. 

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Walker College of Business sign at Appalachian State University
A photo of Sandy Vannoy, a woman with long light brown hair smiling, wearing a light gray blazer with an 'A' pin, a necklace with an 'A', and a watch, standing with her arms crossed outdoors with a blurred forest background.

Dr. Sandra Vannoy, App State University

In partnership with Appalachian State University and its Dean of the Walker College of Business, Dr. Sandra Vannoy, this designation is designed for water and wastewater utility executives and current and aspiring risk managers. Candidates include formal utility risk managers as well as leaders in high-risk areas such as human resources, operations, finance, capital planning, and other critical functions.

CPRO-W² at a Glance

The CPRO-W² designation is a comprehensive professional development experience with in-depth study guides, interactive risk management exercises and useful templates, expert commentary, and real world case studies.

CPRO-W² candidates can choose between a drinking water-centric or wastewater-centric curriculum. Candidates who complete the CPRO-W² course assignments and pass the exam are conferred the designation of Certified Public Risk Officer-Water & Wastewater by Appalachian State University and AAWD&M.

Download the CPRO-W² Fact Sheet to learn more about the course and AAWD&M’s approach to continuing professional education.
Click to Download the Fact Sheet

Two Choices, Two Tracks

Professional Track
Water or Wastewater

Risk managers, safety and compliance leaders, finance and HR professionals, engineers, analysts, and managers responsible for implementing risk management practices.

Participants will gain:

Confidence navigating uncertainty

Clear, credible risk communication

Greater influence on capital and strategic decisions

Executive Track
Water or Wastewater

General managers, CFOs, senior executives, and board-facing leaders responsible for governance, financial stewardship, and strategic direction.

Participants will gain:

Executive-level enterprise risk governance

Financial and credit risk translation

Stronger board confidence and public trust

CPRO-W² Module Overview

In Module 1, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), introduces the fundamentals of ERM as a tool to align utility-wide risks with decision-making and organizational goals. Module 2 fast tracks operations competency with the streamlined technical essentials every risk manager should know about Water Treatment and Distribution and/or Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment. ​Module 3 dives deeply into the fundamentals of insurance and effective risk transfer.

Module 1 —  Enterprise Risk Management

Risk, Risk Management & Critical Infrastructure

Aerial view of a reservoir with a dam, surrounded by hills and a residential area with houses on slopes, under a clear blue sky.

Emergency Management, Business Continuity & Sustainability for Water Utilities

Construction workers working on underground pipeline installation along a trench, surrounded by construction tools, safety cones, and piping, with residential houses and greenery in the background.

Risk Management
Strategies

Industrial water treatment facility with large blue pipes and equipment in a spacious room.

Risk Identification and Analysis

Water tank next to a large lake or pond in Las Virgenes, California

Risk Management Selection, Implementation & Monitoring

Coachella Canal Construction

Module 2a — Water Treatment and Distribution

Public Water
Systems

Man in an underground tunnel on a ladder

Water Quality, Characteristics
and Treatment

Two women on a lakeshore, one standing with a pole and the other kneeling, handling a water sampling device with a cooler nearby, under a partly cloudy sky.

Drinking Water
Conveyance

Water treatment AMS pool

Water Monitoring

Water takes at blue diamond placer county agency surrounded by fencing

Water Treatment Infrastructure & Energy Conservation

Group of people observing large industrial water pump machinery in a utility facility.

Hydraulics and Flow Measurement

Industrial water treatment facility with large white pipes and machinery in a spacious, well-lit room.

Plant Safety and Security

A man wearing a safety helmet and orange safety vest standing with arms crossed next to a fire fighting water pump on a grassy field. The sky is partly cloudy.

Module 2b — Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment

Wastewater Sources

Olivenhain Dam Construction 2023© Photo Courtesy of San Diego County Water Authority.

Wastewater Characteristics

Pump System Las Virgenes- 2023© Photo Courtesy of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

Wastewater Systems

Aerial image of the a public water system

Wastewater Treatment

Water discharge gates at a water treatment or distribution facility with controlled flow of water

Plant Safety and Security

water intake structure being lowered into large water supply

Module 3 — Insurance Essentials

Introduction to Insurance

Remains of a burned building with charred debris, burnt trees in the background, and water on the ground, indicating a recent fire.

Property Insurance

Two construction workers wearing white safety helmets and reflective vests inspecting a construction site. One worker is holding a yellow clipboard and looking down, while the other is looking at the site with his hands on his hips.

General Liability Insurance

Utility room with damaged equipment, scattered debris, broken insulation, and wires, indicating fire or water damage.

Public Officials and Management Liability

Seven men standing behind a large industrial pipe or valve outdoors in a dirt area, posing for a photo.

Business Auto and Other Miscellaneous Insurance

A large yellow John Deere snowplow clearing snow on a winter landscape with snow-covered mountains and trees in the background.

The CPRO-W² Advisory Board

The Advisory Board informs the strategic direction of the CPRO-W² designation. 

A photo of Gordon Graham, a smiling man with gray hair, a gray mustache, glasses, wearing a dark suit, blue shirt, and tie.

Gordon Graham, MS, JD, CPRO-W²
Chair of the CPRO-W² Advisory Board

“The CPRO-W² designation and learning series delivers an important knowledge platform and goes further than any other profession-specific risk management curriculum I’ve encountered.”

Vladimir Bessarabov, East Bay Municipal Utility District

Vladimir Bessarabov
East Bay Municipal Utility District  

Seth Cole, Alliant Insurance Services 

Seth Cole
Alliant Insurance Services 

Benson Hua, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission  

Benson Hua
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Matthew Ries, PhD, DC Water 

Matthew Ries
PhD, DC Water 

Taylor Winchell, Denver Water 

Taylor Winchell
Denver Water 

A middle-aged man with white hair and a beard, wearing glasses, a light gray suit, white shirt, and red tie, smiling at the camera.

Timothy Worley
PhD, Ortega Strategies Group 

Renée Willette, US Water Alliance  

Renée Willette
US Water Alliance  

Sign Up Today 

Sign up to be notified when registration for the next cohort opens in 2026. 

Certification badge for a Certified Public Risk Officer Water & Wastewater, part of the American Water Distribution & Management Series, featuring a book icon.
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