How do you prepare for water challenges that may not emerge for decades? It’s a question utilities across the country are increasingly asking as they face population growth, aging infrastructure, climate variability, and changing water demands.
In a recent interview with Water Online, Carollo Project Manager Amber Wooten discussed the development of the 2025 Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan (OCWP), a statewide effort designed to evaluate Oklahoma’s water future over the next 50 years. She shared how the planning process brought together technical analysis, stakeholder collaboration, and long-term scenario planning to help communities better understand future water needs.
Looking Beyond Water Demand
According to Amber, forecasting future water needs requires much more than estimating how much water people will use.
“At its core, what we’re really looking to do with the OCWP is define 50-year water supply challenges and ways to address those challenges,” she explained.
The planning team began by estimating future water demand before evaluating each basin through four key questions: Will enough water be physically available? Is there legal access to use that water? Will the water meet quality needs? And does the necessary infrastructure exist to deliver and treat it?
Looking at water supply through these four lenses helped identify where future challenges may emerge and where proactive planning could make the greatest difference.
Building a Plan Through Collaboration
Technical data formed the foundation of the plan, but Amber says meaningful stakeholder engagement was equally important.
“Everyone from water utilities, public officials, environmental groups, economic development people, and tribal nations,” were asked to share their stories.
The project included more than 30 public meetings, along with workshops and smaller working groups, creating opportunities for communities across Oklahoma to share the water challenges they were experiencing and help shape the final plan.
Turning Data into Long-term Water Security Plans
One of the plan’s goals was to make its findings useful for utilities of all sizes, including smaller systems without dedicated planning staff.
To accomplish that, the project team developed publicly available dashboards that organize demand projections, water supply analyses, and recommended water management strategies.
“We go a step further,” Amber explained. “We look at areas where we see water struggles and offer strategies to address them.”
The dashboards evaluate approaches ranging from conservation and demand management to reuse and stormwater capture, helping utilities understand which strategies may be most effective within their basin before investing significant time and resources.
Planning for an Uncertain Future for Water Utilities
Long-term planning also means acknowledging uncertainty. As part of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan, the team is evaluating how different climate scenarios could affect future water supplies and demand.
“We’re really trying to provide a range for their planning,” Amber said.
Rather than predicting a single future, the analysis helps communities understand how hotter, drier conditions or changing growth patterns could influence when water supply strategies need to be implemented.
To hear more about the 2025 Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan and Amber Wooten’s insights on long-range water planning, watch the full interview below:
