Orange County launches AI training course for water professionals

A coalition of Orange County agencies has launched what it calls the nation’s first online education program focused on artificial intelligence for water professionals, aimed at modernizing water utility management and strengthening workforce readiness. The new course, AI for Water Management Professionals, is a collaboration between the California Data Collaborative, CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County (CLAOC), Moulton Niguel Water District, and the University of California Irvine Division of Continuing Education.

Funded through a California Jobs First grant awarded to CLAOC, the program introduces real-world applications of AI across water operations, conservation, infrastructure planning, and customer service. The course is designed to help drinking water and wastewater professionals adapt to emerging technologies while supporting long-term workforce development in a critical infrastructure sector.

“This is exactly the kind of historic, forward-looking investment California Jobs First was designed to support,” said Derek Kirk, Senior Advisor for Economic Policy at the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development, in a press release. “It demonstrates how strategic public funding can unlock innovation, strengthen regional economies, and build durable talent pipelines in sectors that are essential to California’s future.”

The online program includes weekly live sessions with industry subject matter experts and was developed collaboratively by partner agencies to be hands-on and accessible for working professionals. Grant funding will support training for 75 Orange County water professionals, with enrollment open through the first half of 2026. Organizers say the initiative positions Orange County as a leader in applying AI to drinking water and utility management while helping ensure resilient, future-ready water systems.