Overview
Craftwater plans and designs stormwater, watershed and flood projects for public works agencies, environmental groups, regulators and large companies. Its work joins three disciplines: water quality science that informs regulation, strategy that turns rules into practical implementation plans, and engineering that produces construction-ready designs. Typical projects capture urban runoff in parks and street medians, restore channels and lakes, plan local water supply and model flood risk, with most featured projects in Southern California. Agencies and other clients pay it under consulting contracts for studies, plans and design packages. Craftwater was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
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Simplify's take
What believers are saying
- Pasadena ranked its proposal first: a March 2026 staff report put Craftwater atop 11 on-call stormwater engineering proposers.
- Its footprint reaches beyond California: Craftwater lists Detroit and Washington, D.C. metro locations alongside San Diego, Orange County and Pasadena.
- Civil engineering graduates need no work experience: Craftwater's full-time, hybrid Pasadena Civil Design Assistant pays $70,000-$93,000 a year.
What critics are saying
- A top ranking guarantees no work: Pasadena competes each on-call project among five firms and funds them project by project.
- Licenses gate senior roles: Craftwater's hybrid Sr. Hydrology and Hydraulics Design Engineer, Pasadena or Orange County, requires California PE licensure.
- Hybrid is mostly in-office: Craftwater requires full-time Civil Design Assistants to report four times weekly to its Pasadena workspace.
What makes Craftwater unique
- Craftwater advises a major funder: it has guided LA County Public Works' Safe, Clean Water Program since the program began.
- Beyond design, Craftwater has supported San Diego's stormwater funding strategy and Think Blue public education campaign.
- Veteran ownership is certified: Craftwater holds federal service-disabled veteran-owned and California disabled veteran business certifications.
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