2023 Next Generation Water Summit
Thursday, June 15 - Friday, June 16
9:00 am to 5:00pm MT
David Sedlak
Author & Professor, UC Berkeley
Grim news reports—of empty reservoirs, withering crops, failing ecosystems—need not be cause for despair, argues award-winning author David Sedlak. Sedlak identifies the challenges that society faces, including ineffective policies and outdated infrastructure, and the myriad of tools at our disposal—from emerging technologies in desalination to innovations for recycling wastewater and capturing more of the water that falls on fields and cities. He offers an informed and hopeful approach for rethinking our assumptions about the way that water is managed. With this knowledge we can create a future with clean, abundant, and affordable water for all.
Gab Smith
Jonah Schein
National Program Manager, EPA WaterSense
Laureen Blissard
Technical Director, Green Builder Coalition
Lindsay Rogers - Moderator
Policy Manager for Municipal Conservation, Western Resource Advocates
Carlos Bustos
Water Conservation Program Manager, ABCWUA
This session reviews approaches in Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico to accelerate water-wise landscaping transformation. From legislative wins to community turfgrass mapping efforts to robust incentive programs, speakers will discuss their progress thus far, challenges along the way, and new opportunities to explore as the West transitions away from non-functional cool season turfgrass and towards native and drought-tolerant plants and grasses.
Michelle Maddaus
Civil Engineer, Maddaus Water Management
Paul Bishop
President and CEO, WPI
Modular, Adaptive, and Decentralized (MAD) water infrastructure uses novel technologies and practices to produce, transport, and store clean water in the absence of - or alongside - existing centralized water infrastructure. This session outlines the potential for next-gen MAD rainwater harvesting to address water challenges.
Gary Klein
President, Gary Klein & Associates
Reflecting on his journey into the field of water conservation and efficiency, Gary Klein draws inspiration from experiences in Lesotho, the California Energy Commission, and others. In many parts of the world, water conservation is driven by necessity not by desire. Yet across the United States, millions of gallons of water and BTUs of energy are lost due to structural and behavioral waste. Gary offers a retrospective on how he became interested in the potential for a more water efficient future.
Christoph Lohr
Vice President of Technical Services and Research, IAPMO
Right-sizing of water systems offers the opportunity to promote water conservation, energy reduction, while lowering construction costs and potentially improving water quality. In this presentation, we will provide a broad base overview of the benefits of right-sizing water systems via the Water Demand Calculator, and then focus on the water and energy savings available by right-sizing by looking at a variety of prototype buildings, and place right-sizing in the greater context of water conservation measures.
Darrell Lehman
President, Triconic LLC
This session will guide Regulatory and Government Agencies, Utilities, and building stakeholders through a transformative journey from theoretical frameworks to actionable, practical solutions in water efficiency compliance. Lehman will emphasize the ease of implementing water efficiency certifications and interlace innovative approaches from Triconic with broader goals of enhancing energy and water efficiency compliance. The session bridges the gap between generic regulations and nuanced requirements in modern homebuilding, advocating for innovation.
Darrin Polhemus
Deputy Director, California State Water Resources Control Board
What do you need to consider when planning to regulate the treatment of wastewater for delivery as safe drinking water? We will review the steps California took in adopting its Direct Potable Reuse regulations and why this is an important part of a climate resilient water source for some California water systems.
Sarah Sojka
Associate Professor of Physics and Environmental Studies, Randolph College
Research on the water quality in rainwater harvesting systems often focuses on a single system, making broad conclusions about water quality and the effectiveness of water treatment difficult. Dr. Sojka will synthesize available research on the quality of harvested rainwater and available treatment techniques for potable water. The presentation will examine pre-tank treatment, in-tank processes, and post-tank treatment. The findings from the scientific literature will be compared to potable rainwater harvesting guidelines and key gaps in the available research will be identified.
Mike Collignon
Executive Director, Green Builder Coalition
Communities throughout the United States are grappling with an affordable housing crisis, prompting various responses such as new construction, in-fill projects, or repurposing existing buildings. Amidst these developments, concerns about water supply persist, particularly in Western regions. With projected temperature increases and droughts over the next few decades, communities are understandably cautious about land use decisions. Join this session to gain valuable insights into comprehensive water rating data that can play a crucial role in informing growth plans and assisting builders in persuading communities to embrace growth while addressing water sustainability concerns.
Jonah Schein
National Program Manager, EPA WaterSense
Christoph Lohr
Vice President of Technical Services and Research, IAPMO
Right-sizing of water systems offers the opportunity to promote water conservation, energy reduction, while lowering construction costs and potentially improving water quality. In this presentation, we will provide a broad base overview of the benefits of right-sizing water systems via the Water Demand Calculator, and then focus on the water and energy savings available by right-sizing by looking at a variety of prototype buildings, and place right-sizing in the greater context of water conservation measures.
Victoria Edwards
Founder & CEO, FIDO Tech Ltd.
Adam DeHeer
Co-founder & CEO, LeapFrog Design
Shayla Woodhouse
Project Engineer, Biohabitats
Net Zero water is possible in commercial establishments. This presentation will highlight a few projects that have achieved this ambitious goal and discuss the challenges in meeting this goal and what will take to move forward with Net Zero in the Southwest.
Adam DeHeer
Co-founder & CEO, LeapFrog Design
Christine Chavez
Water Conservation Manager, City of Santa Fe