Now in its 10th year, the World Water-Tech North America Summit returned to Los Angeles last month (September 28-29) to drive innovation, investment and collaboration in the North American water industry.
The event was hosted in-person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, but was also accessible virtually. The summit, which is primarily attendended by water industry leaders and executives, provided a platform for high-level discussion, networking, and deal making. It welcomed 265 delegates and 88 speakers, of which the majority were CEO’s from the water technology and utility sectors.
With two days of in-person sessions and networking including panel debates, roundtables, fireside chats, start-up and utility innovation pitches, and 1-1 networking, plus an online summit platform extending access around the globe, the summit facilitated knowledge exchange, high-value connections and long-lasting business relationships to move the water industry forward.
Key themes
Sustainable management of freshwater resources is now more important than ever before. However, the combined challenges of population growth, ageing infrastructure and climate change pose serious hurdles.
Most agree that technology and innovation are key to overcoming these challenges and building a resilient and equitable water sector that can provide for the long term needs of people, business and industry.
Some of the key themes at this year’s summit were water reuse, emerging technologies such as AI and big data, and decarbonisation. There was also a strong emphasis on collaboration, such as the One Water Movement which aims to bridge silos and strengthen partnerships within the industry and beyond.
A running theme throughout the conference was finding ways to address drought and water scarcity. North America, and indeed much of the world, is experiencing record-breaking heatwaves and droughts as a result of climate change. These extreme weather events are reducing quantities of surface water and forcing many decision-makers to explore new and alternative methods to water provision.
“We’re facing the worst drought in our history. We depend on water sources from the Sierras, Northern California, and the Colorado River and they are in the worst conditions we have seen,” said Adel Hagekhalil, Chief Executive & General Manager, for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, from the summit stage. “For me that’s a crisis, but what comes out of a crisis is an opportunity to transform our future to make sure we adapt to climate change and are resilient, no matter what the water conditions are.”
Making the most of these opportunities is critical if we are to secure sustainable water supplies for current and future generations – which is what the World Water-Tech summit is all about.
If you missed this year’s event, the World Water-Tech North America Summit returns to Los Angeles on October 25-26 2023, with the World Water-Tech Innovation Summit coming to London on February 21-22 2023.
