2023 Next Generation Water Summit
Thursday, June 15 - Friday, June 16
9:00 am to 5:00pm MT
David Sedlak
Author & Professor, UC Berkeley
Location: Room 307
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 Sedlak identifies the challenges that society faces, including ineffective policies and outdated infrastructure, and the myriad of tools at our disposal—from emerging technologies in desalination to innovations for recycling wastewater and capturing more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.
Lauren Forbes - Moderator
Founder, Cactus Rain, LLC
Patrick Thomson
Senior Research Associate, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Location: Room 307
Population growth, climate change, and geopolitical uncertainty challenge our modern notion of water security and threaten the centralized water systems that produced transformative impacts on public health and economic development in the 19th and 20th centuries. Dr. Thomson proposes Modular, Adaptive, and Decentralized (MAD) Water as a framework for considering how novel technologies and practices can be harnessed to provide drinking water in the absence of - or alongside - existing centralized water infrastructure in the 21st century.
Michelle Maddaus
Civil Engineer, Maddaus Water Management
Doug Pushard - Moderator
Founder, KUELwater
Location: Room 307
Water use in the commercial sector is significant in most communities and in some cases is larger than the residential water use sector, yet the commercial sector has been historically under- targeted by water conservation programs. The commercial sector is more diverse, more complex, and more complicated to calculate water savings. Additionally, there is no standardization or national accreditation for water professionals or communities interested in targeting this sector, and a lack of methodology for auditing commercial properties. This is changing. Learn in this presentation how our industry is changing to better address commercial water use.
Sarah Sojka
Associate Professor of Physics and Environmental Studies, Randolph College
Lauren Forbes - Moderator
Founder, Cactus Rain, LLC
Location: Room 317
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.
Gabe Smith
Technician to the School of Trades, Advanced Technologies, and Sustainability at SFCC
Patricio Pacheco - Moderator
Commercial Lead, City of Santa Fe Water Resources & Conservation
Location: Room 309
Greenhouses are increasingly common and yet little has been published of their water use. At Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), the 12,000 square-foot educational, commercial-scale greenhouse facility utilizes three Phyn Smart Water Meters as well as several temperature and moisture sensors to monitor water use. The greenhouse uses a mix of municipal water and rainwater in its operation. Smart meters measure water use of the different processes within the building. In this session you will learn about specific water use for growing, cooling, and cleaning in this greenhouse as well as the lessons learned by installing instrumentation to assist in managing a commercial-scale greenhouse.
Patricio Pacheco - Moderator
Commercial Lead, City of Santa Fe Water Resources & Conservation
Shayla Woodhouse
Project Engineer, Biohabitats
Location: Room 309
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 it will take to move forward with Net Zero in the Southwest.
Jonah Schein
National Program Manager, EPA WaterSense
Laureen Blissard
Technical Director, Green Builder Coalition
Ryan Meres
Program Director, RESNET
Lauren Forbes - Moderator
Founder, Cactus Rain, LLC
Location: Room 317
Outdoor water use is typically the lion’s share of a residential property’s water usage. There are a few different approaches to analyze and/or project the water usage. This panel will walk through those various methodologies.
Adam DeHeer
Co-founder & CEO, LeapFrog Design
Kim Shanahan
Sustainability Consultant
Darrel McMaster
Owner, Sustainable Homes, Inc.
Mike Collignon - Moderator
Executive Director, Green Builder Coalition
Location: Room 309
There’s a lot of talk about the need for increasing residential water efficiency in new construction, but why don’t we see more of it in practice? Can voluntary programs motivate the market? Can we innovate our way out of the problem? Will effective change only arrive via new regulations? Join us for this lively and interactive discussion.
Lindsay Rogers - Moderator
Policy Manager for Municipal Conservation, Western Resource Advocates
Carlos Bustos
Water Conservation Program Manager, ABCWUA
Dr. Mike Bernardo, P.E.
Enterprise Conservation Division Manager, SNWA
Location: Room 317
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.
Jonah Schein
National Program Manager, EPA WaterSense
Jesse Roach
Director, City of Santa Fe Water
Location: Room 307
Providing homes with water requires a substantial amount of energy across the country. This means that there’s energy in every drop of water that comes out of the tap. Within new residential developments, builders have an opportunity to build homes that not only reduce the impact on water resources, but also minimize the energy use and carbon emissions associated with that water. This session will focus on a case study of more than 200 all-electric, solar-powered, WaterSense labeled homes in Menifee, California. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense program evaluated the impact that water savings will have on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from these communities compared to one comprised of typical new construction homes of similar size and location. This case study illustrates the impact that WaterSense labeled homes can have on energy and carbon emissions goals.
Mike Collignon - Moderator
Executive Director, Green Builder Coalition
Gary Klein
President, Gary Klein & Associates
Location: Room 307
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.
Michelle Maddaus
Civil Engineer, Maddaus Water Management
Paul Bishop
President and CEO, WPI
Mera Burton
Career Pathways Program Administrator, Santa Clara Valley Water District
Lauren Forbes - Moderator
Founder, Cactus Rain, LLC
Location: Room 307
The water industry offers a diverse range of career opportunities to deliver, clean, and renew our world's most essential resource - including engineers, tradespeople (plumbing, wastewater, and landscape), science and technical professionals, managers, and academic or government positions. For those passionate about water and its impact on society, this panel aims to identify career paths to lead sustainable water utilities into the future. The panel considers pipelines to connect high school and college students with future careers as water professionals, and offers approaches to workforce development that current leaders should use in future hiring, training, and retention efforts.
Adam DeHeer
Co-founder & CEO, LeapFrog Design
T.J. Cooley
Co-Founder & CEO, Namara
Andrew Crimston
Co-Founder & CEO of Washbox Global
Stacey Murphy - Moderator
Founder & CEO, Dreaming Earth
Location: Room 307
New water savings technology will be part of our future. The technology thus far has enabled us to grow in many communities over the last decade without increasing water supplies. This panel will introduce three new technologies that may fit into our water conservation strategies.
LeapFrog Design's EstuaryTM and CascadeTM are plant-powered ecological water treatment systems that leverage plants and microbes to clean water from sinks, showers, and washing machines for reuse in toilet flushing and irrigation.
Namara's revolutionary Smart Water Control System uses an AI-powered valve attached to your home’s water main so you can fluidly manage settings with a mobile app.
Washbox is the fully mobile tool wash system to improve sustainability and productivity on your construction site. Washbox is a tool wash system that uses its own recycled water to provide tool washing for ALL construction trades. Washbox captures the solids in its filter system for easy disposal and recycles the washwater for continuous use.
Darrell Lehman
President, Triconic LLC
Mike Collignon - Moderator
Executive Director, Green Builder Coalition
Location: Room 309
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.
Jesse Roach
Director, City of Santa Fe Water
Christine Chavez
Water Conservation Manager, City of Santa Fe
Carol Romero-Wirth
Santa Fe City Councilor
Rolf Schmidt-Petersen
Hydrologist
Location: Room 317
Water is a critical resource in New Mexico, and the state faces several challenges related to water security. New Mexico is actively addressing water challenges through planning, conservation, and resilience initiatives. Ensuring water security is crucial for the state’s future well-being and sustainability.
Doug Pushard - Moderator
Founder, KUELwater
Christoph Lohr
Vice President of Technical Services and Research, IAPMO
Location: Room 307
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.
Ron Burke
President, AWE
Miles Conway
Location: Room 309
Claudia Borchert
Bureau Chief of New Mexico Environment Department
Darrin Polhemus
Deputy Director, California State Water Resources Control Board
Location: Room 307
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.
Mike Collignon - Moderator
Executive Director, Green Builder Coalition
Marco Lueras - Moderator
Co-Founder & Executive Director, New Mexico Conservation Alliance
Location: Room 307
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 use projections that can play a crucial role in informing growth plans and assisting builders in persuading communities to embrace growth while addressing water sustainability concerns.
Mike Collignon - Moderator
Executive Director, Green Builder Coalition
Doug Pushard - Moderator
Founder, KUELwater
Glenn Schiffbauer
Executive Director, Santa Fe Chapter of the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce
Location: Room 307
In this closing plenary, the Summit co-founders will recap the key takeaways from the 2024 Summit and solicit input for the 2025 NGWS.
Christine Chavez
Water Conservation Manager, City of Santa Fe
Katherine (Rin) Tara
Staff Attorney & Water Policy Analyst, UNM
Location: Room 317
We can use the tools of the past to prepare for increased water scarcity in the future. Rin Tara, staff attorney at the Utton Center, will cover the span of water management in the state beginning in the 1300s, traveling through eras of indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and eventually United States water management principles. Tara discusses the use of principles embedded in the cultural history of New Mexico and some thinking outside the limitations of current management frameworks to address anticipated water shortages in New Mexico resulting from anthropogenic climate change.
Christine Chavez
Water Conservation Manager, City of Santa Fe
Sara Fox PE
Senior Water Planner, NM Interstate Stream Commission
Location: Room 317
Water shortages in New Mexico, spurred by climate change, are a pressing challenge in New Mexico; stream flows and groundwater levels are decreasing, while water usage continues to rise. New Mexico is acting now to secure its water for the future through the Water Security Planning Act. This legislation, passed in 2023, aims to revitalize New Mexico’s regional water planning. This year, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission’s (NMISC) planning team is hosting a statewide open house series to listen and learn from communities across New Mexico. Visit mainstreamnm.org to learn more.
Glenn Schiffbauer
Executive Director, Santa Fe Chapter of the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce
Location: Room 317
An overview of the previous day's workshop that provided New Mexico citizens and policymakers with methods to access funding for water system improvements at the community level.
Mary Ann Dickinson
Founder, Dickinson Associates
Mike Collignon - Moderator
Executive Director, Green Builder Coalition
Christine Chavez
Water Conservation Manager, City of Santa Fe
Kevin McCusker
Community Affairs Manager, California Water Service Company
In water-scarce regions, the lack of availability of water supply often constrains the ability of communities to approve new residential and commercial development. A building moratorium has sometimes been declared in California communities and elsewhere. The City of Phoenix is now undergoing an evaluation of how new development can proceed in the face of Colorado River Basin shortages. But a solution is at hand. Programs already exist -- and a template program called Net Blue can be deployed -- by communities wishing to require offsets to the new water demand that accompanies new development projects. These local offsets can be customized to local conditions and can thus make new development water-sustainable. This webinar will present various strategies that have been proposed and implemented in two case studies in New Mexico and California, and will provide access to free tools to help communities plan for water-neutral or even water-positive new development.