WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 23, 2013 -- The U.S. Water Alliance will convene the 4th annual One Water Leadership Summit (formerly called the Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference), in Los Angeles, on September 23-26, 2013. The Leadership Summit is focused on modeling one-water success through integration, capture, conservation, and reuse.
The One Water Leadership (OWL) Summit convenes the nation's innovators and decision makers in California's City of Angels, where water has shaped -- and will continue to shape -- the fate of local and regional communities, businesses, farms, and families, with ripple effects nationally and globally. In addition to featuring Southern California communities, three spotlights will shine on Atlanta, Ga.; Bend, Ore.; and, New Orleans, La. Each community will bring a team of leaders to describe their recent successes, ongoing challenges and emerging opportunities toward water sustainability with emphasis on green infrastructure, climate change adaptation and resource recovery.
Keynotes from national leaders, from U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. EPA, the National Wildlife Federation, and the private water and energy sectors will describe trends and priority solutions to integrating, adapting, and collaborating in an era of climate change and urban growth. New strategies and regulations on water reuse and stormwater management will also be explored. International perspectives and experiences will be shared to enrich the discussion as well.
"Integrated water management takes many shapes, seasons, and strategies to succeed," expounds Ben Grumbles, President, U.S. Water Alliance, "yet, every smart water manager says it's worth the journey, particularly as fiscal constraints, climate pressures, and development opportunities continue to mount."
This year's OWL Summit will also highlight the water-energy nexus, a key component of water sustainability, with leaders from varying sectors and regions underscoring the need to connect the dots, drops, and watts. Summit participants will learn from nationally-recognized leaders on the latest efforts regarding resource recovery, including nutrients, energy, water, and biosolids.
The Leadership Summit is large enough to attract an inter-disciplinary and geographically diverse audience (about 300 attendees) while small enough to engage all attendees in the discussions. There will be strategic sidebar sessions in small groups on key topics such as integrated planning, water finance, innovative technologies, and water quality trading and smaller rapid-fire round table discussions where participants can "surf" from one table to another to listen and learn about hot topics such as hydraulic fracturing and open competition for selecting pipe materials.
The city of L.A. will also host a "green bus tour" of inspiring local projects that embrace the "one water" theme which will culminate in a reception/barbeque at the Echo Lake Park Reclamation Project. The final day, September 26, will include an impressive focus on Los Angeles with water sustainability leaders and planners from the city and county and surrounding region. An exhibition of innovative green infrastructure and resource recovery businesses will also be on display.
The U.S. Water Alliance is able to provide affordable rates for participation in the OWL Summit, including discounts for nonprofit and municipal groups, because of generous sponsors that include, to date: Black & Veatch, CH2M Hill, CDM Smith, Community Conservation Solutions and InSinkErator.
For an agenda, and registration information, visit bit.ly/owlsummit or contact Lorraine Koss at 202.533.1819, or email [email protected].
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