U.S. Water Alliance to Host 2014 One Water Leadership Summit

Shifting the paradigm to one water management, the U.S. Water Alliance will hold the 5th annual One Water Leadership (OWL) Summit, in Kansas City, Mo., Sept.15-17. The summit will look at the ways water unites and ways its many silos can be united. As a focal point for the national dialogue on resource recovery and green infrastructure, the OWL Summit has been driving the notion of water as an integrating strategy for the urban environment. “Innovation springs from collaboration,” explained Ben Grumbles, president of the U.S. Water Alliance, “so the more we connect leaders from all regions and aspects of the water cycle, the bluer America's water future will be."

Spotlight community panels will feature cross-agency, cross-department, community and business leaders to share their models of creative integration and innovation. Multi-disciplinary and geographically diverse presentations will demonstrate the flexibility of green infrastructure to serve a multitude of needs. Spotlights will focus on Cape Cod, Mass.; the Edwards Aquifer, Texas; and the Upper Neuse River Basin, N.C. Strategic Sidebar Conversations will allow those at the cutting edge to compare notes and tackle obstacles. Water Table discussions will shed light on emerging opportunities and challenges. The Honorable Sly James, Mayor of Kansas City, Mo., will open the event at 2 pm on Monday, Sept. 15. The Cindy Wallis-Lage, president of Water Business, Black & Veatch, will serve as a keynote speaker, Tuesday, Sept.16.

Attendees, presenters and sponsors reflect the broad scope of stakeholders needed to rethink and renew our cities with resource recovery and green infrastructure.  “Public, private, non-profit, they’ve all come together to support this Summit,” described Dick Champion. “These leaders understand the necessity of these dialogues, these models, to move us toward water sustainability that is all the more challenging in a changing climate.” Champion is the chair of the U.S. Water Alliance’s 36 member Board of Directors representing a broad cross-section of interests that have come together to holistic, watershed solutions. The Summit is sponsored by Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City Water Services, Black & Veatch, Cardno ENTRIX, CH2M Hill, CDM Smith, L.A. Bureau of Sanitation, Grundfos, The Conservation Fund, URS Corp. and NACWA.

Conference partnership organizations include Alliance for Water Efficiency, American Rainwater Catchment Systems Assn., Cape Cod Commission, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Heartland Conservation Alliance, Kansas State University Urban Water Institute, The Conservation Fund, The Trust for Public Land, The Water Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Water & Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Assn.

Source: U.S. Water Alliance