The Future of Water: Western Challenges, National Implications, Innovative Solutions

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2027

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.

Attendee Check-in (continental breakfast available)

Session 1 – Water Tech & Innovation: Water’s Next Frontier and the Future of Supply
As water challenges grow more complex, new technologies are reshaping how the West thinks about supply, demand and resilience. This forward-looking panel will explore atmospheric water harvesting, the water demands and opportunities associated with data centers, and other emerging technologies that could transform the water sector. Speakers will separate genuine breakthroughs from hype, examining where innovation can deliver meaningful water benefits – and where it still faces technical, economic and public acceptance hurdles.

Session 2 – Water Tech & Innovation – Reuse: From Silicon to Tap Water
From silicon to tap water, wastewater is becoming one of the most valuable resources in the water toolbox. This moderated panel explores how semiconductor facilities are developing water reuse, how advanced water purification and emerging technologies are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and what it takes to build public trust in recycled water. Join the conversation on the innovations – and the mindset shifts – that could transform wastewater from waste into a reliable source of tomorrow’s water supply.

1:30 p.m.

Session 3 – Water Markets
The Prior Appropriations Doctrine in western water law (“First in time, first in right.”) presents the possibility of water markets or trading given that water rights are a kind of property right as well as the disparity between the cost of and benefits of water between different kinds of users, e.g., agriculture, municipal and industrial. This panel will discuss the current state of markets and their opportunities, challenges and trade-offs. A variety of perspectives will be presented to elucidate the benefits and the complexity of water markets.

3:15 p.m.

Session 4 – Augmentation and Water: Right Sizing It, Financing It, Where It Fits
The West needs more water – – where should we find it, how much should we add, and who should pay for it? This moderated panel explores the growing menu of water-augmentation projects, from new infrastructure to innovative approaches, and examines how communities can “right-size” investments to match realistic water needs, risks and costs. We’ll dig into the hardest question of all: how do we finance projects that are big enough to matter, and smart enough to make economic sense?

5:00 p.m.

Networking reception (off campus location)

8:30 a.m.

Session 5 – Managing in Uncertainty: The Colorado River Unfiltered: Lessons From the Last Two Years
In a candid round-robin conversation, Upper and Lower Basin representatives will take stock of the past two years on the Colorado River – what worked, what didn’t and where cooperation made a difference. Panelists will challenge each other’s assumptions and perspectives, exploring the decisions, compromises and missed opportunities that shaped the basin’s recent experience. The discussion will focus on what the basin has learned and, most importantly, which lessons should guide the difficult choices ahead.

10:15 a.m.

Session 6 – The West’s Water Future 50 Years From Now: Risks, Choices, and Solutions
The future of the West’s longer terms water needs is a moving target these days, given the area’s changing demographics, competing water demands, and increasing water supply challenges. This session will explore the future landscape of the West’s water future from a variety of key angles, including where supply-demand pressures are heading, the economics of water in the West’s future, key regulatory and policy implications driving the future of the West’s water, and moving towards a more resilient water platform of the West that addresses climate, drought and infrastructure resilience. The discussion will also focus on what decisions should water utility and sector leaders be making today to ensure their organizations remain resilient in a future, more water-challenged West?

12:00 p.m.

Adjourn