2020 Fall Virtual Conference Preview

World Water Week, EPA/ASDWA, WOW, Water+COVID19, WateReuse, Collaborate, NRWA WaterPro, AWWA, GWPC, WEFTEC & AWRA NRCS!

The Fall Water Conference Season - now gone virtual - is kicking off this week with Stockholm's World Water Week - now #WWWAtHome!

Whether you're new to water or have several decades of experience, this year's virtual events provide a unique opportunity to try a new conference, as well as to see your old favorites in a new way. Below are links to several major annual water events that are being offered online, with links and a short preview. Some are free while others are offering Early Bird rates if you register soon!

Stockholm's World Water Week At Home (Virtual and FREE) Mon-Fri Aug. 24-28

The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) World Water Week (WWW) has long been a high-prestige event for water professionals, especially those taking a global perspective and who want to be seen as global thought leaders. It's distance and the expense of this city and registration fees typically add to the prestige of this event, and organizations

Started in 1991 as a combination symposium, prize, and festival designed to attract tourists to the Stockholm, Sweden, this event is now billed as a "collaborative learning experience, providing a unique forum and opportunity to facilitate the exchange of views, experiences, and practices between the scientific, business, policy and civil society." With its hard-to-reach location, this event has served somewhat as a retreat (for 4000 people!), providing greater opportunities to connect and collaborate in ways that a typical rush-rush industry or large professional association event rarely does.

While the full conference has been postponed to 2021, SIWI provided presenters with the option of convening their own virtual sessions. The SIWI hosts have kept their involvement fairly minimal for this FREE event - leaving it up to the individual session conveners to handle their own session promotion and registration. The General Sessions are being posted on the SIWI Facebook Page - for everything else, you have to register for each session separately to access the Zoom Links. Some of these sessions look particulalry cool - such as the "Swedish Fish Tank" (the SWSI spin on Shark Tank) hosted by Imagine H2O.

CLICK HERE for more information on SIWI WWWeek At Home

EPA Drinking Water Workshop (with ASDWA): Small Systems Challenges & Solutions (FREE) Mon-Thu Aug 31-Sept 3

Offered free by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in conjunction with the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), this 17th Annual Event - now offered online - focuses on the issues of Small Drinking Water Systems.

Started in 2004 by EPA's Office of Water and Office of Research and Development, this training workshop was designed to support smaller water systems - which have fewer staff who may perform mutliple roles.

This year's in-depth training focuses on sanitary surveys, corrosion control treatment, distribution systems and treament models training, with technical breakout focus group discussion sessions for "primacy" agency staff (i.e. staff responsible for implementing EPA regulations) and commication and outreach focus group discussions for all attendees - with virtual networking opportunities and an opportunity to reach a larger audience (including for staff from rural and economically disadvantaged systems which may have smaller budgets for travel & training!)

CLICK HERE to Register for the EPA Small Drinking Water Systems Workshop

Women Of Water (WOW) Leadership Circles Wed Sept 2, 8-10PM ET/5-8pm PT OR Wed Sept 16, 8-10PM ET/5-8pm PT

WaterCitizen is once again bringing back our Online Women of Water Leaderhip Circles - with two new dates! These sessions are offered live online to bring together women from a variety of disciplines, organizations, and locations for an intensive personal and professional development "facilitated peer networking" event featuring our "hotseat" brainstorming sessions. Please be sure to arrive on time (or a few minutes early), away from distractions, be able to fully participate (no driving please), stay the whole time, and "play full out" with your camera on! Limited spaces available - use the same link to register for either date!

CLICK HERE to Register for the Women Of Water (WOW) Leadership Circle

Water+COVID19: Your Home+Health Encore Event Fri-Mon Sep 4-7

Shortly after the COVID19 Shutdown began, WaterCitizen interviewed 30 of the top experts on water, healthcare, selfcare, homecare, and community care on how YOU - the WaterCitizen - can protect yourself, your home and family, and your home community (including your hometown rivers. Program includes:

• Day One: Healthcare with top Pandemic, hydration and home health experts on how staying hydrated improves your immunity, brain function and mood, and other steps you can take to protect health for yourself and your loved ones at home (including "vulnerable populations" and COVID survivors)!
• Day Two: Selfcare with top Coaches on everything from how to set up an ergonomically correct home office (save your back!) to how to manage your mindset to understanding our spiritual connection with water - don't miss these speakers!
• Day Three: Homecare with experts on how to keep your home sanitized and COVID-free, as well as how to understand your own home water systems (with DIYPlumbingAdvice.Com's Greg Chick and Xylem's Susan O'Grady). You'll also hear from the Water Access Report Principal Investigator Stephen Gasteyer and other experts on the importance of working water systems at home (and the correlation of COVID hotspots with areas lacking Water Access, including the Navajo Nation) and how what we put down the drain and flush down our toilets impacts our water systems!
• Day Four: CommunityCare with several powerful presentations on water in our communities including how COVID impacts how we care for our hometown rivers and homeless in our communities.

Also don't miss the closing panel discussion on how the racial disparities of impact from COVID19 (exacerbated by issues with environmental equity - access to clean, safe water, homes with good plumbing, jobs that can be performed at home, environmental equity issues and other impacts of systemic racism) show up in the Water Workforce, and what steps the Water Community can and must take to acknowledge the links to water and the water workforce and how we can do better in the future. (Day Four also includes s a fantastic workshop by Resilence Expert Lisa Frost.)

Speakers who may be familiar names in the Water World (or should be) include Nancy Stoner, David St. Pierre, Andy Kricun, Rob Zimmerman, JoAnn Armenta, Greg Chick, Stephen Gasteyer, Doniece Sandoval, Dennis Chestnut, and Dr. Debbie Chen

All presentations are avaiable FREE all day on the release dates OR purchase a Lifetime Access Pass for a nominal amount (proceeds support the 501(c)3 WaterCitizen Foundation for research and educational programs to support the people who make up the Water Community).

Sign Up TODAY for Water+COVID19: Your Home+Health

Secrets of the Virtual Water Conference Summit & Challenge Wed-Fri Sept 9-11

Who's got the BEST Virtual Water Conference?

Right now, WaterCitizen is reaching out to Leaders of Water Industry, Agency, and Professional Associations as well as Universities and other Water Event Conveners with virtual events coming up - as well as those who held events this summer - to talk about the challenges and opportunities of going online - and share their top secret for how they are making their event the BEST VIRTUAL WATER CONFERENCE EVER!

Sign up NOW for this upcoming event!

Each day of the event will also include a "Challenge" - steps you can take so that YOU increase registrations, engagement, and RESULTS for your audience, speakers, members, sponsors & exhibitors, and whomever it is YOU serve online - as a speaker or a host!

If you'd like to be featured in this event, sign up at calendly.com/drcatshrier and tell us about your virtual water event (past or future) and what you've done to make your event THE BEST VIRTUAL WATER EVENT EVER!!!

WateReuse Symposium Mon-Wed Sept 14-16

Often one of the most innovative and stimulating of water conferences, this 35th annual event brings together those cutting-edge water utiities and agencies who are bringing water reuse and water recycling to our water supplies - along with consultants, researchers and other water reuse professionals and organizations. With climate change and other issues impacting water supplies, and new technologies bringing down the cost, more water providers are adopting water reuse.

Since public and policymaker perception is often a critical component of approval of water reuse projects, this organization also features some of the best presentation on communications, outreach, and marketing of water projects, policies & processes.

This year, the WateReuse Association is using a virtual event platform - including a virtual networking lounge - to bring together attendees, speakers and sponsors during COVID19 at this year's event, which focuses on "the dramatic expansion of water recycling as it becomes a south-after solution for a range of water management challenges

CLICK HERE for more on the 35th Annual WateReuse Symposium

NRWA WaterPro Conference Sept 14-16, 2020

Another great event for rural water organizations is the National Rural Water Association's WaterPro Conference - offered virtually this year for FREE!

With its affiliated state rural water associations, NRWA is the alrgest water and wastewater utiltiy membership organization in the US - including many smaller water providers who may get a little lost at other industry associations (where the big city water providers - which have high-dollar membership - may sometimes dominate the discussion and direction of the organizations).

While WaterCitizen has yet to cover a WaterPro Conference, we have been to the NRWA Capitol Hill "Fly-In", which includes one of the best water tasting conferences! This is a great group of folks - if you're interested in rural water issues, as well as in groundwater and small towns and economically-disadvantaged communities (which often have similar challenges), this is an event worth checking out! FREE with pre-registration required!

CLICK HERE for the NRWA's WaterPro Conference

COLLABORATE Virtual Networking Event & Conference Fri-Sun Sept 18-20

Want to learn how to Network and form Joint Ventures Partnerships ONLINE? Since 2013, the Joint Ventures Insiders Circle has brought together experts, speakers, authors, and coaches to create "win-win-win" opportunities for their JV partners and clients. This year, JVIC has created a new online event called COLLABORATE which provides extensive opportunities for structured networking in small groups on Zoom - over a dozen breakouts in 3 days!

This event also trains you on how to create online program names and online offers, and includes a "Shark Attack" event featuring some of the top names in the online education & coaching space.

While this event isn't focused on water experts, it WILL get you more comfortable with using Zoom, introducing yourself and connecting quickly at networking events - and is a great example for event hosts to consider on how to host a FUN, HIGH-ENERGY EVENT - with skilled hosts who create a TON of audience engagement WITHOUT a lot of fancy platforms and other expensive technology.

CLICK HERE for the JVIC COLLABORATE Event

AWWA Virtual Summit Wed-Thu Sept 23-24

Typically held in June, the American Water Works Association's Annual Conference & Exposition is typically one of the two largest North American water events of the year (approx. 12,000 attendees) bringing together water utilities and agencies, consultants and researchers on a wide range of topics related to drinking water.

This Fall, AWWA is offering a shorter "Virtual Summit" with Keynote Speaker Dr. Hakeen Oluseyi (TED Speaker, Global Science Educator & Activist) and 50+ sessions on Tranforming Utility Management; Strengthening Public Trust; Innovation & Technology/Smart Water; Advances in Water Treatment; Water Quality: Contaminents of Concern; and Sustainable Water Future.

Using a Virtual Platform, AWWA promises that their Virtual Summit will provide opportunities for

• Education (short, engaging sessions delivered by subject matter experts on today's most relevant water sector topics);
• Innovation (content-rich sessions and opportunities to connect with sponsors and fellow attendees in the summit's interactive virtual environment) and
• Exchange with peers ONLINE.

Early Bird Special Extended to Sept 11!

CLICK HERE for the AWWA Virtual Summit

GWPC Virtual Annual Forum Wed-Thu Sept 23-24

If ground water is your interest, check out the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) Virtual Annual Forum. As the association of state regulatory agencies responsible for protecting and conserving ground water resources, this association focuses on source water and the various "classes" of the EPA Underground Injection Control (UIC) designed to protect underground sources of drinking water.

In addition to sessions on several national issues involving groundwater, the virtual event includes "morning grind" discussions that focus on specific UIC Classes including including Class II (Oil & Gas related), Class VI (Carbon Sequestration), as well as Class V (non-hazardous injection including Aquifer Storage Recovery and Aquifer Recharge), and National Groundwater Monitoring Network.

CLICK HERE for GWPC Virtual Annual Forum

WEFTEC Connect Mon-Fri Oct 5-9

At 20,000 attendees per year, the Water Environment Federation Technical Exposition and Conference (WEFTEC) is typically the largest water quality event in North America, drawing a wide range of agencies, consultants, equipment manufacturers, researchers and others involved a wide range of topics related to water quality protection and treatment including municipal wastewater and recycling to stormwater management and innovative water treatment technologies. WEFTEC decided fairly early to move their meeting online - and probably has the best "sizzle reel" video of the virtual conferences.

Presented as a full 5-day event, WEFTEC Connect offers "a mixture of real-time, interactive scheduled learning events, more than 400 On-Demand technical presentations, and many different opportunities to network with each otehr, presenters, and exhibitors. Supersaver rate still available until Friday August 28th.

CLICK HERE for WEFTEC Connect

AWRA National Capital Region Annual Symposium Fri Oct 9

The American Water Resources Association is unique in that is brings together all water-related disciplines, all water-related industries and places to work (utilities, agencies, consulting firms, universities, research institutes, waterpreneurs) for intelligent discussions on water issues, research and case studies.

This is the only region or section event to make our list (although the National AWRA Annual Conference, which isn't being held until November 9-11, is also excellent and also being converted to a virtual format). The National Capital Region Section is unique in that it includes many members who work for federal agences and federal contractors - as well as members from the many embassies and consulates and large "non-governmental organization" nonprofits with headquarters or major offices located in the nation's capital - along with local water providers, agencies, nonprofits, universities in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. It's a local chapter with a national impact.

Originally scheduled for April 9th at the University of the District of Columbia (DC's only public university and the only Historically Black College or University with a Water Resources Research Institute), this was one of the first water conferences to be rescheduled to October 9th at the start of the COVID19 shutdown in the hopes of holding it live.

With a theme of "Water Management in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Digital Solutions & Smart Technology Applications," it seems particularly fitting that this event will be held online - providing opportunities for people across the country and around the world to join this event.

With only a nominal fee (which supports AWRA NCRS' fantastic work throughout the year), this is definitely one to include on your calendar!

CLICK HERE for the AWRA NCRS Annual Symposium

At this year's AWRA NRCS Annual Symposium, WaterCitizen's Dr. Cat Shrier & Changeleader Solutions' Ronnie "Tsunami" Gandiza (aka "the Tiki Techie") are excited to host:

"An Experiential Workshop for YOU (the Water Expert) to Create Your First Online Education and Engagement Program on Water."

This Workshop has been designed to be fun and interactive with extensive opportunities to answer questions and review your ideas at the end of the presentation SO THAT you can walk away with a plan for your own online educational water program!

We're preparing a Workbook you can use to follow along and write up your own ideas - CLICK HERE if you're planning to attend our Workshop so you can get the Workbook and other information to prepare for this Workshop - and don't forget to sign up for the AWRA NCRS Annual Symposium!

See you online!

Dr. Cat Shrier, WaterCitizen

PS: Got a Virtual Water Event coming up? Or did you host a Virtual Water Event this summer? Want to brag about ... I mean, talk about what you did to make this the BEST VIRTUAL WATER EVENT EVER?!?!? Could be a whole event, or just a session or workshop or talk - how did you attract and engage and serve your online audience to produce results? Book a time to talk about being featured on our upcoming Best Virtual Water Event Ever Summit & Challenge!