2026 US Water Week Press Conference

U.S. Water Week 2026: A National Water Strategy Grounded in Geospatial Intelligence

U.S. Water Week is the focal point for discussing the nation's most pressing water challenges, from scarcity in the Southwest to aging infrastructure nationwide. This press conference at The National Press Club brings together federal policymakers, industry leaders, and utility executives. A fundamental and recurring theme across these conversations is the critical, often invisible role of geospatial intelligence.

Every aspect of sustainable water management—from mapping and modeling water resources to identifying infrastructure vulnerabilities and optimizing investment—is derived from location-based data. The panels below demonstrate how high-level water policy is translated into actionable solutions, all of which are enabled by advancements in remote sensing, GIS, and spatial analytics. These briefings confirm that the path forward for national water resilience is intrinsically linked to the innovation and application of the geospatial industry.

Panel One: Federal Perspectives

Federal leaders provide insight into the legislative landscape shaping water policy, current and proposed federal actions influencing water scarcity, infrastructure investment, and regional resilience.

Jim Costa (CA), Greg Stanton (AZ)

Panel Two: The President’s Panel

Leaders from key water and public works organizations explore how policy priorities translate into action, focusing on aligning regulatory direction with utility needs and infrastructure planning.

Paul Schuler, Robert Garland, Denise Schmidt

Panel Three: Utility Leaders

Utility executives and nonprofit leaders share perspectives on navigating pressing water challenges, including climate pressures, aging infrastructure, and community engagement.

Cynthia Baughman, George Hawkins, OJ McFoy, Kendra Morris

Panel Four: Solution Providers

Industry innovators highlight technologies and partnerships transforming water infrastructure, including digitalization, trenchless technologies, and circular water strategies.

Chris Tynan, Slava Libman, Street Lee, Josh Mahan

Press Briefing Highlights

Panel One: Federal Perspectives

• Targeted legislative strategies to address acute water scarcity in highly stressed regions like the American Southwest and Central Valley.
• The real-world impact of recent federal infrastructure investments on large-scale regional water resilience projects.
• Navigating the complex hurdles of modernizing and funding legacy federal water systems.

Panel Two: The President’s Panel

• Strategies for bridging the gap between high-level federal regulatory mandates and the day-to-day realities of local utility operations.
• Actionable approaches to solving the water sector's looming workforce and knowledge-retention challenges.
• Aligning long-term capital infrastructure planning with rapidly evolving environmental policies.

Panel Three: Utility Leaders

• Balancing the urgent need for comprehensive infrastructure upgrades against the financial realities of ratepayer affordability.
• Utilizing transparent community engagement to build public trust and support for necessary, sustainable water initiatives.
• Adapting utility operations to withstand increasing climate pressures, shifting weather patterns, and supply unpredictability.

Panel Four: Solution Providers

• The critical role of digitalization, sensors, and spatial data in optimizing utility asset management and identifying vulnerabilities.
• Adopting advanced trenchless technologies and circular water strategies to maximize existing resources with minimal disruption.
• How strategic public-private partnerships are unlocking new funding models and accelerating innovation in legacy systems.