SUSTAINABILITY THINK TANK

Springs Preserve | Las Vegas, NV | September 21–23, 2022

 WATER It supports all life, sustains the
natural environment and undergirds

is the world’s national and local economies.

most vital
natural resource It grows food, transports goods,
and keeps communities
healthy and clean.

It is the common thread that stitches

together cultures and civilizations and
sews the natural tapestry around them.

Water also 6 In the next 30 years, the most salient

environmental and social issues will involve water:

faces an who has it, who does not, whether it is safe, whether
it is affordable and accessible, how it is managed
and by whom.

uncertain 6 Water issues will impact economies, shift

populations, and drive innovative technologies.

future 6 Water will be central to pivotal governance decisions,

intractable social debates, and climate initiatives.

But we are not powerless to create a

bright water future. With bold thinking
and collaboration, we can act to assure
a successful and sustainable future.

It is out of this reality that

Water 2050 was born.

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Water 2050
Water 2050 is a collaborative initiative to envision the future of water and chart a
course for future success and sustainability.
Under the leadership of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), this effort brings together diverse voices
to explore water’s long-term challenges and opportunities.

A central component of Sustainability

this journey is five intimate Technology
think tanks that examine Economics
water through the prism Governance
of these core drivers: Social / Demographics

At each gathering, a small group of influential thinkers

will engage in thoughtful, intentional discourse. They are
experts from within and outside of the water profession.
They are both experienced and emerging leaders and
represent diversity from many perspectives.

Their charge is to explore together what our

communities could look like in the year 2050, and
examine how water could be managed, accessed and
valued. Each collection of thought leaders is asked to
emerge with an actionable set of recommendations
and strategies that guides the water community
toward a future in which the world’s most vital
resource is affordable and accessible for everyone.

AWWA’s Role
AWWA is uniquely positioned to host the
Water 2050 conversation.
With 50,000 members from North America and over
90 countries, AWWA is the largest and oldest water
association in the world. Members represent the
full spectrum of the water community, including
utility professionals, consultants and manufacturers,
regulators, academics and many others involved in a
$500 billion industry worldwide.

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 Water 2050 Sustainability Think Tank
From Sept. 21-23, 2022, 24 influential thinkers
gathered for the Water 2050 Sustainability Think
Tank in one of the driest large cities in the world:
Las Vegas, Nevada.

As they arrived at the Springs Preserve cultural

institution, where spring water quenched the thirst of
Native Americans for thousands of years, the Colorado
River Basin was suffering the worst drought on record.
The water level in Lake Mead, the main water supply
for Las Vegas, had dropped nearly 150 feet since 2000.
Thanks to innovative conservation and efficiency
approaches by Southern Nevada Water Authority and
the Las Vegas Valley Water District, per capita water
use decreased by 47% over the past two decades.

While Water 2050 examines sustainability on a much

broader scale than the southwestern United States,
Las Vegas is a modern-day reminder of both the
challenges ahead and the innovative spirit of the water
community. It was the ideal site to focus thinking on
the issue of water sustainability. Water 2050 Think Tank Process
Participants at the Water 2050 Sustainability Think Tank
came together over three days to imagine the future of
water, and develop a set of recommended actions.

“If we’re not unsettled by what
we’re talking about, we’re not
being bold enough.”
They engaged in a series of facilitated small and
large group conversations, private reflection, and
panel discussions to identify and build upon common
themes. The group included highly respected voices
from the water and wastewater utility and consulting
community, agriculture, climate science, academia,
environmental advocacy, regulatory agencies, the
beverage industry and innovation incubation,
among others.

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Recommended Actions
Participants emerged with 10 recommended actions that can be grouped into four broad categories:
implement a new water utility paradigm, establish a climate resilient water future, define the value of water for
a new reality, and achieve circularity of water.

While the recommended actions are bold, participants considered them a starting point, a promising
foundation from which more detailed actions will emerge through future think tanks, scientific research and
other contributions to the Water 2050 initiative.

Category Recommended Actions

Implement a new water utility paradigm
1 Integrate management of drinking water, wastewater,
reuse and energy utilities.
2 Cultivate a new era of structured partnership with
agriculture and other major water users.
3 Shift to watershed-based thinking.

Establish a climate resilient water future 4 Reduce the water community’s impacts on climate
change through adaptive management.
5 Rapidly identify financing structures and funding
sources for resilient systems of the future.

Define the value of water for a new reality
6 Reframe the value of water to reflect the need to prepare
for a sustainable future.
7 Assure that equity and affordability are key
considerations in water infrastructure and resource
investments.
8 Achieve economies of scale of water systems through
consolidation and operational efficiencies.

Achieve circularity of water 9 Define and quantify a “net zero” water community.
10 Maximize efficiency through reuse, conservation, and
expanding collaboration with other sectors.

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 Focus Areas
Water 2050 Sustainability Think Tank participants self-selected into three focus
areas to initiate conversations.
The 10 recommended actions germinated in these areas and were nurtured through a series of discussions and
debates. They matured through an iterative process with engagement with all participants. Focus areas included:

1 2 3
Water resources planning Transforming triple bottom A water community
for a resilient planet in line sustainability through roadmap for the race to
2050 and beyond infrastructure solutions net-zero emissions

Focus Area 1
Water resources planning for a resilient planet in
2050 and beyond

Water resources planning is among the most

important functions of any community, region or
country, and is the cornerstone of a water utility’s
operational sustainability. Without sufficient
water resources, at the right times and in the right
condition, with appropriately matched infrastructure,
a utility simply cannot fulfill its core mission of
providing a safe, reliable water supply. While the
water community has a long history of anticipating
future demand based on population growth (or
decline), climate change is expected to exacerbate
resource challenges and alter population and water
demand in many places. The demand for water from
many sectors and geographies will also change. A
water resources planning strategy for 2050 needs
to be resilient, flexible and adaptative, employing a
wide portfolio of water sources to meet the needs
of today without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet the needs of tomorrow.

“We always have to be One

Water. There has to be a view
of one carbon.”

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Focus Areas
Focus Area 2
Transforming triple bottom line sustainability
through infrastructure solutions

“Triple Bottom Line” is a sustainability framework that

examines an organization’s social, environmental,
and economic impact. One of the largest capital
expenses and most visible parts of any water utility
is its infrastructure (natural and built). Decisions
about what, where and how to build have long-
lasting effects and impacts on others in the water
community and elsewhere. Today’s infrastructure
decisions will impact 2050 and decades beyond.
Similarly, those decisions made in 2050 will have
ramifications well into the 22nd century. This leads
to the question of whether business as usual is
sustainable. Is there a need for radical change in how
we plan, deploy, and manage infrastructure moving
forward to assure triple bottom line sustainability?

Focus Area 3
A water community roadmap for the race to net
zero emissions

Many organizations have touted lofty goals of

community-wide and even economy-wide transitions
to producing “net-zero” greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions over the coming decades, with 2050 often
as a target date. The goal is to reduce the impact on
the Earth’s climate from gases that trap heat in the
atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane and
nitrous oxide. However, progress in most sectors has
been modest and the pathways for reaching this goal
become less likely with each passing year. How can
the water community make a realistic commitment
to net-zero emissions by 2050, while collaborating
with and building off progress in other sectors?
Defining the water community’s role will be essential.
For example, would such a commitment apply only
to GHG emissions, or would it capture other forms
of waste in pursuit of a circular economy? Would
a commitment cover supply chain impacts, fleet
management, travel choices and other business
considerations? What are realistic timelines and
pathways to reach these goals?

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 Recommended Actions
from Sustainability Think Tank Participants

Implement a new water utility paradigm

1. Integrate management of drinking water, 3. Shift to watershed-based thinking
wastewater, reuse and energy utilities Watersheds are the cradle of irreplaceable
With rising sea levels and warming temperatures ecosystems, and they do not recognize human-
globally, the water community must not only achieve designated borders. The precious resources nurtured
a holistic “One Water” mindset, but it also must fully within watersheds, both above ground in streams
embrace energy production and emissions reduction and lakes and below the surface in aquifers, are
as integral to its work. One Water emphasizes that shared by urban and rural population centers,
all water is valuable, wherever it exists in the natural farming and industrial interests, recreationists and
or human-engineered cycle. In the words of the power producers. To assure healthy and sustainable
U.S. Water Alliance, water “should be managed in a watersheds, water providers must model and
sustainable, inclusive, integrated way.” The future advance a new way of thinking that recognizes the
calls for bold strategies that address emissions and shared benefits and limitations of watersheds. What
water comprehensively – a “one carbon” approach. exists within communities – and in some cases the
Complete or operational integration of water, existence of the communities themselves – depends
wastewater, reuse, stormwater and energy utilities on a common understanding of what each watershed
would allow managers to make decisions that better can support and the investments necessary to
consider how the water-energy nexus applies in protect it. Purposeful cross-sector and cross-
their communities. community collaboration at a watershed scale, led
by water utilities, will result in innovative water and
carbon management solutions. For example, water
2. Cultivate a new era of structured utilities can trade carbon credits with farmers within
the same watershed in order for both partners to
partnership with agriculture and other
meet emission reduction and water quality goals.
major water users
The World Bank estimates that agriculture already
accounts for 70% of all freshwater withdrawals
globally and that agricultural production will expand “Somehow, we need to raise
by approximately 70% by 2050. The water community
must cultivate a new era of collaboration with awareness to look at things at
farmers and ranchers and recognize the central role
they play in assuring safe and sustainable water.
a watershed level.”
Active engagement with organizations representing
agricultural leaders of the future – the Future
Farmers of America (FFA), for example – can lead
to collaborative approaches that protect water
quality and quantity while reducing GHG emissions.
While agriculture is a major water user, a successful
water future requires partnerships among many
other stakeholders. Commercial water users, power
plants, the construction sector and many others
need to be at the table to adequately solve water
sustainability challenges.

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Recommended Actions
from Sustainability Think Tank Participants
Establish a climate resilient water future
4. Reduce the water community’s impacts
on climate change through adaptive
management
The water community itself has a significant
carbon footprint. The future requires adaptive
water management that actively pursues efficiency
opportunities and evaluates the water community’s
direct and indirect impacts on climate change.
According to the United Nations Climate Action
Pathway report on water, water distribution and
wastewater collection, treatment, storage and
use account for an estimated 10 percent of GHG
emissions globally, exacerbating resource and
resilience challenges facing water managers. At
the same time, the water community should strive
for a better understanding of the cost of materials
and transport required to accomplish water
services from a carbon emission perspective. A
sustainable future calls for the development of
pathways to net-zero emissions through an “all
of the above” set of strategies: energy efficiency,
water efficiency, renewables (purchasing and/
or on-site development), energy recovery, reuse,
nutrient recovery, carbon trading and supply chain
evaluation. The water community must work closely
with partners such as energy utilities to reduce
emissions embodied in energy use and production.
Because many emission reduction opportunities are
embedded in infrastructure, a net-zero mindset will
need to heavily inform master planning.
5. Rapidly identify financing structures
and funding sources for resilient
systems of the future
Regardless of how innovative and efficient
our thinking might be, creating a resilient and
sustainable water sector requires a significant
investment. In modern history, North American
water rate-setting has been cost-based, and
revenues have not adequately covered clearly
needed near-term infrastructure investments,
much less the long-term impacts of warming
temperatures, intense weather events and dwindling
water supplies. Innovative financing approaches and
alternative financing structures are needed. While
increased support from government is critical, water
resilience can also be a key target for economic,
social and governance (ESG) investing in the
decades ahead.
“It’s hard to get all the
important stakeholders at
the table pulling in the same
direction. Until we do that, we’re
not going to get anywhere.”
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 Recommended Actions
from Sustainability Think Tank Participants

Define the value of water for a

new reality
6. Reframe the value of water to reflect the
need to prepare for a sustainable future
Even where water is priced to fully recover the cost
of service, it is rarely priced to reflect its true value.
That dynamic must change. For resources and
systems to be sustainable beyond 2050, the water
community must bring about a new appreciation of
the value of water resources, systems and services.
At no point does water stop being valuable, whether
it be groundwater, seawater, used water, storm
water, recycled water or drinking water. To achieve
community support for necessarily higher rates,
water utilities must actively promote the social and
environmental value of water management, such
preservation of native habitats, fishing at reservoirs,
pollution reduction and prevention, and community or
school-based education.
7. Assure that equity and affordability are key
considerations in water infrastructure and
resource investments
To achieve a sustainable water future, each water
utility must recover the cost of its services. A cost-
based approach to rate-setting, however, does not
naturally consider a customer’s ability to pay, nor
does it contemplate historical injustices that result in
inequitable services. Prior to the recent inflation spike
in the United States, increases in the price of water
had been outpacing the consumer price index for
many years. With prices higher for a broad swath of
consumer goods and services, an affordability crisis
is on the horizon.
assistance for food, the water community must
advocate for a steady stream of assistance for
water service.
Water infrastructure and services – like many
community investments – have not always been
equitably distributed among the population.
Discriminatory land use and zoning practices created
neighborhoods that suffer greater environmental
impacts from utility activity, more public health
concerns, less protection from natural disasters,
and lower quality services. The increased societal
awareness of these injustices provides an
opportunity to envision and execute future capital
projects and utility programs that solve multiple
community challenges. Clean and accessible water
and sufficient provisional services are critical for
community vitalization/revitalization. Diverse water
workforces that reflect the community makeup are
important in pursuing these changes. Recognizing
that safe and adequate water supplies are essential
for the health of every person in every community,
the water community must assure that everyone is
respected in allocating future resources.
8. Achieve economies of scale of water
systems through consolidation and
operational efficiencies
A reliable water supply is key to a population’s sense
of self-determination, and over many decades,
thousands upon thousands of communities have

The water community cannot forever address

this issue by simply building affordability into the
rate design through piecemeal programs. It must
find new approaches that do not compromise the
cost-based rate-making methodology but draw on
new and robust sources of funding for people who
cannot afford basic water services. In the same way
struggling households receive government

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cultivated independent water systems – more than
50,000 in the United States alone. The vast majority
“We can make more green
of water and wastewater systems are very small. energy, but we can’t make
They provide their critical services using expensive
plants, pipes and pumps that are operated by a limited more water.”
pool of professionals, and they spread the costs over
small populations. A sustainable water future requires
utility optimization and transformation and sharing
and leveraging resources, balancing the role of the
utility as a community leader with an integrated and
collaborative approach.

In the coming decades, successful water utilities will

maximize operational efficiencies, apply systems
thinking, and achieve economies of scale, within and
across utilities. Such a shift requires comprehensive
planning that transcends siloed thinking, exploration
of regional or national water plans, integration or
consolidation of utilities at the local level, and a new
level of cross-sector collaboration. Centralization of
operational and managerial functions can support
decentralized and right-sized treatment plants. The
pathway to 2050 will require an intentional approach
to system optimization, with actions prioritized by
their potential impact on long-term water quality and
availability, carbon emissions, and the resilience of
our communities, our environment, and our planet.

“Scalability of solutions is
essential. Small systems need
solutions in the same way big
systems do.”

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 Recommended Actions
from Sustainability Think Tank Participants
Achieve circularity of water
9. Define and quantify a “net-zero”
water community
The sustainability of water resources demands
a no-waste mentality. To overcome challenges
wrought by climate change, water utilities must
advance a circular water economy that transforms
existing waste streams into valuable resources. A
circular economy keeps materials, energy, products,
and services in circulation as long as possible,
recapturing what would traditionally be discarded.
For example, in an integrated One Water system,
energy from wastewater treatment might be captured
and used to power another treatment. Solutions will
need to be scalable for utilities of many sizes and
include metrics to quantify progress.
In the water community, the pathway to circularity
begins with clearly defining shared benchmarks
and metrics that quantify progress toward net-zero
operations. While general methodologies of GHG
emission evaluation exist, common tools to calculate
water-related emissions must be scalable to utilities
of all sizes and consider varying utility realities.
Innovators must identify long-term synergies across
utilities and throughout the supply chain – from
carbon trading to treating stored water as stored
energy. In addition to the operational and financial
efficiencies to be gained by utility integration, there
are opportunities to create partnerships, establish
incentives, and identify investors to enhance long-
term financial sustainability.
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10. Maximize efficiency through reuse,
conservation, and expanding
collaboration with other sectors
To optimize efficiency and sustainability, the water
community must normalize and incentivize a One
Water, integrated approach that can serve as an
example for other sectors. Such an effort requires
visionary identification of long-term synergies that
are unrealized in most communities. Alongside
regional and agricultural partners, the energy sector,
and other collaborators, each community should
assess a diverse portfolio of resource management,
infrastructure and treatment options, including
conservation, reuse, desalination, natural treatment
processes, water loss control and others, evaluating
them in light of both resource and emissions goals.
Communities should prioritize practices that promote
circularity. Recognizing the societal benefits of One
Water and net-zero outcomes, governments should
make funding available to utilities pursuing projects
oriented toward sustainable outcomes. Cost-benefit
analyses of water efficiencies and GHG emission
reduction should guide the way to continuous
improvement. The water community can incentivize
efficiency by creating certifications that recognize
sustainable utility practices and makes them more
attractive to lenders and investors. Lower interest
rates may be awarded conditionally on meeting
sustainability goals, with rate adjustments when set
metrics are not hit on defined schedules.
Get Involved!
A vital component of the Water 2050 process is broad
engagement – tapping into the diverse perspectives
of voices from within and outside of AWWA and the
greater water community. A collaborative exploration
is essential to challenge currently held beliefs, put
forth bold solutions, and cultivate the most resilient
course for the future.
Water 2050 invites participation beyond the think tanks
in many ways. At the 2022 AWWA Annual Conference
and Exposition, the opening general session featured
a video of young professionals sharing their thoughts
on water in the year 2050. In the exhibition hall, an
artist collected insights from attendees and created
colorful sketches expressing the combined vision for
each Water 2050 driver. Board members have engaged
in multiple deep-dive discussions. AWWA members
and staff answered Water 2050 surveys in the weeks
following the initiative’s launch, and each of the
organization’s six volunteer leadership councils and 43
sections are also providing insights.
But Water 2050 is far upstream from its final
destination. Ultimately, the recommended actions
from each think tank will be aggregated and analyzed
for common themes and synergies. What emerges will
help guide AWWA and the entire water community for
decades to come.
To navigate toward a sustainable water future, Water
2050 needs your voice. If you, someone you know, or
an organization you recommend want to be part of
this journey, please contact the Water 2050 team at
Water2050@awwa.org.
“For Water 2050 to reach its
potential, it needs your voice.”
~ AWWA CEO David LaFrance
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 Participants
The Water 2050 Think Tank on Sustainability brought together a diverse group of
24 experts from within and beyond the water community. They included:
Adam Carpenter, Ph.D.
Manager of Energy and
Environmental Policy
AWWA
Ed Carr, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
International Development,
Community and
Environment Department
Clark University
Heather Collins
Water Treatment Director
Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California
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Dr. Carpenter is the Manager of Energy and
Environmental Policy for AWWA. Based in
Washington, D.C., he serves as an expert and
advocate on a diverse set of drinking water issues,
including source water protection, the energy-water
nexus, cyanotoxins, climate change, consumer
confidence reports, and other environmental policy
concerns. Along with his colleagues, he works
to further AWWA’s mission of supporting clean,
affordable drinking water through sound application
of science into policy, sensible regulation, public
awareness, and building stakeholder consensus.
In addition to his duties as professor and director
at Clark University, Dr. Carr is the Adaptation Panel
Member on the Scientific and Technical Advisory
Panel of the Global Environment Facility. A lead
author for Working Group II of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change’s recent Sixth Assessment
Report, he is currently a lead author for the
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Transformative
Change Assessment and is the coordinating author
for a Board for International Food and Agriculture
Development report on Adaptation and Mitigation in
Agricultural, Nutrition, and Food Systems.
Ms. Collins is an AWWA Vice President. She has
responsibility for five large conventional treatment
plants at MWD. Ms. Collins oversees 300 employees,
a $92M budget, ensures performance monitoring,
develops plant improvement programs, and ensures
water quality produced. Her previous experience for
the State of California’s public water systems had her
overseeing drinking water regulations and advancing
water reuse. A Registered Civil Engineer and licensed
Water Treatment Operator, she serves as an AWWA
Vice-President. More recently, Ms. Collins led
regulatory & permitting efforts for Metropolitan’s $3.4
billion Pure Water Southern California program.
Participants
Peter Fiske, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Alliance for Water
Innovation and Water-Energy
Resilience Research Institute at
Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory
Paul Fleming
President
Water Value LLC
Thomas Iseman
Director of Water Scarcity
and Markets
Global Freshwater Program
The Nature Conservancy
Dr. Fiske leads a 5-plus year, $110 million-plus
research program to revolutionize desalination with
a specific focus on new technologies to enable
distributed water reuse. As former CEO of PAX Water
Technologies, Inc., Fiske is an expert on distribution
system water quality and machine learning/
AI methods for optimizing treatment plant and
distribution system operations.
Mr. Fleming provides advisory services to start-up
companies in the water and climate tech space and
consulting services to NGOs, companies and utilities
on corporate water strategy and climate resiliency.
Previously he established and led the corporate water
program in Microsoft’s environmental sustainability
group and directed Seattle Public Utilities’ climate
resiliency group. He works at the intersection of
resiliency, water strategy and climate tech in the
private and public sectors.
Mr. Iseman has over two decades of experience
in water resource management, with particular
expertise in drought and climate adaptation, water
infrastructure, nature-based solutions, the energy-
water nexus and water markets. Prior to TNC, he
served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Water and Science in the U.S. Department of the
Interior and led the water program for the Western
Governors’ Association (WGA). He is based in
Denver, Colorado.
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 Participants

Mr. Johnson has been with Las Vegas Valley Water

David L. Johnson
Deputy General Manager,
Operations
Las Vegas Valley Water District
Southern Nevada Water Authority
District and Southern Nevada Water Authority since
2004. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical
engineering from Purdue University and has close
to 30 years of management experience in chemical
manufacturing, water treatment and water quality.
He serves as Chairman of the Board for Nevada’s
WaterStart and participates on other related boards
and committees.

Dr. Jacangelo is President of AWWA. With over

30 years of experience in environmental health
engineering, he specializes in water quality and
treatment, water and wastewater disinfection,
Joe Jacangelo, Ph.D. membrane technology, and public health. He has
Vice President, Director of had several different positions in his years with
Research Stantec, including global manager of the water
Stantec
knowledge center and manager of municipal
technology. As technical director, principal
investigator, project manager, or engineer, Dr.
Jacangelo has contributed to the completion of
over 80 water and wastewater projects.

Mr. Kane leads ISI as well as the development

of the Envision sustainable infrastructure rating
system. He brings lessons learned from Envision’s
application across all infrastructure sectors
Anthony Kane throughout the United States, Canada, and Italy.
President & CEO Mr. Kane also sits as a commissioner on the
Institute for Sustainable Washington DC Commission on Climate Change
Infrastructure and Resiliency.

16
Participants

Mr. LaFrance leads American Water Works

Association, the world’s largest and oldest
association of water professionals, with 50,000
members worldwide. Overseeing a staff of
David LaFrance approximately 150 in Denver and Washington D.C.
CEO LaFrance guides AWWA’s extensive scientific,
AWWA educational, and public policy work to build a better
world through better water. Prior to joining AWWA, he
was the CFO for Denver Water.

Deputy Commissioner Licata-Misiak has over

Angela Licata-Misiak
Deputy Commissioner for
Sustainability
New York City Department of
Environmental Protection
30-years’ experience in the policies and programs of
municipal drinking water, distribution and wastewater
collection services. She enjoys a broad portfolio
of programs for the agency, including developing a
sustainable rate structure for the future, developing
resiliency programs, especially around stormwater
management and forecasting climate change
demands on the system. She is responsible for
pioneering the largest municipal green infrastructure
program that improves harbor water quality and helps
manage the impacts of increased stormwater from
more intense precipitation.

Dr. Ma is U.S. EPA’s leading expert on water

Cissy Ma, Ph.D.
Environmental Engineer
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
infrastructure carbon footprint, GHG emission
reduction, infrastructure resilience, water-energy-
nutrient nexus, water reuse, resource recovery,
life cycle thinking, climate change adaptation and
mitigation, integrated assessment metrics and
system solutions.

17
 Participants

Ms. MacIlwaine was promoted to Deputy CEO in

2004. She oversees several AWWA departments,
including conferences and events, engineering and
technical services, publishing and international. An
Paula MacIlwaine expert in association governance, Ms. MacIlwaine’s
Deputy CEO 30-plus years of leadership has allowed her the
AWWA opportunity to work with AWWA staff, members
and the Board.

With 25 years of water sector experience, Ms.

Martin is Director of Engineering and Technical
Services at AWWA, where she leads a team of more
than 25 staff and thousands of volunteers in the
Barb Martin development of technical resources and programs.
Director of Engineering and She previously worked for global water sector service
Technical Services providers, which included North American business
AWWA development responsibility for process treatment
technologies and analytical instrumentation. She is
a licensed drinking water treatment operator in the
State of Colorado and a member of the Women in
Standards Board of Directors.

Ms. McCormick is CEO of 4Leaders, LLC supporting

leaders developing high performance teams,
engagement and public partnerships. A member
of the Water 2050 Advisory Team, she has over
Sue McCormick 40 years of water utility leadership. She was CEO
CEO during the standup of one of the largest U.S. public
4Leaders, LLC water authorities with more than 120 communities,
the Great Lakes Water Authority. She achieved a
96%-member satisfaction rating within the first
years, earning many awards and recognitions, and
championed engagement strategies and innovations
in the Detroit and Ann Arbor areas, and public
partnerships in the Lansing area.

18
Participants

Mr. Nix is an AWWA Board member and has

accumulated 35 years of experience in water
and wastewater treatment. He graduated from
Midwestern State University with a B.S. in
Daniel Nix Environmental Sciences and holds licenses in both
Utility Operations Manager Water and Wastewater Operations from the State of
City of Wichita Falls Texas. He is very active within the AWWA community,
serving as Texas Section Chair in 2017, as well
as serving on numerous state and national level
committees related to water treatment, quality and
potable reuse.

Mr. Radtke manages Coca- Cola’s water stewardship

and sustainable ingredient sourcing programs, which
assess and mitigate water and supply chain risks
facing Coca-Cola operations. Primary areas of focus
Jon Radtke include water conservation in manufacturing, source
Water Sustainability water protection, community water partnerships,
Program Director sustainable agriculture initiatives, and marine litter
Coca-Cola North America strategies. Mr. Radtke’s leadership has helped to
position The Coca-Cola Company as an industry
leader in water stewardship.

Mr. Rivera’s current role in the Water & Wastewater

Division at DERM involves reviewing plans for
new wastewater systems to ensure that they are
designed and built to industry standards and have
Guillermo Rivera adequate capacity while protecting all natural
Environmental Engineer resources present. He also volunteers as the Young
Miami-Dade County Division Professionals Co-Chair and Secretary for Florida
of Environmental Resources Section AWWA Region VII. He is focused on the
Management pollution prevention and the preservation of the water
quality of Biscayne Bay.

19
 Participants
Chi Ho Sham, Ph.D.
Vice President and Chief
Scientist
ERG
Negin Tousi
Project Manager
David Nairne and Associates
Cindy Wallis-Lage
Executive Director of
Sustainability & Resilience
Black & Veatch
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Dr. Sham is the AWWA Immediate Past President.
He has worked on drinking and source water
protection, water quality assessment, watershed
management, underground injection control, and
natural resources conservation issues for over
three decades. As an ERG vice president and chief
scientist, he is developing a “total water solutions”
platform that integrates practice areas including
wastewater management, water conservation, water
resource planning, drinking water protection, and
water quality restoration. He provides technical
leadership and advice on scientific research and
policy development issues, with current projects in
source water protection, premise plumbing, and water
quality assessment.
Ms. Tousi spent the first five years of her career
focusing on projects within the municipal sector and
has recently delivered on projects primarily servicing
indigenous communities throughout Canada. With a
background in chemical and biological engineering
and a keen interest in resilience and sustainability,
she has sought opportunities to incorporate these
themes into her projects. She was involved in the
delivery of the first Climate Lens Assessment in
Canada and has since obtained her designation as an
“Envision Sustainability Professional.”
Ms. Wallis-Lage served as president of Black &
Veatch’s water business and is a member of the
board. An active champion of water’s true value
and its impact on sustainable communities, she
focuses on enterprise-wide client sustainability and
resilience. Wallis-Lage joined the company in 1986
and is well known in the industry for her expertise
in the treatment and reuse of water and wastewater
resources. She is a champion for water’s true value
and its impact on sustainable communities.
Participants

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Dr. Webb has expertise

in the application of weather, climate and hydrologic
research to advance the prediction of water
availability and extremes. He works to transform
Robin Webb, Ph.D. these research advances to provide early warning and
Director inform preparedness, thus providing science-based
National Oceanic and information to better position the United States to
Atmospheric Administration anticipate and respond to the challenges of too much
(NOAA) Physical Sciences
and too little water and other extremes.
Laboratory

Ms. Willette oversees all programmatic work and

supports the CEO on strategic growth efforts
for the U.S. Water Alliance, a national nonprofit
organization advancing policies and programs that
Renée Willette build a sustainable water future for all. She attended
Vice President, executive education at the Harvard Kennedy School
Programs and Strategy of Government as a David Bohnett Leaders Fellow.
U.S. Water Alliance Currently residing in Minneapolis, Ms. Willette also
serves on the board of directors for the Minnesota
Freshwater Society.

Mr. Wolf advocates for and advances application of

a One Water Management framework by fostering
leadership from agriculture, conservation, and the
water sector to reduce nutrient pollution and achieve
Roger R. Wolf positive soil and water outcomes in Iowa and the
Co-Director Mississippi River basin. In 2020, the Iowa Soybean
Iowa Soybean Association - Association received the US Water Prize in the
Research Center for category of Outstanding Nonprofit Organization for
Farming Innovation innovative solutions that benefit watersheds and
watershed residents.

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 Water 2050 Advisory Board & Staff / Consultant Support
Advisory Board Staff / Consultant Support

Sue McCormick Greg Kail

Former CEO of Great Lakes Water Authority Director of Communications
AWWA
Ms. McCormick is CEO of 4Leaders, LLC supporting
leaders developing high performance teams, engagement Peggy Hofstra
and public partnerships. She has over 40 years of water Senior Manager of Communications
utility leadership, including as CEO during the standup AWWA
of one of the nation’s largest public water authorities
with more than 120 communities, the Great Lakes Water Cindy McCombe
Authority. She achieved a 96 %-member satisfaction Director of Marketing
rating within the first years, earning many awards and AWWA
recognitions and championed engagement strategies and
innovations in the Detroit area and in Ann Arbor and public Angie Miller
partnerships in the Lansing area. Executive Assistant
AWWA

Roxane White
Andrew Richardson Founder and CEO
Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Greeley and Hansen Strategy with Rox
In his more than four decades with the Firm, Mr.
Yvonne Miranda
Richardson worked on almost every aspect of engineering
Project Coordinator
projects, including feasibility studies, designs,
Strategy with Rox
construction, and start-up commissioning for many major
water, water reuse and wastewater treatment programs Sabrina White
across the country. He has authored over 70 technical Strategic Project Manager
papers and made numerous presentations at national and Strategy with Rox
international water and wastewater conferences. He is a
past president of AWWA and was inducted into the AWWA
Water Industry Hall of Fame.

Jennifer Sara
Global Director, Climate Change Group,
“Resilient” is the most
World Bank Group common word AWWA
Ms. Sara is responsible for overseeing the key strategic
priorities and implementation of the World Bank Group’s
members believe will
Climate Change Action Plan and leading five Practice best describe the water
groups on: Climate Operationalization and Impact, Climate
Economics and Finance, Climate Funds Management, community in 2050.
Climate Investment Funds Secretariat, and Strategy,
Knowledge and Outreach. Prior to taking on this position, AWWA Water 2050 Member Survey
Ms. Sara served for eight years as Director and Global
Director for the Water Global Practice, overseeing
the Bank’s $30B water portfolio, analytics, trust fund
management and knowledge agenda.

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Recommended Reading & Resources
Brundtland, G.H. 1987. Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Geneva, UN A/42/427.
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf

Climate Action Pathway Water, Global Climate Action, United Nations Climate Change, Marrakech Partnership, 2020.
https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/ExecSumm_Water_0.pdf

Dyballa, Cindy, and Hoffman, H.W. (Bill). The Role of Water Efficiency in Future Water Supply. June 2015. Journal AWWA.
https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.5942/jawwa.2015.107.0089

Elkington, J. 25 June 2018. 25 Years Ago I Coined the Phrase “Triple Bottom Line.” Here’s Why It’s Time to Rethink It. Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2018/06/25-years-ago-i-coined-the-phrase-triple-bottom-line-heres-why-im-giving-up-on-it

Lin, Richard, Nasdaq and Fried, Rona SustainableBusiness.com, LLC, 4 October 2021. State of the Water Industry 2021
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/state-of-the-water-industry-2021-2021-10-04

Monsma, David. Redefining the US Infrastructure Challenge. February 2010. AWWA Opflow
https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.1551-8701.2010.tb03007.x

National Academy of Sciences. 2022. Getting to Net-Zero Emissions by 2050.

https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/other/dels/net-zero-emissions-by-2050/index.html#page-top

Randers, Jorgen. 2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years, 2012, Chelsea Green Publishing.
https://www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/system/files/documents/jorgen-randers-2052-a-global-forecast-for-the-next.pdf

Snow, Madeline; Darveau, Linda; Lowery, Ann; DiBara, Michael. Innovation in the Water Sector: Pathway to Zero Net Energy. July 2016. Journal
AWWA.
https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.5942/jawwa.2016.108.0116

USGCRP, 2018: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery,
D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 1515 pp.
https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA4.2018

Collaborate to Protect Vital Source Waters and Mitigate Climate Change. White D, Carpenter AT. 2022. Journal AWWA. 114:2:34.
https://doi.org/10.1002/awwa.1865

The Role of Water Efficiency in Future Water Supply. Dyballa C, Hoffman HW. 2015. Journal AWWA. 107:6:35.
https://doi.org/10.5942/jawwa.2015.107.0089

The Water Utility of 2050. Gordon SF. 2000. Journal AWWA. 92:1:40.
https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1551-8833.2000.tb08766.x

Wanted: Sustainable Water Supplies. Dontanville S, Bertoia C. 2019. Journal AWWA. 111:9:102.
https://doi.org/10.1002/awwa.1369

Water Infrastructure: The Last and Next 100 Years. Curtis T. 2014. Journal AWWA. 106:8:132.
https://doi.org/10.5942/jawwa.2014.106.0113

How Can the Water Sector Become Renewable and Circular? Sarni W, Alexander A. 2022. Global Agenda. World Economic Forum.
https://bit.ly/WEFrenewable

Richardson, Colby and Sham, Chi Ho. Applying a Circular Economy to the Water Community: A Holistic Approach. September 2022, Journal AWWA.
https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/awwa.1960

Proud Sponsor of AWWA Water 2050 Initiative

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 SUSTAINABILITY
THINK TANK
Springs Preserve | Las Vegas, NV
September 21–23, 2022

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