Everything You Need to Know About the Next Generation Water Summit 2022
The Next Generation Water Summit (NGWS), with a theme of “Growth in the Time of Drought”, takes place May 19-20, 2022. Here’s a rundown of all the exciting facets of the event:
The 2022 NGWS will be held on the same virtual conference platform as last year. Attendees will be able to view live and recorded sessions, visit a virtual exhibit hall and network with fellow attendees from across the country.
The NGWS will open on May 19th with a keynote address from Robert Glennon. He is one of the nation’s thought leaders and commentators on water policy and law. The recipient of two National Science Foundation grants, Glennon serves as an advisor to governments, corporations, think tanks, law firms, and NGOs looking to solve serious challenges around water sustainability and planning. His address is titled “Our Future in a Warming, Water-Stressed World”.
“The current drought is the worst in at least 1,200 years,” says Robert Glennon. “Water conservation as well as water reuse at the household, neighborhood, community and state level is required. This is not a time for hesitation.”
Two national tracks will take place on Thursday, May 19th immediately after the opening keynote by Robert Glennon. Thursday’s highlights include:
- “COVID: The Growth Boom and Its Impact on Water” with Brian Schmidt, Senior Economist for the Portland Cement Association, and Brian Richter, Author and Professor at University of Virginia
- “Water Use in Cannabis Operations” with Ben Lewinger, Executive Director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce.
A pair of New Mexico’s U.S. Congressional Representatives, U.S. Reps. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) and Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), will keynote Day 2 of the NGWS, scheduled for 9:00am MT on Friday, May 20.
“I am honored to be participating in the Next Generation Water Summit,” said Rep. Stansbury. “I’ve spent my career fighting to address water security and environmental justice, and know that we must act urgently to safeguard our communities and our water resources from the impacts of climate change. In New Mexico, we know that water is life. We must continue to bring everyone to the table to address our water needs and I am grateful for the Summit’s work in continuing to support critical dialogues on water issues to build a more just, sustainable, and resilient future for our communities.”
Rep. Stansbury appeared at the 2021 NGWS, almost immediately after her election to Congress. With approximately 11 months under her belt in Washington, she’ll be poised to give an outlook on both New Mexico and the West’s water future. Rep. Leger Fernandez will address her efforts on the federal infrastructure bill, as well as her work with acequias.
Friday, May 20th will feature three concurrent tracks; two national and one focusing on New Mexico. In addition to multiple case studies presented throughout the day, registrants can also attend:
- “State of Greywater in the West” with Laura Allen, Author and Co-Founder of Greywater Action and Doug Pushard, Executive Director of KUELwater and founder of HarvestH2o
- “Transforming Thirty Landscapes: Innovative Policy Approaches Throughout the West” by Lindsay Rogers, Policy Analyst with the Western Resource Advocates
Registration is available now for the low price of $99. “With the quality of the sessions, $99 is a bargain for a 2-day event,” said NGWS Co-Chair Mike Collignon. “We set a record last year with over 350 registrants, and I think there’s a good chance we could surpass that this year.” To register or for more information, please visit www.NextGenerationWaterSummit.com.
There will also be in-person events around Santa Fe over a 4-day span. On Wednesday evening, the Mayor’s Reception will take place at 5:30pm at the Drury Plaza. The next night, PNM/AVANGRID will host a reception at 5:30pm at The Inn at the Loretto. Saturday will feature 3 separate community events, including Santa Fe Saves Water Day at the Railyard, giveaways, tours and a rain barrel raffle. Please click here for more information on these events.
Hosts of the Next Generation Water Summit are the Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce; Green Builder® Coalition; City of Santa Fe; KUELwater, the Santa Fe Area Homebuilder’s Association and Santa Fe County. The title sponsor for this year’s NGWS is PNM, in support with AVANGRID. The education partner is Santa Fe Community College, and the national media partner is Green Builder® Media.
About the Next Generation Water Summit
The Next Generation Water Summit brings together the building and development community, water reuse professionals and water policymakers in a collaborative setting to share best practices and learn about innovative water conservation and water reuse techniques that can be used to comply with water conservation restrictions spreading across the southwest.