It’s Not All Impossible, Right? Daunting Challenges for the Future of Water and Wastewater

The Water Leadership Institute (WLI) developed a four-part webcast series on The Intersection of Leadership and Communication of 12 Water Challenges.

Webcast 4:  It’s Not All Impossible, Right? Daunting Challenges for the Future of Water and Wastewater

• There’s Something in the Water: Fostering Growth and Development to Retain Talent in the Water Industry
• Engaging Regulatory Hurdles and Building Effective Compliance Programs
• Thirst for Peace: Navigating Global and Local Water Conflicts

The mass exodus of retiring workforce; an increasingly complex bureaucratic process; the rapid depletion and irresponsible management of a valuable resource. Securing the future of the water and wastewater depends on current and prospective industry leaders on being able to understand and effectively communicate the complexities of these three key issues: staffing and development for the water-wastewater industry; regulatory hurdles and compliance; and water rights and access. This webcast explores the challenges facing the industry today and discusses the importance of using innovative and creative problem solving, cooperation, education, training, and professional development. Listeners tuning in will leave having a greater understanding of the importance of communication and how it drives leadership decisions to effect change within our society.

Registration Free of Cost

For questions, please email WLI@wef.org 

You can earn 1.5 General Contact Hours by attending this webcast or watching the recording in the WEF Learning Center after the live date.  

Learn more about all the Webcasts in the WLI Intersection of Leadership and Communication of 12 Water Challenges Webcast Series at www.wef.org/WLI24WaterChallenges

Hosted Live on Zoom

• 2:00 p.m. ET  There’s Something in the Water: Fostering Growth and Development to Retain Talent in the Water Industry
  

  The water sector is facing an unprecedented labor crisis. As more veteran water professionals retire, critical positions remain unfilled. A strong workforce is necessary to maintain water resources, safeguard communities, and protect the environment.  While recruitment efforts have increased significantly, retention is a prominent concern; burnout, lack of supervisory support, insufficient training, lack of recognition, and limited career progression opportunities contribute to high turnover rates. Communication from leadership and commitment to consistent training can greatly improve work environments, job performance, and employee retention rates. In this webinar, Team Ripple Effect Solutions will explore strategies to provide continuing professional development and training opportunities for various career pathways, implement consistent employee recognition initiatives, prioritize knowledge transfer, and create mentorship programs that build crucial connections for water professionals.
  
  Developed and Delivered by: Alyssa Sarver, Michigan Department of EGLE; Anna Eleria, Capitol Region Watershed District; Erin Robb, McCarthy; Joy Kotey, City of Oklahoma City; Lilian Marrero, Gannett Fleming; Mark Ayertey, Ghana Water  Ltd; and Sydney Samples, The Water Research Foundation
  Team Mentor: Chris Tatum, The Regional Municipality of Durha

• 2:30 p.m. ET  Engaging Regulatory Hurdles and Building Effective Compliance Programs
  

  There continues to be a gap at the intersection of leadership and communication between regulatory agencies, regulatory authorities, and the public. Frequent regulatory changes pose a challenge to these stakeholders as regulatory authorities try to keep up with monitoring new laws, rules, and regulations, soliciting information from regulatory agencies and assessing data, and resource requirements for compliance projects and activities. In this webinar, listeners will learn how to establish a more effective compliance program by engaging proactively with regulatory agencies to assess compliance risks and prepare for compliance, as well as develop a communication plan to clarify changes to permits and enforcement, establish clear objectives, and quantify costs to achieve compliance, and additionally, provide transparency to the public. Investing in an effective compliance program is key to improving communication, mitigating risks, protecting our waterways, and keeping them clean.
  
  Developed and Delivered by: Adam Baker, Union County Water; Alison Chan, Carollo Engineers; Justin Starr, Community College of Allegheny County;  Kira Bhattarai, WEF; Patrick LaBruzzo, City of Palo Alto; Rupeet Malhotra, Amazon Web Services, and Theresa Tucker, York Sewer District
  Team Mentor: Corwin Washington, Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans

• 3:00 p.m. ET Thirst for Peace: Navigating Global and Local Water Conflicts
  

  As water becomes increasingly scarce, one must ask: “will conflict for water lead to the 3rd world war”? Join aspiring water-wastewater leaders in a robust discussion that navigates the complexities of water rights and accessibility, as well as the challenges of resource management, and potential pathways forward. Information presented in this webinar seeks to educate and inform listeners of all backgrounds through a series of case studies and interactive participation that evaluates water management at a local and global scale. Listeners will become familiar with external pressures that drive hard conversations around water rights and access, including how climate change and population growth strains a depleting resource; how different management solutions can lead to either conflict or cooperation between affected parties; and how powerful interest groups influence water allocation and water policy. This webinar challenges listeners to think deeply about their own relationship to water management and how they can affect change. By the end of this presentation, you may be left wondering, “will the fight for water cause the end of modern society?”

Developed and Delivered by: Andrew Koebel, Bonita Springs Utilities, Inc.; Rekha Singh, Virginia Department of Health; Marena Lertch, Aurora Water; Ryan Smith, City of Watsonville, CA; Samayyah Williams, King County Wastewater Treatment Division, Sara Mesa Mendoza, University of the District of Columbia, and Wenyuan Tang, AECOM
Team Mentor: Kayson Smith Bejgrowicz

 
This series was developed as part of the final project for the Water Leadership Institute (WLI) 2024 and will take place throughout August 2024.  The WLI 2024 consists of 84 participants from around the US, Canada, and Ghana.