2026 Annual Conference
Bursting the Bubbles: From Myths to Mastery
UWI 2026 Annual Conference
Join us August 19-21, 2026 at the Urban Water Institute’s 2026 Annual Conference in San Diego, California. Our Annual Conference Agenda will deliver timely topics and dynamic sessions you won't want to miss!
Leading experts will deliver presentations on today’s most pressing water management issues, representing a broad range of expertise and non-partisan perspectives. Conference highlights include enhanced networking opportunities, access to keynote speakers, meals and happy hours included with your Conference registration.
UWI Conferences bring together water leaders from throughout California representing public, private, nonprofit and academic organizations. This conference is sure to be one of the best water conferences of the year!
“UWI is the Goldilocks of water conferences…just the right balance of topical presentations and interactive sessions sprinkled with opportunities to make meaningful connections!”
- Jennifer Persike, Former Deputy Executive Director for the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), Former Executive Director of Leadership California (LC), and President of Jennifer Persike & Co.
Special Conference Event: Harbor Dinner Cruise
Conference attendees and their guests are invited to join us on a special Harbor Dinner Cruise co-hosted by UWI and California-United Water on Thursday, August 20, from 5:30–8:30 p.m. This unique evening on the water includes appetizers, two drink tickets, and dinner in a relaxed atmosphere designed to foster meaningful conversation and connection outside of the conference walls. Be sure to reserve your seat when registering.
Annual Conference Registration
Online registration is now open for UWI's 2026 Annual Conference and the Harbor Dinner Cruise.
Please note: You will need a user account to begin the registration process. If you are registering multiple attendees, each attendee will need a profile with a unique email address. You can create additional user profiles in your Member Compass under the People tab. Please contact us if you do not see this tab so that we can give you management access on your account.
A printed registration form is also available (upon request) if you are unable to register online.
Cancellation Policy: Event registration cancellations will be accepted until 8/7/26 and will be subject to a $50 processing fee. Cancellations received after 8/7/26 are not eligible for refund.
Annual Conference Agenda
The 2026 Annual Conference Agenda will be available through the Agenda tab above soon.
If you have suggestions for future conference speakers or topics, please use the Speaker & Topic Suggestion Form form to submit your ideas.
“UWI conferences provide a forum for frank discussions around the most pressing issues affecting the water sector. We don’t shy away from controversial topics – rather we tackle them head on and look for solutions. I’ve attended more than 20 UWI conferences and always look forward to the next one because of the unique expertise they bring to the table for the benefit of the group.”
– David Pedersen, General Manager of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
Annual Conference Date & Time
The UWI 2026 Annual Conference dates and times are as follows:
- Conference begins: Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 1:00 PM
- Conference ends: Friday, August 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Annual Conference Location
Loews Coronado Bay Resort
4000 Coronado Bay Rd
Coronado, CA 92118
(619) 424-4000
Please visit the Hotel tab above for additional information on booking your room.
Conference Sponsorship Opportunities
We are currently seeking sponsors and exhibitors for our 2026 Annual Conference. Please visit our Sponsorship page for more information. Thank you to our sponsors!
Registration Options
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Registration Options
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Price |
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Harbor Dinner Cruise- 8/20 (Conference Attendees)
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$75.00 |
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Harbor Dinner Cruise- 8/20 (Spouses/Guests)
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$85.00 |
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Conference Registration WAITLIST
COST: There is no cost to join the waitlist. If a ticket opens up, prices are as follows: $745 (UWI members); $945 (non-members). |
FREE |
The UWI 2026 Annual Conference will take place at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California.
Loews Coronado Bay Resort
4000 Coronado Bay Rd
Coronado, CA 92118
(619) 424-4000
UWI Room Block Reservation Link
A limited number of discounted hotel rooms are available to UWI Conference attendees. We recommend booking your room early to access the group block. If you have any issues booking your hotel room, please contact our Events Director, Paula Currie: events@urbanwater.com.
**Fraudulent Housing Alert**
Please be advised that 'Events Housing Center' representatives are contacting UWI attendees and sponsors/exhibitors, implying that they have been contracted by UWI and the Loews Coronado to handle all hotel reservations. UWI has not contracted with any housing company to handle any reservations for its events, and any information you provide to them may be used for fraudulent purposes. Please contact Paula Currie at events@urbanwater.com should you receive a call from this organization or any other housing company.
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August 19, 2026
1:00 PM - 1:15 PM |
Conference Welcome Jason Phillips, UWI 1st Chair; Vice President, Water Business Group, HDR Nick Serrano, Board Chair, San Diego County Water Authority |
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1:15 PM - 2:00 PM |
Opening Keynote Moderator: Darcy M. Burke, UWI Executive Director; Vice President, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District |
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2:15 PM - 3:30 PM |
Garry Brown, Founder, President, and CEO, Orange County Coastkeeper Jerry Brown, Executive Director, Sites Reservoir Project Authority Joe Del Bosque, Owner, Del Bosque Farms; Former Board Member, California Water Commission Nancy Vogel, Senior Policy Advisor to the Director, CA Dept. of Water Resources Moderator: Jennifer Persike, UWI Program Chair; President, Jennifer Persike & Company, Former Deputy Exec. Director, ACWA |
| 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM |
Joel Barber, Colorado Regional Director, EKI Environment & Water, Inc. Kevin Morley, Senior Manager of Federal Relations, AWWA Vivian Welsh, CEO & Co-Founder, Vivians.io Moderator: Frank Ury, Senior Client Executive, Computer Aid Inc.; Vice President, Santa Margarita Water District |
| August 20, 2026 | |
| 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM |
John Dupnik, Deputy Executive Administrator, Texas Water Development Board Ken Jenkins, Vice President, Water Resources Planning and Sustainability, California Water Service Group Vanessa Puig-Williams, Senior Director, Texas Water Program at Environmental Defense Fund Michael Turco, General Manager, Harris-Galveston Subsidence District & Fort Bend Subsidence District Moderator: Andree Lee, UWI Immediate Past Chair; Executive Vice President, Water Resources and Engineering, EKI Environment & Water
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| 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM |
Pasquale Talarico, CEO & President, HashtagPinpoint Corporation Kyle Oldoerp, Public Information Officer, Irvine Police Department Moderator: Marice DePasquale, Board President, Mesa Water District; Principal, MConsensus |
| 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM |
Luncheon
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| 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM |
Ted Cooke, Board Member, Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona; Former General Manager, Central Arizona Project Chelsea McGuire, Director, Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona Meena Westford, Director of Imported Water, San Diego County Water Authority Bill Hasencamp, Manager of Colorado River Resources, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Moderator: Jeff Kightlinger, Consultant, Acequia Consulting, Former General Manager, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
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| 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM | Beyond the Ag Bubble: Policy Impacts to Central Valley Communities As SGMA and other regulatory pressures reshape agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley, the impacts extend far beyond the farm gate. Look past the sea of change affecting the agriculture industry to explore how policy shifts are affecting Central Valley communities. Allison Febbo, General Manager, Westlands Water District Aaron Fukuda, CEO, Tulare Irrigation District and the Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency Eddie Ocampo, Director of Public Affairs, Self-Help Enterprises Moderator: Jason Phillips, Vice President, Water Business Group, HDR
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| 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM |
Kevin Alexander, General Manager, Inland Empire Utilities Agency Martha Tremblay, Assistant Chief Engineer & Assistant General Manager, Los Angeles County Sanitation District Matthew Zucca, Authority Manager, Silicon Valley Clean Water; Board Vice President, Mid-Peninsula Water District Moderator: Adam Link, Executive Director, California Association of Sanitation Agencies
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| August 21, 2026 | |
| 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM |
Opening Remarks: Adán Ortega, Jr., Board Chair, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Keynote Speaker: Kevin Phillips, CPA, District Manager, Paradise Irrigation District Roundtable Discussions: Addressing the Challenges Shaping California Water Breakout Group Facilitators: Adán Ortega, Jr., Board Chair, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Susan Peters, Director, Amador Water Agency; Vice President, Mountain Counties Water Resources Agency Michael Saunders, Board President, Georgetown Divide Public Utility District; Vice Chair, ACWA Region 3 Thomas Smegal, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency
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Conference Registration Full* - Harbor Dinner Cruise Tickets Still Available!
*Please use the waitlist ticket to be added to our conference waiting list.
IMPORTANT:
In order to register attendees for the upcoming UWI Conference, each attendee must have a user profile (with unique email address).
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