American Water Works Association Annual Conference & Exposition (AWWA ACE)

AWWA ACE26: Water Heroes

Join us in iconic Washington, D.C., for an opportunity to exchange ideas and explore innovation in the drinking water industry. Power up your career and connect with fellow water heroes to collaborate on solutions that truly matter.

We are a proud sponsor of this year's conference, including the Partnership for Safe Water® Awards Luncheon and the Water Industry Luncheon. We look forward to catching up during the conference.

Continue checking this page to find out where you can meet our professionals at this year's event.

Our ACE26 Sessions

Sunday, June 21    

7:45-5:15 a.m. | Pre-Conference Workshop 01: Biological Filter Evaluation 
Moderator: Ramola Vaidya

9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Pre-Conference Workshop 07: Project Delivery Organizational Readiness: Supporting Teams in Early Planning, Procurement and Executing Your Capital Improvement Plan
Moderator: Jessica Adams-Weber 

11-11:30 a.m. | Pre-Conference Workshop 01: Biological Filter Evaluation LW Biofiltration Evaluation and Benchmarking
Presenter: Ramola Vaidya

Monday, June 22    

2:45-3:15 p.m. | Innovations in Treatment Plant Design and Construction 
Hope is Not a Strategy: Preparing a Plan for Start-up of the Pierce-Burch WTP Improvements
Presenter: Katie Livas 

Tuesday, June 23    

8:30-9 a.m. | Piloting Advancements: Reuse & PFAS
Scaling Pilot Data to Inform Unique AWT Design Criteria for Reuse Systems
Presenter: Kelsey Kenel  

9-9:30 a.m. | Experiences in Reducing DBP Precursors  
Monitoring Tools and Media Assessment: Loudoun Water’s Unique Approach to Optimizing Biofiltration Performance
Presenter: Ramola Vaidya

9:30-10 a.m. | Lessons in Treatment Plant O&M
Lessons Learned from Full-Scale PFAS Residuals Disposal: Case Studies from Washington State
Presenter: Pierre Kwan

10:15-10:45 a.m. | Cyber Threats, Frameworks, and Investment Decisions
Ripple Effects: Evaluating the Financial Impact of Cybersecurity on Water Utility Infrastructure
Presenter: David Brearley

10:15-10:45 a.m. | Advanced Treatment Applications
Combating Corrosion in Desalination Plant Intake Infrastructure
Presenter: Mersedeh Akhoondan

10:15-11:45 a.m. | Capital Program Delivery: A Playbook of Best Practices From Planning Through Handoff
Moderator: Julie Labonte
Presenter: Karen Pappas

11:15-11:45 a.m. | PFAS Readiness: Practical Approaches to Treatment Integration and Infrastructure Upgrades
Funding and Planning a Small Community’s Largest Water Infrastructure Project: PFAS Treatment Centralization in Hampstead, MD
Presenter: Kelsey Kenel

11:15-11:45 a.m. | Technology and Treatment; Machine Learning, Digital Twins, Controls 
Passaic Valley Water Commission’s Treatment Modernization
Presenter: Andrew Watson

1:30-3 p.m. | Poster Session 02
Optimizing Multi-Barrier Approaches for Geosmin, TOC, and DBP Challenges at Lake Palestine WTP
Presenter: Katie Livas

3-3:30 p.m. | Building the Future of Small Water Systems: Practical Frameworks for Planning, Security, and Sustainable Investment
Delivering on a Vision: How Small Utilities Advance System Goals with the Owner’s Agent Model
Presenter: Ryan Murray

Wednesday, June 24    

3-3:30 p.m. | PCCP Condition Assessment
How Good Planning Led to a Successful (But Boring) Inspection of a 120-inch PCCP Water Main in Michigan
Presenter: Jane Burnett

4-4:30 p.m. | Groundwater Pressures: Strategies for Securing Supply Under Aquifer Declines 
Securing Water for Mountain Home AFB: A Strategic Response to Aquifer Depletion
Presenter: Pierre Kwan

Our ACE26 Sponsored Events

Partnership for Safe Water Awards Luncheon

• Monday, June 22, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 

Lunch with the Boss - Students & Young Professionals Meetup

• Monday, June 22, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

Water Industry Luncheon and Student One Water Institute Scholarship Award Presentation

• Tuesday, June 23, Noon-1:15 p.m.

Career Center Job Fair

• Tuesday, June 23, 2-5 p.m.