Tenth annual San Bernardino County Water Conference scheduled for August 12

Conference to review past water successes, prepare for future issues

 Planners are at work putting the finishing touches on the tenth annual San Bernardino County Water Conference scheduled for Friday, August 12. The conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 12 noon preceded by a networking breakfast at 7 a.m.

The agenda for the conference to be held at the Ontario Convention Center includes:

• a retrospective look at the past nine years of the region’s water management progress and successes
• preparing the next generation for water careers (do we train up internally or look elsewhere?)
• a panel discussion on conservation as a new way of life (and its unintended consequences)
• a second panel discussion on how the unintended conservation consequences affect homes, cities and builders
• a Q&A session on communicating your water agency’s message (especially when your message is urgent or controversial)

Moderators for the panels include: Diane Pittman, human resources group manager, Metropolitan Water District; Mary Ann Dickinson, president & CEO, Alliance for Water Efficiency; Jennifer Perskie, deputy executive director, Association of California Water Agencies; and, Dr. Mark Grey, director of environmental affairs, Building Industry Association Southern California.

Water issues are plentiful in California – — an unrelenting drought, declining Delta smelt, voluntary conservation measures, the unintended consequences of conservation, rate hikes, algal bloom, the use of wastewater, groundwater mining, excessive lead, careers in water management, rising infrastructure costs, “Twin Tunnels,” Salton Sea restoration, turf removal rebates, declining Colorado River water, watersheds, farrowed agricultural fields… the list becomes almost endless.

Though not all of these issues will be included in the conference’s agenda, the event provides a forum to assess Southern California’s growing population and the demand for more water. It will be an opportunity for attendees to discuss these issues and share ideas with peers.

More specifically in Southern California the region must contend with groundwater depletion, water-quality issues, strict regulations, limited alternative sources of water, and exorbitant infrastructure expenditures in order to meet present and future water demands. According to the organizers, this is not an issue which can be put off in light of the threat the drought poses to our water supply and the fodder it provides to wildfire-friendly, tinder-dry grass and dead trees.

More than 20 local businesses are sponsoring the water conference; the BIA Baldy View Chapter is the Presenting Sponsor for the conference. Attendees will include government officials, premier water experts, civic leaders, business leaders and community stakeholders to discuss California’s water challenges and provide solution-driven strategies to overcome these issues.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Single attendee seats are available for $125.00.  For reservations, visit www.sbcwater.com or call (866) 737-4880.