Educational Sessions

The ACE26 Program features a strong lineup of sessions highlighting the most important and innovative topics in water.

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Programming For All Water Professionals

Now available! The ACE26 Educational Program is live, showcasing the best in water education. Explore below to see how ACE26 covers your water knowledge needs.

2026

Educational Program

Over four energizing days, ACE26 features sessions and events spanning the entire water community, offering fresh insights, practical solutions, and inspiration for every professional.

Conference Tracks

Schedule-at-a-Glance

Continuing Education

Educational Sessions

Daily core sessions

Explore Educational Sessions

Workshops & Tours

Bonus opportunities

Explore Workshops & Tours

Public Officials Training Courses

Education for officials

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Tracks

Conference Tracks

Each year, ACE provides a robust lineup of Educational Session Tracks, with dozens of sessions organized by its areas of focus.

Explore Our Tracks (subject to change)

Advances in Water Treatment

Explore recent developments in water treatment challenges and solutions. Topics include best practices for conventional/biological filtration, inorganic contaminant control, optimization of treatment system performance, and more. Engage with case studies that offer practical examples of successful solutions in action, or with our 101 Series for fundamentals.

Research

Water research plays a crucial role in advancing our understanding of water issues and developing innovative solutions. Researchers will showcase cutting-edge processes and technologies related to the water ecosystem and tackle the most challenging water contaminants. University Forums highlight the latest in academic research.

Infrastructure Management

Water infrastructure involves a significant capital investment for a community; preserving its value is crucial. An asset management approach that incorporates inventories and condition assessments enables data-driven decisions on budgets while maintaining service levels. Learn about risk assessment, O&M, and asset management tools and strategies.

Distribution System Operation & Management

Aging and deteriorating pipe infrastructure presents a serious yet actionable problem. Sessions will feature innovations, approaches, and technologies for assessing, designing, and managing the rehabilitation or replacement of distribution systems. Plant safety, AMR/AMI, system flushing, and cross-connection control will be covered.

Focus on PFAS

Growing concern about the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water has increased awareness of broader issues related to emerging contaminants. Understanding their formation, treatment, destruction, and communication is crucial to help utilities take the next step in regulatory compliance.

Intelligent Water

Intelligent water combines smart technologies with data-driven solutions to efficiently manage and use water resources. Using sensors, automation, and data analytics, intelligent water systems monitor water quality, distribution, and usage. Models and digital twins utilize this information to create predictive scenarios, helping systems operate more effectively and meet treatment goals.

Capital Improvement Projects

Water systems are a vital yet costly component of every community, scrutinized by policymakers and ratepayers. Capital improvement projects encompass the design, construction, and delivery of essential water infrastructure improvements. Explore innovative and sustainable designs, new building techniques and materials, and project delivery strategies.

The Latest on Lead & Copper

To comply with the Lead & Copper Rule Revisions, water utilities need resources to develop lead-reduction plans and implement corrosion-control measures. This session provides insights into the ruling’s impacts, helping stakeholders stay up to date and prepare for changes.

Regulatory & Legislative Actions

With constantly evolving regulation, compliance, and policy issues, there’s always something new to address on the regulatory front. Uncover the latest developments on current issues and capture valuable tips for managing federal, state, provincial, and local issues that affect utility operations, management, and ultimately, the bottom line.

Water 2050 and the Future of Water | Roundtable Sessions

The Water 2050 initiative aims to create a secure, sustainable, and resilient water future for everyone. Sessions will cover current and future work in finance and affordability, real-time monitoring, technological innovations, circular water economies, one-water governance, the water workforce, and community involvement.

Financial, Management and Legal

C-Suite water leaders face tough decisions about risk, resilience, and corporate responsibility. Balancing economic and legal factors with environmental care is vital as utilities manage the complexities of regulations, bond ratings, and funding sources. Join us as legal and financial experts discuss issues that affect our water leaders.

Water Use Efficiency Practices

Water use efficiency practices are essential tools for water resource managers. Managing demand requires innovative solutions. Explore planning and research initiatives, strategies to support and achieve demand-side management, outdoor water efficiency, and how the right technology can deliver significant water efficiency benefits.

Utility Risk & Resilience

Extreme weather events have increased significantly in recent years. Resilience efforts by water and wastewater utilities save lives and money and are crucial for helping cities prepare for these challenges. Review provisions in America’s Water Infrastructure Act for assessing risk and increasing resilience against natural and cyber hazards.

The ‘Great Water’ of Chesapeake and Virginia

This track will highlight innovative projects and topics that will shape the future success of the Chesapeake region: from data center development and the impact of AI on water, to new approaches for regional management and protection of shared source water, to world-class asset management using cutting-edge technologies that safeguard the area around our nation’s capital.

Water Resources Planning, Protection & Management

Protecting and managing water resource portfolios requires a comprehensive approach that includes existing water sources, water conservation efforts, potable reuse projects, watershed protection, groundwater management, and resilience strategies. Join experts to discuss best practices for building a strong water supply portfolio.

Reuse

To meet increasing and stressed water supply demands, utilities are seeking to diversify their portfolios. Potable reuse is becoming a viable option for more water utilities. Join experts as they discuss the challenges and identify proven strategies for implementing potable reuse as an additional water source. 

Water Quality Challenges

This track highlights the latest results and methods for addressing drinking water issues. Topics include PFAS, algae, manganese and inorganic contaminants, non-point source pollutants, microbial and emerging contaminants, DBPs, and premise plumbing. Examine the connections between drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater from a water-quality perspective.

Water Utility Management

Water providers play a crucial role in supporting the public and their communities. Water utility managers can expand their responsibilities by adopting a broader community stewardship role as part of their water service mission. Learn how to increase benefits, reduce impacts, and deliver service fairly across the entire service area.

Water Education & the Workforce

Developing a skilled and diverse workforce capable of addressing complex issues such as aging infrastructure, emerging technologies, and sustainability is essential. Training and education programs are vital in equipping professionals with the expertise needed to navigate the modern water landscape.

Communicating with Clarity

In the water community, communication is more than just messaging; it’s essential. Utilities are finding creative ways to educate, engage, and empower their audiences. Attendees will learn how to clarify complex topics, turn projects and regulations into communication opportunities, and use creativity and strategy to build trust and understanding.

Opening General Session

Charles Fishman

Join us for the Opening General Session Keynote with Charles Fishman!
Monday, June 22│8:30-10:00 a.m.│Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 3rd Floor Ballroom

Charles Fishman is a journalist and author who is one of the most forceful, challenging, and inspiring public voices on water issues, speaking at venues ranging from MIT and UCLA to Hershey’s Chocolate and the U.S. State Department. Fishman’s recent book, The Big Thirst: The Secret Life & Turbulent Future of Water, is a bestseller that has changed how people think about, manage, and talk about water. He is also the author of ONE GIANT LEAP: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us to the Moon, a history of the race to the moon in the 1960s, from the perspective of the scientists, engineers, and factory workers who made it happen. He has published two other books, The Wal-Mart Effect and A Curious Mind. Fishman grew up in Miami, Florida, and graduated from Harvard. He lives in northwest Washington, D.C., with his wife, also a journalist.

Speakers

Presenter Highlights

AWWA strives to bring a robust variety of presenters to ACE. The individuals listed here are only a few highlights of our ACE26 lineup. Be sure to explore the full ACE26 program to schedule your time at ACE.

Dr. William Becker

2026 A.P. Black Research Award Winner

Charles Fishman

Opening General Session Keynote

Anthony DeRosa

Executive Director, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators

Melinda Friedman

President, Confluence Engineering Group, LLC.

Jessica Fritsche

Associate Vice President, Carollo Engineers, Inc.

Vishakha Kaushik

Senior Water Engineer, Arcadis U.S., Inc.

Cynthia Lane

General Manager, Platte Canyon Water & Sanitation

Ashley Pifer

Director, Water/Wastewater, Halff

T.J. Stroebl

Senior Professional, Kurita Water

Allison Spinelli

Director of Water Resources, Orange Water & Sewer Authority

Focused Insights Sessions

Discover AWWA’s “Focused Insights” sessions, designed for those seeking depth, clarity, and meaningful dialogue on specific water topics. Attending these sessions in their entirety is highly recommended to give participants the time and space to better understand broad concepts. Keep an eye out for this indicator in our program to take advantage of these learning opportunities.

*Please note that partial attendance (of less than 30 minutes) will not meet the criteria for AWWA Certificates of Completion.*

Focused Sessions

What Attendees Are Saying

“It was an extremely valuable learning experience. In the educational sessions, I encountered others who were working on the same problems as me but were further along. They were all willing to share their knowledge, both at the conference and afterwards.”

“I’m a P.E. new to the water industry, and this conference was an excellent introduction to the world of water! The educational sessions offered a deep dive into an array of fascinating topics. I have a newfound appreciation for the colossal effort and collaboration required to ensure safe and accessible water.”

“ACE 2024 is the first one I have attended, as a student I am grateful and impressed by the interest they have in students and YPS relating to the industry. I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to meet wonderful people and be able to learn a lot in so few days. I will definitely attend again! Mexico present!”

“AWWA ACE continues to be the place to learn the latest on providing safe water to our cities and communities, while strengthening the friendships and relationships within our professional community. AWWA is the place where we provide, and find, help to solve problems.”

AWWA Provides Certificates of Completion

Earn continuing education hours at ACE! Whether you are an engineer collecting PDHs, an operator needing CEUs, or simply require proof of attendance, ALL attendees can earn AWWA Certificates of Completion by scanning in and out of educational sessions. These Certificates can then be downloaded from your AWWA account in July.

Remember: All approvals are at the discretion of your licensing agency, and every state/province is different – so be sure to check first! ACE is an excellent learning opportunity for all our attendees, no matter your water profession. Elevate your journey while supporting a brighter future for you and our water resources.

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