Explore the Stormwater Summit 2022 Technical Program

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Virginia) has released the technical program for Stormwater Summit 2022, revealing new details about the event’s many opportunities to connect and compare notes with stormwater sector changemakers. Set to take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from June 27-29, Stormwater Summit 2022 will feature an Opening General Session, 19 technical sessions, two facility tours, and one pre-conference workshop.

Registration for the Stormwater Summit, hosted by the WEF Stormwater Institute in cooperation with the Central States Water Environment Association, will open March 22.

“This year’s Stormwater Summit Steering Committee has created a technical program showcasing sustainability, resiliency, and environmental justice in the stormwater sector,” said Nancy Ellwood, co-chair of the WEF Stormwater Summit Steering Committee. “There is perhaps no better way for stormwater professionals to stay on top of today’s most significant trends and technologies than to join us in Minneapolis.”

Much to Learn in Minneapolis

Topics covered in this year’s technical sessions run the gamut from organization-scale issues, such as operations and maintenance, public outreach, and infrastructure decision-making, to broader subjects, like climate change adaptation, environmental justice, and new technologies on the horizon. Each session will last for at least an hour, and start times are interspersed throughout the event to enable attendees to tailor their schedules according to their interests.

Technical session highlights include exclusive, first-hand updates on several national-level programs and initiatives, including the Stormwater Testing and Evaluation for Products and Practices (STEPP) program, the next installment of WEF’s Rainfall to Results publication, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2022 Clean Watershed Needs Survey. The program will also feature a collection of innovative case studies from around the U.S., such as an effort to plan green infrastructure throughout Washington, D.C.’s Anacostia River watershed, predicting the effects of storms on water quality in Los Angeles, and outside-the-box infrastructure funding strategies in Seattle.

Among other topics covered in technical sessions are:

• stormwater capture and use;
• asset, program, and utility management;
• diversity, equity, and inclusion;
• watershed-level stormwater planning;
• hydrological research; and
• innovative funding and financing mechanisms.

Explore the full Stormwater Summit 2022 technical program at the event website.

Extracurricular Activities

Strategically designed and placed green infrastructure has the potential to ensure stormwater management efforts benefit all parts of a community equally, including those areas that have historically experienced chronic underinvestment. However, accurately gauging the many socio-economic co-benefits of green infrastructure to identify areas in need can often be difficult for stormwater managers.

The Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange (GILE) recently released its 2022 State of Equity Practice in Public Sector GSI report, outlining ways to improve environmental equity through green infrastructure as well as gauge the effectiveness of existing green infrastructure.

During a pre-conference workshop on June 27, engage with speakers from GILE and equity minded stormwater leaders from around the U.S. to explore how to interpret the report into results for your community. The full-day, hands-on workshop will explore ways that both utility leaders and practitioners can support environmental justice through green infrastructure, how to set and measure progress toward equity goals, and underscore the links between green infrastructure and socioeconomic welfare.

Pre-registration for the workshop, titled “Get to Know the Equity Guide: Measuring & Evaluating Progress Towards Equity in GSI,” is required during Stormwater Summit 2022 registration. 

Registrants may also opt into either or both of two facility tours, offering attendees the chance to experience outstanding examples of stormwater innovation in the Minneapolis area firsthand. One tour, focused on stormwater reuse, will bring guests to Allianz Field, the new office building of the Capitol Region Watershed District, and the Towerside Innovation District adjacent to the University of Minnesota (UMN; Minneapolis). A second tour, focused on research and technology, invites guests to the historic St. Anthony Falls Laboratory at UMN. This interdisciplinary fluid mechanics research lab contains a range of state-of-the-art experimental research facilities to study stormwater behavior in a way that few facilities can match, which attendees will explore alongside briefings about the laboratory’s latest research projects.

More Information

After registration for Stormwater Summit 2022 opens in late March, visit the event website for details on travel, attendance, and continuing education credits. Register by May 13 to take advantage of Super-Saver rates.

Questions? Contact SWSummit@wef.org or (703) 684-2400, ext. 7450.