The program for the 2026 Water Finance Conference — coming to the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado, Aug. 4-5 — will present a theme of “Resilience Begins with Finance,” covering a slew of issues tied to strengthening water resilience through innovative financing.
The Water Finance Conference is a two-day educational seminar convening executive-level utility professionals, including CEOs, directors, general managers, CFOs and city finance managers along with consultants, financial advisors and service providers to municipal water, wastewater and stormwater systems.
On day 1, Tuesday, Aug. 4, take a behind-the-scenes tour of Denver Water’s Operations Complex. Located just west of downtown Denver, the 34-acre campus serves as Denver Water’s headquarters and operational hub, supporting water service across 10 counties.
Attendees will get a firsthand look at the facilities and infrastructure that keep one of the nation’s leading water utilities running efficiently every day. The tour is included in the conference but is limited to 20 participants per tour, with two tours scheduled (40 total participants.)
Following the tour, attendees will return to the conference venue in time for lunch and our opening keynote session featuring AWWA CEO David LaFrance. LaFrance will share insights on utility finance goals within AWWA’s Water2050 initiative, regional water resource planning challenges, workforce development, and more.
Elizabeth Gillitzer-Gallardo, Manager of Rates and Charges at Aurora Water will present on implementing a capacity rental charge to curb overuse and protect future supply, co-presented with Jason Mumm. Mumm is Senior Director of Infrastructure Finance at Brown and Caldwell and a nationally recognized expert in utility rates, fees and charges and has helped author significant portions of AWWA’s guidelines for water utility rates.
The day will conclude with a panel discussion on balancing customer affordability amid evolving regional water resource and infrastructure challenges. The panel will be moderated by Todd Cristiano, Vice President at Raftelis. It will feature Angela Bricmont, Chief Financial Officer at Denver Water, Ken Duplay, Chief Financial Officer at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, and others.
Day 1 will conclude with a networking reception following the technical program.
Day 2, Aug. 5, will kick off with a morning panel discussion on data centers, municipal water opportunities and financial planning considerations. The panel will feature Lauren Barbir, Associate Vice President & Business Development Director at HDR and Brenton McCloskey, Director of Strategic Development and Communications, The Water Center, University of Pennsylvania, among others.
Silvia Amparano, Deputy Director at Tucson Water, will be on hand to present about Tucson’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure project, financial consideration for deploying AMI, and revenue recovery benefits. The day will continue with a focus on federal funding, the status of federal water programs and overcoming local hurdles to implementation of federal funds for water/sewer projects.
We’ll also cover water reuse and the short, long-term regional outlook, and various local system approaches to applying water reuse practices, along with financial planning considerations for such projects.
Check out the complete agenda here. This exclusive program will feature expert presentations and commentary you won’t find anywhere else.
The 2026 conference will be held Aug. 4-5 at the Fritz Knoebel Events Center at the University of Denver. The conference is presented by main event sponsor, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), along with sponsors Stantec, InVizion, UMS and Raftelis.
The highly popular Water Finance Conference was established in 2015 and provides an exclusive forum for candid discussion around financing in the municipal water utility sector. The event is hosted annually by the journal Water Finance & Management, published by Benjamin Media, Inc., in collaboration with founding sponsor, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and other supporters and sponsors.
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