Highlights Of The Program

2 days business program:

Learn from real-world case studies by industry leaders.

SHOWCASING INNOVATION:

Discover the latest technology and techniques from across the industry.

leaders talk:

Hear from top-level experts about how to stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.

MULTIPLE STREAMS:

A business program that is multi-disciplinary, giving you a broad view of the industry.

SMART TECHNOLOGIES:

Explore the latest smart and AI-driven solutions, and see how they can be used in your business.

roundtable discussion:

Join talks with industry peers. Share ideas, make connections, and find new partners.

Program 2026

DAY 1 :
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2026
08:00 - 08:50
REGISTRATION AND MORNING REFRESHMENTS
08:50 - 09:00
OPENING ADDRESS
09:00 - 09:25
PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT: MEMBRANE FOULING LESSONS FROM A PFAS-DRIVEN RO SYSTEM
Jeaniece Slater
West Morgan – East Lawrence Water and Sewer Authority

Jeaniece Slater

West Morgan – East Lawrence Water and Sewer Authority

  • Uncovering how upstream alum treatment outside the fence line accelerates membrane fouling and decay
  • Profiling the treatment and operational changes that reduced fouling frequency and measurably cut OPEX
  • Preparing utilities for first-skid commissioning with practical lessons from a $16M rural expansion
09:25 - 09:30
Q&A SESSION ON MEMBRANE FOULING IN A PFAS-DRIVEN RO SYSTEM
09:30 - 09:55
LEADING WATER RELIABILITY: GROUNDWATER REPLENISHMENT, ADVANCED TREATMENT, AND PFAS SOLUTIONS
Marice DePasquale
Mesa Water District

Marice DePasquale

Mesa Water District

  • Navigating Orange County's multi-agency approach to potable reuse and groundwater replenishment
  • Advancing resilience at the Mesa Water Reliability Facility through advanced membrane treatment technologies
Shawn Dewane
Mesa Water District

Shawn Dewane

Mesa Water District

  • Outlining a utility perspective on PFAS response: treatment, compliance pathways, and deployment realities
  • Previewing a multi-agency inland brackish desalination study with OCWD, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach
09:55 - 10:00
Q&A SESSION ON WATER RELIABILITY LEADERSHIP, AND REGIONAL PFAS MEMBRANE SOLUTIONS
10:00 - 10:30
SPEED NETWORKING SESSION
  • Exchange business cards and get connected in short one-to-one meetings
  • Start the conversation to arrange a more formal meeting later on in the conference
  • Share your professional background and discuss your biggest business issues – don't forget your business cards!
10:30 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
11:00 - 11:30
PANEL DISCUSSION ON MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY
11:30 - 11:55
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN MBR TECHNOLOGY FOR SMALL DECENTRALIZED APPLICATIONS
Reza Shams
BioMicrobics

Reza Shams

BioMicrobics

  • Identifying key challenges in applying membranes to decentralized wastewater treatment systems
  • Assessing the feasibility of membrane application in small and remote treatment facilities
  • Reviewing case studies that highlight real-world challenges and solutions for MBR implementation
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCING MBR TECHNOLOGY FOR DECENTRALIZED WASTEWATER TREATMENT
12:00 - 12:25
LEVERAGING HIGH-QUALITY FEEDWATER AND MEMBRANE PERFORMANCE FOR ADVANCED TREATMENT AND POTABLE REUSE APPLICATIONS
Harith Alomar
Waterise

Harith Alomar

Waterise

  • Maximizing RO membrane efficiency and lifespan through consistent low-fouling deep-water feedwater conditions
  • Drawing operational lessons on pressure management and maintenance from large-scale subsea membrane systems
  • Positioning advanced membrane systems to meet potable reuse requirements and PFAS compliance drivers
12:25 - 12:30
Q&A SESSION ON FEEDWATER QUALITY AND MEMBRANE PERFORMANCE FOR POTABLE REUSE AND PFAS COMPLIANCE
12:30 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH AND VISITING THE MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION
13:30 - 13:55
ACCELERATING COMPLEX WATER PROJECTS: P3s, CAPITAL ALIGNMENT, AND DELIVERY
Greg Chavarria
KEITH

Greg Chavarria

KEITH

  • Detailing how P3 models manage risks and accelerate timelines in complex water treatment projects
  • Distilling strategic alignment lessons across technology selection, funding, and governance frameworks
  • Building durable stakeholder buy-in through a 20-year approval cycle for potable reuse delivery
13:55 - 14:00
Q&A SESSION ON P3 DELIVERY IN COMPLEX WATER TREATMENT
14:00 - 14:25
A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON WASTE STREAM VALORIZATION USING MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY
Wes Alexander
Membrane Specialists LLC

Wes Alexander

Membrane Specialists LLC

  • Understanding the potential of membrane technology in driving value creation within the circular economy framework
  • Highlighting emerging technologies and novel applications in waste stream valorization
  • Examining the environmental implications of membrane-based recovery in industrial treatment
14:25 - 14:30
Q&A SESSION ON MEMBRANE SOLUTIONS FOR WASTE STREAM VALORIZATION
14:30 - 14:55
FROM MESH TO RATIONALLY DESIGNED FEATURES PRINTED ON MEMBRANES
Coley Ali
Aqua Membranes

Coley Ali

Aqua Membranes

  • Reducing pressure drop through 3D-printed spacers, as demonstrated in real-world installations
  • Increasing membrane efficiency with thinner feed channels, more active area, and lower pressure drop
  • Enhancing performance by optimizing flux distribution and minimizing biofouling-prone low-shear zones
14:55 - 15:00
Q&A SESSION ON ENHANCING MEMBRANE PERFORMANCE THROUGH 3D-PRINTED SPACERS
15:00 - 15:20
AFTERNOON COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
15:20 - 15:50
PANEL DISCUSSION ON MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY
15:50 - 16:15
RETROFIT SYSTEMS FOR EFFICIENCY
Preston Baggerly
LifeSource Engineering

Preston Baggerly

LifeSource Engineering

  • Documenting a three-phase SWRO retrofit that doubled production capacity on two occasions while cutting power consumption
  • Quantifying energy savings from integrating advanced recovery technology and low-pressure membranes
  • Chronicling operational lessons from 30 years of retrofitting a commercial seawater reverse osmosis system
16:15 - 16:20
Q&A SESSION ON LONG-TERM SWRO RETROFIT STRATEGY AND ENERGY OPTIMIZATION
16:20 - 16:45
HIGH-RECOVERY NF TREATMENT OF GROUNDWATER IN FLORIDA
GJ Schers
Jacobs

GJ Schers

Jacobs

  • Optimizing system recovery through a six-month pilot study aimed at replacing membrane softening
  • Exploring multiple configurations including 2-stage, 3-stage, and flow-reversal RO to maximize recovery
  • Evaluating pretreatment strategies such as sand straining, media filtration, and sulfuric acid dosing
16:45 - 16:50
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCING HIGH-RECOVERY NF TECHNOLOGY FOR GROUNDWATER TREATMENT
16:50 - 17:15
BEYOND THE FEED SPACER: NEW DIRECTIONS IN SPIRAL WOUND MEMBRANE ARCHITECTURE
Diego Castanon
Precision Membranes

Diego Castanon

Precision Membranes

  • Diagnosing the fouling, pressure drop, and mechanical stress inherent to conventional feed spacer design
  • Rethinking feed spacer geometry to cut biofouling tendency, improve flux distribution, and lower energy draw
  • Charting alternative feed channel architectures for spiral wound elements beyond the conventional mesh spacer
17:15 - 17:20
Q&A SESSION ON NEXT-GENERATION FEED CHANNEL DESIGN IN SPIRAL WOUND MEMBRANES
17:20 - 18:20
NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION
DAY 2 :
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026
08:00 - 08:30
MORNING REFRESHMENTS
08:30 - 08:40
OPENING ADDRESS
08:40 - 09:10
PANEL DISCUSSION ON MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY
09:10 - 09:35
PROCESS ENGINEERING AND INTEGRATION STRATEGIES FOR LARGE-SCALE BIOGAS UPGRADING AND NITROGEN SYSTEMS
Paul Terrien
Air Liquide

Paul Terrien

Air Liquide

  • Streamlining biogas purification through tailored pretreatment and membrane integration strategies
  • Minimizing system footprint using high-productivity membranes for compact nitrogen generation systems
  • Balancing CAPEX and OPEX through lifecycle optimization in real-world industrial deployment
09:35 - 09:40
Q&A SESSION ON BIOGAS UPGRADING AND MEMBRANE-BASED NITROGEN SYSTEM INTEGRATION STRATEGIES
09:40 - 10:05
SUSTAINABLE, CHEMICAL-FREE DRINKING WATER PRODUCTION WITH THE LARGEST DUTCH UTILITY
Nik Mehta
NX Filtration

Nik Mehta

NX Filtration

  • Deploying hollow-fiber nanofiltration technology for treating eutrophic surface water with minimal chemical use
  • Collaborating with Vitens to pilot a sustainable, low-footprint drinking water solution
  • Analyzing the total cost of ownership of HFNF systems against UF-RO and conventional treatment approaches
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON SCALING HFNF FOR CHEMICAL-FREE DRINKING WATER PRODUCTION
10:10 - 10:30
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
10:30 - 10:55
PFAS AND 1,4-DIOXANE: LEGAL EXPOSURE, EMERGING CLAIMS, AND REMEDIATION COSTS
Doug Kreis
Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC

Doug Kreis

Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC

  • Mapping the federal PFAS MDL landscape and active state opt-out actions for damages
  • Tracking new 1,4-Dioxane lawsuits targeting manufacturers as treatment costs and regulatory burdens mount
  • Calculating the true cost of PFAS and 1,4-Dioxane remediation relative to legal liability exposure
10:55 - 11:00
Q&A SESSION ON PFAS AND 1,4-DIOXANE LEGAL LIABILITY FOR WATER FACILITIES
11:00 - 11:25
PFAS WASTE DESTRUCTION USING GA’S INDUSTRIAL SUPERCRITICAL WATER OXIDATION
John Follin
General Atomics

John Follin

General Atomics

  • Explaining supercritical water oxidation as a technology for complete per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) waste destruction
  • Processing diverse waste streams such as reverse osmosis concentrate, granular activated carbon (GAC), and ion exchange (IX) resin beads
  • Presenting test results and future programs for advancing PFAS destruction and environmental safety
11:25 - 11:30
Q&A SESSION ON INDUSTRIAL SCWO TECHNOLOGY FOR EFFECTIVE PFAS DESTRUCTION
11:30 - 11:55
MODULAR MBRs FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE, LOW-FLOW, AND WATER REUSE APPLICATIONS
Susan Pilgram
Integrated Water Services

Susan Pilgram

Integrated Water Services

  • Implementing modular MBR systems for rapid emergency wastewater treatment in disaster and crisis scenarios
  • Bridging extremely low flows to permanent solutions using flexible and scalable modular MBR system designs
  • Delivering high-quality reuse treatment through optimized membrane selection for varied operational needs
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON SCALABLE MODULAR MBR TECHNOLOGIES FOR RESILIENT WATER MANAGEMENT
12:00 - 12:15
FEEDBACK AND RAFFLE DRAW
12:15 - 12:30
CLOSING REMARKS
12:30 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH

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