In a digital world, a chain-link fence and a padlock won’t secure your water system. That security of water — from environmental to diplomatic to cyber — was the focus of the 10th Water Leaders Summit hosted by The Water Council May 23-24 in Milwaukee.
More than 200 corporate CEOs, engineers, technology start-ups and academic leaders gathered to hear the perspectives of those intimately involved in keeping water safe and plentiful. Both Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker were among the dignitaries who spoke on the importance of water.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett addressed more than 200 attendees at the 2017 Water Leaders Summit. —Photo By Sharon Verbeten
“You can’t fix water problems without a sense of community,” said moderator Charles Fishman, Fast Company contributor and author of The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water. That sense of community was reflected in the summit’s panelists, who spoke about their individual experiences.
“We have made dramatic progress in the past 10 years,” said Fishman. “The attitude, the awareness, the determination to change the way their city or their company relates to water has changed dramatically. We don’t need visionaries — we need practitioners.