Dr. Richard E. Thorsten, Robert Puente to Deliver Keynote Addresses at 7th Emerging Technology Symposium

Ontario, Calif. – Jan. 17, 2020 – The chief impact officer for water.org, a nonprofit organization that has been working to bring water and sanitation to the world for 25 years, and the president/CEO of the public utility San Antonio Water System will be the keynote speakers for the 7th biennial Emerging Water Technology Symposium (EWTS) to be held from May 12-13 in San Antonio, Texas.

The EWTS provides an opportunity for experts to present new ideas and approaches, emerging technologies coming to market, innovative green plumbing and mechanical concepts, and more. Professionals from the manufacturing, engineering, plumbing and mechanical, and water utility industries participate, along with individuals from government and academia.

Dr. Richard E. Thorsten is the chief impact officer for water.org, which has helped provide access to clean water and safe sanitation to more than 25 million people in 16 nations. He will discuss critical roles of financing access to piped water and off-grid sanitation solutions in developing countries. He will also outline examples of partnerships that water.org has undertaken in these markets, especially connecting water utilities and product manufacturers with sources of household and enterprise financing.

Also delivering a keynote address will be Robert Puente, who has served as president/CEO of the San Antonio Water System since 2008. As chief executive of one of the nation’s largest utilities, he provides leadership in delivering water and wastewater services to more than 1.7 million consumers, developing new water resources, continuing infrastructure upgrades throughout the community, and building regional partnerships. Puente is also a former congressman and served as chair of the House Natural Resources Committee.

In addition to hearing the keynote addresses, EWTS attendees will view presentations and discussions on today’s most pressing water-related issues. The topics will include risk management best practices for Legionella and pathogen control, including high capacity filtration; key research needs for premise plumbing; enabling competitions to drive behavioral change; prevention of temperature fluctuations in showers; wastewater treatment and whether it can be a consumer product; the applied water-energy nexus — using an integration framework; PFAS contamination in water; emerging “water-from-air” technologies, and many more.

“PMI members look forward to EWTS because this meeting provides them with the chance to expand their horizons by hearing presentations from the broad array of professionals working in water-related industries”, said Kerry Stackpole, CEO/executive director of Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI). “Over the course of two days, we will hear from fertile minds dedicated to tackling global challenges pertaining to safe plumbing and water delivery. With a record number of outstanding abstracts on hand, this year’s program promises to be enlightening and inspiring.”

The symposium will be co-convened by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers, the Alliance for Water Efficiency, IAPMO and PMI, in cooperation with the World Plumbing Council.

Attendees are advised to register early as this symposium will sell out. The early-bird rate of $495 ends March 15. Additional information and details on how to register for the symposium may be found online at www.ewts.org. Videos of presentations from previous symposiums are also available on the website.