Water doesn’t move at the speed of technology – but the people managing it are being asked to. On April 16th, the Water Center at Penn is hosting its third annual Spring Water Policy Forum, and this year’s theme cuts right to the heart of a challenge facing water managers, utilities, and policymakers across the country: how do we responsibly integrate AI and data-driven tools into water governance?
The forum, titled AI for Water: Policy at the Speed of Technology, runs from 12:00pm to 4:00pm ET at Fitts Auditorium in Golkin Hall on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus in Philadelphia. It’s free to attend, but registration closes April 10th.
What’s Being Discussed
The forum brings together a pretty solid lineup – policymakers, water sector professionals, climate and infrastructure specialists, researchers, and students – all focused on the practical and policy side of technology adoption in water systems.
Keynote remarks will be delivered by Rohit “Rit” Aggarwala, former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. From there, panelists and commenters will dig into how emerging tools and data-driven approaches translate to real-world challenges – and what responsible deployment actually looks like at the utility, regulatory, and community level.
Panelists include voices from DC Water, Amazon, the Joint State Government Commission, and community legal services. Commenters represent New Jersey Future, Bentley Systems, and Arup. It’s a cross-sector conversation that connects the tech side to the policy side – which doesn’t always happen.
Why This Matters for the Upper Ohio River Basin
For organizations working in the H2O Water Network’s region – across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia – conversations like this one are increasingly relevant. AI tools are showing up in water quality monitoring, infrastructure assessment, funding allocation, and public communications. The question isn’t really whether these tools will be used. It’s whether the communities and water stewards most affected by water quality decisions will have a say in how they’re governed.
Forums like this one help shape that conversation at the policy level. And the more water professionals, local organizations, and advocates engage with it – even remotely, even just by following the outcomes – the better positioned we are to make sure our region’s needs are part of the national dialogue.
Event Details
- Date: Thursday, April 16th, 2026
- Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm ET
- Location: Fitts Auditorium, Golkin Hall – 3501 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Registration deadline: April 10th
- Cost: Free
Register through the Water Center at Penn’s website. Questions can be directed to watercenter@sas.upenn.edu.
If you’re able to attend or follow along, we’d love to hear what you take away from it. Water policy is moving fast – and staying connected to where those conversations are happening is part of how the H2O Water Network keeps our region’s voice in the mix.
