Seawater desalination and wastewater reuse will be key topics at a one-day summit on the Future of Water in Southern California to be held by the University of California, Los Angeles, on 27 January 2012.

This summit, at the Japanese American National Museum, will highlight success stories from across the globe, explore emerging water reuse strategies, and identify critical policy, communications and coalition-building questions for the region. 



The event will bring together leaders from water agencies, universities, the private sector and non-profit organisations to assess future strategies for further developing local water sources in Southern California. Participants will engage in the latest technology, research, policy, and implementation strategies. 



Program highlights:

  • Current use of local water sources and why local sources will become more important in the future
  • Promise and challenges of emerging technologies − including ocean desalination and indirect and direct potable reuse of wastewater and contaminated groundwater − as well as improvements in water conservation programs
  • Lessons learned to communicate the social benefits of new technologies
  • Forming public-private partnerships to assist agencies in developing new water sources
  • New coalitions and organizational strategies to effectively develop these sources
  • Presenters in the desalination section will be Heather Cooley, Pacific Institute; David Furukawa, Australian National Centre of Excellence in Desalination; and Yoram Cohen, UCLA Water Technology Research Center.

    Speaking on direct potable water reuse will be James Crook, Water Reuse Consultant; Robert Hultquist, California Department of Public Health (Ret.); and George Tchobanoglous, Professor Emeritus, UC Davis.

    The agenda and registration details can be found online.