Water Event Series 2025: Regional Collaboration, Local Impact
Event 1:
A Vision for Water: Regional Collaboration, Local Impact
Reflections
What does it take to build a shared vision for water?
Not one person at a podium. Not a panel. Not a plan. It takes conversation. Presence. Imagination. And time.
At last year’s Vision for Water convening, we challenged participants to weave a resilient network—one sturdy enough to weather both abundance and scarcity. Twelve months later, that call feels not just relevant but urgent.
With federal priorities shifting and regulatory guardrails in flux, the need for strong local and regional coordination has never been clearer. We can’t wait for distant fixes. We have to organize here—across water systems, sectors, and state lines—to secure a future where water works for everyone.
On May 9, 2025, more than 80 water leaders gathered at Hire360’s flagship workforce-training hub for the third Vision for Water convening, part of Current’s fifth annual Chicago Water Week. The theme—Regional Collaboration, Local Impact—asked what it will take to align our region’s water systems with the challenges and opportunities ahead.
But the day’s pulse wasn’t just onstage. It was in the circles—groups huddled at tables, wrestling with governance, funding, equity, and what becomes possible when we work together.
That’s where vision turns real: in the messy, collective space where ideas collide, connections deepen, and new networks form. Just as water crosses every boundary, so must the solutions—shared power, shared resources, shared responsibility.
What’s next
This gathering kicked off a four-part series that runs through 2025 and culminates in a Water Policy Forum this November, co-hosted with Current. Two additional sessions will take place this summer and fall at MPC’s space in the historic Marquette Building. Your feedback is still coming in, but clear priorities are already surfacing—how to sharpen the format, widen the circle, and dig deeper where it matters most.
Event Recap
On May 9, 2025—near the close of Chicago Water Week—more than 80 water leaders trickled in to Hire360’s new workforce hub for coffee, pastries, and an hour of easy networking. Just before the program began, the room got an unexpected jolt of energy: U.S. Senator Dick Durbin slipped in to greet participants, a reminder that the conversations underway in Chicago reverberate all the way to Washington.
When the formal agenda opened, three familiar Chicago voices set the tone: Jay Rowell of Hire360, Alaina Harkness of Current, and Dan Lurie of MPC. Their warm welcomes grounded the day in collaboration.
That collegial energy flowed into a “lakeside chat” between Emily Simonson of the U.S. Water Alliance and Tom Kotarac of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. Drawing lessons from the transportation sector, they explored how similar cross-sector coordination could unlock progress for water.
Later in the morning, a response panel brought the discussion down to local level. Nora Beck (CMAP) unpacked emerging groundwater and demand data; Chynna Hampton (Climate Jobs Illinois) spotlighted the workforce needed to put new infrastructure in place; and Elisa Bonkowski (Fehr Graham) shared what frontline communities are up against when floods, aging pipes, and limited budgets collide
Early in the morning, attendees jotted down their own visions for water on simple note cards. The answers ranged from deeply personal to boldly systemic, but one line echoed through hallway conversations:
“We need to lead like the lake depends on it.”
That sentiment—equal parts responsibility and resolve—set the tone for everything that followed.
What We Heard in Small-Group Discussions
After the lakeside chat, participants gathered in small groups—at tables or in a seated circle—to tackle one question: “What’s one action or idea this region isn’t yet ready to try—but should be exploring?”
Over the next half-hour, participants compared notes, challenged assumptions, and mapped out practical next steps. The exchanges surfaced bold proposals, named real obstacles, and highlighted where fresh collaboration could make the biggest difference.
Key Themes & Bold Ideas
Participants were clear: workforce equity must be baked into every investment—never an after-thought.
- Break down hiring and HR barriers within utilities.
- Expand apprenticeships and certification pipelines—starting in high school and community colleges.
- Ensure public contracts and funding mechanisms support small, local, and diverse businesses.
- Plan for the water sector’s “retirement cliff” with long-term succession strategies.
“Infrastructure doesn’t build itself. If we want equity, we have to invest in people.”
Across the board, participants called for governance that reflects how water actually moves and connects regions.
- Explore a “watershed utility” model to reduce fragmentation.
- Develop regional water plans that integrate drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater systems.
- Connect water and land use planning across jurisdictional boundaries.
- Share models from other Great Lakes states already experimenting with this kind of coordination.
“We plan by department. Water moves by gravity.”
Financing came up in every group: it has to be durable, local, and fair.
- Keep ratepayer dollars in the systems they support.
- Establish sustainable water funds governed by regional values.
- Shift development incentives: tax large-scale, resource-intensive projects to fund broader infrastructure needs.
- Fund water like the essential service it is—not just a line item.
“No more planning to plan. Let’s finance the future.”
Participants stressed the need for shared tools, accountability, and knowledge.
- Build a regional data backbone for water quality, infrastructure, and affordability.
- Appoint a trusted intermediary to evaluate and share data across agencies and communities.
- Improve coordination of water quality monitoring, reporting, and public access.
- Help residents understand who owns what, where investments are going, and why.
“What gets shared gets valued.”
The group’s creativity came through in ideas that pushed the region beyond incremental change.
- Advance policies and pilot projects for water reuse, especially at the district and industrial scale.
- Tie water innovation to other systems—like cooling for data centers or green transportation.
- Use water as a connector, not a divider. One group proposed a Chicago water taxi linking neighborhoods and suburbs through lakefront access.
“We can’t just reuse water. We need to reuse ideas.”
Upcoming Events
This session launched a four-part series that continues throughout 2025:
- July: Where Are All the Good Water Jobs?
- September: How Are We Going to Pay for It All?
- November: Water Policy Forum, co-hosted with Current
As one attendee wrote:
“The vision we need doesn’t exist yet. But piece by piece, we’re building it.”
Thank you to everyone who shaped this convening—on stage, in small groups, or simply by showing up with curiosity and care. If you were with us in May, we’re grateful. If you missed it, we hope to see you in July.