UESI and EWRI are pleased to jointly host an evening technical presentation on Water System Resiliency on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at the offices of V3 Companies (7325 Janes Avenue, Woodridge, IL).

Rebecca Cramer from Hazen and Sawyer, an expert in water distribution systems, will kick off our evening discussion on resiliency by providing an overview of its significance and the importance of emergency planning. She will highlight how water utilities can be affected by unexpected events, such as extreme weather, catastrophic incidents, or system failures. Rebecca will outline measures that utilities can implement to prepare for unexpected infrastructure outages. By identifying critical infrastructure, vulnerabilities can be assessed in advance of an emergency, enabling capital planning or emergency response planning to enhance system resilience.

Ramesh Kanapareddy, who is the Executive Director of NSMJAWA, a system that provides 
water to over a quarter of a million people in the northwest suburban area, will present a case study on one recent experience related to resilience impacts and planning. In 2025, NSMJAWA had to repair a leak on their 90-inch transmission line and had to temporarily shut down the single feed line. He will discuss the coordination and communication outreach NSMJAWA undertook and the preparations their member communities made in advance of this repair, including developing secondary emergency connections and preparing their back-up well system.

Paul May is the Executive Director of the DuPage Water System. DuPage Water provides 
potable drinking water to over 23 communities in the western suburbs, distributing over 26 
billion gallons of water annually to their wholesale customers. Paul will discuss activities and operations that they undertake to ensure their customers can rely upon a steady delivery of water.

This event provides an excellent opportunity for engineers and water professionals to earn PDHs, expand their knowledge of water system resiliency, and network with peers across the industry.

Check-in at 5:15 PM with presentations starting at 6:00 PM.

Registration is $75 per person and $350 for a company sponsorship. Sponsorship includes two admissions to the event as well as company advertisement throughout the evening. If interested in sponsorship please contact Francisco Martinez, [email protected].