A Place Where Waters Meet: A Recap of BCWWA’s 54th Annual Conference & Trade Show

In April 2026, the 54th BCWWA Annual Conference & Trade Show made waves in Penticton, BC.  Joined by over 1,400 water professionals, the  conference held three packed days of networking, learning and celebrating the impactful and incredible work happening across the water and wastewater sector in BC and the Yukon.

This year’s theme, “Where Waters Meet” highlights the interconnected landscapes of BC and Yukon, bringing a sharp focus to the collective strength in community. As the water community faces pressing water challenges, including climate change, conservation, aging infrastructure, workforce development and emerging contaminants, it becomes clear that our resilience lies in connection, conversation and community.

We were honoured to open the sessions with a welcome and land acknowledgment from a local First Nation’s speaker, Wynona Paul from the Penticton Indian Band (PIB) and the Syilx Okanagan Nation. In her speech, Wynona delivered powerful reflections on the deep cultural and spiritual bond with water. This meaningful opening set the stage for a truly inspiring keynote from Georgia Peck from Living Lakes Canada.  Presenting on “The Water We Share: How Local Collaboration Builds Resilient Water Systems,” Georgia commanded the stage, sharing her experience with the challenges that arise in watersheds and the demand for collaboration across engineering, hydrology, community planning and environmental stewardship. Drawing on real-world examples from across British Columbia, she offered an engaging reflection of hydrologic data, lake foreshore planning, wetland restoration, and groundwater monitoring to tell a bigger story about protecting the headwaters that we all rely on. Georgia’s work provides a fresh perspective on how local work drives impact across the broader water system.

A conference staple, the Trade Show was electric with over 170 exhibitors showcasing the latest technologies, products and services shaping the future of water. The Industry Innovation Showcase returned with the engaging one-on-one interview format. Host Zane Spencer from MPE a division of Englobe, visited each presenter’s trade show booth to get an inside scoop on their product offerings, how they work and how the company is innovating in the industry.

Check out videos from this year’s Industry Innovation Showcase!

We welcomed back the Operator Challenge with a competitive and friendly spirit as teams competed in the Pipe Repair Challenge, Lockout Challenge and the “Test the Waters” Trivia showdown. This year, we had three teams from BC municipalities participate: returning champions, Capital Regional District (CRD), and teams “RAS to the Occasion” and “WET Bandits” from the City of Kelowna. Each team showcased their expertise, skill and enthusiasm for the challenge. Congratulations to this year’s champions from the City of Kelowna: Amanda Schuffels, Jason Danroth and Paul Kozen from team RAS to the Occasion ! We look forward to future competitions as we celebrate the important but often unseen work of operations.

The BCWWA also hosted the 2026 BC & Yukon “Best of the Best” Tap Water Taste Test, held to celebrate the operators who work to ensure the high-quality standards of our tap water and see who is crowned best-tasting tap water. This year, samples were categorized into three divisions to recognize the full scope of treatment processes that exist for every size of community. Congratulations to the three water providers who won this year’s competition: Dave Lundberg, Richard Lopez and Luka Bresan, City of Burnaby (Large Water System); William Mortimer and Ethan Pauli, District of Sparwood (Medium Water System) and Scott Simpson and Arvid Bensler, Phantom Creek Estates (Small Water System). Thank you to our esteemed panel of judges: American Water Works Association (AWWA) Treasurer Reid Campbell, Water Environment Federation (WEF) President-elect Paul Schuler, Canadian Water & Wastewater Association (CWWA) Executive Director Robert Haller and Trade Commissioner Lauren Hurst.

The conference led with a full slate of education sessions, laying the foundations for networking opportunities and building stronger connections within the water community.  Water leaders, young professionals, students, exhibitors and BCWWA volunteers came together to contribute to the conversations and share their experiences working in the One Water sector. Reception events provided a chance to reflect on the industry’s achievements and discuss the future of the water in BC and the Yukon.

We look forward to continuing the conversations, partnerships and innovations made at this year’s conference. Thank you to everyone who attended, participated and contributed to the success of our 2026 Annual Conference & Trade Show. We can’t wait to see you again next year at the 2027 BCWWA Annual Conference & Trade Show in Victoria, BC, happening April 18-20, 2027.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

The BCWWA Annual Conference & Trade Show is only possible with the support of our sponsors.  The BCWWA extends our utmost gratitude to these organizations for supporting our Annual Conference & Trade Show and for making it the premier water and wastewater event in BC and the Yukon.

Visit our Flickr for professional photography of the annual conference by Mike Crane.

Watch our recap video!