CWN recently hosted Canadian and international leaders at Blue Cities, our flagship event for the municipal water sector. The benefit of bringing 200 smart, experienced people together to focus on the “big challenges” is that they come up with great insights and strategies.

How will CWN carry these insights forward? Many of the topics discussed will be pursued in greater depth through our Municipal Water Consortium: financial sustainability; stretching existing assets; alternative project delivery models; design standards for right-size capacity; attracting a diverse and tech-savvy workforce; hiring Indigenous professionals.

CWN will also be establishing Communities of Practice that focus on adaptive planning and reducing GHGs. Learn more about these projects that are supported in part by the Government of Canada on our website.

We will also keep a close eye on issues of water availability and new molecular methods to detect and assess water pollutants with the help of our international colleagues at the Global Water Research Coalition.

View Blue Cities photos.

What did others think of Blue Cities 2025? 

Some key takeaways that really resonated: Stay adaptive in a changing world; Be strategic in your approach; Lead with optimism; and above all collaborate!

My biggest take away? Innovation can be incubated naturally by offering teams with the space, time and risk tolerance, but just as important is the courageous and bold leadership needed to move incubated ideas into actionable change.

What resonated most with me was the emphasis on strategic collaboration— not just across sectors, but across ideas — to move from vision to action in meaningful ways.

We are glad to take part in these important moments that mobilize the water ecosystem to (re)think and do things differently, starting with collaboration, for a secure water future.

We’re energized by the connections made and the ideas shared — and we’re ready to keep the momentum going.