Invitation to Submit a Proposal to Present
You are invited to submit a proposal to present at the Great Lakes Drinking Water Conference: Managing the Flow of Water. This conference will take place May 20 and 21, 2026 in Traverse City, Michigan.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is accepting proposals for sessions under the following topics:
Source Water Protection
- Contaminant Sources, Emerging Contaminants, and Risks to Sources
Examples: Identifying and Prioritizing Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Michigan, Emerging contaminants - Pharmaceuticals and personal care products, Microplastics, PFAS,1,4-Dioxane, Bacteria and Viruses, Harmful cyanobacteria blooms, Effects of Changing Climate, Contaminant Source Inventory, Risk Communication, cybersecurity threats, other sources. - Emergency, Contingency Planning, and Public Outreach and Communication
Examples: Aquifer Health, Sustainability, Ordinances, Planning and Zoning, Legal Perspective on the applicability of ordinances, New Source Development, Water Shortages, American Water Infrastructure Act Requirements, Managed Aquifer Recharge, Managing land uses for source water protection, working with stakeholders, incorporating SWP into existing programs, community engagement, social media tips, K-12 STEM programs, teambuilding for source water protection, evaluating public education programs.
Supplying Drinking Water and Protection of Public Health
- Operator Certification/Capacity Development
Examples: staffing, training programs, engaging new water supplies, secondary treatment, technical assistance, asset management, capacity assessments, supply chain management, emergency management and support. - Lead and Copper
Examples: Lead service line replacements, regulatory status, filter products, communication with the public, Filter First Requirements/Guidance for Schools/Implementation - Operations/Treatment Technologies
Examples: Secondary Treatment Technologies, Emerging Contaminants, Surface Water Source Treatment Technologies, Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water, cyber protection , Area Wide Optimization Programs. - Infrastructure Financing/Affordability
Examples: Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funding, Capital Improvement Plans, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, System consolidation and partnerships, Water Affordability and Equity, Asset Management, Environmental Justice, funding for privately-owned systems.
Drinking Water Vision for the future
- Future of the Safe Drinking Water Act
Examples: Regulatory updates, physical and cybersecurity protection, new rule/change considerations. - Expanding/Engaging the Workforce/Partnerships
Examples: Outreach, Operator certification and training programs, water system partnerships, apprenticeship/internships in the water sector, mentor programs, recruitment and retention programs, water/wastewater tech programs, secondary high school education programs, Great Lakes Commission work, new initiatives.. - Climate Change/System Resiliency
Examples: Increasing demand, Water conservation and efficiency, source water assessments, climate-driven water quality changes, Emergency Drinking Wate Supply Plan Workshop and finalized document. Cybersecurity, mutual aid, emergency planning.
Other
- Topics Related to the theme of Safe Drinking Water
Example: Artificial Intelligence for the water sector
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Abstract Submission Guidelines
Interested presenters are invited to submit one or more abstracts for oral presentation.
- Abstract submission deadline is October 26, 2025, 11:59PM.
- Abstract Title: Limited to 12 words.
- Abstract Length: Limited to 500 words.
- Presenter Biography: Limited to 150 words.
Presentation timeslots are 30 minutes. Presenters should plan on at least 25 minutes of presentation time and 5 minutes for question and answers. Longer presentations should be submitted as two separate presentations of equal length (e.g., Part 1 and Part 2).
Conference sessions will include topic areas as shown below. Please review the topics to consider the category where your presentation would best fit. Authors may suggest additional topics that are not on the list, but they must fit a general topic area related to theme of providing safe drinking water from source to tap. Presentations including case studies applying to public water supplies ranging from very large community water supplies to the smallest noncommunity supplies are welcome.
Acceptable presentation formats are PowerPoint (.ppt) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). Presenters will be instructed on how to submit their presentation files, embedded video, and audio clips before the conference begins on May 20, 2025. Presentations may, upon approval, be posted online for viewing after the conference. There will be no written presentations or formal proceedings.
Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified by mid-January. One complimentary conference registration will be provided per abstract accepted.
SUBMIT ABSTRACT