The United States expects additional funding worth $55 billion in the water sector

The Water Expo, an international expo that connects U.S. water and wastewater manufacturers, distributors and professionals with contractors, buyers and local entities, was held in Miami last August.

This year, 150 exhibitors and 2,000 representatives from the United States and Latin America participated in its twelfth edition. Exhibitors had the opportunity to showcase their equipment, technologies and solutions aimed at meeting needs in the water, wastewater, sanitation and environmental services sectors. In parallel, conferences and technical sessions were held that provided a global overview of the latest developments in water and related technologies. In addition to the fifth edition energy exhibition, The energy sector conference presented the latest trends in solar energy, energy storage, electric vehicle charging, clean energy and energy saving.

Below are some of the trends and developments in the water and sanitation sector that were presented:

• Challenges associated with aging water infrastructure in the United States.

The United States has already begun to reverse the current funding gap, by passing laws that will pump significant resources into the water sector. Specifically, the Infrastructure and Jobs Investment Act provides $55 billion in additional funding over a five-year period – the largest federal investment of this kind in the nation’s history.

• Educating residents about the importance of saving water.

New policies are being promoted at the federal, state and local levels, aimed at promoting adequate and sustainable management of this resource. Likewise, concern about the presence of contaminants in water (PFAS) is another relevant aspect of American society. In this sense, both the federal and state governments have taken important measures to address the presence of these compounds in water.

• Water scarcity and reuse.

Policies and regulations are being implemented that encourage the adoption of advanced wastewater treatment technologies and promote awareness of the importance of this practice. In addition, more and more resources are being invested in research and development to improve process efficiency and safety for both public health and the environment.

• Focus on water efficiency and the transformative impact of technology.

Digitization and technological transformation of infrastructure is essential for managing water resources more efficiently, safely and sustainably.

• Sustainability in sanitation.

There is a growing interest in developing environmentally friendly sanitation systems. This includes treatment systems that use advanced filtration and disinfection technologies, such as ultraviolet light.

The water and wastewater sector in the United States faces a series of challenges that have led to the adoption of solutions such as Increase federal funding for infrastructure improvements, Reuse water or use technologies to improve water use efficiency, but there is still work to be done. This framework opens up a range of opportunities for Spanish companies in the sector that want to contribute to improving infrastructure and ensuring access to clean and safe water.

Given the artistic focus of the Water Expo, the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office in Chicago suggests that future participants follow suit These recommendations:

• Detailed review of the event program and speakers’ CVs. This way, they will be able to anticipate the content of presentations, talks and educational sessions, and meet the experts who will participate in them.
• Preparation of topics to be discussed and the agenda of the meeting at the exhibition itself with companies of interest.

It is important to note that the entire organization and exhibition staff, as well as many speakers and participants, speak Spanish, which greatly facilitates conversations with potential partners and understanding the technical aspects during the conferences.

For more information, see our report “Water Exhibition 2023” Available in ICX website.