In June, ahead of ACE26, TAG Members from across the country convened in Washington, D.C., for the third annual US National TAG Member Meetup.
Third Annual US National TAG Member Meetup Focused on Building and Sustaining Organization-Wide Innovation
In June, ahead of ACE26, TAG Members from across the country convened in Washington, D.C., for the third annual US National TAG Member Meetup. The event was co-hosted by DC Water at their Headquarters.
The Meetup included the announcement of the 2026 Trailblazer Award Winners, peer-to-peer utility conversations, and utility-led presentations on the journey to creating and establishing innovation programs.
2026 Trailblazer Awards
The Trailblazer Awards recognize utilities and individuals pushing the boundaries in the water sector, demonstrating that collaboration and forward-thinking leadership are essential to addressing today’s water challenges.
Congratulations to the 2026 Trailblazer Award Winners! Read more about the 2026 Trailblazers here.
Utility Discussions
The Meetup also gave TAG Members the chance to share organizational updates on innovation projects with conversations touching on new technologies under evaluation, biggest internal bottlenecks to adopting new technology (and how members are working around them), and capabilities or solutions attendees wish existed but haven’t been able to find.
Some of the key takeaways from those discussions included:
- Utilities are formalizing innovation through structured roadmaps and integrated offices with the goal of reducing internal silos, prioritizing modernization investments, and ensuring responsible adoption of emerging technologies, particularly around AI.
- Workforce readiness, culture, and stakeholder engagement are important determinants of success. In some cases, the most persistent bottlenecks for technology adoption are related to change management rather than technical implementation.
- Emerging regulatory and environmental pressures are shaping innovation priorities. Areas like PFAS treatment, groundwater reliance, desalination, and algae and emerging contaminant monitoring not only require advanced technologies, but also require specialized planning and communication to ensure communities and stakeholders are aligned.
Innovation Requires New Ways of Thinking, Curiosity, and Persistence
One of the core themes that emerged during the Member Meetup was the importance of people and communication in sustaining and driving innovation. In many instances, the biggest barriers to technology adoption were change management related, such as managing change resistance and stakeholder buy-in.
At the same time, there are many examples of progress driven by curiosity and a willingness to explore, ask questions, and rethink familiar processes.
Establishing and Integrating Innovation Programs
At the Member Meetup, DC Water and WSSC Water shared ongoing efforts to grow and enhance internal innovation programs.
DC Water Roadmap
As part of their longstanding commitment to innovation, DC Water is working on a multi-year Roadmap to institutionalize modernization and continuous improvement within the organization. Coupled with the acceleration of AI, DC Water’s Roadmap is also focused on ensuring that tools are selected responsibly, in accordance with robust cybersecurity protocols, regulatory compliance, and based on strategic priority, value, and scalability across the organization.
WSSC Water Innovation, Technology and Research Office
WSSC Water has made innovation a central pillar of their organization. Through a bottom-up approach, they have created formal pathways for employees of all levels to bring ideas forward, share with organizational stakeholders, obtain buy-in, and create recommendations to leadership.
Onward
From the Trailblazer Award honorees to the candid conversations shared throughout the Meetup, the message is clear: innovation doesn’t happen in silos it happens through partnership and shared learnings. Ultimately, traditional approaches to operating no longer cut it. Innovation isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have, and Isle is thrilled to work alongside TAG Members on their innovation journey as they lead the way for the sector.
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