The 7th annual Indiana Water Summit, hosted by the White River Alliance on August 20 and 21, brought together experts and community leaders to discuss important issues in water sustainability, policy and management.

“As far as we know, the Indiana Water Summit is the only event in the entire state that is attended by everyone,” said Bill Blomquist, a White River Alliance official and summit organizer.

The summit’s discussion topics vary each year, but this year’s topics centered on collecting more data on Indiana’s water supply, water quality and the future of water and waste utilities.

Blomquist said the ability to measure water levels and collect data on Indiana’s water supply is an important resource for organizations. Knowing where water supplies are located and the quality of those supplies provides information needed for public health, wildlife, vegetation and the economy.

“While there are some places in Indiana where we know the water supply, there are more that we don’t know enough about,” Blomquist said.

In Hamilton and Morgan counties, these levels were measured and a database was created to track them, monitor them and create graphs that make them easier to understand. Theresa Landewe, Midwest regional director for INTERA, an environmental and water resources consulting firm, presented the graphs at the summit.

As Landewe described, the graphics will not only help on a local level, but could inspire other counties and territories to do the same on a larger scale and not only track water levels but also assess the quality of water in Indiana.

Water quality is just as important as location. Agricultural pesticides and chemical runoff can enter our bodies and be stored there. Knowing where these waters flow and what animals and plants they encounter along the way is critical to public health.

The discussion also turned to water and waste utilities and the challenges they face. The cost of keeping water clean, the threat of rising temperatures, and maintaining the workforce are all challenges for companies like Citizens. A retiring workforce and a lack of employees to fill those positions are creating bottlenecks that could impact the production and maintenance of clean water.

In addition, modern technology makes water utilities vulnerable to cyberattacks.

“There are all things that people don’t think about in their everyday lives,” Blomquist said. “Our health and well-being depend on what these organizations do every day and on them being protected.”

But the summit’s topics don’t just impact organizations. The center stage is the citizens of Indiana, who want to make sure they see results from the topics presented.

“The summit highlights and puts the spotlight on issues that affect everyone’s well-being,” Blomquist said.

An annual meeting based on the Indiana Water Summit takes place every two months to delve deeper into the pressing issues and consider local or state policy approaches that could address the problem, with actions directly resulting from the brainstorming that takes place at the summit.

“Most of the time these conversations happen in (the organization’s) own silos, and what’s unique about the Indiana Water Summit is that everyone is in the same room,” Blomquist said.

For more information about the White River Alliance, visit thewhiteriveralliance.org. For more information about the Indiana Water Summit and the full 2024 agenda, visit thewhiteriveralliance.org/event/Indiana-water-summit.

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Contact health and environment reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.