Water is the lifeblood of Indiana’s future. The Indiana Water Summit is a forum designed to address the complex issues surrounding Indiana’s water supply. The 2024 summit themes included regional water planning, water rights and policy, and the role of water / wastewater utility innovation. Read on to gain key insights about water’s central role in the future of the state. (For the agenda and posted slides, visit the 2024 Indiana Water Summit page.)
Key points in this article:
- This year’s Indiana Water Summit hosted by the White River Alliance highlighted the rigorous study of water supply and demand to inform policy and investment.
- Indiana Prosperity 2035 (IP35) is the state’s roadmap for the future, placing water as a top priority.
- States, regions, counties, and local communities must work together to maximize the long run return on water resources by making the appropriate policies and investments in infrastructure.
The summit kicked off with a presentation by Vanessa Green Sinders from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, focusing on the role of water in the Indiana Prosperity 2035 (IP35) roadmap. The IP35 plan is a comprehensive, long-range initiative aimed at driving growth, transformation, and prosperity for Hoosiers and their enterprises. It emphasizes the need for Indiana to adapt and evolve its economic strategies to keep pace with accelerating changes and complexities. Green Sinders’ talk teed up Jim McGoff from the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA).
IFA’s Jim McGoff provided an in-depth report on the current water studies in the Wabash headwaters and north central downstream region (see link for additional information). With a fifty-year forecasting horizon, the studies progress in phases covering water-demand, water-supply, and a comparison of these forecasts to assess regional water supply sufficiency. The concluding recommendations seek to address any identified gaps. As influential investors like Michael Burry position their funds to target water-rich areas, Indiana and the entire midwest is positioned for global capital inflow if those water resources are managed well. This future vision follows naturally from Indiana’s agricultural heritage.
Conclusion
The 2024 Indiana Water Summit underscored the critical importance of collaboration and strategic investment in water resources. By working together, states, regions, counties, and local communities can maximize the long run return on water resources through data informed policies and infrastructure investments. The insights shared at the summit highlight the need for a unified approach to water management, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for Indiana.
Reach out to BCS today so we can help with your economic development plans, especially with a focus on water infrastructure operation and investment.