2026 Spring Conference Recap

The week began Tuesday morning with CPR and First Aid Training, giving attendees an immediate opportunity for hands-on learning before the rest of the conference activities officially got underway. As exhibitors prepared the hall and attendees checked in, the conference quickly shifted into educational programming, with a wastewater session, CBOD₅ Testing Made Simple: Avoiding Common Pitfalls, followed by the IFA SW Regional Meeting. The afternoon then moved into one of the week’s most important conversations: the Legislative Working Group, where attendees joined AIRW staff and a Bose Public Affairs Group representative for an open discussion about Indiana’s legislative landscape impacting water and wastewater utilities. It was an important session that reinforced AIRW’s role in advocacy and gave attendees an opportunity to share field feedback, discuss current and upcoming priorities, and help ensure the voices of rural and small utilities are heard at the Statehouse.

Tuesday continued with Roundtable Conversations with AIRW: Insight, Input & Industry Collaboration, one of the week's most engaging and collaborative sessions. This interactive roundtable invited attendees, vendors, and stakeholders to connect directly with AIRW staff and peers to discuss issues shaping the industry, including apprenticeship and workforce development, the rise of data centers, AI in rural water, CCR questions, water audits, and energy efficiency. It was a great example of how Spring Conference creates space not only for formal presentations, but also for meaningful dialogue and practical idea-sharing.

That momentum carried right into the first-ever Shamrock Showcase: Exhibit Hall Grand Opening, which added a festive St. Patrick’s Day twist to the start of the week with decorated booths, games, prizes, a photo booth, and plenty of exhibitor interaction. Tuesday evening closed with the Pre-Conference Hospitality Event at Legendz Sports Bar & Grill, where attendees enjoyed food, drinks, and networking in a relaxed setting that set the tone for the busy days ahead.  Thank you to National Water Services, LLC, and Advanced Rehabilitation Technologies for sponsoring and hosting this event.

Wednesday kept the energy high with a full day of concurrent training sessions, an exhibit hall breakfast, networking breaks, and opportunities for attendees to continue earning valuable education hours. The sessions reflected the wide range of challenges and opportunities facing today’s utilities, with topics covering infrastructure damage and the law, wastewater troubleshooting, long-term infrastructure planning, utility marketing and communication, water tank inspections, activated sludge, water education, cybersecurity, treatment chemistry, IDEM wastewater updates, asset management reporting, governance, operator ethics, easements, capital planning, water audits, and outreach. Throughout the day, attendees had the chance to tailor their conference experience to fit their roles and responsibilities, whether they work in operations, management, administration, compliance, or community engagement.

Wednesday also featured some of the conference's most anticipated events. The Awards of Excellence Luncheon gave AIRW the opportunity to recognize outstanding professionals across the industry and to celebrate scholarship recipients.  Congratulations to the 2026 award winners: Donald “Dino” Schmaltz of Dillsboro Water Works, Water System Operations Specialist of the Year; Brad Coomer of City of Huntingburg Wastewater Utility, Wastewater System Operations Specialist of the Year; Charles “Chuck” Pietrucha of Hammond Water Works, Manager of the Year; Cathy Moore of City of Bloomington Utilities – Dillman Road, Administrative Professional of the Year; and Pat Beamon, recipient of the James E. Burch Steward of the Environment Award. Wessler Engineering was also named Associate Member of the Year.

The Carson Law Lounge offered attendees an open-house legal education opportunity, while the Spouse/Guest Wine Tasting, Exhibitor Reception, Ultimate Meter Challenge Sweet 16, and the 2nd annual Watermelon Eating Contest brought even more energy and fun to the day. Wednesday evening wrapped up with another hospitality event at 33 Brick Street, giving attendees one more opportunity to connect and unwind after a full day of learning.

Thursday brought a strong finish to the conference with a hot breakfast, the 1st Regional Water Taste Test, and the Zenner Meter Challenge Final Four. The final day also included more concurrent training sessions, exhibit hall time, a guest cupcake-decorating workshop, food trucks, Bingo, WaterPAC raffle excitement, and the Women in Rural Water Luncheon, which brought attendees together to network, share experiences, and celebrate the achievements of women in the industry. By the end of the week, attendees had experienced three days filled with learning, collaboration, friendly competition, and genuine connection.

We were also proud to recognize this year’s scholarship recipients: Hayden Farrar of the Town of Poseyville, Paige Brindle of the Town of Huntertown, Bailey Clark of Plainfield Utilities, Abigail Shreve of Ellis Water Company, and Coen Brace of Ramsey Water Company.

Congratulations as well to Hammond Water Works, winner of Best Tasting Water in Indiana; Lorean Johnston of AIRW, winner of the $2,000 cash grand prize; Avery Ferguson with the Town of Millersburg, winner of the shotgun raffle; Chad Cutliff with Hallador Power Company, winner of the WaterPro Trip Giveaway; Sierra Doty of the City of Columbia City, winner of the Zenner Meter Challenge; and John Kondas of Rose Acre Farms, Inc., who won the Watermelon Eating Contest.

Events like Spring Conference would not be possible without the incredible support of our sponsors, exhibitors, presenters, and attendees. Thank you to Covalen, our presenting conference sponsor, and to every organization and individual who helped make this year’s event such a success. Your support, participation, and commitment to the industry helped create a conference that was not only educational and productive, but also welcoming, memorable, and a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone who helped make this impactful event a success.

Please visit our facebook by clicking here to see photo albums.