Annual Conference Highlights
Kentucky's public drinking water and wastewater utilities gathered on August 28-30, 2023 for Kentucky Rural Water Association’s (KRWA) 44th Annual Conference and Exhibition. This year's event took place at the Galt House Hotel & Suites in Louisville, Kentucky, attracting over 850 utility professionals. With the theme "Next Level," the event featured valuable insights from industry experts, extensive networking opportunities, and access to Kentucky's largest exhibition of products and services for public utilities.
The conference began on Monday with the KRWA Golf Tournament at the Nevel Meade Golf Course, with training sessions for water and wastewater personnel ongoing at the Galt House. These sessions included a diverse range of topics, from digital collaboration and cybersecurity to workplace stress and water treatment, including a tour of the Louisville Water Company’s facilities. The day concluded with the opening of the exhibit hall, where over 120 exhibits showcased the latest industry technology, products, and services, with Culy Contracting, LLC, receiving the Best Display Award.
Tuesday featured the Kick-Off Breakfast, recognizing outstanding drinking water and wastewater utilities. The Annual Business Meeting saw re-elections to the KRWA Board of Directors, and officers for 2023/2024 were announced. Throughout the day, attendees engaged in concurrent training sessions covering a diverse range of topics. As the day concluded, we celebrated with the Member Appreciation Reception, featuring the Ultimate Meter Challenge, the WaterPac Raffle, and the Best Tasting Water Contest. Notably, Green River Valley Water District emerged as the winner of the Best Tasting Water Contest. Our WaterPac initiative successfully raised $4,850 to support the advocacy efforts of water and wastewater utilities.
On Wednesday, the conference's final day, the General Session included updates and insights from industry leaders, regulatory bodies, and government officials. It was on this day that we had the honor of recognizing Kentucky State Representative Brandon Reed with the "Friend of Rural Water" Award for his outstanding contributions to rural Kentucky. The event concluded with the annual Awards Luncheon, where the prestigious Wooden Bucket Award was presented to Morgan County Water District. General Manager of Morgan County Water District, Shannon Elam, stated, “Winning the wooden bucket award from KRWA is a true honor. The board and staff at MCWD have worked so hard over the last three years to turn things around, so to be recognized for our hard work by the staff of KRWA is truly humbling and rewarding. The MCWD staff is dedicated to their customers to provide the most affordable, safe, and accessible drinking water in the state.”
KRWA expresses gratitude to its partners and sponsors for contributing to the success of this year’s event. Next year's conference is scheduled for August 26-28, 2024 at the Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky.