Traverse City to host 2026 Great Lakes Drinking Water Conference, May 20-21

Traverse City will become a regional nerve center for drinking water policy when the 2026 Great Lakes Drinking Water Conference comes to the Park Place Hotel and Conference Center on May 20 and 21. The gathering is aimed at the people who keep taps running safely: community water supply personnel, local officials, academic researchers and service providers across the Great Lakes region.

For Grand Traverse County, the stakes go well beyond a conference schedule. State materials from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy say the event will bring together community water supply staff, local decision-makers, representatives from the local, state and federal levels, consultants, academics, source-water protection partners and other water professionals to confront the region’s current and emerging drinking water challenges. Those issues include emerging contaminants, water system resiliency, policy and regulatory updates, source-water protection, lead and copper issues, community engagement and partnerships meant to strengthen drinking water systems.

That agenda lands at a time when local governments and utilities are under pressure to keep water service safe, affordable and resilient through storms, growth and long-term infrastructure demands. In a county where residents depend on reliable public water systems and source-water protection is tied directly to public health, the conference offers a rare chance for officials and utility staff to compare notes on testing, compliance and emergency planning with peers from across the Great Lakes.

The event also reinforces Traverse City’s role as more than a tourism and arts destination. By hosting a conference focused on drinking water, the city is again serving as a place where environmental policy, public health and infrastructure planning meet. For researchers and technical professionals, the May 20-21 sessions are expected to provide networking and cross-agency problem-solving. For local officials, the practical value will likely come from the kind of guidance that can shape how utilities communicate with residents, prepare for emergencies and plan for the next wave of capital costs.

The conference’s focus on lead and copper issues, source-water protection and emerging contaminants makes the event relevant to anyone who relies on a public water system and expects it to remain dependable in the years ahead. In Grand Traverse County, that means the conversation in the ballroom could translate into decisions that affect water quality, system upkeep and public confidence long after the final session ends.