Private Sector Roundtable: Global Investment Opportunities in Water Security

Hosted by the American Water Works Association in collaboration with the World Bank Group, U.S. State Department, and U.S. Department of Commerce

As part of AWWA’s Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE26)—one of the world’s premier gatherings of water professionals—the American Water Works Association leveraging its mission to provide solutions for effectively managing water and its vision of a better world through better water, is proud to convene a high‑level, deal‑focused event designed to accelerate U.S. private‑sector engagement in global water security.

This exclusive roundtable brings together U.S. companies, investors, government partners, U.S. government officials and World Bank Group leadership to explore the rapidly expanding landscape of water‑sector investment opportunities worldwide.

Why Attend This Roundtable

The global water sector is entering a new era of investment, innovation, and partnership. Leveraging ACE26’s convening platform, this collaborative initiative supports the World Bank Group’s (WBG) scaling up of engagement with bilateral partnersto advance its Water Strategy (FY25–30), which prioritizes:

• Private sector participation (PSP)
• Increased financing for water infrastructure projects
• Strengthen water utilities systems and service delivery
• Deploy innovative technologies in treatment, reuse, and resource management

With the launch of the Water Forward global initiative at the 2026 Spring Meetings, the WBG is accelerating efforts to crowd in private operators, investors, and technology innovators. At the same time, the WBG’s 2026–2027 pipeline includes major long‑term investment programs—Multi‑Phase Programmatic Approaches (MPAs)—focused on:

• Fiscal policy reform of national and subnational water and sanitation service delivery systems
• Improve physical national and subnational water and sanitation service delivery systems.
• Irrigation modernization to support agribusiness
• Regional water resources and transboundary water management

These programs are expected to generate significant procurement, PPP, and blended‑finance opportunities. U.S. companies—already global leaders in advanced treatment, desalination, reuse, infrastructure resilience, and digital water—are uniquely positioned to play a central role.

Roundtable Objectives

Participants will gain:

• A clear overview of how the World Bank Group engages the private sector including procurement pathways, PPP structures, blended finance, IFC investments, and MIGA guarantees.
• Real‑world case studies showcasing successful private‑sector participation in WBG water projects across multiple regions.
• A deal‑oriented dialogue focused on risk mitigation, sequencing, regulatory reform, and upcoming pipeline opportunities.
• Concrete follow‑up actions including technical exchanges, bilateral meetings, and identification of priority opportunities for U.S. engagement.

This is a free event which provides a rare opportunity for U.S. companies to connect directly with WBG teams shaping global water investment programs.