Experts Share Collaborative Infrastructure Strategies at WEFTEC 2026

WEFTEC 2026 special panel discussion focused on collaborative delivery for water and wastewater infrastructure

NEW ORLEANS, LA, UNITED STATES, September 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Municipal and public utility leaders attending WEFTEC 2026 are invited to a special panel discussion focused on collaborative delivery for water and wastewater infrastructure.

The session,“Collaborative Delivery for Water & Wastewater Infrastructure,” will bring together leadership perspectives from the public sector, infrastructure development, project delivery, and legal counsel. Panelists will share practical experiences and provide a candid discussion of the benefits, risks, and circumstances in which collaborative delivery may help communities advance critical infrastructure projects.

The discussion is intended to help city managers, utility executives, public works leaders, and infrastructure professionals better understand when collaborative delivery may be appropriate, how community and ratepayer interests can be protected, and what public owners should consider before selecting an alternative project-delivery model. The panel is designed to educate attendees rather than promote a single approach, including a direct discussion of when collaborative delivery works and when a traditional delivery method may be more appropriate.

Experienced Panel Brings Four Perspectives

The panel will feature professionals who bring distinct owner, developer, infrastructure, and legal perspectives to the discussion:

Greg Chavarria, Moderator
Former City Manager of the City of Fort Lauderdale and Vice President at KEITH. Greg Chavarria will provide the public-owner perspective and share experience associated with evaluating collaborative delivery for major municipal infrastructure. He was directly involved in advancing Fort Lauderdale’s Prospect Lake Clean Water Center and will discuss the considerations that led the City to explore a collaborative delivery model.

Chris Tynan
CEO and Founder of Burnham, a water and wastewater collaborative delivery infrastructure developer. Chris Tynan will discuss the developer’s perspective, including the potential advantages of collaborative delivery, private-sector participation, project risk, financing considerations, and long-term service commitments.

Brock King
Director at Kiewit Development and Co-Chair of the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure’s Water Infrastructure Committee. Brock King will bring the infrastructure delivery and industry best-practices perspective, including how public owners can evaluate delivery partners and protect community and ratepayer interests.

Dolly Mirchandani
Co-Head of the White & Case Global Infrastructure Group. Dolly Mirchandani will provide the legal perspective, including how collaborative delivery differs from traditional design-bid-build contracting, the importance of an effective agreement structure, and issues public owners should evaluate when negotiating project terms.

Lessons from the Prospect Lake Clean Water Center

The discussion will include lessons connected to the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Prospect Lake Clean Water Center. Both Greg Chavarria and Dolly Mirchandani helped bring the project to life. The project was named Best P3 Utility Project of the Year by P3 Bulletin and is scheduled to become operational in September 2026.

The project provides a timely example of how a public agency can evaluate an alternative delivery structure for a major water infrastructure investment. Rather than presenting collaborative delivery as the answer for every project, the panel will give attendees a balanced view of its potential value, limitations, risks, and implementation considerations.

Topics will include:

When collaborative delivery may be appropriate
Differences between collaborative delivery and traditional design-bid-build
Public-owner, developer, legal, and infrastructure-delivery perspectives
Protecting ratepayer and community interests
Evaluating potential delivery partners beyond price
Contract risks and common negotiation mistakes
Private financing and municipal capital considerations
Internal capacity needed to manage a collaborative partnership
Lessons learned from real-world infrastructure delivery

The session will also include audience questions and a rapid discussion of common misconceptions surrounding collaborative delivery.

Event Information

Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Time: 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. CT
Location: New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District
Room: Cypress II
Address: 859 Convention Center Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

Seating is limited. Public utility representatives, municipal leaders, public works professionals, engineers, infrastructure developers, attorneys, and other WEFTEC participants are encouraged to reserve their seats in advance.

Registration: View the session details and reserve a seat.

About the Session

“Collaborative Delivery for Water & Wastewater Infrastructure” is a special WEFTEC 2026 panel organized for municipal and public utility leaders addressing aging infrastructure, limited capital resources, project-delivery risk, water scarcity, and the need to advance essential infrastructure promptly. The session will present multiple professional perspectives to help public owners make better-informed delivery decisions

Greg Chavarria
KEITH
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