Water Conference of the West
WCDA Immediate Past President Tom Visosky (CDM Smith) will be presenting at the AWWA – California – Nevada Section’s Water Conference of the West on April 8, 2026.
WHAT:
“New California Legislation Expands Access to Collaborative Project Delivery”
The recently enacted California SB 598 enables local agencies, upon approval by their governing bodies, to use the construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) project delivery method for regional recycled water projects or other water infrastructure projects that alleviate water supply shortages attributed to drought or climate change. This legislation broadens the use of CM/GC, making it a permissible water infrastructure project delivery method for an expanded scope of local agencies.
CM/GC is a collaborative project delivery method in which the owner retains an engineering firm and a CM/GC firm under two separate contracts—one for design and one for construction. Availability of CM/GC as a project delivery option for water infrastructure projects can help reduce project duration and costs, as compared to traditional design-bid-build methods, providing additional flexibility in implementing projects that address water scarcity challenges, and other impacts of climate change, and enhance water system resilience.
In combination with SB 991, which took effect in 2023 to permit the use of progressive design-build (PDB) project delivery, this legislation provides California utilities with additional options for delivering water infrastructure projects effectively and efficiently through CM/GC and PDB methods. Shown by industry research to be the fastest growing form of project delivery in water and projected to continue to grow in the coming years, collaborative delivery plays an important role in building water’s future and navigating the uncertainties and regulatory challenges facing the water sector.
This session is designed to provide water professionals with the essentials of what utility staff and other project stakeholders, such as engineers, contractors, technology providers, and equipment suppliers, need to know about collaborative project delivery, with a focus on CM/GC and PDB. Participants in this session will learn the key elements of SB598 and SB 991 and how they empower the use of collaborative project delivery, how collaborative delivery methods, such as CM/GC and PDB, can support effective project delivery, as well as critical considerations for delivery method selection and implementation.
WHEN:
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
10:00 am – 10:30 am PST
WHERE:
Town & Country Resort
500 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, CA 92108