Leading Utilities of the World welcomes four new members in Madrid

Leading Utilities of the World inaugurated four new member utilities during the 2026 Global Water Summit in Madrid, strengthening its global network of high-performing water and wastewater utilities and bringing total membership to 86 organisations worldwide.

The new members formally welcomed into the network are Esval S.A. (Chile), represented by Chief Executive Officer José Luis Murillo; HRSD (USA), represented by Chief Operating Officer Eddie Abisaab; Gruppo CAP (Italy), represented by General Director Michele Falcone; and Monterey One Water (USA), represented by Executive Officer Paul Sciuto.

The ceremony also confirmed the renewal of membership for Berliner Wasserbetriebe (Germany), represented by Chief Technology Officer Gesche Grützmacher, recognising the utility’s continued leadership in innovation, operational excellence and service delivery.

Together, these additions further strengthen the network’s geographic reach and technical diversity, reinforcing its role as a platform for peer-to-peer learning among some of the world’s most advanced utilities.

Speaking on behalf of HRSD, CEO Jay Bernas highlighted the organisation’s commitment to collaboration and innovation:

“HRSD is proud to become a member of Leading Utilities of the World and join a network of organizations that are setting the standard for innovation and performance in the water sector. As we continue to advance transformative initiatives such as SWIFT and AI, we value the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from other world-class utilities. We look forward to collaborating with our peers to help address the shared challenges facing the industry.”

José Luis Murillo, CEO of Esval S.A., emphasised the significance of joining the network from a Chilean perspective:

“Being part of Leading Utilities of the World and participating in a global forum such as the Global Water Summit 2026 is a great source of pride for us as a company based in Chile. It allows us to benchmark our work against leading utilities worldwide and confirms that the path we are following—focused on resilient infrastructure, climate change preparedness and the wellbeing of our people—is the right one to deliver a sustainable service for the future.”

The inauguration ceremony underlined the network’s continued growth as a global platform for utility excellence, bringing together organisations committed to innovation, resilience, and long-term sustainability in water management.

Leading Utilities of the World would like to express its gratitude to its foundation partner Jacobs and new corporate member Aqualia and recognise both organisations’ support in advancing global collaboration and knowledge exchange across the sector.