- Schneider Electric to display how automation and energy tech can strengthen resilience and modernize increasingly complex water management operations
- The company also releases its latest Modicon™ PLC enhancements, designed to strengthen cybersecurity and operational resilience for industrial automation and water operations.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, will showcase automation and digital technologies at the Water Environment Federation's Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) 2026 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center held in New Orleans (September 26-30). As North America's largest annual water-quality exhibition, WEFTEC brings together more than 23,000 attendees and 950 exhibitors for 125 educational sessions.
The exhibition is happening as water and wastewater utilities are facing mounting pressure amid aging infrastructure, water scarcity, rising energy costs, workforce challenges, and escalating cybersecurity threats. Previous research from Schneider Electric found that 60% of U.S. leaders believe water-related risks will outpace all other infrastructure threats.
Against this backdrop, organizations across the water sector are looking to accelerate investments to modernize, digitalize, and boost cyber preparedness to ensure reliable service and long-term sustainability.
"Water providers are facing significant challenges from aging infrastructure, growing cyber threats, and increased pressure on resources," said Sophie Borgne, Water and Environment President, Schneider Electric. "By adopting and deploying open, software-defined automation and technologies to secure industrial systems, organizations can harden critical infrastructure, future-proof operations, and leverage the agility of modern software to enable quicker, data-driven decisions throughout the water ecosystem."
Open software-defined automation and secure-by-design technological architectures are leading the charge in helping water organizations maintain continuous service, optimize plant and network performance, and equip teams with the data they need to make faster, more informed decisions across the water cycle.
At WEFTEC, the critical technologies and services enabling electrification, automation, and digitalization for water operations will be on full display (Booth #4641), including:
- The newly launched Modicon™ release advances cybersecurity across the automation architecture, certified to IEC 62443-3-3 Security Level 2 (SL2), with enhanced capabilities including encrypted firmware, network authentication, and role-based access control. Together, these enhancements help strengthen the cyber resilience of Modicon M580 CPUs, related communication cards, and Modicon Ethernet switches while unleashing the cybersecurity capabilities of the Modicon Edge I/O NTS Distributed I/O platform.
- Cybersecurity Solutions, which provides OT security assessments, cybersecurity program and policy development, and managed security services with continuous monitoring, threat detection, and response.
- EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert, which offers flexible, open software-defined automation for efficient plant upgrades and operations.
- TeSys™ Tera, which provides motor protection, control, and monitoring to help reduce equipment failures, energy costs, and asset wear.
- An Altivar™ Process ATV680 low-harmonic drive, which supports fluid-handling applications such as pumping, aeration, and dosing, with real-time intelligence and automated diagnostics.
- EcoStruxure™ Water Advisor, which is water management software covering the complete water cycle through connected data and predictive analytics for smarter decisions.
- AVEVA™ CONNECT, which integrates organizational data, applications, and systems into a centralized environment to achieve fast, reliable integration to enable quicker, data-driven decisions.
The partner ecosystem is critical to Schneider Electric's work in the water sector. CITI, Inc., a Charlotte, North Carolina-based Vessco Water Platform Partner specializing in industrial automation and control systems integration, has achieved Alliance Master status, the highest system integrator tier in Schneider Electric's Alliance Partner Program for Industrial Automation. The designation recognizes CITI's technical expertise, project delivery, and commitment to Schneider Electric technologies. It also strengthens collaboration to help water and industrial customers modernize aging control systems, improve operational visibility, and move toward open, interoperable automation architectures. CITI provides control systems integration, PLC and SCADA software development, and in-house UL-certified control panel construction for water and wastewater, industrial, and municipal applications across the Southeastern United States.
Throughout the event, Schneider Electric will also be available to discuss the tech, partnerships and projects designed to improve water and wastewater efficiency, reliability and resilience.
Schneider Electric at WEFTEC 2026
- Modernize Without the Rip-and-Replace: How Open, Software-Defined Automation Is Transforming Water Utilities, Monday, Sept. 28, 10–10:45 a.m. CT, Product Launch Theatre on the WEFTEC show floor. A fireside chat moderated by Jacob Thompson of Schneider Electric with Fabrice Meunier, VP, Industrial End Users and Software, North America, Schneider Electric, and Leonardo Jurado, President, CITI, Inc., on how water utilities are modernizing critical operations with EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert while keeping the hardware they already have.
- In-booth sessions, Booth #4641, 11–11:30 a.m. CT, including:
- Roadmap to OT Cyber Protection, Monday, Sept. 28
- Accelerating Digital Transformation in the Age of AI: Lessons from Leading Utilities, Tuesday, Sept. 29
- Start Small, Think Big: Using Proofs of Concept to Guide Modernization, Wednesday, Sept. 30
Executives attending WEFTEC 2026 include:
- Sophie Borgne, Water and Environment President
- Sielen Namdar, Water and Environment Segment Leader, North America
- Greg Magdanz, VP, OEM Sales, North America
- Fabrice Meunier, VP, Industrial End Users and Software, North America
- Julia Hull, VP, Industrial Business and Strategic Accounts, North America
About Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability. The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory. With 160,000 employees and 1 million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world's most sustainable companies.
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