Campaign momentum carries forward to UN Global Climate Week 2026

LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 17, 2026 – Grundfos today marked the completion of its Keep the River Running campaign as water advocate and Thirst Foundation CEO Mina Guli concluded her journey along the Colorado River at the final Colorado River Basin Summit in Los Angeles.
 

The initiative brought together leaders from business, government, utilities, academia, Tribal communities and nonprofit organizations to elevate awareness of growing water challenges across the Colorado River Basin while highlighting practical solutions to strengthen water resilience.

Over the course of the campaign, stakeholders convened at regional summits in Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles to explore opportunities to improve water efficiency, expand water reuse, modernize infrastructure and strengthen collaboration across sectors.

While Mina Guli's journey reached its final destination in Los Angeles, organizers emphasized that the effort itself is entering a new phase.

"The finish line of Keep the River Running is really a starting line," said Ansell Sims, U.S. Country President, Grundfos Americas. "Mina helped focus attention on the challenges facing the Colorado River, but awareness only matters if it drives results. The next step is turning that momentum into progress for communities, industries and the river itself."

The campaign comes at a critical time for the Colorado River Basin, where growing water demand, increasing water stress and aging infrastructure continue to place pressure on limited water resources.

Throughout the summit series, participants examined practical approaches to improving water resilience, including industrial water reuse, municipal water efficiency, digital water management and public-private collaboration. These discussions aligned closely with findings from Grundfos' recent Water Scarcity Impact Paper, which examines the economic impacts of water scarcity and identifies opportunities to accelerate investment in water solutions.

"For months, we have seen communities, water leaders and partner organizations come together around a shared purpose," said Mina Guli, CEO of the Thirst Foundation. "Completing this journey is not the end of the effort. It is an invitation for more organizations and individuals to help secure the future of the Colorado River."

Grundfos will now carry the campaign's momentum to UN Global Climate Week 2026 in New York City, where the company and its partners will participate in discussions focused on water resilience, climate adaptation and sustainable economic growth.

Insights from the Keep the River Running campaign and the Water Scarcity Impact Paper will help inform those conversations and reinforce the critical role water plays in addressing broader climate and sustainability challenges.

For Grundfos, the conclusion of Keep the River Running represents a transition from awareness to action. Mina Guli's final miles mark the beginning of a broader effort to advance water resilience, accelerate the adoption of proven solutions and strengthen partnerships across the Colorado River Basin and beyond.

Those conversations will continue during UN Global Climate Week 2026, where the lessons of the Colorado River will help inform a broader global dialogue on water security, climate resilience and sustainable growth.