SNEED: Mayor Emanuel to go to Israel to dive into water talks

Sneed hears Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to turn on the water spigot.

To wit: Watch for Mayor Emanuel to head to Israel next Saturday (Sept. 9) to promote investment in Chicago and discuss plans to harness development of urban waterways.

“A key focus of the trip will be highlighting Chicago’s leading role in advancing water technology innovation and conservation while leveraging Israeli water expertise,” said a mayoral source.

Traveling with a delegation of academic and business leaders from the Chicago area, the mayor will keynote the WATEC conference, which brings together thousands of water technology businesses from around the world.

Sneed is also told Emanuel will take part in the signing of a first-of-its-kind agreement with Technion — the Israel Institute of Technology — and Current, the non-profit organization that is propelling Chicago’s water economy.

“They’ll also focus on healthcare and biotech innovation and Mayor Emanuel will sign an economic partnership with Tel Aviv,” added the source.

Backshot: The trip to Israel, from Sept. 9 -13, follows the international Urban Waterways Forum hosted by Emanuel and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo last March in Chicago, when a forum of 17 mayors spanning five continents, 11 countries, and who represent 44 million people convened to discuss the future of urban waterways.