FSAWWA Delegates Promote National Water Policy Dialogue at Water Matters! Fly-In Kevin Carter, Christopher Pettit, and Lisa Wilson-Davis
federal issues we all should be watching closely in the 115th Congress.
Washington, D.C.! Our nation’s capital, and a global economic, political, and cultural nexus. Within the Beltway backdrop, nationally significant water resources policy, regulatory, and funding decisions are made each year. The American Water Works Association (AWWA), through its Government Affairs Office in Washington, D.C., maintains a solid presence “on the Hill” to keep our collective interests front and center for our federal legislators. The Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA) also supports our national leaders, primarily through the FSAWWA Utility Council and its coordination on major issues (see FSAWWA Chair Grace Johns’ column; Florida Water Resources Journal, March 2017, p. 48) and participation in the annual Washington, D.C., Water Matters! Fly-In. This article describes the AWWA office in Washington, the 2017 Fly-In, and the current
AWWA’s Government Affairs Office and Water Matters! Fly-In One of the key mottos of the AWWA Government Affairs Office team is “We watch Washington, D.C., so you don't have to!” (https://www.awwa.org/legislation-regulation.aspx). The office staff does an outstanding job of tracking legislative and regulatory activities emanating from the capital, coordinating targeted responses, and advocating on behalf of AWWA member utilities. The office receives oversight from the AWWA Water Utility Council (WUC), which is comprised of senior staff members from municipal and private water utilities who represent diverse geographical regions in North America. The staff coordinates legislative and regulatory activities and is led by its executive director, G. Tracy Mehan III. One very recognizable staff member is Tommy Holmes,
Our nation’s newly refurbished capitol building shone beautifully during the recent FSAWWA delegate trip to Washington, D.C., to the AWWA Water Matters! Fly-In.
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June 2017 • Florida Water Resources Journal
legislative director, who is a frequent participant at the FSAWWA Fall Conference and coordinates the annual Fly-In. Formally started in 2002, the Fly-In involves coordinated congressional briefings given by AWWA section delegates (for example, FSAWWA members). The briefings target key water utility issues and also serve to have AWWA recognized as the national leader on drinking water issues.
115th Congress: Water Infrastructure Funding Front and Center The 2017 Fly-In occurred on March 22-23 near the beginning of the 115th Congress, which started on January 3. Of course, with a presidential transition occurring this year, our nation’s capital was anticipating the winds of change; however, one national constant is our industry’s infrastructure maintenance and replacement needs. The association has been at the forefront in educating congressional members on drinking water infrastructure’s critical nature, and to facilitate the national discussion, AWWA released a report in 2012 entitled, “Buried No Longer: Confronting America’s Water Infrastructure Challenge.” The report contains numerous statistics and recommendations, including a major finding that puts the national price tag of infrastructure repair and replacement at $1 trillion over the next 25 years to maintain our current water-service levels (AWWA report, p. 3; www.awwa.org). In some respects, many federal legislators have listened to our industry and are beginning to work toward solutions. Some key bills were passed in the 114th Congress that our current congressional members will hopefully build upon. These include: S A continuing resolution bill (H.R. 2028) to keep the federal government open for business also provided $20 million to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program (https://www.epa.gov/wifia). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that this initial funding will now provide approximately $1 billion in credit assistance. S The comprehensive 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN S. 612) contains many drinking water infrastructure components, including