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US Water Prize for Outstanding Nonprofit Organization: Iowa Soybean Association

US Water Alliance | August 20, 2020

Established in 1964, the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), the largest soybean association in the nation, was founded “by farmers to serve farmers.” Water management can be a challenging issue in Iowa, particularly when it comes to agricultural landscape practices. To overcome this, ISA has emerged as a One Water champion, exploring and promoting water management practices that benefit farmers, watersheds, and the people who live within Iowa’s watersheds. ISA’s leadership in building bridges between the agricultural community and other key water stakeholders in Iowa has earned the organization the US Water Prize for Outstanding Nonprofit Organization.   | More >

US Water Prize for Outstanding Public Sector Organization: Denver Water

US Water Alliance | August 20, 2020

Across the country, water and wastewater utilities are facing myriad challenges ranging from inadequate investment to the strain put on aging water system by climate impacts and extreme weather. Denver Water, the largest water provider in Colorado with 1.5 million customers, illustrates that utilities have the capacity to innovate and rise to these challenges. For its leadership, Denver Water is the 2020 recipient of the US Water Prize for Outstanding Public Sector Organization  | More >

US Water Prize for Outstanding Public Official: Senator Ben Cardin

US Water Alliance | August 20, 2020

Over his long career in Congress, Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland has proven time and time again that he is a champion for America’s water. An advocate for the environment, and especially his home-state Chesapeake Bay, Senator Cardin has introduced legislation to restore the health of America's great water bodies and is a leading proponent of investing in improvements to America's aging water and wastewater infrastructure system. For his tireless work on behalf of the nation’s water, Senator Ben Cardin is the recipient of the 2020 US Water Prize for Outstanding Public Official.  | More >

US Water Prize for Outstanding Journalism: Jose A. Del Real, The New York Times

US Water Alliance | August 20, 2020

Jose Del Real has dedicated his work in recent years to bringing to light water access inequities in America. Writing for The New York Times, he explored long-standing prejudices in California’s Central Valley, making the case through his reporting for everyone to have access to clean water regardless of their background or socio-economic status. For this important coverage, Jose Del Real has earned the 2020 US Water Prize for Outstanding Journalism.   | More >

Washington DC Update—July 2020

Scott Berry, Policy Director, US Water Alliance | July 31, 2020

July had quite a bit of activity on the legislative front, with a shrinking number of working days left before the approaching election. Early on, the House passed their $1.5 trillion infrastructure package. This large bill is based in part on a $760 billion infrastructure framework unveiled in January by House Democrats. Parts of that as well as more recent legislation on surface transportation, energy, and other infrastructure were stitched together into a larger master proposal that lays down a clear marker of where Democrats want to go in the infrastructure space. The package (prior to amendments) would invest $25 billion into the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), including a new program to assist drinking water systems with projects related to removing emerging contaminants like PFAS. On the wastewater side, the bill would invest $40 billion in the Clean Water SRF. The bill also exempts water and sewer projects from the state allocation cap on private activity bonds, potentially unlocking billions in private investment in water infrastructure.  | More >

As Waters Rise, So Must We. New Report Calls for Equitable Solutions to Urban Flooding

Katy Lackey, Senior Program Manager, US Water Alliance | July 15, 2020

Flooding is the most common, costly, and deadly disaster we face. Over 30 million Americans already live in high-risk flood zones and flooding costs our nation more than $8 billion every year. Climate change is making this worse. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a highly active hurricane season this year. Beyond extreme events, however, some studies estimate localized flooding events have increased more than 300 percent in recent years. Historical redlining practices and a lack of infrastructure investment have placed Black and Brown communities and low-income populations in low-lying areas and areas that flood more frequently. As our nation grapples with a changing climate, we must address these inequities. Utilities – and all water stakeholders – have a key role to play in this endeavor. | More >

Washington DC Update—June 2020

Scott Berry, Policy Director, US Water Alliance | June 26, 2020

Lots of interesting action this month on the regulatory and the legislative fronts. Democrats in the House of Representatives introduced HR 2, the Moving Forward Act, a long-awaited $1.5 trillion infrastructure package. This large bill is based in part on a $760 billion infrastructure framework unveiled in January by House Democrats. Parts of that as well as more recent legislation on surface transportation, energy, and other infrastructure were stitched together into a larger master proposal that lays down a clear marker of where Democrats want to go in the infrastructure space. For water, the package would invest $25 billion into the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), including a new program to assist drinking water systems with projects related to removing emerging contaminants like PFAS. On the wastewater side, the bill would invest $40 billion in the Clean Water SRF. The bill also exempts water and sewer projects form the state allocation cap on private activity bonds, potentially unlocking billions in private investment in water infrastructure. | More >

Solving US Drinking Water Challenges with Policy Innovations

Scott Berry, Director of Policy and Government Affairs, US Water Alliance | June 16, 2020

Over the course of several months in late 2019 and early 2020, the US Water Alliance and Water Foundation facilitated four regional roundtables to better understand the drinking water challenges confronting communities, and the ways that diverse stakeholders are driving policy solutions at the state and tribal level. The drinking water challenges facing America today are numerous, and include aging infrastructure, contamination, lack of access, and affordability, among others. Many of these challenges that people face have since been exacerbated as COVID-19 hit the United States and have been highlighted by the country’s ongoing discussions around structural racism and its impacts on Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. Today, the US Water Alliance is proud to share the results of our roundtables, the great stories we heard, and the common elements of success we learned in a new report in partnership with the Water Foundation: Policy Innovations to Secure Drinking Water for All. The report highlights the successful collaborations between community organizers, nonprofit leaders, public officials, utility managers, and funders, and features eight case studies that illustrate the power of cross-sector collaboration to define drinking water problems and co-create solutions.  | More >

A statement of solidarity from our CEO

Radhika Fox, CEO, US Water Alliance | June 2, 2020

These are difficult and painful times. The recent murder of George Floyd is the latest manifestation of systemic racism and injustice in our society. African Americans, along with other communities of color, are being disproportionately harmed by police brutality, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting economic hardship. If we are to make real change in this country, we need to reform the institutions and systems that do not serve all people equitably. We need to prioritize equitable investments in communities that have been disinvested in for so long.  | More >

Washington DC Update—May 2020

Scott Berry, Director of Policy and Government Affairs, US Water Alliance | May 28, 2020

 

The Senate has been back in session since last week, and one of the first things they took up in Committee was the unanimous advancement of a pair of water bills. These were the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) and the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act. America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 is the 2020 version of what used to be called the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill, which Congress considers now on a two-year cycle. The bulk of these pieces of legislation are typically water resources project for the US Army Corps of Engineers but the last several cycles have had growing portions focused water/wastewater. The 2018 version of this legislation dealt more on the drinking water side, and during the process of crafting the 2020 bill, congressional staff expressed interest, especially on the Senate side, in keeping the 2020 bill more focused on the wastewater side.

In the Senate, a single committee deals with Drinking Water and Wastewater issues whereas in the House it is split between two committees. In the interest of expediting the legislative process, keeping AWIA 2020 just USACE and Wastewater meant only a single committee in the House would be needed to work with the Senate, which is much farther along than the House this cycle. If there was enough support on the Senate side for drinking water legislation, it would move at the same time, but in a separate bill – hence the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act. | More >