Learn about how One Water Summit 2022 delegates have lived up to their commitments to action below.
Environmental Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC) Delegation
Link to full 2022 commitment
Shortly after the 2022 One Water Summit in Milwaukee, WI, EJCC Fellows began having monthly conversations with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Commissioner Katrina Kessler and her staff about how better to engage Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color around water quality and air and soil pollution issues. In those conversations, EJCC discussed the growing concern of PFAS and how the agency will address this. EJCC is now an advisor to MPCA in their efforts to engage these communities regularly.
EJCC Fellows created several environmental health education public service announcement flyers focused primarily on water quality issues and air and soil pollutants. The announcements were distributed throughout the community at high schools, faith-based institutions, community organizations, barber and beauty salons, public libraries, nonprofits, childcare, and senior care facilities. The Fellows also had conversations with community residents about PFAS and what the community can do to protect themselves and their families. The Fellows will host several community meetings on these same topics in 2023.
Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange Delegation
Link to full 2022 commitment
The Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange is a highly connected, member-driven peer learning network whose mission is to activate local governments and water agencies in the US and Canada to equitably implement green stormwater infrastructure. They recognize the opportunity for green stormwater infrastructure to advance shared goals, cut across sectors and siloes, and center One Water strategies for making positive, systemic change. In 2022, they released the State of Public Sector Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI). Learn more here.
New Jersey and NJDEP Delegations
Link to full 2022 commitments (commitments from two delegations)
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and New Jersey Future launched technical assistance programs to assist under-resourced communities in accessing water infrastructure funding. Multiple entities in New Jersey organized and engaged in the Clean Water, Healthy Families, Good Jobs campaign to advocate for more funding for water infrastructure from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Additionally, Jersey Water Works’ Water Workforce Task Force launched a Water Workforce Initiative with Hudson County Community College, with classes beginning in September 2023. Bank of America provided funding for the initiative and New Jersey Future secured funding for the Emerging Water Leaders of Color Leadership Circle.
Finally, Jersey Water Works held a conference in December 2022 and a membership meeting in July 2023 to promote the importance of New Jersey’s water infrastructure. In addition, the Green Infrastructure Committee and Lead in Drinking Water Task Force launched new resources to help communities understand the actions they can take to promote clean, affordable water services. Members of the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) committee submitted comments after reviewing draft permits to recommend that the NJDEP strengthen requirements on the permits and the Guidance to CSO Public Engagement document.
Learn more here.
Root-Pike Delegation
Link to full 2022 commitment
The producer-led watershed group for Kenosha County is officially up and running! Utilizing sustainable landscaping and native plants is continuing to spread throughout the watershed. While no longer focusing on Habitat for Humanities homes, they are instead taking a broader approach and targeting more businesses, nonprofits, and schools throughout Racine, WI. Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network has presented the Stormwater Pond Playbook to three of the 20 municipalities that they serve so far. Learn more here.
Soil and Water Conservation Delegation
Link to full 2022 commitment
The Soil and Water Conservation Delegation promoted the One Water approach during the 2023 meetings of the Soil and Water Conservation Society and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). On April 30 – May 7, 2023, NACD and the nation’s nearly 3,000 conservation districts championed One Water during NACD’s 68th annual Stewardship Week, which was focused on watershed conservation and the theme of One Water. Conservation districts nationwide conducted outreach and education activities to help spread the message of One Water and reach diverse audiences using free conservation education curricula, templates for proclamations, press releases, and more. On social media, NACD launched a video series featuring diverse watersheds from across the country and the conservation district members and partners who call them home.
Tap into Resilience Delegation
Link to full 2022 commitment
The Tap into Resilience Delegation has made significant progress towards its prior commitment to educate local leaders and policymakers about distributed infrastructure as a key One Water strategy. Over the past year, the delegation has successfully promoted community-centered implementation of onsite water infrastructure that provides resilient and affordable water management alternatives capable of addressing a wide range of water resource challenges. They’ve reached over 1,000 local leaders in the water sector through webinars, podcasts, conferences, and 1:1 conversations.
They have also successfully advocated for equitable, affordable, and climate-resilient distributed strategies to be incorporated into water infrastructure policies. Two examples are California Assembly Bill 2142—supported by WaterNow and their partners—which was enacted in September 2022 and excludes water utility rebates for turf replacements from CA taxable income, as well as the Colorado Water Conservation Board elevating bonds and state revolving fund loans for water conservation and other decentralized strategies as a key solution set in the 2023 Colorado Water Plan Update (in response to their comments).
Learn more here.
Tucson Regional Delegation
Link to full 2022 commitment
In the past year, Tucson has instated a ban on new nonfunctional turf, a rebate program to remove existing turf, higher water efficiency standards for indoor fixtures, and a process to create a new low-impact development ordinance. They also began piloting new greywater and clothes washer rebate programs tailored to provide a higher level of support for low-income customers. Further, they made the Storm to Shade green stormwater infrastructure program permanent, and the One Water 2100 Master Plan is going to their Mayor and Council for final approval in October 2023.
Twin Cities Regional Delegation
Link to full 2022 commitment
The Twin Cities Regional Delegation has made great strides towards its commitment to collaboratively creating a 2050 Water Policy Plan that incorporates an equitable and climate-resilient One Water approach. Their staff spent the last year researching regional water challenges and their connections to water inequities, developing more accessible employment pipelines to diversify their workforce, and rolling out pilot projects with local community partners to remove water-related financial burdens from their regional residents. Though their work is not done: they will continue to draft and finalize policies into 2024 so that they adopt a Water Policy Plan to guide them towards the enduring vision of “Clean Water for Future Generations.”
