Water sector to focus on affordability issues at symposium in D.C. July 31, 2018Press Releases When: August 6-7, 2018 Where: The Washington Court Hotel in Washington, D.C. Media RSVP: Contact Travis Loop at tloop@wef.org or Deirdre Mueller at dmueller@awwa.org. ALEXANDRIA, VA – Water sector professionals, consumer advocates and academics from across North America will discuss the most important and challenging issues associated with affordability at a symposium in Washington, D.C. on August 6-7. The Transformative Issues Symposium on Affordability, co-hosted by the American Water Works Association and Water Environment Federation, will feature presentations by affordability thought leaders and will engage attendees in facilitated discussions to help foster the exchange of ideas on this evolving topic of concern. Topics will focus on identifying affordability concerns, overcoming legal and regulatory barriers, customer assistance programs, utility rate setting, and infrastructure financing and case studies sharing lessons learned from affordability programs implemented by water and wastewater utilities. The content will consider key questions, challenges, solutions and areas of acute interest most relevant to advance the knowledge and understanding of affordability on a federal, state and regional/local level. With financing of infrastructure renewal and replacement projects being a significant concern for many water and wastewater utilities, rate increases have been necessary for some utilities to sustainably fund infrastructure projects on an ongoing basis. Rate increases can increase the financial burden on utility customers, particularly low-income customers with the most highly impacted customers dedicating a significant portion of their household income toward water/wastewater utility bills. To reduce the impact, many utilities have implemented programs to assist low-income customers. Water utilities have addressed affordability concerns in many ways with the legislative framework driving differences at a local, regional and federal level. Media should RSVP to Travis Loop at tloop@wef.org or Deirdre Mueller at dmueller@awwa.org. Visit the symposium website for more information about the conference, including the program and registration. ### About AWWA Established in 1881, the American Water Works Association is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water, the world’s most important resource. With approximately 51,000 members, AWWA provides solutions to improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen the economy and enhance our quality of life. About WEF The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 34,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world. Since 1928, WEF and its members have protected public health and the environment. As a global water sector leader, our mission is to connect water professionals; enrich the expertise of water professionals; increase the awareness of the impact and value of water; and provide a platform for water sector innovation. To learn more, visit www.wef.org.