Government Affairs Leadership

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Working to Shape the Future of Water

AWWA’s membership includes utility leaders, experts in water technology and finance, and U.S. water and water system operators that ensure water services to hundreds of millions of people 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. When it comes to water, they are the people that can tell decision-makers what they need to know.

Learn more about the Water Utility Council and meet the Government Affairs staff.

Read more about AWWA in Action.

AWWA’s government affairs mission is straightforward:

  • We advocate for sensible laws, regulations, programs and policies that ensure safe and affordable water for all Americans.
  • We support sensible and effective measures that protect America’s irreplaceable sources of drinking water.
  • We help water utilities function as high-performing and sustainable business enterprises (whether municipal or investor owned) so they can provide excellent service to their customers, today and over the long run.

Our Accomplishments

Over the years, our members working together have accomplished:
  • We have conducted and continue to run an annual DC Fly-In that brings AWWA members from across the country to Washington, D.C., to bring the water community’s concerns directly to members of Congress and their staffs.
  • We led the water community in encouraging Congress to approve the Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act in 2014.
  • We led the water community in the widely acclaimed 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, which moved away from quotas for standards to focus attention on the most important health threats.
  • We led the water community in the Federal Advisory Committee process that negotiated changes to important rules, including the Disinfection By-products Rule, the Long Term 2 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and the Total Coliform Rule.
  • We led the successful fight against petrochemical company efforts to prevent utilities from suing to get contribution for cleanups from the contaminant MTBE.
Together with partner organizations our efforts led to:
  • Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act in 2014.
  • The widely acclaimed 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, which moved away from quotas for standards to focus attention on the most important health threats.
  • Negotiate changes to important rules, including the Disinfection By-products Rule, the Surface Water Treatment Rule, and the Total Coliform Rule.
  • Successfully fought against petrochemical company efforts to prevent utilities from suing to get contribution for cleanups from the contaminant MTBE.

 

Today we provide ongoing thought leadership on critical problems facing water utilities, such as infrastructure finance.

The Voice of Water in Washington, D.C.

To carry out our mission in Washington, D.C., we establish and maintain effective working relationships with federal agencies, industry associations, key non-governmental organizations and other important stakeholders. We work hard to ensure our members know what is happening in Washington, D.C., that affects them and affects their ability to serve safe and affordable water to their customers. And we work equally hard to ensure that federal decision-makers hear the “voice of water” as they approach critical decisions.

 

Contact the Government Affairs Office

We always want to hear from members and others with interest in the water sector. We also encourage members to arrange to meet with us in person if they are visiting the Washington, DC area. Please contact us at 202-628-8303 or email us at federalissues@awwa.org. You can also email the staff members below:

Working Hard. Working Together. Working For You. We Watch Washington!

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Leadership

Water Utility Council

AWWA’s Water Utility Council oversees the Association’s government affairs program to ensure it represents the sector effectively to benefit water consumers.

Organization

The WUC is composed only of senior officials of water utilities. The Council includes officials from utilities of all sizes and both municipal and private ownership, and pains are taken to ensure widespread diversity and geographic representation in WUC membership.

Membership is open to employees of utility members of AWWA, who may be nominated or self-nominate online. The nominating and appointing process for WUC positions is rigorous, fair, and open.

WUC positions include Chair, Vice Chair, Legislative Committee Chair, Regulatory Committee Chair and Treasurer of the Water Industry Technical Action Fund, known as the WITAF.

Technical Advisory Workgroups

A network of technical experts drawn from AWWA’s membership are convened as needed to ensure AWWA is providing federal decision-makers, AWWA sections, utilities and the public timely and accurate information they need to make decisions.  Currently technical advisory workgroups are working on the following topics:

  • Climate Change and Sustainability
  • Disinfection By-products and disinfection
  • Distribution Systems
  • Lead and Copper Rule
  • Perchlorate
  • Radionuclides
  • SDWA processes and emerging contaminants
  • Security and preparedness
  • Utility management and finance
  • Water resources and source water protection

 

If you are interested in learning more, please call 202.628.8303.

Water Utility Council Roster

Ken Lykens

Meridian Metropolitan District

Cynthia Lane

Platte Canyon Water & Sanitation

Heather Collins

Metropolitan Water District of Los Angeles

Colleen Arnold

Aqua-Water Division of Essential Utilities

Terry Benton

Southwest Water Company

Jeff Blakely

American Cast Iron Pipe

Dr. Jaquice Boyd

Birmingham Water Works

Mandy Cawby

Water District No. 1 of Johnson County

Tyler Converse

Canton Water Department

Carrie Cox

Oakland County Water Resources Commission

Lane Crider

Beaver Water District

Dr. Suzanne DeLorenzo

San Jose Water Company

Clayton Freed

Phoenix Water Services Department

Paul Fulgham

Tremonton City Corp

Stephen Gay

City of Denton

Peter Goodmann

Louisville Water Company

Paul Granger

Hicksville Water District

Michael Grimm

West Slope Water District

Liesel Gross

Lehigh County Authority

Stacy Mitchell

American Water

Bob Parks

Waterone

Paul Rush

NY Dept. of Env. Protection

Allison Spinelli

Orange Water And Sewer Authority

Madelyn Spinner

New Jersey American Water

Jeff Swertfeger

Cincinnati Water Works

Kenneth Waldroup

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority

Shilo Williams

NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection

Lynnann Winsor

City of St. Johns

G. Tracy Mehan

American Water Works Association

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