ACTIVE WORKING GROUPS, SUBCOMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES ACWA’s standing committees may establish subcommittees or working groups to address specific issues throughout the year. Use the drop-down tabs below to view which committees currently have active groups. Click here to return to the Committee Pages Business Development Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Joseph Ramos, Business Development Representative Click here to go to Business Development Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. ACWA Associates Program Subcommittee Subcommittee is tasked with reviewing and refining the existing ACWA Associates Program, while considering additional opportunities to expand its scope and impact to Members and Associates alike. Subcommittee Liaison: Joseph Ramos, Business Development Representative ACWA Sponsorships Subcommittee Reviews sponsorship opportunities for all ACWA events and helps to generate new ideas for exhibitor and sponsor engagement at ACWA Conferences and other functions throughout the year. Subcommittee Liaison: Joseph Ramos, Business Development Representative Communications Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Heather Engel, Director of Communications Click here to go to Communications Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Ag Communications Subcommittee Provides communication support to the Agriculture Committee and oversees ag communications projects, as assigned. Subcommittee Liaison: Will Holbert, Communications Specialist AI Policy Task Force Develops a template policy for member agencies to customize related to AI use in communications, IT, HR and other areas. Task Force Liaison: Heather Engel, Director of Communications Awards and Scholarships Subcommittee Provides staff support for ACWA’s awards and scholarship programs. Subcommittee Liaison: Caroline Meade, Sr. Communications Specialist Water Quality Communications Subcommittee Provides communication support to the Water Quality Committee and oversees water quality-related communications projects, as assigned. Subcommittee Liaison: Heather Engel, Director of Communications Weather Whiplash Subcommittee Provides staff support for communications related to droughts, floods and other weather-related topics. Subcommittee Liaison: Caroline Meade, Sr. Communications Specialist Website and Social Media Subcommittee Provides staff support for website and social media items; organizes two member webinars per year on website and social media topics. Subcommittee Liaison: Ellen Martin, Communications Specialist Energy Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate Click here to go to Energy Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Advanced Clean Fleets Working Group Direct ACWA advocacy on all fleet related issues- primarily the Advanced Clean Fleet Regulation, but occasionally related regulations/programs at CEC/CARB. Working Group Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate Energy Costs Working Group Develop a survey to collect and analyze most impactful energy costs to water districts to help prioritize future advocacy efforts. Working Group Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate GHG Emissions Working Group Direct ACWA advocacy on potential inclusion of water infrastructure in CARB GHG emission regulations. Working Group Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate Federal Affairs Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Ian Lyle, Director of Federal Relations Click here to go to Federal Affairs Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Drinking Water and Energy Subcommittee (Federal) Advise the Federal Affairs Committee on issues including, but not limited to: Safe Drinking Water Act, chemical and cyber security, EPA issues & budget, energy-water nexus, hydropower, climate change, tax issues. Subcommittee Liaison: Ian Lyle, Director of Federal Relations ESA Working Group Examine Federal ESA issues and make policy recommendations. Subcommittee Liaison: Ian Lyle, Director of Federal Relations Infrastructure and Agriculture Subcommittee (Federal) Advise the Federal Affairs Committee on issues including, but not limited to: infrastructure funding, Clean Water Act, Farm Bill, conservation programs, infrastructure legislation & implementation. Subcommittee Liaison: Ian Lyle, Director of Federal Relations Water Supply Subcommittee (Federal) Advise the Federal Affairs Committee on issues including, but not limited to, Bureau of Reclamation issues & budget, water recycling and desalination, Endangered Species Act, invasive species, USGS water programs & budget, Colorado River issues, headwaters/ wildfire, drought resiliency. Working Group Liaison: Ian Lyle, Director of Federal Relations Finance Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Dan Gumpert, Controller Click here to go to Finance Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Audit Subcommittee Reviews annual audit. Subcommittee Liaison: Dan Gumpert, Controller Budget Subcommittee Reviews budget. Subcommittee Liaison: Dan Gumpert, Controller Education Subcommittee Selects finance programs for conferences. Subcommittee Liaison: Dan Gumpert, Controller Investment Subcommittee Reviews quarterly investment portfolio and performance. Makes recommendations for any changes to policy. Subcommittee Liaison: Dan Gumpert, Controller Revenue Subcommittee Reviews any dues contentions, Subcommittee Liaison: Dan Gumpert, Controller Groundwater Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Soren Nelson, Sr. State Relations Advocate Click here to go to Groundwater Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Groundwater Banking Working Group Meets monthly to advance implementation of groundwater banking in California and develop advocacy platform. Subcommittee Liaison: Soren Nelson, Sr. State Relations Advocate Groundwater Quality Subcommittee Meets quarterly to discuss contemporary issues related to groundwater quality management. Working Group Liaison: Soren Nelson, Sr. State Relations Advocate Legal Affairs Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Caleb Raspler, Federal Relations Representative Click here to go to Legal Affairs Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Continuing Legal Education Working Group Focuses on planning Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs and opportunities to meet requirements for California State Bar licensees. Includes planning sessions for ACWA Conferences. Working Group Liaison: Caleb Raspler, Federal Relations Representative Proposition 218 Subcommittee Discusses Proposition 218 matters and related engagement opportunities. Subcommittee Liaison: Caleb Raspler, Federal Relations Representative Local Government Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Kylie Wright, State Relations Advocate Click here to go to Local Government Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Housing Subcommittee This subcommittee engages on housing related legislation to ensure land use decisions consider water supply availability and infrastructure capacity and that connection fees and capacity charges can be collected. Subcommittee Liaison: Kylie Wright, State Relations Advocate Emergency Preparedness and Response Subcommittee This subcommittee focuses on improving public water agency local relationships with emergency responders and local coordination and promotes emergency preparedness and response best practices. Subcommittee Liaison: Kylie Wright, State Relations Advocate State Legislative Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Julia Hall, Director of State Legislative Relations Click here to go to State Legislative Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Climate Bond Working Group Provides input on Bond related policy. Working Group Liaison: Julia Hall, Director of State Legislative Relations Emergency Management Working Group This working group weighs in on legislation related to emergency management, including preparation and response to emergency events. Working Group Liaison: Kylie Wright, State Relations Advocate Golden Mussels Legislative Working Group Provides input on legislation related to golden mussels. Working Group Liaison: Sophie Morin, State Relations Advocate Headwater Working Group (Federal Affairs Committee and State Legislative Committee) Provides a conduit for ACWA members to discuss information on headwater and forest health issues. Working Group Liaisons: Ian Lyle, Director of Federal Relations; Kylie Wright, State Relations Advocate Legislative Permit Streamlining Working Group This working group weighs in on legislation related to permitting reform on an ad hoc basis. Working Group Liaison: Julia Hall, Director of State Legislative Relations Low-Income Rate Assistance Working Group Meets on an ad hoc basis to inform ACWA’s advocacy related to Low-Income Rate Assitance legislation. Working Group Liaison: Soren Nelson, Senior State Relations Advocate Water Management Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Chelsea Haines, Director of Regulatory Relations Click here to go to Water Management Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Bay-Delta Working Group Directs ACWA’s advocacy related to San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta issues. Working Group Liaison: Stephen Pang, State Relations Advocate Climate Change Working Group Directs ACWA’s advocacy related to the State Water Resources Control Board’s focus group for their Climate Change Resolution update. Working Group Liaison: Stephen Pang, State Relations Advocate Data Streamlining Working Group Directs ACWA’s advocacy related to water use reporting and identifying opportunities for streamlining duplicative data Working Group Liaison: Amber Rossow, Director of State Regulatory Relations Desalination Working Group Directs ACWA’s advocacy related to desalination issues. Working Group Liaison: Sophie Morin, State Relations Advocate DRIP Collaborative-Drought Indicators & Metrics (Water Management Committee & Legal Affairs Committee) To advance our drought strategies and continue building resilience to the increasingly arid conditions California faces. Working Group Liaison: Chelsea Haines, Director of Regulatory Relations Urban Water Management Plan Guidebook Directs ACWA’s Advocacy on the state’s updates to the urban water management plan guidebook update. Guidebook Liaison: Sonja Eschenburg, State Relations Analyst Water Use Efficiency Directs ACWA’s advocacy related to long-term water use efficiency regulations, Executive Orders, state funding, and other policy development. Liaison: Amber Rossow, State Relations Advocate Water Quality Committee ACWA Staff Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate Click here to go to Water Quality Committee and view committee rosters, meeting schedules and other materials. Drinking Water/Clean Water State Revolving Fund Working Group Direct ACWA Advocacy on Intended Use Plans and Policy Updates for State Revolving Fund Administration. Working Group Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate Emergency Drinking Water Quality Data Working Group Direct input to State Water Board on proposed changes, using emergency rulemaking, that require water systems to submit information through labs. Working Group Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate Lead and Copper Working Group Direct input to the State Water Board on Lead and Copper Rule Improvements and development of AB 1096 Handbook. Working Group Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate PFAS Working Group Direct ACWA Advocacy on PFAS regulations Working Group Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate Post-Wildfire Water Quality Working Group Direct input to State Water Board on implementation of rules/orders related to water quality notices after wildfires that adhere to rules. Working Group Liaison: Nick Blair, Sr. State Relations Advocate Water Recycling and Stormwater Working Group Directs ACWA’s advocacy related to water recycling and stormwater issues. Working Group Liaison: Sophie Morin, State Relations Advocate
