D.C. Conference Again Highlights Importance of Our United Effort through ‘ACWA East’ by Cathy Green Mar 15, 2024 Voices on Water ACWA’s presence in Washington D.C. counts among our association’s most valuable resources for member agencies. Bringing that fact home is ACWA’s annual D.C. Conference, where I recently joined more than 140 attendees for a three-day immersion into how, why, and where decisions on federal policy shape California’s water. I am grateful to all who attended and participated in ACWA’s D.C. Conference. Additionally, my heartfelt appreciation goes to ACWA staff for organizing the conference, and to ACWA’s Federal Affairs Committee Chair Jolene Walsh, from Eastern Municipal Water District in Region 9, and Vice Chair Scott Peterson, from San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority in Region 6, for moderating the Federal Advocacy 101 Panel and the Congressional Speech Program. This year’s event featured policy experts and leaders within Washington D.C.’s water advocacy community, sharing insights into federal priorities, as well as how California water agencies can engage in their own federal advocacy. It also included a panel discussion on this year’s pivotal election, moderated by ACWA’s new Director of Federal Relations Ian Lyle. We heard keynote addresses from Acting Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water Bruno Pigott; U.S. Forest Service Associate Chief Angela Coleman; and Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton, who heads an arm of the federal government that plays a vital role in managing and funding California water infrastructure. Reclamation has a substantial impact on California water through its operation of backbone infrastructure such as the Central Valley Project and reservoirs on the Colorado River. Reclamation is also a valuable federal partner that supplies planning and financial assistance for important projects, including the raise of B.F. Sisk Dam on San Luis Reservoir and restoration of capacity in essential conveyance facilities like the Friant-Kern Canal. The diligent federal advocates of ACWA East champion the cause of California’s water agencies in their work with officials at Reclamation, other federal agencies, and members of Congress. Overall, ACWA East’s advocacy is the finger ACWA keeps on the pulse of a myriad of issues affecting ACWA members. With billions of dollars in funding still available for Western water through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and critical issues such as PFAS liability, regulation of lead and copper service lines, low-income rate assistance, and many others before Congress and federal agencies, it’s easy to see how vital our work in D.C. is to the whole of California water management. We will continue to support our members in maximizing federal funding for water infrastructure and prioritizing local control for your agency to continue fulfilling its critical mission. Coming into my new role as ACWA President, I am keenly aware of the early origins of our association, founded as the Irrigation Districts Association of California. Today, we represent the interests of diverse types of public water suppliers in California. We are, and must always remain, united in advancing each other’s success in serving communities, farms, and businesses across the entire state. ACWA’s commitment to being the leading voice for California water, both agricultural and urban, is at the heart of our 30-plus-year presence in our nation’s capital, where ACWA East works on behalf of our membership on every major federal water issue affecting your future. We are proud to lead for you, the united, local water management community of California! .
