Local Water Management Unified Through ACWA

  • by Steven LaMar & Pamela Tobin
  • Feb 12, 2021
  • Voices on Water

At the heart of ACWA’s success is the fundamental commitment to working together as a vast and diverse membership of local water agencies to find creative solutions to the challenges of the day.  It is a dominant theme of the association’s value statement (“collaboration,” “mutual respect,” and “solution-oriented”) and is part of our organizational DNA.  

While the New Year already poses formidable challenges for California’s water community, ACWA’s commitment to roll-up our sleeves together to build from the combined experience and expertise of our membership will serve us well yet again. ACWA is not just hundreds of local agencies working in water; we are a unified voice for the successful delivery of essential public services for the good of this state and our nation.   

This hard-earned unity is a vital but sometimes overlooked advantage we share. In a state defined by its regional and cultural differences, ACWA’s system of regional boards, committees, working groups and the Board itself effectively operates to bring diverse interests (e.g., ag/urban, north/south, coastal/inland) together to build much bigger, more consequential solutions to pressing challenges through the cross-pollination of ideas and experiences.  Just look at our own agencies: Irvine Ranch Water District in Orange County and San Juan Water District in Sacramento. While physically separated by more than 450 miles, our districts are unified through our membership in ACWA, where we regularly work together through committees, workgroups, and the Board of Directors to advance positions that benefit our local communities through the powerful voice of a united water community.  It is a tried-and-true template for success that will guide our work on every priority issue this year. 

The groundwork for defining many of these priorities and allocating organizational resources to achieving successful outcomes started long before this year.  With the Board’s development of a Five-Year Strategic Plan in 2019 and its operationalization through action plans each year since, we know much of the focus for 2021 and are already working with members to achieve our goals.  There will certainly be other challenges that arise along the way in Washington D.C. and Sacramento that will also require our full attention.  We will likewise take them head-on together. 

Much of what brings us together is a shared commitment to the higher calling of public service.  It too is a core value of ACWA.  As officers of the association, we are proud to represent you, the leaders of local water management in California, who make the tough decisions necessary to fulfill the solemn missions of your organizations.  Providing for the most essential needs of your communities resonates with us both personally and professionally and inspires the work of ACWA each and every day.  There is no short-cut to providing sustainable, resilient water supplies for drinking water or food production.  It takes hard work and dedication and the willingness to sacrifice for others.  This commitment to public service flows through each member of ACWA and is the bond that unifies our work together.

If ACWA stands for anything, it stands for collaboration. This quality drives our success at coalition building, which will again prove essential in 2021. Case in point is the financial impact on water agencies from the state’s suspending late fees and shutoff fees for water service. As understandable a move as that was, given the severity of the COVID-19 shutdown, it includes an estimated shortfall of between $600 and $700 million in unpaid water bills in California alone. 

Resolving this potential crisis will require significant relief funding, particularly at the federal level. This is why ACWA, since the middle of last year, is advocating for that relief within a historically broad coalition that has ACWA and environmental justice organizations working on the same side.

We are confident that 2021 will again represent an outstanding year for ACWA and its membership in terms of resiliency and outcomes that benefit our customers, as well as all Californians. The qualities that will make this possible are already in place through our ability to work as a unified community within ACWA.

Suggested Resources

15 RESOURCES prev next
2023 Summary of Appellate Cases

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

ACWA 2023 Fall Conference Committee Meetings Resources

Resources for ACWA Committee Meetings held during ACWA’s 2023 Fall Conference & Expo are available below.  Agriculture Committee Agenda Communications […]

Priority Issues Bulletin

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

Regulatory Roundup

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

Webinar – A Conversation on AI-Driven Communications for Water Agencies

ChatGPT and generative AI have caused quite a stir in the world of creatives and communicators this year. For some, […]

Joint Comment Letter on Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject:Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook Letter excerpt: The undersigned associations are grateful for this opportunity to […]

Comment Letter — Proposed Making Conservation a California Way of Life Regulation

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Comment Letter — Proposed Making Conservation a California Way of Life Regulation Letter excerpt: […]

Webinar – Achieving Cr6 MCL Compliance: A Review of RCF Treatment Options

The State Water Resources Control Board has identified reduction-coagulation-filtration (RCF) as the best available technology for Cr6 removal based on […]

QuenchCA Fall 2023 Toolkit

ACWA has released new toolkit resources for the statewide public education campaign Quench California, and continues to offer partnership opportunities […]

Making Conservation a CA Way of Life Fact Sheet

ACWA’s Making Conservation a California Way of Life Fact Sheet provides a summary of the State Water Board’s draft regulatory text […]

Draft Extended Arrearage Program Guidelines – Comment Letter

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject:Comment Letter – Draft Extended Arrearage Program Guidelines Letter excerpt: The Association of California Water […]

Request to Veto AB 249 (Holden)

To: The Honorable Gavin Newsom Subject: AB 249 (Holden) – REQUEST FOR VETO Letter excerpt: The Association of California Water […]

Draft Fiscal Year 2023-24 Fund Expenditure Plan for the SADW Fund

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Comment Letter – Draft Fiscal Year 2023-24 Fund Expenditure Plan for the Safe and […]

Federal Legislative Matrix

Sorry, but only ACWA members have permission to view this content. Member login is required.

Joint Comment Letter on Direct Potable Reuse Regulations

Agency: State Water Resources Control Board Subject: Direct Potable Reuse Regulations (SBDDW-23-001) Letter excerpt: The increasing volatility of climate change across […]

Suggested News

15 Articles prev next
Local Water District Internship Program Boosts Career Prospects

ROWLAND HEIGHTS – Rowland Water District (RWD) representatives Allen Davidson, Elisabeth Mendez, and Dusty Moisio delivered highly informative presentations at […]

DWR Announces Initial State Water Project Allocation for 2024

Today, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced an initial State Water Project (SWP) allocation forecast of 10 percent of […]

ACWA Presents Irvine Ranch Water District With 2023 Excellence in Communication Award

INDIAN WELLS – The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today presented its Huell Howser Excellence in Communication Award to […]

ACWA Awards $10,000 Water Law & Policy Scholarship

INDIAN WELLS – The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today announced the winner of its 2023 Stephen K. Hall […]

PWD Clearwell Water Tank Back Online After Baffle Curtains Removed

PALMDALE – The Palmdale Water District (PWD) 6-million-gallon clearwell has returned to service after nearly a month of baffle curtain […]

ACWA Presents 2023 Emissary Award to Edgar Dymally

INDIAN WELLS – The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) on Nov. 29 presented its 18th annual Emissary Award to […]

Final Construction of the College Lake Water Supply Project Pipeline Starts in Early 2024

WATSONVILLE — The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PV Water) is celebrating the completion of 4.5 miles of the 6-mile […]

MWDOC Collaborates with Chapman University on Sustainable Landscaping

Through participation in the Municipal Water District of Orange County’s (MWDOC) Turf Removal Rebate Program, Chapman University (Chapman) recently transformed […]

Sacramento Regional Water Bank Governance Structure Document Now Available

The Regional Water Authority (RWA) is pleased to release a second foundational document for the Sacramento Regional Water Bank (Water […]

Zone 7 Receives Highest Bond Rating From S&P and Revised Outlook From Fitch

Two independent credit rating agencies have reviewed Zone 7 Water Agency’s current position in connection with the agency’s anticipated sale […]

James Gumpel Appointed General Manager of Vallecitos Water District

SAN MARCOS – At the November 15, 2023 board meeting, the Vallecitos Water District (VWD) Board of Directors voted unanimously […]

Mojave Water Agency Installs Final Weather Station

Apple Valley, CA — While it is uncertain whether the High Desert will receive any rain from the El Nino […]

MWDOC Sponsors OC Children’s Book Festival to Promote Environmental Literacy

In October, the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) sponsored and participated in the 2023 annual Orange County Children’s […]

Westlands Achieves Ambitious Recharge Goal, Sets New Target

FRESNO – Westlands Water District (District) has met its ambitious goal of recharging 200,000 acre feet of groundwater and is […]

ACWA 2023 Fall Conference Explores Top California Water Issues

INDIAN WELLS – The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) 2023 Fall Conference & Expo Nov. 29-30 will draw local […]