Member Survey Results Show ACWA Fulfilling Mission by Marwan Khalifa Mar 20, 2026 Voices on Water ACWA’s most recent member engagement survey confirmed that your association is on the right track. Completed late last year, the survey let us know that legislative advocacy and networking opportunities continue to be popular reasons for your membership. The results also showed that you are broadly satisfied with ACWA’s statewide policy advocacy and would like more updates on our federal advocacy. It reassures me that our members see their membership overall as providing good value; however, I also interpret the survey feedback as an unmistakable call to action. One message came through clearly: elevating water infrastructure funding among policymakers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. remains an urgent priority. This need drives the agenda at nearly every ACWA member agency. Whether it’s a 100-year-old wooden flume in the Sierra Nevada or a 70-year-old water main beneath a city street, critical infrastructure across our state must be replaced and modernized. Each project represents one of many infrastructure needs competing for limited state and federal resources. Strengthening ACWA’s advocacy is essential to ensuring water remains a top priority for policymakers. Your feedback was clear that you wanted to see ACWA be more proactive. In response to that, we launched the Vision for Our Water Future initiative. Through this effort, ACWA is bringing together staff, member agencies and key partners to elevate water as a top statewide priority during the gubernatorial campaign and help shape the agenda of the next administration. The initiative will culminate in a concise policy framework outlining the strategic priorities and actions to support a secure, reliable and resilient water future for California. You can learn more about the initiative on Page 1. Through the survey results, members also expressed high satisfaction with ACWA’s communications, toolkits and events. Members value the many ways we stay connected — through conferences, region meetings, policy committees and direct engagement. In a state as large and diverse as California, those connections do not happen automatically. They require intention and commitment. With your feedback, we’ve developed ways to enhance and elevate the communications pipeline that runs through our region and committee structure, which in turn will allow for increased member engagement and input into policy development. One survey result that really stands out and sets an extraordinarily high bar is the 97% satisfaction rate with ACWA staff. Thank you for the level of confidence you have in us. It reflects a team of professionals who are knowledgeable, responsive and deeply committed to serving our members every day. I could not be prouder of the professionals who represent this world-class organization. Overall, the survey tells a powerful story: strong satisfaction, clear priorities and a mandate to lead boldly. I sincerely thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We will continue listening, engaging and advancing an agenda that reflects the needs of water agencies across California. This latest survey collected the highest response rate yet, and I want to extend my appreciation to everyone who participated, which included members from all 10 ACWA regions. You can see a snapshot of a few survey results on the opposite page. Thank you for your trust and partnership. The work ahead is significant, and we are ready for it.
