The 2023 NGWA Smart Water Policies Fly-In began today in Washington, D.C., with nearly 80 water professionals in the nation’s capital for two days of advocacy surrounding the industry’s most pressing policy issues.
The event will conclude with attendees from NGWA, the Water Quality Association, and other water-related associations meeting tomorrow with congressional representatives from their respective states to stress the value water plays in sustaining the economy and securing drinking water for millions of Americans.
Today, attendees are sitting in on a series of presentations designed to provide perspective on what is happening in Washington. The keynote speaker is Andrew Burke, the rural utility service administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Also scheduled for attendees today:
- A state and local policy panel with a presentation from the National Conference of State Legislatures
- A Rural Water Policy Panel with the National Rural Water Association, Rural Community Assistance Partnership, the Water Quality Association, and NGWA
- A presentation by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The day concludes with association colleagues and staff discussing key points and issues for their meetings tomorrow as well as a networking reception.
The attendees will focus on the following themes in their presentations tomorrow:
- Groundwater conservation priorities in the U.S. Farm Bill
- Not expanding the jurisdiction of the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS)
- Pursuing actions that lead to a national standard for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in drinking water
- Adding PFAS to the list of chemicals monitored throughout the National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) and supporting funding for the NGWMN
- Supporting the Healthy H2O Act, which would provide grants to private well owners for point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment technology
- Supporting legislation similar to the TRUCKS Act, which would provide an exemption to CDL and Entry Level Driver Training programs for companies with the less than nine individuals.
Click here to learn more about the 2023 NGWA Smart Water Policies Fly-In.