Clean Water Current

NACWA participated in the River Network’s annual River Rally conference last week as both presenter and sponsor, sharing the municipal clean water utility perspective at a gathering of the nation’s leading river advocacy organizations.  Chris Hornback, NACWA’s Chief Technical Officer, participated in a panel discussion on affordability issues and outlined the challenges many clean water utilities face in meeting their Clean Water Act obligations and protecting their local rivers, while also facing very real financial issues among their ratepayers.  NACWA also participated in a number of other conference sessions, and emphasized the importance of river advocacy groups partnering with their local utilities to help address affordability challenges and improve water quality. 

The conference was held in Grand Rapids, MI, and there was much attention given throughout the week on the host city’s Whitewater Project to restore the original rapids to the Grand River.  NACWA Member Agency the City of Grand Rapids Environmental Services is a crucial partner in the project.