Clean Water Current

(April 3, 2020) – NACWA and its members have been active in their outreach to the media during this extraordinary time.

Member utilities have gone above and beyond in sharing critical information with local outlets, particularly regarding what is acceptable to flush and what to avoid, often referencing NACWA’s Toilets Are Not Trashcans campaign.

NACWA has also been particularly active in communicating to the press the likely revenue impacts to the public clean water sector and the infrastructure investment need as stimulus talks continue. You can find a snapshot below of where NACWA and our member utilities have been featured.

On April 1, Bloomberg Environment featured a roundup of water and energy requests for the next phase of stimulus relief. In it, NACWA CEO Adam Krantz was featured, saying, “The nation’s public clean water utilities have tens of billions of dollars of construction projects in the pipeline that could employ thousands of Americans, and we look forward to working with the Administration and Congress on a stimulus and recovery package.”

On March 30, NACWA member the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District was featured by WKYC Studio in Cleveland, OH in an article titled To Flush or Not to Flush? NEORSD’s entertaining and informative twitter feed was brought in to provide perspective, as was NEORSD Senior Public Information Specialist, Jenn Elting. You can watch the segment here.

On March 26, NACWA CEO Adam Krantz was interviewed by Politico, the leading outlet for Washington political news, about the sector’s request for $3 billion in aid for low-income Americans to pay their water bills. “You’re going to be funding cruise ships and you’re going to be funding airlines. Water utilities deserve something as well to get through this time. I’m optimistic that Congress will provide for utilities in the next coronavirus relief bill or the one after that.”

On March 26, ABC 10 in Sacramento, CA featured a segment with their “Why Guy” – a popular Question and Answer feature – on what you can and cannot flush. In the answer portion, NACWA’s Regulatory Director, Cynthia Finley, was brought in for expert advice, saying, “Facial tissues might seem safe to flush because they look so much like toilet paper. But unlike toilet paper, facial tissues have been treated with a chemical binder that takes time to release and break apart when flushed. Your toilet is not a garbage can."

On March 20, E&E News shared a story amplifying NACWA’s #ToiletsAreNotTrashcans campaign. In it, NACWA Communications Manager David Zielonka was quoted, “Wipes, napkins, tissues and paper towels — whatever you are being creative with should not go in the toilet.” The article also featured a message from Newburyport, MA, “During this difficult time, we know many people are using disinfectant wipes in their homes. We urge you not [to] flush non-flushable items down the toilet. ... We cannot stress this enough, thank you and stay safe!”

If your utility has been featured in the news and you would like to share, or if you have questions related to NACWA’s media outreach, please contact David Zielonka, NACWA’s Manager of Media and Communications.