Federal elections always bring change to Washington, DC, but the 2024 elections could be especially impactful, bringing a new Congress and presidential administration to power. Whatever the outcome of the elections may be, NACWA will continue to be your clean water voice – advocating on a bipartisan basis for public clean water utilities and their unique needs.
PFAS, biosolids, affordability, cybersecurity, workforce concerns, the accretion of federal regulations, the need for more federal investment in water infrastructure and more federal support for low-income water assistance programs – none of these issues suddenly get “easier” to deal with if a new party controls Congress or the White House. Some of them may even get harder to address.
But the importance of water infrastructure investment has always been a bipartisan issue. And through collective action and commitment, NACWA and its members can ensure they continue to be broadly supported as we maintain our role as the leading clean water advocacy voice in Washington.
The next year will also bring some exciting new advocacy initiatives, especially on the communications front. NACWA has recognized, through conversations with its members and Board of Directors, that there is a specific need for a targeted, comprehensive national communications campaign focused on elevating the important role that public clean water utilities play in their communities and in the nation at large.
NACWA has already initiated work on this effort that will continue into the next year. It will include resources individual utilities can use to improve their communications at the local level, a set of common communications messaging points that all utilities can use to bolster our collective communications impact, and increased outreach by NACWA to the national media. We will be sharing more information about this exciting campaign soon!
The next year promises to be a challenging one for the clean water sector, but also one with tremendous opportunity. Through collective effort, and with common cause and common purpose, NACWA and its members can continue to amplify the utility voice to advance clean water advocacy and elevate water as a national priority.