Federal Government Relations

NAWC maintains an aggressive government relations program to assure that the concerns of the private water service industry and its customers are before Congress, the administration and key decision makers. Our government relations program is overseen by NAWC’s Board of Directors and Government Relations Committee.

Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Financing: How to Pay for Water Infrastructure Needs

Cities, towns and utilities face a major challenge over the next several decades — replacing aging and worn-out water and wastewater infrastructure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and others have estimated that hundreds of billions of dollars will be needed to address this challenge.

Fortunately, the private sector can help ease budgetary burdens on public entities while continuing to fulfill public health and environmental expectations. Water and wastewater utilities have an array of tried and proven options at their disposal for creative and effective private and public-private solutions.

The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) and the private water service sector are actively involved in providing creative solutions to these challenges. NAWC helps its members provide affordable and reliable water and wastewater service by supporting legislative initiatives that encourage utility sustainability and responsible state and federal fiscal policy.

Utility Security

In this day water security is a central job of all private water service providers. NAWC and its member companies have been on the forefront of water utility security for years — well before the government or Congress mandated stringent security measures. Private water service providers bring important experience and perspective to utility security, having operated water utilities in some of world’s hot-spots for years.

Utility Sustainability

Private water service providers are utility professionals and business people who bring managerial expertise to the water and wastewater utility sector. Water and wastewater utilities can take significant steps towards better serving their customers and decreasing their particular service challenges by accessing the many organizational, managerial and financial tools at their disposal.

Climate Change

In the face of a changing climate, stewards of the nation’s water resources are presented with unique challenges. Water management and climate change are inextricable. Many of impacts of climate change will affect precipitation resulting in; droughts, floods, changes in snow pack, varying stream flow patterns and rising sea levels. The private water service sector stands ready to provide technology, ingenuity and cutting-edge solutions to the challenges presented by climate change.

Health and Environment

A top priority of private water service providers is protecting public health through meeting public health and environmental standards. NAWC members consistently meet or surpass state and federal water quality standards.

Energy Efficiency

Water and energy are inextricably linked: prodigious amounts of water are needed to generate electricity and, huge amounts of energy are needed to produce, treat and deliver clean, safe and reliable water and wastewater service. As good corporate citizens and environmental stewards, the private water service sector is committed to responsible and cost effective uses of natural resources and using renewable energy sources and conservation strategies whenever possible.