Conference Agenda

Good water policy is informed by experience and expertise of the practitioners who work with resulting rules and regulations every day. Setting a course towards good policy frameworks and enforceable requirements begins with connecting those policymakers with their constituents. Learn to effectively advocate to state legislators regarding bills which affect your entity or area of expertise.

State codes governs a significant portion of what utilities are allowed to do, cannot do, and must do. In the northwest, these laws are written by part-time legislatures comprised of representatives from all areas of the state and all walks of life. Knowing how to effectively engage can make a big difference in educating state lawmakers, who are responsible for important water policy but often do not understand how it impacts utility operations.

Advocacy begins far before the legislative session, at the local level and continues year-round. Once the legislative session is underway, many bills are already far along in the drafting process with substantial support of various groups and voting blocs. Attempting to get a new idea off the ground or to redirect a flawed bill once it gains momentum are both challenging tasks. Clean water industry professionals provide a vital service by supporting members in navigating this process. A few of the activities we can pursue more effectively as an organization include:

• Anticipating emerging legislation and understanding potential impacts.
• Educating lawmakers to enhance their ability to create quality legislation.
• Supporting lawmakers in advancing legislation that supports and protects clean water goals.

Presenters will share advice on how to engage local legislators outside the legislative session, how to engage during the session itself, tools for monitoring the legislative process, and provide considerations to be taken when commenting on behalf of a public or private agency. The presentation will include both theoretical guidance and real-world examples from Government Affairs Committee members.

Water professionals from across the country descended upon the nation’s capital for Water Week 2023 (April 23-29) for a full slate of in-person events and meetings, including on Capitol Hill, which is now fully reopened to the public.

This year’s Water Week provided professionals with the opportunity to directly learn more from key federal officials about the implementation of the historical policy achievements secured by the water sector over the past two years, and significant actions on EPA’s regulatory agenda that will directly impact the water sector. It also provides the opportunity to build on this momentum and come together on Capitol Hill to advocate to Members of Congress the importance of ensuring all communities continue to have access to safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water and clean water.

PNCWA member visited Washington DC in-person furthering key water policy priorities such as sustained growth in federal infrastructure investment, addressing water affordability, supporting water research & development and advancing sound science-based solutions, and making our critical infrastructure more resilient.

Each states delegates will speak to who they met with, what they learned and how that impacts the Pacific Northwest. As your representative, the Government Affairs Committee member in attendance will provide vital information on federal legislative action and how you elected congress is approaching legislation and how we can better advocate for important water policy. We will talk about the individual meetings with legislatures and their staff, share information form keynote speakers like Radhika Fox, with the US EPA and how Washington DC is grappling with issues that impact us like PFAS, climate change and infrastructure funding and affordability.