|
4/18/2007
Utilities across North America employ “Only Tap Water Delivers”
campaign to remind elected leaders, public of the value of water
Washington, D.C. — More than 100 water utility leaders from across
the United States arrived on Capitol Hill to stress the essential need
to repair and replace the nation’s aging water infrastructure.
Water professionals began two days of meetings with more than 300
Congressional representatives to raise awareness on critical water
issues at the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) annual Water
Matters! Fly-In. AWWA estimates the cost to repair and replace our
nation's drinking water infrastructure over the next three decades will
exceed $250 billion.
Specifically, water industry professionals will urge Congress to pass
legislation that:
- Expands and modernizes the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan
Fund (DWSRF) program.
- Increases the authorization of appropriations for the DWSRF
program to a cumulative $14 billion through FY2011.
- Makes rehabilitation and replacement of worn-out infrastructure
and security improvements specifically eligible for DWSRF loans.
- Contains a number of improvements to the DWSRF program that AWWA
has been seeking, such as encouraging the use of asset management and
providing for a longer repayment period for loans.
“Water professionals believe that the public is best served by utilities
that are self-sustaining through their rates and that federal assistance
should be a helping hand for special cases rather than a routine part of
utility finance,” said AWWA Executive Director Jack Hoffbuhr. “It’s
critical that we bring the conversation about infrastructure
reinvestment above ground in the halls of Congress and in our own
communities.”
To help communicate the value of tap water service and the need to
reinvest in water infrastructure, local utilities across the country are
beginning to employ AWWA’s "Only Tap Water Delivers" campaign.
The campaign has been adopted throughout the United States and
Canada, with print ads and public service announcements reminding
citizens that only tap water delivers public health protection, fire
protection, support for the economy and the overall quality of life we
enjoy.
SOURCE: AWWA |