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NACWA played a prominent role in
a Congressional Briefing hosted by
the American Biogas Council and
the Congressional Biomass Caucus
to discuss the role of anaerobic
digestion and biogas production in
generating clean energy, increasing
environmental sustainability, and
economic development. NACWA
spoke about the current use of
digesters at municipal waste-
water treatment plants and the
potential for increasing produc-
tion of biogas at these facilities.
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NACWA hosted a Congressional
briefing with Representative Lois
Capps (D-Calif.) to highlight how
drinking water and wastewater
systems across the country are
impacted by, and are responding to,
changing hydrological conditions re-
lated to climate change. Rep. Capps
has introduced complementary
legislation,
The Water Infrastructure
Resiliency and Sustainability Act
(H.R.
2738), to encourage innovative
adaptation approaches at local
utilities and provide financial assis-
tance to systems facing high costs.
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NACWA worked to improve the vi-
ability of biogas as a renewable fuel
by becoming an Interested Party in
the enforceable consent agreement
negotiations for collecting environ-
mental data on siloxanes, which are
harmful to boilers, engines, and oth-
er equipment when biogas is used as
a renewable fuel, and significantly
increase the cost of using biogas.
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NACWA’s leadership, in November
2011, identified the significance of
transformational leadership – for
its member agencies, as well as the
Association’s advocacy agenda –
and endorsed pursuit of a process
that establishes a framework for the
Water Resources Utility of the Future.
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NACWA testified before the House
Transportation & Infrastructure
Committee’s Water Resources &
Environment Subcommittee on
the need for Congress to embrace
the concepts inherent in transfor-
mational leadership and the
Water
Resources Utility of the Future
as part
of the Association’s efforts to
provide utilities with greater flex-
ibility under the Clean Water Act.
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NACWA conducted a national
survey to gather important informa-
tion on innovative work underway
at clean water agencies consistent
with the practices and programs
encompassed under the vision for
the
Water Resources Utility of the Future
– including energy efficiency and
recovery, water reuse and resilience,
resource recovery, green infrastruc-
ture, product stewardship and
other innovative approaches.
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NACWA’s Board of Directors
endorsed a collaborative project –
with the Water Environment Federa-
tion and the Water Environment
Research Foundation – to develop
a
Blueprint for Action
to support the
exploration and evolution of public
clean water utilities toward the
Water Resources Utility of the Future.
The Blueprint
will define relevant is-
sues, research and analyze key data,
and offer recommendations for
critical actions for the future. It also
will educate and inform – as well as
provide a path forward for research-
based advocacy to remove barri-
ers and provide incentives.
projects supported by NACWA’s Targeted Action Fund