A MESSAGE FROM NACWA’s EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
At NACWA’s Annual Business Meeting in July, I
formally announced my plans to retire in July 2015.
At that time, I will have been with the Association
over thirty-five years – the last twenty-six as Executive
Director. It is incredible to look back on what the
clean water community has accomplished. Whether
through pursuing legislation and policies that both
protect the environment and provide billions of direct
financial assistance and cost savings; informing and
activating our community through advocacy-focused
publications; providing unique opportunities for
networking and information sharing at conferences; or
simply ensuring the highest quality membership services
achievable — in my view, the return on investment for
NACWA’s members has been exceptional and will only
continue to grow in the future.
NACWA has had numerous significant achievements
transforming clean water agencies into community
leaders that deliver maximum environmental benefits,
partner in local economic development and manage
valuable resources. I am particularly proud of our
record during my tenure with NACWA. Just to
highlight a few of our major accomplishments:
»
We successfully advocated for short and long-term
funding mechanisms to meet an ever-expanding
clean water infrastructure need;
»
We worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) to establish a National Pretreatment
Program that ensures local responsibility and
oversight of this critical clean water program;
»
We ensured that the final 503 sludge regulations
were reasonable and based on sound science;
»
We took the lead in developing a National
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Policy, which
acknowledged that the concept of “zero discharge”
is not viable;
»
We demonstrated national leadership in the
privatization debate, providing our members
with the information and tools they needed to
counteract false claims and takeover threats by
the private sector and, in the process, enhance the
efficiency of their operations;
»
We secured a $500,000 grant immediately following
the attacks of September 11, 2001 to develop a
vulnerability self assessment tool for our members,
a tool that was ultimately replicated for water and
joint water-wastewater utilities, as well; and,
»
We had the foresight to realize that no single
existing organization could affect a needed
transition to view water—and its many associated
issues—holistically, and spearheaded the formation
of what is now known as the U.S. Water Alliance to
change the water paradigm.
More recently, we have achieved success in the
stormwater arena with Congressional action
mandating that the federal government pay its fair
share of storm water abatement costs. We have
also met our goals in the nutrients area, where we
were successful in defeating the National Resources
Defense Council (NRDC) petition to change the
definition of secondary treatment. Through the
Money Matters...Smarter Investment to Advance Clean
Water™
campaign, we successfully put EPA on record
in support of integrated planning and permitting,
flexible priority setting and viable affordability
determinations—key steps toward NACWA’s objective
of an equitable watershed-based approach.
We have opened up our membership to all clean
water utilities regardless of size; formed the Targeted
Action Fund (TAF) to support an enhanced advocacy
agenda; strengthened our ability to protect our
members’ interests in the courts; purchased a
building to provide the Association with a permanent
and cost-effective home; and continued to provide
our members with timely and informative analyses
of the regulatory, legislative and judicial initiatives of
priority concern to them.
As we reflect back on the past year in NACWA’s
Year-
At-A-Glance
, we can also look forward to a bright future
building on what has already been accomplished. Of
course, our job is not done and we face significant
challenges in the future. We must unwaveringly focus
attention on the need for a national wet weather
policy. We need to continue to highlight the inequities
of focusing all efforts to control nutrients on the
point source sector. We must address the critical
issue of climate as it relates to our future resiliency
and sustainability – and work to implement the
recommendations of our
Water Resources Utility of the
Future… A Blueprint for Action
. Ultimately, 40 years after
the enactment of the Clean Water Act, it is becoming
increasingly clear that we must dedicate ourselves to
changing the national clean water paradigm to meet
the needs of the 21st century.
This past year has been filled with key victories for
the clean water community, significant progress
furthering NACWA’s advocacy agenda, and successful
conferences. During my final two years with NACWA,
I will continue to work hard, hand-in-hand with
members, staff, and stakeholders to achieve the
Association’s objectives and goals and continue our
progress in cleaning up our nation’s waters.
Ken Kirk
NACWA Executive Director
Washington, D.C.
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