Last week, AMWA joined national water and wastewater associations to issue a statement informing the sector of their intent to work together to share information and to develop a collaborative response to the Flint water emergency. As part of the Value of Water Coalition (VoW), AMWA also supported a statement on securing the nation’s water future. And the association provided its member utilities ideas and links to resources to help them prepare to talk about lead in water.
The “Joint Statement from Water Sector Association to their Respective Memberships Concerning the Flint Water Crisis” noted the organizations’ deep concern for the people of Flint and desire to help. It said the technical issues are best addressed by drinking water associations such as AMWA, but that all water sector organizations want the sector response to the crisis to be swift and substantial and the lessons learned to be shared broadly. The statement also called for a dialogue on water infrastructure needs facing America and appropriate policy steps to address them.
The VoW released “Guiding Principles for Securing Our Water Future,” which called the Flint crisis “a stark reminder of the essential value of water and the role of water infrastructure in protecting the health and well-being of all people.” The guiding
principles included: invest in water infrastructure renewal to ensure public safety and health; take a long-term view in making water decisions and build a partnership with the public; and build a water safety net.
AMWA’s memo, “Be Prepared to Talk about Lead in Water,” urged member utilities to be ready to tell their story with regard to how they address the issue of lead in water. In addition to providing key messages, AMWA covered potential questions regarding compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) and other efforts to control lead in drinking water, as well as common questions from the public about the LCR and potential limitations of the rule as it is currently constructed. Links to information sources on the Flint lead crisis and on control of lead in drinking water in general were also provided.
AWWA announced it has launched a new resource page focused on lead in water.