After two power-packed days in Washington, D.C., AMWA's 2025 Water Policy Conference (WPC), combined with the National Water Policy Fly-In for the first time, has drawn to a successful close. As the most highly attended WPC to date, the conference brought together water executives from across the country to explore the sector's legislative and regulatory issues through a series of presentations by thought leaders, congressional figures and staff, and EPA officials.
Bob Woodward, famed journalist and Washington Post Associate Editor, kicked off the conference by sharing his experiences with President Trump’s, offering his perspectives on the second term in light of political polarization and with historical context, and framing the potential implications for the nation.
After his presentation, Jennifer McLain, Director of the EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, outlined the agency’s drinking water agenda for 2025. The first day concluded with an interactive panel of AMWA members discussing effective strategies for lead service line replacement, including inventory development, community outreach, and funding mechanisms.
The second day began with consecutive sessions featuring policymakers’ perspectives on their 2024 drinking water agendas, including remarks from Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.); Christi Harsha, Senior Counsel of the House Environment Subcommittee; and Nushat Thomas, Cybersecurity Branch Chief within EPA’s Water Infrastructure and Cyber Resilience Division, who spoke about the agency’s ongoing efforts to address pressing physical and cybersecurity challenges.
Following the networking and closing luncheon, attendees heard from additional EPA and Capitol Hill speakers during the National Water Policy Fly-In, including Jessica Kramer, EPA’s Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Water; a panel of EPA leaders; Noller Herbert, Deputy Chief for Science & Technology Natural Resources Conservation Service at USDA; Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ); and others.
The conference concluded on Wednesday with a WaterISAC Threat Briefing discussion on the latest cybersecurity threats facing the water sector, followed by Capitol Hill visits, where AMWA members met with lawmakers to discuss water policy issues.