This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., and founded in 1981 with 16 members, AMWA now serves nearly 200 publicly owned drinking water utilities. Steered by a diverse board of directors representing all regions of the country, AMWA understands the needs of water utility executives, prioritizes top-of-mind management issues, and fosters peer-to-peer connections.
AMWA is a resource and forum for general managers on utility leadership and management. Tapping the knowledge and experience of its members, AMWA creates publications, events, and member-to-member exchanges to support utility management excellence.
As the unified and definitive voice for the nation’s largest publicly owned drinking water systems, AMWA advocates for transparent legislation and science-based regulatory standards that protect public health, while taking costs and benefits into account. AMWA has been at the forefront of enactment of transformative legislation, such as the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014. The association has also worked on behalf of utilities to shape drinking water regulatory development and implementation, including the Lead and Copper Rule revisions, PFAS, the Toxic Substances Control Act, source water protection, and disinfection byproduct regulations.
AMWA will continue to elevate water issues and amplify the voices of large water systems by advocating for sound, equitable legislation in water infrastructure investment and financing; drinking water regulation; water sector security and disaster response; resilience and climate adaptation; and water quality and conservation that helps keep water service safe, accessible, and affordable for all Americans.
“The commitment of board members and the membership have been critical to the association’s past successes and will be the foundation of AMWA’s continued growth and future achievements,” said AMWA President Angela Licata, Deputy Commissioner of Sustainability at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. “Climate change impacts and infrastructure security are now making headlines, yet AMWA has been providing leadership on these issues for well over a decade.”
“Congratulations to CEO Diane VanDe Hei, current and past members, and the staff, who contributed to AMWA’s 40 years of leadership,” added Licata. “I look forward to AMWA’s ongoing work to strengthen and lead the water sector to tackle today’s issues and anticipate those of tomorrow.”
Next week, AMWA will celebrate its 40th anniversary at its in-person 2021 Executive Management Conference in Denver, Colorado, October 3 to 6.
Look for more information on www.amwa.net/40years.