Contact Information: Contact: Jennifer Persike ACWA Director of Strategic Coordination and Public Affairs 916/441-4545 916/296-3981 (cell)
ACWA Presents Leadership Award to Recycled Water Group
Stakeholder Group Recognized for Breakthrough Effort on Recycled Water Policy
| Source: Association of California Water Agencies
SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - May 21, 2009) - The Association of California Water Agencies
(ACWA) today presented its 2009 Excellence in Water Leadership Award to the
Recycled Water Stakeholders Group, a coalition of water and environmental
interests that mounted a breakthrough effort last year to negotiate a new
statewide policy on recycled water.
The effort, launched in response to a draft policy by the State Water
Resources Control Board, was aimed at bringing a new approach to the task
of balancing existing state policies on protecting water quality and
encouraging water recycling.
"This award is ACWA's way of recognizing leadership and contributions that
make a lasting difference in California water," ACWA President Glen
Peterson said. "This unlikely group of water and environmental stakeholders
certainly fits that bill. During an intense round of negotiations last
summer, they bridged their differences and crafted a workable policy on
recycled water that was adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board
with few changes.
"They took on a tremendous challenge, and the result is a policy framework
that makes the permitting process more predictable for recycled water
projects," Peterson said. "This is a terrific model for collaborating on
policy reforms in many other regulatory areas."
The Excellence in Water Leadership Award -- Building a World of
Difference® recognizes groups or individuals that have made a remarkable
and visible contribution to California water. The award, sponsored by Black
& Veatch Corporation, was presented at the ACWA 2009 Spring Conference &
Exhibition, which continues through Friday at the Sacramento Convention
Center and surrounding hotels.
Participants in the Recycled Water Stakeholders Group include: David
Aladjem, Downey Brand; Jonathan Bishop, State Water Resources Control
Board; Martha Davis, Inland Empire Utilities Agency; Gus Dembegiotes, Los
Angeles Bureau of Sanitation; Conner Everts, Environment Now; Mark Gold,
Heal the Bay; Bob Hultquist, Department of Public Health; Roberta Larson,
Somach Simmons & Dunn; Mindy McIntyre, Planning & Conservation League; Bert
Michalczyk, Dublin San Ramon Services District; Linda Sheehan, California
Coastkeeper Alliance, Fran Spivy-Weber, State Water Resources Control
Board; Nancy Sutley, formerly with the City of Los Angeles; Gary Wolff,
former member of the State Water Resources Control Board; and Gary
Yamamoto, Department of Public Health.
ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are
responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more
information, visit www.acwa.com.