MEDIA ADVISORY: 2012 Water Bond, Western Water Issues to Headline ACWA Conference

Statewide Event Set for Nov. 30-Dec. 3 in Indian Wells


SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - November 29, 2010) - The fate of a statewide water bond slated for the 2012 ballot and other critical California water issues will be key topics of discussion at the Association of California Water Agencies' (ACWA) 2010 Fall Conference & Exhibition in Indian Wells tomorrow through Dec. 3. Themed "Vision for the Future," the event will commemorate the association's centennial anniversary and is expected to draw more than 1,700 local water leaders from around the state.

A luncheon panel discussion Wednesday, Dec. 1 on the $11.14 billion bond will look at the components of the bond and actions local water agencies will be taking to maintain support for historic legislation enacted in November 2009. The bond is part of a comprehensive water package aimed at improving California's water supply and delivery system, providing funding for alternative water supplies such as water recycling and desalination, and modernizing the state's aging water infrastructure.

Historian Dr. Kevin Starr will keynote the opening breakfast on Dec. 1, reflecting on the history of water development in California and the state's ongoing process of inventing itself through water. A luncheon program on Dec. 2 will feature comments by Patricia Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Las Vegas Valley Water District, with a look at the future of water in the West.

At the breakfast program Dec. 1, ACWA will unveil a special book commemorating the association's 100th anniversary. "A Century of Leadership, Vision for the Future" chronicles the association's history and many of the events and milestones that define California's water community. It includes a foreword written by Starr.

ACWA will present its 2010 Legislative Leadership Award to Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny (D-San Diego) on Dec. 2 for her role in passing key water legislation.

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.

Contact Information:

Contact:
Jennifer Persike
ACWA Director of Strategic Coordination and Public Affairs
916/441-4545
916/296-3981 (cell)

Association of California Water Agencies
910 K Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, California
95814-3512
916/441-4545
FAX 916/441-7893
http://www.acwa.com