WASHINGTON — Congressional Clean Water Caucus Co-Chairs John Duncan (R-TN) and Timothy Bishop (D-NY) joined public agency leaders April 8 at the inaugural briefing of the Caucus to highlight the innovative technologies and approaches in the water sector and the vital local and national economic benefits these innovations provide, according to a press release.
Over 40 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA), continued the release, clean water agencies across the country are undergoing a remarkable transformation from wastewater treatment plants to full-blown resource recovery agents.
These Utilities of the Future are pioneering new technologies and cutting-edge practices to manage valuable resources, spur economic development, create jobs and improve the environment and public health, noted the release.
According to the release, the briefing, entitled Utilities of the Future. . . Engaging Communities, Embracing New Challenges & Ensuring Economic Prosperity, focused on the clean water technologies and water management innovations that are being pursued by five unique public agencies — San Francisco, Cincinnati, Chicago, Onondaga County and Atlanta.
“It is an honor to speak before the Clean Water Caucus about the strides Atlanta is making in the areas of clean water technologies and water management innovations,” said Jo Ann Macrina, commissioner of the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management. “The City’s infrastructure has turned away from a model of compliance and toward one of sustainability. Successful execution of the federal consent decree has opened the doors to fiscal balance, and across the enterprise we are employing cutting-edge strategies to meet the needs of our great city and the surrounding region. While challenges certainly remain, the future is bright for us, and I look forward to sharing Atlanta’s vision with the caucus members.”
The Congressional Briefing is one of several notable events of the inaugural Water Week 2014, which continues through April 11, reported the release.
