To:
Members & Affiliates
From:
National Office
Date:
April 20, 2000
Subject:
WIN Report
Reference:
LA 00-5
A year ago, in the conclusion to The Cost of Clean, AMSA promised to take a leading role in defining the issues and solutions to the growing investment shortfall for water and wastewater treatment. AMSA met that challenge by hosting the first of many meetings of interested organizations to talk about the future of Federal funding for all water quality programs. Now less than a year old, the AMSA-led Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) celebrated its first milestone on April 12, 2000. WIN and the U.S. House of Representatives' Water Infrastructure Caucus (WIC) released WIN's report entitled, Clean and Safe Water for the 21st Century: A Renewed National Commitment to Water and Wastewater Infrastructure.
Twenty-two organizations so far have agreed to be signatories to WIN's funding study. The enclosed report is supported by the nation's cities and mayors, wastewater and drinking water communities, and environmental and engineering groups (see back page for complete listing). Clean and Safe Water for the 21st Century finds that the funding shortfall in America's water infrastructure sector is due to a decades-long slide in the federal financial commitment to the infrastructure necessary to achieve the goals of the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts.
The report looks at the value of clean and safe water, the history of infrastructure investment in America, the investment needs now and in the future, affordability, the federal role in funding water and wastewater systems, and a glimpse forward. The remarkable findings of this report are not unprecedented, however. The U.S. EPA has made similar findings in an ongoing research effort called the Gap Analysis. AMSA members are encouraged to read the WIN report before coming to Washington, D.C. in May 2000 for the National Environmental Policy Forum, where the funding gap will be reviewed in detail.
In response to the report's findings, House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chair Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Ranking Member Robert Borski (D-PA), House Health and Environment Subcommittee Chair Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Ranking Member Sherrod Brown(D-OH), and other Members of Congress have formed the Water Infrastructure Caucus (WIC). The report was delivered to every member of Congress the day before the press event. The four chairs have twice sent to every member of the House of Representatives a “Dear Colleague” letter inviting them to join the caucus. WIN's goal is to recruit 218 representatives as WIC members by the end of this congressional session — October 2000. To reach this goal, AMSA members are encouraged to e-mail, phone, or write to their U.S. House Members and urge them to join the Water Infrastructure Caucus (WIC). Tell your Congressman or Congresswoman to contact Sara Gray at (202)225-4360 to find out more or to join the Caucus.
AMSA members also are urged to provide a copy of the report to local and state officials. Copies of Clean and Safe Water for the 21st Century are available online at AMSA's website:
www.amsa-cleanwater.org/advocacy/winreport.cfm. To get as much support as possible for the WIN report, AMSA is completing work on an expanded version of the Executive Summary of the Clean and Safe Water for the 21st Century report. Envisioned as a tri-fold similar to The Cost of Clean, the Clean and Safe Water for the 21st Century Executive Summary will be used to solicit press interest and to further develop grassroots support. This abbreviated version of the report will be available to AMSA members next month.
Our success this past year can largely be attributed to the AMSA members whose financial generosity contributed to the Clean and Safe Water report and supporting efforts. AMSA and the WIN membership are now working toward interjecting the water infrastructure funding issue into the presidential campaign and into the Democratic and Republican campaign platforms. AMSA and WIN representatives also will be briefing Members of Congress and their staff through one-on-one meetings, existing congressional caucuses (e.g. Northeast-Midwest Caucus briefing on May 3), and one-minute floor speeches. As AMSA helps WIN to develop a long-range strategy and solicit additional organizational support for the Clean and Safe Water report, we will continue to accept your financial assistance to fund WIN efforts through 2001.
For more information, contact AMSA's Lee Garrigan at lgarrigan@amsa-cleanwater.org or by phone at 202/833-4655.
Attachment: