2023 Water "Fly-Ins" (Association Visits to Capitol Hll and Or Other Major Federal Visits By Water Organizations) and Select Water Events
(Events Relevant to Water Policy Development)
See below for descriptions, details and links
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Selected House and Senate Committees and Subcommittees with office location and phone, Chair and Ranking Members, and Committee web link. A handy guide as you prepare for your next Congressional Visit as a tri-fold brochure or on your phone or laptop!
Registration is restricted to NIWR member institutions that are in good standing (have paid their 2022 dues).
Registration closes 11:59PM January 10, 2023. Please contact Laurie Katz (email: lkatz@vsadc.com) with questions.
Venue: 800 Main Avenue, Southwest in Washington D.C.
The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) Rural Water Rally is typically the first water fly-in of the year. This year, with the delays in selecting a Speaker of the House, the President's State of the Union address to Congress is actually going to be held on the first night of their event (typically SOTU is in late January) - interesting times!
One highlight of this event is the Annual Great American Water Taste test, with entries from rural water utilities that won state association taste tests across the nation.
Rural water supplies tend to have a slightly different flavor from other water utility organizations - which are typically dominated by larger cities and focus mostly on the EPA. Rural water systems are often smaller and, since they are often found in areas involved in Agriculture - there are special programs at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for Rural Water Development. Many rural water needs are met with groundwater, which can be more susceptible to various land use activities (including mining, manufacturing, livestock), and may also be reliant on large federal water supply projects, particularly in the Western States where many water users have contracts with the US Bureau of Reclamation.
What this means is that, while organizations focused more on larger water utilities (e.g. the American Metropolitan Water Association or "AMWA") may focus on the Congressional Committees that oversee the USEPA (esp. House Water & Power and Senate Environment & Public Works), NRWA may have interests in more federal agencies - which means more Congressional Committees.
This year, rally headquarters will be located at the Hyatt Regency Washington On Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Founded in 1961, originally known as the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA) is a national, nonpartisan professional organization. Association members are the State, Interstate and Territorial officials who are responsible for the implementation of surface water protection programs throughout the nation.
In addition to serving as a liaison among these officials, the Association facilitates their communication with the Federal government and promotes public education. Long before the enactment of the Clean Water Act, State and Interstate professionals were working to protect and improve water quality. They continue to lead the way in creating and realizing a vision for clean water in America.
This is a CLOSED MEETING intended to help support states and EPA to build staff capacity, identify challenges & barriers to NPDES program implementation, highlight opportunities for permitting authority program improvement & enhancement, showcase NPDES program innovations, assist with analysis of training, guidance, tools, and other support material needs, improve administrative efficiencies, clarify roles and responsibilities, build stronger linkages to other programs, modernize permit terms, improve data management, discuss program performance measures, identify program areas where targeted technical assistance would be most beneficial, and attempt to solve some of the most intractable NPDES Program issues.
Venue: William Ruckelshaus Conference Center, EPA HQ, Washington DC
Hotel: Washington Hilton
Since 2010, the Choose Clean Water Coalition has harnessed the collective power of more than 275 organizations to advocate for clean rivers and streams in all communities in the Chesapeake Bay region. By coordinating policy, messaging, action, and accountability, the Coalition speaks louder with one voice toward our collective goal—clean water.
Every March, the Choose Clean Water Coalition gathers individuals from its member organizations throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed to advocate for clean water policies and funding in Washington, DC. Meeting with Members of Congress and their staff, Coalition members provide real-world examples of the impact clean water programs and policies are having in their community and the need for continued support.
At the forefront of asks for legislators is securing critical funding for EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program. Approximately two-thirds of Bay Program funding supports on-the-ground projects in the Chesapeake Bay watershed states and the District of Columbia. This support creates new oyster beds, plants trees to improve wildlife habitat, reduces pollution from farmland, and funds other activities that improve local water quality. Beyond funding for the Bay Program, Coalition members advocate for objectives such as the creation of new grant programs, policies that champion environmental justice, and support for programs that perform critical science and monitoring work.
You are invited to join the Choose Clean Water Coalition IN-PERSON for our 11th Annual Chesapeake Bay Day on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, March 1. Our 2023 Chesapeake Bay Day will feature meetings with members of Congress and/or their staff and a lunch briefing from 12:00-1:30PM when members of Congress will join us and speak to our entire group.
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) represents more than 150,000 members of the civil engineering profession in 177 countries. Founded in 1852, ASCE is the nation’s oldest engineering society. Through the expertise of its active membership, ASCE is a leading provider of technical and professional conferences and continuing education, the world’s largest publisher of civil engineering content, and an authoritative source for codes and standards that protect the public.
The Society advances civil engineering technical specialties through nine dynamic institutes and leads with its many professional- and public-focused programs.
Every spring, ASCE holds its Legislative Fly-In in Washington, DC, an exclusive and intensive two-day event providing participants with professional development in honing their skills in the public policy process and advocacy, as well as valuable peer-to-peer networking with fellow ASCE influencers.
“Members who engage in advocacy aren’t just doing a favor for ASCE— they are also building valuable personal skills that will help advance their career.”
ASCE members will have an opportunity to meet with their Members of Congress or their senior legislative staff and advance the Society’s collective policy priorities while learning beneficial leadership skills they can bring back to the workplace.
Hotel arrangements to be communicated upon successful application.
The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, or AMWA (pronounced "Am-Wah), is one of the smaller associations that represents ONLY the largest publicly owned water utilities in the United States (those serving populations or 100,000 or more). This does NOT include the private water providers (e.g. American Water). There is some overlap with the Public Utilities Council of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) - although AWWA includes ALL drinking water utilities as well as other water professionals, companies and agencies involved with drinking water, while AMWA is the nation's ONLY policy-making organization solely for metropolitan drinking water suppliers.
This year's venue is The Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf.
This is a private Fly-In organized by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Government Relations staff for selected members to represent the drinking water utility interests on the Hill, with briefings at the conference hotel (Washington Marriott at Metro Center) followed by congressional visits set up by the AWWA Government Affairs team. While AWWA participates as a partner in WaterWeek in April, the municipal water utilities are often a powerful part of (or at least overseen by) local governments, and tend to have a somewhat different relationship with their Members of Congress.
After several years as a virtual event, WQA hosts its annual Congressional Fly-In March 22-23 live in Washington, D.C., in 2023. The event is in collaboration with the National Ground Water Association.
On March 22 – World Water Day – members of both associations will gather for educational panels and workshops and a reception, then the following day WQA members will engage with policymakers in a series of small group Congressional Office meetings.
Venue: Meetings and an evening reception are being held at the Reservoir Center, 301 Water St. SE, Washington D.C.
Hotel: Thompson Washington D.C.
Not a Congressional Fly-In but an event that can influence policy, the UN Water Conference – formally known as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028) – will take place at UN Headquarters in New York, 22-24 March 2023, co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.
The conference will include an opening and closing session, six plenary sessions, and five interactive dialogues, as well as side events organized by participants. It will result in a summary of proceedings from the UNGA President that will feed into the 2023 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
Along with the events in NYC, there will be several "side events"
On March 22 – World Water Day – members of both associations will gather for educational panels and workshops and a reception, then the following day WQA members will engage with policymakers in a series of small group Congressional Office meetings.
Venue: Meetings and an evening reception are being held at the Reservoir Center, 301 Water St. SE, Washington D.C.
Hotel: Thompson Washington D.C.
The Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP) is a national organization that provides a voice for regional, state, and local water resources agencies and entities regarding diverse water policy issues that affect real-world decisions.
The ICWP was founded in 1959 to promote integrated water resources management and address water quality issues. Today’s strategic priority issues include national water policy development, integrated water planning for sustainable resource development and management, and vital water data and water science tools to inform policy and planning.
Join us April 4-5, where we will have meaningful one-on-one interactions with representatives of key Congressional staff and federal agencies, including USGS, EPA, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, NOAA, NASA, and USDA-NRCS.
Venue: Doubletree Hotel Crystal City in Arlington, VA
The Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities (CIFA) is a national not-for-profit organization that represents the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs).
SRFs are state-federal partnerships that provide communities with low-cost subsidized loans for water infrastructure that protects public health and the environment. Over the last three decades, the programs, combined, have generated an investment of more than $179 billion in a variety of water projects, including drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment, water recycling, stormwater management, pollution prevention, environmental conservation and green infrastructure.
The 2023 summit convenes leaders in the SRF community, including SRF managers, federal partners, public finance experts, and water policy advocates, to engage in a national conversation on the future of water infrastructure investment.
Join CIFA at the Hyatt Regency at Capitol Hill, Washington DC.
For more than eighty years, members of the NWRA have been providing clean water to families, farms, businesses and communities throughout the West. The NWRA is a nonprofit federation of agricultural and municipal water providers, state associations, and individuals dedicated to the conservation, enhancement and efficient management of our nation’s most important natural resource: water. Our members proudly provide clean water to millions of people, irrigate millions of acres of farmland, and contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. NWRA members are actively engaged in addressing the water supply challenges posed by population growth and continued drought in the western United States.
Our members look forward to working with Congress and our federal agency partners to create opportunities to meet these challenges. NWRA thanks Congress for its attention to the critical water supply issues facing our nation, and for supporting our members as they continue to be stewards of our nation’s water supply and a critical part of the economy.
This year's event will be a great opportunity to hear from several policy experts during our general session, to network, as well as to engage federal policymakers on issues most important to you during congressional and agency meetings.
Our conference will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Washington DC Convention Center located at 900 10th Street, NW in downtown Washington, DC.
This is a major focal point of the Spring Fly-In season - an event developed within the last 10 years in which four of the biggest water and wastewater/cleanwater industry associations (National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Research Foundation (WRF), and the WateReuse Association) have come together and assembled more than a dozen other organizations to create a united voice for water, visiting Congress en masse to ensure water is a high priority on the Hill and in the Administration.
Water Week includes activities that water interests can do within their own state (e.g. visiting District Offices for their Members of Congress) or online - and many smaller associations will hold their own events in DC during Water Week. A highlight of Water Week is the National Water Policy Fly-In.
As you can see by the earlier entries, there are a LOT of water associations - and for Members of Congress and their staff (especially those who are new to water issues), it can be confusing to have one water organization after another come to visit them. Each of the associations has their own special focus - on a type of water utility, or service, or form of water treatment - but by holding this joint event, the associations are able to highlight water as a whole. Water Week is likely one of the reasons why funding for water infrastructure was included so prominently in the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and related legislation.
"Water professionals from across the country are set to descend upon the nation’s capital for Water Week 2023 (April 23-29) for a full slate of in-person events and meetings, including on Capitol Hill, which is now fully reopened to the public. This year’s Water Week provides professionals with the opportunity to directly learn more from key federal officials about the implementation of the historical policy achievements secured by the water sector over the past two years, and significant actions on EPA’s regulatory agenda that will directly impact the water sector. It also provides the opportunity to build on this momentum and come together on Capitol Hill to advocate to Members of Congress the importance of ensuring all communities continue to have access to safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water and clean water."
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Research Foundation (WRF), and the WateReuse Association (WateReuse) are proud to present the cornerstone event for Water Week 2023 – the National Water Policy Fly-In.
This event is held as part of Water Week (see above for more on Water Week). Less expensive than some ($150), this program includes:
Wed. April 25
1-4pm Registration Open
2-5pm Plenary Session I: EPA & Federal Presentations and Panels
5:30-6:30pm Fly-In Reception
Thurs. April 26
8-9:30am Registration Open
8:30-11 Plenary Session II: Congressional Presentations and Panels (typically leadership of Congressional Committees dealing with important legislation)
The focus of the Fly-Ins is to get Water Professionals and others interested in Water Issues to come to the Capitol and visit their Members of Congress. However, if you're interested in water policy - even if your position prohibits you from advocacy activities or you're otherwise not in a position to visit Members of Congress this week - this event brings together top Water Leadership and provides one of the best and most concise overviews of the current policy issues facing both Federal Agencies (especially the various EPA programs) and Congress.
The sessions and reception are held at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf, 480 L'Enfant Plaza Southwest, walking distance or a short Uber/Lyft from the Capitol - leaving mornings free for Congressional visits (and close enough to shoot up to the Hill for an afternoon visit and still get back for the rest of the program). This location is also very close to several federal agencies on the South Side of the National Mall (esp. USDOE, USDA), and the free Smithsonian museums (if you bring the family, there will be plenty to keep them entertained!).
Unlike some of the other fly-ins on this list, this program is not limited to association members or their selected Government Affairs Committee members and is the most inclusive of Water Fly-ins - so unless you're active in your Association's Government Affairs Committee, or if you're only able to get to one Fly-In or perhaps if this is your first time, this is a great choice!
Sessions and reception at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall, The Wharf.
The Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA) is a Washington DC-based non-profit trade association representing water and wastewater technology and service providers since 1908. We advocate, inform, and connect our members with key policy and decision-makers and help our members increase their competitiveness and profitability in the U.S. and abroad. Our members supply the most sophisticated leading-edge technologies and services, offering solutions to every water-related environmental problem and need facing today’s society. A member-driven organization, WWEMA is made up of many of the most prominent and influential companies in the industry who are working together to shape the future of water and wastewater technology in the U.S. and around the world.
This year’s WWEMA 49th Washington Forum will be held April 26-28, 2023 in conjunction with Water Week 2023. This is WWEMA’s annual legislative, regulatory, and policy meeting that directly connects our members, attendees, and invited guests to leaders in the water industry and Government including Congress and EPA. Want to learn what the Biden Administration’s new regulations and economic policies mean for your business and what’s next? Have questions about how to comply with the Buy America requirements in the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law? Concerned these new requirements might affect your ability to access funding, have your products included in new projects, or increase costs and delay project schedules? Want to ensure your voice is heard and have real impact on helping shape policies and guidance that ensures your company’s success? Hear from the Experts! Network with Industry Leaders!
Everyone, members and non-members alike, is invited to join us for this year’s WWEMA 49th Washington Forum as we hear from leaders in our industry and Government who are at the forefront of these changes.
Venue: Hilton Washington D.C. National Mall
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is a global community committed to advancing weather, water, and climate science and service. The AMS advances the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society.
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) Policy Program seeks member volunteers with relevant expertise for a Congressional Visit Day (CVD) focused on weather, water and climate.
The purposes of this event are 1) to give scientists an opportunity to learn about congress, 2) to build relationships between scientists and Congressional offices, and 3) to help ensure that Members of Congress and their staff have access to the best available scientific information relating to weather, water and climate.
Participation in Congressional Visit Day is a great opportunity for experts in our community to interact directly with Congressional members and staff. It is an invaluable experience for those who would like to learn more about and have greater involvement in the policy arena. Participants for the CVD will be selected based on area of expertise, geographic location of residence, and future potential to contribute to the federal policy process, among other factors.
TO APPLY: Applicants should submit their name, contact information, and a short biograpy (no more than 200 words) to Kenza Sidi-Ali-Cherif at kenzasac@ametsoc.org. The application deadline is April 27, 2017.
Join us in Washington, DC and virtually for Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) from June 6 – 8, 2023 to explore the ocean-climate connection and how we can make ocean conservation part of climate strategies and nationally determined contributions to address climate change.
The CHOW 2023 program is slightly different from past CHOWs. We will host a day on Capitol Hill on June 6 then move to the Ronald Reagan Building for the conference on June 7 and 8. The week will culminate with the Ocean Awards Gala on the evening of June 8, World Oceans Day..
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