NAWC director repsonds to State of the Union address

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 13, 2013 -- Michael Deane, executive director of the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), released the following statement in response to tonight's State of the Union address:

"On behalf of the National Association of Water Companies and our private water company members, I applaud the focus on infrastructure in President Obama's State of the Union address. Safe and reliable water service is the lifeblood of our communities, and we encourage the President and the nation to focus on the need for immediate investment in our water and wastewater infrastructure. Together, we can end the out of sight, out of mind mentality that has ruled our approach toward these systems, which has resulted in a rapidly deteriorating network of pipes that now leaks 1.7 trillion gallons of treated water every year.

"We are pleased that the President recognizes the need for private investments and partnerships to meet our collective infrastructure challenges. America's private water companies are already putting these concepts into practice, using innovative financing tools, partnerships and the latest technology to create tomorrow's infrastructure today. The good news is these challenges are not insurmountable. If we act now, with a new approach rooted in every individual, family, and business understanding the challenges we face -- and the investments we need to make -- we can limit the consequences of inaction."

Sound water service is essential to the economic growth, public health and environmental quality of every community across the nation -- but many communities are relying on a water infrastructure that is outdated, overused and underserviced. The NAWC has partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to launch Water Is Your Business (www.waterisyourbusiness.org), a grassroots advocacy and engagement tool designed to dramatically increase the dialogue -- informed by facts -- on the critical importance of investing in our country's water infrastructure.

The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) is the public voice for more than one hundred private water companies, ranging from large investor-owned utilities to small, community-based providers. To learn more about NAWC, visit www.NAWC.org, or follow them on Twitter and Facebook.