Other coalition members include the American Public Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Association of Water Companies, Water Environment Federation, and USEPA, which has made better utility management a major focus.
An estimated 2,300 water systems in 36 states have been contaminated by MTBE, according to a June report from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.
Diane VanDe Hei, executive director of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and Water ISAC, testified that "we must keep our ISAC models intact, meaning that the government should not attempt to dictate how the individual ISACs are structured nor how information is provided, analyzed, and reported to the government.
Since the release of the Findings and Recommendations for a Water Utility Sector Management Strategy report last year, the Effective Utility Management Collaborating Associations - the American Public Works Association (APWA), American Water Works Association (AWWA), Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and EPA - have been working together to develop tools aimed at helping utilities assess their current operations and adopt best management strategies for improvement.
EPA was assigned lead responsibility for the water sector and, in turn, designated the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) as the lead for this sector.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tapped the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) to help protect water and wastewater facilities.
Nevertheless, at federal agencies and in Congress, microbial problems were ``put on the back shelf'' until just the last few years, said Diane VanDe Hei, executive director of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.
With its action today, Metropolitan's board joined the Association of California Water Agencies, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and the American Water Works Association in opposing the proposed exemptions.
