IRWA Legislative and Regulatory Representation (11/17/2011)
IRWA represents its members before the Iowa congressional delegation, the Iowa Legislature and the state and federal agencies that regulate water and wastewater systems. IRWA monitors and interacts with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Iowa Department of Economic Development and the Iowa Department of Public Health and other federal and state agencies on behalf of our members.
Below is a list of just some of IRWA’s advocacy on behalf of small systems in Iowa in 2011:
- Successfully passed legislation that creates a process for disadvantaged communities to receive relief and extended compliance terms from more stringent water quality standards.
- Successfully defended the current structure and management of the state revolving loan funds for drinking water and clean water. In the redesign of the state’s economic development office, some advocated giving the new DED director authority and control over that program which would have negatively impacted the ability of communities to seek low interest loans from the program.
- Partnered with other utility groups to successfully defend Iowa’s law for railroad easement permit requirements. If the court had found that land management companies were not covered under this law, those companies would have been allowed to charge communities exorbitant fees for pipeline or other crossings.
- Successfully passed legislation that would allow cities to delegate another entity to do the collection on unpaid water bills rather than requiring the city council to serve as the collection agency.
- Successfully defeated an effort to allow landlords to further shift the responsibility for unpaid water, wastewater or stormwater bills from landlords to the utility.
- Successfully defeated an effort to transfer certain water quality programs from the DNR to the Iowa Department of Agriculture. This transfer, if successful, could have further restricted efforts to address drinking water quality issues by separating nonpoint source pollution protection efforts from point source pollution protection efforts.
Having a strong advocate who understands and supports the interests of the water and wastewater industry is more critical than it ever has been. Please consider joining with IRWA in strengthening our voices before the Iowa Legislature and Congress.
For more information contact:
Emily Piper
515-202-7772
emily@ialobbyresources.com
