Support for infrastructure investment, respect for local authority, and protection from unfunded mandates are principles guiding APWA’s advocacy efforts.

The public advocacy role the American Public Works Association assumes for its almost 26,000 members is refined each year as the new APWA Board of Directors meets at the annual International Public Works Congress and Exposition. This year was no exception and a set of public policy advocacy principles as well as a series of legislative and regulatory priorities for APWA's advocacy efforts for 2000-2001 has been distributed to the membership.

Briefly, the positions are arrived at as a result of recommendations from the APWA Government Affairs Committee. The board acts on these recommendations, accepting or rejecting them, and then instructs APWA staff to enforce or implement them.

As adopted, according to APWA, public policy advocacy objectives are guided by these principles:

• Support for adequate investment in public infrastructure.
• Respect for local authority.
• Reasonable regulations and protection from unfunded mandates.

The legislative/regulatory advocacy priorities for 2000–2001 adopted by the board include:

Full-funding for Transportation Programs
Objective: Increase federal investment in transportation infrastructure and programs; protect the integrity of transportation trust funds and the framework of TEA-21.

TEA 21 Implementation
Objective: Support the full and timely implementation of TEA-21.

Clean Water Funding
Objective: Increase the federal investment in clean water infrastructure.

Stormwater Regulatory Issues
Objectives: Support solutions that protect water quality and, at the same time, preserve local authority and promote efficient and cost effective delivery of public works services. Oppose unfunded mandates.

Federal Emergency Relief Funding
Objective: Achieve increased funding for local agencies, more rapid disbursement of funding and quicker response in pre- and post disaster events.

Air Quality Standards
Objective: Support solutions that protect air quality and promote the efficient and cost-effective delivery of public works services.

Local Control of Public Rights-of-Way
Objective: Oppose preemption of local control over public Rights-of-Way.

APWA supports Water Infrastructure Network
In addition, the APWA Board of Directors approved a resolution in support of the Water Infrastructure Network, the broad-based coalition advocating a solution to the nation's drinking water and wastewater funding shortfall. It read:

WHEREAS, America's water and wastewater systems face an estimated funding gap of $23 billion a year between current investments in infrastructure and the investments that will be needed annually over the next 20 years to replace aging and failing pipes and to meet mandates of the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts; and

WHEREAS, investments in water and wastewater systems pay substantial dividends to the environment, public health and the economy; and

WHEREAS, municipal wastewater treatment plants prevent billions of tons of pollutants each year from reaching America's rivers, lakes, and coastlines; and

WHEREAS, some 54,000 community drinking water systems provide drinking water to more than 250 million Americans; and

WHEREAS, local solutions can only address a portion of this investment gap; and

WHEREAS, there is ample precedent for, and clear economic principal supporting, a strong federal role in funding water and wastewater infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, the Water Infrastructure (WIN), a broad-based coalition dedicated to preserving and protecting the health, environmental and economic gains that America's clean and safe water infrastructure provides, was formed to educate policy-makers and the public about the condition and needs of the nation's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Public Works Association:


1. supports the WIN coalition's mission calling for a renewed federal financial commitment to clean and safe water infrastructure to achieve the goals of the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts; and
2. supports its mission to raise awareness of the water infrastructure financing shortfall, to educate public officials, to further a dialogue on investment options, and determine the necessary legislative solutions to close the funding gap.

If you have any questions any of the items listed, please call Jim Fahey, Andrea Fisher or Heather McTavish in the Washington, D.C. office at 202-408-9541.