The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) was briefed today on the current issues facing the water and wastewater industry from the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC).
“NAWC works with regulated water companies across the nation to help provide consumers with safe drinking water and reliable water systems,” said PSC Chairman Mike La Rosa. “In Florida, NAWC can provide valuable support and resources to our regulated water utilities to help improve and maintain systems.”
Robert F. Powelson, NAWC’s President and CEO, highlighted the Association’s priorities including emergency preparedness, water quality, affordability, combatting forever chemicals, and cybersecurity. Powelson noted the growing importance of emergency preparedness, with 28 weather-related disasters impacting the US last year.
Cybersecurity also needs to be a top priority for the nation’s water utilities, Powelson said. He emphasized that although 90 percent of NAWC members have a cyber security plan, this is the exception, not the rule. Water companies must step up on cybersecurity to protect the nation’s most valuable resource, according to Powelson.
Numerous communities across the nation are struggling with the complexities of providing water service, including increasingly stringent environmental and safety regulations, Powelson explained. As a result, they are turning to regulated water companies to help maintain, modernize, and operate critical water and wastewater services. NAWC is proud to be the voice of regulated water and help grow the water industry across the country.
About the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC)
NAWC was founded in 1895 by a handful of small water companies. Today, NAWC’s members are located throughout the nation, including companies that own, operate, or partner with hundreds of utilities in multiple states, as well as individual utilities that serve a few thousand customers. NAWC members own rate- and environmentally- regulated companies that operate drinking water and wastewater systems. To learn more about NAWC and its mission, visit www.nawc.org.
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.
