By Kris Polly

In our cover story this month, we learn about DC Water’s efforts to secure a second source of water for our nation’s capital. After narrowly avoiding a crisis just before July 4, 2024, the agency made solving this long-recognized issue a top priority and hired a dedicated director of water supply resilience, Rabia Chaudhry. We interview Dr. Chaudhry about the options DC Water is weighing through its Pure Water DC program and learn about the new Pure Water DC Discovery Center, which will pilot candidate technologies and include a museum-quality learning center for the public.

Next, we interview Nicholas Schneider, the general manager of Central California’s Georgetown Divide Public Utility District. We hear about how the district has recovered from the numerous wildfires it has experienced in recent years and discuss its impressive slate of ongoing and planned capital improvement projects.

After that, we speak with Daisy Covarrubias of Orange County Sanitation District about the agency’s Wastewater 101 Citizens’ Academy, an award-winning education and public-outreach program designed to give rate payers a full picture of its services and benefits. The program serves both to build public support for the district’s mission and to pique the interest of potential future employees.

The Northwestern Water and Sewer District serves 20,000 customers across a mixed urban-rural area of northwestern Ohio. We speak with President Douglas Stephens about how the district is setting the region up for success and future growth and also discuss its public outreach programs.

Last, we profile a new master of science in water utilities management program that is being launched at Xavier University in Cincinnati. Justin Roush, the director of the new program, explains why it was created, how the university gathered ideas from the industry, and how the curriculum was formed. Lindsey Rechtin, the president/ CEO of the Northern Kentucky Water District, who serves as an advisor and board member for the program, gives us the water utility perspective on the new program’s potential.

In planning for the future, infrastructure planning goes hand in hand with public outreach. By educating the public about the value of their services and the importance of their plans, utilities can build support and guarantee the success of their future ventures.

Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader magazine and the president and CEO of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He can be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.