HISTORY AND ACHIEVEMENTS
The Western Urban Water Coalition (WUWC) was founded in 1992. By 2006, WUWC has become an organization of the largest urban water suppliers in the Western United States, serving more than 35 million customers in the region's largest metropolitan areas.
In 1992, the West was facing rapidly growing populations in most of its major cities and increasing demand on finite water supplies, as well as a number of environmental challenges. The leaders of several western water agencies formed WUWC to create an organization of the West's major water agencies that would speak from the perspective of the large and fast growing urban areas. Concluding that no existing association of water agencies had this focus, the WUWC founders sought to create an organization that would be a progressive voice for the urban West on issues of water policy and management. They set out to build an organization that would facilitate cooperative state-to-state and utility-to-utility discussions and information-sharing, and become a spokesman for the urban West in a debate which had traditionally been held by government and agricultural interests. Urban leaders, and environmental interests, were rapidly joining the discussion.
The result was the first unified voice addressing urban water issues in the West, as WUWC brought together an impressive coalition of municipal agencies dedicated to finding solutions to the unique issues impacting western water utilities. WUWC's focus has been on comprehensive conservation and water management policies, changing the role of urban agencies in the national water debate, and protecting the environment and our water resources. The WUWC is proud to characterize itself as "A Progressive Voice for Western Water Users."
Founding Members
Officially announced on June 30, 1992, WUWC included the following founding members with their positions at the time:
Carl Baronkay, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Chips Barry, General Manager, Denver Water Department
Don Christiansen, General Manager, Central Utah Project
Patricia Mulroy, General Manager, Las Vegas Valley Water District
This group and the initial members of the Coalition adopted the motto – "For the Future of the West" – and went to work.
Miller-Bradley Bill
The first action of the WUWC was to participate actively in shaping the "Miller-Bradley Bill" also called the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992. The Miller-Bradley Act was one of the largest western water project authorization bills in years as well as one of the most significant water policy measures passed by Congress in many years.
WUWC members participated in shaping and supporting the legislation, which provided authorization for many Bureau of Reclamation projects in the West and included reforms in the financial, environmental and management standards that applied to the projects. WUWC played a key role in getting this bill signed into law when significant efforts were made to have it vetoed.
Endangered Species Act
Over its 10-year history, there is no issue on which the Coalition has been more active than the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Coalition supports the ESA and has favored both its thoughtful administration as well as the reasonable modification of the statute. WUWC strongly supports the environmental objectives of the ESA as a sound resource management tool.
WUWC members have testified before Congress on ESA reform, and WUWC has consistently been recognized as one of the leading players on ESA reform. WUWC efforts in legislative reform have helped prove that the ESA can be reformed from a middle-ground perspective. Administratively, the WUWC was one of the first major associations to support the "No Surprises" policy, and has actively participated in litigation to protect this policy and other ESA objectives. WUWC has also actively supported habitat conservation planning as a long-range ESA planning tool.
The Colorado River
The Colorado River is one of the most controlled and litigated rivers in the world. Several states and Mexico share the river water, which serves more than 25 million people. WUWC advocates long-term solutions to Colorado River issues. These solutions focus on resolution of issues in the entire basin rather than the isolated single issues that arise from interstate compacts alone. WUWC members work through their agencies and their states to facilitate these agreements.
The Coalition also was active on Salton Sea legislation, development of the Interim Surplus Guidelines, the Nevada-Arizona water banking agreement, habitat conservation plans on the River, the relationship of River management to the Mexican Delta, and the implementation of the California Plan, which reduces California's reliance on surplus Colorado River water.
Clean Water Act / Safe Drinking Water Act
WUWC has played a supportive role to organizations focusing on environmental issues under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Coalition supported legislation to amend the Clean Water Act to recognize the unique conditions in the arid West as they affect water supply. Most recently, the WUWC has been active, both in the courts and working with EPA, to create a fair and workable balance in the regulation of water transfers under the Clean Water Act.
Water Conservation and Reuse
In addition to supporting water conservation and recycling initiatives, the Coalition actively supports other organizations to oppose persistent legislative proposals to eliminate federal rules which support water efficient plumbing fixtures. This opposition has been successful in stopping the legislation and preserving conservation programs at WUWC agencies.
Implications of Climate Change
Most recently, the WUWC has begun looking in detail at water management policies and practices that address the implications of climate change and warming trends on Western water resources. In addition, the WUWC intends to devote increasing attention to issues of water conservation, re-use and new technologies. The WUWC is actively involved in comprehensive climate change legislation being considered in Congress.
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