Lawmakers’ support of water regulations, legislation cited
LISLE, Ill. – U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC) have been honored with the Water Quality Association’s Drinking Water Leadership Award for their tireless work to improve access to safer, healthier drinking water across the country. The awards were presented Wednesday during the annual Water Resources Congressional Summit, part of the WQA Congressional Fly-In, a series of strategic meetings on Capitol Hill March 22 and 23.
“We thank Sen. Baldwin and Rep. Rouzer for their continued support of common-sense solutions to improve drinking water across the country,” said WQA Government Affairs Director Jeremy Pollack. “Everyone deserves access to clean drinking water and they are fighting to provide residents with the resources necessary to improve their water quality no matter where they live.”
Both Rouzer and Baldwin are champions of the Healthy H2O Act, which would authorize a new U.S. Department of Agriculture grant program to cover the costs of water quality testing and the purchase, installation, and maintenance of POU/POE water filtration systems certified to address health-based contaminants found in their drinking water. The bill was introduced in the Senate March 15 and the House March 22.
“I’m a steadfast believer that everyone should have access to clean drinking water, no matter their ZIP code, and I’m proud to be working in Congress to ensure that becomes a reality.” Baldwin said.
She has worked on a number of other water-related issues, including PFAS cleanup, lead service line replacement and Great Lakes resiliency. Baldwin serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which has jurisdiction over all legislative discretionary spending.
She served seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012.
Rouzer, a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, has been a passionate advocate for rural water systems and has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improve the current state of water infrastructure as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. He is a founding member of the Supply Chain Caucus.
Rouzer is in his fifth term in the U.S. House, representing North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District.
“I am humbled to receive the Drinking Water Leadership Award,” Rouzer said. “Many residents in Southeastern North Carolina, including myself, rightfully have questions about PFAS contaminants and how they affect our drinking water, personal health, and the environment . . . I will continue working to ensure families in Southeastern North Carolina and across the country have access to clean drinking water.”
WQA co-hosts the Water Resources Congressional Summit with the National Groundwater Association.
WQA is a not-for-profit trade association representing the residential, commercial, and industrial water treatment industry. WQA’s education and professional certification programs have been providing industry-standardized training and credentialing since 1977. The WQA Gold Seal certification program has been certifying products that contribute to the safe consumption of water since 1959. The WQA Gold Seal program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). WQA publishes a consumer-friendly website, BetterWaterToday.org.
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