Alumnus Michael Novitzki ’13 was part of a panel representing the Minnesota Section American Water Works Association (MN AWWA) that spoke to members of congress and senators about our nation’s water and infrastructure. The traditionally in-person event was held virtually this year and covered a variety of topics. The group discussed reauthorizing and boosting authorized funding for the beginning of the 2022 fiscal year for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) project. The panel also discussed how to assist utilities to remove lead service lines to treat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and how to restore the tax-exempt benefits of advanced funding for municipal bonds.
“Our goal was to make sure our politicians were aware of the state of our infrastructure and what we as consultants and engineers are seeing in the cities we work in across the United States. Also, we wanted to ensure that the infrastructure bills that are being passed into law would take water into consideration,” noted Novitzki. “We also talked about how the money is distributed, and to ensure that small communities across the U.S. would be able to receive an appropriate share of funds because they are the communities that need it the most.”
The MN AWWA is a section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the world’s largest association of water professionals. They are a nonprofit scientific and educational association focused on public health, safety, and welfare through research and dissemination of information and by supporting the educational development of its members. He is part of the Young Professionals Committee, serving as the Manufacturers and Associates Council liaison and has recently taken a more active role on the Manufacturers and Associates Council as a voting member.