Sims to tap into water quality, supply issues at national conference in Seattle on July 19

An adequate supply of clean water for people and wildlife will be crucial to our regional economy and continued quality of life, according to King County Executive Ron Sims. Sims will address this vital issue in his welcoming remarks to the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) at their summer conference on Wednesday, July 19 at 9 a.m. at the Westin Hotel, Seattle.

NACWA will also honor Sims with a National Environmental Achievement Award in Public Service for his "boldness and foresight in environmental protection, fiscal management, and innovative wastewater operations."

The theme of this years' conference, Cross-Cutting Clean Water and Drinking Water Issues...Challenging Traditional Boundaries, focuses on promoting greater collaboration between wastewater utilities and drinking water utilities as both try to meet the ever increasing demand for clean water.

"This is a very timely issue for many communities, especially for our region," said Sims.
"As global warming affects our snowpacks and river levels, we have to act now to ensure there will be enough water to meet the competing needs of people and fish."

Sims will discuss his plan to make reclaimed water more widely available for non-drinking uses such as irrigation and industrial processes. He will also talk about the importance of environmentally responsible wastewater treatment to protect Puget Sound and other waterways.

NACWA represents the interests of the nation's wastewater treatment agencies. The organization maintains a key role in the development of environmental legislation, working closely with federal regulatory agencies to implement water quality policies.

People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county's Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer utilities and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.