The American Water Works Association (AWWA) recently opened new Government Affairs offices at 1300 Eye Street, NW in Washington, D.C. The new offices overlook the historic Franklin Square, where a spring first supplied water to the White House in the 1830s.
AWWA has staffed an office in the U.S. capital for 27 years, bringing the water community's expertise and voice to national regulatory and legislative matters.
The move underscores the progress and growth of the association, which celebrated its 125th anniversary last year. The new office offers more work space, better data management capabilities and improved meeting facilities for its eight-person staff, members and visitors.
AWWA's Government Affairs program works closely with the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the White House, and other policymakers on a variety of water-related issues of importance to water providers and to the public.
The first water supplied to the White House was drawn from a bubbling spring beneath Franklin Square in 1833 through iron pipes during the Andrew Jackson Administration.
"The Franklin Square spring provided the White House with water for drinking and home use, and also for critical fire protection," said Tom Curtis, AWWA deputy executive director for Government Affairs.
"AWWA continues to work today in Washington and to assure a safe, sustainable water supply throughout the United States and beyond."
Source: AWWA
