Good morning, My Fellow Flow Friends!
I hope you’ve all had a fantastic winter keeping things moving. If you’ve been keeping an eye on our brand-new Instagram (huge shoutout to our tiny-but-mighty Communications Committee for their foresight) you know that while we spend our days handling what the rest of the world ignores, we’ve been making a lot of noise lately in the places where it matters most.
On March 18th we took our show on the road to the State House. Armed with sandwich platters and actual pipe samples smuggled through security, we set up shop to connect with our legislators. I am thrilled to report that we connected with approximately 40 legislators during their lunch break. Our mission was simple: ensure they understand that when disposal costs spike by 50% to 200%, that pressure is felt directly by the ratepayers. The formal memorandum for our Biosolids White Paper, “An Urgent Need for a Long-Term Biosolids Management Plan in Maine,” has officially landed on the desks of the DEP and the Governor’s Office. Thanks to our outreach, it isn’t just sitting at the bottom of the tank, it’s a live conversation in Augusta.
One of the most rewarding developments recently has been our renewed effort of collaboration with the Maine Water Utilities Association (MWUA). We’ve proven that whether you’re pushing water in or pulling it out, we are stronger when we work together. This partnership has already paid off with our successfully renewed joint newsletter and joint sponsorships, proving that “one water” isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a functional strategy.
In the spirit of keeping this momentum flowing, I want to extend a formal invitation to our MWUA colleagues to join the MEWEA Utility Managers Committee and the New Professionals Committee. I should probably mention that I have absolutely no official authority to extend this invitation, but collaboration is far too important to ignore, so I’m doing it anyway. There have to be some perks to being the President, right? If you are interested in bridging the gap between our organizations, please reach out to me directly at rpontau@bsewer.org.
By the time you read this, our National Policy Fly-In to D.C. will have already been wrapped up. I look forward to sharing the outcomes of those tactical maneuvers in a future update. In the meantime, I want to pause and recognize the heart of this association. This is often an underappreciated field; the public generally only thinks about us when things aren’t moving, but it is your tireless, behind-the-scenes effort that keeps Maine’s environment pristine.
It is the people, your wit, expertise, and willingness to handle the “heavy lifting” with a smile that truly make MEWEA great. Thank you for everything you do for the industry, the public, and for this association. I look forward to seeing you all soon, whether it’s at a meeting or out on the links for the new Water & Wastewater golf league. If your golf game is anything like mine, you’ll spend more time in the hazards than a clogged influent screen.
Rob Pontau President, MEWEA
