Widgets 2021

I am excited and humbled to be NACWA President and to be serving all of you who work tirelessly to ensure your communities have safe, clean, and affordable water services.

As I said at NACWA’s Utility Leadership Conference in Louisville in July, I recognize the unprecedented challenges facing our clean water agencies: inflation, workforce, affordability, PFAS and emerging contaminants, too much water, too little water, climate change, federal funding, earmarks versus SRF, community relations, diversity, equity, inclusion, consolidation, regionalization, and privatization are just some that we are wrestling with.

I also know, as you can see from the incredible accomplishments outlined in this Annual Report, that we can meet this moment.

But while we celebrate our commitment to public service, we must also embrace that voice within that demands that the water sector be given its due respect for its incredible accomplishments throughout the past five decades under the Clean Water Act and later the Safe Drinking Water Act. We have navigated terror attacks, the Great Recession, wildfires and drought, unprecedented storms, and most recently a once-in-a-century pandemic. We have earned the right to be deemed essential service providers and we must demand science-based policies and regulations and equivalent funding to what other infrastructure sectors enjoy.

The squeaky wheel, as they say, gets the grease – and NACWA plans not just to squeak loudly, but to shout from the rooftops on behalf of, and along with, all its members across the country.  The stakes are too high and clean water agencies deserve to be the primary authors of their fate going forward – we and our customers have earned no less.  

With this in mind, and at every juncture, we must highlight what we do, tell our story proudly, and hold true to four core principles: 1) NACWA's utility members must be seen as the true environmentalists and public health providers; 2) The Polluter Pays model must be adhered to and responsibility and blame must rest on those who harm our environment and public health, not the overburdened customer, especially our low-income customers; 3) No matter how difficult, we must always elevate science and sound engineering principles to the highest level in all policy negotiations; and 4) We must focus our resources and ensure that federal and state funds also support and serve the people and communities with the greatest needs - from disadvantaged small and rural communities to disadvantaged communities within our cities and suburbs.

My promise to you is that this vision and emboldening the voices needed to set the vision into action will guide NACWA's activities over the next year. We will continue to lead with collaboration, humility, and strength in all we do. But we will also speak loudly and confidently in advancing our shared advocacy and peer-to-peer initiatives to ensure that our message resonates throughout the sector, in Congress, at EPA, with all key policymakers and in all our communities.

With deep appreciation,

Oluwole "OJ" McFoy
General Manager
Buffalo Sewer Authority
Buffalo, NY

I am excited and humbled to be NACWA President and to be serving all of you who work tirelessly to ensure your communities have safe, clean, and affordable water services.

As I said at NACWA’s Utility Leadership Conference in Louisville in July, I recognize the unprecedented challenges facing our clean water agencies: inflation, workforce, affordability, PFAS and emerging contaminants, too much water, too little water, climate change, federal funding, earmarks versus SRF, community relations, diversity, equity, inclusion, consolidation, regionalization, and privatization are just some that we are wrestling with.

I also know, as you can see from the incredible accomplishments outlined in this Annual Report, that we can meet this moment.

But while we celebrate our commitment to public service, we must also embrace that voice within that demands that the water sector be given its due respect for its incredible accomplishments throughout the past five decades under the Clean Water Act and later the Safe Drinking Water Act. We have navigated terror attacks, the Great Recession, wildfires and drought, unprecedented storms, and most recently a once-in-a-century pandemic. We have earned the right to be deemed essential service providers and we must demand science-based policies and regulations and equivalent funding to what other infrastructure sectors enjoy.

The squeaky wheel, as they say, gets the grease – and NACWA plans not just to squeak loudly, but to shout from the rooftops on behalf of, and along with, all its members across the country.  The stakes are too high and clean water agencies deserve to be the primary authors of their fate going forward – we and our customers have earned no less.  

With this in mind, and at every juncture, we must highlight what we do, tell our story proudly, and hold true to four core principles: 1) NACWA's utility members must be seen as the true environmentalists and public health providers; 2) The Polluter Pays model must be adhered to and responsibility and blame must rest on those who harm our environment and public health, not the overburdened customer, especially our low-income customers; 3) No matter how difficult, we must always elevate science and sound engineering principles to the highest level in all policy negotiations; and 4) We must focus our resources and ensure that federal and state funds also support and serve the people and communities with the greatest needs - from disadvantaged small and rural communities to disadvantaged communities within our cities and suburbs.

My promise to you is that this vision and emboldening the voices needed to set the vision into action will guide NACWA's activities over the next year. We will continue to lead with collaboration, humility, and strength in all we do. But we will also speak loudly and confidently in advancing our shared advocacy and peer-to-peer initiatives to ensure that our message resonates throughout the sector, in Congress, at EPA, with all key policymakers and in all our communities.

With deep appreciation,

Oluwole "OJ" McFoy
General Manager
Buffalo Sewer Authority
Buffalo, NY