Elevating and celebrating innovative leadership in the water space.
A sustainable water future requires new leadership skills and perspectives. The nation’s local water leaders have immense and often challenging responsibilities, but they’re rarely rewarded or even acknowledged for the profoundly important work they do or the impact they have on their communities’ health, safety and prosperity.
WaterNow’s Impact Awards honour water agency decision makers for leadership in catalyzing climate resilient, environmentally sustainable, innovative water solutions in their communities. Eligible recipients include political leaders, such as mayors, city council members or governing board members and leaders of a public water utility – whether elected or appointed, special district or whether serving a town, city, county or region.
The primary criterion for an Impact Award is demonstrated ability to lead on the adoption of resilient, sustainable, and/or equitable solutions with meaningful impact at the community or level. Impact Awards have been given for a wide range of political risk taking, including OJ McFoy’s leadership in the issuance of the largest Environmental Impact Bond ever to support GSI initiatives; Cástulo Estrada spearheading efforts to bring safe, affordable drinking water, wastewater and flood control services to California’s historically disadvantaged Coachella Valley regions; to Josina Morita of Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, brokering support for non-potable reuse legislation — not to mention building public awareness around the value of water by organizing the City’s “Big Jump” into the Chicago River. These leaders and more are advancing a more resilient and equitable water future in their communities and beyond.
