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The New England Section of AWWA (NEWWA)has made public water supply a clear priority.Faced by a range of water allocation and withdrawalissues, NEWWA began developing policy recommendationsfor consideration by water systems,federal regulators, and state authorities. The section'sWater Resources Committee (WRC) was charged withreviewing water allocation policies and procedures inthe six-state region of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.After more than a year of work, the WRC developed aregulatory screening matrix and white paper on watersupply permitting delays and instream flow-settingpolicies. Early in 2003, the NEWWA Board of Directorsadopted the policy derived from the WRC report.The policy comprises seven areas related to watersupply allocation: allocation priority; supplymanagement; storage, interconnection, and transfer;identification of future sources of water supplyand development of redundant supplies; conservationand drought; funding; and, watersupplier input. As part of its policy, NEWWA alsodeveloped recommendations for implementing measuresin each area.According to NEWWA, the prime priority for waterallocation is meeting the public's drinking water, culinary,safe and healthy transportation of waste material,and fire protection needs. Water providers must bestewards of their water sources and use their suppliesas efficiently as possible. The water supply communityshould partner with the US Environmental ProtectionAgency, state regulators, and local agencies to securesufficient supply for future needs. To facilitate thisgoal, permitting processes need to be streamlined andthe regulatory burden eased. Above all, water suppliersmust not take a backseat while others formulate waterallocation and withdrawal policy that will affect utilities'ability to meet consumer needs. Includes 2 references.
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