Top Water Officials to Headline ACWA Conference

SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwired - May 6, 2013) - California's most critical water issues will be debated and explored this week at the Association of California Water Agencies' (ACWA) 2013 Spring Conference & Exhibition, set for May 7-10 at the Sacramento Convention Center and surrounding hotels. With a meager snowpack and dry conditions as a backdrop, more than 1,500 local and state water leaders from throughout California will get the latest on water issues and policy decisions at panel discussions, town-hall style forums and keynote addresses as part of the four-day event, themed "Rethinking California Water."

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg will deliver the opening day keynote address at breakfast on May 8 and is expected to discuss the 2014 water bond. Steinberg played a critical role in the legislative negotiations in 2009 that resulted in the water bond currently set for the 2014 ballot. Other programs that day include a 10 a.m. issue forum on 21st century water storage as well as sessions on water conservation rate structures, recycled water policy and integrated regional water management.

On Thursday, May 9, luncheon keynote speakers Mark Cowin, director of the California Department of Water Resources, and Charles Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, will share perspectives on the decisions ahead and policy implications for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. Earlier that day, a 9:30 a.m. issue forum called "BDCP: How Big is Big Enough?" will look at the BDCP from all angles and at the various conveyance options under study.

On Friday, May 10, seismic expert Lucy Jones keynotes a breakfast program, discussing the impact of earthquakes on the Delta and water systems across the state.

See the complete program schedule here.

WHAT: ACWA's 2013 Spring Conference & Exhibition
WHEN: Tuesday, May 7 - Friday, May 10
WHERE: Sacramento Convention Center and surrounding hotels

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 440 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.