Advocacy Committee

Water quality and supply are fundamental to the sustenance of all life, from the tap water we use to cook, clean and drink, to the gardens and farms we irrigate, to the animals that live in the streams and on the land which the Rivanna feeds. The Advocacy Committee is the arm of RCS which represents the interests of the Rivanna environment on issues of water quality and supply. We work to influence governments to enact and enforce higher standards and stricter measures for the public health and well being, and we inform the public of the need to improve our region's commitment to water stewardship. We do this through efforts at the local, state, and even federal levels, where applicable, proposing and supporting ordinances and legislation that will preserve and improve the quality of our water. Through public awareness campaigns, we involve our community in dialogue on issues that will impact that quality. Whether monitoring agencies that regulate sewage treatment, or networking with like-minded organizations to form an alliance to keep the reservoir supply local, the Advocacy Committee is dedicated to promoting policies that will enhance the condition of the water we all share.

The Advocacy Committee's role includes:

• Writing and speaking to government representatives about ordinances, bills, and other measures which they can take that would better water quality and supply, and opposing those measures which negatively impact the same;
• Tracking the introduction and passage of water legislation as it moves through the governmental process;
• Participating in campaigns, writing articles, and giving interviews to media which will educate the public on water issues and motivate citizens to support our promotion of a cleaner, healthier watershed area, and thereby influence legislative matters;
• Monitoring agencies and organizations which regulate, effect, and work with water supply, sewage, and quality, in order to stay informed on such issues and, in turn, inform representatives and the public in a timely manner;
• Networking with other organizations to increase our pool of knowledge and develop coalitions and strategies which will better achieve our aim of conserving the environmental quality of our water heritage.

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