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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 18, 2008 Contact: Mandy Brettnacher
Borshoff
(317) 631-6400
mandy.brettnacher@borshoff.biz
Indiana Section of the AWWA to celebrate
100th anniversary at annual conference
INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Section of the American Water Works Association (INAWWA), the local division of the world’s largest organization dedicated to safe drinking water, will celebrate its 100th anniversary at its annual conference in Indianapolis from Feb. 19-21, 2008. “For the past 100 years, the INAWWA has worked to educate Hoosiers on the importance of safe and adequate water, and to keep its members up-to-date on requirements, regulations and technology in the industry,” said Dan E. Hood, chair of the INAWWA. “We take great pride in this milestone and the efforts it represents, and look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence.”
Founded in 1881, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing knowledge, information and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of water. With more than 60,000 members, the AWWA engages a diverse array of water professionals from the United States, Mexico and Canada, including community water providers, federal and state regulators, environmentalists, academics, manufacturers, scientists, and others interested in water supply and public health issues.
About 27 years after AWWA’s inception, Indiana water operators met with state and federal officials to study Indiana’s water supply and discuss its purification and preservation. As a result of this meeting, they established a new organization to oversee these critical issues, which is known today as the INAWWA.
Over the past 100 years, the local section has grown from the first 40 conference attendees to an organization more than 1,400 members strong. Further, more than 37 percent of the municipal utilities in Indiana are members of INAWWA, and many utility and related industry personnel belong individually.
The group has met annually since the first conference in 1908, setting a record attendance of 1,363 people in 2007. This year, nearly 1,400 people and 130 exhibitors are expected to gather in Indianapolis for INAWWA’s two-and-a-half day educational seminar themed, “A Century of Service – A Century of Success.”
Other notable, ongoing initiatives of INAWWA include: participating in the InWARN network, a system of utilities helping utilities in times of disaster; promoting legislative advocacy; fundraising for the Water for People Program that improves systems and water quality for third-world countries; offering various awards and grants relating to water safety; and training water operators, among other work.
For more information about INAWWA, or to register for the upcoming conference, visit www.inawwa.org.
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