Sen. Dave Cogdill to Keynote ACWA Conference

SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - November 24, 2009) - Sen. Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) is among the speakers headlining the Association of California Water Agencies' 2009 Fall Conference & Exhibition Dec. 1-4 at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego.

Cogdill, author of an $11.14 billion water bond bill passed as part of a historic legislative package on water, will keynote a luncheon program on Dec. 3. The bond measure, set for the November 2010 ballot, would provide funding for local water resources, surface and groundwater storage, water recycling projects, water conservation and ecosystem restoration.

Other major programs at the conference will examine the implications of the 2009 legislative water package. At the opening breakfast on Wednesday, Dec. 2, a panel of experts from cities and labor groups will discuss the significance of the policy changes and actions needed to implement them. "Weighing In on Water: Perspectives from Cities and Labor" will also look at the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Act, submitted for next year's statewide ballot.

Later that day, during a luncheon program titled "A Bold New Vision For California Water," leaders from water agencies and environmental groups will discuss the historic legislative package and challenges ahead.

Two top water officials, California Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow and U.S. Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary David Hayes, will discuss their agencies' plans for partnering together to move forward during a breakfast forum on Friday, Dec. 4. "The State-Federal Partnership: Never More Important" will provide insight into this important relationship.

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Jennifer Persike ACWA Director of Strategic Coordination and Public Affairs 916/441-4545 916/296-3981 (cell)