Conference President Boise Mayor H. Brent Coles welcomed Lynn (MA) Mayor Patrick J. McManus, and Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer Co-Chairs of the Urban Water Council (UWC), to make some remarks on the Council's activities for 2001. "The UWC task force has made a difference and provided mayors with a better opportunity to do a better job," said President Coles.

Mayor McManus urged mayors to get involved with the Urban Water Council to save money. The mayor stated that water infrastructure investments over the next 10-15 years to comply with requirements of the Clean Water Act, and to protect the public health, will cost anywhere from $350 billion to $1 trillion. He emphasized that the City of Lynn saved over $400 million on a combined sewer overflow project because the city leaders chose to consider a public/private partnership approach.

Mayor Palmer stated that Trenton gets its' water from a regional water authority. He said that the water authority has the lowest consumer rates in the region, but that the rates are still too high. "Affordability" is a major issue because city residents are spending an average of four percent of their disposable income on water charges. The mayor urged other mayors to participate in the UWC task force in order to learn how to realize savings on water and wastewater services.

Mayor Palmer announced that the Urban Water Council was planning to hold two municipal seminars on water infrastructure public/private partnerships this year. One will be held in Augusta, Georgia on April 23-24. Mayor Bob Young will host the seminar, and will offer field visits to the new wastewater treatment plant that is operated by OMI, Inc. in a public/private partnership. Mayor Palmer stated that another seminar will be held in May on the West Coast, in a town that will be announced. Mayor Palmer also announced that the Urban Water Summit will be held in October at a place to be announced in the next few weeks.