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municipalauthorities.org | 9 Jennie Shade, Senior Director of Government Relations, PMAA; Will Pickering, CEO, Pittsburgh Water; Matt Buck, Government Relations Associate, PMAA w hat i l EarNEd at thE o NE w atEr s ummit Reflections on messaging, coalition-building, and building resilient water infrastructure By Jennie Shade, Senior Director of Government Relations, PMAA Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend the US Water Alliance’s One Water Summit, held July 8–11, 2025, in Pittsburgh and hosted by PMAA member Pittsburgh Water. The event brought together a dynamic and diverse group of water professionals, utility leaders, advocates, and policymakers—all focused on one shared goal: securing sustainable, equitable access to clean water. During this year’s summit, PMAA was honored to participate in the Tap into Resilience Delegation, an initiative led by the WaterNow Alliance. The delegation gathered municipal and utility leaders from across the country to elevate innovative, decentralized approaches to water infrastructure— solutions that are often more flexible, community-based, and cost-effective. The discussions during the summit spanned a wide range of issues, but for me, four themes stood out: the need for smarter messaging, the importance of truth-driven collaboration, the complexity of funding, and the power of innovation and good governance. Messaging Makes - or Breaks - Public Engagement One of the clearest takeaways from the summit was how crucial effective communication is to advancing water policy. We’ve all seen how even the most well-meaning messages can backfire. Whether talking to the public, lawmakers, or the media, water leaders need to be as strategic with their words as they are with their infrastructure plans. Here’s what to avoid: • Crisis framing that causes paralysis instead of action. • Overloading audiences with technical data (“death by data”). • Reiterating the exact problem you wish to avoid. And here’s what works: • Pair every problem with a clear, actionable solution. • Focus on clarity—explain rather than describe. • Stick to a consistent, compelling narrative that builds trust over time. These lessons are particularly important when navigating complex or controversial topics—such as water affordability, consolidation, or emerging contaminants. Collaboration Must Be Grounded in Truth While the word collaboration is often used, true coalition-building requires hard conversations about history, equity, and trust. One speaker captured it perfectly: “We can’t talk about collaboration until we talk about the history first.” This is particularly true in places like Harrisburg, where residents are currently subsidizing the state’s stormwater fees. Addressing this imbalance must be part of any effort to build partnerships or drive policy change. What successful collaboration looks like: • Align on shared, accessible talking points. • Provide coaching and relationship-building opportunities (including site tours for legislators). • Identify a core group of advocates ready to mobilize when decision points arise. Through its role in the Tap into Resilience Delegation, PMAA was able to bring Pennsylvania’s voice into national conversations about localized infrastructure strategies - amplifying the lessons our communities are learning every day. Infrastructure Funding Is Complicated - But Doable Another major takeaway: despite widespread perception, about 95% of water infrastructure in the U.S. is funded at the state and local levels , Continued on page 45.