The Clean Water Network (CWN) is an American coalition of more than 1,200 local, state, and national

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

interest groups An interest group or an advocacy group is a body which uses various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and/or policy. Interest group may also refer to: * Learned society * Special interest group, a group of individuals sharin ...

coordinating to promote water health, safety, and quality interests in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

History

CWN was formed in 1992 as a project of the

Natural Resources Defense Council The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a United States-based 501(c)(3) non-profit international environmental advocacy group, with its headquarters in New York City and offices in Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, ...

. The primary functions of CWN are to coordinate a variety of public interest organizations on

clean water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ...

issues so that these groups may combine resources and advocate together, and to "safeguard

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through ...

for future generations by working to defend, strengthen and implement the

Clean Water Act The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...

and other key federal and state legislation impacting water." The Clean Water Network serves public interest groups by serving as a portal for the latest news and information on federal clean

water policy Water politics, sometimes called hydropolitics, is politics affected by the availability of water and water resources, a necessity for all life forms and human development. Arun P. Elhance's definition of hydropolitics is "the systematic study ...

developments. The Network facilitates communications among member groups and coordinates joint policy and position statements as well as activities. This combination of federal policy work and field advocacy aims to achieve a stronger national program that will help to bring polluted waterways back to health and preserve the nation’s rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, estuaries and coastal waters. In 2008, CWN became its own 501(c)(3) independent organization. CWN’s main collaboration techniques include creating priority projects and campaigns with its members, hosting events, providing strategic communication tools, building partnerships, tapping local, state, and national expertise, and linking technical and policy experts with citizen leaders to help members participate in policy making.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clean Water Network Nature conservation organizations based in the United States Environmental organizations based in Washington, D.C. Natural Resources Defense Council Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. Organizations established in 1992 Water organizations in the United States