Albuquerque Bernalillo County
Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA)

http://www.abcwua.org/

The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority is a joint agency of the City of Albuquerque and the County of Bernalillo that administers the water and wastewater utility for all of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. The Authority was created on June 21, 2003 by New Mexico Senate Bill 887 (Laws 2003, Chapter 437, codified as NMSA 1978, Section 72-1-10).

Our relationship: As a contractor, we are part of the youth water resource education outreach program. This includes developing water resource education curricula, teacher materials and evaluation tools as well as conducting nearly 600 in-class water resource education presentations to grades 1-12 public, private and home school students. In addition, we conduct student field trips to the new drinking water treatment plant to teach students about the San Juan Chama drinking water project.

http://wrri.nmsu.edu/wrdis/nmwca/alliance.html

The NMWCA is a non-profit organization of people dedicated to water conservation issues. Individuals from municipal, industrial, institutional, and commercial sectors have joined together in an effort to exchange information, provide education, and work collaboratively to help ensure a positive water future for the state.

Our relationship: Our children’s water festivals and related outreach are projects of the NMWCA, a 501c3 organization that also serves as our fiscal agent. As project manager for these festivals, we oversee planning, fundraising, event logistics, public relations, marketing, event support, evaluation and reporting. Steering committees provide guidance and resources to help us carry out these functions.

New Mexico Environment Department (NMED)

http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/OOTS/documents/Advisory-GreenExpo-8-28-08.pdf

NMED is a state agency tasked with protecting New Mexico’s air, water and land for present and future generations.  The department’s work is broad and touches every New Mexican in one way or another – from the quality of drinking water and restaurant food to the air we breathe.

Our relationship:  In 2008, NMED contracted with Experiential EE to produce a compact traveling water-related exhibit as part of its larger Green Expo sustainability project.  The result was Water Wonders, a five-panel, interactive exhibit covering worldwide and local water use, water conservation, water pollution, energy and water and water conservation success stories from New Mexico.  The traveling exhibit has been on display at the New Mexico Expo State Fair Grounds, Las Cruces Fair Grounds and the University of New Mexico.  To schedule the exhibit to visit your New Mexico-based organization, contact Jill Turner, jill.turner@state.nm.us or 505-231-4996.

Key Planning Organizations

We work closely with the following festival steering committee organizations which provide guidance and resources:

Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority

City of Rio Rancho, Water Conservation Office

City of Rio Rancho, Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful

New Mexico Office of the State Engineer

New Mexico Environment Department, Surface Water Quality Bureau

New Mexico Environment Department, Drinking Water Bureau

Bernalillo County Environmental Health Department

NMSU/Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension, 4-H

NMSU/Sandoval County Cooperative Extension

CH2M Hill OMI

Key Sponsor Organizations

Each and every year, funding for the Children’s Water Festivals and Outreach Program must be raised. The following organizations regularly contribute at least $1,000 or more to support the Children’s Water Festivals and Outreach Program. For a complete list, visit our children’s water festival website at www.waterfestnm.com: