River Voices: September 2026
Welcome to the September 2026 edition of River Voices. To celebrate Source Water Protection Week (September 27-October 3, 2026), we’re featuring a guest blog from Adam Carpenter, co-chair of AWWA’s Source Water Collaborative, reflecting on 20 years of collaboration and partnership. Plus, get 20% off annual River Network membership this month only.
This is a guest blog by Adam Carpenter, Senior Manager of Environmental Policy at American Water Works Association and co-chair of the Source Water Collaborative, a coalition of members united to protect America’s drinking water at the source. Join River Network and the Association in recognizing Source Water Protection Week from September 27-October 3, 2026.
“This work is bigger than me… You have to have the understanding of how it impacts community. You have to have the understanding of how it impacts generations to come. Water is so precious. We’re not in the lab making new water.”
Jasmine Walker, Drinking Water Manager at Ohio Environmental Council, shares her experience advocating for lead-free, affordable drinking water and building coalitions to address environmental justice and water access.
Learn more about the water work happening in the Great Lakes.
20% off River Network membership in the month of September
At River Network, we believe that equitable and enduring solutions start with community. Join a national network of water, justice, and river advocates.
For the month of September, get a full year of membership at a 20% discount. Get exclusive access to water advocacy news, expert-led webinars, peer calls, and events as a River Network premium member.
“I was struck by the national polling results that we cited 28 years ago, stating that ‘almost all Americans are very concerned about the quality of their drinking water.’ Nearly three decades later, protecting the water we drink remains a critically important issue. What does that look like in practice?“
As Drinking Water Program Director, Erin leads the drinking water team’s efforts to build a future where everyone has access to safe, clean, affordable, and reliable drinking water.
Read Water is Fundamental: Source Water Protection Week from September 2024.
Who is Doing Water Work in the Great Lakes?
In 2022, we launched the Great Lakes Drinking Water Advocates Database. Almost 5 years later, the tool is still connecting advocates to share knowledge and build their water advocacy toolkits. The Database is a place where advocates and community organizations can find others in the region working on drinking water issues. Search for advocates by state, issue expertise, programmatic focus, or contact name. We hope you will use this directory to make connections, build coalitions, and effectively partner with one another.
Working off of the Organizational Growth Checklist, River Network produced a self-paced learning series, which features short videos and downloadable templates and worksheets.
Find modules on communications, financial and legal infrastructure, leadership planning, evaluations, and community assessment. This series is meant for established organizations that are experiencing growth or change.
State Policy Showcase: Pressing “Pause” on the Data Center Boom
September 10 at 1p ET/10a PT
This special edition Showcase will be 90-minutes and feature speakers doing work in four different states: Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, and New York. Learn about the varied efforts across the nation to generate momentum around “pausing” the data center boom, creating effective policies to protect people and the environment, and highlighting the importance of working with state legislators on this hot-button topic.
September 24-25 in Detroit, Michigan
Registration is open for the conference hosted by the Healing Our Waters Coalition. Learn more about the conference and get registered. There are scholarships available for those who would benefit from financial assistance.
Hannah Mico and Erin Kanzig are presenting on September 24 and Stacy Cachules will be in attendance.
2026 Annual Watershed Conference
October 21 (Virtual) and October 27 (Hyde Park, NY)
This year’s Annual Watershed Conference will focus on planning and partnerships that support our shared waters. We’ll share strategies and case studies of collaborative projects that support healthy, resilient watershed communities
Catch Hannah Mico presenting during the pre-conference webinar on October 21.
