Award presented today at Clean Water Summit
STATE HOUSE – An international nonprofit federation of water quality professionals has honored House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi for his leadership and outstanding contributions to protecting the sustainability of water resources.
The Water Environment Federation chose Speaker Shekarchi for its Public Officials Award, honoring his leadership and support of efforts to protect water quality now and in the future. He was one of only three public officials worldwide to receive the award in 2025, alongside Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and Illinois state Rep. Kimberly Neely du Buclet.
Speaker Shekarchi was unable to attend the awards presentation held in September, so the Rhode Island Clean Water Association, which, as a WEF member, nominated him for the award, presented it today at its Clean Water Legislative Summit, an event that has been held annually at the State House since 2019 at the invitation of Speaker Shekarchi, who participates and speaks at it each year. The summit provides a forum to discuss current and future issues affecting water, wastewater and storm water infrastructure and to inform legislators about clean water issues important to Rhode Island communities.
“Speaker Shekarchi has a been a longtime supporter of the Rhode Island Clean Water Association, and of Rhode Island’s environment, waterways and public health. He is recognized for his leadership, good stewardship and as a supporter of sound legislation to improve our waterways, as well as bills on PFAS, biosolids and funding infrastructure,” said RICWA President Nora Lough. “He is a shining example of leadership, and he is very deserving of recognition on the national stage.”
In nominating Speaker Shekarchi, the RICWA praised his commitment to the environment, noting that he received its Clean Water Legislator of the Year award in 2022 with several colleagues for their success in passing the landmark Act on Climate, and that, as Speaker, “he has made changes that have unleashed the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, producing more legislation in a few years than had been seen for decades. Rep. Shekarchi is very humble and gives the credit to others. However, it is his leadership that has made it happen. His current major focus is expanding housing; he understands the need for wastewater infrastructure to support that focus.”
The summit included video remarks from all four members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation and a roundtable discussion on clean water issues in the state. That discussion included Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Dist. 72, Portsmouth, Middletown), Rep. Thomas E. Noret (D-Dist. 25, Coventry, West Warwick), Sen. Alana M. Dimario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, South Kingstown, New Shoreham), Department of Environmental Management Director Terry Gray, Narragansett Bay Commission Deputy Director Jim McCaughey and Joseph Goodwill, who holds the Carroll D. & Charles M. Billmyer professorship of engineering at University of Rhode Island and teaches civil and environmental engineering.
Established in 1952, the Rhode Island Clean Water Association is a nonprofit organization created to promote the advancement of knowledge concerning the nature, collection, treatment, and disposal of domestic and industrial wastewaters.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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