Cheez Whiz on crackers and salami sandwiches eaten on the step of our red Econoline van parked at a rest stop. Dinty Moore Stew heated up on a hotplate at the hotel. If we were lucky it was the “good” kind of hotel with a pool. Mom and Dad strategically sneaking our 75-pound retriever in through the hotel window. That’s what I remember from our road trips as a kid. We slept on the bench seats of the van as we drove. Mammoth cave in Kentucky. Maine. Wrightsville beach in North Carolina where my dad had business conferences. The Black Hills in South Dakota. Mount Rushmore. Rocky Mountain National Park and Zion.  We saw everything from museums in Chicago to Revolutionary War battlefields to isolated towns in the Southwest where the only place to buy food was the gas station.  Though we had a simple life in the rural Midwest, it was full of family road trips that taught me how different communities, and different people, face different challenges.  This summer, the World Cup brought us not only great soccer games, but also tales of visitors marveling at how diverse America was, from rural towns to big cities and different types of people proud of their very different communities.  America wasn’t the politics they’d seen on TV. It was the people.  Coming up this fall, we’ll hear a lot about politics, often framed as a black-and-white choice. But as my childhood road trips taught me and our World Cup visitors recently observed, America’s strength lies in its nuance. Good governance means meeting diverse community needs  — something I learned firsthand while serving on the board of our local water agency.  As a working mom, business owner and engineer, my goal for the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency has always been to handle our water supply so residents don’t have to worry. That means juggling a lot of competing requirements all while keeping an eye on the pocketbook, just like we all must do in real life.   We need to meet strict water quality standards. That has meant installing multiple treatment plants to remove contaminants like perchlorate, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).  It costs millions, but it means we can rely on our local groundwater. And we’ve secured millions in payments from polluters.  By state mandate, we face ever tightening conservation targets. Thanks to our water-wise customers and a lot of outreach and rebates, we are on track now but face more challenges.  We must create multi-year plans to show we have enough water, even in drought, and that we are not overusing our groundwater and hurting the environment.  Those efforts have been successful and serve to strengthen our community for years to come.  We need to continually replace aging infrastructure, like wells, pumps and pipelines, throughout our valley, so water service is there when we need it, whether that’s in an emergency or simply when we’re preparing Thanksgiving dinner.  Just like a household, it feels like we are asked to do more and more every year, yet we strive for predictable rates that remain below comparable communities at about 1 cent per gallon of water.  Water is essential to everything around us: our homes, schools, local businesses, the environment and even our firefighting capabilities.  We can’t pick sides as we address very different goals.  Without reliable water, Santa Clarita loses its parks, pools, health care, sanitation and economic vitality. It’s a quiet, everyday reminder that, despite our differences, some essentials unite us all.  Just like the varied landscapes across our country, our communities thrive when we meet diverse needs and work toward shared goals. Visitors to events like the World Cup didn’t come away talking about our political differences; they were moved by our local pride, hospitality and sense of community.  As we look to the fall elections, candidates at every level — from federal offices to local school, city and water boards — have the opportunity to build on that spirit and demonstrate a proven ability to deliver results for the people they serve.  Maria Gutzeit is a mom, business owner and engineer who serves as Board President of SCV Water. This column is an opinion piece and does not represent official agency business. The post Maria Gutzeit | Road Trips and Pride in Community appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal. ...read more read less