By Secretary of State Phil McGrane
Highlights from the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office
September 5, 2025
When Emma Edwards Green set out to design our state seal, she captured the spirit of Idaho as a land of bounty: an overflowing cornucopia, rich forests, and wild game. But like much of the West, Idaho’s most precious resource — water — is limited. Ensuring that every community has access to clean, reliable water for business, farming, recreation, and daily life requires thoughtful stewardship and long-term planning.
Getting a Closer Look
Last week, I had the opportunity to join the Idaho Water Users Association’s 2025 Legislative Water College, an annual event that offers a closer look at the challenges and forward-thinking solutions shaping water use across our state.
It’s easy to take water for granted. You turn on the tap, and it’s there. But behind that everyday act is a remarkable system of reservoirs, pumps, pipes, and treatment plants, much of it aging, and all of it essential.
Water issues touch nearly every aspect of life in Idaho, including our economy. As Idaho grows, so does the need for smart infrastructure. Behind every manufacturing facility, agricultural operation, tech company, and service business is a fundamental need: access to dependable, clean water. It’s not just an environmental or health issue — it’s an economic one, too.
Innovation in Action
What impressed me most during the Water College tour was the creativity and commitment of Idahoans working on solutions. From water recycling and managing growth in places like Wilder and Middleton to upgrading infrastructure across the state, innovation is happening quietly, and it’s making a real difference. We toured the City of Boise’s Advanced Water Treatment site and learned about the extensive pilot program to test modern water treatment technologies like ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet advanced oxidation. These methods allow business and industrial wastewater to be cleaned and safely reused.
Looking Ahead
Idaho is a state that grows — both crops and communities. And with that growth comes responsibility. The more we understand the systems that sustain us, the better prepared we are to protect them for future generations.
To learn more about Idaho’s water challenges and solutions, visit iwua.org.
Phil McGrane
About Phil McGrane
Phil McGrane was elected Idaho’s twenty-eighth Secretary of State and took office on January 2, 2023. McGrane served as elected Clerk of Ada County from 2019-2022. McGrane holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy, a juris doctorate, and a Master of Public Administration. As a fourth-generation Idahoan, Phil has dedicated his career to making elections in the state of Idaho accessible, secure and transparent.
