Clean Water Current Archive

NACWA will be hosting a legal hot topics webinar, Wipe Out: How States and Municipalities are "Flushing" the Wipes Dilemma, on September 16 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST. The webinar will provide information about recent legislative and legal actions related to wipes, along with an overview of technical issues, public education efforts and media coverage of the wipes issue.

With input from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) and NACWA, Raftelis, a NACWA Affiliate Member, has developed an online questionnaire that will help develop an up-to-date understanding of the trends and revenue impacts utilities around the country are experiencing related to delinquent customer accounts and lower system usage resulting from the economic fallout of COVID-19.

NACWA recently submitted comments responding to a notice published in the Federal Register by EPA proposing to update its Ambient Water Quality Criteria Recommendations for Lakes and Reservoirs in the Conterminous United States and seeking input on its new methodology which will replace the Agency’s 2000-2001 ecoregional criteria.

With input from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) and NACWA, Raftelis, a NACWA Affiliate Member, has developed an online questionnaire that will help develop an up-to-date understanding of the trends and revenue impacts utilities around the country are experiencing related to delinquent customer accounts and lower system usage resulting from the economic fallout of COVID-19.

EPA is offering a free webinar on September 1 for interested applicants to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program.

NACWA utility members are sharing information on the Association’s Engage peer-to-peer platform regarding sewer service disconnections during the COVID-19 pandemic, flexible payment arrangements, and assistance programs.

NACWA held an initial call with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) lead COVID-19 watershed-based epidemiological (WBE) surveillance team on Friday, August 14.

On August 13th, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that his Chamber will adjourn until Labor Day, dashing final hopes for passage of another phase of federal COVID-19 relief before the fall.

As Members of Congress return to their home states and Congressional districts until after Labor Day for the August recess, Congressional staff have begun the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2020 conference negotiation process in hopes of hammering out a final bill for House and Senate passage this fall.

This past week, Congressional negotiations on the next phase of COVID-19 relief stalled without compromise. In response, with protections such as enhanced federal unemployment benefits and an eviction moratorium expiring, President Trump signed Executive Orders over the weekend aimed at providing temporary stability.

NACWA has remained active in its media outreach over the summer months, particularly on the topic of water utility shutoff moratoriums related to COVID-19 and NACWA’s repeated insistence that the federal government must provide financial relief to public utilities to help address pandemic concerns.

NACWA has asked EPA to consider the risks associated with pet flea control products containing fipronil, a pesticide with high aquatic toxicity that can pass through wastewater treatment processes.

Since the Senate Republican majority’s release last week of their proposed next COVID-19 relief package as a counter to the House Democratic majority HEROES Act, which passed the House in May, negotiations on finalizing a next COVID-19 relief/stimulus package have remained at a stalemate.

The recent spate of media coverage surrounding utility shutoffs has continued unabated in recent weeks and months, particularly as more and more households face economic challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a notice published in the Federal Register on August 4, EPA is seeking input on its proposed allotment formula for allocating dollars to states through its Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants Program.

The Environmental Council of States (ECOS) held their 2020 State Environmental Protection (STEP) policy summit virtually last week with a focus on “Partnering on PFAS.” The event featured state and federal perspectives from regulators in addition to lightning round panels led by experts.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released a pre-publication version of its upcoming proposal to reissue and modify its streamlined Clean Water Act Section 404 permits, known as the “nationwide permits,” or “NWPs.”

The U.S. House last week passed its first Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) omnibus appropriations package, H.R. 7608, that includes funding for USEPA and unprecedented increased levels of federal investment in clean water, including $8.5 billion in funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), which is nearly five times that of current levels.

In another positive step for the water sector on the PFAS legislative front, last week the U.S. House passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that excludes the contentious PFAS provisions NACWA and the water sector have advocated against over the past year in order to ensure the ongoing and proper science-driven regulatory process is able to play out.

While the House Democratic majority pushed through its HEROES Act, a comprehensive COVID-19 relief package back in May, the Senate did not start negotiations on its next proposed phase until last week and got off to a rocky start as the Republican majority struggled to reach agreement within the party and the White House.