Clean Water Current

Wastewater-based epidemiology continues to show community public health value as the country deals with more emerging COVID-19 variants. Especially as clinical testing appears to be wanning at the individual level, wastewater surveillance remains a consistent predictor of disease prevalence in a given community — and a vital tool for those making public health decisions.

NACWA Board Member Josh Schimmel, Executive Director of the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission in Massachusetts, testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife on April 5, during a bipartisan hearing entitled Implementation of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act: Stakeholders’ needs and experiences.

Radhika Fox, Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water, announced April 5 the release of a memorandum outlining the Agency’s strategy to accelerate progress on addressing nutrient pollution.

In a letter submitted April 5, NACWA provided comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its proposed update to the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) 2015 Produce Safety Rule for certain covered produce.

On March 30, Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation to help address the problem of non-flushable wipes in sewer systems.

In partnership with the Environmental Finance Centers of the University of North Carolina (UNC) and University of Maryland, EPA will be hosting an April 20 virtual workshop on integrated planning.

NACWA recently teamed up with a member utility, the Sanford Sewerage District in Maine, to co-author an opinion editorial highlighting significant flaws with a state legislative effort on PFAS in Maine.

The White House released its proposed Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Federal Budget on March 28. The long-awaited proposal lays out the President’s request for how to advance the Biden Administration’s priorities through annual spending in the federal fiscal year beginning October 1.

NACWA Board Member Josh Schimmel, Executive Director of the Springfield, Massachusetts Water and Sewer Commission, is scheduled to testify April 5 on behalf of NACWA before the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water about implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and maximizing the utilization of this historic federal infrastructure investment.

As previously reported, NACWA has been engaging with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and EPA as they prepare for Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements to take effect on May 15th.

EPA’s proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2023 and FY 2022-FY 2026 Strategic Plan both reflect the Biden Administration’s ongoing commitment to advancing environmental justice (EJ) initiatives in the coming months.

NACWA will host a webinar on May 6, Wastewater-Based Epidemiology – Looking Back and Moving Forward on the Intersection of Public Health and Wastewater Surveillance, featuring the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and NACWA members New York City Department of Environment, LuminUltra, and AquaVitas.

NACWA held the third installment of its Lunch & Learn webinar series March 23 during which Association affiliate member Raftelis focused on utility storytelling with Tellevate Your Story.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last week heard oral argument in NACWA member the San Francisco Public Utility Commission’s challenge to their first National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued after completion of their combined sewer overflow (CSO) long term control plan (LTCP).

The White House issued a statement on March 20 about an increased potential for Russian cyber-attacks against the US, urging owners and operators of critical infrastructure to increase their cybersecurity protections. A fact sheet includes cybersecurity steps that should be taken immediately.

NACWA joined with other water and cross-industry sector organizations in signing a letter March 21 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) advocating for a public comment period for the forthcoming Build America, Buy America (BABA) guidance.

NACWA staff joined the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) last week at their virtual annual winter meeting for a discussion of clean water utility perspectives on the federal Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), which was created in response to the COVID-19 emergency.

NACWA submitted comments March 17 on EPA’s Draft Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2020 as part of the public review process. The annual Inventory provides nationwide estimates for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for different sectors, including wastewater treatment, and is intended to be used only for informational purposes.

NACWA Vice President Tom Sigmund, Executive Director of NEW Water in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and NACWA Board Member Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, CEO of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), testified in-person March 16 before the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee during a bipartisan hearing entitled Oversight of the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund Formula.

The White House recently released a guidebook for state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to navigate the bipartisan infrastructure law (BIL), which was signed into law in November 2021. On March 15, officials from the White House, Department of Interior (DOI) and EPA hosted “water school” – a webinar focused on water related provisions of the BIL.