Clean Water Current

NACWA and its members have actively made the case for clean water policies in the media over the past few weeks, with media hits ranging from congressional testimony excerpts to highlighting the need for greater financial relief for low-income water customers.

Last week, a broad group of bipartisan Senators, led by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), reintroduced the Lifting Our Communities Through Advance Liquidity for Infrastructure (LOCAL Infrastructure) Act

NACWA hosted its 2021 Winter Virtual Event last week and drew record attendance, with over 600 participants taking advantage of the offering.

Clean water is at the forefront on Capitol Hill this week, as Congress works to address the growing affordability and infrastructure needs of the sector.

EPA published a notice in today’s Federal Register announcing an allocation formula for the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants Program. The funding for this Program was originally authorized 20 years ago but money was never appropriated until the 2018 and 2019 America’s Water Infrastructure Act process that secured $28 million and $40 million in appropriations, respectively.

NACWA submitted comments to EPA February 22 on the Agency’s recent Interim PFAS Destruction and Disposal Guidance. The draft Interim Guidance was a product of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY 2020 NDAA), which directed EPA to publish within one year an informational document that addresses the current state of knowledge and the scientific gaps in the destruction and disposal of PFAS.

While EPA and the 10 Regional Administrators previously signed the 2021 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for industrial stormwater discharges, it never made it into the Federal Register by January 20 and was caught up in the Biden Administration’s regulatory freeze. This roadblock was removed on February 19 when EPA issued a Federal Register Notice for the final 2021 MSGP and appendices with an effective date of March 1, 2021.

Last week, House Congressional committees completed work on their respective portions of the next COVID-19 relief package under the budget reconciliation process.

EPA announced the availability of the public review version of the Draft Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks:1990-2019 in the February 12 Federal Register. NACWA submitted comments on the Inventory in December 2020, during the expert review phase, and the Association will also submit comments during the public review phase.

In the wake of a cybersecurity incident at the Oldsmar, FL drinking water utility, the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC) is offering a free two-month trial for water utilities, with no payment information required.

In a win for Montana municipal wastewater dischargers, a District Court that previously ruled the state’s nutrient water quality standards variance for municipal dischargers must require compliance with stringent numeric criteria by the end of its term has determined that the state may hold off on revising the variance while the case is being heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Given the multitude of issues the biosolids community is facing today, it is once again time to conduct a second National Biosolids Survey and collect more up-to-date and accurate information on biosolids regulation, quality, end use, and disposal.

(February 10, 2021) Last week, NACWA staff met with program leads from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) who will be shaping the $638 million low-income water and wastewater ratepayer assistance funding secured in the December FY2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

This week, the Senate impeachment trial of former President Trump is set to begin and will likely remain the primary focus in Congress for now.

NACWA and AMWA’s joint Affordable Water, Resilient Communities campaign kicked-off impactfully last Monday, February 1.

Oregon has become the latest state to pursue wipes labeling legislation, with HB2344 introduced on January 11 and a public hearing held on February 9.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) last week issued a memorandum withdrawing nine enforcement policies established by the Trump administration, including the controversial ban on the use of supplemental environmental projects (SEPs).

Earlier this week, NACWA and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) partnered to kicked off a joint Affordable Water, Resilient CommunitiesTM campaign. Spurred by an increasing amount of legislation and media attention around the issue of water affordability, as well as the opportunities presented by a new presidential administration and a new Congress, the campaign launches with three distinct goals...

Congress ramped up its legislative work this week with the passage of a budget resolution that is being used as the legislative vehicle for the latest round of COVID-19 relief through a process known as reconciliation. The Senate also held a confirmation hearing February 3 for Michael Regan, who has been nominated by President Biden to serve as the next EPA Administrator.

NACWA convened its first Board of Directors meeting of 2021 on February 3.