Clean Water Current

NACWA delivered a national update on its regulatory, legislative, and legal stormwater advocacy efforts at the annual Stormwater Summit, hosted by the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies (ORACWA) last week in Eugene, OR.

The Association participated last week, in the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) 112th Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO, to discuss the importance of federal investment in our nation’s water and clean water infrastructure.

The Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee introduced its 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) this week titled, the “America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.” The legislation incorporates numerous NACWA priorities that the Association has been advocating to be included in the bill. NACWA greatly appreciates the consideration EPW has given Association priorities, and is pleased by this critical development. The bill has been developed by the EPW Committee working on a bipartisan basis for several months.

Congressman Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Representative C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), co-chairs of the Municipal Finance Caucus, have introduced H.R. 5003, legislation that would amend the federal tax code to reinstate advance refunding of municipal bonds. This week, NACWA joined a coalition letter urging Members of Congress to sign onto, and help advance, this important legislation.

EPA announced the availability of the Final 2016 Effluent Guidelines Program (ELG) Plan on May 2, with the complete Plan now available on EPA's website. EPA stated in the ELG Plan that the Agency will be studying the management of wastewater from both conventional and unconventional oil and gas extraction wastewater.

NACWA organized and facilitated a panel discussion on affordability and community outreach by public clean water utilities last week, at the River Rally conference, which is the annual gathering of river activists organized by the River Network.

Conversations on potential increases in funding for the water sector continue to involve explorations of the right levels of private engagement; the role of peer-to-peer partnerships; and how fragmentation in the public water and wastewater sector – with thousands of small water and wastewater systems across the country – may limit how much progress can be made.

Collaborative advocacy in the clean water sector continues with Infrastructure Week (May 14-21) – a national week of events, media outreach/coverage, public education, and other activities which elevate Infrastructure as a critical public affairs issue that impacts all Americans.

Several pieces of legislation were introduced in the House of Representatives last week that would provide increased funding for communities to invest in their aging water and wastewater systems, as well as deal with the effects of extreme weather.

Congress has begun work on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 funding process, as both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees started scheduling budget hearings and receiving funding priorities from members and outside witnesses.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) hosted an annual National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) meeting in Washington DC last week to discuss critical water quality issues and emerging scientific applications throughout the country.

NACWA presented at the Texas Water 2018 conference in San Antonio, TX on April 24, providing a national update on the Association’s legislative, regulatory, and legal advocacy efforts, which include recent efforts on federal funding, integrated planning, blending, and Clean Water Act liability for discharges into groundwater.

The NACWA Security and Emergency Preparedness Committee will have a web meeting on May 21, 2:00-3:15 pm ET, to focus on how Texas utilities recovered from Hurricane Harvey.

The National Stormwater Advocacy Network (NSAN) held a quarterly conference call on April 27 and discussed a variety of important stormwater issues that continue to challenge municipalities across the country.

Building upon far-reaching discussions at NACWA's 2018 Winter Conference that were centered around how utilities are addressing resiliency and disaster recovery, the Association is co-sponsoring a one-day workshop on National Flood Risk Resiliency.

After a highly successful Water Week and National Water Policy Fly-In, we, as an Association of public clean water utilities, should work even harder to keep the advocacy momentum going.

NACWA submitted comments on April 21 for the risk assessments of three pesticides – dinotefuran, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin – asking EPA to consider the environmental impacts of these chemicals when they are used indoors and subsequently washed into sewer systems.

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit heard oral arguments on April 18 in 26 Crown Associates, LLC v. Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority, another in a line of federal lawsuits examine if the role of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in regulating pollutants to groundwater.

As part of Water Week, NACWA’s Farm Bill Working Group met last week with key majority staff from the Senate Agriculture Committee to discuss the Senate version of the 2018 Farm Bill.

The question of whether a discharge of pollution to groundwater triggers Clean Water Act (CWA) liability is now being examined by all three branches of the federal government.