Clean Water Current

The Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC) met last week to discuss a number of security and related issues impacting the water sector. Among the topics discussed was an update on the work of the WaterISAC and an “after action” report on the performance of the Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) to recent natural disasters, including Hurricanes Harvey and Maria.

Time is running out to make your hotel reservations for NACWA’s 2018 Utility Leadership Conference (ULC) – the deadline is Monday, July 2!

NACWA would like to wish you and yours a happy and safe Independence Day holiday! In observance of the Fourth of July, the Clean Water Current will be on hiatus next week and will return on Tuesday, July 10, to continue bringing you the very latest clean water advocacy news and developments. Have a great holiday!

The Senate Appropriations Committee released and quickly marked up, last week, its Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) Interior, Environment, & Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The Senate bill received a bipartisan 31-0 Committee vote in favor. In a key victory for NACWA and the municipal clean water sector, the bill maintains the significant increases for clean water infrastructure funding enacted in FY18. This demonstrates the continued advocacy commitment of NACWA and its members to robust federal infrastructure investment.

A new report released June 14 by the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Institute provides a first-of-its-kind analysis of jobs involved in the construction, operation, and maintenance of the country’s water infrastructure.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture passed its bipartisan version of the 2018 Farm Bill last week, which included several key priorities that NACWA and its Farm Bill Working Group have been actively engaging with Congress on for more than a year.

The Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) is planning a pair of two-day trainings in 2018 to address Building Resilience to a Changing Climate: A Technical Training in Water Sector Utility Decision Support.

Registration is still open for NACWA’s 2018 Utility Leadership Conference & 48th Annual Meeting (ULC), which is set to be one of the most high impact clean water events of the year.

The International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG) – a group of dedicated water professionals seeking to protect customers by providing clear guidance on what should and shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet – released its official Flushability Specifications on June 12.

The National Network for Water Quality Trading (NNWQT), met in Washington, DC last week at NACWA’s office to discuss the Network’s progress in conducting an assessment of water quality trading demand, along with a review of trading barriers.

The next edition of NACWA's Hot Topics in Clean Water Law Webinar series – scheduled tomorrow, June 20, from 2:00 - 3:30 pm ET – places the very latest legal ramifications of climate change front-and-center.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture has released its bipartisan version of the 2018 Farm Bill, which will be marked up by the committee this week. NACWA and its Farm Bill Working Group have been actively engaging for almost a year with both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to ensure inclusion of NACWA priorities under the “Conservation Title” of the Farm Bill, many of which were included in the Senate bill.

NACWA joined other municipal and state groups on June 6 for EPA’s quarterly intergovernmental meeting, which included a discussion with EPA Deputy Administrator, Andrew Wheeler.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed its version of the 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), H.R. 8, last week, by a vote of 408 - 2.

NACWA participated in a coordinating meeting last week on a research project to provide water utilities with additional resources around utility governance issues.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) released two circulars last week that look at the impact agriculture has on water resources and aquatic ecosystems.

The next edition of NACWA's Hot Topics in Clean Water Law Webinar series – on June 20, from 2:00 - 3:30 PM ET – places the very latest legal ramifications of climate change front-and-center.

The International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG) has published a final version of its flushability specification, which is designed to protect sewer systems and wastewater treatment facilities by ensuring that products labeled “flushable” break apart quickly after flushing and will not cause damage to infrastructure or the environment.

Members of Congress return to Capitol Hill this week from their Memorial Day recess with a full legislative agenda to tackle ahead of their next scheduled recess over July 4th.

As hurricane season officially arrived June 1, NACWA, along with the National Association of Floods and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA), gathered in in San Antonio, TX last week for a workshop and roundtable discussion on how municipal clean water utilities, stormwater agencies, and flood control districts can learn from past flood events, mitigate risks, and strive for greater resiliency.