Clean Water Current

NACWA was invited to participate in a meeting last week hosted by the Water Research Foundation (WRF) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) to examine existing research needs around utility governance issues, including utility partnerships, regionalization, and consolidation.

President Trump and key members of Congress have made clear in recent days that passage of a comprehensive infrastructure package will be a top priority in 2018. The White House is planning to release a document outlining its “infrastructure principles” later this month, and Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), Chairman of the powerful House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, has announced his plans to retire from Congress at the end of this year and his commitment to focus his efforts for the remainder of his term on passing an infrastructure bill.

Just before closing out the 2017 calendar year, the 115th Congress and President Trump secured their first major legislative achievement by signing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law on December 22.

NACWA met with Andrew Sawyers, Director of the Office of Wastewater Management, and key staff December 19, to discuss a range of issues including many that will top NACWA’s advocacy agenda in 2018.

A judge with the federal District of Columbia (DC) District Court granted a Motion for Preliminary Injunction filed by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation to prohibit implementation of the District’s wipes labeling law, the Nonwoven Disposable Products Act of 2016.

David Ross officially began his tenure as EPA’s new Office of Water, Assistant Administrator on January 8, though his confirmation by the Senate took place in December of last year.

The final rule with public notification requirements for utilities discharging combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the Great Lakes and other bodies of water in the Great Lakes basin was published in the Federal Register on January 8.

NACWA provided detailed comments on an interim revised version of EPA’s NPDES Compliance Inspection Manual, highlighting several areas that need revision or an updating of information

he District of Columbia (DC) District Court heard oral arguments December 13 on the Motion for Preliminary Injunction filed by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wipes, seeking to prohibit implementation of the District of Columbia’s law on “flushable” wipes.

Federal tax reform continued its rapid advance last week, as Congressional negotiators “conferenced” the distinct House and Senate bills, which passed in each respective chamber.

NACWA sent comments to EPA on December 13 asking the Agency to modify its proposed label language for dichlobenil, a root control chemical. Dichlobenil can be effectively used to control roots in wastewater collection systems, helping to prevent overflows and backups.

The US Water Alliance recently released the Executive Summary of its One Water for America Policy Framework, capping a series of national “one water” listening sessions held across the country over the past few years and presenting a vision of how the United States can better view, value, and manage water.

NACWA hosted the final 2017 installment of the Hot Topics in Clean Water Law webinar series on December 13.

NACWA’s Industry of the Future Workgroup met via conference call on December 14 and discussed key issues it plans to address during the coming year.

NACWA would like to wish you and yours Best Wishes and a Happy Holidays! In observance of the holiday season, the NACWA Clean Water Current will be on hiatus for the rest of December and will be back on January 9, 2018.

NACWA joined a broader coalition of public finance associations to send a letter to Congressional leadership on December 6, expressing concerns about the elimination of advance refunding bonds in the current House and Senate tax reform legislation—the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

NACWA met with the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) on December 6 to discuss the final rule establishing public notification requirements for combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to the Great Lakes Basin.

After facing severe proposed budget cuts, the Senate Committee on Appropriations has proposed restoring fiscal year (FY) 2017 funding for EPA’s Water Security Division (WSD), within the Office of Water, for FY2018.

NACWA and the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) are conducting a joint survey to assess the level of interest among their respective members in alternative delivery approaches to providing water and wastewater services (including public-private partnerships).

Mark your calendars for the next installment of the Enabling the Water Resources Utility of the Future Webinar Series: Achieving and Maintaining Economic and Social Health for the Community.