In a major victory for clean water utilities, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this week affirmed that states can take compliance costs into account when setting Clean Water Act (CWA) water quality standards variances, and that such variances do not have to ultimately result in attainment of the underlying water quality standard.

Dr. Jim Pletl, Director of Water Quality for NACWA member utility the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD), testified this week on behalf of NACWA before the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee’s Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee on the issue of PFAS and other emerging contaminants. The hearing was entitled “Emerging Contaminants, Forever Chemicals, and More: Challenges to Water Quality, Public Health, and Communities”.

WaterISAC has developed a survey for utilities to report supply disruptions they have experienced, which will help the water sector understand how current supply chain issues are affecting utilities. The information collected will be shared with the sector associations, utilities, and federal partners to help identify areas where the federal government and regional or local networks can assist.

A number of NACWA members, led by the Louisville & Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer Department (MSD), published an op-ed this week calling on Congress to advance key legislative initiatives that would increase funding for clean water investment. The piece was authored by Tony Parrott, Executive Director of Louisville MSD and a member of the NACWA Board of Directors.

EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a recent report recommending that EPA develop an Agency Wide Strategic Action Plan to Address Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).

Congressional negotiators have bought themselves more time to hammer out agreements to address several looming issues reported on in last week’s Current, most notably avoiding a government shutdown, raising the debt limit, and passing infrastructure investment legislation.

NACWA hosted a joint Legal Affairs Committee meeting and Legal Hot Topics Webinar this week entitled “Waters of the United States” – Where Are We Now On WOTUS?

Congressional negotiators are working furiously against the clock to hammer out agreements to pass critical bills to avoid a government shutdown, raise the debt limit, and advance infrastructure investment legislation.