NACWA this week filed its second brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in litigation over the legality of a Clean Water Act (CWA) water quality standards variance for municipal discharges issued by the State of Montana and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Association filed its opening brief in June.

After passage last week by the U.S. House of an updated and “pared-down” HEROES Act COVID-19 relief package, which once again included $1.5 billion in aid to water and sewer utilities to assist low-income ratepayers impacted by the pandemic, talks have stalled again with the White House and U.S. Senate on agreeing to a final package.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the Agency’s new Water Sector Workforce Initiative as part of WEFTEC this week, highlighting the important role the water workforce plays in the nation’s daily life and reinforcing the importance of continued training and investment in the workforce.

NACWA was recently asked to speak on a panel at the Ground Water Protection Council’s (GWPC) 2020 Annual Forum. The GWPC, which represents state groundwater regulatory agencies nationwide, invited NACWA to present on the nexus between groundwater regulation and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program.

NACWA’s Stormwater Management Committee convened virtually on September 30 and discussed a number of priority issues, including EPA’s recent proposed rulemaking for a new allocation formula to deliver municipal grant dollars to states.

This Thursday, October 8, from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET, EPA’s Office of Water is hosting a complimentary webinar on the Agency’s Water Utilities Financial Impact Tool and 2020 COVID-19 Water Sector Survey.