Since the Senate Republican majority’s release last week of their proposed next COVID-19 relief package as a counter to the House Democratic majority HEROES Act, which passed the House in May, negotiations on finalizing a next COVID-19 relief/stimulus package have remained at a stalemate.

The recent spate of media coverage surrounding utility shutoffs has continued unabated in recent weeks and months, particularly as more and more households face economic challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a notice published in the Federal Register on August 4, EPA is seeking input on its proposed allotment formula for allocating dollars to states through its Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants Program.

The Environmental Council of States (ECOS) held their 2020 State Environmental Protection (STEP) policy summit virtually last week with a focus on “Partnering on PFAS.” The event featured state and federal perspectives from regulators in addition to lightning round panels led by experts.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) released a pre-publication version of its upcoming proposal to reissue and modify its streamlined Clean Water Act Section 404 permits, known as the “nationwide permits,” or “NWPs.”

The U.S. House last week passed its first Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) omnibus appropriations package, H.R. 7608, that includes funding for USEPA and unprecedented increased levels of federal investment in clean water, including $8.5 billion in funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), which is nearly five times that of current levels.

In another positive step for the water sector on the PFAS legislative front, last week the U.S. House passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that excludes the contentious PFAS provisions NACWA and the water sector have advocated against over the past year in order to ensure the ongoing and proper science-driven regulatory process is able to play out.

While the House Democratic majority pushed through its HEROES Act, a comprehensive COVID-19 relief package back in May, the Senate did not start negotiations on its next proposed phase until last week and got off to a rocky start as the Republican majority struggled to reach agreement within the party and the White House.

Politico, a leading political publication that influences federal policy in Washington, DC, has used the inaugural issue of its recently unveiled sustainability publishing vertical to highlight several of the key water issues facing the country.