The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an issue to resurface that some public clean water utilities periodically face: the potential diversion of utility ratepayer funds to fill gaps in other areas of a city (or other governmental body’s) budget.

As the start of the federal Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) rapidly approaches on October 1st, the U.S. House has begun working to advance its annual Appropriations (funding) bills through their committee process. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee passed its Interior and Environment bill to fund the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and core clean water programs.

While the bill passed this week by the committee only contains provisions related to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) policies and projects, the House is expected to couple it with the committee’s clean water focused and bipartisan Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2019, H.R. 1497, during WRDA conference negotiations with the Senate this summer and fall.

In comments filed on July 6, NACWA continues its support of EPA maintaining the existing Comprehensive Procurement Guideline Designations (CPG) and Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommendations for landscaping products, which includes compost made from recovered organic materials like biosolids.

The International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG) held its annual meeting virtually on July 1 to discuss potential updates to its Flushability Specifications.

EPA announced July 14 that 2020 funding for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program is now available.

In 2018, the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) Communications Department set a goal to engage more middle school and high school students in the HRSD service area. To achieve this, the Environmental Education and Outreach program was restructured to include updated versions of lesson plans suitable for secondary school age students. Prior to these updates, the education and outreach program curriculum were most beneficial to elementary school students. The Hampton Roads Sanitation District was recognized with a National Environmental Achievement Award in the Public Information & Education (Educational Program) category during NACWA’s Winter Conference in February 2020. Congratulations to the HRSD and everyone involved!

NACWA released a new document highlighting a variety of considerations for public clean water utilities across the country that are already doing wastewater-based epidemiological (WBE) surveillance for COVID-19 or contemplating doing so in the future.

Leading private sector partners of the public clean water sector engaged in the first of a three-part NACWA webinar series titled Partnerships to Reduce the Impacts from COVID-19 on the Water Sector.

Before adjourning for a two-week July 4th state work recess period, the U.S. House last week advanced a comprehensive and massive infrastructure investment package, the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2), which includes robust funding for the clean water sector.

Last week, Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), along with a strong bipartisan group of Senators, introduced legislation, S. 4129, the Lifting Our Communities through Advance Liquidity for Infrastructure (LOCAL Infrastructure) Act, that would restore state and local governments’ ability to advance refund tax exempt municipal bonds.

In a series of comment letters, NACWA asked EPA to consider aquatic impacts of pesticides and to improve label language for pesticide products.

EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Susan Bodine, recently issued a memorandum establishing a termination date of August 31, 2020 for EPA’s temporary policy on exercising its enforcement discretion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

EPA has released a new tool to help water sector utilities assess the financial impact of COVID-19 on operations.