Congress continues to debate the contours of its next phase of COVID-19 relief, facing growing pressure to return to Washington, D.C. but with strong differences both across and within parties over the appropriate next steps in addressing the pandemic.

One of Congress’s priorities for 2020, prior to the pandemic, was to pass the biennial Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

The news media continues to seek insights and statements from NACWA’s leadership and staff on all matters relating to the public clean water sector.

As clean water utilities continue to serve on the front lines of battling COVID-19, they are also facing unprecedented legal and regulatory challenges.

One of the many benefits of NACWA membership is the ability to communicate and collaborate using the online community, Engage.

NACWA’s Water Quality Committee convened a Zoom conference call on May 7 and discussed a variety of key nutrient issues as well as concerns surrounding sampling wastewater influent as a means of tracking coronavirus in local populations.

With the coronavirus pandemic causing many businesses and buildings to be closed for long periods of time, the stagnated water in pipes can become unsafe for drinking and other uses.

NACWA filed comments on May 7 on a draft general permit for total nitrogen discharges from a handful of clean water utilities on New Hampshire’s Great Bay.

The residents of Alexandria, Virginia sometimes confuse the three water entities that service the city: Virginia American Water (VAW), which provides drinking water; the City of Alexandria, which owns the sanitary sewer system and stormwater infrastructure; and Alexandria Renew Enterprises (AlexRenew), which owns the water resource recovery facility, interceptors, pump stations, and four combined sewer outfalls. In 2018, the One Water Alexandria partnership was established to provide education and outreach to the community and lessen confusion among shared water customers. The eight-person team, which represents the three water entities and RiverRenew (an AlexRenew program to address combined sewer overflows), developed a multi-phased plan to get Alexandrians to know their H2O.