The Low-Income Water Customer Assistance Programs Act (S.3564) was formally unveiled October 31 at a press conference in Baltimore by Sen. Cardin (D-MD). Baltimore Director of Public Works Rudy Chow, a NACWA Board Member, spoke at the event alongside Sen. Cardin, Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh, and other local officials and stakeholders. Sen. Cardin and his Republican cosponsor, Sen. Wicker (R-MS) issued a joint press release to mark the occasion.

The National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP) teamed up with EPA on November 1 to hold a one-day symposium tailored to understanding how public-private partnerships (P3s) can be an effective means of leveraging resources and funding opportunities for municipal stormwater infrastructure.

Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry kicked off the 2018 American Water Summit on October 25 by announcing a “grand challenge” to spur innovation in the water-energy nexus space through competition. Though few details were provided, NACWA was expecting the announcement and had worked with its water sector partners for weeks to help craft the component of the grand challenge that applies to wastewater.

NACWA spearheaded a letter sent Oct. 29 to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) in support of their recent bipartisan legislation to pilot a federal low-income water assistance program. The letter was signed by a broad coalition of municipal, water sector and engineering organizations.

NACWA, the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) held a one-day facilitated stakeholder meeting October 29 on the important and ongoing national discussion on water affordability. The meeting, held at Alexandria Renew Enterprises, attracted over thirty individuals representing a variety of stakeholder perspectives including community advocates, consumer advocates, financial experts, environmental groups, and federal regulators from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

NACWA participated last week in the Fall Workshop of the Connecticut Association of Water Pollution Control Authorities (CAWPCA), which is an association organized to develop, improve and enhance the knowledge and understanding of publicly owned or operated water pollution control and wastewater management entities in the State of Connecticut, and to improve the quality of the services provided to the public.

EPA held the second of three public listening sessions on its planned peak flow/wet weather blending rulemaking on October 24, hosted at its Region 7 headquarters facility in Lenexa, Kansas. Similar to the first public listening session held on October 16 in Washington, DC, the Kansas one featured a mix of speakers representing municipal utilities and state regulators.

The New England Regional Pretreatment Coordinators Association (NERPCA) held its annual workshop October 24-25, with over 150 attendees from public clean water utilities and state regulatory agencies. The workshop provides an opportunity for pretreatment professionals to learn about regulatory updates, hear case studies from other utilities, and network with one another. NACWA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, Cynthia Finley, provided an update on recent NACWA activities, particularly related to wipes and emerging contaminants.