NACWA participated in a webinar hosted by the U.S. Water Alliance (USWA) on February 7, to discuss the national perspective on water infrastructure funding. Other speakers on the webinar provided local and state perspectives.

EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) issued a memo on January 22 -- Interim OECA Guidance on Enhancing Regional-State Planning and Communication on Compliance Assurance Work in Authorized States -- to all Regional Offices in order “to immediately begin the movement toward a more collaborative partnership between the EPA and authorized States.”

A three judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a unanimous decision in Hawaii Wildlife Fund v. County of Maui on February 1, addressing to what extent a point source discharge that reaches groundwater, and eventually discharges to a Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdictional water, triggers the requirement for a CWA Section 402 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

Congress has begun ramping up its legislative efforts in both the House and Senate to address water infrastructure funding.

ACWA updated clean water professionals in New York this week on the current state of national clean water policy and the legislative outlook for the Trump Administration and Congress for the remainder of this year.

The US Supreme Court issued a decision in National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) v. EPA on January 22, finding that litigation over the 2015 Clean Water Rule should proceed in the federal district courts, rather than in the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force met from January 31 – February 1, to discuss progress on reducing nutrient loads to the Gulf. David Ross, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water, provided opening remarks, noting that nutrient-related issues will be a priority for him as he works to lay out the agenda for his tenure at EPA, which officially began on January 8.

n his State of the Union Address last night, President Trump committed to supporting a plan that would generate $1.5 trillion for infrastructure investment. In an important development, the President also committed to working closely with state and local governments to invest this money – recognizing the key role that local government agencies like NACWA utility members must play to make significant infrastructure investment a reality. NACWA looks forward to working with the Trump Administration and Congress to advance a comprehensive infrastructure package.

NACWA filed comments January 29, on the latest draft of EPA’s nutrient screener questionnaire, the first phase of a planned multi-year study of the nutrient performance of secondary treatment technologies at clean water utilities.

U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt testified Jan. 30 on the agency’s agenda moving forward before a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee oversight hearing.

NACWA’s Farm Bill Workgroup -- comprised of Association public agency members with a strong interest in the Bill and/or conservation programs – held a conference call last week to discuss the next steps in securing NACWA’s priorities in the upcoming Bill. The Farm Bill’s five-year reauthorization expires on September 30.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report Jan. 26 examining workforce issues confronting drinking water and clean water utilities in the United States.

NACWA met with an ad hoc water sector group last week to discuss continued collaborative advocacy with the White House and Congress on infrastructure priorities.

NACWA joined the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) on a letter of support last week for the legislation that was introduced in the Senate to reauthorize the EPA’s WIFIA Program and jump-start the U.S. Army Corps’ implementation of its own WIFIA Program.

NACWA provided a timely update of efforts by the Association and other organizations to develop flushability standards during the California Association of Sanitation Agencies’ (CASA) Winter Conference on January 26. Cynthia Finley, NACWA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, delivered the latest details and developments during a session titled, “Nonflushables: From Mess to Messaging.”

NACWA provided an important national advocacy perspective during the Government Affairs Committee meeting at the annual conference of the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) on January 22, in Boston, MA.