In comments sent to EPA Region 1 and EPA Headquarters on June 5, NACWA strongly opposed a number of the Agency’s proposed Clean Water Act (CWA) discharge permits in Massachusetts, where EPA is the direct permitting authority, that would impose impracticable and likely illegal requirements related to climate change.

NACWA recently signed on to a joint letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan asking that the Agency finalize its proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rule that would allow electricity produced from biomass to qualify for credits in the RFS program. Electricity produced at wastewater treatment utilities would qualify for these “eRINs,” which could benefit utilities that produce electricity from biogas.

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, clean water utilities have faced novel recruitment and retention challenges directly impacting the ability to recruit and maintain a skilled workforce to address current and emerging utility management issues. NACWA recognizes the many workforce challenges that currently exist throughout the water sector.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently affirmed a lower court holding that NACWA public agency member the City of Wilmington, Delaware may not recoup over $5.8 million in unpaid stormwater management fees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for several properties the Corps owns within the City.

NACWA held its annual Strategic Communications: H20 Workshop last week in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with over 90 clean water communications professionals from around the country gathering to discuss new innovations in utility communications and engage in peer-to-peer learning and networking.

Renewable Water Resources’ (ReWa’s) wastewater infrastructure project Dig Grenville is designed to increase existing sewer capacity to protect the environment by mitigating overflows to the Reedy River during wet weather events for the next 100 years.

This edition of NACWA’s Legislative Update compiles Congressional activities of interest to the nation’s public clean water agencies through May 2023. For more detailed information regarding NACWA legislative activities, click on the web links in selected news items or visit NACWA’s website.