NACWA’s Small & Mid-Size Utility Working Group met virtually this week to discuss clean water funding availability and how to access it. NACWA staff provided an overview and timelines specific to funding that has been made available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the recent Infrastructure Bill, and the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program.

In recent weeks, the White House has begun rolling out program guidance regarding implementation of the bipartisan infrastructure bill for individual infrastructure sectors. The Biden Administration is planning a public webinar series to walk through each agency and sector’s guidance after its release.

EPA released a new draft of its revised Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) Guidance February 16, ahead of a Federal Register notice that will be published in the coming days formally announcing a 60-day public comment period.

NACWA sent a letter to the EPA Office of Water on Feb. 16 further outlining clean water agency priorities related to implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina recently approved a settlement agreement between NACWA member Charleston Water System (CWS) and major U.S. wipes manufacturer Kimberly-Clark.

The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee held a legislative hearing Feb. 15 to consider H.R. 2021, the Environmental Justice For All Act.

The NACWA Legal Affairs Committee and Stormwater Management Committee will be jointly hosting a webinar focusing on the definition of "waters of the United States" (WOTUS) next Tuesday, February 22nd from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. (Eastern).

After two years of virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Water Week 2022 (April 24 – April 30) returns to an in-person format this year in Washington, DC. The cornerstone event, the National Policy Fly-In, is set for Wednesday, April 27th and will be hosted by NACWA, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Research Foundation (WRF), and the WaterReuse Association.