Clean Water Current Archive

The White House issued a statement on March 20 about an increased potential for Russian cyber-attacks against the US, urging owners and operators of critical infrastructure to increase their cybersecurity protections. A fact sheet includes cybersecurity steps that should be taken immediately.

NACWA joined with other water and cross-industry sector organizations in signing a letter March 21 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) advocating for a public comment period for the forthcoming Build America, Buy America (BABA) guidance.

NACWA staff joined the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) last week at their virtual annual winter meeting for a discussion of clean water utility perspectives on the federal Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), which was created in response to the COVID-19 emergency.

NACWA submitted comments March 17 on EPA’s Draft Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2020 as part of the public review process. The annual Inventory provides nationwide estimates for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for different sectors, including wastewater treatment, and is intended to be used only for informational purposes.

NACWA Vice President Tom Sigmund, Executive Director of NEW Water in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and NACWA Board Member Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, CEO of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), testified in-person March 16 before the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee during a bipartisan hearing entitled Oversight of the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund Formula.

The White House recently released a guidebook for state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to navigate the bipartisan infrastructure law (BIL), which was signed into law in November 2021. On March 15, officials from the White House, Department of Interior (DOI) and EPA hosted “water school” – a webinar focused on water related provisions of the BIL.

At last week’s WateReuse Symposium in San Antonio, NACWA, the WateReuse Association, EPA, and the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA) were pleased to announce the completion of Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) Action Item 2.2.6, Navigating the NPDES Permitting Process for Water Reuse Projects. ​

U.S. EPA released an Implementation Memo March 8 regarding the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF) provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). As previously reported, the BIL is providing a total of $55 billion in new federal investment for water and wastewater over the next five years, much of which was directed by Congress to flow out through the SRFs.

Congressional appropriators released their long-awaited Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Omnibus Appropriations package March 9 after months of working to come to a final agreement.

The Value of Water Campaign released a new toolkit this week that can help utilities in recruiting a more diverse water workforce, with a particular focus on attracting underrepresented groups such as women, younger employees and people of color.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments earlier this week over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulation of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) in the case of West Virginia v. EPA.

The U.S. Senate passed S.3600, the Strengthening Cybersecurity Act of 2022, by unanimous consent on March 1.

NACWA’s newly formed Environmental Justice Committee will hold its first virtual meeting on Thursday, April 7th from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. (Eastern).

EPA’s Water Finance Center will be hosting an upcoming webinar on the Agency’s recently proposed draft Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) guidance. The webinar will be on March 14 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET.

As part of the NACWA Statement of Principles and Recommended Actions on Environmental Justice, which was approved by the NACWA Board of the Directors last year, the Association is committed to expanding utility peer-to-peer learning and exchange opportunities around diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) efforts.

The official 60-day comment period on EPA’s latest revisions to its Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) document began February 23 with the release of the draft guidance in the Federal Register. Comments are due to EPA by April 25. ​

NACWA sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Feb. 24 outlining funding priorities from the municipal clean water sector for the Biden Administration’s upcoming Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget request to Congress. This letter builds on NACWA’s annual advocacy to the White House and Congress as funding levels are being set each year. ​

NACWA submitted written testimony on February 18 to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight opposing Senate Bill 2655, An Act Establishing a Moratorium on the Procurement of Structures or Activities Generating PFAS Emissions.

The NACWA Legal Affairs Committee and Stormwater Management Committee this week jointly hosted a webinar focusing on the definition of "waters of the United States" (WOTUS).

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.