Clean Water Current Archive

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) held their Water, Energy and Environment Committee meeting in Washington DC on February 24, and NACWA participated to provide a municipal clean water perspective.

Four of the 2020 Presidential Candidates – Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Tom Steyer and Mayor Pete Buttigieg – convened February 16 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for the first-ever Presidential Candidate Infrastructure Forum.

NACWA recently joined a coalition of wastewater utilities seeking to intervene in litigation brought by an environmental organization in the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri challenging the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of Missouri’s newly adopted “Combined Criteria Approach” for aquatic life nutrient criteria in lakes.

EPA released its Draft Technical Support Document for Implementing the 2019 Recommended Human Health Recreational Ambient Water Quality Criteria or Swimming Advisories for Microcystins and Cylindrospermopsin on December 16, 2019.

NACWA asked EPA to consider aquatic impacts of pet flea shampoos and treatments that contain pyrethroid and pyrethrin chemicals.

In support of its advocacy efforts on behalf of the public clean water sector, NACWA’s leadership and staff regularly field questions from members of the national, local and trade press to provide insight and expert analysis on clean water-related topics.

EPA released its annual Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act report last week, highlighting the data-driven process behind the 14 loans made to public water utilities throughout 2019.

The Water Environment Federation released their guidance documents on the coronavirus earlier this week. With research on the topic still being developed and with global attention on the pandemic, NACWA’s partners in the water sector put together guidance documents on how the water sector can approach the issue.

Two opposing messaging proposals for water infrastructure were unveiled in recent weeks.

The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, introduced in the Senate on February 11, became the first federal bill that would address the labeling of wipes.

EPA recently proposed a regulatory rulemaking to update the 1991 Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) on November 13, 2019.

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) held a technical Symposium earlier this week on global potable reuse efforts and biological treatment initiatives in Atlanta, Georgia.

NACWA will be hosting a new legal hot topics webinar, What the WOTUS? The Latest and Greatest on the “Waters of the US” Definition, on March 18th from 2:00-3:30 p.m. (Eastern).

In another step to address PFAS, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accepted comments on an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) whether to list certain PFAS compounds to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). EPA also sought public input on what the reportable quantities or thresholds should be for reporting if these chemicals were to be listed on the TRI.

State bills to address the labeling of wipes took important steps forward in California and Washington last week.

NACWA’s Board of Directors met February 4 in Atlanta, Georgia at the start of NACWA’s 2020 Winter Conference.

The second night of NACWA’s 2020 Winter Conference saw guests and attendees gather to honor the winners of this year’s National Environmental Achievement Awards.

A number of NACWA’s Standing Committees met this week during the Association’s 2020 Winter Conference in Atlanta, covering a wide range of hot topics impacting the municipal clean water community.

NACWA submitted comments to EPA January 24 on the proposed settlement agreements for Massachusetts and New Hampshire small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s).

Members of Congress sent a bipartisan request to EPA this week requesting that no less than $500 Million be provided in Fiscal Year 2021 for EPA’s Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants. NACWA thanks the letter’s signatories for prioritizing funding for this program.