Clean Water Current Archive

Congressional work continues this week to advance federal spending bills for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20), which starts October 1. The House Appropriations Committee announced how it will divide up total discretionary federal spending across the 12 spending bills, and early indications are there will be a strong 4.5% increase to the overall Interior-Environment spending which includes EPA’s budget.

President Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) met today to discuss the possibility of a bipartisan infrastructure deal, and early reports indicate they reached agreement on the outlines of a $2 trillion infrastructure package. In advance of the meeting, NACWA was active in the media pushing for inclusion of water as a key component of any agreement.

Following two weeks of working in their respective Districts, Members of the House of Representatives and Senate return this week to Washington, DC, with a focus on figuring out what can be accomplished over the next few months until the Fourth of July recess—and before the 2020 campaign season fully dominates the conversation.

With strong bipartisan support, The US House of Representatives passed the Local Water Protection Act (H.R. 1331) earlier this month by a vote of 329-56.

The WateReuse Association convened a water sector gathering on April 18, in Los Angeles, where a variety of water industry experts could discuss the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) current draft discussion framework for development of a National Water Reuse Action Plan.

NACWA participated in the annual Wet Weather Partnership Conference last week, held April 24 -26 in Louisville, KY, and provided an update on legislative and regulatory developments.

A state bill to address the labeling of both “nonflushable” and “flushable” wet wipe products is moving the through the California Legislature, recently passing out of two committees. California State Assembly Bill 1672 (AB 1672, Bloom) is being sponsored by the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) and would establish labeling requirements and performance standards for wet wipes based on the International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG) flushability specification.

Dozens of clean water professionals participated in two courses offered by NACWA in Hawaii last week, NPDES Permit Program Overview for Permittees and Pretreatment Program Overview. Each two-day course provided comprehensive instruction and allowed for plenty of discussion about specific issues faced by the participants. NACWA thanks Member Agency City and County of Honolulu for its assistance with organizing the training.

NACWA participated in the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities (CIFA) 2019 Water Infrastructure Investment Summit last week, and was joined by EPA officials in a panel discussion about the importance and positive impact of the Integrated Planning law, which became law earlier this year.

NACWA submitted comments on April 15 regarding the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) and the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE’s) proposed new Waters of the United States (WOTUS) definition.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a statement on April 15 clarifying the application of Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting requirements to groundwater. EPA’s Interpretative Statement concludes that Congress excluded releases of pollutants to groundwater from the CWA’s permitting requirements, and instead left regulation of those releases to the states and EPA’s other statutory authorities.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in a letter dated April 4, 2019, that it was approving Idaho’s new and revised human health criteria, which is essentially a complete reversal from the position taken by the last administration.

As part of its ongoing Toilets Are Not Trashcans campaign, NACWA submitted comments on the regulations for flushable wipes proposed by the District of Columbia (DC) Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE). DOEE was required to develop these regulations by the District’s wipes labeling law, the Nonwoven Disposable Products Act of 2016. The law and the proposed regulations are the first in the US related to the labeling of wipes.

The latest installment of the webinar series, Enabling the Water Resources Utility of the Future, is set to air on May 16, at 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET, exploring the topic, “Achieving and Maintaining Economic and Social Health for the Community.”

The 2019 National Water Policy Fly-In set a record for attendance and participation last week as more than 320+ participants—most traveling to Washington, DC from other regions across the country—taking to Capitol Hill, and conducting hundreds of consequential face-to-face meetings with lawmakers and staffers in many congressional offices. The event served as an excellent anchor piece for Water Week 2019

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested nominations, on April 3, to the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) on stormwater funding and financing. In response to congressional requirements in the 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), EPA is establishing a Stormwater Task Force within EFAB and is seeking input on stormwater funding opportunities and examples.

The Early Bird registration for NACWA’s 2019 Utility Leadership Conference is April 16 – hurry and register today to take advantage of discounted registration! The last decade has brought about significant changes – from the national level and the growing partisan divide, to the local level where utilities are playing an increasing-visible role in their communities. Challenges involving workforce, rate setting and affordability, and community and customer engagement are playing out both nationally and locally, putting utility executives in a position that presents both challenges and opportunities.

NACWA presented at the Texas Water 2019 conference in Houston, TX last week during Water Week 2019, providing a national update on the Association’s legislative, regulatory, and legal advocacy efforts, which include recent efforts on federal funding, blending, water reuse, PFAS, and Clean Water Act liability for discharges into groundwater.

NACWA members and staff, along with the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the Water Research Foundation (WRF), met with senior EPA Office of Water officials on April 4, during Water Week 2019, to discuss current and future challenges facing the biosolids program.

The first afternoon of the National Water Policy Fly-In featured speakers from EPA’s Office of Water. Dave Ross, Assistant Administrator for the Office, kicked off the program by stressing the value of the partnership EPA has with the water sector, and thanking the audience of water professionals for all the work they do to protect human health and the environment. Noting the activity of his office directors in managing a number of rulemakings and other initiatives, Ross chose to highlight three non-regulatory programs as the top issues on his mind at the moment.