Clean Water Current Archive

NACWA has been invited to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee on September 28 to discuss the critical importance of federal infrastructure funding, in particular the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), for local communities.

NACWA filed comments last week with EPA’s full Science Advisory Board (SAB) in advance of its meetings on September 21 and 22 to conduct a final review of EPA’s draft Standardized Framework for Sewage Sludge Chemical Risk Assessment. This is the last step the SAB will take before offering concluding recommendations to EPA Administrator Regan.

NACWA is requesting information from its members about the use of generators that meet EPA’s Tier 4 emission standards.

NACWA is pleased to release its 2023 Annual Report, which documents the Association’s advocacy accomplishments and member engagement while outlining our vision for the year ahead.

NACWA is pleased to be offering a number of free webinars for member over the next few weeks. Check out the offerings below and register!

As Congress ramps up its legislative work for the fall, NACWA is in full force on Capitol Hill to advocate and ensure any PFAS legislation includes a targeted exemption for public clean water utilities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and that any spending bills include the highest levels of federal clean water funding.

NACWA was pleased to join with other major water sector associations on a Sept. 7 letter to President Biden calling on him to ensure that his Administration holds polluters – and not local communities and their water ratepayers – responsible for the costs of addressing PFAS pollution and contamination.

NACWA General Counsel Amanda Aspatore took a quick trip to New Jersey to discuss biosolids with utility representatives at the New Jersey Water Environment Association (NJWEA) Autumn Technology Transfer Seminar.

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers free cyber vulnerability scanning for drinking water and wastewater utilities, and a new factsheet explains the details of this program.

The U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers recently issued a new final rule amending their Jan. 2023 definition of "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS), which outlines which waters fall under the federal purview of the Clean Water Act.

In August 28 comments, NACWA asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness and environmental impacts of at-home disposal methods for unused opioid medications before encouraging their widespread use.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued final guidance to federal agencies on August 18th on how to implement the Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced $379 million in funding for the second year of a four-year, $1 billion cybersecurity grant program for state, local, and territorial governments.

The President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) released a draft report in late August examining the current challenges facing the nation’s water infrastructure and outlining a series of recommendations to better prepare the water sector for potential upcoming crises.

As NACWA members meet with their Congressional Delegations over the August work period, please ask your Senators and Representatives to oppose proposed deep cuts to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) for Fiscal Year (FY24).

NACWA has been actively advocating for targeted protection for water systems against PFAS liability as the EPA moves towards listing the chemicals under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The U.S. Senate is presently reviewing PFAS legislation, aiming to advance a bill after the August recess.

NACWA recently filed comments in response to EPA’s advanced notice of proposed rulemaking soliciting feedback on the potential designation of precursors of PFOA and PFOS, as well as seven additional PFAS, including GenX, and their precursors, as hazardous substances under CERCLA.

In a long-awaited decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently ruled against NACWA public utility member, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), in the city’s challenge to a Clean Water Act (CWA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued jointly by U.S. EPA and the State of California.

EPA recently announced that approximately $50 million dollars in grants will be awarded to states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories for municipalities to plan, design, and construct projects that will help mitigate combined sewer overflows (CSOs), sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and manage stormwater.

In July 31 comments on EPA’s Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, NACWA emphasized the importance of source control to prevent plastics from entering the water environment. The Draft Strategy contains multiple potential actions related to three objectives: 1) reduce pollution during plastics production; 2) improve post-use materials management; and 3) prevent trash and micro/nanoplastics from entering waterways and remove escaped trash from the environment.