After several years of ongoing discussions in Washington, DC about the need for comprehensive infrastructure legislation, and NACWA’s continuous advocacy to ensure public clean water utilities were a key component, Congress finally acted Nov.5 by passing a $1.2 trillion bipartisan bill, H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which President Biden is expected to sign into law next week.

NACWA hosted a webinar Nov. 9 for public clean water utility executives on the growing challenges presented by PFAS chemicals.

NACWA filed an amicus brief last week supporting a group of Maryland municipalities challenging a state-issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit for small MS4 operators that includes requirements beyond the maximum extent practicable (MEP) standard and requires MS4s to address nonpoint source runoff and other third-party stormwater discharges that neither flow into nor discharge from their systems.

John Sullivan, Chief Engineer for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission and a member of the NACWA Board of Directors, testified last week on behalf of the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC) before the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee.

NACWA participated in EPA’s Urban Waters Federal Partnership (Partnership) virtual 10-year Anniversary Celebration Event on Nov. 9 to highlight the milestone of the Partnership and recommit to a Framework for the Future.

“NACWA applauds the Biden Administration and leaders in both the House and Senate for working across party lines to pass critical infrastructure legislation that includes significant federal investments in public clean water services for state and local communities,” Krantz said.

Congressional Democratic leadership released long-awaited legislative text on October 28 outlining their latest reconciliation proposal for investment in host of economic and social priorities.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has continued working to release in full the $1.138 Billion it received as part of the federal COVID-19 Relief packages for providing aid to water customers facing arrearages, potential water service shutoffs, or other hardship paying their water bills.

The final fairness hearing on NACWA member Charleston Water System’s (CWS) preliminarily approved class action settlement agreement with major U.S. wipes manufacturer Kimberly-Clark has been set for Jan. 24, 2022.