As Members of Congress return to their home states and Congressional districts until after Labor Day for the August recess, Congressional staff have begun the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2020 conference negotiation process in hopes of hammering out a final bill for House and Senate passage this fall.

This past week, Congressional negotiations on the next phase of COVID-19 relief stalled without compromise. In response, with protections such as enhanced federal unemployment benefits and an eviction moratorium expiring, President Trump signed Executive Orders over the weekend aimed at providing temporary stability.

NACWA has remained active in its media outreach over the summer months, particularly on the topic of water utility shutoff moratoriums related to COVID-19 and NACWA’s repeated insistence that the federal government must provide financial relief to public utilities to help address pandemic concerns.

NACWA has asked EPA to consider the risks associated with pet flea control products containing fipronil, a pesticide with high aquatic toxicity that can pass through wastewater treatment processes.

The City of Richmond's Stormwater Utility, in collaboration with Richmond Public Elementary Schools, brought the community outreach RVAH2O Rain Barrel Painting Program to life. The program, designed to engage Richmond's population and educate citizens about water quantity and quality, has proven to be practical and has added to the unique beauty of the City. Through the program, elementary school students display their creativity and better the community by painting rain barrels that are distributed free-of-charge to Richmond's citizens. The simple installation of rain barrels helps reduce the amount of runoff experienced with each wet weather occurrence and helps to prevent Richmond's stormwater infrastructure from being overwhelmed. For its efforts, the City of Richmond Stormwater Utility was recognized with a National Environmental Achievement Award in the Public Information & Education Educational Program category during NACWA's Winter Conference in February 2020. Congratulations to the City of Richmond Stormwater Utility and everyone involved!