NACWA released a new document highlighting a variety of considerations for public clean water utilities across the country that are already doing wastewater-based epidemiological (WBE) surveillance for COVID-19 or contemplating doing so in the future.

Leading private sector partners of the public clean water sector engaged in the first of a three-part NACWA webinar series titled Partnerships to Reduce the Impacts from COVID-19 on the Water Sector.

Before adjourning for a two-week July 4th state work recess period, the U.S. House last week advanced a comprehensive and massive infrastructure investment package, the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2), which includes robust funding for the clean water sector.

Last week, Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), along with a strong bipartisan group of Senators, introduced legislation, S. 4129, the Lifting Our Communities through Advance Liquidity for Infrastructure (LOCAL Infrastructure) Act, that would restore state and local governments’ ability to advance refund tax exempt municipal bonds.

In a series of comment letters, NACWA asked EPA to consider aquatic impacts of pesticides and to improve label language for pesticide products.

EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Susan Bodine, recently issued a memorandum establishing a termination date of August 31, 2020 for EPA’s temporary policy on exercising its enforcement discretion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

EPA has released a new tool to help water sector utilities assess the financial impact of COVID-19 on operations.