(February 26, 2020) – The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) held their Water, Energy and Environment Committee meeting in Washington DC on February 24, and NACWA participated to provide a municipal clean water perspective.

David Ross, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, provided remarks and an open forum for discussion on a variety of topics including the Agency’s efforts on the upcoming Water Reuse Action Plan, Waters of the United States, the recent Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and the PFAS Action Plan. Other topics of discussion included energy and resiliency, the proposed NEPA rule, and cybersecurity and the role engineering consultants play in staying current for their water utility clients.

NACWA briefed the Committee on PFAS and the Association’s advocacy to date on the National Defense Authorization Act, as well as certain provisions in H.R. 535 that are of concern to clean water utilities and where the EPA is headed the rest of the year in its Action Plan. ACEC and NACWA are aligned in their efforts to ensure that any designation of PFAS as hazardous substances does not impose unnecessary costs and liability on water utilities and local ratepayers.

Please contact Emily Remmel, NACWA’s Regulatory Director for more information on the ACEC meeting or with any PFAS concerns.