Radhika Fox, Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water, announced April 5 the release of a memorandum outlining the Agency’s strategy to accelerate progress on addressing nutrient pollution.

Building on similar memos issued by Nancy Stoner and Joel Beauvais when they led EPA’s Office of Water, Fox’s Accelerating Nutrient Pollution Reductions in the Nation’s Waters memorandum seeks to: 1) Deepen collaborative partnerships with agriculture, 2) Redouble EPA efforts to support states, tribes, and territories to achieve nutrient pollution reductions from all sources, and 3) Utilize EPA’s Clean Water Act authorities to drive progress, innovation, and collaboration. The memo encourages states to pursue a One Water approach and is encouraging in its focus on watershed- and market-based approaches—not solely traditional end-of-pipe limits—when addressing nutrient contributions from point sources. It also stresses the importance of partnerships between water utilities and agriculture, many of which have been spearheaded by NACWA public agency members.

NACWA was briefed by senior Office of Water leaders about the memo last week and we look forward to discussing it further with the membership in the coming weeks. Contact Chris Hornback, NACWA’s Deputy CEO to discuss.