NACWA staff traveled to Vancouver, Wash., this week to give the keynote address at the Pacific Northwest Pretreatment Workshop. The keynote provided updates on the regulatory, legislative, and legal events of 2025 that affect public clean water utilities, and particularly their pretreatment programs.     

The conference draws pretreatment professionals from across the Pacific Northwest for training and presentations on relevant pretreatment issues and case studies. PFAS was a major topic of discussion, with NACWA staff highlighting current actions the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking to address PFAS in wastewater.  

NACWA also discussed its advocacy on other issues, including wipes and EPA’s proposed pretreatment standards for the Meat & Poultry Products category, which were recently withdrawn as recommended by NACWA. In addition, NACWA gave a second presentation about EPA’s effluent guidelines program and additional work on PFAS, to fill in for EPA staff who could not attend due to the federal government shutdown.   

The workshop also included presentations on Washington state’s regulatory actions on PFAS, case studies of utilities working to reduce PFAS sources, pollution prevention measures at food production facilities, and management of fats, oils, and grease at food service establishments, including food trucks.   

Members with questions may contact  Cynthia Finley, NACWA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs.