NACWA met this week with Jessica Kramer, Assistant Administrator for Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other senior Office of Water officials to discuss some of the Association’s top advocacy priorities.   

Central to the meeting were conversations around PFAS, biosolids, affordability, integrated planning, water reuse, and Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting issues. 

In a positive development for NACWA and its members, EPA indicated that it would soon be publishing – likely within the next week or two – a request for public comment to start a process to develop a new, revised Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) guidance.   

NACWA understands that the notice will not be a draft guidance but instead a series of questions that EPA would like input on to help develop a new guidance. EPA will then take the input received and use it to craft a new proposed FCA document. NACWA has been a strong advocate for developing a new FCA guidance and will share the notice with the membership as soon as it is available. The comment period is expected to be 60 days.  

On the PFAS front, EPA staff said that they are hoping to have more information to share on the planned path forward on the draft biosolids risk assessment for PFAS in the coming weeks. The Agency has been thoroughly reviewing the comments that were received on the draft risk assessment, and staff indicated they were looking to move in a direction that acknowledges and reflects many of the concerns raised by the clean water utility sector.  

NACWA also discussed Integrated Planning (IP) with EPA, requesting that the Agency consider issuing some kind of document or memorandum to all the EPA regions and states that recommits EPA to IP as a critical planning and investment tool. NACWA also requested EPA develop a series of actions and resources to help better support those states that have been reluctant to embrace IP to date. EPA is interested in pursuing these ideas and NACWA looks forward to additional collaboration with the Agency on this initiative.  

NACWA appreciates the opportunity to meet with Assistant Administrator Kramer and other EPA staff. Members with questions can contact Nathan Gardner-Andrews, NACWA’s Chief Advocacy & Outreach Officer.