» Clean Water Current Archive

August 31, 2012

NACWA to Participate in White House Conference on Green Infrastructure

NACWA’s members are on the front lines of managing stormwater in the Nation’s urban areas and fully recognize that doing so is a complex and costly challenge.  As the federal government continues to work on a stormwater rule, this complexity and the potential costs are likely to grow.  With these concerns in mind, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and EPA are hosting a one-day, invitation-only conference —Municipal Stormwater Infrastructure: Going From Grey to Green — to engage a range of stakeholders, including NACWA, on a discussion seeking to explore the role of green infrastructure in managing stormwater.  Invited experts and stakeholders, including several NACWA members, will focus on: 1) defining the range of benefits of green-infrastructure practices; 2) identifying barriers to implementing these practices; 3) evaluating options and opportunities for funding, financing and valuing green infrastructure; and 4) developing practical actions that government, communities and others can take to promote greater implementation of green infrastructure to address urban stormwater. NACWA will report back to its membership on conference developments and EPA and CEQ plan to share any outcomes from the meeting later this fall.

Senate Considers Bill to Improve Extreme Weather Resiliency; NACWA Provides Input

The office of Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) met with NACWA this week to express interest in introducing legislation to develop a federal extreme weather resiliency plan to help minimize the costs associated with extreme weather events like flooding, drought, and extreme temperatures.  The bill would commission a government-wide analysis of current and planned activities related to extreme weather resilience and include goals and objectives for the water and wastewater sector.  Based on this analysis, a national resiliency plan would then be created to help facilitate information exchange between federal, state, and local officials; improve coordination amongst key government entities, and maximize interagency collaboration.  The goal of this bill is to help the country be better prepared to withstand, rapidly recover from, and adapt to extreme weather conditions.  Although Senator Kerry would like to introduce this bill in September, he is currently seeking a Republican co-sponsor.  NACWA will keep members informed when more information about this bill becomes available.

NACWA Discusses Integrated Planning, Utility of the Future Efforts at Key Venues

NACWA participated in the joint conference of the Kansas Water Environment Association and Kansas Section of the American Water Works Association in Topeka, Kansas this week. The annual meeting attracts over 700 water professionals from across the state.  NACWA’s remarks focused on the energy and resource recovery initiatives currently underway at utilities nationwide and how these existing efforts are providing a glimpse of the future of clean water management.  Utility managers are increasingly looking beyond the four corners of the Clean Water Act at how they can improve environmental performance and benefit the community all while working to improve their bottom line and NACWA provided a brief overview of how its new utility of the future initiative will help to foster these efforts.  NACWA is working with the Water Environment Federation and the Water Environment Research Foundation on a Utility of the Future Blueprint for Action scheduled to be finalized early next year.

NACWA staff and Association Secretary Adel Hagekhalil, Assistant Director, Bureau of Sanitation, City of Los Angeles joined EPA’s Permits Division Director, Deborah Nagle, on a panel at the American Public Works Association’s 2012 Congress and Exposition in Los Angeles this week to discuss the importance of the Agency’s integrated planning framework.  NACWA focused on the importance of implementing the framework, provided case studies of a number of cities that have already benefitted from the increased flexibility available through the framework, and discussed the need to continue to advance the types of flexibilities envisioned in its Money Matters . . . Smarter Investment to Advance Clean Water™ campaign. Hagekhalil provided a compelling overview of how the City of Los Angeles could benefit from the integrated planning approach and work the City is doing with the State and EPA to ensure that more holistic watershed approaches are implemented to meet the expanding requirements of the Clean Water Act.  Both NACWA and EPA expressed a commitment to work together to ensure the successful implementation of the integrated planning approach both in the permitting and enforcement contexts.

What is the Definition of Flushable? NACWA’s Blog Provides Answers

This week on The Water Voice — NACWA’s blog — a lively discussion took place regarding a post, "Flushable" Wipes, Clogging Pipes, which stated that, "There are no requirements that a product must meet to be labeled flushable, and products labeled as flushable may still cause problems in the sewer system because they do not disperse nearly as rapidly as toilet paper." One respondent noted, "At my last authority we had a lot of problems with "flushable" wipes, both from day cares and retirement facilities." Another wrote, "Let's hope this generates a lot of hits and builds momentum for a universal "NO FLUSH" label and instructions on all products that do not meet the INDA/EDANA Flushability Guidelines."  INDA and EDANA represent the non-woven fabrics industry in the U.S. and Europe respectively. Members and other interested parties are encouraged to participate in this and other blog discussions at The Water Voice.

Register for NACWA’s Social Market Leadership Web Seminars and Kick-Start Your Program!

These days, the most powerful methods of building relationships and impacting customer education and engagement are personal interaction, word of mouth, and testimonials. Beginning on September 12 and continuing next year, NACWA will convene six exceptional high-value web seminars on social media for public utilities. Issues and media covered in these web seminars include:

• Blogging, Content Curation and Online Presence Best Practices
• Why You Should Get Proactive on Twitter Now!
• Are You Really LinkedIn?
• Leveraging Facebook for Utilities
• YouTube and the Power of Video
• Emerging Social Applications – Foursquare, Pinterest, and Storify

You’ll want to gather your staff as we explore the many real-world examples of organizations putting their best foot forward on social media.  Join us as we challenge you to think differently than you have before about the way you communicate!  Visit NACWA’s website for more details on these invaluable web seminars.

Have You Registered Yet for Law & Order: SPU (Special Pretreatment Unit)?

On September 20, 2:00-3:30 pm ET, NACWA will present Law & Order: SPU (Special Pretreatment Unit), a web seminar featuring two case studies about local pretreatment programs that investigated and pursued legal action against illicit dischargers. This web seminar offers the perfect opportunity for all of your utility’s pretreatment staff to learn about the legal and technical nexus that is the foundation of the pretreatment program’s success so register today!