» Clean Water Current Archive

January 31, 2014

House Passes Farm Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2642, The 2014 Agricultural Act also known as the Farm Bill, this week by a vote of 251 to 166. In a press release, NACWA applauded the passage of the bill, which includes key provisions in the newly-established Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)  which the Association, as part of the Healthy Water Coalition (HWC), worked to include. These provisions ensure that nutrient management activities on the farm receive priority conservation funding. The bill allows farmers that are part of a partnership agreement to receive five-year contracts and special payments for nutrient management-related activities. The bill also clarifies that municipal water and wastewater entities are eligible partners under the RCPP, and specifically cites partnerships that execute innovative water quality improvement measures as a type of partnership eligible for conservation funding. The HWC distributed this letter  to all members of the House of Representatives prior to the vote, urging them to vote in favor of the bill. The Senate could vote on the Farm Bill as early as next week, and NACWA will keep members updated as new developments occur and will be working with its members to take advantage of these new opportunities.

Summary of National Water Reuse Survey Results Available, Coalition Moves Forward

NACWA collaborated with the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), WateReuse Association, and the Western Recycled Water Coalition in October 2013 to conduct a National Survey of Recycled Water Projects of their combined utility members. There were over 250 utility respondents to the survey and the summary

shows 92 organizations/agencies in 14 states are developing recycled water projects. The volumes are significant: 900,000 acre feet per year of water reuse projects (enough to fill over 450,000 olympic-sized swimming pools) are currently in development around the country, with the majority of reuse projects planned in California and Texas.

The clean water organizations are working together to leverage the results of the survey in a number of ways. In light of the ongoing drought situation in California, coalition members in those states are taking the lead on prioritizing reuse projects under the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (CWSRF) and working to develop strong support from California’s Congressional delegation to take the lead on national reuse funding programs. NACWA continues to seek initial support from key policymakers for the Technology Innovation and Resource Recovery Fund (TIRRF), which would expand the existing Green Project Reserve (GPR) from a 20% to a 30% set aside within the CWSRF while expanding the types of eligible projects to include the array of innovative projects touted within the Water Resources Utility of the Future (UOTF) initiative: 1) green infrastructure; 2) energy conservation and production; 3) water reuse and recycling; and 4) resource recovery. Additionally, NACWA will be developing a water reuse federal advocacy document, focusing on legislative and administrative mechanisms that would put the appropriate framework in place to support members who are exploring water reuse as an element of their UOTF agendas.

NACWA Provides Public Agency Perspective on Flushability at INDA Conference

NACWA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, Cynthia Finley, presented the wastewater utility perspective on flushable products at the VISION Conference convened by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry. Representatives from all aspects of the nonwoven fabrics industry attended the conference. The Flushability in the Works session included a presentation by Steve Ogle, Technical Director at INDA, on how INDA is working with the wastewater industry on problems related to wipes, including Maine’s Save Your Pipes: Don’t Flush Baby Wipes public education campaign, which was launched last week (see January 24 Current for more information). NACWA’s presentation focused on the problems that wastewater utilities are experiencing due to non-dispersible products that are flushed into the sewer system, including all types of wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene products, and dental floss, and the additional and unnecessary costs related to these problems.

INDA, NACWA, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), and the American Public Works Association (APWA) are in the preliminary stages of forming a technical workgroup to deal with issues related to flushability. NACWA’s Board of Directors approved a Targeted Action Fund (TAF) project for the technical workgroup in November, and the workgroup facilitator is currently conducting interviews which will help determine how the workgroup will function and the topics that it will address. Dave Rousse, President of INDA, will be speaking at the NACWA Winter Conference next week to share INDA’s perspectives on the flushable wipes issue, and NACWA will provide an update on all activities related to wipes and other non-dispersible products during the Facility & Collection System Committee meeting at the conference.

NACWA to Review EPA Update of Human Health Criteria 

NACWA learned this week during a briefing with EPA staff that the Agency is preparing to release a package of documents intended to make nearly all of EPA’s human health criteria – 93 organic pollutants – consistent with its Methodology for Deriving Ambient Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Human Health, published in 2000. EPA is updating toxicity information (reference doses, cancer slope factors), applying a relative source contribution (RSC) of 20 percent for non-carcinogens, replacing biological concentration factors (BCFs) with biological accumulation factors (BAFs), and updating exposure information including fish consumption rates and bodyweight and drinking water intake assumptions. EPA is planning to release the package in late February or early March for a 60-day public comment period.

While NACWA does not yet have all the details, the net effect of the changes will result in more stringent criteria and could result in selected bioaccumulative human health pollutant criteria decreasing (becoming more stringent) by up to 50 times. One of the most contentious issues, which is currently being hotly debated in Washington State, is the issue of fish consumption rates. NACWA understands that EPA is likely to make only minor changes to the current fish consumption rate on the national level, but will include in its release some “sub-national levels” that could mirror the more stringent levels recently adopted by Oregon and currently being considered in Washington. There is a short list of pollutants that, for various reasons, will not be included in the update. Those pollutants include: PCBs, asbestos, methylmercury, dioxin, nitrates, nitrosamines, and several inorganic metals including arsenic and thalium. NACWA’s Water Quality Committee will be discussing this issue during its upcoming meeting in Santa Fe and will alert the membership when the materials are posted for review.

March 21 Deadline Looms for SSIs to Submit ‘Complete’ Title V Permits

All sewage sludge incinerators (SSIs) not previously subject to Clean Air Act (CAA) Title V permitting requirements must submit a complete Title V application by March 21, 2014, pursuant to the new SSI maximum achievable control technology (MACT) regulations published in March 2011. It is possible that some SSIs might have been required to submit their applications prior to this date as a result of actions by their state, but March 21 is the latest date for submittal. This deadline is statutory and EPA’s delay in releasing the Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) for the MACT rules, or the fact that many states have not yet developed their own implementation plans, does not relieve SSIs of this obligation. A “complete” title V permit application, according to EPA’s regulations, “is one that has been determined or deemed complete by the relevant permitting authority under section 503(d) of the Clean Air Act” and the relevant regulatory provisions. The deadline for updating existing Title V permits to include the new SSI regulations, for utilities operating SSIs that were already subject to Title V permitting prior to the March 2011 rules, depends on a number of other factors and is not tied to the March 21 date.

Have a Peak Performing Facility? Apply Today and Get Recognized!

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to be recognized! NACWA is currently accepting applications for the 2013 Peak Performance Awards. All eligible member agencies are encouraged to submit their nomination as soon as possible. The Peak Performance Awards is a nationally recognized program that acknowledges member agency facilities for excellence in wastewater treatment as measured by their compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements.

The deadline for submissions to the Peak Performance Awards is April 4, 2014. Visit NACWA’s website for more information on the Peak Performance Awards program and apply today!

NACWA Blog of the Week:
As Obama State of the Union Highlights Climate Commitment, NACWA Ramps Up Efforts on Utility Resiliency

With this week's State of the Union address underscoring the Administration’s commitment to advancing a climate/resiliency agenda, NACWA has been holding discussions with EPA on how to work with the Agency to ensure the clean water community’s voice is heard before new policies are advanced. In line with the Water Resources Utility of the Future initiative, NACWA is making its state and federal partners fully aware that public clean water agencies are the first responders to extreme weather events — whether the situation involves a drought or wet weather. As part of this effort, NACWA is joining with the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) on a Water Resilience Summit, April 8-9, as part of Water Week. To learn more about these issues and efforts, visit NACWA’s The Water Voice blog, where the clean water sector voices its opinions on priority issues. Subscribe today!

Safe Travels to Santa Fe!

We are looking forward to seeing you for our 2014 Winter Conference, Compliance, Collaboration & Cost . . . Critical Drivers for Clean Water next week. Travel safe.