» Clean Water Current Archive

August 21, 2009

Clean Water Funding Network Hosts Lively Call on Generating Support for Funding Bills

The Clean Water Funding Network, created by NACWA as a focal point for the discussion of federal initiatives in the funding/financing arena, held the third in a series of conference calls Aug. 18 that focused on how to write letters and set up meetings with members of Congress on federal funding-related legislation of critical importance to the clean water community.  The featured speaker on the call was Erin Allweiss, director of communications for Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.).  Blumenauer introduced the Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 3202), which would create a $10 billion per year clean water trust fund that would be financed with fees on industry sectors and manufacturers with a close nexus to water/wastewater treatment.  Allweiss emphasized the importance of “keeping the issue local” when focusing on a bill of national importance, such as the trust fund bill.  “Help them understand the local implications of these huge local issues,” she said.  In addition, clean water agencies should be writing op-ed pieces and letters to the editor that respond to a local news item.  For example, in the case of a water main break, a letter or op-ed could point out the importance of getting the federal government to recommit to the crucial partnership that helped us achieve the water quality improvements since passage of the Clean Water Act nearly 40 years ago.

Allweiss also gave pointers about setting up meetings with members of Congress, including meetings at the member’s local district office.  Mostly likely, meetings would be with staff people who track the issue, but setting up a meeting at the district office will increase the chances of getting a follow-up meeting while visiting Washington, D.C.  To set up such a meeting, Allweiss noted, it is important to plan at least a month in advance with the Member of Congress’ scheduler.

The call also included a Washington update from NACWA staff and featured a lively discussion among the participants.  NACWA President Kevin Shafer, executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, spoke about how he has worked with his local newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, to highlight local needs and the funding needed to address issues at his utility.  He has been successful in making the issue a local one, showing benefits of additional funding for clean water infrastructure.

The Clean Water Funding Network website has also been updated to include sample letters under the Outreach Toolkits section that can be used to correspond with members of Congress and with state and local officials to enlist their help in advocating for clean water funding.  NACWA member agencies and non-members alike are encouraged to go to the Clean Water Funding Network and join so that they can receive the latest information regarding advocacy efforts on behalf of more federal funding.  The site is not just limited to the trust fund bill, but also provides information on efforts to advance Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) reauthorization legislation in the Senate, as well as seeking increased CWSRF funding in the annual appropriations process.   For more information, please contact NACWA’s This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at (202) 833-3280 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , who has been instrumental in putting the site together, at (317) 407-0148.

EPA Sends Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule to Budget Office

A draft final rule that would establish national greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting requirements was sent this week to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review.  NACWA submitted comments  in June on the proposed rule , which explicitly excluded emissions from the wastewater treatment process.  Clean water agencies could be covered under the rule’s stationary combustion category because of the various types of units that they operate, including electricity generating units, boilers, and sewage sludge incinerators.  Calculating emissions from these units can be a complicated process, and NACWA recommended in its comments that EPA provide clearer instructions for when a facility must perform these calculations for comparison against the reporting threshold.  NACWA also recommended that EPA slow down its aggressive implementation schedule for reporting, and include an opt-out provision for facilities that reduce their GHG emissions below reporting thresholds.  EPA has not released the version of the reporting rule that it sent to OMB, and the Agency will not state which comments were addressed in the new version of the rule.  NACWA will inform members of any new information as it becomes available.

NACWA Participates in USGS Briefing on Key Mercury Report

NACWA was briefed in a meeting today by officials with the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) and the Toxic Substances Hydrology Programs of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on a report, Mercury in Fish, Bed Sediment, and Water from Streams Across the United States, 1998-2005, showing mercury contamination in every fish sampled from 291 streams across the country.  NACWA has stepped up its collaboration with USGS, and formalized this relationship by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the agency at the 2009 Summer Conference in Milwaukee (Please refer to the July 17 Clean Water Current).  NACWA participated in the briefing as a member of the National Liaison Committee for the NAWQA Program.

At the briefing, USGS said that some of the highest levels of mercury in fish were found in the eastern and southeastern states, especially in forested watersheds with larger areas of wetlands, and that the primary source of contamination is air deposition from coal-fired power plants.  USGS said its research shows that transformation of total mercury loads into methylmercury — the form most easily taken up by aquatic organisms — depends on many different environmental factors.  The presence of wetlands, which increase the dissolved organic carbon in water, particularly led to higher levels of methylmercury transformation.  The briefing by USGS concluded with a discussion of the implications of this research on mercury control policies.  NACWA will continue to work with the USGS through its new partnership to help improve the understanding of the links between water and wastewater treatment and the impacts to the natural environment.

New Guidance Released for Flu Season Preparations

New guidance was released this week by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help utilities, as providers of an essential service and major employers, plan for the upcoming flu season.  Outbreaks of both the H1N1 flu (“swine flu”) and seasonal flu are expected this fall and winter, and the CDC is encouraging businesses to take a strong role in preventing and mitigating spread of the flu viruses.  It is recommended that all employees and their families be encouraged to receive vaccinations for the seasonal flu.  Employees and their family members who fall into priority groups for H1N1 immunization should get the vaccination as soon as it is available.  Good hygiene practices, such as coughing and sneezing into a sleeve rather than a hand, should also be encouraged as well as frequent hand washing with soap and water.  It is recommended that sick leave policies may also need to be re-evaluated to allow employees with flu symptoms to stay home and not return to work until 24 hours after their fever has ended, without obtaining a doctor’s note to avoid overloading the health care system.  The new guidance includes lists of actions that should be taken now to prepare for the upcoming flu season, and utilities should review this guidance and visit http://www.flu.gov/ for more information about the flu and appropriate preparation measures.