» Clean Water Current Archive

October 30, 2009

NACWA Testifies in Senate on Climate Change

This was a busy week for NACWA and the water sector in the climate change arena.  Although many of the climate impacts and the benefits of NACWA’s advocacy may not be immediately realized, legislation is being developed now and it is critical that the Association position the Nation’s clean water agencies as a vital voice in this debate early and often.  In line with this objective, NACWA testified jointly with the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) on Wednesday before the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee as part of a week-long series of hearings on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S.1733).  CASA President, Ronald E. Young, General Manager of the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water Agency, represented both organizations at the hearing and discussed the need to include adaptation funding for wastewater utilities in the legislation.  He also urged the Committee to include language in the package to enable wastewater utilities to participate in a national renewable electricity portfolio standard.   The legislation, which mirrors in many respects legislation passed earlier this year by the House, establishes a cap and trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and includes provisions to help drinking water and wastewater facilities with funding for adaptation.  The NACWA-CASA testimony  is available on our website .  The Senate EPW Committee is expected to report out the legislation prior to Thanksgiving recess next month.

NACWA & AMWA Release Report on Climate Change Adaptation

NACWA and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) this week released a report detailing the impacts climate change will have on wastewater and drinking water utilities, estimating the adaptation costs for these critical facilities to be between $448 billion and $944 billion through 2050.  The report , Confronting Climate Change: an Early Analysis of Water and Wastewater Adaptation Costs, offers this cost estimate of adaptation needs in order to address a range of potential climate change impacts — from re-siting coastal facilities to impacts on water supply and wastewater treatment from altered precipitation patterns.  Provided to the membership via this Clean Water Current, the report will also be the focus of a Member Update on Monday, providing additional information and analysis.  The publication is intended to provide policymakers and utility managers with a better understanding of the challenges faced by utilities as they work to ensure reliable water and wastewater services in the face of a changing climate.   CASA President, Ron Young, showcased the report as part of his testimony before the Senate EPW Committee this week (see preceding article) and NACWA also released the report via press release and received significant attention for it in the trade press.

NACWA Participates in Interagency Climate Change Listening Session

Also on the climate change front, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has formed an Interagency Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup that includes the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and EPA, to develop recommendations for climate change adaptation.  NACWA participated in a listening session for state, municipal, and water utility organizations, during which the workgroup asked for input on programs, policies, or other actions that federal agencies should pursue to support or guide climate change adaptation efforts.  The workgroup also asked for recommendations of effective models for coordination among government agencies and ideas for integrating adaptation planning with existing water resources planning.  Many groups, including NACWA, emphasized the need for better climate change data and models to help utilities and water resource managers plan appropriately for adaptation, as well as the need for more holistic watershed-based approaches to water quantity and quality issues.  NACWA will coordinate with its Climate Change Committee to provide additional written comments to the workgroup by November 13, and CEQ will make the information collected public sometime in the future.

Congress Approves EPA Funding Bill Including NACWA-Backed Subsidization Provisions

This week Congress approved the fiscal year 2010 Interior Appropriations bill which provides approximately $10.3 billion for EPA, including significant funding for wastewater and water infrastructure projects.  Specifically, the legislation provides approximately $2.1 billion in funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and $1.39 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).  This represents an increase of approximately $1.98 billion for the funds in comparison to levels provided in fiscal year 2009.  In FY09 the CWSRF received $689 million and the DWSRF received $829 million.  Significantly, also included in the legislation is a similar, “carry-over” provision on additional subsidization from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the stimulus package).  The provision in the Appropriations bill directs states to provide at least 30 percent of CWSRF and DWSRF funds to eligible recipients in the form of principal forgiveness, negative interest loans, and/or grants.  These funds are of great assistance to economically-challenged municipalities who otherwise might not be able to afford critical water infrastructure projects.  NACWA’s effort to include this provision in the ARRA is widely viewed as the impetus for this important and lasting change to the SRF program.  It is anticipated that the legislation will be signed by President Obama in the near future.

NACWA to Testify Next Week at House Hearing on Stimulus Package

Michael Gritzuk, Director of the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department in Tucson, Arizona, will be testifying on behalf of NACWA on November 4 before the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee at a hearing titled “Recovery Act: Progress Report on Water Resources Infrastructure Investment.”  The hearing will examine the progress being made under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  NACWA will be testifying regarding the assistance provided by the ARRA to some of its member agencies, including Pima County.  NACWA will urge the Subcommittee to continue to examine how project prioritization and funding distribution decisions could be improved to ensure that, if a second stimulus package becomes a viable possibility, projects are chosen in a manner that ensures an equitable distribution between rural, urban, and suburban areas.  NACWA continues to advocate for a long-term, sustainable solution to the Nation’s water infrastructure funding needs and will make its testimony available to the membership in next week’s Current.

Chairman Jim Oberstar Sees Need, Supports Water Trust Fund Concept

Representatives from NACWA and the Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) met with Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) this week to discuss the need for a water trust fund.  WIN and NACWA stakeholders thanked him for his support of previous funding efforts and urged him to lend his endorsement to the concept of a trust fund and to help NACWA and WIN in their efforts to secure support for The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 3202).  During these discussions, Chairman Oberstar committed to action and commented that the current funding system — reliance on the general budget for increased funds — is no longer adequate to keep pace with ever-growing needs and demands.

Later in the day, NACWA President Kevin Shafer, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage Agency, and Marianne Bohren, Executive Director, Western Lake Superior Sanitary District in Duluth, Minnesota, met with Chairman Oberstar to follow up on the morning discussions.  During their meeting, the chairman further solidified his commitment saying that he would “work with Rep. Blumenauer in support of the creation of a water trust fund.”  NACWA will continue to work with WIN and others to capitalize on the momentum from this significant development to build support for the legislation in the coming weeks.

Chemical Security Bill Readied for House Floor, Reflects NACWA Advocacy Efforts

NACWA learned yesterday, from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) office, that House chemical security legislation is likely to be taken up on the floor next week, possibly as early as November 4.  The Association was successful in its effort to exempt wastewater facilities from some of the requirements in the bill that would apply to private chemical security facilities.  Additionally, the House legislation — the Chemical and Water Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2868) — will contain a separate drinking water and wastewater title (Title III) that will ensure that EPA has primary jurisdiction over chemical security at wastewater and drinking water agencies and authorizes $1 billion in grants for enhancing the overall security of wastewater treatment facilities.  While the provisions in the bill are less onerous than those for chemical facilities, the legislation  does require that wastewater treatment agencies that operate at or above 2.5 MGD complete a vulnerability assessment, a site security plan, and an emergency response plan every 5 years – or when a significant operational change is made at the covered facility.  Facilities would also be required to examine the use of inherently safer technologies and submit these findings to their state primacy agency for review.

NACWA played an integral role in reaching this resolution by advocating the Administration and Congress for single jurisdiction for wastewater and drinking water utilities under EPA.  Most recently, NACWA worked with majority staff from the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, as well as with House leadership, to ensure that the T&I version of the bill, The Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2883), was the basis for the final House package.   In support of this effort, NACWA led a coalition of stakeholders, including AMWA, CASA, the WaterReuse Association, the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), the Water Environment Foundation, and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) that expressed the importance of reaching a resolution in advance of House floor consideration.  With House passage imminent, NACWA staff will continue to press the case for single jurisdiction under EPA in the Senate, while working to ensure that the Senate’s proposal does not mandate any additional requirements for wastewater utilities.

NACWA Plans Flow Web Seminar Series. . . Save the Dates

NACWA is finalizing plans for its upcoming suite of web seminars, The Flow Series, which will address some of the most pressing wet weather issues and provide important information for both clean water utilities and stormwater management agencies struggling to manage wet weather flows.  The series of four Flow web seminars are provided as part of NACWA’s FY 2010 Wet Weather Advocacy Project (WWAP).  Each will take place from 2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern Time on the following dates with the following themes:

December 9, 2009
Stormwater Management:  What Really Works?

March 10, 2010
Climate Change:  It’s All About Water!

June 9, 2010
Water Quality: The True Impact of Stormwater Runoff!

September 8, 2010
Green Infrastructure:  What’s Legal?

NACWA members will be able to access The Flow Series through a reduced fee registration for all four events, or individually.  Additional information on The Flow Series, including online registration, will be available soon.