A Clear Commitment to America’s Waters
7
these issues are being discussed and is preparing to comment on EPA’s
recently released revision to 94 of its human health criteria, many of
which will become significantly more stringent when finalized.
Technical Workgroup Meets on Flushability of Wipes
The technical workgroup that is addressing issues related to the
flushability of wipes held its first in-person meeting onMay 6 and
subsequently met via conference call to continue their dialogue.
The workgroup is comprised of representatives fromNACWA, the
Water Environment Federation (WEF), the American Public Works
Association (APWA), and INDA (the trade association of the nonwoven
fabrics industry). The workgroup is supported by NACWA’s Targeted
Action Fund (TAF) and is part of NACWA’s
ini-
tiative to keep non-flushable wipes and other materials out of the sewer
system. The meeting focused on presenting key facts about wipes from
the perspectives of wastewater utilities and manufacturers and led to a
productive discussion between the two groups.
A series of conference calls and two more in-person meetings of the
workgroup over the summer are targeting the following objectives:
characterizing the nature of impacts fromwipes and other products;
assessing how the Third Edition of the
INDA Flushability Guidelines
do or
do not address concerns about these products; recommending actions
needed to reconcile differences among the parties; and, developing a
process and commitment for continued engagement among the parties
to implement the recommendations. Additional information about
wipes and other products that cause problems for utilities may be found
at
.
Active Regulatory Arena
A
utility of the future-focused delegation of U.S. water sec-
tor leaders attended
Singapore International Water Week
(SIWW), June 1-5, 2014. Participation of this important
delegation was supported through a partnership between
NACWA, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the Water
Environment Research Foundation (WERF). The organizations join
the Singapore Public Utility Board in congratulating scholarship
recipients Jay Bernas, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Virginia
Beach, Va.; Rajendra Bhattarai, Austin Water Utility Environmental
& Regulatory Services, Austin, Texas; Tom Broderick, Loudon Water,
Ashburn, Va.; Sandra Kilroy, King County Wastewater Treatment
Division, Seattle, Wash.; JimMcQuarrie, Metro Wastewater
Reclamation District, Denver, Colo.; Logan Olds, Victor Valley
Wastewater Reclamation Authority, Hesperia, Calif.; Lou Storino,
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Ill.;
and, Diane Taniguchi-Dennis, Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Ore.
on being selected for the delegation.
SIWW is a global platform for water professionals to share innovative
solutions for integration of sustainable water management strategies
with urban planning processes. Scholarship recipients will receive
funds for travel, lodging and registration, and will share the perspec-
tives gained from their experiences upon their return.
Utility of the Future-Focused Delegation Attends SIWW
Legal Issues
EPA’s Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials Rule Challenged
NACWA continued its strong advocacy on sewage sludge incinerator
(SSI) issues by filing a
on April 28 in litigation over EPA’s final
Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials Rule (NHSMRule). This rule, for
the first time, classifies sewage sludge when combusted as a solid waste.
The filing in Solvay USA Inc., et al. v EPA argues that existing federal
solid waste laws have an explicit “domestic sewage exclusion” (DSE) that
prevents EPA from regulating sludge as a solid waste. The NHSMRule
provides a critical regulatory foundation for EPA’s SSI Rule by classify-
ing sewage sludge when combusted as a solid waste, but does not have
any direct regulatory impact on sludge that is managed via means other
than incineration. NACWA’s participation in the NHSMRule legal
challenge is supported by the Association’s SSI Advocacy Coalition.
NACWA Comments on DC Water LTCP Modification
In mid-April, NACWA submitted
in support of efforts by
Association member agency DCWater to modify its current Long-Term
Control Plan (LTCP) and related consent decree. DCWater’s
in-
volves changes to both its LTCP and consent decree by making a signifi-
cant investment in green infrastructure to reduce combined sewer over-
flow (CSO) events. NACWA’s comments endorse DCWater’s proposed
plan, noting it represents an innovative approach that balances the util-
ity’s environmental responsibility to reduce water quality impairment
in local waters with its equally important obligation to make sound eco-
nomic investments with its rate-payers’ dollars.
