» Clean Water Current Archive

January 27, 2012

NACWA Prepares for First EPA Workshop on Integrated Planning – Working Draft of Association Comments Now Available

NACWA representatives will participate in the first of five workshops on EPA’s new integrated municipal planning initiative on Tuesday in Atlanta.  Since the release of EPA’s draft framework on January 13, NACWA has been working to develop a list of questions and comments on the framework.  Today, the Association is making a working draft of its comments available to the membership to help members planning to participate in the EPA meetings.  Based on initial review of the framework, NACWA is optimistic that the integrated planning initiative could provide an alternative pathway for some members to address their Clean Water Act (CWA) obligations in a more rational, cost-effective manner.  The Association also wants to make sure that the planning process EPA seeks is as streamlined as possible, and helpful for the broad array of NACWA public agency members.

The Association’s comments make the point that additional details are needed before the Association can fully evaluate the potential for this new initiative to provide timely and significant relief to the clean water community.  Details on how these plans will be implemented through the CWA permitting program, or some other mechanism, also need to be fleshed out – as do the roles that adaptive management and affordability considerations play within the framework.  NACWA hopes to gain insight into these and other issues through the upcoming workshops and will continue to update the working draft as ideas, issues, and concerns crystallize.  The Association welcomes additional input from members and will utilize working draft as the basis of Association’s written comments, due to EPA by February 29.

In a parallel effort, NACWA continues to meet with key House and Senate offices to develop bipartisan support for related integrated planning legislation.  The legislation would ensure EPA continues to pursue this effort in a timely manner and also seeks to ensure that permits reflect the longer and sequential compliance terms contemplated in EPA’s framework.

NACWA Discusses Innovative Financing with House Water Resources Subcommittee

NACWA met today with majority staff of Chairman Bob Gibbs’ (R-Ohio) House Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee.  The staff discussed their ongoing work on draft legislation to address several innovative financing options, including but not limited to, the Water Infrastructure Financing & Innovation Authority (WIFIA) loan guaranty program and lifting the cap on private activity bonds for water and wastewater projects.  NACWA echoed its long-standing concerns that these efforts not hinder – but instead complement – existing funding levels for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).  The Association suggested that not be characterized as a panacea, but instead as potential tools in the toolbox that could add value for utilities.  The Subcommittee has a number of other priorities they must first act on, including an aviation bill, transportation bill, and the Water Resources & Development Act (WRDA) bill for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, before focusing on water financing legislation.  In line with this effort, the Subcommittee is planning to hold a hearing at the end of February.  NACWA will be working closely with the Subcommittee to ensure that the Association is represented and that the municipal voice is heard.

NACWA also received a strong commitment from Subcommittee staff regarding the Chairman’s willingness to introduce the Association’s draft integrated planning legislation at the appropriate time (see related story).  The Association will keep members updated on this legislative effort as they occur.

Water Sector Associations Discuss Incident Reporting with DHS

NACWA, the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) met with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staff this week to discuss the reporting of security-related incidents at drinking water and wastewater utilities.  The associations and DHS discussed potential strategies to improve the reporting of incidents and the dissemination of information to utilities.  While some incidents at utilities are reported in the media, others are not.  Utilities should be aware that suspicious activity continues to occur, and all incidents – regardless of the scope or presumed credibility – should be reported.  The water sector associations plan to release a joint statement to their members in the coming weeks with further information about suspicious activity and incident reporting.  Please contact Cynthia Finley at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions you may have.

NACWA Security Committee to Meet via Web
On a related front, NACWA’s Security & Emergency Preparedness Committee will have a web-based meeting on Thursday, February 23, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern, to discuss incident reporting and other security-related issues.  All NACWA members are invited to participate.  Participation in the virtual committee meeting is complimentary, but pre-registration is required.  Please see NACWA’s Security & Emergency Preparedness webpage for a link to registration.  All NACWA public utility members are encouraged to participate in the virtual meeting and have a representative join the Security & Emergency Preparedness Committee.

NACWA Brings Clean Water Message to Northeast, San Francisco Bay Area

NACWA shared its perspectives on the top national water issues with members and other clean water community stakeholders this week at the New England Water Environment Association’s (NEWEA) meeting in Boston, and at the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA) meeting in San Leandro, Calif.  Though each of these regions face unique challenges, the mounting regulatory burden – combined with the current economic situation – is highlighting the need for new ways to ensure water quality throughout the country.  One of the top discussion items at both meetings was EPA’s new integrated municipal planning initiative, which the Agency hopes will provide an alternative, more common-sense approach to meeting the goals of the CWA.

The combined efforts of NACWA’s Money Matters…Smarter Investment to Advance Clean Water™ campaign and coordinated advocacy from communities and regional wastewater groups across the country spurred the development of EPA’s integrated planning framework.  While many details regarding EPA’s new initiative remain unclear, this action by EPA underscores the importance of continued collaboration at the national, regional and state levels.  Recognizing the economic challenges facing the clean water community, and the importance of speaking with one voice on key issues, NACWA will continue its efforts to reach out to state and regional groups and broaden its access to public agency perspectives from across the country.

Have You Made Your Plans? NACWA’s Winter Conference is Only Two Weeks Away!

Time is running out for you to join NACWA February 12 – 15, 2012 at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza, for Watershed Moment in the Making...Conquering the Challenges of the New Regulatory Frontier.  This year’s Winter Conference program will focus on the increasing regulatory requirements clean water utilities are facing – and the emerging suite of creative and ahead-of-the-curve solutions being employed to address these regulatory pressures.  Registration for NACWA’s Conference, the agenda , and a registered participants list are available for download.  Make your hotel reservations at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza today by contacting the Omni at 213.617.3300 to guarantee the special conference rate of $199 single/double.  Please mention that you are a participant in NACWA’s 2012 Winter Conference.  Visit www.nacwa.org/12winter for more details.