Rep. Blumenauer Introduces Clean Water Trust Fund Bill

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a senior member of the House Ways & Means Committee, introduced The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act on Wednesday, a bill to establish a federal trust fund for investments in clean water infrastructure.  The bill would provide $9 billion annually for clean water investments, much of it going toward the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program.  The legislation calls for a series of fees on a broad range of products that impact, or benefit from, wastewater treatment services. These products include bottled beverages, pharmaceutical and personal care products, and flushable products such as toilet paper.

Rep. Blumenauer’s introduction of this legislation represents an important step in the discussion of how to address a growing clean water infrastructure funding gap in a sustainable way.  While this bill is unlikely to move this Congress, it will provide the basis for a discussion on water investment challenges during next Congress.  NACWA will be encouraging Members of Congress to cosponsor the legislation and will keep members informed of any updates. The legislation does not yet have an official bill number, but NACWA will make this information and the legislation available to members soon.  If you are interested in more information regarding the legislation please contact Hannah Mellman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Healthy Waters Coalition Meets with House Agriculture Committee Staff on Farm Bill

NACWA and other members of the Healthy Waters Coalition (HWC) met this week with staff from both the majority and minority offices of the House Agriculture Committee to discuss the status of the Farm Bill and urge their support for language contained in the Senate’s package that provides stable funding to agricultural producers who engage in nutrient management activities.  Committee staff indicated their support overall for measures to address nutrient management, but did not commit to include the Senate language in the House package prior to conferencing the bill with the Senate.

As a result, and in order to ensure support for maintaining the language when a final bill is negotiated,  the HWC will be reaching out to Members’ offices in critical need areas and encouraging them to weigh in with the Agriculture Committee.  NACWA will be scheduling many of these meetings and will provide members with updates on how this effort is progressing.  Though the current Farm Bill expires on September 30, there is not yet agreement between the House and Senate on how to move forward on a final package.  Major action on the Farm Bill is not anticipated until after the August recess and likely after the elections, providing NACWA and the HWC with some additional time to advance its legislative position.

NACWA Comments on ICLEI Greenhouse Gas Emissions Protocol

NACWA submitted comments on the draft Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting and Reporting Protocol published by ICLEI USA, the U.S. branch of an international association of local governments that have made a commitment to sustainable development.  ICLEI was founded in 1990 as the 'International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives' but now is known simply by its acronym, ICLEI.  NACWA members provide wastewater treatment services for many of ICLEI USA’s 550 members.  The Protocol provides a methodology for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from several different categories, including purchased energy, motor vehicles, as well as wastewater and water.  At this time, calculating and reporting GHG emissions with the Protocol will be voluntary for all ICLEI members.

NACWA commented on the draft Protocol at the request of members who serve ICLEI member communities.  NACWA’s comments supported the Protocol’s statement that “wastewater generation is unavoidable and these wastes must be treated before water is returned to the environment… The practice of wastewater treatment thus provides a non-discretionary service to society.”  NACWA expressed concerns, though, about the level of detail presented in the Protocol for calculating wastewater treatment GHG emissions and recommended a simplified method for estimating them.  NACWA also warned that comparisons between communities, which are encouraged in the Protocol, are inappropriate for wastewater treatment given the unique characteristics of each facility.  NACWA will review the final Protocol when it is released and will keep members informed of all GHG accounting requirements that may affect wastewater utilities.

NACWA Encourages its Members to Meet with Congressional Delegations Back Home

Next week marks the beginning of the August Congressional Recess and Members of Congress will be returning to their home states and districts for four weeks to meet with constituents.  NACWA encourages its members to take advantage of this time and request meetings with Members of your Congressional delegation to talk about the issues most pressing to you.  This is a good time to offer your Member a facility tour, acquaint them with the services your utility provides, and discuss policy issues important to you and the clean water sector in general.  NACWA has prepared fact sheets and talking points on our main advocacy issues, water infrastructure funding , integrated planning , and nutrient management in the Farm Bill that may helpful in discussing some of these national clean water initiatives.  Please feel free to contact Hannah Mellman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for assistance arranging these meetings.

Join Us for NACWA’s Social Market Leadership Web Seminars!

These days, the most powerful methods for building relationships, and impacting customer education and engagement, are personal interaction, word of mouth, and testimonials.  Social media offers unique opportunities and substantial value to utilities with their diverse stakeholders.  Beginning in September, and continuing through the new year, NACWA will convene six exceptional high-value web seminars provided by Summer Conference keynote speaker and author of Return on Impact, David Nour and his colleague and social media expert KiKi L’Italien.

You’ll want to gather your staff for our discussions on real world examples of organizations putting their best foot forward on social media.  Join us as we challenge you to think differently than you have before about the way you communicate!  And if you missed it, please view David Nour’s Summer Conference Keynote as he makes a compelling case for utility engagement in social media.  Visit NACWA’s website for more details on these invaluable Seminars.

Now on YouTube — NACWA’s Video Tribute to the Platinum Peak Performance Honorees

NACWA Platinum Peak Performance awardees were recently honored with a video tribute during an awards ceremony held at the Association’s 2012 Summer Conference.  Member Agency facilities achieving Platinum Peak Performance status have achieved 100% compliance with their national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) for five or more years consecutively. Overall, 137 member agency facilities earned Platinum Peak Performance Awards in 2011 – with over 85% reporting perfect compliance for six or more years.  Set to Lady Antebellum’s 2008 hit single, “I was here”, NACWA’s video tribute illustrates the extraordinary accomplishments, dedication, and hard work of these facilities’ staff.