» Clean Water Current Archive

May 16, 2014

WRRDA Conference Report Released

House and Senate conferees for H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) released the much anticipated conference report Thursday and announced the House would likely vote on the measure next Tuesday, with a Senate vote likely to follow by week’s end. The WRRDA package authorizes projects overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that address flood control, inland waterways used for transporting goods and ports. Typically considered every two years, Congress last authorized it in 2007. This year’s package includes, for the first time, provisions dealing with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and a new funding mechanism for investments in flood control projects and water and wastewater projects referred to as the Water Infrastructure Finance & Innovation Act (WIFIA).

Highlights of the provisions related to the CWSRF include extending SRF loan repayment term up to 30 years, codification of additional subsidization, expanding eligible activities to include projects addressing water and energy efficiency, and codification of Buy American requirements – all provisions that have either been included in past reauthorization proposals or in annual appropriation bills. The WIFIA program is included as a pilot and designed to provide direct loans and loan guarantees to projects that are too large for the SRF programs to finance. In fact, due to concern that a WIFIA program would potentially replace the SRF program, conferees included a requirement that all projects applying for assistance under the WIFIA would first need to seek assistance under the SRF program. The fact that conferees included provisions related to the SRF indicates a strong commitment on the part of Congress to ensure the SRF program remains strong and continues providing low-cost financing for wastewater projects. NACWA will provide a complete analysis of the package in an Advocacy Alert to its members next week. In the meantime, Members having questions should contact Patricia Sinicropi, NACWA Legislative Director at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

VoW Coalition Launches New Effort, Releases Research

At a panel event Wednesday, in Washington, DC, the Value of Water (VoW) Coalition announced new efforts to demonstrate the critical role water infrastructure plays in our national economy. The new effort – Water Works! – kicked off with a panel discussion around the current condition of the nation’s water infrastructure and the growth and opportunity it drives. The events this week were part of Infrastructure Week 2014.

The Coalition includes leading public and private organizations from the water sector. Current members of the VoW Coalition are American Water, American Water Works Association (AWWA), Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), CH2M HILL, MWH Global, National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), United Water, Veolia Water, Water Environment Federation (WEF) and Xylem Inc. The U.S. Water Alliance is project manager for the Coalition.

NACWA Member Agencies DC Water and the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati were represented on the panel by George Hawkins, General Manager, and Tony Parrott, Executive Director, respectively. The event was held in the Knight Conference Center at The Newseum and webcast to a national audience. “Most people appreciate the clean water flowing from their taps and are glad to see the toilet flush,” said Tony Parrott, “But few people realize how fundamentally water is tied to all elements of a functioning economy. The water industry doesn’t just mean jobs at the local water treatment plant – the industry contributes jobs across the national economy.”

The event showcased the Coalition’s Water Works! campaign. Water Works! leverages efforts to increase public awareness on the importance of clean and safe water to every community, and the need to invest in the infrastructure that provides quality service and economic opportunity. As part of the campaign the Coalition has compiled new and existing research that underscores not only the needed investment in our nation’s water infrastructure, but also some of the attitudes Americans have toward this infrastructure. The resulting paper, From Invisible to Invaluable: Changing the Way We Think About Water Infrastructure, details the implications that the health of our water infrastructure holds for homes, businesses and local and national economies. The Water Works! campaign is based around four basic messages to help communicate to the general public the value of water infrastructure: that water connects us; that it grows jobs and opportunities; that it keeps us safe and healthy; and, that it sustains our environment.

The Coalition’s efforts are featured in this week’s NACWA blog, The Water Voice. You may also visit the Value of Water Coalition and its Water Works! campaign online at http://thevalueofwater.org/ and follow the coalition on Twitter at @TheValueOfWater and join in the national conversation on water infrastructure using the hashtag #valueofwater.

Senator Cardin Holds Stormwater Hearing Ahead of Transportation Bill Markup

Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chairof the Environment & Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Water & Wildlife, held a hearing on Tuesday focused on the importance of considering effective stormwater controls when building new, or making substantial retrofits to existing, surface transportation infrastructure. Among those testifying included James Gibson, Director of Integrated Watershed Management for Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky and Daniel Medina, Technical Director for Water with ATKINS Engineering. The hearing came just days before the EPW Committee reported out S.2322, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act, which would reauthorize surface transportation projects including the Highway Trust Fund through FY 2020. Senator Cardin is interested in including provisions to address stormwater run-off from highways. NACWA will continue to track this issue and report on developments as the legislation moves forward.

NACWA Releases New Advocacy Tools

NACWA, this week, released a completely revised Consent Decree Handbook, Wet Weather Consent Decrees: Negotiation Strategies to Maximize Flexibility & Environmental Benefit Wet Weather Consent Decree Handbook, along with an updated and redesigned Consent Decree e-Library offering the most comprehensive collection of municipal wet weather consent decrees and enforcement orders. Completely rewritten and updated from cover to cover, NACWA’s new Handbook will serve as the premier resource for the municipal clean water community when addressing wet weather enforcement issues. The Handbook offers a snapshot and summary of consent decrees, which users can access in their entirety via the Consent Decree e-Library. The completely redesigned e-Library site now provides users with more ways to search for decrees, including by EPA region, state, or search term.

These two resources will provide NACWA members with unparalleled information, analysis, and strategies on wet weather enforcement issues including negotiation, renegotiation, implementation, and modification of enforcement orders and decrees. Whether currently negotiating an enforcement order, anticipating an enforcement action, or considering modification of an existing order, these new NACWA tools will provide invaluable assistance to the municipal clean water community.

NACWA is pleased to offer both to Association members free of charge as a benefit of NACWA membership. For more details on these powerful tools, see Advocacy Alert 14-09.

NACWA Files Brief in Key Stormwater Case

NACWA joined with the Association of Ohio Metropolitan Wastewater Agencies (AOMWA) on May 12 to submit a brief in an important legal case over stormwater fees before the Ohio Supreme Court. The brief, filed in support of NACWA member the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), urges the state supreme court to overturn a lower court ruling that invalidated NEORSD’s stormwater management program. It argues that the increasing complexity and cost of municipal stormwater regulations necessitate a more affordable, equitable, and effective method for utilities to manage and charge for stormwater services. Accordingly, the brief highlights the importance of providing legal recognition and protection for stormwater management programs like the one developed by NEORSD, including the ability for utilities to fund such programs. The Association had previously filed a brief with a lower court in the litigation as well as with the state supreme court encouraging review of the case.

Briefs were also filed this week by NEORSD and the State of Ohio in support of the utility’s stormwater fee program. NACWA has aggressively defended municipal stormwater programs and fee systems in the past and will continue to do so moving forward. Additional information on the case is available on the Association’s Litigation Tracking webpage.

Water Blues – Green Solutions Premieres in Philadelphia

Water Blues – Green Solutions premiered this week in Philadelphia with a reception, screening, and panel presentation at the Philadelphia Art Museum. Water Blues – Green Solutions is an interactive film project, telling the stories of communities creating green solutions for our water blues – flooding, pollution, and scarcity. The Penn State Public Media documentary, supported by NACWA through its Targeted Action Fund, focuses on the role that green infrastructure can play in creating truly sustainable infrastructure – where gray (infrastructure) + green (infrastructure) = clean water. It uses the power of public television and online platforms to educate and raise awareness, and—through the strength of partnerships with collaborating organizations—to foster local discussions across the country.

At the Philadelphia screening, Executive Producer, Jeff Hughes acknowledged the Association’s support saying, “NACWA was there with us for the Water Blues’ “prequel” -- our first water infrastructure documentary called Liquid Assets: The Story of Our Water Infrastructure. We greatly appreciate that NACWA distributed copies of the Water Blues DVD to every member of the US Congress during Water Week 2014.”

The film has, thus far, been scheduled to broadcast 228 times in markets serving nearly 1/2 of the U.S. population. And campus, community and organization screenings and events are scheduled to take place all over the U.S. and the globe, including one in London, England in September 2014.

NACWA Brings Federal Stormwater Perspective to the Beaver State

NACWA provided the latest federal stormwater updates from Washington, DC this week to attendees at the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies' 2014 Stormwater Summit. Brenna Mannion, the Association’s Manager, Regulatory Affairs, provided updates on a range of regulatory, legislative and legal stormwater developments and discussed key aspects of its ongoing advocacy agenda. In her remarks, Mannion stressed the importance of watershed approaches and how EPA will be adjusting its stormwater program now that the National Post Construction Stormwater Rulemaking has been deferred. NACWA appreciates the opportunity to share its message with the more than 150 stormwater professionals at the Summit.

Pretreatment Professionals From Across the Country Meet at NACWA Workshop

Over 130 pretreatment professionals convened this week at NACWA’s 2014 National Pretreatment & Pollution Prevention Workshop, which featured sessions with key EPA staff and discussions on current and emerging issues in pretreatment programs throughout the country.

The Workshop kicked off with presentations by the EPA Headquarters staff that oversee programs related to pretreatment. Marcus Zobrist, Chief of the Water Permits Division’s Industrial Branch, provided an overview of the initiatives currently underway in the Office of Wastewater Management. Jan Pickrel, National Pretreatment Team Coordinator, described the efforts EPA is taking to assist local pretreatment programs, including updating manuals and guidances – and making them readily available on EPA’s website. As this updating effort progresses, EPA welcomes the assistance of the NACWA Pretreatment & Pollution Prevention Committee in reviewing the documents. Seth Heminway from the Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance (OECA) also invited the input of NACWA members on the type of industries that create problems for pretreatment programs, and also described the resources that OECA has to assist local programs. Janet Goodwin, Chief of the Technology & Statistics Branch of the Office of Water’s Engineering & Analysis Division, summarized the effluent limitation guidelines (ELGs) that are currently in development. Pretreatment personnel are most interested in the dental amalgam separator rule that has been in development for three years, and has reportedly been written but not given to the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) for formal review. Goodwin stated that EPA is “still working on issuing a proposal,” but could not provide additional details.

Theresa Connor, Program Director at the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF), gave a presentation on the One Water concept and the important role that pretreatment programs play in protecting wastewater as a resource for energy, nutrients, and reuse. Loudmilla Vertanessian, Assistant Pretreatment Manager for the City of Los Angeles, described how her utility is putting this concept into action, and the need for the pretreatment program to be closely involved with these initiatives.

Workshop attendees were very interested in the presentation given by Stiv Wilson, Associate Director of The 5 Gyres Institute, on plastic microbeads. The microbeads are used in cosmetic products and since they are not removed by the wastewater treatment process, they are discharged into receiving water bodies. The 5 Gyres Institute has conducted research on microbeads in the Great Lakes and started a campaign to remove microbeads from consumer products. The campaign includes public education, discussions with product manufacturers, and state legislation, which has been proposed in five states. Other issues related to consumer products – including wipes, paper towels, pesticides, and personal care products – also generated significant discussion among Workshop participants. Prior to the Workshop, nearly 50 individuals participated in the Introduction to the Pretreatment Program for Wastewater Utilities training course. The course received positive reviews and NACWA plans to offer this course and other training opportunities in the future.

All the handouts and presentations from the Pretreatment Workshop are available on NACWA’s website, and NACWA thanks all the participants for making this year’s Workshop a success.