June 26, 2015

Call or Write Your Members of Congress to Oppose Cuts to the SRF Program

NACWA urges Member Agencies to contact your Senators and Representatives to urge them to oppose cuts to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) program contained in the House and Senate’s proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 appropriations bills for EPA. The House EPA bill  contains drastic cuts to the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRFs providing $1.8 billion in total funding – a 23% cut from current levels. The CWSRF is funded at $1.018 billion and the DWSRF at $757 million – a 30% and 16% cut respectively. The Senate bill  calls for similar cuts providing the SRFs $1.852 billion -- $1.047 for the CWSRF and $776 million for the DWSRF (28% and 14% cuts respectively).

These spending bills are calling for steep cuts to clean water funding during a time when drinking water and wastewater agencies face increased regulatory and enforcement pressures, including in the Senate appropriations bill itself (see related story on the stringent Great Lakes provisions that NACWA is working hard to get removed). At the same time, these cuts come at a time when utilities are also facing management and cost pressures from unprecedented droughts in one third of the country. For these reasons, it is critical that NACWA Members voice their opposition to these cuts to your Congressional delegation and urge that funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF programs be restored.

NACWA sent a letter , with six other water organizations, urging Congress to stand firm on funding for clean and safe water infrastructure for FY 2016. The letter specifically calls on Congress to fund the Clean Water SRF at $1.45 billion; fund the Drinking Water (SRF) at $1.186 billion; fully fund the Water Infrastructure Financing & Innovation Act (WIFIA) program at $25 million; and, provide $50 million for water reuse and conservation projects.

Visit www.house.gov and www.senate.gov for contact information for your Member.

Members are invited to use the coalition letter  to draft similar letters of their own to Congress. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.

Senate Appropriations Package Targets Great Lakes CSO Communities

The Senate Appropriations Committee’s proposed FY16 spending package for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes a provision that would prohibit all combined sewer overflows (CSO) to the Great Lakes and its tributaries and prohibit all direct and indirect dischargers from using any form of by-pass, including blending to manage flows during rain events. The provision, Section 428 of S. 1645, was sponsored by Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) who has sponsored similar legislation in the past and who faces a difficult reelection campaign next year. NACWA sent a letter  in protest of this provision and is advocating its removal from the final FY16 EPA budget package, expected later this year. No similar provision is contained in the House proposal. NACWA members in the Great Lakes are urged to contact their Senators to express their opposition to this provision. NACWA is also asking its members in the Great Lakes to send us cost impact information of this provision to aid in our advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. NACWA will keep members informed of our advocacy efforts going forward. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.

NACWA, Water Sector Groups Meet to Discuss Potential Federal Program to Address Water Affordability

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) hosted a meeting with NACWA and several other water sector organizations, including the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), and the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), this week for a discussion on a potential federal program or initiative to help alleviate water affordability concerns across the country. Earlier discussions among the groups had identified the possibility of establishing a subsidy program, similar to the Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides approximately $4 billion in assistance to low-income households for heating and cooling their residences. This week’s discussion focused on the need to evaluate whether such a program would be a better investment of federal resources than just providing more funding through existing tools such as the State Revolving Funds (SRFs). In addition, the groups discussed whether some sort of federal action could enable or free up states and/or utilities to adjust rate structures and establish and fund broader subsidy programs for low income customers, in lieu of federal subsidies. The organizations are considering a joint project to evaluate the degree of need for such a program for water and wastewater customers, potential options for federal action, and options to remove barriers at the state and local level. The issue of affordability will be a topic of discussion during the upcoming Utility Leadership Conference & 45th Annual Meeting in Providence, both on the main program agenda and during several committee meetings.

NACWA Meets with Key Staff to Discuss Drought Legislation and Water Reuse

NACWA met with Democratic staff to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to discuss drought in the western states and the role of water reuse in addressing water supply challenges caused by the drought. We also discussed the vital importance of incorporating water reuse in any forthcoming drought-related legislation that the Committee may be developing. The committee currently is focused on legislation related to the Yakima watershed but appreciated learning about NACWA member efforts to promote water reuse nationally and is open to exploring ways in which legislation may be helpful.

Wipes Flushability Guidelines Development Continues

NACWA, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the American Public Works Association (APWA), the Canadian Water & Wastewater Association (CWWA), and INDA (the trade association of the nonwoven fabrics industry) continued their work to develop new flushability guidelines for wipes this week during a meeting in Cincinnati, OH. NACWA’s representative to the workgroup, Frank Dick, Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator for the City of Vancouver Department of Public Works in Washington state and Vice Chair of NACWA’s Pretreatment & Pollution Prevention Committee, participated in the meeting. This effort is partially supported by NACWA’s Targeted Action Fund (TAF).

In line with the recently proposed consent decree between the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Nice-Pak (see NACWA’s Advocacy Alert for more details), the representatives from the associations focused on how to make the tests and passing criteria for the guidelines represent the real-world conditions in municipal sewers. The wastewater associations plan to consult with their members to collect information that will be useful in designing the tests. The goal of the associations is for wipes that meet the criteria of the new guidelines to be safe to flush into the sewer system, and the guidelines should be completed by June 2016.

President Obama Re-nominates Kopocis to Head Water Office

Reaffirming his support for long-time nominee Ken Kopocis, President Barack Obama re-nominated Kopocis June 24 to head the EPA’s Office of Water. First nominated for the post in 2011, Kopocis’ nomination has been held up by political wrangling over the Office of Water’s efforts to clarify federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction. Kopocis has been serving as Deputy Assistant Administrator since August 2014. It is unclear whether the political dynamics have shifted sufficiently to allow Kopocis’ nomination to proceed through the Senate, but current efforts by some members of the Senate to block implementation of EPA’s Clean Water Rule suggest that the confirmation process may face continued delays.

Work on the UOTF Annual Report Advances

NACWA is excited for the upcoming release of the first Utility of the Future Annual Report, expected in August, with the Executive Summary being released during NACWA’s 2015 Utility Leadership Conference, July 12-15, in Providence, Rhode Island. A draft of the Annual Report is now under review and ties together the array of key actors involved in adopting and implementing UOTF-style projects, including technology developers, consulting engineers, scientists, state and local government, the finance community, and professional organizations. Taken together, all these interests are combining to create an “innovation ecosystem” that is advancing the UOTF. Overall, the report finds that utilities must collaborate more with non-traditional partners and take on – but carefully manage! - more risk to bring the ratepayer maximum value. This increased demand for innovation will continue to propel the UOTF forward to take hold at utilities of all sizes and all interests within the water sector.

• Register  for NACWA’s 2015 Utility Leadership Conference & 45th Anniversary Annual Meeting, Financing, Funding & Rates for the Future, July 12 – 15, 2015 at the Omni Providence Hotel, Providence, RI
• Register  for U.S. Water Alliance’s One Water Leadership Summit, August 26 – 28.
• Register  today for the NACWA-sponsored American Water Summit: Scalable Solutions, October 20 – 21 at a special NACWA Public Member Agency rate .
• Register  for the International Water & Climate Forum , December 7-9 in San Diego, CA.
  
  

Trending on Engage

Have you gotten engaged? NACWA's online network, Engage^TM, is continuing to be the premiere resource for wastewater professionals. This week, discussions include:

• Financing new residential sewer connections
• Experiences with EnviroPure Digesters
• Credentials for stormwater management workers
• Impacts of onsite food waste disposal on wastewater infrastructure

If you would like to learn more about Engage™ or have questions on this unique online community, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Director of Marketing & Digital Media at 202.533.1802.

Due to the July 4th holiday, there will be no Current next week. Have a happy and safe holiday!