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Home > News and Updates > Weekly Wrap > ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. XII, Issue 13 (Week of April 12, 2021)

ACWA Weekly Wrap Vol. XII, Issue 13 (Week of April 12, 2021)

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News

Water Associations Urge Congress to Increase Infrastructure & State Program Funding

ACWA, along with ASDWA, ECOS, WSWC and CIFA, sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging Congress to significantly increase funding for water infrastructure. The letter includes policy priorities to maximize federal investments including flexibility on how and when states spend the money, with several recommendations including:

  • Increase funding for existing, proven programs, rather than create new programs
  • Provide flexibility within existing programs to maximize federal investment in water infrastructure
  • Provide additional federal funding to ensure state agencies have the resources to move more water infrastructure projects through the project pipeline
  • Ensure States can prioritize federal funding for water infrastructure projects to meet the unique needs of their communities, especially small, rural, disadvantaged and underserved communities
  • Provide adequate time to spend federal funding, ensuring both the smallest and largest projects can be eligible for funding and are built within federal time limits
  • Reduce the cost of building water infrastructure, which will allow federal funding to build more water infrastructure projects
  • Allow the Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) to fund and provide technical assistance for small and rural communities
  • Provide relief and greater flexibility for states and communities to meet match and cost-share requirements of loan and grant programs
  • Increased federal funding and flexibility for water infrastructure will create jobs, spur investments in the economy, and provide a strong, sustainable foundation for future economic growth

PFAS Action Act of 2021 Introduced and Available

On April 13, 2021, U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Fred Upton (D-MI) introduced the PFAS Action Act. The bill would:

  • Under Clean Water Act, require EPA to place discharge limits on industrial releases of PFAS and provide $200 million annually for wastewater treatment.
    • Under Clean Water Act, EPA would develop 304(a)(1) human health water quality criteria for measurable PFAS within 2 years; and in 4 years, develop ELGs and Pretreatment Standards. EPA would also publish results of introduction/discharge reviews conducted biennially. The bill authorizes $200m annually through 2026 to provide grants for implementation of the new standards at POTWs.
  • Under Clean Water Act,  require EPA to investigate methods to prevent contamination of GenX to surface waters.
  • Under Clean Water Act 307(b), create a disclosure requirement for owners/operators of industrial sources to notify Treatment Works of the identity and quantity of PFAS in the source, whether the Treatment Works is anticipated to be able to treat the PFAS, and whether the PFAS is anticipated to interfere with the Treatment Works’ operations.
  • Require development of a Risk Communication Strategy (EPA), and development of guidance on minimizing contact with PFAS for first responders (Federal Agencies).
  • Require EPA to establish a national drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS within 2 years that protects public health, including the health of vulnerable subpopulations.
    • Under SDWA, requires PFOA, PFOS drinking water standards under SDWA within 2 years and published Health Advisory Levels for other PFAS; as well as creation of an EPA Household Well Water Testing website developed by EPA, HHS, USDA, and States that instructs homeowners how to receive PFAS testing, lists state-certified labs and state-specific information, treatment options certified by NSF or ANSI, benchmark levels to compare well test results against, and financial assistance program contacts.
  • Under CERCLA, designate PFOA and PFOS chemicals as hazardous substances within one year and requires EPA to determine whether to list other PFAS within five years.
  • Under CAA, designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous air pollutants within 180 days and requires EPA to determine whether to list other PFAS within five years.
  • Prohibit unsafe incineration of PFAS wastes — i.e., where AFFF or PFAS-containing materials are not completely eliminated whenever feasible — and places a 5 year moratorium on the introduction of new PFAS into commerce.
  • Require comprehensive PFAS toxicity testing, by manufacturers or processors, on all PFAS under TSCA.
  • Create a voluntary label for PFAS in cookware under the Safer Choice Program.

The bill text is available here.

Urban Waters Federal Partnerships Report

This EPA Progress Report summarizes the accomplishments and significant milestones of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP), a 15 federal agency initiative working in 20 urban locations across the country. The goal of this Report is to provide a high-level snapshot of key projects and achievements of the UWFP locations and key project funding information. In the past year, the UWFP has:

  • Reached 164,349 community members through education outreach events and campaigns
  • Removed 258,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and soil from rivers and sites
  • Installed 50,000 square feet of bioswale and rain gardens
  • Collected 23,139 pounds of trash and 106 pounds of recycling
  • Collected 150 water quality samples
  • Planted 2,376 Tree
  • Engaged 3,550 volunteers and participants at Urban Waters events
  • Engaged >40 new local partners in Urban Waters locations
  • Identified >75 watershed-wide management recommendations
  • Hosted 69 community workshops
  • Restored 155 acres of marshes, wetlands and fields

Water Reuse Action Plan: Quarterly Update Available

The first quarter 2021 Water Reuse Action Plan update, which displays completed and active actions, new and proposed actions, a tracker displaying the current status of each action, and general updates among partner organizations, has been released and is available here.

Meetings and Webinars

US Health and Human Services: Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Information and Feedback Sessions

Date: April 20, 2021 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time for all state, territory, and tribal LIHWAP grantees, federal partners, and other critical stakeholders

Date: April 22, 2021 | 2:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time for tribal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program grantees only

Registration: Click here

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Community Services (OCS) is pleased to announce that it will convene two Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) Information and Feedback Sessions in April. The purpose of these meetings is to provide critical information about LIHWAP requirements and to gain a better understanding of LIHWAP grantees’ anticipated technical assistance needs. OCS strongly encourages all directly funded LIHEAP state, territory, and tribal grantees to participate, as LIHWAP grantees will include states, territories, and tribes that received fiscal year (FY) 2021 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) awards.

OCS will host its first virtual meeting on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. This meeting is intended for all state, territory, and tribal LIHWAP grantees, federal partners, and other critical stakeholders. The webinar will include an interactive presentation, opportunities to submit questions during the session, and a survey afterward to all participating organizations. Survey questions will focus on the following topics:

  • Understanding of drinking water and wastewater needs;
  • Existing water assistance programs and supports;
  • Adaptation of existing policies and procedures;
  • Anticipated timeframe for assistance to households; and,
  • Technical assistance needs.

OCS will host a second virtual meeting on Thursday, April 22, 2021 for tribal LIHEAP grantees only. OCS hopes to better understand the most critical water access issues for tribal low-income households in order to better design its policies to serve tribal needs. The webinar will serve as an opportunity for OCS to address program implementation matters that are unique to tribes and tribal organizations.

For additional information on LIHWAP, please visit their website. Session registration and further details can be found here.

EPA Webinar: Flood Resilience for Small Water and Wastewater Systems, and Seasonal Noncommunity Water Systems

Date: April 27th, 2021 | 2:00 – 3:00pm Eastern Time

Registration: Click here

  1. Flood Resilience for Small Water and Wastewater Systems will provide information that can help small utilities evaluate the flooding thread, identify vulnerable assets and consequences, and select effective mitigation strategies and financing options.
  2. Seasonal Noncommunity Water Systems — Regulatory Challenges, Requirements, and Case Studies from Minnesota will focus on challenges and requirements of seasonal groundwater and surface water noncommunity systems and will also provide example case studies.

After registering for the webinar, you should receive an automatic reply with a link to test your computer’s compatibility with the webinar software. Please note that for this webinar, attendees can only listen with computer audio and will not be able to call into the webinar using a phone line. This change has been made to allow more people to attend the webinar.

Presenters:

  • David Goldbloom-Helzner, EPA Water Security Division
  • Nate Karp, Minnesota Department of Health
  • Eric Freihammer, Minnesota Department of Health
  • Ernie Jorgensen, Minnesota Department of Health

EPA Webinar: National Water Reuse Action Plan: Resilience through Collaboration

Date: April 29, 2021, from 2:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern Time

Registration: Click here

Join Radhika Fox (EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Water), Felicia Marcus (William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program), WRAP action leaders and partners, and other water reuse practitioners from around the United States to celebrate the first year of the National Water Reuse Action Plan, including accomplishments of action leaders and partners and anticipated 2021 outcomes. It will also feature a lively discussion with leaders from across the water sector about the future of reuse and its importance as a tool to address the impacts of climate change and meet local water demands. The virtual event will be complemented by the release of a progress report that provides a “year in review” and forecasts anticipated WRAP-related efforts and outputs.

This event is hosted by EPA in collaboration with the WateReuse Association and other water sector partners.

EPA Webinar: Technical Assistance Webinar Series: Improving CWA-NPDES Permit Compliance at Small Wastewater Treatment Systems

Biosolids Part 1: Overview of Wastewater Treatment Sludge and Clean Water Act Regulatory Structure
Date: April 29, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:30 PM Eastern Time
Presenter: TBD
Registration: Click here

Biosolids Part 2: Wastewater Treatment Sludge Disposal Methods (Land Application, Incineration, Landfilling)
Date: May 27, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:30 PM Eastern Time
Presenter: TBD
Registration: Click here

EPA Webinar: Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center: Forest Resilience Bond Webinar

Date 1: April 29, 2021 | 1:00 – 2:15 PM Eastern Time

Date 2: May 6, 2021 | 12:30 – 1:45 PM Eastern Time

Registration: Register for ONE of the two webinar sessions by clicking here for Day 1 and Day 2

EPA’s Water Finance Center recently published an in-depth technical report on the first Forest Resilience Bond. This new financing structure funds a portion of a forest restoration project on the Tahoe National Forest in California’s North Yuba River watershed. The report is part of a series of reports undertaken by the Water Finance Center to provide readers with technical understanding of emerging water finance mechanisms and serve to scale their use as appropriate.

You are invited to attend a 75-minute webinar that will discuss the project and report. This webinar features a moderated panel with speakers who will share their experiences and expertise. There will also be time for Q+A.

EPA Meeting: Board of Scientific Counselors: EPA ORD Safe and Sustainable Water Resources

Initial Meeting Dates: May 26-27, 2021 | 12:00 – 5:00 PM Eastern Time (attendees must register by May 25, 2021)

BOSC Deliberation Date: June 22, 2021 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM Eastern Time (attendees must register by June 21, 2021)

Summary Teleconference Date: June 29, 2021 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM Eastern Time (attendees must register by June 28, 2021)

Registration: Click here

EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD), gives notice of a series of virtual meetings of the Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (SSWR) Subcommittee to discuss water treatment and infrastructure.

Meeting times are subject to change. This series of meetings is open to the public. Comments must be received by May 25, 2021, to be considered by the subcommittee. Requests for the draft agenda or making a presentation at the meeting will be accepted until May 25, 2021.

Instructions on how to connect to the videoconference will be provided upon registration. Comments should be submitted to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2015-0467 either online (where your comment will be anonymous unless identifying information is included in the body of the comment) or by email to ORD.Docket@epa.gov.

EPA Webinars: State Training on New Overflow Sewer Grants

Dates: April 15, 2021; April 20, 2021; May 6, 2021; May 18, 2021 | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern Time

Registration: Click here for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4

EPA is offering several identical training opportunities related to the New Overflow Sewer Grants. EPA’s Office of Water has released a Grant Implementation Document for the new Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants (OSG) Program. The OSG Program was authorized by the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 and will begin accepting applications and awarding grants to states in 2021.

EPA HQ is offering four virtual trainings for states and other stakeholders in 2021.  The content will be the same for each training date. For more information,  please contact Rachel Congdon at (202) 566-1564 or congdon.rachel@epa.gov.

EPA Webinar: Enhanced Aquifer Recharge: the Influence of Stormwater on Groundwater Quality and Aquifer Recharge

Date: April 28, 2021 | 2:00-3:00 PM Eastern Time

Registration: Click here

Registration is now open for EPA’s Water Research Webinar on Enhanced Aquifer Recharge: the Influence of Stormwater on Groundwater Quality and Aquifer Recharge. This webinar will be held on Wednesday, April 28 from 2:00-3:00pm ET, with an optional Q&A session from 3:00-3:15pm ET.

After registering for the webinar, you should receive an automatic reply with a link to test your computer’s compatibility with the webinar software. Please note that for this webinar, attendees can only listen with computer audio and will not be able to call into the webinar using a phone line. This change has been made to allow more people to attend the webinar.

EPA Webinar: Using the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) to Simulate Toxicant Concentrations in Surface Waters and Sediments

Date: April 21, 2021 | 1:00 PM Eastern Time

Registration: Click here

EPA’s Water Quality Modeling Workgroup is hosting a series of webinars to help water quality professionals better understand surface water quality modeling and how models can be used to solve common problems that face water quality regulators. The webinars are focused on modeling as it applies to the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), Standards, and Water Quality Permitting Programs, but they are applicable to a wide range of audiences. These two hour webinars cover everything from modeling basics (e.g., model setup and calibration) to applied water quality modeling of different pollutants.

The webinar, titled “Using the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) to Simulate Toxicant Concentrations in Surface Waters and Sediments”, is scheduled for Wednesday April 21st at 1pm Eastern. EPA’s Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) is a differential, spatially-resolved, mass balance, fate and transport modeling framework structured to allow users to simulate concentrations of environmental contaminants in surface waters and sediments. Recently, WASP version 8 has been updated with an Advanced Toxicant Module for simulating a range of toxicant contaminants. This presentation will discuss the advances in the toxicant module, including the available state variables, such as solute chemicals (e.g., metals, organics), nanomaterials (e.g., carbon-based, nano-metals), mercury, solids, and new processes, like multiple wavelength light attenuation. Specific case-study applications of the WASP Advanced Toxicant Module will be presented to provide real-world examples.

Previous webinars are available here.

NEWMOA PFAS Webinar Series

The Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA) is hosting a webinar series on PFAS risks, alternatives, and remediation. All webinars are free for federal, state, and local governments, and all will be held at 1:30-3 p.m. Eastern as follows:

NEWMOA already hosted four webinars in the series, presentations for which are available at the following webpages:

Job Opportunities

Water Division Director | New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Location: Concord, NH

Apply by: Open until filled

NHDES is searching for candidates for Director of the Water Division. This largest division of NHDES supports public policy and regulatory objectives that reflect stewardship of water resources, the needs of the citizens and economic interests of the State, and the achievement and maintenance of water quality standards based upon sound science. The Water Division includes: oversight of public drinking water supplies and systems; wastewater control, including the operation of the Winnipesaukee River Basin Program; groundwater, surface water, and wetland protection; oversight of the safety and operation of public and privately owned dams; and many other programs involving water as a public resource.

To learn more and apply, click here.

Environmental Engineer – Capital Replacement Liaison | NEIWPCC

Location: Kingston, NY

Apply by: May 21, 2021

We are seeking an individual who will perform all tasks associated with managing the assessment, replacement, and maintenance of certain wastewater treatment infrastructure that is required to be installed and maintained in the New York City water supply watershed.  The installation, capital replacement, and O&M of this equipment is paid for by NYC DEP. Under the supervision of the Section Chief, at NYC DEP, this person will focus on managing the contracts needed to replace watershed equipment at WWTPs via site inspections, meeting with WWTP owners, and coordinating with DEP’s compliance staff. You will also be responsible for preparing and reviewing internal and external progress reports pursuant to the FAD, MOA, and other Agency requirements as requested. As well, you will be responsible for managing multiple databases for tracking and monitoring program accomplishments, contract budgets, project coordination, payments, and related documentation.

To learn more and apply, click here.