News
$3.6 Billion for Water Infrastructure Available
EPA announced $3.6 billion in new funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade water infrastructure and keep communities safe. Combined with $2.6 billion announced earlier this month, this $6.2 billion in investments for Fiscal Year 2025 will help communities across the country upgrade water infrastructure that is essential to safely managing wastewater, protecting local freshwater resources, and delivering safe drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses.
This funding is part of a five-year, $50 billion investment in water infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. To ensure investments reach communities that need them the most, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law mandates that a majority of the funding announced today must be provided to disadvantaged communities in the form of grants or loans that do not have to be repaid. Funds will flow through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF and DWSRF), a long-standing federal-state water investment partnership. This multibillion-dollar investment will fund state-run, low-interest loan programs that address key challenges in financing water infrastructure. This announcement includes allotments for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Clean Water General Supplemental funds ($2.6 billion) and Emerging Contaminant funds ($225 million), and $800 million under the Drinking Water Emerging Contaminant Fund.
2023 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Annual Report
EPA has released its 2023 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) annual report. The annual report highlights key programmatic and financial information including the amount of loans and assistance provided to communities, set-asides totals, and savings to the communities amongst other information from FY 2023 and throughout the history of the program. Case studies are highlighted at the end of the reports showcasing the positive impacts of SRF funding on communities and the environment. The report is attached, and is also posted on EPA’s website HERE.
2024 National Stormwater Roundtable
This week, with EPA cooperative agreement support, ACWA facilitated the 2024 National Stormwater Roundtable, held in Washington, DC. This year’s roundtable had 239 participants, of which 118 participated in person and 121 participated virtually. Participants represented 43 states, the District of Columbia, all 10 EPA Regions, and several from EPA HQs. Topics discussed included an overview of the DC program, EPA national stormwater program updates, stormwater program funding, resiliency and climate change approaches, environmental justice initiatives, incorporating TMDLs into different stormwater programs, turbidity and stabilization at constructions sites, permitting coverage and requirements, innovative programs, inspections & violations, compliance assistance, enforcement case studies, contaminants of emerging concern, transportation stormwater updates, and residual designation authority. Presentations will be made available next week.
EPA Announces New Lagoon Tools for Small, Rural and Tribal Communities
On September 27, EPA released new resource tools to help protect public health and local water bodies in communities that rely on lagoons for wastewater management. Lagoon wastewater treatment systems are typically used in communities that are smaller than 3,000 people and can lack the necessary financial and technical resources to comply with the Clean Water Act. EPA’s new tools are intended to help local decisionmakers effectively and efficiently protect public health and the environment, address compliance challenges, and improve asset-management planning. The new resources include:
- The “First Stop Toolbox for Lagoons” identifies technical, financial, and regulatory support resources in a user-friendly web tool. This tool will help lagoon operators and technical assistance providers assess operations and compliance challenges in their lagoons, and in turn, help communities resolve these challenges on their own; and
- The “Small Lagoon Communities Economic Streamlining Tool” and the “Individual Lagoon Tool” help states, authorized Tribes, and communities determine whether a water quality standards (WQS) variance is an appropriate step to take when a small community is experiencing compliance challenges related to ammonia. Both tools are accompanied by an implementation document: “Applying the EPA’s Economic Analysis Tools to a WQS Variance for Ammonia for Small Lagoon Communities.”
These tools were developed as priority actions under the EPA’s 2022-2026 Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Action Plan, and respond to needs identified by state co-regulators and lagoon communities. Read the press release and access the new tools.
Association Updates
ACWA Legal Affairs Committee – October 29 Meeting
ACWA’s Legal Affairs Committee will host a call on October 29, at 1:00 pm ET to discuss the recent decision in Northwest Environmental Advocates v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, et al., from the U.S. District Court in Oregon. The discussion will be led by Diane Lloyd, Assistant Attorney General with the Oregon Department of Justice. Please contact Ward Scott (wscott@acwa-us.org) to register for the call.
Meetings and Webinars
EPI Center Webinar: Land Applied Biosolids and PFAS Exposure
On November 1, 2024, the AAAS EPI Center is hosting a panel of experts to discuss the scientific evidence on land applied biosolids and PFAS exposure. The presence of PFAS in biosolids raises many questions about how to safely manage biosolids and their uses. Research is ongoing to better understand PFAS in biosolids and the impact on human health and the environment. Decision-makers have many questions about PFAS in biosolids including what risks does land application of PFAS containing biosolids pose to groundwater and surface water? Are crops grown on land where biosolids have been applied safe for livestock or human consumption? Please join us on November 1, 2024, to hear from a panel of experts discussing scientific evidence that can help address these questions and more about PFAS in biosolids. There will be time for questions from the audience and discussion.
Panelists
- Ian Pepper, University of Arizona
- Andrew Smith, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention
For background on PFAS please refer to the EPI Center resources on PFAS. Please direct questions to the AAAS EPI Center at epicenter@aaas.org.
CRWU National Webinar Series
US EPA’s Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) Initiative is excited to offer a new webinar series sharing climate adaptation stories of drinking water and wastewater utilities.
- Gain insight into addressing climate challenges, building resilience, and incorporating environmental justice efforts.
- Learn how to use CRWU’s tools and information for solutions, climate- and weather-related vulnerabilities, and funding options
Join for any or all of the following sessions:
- December 3, 2024 (1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT)
- December 5, 2024 (1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT)
- December 10, 2024 (1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT)
- December 12, 2024 (1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT)
Job Opportunities
Wetlands Program Project Officer
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Closing Date: October 26, 2024
Job ID # 148238
Position # 12246+
NMED’s Surface Water Quality Bureau has two (2) openings on the Wetlands Team. Wetlands Program Project Officers manage existing fully funded wetlands program projects and develop new wetlands restoration, mapping, monitoring, and planning projects through inter-agency and local coordination. Wetlands Program Project Officers also provide oversight to produce new wetlands action plans (watershed plans) for future wetlands program projects, prepare grant proposals and project work plans, conduct procurements for contractors, and implement projects through contractors and Bureau resources. NMED offers five (5) days of personal leave as a hiring incentive.
If you are interested in applying, please visit NM’s Careers site to review the job posting and complete your application!
Environmental Analyst – Monitoring Program Technician
Location: Staatsburg, NY
Closing Date: October 27, 2024
To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, and a brief writing sample by email to jobs@neiwpcc.org by October 27, 2024. Please reference #25-HRNERR-001 in the email subject line. Accepting applications until the position is filled. A full position description may be viewed at: https://neiwpcc.org/about-us/careers.
Compliance Inspector
Location: Helena, MT
Closing Date: November 3, 2024
For more information and to apply, visit State of Montana Careers.
Environmental Analyst – Data Scientist
Location: Albany, NY
Closing Date: November 17, 2024
To apply, submit cover letter, resume, and a brief writing sample by email to jobs@neiwpcc.org by November 17, 2024. Please reference #25-NYS-DOW-DEC-001 in the email subject line. Accepting applications until the position is filled. A full position description may be viewed at: https://neiwpcc.org/about-us/careers.
Permit Writer (Environmental Engineer 3) (2 positions)
Location: Spokane, WA
Closing Date: Continuous
For more information and to apply, visit Washington’s Job Opportunities webpage.
Be sure to check out other opportunities on ACWA’s Job Opportunities page.
