News

ACWA’S Recommendations on BIL Implementation Guidance

ACWA sent a letter to EPA this week outlining a set of recommendations on the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The BIL authorized$11.7 billion over 5 years for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), of which 49% of the funds made available to each capitalization grant must be used by the State to provide subsidies to eligible recipients in the form of assistance agreements with 100 percent forgiveness of principal or grants (or any combination of these). BIL also authorized $1 billion to address emerging water contaminants and $1.4 billion Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant Programs.

ACWA’s letter recommends that the implementation guidance include flexibility in how the funds are used and how long the states have to use the funds. The letter also recommends that the agency refrain from establishing a national definition of environmental justice but rather allow states to rely on existing state definitions. The letter also recommends that the agency explain how BIL funding and other existing funding programs can be used together.

Final 2022 Construction General Permit (CGP) Desk Statement

On January 18, 2022, EPA issued the 2022 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction General Permit (2022 CGP) for stormwater discharges from construction activity. The 2022 CGP will become effective on February 17, 2022, replacing the 2017 CGP, which expires on February 16, 2022. This permit covers stormwater discharges from construction activities in areas where EPA is the NPDES permitting authority. New construction projects in these areas may submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) for coverage under the permit once it is effective. For more information on the 2022 CGP, visit EPA’s webpage, here.

Key changes in the permit include new or clarified provisions related to erosion and pollution prevention controls, dewatering discharges, turbidity benchmark monitoring for dewatering discharges to sensitive waters, and inspection training.

For more information, visit EPA’s Construction Stormwater website.

Also – EPA will also host a webinar on February 24, 2022, at 1:00 PM (EST) to provide an overview of the 2022 CGP and an opportunity for participants to ask questions. You can register here.

EPA Press Release: Action Plan to Accelerate Cyber-Resilience for the Water Sector

This week EPA announced the Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Initiative – Water and Wastewater Sector Action Plan to help protect water systems from cyberattacks. EPA indicates this Action Plan “is part of President Biden’s Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Initiative, which he established pursuant to National Security Memorandum 5, Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems. The ICS Initiative is a collaborative effort between the federal government and critical infrastructure community to facilitate the deployment of technologies that provide cyber-related threat visibility, indicators, detections, and warnings.”

The Action Plan focuses on promoting and supporting the water sector’s adoption of strategies for the early detection of cyber-threats and allows for the rapid sharing of cyber-threat data across the government to expedite analysis and action. Actions include:

Establishing a task force of water sector leaders.
Implementing pilot projects to demonstrate and accelerate adoption of incident monitoring.
Improving information sharing and data analysis.
Providing technical support to water systems.

For more information on the Action Plan, please click here.

Water Reuse Regulations and End-Use Specifications Explorer (REUSExplorer) Now Live

In late January, EPA and eight partner organizations launched the Regulations and End-Use Specifications Explorer (REUSExplorer), a web-based tool that compiles state water reuse regulations and guidelines, highlighting the underlying scientific and technical basis of water quality metrics. The REUSExplorer is intended to be a resource for stakeholders interested in developing laws, policies, and approaches for reuse; understanding the technical aspects and bases of a regulation, guideline, or benchmark; and, identifying whether reuse applications are regulated within a particular state. The tool is searchable by state, source of water, and end use application (i.e., intended use of treated recycled water).

A major priority among state programs, this effort was previously known as “WRAP Action 3.1” and informed by a broad team of state, federal, and water sector experts. The initial data available include potable, onsite non-potable, and other centralized non-potable (not including agricultural and landscape) reuse applications. Subsequent end-use applications will be added in phases throughout 2022. Please email waterreuse@epa.gov with feedback to help inform improvements to the web tool or content.

“What’s in the Water? Updates to a USGS Website Provide Water Quality Information for U.S. Streams and Rivers Through 2020″

Interested in water-quality concentrations, loads, and trends in streams and rivers across the United States? Check out the USGS Tracking Water Quality website with data for the USGS National Quality Network—145 stream and river sites with long-term, consistent data on water-quality. Use the website to access annually updated information on nutrients, sediment, pesticides, and streamflow. These data are collected to assess the status and trends of water-quality conditions at large inland and coastal river sites, as well as in small streams in basins with urban, agricultural, or reference conditions. This website was recently updated to include data through water year 2020, information on loads and trends in dissolved chloride and total dissolved solids, and concentrations, trends, and loads from 33 additional sites with long-term streamflow and water-quality data.

Contact Casey Lee (cjlee@usgs.gov) for more information on the website or the USGS National Water Quality Network

NGA Releases Publication – Balancing Stormwater Infrastructure Costs: How Governors & States Can Equitably Address Stormwater Funding

The week the National Governors Association released a paper intended to examine the equity implications of paying for stormwater services through general funds and stormwater fees through utilities. The paper examines how states can help low income and overburdened communities adopt Stormwater Authorities that operate as separate governmental entities that can charge fees to residents, obtain grants, and can take on loan debt that a jurisdiction in financial distress may not be able to assume. Example recommendations include:

Support legislation enabling local governments to charge dedicated stormwater fees.
Support equitable methods of charging stormwater fees
Direct state agencies to provide local governments with technical assistance, case studies, outreach
Prioritize outreach to overburdened communities to obtain input on CWSRF Intended Use Plans
Increase the amount of CWSRF funding per project available for overburdened communities.
Streamline the application process for federal, state and other stormwater funding streams.

For the entire list of recommendation and a copy of the paper please click here.

Journal Article: Assessing the influence of urban greenness and green stormwater infrastructure on hydrology from satellite remote sensing

Summary of the Abstract: Green Stormwater Infrastructure reduces urban runoff impacts and helps meet municipal water quality permit requirements. Many co-benefits of GSI are related to increased vegetative cover, which can be measured with satellite imagery via spectral indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). In this paper the researchers assess feasibility of tracking the effectiveness of urban greening for improving downstream hydrologic conditions. Using data and modeling, the research showed urban greenness had significant influences on downstream flow responses. The study results may support valuation and verification of GSI co-benefits in urbanized landscapes at the watershed scale. For more information on the paper please click here.

Stormwater Fact Sheets

EPA is seeking public input on updating 29 NPDES industrial stormwater 29 fact sheets currently posted online for each sector covered under the 2021 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP). Each fact sheet describes the types of facilities included in the sector, typical stormwater pollutants associated with the sector, and types of stormwater control measures (SCMs) that may be used to minimize the discharge of the pollutants. The fact sheets can be found in the docket and here. Comments are due by March 28, 2022. The Federal Register notice can be found here.

Nutrient Smart Recognition Program

The Water Environment Federation (WEF), in collaboration with EPA, has launched the NutrientSmart (NSmart) program to help reduce nutrient loadings in waterways and recognize the water utilities that are leaders and innovators. Nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus naturally occur in the environment. However, when present in aquatic environments at high levels they can cause several problems including; impacts to drinking water, ecosystem shifts, algal blooms leading to impacts on the ecosystem, local economy and potentially human and animal health. NSmart will begin as a pilot program and encourage the adoption of enhanced nutrient management practices by water utilities and distribute information on tools and methods for lowering nutrients. WEF is accepting nominations through the month of February.

For more details check out Nutrient Smart Recognition Program (wef.org)

EPA Requires Reporting on Releases and Other Waste Management of Certain PFAS, Including PFBS

This week, EPA announced the automatic addition of four PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) list.

TRI data are reported to EPA annually by facilities in certain industry sectors, including federal facilities, that manufacture, process, or otherwise use TRI-listed chemicals above certain quantities. The data include quantities of such chemicals that were released into the environment or otherwise managed as waste. Information collected through the TRI allows communities to learn how facilities in their area are managing listed chemicals. The data collected also help inform EPA’s efforts to better understand the listed substances.

The Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides the framework for adding additional PFAS to the TRI each year. For TRI Reporting Year 2022 (reporting forms due by July 1, 2023), reporting is required for four additional PFAS. Among other provisions, section 7321(c) of the NDAA identifies certain regulatory activities that automatically add PFAS or classes of PFAS to the TRI beginning January 1 the following year, and the agency’s finalization of a toxicity value is one of the triggering actions.

As of January 1, 2022, facilities which are subject to reporting requirements for these chemicals should start tracking their activities involving these PFAS as required by Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Reporting forms for these PFAS will be due to EPA by July 1, 2023, for calendar year 2022 data.

In addition to continuing to add PFAS to the TRI, EPA says it will soon announce a series of PFAS test orders that will require PFAS manufacturers to provide the agency with toxicity data and other information on PFAS.

Learn more here.

Meetings and Webinars

Smart Tools for Field Inspectors

Date: January 26, 2022
Time: 2-4 PM EST

U.S. EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance will offer several upcoming training classes on the E-Enterprise Smart Mobile Tools for Field Inspectors, for clean water (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) basic training as well as advanced training on new features in the latest software release. EPA will offer introductory training for state and EPA staff on Smart Tools: Basic Training for NPDES Users. For more information or to receive the Zoom link information, contact Cassandra Rice of EPA.

Addressing State, Tribal, and Local Needs related to Wildland Fire and Climate & Equity Research

Date: January 25, 2022
Time: 3-4 PM ET
Register here

In 2021, EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) hosted several listening sessions for states, tribes, and local agencies to solicit input on key issues related to research on wildland fires, climate & equity, and cumulative impacts assessments. We are hosting two webinars as follow-up to these listening sessions. This first webinar will focus on wildland fires and climate & equity.

This webinar will consist of an overview of the listening sessions including what we heard from states, tribes, and local agencies. We will also present what ORD is currently doing in these areas, as well as areas under discussion for future research.

Optimizing Nutrient Removal and Wastewater Excellence

February 17, 2022: Optimizing Nutrient Removal in Sequencing Batch Reactors
March 31, 2022: Optimizing Nutrient Removal in Activated Sludge WWTPs
April 28, 2022: Transitioning from Permit Compliance to Wastewater Excellence

All webinars take place from 1-2:30 PM EST.

This mini-series featuring Grant Weaver, PE, will include case studies regarding oxidation ditch, sequencing batch reactor (SBR), and activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that are operated differently than designed to achieve notable reductions in effluent nitrogen and phosphorus. Mr. Weaver will explain how listeners might modify day-to-day operations at their WWTP to realize similar improvements. The case studies will be preceded by a brief overview of biological nitrogen removal and biological phosphorus removal science and technology. Mr. Weaver will explore potential barriers of optimizing nutrient removal in WWTPs and how to implement low-cost opportunities. Participants are encouraged to comment and ask questions throughout the webinar. Certificates of Attendance will be made available. Learn more about this and similar webinars here.

National Levee Safety Program: Virtual Stakeholder Workshops, Winter 2022

Starting January 2022, USACE and FEMA are launching a series of virtual workshops to seek input on how to improve the way levees are managed in the Nation. Remaining workshops will occur from 1-5pm EST on February 1, 3, 8, 15, 17, 22, and 24. Each workshop will have the same agenda, will not be geographically-specific, and will be limited to 100 participants.

Register here for one of these virtual workshops to share your challenges in living with levees and provide your input into the design of a new National Levee Safety Program, specifically:

What should the Nation’s vision be for improving levee safety? Who should play what role?
What information is most useful to you as a state/local/regional/tribal government, levee owner/operator, emergency manager, etc.?
What best practices, guidance or procedures would be most helpful to you in managing flood risk and ensuring your levee is reliable?
How can we most effectively talk about the benefits that levees provide, while also making people aware of the inherent risks in living in the floodplain?

Patterns in Implemented Onsite and Distributed Water Reuse Systems Across the US

Tuesday, February 8th, 2-3 PM EST
Wednesday, February 9th, 5-6 PM EST
Thursday, February 10th, 10-11 AM EST

Curious about where onsite and distributed water reuse systems are being installed in the US? Want to know what’s driving their support and successful implementation? Water Research Foundation (WRF) will explore these questions and more using the largest compilation of system-level information to date as part of Water Research Foundation Project #5040. There are 3 opportunities to participate. Each will include a brief presentation of findings and plans for developing a case study compendium, followed by focused small-group conversations to inform the user interface for accessing the information WRF has compiled.

EPA Tools & Resources Webinar: The Final Ecosystem Goods & Services Scoping Tool

Date: February 10, 2022
Time: 3-4 PM EST
Register here

Ecosystem goods and services are the benefits that humans receive from nature, like clean air to breathe, fish to catch and eat, watershed drainage that reduces risk of flooding, and beautiful landscapes we can enjoy. Consideration of ecosystem services is important for decisions that have an impact on the environment. The impacts of these decisions on ecosystem services, however, can be overlooked. Identification of ecosystem services that are relevant and meaningful to the community allows them to be more influential in the decision-making process. The Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Scoping Tool is designed to help decision makers identify and prioritize stakeholder groups, the ways they are benefiting from the ecosystem, and the aspects of the environment necessary to realize those benefits. This training webinar will provide an overview of tool, work through an example application of the tool, and share the range of ways that the tool has been or will be applied.

Introduction to ECHO: EJSCREEN

Date: February 15, 2022
Time: 1:30-2:30 PM EST
Register here

Join U.S. EPA for its next Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) webinar.

This webinar focuses on how to use the ECHO facility searches to learn about environmental and demographic data from EPA’s EJSCREEN. We will demonstrate examples of using ECHO searches and reports to view EJSCREEN data and how to interpret the information. The webinar will cover the following topics:

How to search for environmental and demographic data in your community.
How to view and interpret EJSCREEN index values at the location of a facility.
How to visualize EJSCREEN data on an interactive map.

If you can’t make it, don’t worry, ECHO tutorials and recorded webinars are available at any time.

Addressing State, Tribal, and Local Needs related to Cumulative Impacts Research

Date: February 17, 2022
Time: 4-5 PM EST
Register here.

EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) will provide an overview of our response to feedback received during listening sessions held in 2021 with states, tribes, and local agencies to solicit input on their research and science needs related to cumulative impact assessments. This webinar will consist of an overview of the listening sessions including what we heard from states, tribes, and local agencies, and how ORD is incorporating that input into our current research planning process.

Who’s invited? States, tribes, and local government representatives who registered for the 2021 listening sessions and their colleagues interested in learning about ORD’s current and planned research to address research needs related to cumulative impacts.

Job Opportunities

Water Quality Assessment Program Lead | Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Location: Portland, OR

Closing Date: February 9, 2022

This position will lead Oregon’s water quality assessment program to meet the Clean Water Act requirements of sections 305(b) and 303(d) (i.e. the Integrated Report). The candidate will be a state and regional expert on the Clean Water Act and conducting water quality assessments, evaluating water quality data, problem solving, and leading strategic solutions. They will work closely with Agency management to identify program priorities and develop strategic programmatic approaches for conducting the Integrated Report’s water quality assessments to meet statutory requirements and DEQ’s water quality program needs.