News
EPA Announces Final 2023 Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification Improvement Rule
On September 14, 2023, the EPA announced the final 2023 Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification Improvement Rule (2023 Rule), which can be found here. The final rule will become effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.
EPA will host a series of webinars addressing the 2023 rule, including a public webinar on September 26 from 1:30 – 3:30 pm ET, as well as webinars for certifying authorities on September 28 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET and on October 3 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm ET. For additional information, please visit EPA’s CWA Sec. 401 Rulemaking Page or contact Ward Scott.
EPA Releases CWA Section 319 Grant Guidance Guidance Reports
In September 2022, Acting OWOW Office Director Brian Frazer issued a memorandum on incorporating environmental justice (EJ) considerations into the Clean Water Act (CWA) §319 grant program, and announced EPA’s intention to revise the Nonpoint Source (NPS) grant program guidelines to incorporate both EJ and climate considerations.
The NPS program guidelines were last revised in 2013. Since then, the program has contributed significantly to improving water quality and through those implementation efforts learned important lessons that can be used to improve the program.
In 2023, EPA is engaging state and territorial grantees, as well as the broader NPS community, to better integrate equity and climate resilience in the CWA §319 guidelines. Four workgroups formed to provide feedback and guidance on the guidelines. These reports are now available, along with more information on the process as a whole, here.
2023 UN Report: Wastewater – Turning Problem to Solution
As a follow up to the 2010 report Sick Water: The Central Role of Wastewater Management in Sustainable Development – A Rapid Response Assessment this new report looks at ways to achieve sustainable wastewater management, while capitalizing on opportunities for recovery and reuse. The report considers ways to develop and extend these opportunities to places improved wastewater management is desperately needed. Three key messages include the need to: transform how wastewater is viewed; change how water is used, collected, treated and valued; elevate reuse as part of international policy as an important component of food and water security. The three key action areas at local and national scales include: reducing the volume of wastewater produced; preventing and reducing water contamination; and sustainably managing wastewater for resource recovery and reuse. A copy of this report can be found here: Wastewater – Turning Problem to Solution.
EPA Modernizes FOIA Regulations
Last week, September 7, EPA announced Phase II of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) final rule which is intended to update and modernize EPA’s FOIA regulations “to better serve the American people.” This final rule is expected to “promote transparency and accountability, make FOIA more affordable, and expedite access to information to communities potentially experiencing disproportionate and adverse human health or environmental effects.” Notably, FOIA rule update establishes a new standard, in addition to the existing “compelling need” standard, for accelerating EPA’s response to FOIA requests, where there is a “pressing need to inform a community that is potentially experiencing disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects.” The rule updates also are intended to remove barriers by raising the threshold (to $250) for when requesters will be charged fees and provides a new formula for calculating fees. EPA also noted in this press release that they have eliminated their backlog of FOIA appeals “and reduced its average appeal response time from 256.93 days in FY 2019 to 13.66 days in FY 2022.” EPA has also increased the speed of issuing decisions on applications for expedited processing, “reducing the average time to issue these decisions from 21.06 days in FY 2020 to only 3.39 days in FY 2022, an overall 84% improvement.” A copy of the press release can be found here. A copy of the signed rule can be found in the Federal Register here: Federal Register: Freedom of Information Act Regulations Update; Phase II
Association Updates
2023-2024 ACWA Annual Membership Survey
This is the ACWA Annual Member Survey which helps us evaluate current services and member satisfaction and assists leadership with planning for the future. This survey is 15 questions long and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. This survey is being sent to all state, interstate, and territorial staff that participate in ACWA activities. Thank you for your assistance and know that we greatly appreciate your feedback.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023_2024_Annual_Membership_Survey
Association of Clean Water Administrators Leadership Education and Development System (LEADS)
What is it?
The ACWA Leadership Education and Development System (LEADS) is a new Board directed initiative intended to encourage participation in leadership activities and help future leaders in the organization improve their understanding of roles and responsibilities.
Who can participate?
All current state and interstate members and their staff interested in learning more about leadership in ACWA (Committee/Workgroup Chairs, Regional Board Members, Executive Officers) can volunteer to participate in LEADS.
How do I engage?
To learn more about the LEADS initiative, please contact Sean Rolland to get access to a short questionnaire. Upon completing the questionnaire, participants will be provided access to a new Member365 Workspace, which holds materials developed expressly for the ACWA LEADS program.
What if I have more questions?
After reviewing the materials, should a participant have more questions and/or be interested in further discussing future leadership opportunities in ACWA, a volunteer advisor with experience in that leadership role will be notified and will reach out to you.
Experts Directory
As per the ACWA Strategic Plan, over 70 state staff volunteered to be part of an Experts Directory, which is a service ACWA provides in the Member365 Environment. These subject matter experts (SMEs) volunteered to make themselves available should their peers in other states have programmatic related questions. This Directory has been added as a drop down on the Memebr365 dashboard page and is organized by Expert Subject Area. The subject matter areas include 316(b), 401 Certification, 404 Assumption, CAFO/Animal Agriculture, Enforcement and Compliance, Funding, Legal Affairs, Monitoring & Assessment, Nutrients Policy, NPDES Permitting, Nonpoint Source, Oceans and Coastal Issues, Pesticides, Pretreatment, State Implementation of CWA Programs, Steam Electric, Stormwater – Municipal, Stormwater – Industrial, Technology and Innovation, Water Quality Trading, Water Quality Standards, Water Quantity, and Watersheds & TMDLs. If you have programmatic questions, this may be another option to help you find out how other states are addressing the issue. Several volunteers offered to help research a question if they did not have an answer readily available. Beyond answering Member questions, ACWA may also ask the SMEs to identify:
- challenges & barriers to program implementation
- opportunities for state program improvement & enhancement
- state advances and innovations
- needs for training, guidance, tools, and other support materials
- positions the Associations wishes to take on specific issues
If you would like to volunteer as an SME, please contact Lexy Bailey at abailey@acwa-us.org. For more details on Member365, please check out our FAQ Page.
Meetings and Webinars
ACWA Water Quality Modeling Workshop: October 23-27, Salt Lake City, UT
Registration is now open for our upcoming Surface Water Quality Modeling Workshop in Salt Lake City, UT! This workshop will run October 23-27, with an optional pre-conference “Modeling 101” session on October 23.
This workshop will be an in-person event, in partnership with USEPA. This event will take place at the Utah DEQ Offices. This year, we will be offering three tracks: (1) HSPF (2) CE-QUAL-W2 (3) Modeling for Nutrients. We have a great planning team of state and EPA representatives working hard to finalize the agenda. Attached are one-page summaries on some of the topics covered this year.
To register, you will need access to ACWA’s member portal. If you are EPA staff, please reach out Lexy Bailey (abailey@acwa-us.org) for help getting set up. This workshop has 3 distinct tracks – including two hands-on trainings. Hands on trainings will be offered for HSPF and CE-QUAL-W2.
Space is limited for the HSPF and CE-QUAL-W2 tracks – once you register, you will automatically be placed on the wait list. You will receive a confirmation email at a later date.
If you are a new staff-person, or if you would like a refresher, please indicate that you will be attending the pre-conference “Modeling 101” session, set for the afternoon of October 23.
Lodging will be available at the Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel, in Salt Lake City, UT. ACWA has procured the local gov’t per diem rate of $128/night from Saturday, October 21 – Friday, October 27, 2023. You may reserve your hotel room here. The limited room block will be open through October 1, 2023. We recommend you secure your room as soon as possible to ensure your stay at this hotel.
EPA NNCR Training Series: September, October, November
Join U.S. EPA for its Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) webinar series on the NPDES Noncompliance Report or NNCR. These training will be hosted on ZoomGov and require registration to attend.
Register at https://echo.epa.gov/help/training#upcoming to save your spot at any of the upcoming trainings.
- Quarterly NNCR
- September 13, 2023, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
- Annual NNCR
- September 26, 2023, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
- Quarterly NNCR: DMR Reporting Violations
- October 11, 2023, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
- Quarterly NNCR: Effluent Violations
- October 19, 2023, 1:30 – 3:00 pm ET
- Quarterly NNCR: Schedule Violations
- November 1, 2023, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET
- Quarterly NNCR: Single Event/Other Violations
- November 16, 2023, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
Feel free to forward this announcement to anyone who might be interested.
Thank you for your interest in ECHO (https://echo.epa.gov)!
ASDWA HABS Webinar: CyAN Potential Satellite Montoring of Drinking Water Sources
Tuesday, September 19, 2023, from 4:00 – 5:00 pm (eastern time)
ASDWA will hold a webinar about the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) potential for satellite monitoring of drinking water sources. CyAN is a multi-agency project among US EPA, NASA, NOAA, and USGS to develop a satellite early warning indicator system for cyanobacterial blooms in U.S. freshwater systems. This webinar will provide an overview of the pros and cons of satellite imagery as an additional tool for monitoring drinking water sources.
This is the third of three HABs webinars in the ASDWA series for state drinking water programs and partners. For more information and to view the previous webinar recordings and presentations, go to www.asdwa.org/habs.
Creating the Water Workforce of the Future: Webinar Series
September 28, 2023, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Register Here
Today’s water workforce is becoming more diverse, with more and more organizations actively seeking to attract and retain women to a variety of challenging careers. Women are providing much needed energy, skills and innovation to help water sector utilities become truly sustainable and provide 21st century water services to their communities. While women are advancing to executive level positions, this webinar will focus on the journey of three women who are making critical contributions through both operator, engineering, and scientific positions. Speakers will provide a brief overview of their current job and address some of the challenges and opportunities they see for women wishing to make water a truly exceptional career. The remainder of the webinar will focus on a conversation between the speakers and the audience, to answer additional questions, and provide other perspectives on ways to attract women into a career in water.
Moderators
· Jim Horne, U.S. EPA
Speakers
· Jamie Hughes, Program Manager, Clean Water Services
· Maggie Macomber, Engineering Program Manager, Charlotte Water
· Rochelle Verspui, Assistant Wastewater Shift Supervisor, East Bay Municipal Utility District
This webinar is part of an ongoing webinar series hosted by EPA, in partnership with leading water sector organizations around the country. More information on this webinar series can be found at https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure/water-sector-workforce-webinars
ITRC Harmful Cyanobacteria Blooms Training
The ITRC Harmful Cyanobacteria Blooms (HCBs) two-part training reviews key information found in the two ITRC HCB Guidance Documents: Strategies for Preventing and Managing Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms (HCB-1) and the companion document focused on benthic HCBs (HCB-2). For regulators and other government agency staff, these materials present the state of the science on cyanobacteria and approaches to manage and reduce the occurrence of blooms. These trainings will help the audience understand:
- The basic ecology and physiology of planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria, and the harmful effects they have on health, the environment, and local economies
- An overview of cyanotoxin classes and available cyanotoxin thresholds for human health (recreational and drinking water) and domestic animals
- Common approaches to monitoring for cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins, and how to build a monitoring program
- The importance of good communication and coordinated response during HCBs, and the elements of a good response plan
- Available options for in-lake management and control of HCBs, including an introduction to possible treatment options for benthic cyanobacteria
- Nutrient management options to reduce the likelihood of HCBs in your water body
HCB-1 Training: Thursday, October 5, 2023, 1:00 – 3:00pm ET.
HCB-2 Training: Thursday, October 12, 2023, 1:00 – 3:00pm ET.
To register for either event or both, please visit https://clu-in.org/conf/itrc/hcb-2/.
Public NNCR Trainings in Fall 2023
EPA recently scheduled and posted the next round of the NNCR public trainings to the ECHO Training page. The trainings will be hosted on ZoomGov and do require registration to attend. Since we recorded the NNCR trainings from this spring, this series will not be recorded. We will direct those interested in training recordings to the existing recordings available on the ECHO Training page.
NNCR Training Schedule
- Quarterly NNCR
- September 13, 2023 1:00 – 2:00 pm eastern (register here)
- Annual NNCR
- September 26, 2023 1:00 – 2:00 pm (register here)
- Quarterly NNCR: DMR Reporting Violations
- October 11, 2023 1:00 – 2:00 pm eastern (register here)
- Quarterly NNCR: Effluent Violations
- October 19, 2023 1:30 – 3:00 pm eastern (register here)
- Quarterly NNCR: Schedule Violations
- November 1, 2023 2:00 – 3:00 pm eastern (register here)
- Quarterly NNCR: Single Event/Other Violations
- November 16, 2023 1:00 – 2:00 pm eastern (register here)
Please contact Courtney Tuxbury (tuxbury.courtney@epa.gov) with any questions.
EPA Technical Assistance Webinar Series
Thursday, September 21, 2023, 12:30pm – 2:00pm (EDT)
An overview of basic wastewater math concepts and how these calculations can be used to optimize plant operations and are essential in accurate reporting. Concepts will include pump math for operators, area and volume conversions, velocity and flow calculations.
This series it is geared toward plant owners and operators of smaller systems with flow of less than 1 million gallons per day. Others include: WWTP owners and operators, design engineers, municipal leaders, NPDES technical assistance providers, permit writers, compliance staff from state, local, tribal, and federal governments.
Job Opportunities
New Mexico Monitoring Team Supervisor
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Closing Date: 9/20/2023
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is seeking highly engaged talent to assist us in our mission to protect and restore the environment and foster a healthy and prosperous New Mexico for present and future generations. This position oversees surface water quality monitoring efforts across the entire state of New Mexico to meet Clean Water Act grant requirements and provide the data and information necessary to determine which streams, rivers, and lakes are impaired and which waters are meeting their water quality goals, which is necessary to inform all other aspects of the Bureau’s mission. This position leads the Monitoring Team and trains, supervises, and mentors five (5) technical field staff.
For additional information, please visit State of New Mexico Careers.
Colorado Water Quality Standards Positions
Location: Colorado
Upcoming Announcement: September 2023
Colorado’s Water Quality Standards Unit currently has openings for two new staff members. These staff will review and develop standards to protect the beneficial uses of water by conducting scientific research and statistical analyses, evaluating regulatory and policy mechanisms, conducting fieldwork, and holistically considering health equity and environmental justice principles. This work will result in recommendations for water quality standards and classifications to be considered by the Water Quality Control Commission. These positions also provide technical assistance and support to other sections of the Water Quality Control Division, develop standards implementation guidance, and assist other Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment programs implementing water quality standards.
We are recruiting nationwide for these positions, so if you are looking to relocate to Colorado this could be your chance! Please reach out to blake.beyea@state.co.us for more information and view an example of preferred qualifications here.
Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program Environmental Engineer
Location: Bend, Klamath Falls, Pendleton, or The Dalles, Oregon (finalist may choose work location)
Application Deadline: 9/27/2023
You will serve as the primary resource for providing engineering analysis and needs assessments of wastewater treatment facility operations and infrastructure, and of water quality projects that could qualify for clean water state revolving fund loans. You will be responsible for reviewing site specific wastewater treatment operations and water quality improvement projects, and you will provide technical and engineering expertise on water quality rules and program requirements. In addition, you will act as a liaison to local governments and public agencies as they attempt to assess their operations and infrastructure needs.
For more information and to apply, visit Oregon Job Opportunities.
Environmental Specialist III
Location: Augusta, ME
Closing Date: 9/22/2023
This position is a wastewater discharge permit writer in the Division of Water Quality Management (DWQM). The positions drafts wastewater discharge permits for a variety of industrial, commercial, and municipal discharges and overboard discharge permits for a variety of commercial and residential dischargers, as well as other point source dischargers. The position interacts closely with compliance, enforcement, technical engineering staff in the DWQM and water quality engineers and biologists in the Division of Environmental Assessment (DEA). This position also interacts with federal and state regulatory agencies as well as the regulated community and other interested parties.
Candidates interested in any of these positions need to complete and submit an online State of Maine application, along with a detailed resume, and cover letter at: https://www.maine.gov/nrsc/jobs/index.shtml#dep
Quality Assurance Analyst – Environmental Analyst IV
Location: Worcester, MA
Closing Date: 9/25/2023
Under the supervision of the Data Management and Water Quality Assessment Section Chief or designee, duties for the Quality Assurance Analyst will include overseeing the quality assurance and quality control system for WPP’s monitoring program; ensuring data produced by WPP are of known and documented quality and suitable for intended purposes; reviewing external monitoring plans, QAPPs, SOPs, and data submittals to MassDEP; and coordinating with external groups to ensure data of sufficient quality and quantity are available to WPP. The Quality Assurance Analyst will additionally be responsible for coordinating QA activities for MassDEP’s Bureau of Water Resources. Excellent organizational skills are required, as well as the ability to manage and work on multiple projects concurrently, meet deadlines, and work well both independently and as a member of a team. The position will be subject to a hybrid work environment (i.e., partly telework and partly on-site), with a minimum of one day per week in Worcester at the Watershed Planning Program’s office.
For more information and to apply, visit MassCareers Job Opportunities.
Stormwater Engineer (Environmental Engineer 2)
Location: Lacey, WA
Closing Date: Continuous
You will work with the Toxic Contamination in Stormwater Protect Team to review scopes of work (SOW), designs, plans, and technical reports pertinent to 6PPD-quinone in stormwater. You will also provide technical engineering support, assistance, advice, and guidance to the Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) Program, Ecology staff and management, the regulated community, their consultants, and the general public related to stormwater management. In addition, you will develop and provide technical oversight for statewide technical guidance pertaining to stormwater runoff. Your work will be spot checked and revied by a licensed Professional Engineer.
For more information and to apply, please visit State of Washington Job Opportunities.
General Permit Administrator (Environmental Specialist 3)
Location: Lacey, WA
Closing Date: Continuous
You will support important processes in the issuance of protective general permit coverage actions and provide technical assistance and customer service to the regulated community and other stakeholders. You will bring your attention to detail, collaborative spirit, and great communication skills to review incoming permit application; communicate verbally and in writing with stakeholders, both internal and external; help with continuous improvement efforts; enter information into a database and manage information for data quality; and prepare permit correspondence, letters, and permit document materials for approval and processing.
For more information and to apply, please visit State of Washington Job Opportunities.
Clean Energy Permit Coordinator and Senior Permit Administrator (Environmental Specialist 4)
Location: Lacey, WA
Closing Date: Continuous
In this position, you will help a team of dedicated staff implement a new law by supporting the development and oversight of a coordinated permitting process for clean energy projects in the State of Washington. In addition to serving as the primary contact for clean energy permit coordination related to water quality general permits, you will also support a team of environmental specialists as the lead permit administrator for construction and stormwater permits.
For more information and to apply, please visit State of Washington Job Opportunities.
Municipal Stormwater Grant Project Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4)
Location: Shoreline, WA
Closing Date: Continuous
You will manage Department of Ecology municipal and nonpoint stormwater grants with local governments and special purpose districts to fund projects that improve water quality. You will also be the lead and point of contact for Ecology’s stormwater and nonpoint grant recipients during the life of their grant agreements; rank grant applications; work with grant recipients to provide technical assistance; and conduct field inspections of Ecology-funded projects.
For more information and to apply, please visit State of Washington Job Opportunities.
Enforcement & Compliance Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4)
Location: Lacey, WA
Closing Date: Continuous
Responsible for conducting highly complex or controversial compliance and enforcement actions. You will gather evidence, document findings, and write and issue warning letters, notices of violations, administrative orders, penalties, or other enforcement actions. The work includes conducting inspections and relying on information gathered by other Department of Ecology inspectors and permit managers. You will be a subject matter expert at meetings with the public, regulated communities, attorneys, local governments, and other Ecology employees. You will represent Ecology as the expert on enforcement appeals to the Pollution Controls Hearing Board (PCHB).
For more information and to apply, please visit State of Washington Job Opportunities.
Water Quality Management Unit Supervisor (WMS Band 1)
Location: Lacey, WA
Closing Date: Continuous
The Washington Department of Ecology is looking for a supervisor who is committed to protecting Washington’s surface and groundwater. You will be responsible for providing support and guidance to keep work moving forward, staff engaged and supported. As an active and engaged leader, you will roll up your sleeves and do what it takes to support the team. You will be managing a unit a section that has three units developing water quality policy for Washington State. The section is engaged in dynamic high-profile work and, if you are interested in the implementation of federal and state water quality regulations and want to share your experience, people skills, and work with a great team, then please apply.
For more information and to apply, please visit State of Washington Job Opportunities.
Water Resource Engineer/Scientist
Closing Date: 10/6/2023 at 4 pm
The WRE/WRS will review projects/National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) submissions
for compliance with the DRBC requirements and compatibility with the Comprehensive Plan and will
provide recommendations to the Project Review Manager for approval, disapproval or modification
based on sound engineering/science knowledge and judgment. Duties will also include the preparation
of project summaries for public notice, preparing lists of parties to receive information on projects, using
Commission’s computer facilities to store and retrieve project information and the analysis of projects
and coordination with Commission technical, administrative, and legal staff. The WRE/WRS may also
work on cross branch teams under the direction of supervisors from other sections, as needed, for
discrete projects. The WRE/WRS will also participate in the coordination of revisions to the
Commission’s Water Quality Standards.
To apply, submit cover letter and resume via email to: jobs@drbc.gov. For more information visit DRBC Employment Opportunities.
