News
ACWA Letter to Trump EPA Transition Team
ACWA sent a letter this week to the Trump EPA Transition Team introducing them to the association and laying out early priorities for the new Administration to focus on. The letter emphasizes the importance of cooperative federalism and working with the states/interstates as the Administration moves forward with its agenda. The letter also discusses the importance of STAG funding for state/interstate water quality programs and calls on the Administration to rely on sound science as they move forward with their agenda.
State Environmental Organizations Send Letter to EPA Transition Team
ACWA joined with ECOS, ASDWA, GWPC, NAWM, CIFA, WSWC, NACAA, APPCA, and ASTWMO introducing the new Trump team to each of our organizations and offering up our assistance as the new Administration moves forward with its priorities.
Fifth Contaminant Candidate List
EPA is releasing preliminary determinations for contaminants on the Fifth Contaminant Candidate List, a mechanism under the Safe Drinking Water Act to evaluate drinking water contaminants for potential nationwide regulation. The contaminants that EPA analyzed under the Fifth Contaminant Candidate List were 2-aminotoluene, cylindrospermopsin, ethoprop, microcystins, molybdenum, permethrin, profenofos, tebuconazole and tribufos. Based on the best available information at this time, EPA’s preliminary determination indicates that the nine contaminants evaluated by the agency do not meet the Safe Drinking Water Act criteria for establishing a nationwide regulation.
Publication of the preliminary regulatory determinations for these nine contaminants in the Federal Register opens the 60-day public comment period. Comments can be submitted to docket number EPA-HQ-OW-2024-0456 on regulations.gov. The EPA will consider and respond to the public comments received. After doing so, the agency plans to publish the final regulatory determinations prior to the statutory deadline of March 2026.
For more information about regulatory determinations, please find them on the EPA’s Regulatory Determinations website.
EPA is Accepting Comments on a Draft Comparison of Aquatic Life Protective Values for Pesticides
EPA is seeking comment on draft analyses of water quality values for pesticides that would be protective of aquatic life under the Clean Water Act. In support of registration decisions under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA has developed aquatic life benchmarks for pesticides, or concentrations below which pesticides are not expected to be a concern for aquatic organisms. This draft analysis indicates that those benchmarks developed by EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) could also be used as aquatic life protective values under the Clean Water Act.
EPA will accept public comments on the draft analyses document, Comparison of Aquatic Life Protective Values Developed for Pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA), and potential application of OPP aquatic life benchmarks for Clean Water Act 304(a) purposes through January 27.
View the draft document and learn how to provide comments.
EPA Releases Water Affordability Needs Assessment Report
In December 2024, EPA released a report to Congress detailing water affordability across the U.S. among households and utilities. The report — “Water Affordability Needs Assessment” — summarizes decades of research by utilities, academics, and associations, and includes recommendations, such as potentially establishing a federal water assistance program; increasing education, outreach, and knowledge around solutions to address affordability; and increasing ways to reduce water infrastructure capital and operating costs. EPA estimates that between 12.1 million and 19.2 million households throughout the U.S. lack access to affordable water services. Nationally, the cost of unaffordable water service bills ranges from $5.1 billion to $8.8 billion. For more information, please visit EPA’s new Water Affordability Website, which contains information about water affordability, stakeholder engagement information, case studies on various water affordability topics, and resources for consumers and utilities.
EPA Releases Report: Framework for Permitting Innovation in the Wastewater Sector
In December 2024, EPA – along with University of California, Berkeley; Water Innovation Services; Stanford University; and ERG – released its report, A Framework for Permitting Innovation in the Wastewater Sector. According to the Report, “The extensive research portfolio underpinning this report started with a simple question: Why is it so hard to innovate in the wastewater sector, when there are so many opportunities to innovate, recover valuable resources, lower the cost of treatment, and maximize sustainability? Our research has found that a lack of technical capability is rarely seen as the leading barrier to innovation…[W]hile regulators and the regulated community alike agree that the permitting process can be a problem, neither group believes that reducing regulatory stringency is a useful pathway to accelerating innovation.” A copy of this report is attached and can be found here.
Recently Published-Safeguarding Against Natural Hazards and Extreme Weather Events: A Resource Guide for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems
EPA’s Clean Water Technology Center recently published Safeguarding Against Natural Hazards and Extreme Weather Events: A Resource Guide for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems. This resource guide highlights research, information, and technologies that demonstrate how innovative approaches can help decentralized systems become more resilient and sustainable for the long term. The resource guide is hyperlinked above and can be found on the EPA Septic System website here: https://www.epa.gov/septic/septic-systems-reports-regulations-guidance-and-manuals.
Association Updates
2025 Mid-Year Meeting – Reserve Your Hotel Room Now!
Dates: March 12 & 13, 2025
Venue: Hilton Alexandria Old Town, Alexandria, VA
Make your room reservations today! The room block will close on February 18, 2025.
Registration is LIVE! Register HERE
This will be a closed meeting intended for state members and federal guests. The agenda is in development and will be updated as appropriate.
Check back here for more updates.
Registration Open: 2025 State Summit on Water Reuse
Date: March 19, 2025 (9:15 am to 4:30 pm)
Venue: JW Marriott Tampa Water Street
Registration is now open for the 2025 State Summit on Water Reuse, which will take place on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at the J.W. Marriott Water Street in Tampa, FL. Please click here to register for the State Summit before January 31, 2025.
This free, state regulator-only event is hosted by ACWA, ASDWA, ECOS, ASTHO, GWPC, and U.S. EPA, and will be held once again in conjunction with the WateReuse Association Annual Water Reuse Symposium, which begins March 16.
The primary goal of the State Summit is to provide a place for state regulators to share and learn about a range of water reuse issues, network with state colleagues, and coordinate with representatives from select federal agencies. The Summit will feature perspectives from many states and provide an opportunity for participants to share their thoughts and key questions with colleagues from around the country. Past Summit session topics have included: developments in potable reuse around the nation, non-potable reuse for agriculture, industrial reuse trends and experiences (e.g., data centers, produced water), as well as federal updates on the National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) and Interagency Working Group.
ACWA and ASDWA may be able to assist with reimbursement for costs relating to state travel and lodging for the Summit. However, space and reimbursement funds are limited. Please contact Ward Scott (wscott@acwa-us.org) to request travel reimbursement or for more information. Additionally, State Summit participants are eligible to register for the Annual WRA WateReuse Symposium at a discounted (Presenter) rate.
2025 Water Quality Standards Workshop – Registration Now Available!
Dates: April 22-24, 2025
Location: Des Moines, IA
This workshop is a national meeting organized by ACWA for state staff involved in state water quality standards programs, as well as for both Regional and Headquarters-based U.S. Environmental Protection Agency managers and staff.
The workshop will be held at the Embassy Suites in Downtown Des Moines. Reserve your hotel room here: ACWA Water Quality Standards Workshop. The room block will close March 31, 2025.
ACWA does anticipate having travel support for state staff. When available, more information can be found on ACWA’s events page.
Meetings and Webinars
Using the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) and State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs to Finance Water Infrastructure Projects Webinar
Tuesday, January 14, 2025, from 3:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern time
The WIFIA and SRF programs provide financing solutions to help communities address their water infrastructure needs. Communities can use these EPA programs together to co-finance up to 100% of an eligible project. Co-funding with the WIFIA and SRF programs offers funding recipients efficiencies, cost savings, and other advantages. This webinar will provide an overview of the WIFIA and SRF programs and describe how both programs can be used to maximize infrastructure funding for water sector utilities implementing climate resilient adaptation strategies, like those developed through CRWU’s technical assistance program.
Register here. For more information, contact Dallas Shattuck, shattuck.dallas@epa.gov.
Public Briefing: EPA Presenting an Overview of the Proposed 2026 MSGP
Click here to register: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_1AtwBEsvTaOgxjNfKk2dRw#/registration.
Date & Time: Jan 16, 2025 01:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada).
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released the proposed 2026 Multi-Sector General Permit for Industrial Stormwater Discharges. The proposed permit would replace the 2021 Multi-Sector General Permit and aims to reduce pollutant discharges from stormwater industrial activity. In this webcast, Alicia Denning, the EPA industrial stormwater program lead, presents an overview of new proposed permit requirements.
The EPA is currently accepting comments with the public comment period ending February 11, 2025. Comments must be submitted on https://www.regulations.gov for docket ID EPA-HQ-OW-2024-0481.
For more information about the Proposed 2026 Multi-Sector General Permit, visit https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-industrial-activities-epas-proposed-2026-msgp.
EPA Webinar on Alternative Water Sources for Augmenting Water Supplies
EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) is convening a virtual workshop on Alternative Water Sources for Augmenting Water Supplies with EPA Regions and interested states on February 5, 2025, from 1:00 – 5:00 pm. The workshop will discuss ORD’s research to help support the National Water Reuse Action Plan, as well as the needs of EPA regions, states, and Tribes for safe and reliable water supplies. Research will also focus on developing tools and resources for communities to support their decision making regarding alternative water sources. The workshop will provide an opportunity to discuss research gaps, identify opportunities for collaboration on scientific needs, and inform EPA ORD’s research agenda.
While this virtual workshop is in follow-up to the EPA ORD-Region 6-States Meeting held in October, all EPA Regions and interested states are invited to participate. We ask that everyone register for the workshop (link below). Attached are the workshop flyer and draft agenda. We welcome states to suggest specific concerns or issues under the general research topics that they may wish to see included but are not currently in the draft workshop agenda. For each research topic, we will be asking a state representative to talk about some of the on-the-ground challenges their state is facing on this topic and related science needs.
Registration: https://usepa.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItcuCgrjoqHC7INJrV4xGayy42-JWO7_U
Save the Date: EPA’s Informational Webinars on Draft WQS Handbook Chapters
On December 12, 2024, the EPA released three draft chapters of the WQS Handbook for a 90-day public comment period. The WQS Handbook provides a plain language discussion of the relevant regulatory and statutory requirements and the EPA’s recommendations for how states, authorized Tribes and U.S. territories can develop and implement WQS consistent with both. The EPA has updated Chapter 2 on Designated Uses, Chapter 4 on Antidegradation, and developed a new chapter on WQS Variances to include the EPA’s most recent WQS programmatic policy and guidance to implement the regulation at 40 CFR Part 131.
During the public comment period, the EPA will hold informational webinars to provide an overview of the chapters and an opportunity for participants to ask clarifying questions after having read the chapters. Each webinar will cover the same material.
Please save the date:
- General public webinar: February 4, 2025, 12pm ET to 2pm ET
- States and U.S. territories only webinar: February 4, 2025, 2:30pm ET to 4:30pm ET
- Tribes only webinar: February 6, 2025, 12pm ET to 2pm ET
Registration for the webinars will begin in early January 2025. The EPA will provide the registration information on the WQS Handbook webpage and via this listserv.
Job Opportunities
Grant & Contracts Specialist
Location: St. Paul, Brainerd, Duluth, Detroit Lakes, Rochester, Marshall, or Mankato, MN
Closing Date: January 7, 2025
Job ID #: 82658
For more information and to apply, visit Minnesota Careers.
TMDL Basin Coordinator (Natural Resource Specialist 4)
Location: Pendleton, Oregon
Closing Date: January 12, 2025
For more information and to apply, click here.
ICWP 2025 Spring Internships
Location: Remote
Closing Date: January 17, 2025
ICWP has immediate openings for up to three interns to assist in accomplishing its mission for Spring 2025. Interns will work with a supervisor to select one or more projects based on interests and skills and receive a $1,000 stipend.
We are looking for interns who are interested in the following project topics:
- Water Data Governance
- Soil Moisture and Evapotranspiration
- Planning Assistance to States (PAS)
- Committee Event Planning
- Others, should a worthy proposal be submitted
See 2025 Internship Announcement here.
CSO Project Manager or Environmental Engineer
Location: Albany, NY
Closing Date: January 19, 2025
To apply, submit your cover letter and resume by email to jobs@neiwpcc.org by January 19, 2025. Please reference 25-NY-IEM-001 in the email subject line. Accepting applications until the position is filled. A full position description and benefits listing may be viewed at: https://neiwpcc.org/about-us/careers.
Environmental Analyst – Training & Certification Specialist
Location: South Portland, ME
Closing Date: January19. 2025
To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, and a brief writing sample by email to jobs@neiwpcc.org by January
19, 2025. Please reference #25-SOPO-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.
Environmental Specialist III
Location: Augusta, ME
Closing Date: January 24, 2025
For more information and to apply, click here.
Western Region Administrator (Natural Resource Protection and Sustainability Administrator 1)
Location: Eugene, OR
Closing Date: January 26, 2025
For more information and to apply, visit Oregon Job Opportunities.
Aquatic Invasive Species Boat Launch Stewards
Location: Lake Champlain, NY and VT
Closing Date: Open until filled
To apply, submit a cover letter and resume by email to jobs@neiwpcc.org; please reference #25-LCBP-003 in
the email subject line. Application review will begin on February 2, 2025, and will continue on a rolling
basis until all positions are filled. A full position description may be viewed at: https://neiwpcc.org/aboutus/careers.
Be sure to check out other opportunities on ACWA’s Job Opportunities page.
