Guest Columns

By Meredith Emmerich Over the past decade, water and wastewater utilities have made significant strides in modernizing their infrastructure. Foundational tools like SCADA, GIS, asset management systems and smart metering are now standard in many operations. Yet, as we talk with utility leaders across theRead More

The National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), the largest U.S. trade association representing the utility construction and excavation industry, recently issued the following statement from Chief Advocacy Officer Zack Perconti regarding a Sept. 3 hearing in the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment Subcommittee on the “SafeRead More

A new analysis from global water market data firm Bluefield Research said U.S. federal water infrastructure funding is set to plummet roughly 63% between fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027, dropping from $23.4 billion to an estimated $8.6 billion. But Bluefield said there’s moreRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released two new guidance documents to help drinking water systems that are working to keep their communities safe from lead.    The two documents, Access Tips and Service Line Inventory Tips, provide practical information to help water systems and states implement the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). Read More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the availability of $10.8 million in grant funding to support training for the water sector workforce. The agency said enhancing recruitment and training for workers in the water sector is more important than ever in light ofRead More

On Aug. 18, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) designation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund. EPARead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) convened a roundtable on Aug. 4 focused on the water workforce and how to better recruit and retain individuals into meaningful careers in water. The roundtable also concentrated on identifying opportunities where EPA can work to reduce barriers andRead More

By Prinkesh Shah Over the past two years, PFAS regulation has been anything but settled. In 2024, EPA finalized the first national drinking water standards for PFOA, PFOS, and four additional PFAS compounds. In 2026, EPA proposed rescinding the standards for those four additional compoundsRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced $30 million in grant funding, under EPA’s Real Water Technical Assistance Initiative, to provide training and technical assistance that will improve water quality in small and rural communities across America. Supporting small water systems in their work to meet requirements of the Safe Drinking WaterRead More

The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee voted unanimously to pass the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026, that would also reauthorize the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRF) programs. The Water Resources Development Act is biennial legislation that authorizesRead More