Guest Columns

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

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will be waiving fees for small communities who apply for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. EPA said waiving WIFIA application and credit processing fees would clear a “notableRead More

The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) has announced that Dan Hartnett, the association’s chief policy officer, has been appointed to serve as interim chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hartnett joined AMWA in 2007 as a legislative assistant and has served in severalRead More

In the first comprehensive federal settlement with a major PFAS manufacturer, Chemours has agreed to settle $450 million in federal and state charges over the “forever chemicals” found in its products. The settlement was announced on June 24 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),Read More

By Jason Mumm The numbers that guide affordability policies in the water sector have been with us for decades. They are 2 percent of the median household income for wastewater, 2.5 percent for drinking water, and 4.5 percent combined; most practitioners have treated them asRead More

In early June, the House Appropriations Committee held a full committee markup of the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY2027) Interior, Environment and Related Agencies spending bill that includes a 16% reduction in State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) spending for water and wastewater projects.   According to a summaryRead More

During Water Week 2026 in April, a press conference at the National Press Club brought together leading water experts, policymakers, financiers, utility leaders and innovators to examine U.S. water infrastructure policy. The event was hosted by BPR, sponsored by ASTERRA and moderated by Paul Gagliardo,Read More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it has accomplished its remediation of the Potomac Interceptor collapse and fully demobilized the federal presence onsite. On March 14, wastewater flow was restored to the Potomac Interceptor a full week ahead of schedule, allowing ongoing work to focus onRead More