Guest Columns

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) expressed deep concern last week about the potential for Congress to move forward on massive spending cuts being proposed for the Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs. These programs had been previously designated forRead More

This week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit granted a request from the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Cybersecurity Rule from going into effect until a current caseRead More

Chemical manufacturing company 3M announced it has agreed to pay at least $10.3 billion in lawsuit settlements over contamination of water systems from PFAS, harmful chemical compounds the water sector has been cracking down on. If approved by the court, it would be the largestRead More

In public comments submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week, two water sector associations representing the drinking water sector offered strong recommendations to the agency’s proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for PFAS. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and AssociationRead More

In a blow to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) authority over some water bodies, the Supreme Court last week ruled to narrow the scope of the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) definition and how EPA can regulate wetlands under the Clean Water Act.Read More

| By Dr. Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi For years, thousands of small drinking water systems in the United States have been facing big financial challenges that undermine their ability to provide their customers with safe and affordable drinking water. As a result of these challenges, manyRead More

By Constantine Antoniou Sodium hydroxide is used as an acidity control and metal remover by water utilities. Too much of the corrosive material can cause chemical burns and other uncomfortable side effects. In 2021, when a hacker accessed a Florida water utility’s computer system andRead More

Examining EPA’s Proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels for ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water In the world of water utility finance, it’s widely known that ratepayers like residents and businesses represent the primary source of revenue for local water and sewer systems. Therefore, when regulatory mandates comeRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a unilateral administrative order (UAO) to the City of Baltimore to comply with Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) safeguards designed to protect public health from “illnesses linked to Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other bacteria from animal waste whichRead More

By Wayne Hofmann An engineer, a contractor and a utility owner walked into a bar. They had just finished a long day reviewing plans at the construction site, and they were all feeling a little drained. They ordered their drinks and saddled up to theRead More