Guest Columns

By Seth Mansergh & Nancy Mortvedt Manufacturers of aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) have been attempting to reduce their liability from the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their products for many years. The health effects from PFAS exposure are getting a lotRead More

As part of the virtual 2022 Water Asset Management Conference, WF&M hosted a panel discussion on lead service line rehabilitation, analyzing the requirements under the revised Lead and Copper Rule (LCRR) and the biggest challenges for utilities. Specifically, on the replacement part of LCRR, theRead More

A Senate version of the Financing Lead Out of Water (FLOW) Act was introduced last week after months of work by water sector stakeholders. The legislation, which has a companion bill in the House of Representatives, is sponsored by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and wasRead More

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Aug. 26 released a pre-publication version of a rule that would designate the two most common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) — as hazardous substances under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,Read More

By Craig Butt As government regulators seek to limit per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – which are chemicals linked to a range of health and environmental risks – testing for these chemicals has proven challenging. Called “forever chemicals” because of the extreme resistance to breakdownRead More

The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), representing large U.S. drinking water systems, submitted a pair of comments this month pertaining to proposed waivers of Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements for EPA program-funded projects. EPA has previously proposed temporary public interest waivers for projects funded byRead More

By John Ryan U.S. public infrastructure renewal was never going to be easy, but several current trends suggest that it will soon be even more challenging. Federal infrastructure loan programs are a proven policy tool, and their capabilities should be expanded in specific and practicalRead More

The Senate last week approved its 2022 version of the Water Resources Development Act, biennial legislation that authorizes a variety of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration projects and studies. The Senate’s amended version of H.R. 7776 passed by a tally of 93–1, andRead More

The U.S. House of Representatives in July passed a six-bill spending package for fiscal year 2023, one of which is a $44.8 billion FY 2023 Interior-EPA spending bill that would fund EPA with $11.5 billion. The EPA funding included in the larger bill remained the same as approved byRead More

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan has announced the appointment of 30 members, including both new and returning members, to the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB). The EFAB provides advice to the EPA Administrator and the agency’s programs and regional offices on innovativeRead More