Guest Columns

By Rebecca Zito Effective community engagement has become a crucial part of water utility operations. Because public expectations have changed dramatically, the silent utility provider is an outdated concept. Communities now demand more from their utility. Modern technology and convenience have forever altered the wayRead More

Research centers focused on stormwater infrastructure will be established through federal funding after extensive support from the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the National Municipal Stormwater Alliance (NMSA). Congress has provided $3 million in initial funding for the establishment of three to five Centers ofRead More

When it comes to drinking water contaminants like per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), many water industry associations, including the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation, do not think that water utilities should be left with the cleanup bill. Instead, they are lobbyingRead More

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I), U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, and Rep. SamRead More

By Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells October marked five decades since leaders came together to make a monumental change, impacting our daily lives ever since. And no, I’m not talking about the 50 years that my agency, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, has been protecting public healthRead More

By Brian Redder The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to execute actions outlined in its PFAS Strategic Roadmap, released in October 2021, to address issues related to PFAS contamination. Drinking water and wastewater utilities have played no role in producing, using or profiting fromRead More

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