Guest Columns

How Phase II Drinking Water Settlements Class Members, Wastewater Utilities and Airports Should Prepare By Mike DiGiannantonio The majority of U.S. drinking water systems affected by PFAS contamination are the beneficiaries of landmark settlements from 3M, DuPont, Tyco and BASF totaling more than $14 billion.Read More

In July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to designate five chemicals as High-Priority Substances for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) including vinyl chloride, primarily used in the manufacturing and processing of plastic materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe.Read More

In June, a House Appropriations Subcommittee approved a spending proposal for FY25 that would cut the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) budget by $1.8 billion, bringing the total appropriation for the agency to $7.36 billion for the next fiscal year, down from $9.16 billion in FY24. TheRead More

The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed legislation to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a biennial bill that authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects. The bill, H.R. 8812, passed by a vote of 359 to 13. WRDA authorizes the U.S. Army CorpsRead More

In July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed modification to the 2011 settlement with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District to address the flow of untreated sewage into Cleveland-area waterways and Lake Erie. The agency said the modification will affect the CityRead More

In July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPS) committed to providing more than $20 million to 13 workforce development organizations under its Innovative Water Workforce Development Grant Program, which supports expanding career opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector. “In every community inRead More

In June, a House Appropriations Subcommittee approved a spending proposal for FY25 that would cut the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) budget by $1.8 billion, bringing the total appropriation for the agency to $7.36 billion for the next fiscal year, down from $9.16 billion inRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program was developed as a mechanism for consumers and businesses to help conserve water. EPA recently said in 2023 alone, WaterSense-labeled products helped save 1.2 trillion gallons of water. Since the conception of the WaterSense label, the agency saidRead More

The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed the Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act, the result of a decade of advocacy by NACWA, the California Association of Sanitation Agencies, water sector partners, and manufacturers to improve labeling. The legislation directs theRead More

On May 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to make annual drinking water quality reports more understandable and accessible to the public. The agency said the reports are an important tool that drinking water systems use to inform residents about waterRead More