Washington Report

Lee Zeldin was confirmed by the Senate last week as the next administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by a vote of 56-42 as three Democrats crossed the aisle to support President Donald Trump’s pick for environmental chief. Zeldin served as a NewRead More

In January, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) sponsored legislation seeking to invalidate the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) through the Congressional Review Act procedure. According to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), which reported on the Palmer bill, the CRA allows a simple majority ofRead More

Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering has been appointed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to its National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC). His two-year term is effective immediately. “It’s an honor to join this distinguished group of professionals committed to safe and reliable drinkingRead More

The water sector got a brief scare last week when an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office appeared to immediately pause distribution of funds appropriated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA, also knownRead More

On Jan. 14, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft risk assessment of the potential human health risks associated with the presence of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals in biosolids, also known as sewage sludge. The findings for the draft riskRead More

In December, associations representing the municipal water and wastewater sector submitted a letter to President-elect Donald Trump, urging his administration to prioritize water infrastructure in his second term. The letter was endorsed by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), Water Environment Federation (WEF), the AssociationRead More

Last week, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) reached a final agreement on the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA). The Water Resources Development Act is biennial legislation that authorizes theRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General in October issued a report identifying nearly $1 billion in questioned costs and funds that it suggested could be put to better use in the agency’s distribution of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for lead service line replacement.  DueRead More

On Oct. 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3.6 billion in new funding under the Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to upgrade water infrastructure. Combined with $2.6 billion announced earlier in October, EPA said the $6.2 billion in investments for Fiscal Year 2025Read More

As the 2024 presidential race intensifies, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) said it is urging both candidates to prioritize critical clean water infrastructure issues. The organization said in a statement that it has submitted letters to both Vice President Kamala Harris andRead More