Washington Report

2024 Regulatory Outlook: PFAS, Lead and Copper Rule Improvements

2024 Regulatory Outlook: PFAS, Lead and Copper Rule Improvements

Guest Columns, Washington Report, Water Finance February 26, 2024 at 9:05 am

By Brian Redder & Erica Brown As 2024 commences, EPA is hard at work preparing to finalize two major rulemakings under the Safe Drinking Water Act by the end of the year: the PFAS national primary drinking water regulations and the Lead and Copper RuleRead More

EPA names new acting water chief

EPA names new acting water chief

Washington Report, Water Management February 26, 2024 at 8:45 am

The US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a new acting head of the Office of Water as the current assistant administrator, Radhika Fox, exits her post at the end of the month. Bruno Pigott, who currently serves as principal deputy assistant administrator for water,Read More

Water sector issues joint statement to Congress on fully funding SRFs

Water sector issues joint statement to Congress on fully funding SRFs

Washington Report February 19, 2024 at 9:45 am

On Feb. 15, a broad group of water sector organizations representing, utilities, public works departments, executives, manufacturers, research organizations and other industry partners sent a letter to Congress requesting that it fully fund the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) to congressionallyRead More

Biden EPA expands wastewater services pilot to assist underserved communities

Biden EPA expands wastewater services pilot to assist underserved communities

Washington Report, Water Finance February 15, 2024 at 12:13 pm

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the expansion of its successful Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative to 150 additional communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Originally launched in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the initiative partnersRead More

Assistant Administrator for Water Fox to depart EPA

Assistant Administrator for Water Fox to depart EPA

Washington Report January 11, 2024 at 12:00 pm

After serving three years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water Radhika Fox announced she will depart the agency at the end of February 2024. Appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2021,Read More

A shot of the Sacramento River near Redding, Calif., just north of Red Bluff where the river came within a foot of its highest recorded level this past winter.

Bureau of Reclamation invests in reuse, desal projects

Washington Report, Water Finance November 9, 2023 at 9:35 am

The Bureau of Reclamation recently announced the selection of 31 planning projects to receive more than $28 million in appropriated funding to support potential new water reuse and desalination projects. The 31 projects are in California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. The projectsRead More

House passes EPA spending bill that would reduce SRFs

House passes EPA spending bill that would reduce SRFs

Public Utility Finance, Washington Report, Water Finance November 6, 2023 at 10:19 am

The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved an appropriations bill that would reduce total funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and some of the agency’s key funding programs, although the measure is unlikely to get very far. The measure would reduce EPA’s fundingRead More

AMWA, other sector orgs support continued LIHWAP funding

AMWA, other sector orgs support continued LIHWAP funding

Rates & Affordability, Washington Report, Water Finance October 19, 2023 at 10:24 am

The Association of Metropolitan of Water Agencies (AMWA) recently joined more than 150 national, state and local organizations in writing to congressional leaders to express strong support for continued funding for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) at Department of Health and Human Services inRead More

EPA announces $20 million in grants to help bolster water workforce

EPA announces $20 million in grants to help bolster water workforce

Washington Report October 9, 2023 at 7:05 am

The Biden-Harris administration is announcing the availability of more than $20 million in grant funding to support training and career opportunities for water and wastewater workers through the U.S. EPA’s Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant program. Frontline workers at water and wastewater treatment utilitiesRead More

EPA finalizes rule to require PFAS reporting

EPA finalizes rule to require PFAS reporting

Washington Report October 4, 2023 at 12:33 pm

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule in September that it said will provide the agency, its partners and the public with the largest-ever dataset of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) manufactured and used in the United States. The agency said rule buildsRead More