This Week in Washington is a weekly publication of the Water Environment Federation’s Government Affairs department. It provides updates on the latest legislative and regulatory developments that affect the water and wastewater communities.

Provided by the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA

EPA Announces Draft Strategy to Cleanup the Great Lakes

On July 7, EPA announced the release of a draft action plan to address pollution and sediment concerns in the Great Lakes.  The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration authored the plan which makes recommendations for addressing sewer systems, invasive aquatic species, crumbling infrastructure and contaminated sediment; it also addresses nonpoint source pollution, coastal restoration, and habitat conservation. The plan has been compared to similar regional clean water initiatives focused on the Chesapeake Bay and the Florida Everglades.  The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration is a partnership of the federal government, eight states, tribes, local governments, members of Congress, environmental groups and other interested parties.  The total cost of the recommendations is estimated to be about $20 billion.  The draft plan is now available for comment through September 9, 2005 and is available at the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration’s website at www.glrc.us.  EPA expects a final action plan to be released in December of this year.  (PS)

EPA to Survey Drinking Water Utilities for Possible Effluent Guidelines

On July 5, EPA announced that it will survey all large drinking water utilities to help determine whether effluent guidelines are needed to control toxic discharges released by these utilities.  Utilities serving populations of more than 50,000 will be surveyed, along with a sampling of drinking water utilities serving between 10,000 and 50,000.  Drinking water utilities often discharge pollutants such as suspended solids, aluminum salts, organic matters, radionuclides, arsenic and other residuals but currently there are no consistent set of guidelines to reduce or control these discharges.  The decision to survey drinking water utilities follows up on the Effluent Guidelines Program Plan released in September 2004 in which drinking water treatment was identified as an unregulated industry for possible development of effluent guidelines.  Comments on the proposed survey plan are due by September 6.  (PS)

This Week in Washington is provided by the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA. To receive This Week in Washington by e-mail, contact Lisa Jones, (703) 684-2400 ext. 7741, ljones@wef.org . For more information on this week's stories, please contact the WEF staff whose initials appear at the end of the item in which you are interested. TW - Tim Williams (703) 684-2437, twilliams@wef.org ; SRT - Sharon Thomas, (703) 684-2423, sthomas@wef.org ; SJH - Sam Hadeed (703) 684-2418, shadeed@wef.org ; PS-Patricia Sinicropi (703) 684-2416, psinicropi@wef.org . This Week in Washington is available on-line at http://www.wef.org/PolicyAction/USGovernmentAffairs/TWIW/.