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.

October 7, 2005

Provided by the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, VA

Senator Pete Domenici Introduces Bill to Address Energy and Global Water Crisis
Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) introduced legislation today, October 7, that will utilize the expertise of Sandia, Los Alamos and other national laboratories to reinvigorate the nation’s investment in water technologies. The Energy-Water Efficiency Technology Research, Development, and Transfer Program Act of 2005 would amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to create a new program within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy.  Among the bill cosponsors are Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), the Energy Committee’s Ranking Member, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN).  The new DOE program would promote the research, development and commercialization of technology relating to the relationship between energy and water, including reducing water demand for energy production and developing new technologies to more efficiently use water, and develop technology to produce additional water for human use.  Sandia National Laboratories will be among the three lead national labs that will carry out the program.  Each of the three leading laboratories will be required to select a university partner for research. (PS)
 
EPA Testifies on Status of Gulf State Water and Wastewater Facilities
On October 6, testifying before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock said that most drinking water and wastewater facilities in states hit by Hurricane Katrina are operating normally.  According to Peacock, four percent of the utilities, or 131 systems, were not operating as of October 4, and EPA estimates that those systems served about 122,000 people.  Approximately 84 percent of the 3,200 drinking water utilities in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi were up and running, and an additional 8 percent were operational, but under an advisory to boil the water.  Despite this progress, large sections of New Orleans and Louisiana do not have access to potable drinking water.  Peacock reported that 96 percent of the 730 wastewater treatment systems are operating normally; however, 16 systems that usually serve half a million people in the New Orleans area are still not working.  Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) convened the hearing to assess the role of federal agencies in hurricane recovery efforts.  Peacock’s testimony and statements of others at the hearing are available at http://epw.senate.gov/hearing_statements.cfm?id=246926.  (SRT)

Events Continue Leading up to World Water Monitoring Day
World Water Monitoring Day, sponsored by America’s Clean Water Foundation and in its third year, is scheduled for October 18.  This annual event provides citizens the opportunity to get involved in local watershed activities and learn about water quality issues and water monitoring. Between Sept. 18 and Oct. 18, people have been and will continue to take measures of the quality of their local waters and enter the results into an international database.  On Oct. 18 events celebrating the anniversary of the Clean Water Act will be held throughout the world.  Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, will participate in a community event with the local stream team in St. Charles, Missouri to celebrate the worldwide event.  Information on World Water Monitoring Day, including activities planned for your area, is available at: www.worldwatermonitoringday.org. (SRT)

WARSSS Sediment Assessment Methods Web Site Completed
The EPA Office of Water finalized a new web site designed to help watershed managers assess and restore waters with suspended or bedded sediment problems. The WARSSS website (Watershed Assessment of River Stability and Sediment Supply) features a step-by-step, three-phase assessment methodology for detecting sediment problems and source areas, estimating excessive sediment loads, and planning to restore normal sediment dynamics in streams and rivers. Besides the WARSSS methodology, the site also contains the entire sediment model WRENSS, a stream classification tutorial, and a large collection of links to clean sediment information and tools. The WARSSS Web site is at http://www.epa.gov/warsss. (SRT)

International Symposium Held in Barcelona, Spain
An International Symposium - "New Water Policies - The Water Framework Directive"
will be held May 17-18, 2006 in Barcelona, Spain and co-sponsored by the European Water Association (EWA) and Asociación para la Defensa de las Calidad de la Aguas (ADECAGUA).  Presentations providing worldwide perspectives on policies to promote safe and effective water use and management are welcomed.  Contact Gamaliel Martínez via e-mail at gamamtnez@ya.com by October 21, 2005 for more information on presenting at the conference.

 

Quote of the Week:  “Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life”.    ~Immanuel Kant

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/.