On July 8, EPA released the Water Utility COVID-19 Financial Impact Tool to help drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater ("water") utilities assess the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its cashflow.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies has advanced a major appropriations bill by voice vote. The bill included large increases in spending on many water related projects.

The INVEST in America Act (H.R. 2) is a massive infrastructure bill that was put forward by House Democrats with Rep. DeFazio (D-OR), Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as the main sponsor.

On June 19, a federal judge in San Francisco denied a bid by a coalition of 18 Democratic state attorneys generals to put the regulation on hold nationwide, ruling that the plaintiffs didn't show they had a strong enough chance of winning their challenge to the Navigable Waters Protection rule to warrant a preliminary injunction. The rule goes into effect today.

On May 21, the EPA issued draft recommendations  for addressing excess nutrients in surface water, which can fuel the growth of harmful algae, especially during the summer months.

On May 6, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee marked up America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 (S. 3591), drawing bipartisan support benefiting water treatment plants and other projects in towns located in virtually every district.

On May 20, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee that the EPA won’t be able to set drinking water limits for two PFAS chemicals in the next year. The oversight hearing lasted over two hours and touched on a variety of issues from air pollution, coal, drinking water, science and more. Nearly all committee members participated.

On May 18, the EPA released a final rule that said about 500 industrial or federal facilities will collect information this year to document the volume of 172 types of PFAS they release, dispose, or recycle.

On Wednesday, May 20, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee will hold an EPA oversight hearing. Administrator Wheeler will be testifying.

On May 12th, the House unveiled a $3 trillion coronavirus relief package, H.R. 6800, called the HEROES Act. The new legislation would be the biggest federal response so far to the health and economic emergency.