On Wednesday, March 24, the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee passed a bi-partisan package of wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, and water reuse infrastructure funding.

On March 16, House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairwoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced bipartisan legislation that would authorize $50 billion in direct infrastructure investment over five years in an effort to address America’s crumbling wastewater infrastructure and local water quality challenges.

Former North Caroline environmental chief Michael Regan was sworn in as the 16th U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator in a ceremony on March 11, following Senate confirmation on March 10.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) on February 8 sent a letter to the Joseph Biden administration expressing wishes to work with the administration to advance policies and programs that protect America’s water resources.

On January 12, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a Federal Register notice finalizing the 2021 Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) for Clean Water Act (CWA) Obligations. It marks the first major update to the original FCA, which was finalized in 1997.

On Dec. 22, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Lead and Copper Revised Rule (LCRR), the first major revision in 30 years.

On Dec. 20th, Congressional leaders announced an agreement on a roughly $900 billion coronavirus relief and economic aid measure that includes payments to individuals, loans for small businesses, and funds for transportation workers and others. The deal is combined with a wide-ranging $1.4-trillion appropriations package measure to keep government agencies, including their construction programs, operating through Sept. 30, 2021, the end of the current fiscal year.

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate Michael Regan to lead the EPA, putting a North Carolina environmental regulator in line to chart national policy on combating climate change and pollution, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Unfortunately, this agreed upon version dropped all of the wastewater, drinking water and stormwater provisions.  It's a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers only bill. The House and Senate couldn't make the bill budget neutral with the wastewater, drinking water and stormwater provisions included.