WEF News

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today issued new, more rigorous drinking water health advisories for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Two of these levels are drastically more stringent than previous levels and likely mean hundreds, if not thousands, of drinking water systems nationwide will be affected. The agency also announced up to $5 billion in grant funding to help communities prepare and deal with these contaminants. Here is what water sector utilities need to know.

On March 9, negotiators in the U.S. Congress agreed to a final fiscal year 22 (FY22) Omnibus Appropriations package that will fund the federal government through the remainder of this fiscal year, which ends on September 30, 2022.

By Unanimous Consent on March 2, 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act of 2022.

This bill will strengthen the federal government’s networks again cyberattacksand require critical infrastructure owners and operators, such as water utilities, to report cyber incidents.

Doug Baldessari of Baker Tilly discusses the affordability issue facing water utilities and options and impacts involving recent federal funding.

On January 31, 2022, the White House released a comprehensive guidebook on the funding programs in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the bipartisan infrastructure package.

The federal district court in Charleston, South Carolina, has given “preliminary approval” to a proposed Class Action Settlement regarding wipe products between Plaintiff Charleston Water System and Defendant Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

Know your rights

A preliminary class action lawsuit settlement between the Charleston Water System (Charleston, South Carolina) and wipes manufacturer Kimberly-Clark could affect any entity that owned and/or operated wastewater conveyance and treatment systems since January 6, 2018. Class members need to be aware of this settlement and how it may affect them.

On June 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) made available $166.6 million USD in grants to help low-income ratepayers effected by the COVID-19 pandemic pay their drinking water and wastewater utility bills.

This article, originally from Water Environment & Technology, covers the three core tasks to perform effective wastewater-based epidemiology, also known as wastewater surveillance.

Although some states have set early 2021 expirations for their shutoff moratoriums, questions remain and pressure builds about how bills will be paid during a pandemic in which clean water has taken center stage as a public-health necessity. 

Looking for the best ways to build resilient systems and prepare for worst-case scenarios? The new edition of Disaster and Emergency Planning for Preparedness, Response, and Recovery: Promoting Resilient Infrastructure and Community helps utility managers, operators, consulting engineers, emergency response planners and public officials with plans for a range of emergencies, responses when disaster strikes and recovery options.

The Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSSC) is urging U.S. water and wastewater utilities to coordinate with state and local health departments to ensure they are included in distribution plans for the COVID-19 vaccine.

A panel of wastewater and public health experts has determined that occupational risk of COVID-19 infection for wastewater workers is low. The panel also found that standard wastewater treatment processes inactivate the virus and additional research should be conducted to further increase understanding of hazards and protections for personnel.

Dr. Sanderson, MD, MPH of Howard University, will guide and assist WEF in providing reliable medical information to wastewater utility managers and workers, as well as conduct research and serve as a spokesperson on medical issues for the sector. The CMO position was created in a collaboration between WEF and global water technology company Xylem, which has provided foundational funding.

This fifth installment of the Water Environment Federation's Coronavirus Roundtable Discussions brings you discussions with executive leaders from across the water sector examine how this pandemic is affecting operations, business, and people.

The guests for this discussion included Pam Elardo, Deputy Commissioner, New York City DEP; Michael Carlin, Chief Operating Officer, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; John McCarthy, President, Arcadis North America; Charlie Hocking, President and CEO, Hazen and Sawyer; Bill Decker, Vice President and General Manager of the Equipment and Services Group, Aqua-Aerobic; and Bill McDowell, Vice President of Operations, Blue-White Industries.