FRWA eNews
March 8, 2019
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ICYMI:
Rural Water Rally 2019
Washington, DC - Days leading up to this year's Rally were filled with uncertainty with the longest government shutdown in U.S. history that lasted 35 days. A week before Rally was to kick-off, agreements were reached, and the government was back in business.

Despite the questionability of government activity, states scheduled appointments with elected officials and gathered information to deliver this year's Rural Water priorities.

NRWA kicked off the 2019 Rural Water Rally on February 5 with almost 400 rural water and wastewater professionals from across the country in attendance with a welcome from NRWA President Kent Watson of Texas.
Congressman Sanford Bishop (GA)

Featured speakers Congressman Sanford Bishop from Georgia and Anne Hazlett, Special Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development both thanked attendees for the important work they undertake every day to provide clean, affordable drinking water for communities everywhere in the nation.

Anne Hazlett_ Special Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development

"You are here in our Nation's capital to remind senators and congressman that because of you, we have a Strong America," stated Bishop. more
National News
**Rural Water Testifies on Capitol Hill Tomorrow**  Tomorrow at 10am ET the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment will hold a hearing entitled, "The Clean Water State Revolving Fund: How Federal Infrastructure Investment Can Help Communities Modernize Water Infrastructure and Address Affordability Challenges. more

NRWA Clean Water Act Activities Update House's First Hearing: NRWA has been invited to testify on Clean Water Act infrastructure issues at the first hearing on these topics this week: "The Clean Water State Revolving Fund: How Federal Infrastructure Investment Can Help Communities Modernize Water Infrastructure and Address Affordability Challenges,"  more

EPA Informs NRWA of Lawsuit to Force Numerous Regulations on Small and Rural Communities On February 21, the U.S. EPA notified NRWA of a recent lawsuit filed against EPA in district court in New York (Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc. et al. v. EPA, No. 1-19-cv-00899, SDNY). more
State News
City moves forward with spending bills | Apalachicola Times As the Florida Legislature opens its session this week, Apalachicola city officials have scaled back their request for state aid, and hedged their bets for multi-year funding. more

Governor Needs Florida Legislature To Approve His Environmental Spending Requests | WJCT  The Republican-controlled Legislature will be tasked with an unexpected job: deciding whether to allocate funds for environmental causes championed by the governor. more

Horseshoe crabs at risk of extinction in some parts of of the U.S. | Florida Today  The State of Florida wants you to peep on mating horseshoe crabs. more

State aid package for hurricane-wracked Panhandle proposed | Herald Tribune   Florida lawmakers unveiled a major aid package Thursday for parts of the Panhandle devastated by Hurricane Michael, promising that the region will not be overlooked during the two-month legislative session that started this week.  more

Opinion: DeSantis puts environment front and center in 'State of the State' | TCPalm  As the Florida Legislature opened its 60-day session Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis gave his "State of the State" speech - and it was music to our ears. more

Interim county administrator proposes potential short-term solution for Plantation Bay water  The water quality at Plantation Bay has bothered residents for years, and the county government has been preparing to seek millions of dollars in state grants to upgrade the community's county-owned water plant. more

Florida Legislature to look at Hurricane Michael recovery  After spending more than $1 billion in the almost five months since Hurricane Michael ripped through a large swath of Florida's eastern Panhandle, state lawmakers say it's clear that the cleanup, recovery and cost of one of the nation's worst storms is far from complete.  more

Florida makes new push to show Georgia's river system uses too much water Florida says the case is the "last, best hope" to save the Apalachicola River region from destruction. more

Sen. Mayfield wants state to change septic tank oversight, fund conversion projects  Florida Sen. Debbie Mayfield wants the state to overhaul how they handle leaky septic tanks, from moving oversight to the tanks to the state's Department of Environmental Protection to creating a grant program for water infrastructure projects.more 

DEP Secretary Valestein Issues Statement on the State of the State Today, following Governor Ron DeSantis delivering the 2019 State of the State address in the Chamber of the Florida House of Representatives, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein issued the following statement: more

Bonita Springs water tower being demolished, BSU says | Naples Daily News An iconic water tower on a Bonita Springs barrier island will be nothing more than a concrete slab in the coming weeks.  more
This Week in Water History
March 3, 1899: Rivers and Harbors Act (also called the Refuse Act) passed by Congress."The act is primarily aimed at preservation of navigable waters, but under Section 13 it becomes unlawful to throw garbage and refuse into navigable waters except with a Corps of Engineers permit. One exception is for liquid sewage from streets and sewers. Violators would be fined up to $2,500 and imprisoned up to one year. The new law consolidated four previous laws and had far-reaching implications. Dumping of oil, acids or other chemicals into streams was now prohibited insofar as navigation was obstructed, and in several cases the Supreme Court interpreted obstruction in a broad rather than narrow sense."
For more articles on what went on this week in water history, click here
Florida Rural Water Association |   frwa@frwa.net | http://www.frwa.net
2970 Wellington Circle
Tallahassee FL 32309
850.668.2746