Regan: EPA, USACE to continue work on WOTUS rule The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to continue to press forward with new rules defining the types of rivers, streams and wetlands that fall under Clean Water Act protections, despite a looming Supreme Court case that will weigh in on the same issue, EPA’s top official said at a congressional appropriations hearing April 29. more

The Labor Shortage: Examining The What, Why, And How Behind An Ever-Growing Problem  “It feels like a perfect storm… A hurricane and a tornado, all rolled up into one.” more

Infrastructure Funding May Never Reach Water Systems That Need It Most Though there’s little question that water systems of all sizes are in need of additional funding to upgrade infrastructure and continue to provide clean drinking water to ratepayers, some of those with the greatest needs may struggle to access federal funding recently set aside for them. more

WEF, others question EPA's CWA affordability guidance Environmental groups are clashing with some of the nation’s largest water lobbying groups over guidance EPA is finalizing that will determine the scope and pace at which communities — especially low-income areas — must pay for required upgrades to halt pollution. more

U.S. Government Attributes Cyberattacks on SATCOM Networks to Russian State-Sponsored Malicious Cyber Actors Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have updated the joint cybersecurity advisory, Strengthening Cybersecurity of SATCOM Network Providers and Customers, originally released March 17, 2022, with U.S. government attribution to Russian state sponsored malicious cyber actors. more

Water utility customer satisfaction plunges as rates rise   According to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, a six-year streak of improving or flat customer satisfaction with residential water utilities has come to an end. more

Hurricane center tracking first tropical wave of 2022 The first tropical wave of the 2022 hurricane season is starting to show signs of weakening, the National Hurricane Center said Monday afternoon. more

Inflation Turns Water Into Whine: Customer Satisfaction Plunges As Rates Surge The six-year streak of improving or flat customer satisfaction with residential water utilities has come to an end. According to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study,SM released today, the past several years of goodwill earned through investment in water quality, proactive customer communications and digital customer service channels have been washed away by a significant increase in monthly bills. more

Maximizing The Value Of Asset And Work Management Systems Tracking specific assets such as pumps and pipelines may keep water or wastewater flowing, but helping a utility flourish under challenging physical, financial, and environmental pressures requires a more comprehensive overview. Here’s how asset management and work management solutions integrated within a GIS-centric system of action can do a better job of supporting both tactical and strategic aspects of utility operation. more

Beyond The Buzzword: How Utility Operators Can Use Big Data For Better Asset Management, Operations, And Customer Engagement Big Data is more than a marketing buzzword. It’s become an essential tool for helping utility operators prioritize capital investments, manage network assets, and provide a higher level of service to customers. more

EPA Announces First Virtual Meeting of NDWAC MDBP Working Group EPA has recently announced the first meeting for its National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) Microbial Disinfection Byproducts (MDBP) Working Group. The MDBP rules were identified as candidates for revision as part of the latest Six-Year Review of all drinking water regulations. more

White House Releases Rural Playbook for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law In April, the White House released a new playbook specifically focused on rural communities and how they can access and make the most of the funds available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). more

Defense Dept. temporarily blocks PFAS incineration The Defense Department will temporarily stop burning toxic “forever chemicals” until it formally issues a guidance for how to dispose of the substances, according to a new memo. more

Senate panel advances $24.6B water resources bill The congressional push to pass a new water resources bill has taken a step forward with the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s approval of a measure that would authorize $24.7 billion for an array of 21 Army Corps of Engineers' water projects. more

FGCU Water School gets new building, set to open in the fall | WINK It’s a pretty building, a centerpiece on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus. But don’t let the look fool you. The building is not for show. more

Jane Castor: Affordable housing, infrastructure Tampa's biggest challenges | WUSF The city's breakneck growth has created problems in the availability of affordable housing and overstressed infrastructure, Mayor Castor said in her State of the City address. more

Use of fill dirt raises Fla. neighborhood's flood risk The soul of this Florida Panhandle city lives in the Tanyard, a 200-year-old neighborhood so steeped in history that locals give it an extra capital “T” — as in “The Tanyard.” more

Knowing the Odds: Florida's history offers lessons about timing and intensity of storms History offers lessons about when storms are most likely to hit different regions of Florida — and their intensity. The bottom line: While you should be prepared, you don’t always need to be afraid. more

Gas, diapers, essential items will be tax-free in Florida From gas to diapers to hurricane supplies, dozens of expensive and essential items will be tax-free in Florida over the next few months. more

New study finds links between red tide and ocean dead zones. And inspires a poem | WUSF The new University of Miami research inspired an English scientist and poet to turn it into verse. more

Total Maximum Daily Load Notification Update May 24 The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announces a public meeting beginning at 11 a.m. EDT on May 24, 2022, to receive comments on a proposed framework for prioritizing waters and setting two-year work plans for TMDL development. more

Joint Webinar on Complying with HB 53's Needs Analyses for Domestic Wastewater On May 13 at 1 PM, the FWEA Utility Council and the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR) will convene a joint webinar on complying with HB 53’s needs analyses for domestic wastewater. more

EPA Announces Plan To Protect The Public From Perchlorate In Drinking Water Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it completed review of a July 2020 determination to not regulate perchlorate in drinking water. more

FPUA raises water, wastewater rates 10% in July, October; smaller hikes OK'd for electric, gas | TCPalm Water and sewer rates for Fort Pierce Utilities Authorities customers will jump 10% come July and again in October to help pay for relocating the 62-year-old wastewater-treatment plant off Hutchinson Island. more

Panama City housing market rebounding after Hurricane Michael | WJHG  Panama City officials said nearly 140 development orders for construction of new single family homes have been submitted to the city for approval. more

Fort Myers city leaders plan to overcome a possible water crisis | NBC-2  The city of Fort Myers is growing fast with construction on new apartments and businesses everywhere, but some government officials are worried there is not enough water to go around. more

Fernandina Beach Marina rates rising more than 25% | Florida Politics  Pulling your boat into the Fernandina Beach Marina is going to get more expensive as the city works with its marina operator to cover increasing costs related to dredging and similar big-ticket items. more

Gov. DeSantis announces nearly $20 million in grants for vulnerability studies | WUSF  DeSantis says the funds will local officials prepare for the impacts of major storms. more