AWWA, NRWA file to intervene on cyber rule AWWA and the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) requested intervenor status May 17 in a case challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new cybersecurity rule. more

Bill introduced on PFAS liability exemption  Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate that would exempt water utilities from liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in the event of contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). more

Advanced refunding bill introduced in Senate Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., have introduced legislation, S. 1453, in the U.S. Senate that would achieve one infrastructure finance goal of AWWA and other public sector entities – restoring the tax benefits of advanced refunding of municipal bonds. more

AWWA challenges ‘don’t say safe’ in CCR proposal AWWA is raising questions about EPA’s proposed determination that calling drinking water “safe” would be a violation of a revised Consumer Confidence Rule (CCR). In written comments submitted on EPA’s April 5 proposed revisions. more

U.S. Supreme Court limits Clean Water Act jurisdiction On May 25, 2023, the Supreme Court published their opinion in a case styled as Sackett II, which again focused on the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) and the jurisdictional reach the federal government had over these protected waterways. more

Perchlorate rule remanded to EPA for reconsideration In a split decision issued in early May, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia reinstated a regulatory determination by EPA that perchlorate should be regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). more

Companies likely will remain liable for PFAS pollution The $11 billion settlements being discussed in a multidistrict PFAS litigation case won’t discharge the broader potential liabilities that leading defendants face in that case and others, attorneys say. more

EPA Webinar: Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains and the Risk of Disruptions June 20, 2023 | 2:00 pm CDT EPA will be hosting a free webinar to promote Supply Chain Resilience through Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains and the Risk of Disruptions. more

Energy Efficiency as It Applies to Water and Wastewater Systems June 29, 2023 | 2:00 pm CDT  This is a presentation about the entire spectrum of issues that affect your systems or plants efficiency. The objective of this class is understanding the relationship between the broad spectrum of energy efficiency issues and sustainable practices and solutions. more

EPA Launches Nationwide Series of Community Lead Awareness Sessions  As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to protect communities from childhood lead exposure and advance environmental justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a series of free educational sessions on the dangers of lead and ways to reduce and prevent lead exposure. more

Fact Check: Drinking Water Is NOT Unhealthy; Water Is NOT 'One Of The Biggest Lies In History' Is water consumption so unhealthy that people "are not supposed" to drink it? No, that's not true: The claim on social media is an unsupported misrepresentation of the known facts about the mechanisms of hydration in the human body. more

States Suing PFAS Manufacturers Over Contamination, 'Campaign To Knowingly Deceive The Public' Attorneys general representing a range of states are now suing the manufacturers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) over the harm that these chemicals have caused their residents and environments, including the health effects that have resulted from consuming the contaminants via drinking water. more

What to expect now that El Nino has arrived El Niño is officially here, and that means things are about to get even hotter. The natural climate phenomenon is marked by warmer ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, which drives hotter weather around the world. more

State AGs take action on PFAS - Environment America  This week, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a lawsuit against “more than 30 chemical companies” for their alleged roles in putting state residents and drinking water at risk from forever chemicals. more

EPA Announces Proposed Ban on Most Uses of PCE to Protect Public Health EPA has announced a proposed risk management rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to ban most uses of perchloroethylene (PCE) in an effort to protect public health. PCE is a solvent that is widely used for consumer and industrial uses and commercial applications such as dry cleaning. more

EPA Proposes Amendment to Clarify the Applicability of the Agency’s BABA Waiver for SRF Projects On June 8, EPA released a proposed amendment to the existing Build America, Buy America (BABA) waiver for State Revolving Fund (SRF) projects that have already initiated design planning. more

Big PFAS settlements may not go far for utilities Utilities facing financial hurdles from coming federal water limits for PFAS stand to receive a boost from an historic $11 billion in potential legal settlements, but that money isn’t likely to fully meet utilities’ needs, according to attorneys. more

PFAS exposure in pregnancy linked to kids' obesity risk - Futurity Toxic PFAS are incredibly durable and are used in personal care products and many household products. more

Most budget turkeys are local projects, Florida TaxWatch says Florida TaxWatch identified $597 million in budget turkeys in the 2023-24 budget, most of them local projects sponsored by members of the Legislature that failed to meet the nonprofit watchdog’s criteria for transparency and accountability. more

Back-to-back hurricanes are likely to happen more often, study finds | WETM  What used to be a rare one-two punch of consecutive hurricanes hitting about the same place in the United States weeks apart seems to be happening more often, and a new study says climate change will make back-to-back storms more frequent and nastier in the future. more

Saving Our Springs: A day with the underwater gardeners at Sea and Shoreline | ABC Action News Human-caused pollution and overuse are having a significant impact on our crystal-clear natural springs. Some have stopped flowing, while others are full of algae. Ecosystems, however, can flip from clean to dirty and back to clean again. more

City of Punta Gorda steps in to help senior community without water | WINK  A 55-plus community now in unincorporated Charlotte County has water after not having it for days, thanks to the city of Punta Gorda, who stepped in to help. more

JEA is replacing all 420,000 water meters | WJCT JEA technicians will be working on the first of thousands of customer water meters this week as the utility begins a sweeping upgrade of the systems to make it easier to monitor how much a customer is using. more

St. Andrews Marina making progress on Hurricane Michael repairs | My Panhandle  They have allocated $129,000 to fix the bulkhead utilities. The city is restoring the marina to pre-Hurricane Michael conditions. more

Tampa Water Department changing disinfection process from June 12 to July 3  The Tampa Water Department said it is temporarily changing its disinfection process from June 12 to July 3 as part of its routine maintenance to preserve drinking water quality. more

Glenwood community will undergo infrastructure improvements | WJHG Residents in the Glenwood community won’t have to deal with aged infrastructure for much longer. Panama City Commissioners awarded around $5 million to Mainline Construction for the Area S Project. more

DeSantis awarded millions in rural infrastructure repairs. Here's why Rural areas across the state will soon receive a critical infrastructure makeover due to a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last week. more

FDEP License Search - Florida Department of Environmental Protection Keep up with your CEUS. more

Orphaned well cleanup on public lands gets $64M funding The Biden administration is stepping up efforts to advance environmental justice through the cleanup of toxic, legacy pollution sites, announcing a near doubling of investment this fiscal year to $64 million to plug, remediate and reclaim orphaned oil and natural gas well sites on federal lands. more

Here are the 2023 state budget 'turkeys' from the Tampa Bay region | WUSF Of the $117 billion budget passed this year by the Florida Legislature, 218 items worth $598.7 million qualified as Budget Turkeys, according to Florida TaxWatch. more

Hurricane prep lasts all year in Green Cove Springs | Clay Today Work crews work year-round, ensuring tree branches are being cut back to avoid power lines. They also constantly monitor drains and ditches so they won’t face significant challenges when the storm clouds brew. more

ICYMI: Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation to Support Rural Infrastructure and Economic Development Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill (HB) 1209 to support rural development and economic opportunity by expanding opportunities for rural communities to be awarded funding through the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF). more