Yesterday evening, EPA released its rule proposal for revisions to the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) in response to requirements of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. The proposal will include a 45-day public comment period following the proposed rule publishing in the Federal Register with a plan to finalize the rule by March 15, 2024 and require compliance by April 1, 2025. Some of the highlights from the proposal include:
Additionally, EPA will be holding two informational webinars for the CCR proposal:
March 29, 2023
Please join ASDWA on Thursday, May 11, 2023, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm (eastern time) to hear about Area-Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) efforts for drinking water utilities to address Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the western states, as well as state drinking water program efforts in New York, New Jersey, and Washington for HABs monitoring, reporting, response plans, educational outreach, and more. This will be the first of two webinars ASDWA is conducting about state HABs efforts based on discussions with our state drinking water program members. This first webinar will broadly focus on HABs monitoring and planning, and the second webinar (being planned for July) will focus on HABs coordination across state programs. ASDWA will also gather input from these webinars to plan for a virtual meeting with partners in fall 2023 to discuss additional state needs for monitoring and predicting HABs and lab capacity. REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR HERE.
This webinar agenda will feature the following topics and speakers:
EPA and HHS issued a joint letter to governors today to encourage state and local governments to use federal funding to take actions to reduce and remove lead in drinking water in early care and education settings, like elementary schools and daycare facilities. Funding for this initiative can come from both the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), among other federal resources. EPA and HHS express in their letter that it is especially critical to make improvements to places where children spend significant time such as child care centers, family child care homes, preschools, and Head Start programs. The BIL dedicated $15 billion to removing lead from drinking water, including schools and early child care settings, and many states have already taken action to address lead in schools through EPA’s WIIN Grant funding. In addition, states provide technical assistance and resources to meet lead testing and remediation requirements, including use of the EPA 3Ts (Training, Testing, and Taking Action) voluntary program to help schools and child care facilities make progress on reducing lead in drinking water. EPA and HHS are encouraging states to take additional administrative measures by establishing or strengthening licensing and monitoring requirements or improving blood lead screening programs.
Learn more by visiting EPA WIIN Grant: Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program and HHS Strategy Resources to Support Access to Safe and Healthy Early Care and Education Facilities.
Tags: BIIL, lead, lead in schools, WIIN
March 28, 2023
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations group dedicated to researching the science behind climate change, recently released the fourth and final installment of its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). The AR6 Synthesis Report summarizes the contributions of three working groups: The Physical Science Basis of Climate Change, Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, and Mitigation of Climate Change.
Key takeaways from the report:
Specific to water:
March 27, 2023
This week, ASDWA hosted its 2023 Member Meeting in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. With over 160 in-person attendees and 70 virtual participants, we thank all of our primacy agency members, EPA, and state-partner organizations for attending.
The eventful Member Meeting included in-depth discussions on cybersecurity in the drinking water sector, climate resiliency, integration of the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, and working on a path forward addressing PFAS. We look forward to utilizing the information gathered through our program by developing and sharing resources that benefit the primacy agency drinking water programs and public health across the country.
March 24, 2023
On March 14, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a report by the PFAS Strategy Team of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). This report by the team provides a high-level summary of the state of the science on PFAS research for: removal and destruction, safer alternatives, sources and pathways of exposure, and toxicity. The challenges identified in the report include: analytical methods, communication, alternatives, mixtures, reporting, and new approach methodologies. The identified opportunities include developing:
The Strategy Team will use the findings in the report to develop a strategic plan with research and development goals and priorities for federal agencies to address the identified data gaps and scientific challenges. The goal of the strategic plan will be to understand and reduce the environmental and human health effects of PFAS. For more information, view the press release and read the report.
March 16, 2023
Today (March 14), EPA announced and released the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for PFOA and PFOS, along with four additional PFAS. EPA is proposing to set a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and 4 ppt for PFOS, levels at which they can be reliably measured. In addition to these two MCLs, EPA is proposing to address four additional PFAS (GenX, PFBS, PFNA, and PFHxS) as a mixture using a Hazard Index. The Hazard Index is a tool used to evaluate potential health risks from exposure to chemical mixtures. This approach has been used in other EPA programs, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), but this is the first time it has been used for a drinking water standard. Additionally, EPA is proposing Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for each of the six PFAS. The MCLs and MCLGs are as follows.
| PFAS Compound | Proposed MCLG | Proposed MCL |
| PFOA | 0 ppt | 4.0 ppt |
| PFOS | 0 ppt | 4.0 ppt |
| PFNA |
1.0 (unitless Hazard Index) |
1.0 (unitless Hazard Index) |
| PFHxS | ||
| PFBS | ||
| HFPO-DA (GenX) |
For the Hazard Index, the rule proposes a ratio for each of the four PFAS to be used to calculate a compliance value based on detected levels of the four PFAS. If the combination of those four ratios is at or above 1.0, then water systems will be expected to reduce the levels of these PFAS. Depending on the level of contamination found, water systems may need to take action even if only one of the four PFAS is present. EPA will be creating a webpage with a calculator tool for water systems to determine their Hazard Index.
Once the proposal is published in the Federal Register, the public will be given 60 days to provide comments. EPA will be holding two informational webinars about the proposed PFAS NDPWR on March 16, 2023, and March 29, 2023. The webinars will be similar, with each intended for specific audiences. Registration is required to attend. The webinar recordings and presentation materials will be made available following the webinars.
EPA will also be holding a public hearing on May 4, 2023, where members of the public can provide verbal comments to EPA on the rule proposal. Registration is required to attend and the last day to register to speak at the hearing is April 28, 2023.
Additionally, EPA has provided facts sheets for the public to help with the rollout of this proposal.
Tags: PFAS
March 14, 2023
EPA is inviting nominations for three-year appointments to the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC). The 15-member Council was established by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to provide independent advice, consultation, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on matters relating to activities, functions, policies, and regulations under the SDWA.
This notice solicits nominations to fill anticipated vacancies in 2023 with three-year appointments from December 2023 through December 2026. EPA may also consider nominations received through this solicitation to fill anticipated vacancies in 2024 and in the event of unanticipated vacancies on the Council. To enable EPA to maintain the membership required by statute, the Agency is seeking nominees who are from the general public; appropriate state and local agencies concerned with water hygiene and public water supply; and representatives of private organizations or groups demonstrating an active interest in the field of water hygiene and public water supply, including nominees associated with small, rural public water systems.
Nominations should be sent to NDWAC@epa.gov by April 12. For more information on the NDWAC and this request, click here.
March 13, 2023
This Wednesday, March 15 at 10 am (Eastern), the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) will host a hearing on the implementation of the Investment, Infrastructure, and Jobs Act (IIJA), aka the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The two panels of speakers will include:
Panel 1:
Panel 2:
To access the live broadcast, use this link. For more information on hearing schedules and accessing transcripts, click here.
Today (March 13), ASDWA submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposal to revise the Agency’s Guidance for Grants and Agreements. The proposed revisions are limited to the implementation of the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) provisions of the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), which requires federal agencies to ensure that “none of the funds made available for a Federal financial assistance program for infrastructure, including each deficient program, may be obligated for a project unless all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project are produced in the United States.”
ASDWA’s comments note that the association has had concerns with the workload that EPA staff will face as the Agency works to provide product-specific waivers under BABA. ASDWA is appreciative of OMB’s proposed guidance and hopes it will help EPA staff process these waivers in a timely fashion. ASDWA’s letter encourages OMB to continue to engage with EPA as the Agency begins to process these product-specific waivers to determine if more guidance is needed. Additionally, ASDWA’s letter asks for clarifications and additional information for many of the definitions included in the guidance, the primary area OMB asked for public comment.
2021 © All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.
