The American Water Works Association (AWWA) Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE26) was held from June 21-24, 2026, in Washington, DC. The theme of ACE26 was Water Heroes, which seemed altogether appropriate as the event took place in the midst of preparations leading up the 250th birthday of the United States of America. Upon reflection, I offer Read More
Proposed UCMR 6 List Includes 30 Contaminants
Thirty unregulated contaminants are proposed for new monitoring requirements in the Sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 6). The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to issue a list of unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems once every five years under the UCMR. PROPOSED UCMR 6 Read More
Public Comments Accepted on Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk from PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids
New draft guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) aims to help wastewater utilities, landowners, and the public reduce risk from perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in biosolids. PFOA and PFOS are two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and considered to be the most prolific PFAS compounds in the Read More
NEPA Reforms Aim to Get America Building Again
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) proposes to reform the way it carries out the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). If finalized, USEPA says the changes would make environmental reviews faster, clearer, and more predictable. The proposal would restore NEPA to its original purpose of setting firm timelines, keeping documents focused and concise, and expanding Read More
USEPA Unveils Comprehensive PFAS Strategy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced a comprehensive strategy to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). At a May news conference, USEPA leaders outlined two proposed rules to regulate PFAS in drinking water and announced $1 billion of funding to help water systems achieve compliance. As indicated in the summary table, the first proposed Read More
New Interactive Map Takes Guesswork Out of Identifying Permitting Authorities
A new interactive map aims to make life a little easier by identifying which regulatory agencies have the authority to issue permits covering all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) permitting programs and environmental statutes. The USEPA Permitting Authority Map provides Federal agencies, States, territories, Tribal nations, local agencies/governments, and the general public with: Although the USEPA directly Read More