The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recently unveiled a simplified checklist for small Community Water Systems to help achieve compliance with new risk and resilience assessment requirements under America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA). The guidance is intended for systems serving greater than 3,300 but less than 50,000 Read More
Senate Committee Unanimously Approves Infrastructure Bills
The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) unanimously passed America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 (AWIA 2020) and the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 in May. The bills now need approval from the full Senate and ultimately, President Donald Trump, who has called on Congress to pass comprehensive infrastructure legislation after Read More
USEPA Announces COVID-19 Resources for State, Local, and Tribal Governments
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is updating its coronavirus website to include new resources for State, local, and Tribal agencies and intergovernmental associations. USEPA’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for State, Local, and Tribal Agencies and Associations contains important information on grants, enforcement and compliance programs, water infrastructure, and a host of other issues important to effective Read More
CDC Guidance for Critical Infrastructure Workers Exposed to COVID-19
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued interim guidance to ensure the continuity of operations of essential functions, such as water and wastewater utility operations. The CDC advises that critical infrastructure workers may be permitted to continue to work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are implemented to protect Read More
AWIA Risk and Resilience Assessments & Emergency Plans Even More Crucial Due to COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the crucial importance of essential services like water. Utilities are adapting and planning at record pace to ensure continuous delivery of clean drinking water to all their customers. As we first told you in a special edition of The Update, the timing and importance of such services come at a Read More
USEPA Expands COVID-19 Disinfectant List
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has released an expanded list of USEPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The list contains nearly 200 additional products—including 40 new products that went through an expedited review process. The disinfectant products are expected to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 Read More