The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to address lead in water isn’t as aggressive as it could be, the agency’s independent science advisers, as well as outside groups, said Monday.
The Senate’s environment panel pushed through two major water infrastructure bills Wednesday, rejecting a GOP member’s attempt to give Western states more authority over water supplies but agreeing to direct the EPA to set drinking water limits for “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
Ateam of UCLA undergraduate students has won a national competition sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency seeking innovative plans for stormwater management. The team proposed to redesign elements of a Los Angeles elementary school to improve its environmental sustainability.
As the Environmental Protection Agency moves closer to implementing regulations for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), commonly referred to as “forever chemicals,” in the U.S. drinking water supply, many Americans are “just saying no” to tap water. According to the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study released today, 25 percent of Americans say they never drink their tap water, setting the stage for a serious set of customer satisfaction challenges on the part of regional water utilities.
The EPA has been too busy responding to the deadly coronavirus to work on its long-awaited proposal to manage huge volumes of pathogen-infested sewage and stormwater during heavy rains, the agency’s top wastewater official said Wednesday.
“We think we have a potential path forward,” said Andrew Sawyers, director of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Wastewater Management, said in a webinar on water priorities for the year.
But “with Covid-19, there are a lot of things under consideration,” he said, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus.
“We will provide additional information on timing and potentially when we can move this forward,” Sawyers said about the wastewater rule.
A recent flurry of litigation from around the state and across the country could have huge ramifications in California on the protection and distribution of scarce water resources.
Water contractors in California are suing the state over its new permit that authorizes water deliveries, the result of a conflict with the Trump administration’s policies.
Two nonprofit advocacy groups on Monday filed legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in an attempt to secure stricter air quality standards in Imperial County.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today, as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general, urged the Environmental Protection Agency to broaden and strengthen the review and regulation of per-fluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as PFAS.
The Water Quality Association’s Board of Directors recently heard from Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler in a conference call in which Wheeler underscored the value of water treatment during the COVID-19 crisis.
“You’re providing a critical service to the American public, and we want to make sure you have the resources you need to provide that service,” said Wheeler, who reiterated the importance of continued dialogue after hearing the perspectives of several directors during the call.
Wheeler emphasized that his office remains open for business during the COVID-19 crisis, and that action continues on other fronts such as drinking water standards, expanding funding to manage per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), updating the Lead and Copper Rule and a new water reuse action plan designed to accelerate water recycling efforts across the country.
“It was a great call and very informative for our Board,” says incoming WQA President D.J. Shannahan, who was among the directors to address Wheeler. “We appreciate his willingness to listen to our needs while also sharing his priorities for improving the water quality of our nation.”
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
