News
House Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Approves FY 26 Appropriations Proposal
The House Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies held a markup this week on the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The proposal includes a $2.1 billion (23%) reduction in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Specifically, the bill provides:
- $2.27 billion for Environmental Programs and Management, a decrease of $922.9 million (28.9%) from the FY 2025 enacted level.
- $3.7 billion for State and Tribal Assistance Grants, a reduction of $679.8 million (15.5%) from FY 2025.
- A 31% cut to Section 106 funding and a 15% cut to Section 319 funding.
- Funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds would also be reduced by 25% and 24%, respectively.
Despite these overall reductions, the bill includes $1.049 billion in Community Project Funding to support 912 water and wastewater infrastructure projects requested by 292 Members of Congress. The legislation now moves to the full House Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
EPA Announces Updates to OECA
This week EPA announced updates to several offices including the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), which are intended to “better address pollution problems that impact American communities by re-aligning enforcement with the law to deliver economic prosperity and ensure compliance with agency regulations.” While details have not been shared publicly, INSIDEEPA has reported that a proposed reorganization chart shows “the Office of Compliance, Office of Civil Enforcement, Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training, Office of Site Remediation Enforcement and the Federal Facilities Enforcement Office will remain inside OECA.” This EPA announcement comes just over a week after the Supreme Court issued an opinion eliminating a lower court injunction and allowing the Administration to move forward with plans to reorganize and downsize several federal agencies. At the same time, EPA is issuing another round of buyout offers to help reduce their workforce, including offers to OECA staff, and it is unclear what those impacts will have. Likewise, it is also unclear if any OECA staff will be dispersed to program offices.
2025 Recissions Package Sent to President’s Desk
The House passed a rescissions package to claw back $9 billion and codified a portion of the savings identified by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The legislation now moves to the President’s desk for signature. The rescissions focus on foreign aid and funding for public media. The House vote was 216-213. The White House has also signaled that it is preparing a second rescissions package to further codify the DOGE cuts.
The Internet of Water Coalition Releases Water Data Mapping Tool
The Internet of Water Coalition released a new river data tool. The tool is based on open-source technology and aims to transform water data and information to enable sustainable, equitable, and resilient water management. The Internet of Water Coalition is a group of organizations working together with federal, state, and local government partners to build foundational water data infrastructure across the US and create a community of people and organizations using water data to make better decisions. The project is jointly funded by the Walton Family Foundation, Water Funder Initiative, S.D. Bechtel, JR, Foundation, Pisces Foundation and King Fisher Foundation and co-lead by a coalition non-profit organizations including the Duke University Nicholas Institute’s Water Policy Program, the Center for Geospatial Solutions, the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences, Inc., the Water Data Collaborative, and the Western States Water Council (WSWC) Water Data Exchange (WaDE) Program.
EPA CWA Section 401 Public Listening Sessions
The U.S. EPA has announced that it will host a series of stakeholder listening sessions on regulatory uncertainty or implementation challenges associated with the Clean Water Act section 401 certification process as defined in the 2023 Water Quality Certification Improvement Rule. The Agency will use this input to determine whether guidance or rulemaking are necessary to address identified areas of regulatory uncertainty or implementation challenges regarding the scope of certification. The Agency also seeks stakeholder input related to CWA section 401(a)(2) implementation.
The next public listening session will take place on July 30, from 1:00 – 4:30 pm ET. Please click here to register. As part of its public engagement, EPA will be accepting written feedback, which must be received on or before August 6, 2025 (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0272).
Please reach out to Ward Scott (wscott@acwa-us.org) for more information or visit EPA’s CWA Section 401 Outreach and Engagement webpage.
ITRC Launches New Resource Guides Page
The Environmental Research Institute of the States (ERIS) Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC) program has launched a Resource Guides page designed to help environmental professionals quickly access relevant tools, training, and guidance materials. Whether you’re working on PFAS, other contaminants of emerging concern, or hydrocarbons, these curated one pagers streamline your search and make it easier to apply ITRC resources in your work. [Article excerpted from ECOSWIRE July, 2025]
Association Updates
Updated FY2026 Funding Chart
The House Appropriations Committee released a draft of the FY 26 Interior, Environment appropriations bill today. Title II of the FY 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill includes significant changes to funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), particularly within State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG). The proposed bill substantially reduces core CWA funding, directly impacting state and tribal implementation capacity.
ACWA has updated their funding chart to reflect the FY 2026 Interior, Environment appropriations bill. View the updated funding chart here.
ACWA’s 64th Annual Meeting in Madison, WI – Room Block Extended!
Dates: August 13-15th, 2025
Board of Directors will meet August 12th, 2025.
Member Rate – $550
Non-Member Rate – $570
(email Lexy at abailey@acwa-us.org for assistance with registration)
View the draft agenda here.
Lodging is now open for reservation! The room block will now close July 23, 2025.
Venue:
The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club
One West Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53703
Room rate: $138 per night
Check back here for more details.
ACWA Leadership Elections – Cast Your Ballot Today!
The ACWA Leadership Election ballot is open.
ACWA’s Leadership Election ballot is currently open and all ACWA members should have received an email with a link to the ballot from the Executive Director. If you did not receive a link to the ballot, contact Julia Anastasio. The even numbered Regions are up for election this year, along with the Executive Officers. Please vote no later than August 7, 2025. All “members in good standing” may participate in these elections, but cast only one vote per state/interstate. The “member in good standing” is the formal or primary ACWA representative for the state/interstate agency that paid dues for the previous fiscal year (FY2025). If you are unsure whether your FY2025 dues are paid, contact Julia Anastasio or Annette Ivey.
ACWA Water Quality Modeling Workshop – Updated Agendas Now Available!
Dates: September 16-19, 2025
Location: Atlanta, GA
Registration is available here.
View the draft agendas here.
ACWA, in partnership with USEPA, will be holding the 2025 Water Quality Modeling Workshop in Atlanta, GA, the week of September 15, 2025. The 2025 Water Quality Modeling Workshop supports implementation of state programs by continuing to build a community of practice among state agency staff who use or want to use water quality modeling in state water quality programs.
This year we will be offering hands-on training on LSPC and EFDC, as well as a Modeling 201 track, a course featuring hands-on components, presentations, case studies, and discussions. The workshop will start Tuesday, September 16 and wrap up around noon on Friday, September 19.
This workshop is for state program managers and staff involved in water quality modeling, as well as for both Regional and Headquarters-based U.S. Environmental Protection Agency managers and staff.
Lodging is available at the Embassy Suites Atlanta Centennial Olympic Park Hotel at the local per diem rate. The workshop will take place at the EPA Region 4 Offices at 77 Forsyth St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303.
You may reserve your hotel room here. ACWA will have some travel support available for state staff.
ACWA Member Survey — CWA Program Review Task Force
In 2025, the ACWA President established a Clean Water Act (CWA) Program Review Task Force charged with evaluating the effectiveness of the CWA in meeting its water quality goals. We are seeking 1 response per state and suggest that you coordinate with your teams for additional input. Please submit your response by July 31st. We are only accepting one response per state from the primary ACWA representative for the state/interstate agency that paid dues for the previous fiscal year (FY2025). Please coordinate with your teams if you would like additional input on the survey. If you did not receive an email with a link to the survey, please reach out to Julia Anastasio or Lexy Bailey.
Meetings and Webinars
Building the Ark: Neighborhood Stormwater Strategies for Grasslyn Manor
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDT
Register HERE
This session will present the community-led development of a stormwater strategy for the Grasslyn Manor area of Sherman Park, Milwaukee. Residents have experienced persistent stormwater concerns; in partnership with firm Greenprint Partners, a group of engaged residents formed an Advisory Group to share their stories and concerns. Residents identified and explored potential solutions to stormwater issues. In collaboration with Greenprint, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), and the Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW), they aim to reinforce their hopes for a dry Grasslyn Manor. Hear from the local community, as well as their technical partners, on how they engaged their neighbors, identified an action plan, and got to work to advance some early wins. Presenters: Sydney VanKuren, Director, Planning, Greenprint Partners and Steve O’Connell, Resident Leader, Grasslyn Manor
Job Opportunities
Environmental Specialist III
Location: Portland, ME
Closing Date: July 18, 2025
This position is a stormwater compliance inspector in the Division of Water Quality Management (DWQM). The position requires extensive fieldwork conducting compliance inspections and audits for a variety of industrial, commercial, and municipal discharges in the Southern Maine region based out of Portland.
For more information on the specifics of the position, please contact Holliday Keen at (207) 242-4649 or visit Maine State Jobs.
Water Quality Program Analyst (Program Analyst 3)
Location: Portland, OR
Closing Date: July 27, 2025
For more information and to apply, visit Oregon Job Opportunities.
Be sure to check out other opportunities on ACWA’s Job Opportunities page.
