News
EPA Soliciting Comments on CWA Section 401 Implementation
U.S. EPA has announced that it is soliciting input from stakeholders regarding 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.
Written feedback must be received on or before August 6, 2025. Written feedback on the notice should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0272 and may be submitted online. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow online instructions for submitting feedback to the docket.
Please reach out to Ward Scott for more information or visit EPA’s CWA Section 401 Outreach and Engagement webpage.
EPA Grants Yurok TAS Status
This week EPA announced the approval of the Yurok Tribe’s application for “treatment as state” (TAS) status under CWA. With TAS, the Yurok Tribe in Northern California can now develop their own WQS for waters within their reservation. Approval of TAS also provides the tribes 401 certification authority to issue water quality certifications for federal actions on their lands that require federal permits. There are now 85 tribes eligible to administer a WQS program, and 52 tribes have issued approved WQS. For more information on TAS and for a list of tribes, please click here.
Association Updates
ACWA’s 64th Annual Meeting in Madison, WI – Registration is Open!
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.
Venue:
The Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club
One West Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53703
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. Book your hotel room here. The room block will close August 26, 2025.
Meetings and Webinars
NPDES Technical Assistance Webinar: Process Control Best Management Practices for Lagoons and Small Mechanical Plants
Aug 21, 2025 01:00 PM
REGISTER HERE
EPA’s Office of Compliance is hosting a free webinar on Thursday, August 21, 2025, as part of EPA’s ongoing Technical Assistance Webinar Series: Improving CWA-NPDES Permit Compliance at Small Wastewater Treatment Systems.
This presentation will provide an in-depth comparison of process control requirements and best management practices (BMPs), from preliminary treatment through to final discharge, for both lagoons and small mechanical treatment plants. Although similar, process control requirements for lagoons and small wastewater treatment plants can differ significantly in key areas. For system managers considering modifications to an existing lagoon or an upgrade to a mechanical plant, understanding the specific needs of each system is essential to maintaining compliance with NPDES permits.
Ask Me Anything SRF Office Hours
This initiative will expand your knowledge and enhance your ability to navigate the SRFs. These sessions are tailored for state agencies, utility operators, and stakeholders who support water infrastructure projects. Each session will open with a specific theme, providing clarity, strategies, and practical insights for preparing and managing an SRF-funded project. The remainder of the session will be devoted to ‘Ask Me Anything’. Participants can attend all sessions or select those that best meet their needs. Submit your questions in advance or bring them to the session for real-time support from our experts.
Wed., 8/6, 11:00pm – 1:00pm EST: Importance of Projecting Budgets
Wed., 9/3, 11-1 EST: Source Water Protection & the SRFs
Wed., 10/1, 11-1 EST: Shrinking Capitalization Grants and the Future of SRFs
Wed., 11/5, 11-1 EST: What is an Intended Use Plan?
Meeting Registration – Zoom
Mon., 8/18, 2-4 EST: What are Creative Uses of SRF Funds?
Mon., 9/15, 2-4 EST: Set-Asides: what are they and how can they be used?
Mon., 10/20, 2-4 EST: What is this thing called Equivalency?
Mon., 11/17, 2-4 EST: Summary of what was covered over the AMA sessions
Meeting Registration – Zoom
ACWA/EPA Water Reuse Webinar
ACWA and U.S. EPA will host a Water Reuse Webinar for state and federal officials on September 17, 2025, from 2:00 – 4:00 pm ET. Please register for the Zoom meeting here.
Presentations will be made by EPA (Dr. Sharon Nappier, introduction) and the authors of the Potable Water Reuse Report (Dr. Amy Childress and Trussell Technologies, Inc.). The 2-hour session will cover:
- The landscape of DPR regulations throughout the United States and internationally. The public health requirements and non-public health factors influencing state DPR regulations will be discussed. (Series 1)
- An introduction to pathogen reduction crediting frameworks. Because it is not possible to conduct real-time monitoring for pathogens, treatment processes receive log-reduction credits through experimental testing. However, some effective processes, like reverse osmosis (RO), are under-credited due to the lack of good surrogates. (Series 2)
- Open discussion on state needs regarding the development of microbial treatment targets and crediting systems for water reuse.
Please reach out to Ward Scott with any questions or issues.
ITRC: Overview of the Tire-Derived Chemicals 6PPD & 6PPD-quinone Training
Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 1:00PM-2:30PM EDT
REGISTER HERE
In October 2024, ITRC released the 6PPD & 6PPD-quinone Guidance Document to provide environmental professionals and communities with information about the current science and regulatory framework of 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-q). 6PPD-q is a contaminant of emerging concern and is a transformation product of the tire anti-degradant (6PPD), an antiozonant used in tires.
Join us for this ITRC training course to get a basic overview of the science and policy measures surrounding the Tire Anti-Degradants 6PPD and 6PPD-q. Attendees will gain insight into the current state of knowledge on topics such as: background and use of 6PPD in tires, toxicity in aquatic species and humans; occurrence, fate, and transport; measuring, mapping, and sampling; mitigation measures; and policy, regulations, and laws.
Currently, 6PPD is used in all tires and can contaminate stormwater and surface water anywhere tires are used. 6PPD-q was identified as a chemical fatal to coho salmon in 2020. Since that time, it has been documented as acutely toxic to multiple trout species found throughout the United States. 6PPD and 6PPD-q have been found in waterways, aquatic organisms, soils, air, and humans.
This training will introduce you to the ITRC 6PPD & 6PPD-quinone Guidance Document which provides more technical detail than can be covered in this training course.
ITRC: PFAS Chemistry Training
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT
REGISTER HERE
The Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC) is presenting an introductory training on the basics of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemistry. This training supplements the ITRC PFAS Introductory training and ITRC Beyond the Basics Training sessions. You can find ITRC PFAS training resources online at https://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/pfas-training/.
PFAS are an emerging group of contaminants that present unique challenges in many areas including: widespread use and presence in the environment, sampling and analysis, fate and transport, and remedial approaches. This training session will provide PFAS practitioners with an understanding of the unique aspects of PFAS chemistry that guide fate and transport, treatment, regulations, and decision-making on PFAS sites.
Key focus areas of the training include the following:
- Why are PFAS different from other organic chemicals?
- How are PFAS defined?
- How are PFAS manufactured and why does that matter?
- What are the differences between perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances?
- What are the naming conventions used for the different types of PFAS?
- How are short-chain and long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) defined?
- What are precursors and why are they important?
- What are some of the unique chemical properties of PFAS and why do they matter?
Resources and further details included in this training are in the ITRC Guidance Document (PFAS-1).
ITRC: Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Identification Framework Training
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 1:00PM-3:00PM EDT
REGISTER HERE
In 2023, the ITRC Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Framework was published to help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders identify, evaluate, and manage CEC’s while acknowledging uncertainties in their environmental fate and transport, receptor exposure, and/or toxicity. Such an approach can be conducive to improved allocation of regulatory response resources and provide a foundation for communicating potential risk to stakeholders.
The ITRC framework is comprised of a white paper and four associated fact sheets. In the white paper, CEC are defined as: “substances and microorganisms including physical, chemical, biological, or radiological materials known or anticipated in the environment, that may pose newly identified risks to human health or the environment.” The framework is meant to help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders by providing examples of CEC monitoring programs and guiding the user through the process of identifying CEC key characteristics, how to communicate real and perceived risk from CEC to the public, and how laboratory analytical methods can be used in the identification process.
The ITRC CEC training presents this entirely new framework for identification, prioritization, and communication of CEC. This course includes the following topics:
- An overview of the framework, how and why it was developed, the factors that influence the creation of CEC management units at the state level, and a listing of existing CEC monitoring programs.
- A discussion of key variables that may be used as criteria to identify and prioritize CEC for response actions. This portion of the course includes a case study that illustrates how the identification and prioritization process works with an “unknown” chemical CEC.
- Practices and methods for stakeholder messaging and how to share incomplete information on CEC that could impact human health and the environment. This portion of the short course builds upon the ITRC Risk Communication Toolkit by providing additional detail addresses communications plans, message maps, and audience identification.
- A paradigm for how laboratory methods can be used to identify CEC ranging from:
- “Is compound X in the sample and at what concentration?” (i.e., known knowns) to
- “Which compounds from the list are in this sample?” (i.e., known unknowns) to
- “What is in the sample?” (i.e., unknown unknowns).
CEC are typically compounds or substances whose occurrence or effect is unknown but may or may not be understood through similar compounds or substances. This module includes a discussion of the use of targeted and untargeted analysis to identify a CEC.
Participants will learn the elements of the CEC framework and gain an understanding of the framework application from case studies. Participants are encouraged to review the ITRC CEC Framework prior to the class.
ITRC PFAS Introductory Training
Thursday, November 6, 2025, 1:00PM-3:00PM EST
REGISTER HERE
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large and complex class of anthropogenic compounds whose prevalence in the environment are an emerging, worldwide priority in environmental and human health. The ITRC PFAS Team, formed in 2017, has prepared readily accessible materials to present PFAS information to stakeholders, regulators, and policy makers. The PFAS team represents a diverse cross-section of expertise and experience working on PFAS.
This training will include emerging science on PFAS, including topics such as Properties of PFAS, Fate and Transport, Sampling and Analysis, and Treatment Technologies. The technical presentations will be focused on those who are relatively new to PFAS. The training will last approximately 90 minutes and include time for questions.
ITRC: Microplastics Training
Thursday, November 13, 2025, 1:00PM-3:00PM EST
REGISTER HERE
In response to one of the biggest emerging environmental concerns, ITRC formed the Microplastics Team in 2021 to develop the Microplastics Guidance Document. Plastics have become pervasive in modern life and are now used in a wide range of commercial and industrial applications. Microplastics may result from the degradation and fragmentation of larger plastics, or they may be intentionally produced for specific applications and products. Regardless of their origin, microplastics are now ubiquitous in our environment. Because of their small size and pervasiveness in the environment, microplastics, along with any other contaminants which are adhered to the microplastics, may be inadvertently consumed by humans and other organisms.
The online ITRC Guidance Document is geared toward an audience with reasonable level of scientific understanding, but not microplastic-specific knowledge. The guidance provides a user with information on microplastics and the state of the applied science without having to go to the scientific literature.
The target audience for the guidance and this training course includes state regulators and environmental consultants, as well as community and tribal stakeholders.
The guidance and this associated training course uses a conceptual site model to navigate microplastics in the environment and explore the following general areas:
- An introduction to microplastics, their sources, and worldwide distribution
- The pathways through which microplastics can enter and travel in the environment and their distribution in various media (water, soil, sediment, air, and biota)
- A current look at the most common techniques and best practices for sampling and analyzing microplastics
- Potential human health and ecological risks associated with microplastics in the environment
- An overview of existing regulations related to microplastics and macroplastics at the state, federal, and international levels
- Examples of prevention and mitigation strategies and best management practices to reduce microplastics from entering the environment and the emerging technologies to abate, treat, and remediate microplastics once they exist in the environment
- Identification of data gaps and the need for further research
- Several case studies illustrating a range of current microplastics-related topics
Prior to attending the training class, participants are encouraged to view the associated ITRC Microplastics Guidance Document.
Job Opportunities
Senior Wastewater Permit Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4)
Location: Richland, WA
Closing Date: August 4, 2025
For more information and to apply, visit Washington Ecology Job Opportunities.
Be sure to check out other opportunities on ACWA’s Job Opportunities page.
