News
Senate Confirms Jessica Kramer for Office of Water AA
This week the Senate has confirmed Jessica Kramer to serve as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water. Prior to her confirmation, Jess Kramer served as a Senior Advisor to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. She previously served as Deputy Secretary of Regulatory Programs at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection where she managed statewide environmental programs. Ms. Kramer also briefly served as a senior policy advisor and counsel for Government Relations at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. She has extensive experience developing and implementing water policy, including serving as water counsel under Ranking Member (now Chair) Shelley Moore-Capito for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. She served in EPA’s Office of Water previously, as Senior Policy Counsel to the Assistant Administrator under the first Trump Administration. Ms. Kramer also worked for approximately six years in the State of Wisconsin, as an Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice in the Environmental Protection Unit and in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as an environmental enforcement specialist and attorney. Jess earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and her law degree from Marquette University Law School. ACWA looks forward to working with Ms. Kramer and congratulates her on her nomination.
House Releases Short-Term Continuing Resolution as End of Fiscal Year Approaches
The House of Representatives released a draft short-term continuing resolution for FY 26. The legislation would extend the current fiscal year until November 21st and stave off a government shutdown on October 1. The draft does not include any policy riders and has the support of the President, and House and Senate leaders. The House is expected to vote on the CR by the end of the week. At that point, the Senate will take up the House bill. Senate Democrats released their own FY 2026 continuing resolution proposal that would extend federal funding until October 31, 2026. Prospects in the Senate are unclear and the potential for a government shutdown remains.
EPA Announces Intention to Retain CERCLA PFAS Rule
EPA told a court this week that it intends to retain the Biden-era CERLA PFAS Rule designating two PFAS as hazardous substances under CERCLA. The rule designates perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous substances under the CERCLA. The rule is the first such measure to apply the law’s section 102 to list hazardous substances by regulation. The EPA statement came during a hearing in Chamber of Commerce of the United States, et al. v. EPA where the agency asked the Court to lift a stay in the case so the parties could proceed to briefings.
Association Updates
ACWA Updates Rulemakings Page
Earlier this month, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) released the Unified Agenda, which outlines the active, long-term, and completed regulatory actions of the Administration. In response to that release, ACWA staff updated the ACWA Rulemakings Page. This chart outlines the major regulatory activities of the Administration impacting clean water programs.
ACWA 2026 Mid-Year Meeting – Lodging Now Available!
Dates: March 25-26, 2026
Location: Alexandria, VA
Reserve your room now by calling 1-800-Hiltons (1-800-445-8668) and using group code 92N, or click here.
Group Rate: $276/night
Check our event webpage for more information.
ACWA 2026 Annual Meeting – Save The Date!
Dates: August 5, 2026 at 8:00 am – August 7, 2026 at 12:00 pm
Board of Directors will meet August 4, 2026.
Venue: The Eldorado Hotel and Spa, Santa Fe, NM
Check back here for more information regarding registration, lodging, and agenda.
ACWA 2025 Water Quality Modeling Workshop
This week, ACWA, in partnership with EPA, held the 2025 Water Quality Modeling Workshop at the EPA Region 4 Offices in Atlanta, GA.
This year’s workshop brought together state program managers and staff involved in water quality modeling, with representatives from 26 states from all 10 EPA regions in attendance. Participants engaged in hands-on training with LSPC and EFDC, as well as the in-depth Modeling 201 track, which featured practical exercises, case studies, and collaborative discussions.
View the track agendas here.
2026 Water Quality Standards Workshop – Save the Date!
Dates: April 21-23, 2026
Location: Little Rock, AR
We are excited to announce that the 2026 WQS Workshop will take place April 21-23, 2026 in Little Rock, AR!
This workshop is a national meeting organized by ACWA for state staff involved in state water quality standards programs, as well as for both Regional and Headquarters-based U.S. Environmental Protection Agency managers and staff. The workshop will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Little Rock. A room block at the local per diem rate will be available soon. ACWA does anticipate having travel support for state staff. When available, more information can be found on ACWA’s events page.
Meetings and Webinars
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., 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., 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
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.
ACWA / EPA Water Reuse Webinar
Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET
REGISTER HERE
ACWA and EPA will host a second Water Reuse Webinar on December 3, 2025 at 2:00 pm ET. This second webinar for state regulators will focus on water reuse issues surrounding data centers. Presentations and discussions will include considerations for permitting, treatment and cooling technologies. Participation in this event will be limited to state and federal regulators.
Job Opportunities
Construction Stormwater Program Coordinator
Location: Salt Lake County, UT
Closing Date: Continuous
The Utah Division of Water Quality Construction Stormwater Program Coordinator oversees Utah’s more than 5,000 construction stormwater UPDES permits. You will serve as the state’s technical and policy expert on construction stormwater permitting by preparing permits, inspecting sites, and providing technical assistance and outreach to permittees.
For more information and to apply online click here.
Agricultural Runoff Section Manager
Location: Madison, WI
Closing Date: September 29, 2025
This position has primary responsibility for managing agricultural runoff, which includes Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) permitting at large farms under the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) and agricultural nonpoint pollution abatement at non-permitted farms. This program manager is responsible for the leading the establishment of policy, standards, and procedures to ensure statewide consistency of program activities for the CAFO and nonpoint subprograms. This position oversees activities that include permit drafting, permit compliance inspection and enforcement protocols, nutrient management plan review, hydrogeology assessment and engineering reviews, and nonpoint planning and grants management. This position is responsible for administrative rule and guidance development, legislative testimony, public hearing activities, general budget, and related information technology. The position also has supervisory responsibilities for the policy and support staff assigned to the Agricultural Runoff section.
For more information, please see the Agricultural Runoff Section Manager position description. Click here to apply.
Science Communicator – Long Island Sound Partnership
Location: Lowell, MA
Closing Date: October 5, 2025
To apply, submit cover letter, resume, and two writing samples by email to jobs@neiwpcc.org by October 5, 2025. Please reference #25-LIS-Lowell-001 in the email subject line. Accepting applications until the position is filled. A full position description and benefits may be viewed at: https://neiwpcc.org/about-us/careers. Additional information about LIS Partnership can be found at: https://lispartnership.org/.
Be sure to check out other opportunities on ACWA’s Job Opportunities page.
