News
Job Classifications Changed by Executive Order
This week President Trump issued an executive order converting a number of EPA career civil service employees to a new work classification (Schedule Policy/Career are policy-influencing career positions that will be filled based on merit and not political affiliation ). Per an accompanying Fact Sheet, the EO is expected to reclassify 8,000, nonpartisan, career senior policy positions across the federal government. The fact sheet highlights that person’s serving in this classified position can be removed for “poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or subversion of Presidential directives without lengthy procedural hurdles that often prevent accountability, consistent with the ability to remove appointees responsible for implementing the President’s agenda.” Example titles affected include “agency positions such as directors, deputy directors, chiefs of staff, senior advisors and policy analysts, employees with significant involvement in drafting regulations and guidance, public affairs and legislative affairs leaders, and employees with significant involvement in determining who gets Federal grants.”
A copy of the Executive Order can be found here:
Implementing Schedule Policy/Career in the Excepted Service – The White House
A copy of the Fact Sheet can be found here:
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Increases Accountability in the Federal Workforce – The White House
Protecting Clean Water at the State Level After Sackett
Last month Waterkeeper Alliance and the Center for Water Security and Cooperation issued a report that discussed the impacts of the Sackett decision and how the most recent proposed EPA/Corps’ rulemaking severely limits the scope of the waters protected under the CWA. The report concludes that “while the CWA has now been interpreted narrowly, states can and should utilize all of the states’ existing authorities and adopt new laws, regulations, and programs where necessary to fill in the gaps and fully protect all of the states’ waters, including wetlands.” The key program components recommended by the report include:
- Statutory pollution prohibitions and permitting requirements.
- Protective standards for regulations and permits.
- Inclusive definitions of key terms, such as “pollution” and “waters of the state.”
- Broad grants of authority to a state regulatory agency to adopt regulations and implement permitting requirements.
- Citizen enforcement provisions.
- Removal of “no more stringent than” provision.
The report goes on to note that “state legislatures must take steps to ensure that these provisions are in place and that state environmental agencies are sufficiently funded and empowered to implement them.” A copy of the report can be found here:
https://waterkeeper.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-WOTUS-Report_FINAL.pdf
EPA Marks 500 Days, 100 Environmental Actions
This week EPA issued a press release citing 100 examples of new environmental projects completed since the one year anniversary of the Trump administration. Example CWA related projects identified include:
- Treated over 1.2 billion gallons of drinking water for PFAS contamination at Pease Air Force Base site in New Hampshire.
- Issued final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to Procter & Gamble – Gillette facility in Boston, Massachusetts, ensuring proper industrial wastewater treatment compliance.
- Issued water discharge permits to four Puerto Rico wastewater treatment plants, treating 1-8 million gallons per day.
- Filed a complaint with Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division against the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority for Clean Water Act violations that led to, and resulted from, the collapse of the Potomac Interceptor.
- Entered a consent order correcting 15 Clean Water Act violations at a public water system in Paden City, West Virginia.
- Approved national restoration success story for Fleming Creek in Kentucky, removing 12.8 miles from impaired waters list for nutrient pollution.
- Awarded $1.687 billion to Florida and $30,277,000 to South Carolina to strengthen water infrastructure resilience.
- Invested $3.6 million curbing sewage overflows in South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky to protect waterways and community health.
- Made $50 million available in grants advancing innovative, farmer-led conservation on working lands supporting nutrient runoff reduction throughout the region.
- Worked with Port Clinton, Ohio, and the state of Ohio on $13 million wastewater system upgrade preventing sewer overflows and protecting Lake Erie.
- Approved Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s Supplemental Application for Tribes Approved for Treatment as a State (TAS) to administer water quality standards for 1,600 Iowa acres.
- Approved Meskwaki Nation’s water quality standards (WQS) package in Iowa, the first Tribal WQS package approved in Region 7.
- Approved Utah updates to water quality standards for Colorado River salinity and methylmercury.
- Approved Idaho’s Jordan Creek Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load, protecting people consuming fish and aquatic life.
- Approved Idaho’s Pahsimeroi River subbasin Total Maximum Daily Load, addressing temperature and sediment impairments.
- Awarded $13,089,504 in community grant funding to seven communities throughout Region 10 improving water infrastructure and protecting public health.
A copy of the press release can be found here:
EPA Marks 500 Days of Trump Administration with Another 100 Top Environmental Actions | US EPA
EPA Releases Coral Reef Water Quality Evidence Dashboard
EPA’s Corals Program announced the release of the Coral Reef Water Quality Evidence Dashboard. This dashboard is the first comprehensive, filterable tool for identifying relevant studies linking water quality stressors to coral reef condition. It was developed in response to the United States Coral Reef Task Force’s (USCRTF) request and in collaboration with USCRTF members.
The dashboard can be found here: here, and is linked from the corals webpage.
The underlying data supporting the dashboard can be found in an excel format here.
Association Updates
ACWA 2026 Annual Meeting – Draft Agenda Now Available
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
ACWA has updated the draft agenda. View the draft agenda here.
Check here on our website for more information regarding registration, lodging, and agenda updates.
Your Chance to be Featured in ACWA’s 2026 Annual Report!
As we gear up for our annual report, we’re looking to expand our photo library. We invite you to be a part of the Annual Report by sharing your photographs with us!
Here’s how you can participate:
- Select your best high-resolution water photos
- Email them to Lexy Bailey by June 15th, 2026
- Include your name and the location of the photograph
Meetings and Webinars
Virtual National Cyber Drill
When: July 8, 2026, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
Register For the Virtual National Cyber Drill
The drill is designed to test the ability of drinking water and wastewater utilities to maintain critical functions during a temporary loss of telecommunications and internet services.
What you’ll do:
- Operate in a “disconnected” environment (limited/no SCADA remote access, cloud, email, Voice over IP, or other digital communications tools).
- Test preparedness by practicing manual operations at your system or joining a tabletop exercise.
Objectives:
- Assess your ability to sustain essential water/wastewater operations without telecom/internet.
- Exercise cyber incident response plans and manual workarounds.
- Identify gaps, resource needs, and resilience improvements.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs): will be provided in most states.
2026 WASP Workshop Sept 21-25 @ EPA Region 4 (Atlanta, GA)
US EPA Region 4 and the National Water Modeling Workgroup will sponsor a 5-day workshop on water quality principles/modeling using the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) onSeptember 21st – 25th. We are planning for approximately 40 people for this in-person only class at the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Building in Atlanta, GA. See attached Course Announcement for additional details and please feel free to share this announcement!
How to Register
If you are interested in attending this workshop, please visit WASP Website click the “Register for Workshop” link to complete the registration form. The workshop is open to all and there is no registration fee for the workshop. Attendees are responsible for their own travel and lodging related expenses.
Questions?
Please contact Catherine York (York.Catherine@epa.gov)
U.S. Symposium on Harmful Algae – Travel Funding & Fee Waiver Opportunities
October 25-29, 2026; Cedar Rapids, IA
The U.S. Symposium on Harmful Algae focuses on enhancing our understanding of harmful algal blooms and their effects on aquatic ecosystems, public health, and communities. Through scientific sessions and specialized breakout discussions, participants will engage in conversations about emerging challenges, innovative approaches, and updates in HAB science, management, policy, and programs. This dynamic four-day event features plenary sessions, breakout discussions, and scientific poster presentations covering key topics such as bloom dynamics, monitoring and management, prevention and mitigation strategies, emerging technologies, community engagement, and modeling and forecasting. The primary goal is to facilitate knowledge sharing, address emerging issues, and drive progress toward effective HAB management. Attendees also value the many opportunities to network, connect with colleagues, and discuss the latest developments in the world of HABs. The 13th U.S. Symposium on Harmful Algae will take place on October 25-29, 2026 in Cedar Rapids, IA.
Applications are now being accepted for fee waivers and/or travel support to attend the 13th U.S. Symposium on Harmful Algae. Funding is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NOAA/NCCOS) and is intended to help defray travel costs for two groups of program participants: (i) U.S.-based graduate studens and postdoctoral researchers; and (ii) public health and resource managers, particularly those from state, local, and tribal agencies who would otherwise be unable to attend. Applications for financial assistance are due by June 12, 2026. Please click here for more information.
Job Opportunities
Environmental Analyst – Source Water Protection
Location: Albany, NY
Closing Date: June 21, 2026
To apply, submit your cover letter, resume, and a brief writing sample by email to jobs@neiwpcc.org by June 21, 2026. Please reference #26-NYS-SW-DEC-004 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.
Environmental Analyst – Lead Testing in Schools
Location: Providence, RI
Closing Date: June 28, 2026
To apply, submit your cover letter, resume, and a brief writing sample by email to jobs@neiwpcc.org by June 28, 2026. Please reference #26-RIDOH-001 in the email subject line. Accepting applications until the position is filled. A full position description and benefits list may be viewed at: https://neiwpcc.org/about-us/careers.
Environmental Analyst or Engineer – Training and Technical Assistance Specialist
Location: Lowell, MA
Closing Date: Open until filled
To apply, email your cover letter, resume, and a brief writing sample to jobs@neiwpcc.org. Please reference #26-Lowell-001 in the email subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, accepting applications until the position is filled. A full position description and benefits may be viewed at: https://neiwpcc.org/about-us/careers.
Watershed Management Section Manager
Location: Thurston County – Lacey, WA
Closing Date: Continuous
If you’re interested in applying for this position or reading additional information, please follow this link:
Watershed Management Section Manager (WMS2)
Be sure to check out other opportunities on ACWA’s Job Opportunities page.
