Government Relations

NAWC Supports Reid, Feinstein Climate Change Bills

Senate Leader Reid (D-Nevada) and Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) are supporting the establishment of a $250 million program that would fund research to help drinking water utilities adapt to the effects of climate change. Their bill, the Drinking Water Adaptation Research Act (S.2970) would direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along with the Departments of Commerce, Energy and Interior to establish and provide funding for a research program to be conduced by the AWWA Research Foundation (AwwaRF).

In a letter to Senators Reid and Feinstein, NAWC conveyed its strong support for a comprehensive research program on the full range of impacts climate change will have on drinking water utilities, water supply, facilities and customers. “Working through AwwaRF, the drinking water industry is already focusing on strategies to address climate change issues, but much more research is needed,” said NAWC Executive Director Peter Cook.

The legislation finds that there is a need for comprehensive research on the effects of global warming on water quality, erosion, watershed changes and the increasing range of pathogens, algae and other organisms. Other potential problems the research program would attempt to address include sea level rise, inadequate water infrastructure, the expense and environmental impact of alternative technologies such as desalination and lack of regional cooperation on water issues. Funding could be used to improve climate models to better assess how climate change will affect water supply. Finally, research will look at providing financial tools, like new rate structures, to better manage resources and investments.

Mayors Discuss Water Investment and Bottled Water

The U.S. Conference of Mayors recently convened a meeting to examine new information on the economic and public health benefits of local government investment in water and sewer infrastructure and services. The meeting, held May 1 in New York, was lead by Albuquerque (N.M.) Mayor Martin Chávez and Fayetteville (Ark.) Mayor Dan Coody, co-chairs of the Mayors Water Council, along with Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) Mayor Don Robart, vice-chair of the Mayors Environment Committee. The mayors assembled a series of panels including environmental, sanitation and water commissioners from several U.S. cities, water experts and bottled water industry leaders.

The meeting was held in response to a U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution, which directed the gathering of data on the importance of local government investment in water and sewers, and to examine how bottled water contributes to solid waste.

A growing number of cities such as San Francisco, Albuquerque, Minneapolis, Seattle, etc., have adopted bans on the purchase of single-serve bottled water by their city departments since 2007, citing concerns about the cost of bottled water and its impact on city budgets, as well as bottled water’s contribution to solid waste.

• Even the cheapest bottled water from city retailers and grocery stores can cost from 1,000 times to more than 4,000 times per unit volume than tap water.
• Recycling rates of PET plastic, the petroleum-based material used to produce most water bottles, has declined over the past decade while bottle water consumption has risen considerably.
• While water bottles make up a relatively small proportion of the entire solid waste stream, they amounted to more than 827,000 tons of scrap PET in 2006.

Representatives from The American Beverage Association and The International Bottled Water Association attended the session and presented new information on industry efforts to reduce the amount of materials used in plastic water bottles and water conservation in bottled water production processes.

EPA to Decide On Perchlorate Regulation by the End of the Year

During a hearing of the committee on Environment and Public Works, a witness for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that a decision would be made by the end of the year whether to regulate perchlorate, a chemical component of rocket fuel. Ben Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for water said the EPA is using the science-based framework laid out in the Safe Drinking Water Act to determine whether perchlorate warrants regulation.

Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) was unhappy with this feedback, saying that the EPA has waited long enough. Boxer has introduced two bills dealing with perchlorate: One would require the EPA to set a standard limiting the amount of perchlorate in drinking water, the other would require water systems to monitor tap water for perchlorate and inform the public of any contamination. Boxer indicated that one of these pieces of legislation would be marked up next month.

TCE Also Considered

During the same hearing, Assistant Administrator Grumbles commented on the process that is underway to make a final regulatory decision on trichloroethylene (TCE). Grumbles did not, however, indicate when the analysis of TCE would be completed. TCE is a groundwater contaminant at hazardous waste sites throughout the country.

Senators Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Boxer introduced a bill that would require a health advisory, drinking water standard and reference concentration for TCE vapor intrusion.

House Subcommittee Passes Water Efficiency Bills

A Subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee approved two bills intended to increase efficiency, conservation and utilization produced water from energy development.

One bill would direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a research and development program designed to improve water efficiency and conservation technologies. The program is intended to help spur innovation in the collection, treatment and reuse of rainwater and grey water. This measure would enhance EPA’s new program, WaterSense, which provides information to consumers on water-efficient products.

A second bill directs the U.S. Department of Energy to set up a program aimed at improving technologies that allow water extracted during the development of domestic energy resources.

House Aims to Vote on Renewable Energy Tax Bill Before Recess

The House will soon unveil a renewable energy tax plan in hopes of bringing it to the floor before Memorial Day. The Senate included a renewable energy tax package in a housing bill passed last month.

NAWC’s interest is the inclusion of language that extends a solar energy tax credit to utilities. This language is in the Senate bill, and has been in previous House bills.

Last year, a similar initiative was stalled because Senate Republicans refused to accept a bill that forced oil and gas companies to pay higher taxes in order to offset the costs of the new tax credits. This year, the Senate passed its version of the bill without offsets.

The House has recently announced that it intends to move a renewable energy tax package that will not be paid for by repealing oil company incentives. The House Ways and Means Committee will likely take up the new package in coming weeks — as part of a broader multibillion dollar package of “tax extenders.” By removing the controversial pay source, the bill may have a better chance of success this year.