Explore Hot Topics at the 2022 CASA Winter Conference
Join us at CASA’s 2022 Winter Conference at the Hilton Palm Springs on January 19-21. Bring your colleagues and join the hot topic discussions we are all concerned with including infrastructure funding, climate resiliency, public messaging, PFAS, and much more! We are also bringing back all our favorite elements, including round-table discussions, live panels, stellar speakers, and plenty of networking opportunities. You won’t want to miss this!
As we ease back into in-person events, we appreciate your patience and willingness to follow all COVID protocols to ensure that we all remain as safe and healthy as possible.
|
|
Sign up for CASA’s Regulatory Updates
CASA’s Regulatory Workgroup puts together a comprehensive e-newsletter to share all regulatory updates on key issues and workgroup initiatives with the CASA membership. If you are interested in receiving these regulatory updates, please contact Jared Voskuhl. Last month’s edition is available here.
|
|
Federal Legislative Update |
|
IRS Releases Guidance
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued guidance on the taxability of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds established under the American Rescue Plan Act (SLFR Funds) used to pay utility bills during the pandemic. Under the new guidance, payments received under SLFR Funds is not considered gross income and thus not taxable income. The IRS states that this is because these payments were made by a state/local government to individuals and were intended to pay for personal expenses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, a qualified disaster. As such, they are considered qualified disaster relief payments under section 139 of the Code and are excluded from gross income. The revenue procedure is effective as of Nov. 8, 2021 and applies to qualified expenses paid after Jan. 21, 2020.
|
|
Low Income Household Water Assistance Program
The Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) is moving forward with a program to reimburse wastewater agencies that incurred financial losses due to customer nonpayment during the pandemic. CSD has received final approval of the 2021 Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) State Plan from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Final 2021 LIHWAP State Plan can be viewed on CSD's Public Website at https://csd.ca.gov/Pages/LIHWAP.aspx.
|
|
Governor Newsom Appoints new CPUC President
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) President Marybel Batjer will be retiring effective December 30, 2021 and has named Senior Advisor to the Governor for Energy, Alice Reynolds, to serve as the next president of the Commission. Reynolds will begin her new role as President of the CPUC effective December 31, 2021. Read more in the announcement.
|
|
Webinars, Workshops & Events |
|
Exclusive Member Benefit: Webinar Tracking Made Easy!
Would you like to receive a comprehensive list of upcoming webinars, workshops, and events delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for CASA’s newest LISTSERV, Professional Development, a source to keep you informed of upcoming webinars, workshops, trainings, events, and general opportunities for professional development in all facets of the clean water industry including biosolids, communications, finance, human resources, regulatory, and more. Do you know a shining star in your agency that might benefit from continued growth and professional development opportunities? Be sure to share this resource with them! To get signed up for the newest CASA LISTSERV, please email Cheryl MacKelvie with your name, preferred email, and affiliated agency or association.
|
|
ICYMI: Diversity in California Water Panel Discussion
The California water sector is rapidly hiring. How do we reflect California’s diversity at all levels of our workforce and foster a more inclusive environment with our co-workers? Watch the panel of water leaders discuss workforce development programs, new DEI efforts, what can hold back diversity efforts, and the champions we need to move these efforts forward. The webinar took place on October 7, 2021 as part of a series celebrating water professionals during California Water Professionals Appreciation Week. Watch Here.
|
|
AWWEE Lessons from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Leaders
Join The Association of Women in Water, Energy and Environment (AWWEE) tomorrow, December 2 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for a webinar: Lessons from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Leaders. Planned in response to feedback from AWWEE members, this panel of women leaders are deeply committed to creating more diverse, equitable, and inclusive corporate cultures. Join to hear about their experiences building effective DEI programs, the challenges they encountered in the process and how they approached them, and get advice for how you and your organization can take meaningful steps toward creating workplaces where all people feel welcome, included, and safe to be their true selves. Free for AWWEE members, $20 for non-members. Be sure to register today as there are limited spots available!
|
|
CWSP Advanced Wastewater Treatment Workshop
Join the Clean Water Summit Partners (CWSP) on December 6, for a free webinar focusing on opportunities and challenges for advanced wastewater treatment. This workshop is designed to provide a high-level overview of various advanced treatment options as well as costs and limitations, particularly in the context of finding the most effective means of addressing constituents of emerging concern (including PFAS), nutrients, energy consumption and emissions issues, and recycled water production and usage. This workshop is intended for state legislative officials and staff, state and regional water board members and staff, and environmental advocacy organizations. This event is free, but advance registration is required.
|
|
NACWA Clean Water Agency Management Strategies for Addressing PFAS
Join NACWA on December 7, from 10:00am – 11:30am for a webinar: Clean Water Agency Management Strategies to Evolving PFAS Regulatory Drivers in Wastewater Systems. This interactive discussion lead by AECOM will explore the unique challenges clean water utilities face when addressing PFAS in wastewater streams. Specific findings from a recent AECOM study across the United States on the presence and fate of PFAS within wastewater treatment systems will be presented and benchmarked against already published results from other statewide monitoring efforts in Michigan and California. The discussion will broaden to EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and the need for further research of PFAS compounds, restrictions on continued use of PFAS, and remediation efforts. Be sure to register today!
|
|
2022 CASA Winter Conference
CASA’s 2022 Winter Conference will be held in-person at the Hilton Palm Springs on January 19-21. We are bringing back all our favorite elements, including round-table discussions, live panels, stellar speakers, and plenty of networking opportunities. This year’s Winter Conference theme is “Partners in Excellence,” because we truly could not do what we do without all of you!
|
|
Save the Date!
Be sure to save the date for CASA’s 2022 Washington DC Forum on February 28 – March 1 at the Hotel Washington! Stay tuned for more details in future editions of Connects.
|
|
CASA represents more than 125 local public agencies engaged in the collection, treatment and recycling of Wastewater and biosolids to protect public health and the environment. Our mission is to provide trusted information and advocacy on behalf of California clean water agencies, and to be a leader in sustainability and utilization of renewable resources. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
