Happy New Year from CASA!
We are as excited as ever to spend another year working together with you! From all of us here at CASA, we wish you a successful and very Happy New Year.
As we say goodbye to 2021 and forge ahead into 2022, it’s not yet clear when things will return to normal, or what the “new” normal might look like. Regardless of what 2022 brings, one thing is certain: CASA will continue to focus our efforts on advocacy, communications, and engagement on behalf of our members. We are proud to be your representatives and the face of California’s clean water community in the state and in Washington D.C. We also know how important your input and participation is to our effectiveness, which is why we are continually looking for ways to add more value for our members. CASA has a whole host of LISTSERVs, workgroups, and committees that we encourage you to join and participate in. Our team of experts is always here to answer questions and get your perspective. Together, we have a strong voice. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you all in the year ahead! The CASA staff are hard at work planning for the year, take a look below at what you can expect from the program areas:
Program Updates for 2022
Regulatory
2022 looks to be another incredibly busy year on the regulatory front. We anticipate the reissuance of the Sanitary Sewer System Waste Discharge Requirements (SSS WDR) early in the year, and major ongoing initiatives include the next phase of the PFAS investigative order as well as an anticipated Ocean Plan amendment for ocean acidification and hypoxia water quality objectives. There is also quite a bit of funding for wastewater agencies this year, including the arrearages program set to launch in February as well as the $650M budget allocation for wastewater programs, much of which will go to septic to sewer projects.
State Advocacy
The Legislature returned to Sacramento to kick off the 2022 Legislative Session on Monday, January 3rd. Over the Fall the Legislature moved all staff into a new building as work gets underway to renovate the historic Capitol for the next five years. The new building is being referred to as the “swing space” and houses all Legislative staff and the Governor’s office and staff, and features several large hearing rooms and public spaces. However, despite being in a new location it appears that most meetings and hearings will continue to utilize videoconferencing options, many staff will continue working remotely, and the availability of in-person meetings with legislative staff will be determined by each individual office.  
Biosolids and Air Quality, Climate Change, & Energy (ACE)
This year, CASA will work to facilitate the Implementation of SB 1383 regulations which require a 75% diversion of organics from landfills by 2025 to achieve a 40% reduction in methane emissions statewide. Work will include: meeting with County’s to revise restrictive or prohibitive ordinances on biosolids land application to create a level playing field and equal access as required in the regulations; engaging with members and CalRecycle to streamline the process to allow additional biosolids technologies and end uses to qualify as a reduction in landfill disposal; maximizing procurement opportunities for biogas and biosolids as stipulated in the regulations including working with the solid waste sector to facilitate the cleanup of diverted organic waste and CASA members to leverage co-digestion opportunities; and informing members of funding opportunities to facilitate implementation.
Federal Advocacy
The final session of the 117th Congress will face a host of policy matters over the next year. Within this agenda, there are several federal priorities CASA’s Federal Legislative Committee will pursue. At the top of the priority list is addressing the control of nonflushable wipes, addressing efforts to impose PFAS cleanup liability, securing a waiver from Buy America mandates that could slow construction of projects, and enhancing the resiliency of clean water infrastructure.
Communications
The communications program looks forward to another year of providing timely and relevant information to members, legislators, and the public on clean water and beneficial reuse issues. This year we will be busy at work building a new outreach campaign focused on PFAS which will include a myriad of materials to aid in public education. We will be continuing our work with the Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) as they produce a 5-year education campaign in compliance with the recently passed wipes bill, AB 818. We will continue to assist on their creative materials for the outreach campaign, including on their overall messaging as well as specific outreach materials that would be helpful and usual for agencies to incorporate into their outreach with their customers. As always, we will work to increase the visibility of clean water agencies as essential protectors of public health and the environment within the communities they serve.
CASA News
CASA Winter Conference Canceled
We are sad to announce that due to the recent COVID surge associated with the omicron variant, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our members and staff, CASA has decided to cancel its upcoming Winter Conference scheduled for January 19-21 in Palm Springs.

Every year we look forward to connecting with our members and providing you with informative content and networking opportunities. Unfortunately, that simply was not possible this year given recent developments related to COVID. For those of you who had already registered for the conference: 
 
  • Registration fees will be refunded to all registrants very soon. If there are any issues in receiving these refunds, please contact Cheryl MacKelvie at cmackelvie@casaweb.org;
  • For those who have already made hotel reservations, the Hilton Palm Springs has asked that you contact them directly to cancel;
  • CASA will host all our committee meetings virtually this month, so please look for announcements through the LISTSERVS about timing for those events.
 
This was a difficult call to make as our Winter Conference is an important event for CASA, and in-person conferences are one of our favorite ways to connect with our members across the state. CASA is grateful to our speakers and staff, who have invested considerable effort in creating an outstanding program, as well as all our registrants who had planned on attending. Keep an eye out in future editions of the CASA Connects for news about replacement programming in the upcoming year.
 
We look forward to seeing you in-person later in the year, and we truly appreciate your support as we all continue to navigate this together. 
Greg Kester to Serve on the EPA SAB Biosolids Panel
We are excited to announce that Greg Kester, CASA’s Director of Renewable Resource Programs, has been invited by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to serve as a member of the Science Advisory Board (SAB) Biosolids Panel. The Panel will conduct a peer review and provide independent advice to the Administrator regards the Agency’s draft Biosolids Chemical Risk Assessment and Biosolids Screening Tool with an accompanying user guide. The SAB is organized under the Environmental Research Development and Demonstration Authorization Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Congratulations and well deserved, Greg!
Exciting New Role at CASA!
We are pleased to share that Alyssa Downs has been promoted to CASA’s Manager of Communications! Effective this month, Alyssa will continue to perform her existing job functions and will also take on several new responsibilities within the association. In addition to her current workload, Alyssa will be transitioning over the next year into the lead role on several of our programs including the Awards Program, the Membership Committee, and will serve as the liaison to the CASA Education Foundation. Please help us in congratulating Alyssa!
CASA Awards of Excellence
It’s almost that time again! Be thinking about current or past projects of the year to submit for CASA’s 2022 Award of Excellence. The deadline is Friday, April 29, 2022. CASA seeks to recognize members who provide essential public services and go above and beyond to protect public health and the environment. All member agencies and associates are invited to submit an Award of Excellence application. Your organization works hard to do what’s right for California. Recognition from the leading clean water association honors your hard work and accomplishments. It’s a symbol of respect, credibility, and innovation. For more information about the award criteria and categories, please visit the Awards Program Webpage.
CASA Education Foundation Scholarship Program
Does your local college or university know about CASA’s financial aid to students interested in a career in water? The CASA Education Foundation helps ensure clean water for Californians and energizes the future of the clean water sector by awarding scholarships to promising students on a path to serving the environmental community. The Foundation is accepting scholarship applications now through Sunday, May 15, 2021. Help us get the word out to California college students about this great opportunity! If you have a relative, neighbor, or friend studying for a degree in the water sector, be sure to share this application with them. For information on how to apply, and who is eligible and the scholarship guidelines, please visit the webpage here. 
 
These $5,000 scholarships are funded by donations from individuals and agencies across California. It is a fantastic opportunity to invest in the next generation of environmental professionals and to identify your organization as a leader. If you or your agency would like to contribute to the CASA Education Foundation and support the future of California’s clean water community, please fill out this Pledge Form or contact adowns@casaweb.org.
Events
Join us in the Nation’s Capital
2022 holds great possibilities and opportunities for our federal legislative priorities. That’s why we urge you to join us at our Washington D.C. Policy Forum February 28-March 1. The event will feature an excellent program with speakers that include Congressional staff, reporters, and national water associations providing their perspective on the infrastructure package and other exciting developments of importance to California’s clean water professionals. We also plan to continue our partnership with ACWA and host a joint reception along with other networking opportunities throughout the event.
 
This year, we have set aside time for agency representatives to make their own appointments for Congressional visits, with the assistance of our federal advocates Eric and Sarah Sapirstein. Help strengthen our advocacy and promote the clean water community’s federal agenda by going directly to the source. Our event takes place at a fabulous new venue this year: the Hotel Washington directly across from the White House. Register today, and we hope to see you there!
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.