CASA Agencies Help Prevent Power Loss During Recent Heat Wave

Once again, CASA agencies have stepped up and helped protect public health and safety in a time of exceptional need. During the recent heat wave, the Governor declared a state of emergency due to impacts on California’s electricity grid, and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) issued a statewide Flex Alert calling for electricity conservation to help reduce power demands within California. CASA agencies responded by modifying operations in several significant ways, and we want to acknowledge those efforts:

Efforts to reduce demand on the grid included operational changes (pumping and treatment changes, increased use of biogas from digestion/co-digestion, use of backup generators, and use of other alternative renewables including solar. Members of whom we are aware who were able to reduce demand include: Fairfield-Suisun SD, San Bernardino MWD, City of Ventura, West County Wastewater, City of Livermore, Carpinteria SD, Union SD and Sacramento County Regional SD.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Publishes PFAS CERCLA Proposed Rulemaking

On September 9^th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) published its Designation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) as CERCLA Hazardous Substances proposed rulemaking. There is a 60-day period to submit public comments on the proposed rulemaking. The Agency is requesting public comments on a number of specific questions. CASA, as part of a coalition of stakeholders representing water and wastewater sectors, submitted a public comment letter to USEPA in response to the proposed rulemaking requesting the Agency extend the public comment period by 60 days to allow water sectors to adequately respond the rulemaking and allow for sufficient review of the comments. Additionally, the letter requests that the Agency make the Economic Assessment of the Potential Costs and Other Impacts report publicly available.

Sign up for CASA’s Regulatory Updates

CASA’s Regulatory Workgroup regularly 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. 

LEGO Sewer Heroes: Vote Today!

Hey LEGO fans! Check out this unique design, “Sewer Heroes: Fighting the #Fatberg" created by @The_MOCingbird.

This design has been dedicated to water & wastewater professionals and has a chance of becoming a real LEGO set when the 10k vote mark is reached! To vote: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/d6531232-a0f6-4675-a6d3-0f6788d1dd3d…

New Data Available: U.S. Biosolids Management, Use & Disposal

CASA is proud to have partnered with the North East Biosolids and Residuals Association on the recently released “National Biosolids Data Project”, which provides detail on how biosolids were managed across the U.S. in 2018. The project estimates that, in a typical recent year, the U.S. uses or disposes of 5,823,000 dry metric tons of biosolids. More than half (53%) are treated and recycled to soils as biosolids fertilizers and soil amendments. The new data and supporting information are available online at a new website created for the project: https://www.biosolidsdata.org. Please contact Greg Kester with any questions or comments. View the press release here.

LVMWD on Drought Response in Media

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District has positioned itself as a focal point of drought information for local, national, and international media and continues to serve as a prominent voice during the current drought emergency. LVMWD has been featured internationally on France Télévisions, Univision, BBC, London Times, and Voices of America, and they have had coverage on major networks such as NBC, CNN, FOX Weather, and NPR and various print media. While such intense media interest has presented its challenges, LVMWD is committed to the idea that transparency is key to fostering important relationships with the public through these outlets. To be afforded such a massive stage on which to tell the clean water story is quite uncommon for a water agency, and LVMWD is doing as much as possible to transform that attention into informed awareness. 

Kudos to the LVMWD team who continue to work tirelessly on these efforts! The CASA staff applauds you!

IEUA Awarded Over $12 Million In Grant Funding for Recycled Water Project

Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) and the Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD) have been awarded $12.3 million in grant funding from the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) for the Joint IEUA-JCSD Recycled Water Intertie Project (the RWP). As California’s drought conditions worsen, the RWP will play an essential role in the region’s long-term response to drought and water conservation. Upon completion, the RWP will produce over 1 billion gallons of recycled water annually. The RWP will offset precious potable water supplies by serving nearly 200 million gallons of recycled water annually to JCSD’s irrigation customers in Eastvale and Jurupa Valley. Irrigation customers include parks, schools, landscape irrigation along streets, and commercial properties. Read more in the press release here.

BAYWORK's 3-Part Digital Worker Webinar Series

Registration is now open to join BAYWORK for a 3-part webinar series where experts discuss digital tools and implications for utility workers. For water and wastewater professionals, especially:

• Managers and supervisors

• Operations and Maintenance Staff

• IT, Human Resources and others interested in implementing new technology

Register today!

September 22 - 10am to 12pm:

Webinar #1: Digital Workforce Challenges and Lessons Learned: Leaders tell their own stories

September 29 - 10am to 12pm

Webinar #2: Digital Competency: How to develop the candidates you will need in the future and train current staff

October 12 - 10am to 12pm

Webinar #3: Digital Innovation: Which tools and strategies pay off for utilities?

CWA at 50 Webinar

Join CASA and CWEA on Wednesday, October 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for a deep dive into the Clean Water Act and the regulations driving our profession.

The Clean Water Act and Porter-Cologne provided California’s water professionals and regulators the support and funding needed to make monumental clean water achievements. Rivers, bays, and beaches across the Golden State are cleaner than ever and enjoyed by millions of residents and tourists. Now 50 years old, and entering “middle age”, what’s the future of the Clean Water Act? Join our panel of regulatory leaders to explore and celebrate the CWA and learn about their vision for clean water going forward. You’ll learn about:

• CWA achievements and State Water Board priorities.
• Recurring challenges, including: Waters of the US, non-point source pollution, regulatory flexibility and innovation, and more.
• Current enforcement trends and where they’re heading.

Register today!

Save the Date!

Be sure to save the date for CASA’s Winter Conference 2023, on Wednesday, January 25 - Friday, January 27 in Palm Springs! Stay tuned for more details in future editions of Connects.