2021
Annual
Report
Office of
Wastewater
Management

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Message from the
Director
IwBSSi
As FY 2021 comes to a close, yet again, I find myself rapt as I tally up the
immense undertakings and incredible accomplishments of the Office of
Wastewater Management (OWM). For all that we achieved together over the
past 12 months, I express my immense gratitude.
V
Environmental protection and human health is as important as ever. While
the task may seem daunting at times, OWM staff brings their expertise
and dedication to the table every day, I've said it before; In my opinion, OWM is one of the most
important offices in the entire agency. Our work keeps water safe - whether by setting guardrails
to prevent pollution, helping communities figure out real solutions for their water needs, or helping
them afford those solutions - the benefits of our work is seen in every home across the country.
As the pandemic changes, OWM's work remains consistent, reliable and enduring. More than that, we
persist; in achieving what we set out to do, in continuing to bring our best selves to our work, and in
performing our duties commendably. From dining room tables, basements, home offices, or wherever
my colleagues in OWM worked from, the work simply got done right.
Thank you for all you have done and all you continue to do to make OWM successful and a great
place to work.
The Office of Wastewater Management (OWM) is part of the
U.S. EPA's Office of Water. OWM partners with federal, state,
and local governments; industries; and tribes to provide
innovative solutions for our nation's water quality and quantity
challenges.
We envision a nation where all communities have access to clean
water. By working with stakeholders, we develop approaches to
manage water as a critical resource and prevent water pollution.
Our programs and initiatives protect public health and the
environment as we support a growing economy.
WHO WE
ARE
WHAT
WE DO
I
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Table of Contents
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FUNDING
Providing affordable financing to build
water quality projects in communities. OWM
identifies new and innovative approaches to
financing water infrastructure that help existing
dollars work smarter and harder.
TOOLS
Promoting best practices, technical assistance, guidance, and training to
help states, industries, and communities make informed decisions about
managing water resources,
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PERMITS
Protecting water quality under the Clean Water Act through permits, ruies,
and oversight to control water pollution. OWM regulations are developed
with extensive input from stakeholders, industry, and the public.
20
PARTNERSHIPS
Collaborating with stakeholders to encourage innovation and supplement
regulatory programs with voluntary initiatives to protect water quality and
quantity.
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WIFIA
(SWIFIA) loans.
For the first time, EPA prioritized supporting
economically stressed communities in its selection
process. In addition, EPA also named protecting
water infrastructure against the impacts of climate
change; reducing exposure to lead; addressing
emerging contaminants; updating aging
infrastructure; and implementing new or innovative
approaches including cybersecurity and green
infrastructure as
selection priorities.
Also new for 2021,
EPA offered small
communities	PROGRAM
(serving less than
25,000 people) WIFIA loans for up to 80 percent
of total project costs. In June and July 2021, EPA
received 50 letters of interest from public and private
prospective borrower requesting $8.2 billion in WIFIA
and SWIFIA loans to help finance water infrastructure
projects totaling $22.5 billion in 25 states.
WIFIA Webinars & Articles
From May to June 2021, the WIFIA program hosted
a series of webinars to provide program updates,
explain the benefits of financing with WIFIA loans,
and prepare prospective borrowers to submit
letters of interest. The WIFIA program had over 200
participants for the three webinars given during this
time. As part of FY 2021 outreach, EPA supported the
publication of a variety of articles highlighting the
program in different online outlets including Journal
AWWA, WaterWorld, and Water & Wastes Digest.
WIFIA's Portfolio
After three years of closing loans, the WIFIA program
Water Infrastructure and
Innovation Act Program
WIFIA Loan Closings
In FY 2021, the Water Infrastructure Finance and
Innovation Act (WIFIA) program announced 24 loans
totaling over $4.7 billion to help finance nearly $10.2
billion of water infrastructure projects across the
country. 2021 WIFIA borrowers represent 11 states
plus Washington, D.C. In total, these borrowers will
save over $1.4 billion and create over 33,000 jobs.
Administrator Michael Regan speaks to media
gathered at the Silicon Valley Clean Water facility in
Redwood City, CA; August 2021
WIFIA Notice of Funding Availability
In April 2021, EPA announced the availability of
financing for $5.5 billion in WIFIA loans and $1 billion
in State infrastructure financing authority WIFIA
WIFIA
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now has a robust portfolio of 61 loans to manage.
The WIFIA program's growing portfolio team tracks
disbursements, construction progress, and works
closely with borrowers to ensure environmental
and economic project goals are met. The WIFIA
program's portfolio includes a mixture of wastewater,
drinking water, stormwater, and water reuse
projects. About one-third of closed loans support
economically stressed communities and more
than half of WIFIA-financed projects will provide
infrastructure protection against climate change.
Clean Water State Revolving
Fund Program
CWSRF Program Success
In 2020, Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)
programs offered over 1,600 assistance agreements,
providing over $7.5 billion for projects that improved
wastewater infrastructure, addressed stormwater,
promoted energy and
water efficiency, and
mitigated nonpoint
source pollution. In
the last three years
alone, average annual
CWSRF funding has
exceeded $6.8 billion.
CWSRF programs Clean Water
continue to provide S( Revolvi Fund
tremendous cost	d
savings to borrowers.
The national average SRF interest rate in 2020
was 1.2 percent. During the same year, over $380
million in additional subsidy was provided to help
communities that could not otherwise afford critically
important projects needed to address high priority
environmental challenges. Since 1988, it is estimated
that CWSRF low-cost loans have saved municipal,
nonprofit, and individual borrowers more than $44
billion in interest costs.
CWSRF Marketing and Outreach
In FY 2021 the CWSRF program continued to assist
interested state programs with surveys and focus
groups to gain feedback on potential assistance
recipients' perceptions of the CWSRF program.
This year one survey and two focus groups were
conducted. Sixteen states have participated in this
effort to date. The feedback from these surveys and
focus groups helps to guide states in streamlining
and marketing their programs so that they can
increase assistance provided.
PISCES
Recognition
Program
FY 2021, OWM's
CWSRF Performance
and Innovation in
the SRF Creating
Environmental
Success (PISCES)
Recognition Program
highlighted 33
projects for their
distinguished accomplishments in promoting
human health and improving water quality. In
December 2020, five of these projects were
announced as an Exceptional Project for one of
the following categories: Innovative Financing;
System Partnerships; Community Engagement;
Environmental and Public Health Protection; and
Problem Solving.
CWSRF Training and Oversight
The CWSRF program continues to support training
for state and regional staff on the financial and
programmatic aspects of CWSRF programs. In FY
2021, the program continued with a virtual format
and held training sessions for state and regional staff
from Region 1, 2, 5, 8, and 9. The training sessions
included discussions on fund management, program
marketing, and federal requirements. This year, the
CWSRF program also conducted a national virtual
SRF 101 with nearly 500 state and regional SRF
program managers and staff registered and a virtual
"mini training" session on SRF Streamlining with over
200 people registered.
American Iron and Steel
In FY 2021, EPA continued its implementation of
the American Iron and Steel (AIS) requirements.
The AIS program completed 60 virtual site visits
to active CWSRF construction projects across 11
states. The site visits provided an opportunity for
outreach with CWSRF projects. EPA conducted 12
trainings for states and stakeholders, explaining how

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the AIS requirements apply to SRF projects. This
effort included one annual national training and
two "Lunch and Learn" trainings, which are short
presentations focusing on specific aspects of the
AIS requirement. While the majority of the country's
water infrastructure projects use iron and steel made
in America, when domestic sources are not available,
EPA thoroughly evaluates project-specific waiver
requests. In FY 2021, EPA received and processed
29 CWSRF project-specific waiver requests, 28
availability requests and one cost-based, of which 25
were approved, 4 were withdrawn or not approved,
and 6 are currently being processed.
Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse
Municipal Grants Program
The Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse
Municipal Grants Program (OSG) was launched in
2021 and began accepting state applications for
their allocation funding. States will soon provide
funding for municipalities across the 50 states, D.C.,
Puerto Rico, and the territories to address their
infrastructure needs in managing combined sewer
overflows (CSOs), sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs),
and stormwater. In 2021, OWM received applications
from six states totaling over $5 million for awards
that will be used to fund municipal projects.
Clean Watersheds Needs Survey
The Clean Watersheds Need Survey (CWNS) is a
comprehensive assessment of the capital costs (or
needs) to meet the water quality goals of the Clean
Water Act (CWA) and address water quality and
water quality related public health concerns. It is
administered to all states and territories over a year-
long period and requires significant coordination
from local to national levels.
In FY 2021, OWM and state subcommittee members
held their final meeting, ending a more than year-
long collaboration on survey scope and design.
OWM also completed the beta-version of the new
CWNS data entry portal and held testing with state
coordinators at the end of August 2021. In addition
to updating existing tools, OWM built new cost
estimation tools for stormwater and certain nonpoint
source needs categories to help states maximize the
number of needs captured by the survey. Pending
approval by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), the CWNS is slated to launch in March 2022.
Training for state coordinators participating in the
CWNS will begin in November 2021.
Water Infrastructure and
Resiliency Finance Center
2021 Financial Capability Assessment
for Clean Water Act Obligations
The proposed 2020 Financial Capability Assessment
(FCA) for CWA Obligations advances the ability
of communities to more accurately demonstrate
the financial burdens they face and increases the
transparency of EPA's considerations as it endeavors
to consistently apply FCA methodologies across
the country. The 30-day comment period on the
new proposed FCA closed in October 2020. A total
of 70 comments were received. EPA sought public
comment on the two alternative approaches for
assessing financial capability proposed in the 2020
FCA.
In January 2021, EPA signed a federal register notice
finalizing the 2021 Financial Capability Assessment
(FCA) for Clean Water Act (CWA) Obligations to
replace the 1997 Guidance for Financial Capability
Assessment and Schedule Development and
revise the Combined Sewer Overflows Guidance
for Financial Capability Assessment and Schedule
Development and portions of the Interim Economic
Guidance for Water Quality Standards: Workbook.
Upon further comment, EPA is continuing to revise
the guidance.
Water Finance Clearinghouse
In December 2020, the Water Finance Center
launched the Clearinghouse for Environmental
Finance (ChEF). This new Clearinghouse is three
databases in one: the original Water Finance
Clearinghouse and two new finance Clearinghouses
for Air and Land. At launch, the Clearinghouse for
Environmental Finance includes 958 sources of
funding and financing and 885 financial resources.
Former Administrator Wheeler announced ChEF
during prerecorded remarks to EPA's Local
Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) and
Small Communities Advisory Subcommittee (SCAS)
Meetings.
In June 2021, the Local Government Environmental
Assistance Network (LGEAN) released their podcast
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on "The 4-1-1 on Financing: Strategies and Support
for Small Water and Wastewater Systems." The
podcast featured interviews with EPA's Office of
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), the
University of North Carolina Environmental Finance
Center, and EPA's Water Finance Center. The Center
spoke about the differences between funding and
financing as well as promoting the Water Finance
Clearinghouse portion of EPA's Clearinghouse for
Environmental Finance.
In August 2021, the Water Finance Center presented
on the Water Finance Clearinghouse in partnership
with the Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) as part of the World
Water Week. The Center provided information
on the Clearinghouse as an example that session
participants could use to develop a similar repository
to get more international Water Supply, Sanitation
and Water Security projects funded.
To enhance the Water Finance Clearinghouse user
experience and improve access to its technical and
funding-related information, the Water Finance
Center modified the Clearinghouse's filter and
search functions. The modified search and filter
tools were developed in response to user feedback
and the Center plans to roll out additional design
modifications to the Clearinghouse. In FY 2021, 1,015
funds and 417 resources entries were added. The
administration team reviewed and approved 367
suggestions to add new entries and update existing
data. The Clearinghouse has 290 general users and
137 contributors - a gain of 2 contributors and 8
general users in FY 2021. The Clearinghouse received
52,349 visits for FY 2021.
Environmental Finance Center Grants
In FY 2021, EPA provided funding of $60,000 to each
of the ten Environmental Finance Centers (EFCs). This
core funding will be utilized to support regional-
based projects. These grants have been awarded
annually. The grants support basic EFC operations
and project work topics including environmental
justice, small system asset management, utility
financial sustainability and rates management, water
and wastewater training and employment needs,
tribal technical assistance, stormwater financing,
environmental finance education and outreach,
source water protection, watershed management,
and green infrastructure.
Community Assistance Compendiums
EPA's Water Finance Center continues to provide
a suite of information and assistance to local
decision makers, water utilities, and homeowners
on funding and financing for their water needs. In
FY 2021, the Water Finance Center completed three
community assistance compendiums. EPA's Office
of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations
(OCIR) routed a request to the Center as part of
ongoing agency discussions with Greenville, MS.
The Greenville compendium contains 33 potential
funding sources or resources. The Center also
provided compendiums for Lincoln, NE (64 potential
funding sources or resources) and Boise, ID (87
potential funding sources or resources).
Forest Resilience Bond
In March 2021, the Water Finance Center developed
an in-depth technical report on the first Forest
Resilience Bond. This new financing structure was
developed to fund a portion of a forest restoration
project on the Tahoe National Forest in California's
North Yuba River watershed. The project protects
and restores 15,000 acres of forest from catastrophic
wildfire while providing additional water related
and rural community co-benefits. To support the
report's release, in spring 2021, the Center hosted
two webinars discussing the report. These webinars
featured a moderated panel with speakers from
the U.S. Forest Service, Yuba Water Agency, Blue
Forest, Calvert Impact Capital, and World Resources
Institute. Both webinars also had an open question
and answer period for attendees. 160 people
attended the webinars, which were recorded.
Environmental Finance Advisory Board
Environmental Finance Advisory Board
Letter to the Administrator
In April 2021, the Environmental Finance Advisory
Board (EFAB) submitted an introductory letter to EPA
Administrator Michael Regan. The letter discusses the
role of EFAB in supporting EPA, the composition of
its membership, and the Board's recently completed
products. In the letter, the Board enumerates the
ways it is working with EPA on current financing and
investment issues facing the environmental sector.
These include advancing social and environmental
justice through infrastructure financing and
investment, risk assessment and the cost of capital
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for infrastructure, expanding regional approaches
to scaling water-based infrastructure financing
and investment, and more. This letter also notifies
Administrator Regan that the Board is prepared
to serve as a resource and engage on critical
climate financing topics. Through this letter, EFAB
offers to provide expertise and recommendations
on innovative policy interventions to enable
transformational environmental, economic, and social
changes in communities throughout the country.
EFAB Public Meetings and Webinars
The Water Finance Center hosted EFAB's first
ever virtual public meeting in October 2020. EPA
published the Federal Register Notice (FRN) in
September 2020, the prior Fiscal Year, to meet
the regulatory deadline of advance public federal
advisory committee meeting notification. The
meeting had a record registration with 273 people
registered to view the meeting simulcast online.
The meeting reached a peak viewership of over
220 viewers. During the meeting, EFAB heard about
opportunity zones, including community stories from
St. Louis, MO, and Dubuque, IA, and voted to accept
a charge on an opportunity zone report. In addition,
the Board voted to further refine two proposed
charges related to environmental risk and cost of
capital and stormwater credit trading. The Board
also received briefings on EFAB's standard operating
procedures, the Water Finance Center, Environmental
Finance Center Network (EFCN), and EPA responses
to recent EFAB reports.
In February and March, all three EFAB workgroups
held their first meetings. These workgroup meetings
allowed the members to refine the charges and
determine next steps to present at the upcoming
full EFAB meeting. The workgroups are Opportunity
Zones, Stormwater Credit Trading, and Environmental
Risk & Cost of Capital.
In April 2021, EFAB held a virtual public meeting with
219 attendees in addition to the Board members.
EPA issued the FRN of this public meeting in March
2021, well in advance of the regulatory 15-day
deadline. The Board heard from EPA's Office of
Public Engagement and Environmental Education,
EPA's Chief Financial Officer, EPA's Office of Policy,
and EPA's Office of the Chief Financial Officer. EPA's
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics presented
on a proposed charge and members volunteered
to form an exploratory group. The EFCN presented
an update and overview on recent activities. EFAB
also held discussions on three existing workgroups:
Opportunity Zones, Stormwater Credit Trading,
and Environmental Risk & Cost of Capital. EFAB's
Designated Federal Officer shared EPA's responses
to recent EFAB recommendations and received very
positive feedback from the Board members.
In August, EFAB held a public webinar for an
Opportunity Zones Practitioner Panel for the EFAB
Opportunity Zones Workgroup. Due to interest
from the full Board, this webinar was opened to
the public. EPA published the FRN announcement
for this webinar earlier the same month, meeting
the regulatory deadline. The webinar was held for
members of the EFAB to hear from Opportunity
Zones practitioners who work on Opportunity Zones
investments in disadvantaged communities and
shared their experiences to support the workgroup's
charge.
EFAB Chair
In August 2021, EPA announced the selection of
Kerry E. O'Neill to serve as the chair of EFAB. Ms.
O'Neill replaces Joanne Throwe, whose six-year
term limit ended in June. Kerry E. O'Neill is the chief
executive officer of Inclusive Prosperity Capital Inc., a
nonprofit investment fund that was spun out of the
Connecticut Green Bank in 2018 to scale up impact
for underserved communities and under-invested
markets across the country. Ms. O'Neill joined EFAB
in June 2020 and was selected for a two-year term
as chair. Ms. O'Neill and the other members of EFAB
are drawn from all 10 EPA regions and hail from 17
states and the District of Columbia.
Water Pollution Control
Program Grants
Section 106 Program
Section 106 of the CWA authorizes EPA to provide
federal assistance to states, territories, the District
of Columbia, interstate agencies, and eligible tribes
to establish and implement water pollution control
programs. This funding supports ambient water
quality monitoring, water quality standard and total
maximum daily load development, National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting
and enforcement, training, and public information.
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EPA provided approximately $230 million in Section
106 fundinq to prevent and control water pollution in
FY 2021.
State and Interstate Water Pollution
Control Grants
In FY 2020, EPA provided $181 million in Section 106
grant funding to state and interstate agencies to
protect and restore water bodies. Increasingly, EPA
and states are working together to develop basin-
wide approaches to water quality management. The
grant program encourages states to take a watershed
protection approach which looks at state water
quality problems holistically and targets finances to
the most important problems. In FY 2021, the Section
106 Program, working with EPA's Office of Wetlands,
Oceans, and Watersheds (OWOW) and EPA Region 8,
developed seven water quality parameter fact sheets:
temperature, e. Coli, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen,
nutrients and macroinvertebrates. The water quality
parameter fact sheets provide an introduction to
monitoring common parameters and are particularly
useful for training new water quality monitoring staff
and explaining water quality sampling to outside
partners.
Tribal Water Pollution Control Grants
Section 106 grants are a crucial, dedicated source of
funding for developing, maintaining, and expanding
tribal programs designed to prevent, control, and
eliminate water pollution. Of the 565 federally
recognized tribes, approximately 330 meet the
criteria to receive Section 106 funding, and 279 of
these tribes were eligible to receive grants totaling
approximately $26.4 million in FY 2021.
In FY 2020, OWM formed an EPA workgroup to
develop recommendations for the revision of the
2007 Final Guidance on Awards of Grants to Indian
Tribes under Section 106 of the CWAct. OWM
initiated consultation with tribal partners in January
and requested comment on EPA's recommended
revision approach. Two informational webinars were
conducted. The workgroup was expanded to include
24 tribal members. EPA/tribal sub-groups were
formed to revise the guidance. A draft guidance will
be available for comment in early 2022.
State and Tribal Water Monitoring
Initiative
Using approximately $17 million, OWM and OWOW
continue to work with states and tribes to enhance
their water quality monitoring programs and
implement a multi-year, statistically valid survey of
the nation's waters. In FY 2021, states and tribes
conducted sampling and reported water quality
monitoring data for the National Wetlands Condition
Assessment. The monitoring initiative allows EPA,
states, and tribes to enhance their water quality
monitoring programs and implement a multi-year,
statistically valid survey to report on the condition
of the nation's waters and make progress toward
assessing trends in water condition in a scientifically
defensible manner.
Grants & Underserved
Communities' Infrastructure
Clean Water Act Title II Grants to
District of Columbia and the U.S.
Territories
The District of Columbia and the U.S. territories,
namely, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
received an exemption from establishing a CWSRF,
as these jurisdictions have government agencies that
also manage wastewater treatment systems. These
jurisdictions receive CWSRF appropriated funds as
grants. In FY 2021, EPA received $31,470 million for
the CWA Title II Construction Grants Program, which
was allocated to these jurisdictions. This funding
does not include CWA 604(b) funds of $100,000
to each of the jurisdictions. The grants are being
awarded to municipalities for the construction of
wastewater treatment systems.
Wastewater Infrastructure Support for
Tribal and Small Communities
In FY 2021, OWM's tribal wastewater infrastructure
program scheduled approximately 9,600 tribal homes
to be provided improved access to sanitation services
at an average cost of $3,400/home. The smallest
project funded with the Clean Water Indian Set-
Aside (CWISA) this year was $28,000 for lift station
improvements for the Ho Chunk Tribe in Region 5,
and while the largest project was $5.4 million for
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constructing a new sewage lagoon for the Noorvik,
AK, about 500 miles northwest of Anchorage. In
addition, in FY 2021 the CWISA program aims
to leverage an additional $43 million from other
federal and tribal organizations for tribal wastewater
infrastructure improvements. In FY 2021 the Alaska
Native Villages grant program will fund six drinking
water and/or wastewater infrastructure planning
projects and eight construction projects.
Tribal Infrastructure Task Force
Staff from OWM and EPA's Office of Ground Water
and Drinking Water (OGWDW) continue to lead
the tribal Infrastructure Task Force (ITF) and the
important renewal of a multi-agency Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) in FY 2021. Although great
progress has been made, following decades of work,
tribal communities are disproportionately lacking
access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and
many struggle with the sustainability of infrastructure
and the resiliency needed to mitigate the impacts of
climate change. To better support tribal communities
and to further our agencies' goals, ITF members are
seeking to renew and expand the MOU to include
the Bureau of Reclamation and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Technical Assistance and Training for
Small and Rural Tribal Communities
In FY 2021, OWM kicked-off an inaugural grant
program to fund technical assistance for small,
rural, and tribal wastewater systems. Staff not only
established roles, responsibilities, and financial
conduits, but also developed the Request for
Applications (RFA), directed the application review
panel and public outreach. The $12 million will be
distributed to three applicants at $4 million each to
address:
Acquiring infrastructure financing
Protecting water quality and achieving CWA
compliance, and
Disseminating planning, design, construction, and
operation information.
U.S.-Mexico Border Infrastructure
Program
In FY 2021, Congress allocated $30 million in
the agency's State and Tribal Assistance Grants
(STAG) account to the U.S.-Mexico Border Water
Infrastructure Program (BWIP) to address drinking
and wastewater infrastructure needs along the
border that are negatively impacting U.S.-Mexico
Border communities. OWM granted these funds
to Regions 6 and 9 who ultimately award and
administer these funds in close collaboration with the
North American Development Bank (NADB).
To date, the program has funded 136 projects. More
than nine million people are benefiting from 101
completed projects, and nearly 1.3 million people will
benefit from projects currently under construction.
In FY 2021 around $9.4 million were disbursed for
the successful completion of four projects, positively
impacting/benefiting close to 110,000 people in
underserved communities.
USMCA Mitigation of Contaminated
Transboundary Flows in the Tijuana
River Watershed
Pursuant to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement
Implementing Legislation (2020), EPA is coordinating
with eligible public entities to identify infrastructure
solutions to mitigate chronic transboundary flows
in the Tijuana River and adjacent coastal areas
that are often polluted with untreated wastewater,
trash, and sediment. These flows routinely enter
the U.S. in San Diego County, CA, from Mexico,
causing significant negative impacts to water quality,
public health, and the environment. In FY 2021, EPA
convened five meetings of the Eligible Public Entities
Coordinating Group, composed of federal, state, and
local organizations to promote coordination and
information sharing; held four public information
meetings; conducted a robust technical assessment
of potential infrastructure solutions; and initiated the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process,
including a 45-day public scoping period. The agency
also initiated binational discussions with Mexico
to promote cooperation and coordination during
project implementation. Congress appropriated $300
million for project implementation.
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Tools
m
Water Workforce
America's Water Workforce Initiative
OWM, along with OGWDW, continued to implement
America's Water Sector Workforce Initiative, the
first of its kind. The Initiative reflects a commitment
by EPA and our federal, local, and state partners to
work with other stakeholders across the water sector
to ensure that our workforce is strong, diverse, and
resilient and attracts talented individuals from many
different backgrounds. The Initiative also emphasizes
the need to recognize our water workforce for
the vital service they provide to our communities
every day. It convenes the resources across the
government and industry by bringing discrete efforts
together under one umbrella to more effectively
bolster water sector careers and reach the next
generation of water protection specialists.
Water Workforce Case Study
Compendium
As part of our commitment to work with many
partners to make water truly a career of choice,
OWM developed an additional three case studies
to add to our existing Water Workforce Case Study
Compendium. All of these case studies describe
in detail the many ways in which water workers
across the country are making a difference in their
communities every day. These case studies document
how utility and community leaders are stepping
forward to ensure their current workers have the
skills to meet both current and future challenges
as they continue to provide reliable, sustainable,
and affordable water services. These case studies
also highlight the policies and programs utilities are
designing to ensure greater equity, diversity, and

inclusion at their utility and for their community.
Many utilities are engaging in innovative work to
build community connections to attract and prepare
new, talented people to the water sector. These
community partnerships amplify and support both
utility workforce and public engagement efforts.
Water Workforce Webinar Series
Recruiting and retaining a talented and diverse
workforce are some of the most important
challenges facing today's water and wastewater
utilities. Providing information to help utilities
develop their own workforce programs is an essential
part of OWM's mission. As part of its ongoing
webinar series in 2021, OWM conducted three
national webinars, attracting over 1,500 registrants,
to highlight ways in which various organizations
are implementing programs that can help utilities
and communities ensure that the many dedicated
professionals that ensure our citizens have clean and
safe water every day are sustained to help make sure
the water continues to be a career of choice.
Water Workforce Grant Program
OWM ied the effort to develop the RFA for a new
workforce grant program authorized under America's
Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA) to support
increased collaboration on water workforce among
government and other organizations. The new grant
program will help assist in the development and
utilization of innovative activities related to workforce
and expand public awareness about utilities. This
new grant will heip fund activities such as targeted
internship, apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship
programs; education programs for elementary,
secondary, and higher education students; regional
industry and workforce development collaborations;
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integrated learning laboratories in secondary
educational institutions; leadership development;
occupational training; mentoring; and cross-training.
The competition closed on March 26, 2021. Ten
organizations wili receive a total of $3.8 million in
grant funding to support the front-line workers at
water and wastewater treatment utilities across the
country.
Water Workforce Social Media
Competition
Through an interagency agreement with U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
OWM successfully completed a social media
competition about the value of clean and safe water.
Students ages 13-24 had the opportunity to submit
one of the following creative ideas that expresses
their feelings about water and water careers: a
video essay, featuring acting, singing, poetry, or
other spoken word; an illustration; a vision board; a
poem; or a written essay. The competition ended on
May 12, 2021. Three successful students received a
winning prize.
Clean Water Technology
Center
Clean Water Technology Center
The Clean Water Technology Center is an information
and networking center, helping communities make
informed decisions on innovative and alternative
technology solutions for a resilient, sustainable, and
equitable water future. The Center portfolio brings
together under one umbrella technical expertise,
sector partnerships, technology assessments,
streamlining barriers to technology adoption, and
information dissemination. In addition to providing
technical support internally to the agency, the
team has also met with many external entities and
technology vendors seeking expertise and guidance.
Wastewater Treatment Technology
and Research
In FY 2021, OWM continued to provide technical
support to EPA regions and Office of Water program
offices on wastewater technology performance
areas and actively collaborated with internal and
external stakeholders on wastewater studies and
research projects. Areas of technical support included
mainstream and sidestream nutrient removal,
low energy treatment, Mexico border wastewater
infrastructure, wastewater-based epidemiology, PFAS
management, and water reuse. OWM's research
coordination efforts included collaborating with
the National Water Program research coordination
team and EPA's Office of Research and Development
(ORD) and their Safe and Sustainable Water
Resources research program.
Wastewater Technology Clearinghouse
The Wastewater Technology Clearinghouse was
launched in January 2021. It is an easily navigated,
web-based platform sharing resources on the
cost-effectiveness and performance of innovative,
alternative, and reuse wastewater technologies.
The Wastewater Technology Clearinghouse aims
to help communities make informed choices about
innovative, alternative, and reuse wastewater
technologies.
The Clearinghouse is separated into two searchable
databases for centralized and on-site/ decentralized
technologies. It highlights real-world uses of adopted
technologies through resources such as reports, case
Social Media Contest Winner; Natalie W.
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studies, and webinars. Additionally, a searchable
map links technology resources to a user's location,
allowing users to learn about the performance of
technologies in their geographic conditions.
Training
NPDES Training to Regions and States
OWM offers a range of training courses and
workshops to support implementation of the NPDES
Program. These efforts are critical to build and
maintain program integrity in the 48 authorized
state/territory programs and 10 EPA Regions. In
2021, EPA hosted approximately 15 NPDES-focused
trainings and workshops that reached over 1,000
participants. These included the Guided Learning
Permit Writers' Course and several targeted and
advanced trainings to build permit writers' technical
skills, such as specialized training on NPDES whole
effluent toxicity for EPA Region 4 and its states.
Pretreatment Training
In FY 2021, OWM completed the reconstituted
national "Pretreatment Program 101" course and
hosted six virtual events between December 2020
and June 2021. The introductory level courses
focused on local municipal program development by
individuals with less than five years' experience in the
program and were conducted on a monthly basis.
Approximately 1,000 municipal and state employees
were trained in the National Pretreatment Program
regulations and program implementation tools, as
well as how the pretreatment program fits within
the NPDES structure and interfaces with multimedia
industrial regulations of hazardous waste and air
emissions.
Stormwater Funding and Financing
Approaches Webinar Series
The Water Finance Center began a new webinar
series in summer 2021 with a webinar on the EPA
Programs for Stormwater Funding and Financing.
This webinar highlighted opportunities for funding
and financing stormwater infrastructure through
existing EPA programs. Speakers for this first
webinar include representatives from WIFIA, Georgia
Environmental Protection Department's Nonpoint
Source Program, the CWSRF program, and the Sewer
Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants
program. The second webinar on stormwater equity
highlighted equity considerations in stormwater
infrastructure funding and financing. Speakers for
this second webinar included representatives from
the New York Environmental Facilities Corporation,
the Environmental Finance Center at the University
of Maryland, Moonshot Missions, and Greenprint
Partners. The third webinar covered funding options
for stormwater operations and maintenance
with speakers representing OptiRTC, Milwaukee
Metropolitan Sewerage District, and PowerCorps
PHL.
Forest Resiliency Bond Webinar
In July 2021, the Water Finance Center participated
on a webinar hosted by the Western States Water
Council to discuss the newly innovated Forest
Resilience Bond (FRB) finance mechanism. Other
participants were from Blue Forest Conservation, the
FRB developer, and the Yuba County Water Agency
in California, which committed a revenue stream
to secure the bonds. Yuba Water is a third-party
beneficiary of the forest restoration work that is
being undertaken on the Tahoe National Forest and
their watershed. On the call, it was shared that there
are new FRB initiatives, underscored by the enhanced
need for forest restoration investment in the face of
accelerating catastrophic fire risk.
Accounting for the Cost of Climate
Change in Nutrient Management
Activities: Forum and Community
Framework
The Water Finance Center held a three-day virtual
invitational forum in June 2021. The forum will
help shape the development of a forthcoming
community-facing framework for states and local
governments to use in accounting for the influence
of climate change on nutrient impacts.
During the forum, participants heard from leaders
at the leading edge of climate-driven nutrient
management and the integration of external costs
in nutrient management planning. Together, the
panelists and attendees created an interdisciplinary
exchange to advance understanding of the financial
implications to practitioners resulting from climate
change influences on nutrient impacts. They also
worked to refine a community-facing framework
to support practitioners in identifying the potential
influence of climate change on nutrient impacts in
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their watersheds, the possible cost to communities
resulting from failing to provide for adequate
nutrient management, as well as robust, multi-benefit
interventions available to optimize investments in a
changing and difficult-to-predict future. Sixty-four
people registered for the forum with a maximum
attendance of 40 people.
Agricultural-Municipal Partnerships
Webinar
The Water Finance Center hosted a webinar on
Improving Watershed Health through Agricultural-
Municipal Partnerships in July 2021. Attendees
learned about three different agricultural-municipal
partnerships and heard from the City of Boise, Ohio's
Miami Conservancy District, and Kansas Center for
Agricultural Resources and the Environment.
Sustainable Financial Management
Planning for Water Utilities Webinar
In August 2021, the Water Finance Center hosted
a webinar on Sustainable Financial Management
Planning. Many water sector utilities across the
nation are addressing mounting financial challenges
by projecting revenue expectations, capital
improvement needs, and expenses years into the
future. These sustainable financial management
practices often work in support of, and are also
supported by, improved asset management. Key
activities like improved capital budgeting can help
utilities achieve stronger financial footing while
enabling them to maintain and replace aging
infrastructure well into the future. This webinar
featured speakers from Columbus Water Works in
Georgia and Union Sanitary District in California.
Technical Support &
Assistance
Report to Congress on Integrated
Planning
In July 2021, EPA transmitted the Integrated Planning
Report to Congress. The report, which fulfills a
requirement from the 2019 Water Infrastructure
Improvement Act (WIIA), is based on research into
how many communities used the integrated planning
process, what challenges they tried to address, how
they engaged their community, and how the process
supported achieving their CWA goals. To date,
more than two dozen municipalities and wastewater
utilities have developed integrated plans. In addition
to the report, OWM extended an agreement
with Environmental Finance Centers to provide
free technical assistance to municipalities and
states interested in developing an integrated plan
through September 2022. Finally, OWM has been
implementing an extensive outreach plan to share
the process with states and communities who need
a holistic approach to planning their stormwater and
wastewater management efforts.
Permit Writers' Clearinghouse
OWM launched the NPDES Permit Writers'
Clearinghouse database and worked with Regions
and States to populate it. The Clearinghouse,
an easily navigable and searchable web-based
portal, helps NPDES authorities access and share
resources such as final permits, fact sheets, policies,
program requirements, training materials, webinars,
compendiums, guidance, frequently asked questions,
tools, models, databases, and calculators that
will enable them to make informed decisions for
their permits. The Clearinghouse also provides
permit writers with a space to showcase and share
innovative approaches to addressing contaminants
of emerging concern, such as PFAS.
National Approach to Disaster
Mitigation and Recovery
OWM supported the Office of Water on EPA's
National Approach to Disaster Mitigation and
Recovery (Order 2074). The purpose of the Order is
to reaffirm and leverage existing agency programs
and resources on disaster mitigation and recovery
and to provide a structure for how regional offices
and national programs will support states, tribes,
territories, and local communities to recover from
disasters. This cross-office effort is being led by staff
from the Office of Water's Water Security Division,
who presented the standard operating procedures
document in March 2021.
Wastewater Utility Emergency
Response Plans
In August 2021, the Water Finance Center supported
the Office of Water's Water Security Division's
publication of Wastewater Utility Emergency
Response Plan (ERP) Template and Instructions that
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describe strategies, resources, plans, and procedures
for wastewater utilities to prepare for and respond
to all-hazard incidents. This product is intended to
address the gap in ERP guidance between drinking
water systems under AWIA and wastewater systems.
For consistency, the template was designed to
mirror the structure in the AWIA drinking water
ERP guidance and was developed with small- and
medium-sized systems in mind.
Effective Utility Management
Workshops
As part of OWM's long-standing commitment to
help utilities improve all aspects of their operations
and become truly sustainable, OWM continued to
sponsor workshops with utilities to help them assess
their operations using the Attributes of Effective
Utility Management (EUM) framework, endorsed
by EPA and other major water sector organizations.
Since 2017, 14 workshops have been held, including
5 in 2021. In total, over 800 attendees from various
utilities, mainly smaller and medium-sized utilities,
have benefited from this training. In addition, OWM
completed a major case study describing how Austin
Water Utility in Texas successfully used EUM to
improve many facets of its operations.
Innovative Nutrient Removal
Technologies Report
In FY 2021, the OWM completed a study and
published a technical report that analyzed six
municipal wastewater facilities that implemented
innovative technologies or process enhancements
to significantly intensify treatment or enhance
the removal of nitrogen or phosphorus species.
The analysis assesses technology performance at
each facility and the statistical variability of plant
effluent nutrient concentrations over a three-year
period. Each case study presents a detailed process
description, performance analysis, assessment of
process train consistency in meeting permit limits,
and lessons learned in process implementation. The
report, Innovative Nutrient Removal Technologies:
Case Studies of Intensified or Enhanced Treatment.
can also be found in EPA's Wastewater Technologies
Clearinghouse. This report will support the work of
utilities, states, tribes, and communities.
Making the Right Choices for Your
Utility
Effective planning is essential for water and
wastewater utilities to manage their operations and
infrastructure and ensure the sustainability of the
communities they serve. As part of the ongoing
commitment to assist utilities in their planning
efforts, OWM collaborated with the Office of
Community Revitalization (OCR) to work with utilities
using the EPA developed, Augmented Alternatives
Analysis (AAA) planning process, called Making
the Right Choices for Your Utility. EPA partnered
with the Highline Canal Conservancy near Denver,
Colorado, and with the Saco Water Resources
Recovery Department in Maine to go through the
steps of the planning process. EPA hosted a webinar
that highlights the steps in process, the results of
the process for each participant group, and valuable
input from the Conservancy and Saco on how the
process benefited them.
Utilities as Anchor Institutions
EPA also met with utility leaders around the
country to observe the ways utilities act as "Anchor
Institutions," deeply rooted within their communities.
In addition to the extraordinary daily effort of
safeguarding public health and protecting the
environment by providing clean and safe water,
utilities are also uniquely positioned as anchor
institutions to create positive economic, social, and
environmental impacts in their community. They do
this through a variety of activities, above and beyond
their daily operations, like workforce development,
ecological improvements, and by increasing equity
in their communities. EPA created a report that
shares some examples of how utilities are leading
to promote environmental justice, sustain critical
infrastructure investments, and partner with others
to advance community goals, with a focus on utility
leadership and community equity. EPA hosted a
webinar spotlight some of these utilities and their
activities.
Small Communities Lagoon Action
Strategy Cross-Office Efforts
Throughout the United States, most lagoon systems
are found in small, tribal, and rural communities.
Lagoons are typically used in these communities
due to their affordability to construct, maintain,
and operate. Additionally, they serve as excellent
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natural wastewater treatment systems. However,
despite these benefits, small communities across
the United States lack the necessary resources to
upgrade and maintain their systems. To address
this issue, OWM, Office of Water's Office of Science
and Technology, OECA, and EPA regional offices,
are working on completing the development of the
Cross-Office Small Community Lagoon Strategy.
The strategy is supporting efforts to identify the
universe of lagoons nationally. Additionally, it is
helping with the development of cost and treatment
performance data through the ORD STAR Grant
RFA and completion of tools for states, tribes,
and communities, to streamline the economic
demonstration needed to support Water Quality
Standards (WQS) variances for small rural and tribal
communities. Lastly, the strategy is helping identify
financial and technical assistance resources specific
to small, rural, and tribal communities. As part of this
work, the group has also connected with LGEAN to
develop and serve as a "First-Stop Toolbox" for small
communities looking for financial, regulatory, or
compliance support.
2020 COVID-19 Water Sector Survey
Summary Report
In August 2021, EPA published the 2020 COVID-19
Water Sector Survey Summary Report, which relays
the results of the 2020 COVID-19 Water Sector
Survey. This voluntary survey was conducted under
an OMB-approved emergency Information Collection
Request (ICR) and gathered information on how the
pandemic affected utility function across multiple
areas. The survey included information on chemical
and equipment supply-chain, workforce, financial,
sampling and analysis, and cybersecurity concerns.
Through continued technical assistance to potential
respondents, the team achieved an impressive 30
percent response rate for the voluntary survey. The
results of the survey highlight the resilience of the
water sector in continuing to deliver safe and reliable
water services, despite the challenges presented by
the pandemic. The Water Finance Center assisted
Office of Water's Water Security Division in the
development of the survey and the report.
Compendium of U.S. Wastewater
Surveillance to Support COVID-19
Public Health Response
OWM created a compendium that documents efforts
across the country to support the surveillance of
SARS-CoV-2 through wastewater sampling and to
guide those who are interested in implementing
wastewater surveillance in the future by elaborating
on funding, project management, results, and
potential actions to prevent the continued spread
of COVID-19. To support this goal, the compendium
documents the efforts of federal, state, local, and
tribal agencies—as well as associations, universities,
and the private sector—throughout 2020 and into
early 2021 to explore federal and other funding
sources, develop and implement wastewater
surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and provide information
on how programs were implemented through case
studies.
Industrial Stormwater Monitoring and
Sampling Guide
In April 2021, OWM updated the Industrial
Stormwater Monitoring and Sampling Guide as part
of a suite of revised technical assistance materials
for the industrial stormwater program. A how-to
primer for industrial facility operators, specifically
those under EPA's 2021 Multi-Sector General
Permit (MSGP), the guide presents procedures
for conducting visual assessments and analytical
monitoring of stormwater discharges. Most industrial
stormwater permits, including the 2021 MSGP,
require installation and implementation of control
measures to minimize or eliminate pollutants in
stormwater discharged from facilities. The results
of regular stormwater monitoring, along with
inspections and visual assessments, provide both
quantitative and qualitative information to both
the operator and regulators on the effectiveness
of controls as well as the overall stormwater
management program.
Transportation and Stormwater
Management
In collaboration with the Federal Highways
Administration, OWM co-hosted a webinar on EPA's
Transportation Stormwater Permit Compendium.
Over 1,100 people participated, including the
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)
permit writers and state and local Departments of
Transportation. They learned about resources that
can assist in developing MS4 permit terms specific to
transportation MS4s.
Robust outreach related to EPA's involvement in
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the copper-free brake pad MOU continued through
the year. In March 2021, OWM met with MOU
signatories and several automotive industry groups,
ECOS, California's Department of Toxic Substances
Control, and Washington's Department of Ecology
to mark the 5-year milestone target date of reducing
copper in brake pads to <5 percent by 2025. EPA
and fellow signatories co-hosted a webinar detailing
the partnership on October 6, 2021. Environment
and Climate Change Canada's industrial sectors
directorate automotive industry liaison met with
OWM to learn about U.S. models for voluntary
initiatives to reduce automotive related water
pollution.
Smart Data Infrastructure to Improve
Control and Decision-making in Sewer
Systems
Advancements in data gathering technologies have
led to the development of decision support tools
for real time wet weather management. These
dynamic systems remotely adjust facility operations
in response to evolving field conditions to manage
combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows,
sewer backups, street flooding, and stormwater
discharges. In March 2021, OWM published updates
to Smart Data Infrastructure for Wet Weather
Control and Decision Support, a summary of how
municipalities, utilities, and related organizations
can use these advances for wet weather control in
real time, or near real time. Smart data infrastructure
enhances the collection, storage, and analysis of
water-related data to inform operational decisions.
Such decisions can improve efficiency, reliability, the
lifespan of physical assets, and save costs. With 22
case studies, the document demonstrates the value
of smart data infrastructure today and its potential
for transforming water and wastewater management
in the future.
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PFAS Interim Strategy
In November 2020, the Office of Water issued an
interim NPDES permitting strategy for PFAS. which
provides recommendations from a cross-agency
workgroup to include PFAS-related conditions in
EPA-issued NPDES permits. The strategy advises EPA
permit writers to consider including PFAS monitoring
at facilities where these chemicals are expected to
be present in wastewater discharges, including from
MS4 and industrial stormwater permits. The PFAS
that could be considered for monitoring are those
that will have validated EPA analytical methods for
wastewater testing, which the agency anticipates
being available on a phased-in schedule as multi-lab
validated wastewater analytical methods are finalized.
The agency's interim strategy also encourages the
use of best management practices where appropriate
to control or abate the discharge of PFAS and
includes recommendations to facilitate information
sharing to foster adoption of best practices across
states and localities.
Rescission of the Maui Guidance
In September 2021, the Office of Water rescinded
the recently issued guidance document entitled
"Applying the Supreme Court's County of Maui v.
Hawaii Wildlife Fund decision in the CWAct Section
402 NPDES Permit Program," which was signed on
January 14, 2021. In April 2020, the Supreme Court
held that discharges to groundwater require an
NPDES permit if the pollutants eventually reach a
WOTUS and they are the "functional equivalent"
of a direct surface discharge. The Court identified
seven factors to determine a functional equivalent
discharge. The guidance was rescinded because, after
careful review and consideration, it was determined
to be inconsistent with the CWA and the Maui
decision.
Issuance of the 2021 Pesticide General
Permit
In September, EPA re-issued the Pesticide General
Permii (PGP). Point source discharges of biological
pesticides and chemical pesticides that leave a
residue in waters of the U.S. are required to comply
with the PGP in areas where EPA is the permitting
authority. The permit was issued almost two
months in advance of it becoming effective to give
permittees time to seek coverage via a new electronic
system. The PGP issuance process also piloted many
of OWM's efforts to improve the effectiveness of
engagement with states, territories, and tribes where
EPA is the NPDES permitting authority. EPA believes
these actions we believe will result in an EPA-issued
permit that better ensures that state, territories, and
tribal concerns are appropriately addressed.
Water Quality Trading on a Watershed
Scale
In November 2020, following the issuance of the
2019 memorandum updating EPA's water quality
trading policy, OWM published a paper titled "Water
Quality Trading on a Watershed Scale." which
describes three factors - watershed connectivity,
relevant regulatory and policy information, and
availability of data and modeling - to consider when
evaluating the appropriate scale for a trading area.
The paper recommends that boundaries for market-
based programs, including water quality trading,
result from careful consideration of the available
hydrological and ecological data of the watershed
along with the extent of the pollutants of concern,
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and that a larger geographic area may yield greater
participation, with corresponding water quality
benefits.
Information Collection Requests
EPA publishes reporting and record-keeping
requirements to the public through ICRs. In 2020
OWM published two ICRs: "Public Notification
Requirements for CSO to the Great Lakes Basin"
and "Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards
for the Dental Office Point Source Category, Final
Rule." OWM is also in the process of renewing
the NPDES Program ICR, which consolidates the
collection burden of several NPDES-related ICRs.
OWM published the first FRN for the CSO ICR and
the second FRN for the Dental Office Category ICR.
For the NPDES Program ICR, EPA began the process
of data collection and estimate refinement.
Addressing NPDES Permit Backlog
EPA's FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan calls for
streamlining and modernizing EPA programs,
including issuing permits more efficiently. Improving
the timing for issuance and re-issuance of NPDES
permits will provide greater certainty for the
regulated community and ensure that permits reflect
the most up-to-date requirements and scientific
information. EPA regions have already succeeded
in reducing their backlog of new NPDES permits
from 106 in March 2018 to 26 in August 2021.
Additionally, EPA regions reduced their backlog of
existing permits from 547 to 300 in that same time
frame.
State Program Authorizations
OWM continued to support EPA regions'
authorization of states to implement components
of the NPDES program. On July 1, 2021, Idaho's
Department of Environmental Quality completed
its four-year phased process to assume full
responsibility for administering and enforcing the
NPDES program. And on January 15, 2021, EPA
authorized the Texas Department of Environmental
Quality to implement the NPDES program for oil
and gas discharges, which includes discharges of
produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant
effluent. (Note that Texas received authorization for
the other components of the NPDES program on
September 14, 1998).
Assessment Process for NPDES Permits
and Programs
OWM continued supporting the EPA regions with
their oversight of state NPDES programs and state-
issued NPDES permits, including support for 10
permit and program quality reviews (PQRs). In
2021, OWM also worked collaboratively with EPA
regions to develop and launch an annual program
assessment framework designed to promote greater
efficiency and consistency in permit oversight. OWM
tested the process by holding detailed meetings with
all ten EPA regions to discuss their performance and
processes for EPA-issued NPDES permits.
NPDES Implementation of Water
Quality Standards
EPA coordinates closely across Office of Water
programs, EPA regions, and states to ensure that
NPDES permits reflect the latest water quality criteria
and best science. In July 2021, EPA published the
Final Technical Support Document: Implementing
the 2019 Recommended Recreational Water Quality
Criteria or Swimming Advisories for Microcvstins and
Cvlindrospermopsin. which explains how permitting
authorities that adopt EPA's 2019 recommended
criteria for these two cyanotoxins that are linked to
harmful algal blooms in their water quality standards
can implement the criteria through NPDES permits.
EPA has circulated, for public comment, four draft
documents to support NPDES implementation of the
2016 aquatic life water quality criterion for selenium
in freshwater.
Publication of the Draft 2022
Construction General Permit
In May 2021, EPA published the FRN for the
proposed 2022 Construction General Permit (CGP)
for stormwater discharges from construction activity.
This proposed permit, which will replace the 2017
CGP, covers stormwater discharges from construction
activities in areas where EPA is the NPDES permitting
authority. Key proposed changes include new or
clarified provisions related to erosion and pollution
prevention controls, dewatering discharges, and
permittee training. The public comment period for
the proposed permit garnered over 80 comment
letters from a variety of stakeholders including
tribes, states (e.g., transportation departments),
the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB),
Associated General Contractors of America (AGC),
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and Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). Since the
proposed rule was announced, OWM has hosted
two CWA Section 401 pre-filing meetings with state
and tribal certifying authorities. In addition, EPA staff
have hosted informational webinars for the public as
well as for tribes.
Issuance of the 2021 Multi-Sector
General Permit
In January 2021, OWM finalized the 2021 Multi-
Sector General Permit (MSGP) for stormwater
discharges from industrial activity. This permit,
which replaces the 2015 MSGP, covers stormwater
discharges from industrial facilities in areas
where EPA is the NPDES permitting authority and
establishes requirements for eligibility, Notice of
Intent, effluent limits, inspections, monitoring, and
other conditions for 29 sectors of industrial activity.
Since the permit was finalized, OWM has presented
extensively to over 1,700 stakeholders on the new
permit requirements via webinars and professional
meetings. New provisions in this permit that will
advance protections from industrial stormwater
pollutants include requirements for considering
enhanced controls for major storm events; indicator
monitoring for pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS),
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); a revised monitoring
schedule for impaired waters and benchmark
monitoring; and revised follow-up actions for
benchmark exceedances.
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Controlling Irrigation with Soil
Moisture Sensors
After more than a decade of research arid
collaboration, WaterSense published the final
WaterSense Specification for Soil Moisture-Based
Irrigation Controllers in February 2021, Soil moisture-
based irrigation controllers, also referred to as soil
moisture sensors (SMSs), detect the amount of
moisture in the ground to prevent sprinkler systems
from watering when plants don't need it. Installing a
WaterSense labeled SMS can save an average home
with an automatic landscape irrigation system more
than 15,000 gallons of water annually.
Major Update to WaterSense Homes
Program
Completing a process initiated in 2018, WaterSense
released Version 2 of the WaterSense Labeled
Homes Program in February 2021. The updated
program leverages other green building certification
programs, provides builders with greater flexibility
on how they achieve water savings, and reduces the
implementation burden for EPA. Homeowners will
benefit from the water and utility bill savings that
come from homes that use at least 30 percent less
water than typical new homes.
WaterSense Partner Assistance that
Saves
During the pandemic many households experienced
challenges in managing their utility bills in the face
of economic hardships. EPA's WaterSense program
worked to better understand how water efficiency
programs can help customers with affordability
challenges by convening a series of roundtables with
several of its partners. The result was the Assistance
by all U.S. households!
WaterSense
Fifteen Years of Saving Water
Since June 2006, the program and its more than
2,000 partners have helped save more than an
estimated 5.3 trillion gallons of water—more than
the amount used by all U.S. households for 200
days. US households, by looking for and installing
WaterSense labeled products, saved 968 biliion
gallons of water in 2020 alone. WaterSense labeled
products are independently certified to use at least
20 percent less water and perform as well or better
than standard models. More than 36,500 different
models of toilets, bathroom faucets and accessories,
showerheads, flushing urinals, fiushorneter-valve
toilets, weather-based irrigation controllers, and
spray sprinkler bodies have earned the label. EPA
estimates WaterSense labeled products have helped
Americans save $108 billion in energy and water
bills. The WaterSense 2020 Accomplishments Report
revisits other successes of the last 15 years.
5 7 fnSIISAM gallons of water
¦ O trillion saved since 2006!
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That's the water used in 200 days
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that Saves: How WaterSense Partners Incorporate
Water Efficiency into Affordabilitv Programs
report that was released in July 2021. The resource
describes their efforts, lessons learned, and provides
case studies that can help other water utilities
looking to develop or enhance their programs.
It's Dry Out There! Be Drought Aware!
With drought conditions facing much of the West,
WaterSense provided partners with new resources
in the summer of 2021 to help them raise awareness
with their customers about the need to use water
efficiently during a water shortage. The program
also updated the drought pages on the WaterSense
website with new material to help different parts of
the community understand what they can do to help
out during a drought.
WaterSense Partners of the Year
Awards
WaterSense partners across the country help save
water by advancing and promoting WaterSense and
water efficiency. While the in-person WaterSmart
Innovations Conference was canceled due to the
pandemic, the 2020 WaterSense award winners
were announced during an October 7, 2020 webinar
hosted by the conference organizers.
In 2020, eight partners were recognized with
Sustained Excellence Awards for their continued high
level of support:
•	Athens-Clarke County (Georgia) Public Utilities
Department
•	Citrus County (Florida) Utilities
City of Charlottesville (Virginia)
•	City of Piano (Texas)
Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning
District
Kohler Co.
The Sonoma-Marin (California) Saving Water
Partnership
KB Home
Eight partners were recognized as Partners of the
Year:
Big Bear Lake (California) Department of Water
and Power
Irvine Ranch (California) Water District
City of Sacramento (California) Department of
Utilities
Upper San Gabriel Valley (California) Municipal
Water District
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District
•	Orange County (Florida) Utilities
•	City of Aspen (Colorado), as a Professional
Certifying Organization
Fulton Homes
WaterSense also presented 13 Excellence Awards,
which recognize organizations that stood out in one
or more evaluation categories:
The City of Allen (Texas)
Hilton Head (South Carolina) Public Service
District
Placer County (California) Water Agency
City of Durham (North Carolina) Water
Management
•	Cobb County (Georgia) Water System
The Toro Company
City of Flagstaff (Arizona) Water Conservation
Program
Municipal Water District of Orange County
(California)
Sonoma Marin (California) Saving Water
Partnership
SUEZ North America-New York
Santa Clarita Valley (California) Water Agency
•	G3, Green Gardens Group, Los Angeles
Energy Inspectors Corporation
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Decentralized Wastewater
Program
Celebrating the 9th Annua!
SepticSmart Week
EPA's SepticSmart Week campaign informs
homeowners about proper septic system care and
maintenance, assists local agencies in promoting
homeowner education and awareness, and educates
local decision makers about infrastructure options
to improve and sustain their communities. The 9th
Annual SepticSmart Week occurred September
20-24, 2021. Each year, states and organizations
submit proclamations of support and commitment to
SepticSmart Week; this year, the program received 15
proclamations. The Decentralized MOU Partnership
also updated their SepticSmart Week Social Media
Guide, which contains social media posts, blogs,
press releases, local outreach examples, and much
more.
New SepticSmart Program Materials
EPA's Decentralized Wastewater Program created
several new SepticSmart Week products for MOU
partners, states, and homeowners. The program
developed and released all seven new SepticSmart
Quick Tip Videos to educate homeowners on how to
care for their septic systems. New Frequently Asked
Questions for Septic Systems were also created to
provide information for commonly asked questions
related to septic systems. It includes information
on proper use, maintenance, and environmental/
public health impacts of septic systems. Lastly the
Program created a SepticSmart Week Recognition
Document as a more efficient means for MOU
Partners to promote SepticSmart Week within their
organizations.
Decentralized Wastewater
MOU Partnership 2017-2020
Accomplishments Report
The 2017-2020 Accomplishments Report highlights
key accomplishments for the MOU renewal period
2017-2020. The information was provided by
members of EPA's Decentralized Wastewater MOU
Partnership. The document focuses on the MOU
Partnership's priorities to:
work with state and local government entities
on outreach to homeowners with septic systems,
such as the annual homeowner awareness
campaign, SepticSmart Week;
•	obtain accurate decentralized system data
nationally;
•	emphasize the growing decentralized system
technologies;
leverage financial mechanisms for homeowners
with septic systems;
and promote education and training for the
decentralized workforce.
Decentralized Wastewater MOU
Partnership Webinar Series
EPA's Decentralized Wastewater MOU Partnership
hosted two webinars in 2021. The May 2021
webinar focused on innovative technologies and
approaches to address decentralized wastewater
infrastructure challenges in the Alabama Black Belt,
which highlighted three speakers from academia
and public health. The second webinar took place
in September 2021, during SepticSmart Week, and
explored solutions to data gaps on both national and
local levels. The webinar highlighted a recent data
gathering effort in Puerto Rico to support planning
and funding initiatives; and the research of a Ph.D.
candidate using machine learning techniques to
identify locations of decentralized systems.
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Compendium of Decentralized
Wastewater Demonstration Grant
Projects
In August 2021, EPA released the Compendium of
Decentralized Wastewater Demonstration Grant
Projects, which summarizes the 18 community
decentralized project grantee final reports, funded
under those congressional appropriations. Each
summary includes project objectives, funding,
technology, lessons learned, and current statuses
of those communities or projects. These projects
range in topics from installation of new advanced
wastewater treatment systems, community-wide
assessments, to green infrastructure and stormwater
improvements.
Decentralized Wastewater Workforce
Efforts
In February 2021, the Decentralized Wastewater
Program released the first of three decentralized
wastewater workforce reports. The Pipeline to
a Sustainable Workforce: Decentralized/Onsite
Wastewater Occupations report provides a
foundational understanding of the career pathways
and job clusters in the decentralized industry. It
expands on occupational characteristics, including
growth projections, and basic education and training
requirements of occupations in the industry. It
outlines challenges that have led to shortage in the
supply of decentralized workers. It also includes 33
individual profiles on specific career occupations.
The second and third reports, titled "Education and
Training Landscape: Providing a Supply of Talent
for "Decentralized/Onsite Wastewater Occupations"
and Building a Decentralized Wastewater Training
Program" were also developed and will be available
in early FY 2022.
Report to Congress on Alternative
Decentralized and Centralized
Wastewater Treatment Technology
As required by AWIA, OWM provided a report to
congress compiling historical and current data from
grant and loan programs, in addition to a review of
existing EPA materials. EPA's reports, publications,
funding programs, and technical assistance
documents were compiled to show the types and
amount of information provided to units of local
government and nonprofit organizations regarding
alternative wastewater treatment and recycling
technologies. EPA provided data on investments
awarded to the states through EPA-funded loan,
grant, and technical assistance programs to show
which states and regions have made the greatest use
of alternative wastewater treatment and recycling
technologies. An overview of programs initiated
through EPA seed money, including grant programs,
technical assistance tools, guidance documents, and
other resources were compiled to show which actions
taken by the Administrator have assisted states in the
deployment of alternative wastewater treatment and
recycling technologies.
Other Collaboration &
Synergy
Campus RainWorks Challenge
EPA announced the winners of the 9th annual
Campus RainWorks Challenge, a design competition
that engages the next generation of environmental
professionals to showcase the benefits of green
infrastructure. The University of Texas at Arlington
and the University of Pittsburgh were the first and
second place winners, respectively, in the master plan
category. The University of Pennsylvania and Florida
International University placed first and second
in the demonstration project category. This past
year, students from the University of Pennsylvania
went above and beyond the requirements of the
challenge to obtain funding for project construction.
The team's vision will protect urban waters and
provide local elementary school students with a
more equitable and vibrant space in which to learn.
This year's challenge involved over 300 students
competing on 57 teams from 39 different institutions.
Announced in July 2021, the current Campus
RainWorks Challenge marks the 10th anniversary of
the competition.
WEFTEC Connect
WEFTEC Connect - the virtual WEFTEC - was
held in October 2020. The fully virtual conference
attracted over 5,700 registrants. EPA hosted a virtual
booth, featuring several documents for download
in addition to video recorded presentations on
highlighted topics. Former Administrator Wheeler
delivered a live keynote speech. The Future of Water
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Policy technical session with the Office of Water
Office Directors followed immediately after.
Affordability Collaboration with
Department of Health & Human
Services
Since February 2021, the Water Finance Center
organized standing biweekly meeting with HHS
and OGWDW to discuss program development and
stakeholder input for the Low-Income Household
Drinking Water and Wastewater Emergency
Assistance Program. This program provides funding
to assist low-income households that pay a high
proportion of household income for drinking water
and wastewater services. OWM assisted HHS with
the review of State Implementation Plans for the
program, and a virtual event for World Water Week.
American Rescue Act Plan
Collaboration with Department of
Treasury
In June 2021, the Water Finance Center met with
staff from the U.S. Department of Treasury to
discuss Treasury's plans for tracking and reporting
how American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding is
spent. Treasury is building a system to collect the
data and staff from Treasury offered to run reports
specifically for EPA. The Center also established up
an informal cross-office team in July 2021 to help
share information and address any questions from
Treasury.
New Hampshire Department of
Environmental Services
The Water Finance Center coordinated a
meeting with the New Hampshire Department of
Environmental Services (NHDES), per a request
they submitted to the Office of Homeland Security.
Representatives from the Water Security Division,
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and Office
of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations
attended. NHDES explained they are looking into
using a portion of the state's ARPA allotment
towards a grant program to support cvbersecuritv
initiatives at water utilities. NHDES was interested
in any potential new cybersecurity requirements,
especially regarding sanitary surveys. NHDES has
also been in contact with other New England states
and are also working with the National Association
of Water Companies on this initiative. The Water
Security Division agreed to follow-up with NHDES
separately on technical assistance and contract
support for vulnerability assessments. NHDES also
took the opportunity to ask about dam rehabilitation
eligibility for SRF funding.
Climate Resilient Infrastructure and the
Brookings Institution
In August 2021, the Water Finance Center
participated in an interview with the Brookings
Institution for a new research project to examine
the opportunity for more proactive investment in
climate resilient infrastructure nationally. The Center
discussed the federal agencies' role investing in
climate resilient infrastructure, ongoing research in
that space, and opportunities for expansion.
National Caucus of Environmental
Legislatures Forum Presentation
In July 2021, the Water Finance Center presented at
the National Caucus of Environmental Legislatures
(NCEL) national forum on the panel titled "Improving
Water Infrastructure at the State and Local Level
Through Federal Partnerships." Representative
Abe Hudson, Jr. (District 29, MS) facilitated the
session. Black Millennia Is for Flint spoke of lead and
other hazardous contaminants in drinking water,
CWA presented on recent research on basement
backups, and the Center discussed the Water Finance
Clearinghouse and the importance of affordable
financing for affordable rates.
Co-regulator National Pretreatment
Virtual Event
In May, OWM, in collaboration with the National
Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the
Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA,
also known as "the States") held a "Co-regulator
National Pretreatment Virtual Event." Over 500
participants pre-registered for the three-day event
which included discussions and presentations with
all three governmental levels, where topics include:
"Breaking Down Barriers," Pretreatment Goes to Pot,
Clearing FOG, Wastewater Surveillance and Moving
beyond the Pandemic, Pretreatment for PFAS,
Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Rule (CROMERR),
One Water, Case Studies, Wipes, and Round Table
discussions at the end of each day.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Office of Wastewater Management
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
www.epa.gov/owm
Publication # 830R21006

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