View CWEA’s WDR resource page > After four years of hosting meetings and conducting surveys with the public, wastewater stakeholders, and wastewater agencies, the California State Water Resources Control Board has adopted new regulations affecting more than 1,200 publicly operated collection systems with greater than one mile of sewers discharging to a publicly owned wastewater...

Visit CWEA’s WDR training and resources page > Having been an inspector for the State Water Board’s Office of Enforcement for a decade with over 100 collection system inspections, as well as an independent consultant for more than a dozen years, CWEA members often ask me: What does Emergency Response Plan (ERP) compliance look like?...

On Dec. 6, 2022, the State Water Resources Control Board unanimously adopted the Statewide Sanitary Sewer Systems General Waste Discharge Requirements Order Reissuance (SSS WDR). The new regulations are set to go into effect on June 5, 2023. The Water Board explained that the SSS WDR order reissuance will regulate sanitary sewer systems designed to...

View CWEA’s PFAS resources page, support by Carollo. Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is seeking public comment on its proposal to address environmental justice, climate change, and PFAS contamination in its National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives (NECIs).  Every four years, EPA selects national initiatives to focus resources on serious and widespread...

The State Water Resources Control Board adopted a statewide Sanitary Sewer System General Order that implements and expands policies to address statewide water infrastructure needs. The new order replaces an existing order and expands regulatory requirements to include privately owned systems, at the discretion of the applicable California Regional Water Quality Control Board. It also...

View CWEA’s PFAS resources page, support by Carollo. PFAS Are Ubiquitous in Our Homes and Our Environment Several recent legislative and regulatory efforts across the US to address PFAS have focused on limiting levels in drinking water. However, there has been relatively little conversation about the presence of these chemicals in our everyday lives. In...

View CWEA’s PFAS resources page, support by Carollo.   Three San Francisco Bay Area wastewater agencies are participating in an EPA-funded national research program looking at the prioritization, fate, and transport of unregulated organic chemicals (UOCs) in the environment resulting from land application of biosolids. The three agencies, including the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District...

In early 2022, OC San proudly announced they were the first municipal wastewater lab in California accredited to test for PFAS in wastewater. Today, there are 20 labs in California accredited for PFAS testing, OC San and the Inland Empire Utilities Agency are the only approved municipal labs. OC San operates a state-of-the-art Environmental Sciences...

The practice of treating wastewater has existed since the 19th century, beginning with centralized designs to keep sewage discharge out of clean water sources. Around this time, efforts to separate storm runoff from wastewater was also introduced in many communities. Fast forward to today, decades of focus on the environmental impact of waste treatment and...

Mark Kawamoto and his team at Orange County Sanitation District, also known as OC San, are trying to solve a riddle: “How does PFAS make its way into water resource recovery facilities?” PFAS are in wastewater that is treated at water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs), including at OC San’s two facilities, but the source of...

View CWEA’s PFAS resources page, support by Carollo. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (Plan 15), which lays out how the Agency will work to protect the nation’s waterways by following the science and the Clean Water Act to develop technology-based pollution limits and studies on wastewater discharges from...

View CWEA’s PFAS resources page, support by Carollo. It is a fact that chemistry has changed our world for the better. It has played an important role in the production of commercial products, thus making a great variety of raw materials accessible to manufacturers across all industrial sectors and leading to the production of many...

Discussions on updating the Sanitary Sewer System regulations have been ongoing over the last four years and after a four-hour State Water Board meeting, the new regulations were approved unanimously, and implementation now begins. Originally implemented in 2006, the reissued Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) was debated and discussed during the December 6th Board meeting in...

After nearly four years of negotiations, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) considered and unanimously adopted the Statewide Sanitary Sewer Systems General Waste Discharge Requirements Order Reissuance (SSS WDR) with late changes on December 6, 2022. The SSS WDR regulates sanitary sewer systems designed to convey sewage longer than one mile...

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals, often called “forever chemicals” because they are extremely resistant to breaking down and they persist in the environment and the human body, leading to continued exposure and health risks into the future. Despite these problems, PFAS are widely used by industry and are in...

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. This webinar was recorded live on October 5, 2022. Now 50 years...

With the enactment of the Clean Water Act in 1972, Congress provided billions of dollars in grants to local communities to construct or upgrade wastewater treatment facilities to meet secondary treatment standards. This investment allowed communities to reverse the impacts created by discharge of untreated wastewater, responding to what was then a significant threat to...

Ms. Morgan is Guest Editor of the Clean Water magazine’s special edition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. View the online edition here. When the Clean Water Act was passed, rivers were catching on fire and there was little in the way of Federal regulations in place to protect the environment for...

On October 5, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills prohibiting PFAS in juvenile products (AB 652) and disposable food packaging (AB 1200). The two new laws are a part of a trend in PFAS regulation in both California and national food law compliance. The persistence, ubiquity, and uncertainty of the health effects of PFAS have...

The California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) has been named the winner of the 2021 Pollution Prevention Award for leading efforts to pass state legislation in October that will require “Do Not Flush” warnings on packaging for baby wipes, cleaning wipes and cosmetic wipes, and will compel manufacturers to educate the public on the harmful...

By Jared Voskuhl, Manager of Regulatory Affairs, CASA As the western drought has worsened over the last few months, there have been several regulatory actions in response by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and the Department of Water Resources (DWR). In August, due o the intensified impacts of the drought, the...

On Friday, November 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (H.R. 3684). This bill will provide nearly $1.2 trillion in funding for the nation’s infrastructure. Approximately, $550 billion of the total is new funding to be spent during the next five years, and almost $51 billion is allocated to...

On September 15, 2021, the State Water Resources Control Board approved increases in fee structures for programs under their authority. There are several categories that affect State Water Board fees for municipal water/wastewater laboratories, such as: NPDES permit fee Waste Discharge Requirements permit fee Stormwater Permit fees ELAP Laboratory Certification fee As of September 2021,...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the agency’s comprehensive Strategic Roadmap to confront PFAS contamination nationwide. The Roadmap is the result of a thorough analysis conducted by the EPA Council on PFAS that Administrator Regan established in April 2021. EPA’s Roadmap is centered on three guiding strategies: Increase investments in...

  Update provided by CASA Much clearer disposal information for wet wipes is coming to a shelf near you. After years of legislative work on the wipes issue, AB 818 (Bloom) has been signed into law by the Governor. This bill establishes the strongest “Do Not Flush” wipes labeling and public education requirements in the...

Christopher Young, 45, of El Dorado Hills, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 18 months in prison and a $50,000 fine for tampering with monitoring equipment, unlawful discharge of industrial wastewater, and conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Young was Director of Operations for Community Fuels from 2010...

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board is proposing an agreement with the City and County of San Francisco that would require a $600 million investment to expand the capacity of sewer systems in three low-lying neighborhoods. Sewer overflows in these areas occur frequently after heavy rainstorms, posing risks to human health and...



This update comes from the Water Environment Federation (WEF) This Week in Washington… The bill includes almost $55 billion in water infrastructure funding and several policy provisions that will benefit the nation’s water infrastructure. The water infrastructure section in the Senate package is fairly similar to what was passed by the Senate in April in...

View all of CWEA’s coverage of the wipes crisis > Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), today, joined with Congresswoman Lisa McClain (MI-10) to introduce bipartisan legislation to create a national standard for the labeling of non-flushable wet wipes. This common-sense standard would address the growing problem of these wipes being flushed into and creating obstructions in...

The  California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), Central Valley Clean Water Agencies (CVCWA), California Water Environment Association (CWEA) and Southern California Alliance of Publicly Owned Treatment Works (SCAP) submitted comments to the Department of Water Resources regarding their Report to the Legislature on Indoor Residential Water Use Studies. At the outset, we recognize, appreciate, and...

A team of researchers from California State University and the University of California are assessing the economic and environmental impacts of forthcoming water use efficiency standards (AB 1668-SB 606) on urban retail water suppliers. This assessment is funded by the State of California through a mutual agreement between the SWRCB and California State University. The...

With water usage in San Francisco already down seven percent since the advent of voluntary restrictions, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is already on track to meet Governor Gavin Newsom’s 15 percent water reduction goal. Last week, Governor Newsom asked California residents to voluntarily reduce their water usage 15 percent below 2020 rates. Since...

Make sure to grab your spot in the 2016 TNI Quality System Documentation Workshop! Registration is currently limited to one person from each laboratory because we want every California laboratory to have a chance to attend. Seats are available in the August, September, October, November and December sessions. This is a free training designed specifically for...

On June 24th, WateReuse California submitted comments on the Water Board’s draft Direct Potable Reuse regulations. The coalition letter included ACWA, CUWA, CA-NV Section of AWWA and CASA. WRCA developed these comments after holding a webcast and panel discussion in April to review the draft regulations and solicit comments. A DPR Working Group was formed that assisted...

 Here’s to you! Thank you to the participants of the first ever ELAP Laboratory Conference. It was a huge success! Around 500 of you joined us each day for talks about the accreditation process, emerging contaminants and technologies, and laboratory efficiency. We hope you found the presentations beneficial and have been able to take...

With opioid overdose deaths increasing during the pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration announces its 20th Take Back Day is scheduled for April 24th. At its last Take Back Day in October, DEA collected a record-high amount of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications, with the public turning in close to 500 tons of unwanted drugs....

Objectives SB 1383, signed into law in September 2016, requires a 40% reduction in methane emissions in California by 2030 below the levels emitted in 2013. In order to achieve the methane emission reductions, the legislation further requires a 75% diversion of organics (including biosolids) from landfills by 2025, using 2014 levels as the baseline....

California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) has opened registration for fourteen sessions of the 2016 TNI Quality System Documentation Workshop in partnership with A2LA Workplace Training. Register here today! The workshop runs from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm (PT) with a break from noon to 1:00 pm on both days. This is a standalone training...

From the State Water Board… The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) convened a panel of experts to provide recommendations on enhanced industrial source control for DPR. The Expert Panel has submitted their recommendations to the State Water Board in March 2020. Their report is available to download here: Download the report Enhanced Source Control Recommendations...

Announcement from the State Water Board… NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the State Water Board will accept public comment on the Addendum to A Proposed Framework for Regulating Direct Potable Reuse in California, 2nd Edition (Framework). The State Water Board will provide an opportunity for the public to present oral comments at a public workshop....

Costa Mesa Sanitary District’s Board of Directors announced today that it has successfully defended itself in a federal lawsuit filed by a group that accused CMSD of violating the Clean Water Act. On May 11, 2020, California River Watch (CRW), a non-profit organization located in Sebastopol, California, served CMSD with a 60-day. Notice of Violations...

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has issued a Public Notice announcing the release of the informal staff draft statewide Sanitary Sewer System General Order and two upcoming public workshops. State Water Board staff will be conducting two virtual public workshops to summarize the informal staff draft Order on the following dates:...

Angela Godwin with Stormwater magazine interviews P3S 2021 Virtual Conference speaker Jonah Sonner with WGR Southwest. Angela and Jonah review some important reminders about conducting stormwater inspections on construction sites. Go even further in-depth by watching Jonah’s presentation next week at P3S21. Construction Site BMPs and Stormwater Inspections Jonah B. Sonner, Compliance Specialist, WGR Southwest, Lodi...

Announcement from the State Water Board ELAP office. This is a State Water Board sponsored training event, it is not organized by CWEA. ELAP and A2LA Workplace Training are excited to announce the 2016 TNI Quality System Documentation Workshop as part of ELAP’s compliance assistance initiative, the Roadmap to ELAP Accreditation. This training is designed to help laboratories implement the 2016 TNI Quality...

On Tuesday February 2nd, Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) and California Coastkeeper Alliance introduced the California Clean Water Act, Assembly Bill 377, legislation that will put California back on track to eliminate impaired waterways and make all waters statewide suitable for conversion to drinking water, swimming, and fishing by...

From the State Water Board. Updated 2/5/21. On December 1, 2020, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted statewide numeric water quality objectives for both acute and chronic toxicity and a program of implementation to control toxicity, which are collectively known as the Toxicity Provisions. The Provisions provide consistent protection of aquatic...

Announcement from the State Water Board ELAP office. This is a State Water Board sponsored training event, it is not organized by CWEA. The California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) team is excited to announce the first ever ELAP Conference! We are looking forward to offering you the opportunity to engage with the laboratory community,...

This article is part of our water reuse coverage, supported by Hazen & Sawyer > The California state Water Board is beginning the development of Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) statewide regulations by assembling an Expert Panel as required by AB 574 (Quirk-2017). This panel is expected to assist the Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water...

This article is part of our water reuse coverage, supported by Hazen & Sawyer > Public water supplies in California come from groundwater and surface water in a wide range of locations and with characteristics that reflect the geographical diversity of the state. Factors such as population growth and extended droughts are stressing these supplies....

From the State Water Board… The State Water Board’s Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) Regulations were filed with the California Secretary of State by the Office of Administrative Law on November 19, 2020 and will become effective on January 1, 2021. This completes the final step in the rulemaking process. ELAP is committed to supporting the...

AquaVitas, an HHS contractor, will be conducting SARS-CoV-2 testing in wastewater treatment plants, and requests assistance in identifying utilities interested in participating.  This opportunity is open to all wastewater treatment plants, whether they are currently submitting wastewater samples or not. Priority will be given to treatment plants that serve large populations. AquaVitas plans to begin...

From the State Water Board… The City of Mount Shasta has agreed to pay $1.3 million to settle an Administrative Civil Liability complaint for multiple sanitary sewer overflows from its collection system and for violating effluent limitations at its wastewater treatment plant. The overflows, which occurred between October 2014 and April 2017, primarily were caused...

Announcement from the State Water Board’s ELAP office… Announcing the 2021-2022 Environmental Laboratory Technical Advisory Committee (ELTAC) Voting Members ELTAC provides constructive scientific advice and feedback to ELAP and the California regulatory agencies who use laboratory data to make decisions to protect the state’s environmental and public health. The 2021-2022 Committee has been built to...

Published September 17, 2020 *State of California Department of Industrial Relations COVID-19 Infection Prevention Requirements (AB 685) Enhanced Enforcement and Employer Reporting Requirements Assembly Bill 685 (Reyes) enhances Cal/OSHA’s enforcement of COVID-19 infection prevention requirements by allowing for Orders Prohibiting Use and citations for serious violations related to COVID-19 to be issued more quickly. The...

A significant amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana River Basin is now in effect, allowing for discharges from new septic systems in Quail Valley when certain exemptions are met. This important update for the Quail Valley community has been years in the making and took a multi-agency effort by Eastern...

On August 25, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler launched an innovation challenge to identify solutions to destroy PFAS. The Innovative Ways to Destroy PFAS Challenge is a partnership between federal and state agencies seeking detailed plans for non-thermal technologies to destroy PFAS in concentrated aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), used in firefighting. This challenge...

From the State Water Board… The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board fined the Phillips 66 Co. $285,000 for discharging more than 5 million gallons of partially treated wastewater from its San Francisco Refinery to San Pablo Bay. The fine stems from a Feb. 14, 2019, discharge that exceeded the suspended solids load...

View complete coverage of Coronavirus worker safety > From the CDC on Monday, August 17, 2020 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with agencies throughout the federal government, are initiating the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) in response to the COVID-19...

A settlement agreement between the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board and the city of Victorville has been reached and imposes a $1.5 million fine on the City for violating the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) general waste discharge requirements. The $1.5 million settlement fine addresses violations from six untreated sewage spills to Mojave River tributaries,...

The city of Galt has agreed to pay $110,715 to settle a case that began two years ago when 301,000 gallons of untreated sewage overflowed into Dead Man Gulch, a tributary of South Laguna Creek. The spill occurred during a power outage when a faulty alarm system failed to alert city staff about malfunctioning pumps...

From NACWA… NACWA has asked EPA to consider the risks associated with pet flea control products containing fipronil, a pesticide with high aquatic toxicity that can pass through wastewater treatment processes. In August 5 comments on EPA’s draft risk assessment for fipronil, NACWA explained that fipronil has been found in the effluent of publicly owned treatment works...

From the State Water Board, Office of Operator Certification… To All Interested Parties: As a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency, and the guidance released by Governor Newsom to limit gatherings to 10 people or less while social distancing, the Fall 2020 Wastewater Operator Certification Examination has been cancelled.  The State Water Resources Control Board understands...

From the US EPA… The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an agreement with Pacific Seafood-Eureka, LLC over violations of the federal Clean Water Act. The settlement requires the company to pay a $74,500 penalty after an EPA inspection found the company was discharging wastewater in violation of local and federal standards into the...

Message below from the State Water Board’s Office of Operator Certification. Note, emergency requests might be prioritized based on impacts to the treatment plant or distribution system more so than the impact on the individual seeking certification. Detailed requests from Chief Plant Operators describing the plant emergency and need for certified operators might help the...

Download “Will SARS-CoV-2 reset public health requirements in the water industry? Integrating lessons of the past and emerging research” (pdf) A little good news in the world of SARS-CoV-2 (the scientific name for the virus that causes COVID-19). Dr. Stuart Khan, a Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales writes about...

Our coverage of new ELAP regulations is sponsored by LabWork From the State Water Board Top 5 Questions People are Asking about the New California ELAP Regulations When will the new regulations take effect?  The regulations become effective on October 1, 2020. However, several new provisions will not be required immediately. Read on for more...

Our coverage of new ELAP regulations is sponsored by LabWork State Water Board press release… All accredited labs will be required to meet a national standard The State Water Resources Control Board today adopted comprehensive regulations to modernize the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP), which oversees more than 650 laboratories that regulate testing of drinking...

The CWEA safety committee’s number one concern is our members safety. By now, you have received valuable information on all possible precautions you should take to protect yourself and your family members.  Resources: CDC and CAL-OSHA The CWEA Safety Committee is also charged with providing our member agencies resources to assist them in staying in compliance. ehsInc.org...

A Chino environmental testing laboratory has been fined $90,000 and denied renewal accreditation by the State Water Resources Control Board’s Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) for making false representations about a wastewater treatment facility’s compliance with permit requirements. Adopted Tuesday by the State Water Board, the fine stems from an investigation that found privately owned...

Press release from the State Water Board. View CWEA’s round-up of coronavirus stories here. Existing stringent state standards protect public from COVID-19           Link to Fact Sheet (pdf) Wastewater treatment plants treat municipal wastewater to standards that protect the beneficial uses of the waters into which the treated wastewater is discharged. Some plants treat wastewater to...

The State Water Resources Control Board will vote on adoption of the proposed Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program regulations at the May 5, 2020 Board Meeting. As a result of the COVID-19 emergency and the Governor’s Executive Orders to protect public health by limiting public gatherings and requiring social distancing, this meeting will occur via video and teleconference only. Instructions...

Temporary Advisory for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Reporting in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic On March 26, 2020, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, issued a Temporary Policy titled “COVID-19 Implications for EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program” . This EPA Temporary Policy applies retroactively beginning on March 13, 2020 and until...

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has ordered Monterey Mushrooms, Inc. to pay $911,800 for discharging polluted stormwater into Fisher Creek, harming water quality and threatening aquatic life. The company, which is the largest grower of fresh mushrooms in North America, discharged more than 650,000 gallons of polluted water from its Morgan...

March 2020 may go down as one the biggest moments in the wastewater professions’ battle against “flushable” wipes. A combination of the coronavirus pandemic, TP shortage, press release from the State Water Board and media coverage of sewer back-ups in Redding and Las Galinas caused the wipes clog pipes topic to go viral. The result...

View CWEA’s round-up of Coronavirus (COVID-19) worker safety information here > The US EPA is taking further action to help ease the production and availability of EPA-registered disinfectants. EPA will temporarily allow manufacturers of certain already-registered EPA disinfectants to obtain certain active ingredients from any source of suppliers without checking with the agency first. This...

View CWEA’s round-up of Coronavirus (COVID-19) worker safety information here > COVID-19 Enforcement Policy As all of us at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adjust to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, we are first and foremost mindful of the health and safety of the public, as well as our staff, and those of Federal Agencies, State...

  Updates 4/16/20 New! Guidance on how to respond to a positive coronavirus case in the laboratory Updated! Schedules for EPA’s DMR-QA Study Updated! List of laboratories with emergency capacity Updated! Information about supply and equipment vendors State Water Board launches new website… waterboards.ca.gov/elap-covid19  The information on this webpage is based on the latest statewide and national...

From the State Water Board UPDATED AS OF MARCH 20, 2020 Compliance with Water Board Requirements During the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Emergency The State Water Resources Control Board and the nine California Regional Water Quality Control Boards (the Water Boards) are continuing their efforts to protect public health, safety, and the environment consistent with all...

View CWEA’s round-up of Coronavirus (COVID-19) worker safety information here > From the CDC on 3/15/20… Large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States via travelers who attend these events and introduce the virus to new communities. Examples of large events and mass gatherings include conferences, festivals,...

View our full coverage of new ELAP regulations. 03/17/20 update from the SWRCB…. The COVID-19 emergency has resulted in the recent cancellation of the State Water Resources Control Board meeting on the Proposed Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program Regulations.  Consistent with these actions and Water Board guidance, the Division of Administrative Services, Fee Branch is cancelling...

BACWA Comment Letter The Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA) appreciates the opportunity to comment on Appendix K to the Draft Staff Report, Including Substitute Environmental Documentation, for the Proposed Establishment of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California; and Toxicity Provisions (proposed Toxicity Provisions). BACWA is...

Download the presentation (pdf) Student and Young Professionals RECORDED Webinar SYP webinars are sponsored by the Los Angeles Basin Section; San Francisco Bay Section and Desert and Mountains Section. Chemicals called PFAS have been in the headlines lately: These emerging contaminants are the focus of a major Hollywood movie, a Congressional task force, and considerable...

BACWA’s Comment letter sent to the State Water Board Dec 20, 2019. Click here to read BACWA’s full comment letter (pdf) The Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the proposed ELAP Draft Regulations (proposed Regulations). BACWA is a joint powers agency whose members own and operate publicly-owned treatment works...

CWEA is tracking the challenges associated with PFAS, a family of chemicals that are compounds of emerging concern. Join us for an upcoming webinar or conference to build your understanding of the challenges, hear from experts and add your voice. From the State Water Board’s PFAS info website… Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a...

Coverage of new ELAP regulations supported by LabWorks, waterLIMS™ December 20, 2019 Ms. Jeanine Townsend, Clerk to the Board State Water Resources Control Board 1001 I Street, 24th floor Sacramento, CA 95814 Re: Comments – Proposed Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program Regulations Dear Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel: The California Water Environment Association (CWEA) is a non-profit...

The State Water Resources Control Board recently hosted a 2-day Technical Seminar and concurrent Datathon on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Recordings of the seminar along with the agenda, speaker biographies and abstracts is provided on the State Water Board’s PFAS website at https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/pfas. The presentations from the PFAS Technical Seminar are available at: Link:...

SB 1215 was signed by Governor Brown in 2018 and requires the State Water Board to develop a program to assist disadvantaged communities with access to sewer service. The legislation authorizes them to also to provide funding for eligible projects. “The act authorizes the State Water Board to facilitate consolidation between a state or a...

View our full coverage of new ELAP regulations > CWEA Lab Community, This is a critical time in the world of California Lab Regulations.  With the latest regulations package being published on October 11th, we are down to the wire with having our voices heard of how these regulations will affect our labs, our agencies...

Coverage of new ELAP regulations supported by LabWorks, waterLIMS™ By Christine Sotelo Chief of CA ELAP The California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) is on a path of improvement, and we are honored to be working collaboratively with CWEA and its members on this journey. Five years ago, the State Water Resources Control Board inherited...

Coverage of new ELAP regulations supported by LabWorks, waterLIMS™ By David Kimbrough Pasadena Water & Power A hundred years ago, there had been a major revolution in public health. Fatalities from waterborne diseases such as typhoid and cholera were plummeting. Chlorinated water was being delivered via pressurized pipes to houses with in-door plumbing at very...

Coverage of new ELAP regulations supported by LabWorks, waterLIMS™ By Stephen Clark Past-Chair, SWRCB ELTA Committee After the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) was moved from the California Department of Public Health to the State Water Board, the Environmental Laboratory Technical Advisory Committee (ELTAC) was re-formulated. Updated bylaws required ELTAC to be comprised of ELAP’s...

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Coverage of new ELAP regulations supported by LabWorks, waterLIMS™ Notice of proposed rule-making from the State Water Board, Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program office… NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) proposes to amend, adopt, or repeal the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) regulations described below after considering all...

Now it’s official – No Drugs Down the Drain and We Mean All Drugs Effective August 21, 2019 the EPA has now banned healthcare facilities from flushing (“sewering”) any and all drugs including the hazardous waste drugs previously on on a flush list for healthcare providers. Finally! EPA’s website with details on the new no-flush...

Released this month by AWWA, click here for AWWA’s PFAS website… AWWA Briefing on PFAS PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are persistent synthetic compounds used in a variety of industrial and consumer product applications including non-stick cookware and firefighting foams. The presence of PFAS compounds in source water and drinking water is of increasing...

PFAS compounds are contained in dozens of common household products, in the dust we breathe, and in the blood of nearly every person in America. There are over 3,000 varieties of PFAS that have been created, with about 75 of these used in commercial applications; very little is known about most of them. What is...

The State Water Resources Control Board approved an ambitious, long-term plan to address the buildup of salt and nitrates in Central Valley groundwater basins and surface water, and ensure delivery of clean drinking water to disadvantaged communities impacted by nitrates until impaired aquifers are restored. Approved after more than 13 years in development by stakeholders...

Update 10/15/19: The LA Times used the State’s date and released an on-line PFOS/PFOA map detailing wells with the compounds at parts per trillion. Now Available Through Web-based Maps Comprehensive Assessment to Continue with Updated Data The State Water Resources Control Board posted the first results of testing for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid...

This article originally appeared as a Best Best & Krieger LLP Legal Alert. Reprinted with permission. By Lowry A. Crook and Shawn D. Hagerty Best Best & Krieger LLP Concerns about rising health risks from a group of chemicals called PFAS in water supplies are spurring responses from both federal and state lawmakers, regulators and...

The State Water Resources Control Board announced updated guidelines for local water agencies to follow in detecting and reporting the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking water.  The Board also announced it has begun the process of establishing regulatory standards for these chemicals. The updated guidelines are part of the...

The family of chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, also known as PFAS and PFOA, continues to be a hot topic of growing concern at the state and federal level. The substances have been used in a variety of manufacturing industries around the globe, including food packaging and commercial household products. There is...

Many wipes marketed as flushable are an increasing problem for property owners, sewer systems and ratepayers, AB 1672 seeks to require proper labeling The California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) sponsored Assembly Bill 1672 to require proper labeling of wipe products. The Mammoth Community Water District (District) supports AB 1672 and CASA’s efforts to minimize...

Upcoming State requirements will affect all water laboratories in California. Mammoth Community Water District (MCWD) laboratory staff are prepared for the changes and will serve as leaders in the industry. At the MCWD Laboratory, from left to right Bruce Medhurst, Sharon Dehmlow, Christine Sotelo, Diane Anderson and Blair Hafner The Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP)...

A press release from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Board… Ten public agencies suspected of discharging human fecal waste into the Lower San Diego River and its tributaries today were ordered to investigate and identify the sources of the harmful material and report the extent of their involvement to the San Diego Water Board....

By Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director National Stewardship Action Council This bill is currently on the suspense file of the California State Assembly, and we will find out TOMORROW whether it moves forward to the Assembly Floor for a full vote by May 31.  The opposition is lobbying hard against this simple yet important bill and...

From the San Francisco Bay RWQCB Region 2…. The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board updated its regulations on nutrient discharges into the San Francisco Bay watershed on Wednesday to protect the watershed from harmful effects of discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants and other sources. Although San Francisco Bay is not impaired...

On February 19, 2019, the US Supreme Court announced that it will review the question of whether the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires a permit when pollutants originate from a point source but are conveyed to navigable waters by a nonpoint source, such as groundwater. There have been conflicting decisions in several federal circuit courts...

This is a friendly reminder that the Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) is conducting a survey of sewer rates and connection (capacity) fees for Calendar Year 2018. The survey information assists us with providing communities with financing to address water quality problems throughout California and also benefits communities to better serve their constituents. In order...

Join CWEA’s sessions on cannabis cultivation and wastewater pretreatment standards at the P3S19 Conference, Feb 11-13, and AC19, April 9-12 in Palm Springs. There will be a cannabis cultivation tour at AC19. Press release from the State Water Board… The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) fine-tuned its pioneering cannabis cultivation policy Tuesday...

In response to requests from Stakeholders and the laboratory community, California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program has extended the comment submittal date for the Third Preliminary Draft Regulations to February 8, 2019. For comment submittal instructions, please view ELAP’s Regulation Homepage.

Coverage of new ELAP regulations supported by LabWorks, waterLIMS™ This is a message from the State Water Resources Control Board. The Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) has released a third preliminary draft of the proposed regulations amendment text (Third Preliminary Draft Regulations text). The third draft was developed in collaboration with stakeholders with suggested changes...

State Water Board press release… Key Details Policy for Water Quality Control for Recycled Water was first drafted in 2009 and amended in 2013 Recycled water is water that is deemed suitable for a beneficial use after treatment An expert advisory panel made recommendations for monitoring constituents of emerging concern that were incorporated into the Policy One...

We’re proud to bring together a group of TNI experts from across the country to provide in-depth TNI standards training. CWEA laboratory members requested the topics and we delivered! We can enjoy great training, networking and some fun in beautiful Monterey together. Get to the Embassy Suites Monday afternoon and join the free Party with...

This post sponsored by ehs. Each year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announces its Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations. OSHA’s Top  10 Most Cited for Fiscal Year 2018 Download the Safety Tailgates PDF from ehs at http://www.ehsinc.org/Free.html

The Environmental Laboratory Technical Advisory Committee (ELTAC) will meet on November 13, 2018 at two locations: California Environmental Protection Agency Building 1001 I Street, Klamath Room Sacramento, CA 95814 And Metropolitan Water District of Southern California 700 North Alameda Street, Room 2-145 Los Angeles, CA 90012 Both locations are open to the public and the meeting will also...

The State Water Board will hold public hearings to receive oral comments regarding proposed updates to the: (1) Cannabis Policy; and (2) Cannabis Cultivation General Order. The State Water Board may adopt each of these items after their respective hearings. If the updates to the Cannabis Policy are adopted, it will be sent to the...

The Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) announced that it is partnering with OpenGov– the leading Budgeting and Performance company powering more effective and accountable government – to introduce a new site that offers insight into SAM’s finances. “SAM is committed to ensuring that finances are understandable by the Board, member agencies, and the public. As part...

The draft Establishment of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California; and draft Toxicity Provisions, and the Draft Staff Report, including the Draft Substitute Environmental Documentation, for the Toxicity Provisions are now available. The documents can be found at the State Water Boards’ Statewide Toxicity Provisions Website...

This content is available only for CWEA members. Click here to login. LASAN’s Industrial Waste Management Division (IWMD) has developed inspection forms to be used during routine inspections. The 6Ps model serves as a navigational tool for IWMD inspectors and stands for Products, Processes, Pollutants, Pretreatment System (PTS), Parameters, and Plan of the Shop. An...

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will receive public comments on the proposed Establishment of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California; and Toxicity Provisions (hereafter Toxicity Provisions) and the Draft Staff Report, including the Draft Substitute Environmental Documentation,...

Coverage of new ELAP regulations supported by LabWorks, waterLIMS™ CWEA together with five other clean water associations, known as the Summit Partners, are calling on the State Water Board to offer two options for laboratory accreditation. We would like to see both TNI and State accreditation options. The reason? TNI accreditation only will raise the...

By Alexandra Chrystal Babcock Laboratories Last week, drinking water fixtures at Grant Union High School in Sacramento were shut off after elevated levels of lead and copper were found in the water. Grant Union High School is not the first school to experience risky lead levels in its drinking water; it is merely the most...

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us for Wednesday’s August 22nd lab webinar. Sorry we had some tech problems. We’re new to the Zoom system and working out the bugs. Thank you Lab Committee Chair Sara Burke for hosting and Keith and Stephen for presenting! Here are the follow-up items as we promised:...

On May 31, 2018, Governor Brown signed two bills which build on the ongoing efforts to “make water conservation a California way of life.” SB 606 (Hertzberg) and AB 1668 (Friedman) reflect the dedicated work of many water suppliers, environmental organizations, and members of the Legislature. SB 606 and AB 1668 emphasize efficiency and stretching...

This is a message from the State Water Resources Control Board. The State Water Board, Division of Financial Assistance, Senior Cultural Resources Officer wants to remind you not to reveal locations and records of Native American archaeological sites, burial sites, and sacred sites to the public if you encounter them during your project planning and...

Support for coverage of safety issues in provided by ehs The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is providing Notice of a 45-Day Public Comment Period of proposed code changes to California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Division 4, Chapter 1, related to California Underground Facilities Safe Excavation Board Fees. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking...

“We don’t know what we don’t know,” is the way Riverside Senior Environmental Compliance inspector Michael Placencia describes the situation wastewater treatment agencies may soon face as cannabis-related discharges start showing up in their collection systems.   In his city, the commercial cultivation and production of cannabis aren’t allowed, but that doesn’t keep him from thinking about the...

On April 24th, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt signed a proposed rule that would bar studies to be used in the development of federal environmental regulations if data is not publicly available. This includes epidemiological studies, which use private medical information that researchers are required to keep confidential. Pruitt made an announcement...

The EPA announced a new rulemaking process surrounding the use of “blending” by wastewater treatment plants. Blending is used to manage high flow events at wastewater treatment plants while maintaining compliance. EPA announced their intent in this new process is to provide regulatory clarity and certainty with respect to the use of blending. Their goal...

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is sponsoring SB 966 that requires the State Water Resources Control Board to establish regulations for risk-based water quality standards for onsite non-potable water systems in multi-family residential, commercial, and mixed-use buildings. See factsheet for more information. The bill has been referred to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and...

The State Water Resource Control Board has released the draft final report Monitoring Strategies for Constituents of Emerging Concern (CECs) in Recycled Water.  The deadline for submitting comments on the draft report is Friday, March 2 at 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time.  Please see below for additional information: The draft final report updating monitoring recommendations by...

Coverage of biosolids and co-digestion supported by Anaergia These estimates were developed by contacting some of the largest agencies in the state, plus one medium sized plant, which collectively represent 35% of wastewater flow in the state. Using data on volume of digester capacity and current Mean Cell Residence Time (MCRT) in anaerobic digestion, flow...

This is a sponsored post from ehs International, Inc. The Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) has partnered with ehs International, Inc. (ehsInc) and Aramsco-Interlink (Aramsco). The goal of this partnership between three leaders of their respective industries is to provide client companies and future members with the best in indoor air quality safety standards while also lowering costs. In both...

If sewage smells pretty much the same everywhere else, would it be safe to say that the resulting odors are caused by the same chemical compounds? That is the general premise of this article. If true, this can greatly simplify the odor control at your agency. All Sewage is Created Equal This premise applies not...

The National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems released a new set of resources for developing and implementing regulations for water systems that collect, treat, and reuse non-potable water within a building or at the local scale. The success of onsite non-potable water systems (ONWS) depends on strong collaboration between water and wastewater utilities and...

  In recent year’s the State Water Board’s Office of Operator Certification (OOC) has built a financial budget surplus from the collection of wastewater operator certification fees. The OOC has now taken steps to reduce certification exam and renewal fees so their financial surplus will be eliminated over the next 5 years. On November 16th...

This post originally appeared on UC Berkeley’s Legal Planet blog. Of Dreamliners and Drinking Water By Michael Kiparsky and Christian Binz As we have written previously, potable water reuse (recycling water to augment water supplies) is a promising way to diversify urban water supply portfolios. Direct potable water reuse (DPR), the injection of highly purified...

INTRODUCTION: A subcommittee of the Orange County Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) Collection Systems Steering Committee (Committee) was formed to look at the current Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) program being implemented in central and northern (Northern) Orange County. The current FOG program is over ten years old and has continued to be improved over that...

During the Legislature’s 2017 session several new California laws were passed that will impact water systems. The Governor has now signed each into law. AB 967  Biocreamation Facilities Bill – this law becomes effective January 1, 2018. Wastewater districts will have the legal authority to accept or reject liquid cremation of human remains from licensed...

The State Water Board is about to approve a new regulatory testing procedure on Toxicity. We spoke with Adam Link, Director of Government Affairs for the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), Steve Jepsen, Executive Director of Southern California Alliance of Publicly Owned Treatment Works (SCAP) and Lorien Fono, Regulatory Program Manager, Bay Area Clean Water Agencies...

Support for coverage of safety issues in provided by ehs Article provided by the CWEA Safety Committee By Michael S. Estep Confined Space work is inherently dangerous. There is nothing normal or routine about confined space work. It has many dangers that are often unseen and hidden. Often this work is approached in a very relaxed...

Whether you’re selecting a school, a medical professional or a testing laboratory, one of the key factors to consider is always: “Are they accredited?” When dealing with the protection of public health and the environment, accreditation is critical. The Orange County Sanitation District’s (OCSD) Laboratory has always been accredited by the State, but now they...

By Jennifer Kazy, WaterISAC This month marks the 14th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM, #CyberAware Month), a program co-founded by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The theme for National Cyber Security Awareness Month is Our Shared Responsibility. This theme centers on one of the most...

Support for coverage of safety issues in provided by ehs By Laura Gantt, OHST, Senior Consultant, Safety Compliance Management (SCM) Article submitted on behalf of the CWEA Safety Committee While the title of this article suggests it is about driving, it really isn’t. It is about safety. And it is not about driving safety either, even...

Coverage of new ELAP regulations supported by LabWorks, waterLIMS™ CWEA submitted the following letter on the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) Preliminary Draft Regulations. ELAP comment letter: Submitted via electronic mail: [email protected] Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) Preliminary Draft Regulations Comments P.O. Box 100 Sacramento, CA 95814 Subject: ELAP Preliminary Draft Regulations Comments The California Water...

From State Water Resources Control Board Former Federal Official Eileen Sobeck Brings 40 Years of Government Experience The State Water Resources Control Board has named Eileen Sobeck as its next Executive Director. She replaces Tom Howard, who retired in May 2017. After reviewing a wealth of qualified applicants, the State Water Board selected Sobeck due...