The United States Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new standard for certain forms of PFAS in drinking water and another rulemaking to designate PFAS chemicals as a hazardous substance under the Superfund law. Recent litigation has resulted in more than $13 billion in settlements for public water providers with PFAS Manufacturers, 3M and
The Mayors Water Council convened in Washington D.C. during USCM's 92nd Winter Meeting on January 17, 2024. You can access the Information Packet as well as the PowerPoint presentations that were given at the meeting below. What a Mayor Needs to Know — LCRI PFAS BriefingPFAS and EPA's UCMR DataLCRI ProposalUSCM Information Packet
The Mayors Water Council met in Ontario, California in October 2022. You can access the Information Packet as well as the Powerpoint presentations that were given at the meeting below. Opportunities for the Water, Energy, Waste Nexus SCAG’s Water Action Resolution Local Spending on Municipal Water and Sewer How Public Private Partnerships (P3) Can
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been moving forward with new and upcoming policies intended to protect public health and the environment, and they will likely impact municipal services like drinking and wastewater utilities, clean air regulations and solid waste management. EPA has a long list of new rules and policies. These EPA
The United States Conference of Mayors Water Council tracks aggregate public expenditures and revenues of local water and sewer systems and the latest Census data reported for 2020 estimates local spending at $144.6 billion. This is not only an all-time annual high in spending but also demonstrates higher than expected infrastructure investment in the first
The Council is actively engaged in monitoring and responding to federal regulatory proposals affecting the delivery of municipal water services. View our letters below on a wide range of water and wastewater issues impacting local governments. Federalism Comments: WOTUS, June 2025Perchlorate in Drinking Water - Federalism, March 2025 Microbial and Disinfections Byproducts Rules
An analysis of recently released 2018 Census estimates of local government spending for municipal water and sewer utilities indicates an historic high annual investment of $130 billion. 2018 spending continued the decade-long slow growth at 3.6% compared to a long-term average annual growth of 4.4%. Revenues grew 6%, exceeding the long-term average of 5.5%. Cumulative
What Happened: The United States Conference of Mayors just released research findings indicating the Great Recession (December 2007-June 2009) caused municipal water and sewer utilities to pare budgets, shift resources to continue service for public health protection, and ultimately stifle up to $105 billion in utility infrastructure investment over more than a decade. Utilities
A review of city utility spending in the pre- and post-Great Recession sheds light on what happens when national economic disruptions occur. This information might be helpful in anticipating impacts from the covid-19 recession. The Great Recession impacted utilities forcing them to tighten budgets in anticipation of high unemployment rates and reduced or lost revenues.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of finalizing potential changes to the way they calculate and determine how much your city and citizens will be required to spend to comply with Clean Water Act (CWA) obligations that are legally enforceable. EPA was directed by Congress to review and consider revising the
New Census Estimates Reveal Local Governments Invested a Record $125.5 Billion in Municipal Water and Sewer Infrastructure and Services in 2017 Washington, DC – Local government invested a record $125.5 billion in municipal water and sewer systems in 2017 according to the latest estimates released by the U.S. Census. The data demonstrates that local governments
Testifying on behalf of the Conference of Mayors, Spokane Mayor David Condon spoke about the importance of Wastewater Infrastructure funding and regulatory flexibility and described Spokane's experience with complying with the Clean Water Act. Condon (center) testified on March 7, 2019 before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment and
Cities Facing Costly Clean Water Act Mandates Can Use New Tool - May Bring Financial Relief! Congress passed the Integrated Planning bill in late 2018 legislative action; and, it potentially will have a direct financial impact on nearly every person who uses tap water, toilets, showers and other uses that end up in the sewer and wastewater treatment
Long-term infrastructure investment commitment to clean water and sewer/stormwater management tops $1.99 Trillion from 1993 to 2016 By Rich Anderson Public spending on water and sewer/stormwater management continues to set new nominal dollar highs according to recently released local government Census data for 2016. Overall there was a 4 percent increase in spending from 2015
WRDA Support Letter View Bill Section-by-Section
The parade of natural disasters in 2017, once again, proved that cities, with their expanding infrastructure and growing populations, continue to be vulnerable to acute impacts from drought, earthquakes, flooding, land subsidence, coastal hazards, and wildfire. Separately, any one of these natural forces can have a devastating impact on life, private property, city infrastructure, and
What investments will be needed to rebuild our national water and sewer infrastructure and provide services to a growing and shifting population and an expanding economy? By Richard F. Anderson, Ph.D. Introduction Will a new national infrastructure policy help or hurt city water and sewer services? What is the role of the Federal Government in
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg testified on behalf of The US Conference of Mayors and Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree testified on behalf of the National League of Cities before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, on the high costs of Clean Water Act (CWA) mandates and the need to
The Mayors Water Council convened their spring 2017 meeting in Santa Barbara, hosted by Mayor Helene Schneider on April 13-14, 2017. Mayor and Water Council Co-Chair Jill Techel led a diverse group of mayors, local and state elected officials and their representatives, staff from regional water control districts and national experts from industry in
Conference of Mayors Brownfields Chair Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray and Rialto (CA) Mayor Deborah Robertson testified on March 28, regarding Conference of Mayors environmental priorities. Mayors Bollwage and Robertson testified on reauthorizing the brownfields law on the House side while Mayor Gray encouraged the Senate to pass new legislation that
