Office of 

Wastewater

Management 2020

Annual 

Report
1

WHO WE ARE

The Office of Wastewater Management 

(OWM) is part fo 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.

WHAT WE DO

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.

At the start of each year, we make plans for what we’d like to accomplish. For 

OWM, like every year, we set ambitious goals. When the COVID-19 pandemic 

took hold, I wondered how it would affect our work and productivity. I can 

say, with immense pride, that OWM accomplished all that we set out to 

achieve and more. 

OWM quickly adapted to full-time telework, maintaining or increasing its 

productivity. Many in OWM took on additional responsibilities to support the agency’s response to 

the pandemic, such as our important work with water utilities and wastewater-based epidemiology. All 

the while, many of you saw major changes to their workload at home. 

I am humbled by all that we have achieved in FY 2020. I commend the flexibility and perseverance 

of the OWM team. In the face of a global pandemic and persistent uncertainty, we kept going. We 

continued to serve our country and do our part to help protect human health and the environment. 

I extend my gratitude to each and every member of the OWM team. And I look forward to a time 

when we see each other again. Until then, keep up the good work.

Message from the 

Director
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

03

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.

09

TOOLS

Promoting best practices, technical assistance, guidance, and 

training to help states, industries, and communities make 

informed decisions about managing water resources.

13

PERMITS

Protecting water quality under the Clean Water Act through 

permits, rules, and oversight to control water pollution. OWM 

regulations are developed with extensive input from stakeholders, 

industry, and the public.

14

PARTNERSHIPS

Collaborating with stakeholders to encourage innovation and 

supplement regulatory programs with voluntary initiatives to 

protect water quality and quantity.
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Funding

Water Infrastructure and 

Innovation Act Program

WIFIA Loan Closings 

In FY 2020, the Water Infrastructure Finance 

and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program closed 22 

transactions totaling over $3.2 billion in loans to 

help finance over $6.6 billion for water infrastructure 

projects across the country. FY 2020 WIFIA borrowers 

represent 10 states including Virginia, Utah, 

Wisconsin, Kansas, New York, and Tennessee. In 

total, these borrowers will save more than $1.2 billion 

(compared to typical market financing) and create 

approximately 15,000 jobs.

WIFIA Notice of Funding Availability 

In July 2020, EPA announced the availability of 

financing for $5 billion in WIFIA loans in its fourth 

selection round and $1 billion in State infrastructure 

financing authority WIFIA (SWIFIA) loans for the 

first time. This new program, which was authorized 

by Congress as part of the America’s Water 

Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018, offers low-interest 

loans to State infrastructure financing authorities 

(e.g., the State Revolving Funds) that then help 

finance needed 

water infrastructure 

projects in local 

communities. The 

WIFIA program 

solicited letters of 

interest from utilities, governmental entities, State 

Revolving Fund (SRF) programs, partnerships, and 

private corporations to finance water infrastructure 

projects expected to cost at least $20 million or $5 

million for small communities (serving 25,000 or 

less people). It also named four priorities for the FY 

2020 selection round: (1) readiness to proceed; (2) 

provide for clean and safe drinking water, including 

reducing exposure to lead and addressing emerging 

contaminants; (3) repair, rehabilitate, and replace 

aging infrastructure and conveyance systems; and 

(4) water reuse and recycling. In fall 2020, the 

WIFIA program received 70 letters of interest that 

requested $9.9 billion in loans from prospective 

borrowers for water infrastructure projects in 25 

states. 

WIFIA Webinars 

From May 2020 to September 2020, 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 

almost 900 participants for the 5 webinars given 

during this time. 

New Initiatives

EPA is quickly adapting to new situations, like 

the pandemic and associated economic impact. 

For example, during the early months of 2020, 

EPA began allowing WIFIA borrowers—who had 

closed on loans but not yet requested for first 

draw—to reduce their interest rates through loan 

re-executions. The first borrower that received an 

interest rate reduction, San Francisco Public Utilities 

Commission, saved an additional $432 million. 

In addition, the WIFIA program introduced the 

master agreement, an umbrella contract between 

EPA and a borrower, providing an up-front 

commitment of loan proceeds and a common set 
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of legal and financial terms under which a borrower 

can close multiple WIFIA loans over time. The master 

agreement facilitates financing multiple projects 

over an extended time period and ensures access to 

timely low-cost capital. Hampton Road Sanitation 

District and the City of Atlanta executed master 

agreements in FY 2020.

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 

continue to provide 

tremendous cost 

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 2020 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 two surveys and one focus group were 

conducted. Fourteen 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. In FY 2020, the CWSRF 

program also provided technical assistance to the 

Arizona CWSRF to develop a marketing plan for its 

program. 

PISCES 

Recognition 

Program

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 five 

of these projects will be 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 

2020, the program shifted to a virtual format and 

held training sessions for approximately 60 state 

staff from Region 3 and 10. The training sessions 

included discussions on fund management, program 

marketing, and federal requirements. A virtual annual 

review training session was held for regional staff to 

ensure consistency among regions while providing 

federal oversight of the program.

American Iron and Steel

In 2020, EPA continued its implementation of the 

American Iron and Steel (AIS) requirements. The AIS 

program completed 27 in-person and virtual site 

visits to active CWSRF construction projects across 

four states. The site visits provide an opportunity for 

outreach with those involved with CWSRF projects. 

EPA conducted 14 trainings for states and other 

stakeholders, explaining how the AIS requirements 

apply to SRF projects and outline the responsibilities 

of each. This effort included new Lunch and Learn 
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Water Infrastructure and 

Resiliency Finance Center

Water Utilities Financial Impact Tool

In July 2020, EPA released a new tool to help water 

utilities assess the financial impact of COVID-19 

on operations. Throughout the COVID-19 national 

health emergency—and as communities across the 

country reopened—water utilities reliably provided 

safe drinking water and critical wastewater services. 

This tool helps provide important information 

about the financial and operational health of water 

utilities which play an integral role in protecting 

human health and the environment for our nation. 

The Water Utility COVID-19 Financial Impact Tool 

leads water utilities through questions that can 

determine how their revenues, expenses, and 

cashflow have been affected. This tool helps water 

utilities understand their financial health as they plan 

for ongoing operation and maintenance and capital 

infrastructure needs, including implementing plans to 

repair, replace, and modernize aging infrastructure.

Proposed 2020 Financial Capability 

Assessment

On September 18, 2020, EPA issued a Federal 

Register Notice (FRN) announcing its proposed 2020 

Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) for Clean 

Water Act (CWA) schedule development. The 2020 

FCA proposal explores how customers’ ability to 

pay for service impacts the affordability of capital 

expenditures and operation and maintenance 

trainings with six short presentations focusing on 

specific aspects of the AIS requirement.

While the vast majority of the country’s water 

infrastructure projects use iron and steel made in 

America, when domestic sources are not available 

EPA thoroughly evaluates submitted project-specific 

waiver requests. In 2020, EPA received and processed 

29 CWSRF project-specific waiver requests, of 

which 17 were approved, 6 were withdrawn or not 

approved, and 6 are currently being processed.

Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse 

Municipal Grants Program

With its recent reauthorization and first 

appropriation, the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater 

Reuse Municipal Grants Program 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 2020 OWM reviewed 

and analyzed various datasets and developed an 

allocation formula that provided proportional shares 

of the appropriation for each state and territorial 

entity based on their infrastructure needs for CSOs, 

SSOs, and stormwater management. 

Clean Watersheds Needs Survey

The Clean Watersheds Need Survey (CWNS) 

estimates the nation’s wastewater infrastructure 

capital needs. In FY 2020, OWM collaborated with 

state partners to plan and design the next Survey, 

which has not been conducted since 2012.In addition 

to the standard need categories (which include 

secondary and advanced treatment, conveyance, 

and CSO correction), OWM and state partners 

identified stormwater, nonpoint source, and 

decentralized needs as high priority for the survey 

and are committed to developing tools to help small 

communities estimate their needs. A new data entry 

portal that integrates with existing EPA databases 

is under development and will provide a faster 

and easier user experience. This effort will bring a 

renewed focus to nonpoint source categories and will 

lay the groundwork for more nimble data collection 

in future surveys. 
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financial assistance from the EPA and others federal 

agencies, to facilitate the backhaul and proper 

disposal or recycling of hazardous household 

wastes from remote Alaska communities. EFAB 

concluded that the challenges posed by the 

Backhaul Alaska program are indicative of issues 

that face other small, rural communities who—

because of low or declining population levels and/

or socio-economic conditions—are unable to pay 

for critical environmental services. The advisory 

letter recommends that EPA and the State of Alaska 

identify additional grant funds to support the startup of Backhaul Alaska over the first few years of 

operations until another long-term sustainable 

funding source is developed.

EFAB Public Meetings and Webinars

EFAB held a public meeting on October 17-

18, 2019 in Kansas City, MO. EFAB discussed 

recommendations from EFAB work products, changes 

to the EFAB’s process of selecting new topics and 

developing recommendations, and stormwater 

funding and financing.

On January 30, 2020, a webinar for EFAB members 

provided a briefing on the Backhaul Alaska program 

in preparation for a consultation on the program 

held at the February 2020 public meeting. 

EFAB also held a public meeting on February 11-

13, 2020 in Washington, D.C. EFAB approved the 

draft report from the Stormwater Infrastructure 

Finance Task Force Workgroup. The EFAB also 

received briefings from EPA program offices on small 

community resilience considerations and engaged in 

a consultation with representatives from EPA Region 

10 on the Backhaul Alaska program. Regarding 

future projects, the EFAB agreed to provide advice 

to EPA on how the agency can engage effectively in 

Opportunity Zones.

EFAB Membership

On August 5, 2020, EPA announced selection of 33 

members to the EFAB. EPA welcomed 19 new and 13 

returning members along with the incumbent Chair. 

Following the agency’s request for nominations in 

November 2019, EPA selected members for two- or 

three-year terms from a pool of more than 60 highly 

qualified candidates. The Chair and members are 

drawn from all EPA regions and hail from 18 states. 

needed to ensure CWA compliance. This guidance 

is used to evaluate the financial capability of a 

community when developing a schedule (i.e., plan) 

for the water infrastructure improvements. EPA’s 

proposed FCA 2020 guidance includes new metrics 

to inform a community’s implementation schedule, 

including indicators that more accurately reflect 

how much low-income communities can afford 

to pay for water infrastructure upgrades. When 

finalized, the updated FCA will support negotiations 

of schedules for implementing CWA requirements 

for municipalities and local authorities. EPA hosted 

a webinar on September 22, 2020 to provide an 

overview of the proposed 2020 FCA. 538 people 

attended this informational webinar.

EFAB Charter Renewal

The Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) 

renewal charter was filed with Congress on April 17, 

2020, renewing EFAB for another two years. The EFAB 

is a discretionary advisory committee that the agency 

established approximately 30 years ago to provide 

advice on ways to lower the costs of and increase 

investments in environmental and public health 

protection.

EFAB Report EPA Response Letters

EPA provided response letters to EFAB for six EFAB 

reports in FY 2020:

• Revenue Options for a Waste Backhaul Service 

Program in Rural Alaska (response letter: January 

2020)

• Funding for Pre-Disaster Resiliency (response 

letter: February 2020)

• A Decision-Maker’s Guide to Alternative Service 

Delivery Options for Public Utility Projects 

(response letter: February 2020)

• Funding Strategies to Promote System 

Regionalization (response letter: February 2020)

• Consultation on Financing and Governance 

Options for the Backhaul Alaska Program 

(response letter: April 2020)

• Evaluating Stormwater Infrastructure Funding and 

Financing (response letter: July 2020)

EFAB Advisory Letter

An EFAB advisory letter, Consultation on Financing 

and Governance Options for the Backhaul Alaska 

Program, was submitted to the Administrator in 

April 2020. Backhaul Alaska is a cooperative effort, 

led by the Solid Waste Alaska Task Force with 
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Water Finance Clearinghouse

EPA continues work on the Water Finance 

Clearinghouse to ensure the database best meets 

users’ needs and remains a reliable resource 

for information. In FY 2020, 107 funds and 61 

resources entries were added. The administration 

team reviewed and approved 1,151 suggestions 

to add new entries and update existing data. The 

Clearinghouse has 282 general users and 135 

contributors—a gain of 9 contributors and 23 general 

users in FY 2020. In June 2020, the Clearinghouse 

also underwent a data gap analysis, ensuring that 

each state has at least 12 individual data entries. The 

Clearinghouse received 17,716 visits for FY 2020.

Environmental Finance Center Grants

In FY 2020, EPA provided $60,000 in funding to each 

of the 10 Environmental Finance Centers (EFCs). This 

core funding will be used to support regional-based 

projects. Since 2000, these grants have been awarded 

annually. The grants support basic EFC operations 

and project work topics including 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.

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. 

EPA provided approximately $223 million in Section 

106 funding to prevent and control water pollution in 

FY 2020. 

EFAB Stormwater Task Force 

Workgroup Meeting and 

Teleconferences

The EFAB Stormwater Task Force Workgroup held a 

meeting on October 16, 2019 in Kansas City, MO in 

advance of the EFAB Meeting. Task Force members 

discussed draft sections of the report, brainstormed 

potential recommendations and laid out a process to 

restructure the report. On December 4 and 18, 2019, 

the Workgroup held conference calls to continue 

development of its report on the availability of public 

and private sources of funding for the construction, 

rehabilitation, and operation and maintenance of 

stormwater infrastructure. 

EFAB Report: Evaluating Stormwater 

Infrastructure Funding and Financing

On March 30, 2020, EFAB transmitted its report, 

Evaluating Stormwater Infrastructure Funding and 

Financing. The report was developed by the EFAB 

Stormwater Task Force Workgroup in response 

to Section 4101 of the 2018 America’s Water 

Infrastructure Act (AWIA). The workgroup concluded 

current stormwater funding mechanisms and public 

education initiatives are not sufficient to confront 

the significant needs across the nation. Federal 

investment is required to address the lack of state 

and local funding and to improve multi-jurisdictional 

stormwater management. Programs and investments 

similar to those supporting the drinking water and 

wastewater sectors are needed for the stormwater 

sector to close the funding gap. The workgroup 

provided recommendations in two categories: 

(1) allocating new federal funding for stormwater 

infrastructure and management; and (2) funding to 

support education and technical assistance to elected 

officials and the public on the importance of creating 

sustainable, local sources of funding for stormwater 

management.

Stormwater Financing Stakeholder 

Listening Sessions

In FY 2020, the Water Infrastructure Finance 

Center (WIRFC) continued a series of stormwater 

finance workshops throughout the country. This 

includes events in Alexandria, VA (October 1; with 

61 attendees), Atlanta, GA (October 3; with 33 

attendees), and Seattle, WA (October 10, with 56 

attendees).
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Grants & Underserved 

Communities’ Infrastructure

Technical Assistance Grants for Small, 

Rural and Tribal Wastewater Systems 

In FY 2020, Congress provided funding for the first 

time for EPA to award $12 million for training and 

technical assistance for wastewater treatment works. 

These funds will be used to support small, rural, 

and tribal wastewater communities. OWM expects 

to distribute the funds using between one and four 

awards. The grant project period is 18 months.

Small and Rural Community Technical 

Assistance Grants 

In FY 2020, EPA awarded a grant of $1 million of 

FY 2019 funds to the Rural Community Assistance 

Partnership (RCAP). RCAP will provide technical 

assistance to small and rural communities for 

managing their wastewater and decentralized 

treatment systems. The grant project period is 18 

months.

RCAP is also managing a $2.2 million grant from 

prior years’ funding to provide technical assistance 

to small wastewater treatment and decentralized 

treatment systems. RCAP has completed work in 

47 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

In addition, RCAP conducted three webinars that 

targeted a national audience and were well attended. 

RCAP has worked on a total of 99 projects, 87 being 

publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and 12 

onsite/decentralized systems. RCAP has held 76 

trainings, 67 for POTW systems, and 9 for onsite/

decentralized systems. 

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 2020, EPA received $31.471 million for 

the CWA Title II Construction Grants Program, which 

was allocated to these jurisdictions. This funding 

State and Interstate Water Pollution 

Control Grants 

In FY 2020, EPA provided $180 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 basinwide 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. 

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. In FY 2020, OWM formed 

a workgroup to develop recommendations for 

the revision of the 2007 Final Guidance on Awards 

of Grants to Indian Tribes under Section 106 of 

the CWA. Of the 565 federally recognized tribes, 

approximately 330 meet the criteria to receive 

Section 106 funding, and 276 of these tribes were 

eligible to receive grants totaling approximately 

$25.6 million in FY 2020. 

State and Tribal Water Monitoring 

Initiative 

Using approximately $17 million, OWM and the 

Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds 

(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 2020, 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. 
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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.

Clean Water Indian Set Aside and 

Alaskan Native Villages Grant 

Programs 

In FY 2020, Congress provided $32,777,000 to the 

Clean Water Indian Set Aside (CWISA) program to 

provide grants to tribes for the planning, design 

and construction of wastewater infrastructure for 

tribal communities. OWM works closely with the 

Indian Health Service (IHS) to manage and distribute 

these funds, and in FY 2020 $2 million will be used 

for training and technical assistance activities. The 

FY 2020 CWISA funds are scheduled to be used 

for 41 projects that will aim to improve sanitation 

services to over 11,800 tribal homes. In FY 2020, 

Congress provided $29,186,000 to the Rural Alaskan 

and Native Villages (ANV) grant program for grants 

for drinking water and sanitation services in rural 

Alaska. Approximately 3,200 homes in 20 different 

communities are scheduled to benefit from these 

funds.

U.S.-Mexico Border Infrastructure 

Program

In FY 2020, Congress allocated $25,000,000 in the 

Agency’s State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) 

account to the United States-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 grant these funds 

to Regions 6 and 9 who ultimately award and 

administer these funds in close collaboration with 

the North American Development Bank (NADB). 

In FY 2020, around $8 million were disbursed for 

the successful completion of 4 projects positively 

impacting/benefiting close to 20,000 people in 

underserved communities.
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Tools

Water Workforce

Water Workforce Initiative 

OWM, along with the Office of Ground Water and 

Drinking Water, complet 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 Grant Program

OWM led the effort to develop the Request 

for Applications (RFA) for new workforce grant 

program authorized under 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 help 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; 

integrated learning laboratories in secondary 

educational institutions; leadership development; 

occupational training; mentoring; and cross-training. 

In FY 2020, Congress authorized $1 million in 

funding. 

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 a compendium of case studies 

describing 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 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 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. It is important that information to help 

utilities develop their own workforce programs is 

an essential part of OWM’s mission. In 2020 OWM 

conducted 4 national webinars, attracting over 

2,000 registrants, to highlight ways in which various 

organizations are implementing programs that can 

help utilities ensure a trained, motivated and diverse 

workforce.
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Decentralized Wastewater Workforce 

Activities 

Building off a national meeting focused on 

identifying solutions to increase workforce training 

and competency and advance decentralized 

wastewater education in community colleges and 

universities in FY 2019, the Decentralized Wastewater 

Workforce Steering Group put together a prioritized 

list of actions that could be implemented over 

time to help grow the decentralized workforce. Of 

those actions, the first two focused on information 

gathering and landscape evaluation.

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 

response to the COVID-19 pandemic, OWM trainers 

developed virtual, interactive courses as a substitute 

for many courses typically offered in person. 

Key NPDES courses in 2020 included the Guided 

Learning Permit Writers’ Course, several targeted and 

advanced trainings to build permit writers’ technical 

skills, as well as whole effluent toxicity, stormwater, 

and nutrients trainings. EPA hosted approximately 

15 NPDES-focused trainings and workshop in 2020, 

reaching over 3,000 participants. OWM envisions 

many of the virtual courses developed and deployed 

during 2020 will continue to play a key role in 

expanding much needed training capacity in the 

future. 

Pretreatment Program Training 

The Pretreatment Program is a key component of 

the NPDES Program which addresses the control of 

industrial discharges to POTWs. Approximately 1,500 

POTWs implement Pretreatment Programs through 

which industrial users are permitted. At other POTWs, 

states and EPA Regions oversee the industrial users. 

In late 2019, OWM restructured its training programs 

to provide annual introductory in-person trainings 

at three locations for new state and municipal staff. 

In addition, OWM developed an advanced course on 

how spreadsheets can assist localities in calculating 

allowable loadings to POTWs. As the pandemic 

curtailed in-person training, OWM transitioned to 

an interactive virtual format that also expanded to 

all Regions. For 2020, in-person courses were held 

in Baltimore, Maryland, and Richmond, Virginia, for 

approximately 200 people, and virtually for Region 

10 for approximately 250. OWM also supported EPA’s 

Office of Compliance by providing two webinars for 

small POTW operators on identifying, assessing, and 

controlling sources of wastewater whose discharges 

may interfere with POTW operations.

Green Infrastructure Webcasts

EPA’s green infrastructure webcast series features 

leading academics and professionals from around 

the country sharing expertise on a range of topics 

related to green infrastructure. In FY 2020, topics 

covered included practices and technologies for 

stormwater management; integrating water quality 

and natural hazard mitigation planning; resilient 

design assistance in the Mid-Atlantic; integrated 

planning; and the EPA 9th Campus RainWorks 

Challenge. Nearly 3,000 attendees tuned in to 

hear from industry experts and learn about the 

environmental, economic, and social benefits of 

green infrastructure practices.

State & Foundation Water Finance 

Partnerships Webinar

On June 23, 2020, EPA held a webinar about ways 

coordination between funding agencies is occurring 

in states across the country. The webinar also 

discussed opportunities for state-level agencies to 

partner with foundations on water infrastructure 

investments. Communities across the country range 

in abilities to successfully navigate financial options 

for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater 

infrastructure. These water sector investments can be 

crucial to supporting local jobs and protecting public 

health in the community. With public and private 

funds working together, critical funding gaps in the 

water sector can be addressed. 561 people registered 

for the webinar and there were 316 unique views 

while the webinar was broadcast.

Sustainable Financial Management 

Planning for Water Utilities Webinar

On June 15, 2020, EPA held a webinar on key themes 

and case studies from utilities around the country 

that are developing and implementing sustainable 

financing practices. This webinar provided examples 

and lessons other utilities can use as they begin 
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PQRs. State permitting programs may also find it 

helpful as they develop their small MS4 permits to 

understand in greater detail EPA’s interpretation of 

Remand Rule requirements. 

Combined Sewer Overflows Policy 

Initiative

In early FY 2020, OWM continued to engage 

stakeholders in discussions about EPA’s CSO Policy. 

Senior managers and staff along with EPA’s Office 

of Science and Technology (OST), OWM, Office of 

Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), 

Office of General Counsel (OGC), and four regional 

offices met with representatives from the Association 

of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA), National 

Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), and 

Water Environment Federation (WEF). The discussion 

identified strategic actions EPA can take to support 

states and CSO communities who are nearing 

completion of the construction phase of their 

long-term control plans in meeting water quality 

standards.

Combined Sewer Overflows Technical 

Support

In FY 2020, OWM continued its technical support for 

CSO communities through a series of webinars and 

began developing several technical support tools for 

CSO permit writers and permittees:

• Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) Review Checklist: 

an interactive spreadsheet for CSO permittees 

and NPDES authorities to review LTCP(s) for 

effectiveness and areas of possible improvement.

• CSO Model for Small Communities: a 

spreadsheet-based simple planning tool for small 

communities, with limited resources for advanced 

monitoring and modelling, to estimate any 

untreated CSO volume over a 24-hour period. 

• CSO Success Story Report: highlights the 

progress of the CSO program since the CSO 

Control Policy was published in 1994 (59 FR 

18688). Using available CSO data, the report will 

characterize the current and future annual CSO 

volume discharged and number of events and 

highlights other improvements made by CSO 

permittees.

• Utilizing Smart Data Tools and Technology 

to Support Effective Capacity Management 

Operation and Maintenance (CMOM) Document: 

helps permittees operate their collection systems 

and related infrastructures effectively by using 

or continue their own journeys toward fiscal 

sustainability. Water sector utilities across the nation 

face increasing financial challenges due to aging 

infrastructure, population changes, cost increases, 

and environmental challenges. To find solutions, 

utilities are looking for innovative approaches 

to ensure they build a sustainable foundation to 

prepare for the future. 655 people registered for the 

webinar and 378 unique views while the webinar was 

broadcast. The webinar recording and presentation 

are available online.

Technical Support & 

Assistance

Integrated Planning

Integrated planning allows communities to 

synchronize clean water infrastructure investments 

with broader community development goals and 

creates opportunities for affordable, multi-benefit 

investments that protect public health, and enhance 

resiliency. As congressionally mandated in the Water 

Infrastructure and Improvement Act (WIIA), EPA’s 

integrated planning framework offers a voluntary 

opportunity for a municipality to develop an 

integrated plan to meet multiple CWA requirements. 

In FY 2020, OWM laid groundwork for broad 

expansion of the planning process for communities 

across the country with an updated website with 

example plans and webinars. Through research for 

a Report to Congress, OWM found that over 100 

communities are considering or currently developing 

an integrated plan, 28 municipalities have completed 

an integrated plan, and thirteen of those have 

incorporated an integrated plan in a permit, consent 

decree or administrative order. The full Report to 

Congress is expected to be released in 2021. 

Small MS4 PQR Checklist

In March 2020, OWM updated the Permit Quality 

Review (PQR) Standard Checklist for Small Municipal 

Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permits. The 

revised checklist is a tool for reviewing permits 

to determine their consistency with the Phase II 

Stormwater rule modified by the MS4 General 

Permit Remand Rule that went into effect in January 

2017. The new checklist is intended for use by EPA 

permitting staff tasked with reviewing draft small 

MS4 permits (general or individual) or completing 
13

recently created tailored assistance compendiums to 

the Cities of Elyria, OH, Thief River Falls, MN, Gordon, 

GA, and Nezperce, ID upon the request of these 

cities.

Wastewater Treatment Technology 

and Research

In 2020, 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 and 

their Safe and Sustainable Water Resources research 

plan.

Virtual Environmental Finance Center 

Day

On June 4 and 11, 2020 WIRFC hosted virtual 

EFC Days for the agency. During the webinars, 

the EFCs presented on COVID-19 resources, GIS 

analysis, environmental finance modeling, regional 

collaboration, affordability during the pandemic, and 

developing and protecting the workforce.

EPA-State SNC National Compliance 

Initiative Symposium

On January 23, 2020, WIRFC presented at the EPAState SNC National Compliance Initiative Symposium 

in Dallas, Texas, on funding and financing options 

as well as technical assistance available to small and 

rural wastewater utilities. The symposium focuses 

on sharing information and best practices related 

to improving the rate of significant noncompliance 

(SNC) across authorized states and EPA direct 

implementation areas with particular focuses on the 

challenges associated with reducing SNC at small 

POTWs and other small systems, approaches for 

improving data quality and addressing completeness 

issues, and the roles of compliance assistance and 

enforcement in this initiative.

the real-time, or near real-time, advanced control 

technologies.

Technical Assistance for State 

Decentralized Programs 

In early FY 2020, EPA began to offer technical 

assistance to states on how to use the CWSRF for 

both nonpoint source projects and decentralized 

projects. This is a joint effort between OWM and 

OWOW. There was significant interest amongst 

the states. In FY 2020, technical assistance for 

decentralized support was awarded to the Alaska 

Department of Environmental Conservation and 

North Carolina Department of Health and Human 

Services, where both organizations are looking into 

funding mechanisms for decentralized projects and 

potential organizations to partner with in their state.

Community Assistance Compendiums

The 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. As part of the 

evolving nature of this assistance, the Center has 
14

Water Quality Trading on a Watershed 

Scale 

In 2019, EPA issued an updated memorandum on 

EPA’s water quality trading policy to modernize the 

Agency’s approach to market-based programs. The 

first principle identified in this memorandum is that 

“states, tribes, and stakeholders should consider 

implementing water quality trading and other 

market-based programs on a watershed scale.” In 

November 2020, OWM published a paper titled 

“Water Quality Trading on a Watershed Scale,” 

which describes three factors that water quality 

trading program managers may want to consider 

when evaluating the appropriate scale for a trading 

area, which include (1) watershed connectivity, (2) 

relevant regulatory and policy information, and (3) 

availability of data and modeling. In this paper, OWM 

recommended that boundaries for market-based 

programs, including water quality trading, be based 

on careful consideration of available and applicable 

geographic, water quality, hydrologic, and other 

data, as well as analyses that predict water quality 

improvements can be achieved within the target 

watershed.

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 has 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 2 more in 2020. In total, over 600 

persons from various utilities, mainly smaller and 

medium sized utilities, have benefitted from this 

training. In addition, OWM completed a major case 

study describing how Austin Water Utility in Texas 

has successfully used EUM to improve many facets of 

its operations. 

PFAS Interim Strategy 

In February 2020, EPA formed an interagency 

workgroup to develop an interim strategy to 

provide guidance on how to address potential PFAS 

discharges for EPA-issued NPDES permits while 

tools such as EPA-approved analytical methods 

and treatment techniques, are being developed. 

EPA issues permits in MA, NH, NM, territories, 

federal waters, Indian Country, and federal facilities 

in DE, CO, VT, WA. The overall interim approach 

is to phase in monitoring requirements based on 

potential presence of PFAS in the discharge, and 

continue to share information and best practices, 

until EPA publishes validated methods and treatment 

techniques.

Permit Writers’ Clearinghouse 

OWM worked with EPA Regions and States over 

the course of 2020 to populate the NPDES Permit 

Writers’ Clearinghouse database. The Clearinghouse, 

an easily navigable and searchable web-based portal, 

was developed to help NPDES authorities access 

and share resources that will enable them to make 

informed decisions for their permits and is slated to 

be officially launched to EPA Regions and States in 

FY 2021. OWM is providing ongoing support to EPA 

staff and state program managers and permit writers 

to continue to populate the database with a variety 

of existing resources and information including final 

permits, fact sheets, policies, program requirements, 

training materials, webinars, compendiums, guidance, 

FAQs, tools, models, databases, and calculators.
15

Permits

Updates to NPDES eRule Data Elements 

to Reflect MS4 General Permit Remand 

Rule

In April 2020, EPA finalized the NPDES Electronic 

Reporting Rule (NPDES eRule) that applies to 

regulated MS4s. The rule was necessary to reflect 

changes made to the Phase II stormwater regulations 

by the MS4 General Permit Remand Rule. Because 

the MS4-related data elements in appendix A of 

the NPDES eRule were based on the regulations in 

place prior to issuance of the MS4 Remand Rule, 

it was necessary to update the NPDES eRule to 

reflect these changes. If left unchanged, the eRule 

data elements would have been inconsistent with 

the new requirements for small MS4 permits in the 

Phase II regulations. This action fixes inconsistencies 

and corrects a small number of typographical errors 

and other mistakes made in relevant parts of the 

appendix A data elements. EPA sought input on 

the language used in this update rule with state 

permitting authorities as part of a broader EPA-State 

Stormwater Technical Workgroup. 

Reissuance of the Multi-Sector General 

Permit for Stormwater Discharges from 

Industrial Activity

Through 2020, OWM proceeded under an extremely 

tight timeframe to finalize the Multi-Sector General 

Permit (MSGP). The MSGP protects rivers, lakes, 

and coastal waters from stormwater pollution when 

rainfall makes contact with materials handling and 

storage, equipment maintenance and cleaning, and 

other activities at industrial facilities that generate 

stormwater discharges. Staff developed robust 

background and briefing materials, prepared 

detailed comment summaries and technical 

analyses, presented two national webinars on the 

proposed permit, and met at various times with both 

environmental stakeholders and stakeholder groups 

from the transportation, ship building, oil and gas 

industries, and other associations to provide updates. 

Tribal consultation on the permit was completed in 

March. The final permit takes effect March 1, 2021. 

Reissuance of the Pesticides General 

Permit 

Through 2020, OWM worked on the development of 

a proposed reissuance of its Pesticide General Permit 

(PGP). The PGP helps protect waters of the U.S. by 

regulating pollutant discharges from the application 

of biological pesticides and chemical pesticides that 

leave a residue. The PGP covers the following four 

pesticide use patterns: (1) Mosquito and Other Flying 

Insect Pest Control, (2) Weed and Algae Pest Control, 

(3) Animal Pest Control, and (4) Forest Canopy Pest 

Control. Continued work on the PGP will help ensure 

permit issuance prior to the October 2021 expiration 

of the 2016 PGP. Tribal consultation concluded in 

June 2020. The proposed permit was signed by all 10 

EPA Regions on December 14, 2020. The final permit 

is expected in 2021.

Reissuance of the Construction General 

Permit for Stormwater Discharges 

from Construction Activity

Through 2020, OWM worked on the development 

of a proposed reissuance of its Construction 

General Permit (CGP). The CGP protects rivers, 

lakes, and coastal waters from stormwater pollution 

by regulating of stormwater discharges from 

construction sites that disturb one or more acres of 
16

land. Work on the next permit is necessary so that it 

can be issued prior to the February 2022 expiration 

of the 2017 CGP. Staff have conducted a number 

of discussions with various stakeholders, including 

state permitting authorities, representatives from 

the construction industry, and environmental groups 

to help determine what areas of clarification or 

improvement are needed for the next issuance of the 

CGP. Tribal consultation on the proposed permit was 

also completed. The proposed permit is expected to 

be published for public comment in 2021.

Information Collection Requests 

EPA publishes reporting and record keeping 

requirements to the public through Information 

Collection Requests. EPA is in the process of 

publishing several Information Collection Requests 

(ICRs), including: Public Notification Requirements 

for CSO to the Great Lakes Basin; Effluent Limitations 

Guidelines and Standards for the Dental Office Point 

Source Category, Final Rule; and the Consolidated 

NPDES Program (Renewal). In FY 2020, the EPA has 

published the first FRN for the CSO ICR, and second 

FRN for the Dental Office Category ICR, for which 

each respective comment period closes on October 

30, 2020, and began the data collection process for 

the NPDES Program ICR.

Conducting Oversight of NPDES 

Programs 

EPA’s FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan calls for 

streamlining and modernizing EPA programs, 

including issuing permits more efficiently. Under 

the Strategic Plan, by September 30, 2022, EPA 

must make all permitting-related decisions within 

six months. Improving the timing for issuance 

and reissuance 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. For the first 

time, EPA is applying a Lean Management System 

to the EPA permit backlog. On June 15, 2018, EPA 

leadership issued a directive that backlogs for new 

permits in the EPA regions must be eliminated. EPA 

regions already succeeded in reducing their backlog 

of new NPDES permits from 106 in March 2018 to 

28 in September 2020. Additionally, EPA regions 

reduced their backlog of existing permits from 547 to 

333 in that same timeframe.

Framework for Best Professional 

Judgment for Cooling Water Intake 

Structures at Hydroelectric Facilities 

OWM developed a framework to evaluate 

whether, based on best professional judgment 

(BPJ), additional measures may be necessary at 

hydroelectric generating facilities to minimize 

impingement and entrainment of fish and other 

aquatic organisms at cooling water intake structures 

(CWIS). In a memo issued in 2020, the Agency has 

determined that EPA did not intend that the 2014 

rule’s substantive provisions would apply to CWIS 

at hydroelectric facilities and instead, CWIS at 

hydroelectric facilities are subject to BPJ.
17

Partnerships

WaterSense

Defeating Water Waste 

Since June 2006, the WaterSense program has helped 

save more than an estimated 4.4 trillion gallons 

of water—more than the amount used by all U.S. 

households for 6 months. U.S. households, by looking 

for and installing WaterSense labeled products, 

saved 871 billion gallons of water in 2019 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 34,000 different models of toilets, 

bathroom faucets and accessories, showerheads, 

flushing urinals, flushometer-valve toilets, weatherbased irrigation controllers, and spray sprinkler 

bodies have earned the label. EPA estimates 

WaterSense labeled products have helped Americans 

save $87 billion in energy and water bills. More than 

2,000 utility, manufacturer, retail, builder, and other 

organizational partners helped Americans save water, 

energy, and money with products, programs, and 

promotions. 

WaterSense Reviews Specifications

The America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 

required EPA to review any WaterSense specifications 

created before 2012, which includes tank-type toilets, 

flushing urinals, bathroom faucets, showerheads, and 

irrigation controllers, for potential improvements to 

product performance and/or water efficiency. The 

program issued a Notice of Specification Review 

in December 2018 informing the public of the 

specifications under review and inviting stakeholders 

to provide feedback. A series of five public meetings 

were held via webinar throughout 2019 targeting 

specific product categories to focus in greater depth 

on topics and issues related to each. In April 2020, 

EPA issued an FRN to inform the public that the 

agency made the decision that it would not make 

updates or changes to the WaterSense product 

specifications and also invited public input on how 

the WaterSense program should consider consumer 

satisfaction in product specification development.

Monitoring Soil Moisture to Control 

Irrigation 

In November 2019, EPA released the WaterSense 

Draft Specification for Soil Moisture-Based 

Irrigation Control Technologies, which had been in 

development since 2013. Also known as soil moisture 

sensors (SMSs), these technologies can detect the 

amount of moisture in the ground beneath the 

landscape and override scheduled irrigation when 

plants don’t need water, reducing water waste and 

promoting plant health. 
18

WaterSense Partners of the Year 

Awards

On October 3, 2019, the 2019 WaterSense award 

winners were announced at WaterSmart Innovations 

Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

WaterSense partners across the country help save 

water by advancing and promoting WaterSense and 

water efficiency. 

In 2019, nine partners were recognized with 

Sustained Excellence Awards for their continued high 

level of support: 

• American Standard, 

• Athens-Clarke County (Georgia) Public Utilities 

Dept., 

• City of Charlottesville (Virginia), 

• Citrus County (Florida) Utilities, 

• Cobb County (Georgia) Water System, 

• Delta Faucet Company, 

• KB Home, 

• Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning 

District, and 

• Sonoma-Marin (California) Saving Water 

Partnership. 

Three partners were recognized as Partners of the 

Year: 

• City of Plano (Texas), 

• The Broward Water Partnership (Florida), and 

• The Upper San Gabriel Valley (California) 

Municipal Water District.

WaterSense also presented thirteen Excellence 

Awards, which recognize organizations that stood 

out in one or more evaluation categories: 

• City of Allen (Texas), 

• City of Durham (North Carolina) Dept. of Water 

Management, 

• City of Sacramento (California) Dept. of Utilities, 

• City of Frisco (Texas), 

• Irvine Ranch (California) Water District, 

• Polk County (Florida) Utilities, 

• San Antonio (Texas) Water System,

• Alliance for Water Efficiency, 

• Sonoma-Marin (California) Saving Water 

Partnership, 

• The Toro Company, 

• Hunter Industries, 

• Niagara Conservation, and

• The San Diego County (California) Water 

Authority. 

Decentralized Wastewater 

Program

Celebrating the 8th Annual 

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 8th 

Annual SepticSmart Week occurred September 

14-18, 2020. Each year, states and organizations 

submit proclamations of support and commitment 

to SepticSmart Week, and this year, the program 

received nine. The Decentralized memorandum of 

understanding (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 new SepticSmart Quick Tip videos to 

educate homeowners on how to care for their 

septic systems. A new SepticSmart Strategic 

Communications Plan was also created to assist 

organizations and local agencies communicate 

consistent decentralized messages. It includes 

S

epticSmart Week • September 14–18, 2020

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Program

TM
19

recording and presentation are available online.

Other Collaboration & 

Synergy

Wastewater Based Epidemiology for 

COVID-19 Surveillance

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, EPA is 

conducting wastewater-based epidemiology 

surveillance to track infections with the goal to 

provide early warnings and estimate infection 

rates in populations. EPA has been coordinating 

its efforts with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC) and other federal partners 

to rapidly deploy and evaluate various approaches 

and technologies. EPA’s Office of Research and 

Development is currently researching various 

methods to detect different forms of the virus in 

sewage.

Representatives from EPA, CDC, U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services, and other federal 

agencies have partnered to serve on the National 

Sewage Surveillance Interagency Leadership 

Committee to advance wastewater surveillance 

implementation. EPA is coordinating with CDC to 

resolve technical issues and scale this technology 

and is also collaborating with public and private 

entities who are working on methods comparison, 

developing sewage surveillance, and researching the 

virus in sewage to understand its fate. 

AADG Meeting

In October 2020, EPA hosted its Fall Animal 

Agriculture Discussion Group (AADG) meeting. The 

AADG consist of animal agriculture stakeholders 

including representatives from EPA, USDA, and all 

sectors of the animal feeding industry and their 

associations, academia, and states whose aim 

is to develop an understanding of the CWA, as 

well as identify challenges faced in the field when 

implementing measures that protect water quality in 

these particular industries and identify best practices 

to overcome these challenges. During this meeting, 

the AADG discussed sector challenges and provided 

updates on positive water quality initiatives, and 

introduced a new member, the American Sheep 

Industry Association, who discussed some of the 

unique challenges faced by the sheep sector in terms 

core messages, audiences to reach, engagement 

strategies, and metrics for evaluation. 

Decentralized Wastewater MOU 

Partnership Renewal Meeting

EPA’s Decentralized Wastewater MOU Partnership 

Renewal meeting took place virtually on September 

23 – 24, 2020. This is the fifth time the MOU has 

been renewed since the Partnership began in 2005. 

There are three new organizations joining the 

Partnership for 2020-2023: DigDeep, Indian Health 

Service, and US Water Alliance. The virtual meeting 

featured remarks from all 20 Partners, an overview of 

Partnership accomplishments from 2017-2020, and 

discussions on decentralized support for underserved 

households, workforce and financing decentralized 

systems. 

Winner of the EPA Advanced Septic 

System Nitrogen Sensor Challenge 

Webinar

On May 27, 2020, EPA and the Decentralized 

Wastewater MOU Partnership held a webinar 

highlighting the winner of EPA Office of Research 

and Development’s Advanced Septic System 

Nitrogen Sensor Challenge. In 2017, EPA’s Office of 

Research and Development launched this challenge 

to develop a prototype low-cost sensor to measure 

nitrogen levels discharged from advanced septic 

systems. Dr. Qingzhi Zhu, with Stony Brook University 

and the New York State Center for Clean Water 

Technology in Stony Brook, New York, earned 

the Challenge’s prize of $50,000 – along with the 

opportunity for commercialization support and 

eligibility for further testing and verification of 

the sensor technology’s performance. 205 people 

registered for the webinar and there were 134 unique 

views while the webinar was broadcast. The webinar 
20

who submitted green infrastructure designs for 

their respective campuses to compete in one of two 

categories: master plan or demonstration project. 

Florida International University and the University 

of Arizona were the first and second place winners, 

respectively, in the master plan category. The 

University of California at Los Angeles and Arizona 

State University were first and second, respectively, in 

the demonstration project category. 

Voluntary Long-Term Stormwater 

Planning

In October 2016, EPA released a draft guide, 

Community Solutions for Stormwater Management: 

A Guide for Voluntary Long-Term Planning, to 

promote comprehensive, community-wide planning 

approaches to manage stormwater. As communities 

continue to grow and develop their local economies, 

they look for sustainable and effective approaches 

to reduce these existing and emerging sources of 

pollution. Throughout 2020, EPA continued to work 

with several communities to develop long-term 

stormwater plans that will serve as national models: 

Santa Fe, NM; Burlington, IA; Hattiesburg, MS; and 

Rochester, NH. OWM finalized several documents 

for Santa Fe, NM: one providing examples of funding 

opportunities and another offering examples on 

how green infrastructure could be incorporated 

into roadway projects. EPA will leverage the lessons 

learned from these efforts by sharing information 

related to lowering barriers to long-term stormwater 

planning, making progress on human health and 

water quality objectives, and decreasing the costs of 

stormwater management.

WEFTEC 2019

EPA participated in the 92nd annual Water 

Environment Federation’s Technical & Exhibition 

Conference (WEFTEC) in Chicago, Illinois, from 

September 21 – 25, 2019. The 2019 conference 

attracted 22,500 attendees and featured 992 exhibits. 

During WEFTEC 2019, EPA announced its Water 

Workforce Initiative. EPA hosted 14 talks at its booth 

as part of an ongoing speaker series, three of which 

WEF highlighted as part of their WEF Chat series. EPA 

also participated in a variety of events throughout 

WEFTEC including the Utility Leaders breakfast, 

Water Policy session, the Global Center, technical and 

governmental affairs committee meetings, and other 

workshops and technical sessions. 

of environmental and water quality goals. 

Transportation and Stormwater 

Management

During FY 2020 OWM continued collaborating with 

the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on its 

Eco-Logical approach for environmental stewardship. 

The approach organizes current methods for 

addressing natural resource identification, avoidance, 

minimization, and mitigation into a systematic, 

step-wise process that starts at the beginning of the 

transportation planning process and concludes with 

establishing programmatic approaches to recurring 

natural resource issues that are implemented at 

the project level. Federal agencies that signed-on 

to the approach met in January and August 2020 

for biannual meetings and were briefed by OWM 

staff on the current status of the National Waters 

Protection Rule (WOTUS) and plans for revising EPA’s 

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulation 

to conform to the Council on Environmental Quality’s 

revised NEPA rules. 

Outreach and Technical Assistance for 

Transportation

In order to promote broader adoption of green 

infrastructure practices for highways, OWM is 

working with FHWA on outreach activities that 

are a follow-up to the 2018 report by the National 

Cooperative Highway Research Program, Leading 

Landscape Design Practices for Cost-Effective 

Roadside Water Management. OWM also provided 

EPA input and expertise to FHWA’s effort to scale 

up a GIS-based early coordination system for 

transportation projects requiring NEPA reviews 

through ongoing coordination with EPA’s NEPAssist 

team and OWOW’s Watershed Resources Registry 

team. 

Campus RainWorks Student Challenge

EPA’s green infrastructure program held the 8th 

annual Campus RainWorks Challenge , a design 

competition that engages with the next generation 

of environmental professionals to showcase the 

environmental, economic, and social benefits 

of green infrastructure practices. Student teams 

designed innovative green infrastructure projects 

to address stormwater pollution as well as benefit 

campus communities and the environment. During 

this round, over 300 students competed on 50 teams 
21

forces, they are also positioned as anchor institutions 

to help address them and create large-scale positive 

economic, social, and environmental impacts in and 

for their community. EPA met with several water 

utility leaders to develop an emerging framework 

for “anchor utilities” creating value, which includes 

five key activity areas: economic health and water 

services affordability; job creation; convening 

and collaboration; environment and public health 

enhancement; and multi-benefit investment.

U.S.-Brazil Finance Cooperation 

Meeting 

On July 23, 2020, EPA’s Office of Water and Office 

of International and Tribal Affairs participated in the 

U.S./Brazil Water Finance and Technology Webinar, 

hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Brazil. The webinar 

was conducted as part of the ongoing collaboration 

between EPA and the Brazil Ministry of Environment 

formalized by the MOU entered into between the 

two entities and signed by the Administrator and 

Brazil’s Environmental Minister in 2019. Participants 

included Brazil government officials, including senior 

Ministry of the Environment officials, staff of the 

Development Bank of Brazil, and public and private 

sector representatives of the water sector. There were 

55 participants on the webinar. 

Office of Community Revitalization

Within the EPA’s Sustainable Utility Management 

Initiative, OWM collaborated with the Office of 

Community Revitalization (OCR) in the Office of 

Policy on two projects, one exploring water utilities 

as anchor institutions, and the second on expanding 

on a planning process developed by EPA in 2015. 

Sustainable water infrastructure is vital to every 

community, and effective infrastructure planning 

is essential for water and wastewater systems 

to manage their operations and to ensure the 

sustainability of the communities they serve. 

OWM expanded the planning process focused on 

Augmented Alternatives Analysis, called Making the 

Right Choices for Your Utility: Using Sustainability 

Criteria for Water Infrastructure Decision. This 

planning process augments traditional planning 

processes by incorporating community priorities 

and values into the process. In collaboration with 

OCR, OWM undertook two pilot programs with the 

Highline Canal Conservancy near Denver, Colorado, 

and with the Saco, Maine, Water Resource Recovery 

Department. This effort builds off the original pilot 

project which took place at the Camden County 

Municipal Utility Authority in Camden, New Jersey. 

Water utilities are on the front lines of safeguarding 

public health, protecting the environment, and 

sustaining critical infrastructure investments in our 

communities. Many utilities operate in communities 

that are grappling with economic hardships such as 

poverty, unemployment, and aging infrastructure. 

While utilities are deeply impacted by these larger 
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 #830R21003