Regulation Updates For Utility Managers

1. Colorado River Conservation Depends On The Delivery System 9/8/2026

   The Department of the Interior issued the 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines, calling for Lower Basin deliveries to drop by 1.25 million acre-feet annually in 2027 and 2028, with a minimum of 700,000 acre-feet of additional voluntary conservation over those two years. While temporary reductions are a start, water districts and water professionals should also consider delivery upgrades and on-farm improvements in agricultural areas that prepare growers for a new reality with less water.

2. Illegal Wastewater Discharges And The Importance Of Organics Monitoring In Municipal Sewer Networks 9/7/2026

   Unpredictable industrial dumping overloads municipal wastewater treatment systems, driving up utility costs. Continuous inline monitoring provides real-time visibility into shifting organic loads, enabling collection teams to catch contamination spikes early and protect downstream biological processes.

3. The Cost Of Waiting: Utilities Face A Narrowing PFAS Compliance Window 9/4/2026
   For years, the water industry's PFAS conversation centered on monitoring, testing, and regulatory anticipation. Today, that phase is largely over.
4. D.C. Circuit Upholds EPA's Hazardous Substance Designation For PFOA, PFOS 8/24/2026

   The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently rejected industry challenges to the EPA's designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, leaving the agency's April 2024 rule fully intact. While the case centered on the EPA's authority to make the designation, its practical significance for water utilities is simpler: the liability concerns that have accompanied the rule since its adoption remain unresolved.

5. Colorado River Water Conservation Efforts Get Only Halfway To A Solution 8/20/2026

   In August 2026 the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, both on the Colorado River, hit their lowest levels since they first began to be filled in 1936 and 1963, respectively. The federal government and the seven Colorado River basin states have been unable to reach an agreement about who should reduce water usage by how much to avoid catastrophic declines in lake levels.

6. Microbial And Disinfection Byproducts Regulations: Paving The Way For Efficient Compliance 7/10/2026
   Given the ongoing regulatory activity in the water industry, it’s hard to imagine another major drinking water rule on the horizon. But the U.S. EPA is planning revisions to the microbial and disinfection byproducts (MDBP) regulations.
7. The Pros And Cons Of Pilot Testing For PFAS Removal 7/6/2026

   Deploying uncustomized equipment for contaminant testing can skew critical operational data. Discover how precisely tailored small-scale testing isolates site-specific variables, protects long-term maintenance budgets, and ensures seamless regulatory compliance for full-scale water treatment facilities.

8. Navigating Changing Water Standards Without Losing Trust In Your Tap 5/19/2026
   When new contaminants show up in the news, or standards change and you see lower numbers combined with words like “maximum level,” “parts per trillion,” or “detected,” it’s completely reasonable to wonder: Was my water unsafe before? Did something get worse? Are we looking at things differently? In most cases, the answer is the last one. We are looking at contaminants through a different lens.
9. Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of Agreement 3/26/2026
   The five most common sources of conflict between people are values, data, relationships, interests, and structure. The current Colorado River negotiations include all five.
10. Designing Resilient PFAS Treatment Strategies For Water Agencies 3/24/2026
    Water agencies across the U.S. are facing a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that poses a conundrum: Should they take a cautious or aggressive approach to treating PFAS contamination in their water system?