Regulation Updates For Utility Managers

  1. Lead Service Lines: 3 Key Actions To Take For Lead and Copper Rule Compliance 6/30/2025
    Many public water system owners in the U.S. worked hard from 2021 to 2024 to comply with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). As of October 2024, in its current form, the rule is now known as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). You may know that the next compliance deadline is November 1, 2027. But what exactly is due at that time? How can you be sure you're complying with the requirements?
  2. How Prepared Are You For The New Lead and Copper Rules? Expert Advice For Water Utilities 5/13/2025
    Water utilities across the U.S. are grappling with the complexities of the EPA's new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), set to become effective in October 2027. In a recent Water Online special event, experts Sandy Kutzing, senior VP at CDM Smith, and Alan Roberson, executive director at the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, delved into the biggest obstacles utilities face and offered some practical advice to navigate them.
  3. CERCLA And PFAS: What's The Liability For Water And Wastewater Utilities? 5/2/2025
    Federal rules aim to target those liable but may miss the mark. Utilities can redirect the effort — and costs — to those truly responsible for PFAS contamination.
  4. Chromium In Drinking Water: New Regulations In California And Engineering Challenges 5/2/2025
    Among other contaminant concerns, drinking water managers in the Golden State are being held to tighter standards on chromium.
  5. The Ethics Of Water Rights: Balancing Human Needs With Environmental Conservation 3/4/2025
    Water and wastewater professionals need to know about rights just as much as landowners, especially regarding environmental considerations. Becoming familiar with these rights and regulations will ensure waterways stay healthy, preserved, and full so those who need it can access them.
  6. Water Is The Other U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis, And The Supply Crunch Is Getting Worse 2/11/2025
    Immigration and border security will be the likely focus of U.S.-Mexico relations under the new Trump administration. But there also is a growing water crisis along the U.S.–Mexico border that affects tens of millions of people on both sides, and it can only be managed if the two governments work together.
  7. Lead And Copper Rules: Where Are We Now? 2/6/2025

    It’s been several months since the U.S. EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) went into effect on Oct. 16, 2024. However, just days prior, on Oct. 8, the EPA approved yet another update, the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). While water utilities knew this was coming, it still introduces a realm of confusion and uncertainty.

  8. EPA Finalizes Risk On 1,4-Dioxane: What Water Utilities Must Know 1/14/2025

    The U.S. EPA recently finalized its revised unreasonable risk determination for 1,4-dioxane under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), concluding that it poses an unreasonable risk to human health, necessitating regulatory action to mitigate these risks. The announcement marks several changes in position on 1,4-dioxane and how water authorities are expected to respond.

  9. AWWA Files Legal Petition Over LCRI Implementation Challenges 1/10/2025

    In December of 2024, AWWA filed a Petition for Review of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The organization argues that, while it supports the goals of the LCRI, it believes the legislation, in its current form, "is not feasible." The filing came just two months after the official compliance date for the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). In comments on the LCRI, AWWA notes that water utilities have already made many adjustments to comply with the LCRR.

  10. England's Water Companies Now Have To Release Live Sewage Spill Data — Here's Why More Transparency Is The Key To Cleaner Rivers 11/25/2024
    For the first time, anyone in England can now access real-time information of where combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are discharging untreated wastewater into our waterways.