ASCE Submits Public Comments to Proposed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Rule
April 18, 2019
In an Executive Order signed by the President in 2017 and then followed through on in December 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released a proposed rule to redefine the scope of the federal government’s jurisdiction over “waters of the United States (WOTUS)” covered by the......
EPA Releases Report on Flint Water Crisis
July 24, 2018
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently released a report on the management failures that led to the Flint, Michigan water crisis in 2014 and gave recommendations on how to prevent such crises from occurring in the future. The 74-page document, which follows a preliminary October 2016 report, found......
A Busy Month for Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Systems Investments
April 26, 2018
It’s been a busy few weeks for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure investments; this is great news because despite increased efficiency methods and sustainable practices, there is a growing gap between the capital needed to maintain drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and the actual investments made. By 2025, the investment gap for drinking water and......
President Trump Releases Much Anticipated Infrastructure Plan
February 12, 2018
The Trump Administration has officially released an infrastructure proposal calling for $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investments, with $200 billion of direct federal spending over the course of 10 years. The federal investment is meant to spur investments from state and local governments and private investors. The proposal is divided into four main parts: funding and......
June 06, 2017
On June 5, 2017, the World Wildlife Fund, the Coca-Cola Company, and the World Water Council co-hosted “Sharing Water,” an all-day conference in Washington, D.C. focused on sharing water across people, governments, businesses, and nature. This event, which featured D.C. Water’s CEO George Hawkins, Mayor Dr. Karen Weaver of Flint, Michigan, and speakers from the......
Water Financing Experts Share Ideas to Improve Local Infrastructure
July 20, 2016
This Tuesday, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a day-long event in Washington, D.C., for representatives from the public and private sectors to discuss emerging finance methods for addressing deficient community water infrastructure. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy opened the day stressing the need to “start thinking about these [water resources projects] as investments,......
Historic Agreement Reached in Paris to Reduce Global Climate Emissions
December 17, 2015
This week more than 190 countries adopted the most ambitious climate change agreement in history. The Paris Agreement sets up a long-term framework to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and should keep global temperature rise below the 2 degrees Celsius tipping point. Implications for infrastructure and the civil engineering profession are profound: the plan will......
ASCE Submits Comments to US EPA on the Use of QBS to SRF Programs
September 10, 2014
ASCE recently submitted comments to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on guidance the agency developed following the the recently enacted Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014. WRRDA makes a number of changes to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program administered by EPA and recently developed guidance for its regional......