April 14, 2025

Over 700 water sector professionals gathered in Washington, DC last week to take part in the annual National Water Policy Fly-In, which is organized by the WateReuse Association and other national water sector associations. The event brought together municipal utility leaders, industry representatives, officials, and elected representatives to discuss federal water policy and programs. U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA), incoming Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water Jessica Kramer, and Acting Director of EPA’s Office of Science and Technology within the Office of Water Tanya Mottley each delivered remarks highlighting the importance of water reuse as a national priority.

Earlier this month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it would end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program and rescind roughly $882 million in undistributed program funds. This includes both unobligated funds provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 as well as funds that had been obligated but not yet distributed for specific projects across the country. The BRIC Program has supported states, municipalities, tribes, and territories as they undertake natural disaster mitigation projects, and in recent years has funded several water recycling projects aimed at building drought-resistant water supplies. WateReuse is deeply concerned about the implications of the program’s cancellation, particularly for WateReuse members that were notified of but have not yet received their awards. A letter urging FEMA to reinstate program funding is currently being circulated in the U.S. House of Representatives. We are asking Members to join the letter and will continue to track the Agency's actions.  

Last week, the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works voted 15-4 to recommend the nomination of Jessica Kramer to be the head of the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a Senate staffer in 2021, Ms. Kramer helped shape the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a landmark piece of bipartisan legislation that directed the establishment of the Interagency Working Group on Water Reuse and invested billions of dollars in critical infrastructure programs. As staff with EPA’s Office of Water during the first term of the Trump Administration, she helped launch the National Water Reuse Action Plan, which has elevated water reuse as a key economic and water supply tool across the country. Ms. Kramer's nomination will now move to the full Senate for consideration.

Following a cancelled vote and intensive negotiations between leadership and a dozen of the most fiscally conservative members of the Republican Conference, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 216-214 to adopt the Senate’s version of a budget resolution. The U.S. Senate had previously voted 51-48 to advance a budget resolution that allows it to count $3.8 trillion worth of tax cuts as having no deficit impact. As a result, the enactment of $5.3 trillion worth of tax cuts will be ruled to have a cost of only $1.5 trillion. Many in the House of Representatives objected to this scoring mechanism and to the fact that the Senate resolution requires only $4 billion in spending cuts. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), and President Trump worked through last week to win over members of the Conference opposed to the Senate resolution.

The budget resolution directs a multitude of House and Senate Committees to develop legislation to reduce spending and extend tax cuts. Committees will now begin work on their portions of the package and will begin passing bills later this month. Once all relevant committees have passed their portions, the legislation will be combined into a single “reconciliation” package, which allows the House and Senate Majority to pass the legislation with a simple majority vote rather than having to reach 60 votes in the Senate.

WateReuse has worked since early last year to secure a federal investment tax credit (ITC) to help scale up the use of recycled water by manufacturers, data centers, and other industrial entities. We continue to push for the ITC to be included in the upcoming reconciliation package. If your organization is interested in helping with this effort, please reach out to Greg Fogel, WateReuse Policy Director, at gfogel@watereuse.org.

The UCLA Center of the Environment and Sustainability, in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council, released a report recommending enhanced water recycling efforts across Colorado River Basin states to address strain on the Colorado River. The study found that while Nevada and Arizona recycle over half of their wastewater, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming could significantly increase their water recycling to address the river's projected shortfall. The study also noted the lack of data across states as an obstacle to assessing the potential for each state to expand its water reuse practices. As a result of their findings, the authors make recommendations to EPA and other stakeholders, including developing a model program for states, improving data acquisition and management, enhancing technical guidance, developing goals and timelines, and expanding funding strategies for water reuse programs.

The Office of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Commissioner Sharon Waller is seeking to hire a policy coordinator to support the new Illinois Chapter of the WateReuse Association and engage the Illinois Pollution Control Board about existing prohibitions on water reuse. Candidates should have a working knowledge of our global water cycle, water reuse, anticipated impacts to water supplies as our region warms, and the need for climate resilience. Excellent administrative skills and experience working with the water industry and government are a must. Experience with the Illinois Pollution Control Board is a plus. Compensation is up to $90K depending on experience, plus benefits. To apply, send your resume and cover letter to wallers@mwrd.org and manueld@mwrd.org.

Contact us at info@watereuse.org