| Welcome, WQA’s New Government Affairs Manager! |
 Paige O’Malley is a seasoned Government Affairs professional with extensive experience advocating in an association setting across multiple states, most recently as Government Affairs Manager at the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. Paige has successfully represented the interests of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, and the Pet Advocacy Network, where she led coalition-building efforts and advocated at the state and local level for regulatory frameworks benefiting the membership. She holds a Master of Arts in Government from Regent University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Old Dominion University. |
| Counterfeit Production Exhibition – U.S. Capitol |
| WQA partnered with the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and several other organizations on an event to educate policymakers about the dangers of counterfeit products. WQA showcased information from the “Filter it out” campaign that was based on research conducted by AHAM and the Water Quality Research Foundation. Speakers included Congressmen Darrell Issa (CA) and Ben Cline (VA), and Dawn Nelson from the Department of Homeland Security. If you have an interest in supporting WQA’s efforts on this issue, please reach out to GovAffairs@wqa.org  |
  Congressman Darrell Issa |
| WQA Gov Affairs Training – Invite Your Team! |
| Join the Water Quality Association on Thursday, Oct. 10, for an insightful training session focused on government outreach. In this hour-long webinar beginning at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT), you’ll learn best practices for advocating on behalf of the water treatment industry, including strategies for building strong relationships with policymakers. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your advocacy skills and stay informed about the latest developments in water quality. No prior experience is necessary to attend. |
| Register for webinar |
| FEDERAL UPDATES |
| GAO Recommends Additional EPA Actions to Address PFAS |
| The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has published its recommendations for additional EPA actions that could help public water systems address PFAS in drinking water. The report recommended:Publishing a Small Entity Compliance Guide for the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation.Identifying barriers public water systems experience in obtaining federal funding to address PFAS contamination and assess how best to disseminate information.Additional resources to help systems communicate PFAS health risks to customers.Creating a straightforward resource relevant to systems’ disposal of PFAS-contaminated waste. |
| Congressional Update – CR & Farm Bill Update |
| House and Senate leaders struck a deal to avoid a government shutdown and pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through Friday, Dec. 20. The current CR generally extends FY 2024 funding at flat levels. Despite a push from some lawmakers, House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders declined the option of attaching a Farm Bill extension to the CR deal. Rather, they are seeking to address the massive authorizing bill in some way during the lame duck session following the November elections. With the Farm Bill expiring Sept. 30, programs subject to discretionary funding – such as most USDA Rural Development programs – will be able to continue to operate with the funding provided in the CR. The most significant large-scale impacts come at the end of the crop year on Dec. 31, rather than the end of the fiscal year. WQA has been leading an effort to attach the Healthy H2O Act to the Farm Bill. The bill aims to provide federal grants for water quality testing and certified treatment technology in rural and underserved communities, including for residents who rely on private wells. |
| USTR Seeks Comments on Foreign Trade Barriers |
| The Office of the United States Trade Representative, through the Trade Policy Staff Committee, is seeking comments for its annual report on foreign trade barriers. Covered categories include import policies, technical barriers to trade, IP protection, E-commerce, subsidies, labor, and environment. The deadline to submit comments is Oct. 17, 2024. View the notice here. |
| STATE UPDATES |
| California Water Update: The SAFER Program |
| During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the California State Water Board distributed $880 million to projects targeting improved drinking water, increased water supplies, and climate resilience efforts. These projects benefitted 12 million Californians in nearly 400 communities, utilizing funding from the SAFER Program, which aims to increase access to safe, adequate, and affordable drinking water. Read the full article here. Interested in learning more about the California SAFER Program’s funding uses for POU/POE Systems? View WQA’s webinar: POU/POE Market Opportunities in California. |
| TWQA Meets with Texas Lawmakers |
 The Texas Water Quality Association (TWQA) has been meeting with policymakers throughout the state after hiring Kyle Frazier as its new lobbyist. This includes a recent meeting with Dade Phelan, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. To learn more about these efforts and to read their monthly legislative updates, visit the TWQA website. (WQA& TWQA member Anthony Karas, left, with Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dade Phelan) |
| OTHER UPDATES |
| The LeadOut Map – Tracking Lead Service Lines |
Want to track lead service lines across the U.S.? Blue Conduit, in collaboration with Google.org, the Rockefeller Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund,and Environmental Policy Innovation Center, has created the LeadOut Map to show where communities might be at risk of exposure to lead in their drinking water. This new tool, along with WQRF’s Contamination Mapping Tool, serves to guide areas of concentration or need and strategic planning to guide future projects. |
| Access the LeadOut Map here |
| Disclaimer: The LeadOut map utilizes machine learning technology to create a predictive model based on a wide range and variability of national and local data, including water system reports, census and real estate data, historical records, and more. The LeadOut Map presents estimates and may have some inaccuracies in data collection and presentation. |
| STATE ADVOCACY |
| HI SB 2579 Bottle Filling StationNE LB 1184 Reverse Osmosis System Tax Credit ActAZ SB 1132 Lead Testing in SchoolsVA HB 1295 Rural Water Supply Program and FundPA HB 2011 Safe Schools Drinking Water FundMA DEP Lead in Drinking Water POU Filter GuidanceWQA Technical Amendments WA SB5997HB 2412Chicago Certification Acceptance Water Treatment SystemsMI SB 694 – Protection of Children Through the Licensing and Regulation of Child Care OrganizationsCA AB 2671 – Filtered Water in Family Daycare HomesCA AB 1851 – Drinking water: schoolsites: lead testing pilot programNY S 7934 – PFAS Removal Treatment Installation Grant & Rebate ProgramsNY A 9260 – PFAS Removal Treatment Installation Grant & Rebate ProgramsWI SB 1078 – Providing safe drinking water in public and private schoolsPA HB 2145 – Providing for Legionnaires’ disease risk managementWQA Comments on IL PFAS Groundwater Rule |
| WQA is here to help |
| If you have any questions or need assistance, reach out to the Government Affairs Team at GovAffairs@wqa.org |
 Jeremy Pollack. – Director of Government Affairs  Paige O’Malley. – Government Affairs Manager |
| Water Quality Association | https://wqa.org |