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WaterOperator.org Blog

The Bureau of Reclamation's Drought Response Program

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The Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Drought Response Program helps communities take a proactive approach to drought by funding projects that strengthen long-term water resilience. The program supports a wide range of efforts, including infrastructure improvements to increase storage and distribution capacity, diversification of water supplies, development of management tools, and comprehensive drought planning.

A key component of the program is support for drought contingency planning, which helps water systems better understand and prepare for future drought conditions. These planning efforts guide communities through identifying early warning signs of drought, assessing hydrologic risks and uncertainties, evaluating potential impacts, and determining actions to reduce vulnerability. The process is designed to be collaborative and inclusive, bringing together municipal, agricultural, environmental, and other stakeholders to develop practical, locally driven solutions.

The program also funds drought resiliency projects that implement these plans through on-the-ground improvements. Eligible projects include infrastructure upgrades such as new conveyance systems, expanded storage, and modified intake structures, as well as the development of decision-support tools like drought forecasting systems and enhanced water monitoring equipment. In addition, under separate authorities, emergency response actions may be supported during acute drought events, including temporary water supply solutions and short-term construction activities to reduce immediate impacts.

In addition to long-term resiliency projects, the program can also fund short-term emergency response actions for unexpected drought conditions. Currently, a funding opportunity is open through July 28, 2026, offering support for both drought contingency planning and on-the-ground resilience projects, as part of ongoing federal investments to help water systems better prepare for and respond to drought challenges.

Resources:

For More Information: 

June 19, 2026 By Katelyn McLaughlin Funding, Sustainability drought, funding, water resilience 0 0 Comment Read More »

AWWA's 2026 State of the Water Industry Report

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The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has released its 2026 State of the Water Industry report. The report describes a water sector that remains generally stable today but is facing growing long term challenges. It highlights that the industry’s five year outlook has dropped to its lowest point in nearly a decade, which reflects concern about future resilience for the sector. Aging infrastructure is identified as the most critical issue, alongside difficulties securing sustainable funding and ensuring reliable long term water supplies. Many utilities are struggling to recover rising costs through rates and fees, leading to financial gaps that are then worsened by external pressures such as economic uncertainty, political factors, supply chain disruptions, and natural hazards.

Water quality concerns are also intensifying, particularly due to emerging contaminants like PFAS, microplastics, and pharmaceuticals, which are increasing treatment complexity and costs. At the same time, utilities are investing in infrastructure upgrades, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, and workforce development, all of which strain already tight budgets. While some utilities are exploring new technologies such as artificial intelligence, they remain cautious due to risks. Additionally, water supply reliability remains uncertain, with many systems operating near stress limits and lagging in climate adaptation planning. 

Overall, the report emphasizes that addressing these interconnected challenges will require strategic investment, innovation, and forward-looking planning. It underscores the importance of strengthening infrastructure, improving financial sustainability, adopting technology responsibly, and building resilience against climate and economic uncertainty to ensure safe and reliable water services in the future.

Read the Executive Summary of the Report.

Download and View the Full Report.

June 5, 2026 By Katelyn McLaughlin Sustainability, Water News AWWA, state of the water industry, water sector challenges 0 0 Comment Read More »

Lagoon Wastewater Systems Practical Tools and Resources for Compliance | Recorded on April 28, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "Lagoon Wastewater Systems Practical Tools and Resources for Compliance," viewers will receive an overview of common lagoon system challenges and best practices for improving compliance. We also review publicly available resources for improving lagoon operations and demo our search tools on WaterOperator.org.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

 

 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

April 30, 2026 By Laura Schultz Operations and Maintenance, Wastewater compliance, lagoon systems, lagoons, POTW, treatment works, wastewater, wastewater operators, wastewater treatment, wastewater utilites, wastewater webinar, wastewater workforce, webinar 0 0 Comment Read More »

EPA Launches PFAS OUT Initiative

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the launch of the PFAS OUTreach (PFAS OUT) Initiative on April 14, 2026, aimed at proactively reducing exposure to the PFAS chemicals PFOA and PFOS in drinking water well before federal compliance deadlines. Led by EPA’s Office of Water, the initiative represents a shift toward early, hands-on engagement with water systems, states, and local partners to address contamination using science‑based solutions. EPA leadership emphasized that the health impacts of these chemicals are well understood, and PFAS OUT is intended to help communities act now rather than waiting for regulatory enforcement.

PFAS OUT focuses on providing targeted outreach, funding guidance, and technical assistance, especially for small, rural, and disadvantaged water systems that often lack resources to manage complex contamination issues. EPA plans to directly engage roughly 3,000 drinking water systems nationwide with known PFOA and PFOS challenges and will make webinars, location‑specific tools, and technical support broadly available through programs like RealWaterTA. 

The initiative aligns with broader EPA efforts announced earlier in April 2026 to address emerging drinking water contaminants including PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and disinfection byproducts which reinforces the agency’s goal of ensuring safe and reliable drinking water for all communities. 

Learn more about PFAS OUT.

April 22, 2026 By Katelyn McLaughlin Compliance Monitoring, PFAS compliance, forever chemicals, pfas 0 0 Comment Read More »

Energy Optimization and Cost‑Saving Strategies for Wastewater Utilities | Recorded on March 31, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "Energy Optimization and Cost‑Saving Strategies for Wastewater Utilities," viewers will receive an overview of energy efficiency best practices to reduce operational costs at wastewater facilities. It also includes a review of publicly available resources to explore cost-saving improvements and a demonstration of our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional free resources and training events.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

March 31, 2026 By Laura Schultz Energy, Financial Management, Utility Management, Wastewater cost-saving, energy, energy optimization, financial management, operational costs, POTW, treatment works, utility management, wastewater, wastewater operators, wastewater utilities, wastewater webinar, wastewater workforce, webinar, workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »

Cybersecurity Risks Rising for Water Utilities

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In early March 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the following alert to ensure water system owners and operators take necessary steps to strengthen their utility's cybersecurity measures in light of activities in the middle east:

"Iranian government–affiliated and aligned cyber actors have previously demonstrated the ability to exploit internet‑exposed operational technology devices at U.S. water and wastewater systems, in some cases forcing temporary reversion to manual operations and causing operational impacts. EPA urges utilities to adopt a heightened security posture and promptly report suspicious activity to CISA and the FBI.

Mitigations

All drinking water and wastewater systems are strongly encouraged to implement the following mitigations immediately to enhance resilience against low-level cyberattacks:

  • Reduce Operational Technology Exposure to the Public-Facing Internet 
  • Replace All Default Passwords on Operational Technology Devices with Strong, Unique Passwords 
  • Implement Multifactor Authentication for Remote Access to Operational Technology Devices 

Systems that outsource technology support may need to consult with their service providers for assistance with these mitigations. 

In addition to these immediate actions, drinking water and wastewater systems are encouraged to adopt the actions outlined in the CISA, EPA, and FBI Top Cyber Actions for Securing Water Systems Fact Sheet to further reduce cyber risk and improve resilience against malicious cyber activity.

If you have questions about any of the information in this alert, including assistance with the mitigation steps, submit a request to EPA’s Cybersecurity Technical Assistance Program for the Water Sector. Organizations are encouraged to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at IC3.gov or to CISA via CISA’s Incident Reporting System."

Additionally, a new WaterISAC report breaks down the repeatable tactics these actors use to gain access, stay hidden, and cause disruption. This is often accomplished by exploiting weak credentials, using phishing emails, and taking advantage of unpatched systems rather than through sophisticated malware.

The report highlights how attackers increasingly abuse legitimate tools, cloud services, and trusted access to blend into normal operations, with a growing emphasis on identity based attacks and large scale disruptive campaigns. It also outlines practical, utility focused mitigations aligned with WaterISAC’s 12 Fundamentals to help organizations reduce risk right now.

Read the full report for a deeper look at real world tactics, recent incidents, and clear steps utilities can take to strengthen their defenses.

Want to turn these insights into practical knowledge you can use right away? We’ve got an easy place to start! 

Brush up on your cybersecurity knowledge, with our free, self-paced cybersecurity course.

In just one hour, course participants will learn about water sector threats, basic cybersecurity measures, incident response, system resilience, and valuable resources, with the goal of fostering a culture of cybersecurity within their organizations. 

Regardless of the size of the water system, this course empowers everyone, from field workers to office staff, to contribute to maintaining a reliable and resilient water system.

This course was developed with MassDEP funding through a partnership with UMass. The course content was created by Andrew Hildick-Smith. Please note that Massachusetts operators should take this version of the course.

All students will receive a 1-hour class certificate for their participation.

March 24, 2026 By Katelyn McLaughlin Emergency Response, Security, Water News cybersecurity, wastewater system cybersecurity, water system cybersecurity 0 0 Comment Read More »

Idaho and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe reach historic water rights agreement

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The Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the state of Idaho have finalized a historic water rights settlement, ending decades of litigation and resolving more than a century of uncertainty dating back to the creation of the reservation in 1873. Tribal Chairman Chief Allan and Governor Brad Little celebrated the agreement as a major step toward protecting Coeur d’Alene Lake and ensuring long-term water reliability. The settlement concludes complex adjudication efforts that began in 2008 and affirms that the tribe holds senior federal reserved water rights (some with priority dates reaching back to “time immemorial”).


The agreement was shaped through extensive negotiations involving the tribe, the federal government, and more than 300 regional stakeholders, including local governments, property owners, and major employers. Under the settlement, the tribe recognizes and protects all existing state‑based water rights dated on or before September 6, 2023, while the state secures room for future growth and protection of most existing water allocations. In exchange, the tribe receives judicially defined quantities of water under its reserved rights and retains authority to manage water resources within the reservation, including establishing a tribal water supply bank.


This settlement brings long‑awaited certainty to water users across North Idaho and sets the stage for collaborative resource management. While the state provides no direct funding to the tribe, the agreement includes state support for federal legislation that could bring up to $500 million in water infrastructure investments. Leaders on both sides emphasized that the agreement not only protects tribal homelands but also benefits the broader community. A sentiment that is underscored by the late tribal leader Felix Aripa’s words: “Water is life for all of us.”

 

In the News: Idaho reaches historic water rights agreement with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe | KREM

March 13, 2026 By Katelyn McLaughlin Tribal Systems, Value of Water, Water News resource management, state and tribal collaboration, tribal water rights 0 0 Comment Read More »

Workforce Development & Succession Planning for Wastewater Utilities | Recorded on February 24, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "Workforce Development & Succession Planning for Wastewater Utilities," viewers will receive an overview of workforce development and best practices for building a stronger workforce; with a focus on recruitment, training, and retention. They will also learn how to use our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional resources and training events.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

February 26, 2026 By Laura Schultz Utility Management, Wastewater, Workforce POTW, recruitment, succession planning, treatment works, wastewater, wastewater operators, wastewater utilities, wastewater webinar, wastewater workforce, webinar, workforce, workforce development 0 0 Comment Read More »

RRA & ERP Compliance for Systems Serving More Than 3,300 People

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As compliance deadlines approach, now is a great time to review America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) section 2013 to ensure your system is on track. AWIA requires all community water systems serving more than 3,300 people to complete a certified Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA) and update their Emergency Response Plan (ERP) within the established five‑year cycle. To assist with this, U.S. EPA continues to offer tools, templates, and technical assistance to help systems strengthen physical security, cybersecurity, and overall resilience.


Below is a reminder of the upcoming deadlines to help you stay in compliance and plan ahead:

Risk and Resilience Assessments (RRA)

  • Due by June 30, 2026

Emergency Response Plans (ERP)

  • Due six months after your RRA submission

If you have already submitted or certified completion of your plans, no further action is needed at this time. 

 

Further Resources: 

NOTE: Systems that serve less than 3,301 people are not required to certify the completion of these plans to U.S. EPA but are encouraged to conduct RRAs and ERPs in order to prepare for potential risks or emergencies.

February 18, 2026 By Katelyn McLaughlin Compliance Monitoring compliance deadline, emergency response plan, risk and resilience assessment 0 0 Comment Read More »

The EPA Is Seeking New Communities to Assist with Wastewater Infrastructure Breakdowns

A map of the American states and territories that displays the locations of the 87 communities served by the US EPA's Closing America's Wastewater Access Gap initiative.

If your municipality is struggling to provide adequate municipal sanitation services to your community, or perhaps your wastewater infrastructure is struggling to recover from a natural hazard event, you should know that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is still seeking new communities across the US to add to its Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap (CAWAG) Initiative. The CAWAG initiative originally began as a pilot project in 2022 as a partnership with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help address critical wastewater challenges in small and rural communities. 

The pilot program consisted of 11 communities and experienced encouraging success in making strides towards ameliorating the barriers to adequate sanitation in these locations. The results of the pilot led to a commitment in 2024 to expand to 150 communities across the nation. As of last month, the CAWAG team has made it more than halfway to this new goal: 87 communities are now receiving support! They can be seen across the map above.

However, outreach efforts to reach a full 150 communities continue. The EPA is calling for assistance in identifying potentially qualifying communities and encouraging them to apply for assistance through CAWAG, particularly in states that have not yet had a community participate in the initiative. The issues experienced in such communities may range from widespread residential septic backup and/or sewage pooling, struggles by the town to provide adequate sanitation services, or difficulties rebuilding wastewater and septic systems following natural disasters. 

CAWAG communities receive no-cost hands-on technical assistance from experienced TAPs, funding application support, and solutions-oriented help in addressing their unique wastewater needs. The primary goal of CAWAG support is full collaboration with each community in order to identify the best and most practical solutions for all involved.  

Specific examples of no-cost technical assistance support that have been provided include:

  • Conducting a formal assessment of community wastewater needs
  • Evaluating the feasibility of potential wastewater solutions
  • Identifying funding options such as grants and financing
  • Aiding the completion of preliminary engineering and paperwork requirements
  • Assisting local government in establishing ordinances for wastewater management

If you know of communities near you that could qualify, we encourage you to pass on the word about CAWAG. There is no deadline to apply to the initiative, as communities are selected on a rolling basis. The application is relatively simple: all that is necessary is to fill out the brief, 17-question Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) Request Form that is available on the EPA’s website. Local leaders, homeowners, and utilities can apply on the behalf of their community, in addition to states, Tribes, and territories themselves.

Questions about the initiative can be directed to the EPA’s CAWAG team lead Zach Lowenstein at Lowenstein.Zachary@epa.gov, or to SepticHelp@epa.gov. Mr. Lowenstein will also accept community referrals through his email. 

More resources:

 

January 22, 2026 By Laura Schultz Decentralized Wastewater, Emergency Response, Wastewater cawag, closing america's wastewater access gap, community sanitation, community wastewater, sanitation failures, US EPA, wastewater access, wastewater access gap, wastewater infrastructure, wastewater treatment 0 0 Comment Read More »