State Leaders Tackle How to Address Water Contaminants Not Yet Regulated
Today (5/20), the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) and the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA) jointly released a Recommendations Report developed by a joint ASDWA/ACWA Workgroup with several recommendations to be evaluated by federal and state agencies to address the growing issues surrounding contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). As states and EPA continue to respond to emerging contaminants, like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and/or harmful algal blooms (HABs), ASDWA and ACWA set out to identify the tools state water managers have to respond to this challenging situation. The Workgroup of clean water and drinking water resource managers from across the country discussed and developed recommendations to improve the management of CECs.
The Workgroup developed recommendations across five action areas:
- Establish a national priority framework and research agenda for priority setting;
- Engage industry to develop and improve access to comprehensive chemical data;
- Increase coordinated monitoring across water resource management programs;
- Expedite risk assessment and response; and
- Improve risk communication
