CASA News
Thank You CASA Committee Members!
CASA staff would like to extend our sincerest appreciation and gratitude to all who serve on CASA committee’s and workgroups. Your input, time, and effort is invaluable in supporting the work we do. We are proud to work with such extraordinary individuals and look forward to another year of working alongside each of you. We encourage all of our members to review the CASA Committees and Workgroups lists and LISTSERVs and reach out if you have an interest in joining.
Be on the Lookout: CASA Agency Salary Survey
CASA would like to encourage your agency’s participation in the periodic CASA Agency Salary and Benefits Survey which will be coming your way in March. The survey provides valuable information for our members. The more responses we receive, the more accurate the statistical summary we can create. If your agency participated previously, your data is important for those agencies that use benchmarks. For those of you who have not participated in recent surveys, or have never participated, you will find this information very helpful when conducting a salary classification and review. Monterey One Water has again graciously volunteered to coordinate and produce the survey report.
 
For inquiries about the survey, please contact Debbie Welch at dwelch@casaweb.org.
Thank you for your participation in the development of this important member resource.
New Content and Materials Available
  • SB 1383 Fact Sheet (and more): CASA staff has developed a new fact sheet to aid in the understanding of SB 1383 and its implementation regarding the organics diversion mandates. Please contact Greg Kester with any questions. CASA has also developed several other fact sheets on key issues, including PFAS and wastewater based epidemiology, and we are currently working on a fact sheet pertaining to microplastics that should be complete soon.
  • Regulatory Updates: CASA’s Regulatory Workgroup regularly compiles a comprehensive e-newsletter to share all regulatory updates on key issues and workgroup initiatives. If you are interested in receiving these regulatory updates, please contact Jared Voskuhl. Last month’s edition is available here.
Federal Update
Water Infrastructure Legislation Introduced in the House
Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA) has reintroduced legislation to increase the funding authorization for the popular Title XVI Program. Entitled the Water Recycling Investment and Improvement Act (H.R. 1015), the bill increases the authorization level for the program to $500 million from the current level of $50 million, and would make it a permanent program. Currently, it is set to expire this year if Congress does not reauthorize the program. The Title XVI program, carried out by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, provides funding to support the planning, design, and construction of water recycling and reuse projects in partnership with localities. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Natural Resources where the next steps will be for the committee to hold a hearing to consider the legislation.
 
CASA recently submitted a letter of support for this legislation, and if CASA members wish to send their letters of support, members may do so by sending letters to Representative Napolitano’s office.
Senate Committee Reports Out USEPA Nominee
The Committee on Environment and Public Works reported the nomination of Michael Regan to be Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) on a vote of 11-4, along party lines. Regan’s nomination now goes to the Senate floor to be voted on. A date for a floor vote on the nomination has yet to be scheduled. Regan currently serves as Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
Congress Continues Race to Pass COVID Relief by Next Month
Congressional Democrats continued efforts this week to advance COVID-19 relief legislation to meet the self-imposed deadline of March 14 when federal unemployment insurance benefits, covering more than 18 million Americans, expire. House passage is all but assured, but debate over a mandate to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour and stimulus checks for undocumented immigrants could threaten swift passage in the Senate and force a House-Senate conference to iron out differences. If this occurs, final passage and enactment could be delayed until late March or early April.
Creative Corner
Wipes Clog Pipes Logo Goes Mobile!
With the onset of COVID-19 and dramatic increase in the use of wipes for disinfecting surfaces, the West Valley Sanitation District wanted to get the word out to their constituents that only toilet paper goes down the toilet. As with many wastewater collection systems and wastewater treatment facilities, “disposable” wipes have been a problem for several years now. They cause or contribute to blockages in sewer pipes, they become lodged and damage sewer pumps, and they add to the non-biodegradable material that must be removed during treatment. 
 
The District had been searching for ways to use their two CCTV trucks for some type of public outreach since they have large areas on each side that were sitting blank. The idea of wipes came to mind and the District reached out to CASA staff for assistance in accessing the “Wipes Clog Pipes” logo. Check out the final product!
Virtual Tours
With in-person tours still on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions, many CASA member agencies have found a special way to keep their communities connected with virtual tours of their agencies! Check out two of the most recent additions, City of Roseville’s Virtual Wastewater Utilities Tour and Leucadia Wastewater District's Virtual Tour which was created by CASA associate member, Rising Tide Partners. If your agency has produced a virtual tour that you would like to share with the CASA membership, please contact Alyssa Downs.
Member News
LASAN’s Director and General Manager to speak at Global Water Intelligence Session
LA Sanitation & Environment’s (LASAN) Director and General Manager, Enrique Zaldivar, will be speaking at Global Water Intelligence's virtual session "Accelerating Macro Solutions in Los Angeles" this Thursday, February 25 from 10:00am to 12:00pm. Be sure to register today to learn more about the future of blue-green infrastructure in North America registration is free, but seats are limited. Here's a brief video clip of what to expect from the Blue Green Infrastructure: What Works and Why it's the Future session.
SFPUC Request for Information DB-134 Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant Biogas Utilization Facility
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is soliciting interest for a Public-Private-Partnership (P3) for the San Francisco SEP Biogas Utilization Project. The P3 partner services may include, but are not limited to, successful implementation of all elements of a Biogas Utilization Project including financing, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and revenue generation. SFPUC is seeking to engage the P3 partner for all aspects of the project. For more information on RFI for DB-134 SEP Biogas Utilization Facility, please visit,
In Case You Missed It
Bioenergy and Jobs Fact Sheet
A new fact sheet on bioenergy and jobs was developed by Gladstein Neandross & Associates for the Bioenergy Association of California (BAC) and the California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership. The fact sheet and further information is posted on BAC’s website here. 
Coronavirus Variant is Turning up in U.S. Wastewater
A hyper-transmissible form of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been found in California and Florida wastewater, confirming its widening presence in the United States. Samples drawn from sewers near Los Angeles and outside Orlando starting in late January are among those in which genetic mutations shared by a so-called U.K. variant have been detected. The sewage data is consistent with other estimates that the variant is increasing its reach. Read more in the article here.
Webinars and Workshops
Workshop: Wastewater Resource Recovery - Challenges and Opportunities from a Danish and Californian Perspective
At the moment, wastewater resource recovery facilities face a range of optimization challenges, increasing demands for resource recovery, and a new perspective to rethink old practices in general. On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, this workshop aims to provide an insight into the Danish wastewater sector by looking at the effects of regulations in hindsight and future trends. Leading water professionals from California, including CASA Executive Director, Adam Link, and Danish industry professionals and the Danish EPA will join in as panelists and explore opportunities for knowledge-sharing on resource optimization and biogas utilization. 
 
The workshop follows the launch of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Kingdom of Denmark and the State of California. Together, they take the next joint step on the way towards a more resilient, sustainable, and efficient water sector. Workshops focusing on water distribution and digital asset management are also available.
 
NSAC: Business-Driven Solutions to Organics Recycling
On Friday, March 12, from 8:30 am to 10:00 am, join the National Stewardship Action Council for a webinar, How to Make Money from Saving the World: Business-Driven Solutions to Organics Recycling. Governments across the United States are trying to determine how to manage organics with evolving and complicated rules and pressure to move fast to reduce methane release and preserve organics and topsoil. Some states, like California, have passed laws requiring organics disposal reduction. Now, businesses and municipalities are racing to keep up with new mandates when permitting and funding the facilities can be very time consuming and costly. On this webinar, you will hear from local governments that manage organics and are responsible to meet diversion targets, and the collectors and processors of the organics on new technologies that may provide the solutions you need. The panelists will discuss their views of the problems and offer solutions. Be sure to register today!
CalRecycle: Pharmaceutical and Sharps Waste Stewardship (SB 212) Plan Workshop
On Wednesday, March 24, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm CalRecycle staff will present an overview of the statutory and regulatory requirements, submittal process, and timing for covered drug and home-generated sharps waste stewardship plans and initial program budgets as required by the Pharmaceutical and Sharps Waste Stewardship law and its implementing regulations. The workshop will include time for questions and answers. To be as informative and responsive as possible, staff encourage questions to be submitted to PharmaSharps@CalRecycle.ca.gov by March 10, 2021. Be sure to register today!
CASA represents more than 125 local public agencies engaged in the collection, treatment and recycling of Wastewater and biosolids to protect public health and the environment. Our mission is to provide trusted information and advocacy on behalf of California clean water agencies, and to be a leader in sustainability and utilization of renewable resources.