For questions about CASA News, please contact Alyssa Downs.

CASA’s Jared Voskuhl Takes on a New Role as Director of Regulatory Affairs

We are excited to share that Jared Voskuhl has taken on a new role here at CASA and will now serve as CASA’s Director of Regulatory Affairs. Jared will continue to take the lead on regulatory matters pertaining to water quality as well as management of CASA’s regulatory and collection system workgroups. Jared has been an integral part of our team for several years and we are thrilled he will be taking on this new position! Please join us in congratulating Jared on this well-deserved promotion. We look forward to being a part of his continued growth and success.

Get to Know the CASA Staff: Jared Voskuhl

Jared joined CASA in 2018 and works on a variety of water quality matters before the California EPA and California Natural Resources Agency related to nutrient management, PFAS, microplastics, aquatic toxicity, recycled water and infrastructure funding. He holds a law degree from the University of California, Davis, a Master’s degree in Sociology from Northwestern University, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and English.

Jared beyond the office:

• What is your favorite book? Probably either The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov or the collected works of Henry David Thoreau. I encountered both in high school apart from the classroom and still return to them each year. 
• Favorite outdoor activity? I love being in and near the water- in the ocean, at a lake, or in a pool! A true Pisces…. 
• What brings you joy? Watching my children play water polo and lacrosse; I grew up immersed in basketball, so having never played either as a youth, my ignorance enables me to enjoy and appreciate the games, and they’re both so physically demanding, it really garners my respect for their work and effort to excel.
• What is the last concert you saw? I saw Slowdive, a shoegaze British band, at the Warfield in San Francisco. That’s a legendary venue where the Grateful Dead were the de facto house band in the 80’s, so it was a doubly great experience.

Apply Now for CASA's Esteemed Award of Excellence

Your organization works hard to do what’s right for California. Recognition from the leading clean water association honors your hard work and accomplishments. It’s a symbol of respect, credibility, and innovation. CASA seeks to recognize members who provide essential public services and go above and beyond to protect public health and the environment. We invite all member agencies and associates to submit an Award of Excellence application by Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The recipients of these awards will be announced and celebrated during CASA's Annual Conference in August. Your commitment deserves to be highlighted, and we look forward to recognizing your outstanding contributions. For more information about the award criteria and categories, please visit the Awards Program Webpage.

CASA Education Foundation Scholarship Applications

The CASA Education Foundation helps ensure clean water for Californians and energize the future of the clean water sector by awarding scholarships to promising students on a path to serving the environmental community. Does your local college or university know about CASA’s financial aid to students interested in a career in water? Be sure to share this flier in your local community! The Foundation is accepting scholarship applications through May 17, 2024. For information on how to apply, who is eligible and the scholarship guidelines, visit the website.

If you have questions related to federal updates, please contact Sarah Sapirstein.

House Passes Clean Water Permitting Legislation with NPDES Permit Term Extension

On March 21, the House passed the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act (H.R. 7023) on a vote of 213-205. As part of the package, the House unanimously adopted Representative John Garamendi’s (D-CA) amendment to allow States, like California, with Clean Water Act delegation authorities to issue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for up to ten years for publicly owned wastewater treatment works. The legislation is now before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works awaiting committee consideration.

Senate Committee Examines Passive Receiver CERCLA Liability Exemption

On March 20, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works convened a hearing to examine the liability impacts of designating PFAS chemicals as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Emergency Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Specifically, the hearing focused on the issue of providing CERCLA liability exemption to passive receivers, which would include wastewater agencies. The hearing occurred as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is finalizing rules by the end of April to designate PFOS and PFOA as hazardous substances under CERCLA and create a 4PPT drinking water standard.

IEUA Receives 2023 Recycled Water Agency of the Year Award

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA/Agency) was recognized by the WateReuse Association with the 2023 Recycled Water Agency of the Year Award during their 39^thAnnual WateReuse Symposium in Denver, Colorado. The Agency was chosen as a winner in the Excellence in Action category for its over 50-year commitment to water resiliency through the innovative use of recycled water for commercial operations, watershed restoration projects, irrigation, indirect potable reuse and more. “The Agency prides itself on delivering compliant, reliable, high-quality recycled water to our customers,” stated IEUA Board President Marco Tule. “We look forward to continuing to pave the way to climate resiliency through our region’s innovative, all-encompassing water resource management plan built around water security. Thank you to WateReuse for their recognition and honor of our over 50-year commitment to supporting local water supply reliability.” Read more in the press release.

CASA Agency Salary Survey

CASA would like to encourage your agency’s participation in the annual Agency Salary and Benefits Survey. 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. We look forward to providing as much comprehensive benefit information as possible with the distribution of the results. Please complete the survey by April 29. Survey Attached

Clarification Regarding IRA Energy Property Guidance

The potential benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act to public wastewater agencies has been a hot topic this past year. There were some indications in recent Guidance that certain types of projects or components may not qualify for these incentives. However, following careful review and consultation with other stakeholders, CASA made the decision not to submit comments on the IRA Energy Property guidance last week. Our decision stems from our assessment that such action was unnecessary. The language within the guidance is clear that gas conditioning and cleaning devices are considered eligible components of energy property for the Investment Tax Credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The confidence underlying our decision is rooted in the clarity of the language provided within the guidance, and conversations with various agencies and entities over these last few months. We consider this great news and believe the guidance includes devices used to clean gas both for pipeline injection and transportation fuel. Please reach out to Greg Kester with any questions or comments.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $24 Million in Pollution Prevention Grants

On March 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of nearly $24 million in grants to support states, U.S. territories, and Tribes in providing technical assistance to businesses to develop and adopt pollution prevention practices. The funding is available through two Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for EPA’s Pollution Prevention program, with approximately $14 million in grants available at no cost share/match requirement, thanks to funding made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. EPA is hosting ain informational webinar on April 11, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., register here. The webinar will review information about the P2 Grant Program and the application process to help potential applicants submit a high-quality application to EPA for consideration. Time will be provided during the webinar for questions from participants. Read more in the press release.

Women in Water Connected Series

Registration is open for NACWA’s Core Leadership Women in Water ConnectEd Series! This three-part virtual series is designed to empower women in the water sector who want to reignite professional goals that may have taken a backseat but are now ready for pursuit. Whether you're aiming to reset a professional aspiration or refine your focus, this series is your platform for growth. Connect with women in water nationwide as you explore strategies for staying laser-focused on your chosen goal while prioritizing self-care and other competing demands. Participants will also gain a support network to hold you accountable and help you cross the finish line. The enrollment deadline is April 11. Don’t wait – view more information and register today!

CASA and CWEA Presents: Post COVID Wastewater-Based Surveillance (WBS) Update

Join us April 2, at 10:00 a.m. for an update on wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) in a post COVID-19 world. Explore the latest advancements in monitoring for COVID variants and other pathogenic organisms in wastewater. Hear from speakers representing CDC (Amy Kirby), Stanford University (Ali Boehm), California Department of Public Health (Angela Rabe) and Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (Naoko Munakata). Don't miss this opportunity to stay informed and engaged in the forefront of wastewater surveillance efforts. Register now!

2024 CWEA Annual Conference and Expo

Join CASA staff April 9 – 12 at the 2024 CWEA Annual Conference and Expo in Sacramento, for a chance to hear from CASA’s Greg Kester sharing updates on SB 1383 implementation along with many other great topics and speakers! See the conference webpage for more information: CWEA AC24, be sure to register today!

Save the Date - PFI Event

Save the date for the CWEA and CASA Partnering for Impact (PFI) event happening on June 4, 2024, from 8:00am in Irvine, CA. The goal of Partnering for Impact is to build stronger utility, university, and industry collaborations for innovation and find areas where we can create a positive impact together.

CASA represents more than 135 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.