Newsletter #435 - June 16, 2026

Funding opportunity with Bureau of Reclamation's Drought Response Program

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.

In addition to long-term resiliency projects, the program can also fund short-term emergency response actions for unexpected drought conditions. A current 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:

• Drought Response Program Fact Sheet

• Drought Response Program Framework

• Drought Resiliency Projects vs. Small Storage Program

• For additional information on the Drought Response Program, please contact Ms. Shelbie Neff at sneff@usbr.gov

• If you have questions regarding applicant and project eligibility or the evaluation criteria, click here and submit an inquiry request for the appropriate program.

• You may complete this form to receive WaterSMART program notification from the Bureau of Reclamation.

Tap Talk

Discussing the History and Impact of the National Ground Water Monitoring Network (Part 1)

Our newest Tap Talk episode is a two-parter! In this episode, we welcome Bob Schreiber, a water resources engineer at CDM Smith and long-time National Ground Water Association member, to the show to discuss the development and importance of the National Ground Water Monitoring Network. Be sure to tune back in for Part 2 with Bob!

Featured Video

San Diego Water Authority floating idea of selling excess water

NBC 7 San Diego

"The region's unprecedented surplus might be headed to thirsty out of state buyers. NBC 7's Joe Little explains how that could lead to lower water bills."

Register for EPA's 2026 National Cyber Drill

Join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the 2026 National Cybersecurity Drill on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT. This year’s exercise is designed to challenge drinking water and wastewater utilities to maintain critical system functions in an environment where telecommunications and internet access are no longer available. 

"The exercise is built around a simulated scenario in which cyber and/or physical incidents degrade or disable commercial telecommunications infrastructure, internet service providers, and associated systems. As a result, participating organizations must operate in a “disconnected” environment with limited or no access to Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) remote connectivity, cloud-based services, email, Voice over IP (VoIP), and other digital communication tools. This exercise is designed to strengthen sector-wide resilience by testing operations under progressively degraded conditions. It enables participants to identify barriers and dependencies while reinforcing continuity of safe and reliable water and wastewater services in the absence of telecommunications and internet connectivity."

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be provided in most states. 

Register for our upcoming webinar!

Monitoring, Sampling, and Data Management for NPDES Compliance

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM CDT

WaterOperator.org

This free webinar provides a practical overview of wastewater monitoring, sampling, and data management as they relate to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Participants will explore common compliance challenges, review best practices for collecting and managing discharge monitoring data, and learn about publicly available resources to support permit compliance. The session also includes a demonstration of our free 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. Check with your certification body for acceptance criteria.

Featured Video

The $2 Trillion Wake-Up Call For America's Drinking Water

waterloop

"A landmark new report from the American Water Works Association estimates the United States will need between $2.1 and $2.4 trillion in drinking water infrastructure investment over the next 25 years—and the funding gap is widening fast. In this episode, the findings of Beyond The Replacement Era are explained by Mike Grimm of West Slope Water District, Heather Collins of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Janet Clements of One Water Econ, John Mastracchio of Raftelis, and Adam Carpenter of AWWA. The report identifies a structural shift in water sector costs, with utilities now navigating compounding pressures from PFAS and lead regulations, climate resilience, cybersecurity, and increasingly scarce water sources—not just aging pipes. Without new investment strategies, the average household water bill could more than double by 2050, potentially pushing over 53 million households into financial stress. Federal funding for water infrastructure lags far behind other sectors like transportation, covering just 3.9 percent of public spending—a disparity the guests argue must change. Solutions discussed include expanding federal and state partnerships, consolidating fragmented small utilities to capture economies of scale, and developing dedicated affordability assistance programs to protect vulnerable households."

Topics covered in this video:

• Introduction: America's Water Infrastructure Challenge

• Waterloop Intro

• Mike Grimm: Why This Report Is a Wake-Up Call

• The True Value of Water

• A New Cost Era: PFAS, Climate, and Cybersecurity

• Heather Collins: The Pressure Utilities Face Every Day

• Talking to Communities About Impact

• The $56.6 Billion Annual Funding Gap

• Why Water Gets Less Federal Funding Than Other Sectors

• What Rising Costs Mean for Your Water Bill

• Janet Clements: Defining Affordability

• How Many Households Could Be at Risk by 2050

• How Water Infrastructure Is Funded — and What Needs to Change

• John Mastracchio: Solutions and the Path Forward

• What's at Stake for Communities

• Adam Carpenter: Next Steps and the Call to Action

Featured Events

In the News

• $400 million Illinois water pipeline breaks ground | Underground Construction
• Southern California Water Agencies Mount Massive Push for Reuse | Engineering News-Record
• Managing Microthrix in Wastewater Treatment Plants | Water Daily
• Broke and On Their Own: Small Water Systems Lose Ground as Federal Support Wavers | Circle of Blue
• Henderson's $100M plant upgrade reinforces one of the most advanced water reuse systems in the US | Smart Water Magazine
• World Cup hydration is a utility problem | Water Daily
• Wisconsin farmers cut phosphorus, boost water quality in Fox-Wolf River watershed | Wisconsin State Farmer
• Feds say new Colorado River plan will be short-term | Aspen Journalism
• Arkansas: Governor Announces $3.2M for Water and Wastewater Projects | NRWA
• Hawaiʻi colleges launch wastewater certificate program to support cesspool conversions | Wastewater Digest

Recent Blog Posts at WaterOperator.org

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