ACWA Members Should Check Opt-Out Status for DuPont PFAS Settlement

Water agencies that filed requests to opt out of a settlement with chemical manufacturers regarding PFAS contamination should check the status of their requests. The court overseeing the DuPont settlement recently released a Claims Administrator Report that showed only 170 out of 1,000 opt-out requests filed by water agencies were accepted.

The report does not specify which opt-out requests were accepted or rejected, and the court did not notify agencies that filed rejected requests. However, water agencies that want to determine the status of their filing for the PFAS settlement can call a hotline and provide the appropriate identifying information to verify their claim.

The hotline number is (855) 972-9592.

Background

Several PFAS manufacturers responsible for contaminating drinking water resources — including 3M, Chemours, Corteva, and DuPont — last year reached proposed settlement agreements with public water agencies totaling more than $13 billion.

Generally speaking, agencies that did not opt out of the settlements will release claims against 3M and DuPont and will not be able to bring a future lawsuit against those companies for claims related to PFAS. Agencies will be bound by the settlements, including the release provisions, regardless of whether or not they file a claim or receive any distribution from the settlements.

Questions

For information about the proposed settlements, visit the official PFAS settlements website.

More information is also available from an ACWA Fact Sheet or by contacting ACWA Federal Relations Representative Madeline Voitier.

Governor’s Proposed Budget Includes Reduced Funding for Some Water Categories, New Funding for Others

Gov. Gavin Newsom today unveiled his $291.4 billion proposed state budget for the 2024-’25 fiscal year. While it would rescind funding for several important water issues, it would also include new funding for flood protection and the Salton Sea.

Newsom’s proposed budget would reduce funding for watershed climate resilience, recycled water, flood protection, PFAS treatment and Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations to help address an estimated $37.9 billion shortfall. While the significant shortfall must be addressed, ACWA will advocate to maintain funding for water and climate issues.

Specifically, the governor’s budget proposes funding and reductions in the following areas:

• Watershed Climate Resilience — A reversion of $88.4 million General Fund and a reduction of $350 million over the next two years for various watershed climate resilience programs within the Department of Water Resources and the Wildlife Conservation Board. The budget maintains $56 million previously allocated to these programs.
• Recycled Water — A reversion of $174.4 million in General Fund and a delay of $100 million until 2025-’26 for water recycling and groundwater cleanup. The budget maintains $348 million previously allocated to this program.
• ⁠PFAS — A reversion of $71.6 million General Fund and reduction of $30 million in 2024-’25 for per-and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) support. The budget maintains $53 million previously allocated to this program.
• ⁠Dam Safety — A reversion of $50 million General Fund for dam safety investments. The budget maintains $50 million previously allocated to this program.
• ⁠Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) — A reduction of $6.75 million General Fund ongoing for Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations for runoff forecasting. The budget maintains $10 million ongoing in baseline support for the program.

The budget also proposes including new water spending in the following areas:

• Flood Safety — $93.9 million to support critical flood safety efforts
• Salton Sea — $65.2 million for implementation of the Salton Sea Management Program, for restoration projects at the Salton Sea to suppress dust and create wildlife habitat

While the governor did not mention a climate resilience/water bond when he unveiled his proposed budget, ACWA will continue to advocate in support of legislation that would place a bond on the November ballot. That advocacy focuses on additional investments in the areas of recycled water, desalination, groundwater recharge, water storage, conveyance, dam safety, safe drinking water, PFAS remediation, water conservation, and several other critical water infrastructure categories.

California’s Constitution requires the governor to submit a balanced budget proposal to the Legislature by Jan. 10 of each year. A revised budget will be released in May, and the Legislature will have until June 15 to pass a final budget.

Questions

For questions about the governor’s proposed budget, please contact ACWA State Relations Director Adam Quiñonez

ACWA Announces Committee Appointments for 2024-’25

ACWA President Cathy Green has announced her appointments to the association’s 13 standing committees, which will provide key technical, policy and organizational input to the ACWA Board of Directors for the 2024-’25 term.

The appointments were made based on recommendations from ACWA’s region Chairs and Vice Chairs, while also considering committee guidelines, geographic balance, subject expertise and other factors. Chair and Vice Chair appointments were ratified by the ACWA Board of Directors, per association bylaws, on Jan. 4.

Becoming active on an ACWA committee is the most effective way for members to engage in state and local issues and influence policy and legislation. Committees are structured to include representation from all 10 ACWA regions, bringing together expertise and perspectives from across the state on key state and federal issues.

To view the 2024-’25 committee rosters, please visit the Committee Information page of ACWA’s website. The page also lists the 13 committees and provides brief information about their individual roles.

ACWA received consideration forms from 141 member agencies nominating 722 individuals for committee appointments. Of that, 544 people were appointed to a committee. Some committees have limited membership, and those who were not selected have been automatically added to a waiting list, which will be used to fill vacancies as they occur throughout the term.

Not Too Late to Get Involved

• If you would like to be appointed to a committee, complete and submit a Committee Consideration Form. Appointments are made continuously to committees with unlimited membership and as needed from a waiting list to committees with limited membership.
• All committee meetings, including those held during spring and fall conferences, are open to guests. Reach out to the committee’s staff liaison for more information about upcoming meetings.

Questions

For questions about ACWA’s committee appointment process, please contact ACWA Region and Member Engagement Specialist Ana Javaid at anaj@acwa.com or (916) 669-2442.