WEF joined the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and several other advocacy groups in signing a letter of support for the Water Quality Protection and Jobs Creation Act of 2019. The proposed legislation provides more funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and will pay for infrastructure improvements across the country. The bill has bipartisan support from across the 50 states, it had its first hearing on March 7th.

Following the Texas Legislature’s filing deadline, there is a renewed focus on flood planning and protection. High profile bills seek to better define the protocols for spending state money on infrastructure and disaster mitigation, while the state’s flood planning process is set to be divided along river basin watershed lines.

Texas State plans to offer a topical and new degree program for the upcoming school year. Their updated Civil Engineering plan will mix traditional instruction methods with a focus on technology and practical, measurable results. This program is only the third of its kind in the United States, and the first in Texas.

In Louisiana, the permitted discharge of treated effluent into swamps is under discussion. “Wetland assimilation” has been standard practice for many communities for as long as wastewater treatment has existed, despite critics alleging adverse effects on the wetlands