Our very own Executive Director Julie Nahrgang was featured on WEF's Words on Water podcast, speaking for 30 minutes on the unique challenges and opportunities facing the water treatment and infrastructure landscape in Texas.

The EPA's Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) Version 1 was unveiled on February 27. Subtitled "Collaborative Implementation," the plan features eleven "strategic themes" and 37 actions for consideration in developing an integrated water resources plan featuring reuse. WEF (along with the WRA, AWWA, & NACWA) praised the release of the plan and promised to continue "collaboration on this shared priority." In additional to leadership in potable reuse, Texas is forecast to see an increase in treatment and reuse of produced water in West Texas oilfields.

In a productive week for the agency, the EPA also provided an update on their PFAS Action Plan. Import of products containing PFAS and PFOA will now be regulated by the EPA under the significant new use rule (SNUR) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Meanwhile the agency has created preliminary determinations to regulate PFOA and PFOS, and "is also gathering and evaluating information to determine if regulation is appropriate for other chemicals in the PFAS family."

Houston-area commuters and residents endured a flood event this Thursday, after construction around a 35-year-old, 96-inch water main caused the pipe to burst. The resulting flooding closed portions of Loop 610, and the loss of pressure to the municipal water system meant residents were advised to boil water. The affected pipe supplied roughly half of Houston's drinking water.