US Water Prize 2018 Nomination Period Now Open

The US Water Alliance has opened the nomination period for the 2018 US Water Prize and the deadline for applications is March 8, 2018. The US Water Prize is awarded annually, and celebrates outstanding achievement in the advancement of sustainable, integrated, and inclusive solutions to our nation’s water challenges. It is a national recognition program for exemplary efforts to secure a sustainable water future for all. Prize categories for 2018 include public, private, and non-profit organizations, and two categories for outstanding individuals. Winners of the US Water Prize will be recognized and announced during the Water Prize Ceremony at the US Water Alliance’s One Water Summit 2018 in the Twin Cities, July 10-12.  Previous winners include some water utilities and the Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborative. For more information and to submit a nomination by March 8^th, visit the website here.

 

EFCN Webinar on Resiliency Planning for Small Water Systems

The Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN) will host a free webinar next Tuesday, February 13^th from 2:30 to 3:30 pm (eastern) entitled “Resiliency Planning 101.” This webinar will offer definitions of community and utility resiliency in the context of disaster preparedness, recovery, and proactive planning measures. Resiliency enables communities and utilities to remain economically and socially viable in the face of extreme weather or economic events. Register here.

Plan Now for National Groundwater Awareness and Fix-a-Leak Weeks in March

National Groundwater Awareness Week is taking place on March 11-17, and EPA’s WaterSense Fix-a-Leak is taking place the following week on March 19-25, 2018.

National Groundwater Awareness Week is March 11-17

Plan now to promote public awareness about groundwater during this year’s National Groundwater Awareness Week. The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) invites you to join them in this effort by spreading the word through your website, timely newsletter publications, social media, or other education and outreach activities. This year’s theme of “Tend, Test, Treat,” includes an associated video for private well owners, a press release template, and other useful information and materials. State drinking water programs and health departments can use these tools to reach private well owners and the general public, and also pass this information along to your water utilities to share with their customers. For more information, to download the materials, and to become a groundwater advocate, visit NGWA’s website at Ground Water Awareness Week and Wellowner.org.

Fix-a-Leak Week is March 19-25

EPA’s WaterSense program and its partners (including ASDWA and many states) will raise awareness about the importance of eliminating household leaks during the 10th Annual Fix-a-Leak Week. ASDWA encourages states to promote this week with your water systems and communities by sharing information through newsletters and social media, and hosting community events that highlight the water-saving benefits of fixing household leaks. Help them get started to chase down leaks and reduce water waste with a few simple tips, along with educational resources and a video you can find on the WaterSense website.

AWRA Seeks Abstracts for Summer Conference on Governance of Transboundary Groundwater

The American Water Resources Association (AWRA) is seeking abstracts for presentations, topical sessions, and workshops at its Summer Conference on the Science, Management, and Governance of Transboundary Groundwater that will be held July 9-11, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. The program will stimulate conversations on innovative approaches for identifying transboundary groundwater resources and the methods to develop sustainable governance and management agreements. For more information and deadlines for submission, visit the AWRA website.

EPA and USGS Surface Water Toolbox Webcast

On February 8, 2018 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm (eastern time), EPA’s Watershed Academy will host a webinar on the newly developed Surface Water Toolbox created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and EPA. The Surface Water Toolbox is a user-friendly, downloadable tool for water managers to estimate a wide variety of streamflow statistics. Register for the webinar here. For more information about the Watershed Academy and to view previous webinars, visit EPA’s website.

Pisces Foundation Funding Opportunity – Due by January 29

The Pisces Foundation has announced a new funding opportunity as part of its urban water strategy. Pisces will award a total of $500,00 to $600,000 in 2018 for up to $125,000 per grant to motivated organizations within communities serving populations of at least 200,000 people who want to undertake a new smart water (One Water) approach to water management. A smart water approach integrates water management and other disciplines, focuses on long-term sustainability, provides multiple benefits to multiple users, supports community access and revitalization, and can be more cost-effective than more narrowly focused efforts to protect water quality or water supply alone.

The deadline is January 29, 2018, and grants will be awarded in June 2018. For more information, view the RFP here.

Bureau of Reclamation Funding for WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management in Western States

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) announced its 2018 funding opportunity for Phase I of the WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program. This funding opportunity seeks proposals for activities to develop a watershed group, complete watershed restoration planning activities, and to design watershed management projects. In contrast, Phase II of this program focuses on the implementation of watershed management projects, though it is not included in this funding opportunity at this time. The goal of the whole program (for Phase I and II) is to promote the sustainable use of water resources and improve the ecological resilience of rivers and streams using collaborative conservation efforts.

Proposals are due by Wednesday, January 31, 2018, at 4:00 pm (mountain time). States, tribes, local and special districts (e.g., irrigation and water districts), local governmental entities, interstate organizations, and non-profit organizations, including existing watershed groups, within the 17 western states are eligible to apply. To view this funding opportunity, go to:  www.grants.gov. To learn more about the WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Phase I grants for FY 2018, go to:  www.usbr.gov/watersmart/cwmp.

US Water Alliance Creates One Water for America Policy Framework for 2018 Rollout

The US Water Alliance has created a new “One Water for America Policy Framework.” The Framework was developed from discussions with approximately 500 people across the country during a series of 15 listening sessions. During the sessions, water industry leaders, local officials, farmers, environmental groups and others provided insights that were organized into seven big ideas for sustainable water management in the US, and will be released as a series of webinars and policy briefs starting in January. Some of the seven big ideas include:  advancing regional collaboration; accelerating agriculture-utility partnerships; sustaining infrastructure funding; and reducing lead risks.

Read the Framework Executive Summary, view the Seven Big Ideas, and find more information about this effort here.

Proposals Now Being Accepted for 2018 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grants

The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program is now accepting grant proposals  for 2018, and expects to award approximately $2 million in grants nationwide. The program is being directed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Wildlife Habitat Council, in cooperation with the EPA, the US Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FedEx and Southern Company. The grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality (including protecting drinking water sources), watersheds and the species and habitats they support. Projects include a variety of ecological improvements along with targeted community outreach, education and stewardship, and will represent a mixture of urban and rural communities. Proposals are due by Wednesday, January 31, 2018 and awards will be announced in July 2018. For more information, view the Request for Proposals and visit the NFWF website.

WE&RF and WRF Webinar on Coordinating Water Management and Urban Planning Efforts

On Thursday, December 7, 2017, from 1:00 pm–2:30 pm (eastern), the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF) and Water Research Foundation (WRF) will conduct a free webinar entitled, “Coordinating Water Management and Urban Planning Efforts.” During the webinar, speakers from the University of Arizona, Brendle Group, and Western Resource Advocates will present the findings from two parallel research projects (project #SIWM5R13 and project #4623) that can be used by both the water and planning sectors to improve coordination, promote resilience in urban environments, and help move cities towards a One Water approach. REGISTER HERE.