Last week, AMWA participated in an engagement session for the water sector on the EPA Office of Water (OW) draft Climate Adaptation Implementation Plan. Spanning fiscal years 2022 through 2026, the plan will serve as a strategic roadmap for OW to incorporate climate adaptation considerations throughout its financial assistance programs, regulatory work, and research and training.
Actions in the plan must address the five agency-wide priorities identified in EPA’s 2021 Climate Adaptation Action Plan. OW will:
- Improve the climate resilience of America’s water infrastructure by deploying grant and loan programs aimed at climate objectives, incorporating climate in technical assistance programs, and promoting resilient infrastructure solutions;
- Identify and address climate adaptation vulnerability and science needs; and
- Advance the adaptive capacity of the water sector and the climate knowledge of communities by supporting assessment of climate risks and improving the availability of data and information.
EPA further acknowledged that under the plan, the agency will consider climate impacts in both rule development and interactions between regulations under key legislation, like the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.
Water sector partners may attend the second listening session on Monday, May 9, 2022, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., ET. To register for the session, contact Jessica Evans.