by Southwest EFC | Sep 2, 2026 | Compliance with Drinking Water Regulations, Pollution & Water Quality, Small Water Systems
Backflow regulator. Photo Credit: Hockney, from Getty Images As water and wastewater operators, you are on the front lines of protecting public health. One critical but sometimes overlooked responsibility is preventing backflow and managing cross connections. These...
by Southwest EFC | Aug 21, 2026 | Compliance with Drinking Water Regulations, Compliance with Wastewater Regulations, Cyber Awareness, Cybersecurity, Operations & Maintenance, Small Water Systems, Wastewater
Drinking water and wastewater systems are increasingly at risk of malicious cyber activity. Since July 27, 2026, water and wastewater systems in at least seven states have reported malicious cyber activity to the FBI, with more than...
by Southwest EFC | Jul 15, 2026 | Compliance with Drinking Water Regulations, Policy and Legislation, Small Water Systems
Photo credit: Clean Water Action (2025). The Clean Water Act (CWA) has served as the cornerstone of water quality protection in the United States for over five decades. Originally passed in 1948 as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the law was...
by Southwest EFC | Jul 9, 2026 | Compliance with Drinking Water Regulations, Funding Coordination, PFAS, Policy and Legislation, Small Water Systems
Photo by Adobe Stock To address mounting concerns over the presence of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the nation’s drinking water, EPA adopted the nation’s first PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR), effective April 2024. This...
by Southwest EFC | Jul 7, 2026 | Compliance with Drinking Water Regulations
More than 50 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, what can we learn from its impact on small communities? In this episode, Dr. Rhiannon Jerch discusses how the Clean Water Act shaped municipal finances, improved water quality, and influenced long-term...
by Southwest EFC | Jun 30, 2026 | Communications and Outreach, Community Engagement, Compliance with Drinking Water Regulations, Policy and Legislation, Pollution & Water Quality
Cross-connection and backflow risks may not always be obvious, but they can pose serious threats to drinking water systems and public health when left unaddressed. In this episode, Alice Kilkelly from the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center speaks with...
