EPA is moving forward with PFAS drinking water limits but delaying compliance deadlines and withdrawing a controversial hazard index. At the same time, the Trump White House has proposed about a 90% cut to the State Revolving Funds—raising serious concerns about how utilities will afford compliance and critical infrastructure upgrades.

In this episode of In The Newsroom, Bob Crossen, Editorial Director of WaterWorld and Wastewater Digest, explains the latest regulatory developments and what they mean for the water sector.

The conversation covers EPA’s updated PFAS strategy, potential legal challenges, and the “polluter pays” approach to liability. Bob also discusses how smaller utilities struggle to access SRF funding, the role of WIFIA, and what Congress might do next. With billions in water projects on the line, this episode provides a clear breakdown of major headlines shaping the future of drinking water and wastewater in the U.S.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.

A legacy of pollution and neglect once left the James River and surrounding waterways in ecological crisis.

But decades of federal protections and grassroots advocacy have shown that nature can heal—if given the chance.

In this episode, Beth Roach, Vice Chair of the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia and National Water Conservation Campaign Manager for the Sierra Club, shares her personal and professional journey in water protection. Beth reflects on the environmental trauma of growing up beside a toxic river and the powerful return of wildlife spurred by the Clean Water Act.

She describes how her tribe is leading efforts to reconnect people with their ancestral waters through cleanups and cultural engagement, and how the Tribal Coastal Resilience Connections project is building stronger bridges between Indigenous communities and government agencies.

Beth also discusses the rollback of wetland protections, Sierra Club’s national clean water campaigns, and why relationship-building is the enduring strategy to drive equity and resilience—even in politically turbulent times.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability. This episode is part of the Color Of Water series, a collaboration with the Water Hub.

Stormwater management solutions that are effective, space-conscious, and sustainable are increasingly important for cities. One increasingly popular solution is deep infiltration, a practice that moves stormwater into native soils far below the surface, to avoid harmful runoff and recharge groundwater.

In this episode, Gregor Patsch of Oldcastle Infrastructure explains how vertical drywells work, why they’re different from injection wells, and how they’re gaining traction with both local governments and developers. He shares that these systems can reach up to 100 feet underground and include built-in pretreatment chambers to keep pollutants out of groundwater.

Gregor highlights their usefulness in areas with impermeable surface layers, like clay, or dense urban environments with limited footprint for infrastructure.

The conversation includes a case study from Los Angeles, where hundreds of drywells are being used to transform the San Fernando Valley into a sponge, helping reduce flooding and increase local water supply.

He also discusses the broader implications of deep infiltration for water resilience and how it fits into a shift toward managing stormwater, groundwater, and drinking water as one interconnected system.

This episode is sponsored by Oldcastle Infrastructure, a CRH Company and the leading provider of building materials, products and services for infrastructure projects to several North American market sectors, including Water, Communications, and Energy.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.