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In Memoriam: James Barnard, a Global Force in Wastewater Treatment, Dies at 90 We are saddened to share the news of the passing of pioneering engineer James L. Barnard, whose innovations in biological nutrient removal transformed wastewater treatment worldwide and continue to shape our sector today. Read more about his life and legacy here.   [...]

RFA Annual Meeting The Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) will discuss its newly released annual report during its annual meeting this month. Join RFA to hear the results and strategy from 2025 and preview what comes next for the organization, its members, and collaborators during its fifth virtual annual meeting on April 15 from 10:00 - 11:00am. All [...]

Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming CASA Events In the coming months, CASA will host several virtual and in-person events designed to engage members and non-members on issues important to the clean water community. Details and registration links are included in the articles that follow, but if you’d like to jump directly to events of interest, simply [...]

IEUA Celebrates the Opening of Water Discovery Center On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) celebrated the opening of the Water Discovery Center, a new facility designed to support the Agency’s Water Discovery Education Program for K-12 students across IEUA’s service area. IEUA’s Water Discovery Education Program provides students with hands-on [...]

In Memoriam: Phil Bobel The CASA community is saddened to learn of the recent passing of Phil Bobel of Palo Alto, a respected leader and longtime contributor to California’s clean water sector. Phil was widely known for his dedication to public service, his collaborative spirit, and his leadership within the wastewater community. He played an [...]

PPIC: Water Quality in California A new report highlights the complex water quality challenges facing California, from legacy pollution and urban runoff to emerging contaminants and climate impacts, while outlining progress being made across the state. Learn more in the full release from the Public Policy Institute of California: Read the full report here.

2026 WELL Annual Conference – Register Today Water challenges and climate change are reshaping communities across California. Want to better understand new water legislation, gain practical tools, and make informed, equitable decisions for your region? The 2026 WELL Annual Conference brings together leaders and experts for two days of powerful learning and collaboration on March [...]

Winter Conference Recap CASA’s 2026 Winter Conference in Palm Springs kicked off the year with three days of collaboration, insight, and forward-looking discussions focused on building resilient, future-ready clean water agencies. The conference began with networking opportunities, including the Women of Wastewater gathering and a facility tour of Valley Sanitary District highlighting recent treatment plant [...]

Congress Passes Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Congress has finalized FY 2026 funding for key water, energy, and environmental programs with passage of the three-bill Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 minibus that includes the Interior-Environment and Energy and Water Development bills. The legislation keeps most programs funded at current levels, avoids the deeper cuts proposed by the [...]

Sign up for CASA’s Regulatory Updates CASA’s Regulatory Workgroup regularly puts together a comprehensive e-newsletter to share all regulatory updates on key issues and workgroup initiatives with the CASA membership. We recently trifurcated the single regulatory newsletter into biosolids, ACE, and water quality specific editions. If you are interested in receiving any (or all) of [...]