AWWI
Regs & News
Regulations, Legal Updates & News
AWWI strives to keep its members updated on legal issues, regulations and news that affects our industry. For the most current info, be on the lookout for updates sent to members by email. Below you will find links to the current public hearings and notices posted by ADEM and as well as other news items relevant to our industry.
ARPA Funds
During a special session in January of 2022, the Alabama Legislature appropriated the first round of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. As part of that plan, ADEM received $225 million to be used "to improve access to clean water to the citizens of Alabama through investments in water and sewer infrastructure projects."
The appropriation specified $120 million to be used for grants for emergency or high-needs projects, $100 million to be used for matching grants, and $5 million for grants to install demonstration systems in the Black Belt.
More information from ADEM can be found in the link below.
POSITIVE RULING IN ETHICS CASE
On June 11, 2020 the Circuit Court in Montgomery County ruled in favor of the Birmingham Airport Authority’s challenge to the Alabama Ethics Commission August 7, 2019 opinion holding that employees of the public corporation airport authority were covered by the Ethics Law even though all revenues used to pay those employees were self-generated. AWWI had supported the BAA by filing an amicus brief since most employees of water and sewer boards are also paid from self-generated revenue. The Court specifically mentioned the briefing of amicus that pointed out that “there are numerous public corporations in the State of Alabama whose employees have never before been deemed public employees under the Act and who have relied, without penalty, on the statutory carve-out for individuals who are not paid in whole or in part from state, county or municipal funds.”
