The handbook was developed to inform practitioners about the latest approaches and lessons learned for bioretention design, construction, inspection, and operation and maintenance. The handbook contains a compilation of the current state of knowledge from published literature, interviews, and site visits with leading municipalities and practitioners across the United States. A unique feature includes the numerous photographs of bioretention facilities from more than 20 municipalities across the contiguous United States that showcase a diversity of design techniques.

This interactive training will educate learners about energy management best practices including the value of setting goals, developing a plan, identifying milestones, and documenting the tasks associated with those goals and milestones. During the training, you will discover why it's important to identify key stakeholders and core team members for each project or task and to get their support and buy-in.

Attention:
Due to the uncertainties of the current Federal government situation, the 2023 Symposium has been postponed until early Spring 2024, at which time the Call for Abstracts will be re-opened and the event will be held virtual-only. We thank you for your understanding.
Note: All current registrations will be honored for the next scheduled event.

Registration to attend the 2023 Federal Environmental Symposium is now open! Federal employees and sponsored contractors are invited to attend the Symposium, a hybrid event to be attended October 23-27, 2023 either virtually or in-person at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. This year's theme for the Symposium "Environment: A Mission Asset" focuses on the sharing of best practices, success stories, partnerships, and challenges and achievements of the federal practitioner community as they apply to your Agency's mission. The event is FREE and registration will end Friday, September 29, 2023, so mark your calendar and register now. For more information, please see FedCenter's Symposium website at https://www.fedcenter.gov/fes2023.

A bill to increase efficiency and conservation in public water systems, and for other purposes. (Congressional Record 27 July 2023 [Senate] Pages S3755)

EPA is joining state and local partners to launch SepticSmart Week 2023, a week-long annual campaign to educate homeowners and renters on how to properly maintain their septic systems. When septic systems are well-functioning, the health of the nation's communities and ecosystems is better protected. By being SepticSmart, homeowners can also avoid thousands of dollars in unnecessary repairs. Running from September 18 through September 22 this year, SepticSmart week is a partnership between EPA, state, Tribal, and local officials, wastewater professionals, and homeowners.

EPA announced $19 million in new grant funding that will work to improve the climate resilience of the nation's water infrastructure. EPA's Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program will support drinking water systems in underserved, small and disadvantaged communities that are working to prepare for and reduce vulnerability to impacts from climate change ranging from extreme flooding to extreme drought.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $19 million in new grant funding that will work to improve the climate resilience of the nation's water infrastructure. The funding available under this competitive grant opportunity will assist public water systems in underserved communities, small or disadvantaged, that are working to prepare for and reduce vulnerability to impacts from climate change ranging from extreme flooding to extreme drought.

GSA has reported progress toward key sustainability goals in recent years across its buildings portfolio. In this report GSA's aggregated buildings portfolio data show it exceeded prior goals for energy efficiency, water efficiency, emissions reduction, and renewable electricity share in fiscal year 2021, however GSA officials cited lack of access to capital as a challenge it faces in meeting future federal sustainability goals. GSA officials said the scale and scope of the projects needed to achieve net-zero building emissions by 2045 will require resources beyond what has historically been available.

Registration is now open for FEMP 50, a special two-day celebration organized by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to commemorate 50 years of federal energy management. FEMP invite you to join them for a virtual training session on 12 and 13 September 2023. FEMP 50 is an opportunity for all energy and water management enthusiasts to come together, learn, collaborate, and celebrate the remarkable achievements made in the realm of federal energy management over the past five decades. This event will feature engaging training sessions, insightful discussions, and the chance to interact with leaders from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and FEMP.

The U.S. EPA has published a collection of case studies, titled, Off-site stormwater management case studies, featuring Delaware DOT, Washington, DC, Grand Rapids, MI, and St. Paul, MN. The multiple benefits of green infrastructure are most significant when nature-based solutions are installed throughout a community. Off-site stormwater management can provide options for operators of development and redevelopment projects to meet post-construction stormwater performance standards outside the right-of-way or limit of the area of development in some circumstances. This flexibility can facilitate achieving additional environmental and planning goals in the community, such as implementation of green infrastructure in areas not undergoing development. EPA recently developed these off-site stormwater management case studies to provide examples of a range of strategies used by local and state governments.

Reducing utility costs for your facility doesn't have to involve major retrofits or renovations. Significant water and cost savings can be achieved with small changes to operation and maintenance procedures and changes to user behavior. Learn about no- and low-cost solutions that can be implemented to start saving water in buildings right away, without the need for costly capital improvements.

The FEMP Facility Evaluation (Audit) Decision Tree 2.0 is a resource to identify suitable facility evaluation (audit) approaches to meet the federal comprehensive energy and water evaluation requirements codified in 42 United States Code 8253(f)(3)(A) and enacted by the Energy Act of 2020 Section 1002, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Section 432, and earlier laws. This resource contains criteria and interactive features for selecting an appropriate type of evaluation (audit) for covered facilities. The Audit Decision Tree 2.0 is intended to be used in conjunction with the FEMP Audit Definitions, the FEMP Consolidated Facility Management Guidance (update in progress), and the best practices and expert judgment implemented by agencies to complete comprehensive energy and water evaluations and incorporate contracts (i.e., energy savings performance contracts or utility energy service contracts) at covered facilities.

The Federal sustainability community is cordially invited to attend the 2023 Federal Environmental Symposium, a hybrid event to be attended October 23-27, 2023 either virtually or in-person. This year's theme for the Symposium "Environment: A Mission Asset" focuses on the sharing of best practices, success stories, partnerships, and challenges and achievements of the federal practitioner community as they apply to your Agency's mission. The event schedule, registration instructions, call for presentation abstracts and continuous updates to the event can be found on the Symposium website at https://www.fedcenter.gov/fes2023.

This edition highlights proactively considering the environment and acting accordingly, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #2. Content includes commentary from Mr. Edward Belk, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Director of Civil Works, sharing how the Civil Works mission is being advanced through environmental considerations and partnerships. This issue also features initiatives from across the Army environmental community that proactively consider the environment to shape a sustainable future for current and future generations.

EPA announced over $2.4 billion from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for states, Tribes, and territories through this year's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The funding will support communities in upgrading essential water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure that protects public health and treasured water bodies across the nation. Nearly half of this funding will be available as grants or principal forgiveness loans helping underserved communities across America invest in water infrastructure, while creating good-paying jobs. The $2.4 billion is the second wave of funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and builds on the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to invest in America. In May 2022, EPA announced the initial allotment of $1.9 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to states, Tribes and territories through the CWSRF. That money is supporting hundreds of critical water infrastructure projects around the country.

WASHINGTON (December 30, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army (the agencies) announced a final rule establishing a durable definition of "waters of the United States" (WOTUS) to reduce uncertainty from changing regulatory definitions, protect people's health, and support economic opportunity. The final rule restores essential water protections that were in place prior to 2015 under the Clean Water Act for traditional navigable waters, the territorial seas, interstate waters, as well as upstream water resources that significantly affect those waters. As a result, this action will strengthen fundamental protections for waters that are sources of drinking water while supporting agriculture, local economies, and downstream communities.

The Administration announced the first-ever Federal Building Performance Standard, setting an ambitious goal to cut energy use and electrify equipment and appliances in 30 percent of the building space owned by the Federal government by 2030. This action is the latest step forward in pursuit of President Biden's goal of achieving net-zero emissions in all Federal buildings by 2045. Federal Building Performance Standard requires agencies to cut energy use and electrify equipment and appliances to achieve zero scope 1 emissions in 30 percent of their buildings by square footage by 2030. To reach that mark, agencies will be buying American-made products such as heat pumps, electric water heaters, and other energy efficiency and building system technologies supported by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The goal of the Federal BPS is to eliminate scope 1 emissions from standard building operations for applicable facilities. The Federal BPS supports multiple goals and requirements of E.O. 14057, including reducing agency scope 1 GHG emissions (Sec. 202); achieving net-zero emissions across each agency's portfolio of buildings, campuses, and installations by 2045 (Sec. 205); and reducing facility GHG emissions by 50 percent by 2032, prioritizing improvement of energy efficiency and elimination of on-site fossil fuel use (Sec. 205). The Federal BPS provides guidance on deep energy retrofits and strategic equipment replacement in existing buildings, campuses, and installations to meet emission and energy reduction goals.

The November 2022 edition of The Corps Environment is now available and can be accessed online at: https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/65712. This edition highlights providing environmental and economic benefits, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #3. Content includes commentary from Col. Matthew F. Kelly, commander of U.S. Army Environmental Command (USAEC), sharing his impressions after taking command and his focus on building upon USAEC's legacy. This issue also features initiatives from across the Army environmental community that are providing enduring environmental benefits around the globe.

(Washington, August 31, 2022) Today, the Biden Administration took a major step forward in achieving the goals of President Biden's Federal Sustainability Plan and Executive Order (E.O.) 14057 Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability by issuing E.O. 14057 Implementing Instructions to Federal agencies.

Through President Biden's historic Executive Order 14057 Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability the U.S. Federal Government leads the world by example again – transforming how it builds, buys, and manages to help make America's economy cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable.

This website provides best management practices, tools, research, and cybersecurity resources for water infrastructure. Implementing cybersecurity best practices is critical for water and wastewater utilities. The resources on this website can bring utilities one step closer to cyber resilience.

This edition highlights protecting and preserving our environment, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #4. Content includes commentary from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Environmental Community of Practice leadership, discussing how our actions are directly connected to the environment and shaping a sustainable future. This issue also features initiatives from across the Army environmental community that are protecting and preserving our environment for current and future generations.
Included in this issue:
– U.S. Army Environmental Command highlights the recipients of the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Defense environmental awards.
– USACE Honolulu District shares how they removed thousands of unexploded ordnances in Saipan.
– USACE St. Paul District discusses progress being made under the Upper Mississippi River Restoration program.
– USACE Charleston District highlights a day in the life of a USACE regulatory project manager.
– U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center shares how they are working to address energy and water resiliency.
– USACE Far East District discusses how their stormwater pollution prevention measures are keeping waterways clean.

Leaks may seem small, but they can quickly add up to big water waste, costs, and property damage. Learn about common leaks and water waste found in commercial and institutional facilities and how to stop them. Discover tools and resources created by the EPA's WaterSense program to help keep water waste under control and incorporate leak detection into your existing standard operating procedures.

REMINDER: Registration to attend the 2022 Federal Environmental Symposium is now open! Federal employees and sponsored contractors are invited to attend the Symposium, hosted by NIH as a virtual event on March 28-31, 2022. The theme of this year's event is "Mission, Environment and Our Community". The event is FREE and registration will end Friday, March 18, 2022, so mark your calendar and register now. For more information, please see the Symposium website at https://www.fedcenter.gov/fes2022.

This edition highlights fostering sustainability as a way of life, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #1. Content includes commentary from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Director of Military Programs, Dr. Christine Altendorf, and USACE Director of Civil Works, Mr. Al Lee, discussing our collective climate change adaption and mitigation efforts. This issue also features initiatives from across the Army environmental community that are helping to shape a sustainable environment for current and future generations.

Content includes:

• USACE Charleston District shares how they are restoring prime nesting grounds for shorebirds and seabirds using dredged material.
• USACE Alaska District discusses how they are promoting sustainable construction practices on the Last Frontier.
• U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center highlights how their ongoing partnership is working to re-establish Gulf oyster habitat.
• USACE New York District shares how construction of the West Point Elementary School is supporting STEAM education for students.
• U.S. Army Environmental Command discusses how a project seeks to treat contaminated groundwater using a novel bioaugmented adsorption treatment system.

The February 2022 issue can be found here.

Achieving significant water savings can often require going beyond the low-hanging fruit. Find out how to take the information collected during a facility water assessment to evaluate and prioritize larger-scale projects to maximizing water, energy, and cost savings. Get the information you need to include water efficiency in capital improvements through equipment retrofits and replacements during a renovation or when designing a new facility or space.

This webpage provides training resources for drinking water, wastewater, and storm water utilities, on how to build resilience and adapt to climate change impacts by region.

ABSTRACT SUBMITTAL DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FRIDAY JAN. 14th:The Federal sustainability community is cordially invited to attend the 2022 Federal Environmental Symposium, March 28-31, 2022. This year's theme is Mission, Environment, and Our Communities, and will be conducted via webinar-format only. The four day event will focus on Federal sustainability initiatives over the past year while encouraging partnerships, sharing of information, and best practices amongst Federal facilities. The event schedule, registration instructions, call for presentation abstracts (now open until Friday, January 14th), and continuous updates to the event can be found on the Symposium website.

WASHINGTON (Dec. 28, 2021) -- In 2021, under the new leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration and Administrator Michael S. Regan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took significant steps forward in tackling the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice, protecting the health and safety of communities across the country, and restoring scientific integrity.

The DOE announced $13 million in funding for 17 projects to implement energy and water efficiency, renewable energy, and climate resilience technologies at federal facilities across the country. These projects will lower energy costs and enhance resilience to climate events of all federal energy-management systems. The projects will use energy performance contracts at no additional up-front cost to the government and will lower energy and water utility bills by more than $30 million annually while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 200,000 metric tons. As the single largest energy consumer in the nation, reducing the carbon footprint of the federal government is critical to achieving President Biden's goal of a net zero-emission economy by 2050.

(12/08/2021) President Biden has signed an executive order that demonstrates how the United States will leverage its scale and procurement power to lead by example in tackling the climate crisis. The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities. The President is building on his whole-of-government effort to tackle the climate crisis in a way that creates well-paying jobs, grows industries, and makes the country more economically competitive.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing research that will address how measurable attributes of water quality improvements can be valued, either directly or through indicators. Research under this Request for Applications (RFA) is intended to focus on national level studies and/or valuation for underrepresented water body types and regions, improvements to water quality indices, and environmental justice valuation. There will be an informational webinar on 15 December 2021 at 2:30-3:30 PM (Eastern). The webinar will cover application information and provide an overview of what has already been provided in the RFA. For information on eligibility and how to apply, visit: Water Quality Benefits Request for Applications (RFA)

The U.S Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program congratulates the 18 winners of the 2021 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These awards recognize individuals, teams, and organizations for outstanding efforts to cut energy waste, reduce costs, optimize performance, and advance America's progress towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Federal Energy and Water Management Awards are presented annually to federal employees, along with their private-sector partners, who exemplify federal leadership in efficient energy management. All nominations are reviewed and selected by a federal evaluation panel. Each of this year's awardees successfully implemented cost-effective projects and programs that led to outstanding achievements in energy and water efficiency, resilience, technology, distributed energy, cybersecurity, and vehicle fleet management across the federal government.

This final report prepared by the Safe and Sustainable Water Resources (SSWR) Research Program, is a summary and synthesis of scientific and technical literature on enhanced aquifer recharge (EAR) using stormwater. It is based on a search and screening of published literature conducted during summer and fall of 2020. The goal is to summarize the current state-of-the-science of information leading to best practices for EAR using stormwater. Topics addressed include factors affecting recharge volumes, risks (particularly of water quality degradation), what current science suggests about best practices, and knowledge gaps that, if filled, will help inform recommendations for safe, effective EAR using stormwater. The report is technical and does not address policy or regulatory issues.

To assist agencies in conducting comprehensive water evaluations required per Section 432 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the FEMP developed the Water Evaluation Tools to help in conducting comprehensive water evaluations and water use analysis. The water evaluation tools focus on potable water consumption in major end-use categories at the campus level.

This edition highlights fostering sustainability as a way of life, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #1. Content includes: commentary from Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Milhorn, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Deputy Commanding General for Military and International Operations, discussing how sustainability ensures mission success in the present and future; and features sustainability initiatives across the Army environmental community. This issue also recognizes Mike Pomeroy, Detroit Dam Power Plant Operator with USACE Portland District, who in addition to protecting himself and our infrastructure during a wilderness wildfire, took additional action to protect the water supply for Salem, Oregon.

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)'s Technical Resilience Navigator (TRN) helps organizations manage the risk to critical missions from disruptions in energy and water services. It provides a systematic approach to identifying energy and water resiliency gaps and developing and prioritizing solutions that reduce risk. The TRN enables organizations to be proactive in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities to their critical energy and water systems to reduce outage impacts, and support continuous mission operations.

This edition of The Corps Environment highlights creating mutually supporting economic and environmentally sustainable solutions, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #3. It features articles that illustrates the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers efforts to advance Army readiness through environmental compliance and stewardship, including projects to improve waterway navigation, protecting historic sites while managing ever-changing training missions, improving hazardous material management, protecting endangered species, reducing energy costs, leveraging alternate water sourcing, recycling initiatives, bee pollinators, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, preparing for the 2020 hurricane season, and more.

On 7 July 2020, the DOE announced a solicitation for energy and water saving contracts to private-sector companies that will help improve the efficiency and address the infrastructure needs of federal facilities. DOE's will award IDIQ ESPC to multiple vendors.

On 29 June 2020 FEMP issued a Federal Agency Call titled, "Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) 2020." The AFFECT 2020 FAC (DE-EE0002329) will provide funding to strengthen energy and water infrastructure across federal agencies. Projects will improve the energy efficiency of federal operations while stimulating economic development and creating jobs in construction, building trades, and other sectors.

WASHINGTON (June 18, 2020) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final action regarding the regulation of perchlorate under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Considering the best available science and the proactive steps that EPA, states and public water systems have taken to reduce perchlorate levels, the agency has determined that perchlorate does not meet the criteria for regulation as a drinking water contaminant under the SDWA. Therefore, the agency is withdrawing the 2011 regulatory determination and is making a final determination to not issue a national regulation for perchlorate at this time.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the 2020 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards winners. The awards recognize installations, teams, and individuals for their accomplishments in innovative and cost-effective environmental management strategies supporting mission readiness.

The U.S Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue a funding opportunity to strengthen energy and water infrastructure across federal agencies. Projects will improve the energy efficiency of federal operations while stimulating economic development and creating jobs in construction, building trades, and other sectors.

The Federal Utility Partnership Working Group, initiated in 1994, was established to foster partnerships and facilitate communication among federal agencies and their regulated serving utilities to help agencies achieve their energy-related goals and mandates. The Federal Utility Partnership Working Group (FUPWG) meets twice per year to share success stories, information about Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) activities, and other business.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the 2019 Year in Review outlining major accomplishments and environmental progress during the Trump administration.

WASHINGTON (Jan. 7, 2020) -- Aggressively addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is an active and ongoing priority for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Read more ....

FEMP recently presented its 39th annual Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These annual awards honor federal personnel and highlight their outstanding achievements related to energy and water cost savings, optimized energy and water use, and distributed energy at our nation's federal facilities.

The presentations from the 2019 Federal Environmental Symposium held on October 30-31, 2019 at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD, are now available for viewing or download at https://www.fedcenter.gov/symposium2019-proceedings.

The Federal Energy Management Program's Water Project Screening Tool enables federal agencies to quickly screen sites for water efficiency opportunities. General information related to a site's water use is entered into the tool and recommendations on potential water efficiency projects are provided. The tool provides a qualitative score that indicates low to high water savings potential for nine end-uses.

WASHINGTON (August 21, 2019) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes federal facilities for conserving resources and saving taxpayers' money as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). The challenge is a national effort under the EPA's Sustainable Materials Management Program, which encourages federal agencies to lead by example in reducing the federal government's environmental impact. Read more....

August 2019 version of the quarterly publication of "The Corps Environment" newsletter published by the USACE Environmental Community of Practice. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information about USACE and Army environmental actions, issues, policies and technologies. This edition highlights how the Corps employs an open and transparent process, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #7. In the spirit of transparency, this issue provides insight into the valuable role the Corps' National Program Managers (NPMs) play in championing environmental activities across the enterprise. It also includes content from some of the NPMs on the programs they support as well as highlights from the field.

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) sponsors the annual Federal Energy and Water Management Awards to recognize individuals and organizations for significant contributions to energy and water efficiency within the federal government. Winners come from the Air Force, Army, Navy, VA, DOE, CDC, DHHS, DOI, and multiple other agencies.

The Federal Energy Management Program's (FEMP) annual FEDS Spotlight recognition program was presented at the 2018 Energy Exchange. The 2018 winners are being recognized by agency leaders and peers as federal champions who are working hard to implement exceptional projects and programs that help agencies achieve missions and meet energy, water, and fleet management goals. The Spotlight recipients and their achievement can be found on the website.

Federal agencies continue to demonstrate progress and performance on energy efficiency and sustainability. The Office of Federal Sustainability website has been updated with the FY17 sustainability progress data, agency OMB Scorecards, and the list of agency Chief Sustainability Officers.

April 2018 version of the quarterly publication of "The Corps Environment" newsletter published by the USACE Environmental Community of Practice. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information about USACE and Army environmental actions, issues, policies and technologies.

The Cost Effective Upgrades Tool is designed to help identify upgrades and energy conservation measures that can enhance your building's sustainability. Get started by selecting your building size and climate zone. To help with procurement, you can generate reports outlining each upgrade, including its economic benefits. This tool is a part of GSA's SFTool.

By statute, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is required to publish scorecards on Federal agency performance on energy efficiency and sustainability. The scorecards available on this site assess agencies' fiscal year (FY) 2016 performance toward statutory and Executive Order goals, which were in place prior to the beginning of the current Administration. The information upon which the scorecards are based includes data, metrics, and scoring criteria that were developed in accordance with existing statutory and Executive Order requirements applicable in FY 2016.

DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has announced the winners of the 2017 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. Winners will be invited to Washington, D.C., to receive their awards at a ceremony to be held on November 2, 2017. Click for the winners.

EPA recognizes the efforts of federal facilities that took steps to improve efficiency, save resources and reduce costs as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). Through their involvement, FGC participants reduced the federal government's environmental impact by reducing fuel oil consumption by more than 500K gallons, sending 310 tons of end-of-life electronics to third-party recyclers, saving 9.2 million gallons of industrial water, and diverting over 336K tons of waste from landfills. FGC awards are offered in two categories – data driven and narrative. Data driven awards, given in the six target areas of Waste, Electronics, Purchasing, Energy, Water and Transportation, are based on the greatest percentage of change over the previous year. Narrative awards are self-nominating and are given in the categories of Innovation, Education and Outreach, and Leadership.

Sponsored by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), this archive of quarterly webinars address topics ranging from water recycling and endangered species challenges, permitting options for small MS4s, and CWA rule litigation updates.

The Energy Department recognized 30 winners across the federal government with the 2016 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These annual awards highlight federal agencies' commitments and accomplishments in leading the nation toward more sustainable energy, water and vehicle fleet use and saving taxpayer money and reducing pollution.Through their innovative efforts, winners--including staff serving the U.S. Air Force, Army, Army Corps of Engineers, Defense Logistics Agency, Marine Corps, and Navy; the Departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services, Interior, and Veterans Affairs; the General Services and National Aeronautics and Space Administrations; and the Environmental Protection Agency--netted an energy savings equivalent to removing almost 48,000 cars from the road for one year or eliminating the average annual energy use from almost 24,000 households.

U.S. General Services Administration's Green Proving Ground (GPG) program and the U.S. Department of Energy's High Impact Technology (HIT) Catalyst program have issued a joint Request for Information (RFI) seeking information on next-generation sustainable building technologies to measure and validate in select federal and commercial buildings. There will be a webinar about the RFI on 3 November 2016. To attend, register at https://goo.gl/aU6Wi4. To submit your technology, please complete the RFI by Friday, 18 November 2016 at 11:59 PM ET.

The White House has announced the winners of the 2016 GreenGov Presidential Awards, honoring those who have gone above and beyond to implement innovative sustainability projects within the government. Senior Administration officials will recognize the 12 individuals and team winners September 8, 2016 in a ceremony at the White House. Winners include EPA, NASA, DHHS, VA, and USACE.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the winners of the 2016 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards. Each year since 1962, the Secretary of Defense has recognized individuals, teams, and installations for their outstanding achievements and innovative work protecting the environment while sustaining mission readiness. Military Services and Defense Agencies may submit one nomination for each of the nine award categories. A diverse panel of judges representing federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector select the winners.

On March 21, 2016, President Obama issued "Presidential Memorandum: Building National Capabilities for Long-Term Drought Resilience" and "Long-Term Drought Resilience: Federal Action Plan of the National Drought Resilience Partnership" to help sustain and expand efforts to reduce the vulnerability of communities to the impacts of drought.

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued a revised "Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings", per Executive Order 13693 "Planning for Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade." This guidance updates and replaces the "High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance", issued by CEQ in December 2008 to:

• reflect the evolution of sustainable building design, construction, and operating practices since 2008,
• incorporate other building-related E.O. 13693 requirements,
• increase the economic and environmental benefits of Federal investments in facilities,
• enhance occupant health, wellness, and productivity,
• include climate resilience in building design, construction, and operations, and protect Federal facilities investments from the potential impacts of climate change, and
• provide information on tracking agency green building performance.

The revised guiding principles are located here and its companion guidance "Determining Compliance with the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings" is located here.

This training module is intended to increase water resource professionals' understanding of the causes of climate change, its potential impacts on water resources, and the challenges that water resource professionals face. The module also describes how federal, state, tribal, and local governments and communities are working to make the United States more resilient to the impacts of climate. The 45-minute training is part of the EPA Watershed Academy Web certificate program.

Water Resource Management and EO 13693 GSA and EPA invite all federal, state and local agencies, NGO's, and interested parties to the first meeting of the water resource management workgroup to learn of current programs, discuss challenges and identify potential collaborative efforts to meet the requirements of EO 13693. You can attend this meeting either virtually or in Lakewood, CO on February 24, 2016. See the attached flyer for details

On December 15 the White House announced a new public-private water innovation strategy. This strategy includes an aggressive two-part approach by EPA and other federal agencies to address the impacts of climate change on the use and supply of the nation's water resources and calls on private sector and other stakeholder groups to help significantly scale up research and investment in water efficiency solutions. The Administration's new water innovation strategy calls for: • Boosting water sustainability and long-term water security by increasing use of water-efficient and -reuse technologies. • Promoting and investing in breakthrough research and development that will reduce the price, energy costs, and emissions requirements of new water supply technology to achieve "pipe parity" in the next decade. The strategy was announced at a Roundtable on Water Innovation held to engage with industry and public leaders to start building broader consensus on a path forward.The roundtable provided an opportunity for leaders from industry, academia, and federal, state, and local governments to discuss how an aggressive innovation agenda can help America meet the challenge of a constrained water supply and increase the resilience of businesses and communities in regions that will be affected by increasingly severe and lengthy droughts.

The GreenGov Presidential Awards celebrate extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama's Federal Sustainability goals. They honor Federal civilian and military personnel, agency teams, agency projects, facilities, and programs that exemplify President Obama's charge to lead by example.

On November 23, the White House announced eight awards in seven different categories to individuals and teams. These honorees exemplify our Federal workforce's commitment to meeting the President's directive to create a clean energy economy that will increase our Nation's prosperity, promote energy security, protect the interests of taxpayers, combat climate change, and safeguard the health of our environment.

This app connects people and their utilities on the mobile devices they use everyday. Their mobile and web applications help water utilities and their customers save water, save money and save time. Not every county in the U.S. is connected in Dropcountr at this time.

H2O Tracker is a water conservation game that helps you estimate water use in and around your house so you can conserve, save money and earn points toward prizes! Track your water use and score! Want to know the dos and don'ts during a drought? H2O Tracker will help you know exactly what restrictions are in place for each drought stage. It will also help you learn about snowpack and reservoir levels and why they are critical to our drinking supply.

The 2015 symposium was the platform for releasing the new implementing instructions for EO 13693 as well as providing updates on numerous other sustainability efforts by Federal Agencies. See the website for a full list of presentations and speakers. The symposium was held on 10 June 2015 and hosted by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and George Washington University.

In October 2011, the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force published the "National Action Plan: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate." It was developed by the Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup made up of federal agencies with responsibilities for water management. This recent report highlights progress made in 2014 implementing the National Action Plan and describes the specific tasks that federal agencies are planning to undertake in 2015. The work described in this report reports reflect a comprehensive, coordinated, and continuing effort by federal agencies to respond to the challenges for water resources management posed by climate change.

A new report by the Pacific Institute demonstrates that water use in the United States declined in the five-year period ending in 2010. The nation saw reductions in all sectors, including agriculture; municipal and industrial; and thermoelectric power. The report reveals that nearly two-thirds of the reductions were in the thermoelectric power sector, the largest use of fresh and saline water in the United States. These water-use trends reveal overall improvements in the management of our nation's water. Although substantial progress has been made, current water use trends are not sustainable in the face of population growth and climate change.

Public Works Digest is an unofficial publication of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, under AR 360-1, The Army Public Affairs Program. The April/May/June edition covers various environment and sustainability news and activities throughout the Army. See attachment.

This is GSA's innovative green building learning simulation which is a part of GSA's SFTool. Green the Building places you in the role of a resource-constrained decision-maker, charged with greening buildings through strategic energy, waste, water and occupant satisfaction improvements. You must choose technologies, implement best-practices, support behavior changes and plan carefully to create buildings that conserve resources, reduce waste, save money and keep occupants happy and healthy. Need help? Don't worry! Embedded links connect you directly to the clear explanations you've come to expect from SFTool.

(WASHINGTON, February 13, 2015) – As part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan Virtual Climate Resilience Toolkit, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the release of the Climate Adjustment Tool for EPA's Stormwater Management Model – a widely-used, downloadable online stormwater simulation model. The Climate Adjustment Tool allows engineers and planners to evaluate the performance of water infrastructure while considering future climate change projections, such as more frequent high-intensity storms and changes in evaporation rates of seasonal precipitation, to determine the benefits of resiliency decisions to reduce local economic burden and protect communities.

The USACE Civil Works Program Strategic Plan "Sustainable Solutions to America's Water Resource Needs" for the years 2014 to 2018 is now available. The plan presents overarching strategies resulting from the five-year Civil Works Scenario-based strategic planning process. This strategic plan builds on the watershed-based systems approach introduced in the Civil Works 2004-2009 Strategic Plan by furthering Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), as the overarching strategy.

The Obama Administration has released final Principles, Requirements and Guidelines (PR&G) for Federal investments in water resources, marking the first update to these important guidelines in more than three decades. In addition to helping cut costs and accelerate project approvals, the modernized PR&G guides Federal agencies to support water infrastructure projects with the greatest economic and community benefits.

FINAL REMINDER - ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT TO PARTICIPATE! The White House is launching the second GreenGov Challenge! If you're a federal employee, share your idea on how the federal government can lead by example in eight different categories -- from climate change mitigation and resilience, to water conservation, to waste reduction. Submissions are open until 5 December 2014. After the submission period closes, GreenGov will release the approved submissions and all federal employees will be able to vote for their favorite ideas.

The site offers complete annual data sets of agency aggregated annual energy and water consumption and costs by end-use sector, efficiency investment information, and progress toward key goals outlined in the National Energy Conservation Policy Act, as amended; Energy Policy Act of 2005; and Executive Order 13514. Historical data tables of agency energy use and costs by facility and mobility sectors by energy type are also available for FY 1975 through FY 2013. Detailed annual comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories by federal agency are presented along with progress toward achieving scope 1 and 2 GHG and scope 3 GHG reduction targets. The data tables may also be filtered by numerous variables (agency, year, sector) and are exportable to Excel.

The report, "Water/Wastewater Utilities and Extreme Climate and Weather Events: Case Studies on Community Response, Lessons Learned, Adaptation, and Planning Needs for the Future" examines how water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities - and other local water resource managers - make decisions in response to recent extreme weather events. The report is based on the results of six local workshops, organized to include participants that experienced different types of extreme events throughout a river basin or watershed in various regions of the U.S. The study examines what happened, how information was used to inform decisions, what institutional dynamics helped or hindered, and how water utilities and their communities plan to manage impacts and build resiliency for future extreme events. The research was jointly sponsored by EPA, NOAA, Water Environment Research Foundation, Water Research Foundation, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, and Noblis. Click here to access the report.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a Green Infrastructure Collaborative with the support of six other government agencies at the President's State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. EPA joined with the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Energy to release a Federal Letter of Support for green infrastructure and the Collaborative.

FedCenter is now on Facebook! Become a fan and follow us on Facebook, where you'll find valuable information that you need to help meet your environmental stewardship and compliance obligations. To follow us on Facebook, go to https://facebook.com/fedcenter.

Since the launch of WaterSense in 2006, EPA and its partners have helped consumers save $14.2 billion in energy and water bills and 757 billion gallons of water from using WaterSense-labeled products. More than 2,900 water utilities, organizations, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, builders, and irrigation professionals certified through WaterSense programs have joined EPA to promote WaterSense-labeled products, programs, and new homes. Nearly 11,000 different models of toilets, faucets, showerheads, flushing urinals, weather-based irrigation controllers, and pre-rinse spray valves have been independently certified for performance and efficiency to earn the WaterSense label.

New water components have been added to the Federal Green Challenge. Now it includes the goal of decreasing stormwater runoff from existing sites by 5% or more annually and a section focusing on reducing the use of federal funds to purchase bottled water. Launched in October 2011, the Challenge is a national effort led by EPA's Sustainable Materials Management Program that challenges federal agencies to lead by example to reduce the federal government's environmental impact. Participating agencies will benefit from the new water components. Effective stormwater management through the use of green infrastructure practices may result in: improved energy, efficiency, and improved site aesthetics. Since green infrastructure techniques may be less expensive than conventional stormwater management approaches, there may also be cost savings.

EPA is recognizing federal facilities for their efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of facilities across the country. As part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC), more than 400 federal facilities representing nearly 1.6 million federal employees are leading by example by taking steps to reduce the federal government's environmental impact in 2013, resulting in an estimated cost savings of more than $42 million to U.S. taxpayers. This year's Overall Achievement winner is The National Benefits Center, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Lee's Summit, Mo. Additional winners by target areas include DOE, DOD, and DOI facilities.

This comprehensive water management training provides Federal facility and energy managers with knowledge and skills to assist in meeting water-related legislative and executive order requirements. Learners will develop skills in increasing water efficiency and reducing water use through sound operations and maintenance practices and water-efficient technologies. Several methods for meeting needs for non-potable water through alternate water sources, such as rainwater harvesting, reclaimed wastewater, and gray water are discussed. Water metering is covered, as well as life cycle costing and establishing the overall economics for strategic water management. This training is offered by FEMP in partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences' Whole Building Design Guide.

EPA has recognized six federal agency offices in California with its prestigious Federal Green Challenge (FGC) program award for reducing their operations' environmental impacts. Honored entities are: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Pacific Southwest Lab, Naval Base Coronado, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Pacific Rim Region, U.S. Forest Service Region 5, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The Department of Defense (DoD) announced the winners of the 2014 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards on April 21, 2014. Each year, since 1962, the Department has honored individuals, teams, and installations for their outstanding achievements in environmental performance. In naming the winners of the 2014 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards, Frank Kendall, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, stated, "Their remarkable achievements exemplify the Department's continued commitment to sustain mission readiness while cost-effectively addressing environmental issues, thereby increasing efficiencies and supporting the quality of life for service members, their families, and local communities."

These awards will recognize the energy and water conservation achievements and programs of individuals, small groups, and garrisons and will provide an added incentive to further reduce energy and water consumption. Current award categories are: Energy efficiency and energy management; Innovation and new technology; Renewable energy; Alternative financing; Water conservation; and Energy program effectiveness.

Each year, the U.S. EPA Region 2 honors individuals, businesses and organizations that have contributed significantly to improving the environment and protecting public health in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight federally recognized Indian Nations. The period for the awards is 2013 and nominations are due no later than 18 Feb 2014.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., November 5, 2013) The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) today announced the fourth annual winners of the GreenGov Presidential Awards, which honor Federal civilian and military personnel as well as agency teams, facilities, and programs that have taken innovative steps to reduce energy use and carbon pollution, curb waste, and save taxpayer money in Federal agency operations. At a White House ceremony, senior Administration officials recognized the eight award winners for exemplifying President Obama's charge to lead by example and demonstrating extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of the President's 2009 Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514). Click here for the full announcement.
UPDATE Nov. 18: 2013 winner announcement with photo gallery is now available here.

FedCenter has compiled a topical index of Federally-sponsored and non-profit mobile applications that may be of interest to the Federal environmental community. Mobile applications are those tools and information resources that have been specifically developed for your mobile devices, such as smartphone, tablet, or other Internet-connected hand-held device. The directory will be maintained daily to keep you abreast of any new and useful mobile applications the federal community releases.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., February 7, 2013) – Continuing the Obama Administration's commitment to lead by example and cut waste, pollution, and costs in Federal operations, Federal agencies today released their 2012 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans. President Obama signed Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance in October 2009, setting aggressive targets for reducing waste and pollution in Federal operations by 2020. The Sustainability Plans build on three years of progress under the Executive Order and provide an overview of how agencies are saving taxpayer dollars, reducing carbon emissions, cutting waste, and saving energy.