On Nov. 28 and 29, the Water Environment Federation, World Resources Institute, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held two workshops on water quality trading in Washington, D.C. The event was broadcast at no charge to nearly 800 attendees, and the recording and presentations will be archived online.

The first day, hosted by EPA, focused on needs and perspectives of potential buyers and sellers, as well as the stakeholders they interact with. Representatives from publicly owned treatment works, agriculture, technology, and finance sectors presented information on various aspects of water quality trading. On the second day of the event, speakers dug into technical aspects of trading, such as local water quality issues, the development of baselines, and ensuring additionality in market frameworks. Researchers, regulators, and practitioners in trading discussed these topics, as well as the emerging role of stormwater and municipal separate storm sewer systems in trading programs.