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In a June Webcast, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave guidelines for how water utilities should apply the "Buy American" provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The clarifications included statements on enforcement of the provision and which products fall under the provision.

EPA has placed responsibility for compliance with the Buy American provision on utilities that receive ARRA funding, according to the Webcast. The Webcast also made clear that the Office of the Inspector General would diligently investigate false statements regarding compliance with the provision.

The Webcast includes parameters for determining if a product has undergone "substantial transformation" in the U.S. from component parts, and clarifies that NAFTA and other international treaties do not apply to water utilities and, therefore, cannot be used as an excuse for not buying American-made products.

Slides from the Webcast and more information on the EPA's role in ARRA are available at this EPA site.