drinking water program updates maine rural water association conference roger crouse december 9,...

Drinking Water Program UpdatesMaine Rural Water Association Conference

Roger Crouse

December 9, 2015

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2

DWP Staffing Update

• Holly Hockertlotz – Compliance Officer - York and Cumberland Counties

• Julia Kimball – Clerk – Water Operator Board and Well Drillers Commission

• Dawn Abbott – Accepted a position at the Department of Environmental Protection


Maine Public Drinking Water Commission

• Advisory board appointed by the Governor• Meet quarterly• Provide guidance and input to the Drinking Water

Program regarding financial and program implementation • One vacancy – represents drinking water public


Rulemaking – Rules Relating to Drinking Water

• Public Hearing January 7, 2016– Revised Total Coliform Rule– Incorporate Bottled Water Rules into Drinking Water Rules– Licensed Water Operator requirement for Transient Water

Systems which are habitually out of compliance– DWP may require a new licensed operator if existing operator is

not performing his/her duties.


Rulemaking – Rules Relating to Drinking Water

• Public Hearing January 7, 2016– “new well” approval requirements for modified wells– Reporting from labs – MCL Exceedances• Non-Acute MCL exceedance – 24 hours• Acute (E.Coli or Nitrates) - Close of Business same day

– Numerous grammar and wording changes for clarity– Other miscellaneous changes

• Complete information found on DWP website


Relationships Between Labs and Public Water Systems

• Public water systems rely on their laboratory:– To be properly certified (or use another certified lab as a

subcontractor)– To submit sample results to the Drinking Water Program on-

time– To provide guidance to water systems on how to collect,

preserve and ship samples– To alert water systems of any issues related to the sample

analysis

• Communicate your expectations with your lab


2016 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)

New Federal Grant Funds $8,787,000

Loan Re-Payment & State Match Funds $11,182,769

Projected Available Funds $19,969,769

1 Source Water Projects $361,075

1 Pumping Projects $1,500,000

2 Finished Water Storage Tank Projects $2,243,510

3 Treatment & Pumping Projects $3,616,810

18 Water Main Replacement Projects $12,284,124

25 TOTAL all 2016 Projects $20,005,519


2016 DWSRF

• State Match• Interest Rate for Interim Loans – 1%• Principal Forgiveness – At least 20% of the federal grant– Only 6 projects meet the Disadvantaged Community criteria

($538,020, or 6% of the federal grant) – All Water Treatment & Pumping projects will receive minimum

of 10% Principal Assistance.– All projects will receive a minimum of 5% Principal

Forgiveness


2016 DWSRF – Financial Benefits

• Project Construction Cost = $20,005,519• Principal Forgiveness (grants) = $1,893,493• Interest rate savings – 2 percent below market rate– $4,300,000 in interest savings across the life of the loans

• Total Saving to Rate Payers - $6.2 million


DWSRF – Financial Benefits

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

$-

$20,000,000

$40,000,000

$60,000,000

$80,000,000

$100,000,000

$120,000,000

Annual Ratepayer Savings

Cumulative Ratepayer Savings

Mill

ions

of D

olla

rs

Savings to Rate Payers


DWSRF – Measures

Grant and Loan Opportunities

• Wellhead Protection Grants• Source Water Protection Grants• Capacity Development Grants • Consolidation Grants • Land Acquisition Loans

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention


Source Water Susceptibility Evaluation Project 2015 - 2016

• Create New Watershed Protection Areas for River Intakes and Riverbank Wells;

• Complete Inventory of Potential Sources of Contamination (PSCs);• Update Source Water Protection Plans (SWPPs);• Encourage Communication between PWS and Above Ground

Storage Tank Facilities; • Review Contingency Actions (Intake and/or Well Field

Management);• Hold Spill Response Workshops and Emergency Training Exercises.


Source Water Susceptibility Evaluation Project 2015 - 2016

• Contract Awarded to Sevee & Maher Engineers, Inc• Project Timeline

– Mapping work began on September 1, 2015.– Maps and SWPPs to be completed by September 30, 2016.

• Water Systems to be Included:– 9 River Intakes;– 30 Riverbank Well Sources;– 1 Combined (Intake and Well);– 26 Community systems with non-riverbank wells;– 82 NTNC systems with non-riverbank wells;– Total of 148 Systems!


Compliance Topics

• Monitoring and Reporting– Reports must be submitted to DWP by the 10th of the month

following the monitoring period• Unless– Sample result exceeds an MCL» E. Coli and Nitrates – by COB»Other MCL exceedances – within 24 hrs

Revised Total Coliform Rule

• Effective April 2016 • Non-Acute MCL goes away• Requires Assessments and Corrective Action- “Fix and

Find”– Level 1 Assessment – done by PWS staff– Level 2 Assessments - done by State approved party• More detailed than Level 1• Requires a “fresh set of eyes”

• Treatment Technique violations

Revised Total Coliform Rule

• Five the Following Month -Decreases to Three the Following Month

• Rechecks– All TC positives must be follow-up with a minimum of

three rechecks• Community systems serving >1,000 population– New Sample Site Plan submitted to the DWP by

December 31, 2015• Learn more - 8:00 am Thursday RTCR Session


Measures of Success


Reminder on Cross Connection Control:

All Community PWS with high or low hazard cross connections and all Non-Community PWS with a high hazard cross connection are required to have a written “Cross Connection Control Plan” that is up-to-date.

For Non PUC regulated PWS we have a one page template CCC Plan available at www.medwp.com (Field Inspection, water system inspection, cross connection)

For PUC regulated PWS, we have a link to the EPA template CCC Plan at www.medwp.com (Field Inspection, water system inspection, cross connection)

http://www.medwp.com/

http://www.medwp.com/


Maine Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (MEWARN)

• Utilities Helping Utilities• 120 Utilities• Updates–Mutual Aid Agreement–Website– Health Alert Network– Steering Committee – Next Meeting January 14, 2016

in Augusta

– Operational Plan


Board of Licensure of Water System Operators

• Regulates Water Operators– Examination– Licensure – new and renewal– Training Contact Hours

• Professional License vs. Occupational/Trade License


Licensed Water Operators

• 22 MRS §2625. Licenses

The board may suspend or revoke a license of a certified operator when it is determined that the operator has practiced fraud or deception; that the operator has been negligent in that reasonable care, judgment or the application of knowledge or ability was not used in the performance of the operator's duties; or that the operator is incompetent or unable to perform the operator's duties properly.• Identification of individuals that may not meet the professional

standard– What is the culture in our drinking water community?


“Working Together for Safe Drinking Water”

Questions?

Roger Crouse

Director, Maine CDC Drinking Water Program

[email protected]

drinking water program updates maine rural water association conference roger crouse december 9,...

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