Rural Water Washington News

Rural Water Washington Update

"What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it should be.”

May 23, 2013

NRWA Backs Senator Wicker’s Farm Bill Amendment to Provide EPA Funding for Technical Assistance (more).

Iowa 1926(b) Situation Update – positive reports from Iowa indicate that conversations are ongoing to resolve the issue between an Iowa city and a rural water district. We are hopeful this will resolve the issue at the local level and eliminate the interest in federal legislation. We are cataloging all state laws and polices for resolving territorial disputes at the state level (more). If your state has a method for resolving disputes that is not listed, please notify us and we will update the list.

EPA Releases Draft Guidance on Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act – favorably addresses NRWA’s number one priority; that water systems don’t have to replace meters when testing, repairing, and calibrating (more).

Discord Continues Among Board Members of Rural Lorain County Water, OH (more).

Oklahoma Power Restored at Draper Water – after May 20 storms caused an outage (more).

Massive DC Sink Hole Threatens White House Access (more).

May 21, 2013

Rural Utilities Service Administrator Visits ND Rural Water, 5/16 (www.ndrw.org)

The Fight for North Dakota's Fracking-water Market (Reuters).

Oil and Gas Development Damaged 161 Penn. Water Supplies (more).

Rural Lorain County Rural Water (OH) to Re-votes to Remove Board Member (more).

Human Feces Taints Half of Public Swimming Pools Says CDC (USAToday).

May 18, 2013

House Farm Bill in Committee and §1926(b) – last week, Rep. King (IA) filed an amendment to change §1926(b), as the House Agriculture Committee began debate on the Farm Bill. On Wednesday, Rep. King withdrew his amendment from committee consideration. However, he expressed that he will continue to advance this policy agenda to resolve local water territorial disputes and possibly modify §1926(b) (video of committee deliberations). NRWA is attempting to engage the Congressman in a discussion of the authorities and limitations of section §1926(b), and find a way to advance the intent of the Congressman’s amendment to reconcile the local territorial disputes. Attorney Steve Harris provides analysis of Rep. King’s amendment (more).

Rural Lorain County Rural Water (OH) Votes to Remove Board Member in Secret Due to Intimidation of Elderly Board Members (more). Ousted Board Member opposed longevity payments for board members and $26,000 video sign (more).

Senate Committee Approves Nomination of Gina Mccarthy to Head EPA (WashPost).

Oldest Water on Earth Found Deep Underground, 2.6 Billion Years Old (more).

RTCR Update – EPA recently posted the slides from the April 10, 2013 webinar on the new Revised Total Coliform Rule (more).

Levels of Health-threatening Nitrates Hit Records in Des Moines’ Source Water (more).

NPR ON IST – "for years, a loose network of environmental groups, public health organizations and members of Congress, both Democratic and Republican, has fought to require companies to try to redesign their chemical facilities, to make them safer. Engineers often call the approach ‘inherently safer’ technology. But industry executives and their allies in Congress have blocked the proposals. Christine Todd Whitman, former EPA chief, says she was angry when she heard about the West fertilizer plant explosion in April. 'It just made me so mad, you wanted to take Congress and shake it, and say, Listen, what more does it take for you to understand that we need some action here?' ‘Chemical plants are really pre-positioned weapons of mass destruction,’ says Charles Sam Faddis, a former CIA officer. Faddis says he realized that if terrorists had attacked a U.S. chemical plant instead of the twin office towers, they might have caused a bigger disaster" (more).

May 14, 2013

Senate Agriculture Committee Passes 2013 Farm Bill, Section 1926(b) a Non-issue During Committee Consideration (NYTimes). The committee passed bill includes an amendment from Senator Brown (OH) that provides $150,000,000 in rural water backlog funding.

Mass. Police Investigate Chemical Engineers Visiting Water Reservoir at 12:30 am (Boston Herald).

WI RWA Radio Water PSAs – WI Rural Water has produced a series of PSAs that are being broadcast on the radio across the state (WI homepage, scroll down, left).

E. Coli Can Survive the Freezing Cold Winter Hidden in Manure – important implications for people living in or downstream of agricultural regions as E. coli in your water can be a very bad thing (Smithsonian).

Local Control – Mora County, NM is getting free legal help to defend their locally adopted ordinance to ban oil and gas extraction. The ordinance is controversial because it seeks to restrict the rights that courts have said corporations enjoy. Mora County is believed to be the first county in the nation to adopt such an ordinance (more).

May 13, 2013

Senator Udall (NM) Standing Up for Rural Water – last week, during a U.S. Senate hearing featuring the Secretary of Agriculture, Senator Udall made funding for rural water a national priority (YouTube, 4:30 seconds).

New Mexico Copper Thieves Target Water System – leaving Llano Quemado utility in the dark after stealing up to $10,000 worth of copper (more).

NYTimes on CA’s SRF Problems – “EPA Regional Administrator frustrated enough to issue a public rebuke to California last month. In a letter to California Public Health Department, he wrote, “Many of California’s critical drinking-water infrastructure needs remain unmet” (NYTimes).

May 9, 2013

"A State Primacy Agency Doing it Right," – says MO RWA Executive Director John Hoagland. This in reaction to a recent state agency initiative to put all CCRs on-line on the state website. Any water system in Missouri can access their report, provide a direct access link to their customer AND notify the customer that a CCR in hard copy form is available for the asking. Hoagland says his state's agency deserves, "a big shout out for this. They've been quick to embrace the changes in reporting requirements, have expended some time and effort to put everything on line, and have been working diligently with us and other technical assistance providers to get the word out."

Senate Passes NRWA Supported Inhofe Rural Water Amendment to WIFIA Legislation (NRWA support).

Section 1926(b) Scrutinized for Farm Bill – The Senate Agriculture Committee announced that it would begin working on a new farm bill, reviving efforts to pass the once-every-five-years spending bill that sets the nation's food and farm policy. The last farm bill was passed in 2008 (NYTimes). A local controversy in Iowa (details) has resulted in increased attention to the federal protection of section 1926(b). The problem with the scrutiny, which as been occurring episodically since the Bear Creek case in 1987, is that opponents of section 1926(b) routinely tell policymakers that 1926(b) provides authorities that it does not (example). The good news is that Chairwoman’s Senate Farm Bill that was circulated Thursday retains 1926(b). The House Farm Bill, released this week, also retains 1926(b).

Senator Barrasso’s (WY) Senate Rural Water Speech (YouTube, 2:50 seconds) – “Rural communities often do not have the expertise or the funding to make important upgrades to their water systems. Dedicated professionals, such as the folks at the Wyoming Rural Water Association, use this funding to go into these communities and to provide the critical assistance that they need.”

NEW EPA SRF Funding Guidance to Serve as Model – a new EPA memo outlining the types of wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects in New York and New Jersey eligible for funding in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in order to increase water utilities' resiliency is intended to serve as a model for responding to future disasters (EPA Memo).

Lead and Copper Rule Rewrite Update: EPA is considering LCR revisions covering sampling, monitoring, flushing, public education, replacement of lead service lines, OCCT programs, the definition of control of the distribution system by the utility, etc (more). EPA initially proposed to craft revisions to the rule by this fall. However on March 18, EPA indicated the agency was temporarily stepping back from fall deadline. The issue of partial line replacement is causing difficultly for the agency. Last week, EPA indicated they plan to conduct additional stakeholder outreach as it considers revisions to the rule. The partial lead service line replacement issue is being consider not only as a risk to children’s health, but also as an environmental justice issue because it could place a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged households that cannot afford to replace the portion of the lead service line they own or who are dependent on a landlord to replace the private portion of the line. It is proving difficult to find a solution that is legal, practical and sufficiently protective of customers, including those that are financially stressed, according to EPA (reported by AWWA). This could lead the revisions to the rule to be delayed until at least 2014. However, the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act of 2011 must meet its statutory compliance date of Jan. 4, 2014 and EPA expects to have guidance on the definition of “lead-free” by the end of 2013. That guidance should address when a fixture (like a meter) must be replaced during repair, testing, calibration, etc.

Blomberg on Wisc.’s Phosphorous Water Rule – “The background level of phosphorus in summer rainfall has been measured and documented at up to 0.15 ppm or greater (cited study). Ponder that! Does rainwater in fact contain more phosphorus than the new proposed limits? So, if the new standard under the Phosphorus Rule calls for .075 ppm, then potentially, summer rainfall at 0.15 ppm will exceed the new standard of .075 ppm” (Source: WRWA Exective Driector Ken Blomberg)

Spread of Hydrofracking Could Strain Water Resources in West, Study Finds (NYTimes)

Don’t Frack in Illinois and New Says Actor and Scientist – “If such consensus finds those costs to be unsupportable, then those moratoria should become bans. Destroying the land to provide a few years of toxic, temporary jobs and further entrench our nation's dependency on fossil fuel is not a good bargain for New York or for Illinois -- or for any other state proposed for wringing out the last puddles and whiffs of gas and oil” (HuffPo).

Boston Water Works’ History; Private vs. Public Ownership – “In his inaugural address in 1826, Mayor Josiah Quincy Sr. asserted that Boston ‘ought to consent to no copartnership’ in procuring water. A city was decidedly not a business, or at least not a typical one. ‘No private capitalists will engage in such an enterprise without a reasonable expectation of profit,’ he explained. They would pursue the cheapest water, the best customers, and the highest price, while a responsible city government would want the best water to be delivered to everyone at the lowest cost. The most eloquent argument for public water came from Dr. Walter Channing, the first professor of obstetrics at Harvard Medical School, a founder of what would become the New England Journal of Medicine, and an outspoken advocate of many reform causes. The choice of public ownership and control of city water was to him a moral issue. Channing declared, ‘I see its necessity in the wide public want. I look for its accomplishment in a wise care for the public good, in generous purposes, in large and true policy’” (Boston Globe Feature).

Source Water Protection Down on the Farm – USDA TV show on the feasibility of using cheaper alternatives to commercial fertilizers and how much farmers can use in an environmentally friendly way (YouTube). Researcher at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore are perfecting methods of applying fertilizer in ways, they have found, that reduce nutrient runoff and boost crop productivity. In some cases, the concentration of phosphorus in runoff from the fields was reduced by 90 percent (newspaper).

May 6, 2013

Jihadis, Hackers Join Forces to Launch Cyberattacks on U.S. (more).

May 5, 2013

FBI Investigating Georgia Drinking Water Plant Break-in/Chlorination Tampering (Bloomberg).

Is the Federal Government Doing Enough for Security in Small Communities (GWUniv).

USDA’s National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) Funding Available – to help farmers implement conservation practices in selected watersheds - $35 million this year. Applications must be received by July 12 (more).

EPA Announces “Sandy” Funding – nearly $570 million will be made available as water and wastewater grants for New York and New Jersey (more).

Two Hydraulic Fracturing Input Opportunities – EPA recently announced the following opportunities for stakeholder input into their various hydraulic fracturing research activities: the Hydraulic Fracturing Research Advisory Panel meeting on May 7 (more) and a May 16 teleconference on EPA documents for consideration by the Panel (more).

Senator Boxer Announces Investigation Into Texas Fertilizer Explosion and Possible New EPA Regulations – Senator Boxer said her committee needs to examine if current regulations "are being enforced and whether there is a need to strengthen them." The Senator will scrutinize the EPA's Risk Management Plan (RMP) program and its oversight of the chemical plants. Some interest groups have urged EPA to regulate the type of disinfection water system use under the EPA's RMP program (more). EPA oversees safety at certain plants and facilities through its RMP program, which requires some 13,000 facilities that produce, handle, process, distribute or store certain chemicals to craft plans on reducing risks from accidental chemical releases.

State Association Innovation - from KY RWA, "EPA and the Kentucky Division of Water now allow drinking water utilities to deliver Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) electronically instead of mailing these water quality reports to their customers. This change will save Kentucky's drinking water utilities thousands of dollars annually! KRWA will host any member's electronic CCR for $50 per year and provide the link and language that you need to include on your customer billing. If you are already signed up for the Compliance Check Program or have purchased KRWA's Recordkeeping Package we will include Online CCR Hosting at no additional cost!" (more).

May 2, 2013

U.S. Army Corps’ National Inventory of Dams Hacked – recent cyber intrusion into a sensitive infrastructure database traced to the Chinese government or military cyber warriors, raising new concerns that China is preparing to conduct a future cyber attack against the national electrical power grid (more).

The Power of An Association; MS Governor signs legislation – clarifying that Public Service Commission does not have authority over rural water associations (more).

May 1, 2013

From WISC RWA E-News – “True Blue Rural Water – to the very end! Rural Water representatives attended Board member John Berg’s funeral last week in Milton. While paying our respects before the ceremony, we were pleasantly surprised to find John laying in rest wearing his favorite green Rural Water shirt. John served his association well, from the halls of Congress in Washington DC, to WRWA’s office in Plover, to his hometown of Milton – and now ‘On Eagle’s Wings.’”

Steroids in the Water – “In America’s Dairyland, steroid hormones from livestock have been found in the snowmelt runoff from large cattle-feeding operations… All over the country, chemicals known to disrupt or act like hormones seem to have permeated the waters and may be harming wildlife or people” (more).

Bleach Spill – in Bristol Twp (PA) wastewater treatment plant is being investigated by police. Efforts are underway to remove the contaminated soil in the immediate area (more).

Operator Convicted in Illinois – former suburban Chicago water official was convicted on 11 counts of lying about mixing carcinogen-tainted well water into the village of Crestwood’s drinking supply from 1982 until 2008 in order to cut costs (more).

CA Tanker Spills 4,000 Gallons of Fuel – overturned on Highway 38 near Angelus Oaks and fuel seeped into a nearby creek that feeds into the Santa Ana River, potentially contaminating local water supplies (more).

Sewer System Underground Photo Exhibit (more).

April 28, 2013

Senate Bill ~~S. 816~~ (New Number Coming) to Reauthorize Rural Water EPA Technical Assistance – and direct EPA to prioritize the most beneficial technical assistance. Introduced on Thursday by Senators Wicker (MS), Heitkamp (ND), and twelve other Republican and Democratic Senators (more).

Water Contamination TV Show Fiction – exotic dancer and a Navy Lieutenant are killed in a bikini bar after ingesting water laced with cyanide by homegrown terrorists planning to poison the water supply in Los Angeles (CBS’s NCIS).

USDA RUS Allocates $145 Million for Rural Water & Wastewater Projects – on Earth Day this week, USDA announced support for projects that will improve water and wastewater services for rural Americans and benefit the environment across the country. In all, 43 water and wastewater projects in 32 states will be funded for more than $145 million (more).

Kentucky Planning New Nutrient Management Plan – that would focus on nitrogen and phosphorous, second-leading cause of water-quality impairment in the state, having harmed about 350 bodies of water (more).

EPA’s New Watershed App – for information on the condition of your local watershed, and what's being done to protect and restore those watersheds (more).

Iran’s Cyber Attack and U.S. Reply – (WashPost).

April 24, 2013

SRFs & WIFIA – California has failed to spend $455 million of federal SRF money. EPA regional administrator says it's not like there is a lack of projects – it is because the state prefers funding projects from medium and large water systems that are years away from being launched, at the expense of smaller communities that are in immediate need — especially those struggling with contaminated drinking water (NYTimes). At the same time this is occurring, corporate water systems, AWWA, WEF, and others are trying to redirect more federal water subsidies to larger and corporate water systems (WIFIA effort). What is wrong with current the SRFs according to WIFIA supports? It is that the current SRFs “target SRFs to underserved communities.” (AMWA quoting EPA policy).

Bayonne's (NJ) $300 Million Privatization Deal – United Water will get most, if not all, of the water-bill revenue for 40 years. The two firms are guaranteed a minimum payment regardless of how often the city's 63,000 residents flush their toilets or turn on their faucets (WSJ).

April 23, 2013

Cyber Attacks Are Like Nuclear Bombs (WSJ).

Iowa 1926(b) Controversy – a group of Iowa cities petetions Senator Harkin with misleading information and pressure to change 1926(b). Central Iowa Water Association (CIWA) responds with the facts of the situation, “the complaints by these cities have no basis in fact and are simply an attempt to use half-truths and misinformation to try to change existing laws to gain the power to cherry pick rural water system customers – thereby forcing CIWA and other rural water systems to give up territory and the revenue stream needed to meet their financial obligations. Current federal law is designed to protect rural water systems that are investing, growing, and serving as economic development engine catalysts trying to meet their obligations – and that is exactly what CIWA is doing. The truth is, the cities’ strategy is to make unreasonable demands (without consideration for the financial factors CIWA must consider to remain financially sound and offer services at reasonable rates), offer no cooperative approach whatsoever to jointly address utility services, and then complain to legislators. No new laws are necessary” (CIWA response). It couldn’t be stated better, thank you CIWA.

RCAP Backs Technical Assistance for USDA Community Facilities Legislation (more).

Illegal Sump Pump Connections Cause SSO - in Holland, MI, 9,000 gallons of raw sewage overflows into Lake Macatawa. Officials think illegally connected sump pumps overburdened the city sewer system (more).

April 22, 2013

Girls’ School in Northern Afghanistan Attacked with Poison Gas – drinking water tested for intentional contamination. Type of gas unknown (more). Chlorine gas has been used in previous similar attacks, 15 attacks in Iraq from October 2006 to June 2007 used chlorine tanks in bombs. Total casualties in these attacks were 115 killed (mostly from the explosions) and 854 injured - many from chlorine exposure (more).

RCAP Analysis of Census Data on Households Lacking Water/Sanitation (report).

Source Water Protection – in Bedminster, NJ, a 2,000-gallon diesel fuel tank spills into Raritan River, killing 2 turtles (more).

April 19, 2013

Mass Rural Water = The Power of An Association – again this year, their entire Congressional delegation signs support letters for EPA technical assistance, circuit riders, and source water (letters).

Massive Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion of Anhydrous Ammonia – explosion highlights dangers of anhydrous ammonia (Nat. Geo.). Weak federal regulations blamed for contributing to explosion, from Bloomberg News, "during his campaign, Pres. Obama promised to 'secure our chemical plants by setting a clear set of federal regulations that all plants must follow. Since Obama took office, DHS has taken steps to regulate the industry.” Senator Lautenberg (NJ) said he has "been fighting for years to ensure that chemical plants use the safest chemicals and processes available to prevent this type of tragedy." Senator Lautenberg is the sponsor of the "Secure Water Facilities Act" and "Secure Chemical Facilities Act" that would require facilities near high-population areas to assess risks and require the highest-risk plants to switch practices or use safer technology.

Mid-West Flooding – in several communities along the Mississippi River. Mississippi river is at or near crest at several places – some reaching 10 feet above flood stage. Hundreds of thousands of acres of swamped farmland as planting season approaches; three people died; roads and bridges closed, including sections of major highways (FoxNews).

More Privatization Is Answer to for Water Infrastructure – this week United Water testified before the House EPA appropriations committee in favor or more subsidies for private water companies (testimony). New York Times calls private water industry’s main legislative agenda “a stealth subsidy for private enterprise” (NYTimes).

Chi-town: 98-year-old Water Main Break Causes Sinkhole, Swallows Cars (video).

House Passes Four Cybersecurity Bills - all four bills have been referred to the Senate.

HR 624: the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, which has already received a veto threat from the President, would expand sharing of cyber-threat information among private sector entities and the government.

HR 756: the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act would coordinate research and related activities conducted across federal agencies and strengthen the efforts of NSF and NIST in the areas of cybersecurity technical standards as well as cyber awareness, education, and workforce development.

HR 967: the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act updates federal research and development initiatives networking, computing, software, cybersecurity, and related information technologies.

HR 1163: the Federal Information Security Amendments Act provides oversight authority to OMB with respect to federal agency information and security policies and practices.

April 17, 2013

Secretary of State Kerry Urges Chinese to Fund U.S. Water Projects – "we welcome Chinese investment... in infrastructure... water projects” (more).

Burlington’s (NC) Violation of EPA Health Standard for Drinking Water Pose No Risk to Public (more).

USDA/EPA Commitment to Improve Drinking Water & Sanitation in Indian Country (USDA).

Rural Source Water Protection – concrete-walled pit at a Minnesota dairy operation was fractured and sent about a million gallons of manure and water into 2 trout streams before leaking into the Root River. The problem is compounded by widespread manure runoff (more).

EPA Releases Draft FY 2014 National Water Program – describing how EPA, states, territories, and tribal governments will work together to protect and improve the quality. EPA is accepting comments on the plan until May 9^th (more).

EPA Releases 319 Nonpoint Source Program Guidelines – for grants to mitigate nonpoint source or diffuse sources of pollution, for Fiscal Year 2014 grants (EPA Guidelines).

KS Division of Water Employees Getting Physically and Verbally Threatened – when visiting water well sites to check and ensure the water use law is being followed (more).

EPA Method for CCL – the agency will host a public meeting and webinar on May 15, to discuss analytical testing procedures for unregulated contaminants considered for inclusion on the Contaminant Candidate List (more).

April 12, 2013

White House’s EPA Budget Includes Key NRWA Water Infrastructure Principles:

Goal 2: Protecting America's Waters – Major FY 2014 Changes

“The EPA will direct limited resources to best protect: 1) public health, especially in disadvantaged communities; 2) support the core work of state and tribal partners; and 3) focus on the largest pollution problems… In FY 2014, the agency is requesting $1.912 billion, a reduction of $472 million, for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs)… Going forward, the EPA will work to target assistance to small and underserved communities with a limited ability to repay loans, while maintaining state program integrity.” (page 36)

NRWA Water Infrastructure Legislative Key Principles (more).

Budget Proposes Limitation on Tax Exempt Muni-bonds – the Administration’s budget also proposes capping the value of the tax exemption for interest paid by municipal bonds by limiting the value of tax benefits for the top 2 percent of earners to 28 percent from the current 35 percent. If approved, the cap would essentially drive down the appeal of municipal bonds often sold to wealthy investors who can exempt the interest from their federal income taxes. It risks pushing up the borrowing costs for state and local governments that use the bonds to finance water projects (Reuters).

North Dakota State Legislature Moves Bill to Avoid 1926(b) Disputes – by creating a new mediation process (more).

Arkansas Lake Conway Contaminated After Oil Pipeline Spill (more).

N.H. Jury Awards $236 Million to State In MTBE Lawsuit – “by its verdict, the jury validated what we knew—Exxon was aware of the risks of manufacturing MTBE gasoline, but went ahead and added MTBE to New Hampshire's gasoline,” the New Hampshire Attorney General said (HuffPo).

Environmental Civil Disobedience – a 79-year-old grandmother from Oklahoma was arrested Tuesday for blocking construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. With a bike lock around her neck, chained to an earthmover, she temporarily halted construction of the southern leg of the controversial pipeline near Allen, Oklahoma (HuffPo).

FEMA Updates NIMS (May 2^nd Conference Call)

Perchlorate Update – on March 29, the EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) conditionally approved the latest draft of its perchlorate panel's advice on the science underlying the agency's efforts to establish a public health goal for perchlorate in drinking water, allowing for report's release to EPA's water office - and the development of a maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG). Concerns have been raised in the process regarding the MCLG being based on an observed effect rather than an observed adverse effect, which could result in an overly conservative MCL. The SAB is not suggesting that EPA delay proposal of its MCLG until staff can use a fully expanded PBPK/PD model that could take as long as a decade. The existing model only predicts amounts of iodine uptake inhibition, a precursor effect, but not the adverse health effects of changes in thyroid hormone levels or neurodevelopmental effects (more).

Arsenic Risk Assessment – members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) committee tasked with advising EPA on how to perform its assessment of arsenic's risks met April 4, regarding the agency's effort to test ways to harmonize how it assesses cancer and non-cancer risks in the pending assessment, a method that could help regulators better quantify the costs and benefits of regulatory decisions and advance the NAS proposed reform (more). Sam Cohen, a medical doctor at the University of Nebraska, said that EPA should use a non-linear approach for assessing arsenic's cancer, an approach that assumes there is some maximum exposure level that if not exceeded will not result in health effects if ingested or inhaled daily over a lifetime.

Rural Water Consolidation on Oklahoma Public Radio (more).

Kentucky Rural Water Tells City How to Fix 90% Water Loss – (more).

April 9, 2013

NRWA Urges White House to Partner with Water Supplies for Cybersecurity Protection – On Feb. 12, President Obama issued an Executive Order directing federal departments and agencies to use their existing authorities to provide better cybersecurity for the nation (more). The President’s order charters the National Institute of Standards and Technology with crafting a national “Cybersecurity Framework.” NRWA commented to NIST on April 8, 2013 (comments), urging the agency to initiate a partnership with the water sector to secure the country’s 51,651 drinking water and 16,255 sanitation supplies from cyber attacks.

Cybersecurity Bill Gets Markup – the House Intelligence Committee goes behind closed doors Wed. to mark up a bill (HR 624) to improve how the government and businesses share information about cyber-threats. House action may encourage the Senate Intelligence Committee to draft its a bill or Senate could move broader package to protect the nation against cyber attacks.

DHS Secretary Napolitano’s Agenda for Cybersecurity Protection (Politico).

SRFs and the Congressional Mandate to Use 20-30 Percent for Grants for FY2013 (citations).

Wisc. Rural Water Opposes New State Phosphorus Standards – “these standards, which according to DNR's own estimates could exceed $4 billion in treatment plant renovations, will result in undue economic hardship to communities and negligible improvement to the water resources of the State. And whereas, the actions and costs of reducing the nutrient levels in Wisconsin's waterways should be the equal responsibility of all Wisconsin's residents, not just those with wastewater treatment systems. Therefore, be it resolved by the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA) that the State of Wisconsin cease enforcement of strict numeric phosphorus limits on municipalities in the state, adopt phosphorus standards in line with those which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving for other states across the nation, and develop statutes and regulations that prioritize phosphorus reduction resources towards those contributing the highest levels of phosphorus to the waters of the state,” (more).

What Rights Do Wireless Companies Have to Access Your Water Towers? – some states are experiencing controversy with wireless companies intimating federal law mandates they have access to water towers for citing wireless equipment. However, top attorneys explain that wireless companies are provided limited access to water towers (limited ability to preempt local zoning authorities), “the Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2102, section 6409 of the Act provides that a state or local government ‘may not deny, and shall approve’ any eligible facilities request for a modification of an existing wireless tower or base station that ‘does not substantially change the physical dimensions of such tower or base station” (more).

April 7, 2013

President to Release Budget This Week (more) – late budget release results in House Appropriations Committee extension of appropriations request deadlines to April 17, for USDA and April 19, for EPA (more).

WIFIA Water Infrastructure Legislation Draws Alternative Proposal from State Agencies – state environmental agencies are suggesting that if Congress establishes new a federal program for water funding - they should manage it. The States' Alternative Proposal to WIFIA was crafted by ECOS, CIFA, ACWA, and ASDWA. “Should Congress choose to enact a WIFIA-like program, it could be managed more cost-effectively and more efficiently by states, as well as be fully coordinated with other state priorities, as an enhancement to existing [state revolving fund] programs,” the report said. Senator Merkley (OR) has sponsored the “Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2013,” a bill that would allow EPA operate the new water funding program with a minimum loan amount of $20 million focused on large-scale projects. See comments to NRWA Regulatory Committee on this legislation (more).

Iowa Assn. of Municipal Utilities on 1926(b) and State Legislation – "compounding the lack of notice and joint planning [between cities and rural water districts] is a provision of federal law at 7 U.S.C. 1926(b). That law ostensibly exists to protect the loan portfolio of what is now Rural Utility Services (RUS) in the USDA. It extends territorial protection to rural water systems operating in areas annexed by a city. Not only is the service to existing customers protected, but also areas intended to receive service in the future. RUS loans generally do not allow financing on a speculative basis, but a loan typically covers pipes of sufficient size to serve some area of anticipated growth. Maps of each project are kept at the state office of RUS and a copy may be acquired under a Freedom of Information Act request. With passage of HF 516 uncertain in this legislative session, IAMU’s legal counsel has prepared a draft notice that some members may want to use as a means of gaining information about rural water’s intent to build infrastructure over which a territorial claim might be made" (more).

Chlorine Gas for Water Treatment Used in Chemical Weapon Attack in Syria – chemical weapon attack on March 19 most likely came from a chlorine gas manufacturing factory. Owner says he has no idea what has happened, if anything, to the 400 or so steel barrels of chlorine gas he had stored in the compound overtaken by government opposition. The yellow tanks, which hold one ton of gas each, are used for purifying municipal water supplies. “No one can know for certain, but if it turns out chlorine gas was used in the attack, then the first possibility is that it was the factory,” said the owner (Time).

April 4, 2013

The Power of a State Association; Mississippi – MS RWA supported legislation that will “clarify” that the Public Service Commission has no authority over rural water associations cleared the Legislature on Wednesday (more). Congratulations MS RWA for standing up for rural and small communities against some powerful interests.

One of the Most Powerful U.S. Senators Makes Time to Attend MS RWA Conference (photo).

Aprils Fool’s Joke About Drinking Water Lands Florida Country DJ in Trouble – two radio morning-show hosts are currently serving indefinite suspensions and possibly worse over a successful April Fools' Day prank. They told their listeners that "dihydrogen monoxide" was coming out of the taps throughout the Fort Myers area. Their listeners panicked so much — that Lee County utility officials had to issue a county-wide statement calming the fears of chemistry challenged Floridians (more).

Cross Connection Nightmare – wastewater in the drinking water in Tennessee (more).

EPA Releases Blueprint for Integrating Technology Innovation into the National Water Program - to advance EPA's goal of clean and safe water and sustainable water utilities (more).

EPA Webcast on Their Draft National Rivers and Streams Assessment (April 3).

Xenia Rural Water’s (Iowa) Financial Condition Stabilizes – crafts new financial agreement with USDA and creditors to repay debt (more).

April 1, 2013

Focus on Climate Change – Movie: Greedy Lying Bastards, starring Senator Inhofe & Daryl Hannah (trailer) – and recent Economist article, “over the past 15 years air temperatures at the Earth’s surface have been flat while greenhouse-gas emissions have continued to soar. The world added roughly 100 billion tones of carbon to the atmosphere between 2000 and 2010. That is about a quarter of all the CO₂ put there by humanity since 1750. And yet the five-year mean global temperature has been flat for a decade.” Glasgow water system says it needs to spend $378 million to deal with climate change – too much water (more).

Pharmaceuticals in the Water (more).

Exxon Pipeline Leaks Thousands of Barrels of Crude Oil in Arkansas (more).

March 31, 2013

EPA Survey Finds More Than Half of the Nation’s Rivers in Poor Condition – the results of a comprehensive study of the health of the country’s waters (more).

Kansas Rural Water Association Releases the Best Guidance on the New EPA CCR – that allows water systems to eliminate the mailing requirement (KRWA's Guidance).

USDA Definition of Rural for Programs – with the Census Bureau having released all necessary data, USDA has determined that it will begin to use 2010 figures for total population beginning on March 28, 2013 (USDA Report).

Rep. Young Honored for CCR Legislation – receives the Distinguished Service Award from the Florida Rural Water Association, in recognition of his work to promote the electronic distribution of Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR). Gary Williams, Executive Director of the Florida Rural Water Association said, "all of the Florida Water systems sincerely appreciate Congressman Young's leadership and genesis of this idea. This savings provides lower cost to Water Systems across Florida that benefits customers and the public in the form of lower water utility bills…" (more).

Iowa 1926(b) Controversy – a state bill intended to limit 1926(b) protection and rural water districts’ access to service area is being considered in the Iowa House. Last week, Central Iowa Water Association (CIWA) published a response to all allegations from the proponents of the legislation (CIWA response) including this quote, ”Neither municipal nor regional rural water systems should be empowered to unilaterally seize the territory of the other. Both need / require reliable income streams and need economies of scale to keep user rates low. Taking territorial rights away from regional rural water systems drives up costs and rates for their remaining customers and jeopardizes their financial viability; just as the same would happen if regional rural water systems were empowered to take territory from municipal water systems. Cannibalizing the income stream of regional rural water systems will destroy them and deprive thousands of Iowans of safe affordable water for the sole benefit of municipal water systems.”

Hoboken's One Call Nightmare – most of Hoboken was without water, and on boil order, after a contractor hit a 30-inch water main (more). Thousands of gallons of water spilled onto the street and into several area basements as a sinkhole formed and swallowed a car.

PBS on the Safety of American’s Drinking Water – from Chrom6 (PBS video).

Cost of Environmental Degradation in China Is Growing – (NYTimes).

FRWA’s Executive Director Evolving Thoughts on the New TCR Rule – and the rule’s new construct of self-assessments. FRWA’s Executive Director said they initially wanted self-assessments to be as simple as possible to complete. However, now they are looking at a more detailed assessment to motivate the water system to thoroughly consider and investigate the cause of their “bac-t” positive samples (more).

EPA’s Science Board to Review Agency’s Hydraulic Fracturing (more).

March 28, 2013

Helca Water (OH) to Save $6,450 from CCR Mailing Relief – stop mailing those CCRs and appreciate the Power of An Association (more).

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