Emerging Regulations and Capacity Development

Presented at the

KY/TN Section AWWA Spring Seminar 2000May 24-26

Bowling Green, KY

by Mark Mazzola, USEPA

Emerging Regulations and Capacity Development

• Capacity Development

• Emerging Regulations

• What it means for you

A Brief History of the Safe Drinking Water Act

• 1974 and 1986 SDWAs focused on the development and implementation of strong regulatory programs

• 1996 Amendments broaden focus to include contamination and noncompliance prevention, and provide financial assistance to meet those goals.

• The capacity development program is an essential part of these changes.

Capacity Development

• The process of water systems improving their finances, management, infrastructure, and operations so they can provide safe drinking water consistently, reliably, and cost-effectively.

Capacity Development

Technical Capacity Source Water

Infrastructure

Technical Knowledge

Managerial Capacity Ownership Accountability

Staffing & Organization

Effective External Linkages

Financial Capacity$ Revenue Sufficiency

$ Credit Worthiness

$ Fiscal Management & Controls

Short & Long-term Planning

Capacity Development is a Process

• Does not refer to an end point of development• Planning for short and long term needs• Goal is for systems to have the capability to

reliably provide safe drinking water to their customers

SDWA OBJECTIVE: Public Health

Protection

National Program

State Programs

Source Water

Protection

Treatment

Transmission, Storage &

Distribution

Retail Delivery

Technical, Financial, and Managerial Capacity

TA Providers Engineers Financial Assistance

Governance

Management

Operations

Drinking Water Trends

Small System Capacity

Technology Advances

Financial Complexity

Changing Risks and Public Demands

Rule Requirements

Market Forces and Industry Trends

‘00 ‘01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10

IESWTR

D/DBP Stage 1

Radon

Filter Backwash Recycling

LT1ESWTR

Radionuclides

Arsenic

GWR

LT2ESWTR

D/DBP Stage 2

Period during which systems achieve compliance with rule

Additional period which State may grant an individual system

to achieve compliance through capital improvements

Timeline for System Actions to Achieve Compliance

Ground Water Rule

• Establishes multiple barriers to protect against bacteria and viruses in ground water systems

• For all PWSs with GW or GWUDI sources• Requirements:

– Sanitary surveys conducted by the State and identification of significant deficiencies

– Hydrogeologic sensitivity assessments for systems not disinfecting– Source water microbial monitoring for sensitive systems– Corrective actions as necessary– Compliance monitoring for systems that disinfect to ensure 4 log

removal/inactivation

Radon Rule

• Addresses Radon problems in indoor air and drinking water to prevent lung and stomach cancer

• For CWSs with GW or GWUDI sources• States may adopt MMM plan to allow systems to comply with AMCL

of 4000 pCi/L• If State does not adopt MMM plan, system must comply with MCL of

300 pCi/L or develop own MMM plan• MMM Plan:

– Public involvement– Quantitative goals for reducing Radon– Strategies to achieve goals– Plan for tracking and reporting results

Radionuclides Rule

• Revision of rule introduced in 1976; will address gross radiation, Radium-226 and -228, and photon emitters, and uranium

• For all CWSs and NTNCWSs

• Rule focus on enhanced monitoring and reporting--systems will have opportunity to comply with reduced monitoring schedule

• Requirements:

– New MCL for uranium, separate monitoring for radium, and /photon screening level will be changed

Arsenic Rule• Will lower current Arsenic standard as well as clarify

how compliance averages are calculated for inorganic/organic contaminants

• For CWSs

• Rule will move Arsenic into standardized monitoring framework for inorganics--NTNCWSs will be required to monitor and give public notice, but not to meet MCL

• MCL is currently 50 ppb--possible proposed MCL between 3-10 ppb

• Treatment oriented--rule lists BATs.

Stage 1 Disinfectants/Disinfection Byproducts Rule

• Balances the risk between microbial pathogens and disinfection byproducts

• For all CWSs and NTNCWSs that treat with chemical disinfectants

• Requirements:

– Sets MRDLs for Chlorine, Chloramine, and Chlorine Dioxide

– Sets MCLs for THM, Haloacetic Acids, Chlorite, and Bromate

– Systems with filtration must remove specific % of TOC through advanced coagulation or enhanced softening

Filter Backwash Rule

• Addresses the recycling of filter backwash with the treatment process

• For SW or GWUDI PWSs using conventional or direct filtration that recycle within their treatment process

• Requirements:– Recycling self-assessment must be performed to

provide States with enough information to determine whether modifications are necessary

Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule

• Will strengthen protection against microbial risks, with special focus on Cryptosporidium

• For PWSs with SW or GWUDI sources serving less than 10,000. Builds upon IESWTR for systems serving 10,000 or more

• Requirements:

– Systems must develop a disinfection profile and a disinfection benchmark to ensure there will be no compromise in microbial reduction due to the D/DBP rule.

– Systems must achieve 2 log (99%) removal of Cryptosporidium

– Small, unfiltered systems must include potential sources of Cryptosporidium in watershed control plan

What does this mean for you?

• Planning• Efficiency• Public Outreach

• Ultimate Goal– Enhanced public health

protection!

Baseline Regulations

TCR

VOC

LCR

VOC

Fl Fl

CCR; PN

SWTR

LCR

TCR

CCR; PN

IESWTR

S1 D/DBP

Phase 2/5

S1 D/DBP

Phase 2/5

CCR; PNCCR; PN

Microbial RiskSW GW

Chemical Risk

SW GW

Baseline Regulations

Microbial Risk Chemical Risk

Future Regulations

LT1SWTR

Rads

RadonRadonGWR

LT2SWTR

FBR

ArsenicArsenic

Rads

S2D/DBP S2D/DBP

SW GW SW GW

Federal Drinking Water Regulations

What Actions Will Most Utilities Take to Comply?

RULE MONITORING EXISTINGTREATMENT

PROCESSOPTIMIZATION OR

ENHANCEMENT

NEW TREATMENTPROCESS

INSTALLATION

MANAGEMENTPRACTICES

OPTIMIZATION ORENHANCEMENT

TCR XSWTR XPhase 1/2/5 XLead & Copper X XIESWTR X XLTIESWTR X XFilter Backwash XLT2ESWTR X X ?GWR X XStage 1 D/DBP X XStage 2 D/DBP X X ?Radon X XRadionuclides X ?Arsenic X X XCCR XPN X

Building Water System Efficiency

• Goals– Control costs

– Improve service

– Achieve/exceed compliance levels

• Means– Reengineering

– Form partnerships

Self-Assessments

CustomerFeedback

OperationalImprovements

Capacity Development Process

Expanding Solutions Horizon

Spatial Boundary

TimeBoundary

Quick fixes

Regional-level problem solving

Sustainablesolutions

Long-termoutlook

Solving Small System Problems:

Alternative Spatial Boundaries

Single System

Multiple Systems

County / Multi-county

State wide

Transfer of Knowledge and Information

Summary

• The ultimate goal of the SDWA is to protect public health--this is the ultimate responsibility of water systems.

• Capacity development is a framework for bringing together the different aspects of system operation to provide safe, reliable drinking water.

• By planning ahead, developing system efficiency, and forming partnerships systems will be able to comply with the emerging regulations and therefore better protect public health.

For More Information

Safe Drinking Water Hotline1-800-426-4791

Office of Ground Water and Drinking Waterhttp://www.epa.gov/safewater“Regulations and Guidance”