The Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, posted a fact sheet with questions and answers on the current shortage of fluoride additives that is facing the drinking water industry. Click here to go to the CDC web site.
The licensure board is now called the Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators and Onsite Sewage System Professionals. The board increased from seven to eleven members. The four new members are: a licensed alternative onsite sewage system operator, a licensed alternative onsite sewage system installer, a licensed onsite soil evaluator, and one citizen member.
The Virginia General Assembly passed a bill during the 2006 legislative session which mandates that the APELSCIDLA Board implement a mandatory continuing education program (16 hours of continuing education activities) for architects, professional engineers, and land surveyors (HB1054). The law became effective on July 1, 2006, and the Board initiated the process to promulgate the necessary regulations for the program on September 7, 2006, which will take approximately 18 to 24 months. Therefore, at this time, mandatory continuing education is not required and the regulations which will address the details have not yet been created. You may track the development of these regulations via the link below for Pending Regulatory Action.
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 "Management of Domestic Incidents" requires that states, territories, local jurisdictions and tribal entities adopt
the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS enables responders from a variety of jurisdictions and disciplines to work together effectively when responding to an emergency. The private sector, including water and wastewater treatment systems, also plays a vital role in NIMS. The implementation of the NIMS creates a baseline capability that, once established, will be the foundation for the nation’s prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery strategies.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is charged with maintaining and supporting the National Incident Management System. As part of their efforts, FEMA releases compliance objectives and metrics for each fiscal year and updates information on what FEMA is requiring for NIMS compliance.
One of the reasons for becoming NIMS compliant is that federal preparedness funding requires the recipient to be NIMS compliant. Additional benefits of NIMS compliance include:
- Strengthened response capabilities by following a nationally adopted,standard practice for emergency response
- Improved mobilization, deployment, utilization, tracking, and demobilization of needed resources
- Established protocols for improved communication with other levels of
response
- Reduced time delay to access mutual aid/assistance
In order to help determine whether an entity is NIMS compliant, FEMA has developed a tool called NIMSCAST. NIMSCAST is an online tool that guides the user through a series of questions related to the NIMS compliance metrics. Based on the answers to the questions the user receives a report describing the elements of NIMS compliance that are fulfilled and which ones require additional action.
On April 21, 2008, EPA announced the availability of Check Up Program for Small Systems (CUPSS). This user-friendly computer-based program assists owners and operators in developing and using plans for maintaining their drinking water and wastewater systems and providing
service to their customers. CUPSS will make a difference and help bridge the growing financial gap faced by small drinking water and wastewater systems as they repair, and replace their infrastructure. CUPSS was developed by the Office of Water as part of the agency’s Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative. The effort received input from a large stakeholder workgroup, including representatives from several states, the National Rural Water Association, the Rural Community
Assistance Partnership, and Environmental Finance Centers.The CUPSS program and all supporting materials are available for immediate download. Kits including the material will also be available in May. For more information on CUPSS, including program downloads and ordering information, visit http://www.epa.gov/cupss. EPA’s newly updated web site for small public water systems is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsystems.
In August 2006 and in October 2007, Clow Valve Company issued an important Safety Notice alerting its client that Clow will replace the lubricant and upper stem assemblies in Medallion and F2500 fire hydrants with cast years of 2002, 2003, and 2004. Out of the approximately 113,000 fire hydrants that could be affected, more than 55,000 stems have been replaced. Clow encourages those clients who have not esponded to call 800-829-2569 to schedule an inspection and replacement or visit www.clowvalve.com.
Bulletin Board
