is that a diver in your tank? - national environmental ... · is that a diver in your tank? ......

S P E C I A L

Summer 1999Volume 8, Issue 2

Is that a diver inyour tank? by Michelle MooreNDWC Contributing Writer

Commercial divers: They’re the people whoget to bring ancient treasure up from deep in theocean and help police solve river bottom myster-ies, right? Well, those are a couple of the moreadventurous jobs commercial divers do. Theyalso work with water facilities to maintain theinterior of above ground storage tanks—some-times way above ground. Divers are hired toinspect, clean, and do repairs underwater, so thestorage tanks don’t have to be drained (and con-sequently taken out of service) while the work isbeing done.

The Association of Diving Contractors(ADC) based in Houston, Texas, has close to 200 members, and while not all of them dopotable water tank diving, there aremany contractors from which tochoose if your facility needsthe service.

A number of issuesshould be considered in the routine opera-tion and maintenanceof potable waterstorage tanks, espe-cially when a third-party contractormust be hired. Hereare some questionsyou should ask your-self before making anyphone calls or commit-ments for tank maintenance:

• Are your storage tanksOccupational Safety andHealth Administration (OSHA)-compliant as far as fall protection and prevention are concerned?

• When was the last time they were entered?• What condition are they in?• When was the last time the tanks were

cleaned?• Who is qualified to inspect them?

• What will you do about loss of water stor-age capacity if the tanks are drained?

• What potential fire hazards from loss ofwater need to be taken into consideration?

• How can you prevent interruption to cus-tomer service, not to mention the facility’sdaily operations?

Consider Hiring a Diving ContractorWayne Dykstra, president of Liquid

Engineering in Billings, Montana, knows theanswers to most of the questions water managershave about potable water tank inspection andmaintenance.

“The bad news is that, yes, your water tanksdo require regular ongoing maintenance,”Dykstra said. “The good news is that today there

are a number of solutions availableto you. In short, don’t drain

your tank, don’t shutdown your system,

don’t fight thescheduling bat-

tles, and don’tpull out yourhair. Hire aproperlyqualified,trained,andequipped

dive mainte-nance team.”

Anothercontractor,

U. S. UnderwaterServices of Burleson,

Texas, lists a broad r a n g eof diving services that give an idea

of what all these companies can do for yourf a c i l i t y. They do inspections, repair hatches, vents,ladders and overflows, and, of course, they cleantanks. Owner Mike Erinakes noted that theirdivers can video tape while in a water tank.

“Our clients never have to wonder aboutwhat we find,” he said. “We supply underwater

On Tap is a publication of theNational Drinking

Water Clearinghouse,sponsored by the

Rural Utilities Service.Continued on page 18

Drinking Water News For America’s Small Communities

ConsumerConfidenceReportInsert,center pages

2 On Tap Summer 1999

Volume 8, Issue 2Summer 1999

Sponsored by

Rural Utilities ServiceAdministrator

Wally B. Beyer

Loan SpecialistDonna Roderick

Established in 1991 at WestVirginia University, the

National Drinking WaterClearinghouse is funded by

the Water and WasteDisposal Division of theRural Utilities Service.

National Drinking WaterClearinghouse

Manager, WVU EnvironmentalServices and Training Division

John L. Mori, Ph.D.

Program CoordinatorSanjay Saxena

Managing EditorHarriet Emerson

Technical Assistance SpecialistsMohamed LahlouBabu Madabhushi

Promotions EditorJamie Knotts

Senior Graphic DesignerEric Merrill

Staff Writer/EditorKathy Jesperson

Publications AssistantsSheila Anderson

Judy ClovisAnnette Judy

On Tap is a free publication,produced four times a year(February, May, August, andNovember). Articles, lettersto the editor, news items,

photographs, or other materi-als submitted for publication

are welcome. Pleaseaddress correspondence to:

Editor, On Tap, NDWCWest Virginia University

P.O. Box 6064Morgantown, WV 26506-6064

(800) 624-8301(304) 293-4191

http://www.ndwc.wvu.edu

Permission to quote from orreproduce articles in this

publication is granted whendue acknowledgment is

given. Please send a copy of the publication in whichinformation was used tothe On Tap editor at the

address above.

The contents of this publica -tion do not necessarily reflectthe views and policies of the

Rural Utilities Service, nordoes mention of trade namesor commercial products con-

stitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

ISSN 1061-9291

Equal Opportunity/AffirmativeAction Institution

Printed on recycled paper

On Ta pOn Ta p Dives into Summer Season

market rate: 5.0 percent.RUS loans are administered through state

Rural Development offices. These offices canprovide specific information concerning RUSloan requirements and applications procedures.

For the phone number of your state RuralDevelopment office, contact the NationalDrinking Water Clearinghouse at (800) 624-8301or (304) 293-4191. The list is also available onthe RUS Web site at http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/states/usamap.htm.

RUS Interest Rates Unchanged

Interest rates for Rural Utilities Service(RUS) water and wastewater loans remainunchanged for the third consecutive quarter.RUS interest rates are set at three levels, each with specific qualification criteria. The rates for the third quarter of fiscal year 1999apply to all loans issued from April 1 throughJune 30, 1999.

The current rates are:poverty line rate: 4.5 percent;intermediate rate: 4.75 percent; and

This On Tap begins with an article aboutwater tank diving by Michelle Moore, NationalDrinking Water Clearinghouse (NDWC) contribut-i n g writer. Thanks to Wayne Dykstra of LiquidEngineering in Billings, Montana, for his generoushelp with this article. (See page 1.)

Are you working on your Consumer Confi-dence Report (CCR)? On Tap can help. EditorHarriet Emerson and Eric Merrill, NDWC’ssenior designer, have created a simple four-pageCCR insert based on the U.S. EnvironmentalP r o t e c t i o n A g e n c y ’s (EPA) CCR Guidance. Manythanks to Rob Allison of the EPA’s Office ofWater who reviewed our how-to CCR. He helpeddesign EPA’s CCR Guidance. (See page 10.)

Writer Kathy Jesperson gives us a look attechnical assistance for small drinking water systems in Texas. (See page 3.) Congratulationsto Jesperson who has been promoted to writer/editor with the NDWC. Her skillful, breezy writing style, including a fascinating history ofdrinking water series (see back page to order), isfamiliar to On Tap readers. Jesperson has writtenfor three of West Virginia University’s environ-mental programs since 1991 but will now devoteher time and talents to the NDWC.

In our operator section, Jamie Knotts, NDWCpromotions coordinator, offers a look at how JimFriend, chief operator for the drinking water plantin Friendsville, Maryland, serves safe water tohis 300 customers. (See page 6.) Moore reviewsrecord keeping (see page 8), and Laurie Klappauf,NDWC contributing writer and former editor ofWater Sense, the NDWC’s financial newsletter,takes a look at how states, systems, and trainerswill be affected by the Safe Drinking WaterAct’s (SDWA) Operator Certification Guidelines.(See page 12.)

Babu Srinivas Madabhushi, technical assis-tance specialist, examines MtBE [MethylTertiary Butyl Ether], a widely used gasoline

additive, and the possible problems it can createin groundwater in this Q&A. (See page 14.) Inaddition to writing On Tap’s Q&A, Madabhushiis in charge of two NDWC databases. You maycall him at the numbers in the credit box or e-mail [email protected] for technical refer-ences, articles from the bibliographic database,or for information about drinking water relatedorganizations from the contacts database. Ifyou’d like your drinking water organizationincluded, please contact Madabhushi so he canadd it to our database.

On the regulatory side, Mohamed Lahlou,PhD, NDWC technical assistance specialist, and Emerson give an overview of small systemstechnologies, a subject we will cover in depth in our Fall On Tap. (See page 17.) Dr. Lahloupresented a paper “Treatment Technologies forSmall Drinking Water Systems” at the AmericanWater Works Association (AWWA) MarchEngineering and Construction conference inOrlando, Florida. The paper, written by Lahlouand Program Coordinator Sanjay Saxena, isavailable through the conference proceedings.For more information, you may call or [email protected]. In addition to writing OnTap’s popular Tech Brief series, Lahlou is incharge of special research related to small drink-ing water systems, as well as NDWC products.

Don’t forget that our RESULTS [Registry ofEquipment Suppliers of Treatment Technologiesfor Small Systems] database can be searchedonline. It lists more than 1,000 treatment facili-ties across the U.S. and Canada. Individuals canfind systems currently using a technology thatinterests them and contact system personneldirectly for more information. Vipin Bhardwaj,NDWC graduate research assistant, is in chargeof RESULTS and can run searches free of chargefor those without Web access. Call or e-mailBhardwaj at [email protected].

On Tap Summer 1999 3

Even Technical Assistance Is Bigger in Te x a sby Kathy JespersonNDWC Staff Writer

From east Texas—where the earth is rich andcovered with evergreens—to the land west ofPecos—where water is as scarce as people—themileage is greater than that from New York toChicago. This vast expanse of a state covers267,338 square miles and is home to approximate-ly 17 million people, who draw their drinkingwater from more than 6,000 public water systems.

But a state this size has more to brag aboutthan just the territory it covers. Texas is thewealthiest mineral producer in the nation, gener-ating oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. Itis also a major producer of helium, salt, sulfur,sodium sulfate, clays, gypsum, cement, and talc.

Agriculturally, Texas easily outproduces therest of the country in cattle, cotton, and cotton-seed. And it has more farms, farmland, sheep, andlambs than any other state.

Yet, with all it has to offer, Texas can leaveits citizens feeling parched. “An old anecdoteabout the drought of the 1880s may be the bestway of introducing how Texans feel aboutdroughts,” writes Ric Jensen, information spe-cialist, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI),in Why Droughts Plague Texas.

“Anew settler moving into Texas, unawareof past dry periods, looked at a piece of farmlandand commented, ‘This would be a fine country ifit just had water.’ Replied a grizzled farmer whohad been bankrupted by past droughts and wasmoving eastward, ‘So would Hell.’”

So with droughts, industry, and agriculture asmajor concerns for Texas’drinking water indus-try, where do small systems turn when they needtechnical assistance? “We would like to thinkthat the Texas Natural Resource ConservationCommission (TNRCC) is one of the first callssmall systems would make,” says GeorgeFreitag, staff engineer, Utility Assistance andCertification Team, TNRCC.

TRWA Helps Systems Over the Hump“Many utilities do call us asking to be

referred for technical assistance through ourTexas Rural Water Association (TRWA) contract,and some call TRWA directly,” he continues.“Also, sometimes our inspectors see a systemthat needs a little help getting over the hump and refers them to TRWA’s circuit rider program.There are also other nonprofit groups that dotechnical assistance, and the operator trainingo rganization (Texas A&M Engineering ExtensionService) provides a good network.

“TNRCC is both the drinking water primacyagency and the rate and service regulatoryauthority—so staff is available to answer ques-tions in almost all areas of utility operations,”says Freitag.

“Generally this response includes answeringquestions, interpreting rules, and mailing appro-priate literature—we have several ‘regulatoryguidance’ documents available,” he says. “If itappears that onsite, in-depth assistance may behelpful, we can ask TRWA to send out a circuitrider. Additionally, inspectors from one of the 16TNRCC regional offices can also provide assis-tance. Most times they spend a little time work-ing with the operators during the course of thesanitary inspection, but they also are available toanswer questions over the phone.

“In-house response has always been encour-aged, and we have had contracts for technicalassistance directly with T RWAsince the early ‘ 9 0 s and until recently also with CommunityResource Group [CRG],” he says. “Originally,the contract assistance was for rural water supplycorporations, districts, and investor-owned utili-ties, but now all small systems—including non-public utilities—are eligible for circuit riderassistance as this contract is now a component of the overall ‘capacity development’ initiativeswe have.

TNRCC Helps Clear Confusion“TNRCC gets a lot of managerial questions,

such as confusion about how to fill out forms,”says Freitag. “We also get a lot of calls from systems looking for money. We have a one sheetfunding source guide that we send out to them,which includes grants or loans that systems canget from Rural Development, DWSRF [DrinkingWater State Revolving Fund] money, CommunityBlock Grants, and commercial lenders.”

Freitag explains that most of the timeTNRCC employees try to work out problemsover the phone, but warns that “you need to becareful about giving too much advice that way.Sometimes it gets misinterpreted or used thewrong way, and it’s still represented as comingfrom TNRCC. You also want them to think forthemselves and understand why they are doingwhat we suggest.

“Sometimes a system calls and after a littlewhile into the conversation, you can tell thatthey need to be referred to the circuit rider pro-gram,” he says. “Problems that we might refer toTRWA include corrosion control problems wheregetting the right chemical mix is important, or if

R E S O U R C E SR E S O U R C E S

Continued on page 4

“We get a lot of

calls from systems

looking for money.

We have a one

sheet funding

source guide that we

send out to them,

which includes

grants or loans that

systems can get

from Rural

Development,

DWSRF money,

Community Block

Grants, and com -

mercial lenders.”

George Freitag,staff engineer,TNRCC officer


a chlorinator is not working. Other examples aremanagerial problems, such as rate and tariffquestions, board of directors training, record-keeping, or even complaint resolution where it’shelpful to have an onsite visit.”

Rural Water Takes ReferralsWith its headquarters in Austin, TRWAhas

been around since 1969 and has 32 employees.TWRA helps small water systems solve manyproblems, such as leak detection, water audits,and rate analysis.

“We primarily provide onsite assistance,”says Robert Stewart, associate executive director,TRWA. “We have circuit riders that go in thefield and meet with systems that may need helpwith regulations, compliance, or operator train-ing. We have four employees who work in thecapacity development program. This is strictlyon a TNRCC referral basis.

“What we do is conduct an onsite capacityassessment to determine if the system has themanagerial, financial, and technical ability tocontinue operations,” he says. “If not, then wewrite a corrective action plan. These plans try to steer them toward some kind of solution,whether it’s consolidation, finding an alternativewater source, or improving the system to meetstate standards. We’re seriously addressing violators through this program.

“We also do operator certification training,”says Stewart. “We’ve been conducting operatorcertification classes around the state since January.So far, we’ve held approximately two classes amonth, but we will probably begin holding fouror more a month soon.

“We do hands-on, interactive kinds of train-ing and that’s how we differ from some otherorganizations,” explains Stewart. “Texas requiresa certified operator for everything. Even non-community water systems must have a certifiedoperator. Since Texas has such stringent require-ments for operator certification already, we havemet virtually all the EPA requirements.”

Small Systems Need Money“Financing to meet growth demands is proba-

bly one of the biggest problems that Texas’oper-ators face,” says Stewart. “As well as training tomeet the requirements of new regulations, suchas the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Tr e a t m e n tRule and the Disinfectants/Disinfection Byprod-ucts Rule.”

TNRCC’s James E. Pope, team leader, sur-veillance and technical assistance, agrees.“Deteriorating or inadequate facilities and

Even Technical Assistance Is Bigger in Texas

difficulty or inability to obtain funds to makenecessary system improvements are some of thebiggest problems that Te x a s ’ small utilities face inproviding safe drinking water to their customers.The availability of DWSRFs dedicated to smallsystems offers the most promising solution onthe horizon.”

Stewart says that additional operator anddrinking water staff training is also needed. Andthat Texas’small drinking water systems havegreat financial needs. “DWSRF money is onlythe beginning,” he explains. “Small systemsneed much more support.

“The Texas Water Development Board(TWDB) is the financial agent for the state,”Stewart says. “They’re working hard to distributethe DWSRF money. The state is also working on a statewide water plan, which will be avail-able later this year. We’re all into some seriousplanning work.”

When it rains . . . or does it?All of Texas’technical assistance providers

encourage drinking water systems to be preparedfor drought. “It appears that our vulnerability todrought and water shortage is increasing alongwith our population. We can mitigate drought bycarefully balancing demand with supply,” writesTWRI’s Jensen.

“Drought is one of our biggest concerns,”TNRCC’s Freitag says. “The old saying goes,‘We’re always in the first year of a drought.’And being water deficient is probably one of our largest issues during these times. Most of the drinking water systems here practice waterconservation and water demand management.”

“When it comes to rain, we either get it all ornothing,” says TRWA’s Stewart. “Most systemsare prepared for drought in Texas. The real prob-lems during a drought are delivering water to the people, and that’s what happens when youhave deteriorating or undersized distributionlines or pumps.”

According to Jensen, “rainfall does not haveto be below average for a drought to take hold.Generally, drought occurs because water suppliesare inadequate for human needs. Water shortagescan stem from a severe shortage of rainfall, buthigh water demands and inadequate distributionsystems often intensify the situation.”

Bill Hoffman, assistant division director ofwater resources planning for TWDB, says thatthere is an intensive coordinated program in Te x a sto help communities with drought related prob-lems. “All water purveyors are required to developdrought management plans,” he explains.


Continued from page 3

Continued on next page

“With so many

resources out

there, we don’t

need to duplicate

the work. We work

closely together,

and don’t try to do

each others jobs.”

Larry Bell, circuit rider,

TRWA


“The TWDB and TNRCC are teamed up to pro-vide assistance and training. For example, we arein the middle of a 12-workshop cycle this yearand will start another cycle in September—thebeginning of our fiscal year. We also provide free guide books, templates, and software to allutilities to accomplish this.

“As for water conservation advice, we offercomprehensive plan development assistance forboth the demand sideand utility side com-p o n e n t s of the equa-tion,” he continues.“This ranges fromhelping them directlyto write plans, to pro-viding workshops andtraining for their larg e rc u s t o m e r s , such ascommercial, industrial,and institutional users,assistance with waterreuse, desalting, and alternate sourceevaluations. We alsoprovide low interestfinancing for theseprojects.”

Colonias GetAssistance, too

Along the U.S./Mexican border, small,unincorporated com-munities began tospring up in the 1950s.These communities,known as colonias,often lack a potablewater supply. Butrecently, Texas hasmade great advancesin aiding these communities.

“We’ve made tremendous progress in supply-ing water to the colonias,” says TRWA’s Stewart.“Pretty much everyone has been accounted for,and now we’re working to put all the necessaryinfrastructure in place. We also provide onsitetechnical assistance for colonias. We help themin financing programs, management issues,developing operations manuals, and we also help them with day-in and day-out operationtechniques.”

Besides technical assistance provided byT RWA, the TWDB provides funding for technicalassistance, preparation of project proposals,overall management of infrastructure projects,and project construction management, as well as being in charge of design review and overallprogram management for colonias.

Systems Have Many Resources“Technical assistance, education, and training

responsibilities havebeen a major part ofthe Texas PublicDrinking WaterProgram since itsinception in 1915,”says TNRCC’s Pope.“Although technicalassistance has longbeen a responsibilityof all program pro-fessional staff, it wasnot until 1976 that an official technicalassistance programwith dedicated staffwas established.”

At the state level,both the TWDB andthe TNRCC provideservices, including:• Free water audit/

leak detectionassistance,

• Special financialprograms for smallcommunities,

• A very active colo-nia program(EconomicallyDistressed AreaPrograms),

• Assistance withboth water conser-

vation (long-term water use efficiency) andalso drought management plans (short-termresponse plans to drought),

• Planning assistance and grants, and • Self-help program assistance.“With so many resources out there, we don’t

need to duplicate the work,” says Larry Bell, circuit rider, TRWA. “We work closely together,and don’t try to do each others jobs.”


Continued from previous page

Small Systems Get Big Help in Texas

For more information about technical assistance in Texas, contact any of the following agencies:

• TNRCC, 12100 Park Circle, Austin, TX78753. Call (512) 239-1000 or see theirWeb site at http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us.

• T RWA, 1616 Rio Grande Street, Austin, T X .You may call (512) 472-8591 or accesstheir Web site at http://www.trwa.org.

• TWDB, P.O. Box 13231, 1700 N. Con-gress Avenue, Austin, TX 78711-3231. Call (512) 463-7847 or log ontohttp://www.twdb.state.tx.us.

• TWRI, 301 Scoates Hall, Texas A & MUniversity, College Station, TX 77843-2118. Call (409) 845-3211 or view theirWeb site at http://twri.tamu.edu.

• CRG, Southern Region of Rural CommunityAssistance Program, 2423 East RobinsonAvenue, Springdale, AK 72764. Call (501)756-5583 or log onto http://www.rcap.org.

• Texas Agricultural Extension Service, T h eAgricultural Program of the Texas A & MUniversity System, Room 112, Jack Wi l l i a m sAdministration Building, College Station,TX 77843-7101. Call (409) 845-7800 oraccess http://agextension.tamu.edu.


For the 300 Customers of Friendsville, Maryland . . .Operator Keeps Plant Running Smoothlyby Jamie KnottsNDWC Promotions Coordinator

The drinking water plant in Friendsville,Maryland, is not unlike many small systemsacross the country. Its operator is dedicated andhighly trained, the plant is sparkling clean, anearby river sometimes floods it, routine mainte-nance is a priority, and oh yes, it hasn’t had aviolation in years.

Chief Operator Jim Friend, a wastewater andtemporary water IV operator, has worked at theplant for nearly three years and another sevenyears before that at a different treatment plant.

As the sole operator he often works seven days a week, but living just two blocks from the plantallows him to quickly check on things when heneeds to.

“The plant is fully automated and can run byitself, but because I live so close I prefer to oper-ate it manually,” Friend says.

Plant Operates EfficientlyThe Friendsville plant is owned by the Garrett

County Sanitary District (GCSD), a local gov-ernment entity that operates 10 small communitydrinking water and wastewater plants in Mary-land’s western-most county along the WestVirginia border. By pooling the resources of several plants, the district is able to provide extraassistance and expertise when an operator needs it.

For instance, if an operator needs an electri-cian or a backup operator for a vacation, theGCSD provides the extra help. Otherwise, an

individual town, such as Friendsville, wouldneed to maintain its own staff at additional costs.Pooling resources is a convenient way to savemoney and keep operation costs down. It alsoallows the sanitary district to set water rates forall systems under GCSD control, thereby spread-ing the costs over a larger population.

The 1974-era plant and distribution lines has 300 taps and draws its water from theYoughiogheny River that flows north into neigh-boring Pennsylvania. Friend says he likes to runthe plant in 20-hour stretches. “I’ve found thatthe plant tends to work better on longer runsrather than short ones.”

Depending on demand, he says hecan run the plant every other day andstill maintain an adequate supply inthe town’s 300,000-gallon tank locatedjust out of town. Serving as the town’sdeputy fire chief, he says that if waterlevels run low from fighting a fire,he’s able to start the plant to maintainan adequate supply.

“This plant is amazing,” Friendsays. “After I run my jar tests, I canset the chemical dosages based on theresults and the plant just runs great.The jar tests are very important,because the results set the whole treat-ment process.” With raw surfacewater, Friend says that he has to con-stantly monitor for turbidity changes.

Maryland requires that he log theturbidity or nephelometric turbidityunits (NTU) levels in his books every

four hours. His highest level was .61 NTU inJanuary 1998, but 99 percent of that month’ssamples met Maryland’s standard. “Anythingover a 5.0 NTU the state requires that the systemput out a boil water notice. In the event that happened, we would also have to immediatelynotify the Maryland Department of Environmentand contact the local media, but I’ve never had to do that since the sanitary district tookover in 1996.” [Other factors, such as a treat-ment failure or exceeding the standard of .5NTU in 95 percent of the samples, could lead to a boil water notice.]

Friend also tests his pH and chlorine levelsevery two to four hours and does a coliform testonce a month. “I usually have chlorine levelsbetween 1.3 and 1.4 parts per million (ppm) in the plant and between .6 and .8 ppm in thedistribution system. I usually get complaints ifContinued on next page

O P E R A T O RO P E R A T O R

Friendsville, Maryland, operator Jim Friend checks his plant’s turbidity readings. Raw water for the plant is drawn from the Youghiogheny River that flows through the Appalachian Mountains, so turbidity levels must be constantly monitored and recorded.

Photo by Jamie Knotts


the levels are over 1.2 in the distribution system,”he adds.

Add a Little of This, a Little of ThatGravity feeds the surface water about 30

yards into the raw water pump station where it ispumped into the plant’s basement. Chemicals areadded to the water as it travels to the upflowclarifier for coagulation and flocculation. Inaddition to the prechlorination that was recentlyinstalled, Friend says he adds soda ash, activatedalum, and potassium permanganate to treat for aminor iron problem. After a two to two-and-a-half hour mixing period for coagulation and floc-culation, water is pumped to one of two enclosedgreen sand filters. He says the potassium per-manganate helps activate the green sand andremove the iron.

After postchlorination using chlorine gasfrom 150 pound cylinders, the finished water ispumped into the clear well and later to the hold-ing tank 300 feet above town. Friend says thestate recommended that prechlorination be addedrecently. “The plant was never in violation, butthey felt we didn’t have a long enough detentiontime for chlorination,” he says.

Friend says the green sand filters he useswork well. “I backwash them manually firstthing in the morning and they work fine for me, but they will automatically backwash as thehead pressure increases.” Backwash effluent ispumped to the adjacent wastewater treatmentplant. “When the GCSD first started operatingthe treatment plant, we found mud balls formingin the filters,” he says. “This problem was elimi-nated by adding air scouring during the back-wash cycle and optimizing the clarifier.”

Flooding Is Always a PossibilityHaving a drinking water treatment plant

located just yards from a river in a low-lyingflood plain, you might expect flooding to be aconcern for the treatment plant operator. Andwhen that river is fed by swiftly moving streamsfrom nearby mountains that can increase waterlevels almost instantly, the chance of a floodshutting down plant operation is all too real. “Aflood in January 1996 caused problems when thetown was operating it [the plant],” Friend says.

But flooding may no longer be a great con-cern. Friend says the sanitary district built a newfour foot tall flood wall around the plant thatshould protect equipment from damage. The wallhas two access openings that can be closed withslide-in metal gates. “We haven’t had a flood

yet, so the system hasn’t been tested,” Friendsays with a smile.

Operator Wears Many HatsWhen he’s not operating the plant, Friend

takes on other tasks including operating thewastewater treatment plant next door. He flushestwo dead-end water lines every few weeks to clearthem out and makes sure hydrants are flushed inthe spring and fall. Routine plant maintenanceincludes greasing equipment and removingleaves and debris that accumulate in the rawwater screens. He’s also seen about town readingmeters, answering customers’questions, andtesting for chlorine in the distribution system.

The GCSD recently spent a lot of timechecking its equipment for potential year 2000(Y2K) computer problems. “I checked anythingthat had a computer chip, such as our NTU andpH meters. We logged all our model numbersand checked them against manufacturer’s lists ontheir Web sites,” Friend says. The Web sites list-ed any equipment that had known Y2K-compli-ance problems. “All our chips checked out in the drinking water plant, so we shouldn’t haveany problems, but we have a generator that can run the water and sewer plants should thepower go out.”

One thing he won’t be working on is Friends-v i l l e ’s Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). DaleBaker, the GCSD’s laboratory director, is writingall the CCRs for the six water systems that arerequired to develop them. Friendsville’s CCR isexpected to be a three-fold brochure photocopiedon regular 8.5 by 11 inch paper. (For more infor-mation about CCRs, see center pages.)

Maryland requires training and certificationfor drinking water operators. Licenses must berenewed every three years. Friend says he takescourses offered through the state and receivestraining and onsite assistance from the MarylandRural Water Association.

“I’m a jack-of-all-trades,” he says. “There’sa lot more going on at the plant than peopleknow.” Occasionally he’ll get calls complainingof too much chlorine in the water or (it being)slick to the touch. “That’s when I become the PRguy. I tell them that the state recommends certainchlorine levels to meet health standards. Youhave to maintain good customer relations, so wetry to flush the system, which helps to reduce thecalls and complaints.

“As long as water comes out of the tap andtheir toilet flushes, people don’t know muchabout the kind of testing, paperwork, and proce-dures I do to provide them water,” he says.



“As long as water

comes out of the

tap and their toilet

flushes, people

don’t know much

about the kind of

testing, paper -

work, and proce -

dures I do to pro -

vide them water.”

Jim Friend, chief operator,Friendsville,

Maryland


by Michelle MooreNDWC Contributing Writer

It never hurts to be reminded of basics in thedrinking water business. Case in point: watertreatment facilities need to keep accurate recordsof daily procedures, and they need to file reportscontaining that information with their state’sdrinking water program office. All states havesimilar reporting requirements for tracking sys-tems’ daily operations.

Information gathered from Maine’s operationsreporting procedures may help other states’waterfacilities prepare their own reports. The State ofMaine Rules Relating to Drinking Water say thatwater treatment facilities there are required tokeep “records of daily test results, daily waterproduction and usage, daily chemical usage, anychange in normal treatment procedure, and otherpertinent information.” This information thenneeds to be organized into a report that must besubmitted to the state by the tenth of each month.

An article in the Spring 1997 issue of ServiceConnection (Volume 5, Issue 1), the MaineDrinking Water Program newsletter, stressed thatthe reports should be “easy to read, well-organ-ized, and comprehensive.” Computer-generatedspreadsheets provide the easiest, most accessibleformat for reporting. (See table on oppositepage.) Copies of the forms can be archived forfurther study and reference at the facility.

Spreadsheets Track TrendsSpreadsheets also provide an opportunity to

track routine performance and trends in treatmentprocedures that can later be drawn as charts andgraphs for presentation, if needed.

“Spreadsheets can help eliminate commonmath errors that could inadvertently put a utilityin non-compliance,” Brian Tarbuck of the MaineDrinking Water Program said. “Maine is current-ly revising existing reporting forms to includecontact time reporting for water utilities that filter. The final version should be ready by thesummer and posted on their Drinking WaterProgram Web site.”

Reports must be completed and filed with thestate’s drinking water program office in a timelymanner, with each state setting its own deadline.Electronic filing of these reports is becomingmore feasible as facilities gain access to theInternet via their computer systems.

“Electronic filing is appealing,” Tarbuck said,“because it is fast, reduces paperwork, andallows the primacy agency to store data from

utilities for performance comparisons. Legalissues are being evaluated to determine whetheror not electronically filed reports can be used in court. Other issues include ensuring that theprimacy agency has the software that you use to report. Translating spreadsheets can introduceerrors that could inadvertently put a water systemout of compliance. Maine intends to produceforms for water systems in the more popularspreadsheet programs, such as Excel, Lotus 123,and QuattroPro, to help eliminate translationmistakes. Adobe’s Acrobat software may alsohelp with translation issues.”

What needs to be reported?Service Connection suggests that this list of

items be included in a monthly report:• The name of the utility, its identification

number, and the month that monitoringtook place;

• The volume of water that is fed to the distribution system;

• Disinfection chemical additives (not thebrand name) need to be listed in the orderin which they are added;

• Consistency needs to be maintained forreporting quantities of liquid additives (gallons), dry chemicals (pounds), andgases (pounds);

• Chemical residual measurements should be listed in the column next to the onemeasuring that chemical’s usage;

• PH and turbidity of the water; • The weight or volume of fluoride added,

with a separate column for results of dailyanalyses for fluoride ion concentration,plus a weekly reading of the theoretical fluoride concentrations; and

• An additional column can include anyunusual events or changes to the ordinaryprocess.

These monthly operations reports provide the basis for assurance and accountability in the water industry. In a time when facilities are working to bolster consumer confidence, no detail should be overlooked when keepingaccurate records and subsequently reportingthem to the state.

You may contact the State of Maine’s Drink-i n g Water Program at 10 State House Station,157 Capitol St., Augusta, ME 04333-0010 or call (207) 287-2070. Their Web address ishttp://www.state.me.us/ dhs/eng/water/index.htm.

Filing Monthly Operations ReportsKeep the Record Straight


Water Fact

It costs more than

$3.5 billion to oper-

ate water systems

throughout the

U.S. each year.

Blue Thumb Project

DRINK, the Drinking and Ground Water Infor-mation Network of the Ohio Environmental Protec-tion Agency’s (EPA) Division of Drinking a n dGround Waters (DDAGW), nears completion a f t e rtwo years of development and testing. DRINKwill automate Ohio’s drinking water program a n dprovide a groundwater data model for the agency.

The software is designed in PowerBuilder (aPowersoft/Sybase product) and will work withOhio EPA’s Oracle database management sys-tem. DRINK’s shared data model provides forinteractive storage and retrieval of informationbetween divisions. DRINK maintains and sharesdata about Ohio’s public water systems (includingtreatment and equipment information), facilities,organizations, people, and events. DRINK will

also perform compliance evaluations of incom-ing monitoring data from labs and public water systems.

Labs certified by Ohio EPA to perform drink-ing water analyses will have data entry modulesoftware called DRINKware to submit data elec-t r o n i c a l l y. Electronic versions of various DDAGWreporting forms will be available.

DRINKware will help Ohio’s public watersystems in meeting reporting obligations fasterand more efficiently.

More information about DRINK may befound on Ohio EPA’s DDAGW Web site athttp://www.epa.state.oh.us/ddagw or by callingRon Smith, DRINK Project Coordinator, at (614) 644-2763.

DRINK Network Nearly Complete in Ohio


Chemical 1______________________

Chemical 2______________________

Chemical 3______________________

Chemical 4______________________

Chemical 5______________________

Chemical 6______________________

Date

2/12/22/32/42/52/62/72/82/9

2/102/112/122/132/142/152/162/172/182/192/202/212/222/232/242/252/262/272/28

510000%

Reports are due by tenth day of next month!

Maine Drinking Water Program10 State House Station,

Augusta ME 04333-0010Phone: (207) 287-2070,

Fax: (207) 287-4172www.state.me.us/dhs/eng/water/

Hours

5382564225382564256422538256

1204.3

Gal. pump

(millions)

1.01.01.01.01.01.02.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.01.0

29.01.0

#/day

10 888888888888888888888888888

2268.1

mg/1

83.469.669.669.669.669.634.869.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.669.6

192668.8

#/day

13569

2322567253825642588

585845

2077.4

#/day

2538256425882538256422538256

1264.5

mg/l

8.325.041.750.075.1

191.88.3

16.741.750.058.416.741.725.066.716.741.750.033.416.741.766.766.7

483.741.766.733.441.7

171861.4

mg/1

16.741.725.066.716.741.725.033.416.741.766.766.716.741.725.066.716.741.750.033.416.716.741.725.066.716.741.750.0

102636.7

mg/1

8.316.741.725.066.716.720.950.033.416.741.716.741.725.066.716.741.750.033.416.741.716.741.725.066.716.741.750.0

94633.8

#/day

1253825642525382564252538256

1264.1

#/day

5253825642525382564252538256

1204.3

mg/1

41.716.741.725.066.716.720.950.033.416.741.716.741.725.066.716.741.750.033.416.741.716.741.725.066.716.741.750.0

98035.0

#/day

6253825642525382564252538256

1214.3

Distribution System Disinfection Performance

a) # of bact. samples w/ C12 residualb) # of bact. where C12 is not meas. but HPC’s are

c) # of bact. where C12 is meas. but HPC’s aren’td) # bact. where C12 is meas. & HPC>500/m1

e) # bact. where C12 is not meas. & HPC>500/m1v+(c + d + e)/ (a + b) =

Chemical 1 Chemical 2 Chemical 3 Chemical 4 Chemical 5 Chemical 6

mg/1

50.016.741.725.066.716.720.950.033.416.741.716.741.725.066.716.741.750.033.416.741.716.741.725.066.716.741.750.0

98835.3

Total

Average

Comments

flushed system today



by Harriet EmersonOn Tap Editor

To millions of baby boomers, CCR standsfor the musical group Creedence ClearwaterRevival. To water system personnel it meansConsumer Confidence Report (CCR). To mostAmericans the acronym means absolutely noth-ing . . . yet.

Meanwhile, CCR fever grips small townoperators, bookkeepers, town councils, and sec-retaries at the water plants across the country asthey prepare for an October deadline.

Why prepare a CCR?Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

amendments of 1996, every drinking water systemwith at least 15 service connections or regularlyserving 25 year-round residents must give cus-tomers a report about their water by October 19,1999, and each year thereafter.

The CCR was created to be positive for bothwater suppliers and consumers. It gives consumersvital information about what they drink, andwater suppliers have a chance to let the publicknow what they do.

In theory, this is a simple, local water qualityreport. The CCR is intended to be brief. Mostreports should fit on a few sheets of paper. Toomuch information can be as frustrating or con-fusing as not enough. In practice, producing thefirst CCR will take some time, and the smallerthe system, the more likely it is that the responsi-bility will fall to one overworked individual.

Preparing a CCR may take some getting usedto, but it doesn't need to put you over the edge. It does take time, but it doesn’t have to beexpensive. You don’t need to engage in newmonitoring for the CCR as it summarizes infor-mation your system already collects to complywith regulations.

Help Is on the WaySeveral agencies and organizations, including

the American Water Works Association, theNational Rural Water Association (NRWA),Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP),and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) have prepared CCR guidelines and/ortemplates. Rural Water Association circuit ridersin many states offer CCR workshops. Severalstates have made adjustments to the NRWAtemplate. EPA’s Preparing Your Drinking WaterConsumer Confidence Report: Guidance forWater Suppliers offers CCR guidance for thosewithout computer access, including directions for

preparation, sample CCRs, and specific wordingfor key terms, educational and health information.

EPA’s rule is designed to give water systemsconsiderable flexibility in writing their CCRssince the suppliers themselves can best describethe quality and sources of their water; however,if you’re the one preparing a CCR, it’s a relief tocome to a section that says “use exact language.”

CCR Can Be Good for PRU.S. citizens are increasingly concerned with

water quality. Millions of Americans have accessto excellent tap water and they don’t even knowit. In fact, it’s not unusual for people to fight awater rate increase yet spend thousands of dollarsa year on bottled water.

The CCR offers a good opportunity for sys-tems to improve their relationship with the com-munity. EPA’s rule sets a minimum standard forreport content and encourages systems to addother educational information.

You might mention recent improvements orrepairs; however, the CCR is not a financial report.Space, cost, and the amount of required CCRinformation will dictate that you keep it short.

What if there’s an error in a CCR?Cynthia Dougherty, director of the EPA

Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water,says that the agency is taking a broad view ofthis initial report. “We know that this is a bigtask, and we want to help people to comply.”EPA expects a good-faith effort from all watersuppliers, and it will work to educate and assistsuppliers to prepare good reports the first yearand even better reports in the future.

How can On Tap help?On the next four pages we offer a simple CCR

with instructions for small systems without com-puter access. On Ta p’s Aquaville CCR is based onE PA’s P reparing Your Drinking Wa t e r ConsumerConfidence Report: Guidance for WaterSuppliers, which includes appendices containinghealth effects language and mathematical con-versions for all regulated contaminants. You willneed this information if you detect contaminantsin your water. Also, check with your primacyagency for requirements specific to your state.

To order a copy of the CCR Guidance, callt h e Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 and request EPA 816-R-99-002. For furtherCCR information, see EPA's Web site ath t t p : / / w w w.epa.gov/OGWDW/ccr1.html. You maydownload the document at http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/ccr/ccrguide.pdf.

CCR fever? Don’t Panic. Help Is on the Wa y.

E D U C A T I O NE D U C A T I O N

N D W C C o n s u m e r C o n f i d e n c e R e p o r t I n s e r t • 1

Consumer Confidence Report

The professionals at Aquaville Water System (1) are proud to give you this Consumer ConfidenceReport (2), which is a snapshot of Aquaville’s drinking water quality last year between January andDecember 1998. (3) Safe drinking water is our primary commitment.

Why am I receiving this report?Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act 25 years ago and gave the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) the job of making rules—National Primary Drinking Water Regulations(NPDWR)—to ensure that drinking water in the U.S. is safe.

In 1996, Congress passed amendments that require drinking water systems to give consumers impor-tant information about their water, including where it comes from, what is in the water, and how yourwater quality compares with federal standards.

This report is brought to you in accordance with EPA’s 40 Code of Federal Regulations, NPDWR Parts 141 and 142.

What if I have questions about my water?Our water board meets the first Wednesday (4) of each month at 7:30 pm (5) in the Aquaville TownHall at River and Main streets (6). The public is invited. You may also call Harry Houdini (7), seniordrinking water operator (8), at 555-4321 (9).

Where does our water come from?The sources of drinking water include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. Aswater travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring miner-als and radioactive material and can pick up substances resulting from human or animal activity. (10)

Aquaville’s “raw” water is drawn from the Aquamarine River (11) which flows through lowerAquaville (12). In the summer when the river is low, we draw some water from the Big Blue well(11) just past Aquaville Grade School on Oak Street. (12) The river is considered surface water (13).Water drawn from the well is groundwater. (13) Most raw water, including all surface water, must gothrough a treatment process before it is safe to drink.

Map (14)

Aquaville owns the land around the well and restricts activities that can contaminate it. The state isassessing our source water for susceptibility to contamination and will complete this process byJanuary 2001. (15) We will let you know the results and where you may get a report.

Required information. You may rewrite.The sources of drinking water include rivers, lakes,streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. Aswater travels over the surface of the land or throughthe ground, it dissolves naturally occurring mineralsand radioactive material and can pick up substancesresulting from human or animal activity. (10)

Tip: Use system letterhead if you have it.

Water System Information:System name (1)Water quality report (2)Time report covers (3)

Water board meeting information:When? (4)What time? (5)Where? (6)

Q: If you do not hold regular meet -ings, where can interested citizensfind out when meetings areannounced? Does your water system have other ways the publiccan get involved in drinking waterissues? Add here.

Q: Are there a large number of peo -ple in your community who do notspeak English? If yes, call your stateprimacy agency to see whether youneed to include a notice in theappropriate language about theimportance of the report.

For the number of your state/primacyagency, call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or access the EPA’s Web site athttp://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo.htm

CCR contact:Name? (7)Title? (8)Phone number? (9)

Source(s) of Water:Name of source(s) (11)Location of source water (12)Groundwater and/or surface water? (13)

Tip: EPA suggests that you include a simple map showing the source(s) of water. This is optional but helpful to consumers. (14)

Briefly describe your source water assessment. (15)

N A T I O N A L D R I N K I N G W A T E R C L E A R I N G H O U S E

12 River RoadAquaville, WV(304) 555-4321

1

2 • N D W C C o n s u m e r C o n f i d e n c e R e p o r t I n s e r t

Educational InformationEvery CCR must prominently display certaineducational statements. You may rewrite (10)[on previous page] and (18) to better fit yourspecific local circumstances; however (16) and(24) MUST be verbatim.

Required information. Must be exact.Drinking water, including bottled water, mayreasonably be expected to contain very smallamounts of some contaminants. The presenceof contaminants does not necessarily mean thatwater poses a health risk. More informationabout contaminants and potential health effectscan be obtained by calling the EPA’s SafeDrinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791. (16)

Briefly describe your treatment process in simple terms. (17)

TIP: Ordinary citizens usually do not understandterms, such as flocculation and sedimentation.

Required information. You may rewrite.Contaminants that may be present in raw orsource water before it is treated are microbialcontaminants, inorganic contaminants, pesti-cides and herbicides, radioactive contaminants,and organic chemical contaminants.

• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses andbacteria, which may come from sewagetreatment plants, septic systems, agriculturallivestock operations, and wildlife.

• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts andmetals, which can be naturally-occurring orresult from urban storm water runoff, indus-trial or domestic wastewater discharges, oiland gas production, mining, or farming.

• Pesticides and herbicides, which may comefrom a variety of sources, such as agricul-tural and residential uses.

• Radioactive contaminants, which are natu-rally occurring.

• O rganic chemical contaminants, includingsynthetic and volatile organic chemicals,which are byproducts of industrial processesand petroleum production, and can alsocome from gas stations, urban storm waterrunoff, and septic systems. (18)

Q: Did you exceed a Maximum ContaminantLevel (MCL)? Did you comply with monitoringand reporting rules?(19)

If any contaminants are detected above theMCL, briefly describe your testing (20), andfor each contaminant (21), tell when detected(22), and the probable cause. (23)

If you had monitoring or reporting violations,such as late paper work, briefly explain whyand what you have done to comply.

Required information. Must be exact.Some people may be more vulnerable to drink-ing water contaminants than the general popu-lation. Immuno-compromised persons, such aspeople with cancer undergoing chemotherapy,persons who have undergone organ transplants,people with HIV/AIDS or other immune systemdisorders, some elderly, and infants can be par-ticularly at risk from infections. These peopleshould seek advice about drinking water fromtheir health care providers. EPA/Centers forDisease Control guidelines on appropriatemeans to lessen the risk of infection byCryptosporidium and other microbial contami-nants are available from the Safe DrinkingWater Hotline (800) 426-4791. (24)

Why must you treat my water?Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain very small amountsof some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily mean that water poses ahealth risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by call-ing the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791. (16)

Water from the Aquamarine River is piped into Aquaville Water Plant where we use multiple treat -ment processes, including a slow sand filter, to remove turbidity—a measure of the cloudiness ofwater—and to remove and inactivate microorganisms. Each process is a barrier so that protozoans,viruses, or bacteria in raw surface water will not enter your drinking water. (17)

What contaminants might be in water?Contaminants that may be present in raw or source water before it is treated are microbial contami-nants, inorganic contaminants, pesticides and herbicides, radioactive contaminants, and organicchemical contaminants.

• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatmentplants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or resultfrom urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas pro-duction, mining, or farming.

• Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources, such as agricultural andresidential uses.

• Radioactive contaminants, which are naturally occurring.• O rganic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are

byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas sta-tions, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems. (18)

Are there contaminants in Aquaville’s water?We are pleased to report that Aquaville met and exceeded all federal drinking water standards lastyear. (19)

However, even with the best water treatment, it is not always possible to remove all contaminants.Earth and rock act as natural filters and remove many of these contaminants. The EPA sets limits onthe amount of a contaminant that can be in drinking water. Aquaville tests your water every day.Aquaville performed 500 tests for contaminants last year, including daily tests for turbidity and week-ly tests for coliform, which can show the presence of microorganisms that could cause illness. (20)We detected nitrates (21) once in July 1998 (22) when runoff from farms washed in to theAquarmarine River (23). It was at levels well below EPA standards.

Is our water safe for everyone?Some people may be more vulnerable to drinking water contaminants than the general population.Immuno-compromised persons, such as people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons whohave undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, someelderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice aboutdrinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control guidelines onappropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contami-nants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791. (24)

N A T I O N A L D R I N K I N G W A T E R C L E A R I N G

2

N D W C C o n s u m e r C o n f i d e n c e R e p o r t I n s e r t • 3

See next page for table instructions. (25)

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. Wemonitor it because it is a good indicator of water quality.High turbidity can hinder the effectiveness of disinfec-tants. (26)

Tip: All surface water systems must monitor for turbidity.The MCL and how often a system must test depend onthe type of treatment used and the population served.Call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791for specifics. Turbidity level must be achieved in 95 per -cent of samples collected.

DefinitionsEvery CCR must include definitions of key terms thatconsumers need to understand the contaminant data.

You MUST include definitions for MCL and MCLG.Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest levelof a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible usingthe best available treatment technology. (27)

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG):The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known orexpected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. (28)

Special Definitions You MUST include other definitions under the following circumstances:

Q: Does your report contain information on adetected contaminant that is regulated by anaction level (e.g., lead)?

If yes, you MUST include the following definitions:

Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant, which if exceeded, triggerstreatment, or other requirements, which awater system must follow.

Q: Does your report contain information on a detected contaminant that is regulated by a treatment technique (e.g. turbidity)?

If yes, you MUST include the following definition:

Treatment Technique: A required processintended to reduce the level of a contaminantin drinking water. (29)

Q. Did your water system operate under a variance or exemption during the calendar year that the report describes?

If yes, you MUST include the following definition:

Variances and Exemptions: State or EPApermission not to meet an MCL or a treat-ment technique under certain circumstances.

It is useful to include definitions for units of measure, mathematical conversions, and simple equivalents.NTU=Nephelometric Turbidity Units ( a meas-ure of turbidity)

ppm=parts per million or milligrams per liter(mg/l)

ppb=parts per billion, or micrograms per liter(µg/l)

Mathematical conversions:1 mg/l=1 ppm 1 µg/l=1 ppb1 ppm X 1000=1ppb

The amounts of a contaminant allowed indrinking water are so small they are measuredin ppm—equivalent to one penny in $10,000;or ppb—equivalent to one penny in $10,000,000. (30)

Aquaville Water System 1998 Water Quality Report

Nitrates 10 ppm ND—4.0 ppm 3.0 ppm 10 ppm Runoff from farms

Turbidity < 1.0 NTU < 0.5 NTU — — Soil runoff,In 95% of erosion, andSamples discharges

Highest Level Aquaville’s Aquaville’s EPA MCLG Source of Substance Allowed (MCL) Range Average Level (EPA Goal) Contaminant

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator ofwater quality. High turbidity can hinder the effectiveness of disinfectants. (26)

Important Definitions: Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) = The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. (27)

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) = The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. (28)

Treatment Technique:A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. (29)

NTU = Nephelometric Turbidity Units (a measure of turbidity)

ppm = parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/l)

ppb = parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/l)

Mathematical conversions:1 mg/l=1 ppm 1 µg/l=1 ppb1 ppm x 1000=1 ppb

The amounts of a contaminant allowed in drinking water are so small they are measured in ppm—equivalent to one penny in $10,000; or ppb—equivalent to one penny in $10,000,000. (30)

Harry Houdini • senior water operator • (304) 555-4321Aquaville Water System • 12 River Road • Aquaville, WV

EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791

(25)

L E A R I N G H O U S E S P E C I A L C C R I N S E R T

3

4 • N D W C C o n s u m e r C o n f i d e n c e R e p o r t I n s e r t

You MUST create a table that shows the highestlevel of each detected contaminant (usually the valueyou report to the state to determine compliance) andthe range of levels of thatcontaminant you foundduring the year, if compli-ance is based on an aver-age of several samples.

TIP: Do NOT include in thistable contaminants that arenot detected or are detect -ed below the minimumdetection limit (MDL). If youare unsure of the MDL for acontaminant, and your lab reports a value greaterthan zero, include that in your report. (Appendix B) You may include several tables, such as a separatetable for regulated contaminants and another for secondary contaminants.

Table InformationFor each detected contaminant, your table must display:

• MCL in units that express it as a numbergreater than 1.0.

• MCLG in the same units as the MCL level ofthe detected contaminant in the same units asthe MCL.

• The likely source of the contaminant. If youlack reliable information on the specific source,include one or more of the typical sources list-ed in Appendix A. (25)

Q: Was a contaminant detected in violation of an MCL or a treatment technique (TT), or did a contaminant exceed an action level (AL)?

If yes, clearly highlight in the table, and near—notin—the table, include an explanation of the length of the violation or exceedence, the potential adversehealth affects (Appendix A), and what you have doneto address the violation.

Detected Contaminants Q: Was any contaminant detected at or above its MCL?

Your report MUST include the relevant healtheffects statement about that contaminant fromAppendix A. This language MUST be exact.

TIP: Your state may have lower MDLs that takeprecedence over EPA’s. Check with your state primacy agency.

There are special requirements for Nitrate, Lead,Arsenic, and Trihalomethanes (THM)

If your water contains: Nitrate above 5 ppm (50 percent of the MCL), but below 10 ppm(the MCL); Arsenic above 25 ppb (50 percentof the MCL), but below 50 ppb (the MCL);and/or Lead above 15 ppb (the AL) in morethan 5 percent, but fewer than 10 percent, ofsites sampled [if your system samples fewerthan 20 sites and has even one sample abovethe AL, you’ll need to include the standard explanation for an AL exceedence].

TIP: During the time period this report covers,systems with fewer than 10,000 people did notmonitor for THMs or for Cryptosporidium.

N A T I O N A L D R I N K I N G W A T E R C L E A R I N G H O U S E

Aquaville Water System1998 Water Quality Report

Highest Level Aquaville’s Aquaville’s EPA MCLG Source of Substance Allowed (MCL) Range Average Level (EPA Goal) Contaminant

You don’t need a fancy computer or a graphic designerto produce a CCR that is easy to read and inviting to yourcustomers. The best way to design your report is to spendsome time looking at other reports. See what catches youreye, and copy it. A few things to consider:

Write short sentences. Keep your paragraphs short, too.Don’t make your text size too small. You might want to

squeeze a few extra sentences in your report, but if you addtoo much, people might ignore the entire report.

Give a draft of your CCR to relatives or friends whoaren’t drinking water experts and ask them if it makes sense. Ask customers for their comments when you publish the report.

Don’t distract from your main message with graphicsand/or pictures that don’t complement your message.

Be as simple and straight forward as possible. Avoidacronyms, initials, and jargon.

Consider printing the report on recycled paper and taking other steps to make the report “environmentallyfriendly.” If you hope to get your customers involved in protecting source water, set a good example for them.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Preparing Your Drinking Wa t e rConsumer Confidence Report: Guidance for Water Suppliers.

What should the report look like?

Nitrate 10 ppm ND—4.0 ppm 3.0 ppm 10 ppm Runoff from farms

Turbidity < 1.0 NTU < 0.5 NTU — — Soil runoff,In 95% of erosion, andSamples discharges

H i s t o r i c a l l y, water treatment technologies havebeen tested on regional and large metropolitanwater systems (i.e., those serving more than50,000 persons). Too often the expense and com-plexity of a particular treatment technique (TT)is far beyond the scope of a small rural drinkingwater system.

The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)amendments require the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) to evaluate technologiesfor three categories of small systems—for exist-ing and all future regulations that establish amaximum contaminant level (MCL) or TT.

Small public water systems are divided intotypes by size, including those serving: (1) a population of more than 3,300, but fewer than10,000; (2) a population of more than 500, butfewer than 3,300; and (3) a population of morethan 25, but fewer than 500.

National Primary Drinking Water Regulations(NPDWRs) promulgated prior to the 1996 SDWAamendments include both MCLs and TT. Forregulations where an MCL was promulgated,EPA is required to set the MCL as close to themaximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) as is “feasible.”

For those regulations where a TT was prom-ulgated, the SDWA specified conditions underwhich the EPA can promulgate a TT in lieu of anMCL. EPA must identify those TTs they judgewill prevent adverse health effects, to the extent“feasible,” using the best available technology,TT, and other means that EPA finds are avail-able—after testing under field conditions. Costmust be considered.

What are small system options?In addition to requiring EPA to evaluate tech-

nologies for the three small system sizes, theSDWA identifies two classes of technologies for small systems for NPDWRs: compliancetechnologies and variance technologies.

A compliance technology refers to a technol-ogy or other affordable means that complies withthe MCL; and to a technology (or other means)that satisfies a T T requirement. The options includepackaged plant or modular systems, and point-of-entry (POE) or point-of-use (POU) treatment.

If no compliance technologies are listed for a particular system size or source water qualitycombination, a state or EPA may give a systempermission to use a variance technology, whichmay not achieve compliance with the MCL orTT requirement, but must achieve the maximumreduction or inactivation efficiency affordable

considering the size of the system and the qualityof the source water. This technology must reducecontaminants to levels that protect the public.

There are two mandatory lists of compliancetechnologies for existing MCL and TT rules,including EPA’s list of technologies that meet theSurface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) for eachof the three-size systems. EPA consulted withstates and issued a list of technologies that com-ply with MCLs or TT requirements for otherexisting NPDWRs. It also issued guidance orregulations for variance technologies for theexisting NPDWRs for which a small systemvariance can be granted.

Whenever it lists variance technologies, EPAmust provide any assumptions it used in deter-mining affordability, and it must consider thenumber of persons the system serves.

Small system variances are not available forall contaminants.

What about POU and POE?POU and POE devices are not listed as com-

pliance technologies for the SWTR. The 1996SDWA specifically prohibits POU devices ascompliance technologies for microbial contami-nants. While POE devices are not prohibited,questions, such as how will disinfection beapplied, need to be answered before thesedevices can be considered as viable treatmentoptions for microbial contaminants. Since it isconsidered good engineering practice to disinfectafter filtering, the absence of disinfection follow-ing POE filtration devices presents an obstacle.

Finally, if POE devices were used in spite of such considerations, what would the requiredmonitoring frequency be? Since microbial con-taminants pose potential acute health threats,monitoring requirements would necessarily beextensive. In light of this difficulty, monitoringrequirements alone may make POE devices inapplicable as small systems technologies forSWTR compliance.

For further information, see Federal Register,Vol. 63, No. 151, Thursday, August 6, 1998 /Notices, which you may order through the SafeDrinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Also, see National Research Council’s SafeWater From Every Tap: Improving Water Serviceto Small Communities. National Academy Press.Washington, D.C. 1997. To order, call (800) 624-6242 or log onto http://www.nap.edu.

In addition, the Fall 1999 On Tap willinclude a Compliance Technologies for SmallSystems poster.


R E G U L A T I O N SR E G U L A T I O N S

Treatment Technologies:Now There’s Help for Small Systems

Maximum Contam-inant Level (MCL):The highest level ofa contaminant that is allowed in drinkingwater. MCLs are set as close to theMCLGs as feasibleusing the best available treatmenttechnology.

Maximum Contam-inant Level Goal(MCLG): The levelof a contaminant indrinking water belowwhich there is noknown or expectedrisk to health.MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Treatment Tech-nique (TT): Arequired processintended to reducethe level of a con-taminant in drinkingwater.



Reprinted and revised with permission from E-Train, a quarterly newsletter published by the National Environmental Training Center for Small Communities

by Laurie KlappaufNDWC Contributing Writer

Over the next several years, drinking watersystem operators nationwide will need to be cer-tified to meet new state requirements mandatedby the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amend-ments of 1996.

On February 5, 1999, the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) publishedguidelines to assist states in setting up p r o g r a m s .The Final Guidelines for the Certification andR e c e rtification of the Operators of Communityand Nontransient Noncommunity Public Wa t e rS y s t e m s, will a ffect statecertification programs,water systems, and thosewho provide training ortechnical assistance ( TA) to drinking watero p e r a t o r s .

“The biggest impactwill likely be in the areaof small systems,” saysRick Naylor, project teamleader with EPA. “Whileall states already haveoperator certification programs, many statescurrently exempt smallsystems from the require-ment to have a certifiedoperator.

“Under the guide-lines, these states will be required to extend theoperator certification requirements to small systems and, as a result, small system operatorswill be required to take training to help themgain the skills and knowledge required to performtheir jobs. Congress recognized this and also passeda provision establishing a program to reimbursesmall system operators for training and certifi-cation costs.”

The guidelines specify minimum federalstandards for certifying operators of communityand nontransient noncommunity public watersystems (in this article, referred to as publicwater systems), but decisions about how toimplement provisions is left up to states.

“The guidelines will ensure consistent high-quality operator certification,” says Naylor.“These are minimum standards, but they willensure that all states at least meet these guidelines;

some states already have requirements thatexceed them in some areas.”

States that do not meet the guidelines byFebruary 5, 2001, risk losing 20 percent of theirDrinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)allocations.

State Programs May Need Changes“The first wave of impact will be on the

(state) certification programs themselves,” saysMartin Nutt, training and certification officer forthe Arkansas Water Operator Licensing Program,adding that Arkansas isn’t facing major changesto be substantially in compliance.

According to the Association of the Boardsof Certification (ABC), all states already havesome type of drinking water operator certificationprogram in place. However, specific provisions,such as exactly who must be certified andaccording to what standards, vary from state tostate. The new standards define basic minimumrequirements that states must meet to avoid hav-ing DWSRF money withheld.

For example, the new guidelines require thatall public water systems have a certified operatorand that these operators must take continuingtraining to maintain certification. Some statesalready have these requirements, but one or bothrequirements may be new in other states.

South Dakota, like a number of other states,will need legislative changes to meet the new

Operator Certification: Guidelines A ffect States, Systems, Tr a i n e r s


Photo by Jamie Knotts

Operators Eddie Barker (left) and Mark George adjust a pump valve at theKingwood, West Virginia, water treatment plant. Both are Class III certifiedoperators overseeing water production for approximately 800 customers.



guidelines. Robert Kittay, who runs SouthDakota’s operator certification program, saysthat program officials will also need to makeminor adjustments to state regulations.

“The bigger task may be in compliance,” hesays. South Dakota has not required systemsserving fewer than 500 people to have certifiedoperators, unless those systems use chlorinationor surface water.

Herbert Pratt, an operations and managementspecialist with the Community Resource Groupin Louisiana, was a member of a working groupthat helped EPA prepare the guidelines. He notesthat EPA did give a lot of latitude and flexibilityto states.

Under the new guidelines, for instance, defin-ing the system size in various certification cate-gories, or deciding the training level for operatorsor types of examinations to give, will still be leftup to states.

“The guidelines leave flexibility up to thestate to decide what operators need to know,”adds Naylor.

Once states make changes to their operatorcertification programs, each state must submitthem to their regional EPA office to determinewhether the program “meets the requirements of or is substantially equivalent to these guide-lines,” according to the actual document. EPAwill use public health objectives as a guide inevaluating state programs to determine if theyare “equivalent” to the guidelines.

Operators Must Become CertifiedThe second wave of impact will be on opera-

tors. “The most affected are going to be thoseoperators who were in categories that didn’trequire certified operators,” comments Pratt.

Moreover, “Nontransient noncommunity(NTNC) systems—such as schools, hospitals,and factories—will be required to have certifiedoperators,” says Lisa Detherage, Kentucky’sdrinking water certification officer. “Most statesdon’t require that.”

Stephen Ballou, executive director of ABC,says that where certification programs did notalready cover such systems, states will need toinventory systems and bring them under the pro-gram. “Very small water systems, often referredto as ‘mom and pop’systems, will now have tohave certified operators,” he says.

However, the purpose of the guidelines is toensure drinking water safety, not to penalizecompetent operators or put them out of work ifthey don’t immediately meet certification guide-lines. To this end, the guidelines include an

optional provision that allows states to “grand-parent” operators of existing systems that requirea certified operator for the first time because ofstate law changes resulting from the guidelines.

Small system and NTNC operators alike mayonly have part-time responsibility for the watersystem. Often they do not feel they can affordthe time or money to attend training sessions,especially when travel is involved.

Recognizing this, Congress authorized$30,000,000 per year for fiscal years 1997–2003to reimburse operators of systems serving 3,300or fewer persons for training and certificationcosts. These funds are not yet available to thestates. However, EPA is developing guidance onhow the funds can be distributed and used, andwill issue draft “reimbursement methodology”guidelines for public review and comment in thenear future.

Training and Assistance Are NeededTwo categories of training may be affected

by the new guidelines: training for renewal, and training new operators to license them.

John Hoornbeek, training associate with theNational Environmental Training Center forSmall Communities (NETCSC), points out thatthe demand for both types of training is expectedto increase under the new guidelines.

“The demand for pre-examination trainingmay increase as a result of the addition of newoperators in smaller systems who may want orneed training to be certified,” Hoornbeek says.“The demand for renewal training may alsoincrease in those states where continuing educa-tion requirements are being imposed for the firsttime, as is the case in West Virginia and severalother states.”

Kentucky, like a number of other states, hasboth types of training. “The biggest difference isthat there’s an exam at the end of the certifica-tion (license) training. For renewal, there’s noexam—operators attend to obtain training creditsand pay a renewal fee,” Detherage says, adding,“Nothing in Kentucky’s current law [or the newguidelines] requires operators to take certainclasses before the test.” However, individualstates may require pre-examination training.

“We see a tremendous amount of turnover insmall systems,” Detherage continues. “Demandfor operators will always be there, so demand fortraining will be there too.”

Nutt says that renewal training [in Arkansas]could come in the form of continuing educationcredits, “or an American Water Works A s s o c i a t i o nteleconference on the latest technology.”


Continued on page 16

“Training has to

be accessible.

That is, it must

be affordable,

physically acces -

sible, and under -

standable to the

operators.”

Lisa Detherage,Kentucky drinkingwater certification

officer

QUESTION & ANSWERQUESTION & ANSWER


by Babu Srinivas MadabhushiNDWC Technical Assistance Specialist

What is MtBE?MtBE [Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether] is a

volatile organic compound added to gasoline asan octane enhancer. This oxygenation process isperformed to reduce the amount of carbonmonoxide (CO), an air pollutant, in automobileexhaust. According to the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA), MtBE reduces CO byalmost 20 percent. MtBE was first used in 1979,and it has been used extensively since 1988 toimprove air quality. It is possible to taste andsmell MtBE even in very small quantities. Itstoxicity and carcinogenicity are largely undeter-mined, which consequently results in a highlyuncertain environmental problem.

How much MtBE is in gasoline?Normally, conventional gasoline contains less

than 3 percent MtBE by volume. Though sometypes of gasoline have MtBE in amounts up to 9percent, the “reformulated gasoline” (RFG) con-tains 11 percent MtBE and causes less harmful airpollution. According to a 1994 EPA s t a t e m e n t ,fuel oxygenates are used in approximately 30percent of all gasoline used in the U.S. and thisis expected to increase to 70 percent by the year2000. With its many advantages, such as lowcost, ease of production, and transfer, MtBE isthe most widely used oxygenate.

How is MTBE distributed in air and water? Volatilization and condensation are the two

processes that affect the distribution of MtBEacross an air-water interface. Volatilization is themovement of MtBE from water into the atmos-phere, whereas condensation refers to the move-ment of MtBE from the atmosphere into water.Both condensation and volatilization occurbecause of the difference of concentrations ofMtBE in the air and water phases, and an equilib-rium has to be achieved between the two phases.

MtBE tends to move quickly from the gasphase into the water phase if contaminated aircomes in contact with uncontaminated water.Consequently, MtBE tends to stay in the waterphase, which explains why MtBE is somewhatdifficult to remove from water by aeration.

Water solubility is probably the most impor-tant chemical property affecting the partitioningof organic compounds between water and sub-surface solids. Many organic compounds exhibitwater solubilities in the low milligrams per liter

(mg/l) to micrograms per liter (µg/l) range. Ingeneral, these low solubilities indicate a strongpartitioning to the organic carbon associatedwith the subsurface solids.

How does MtBE get into water?Point and nonpoint sources of MtBE affect

surface water and groundwater quality. Gasolinespills are the most likely way of contaminatingdrinking water. Spills can be either from leakingunderground storage tanks or from refueling,improper discarding of old gasoline, and leaksfrom vehicles. Concentrations of MtBE in point-source contamination can be very high. Gasolinespills to the land surface and releases fromaboveground and underground storage tanks areexamples of point sources of contamination.

Potential nonpoint sources of MtBE includeprecipitation, urban runoff, and motor watercraft.Once MtBE is in water it is expected to movebetween surface and groundwater with the natu-ral movement of water. For example, one inch ofprecipitation will remove less than 0.5 percent of the MtBE in the air at about 20°C or 70°F.Elevated concentrations of MtBE in air result inincreased concentrations in local precipitation.

Can I determine the source of MtBE? MtBE concentrations can give an idea

whether it’s a point or nonpoint source contami-nation. If the concentrations are greater than 30µg/l, the source could be a point source, such asa leaking underground storage tank. If the con-centration is between 0.2 and 3 µg/l, the sourceis more likely a nonpoint source. Atmosphericwashout and water interaction with contaminatedroad surfaces are possible nonpoint sourceswhere MtBE could be introduced to surfacewater, but the concentrations associated withthese sources are generally small.

How much MtBE dissolves in water?The solubility of pure MtBE in water is about

50,000 mg/l. But, the solubility of MtBE in wateris reduced when other organic compounds arepresent because MtBE partitions between theorganic mixture and water.

Agasoline that is 10 percent MtBE by volumereduces the solubility of MtBE in water to about5,000 mg/l at room temperature (25°C or 77°F).In contrast, for a non-oxygenated gasoline, thetotal hydrocarbon solubility in water is typicallyabout 120 mg/l. The high solubility of MtBE inwater combined with its high concentrations in

Is there a problem with MtBE?



Continued from previous pageoxygenated gasoline can result in high concentra-tions of MtBE in surface water and groundwater.Ty p i c a l l y, one gallon of reformulated gasolinemixed with four million gallons of water willyield 20 µg/l MtBE in the water.

Once MtBE is in groundwater, it can move a tthe same velocity as water. Because MtBE tendsto stay in the water and not adsorb to subsurfacesolids, it can move to the groundwater at almost thesame velocity as the recharge water. The downw a r dvelocity depends on many factors, such as precip-itation, evapotranspiration, hydraulic conductivity,and the thickness of the unsaturated zone.

Is MtBE contamination a concern?Due to resistance to decomposition, MtBE

moves even more rapidly in groundwater and isalso more difficult to remove from water thanother gasoline components. When gasoline thatcontains MtBE comes in contact with water,because of its high solubility, large amounts ofMtBE can dissolve in water. Typically, at 25°Cor 77°F, the water solubility of MtBE is about5000 mg/l for a gasoline that has 10 percentMtBE by volume. MtBE adsorbs weakly to soil,therefore, adsorption will not significantly slowMtBE’s transport by groundwater.

MtBE has been detected in groundwater andstormwater. According to a U.S. GeologicalSurvey report (as a part of the National WaterQuality Assessment Program, 1993-94), of 60volatile organic compounds analyzed in samplesof shallow groundwater collected from eight urbanareas, MtBE was the second most frequentlydetected compound. Only trichloromethane wasdetected more often.

Though, the EPA has tentatively classifiedMtBE as a possible human carcinogen, nodrinking-water regulation has been establishedfor the compound. The EPA issued a drinkingwater advisory of 20 to 40 µg/l in December1997, based on taste and odor thresholds.

What are the health effects of MtBE?There have been extensive studies of the health

impacts of MtBE on animals and humans. TheE PA has done many animal experiments withMtBE, which have shown it is capable of causingcancer, and kidney, reproductive, developmentaland nervous system toxicity in laboratory animalsexposed to large amounts. The effect of MtBEon human health depends on the concentration inwater and the length and frequency of exposure.Exposure can occur from direct consumption ofwater as well as by inhaling MtBE vaporsreleased from water while bathing or cooking.

Since MtBE gives water an unpleasant odorand taste at low levels, people generally find thewater undesirable to drink, and so it is unlikelyto cause adverse health effects. Several peoplesuffered with immune system problems due toan MtBE leak in North Carolina over a period ofmore than 10 years. If the MtBE concentrationsrange from 20 to 40 µg/l or less in water, theremay be no observable unpleasant taste and odoreffects. This concentration is 20,000 to 100,000times lower than the range of exposure levels in which cancer or other adverse health effectswere observed in animal toxicology studies.

Will MtBE volatilize from water? Although MtBE can volatilize from water, it

travels some before half of it is volatilized. Ice onrivers and streams could hinder the volatilizationprocess. The volatilization rate depends on veloc-i t y, depth, and water temperature, in addition towind speed and air temperature. The volatilizationrates are greater in deep and slow moving flowsthan in shallow and fast moving flows.

Does MtBE degrade? Degradation of an organic compound refers to

its transformation by abiotic (in absence of micro-o rganisms) or biotic (in presence of microorgan-isms) reactions. When organic compounds getdegraded, they normally form other organiccompounds. The ultimate mineralization of anorganic compound to carbon dioxide and watercan involve many reactions and a long period oftime. Biological transformations often providethe predominant decay pathways in water andsoil and the complete mineralization of an organ-ic molecule in water and soil is almost always aconsequence of microbial activity.

Many studies have indicated that MtBE present in water does not biodegrade easilyunder various environmental conditions. MtBE is generally reported as recalcitrant in anaerobiclaboratory conditions, such as denitrifying, andsulfate-reducing conditions. An aerobic studyindicated no MtBE degradation in more than 100days of incubation. But, degradation of MtBEwas reported in one study, which indicates thatcertain microorganisms are capable of degradingMtBE. The degradation of MtBE in groundwatercan lead to the formation of tertiary-butyl alcohol,which can cause cancer in some animals.

Can I remove MTBE from drinking water? MtBE’s high water solubility and resistance

to biodegradation complicates its removal fromwater. Due to its high solubility in water, MtBEContinued on page 16

Water Fact

The earliest refer-

ence to a method

for capturing the

energy of tides is

in the Domesday

Book, a chronicle

of all British

financial holdings

undertaken by

William the

Conqueror in 1086.

Blue Thumb Project




does not adsorb on to the soil surface. Eventhough MtBE is extremely volatile, its highHenry’s constant (which is a measure of the con-centration distribution tendency of a chemicalbetween water and vapor) makes it difficult toremove once it’s dissolved in water. This makescertain treatment methods, such as air strippingand pump and treat methods, very ineffectiveand expensive. According to a 1998 EPA factsheet on MtBE remediation, filtering MtBE-contaminated groundwater through activated carbon was not cost effective as MtBE does not adsorb significantly to activated carbon.

However, in other studies, air stripping withor without carbon adsorption had the lowesttreatment costs with efficiency between 55 to99.9 percent. Because of the relatively low effi-ciency of air stripping for MtBE, increasing theHenry’s constant by heating the process watermay be a cost-effective approach.

Hydrogen peroxide can be used as a source ofoxygen to aid biodegradation, and to hydrolyzeMtBE, to form tertiary-butyl alcohol and acetone.This process requires iron as a catalyst to releasehydroxyl radicals from the hydrogen peroxide.

This process is not widely applicable, as it isinefficient in aerobic environments and at a pHgreater than 6.5.

Though MtBE is very recalcitrant to indigenousbacteria, certain pure bacterial strains isolated fromvarious sources can be acclimatized to the MtBEenvironment and those strains will have the ability to use MtBE as a sole carbon source.

Sources of additional information 1. Koenigsberg. November, 1997. “MtBE: Wild Card in

Groundwater Cleanup.” Environmental Protection.2. Water Online. November 1998. “Environmental Behavior

and the Fate of MtBE.” 3. API Soil & Groundwater Research Bulletin . March 1998.

“Ten frequently asked questions about MtBE in water.” 4. New Times Los Angeles. January 1999. “Troubled Water.”

Volume 4, Number 2. 5. “Health Effects of MtBE in Gasoline.”

http://www.oxybusters.com/mtbe_lay.htm6. “What is MtBE?” http://tsrtp.ucdavis.edu/mtbe/page2.html7. “Major Health Concerns of MtBE in Gasoline.”

http://www.ziplink.net/~dgrolfe8. “Some Questions and Answers Regarding MtBE.”

http://www.state.me.us/dep/rwm/mtbeqa.htm9. The Maine Drinking Water Program Newsletter. Summer

1997. “MtBE to be Regulated in Maine Drinking Water,Service Connection.”

10. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Fact Sheet.December, 1997. “Drinking Water Advisory: ConsumerAcceptability Advice and Health Effects Analysis on MtBE.”

11. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Fact Sheet .January, 1998. “Remediation of MtBE Contaminated Soiland Groundwater.”

Is there a problem with MtBE?



Guidelines Affect States, Systems, Trainers

For a review of the operator certificationguidelines, see On Tap, Summer 1998, Volume 7,Issue 2. To order, call the National DrinkingWater Clearinghouse at (800) 624-8301 or (304) 293-4191 and request item #ONTAP26.

To read an expanded version of this articleand for further information about environmentaltraining programs, call NETCSC at the abovenumbers and request E-train, Winter 1999,Volume 8, Number 1, item #ETRAIN27.

For a copy of Final Guidelines for the Certi-fication and Recertification of the Operators ofCommunity and Nontransient NoncommunityPublic Water Systems request item #TRBLOM10.There is no charge for this item. Shipping andhandling charges are added to orders.

Call your state’s certification office to learnmore about the drinking water operator certifi -cation program in your state.

You may also order the guidelines from theEPA. Call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at(800) 426-4791 and request EPA-816-Z-99-001or download information from EPA’s Web site at http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/opcert/opguide.html.

“There are going to have to be new classesdeveloped,” says Detherage. As states revise theirprograms to accommodate new small systemoperator classifications, states will need to devel-op training courses to address the needs of thosenew classifications.

What about training?Nutt sees real potential in long-distance

learning, such as teleconferences beamed bysatellite to sites nationwide. While he suggeststhat distance-learning options may lose somegive and take between instructors and students,he sees distance learning as a good way to bothreach and train more people.

“Training has to be accessible,” saysDetherage. “That is, it must be affordable, physically accessible, and understandable to the operators.”

“The bottom line is that this is all based onsafe drinking water,” says Ballou. “The last linesof defense for providing safe drinking water arethe operators, and they need to be adequatelytrained to do their jobs.”



In celebration of the Safe Drinking WaterAct’s (SDWA) 25th anniversary, the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) andwater industry partners have developed a Website where the public can learn moreabout this important legislation. TheSDWA, passed in 1974, hasimmeasurably improved thequality of our country’s drink-ing water. With reauthoriza-tions in 1986 and 1996, theSDWA has evolved to facethe challenges of ensuring asafe water supply in the future.

The Web site containsinformation about SDWA histo-ry and upcoming water industryevents, as well as educational mate-rials. As we go to press, some parts ofthe site are under construction; however muchinformation is available.

A Drinking Water Futures Forum included onthe site offers participants the opportunity to dis-cuss how to ensure safe drinking water 25 yearsfrom now. This general question leads to furthersubjects, such as treatment technologies, smallsystems, costs, industry infrastructure, vulnerablepopulations, source water protection, and currentresearch.

“Our overall SDWA 25 theme is ‘Protect OurHealth From Source To Tap,’” Cara Lalley withEPA said. “The meetings that are listed on thecalendar of events on the SDWA 25thAnniversary page are those being held by us andour SDWA 25 partners during this year. Severalof them are regular/annual meetings, but thisyear we are including the Futures Forum discus-

sion on one of seven questions that are consid-ered ‘hot drinking water topics’ for the future.

“The bulletin board/discussion panel on theWeb site is meant to supplement the results of

the individual question forums,” shecontinued. “The results of all these

discussions will then be compiledand presented at a final SDWA25 celebration in December.”

An Association of StateDrinking Water A d m i n i s t r a t o r s(ASDWA) information kit isincluded on the Web site. Thekit answers questions about

drinking water and the SDWAthrough a series of fact sheets

for the public and the media.The site may be reached at

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sdwa25 orby clicking on the SDWA logo within the EPA’sOffice of Ground Water and Drinking Water Website at http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/.

Happy 25th Anniversary!Web Site Celebrates SDWA’s A n n i v e r s a r y

rural communities in nine states: Iowa, Kansas,Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, NorthDakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

MAP’s CCR Guide is available in three for -mats. For a free copy on disk, contact MAP at(800) 822-2981 or write to Kenneth Bruzelius,M A P executive dire c t o r, P.O. Box 81, NewPrague, MN 56071. The guide is available onlinefree at http://www.map-inc.org/home.htm.

Copies of the guide are also available inbooklet form for $10. Call the above number toorder.

The Midwest Assistance Organization(MAP), Inc., has created a helpful “Small WaterSystem Guide to Developing a ConsumerConfidence Report (CCR),” which includesdirections and worksheets, as well as the appen-dices and conversion tables for contaminantsthat will help you write your CCR.

MAP’s guide, written by Jeff McCleary,manager for Program of Shared Operation andManagement, is well laid out and easy to under-stand. MAP, which annually assists more than350 communities, provides technical assistanceand training on water, wastewater, solid wasteand community development issues to small,

M A P O ffers Consumer Confidence Report Guide

Correction

The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) “QualityOn Tap!” kits advertised in the Spring 1999 On Tap areavailable to NRWA members ONLY from state Rural Waterassociations. This public relations kit—free to members—features sample press releases, newsletters, bill stuffers,and designs for decals and stickers.

For more information, access NRWA’s Web site athttp://www.nrwa.org.


Continued from page 1video, still photography, corrosion estimates andpit depths, and our service satisfies all stateinspection requirements.”

Blair Blonquist, water superintendent forBrigham City, Utah, (population 15,644) looked ata few different diving contractors when he beganthe search for a company to inspect their tanks.Brigham City hired Aqua Video Engineeringfrom Carmichael, California, twice, once in 1989and again in 1996.

“We used this diving company to do ourinspections, take videos and colored photos, andto clean our tanks,” he said. “We were pleasedwith the job they did, which took five days tocomplete. The inspection of our five reservoirscost $6,000. Our community currently has no

way of isolating our five million gallon reservoir,so its cleaning and inspection are scheduled peri-odically. An additional $6,500 was charged toclean that reservoir.”

Blonquist said he would definitely hire the div-i n g contractor again. His positive experience wasshared by other water managers. Dave Fritsch w i t hthe Plover, Wisconsin, (population 8,176) waterdepartment, said that they contacted Dykstra’scompany, Liquid Engineering, when they neededa tank inspection in March, 1998. Using the div-ing contractor helped their facility continue tooperate while the job was being completed.

“We couldn’t take our tower off line for a‘ n o r m a l ’ inspection,” Fritch said, “so this allowedus to clean and inspect while still providing therequired water supply.” The $2,800 fee coveredthe cleaning and inspection of Plover’s 500,000gallon tank. The only additional safety measurethe facility needed for the job was to maintain ahigher chlorine residual in the tank during thedive to protect against bacterial contamination.

Commercial Divers Are ProfessionalsHow do you know, as a water system opera-

tor, manager, or engineer, who you should let inyour tanks, and who you should run—not walk—away from?

First of all, commercial divers should neverbe confused with SCUBAdivers. SCUBA diverswear cylinders of compressed air and a facemask, and they breathe through a regulator. Theyhave only completed a recreational diving pro-gram under the sponsorship of one of the recog-nized national SCUBA certification agencies. Itis possible to become certified in as little as 10days, though most sport divers take more training.In the last seven years, five divers have beenkilled in tank diving accidents—all of them wereusing SCUBA gear. Four of the five were onlysport-certified divers.

“In each and every case,” Dykstra said, “thedivers were either unqualified, poorly trained, or improperly equipped. In short, they didn’tbelong in those water tanks. Having been anexpert witness in numerous lawsuits, I have seenfirst-hand the potential liability of everyone evenremotely involved in an accident.

“In a medical malpractice lawsuit, for example,there is a thing called ‘standard of care,’whichdescribes a generally accepted standard of pre-vailing care. It is this acid test that is used tomeasure the possible culpability of the respectiveparties. In a case involving a diving accident,there are the same benchmark standards used tomeasure liability. The fact of the matter is that aSCUBA-equipped or sport-trained diver in yourpotable water tank is not even a close call.”

Commercial divers, on the other hand, mayhave started as sport SCUBA divers, but havegone on to complete an Association of Commer-cial Diving Educators (ACDE) approved com-mercial dive training program. The courses aretaught at only six locations in the U.S., takenearly a year to complete, and, not surprisingly,cost the student dearly.

“ I t ’s an interesting profession,” Fred Muller,diver and operations director for Liquid Engin-eering said. “Commercial divers are specificallytrained for work underwater; the commercial d i v-ing gear provides them with the ability to get towork. Not everyone can be a commercial diver,but just the same, not everyone can be a steelw a l k e r. Some people who attempt to get into div-ing are even leery about being underwater, whileothers adapt very fast and really enjoy the job.”

Commercial divers are outfitted with a “dry”suit and surface-supplied diving equipment (an

Is that a diver in your tank?


A diver with Liquid Engineering gets help gearing upin a “dry suit” to enter an elevated water tank.

Photo by Liquid Engineering


external air source) that provides the lifeline ofboth air and information to and from the surface.The diver’s “umbilical cord” includes the capabilityfor voice communication between facility person-nel and the diver. Live video images can also betransmitted via this line, so that personnel abovewater can see everything that the diver sees.

“This live video capability is, in fact, theonly way to provide guaranteed quality control,”Dykstra said.

How long does it take the divers to preparefor a dive? Muller said that depending on the jobto be performed, it can take from 30 minutes totwo hours to set up all of the equipment beforethe diver enters the water. Elevated tanks usuallytake the longest, and when cleaning a tank youhave additional equipment to prepare—pumps,suction pipe, and nozzles.

Divers wear special hard hats that providehead protection and “triple-redundant” backupair sources. The hard hat also mates to thediver’s dry suit, entirely encapsulating and iso-lating the diver’s body from the drinking water.The American Water Works Association’s(AWWA) current diving standard for potablewater diving specifies surface-supplied divingequipment as well as the use of dry suits.

What about the sport SCUBAdiver who usessurface-supplied commercial dive equipment?

“ U n f o r t u n a t e l y, just because he or she mayhave the equipment, does not even remotely meanthat the diver is qualified to undertake the work,”Dykstra said. “Just because you can go out andbuy an airplane or a fire truck doesn’t mean youare automatically a pilot or a fireman, does it?”

Another vital point to be aware of is thatOSHA diving regulations specify that there mustbe a minimum three-person team, all of whommust be fully qualified divers. “In other words,”Dykstra said, “a diving contractor who shows upon site with one or two guys and has one of youremployees act as a diving tender or other teammember, is in violation—and so are you.”

“Safety is always the ultimate concern,”Muller said. “Crews are trained to assess onsiteconditions and are equipped with all necessaryequipment to perform routine jobs safely. Ourbiggest concern is ladder safety and personal fallprotection. Elevated structures require certainequipment and techniques to complete a jobwithout incident. We have walked away fromjobs rather than put a crew member in jeopardy.”

Hire a Qualified Diving ContractorIf your water utility is considering using a

diving contractor, be sure to ask the following

questions to protect your facility and yourselfagainst possible litigation:

Are all the divers certified commercial divers?Ask them to provide copies of the divers’ c e r t i fc a-t i o n s . If they are certified by National A s s o c i a t i o nof Underwater Instructors (NAUI), ProfessionalAssociation of Diving Instructors (PADI), or theYMCA, they are not commercially certified, andyou could be liable for accidents by permittingthem to dive in your tank. Only ACDE commer-cial dive training certification is valid.

Are the divers using surface-supplied divingequipment with dry suits and diver’s hard hats?This equipment is your only assurance that thediver is disinfected while in your water supply.Divers also need to be disinfected with a mini-mum 200 parts per million chlorine before enter-ing the tank.

Does the company use video recordingequipment and live voice transmission to keep in contact with personnel outside the tank? Thevisual and audio link to the outside not onlygives facility personnel on-the-spot informationabout what is happening with the operationinside the tank, it provides a safety check for thediver, so any possible problems that may arisecan be dealt with immediately.

Direct specific questions about potable waterdiving operations to OSHA, the National Instituteof Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), or to trade organizations, such as AWWA, andthe ADC.

Hiring a diving contractor can save your util-ity a lot of time, water, and money. The processcan be simple, but requires some planning tomake sure safety issues are resolved beforehand.Fred Muller said it simply. “If a tank has water init, and there is safe access for a diver, cost savingpreventative maintenance can be performed by adive team.”

For a complete list of certified commercialdiving contractors in the United States contactthe Association of Diving Contractors, 3910 FM,1960 West, Suite 230, Houston, TX 77068, orcall (281) 893-8388.

For further information contact Liquid Engin-eering Corp., Commercial Diving Contractors,2484 Overland Ave., Billings, MT 59107. Youmay call (800) 438-2187 or log onto their Website at http://www.liquidengineering.com.

You may also contact U. S. UnderwaterServices, Inc., 101 N. E. Haskew, Burleson, TX76028. Call (800) 860-2178 or access their Website at http://www.cowtown.net/underwtr.


“An interesting

philosophy

abounds among

the divers. You

can always tell

the condition of a

system if a crew

drinks your water

at the restaurant.”

Fred Muller,director of operations,

LiquidEngineering

Note: The free items listed below are limited toone of each per order. Call (800) 624-8301 or(304) 293-4191 to order products. Please allowthree to four weeks for delivery. Actual shippingcharges are added to each order. NationalDrinking Water Clearinghouse (NDWC) pro d u c t salso may be ord e red via e-mail at n d w c _ o r d e r s @ndwc.wvu.edu. Products are subject to availabil -ity. Please verify price when ordering.

On Tap, Spring 1996Item #ONTAP17This issue of On Tap includes a model press

release that system operators can use to educatetheir customers. Designed for release to localnewspapers, this simple, fill-in-the-blankannouncement can be used in addition to infor-mation required in Consumer Confidence Reports.

Cost: $0.00

On Tap, Summer 1996Item #ONTAP18This On Tap offers the first article in a three-

part series about the history of drinking water.The piece offers a good background for educatorsor anyone interested in learning fascinating ele-ments in drinking water ’s history. The NDWC’sfirst fact sheet, Tech Brief: Disinfection, isincluded in the issue.

Cost: $0.00

On Tap, Fall 1996Item #ONTAP19The second installment of the three-part

drinking water history series is covered in thisissue. The NWDC’s fact sheet Tech Brief:Filtration is also included.

Cost: $0.00

On Tap, Winter 1996Item #ONTAP20This special Safe Drinking Water Act

(SDWA) reauthorization issue explores theimpacts the act will have on small drinkingwater systems.

Cost: $0.00

On Tap, Spring 1997Item #ONTAP21The final installment of On Tap’s history of

drinking water treatment and waterborne diseasehighlights this issue. Other topics coveredinclude how the SWDA will impact states andwater systems, cross-connection control issues,and Tech Brief: Corrosion Control.

Cost: $0.00

On Tap, Spring 1998Item #ONTAP25Source water protection is the theme for this

special issue. Writers explore such topics as whatsource water is, SDWA requirements for assess-ing source water, methods for protecting water,regulations, and an extensive glossary of terms.The fact sheet in this issue is Tech Brief: WaterTreatment Plant Residuals Management.

Cost: $0.00

Public Education Products Are A v a i l a b l e

National Drinking Water ClearinghouseWest Virginia UniversityP.O. Box 6064Morgantown, WV 26506-6064

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NonprofitOrganization

U.S. Postage PaidPermit No. 34

NDWC Mission StatementThe National Drinking Water Clearinghouse

assists small communities by collecting,developing, and providing timely information

relevant to drinking water issues.

C O N T E N T SC O N T E N T S

Features

Is that a diver inyour tank?

page 1

Even TechnicalAssistance Is

Bigger in Texas,page 3

Operator KeepsPlant Running

Smoothly,page 6

Special CCR Insert,center pages

Departments

NDWC Page,page 2

RUS Rates,page 2

Operator Pages,page 6

Regulations,page 11

Q&A: Is there aproblem with

MtBE?page 14

Resources,page 17

is that a diver in your tank? - national environmental ... · is that a diver in your tank? ......

Documents