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ODW Now September 2024

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What You Do Matters for Public Health Protection

From January through May 2024, in Havre, Montana, there were three confirmed giardiasis cases and scores of reported illnesses that were undiagnosed. It wasn’t conclusively determined that all the illnesses were related to the water treatment plant. However, several factors were identified that pointed to it being likely that the three cases of Giardiasis did come from the water system.

The Havre water system intake is from the Milk River. Treatment includes a pre-sedimentation pond, powdered activated carbon, ferric sulfate, and cationic polymer chemical injection, followed by flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration. Finished water is further treated with chlorine and caustic soda for corrosion control before being sent to distribution. Backwash water is routinely recycled to the head of the treatment plant.

It was determined that backwash water recycling impacted both disinfection and filtration effectiveness. Disinfection requirements were not met on two days during this time. And while the highest finished water turbidity was reported to not exceed 1.0 NTU, issues with data capping and scaling likely caused higher values than indicated by the data. 

The system was under a boil water advisory for almost six weeks while they worked diligently to complete distribution system flushing, upgrade treatment operations and data collection. 

For More Information

DWSRF Project Applications and Construction Project Guidelines

We are asking for your infrastructure construction and lead service line survey and replacement project applications. Funding is available in our current construction and LSL funding cycle. 

Applications are due November 30, 2024, at 11:59 P.M.

To apply, you must submit all project applications through the Washington Loan Tracking Application (WALT). Contact DWSRF@doh.wa.gov to get pre-registered for WALT if you don’t already have an application connected to your email address.  

  • We will review and score applications in December and January. 
  • We will work with applicants to finalize scopes of work and develop final funding awards in March and April.
  • We will transmit final contracts for signature after July 1. 

You can submit applications for consolidation feasibility grants, planning and engineering loans and emergency loans at any time. We review applications as they are received, and these funds are awarded on a first come first serve basis. Please contact Jocelyne.Gray@doh.wa.gov for general and technical questions about DWSRF funding.

We are also seeking comments on the DRAFT Construction and Lead Service Line Project Guidelines 331-196 (PDF). These guidelines include important information and criteria regarding how a community qualifies as a “disadvantaged community” for the purpose of eligibility for subsidy in the form of loan principal forgiveness, as well as the metrics we use in prioritizing projects and awarding subsidy. 

Comments are due by September 16, 2024, and should be submitted at DWSRF@doh.wa.gov. 

We have many new technical assistance support options for water systems to address many technical, managerial, and financial challenges. We focus technical assistance to build technical, managerial, and finance capacity in small and disadvantaged communities. Please use our new Technical Assistance Request Portal. For additional information on the technical assistance we offer, please contact your regional planner or engineer, or Chelsea.cannard@doh.wa.gov. 

Draft Revised Same Farm Policy Exemption

The Public Comment period closed August 26, 2024. Thank you for your feedback.

Next Steps

  • We will review the comments received from the public comment period and consider making changes related to the comments before finalizing the draft revised policy.
  • Once we finalize the revised policy, we will post it on our Policies webpage under “Current Policies." 
  • We will send notification through our email distribution list. Join our email list to get new and revised policies by email.

View the draft policy on our Policies webpage. 

Drinking Water Advisory Group (DWAG) Next Meeting December 2

A few agenda items we’re considering for December: Final legislative proposals, climate resiliency, Memorandum of Understanding with Ecology update, Same Farm Exemption Policy update. Let us know if you have something you’d like to talk about.

We hold all our meetings through Microsoft Teams video, so you can join our meeting with your computer, laptop, tablet, or phone from wherever you are. We post the Teams links and meeting agenda on our DWAG Meeting webpage. After the meeting we post any handouts or presentations and, within a month, we post the meeting notes.

Do you want to receive advance notice of meetings and their agendas? Join our advisory group email list.

Do you have questions about the advisory group or topics you’d like to discuss? Email Brad Burnham with your ideas. 

Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessments

Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessments are an important step towards making your water utility more resilient to cybersecurity incidents and compliance with some of the requirements in the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA).

  • Cybersecurity incidents impact to water utilities includes but is not limited to:
  • Negative impacts to public health.
  • Service disruptions.
  • Unwanted disclosure of employee or customer personally identifiable information (PII).
  • Loss of public confidence and trust.
  • Negative financial impacts (loss of revenue due to service disruptions, cost of remediating the issue, and potential legal action).

Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessments are an opportunity to assess Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) for critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This information is then used for mitigation planning and development of emergency response plan.

Suggestions for Components of a Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessment

  1. User Account Security
  2. Device Security
  3. Data Security
  4. Governance and Training
  5. Vulnerability Management
  6. Supply Chain / Third Party
  7. Response and Recovery
  8. Other

Resources for Conducting Cybersecurity Vulnerability Assessments

Resources for Technical Assistance

Resources for Funding

Where to Report Cybersecurity Incident

Drought Declared

Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency for most of Washington on April 16, 2024. Excluded from the new drought declaration are the water system service areas of the cities of Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett. Ecology’s drought website contains links to the formal drought declaration and an associated fact sheet.

Averaged statewide, the water year so far was the fifteenth warmest and fiftieth driest on record. While statewide precipitation averaged near normal, precipitation maps showed a sharp contrast between the rainy western side of the state and the more arid eastern side. Drier than normal conditions have been constant east of the Cascade Mountains this summer.

July was hot in many parts of the state. As of July 24, Seattle set a record for the longest run of consecutive days (17) over 80 degrees while Spokane broke a record for the number of consecutive days (18) above 90 degrees. Near normal conditions are expected for the rest of summer.

Please visit our Drought 2024 webpage for information and tips on preventing drinking water shortages or outages, including subjects like:

  • Checking the water level of your wells.
  • Finding leaks and repairing them.
  • Educating your customers about water conservation.
  • Preparing a water shortage response plan.
  • Identifying alternate sources of water for use during an emergency.
  • Conducting testing of your emergency-use well.

The Department of Ecology is making a total of $4.5 million available in drought response grants to offset impacts from the current drought conditions for sectors such as drinking water systems, agriculture, and fish and wildlife.

Publicly owned Group A water systems such as municipalities, water districts that are experiencing drought impacts should:

Privately-owned non-profit Group A water systems that are experiencing drought consequences should:

  • Contact their ODW regional engineer to report the situation.
  • Go to our Drought 2024 webpage for information about accessing emergency drought funds through us.

Washington state continues to experience reduced water availability due to climate change. We are working to support proactive projects to build resiliency, develop sustainable infrastructure, and be more responsive to water supply demands now and into the future. Our DWSRF program added funding that supports many climate-resilient projects for utilities. 

Drought Resilience for Water Utilities

Find current drought conditions in Washington State as of September 4, 2024, from Drought.gov.

Tips for Water Utility Drought Resiliency

  • Construct New Infrastructure
    • Infrastructure needed for aquifer storage and recovery
    • Diversify options for water supply
    • Increase water storage capacity
  • Repair and Retrofit Facilities
    • Saltwater intrusion barriers
    • Injection aquifer/groundwater recharges
    • Retrofit surface water intakes
  • Increase System Efficiency
  • Reclaimed water
    • Conjunctive use
    • Leak detection and water loss prevention
  • Watershed Management
  • Monitor Drought Conditions
  • Reduce Water Demand
    • Reduce water use at local utilities
    • Understand and encourage efficiency in agricultural and irrigation water usage
    • Water conservation
  • Emergency Response Planning

Resources for Monitoring Drought Conditions

Resources for Drought Emergency Response Planning

Resources for Drought Resilience Funding

Common Drought Impacts to Water Utility Operations

  1. Loss of water pressure and water supply.
  2. Poor water quality from the source that may require additional treatment to meet drinking water standards.
  3. Inability to access alternative and supplementary water sources due to high demand by and competition from other users.
  4. Increased customer demand.
  5. Increased costs and reduced revenues related to responding to drought impacts.

Water Reuse for a Sustainable Future

Even in rainy Washington, reusing water just makes sense. Flushing drinking water, watering our lawns with it, and generally wasting it is unsustainable. In 1992 the state Legislature recognized this and passed the Reclaimed Water Act and established that reclaimed water should be used for the following:

  • Preserve potable water for drinking purposes.
  • Contribute to the restoration and protection of instream flows that are crucial to preservation of the state's salmonid fishery resources.
  • Contribute to the restoration of Puget Sound by reducing wastewater discharge.
  • Provide a drought resistant source of water supply for nonpotable needs.
  • Be a source of supply integrated into state, regional, and local strategies to population growth and global warming (climate change).

They recognized then what is still true today, reclaimed water is a vital resource. Water reuse should be integrated into all state, regional, and local planning to address critical environmental, public health, and infrastructure needs.

Reclaimed water is domestic wastewater treated to be “fit-for-purpose” for beneficial uses where potable water isn’t needed. It undergoes initial screening, primary treatment (settling and sludge removal), and secondary treatment (biological processes). Unlike typical wastewater discharged as polluted effluent after secondary treatment, reclaimed water receives tertiary treatment (filtration and chemical coagulation) and disinfection (chlorination, UV light, ozonation). Additionally, safety features and technical controls like real-time monitoring for turbidity and chlorine concentrations, alarms, automatic diversion, and shutdown features are in place.

Most reclaimed water in Washington is generated at centralized treatment plants and used for irrigating parks, golf courses, and agricultural lands. Some communities use it to recharge aquifers, and others provide it for toilet flushing inside buildings. In Olympia, a stream-like water feature using Class A reclaimed water runs in front of the Hands-on Children’s Museum. On hot summer days, it is full of kids cooling off and learning about the importance of water reuse.

Another type of water reuse comes from On-Site Nonpotable Water Systems (ONWS). These advanced systems capture and treat water on-site for beneficial uses either on-site or nearby. ONWS can treat various sources such as rooftop runoff, stormwater, A/C condensate, foundation drainage, and both black (waste) and gray water in commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily buildings. We are developing a new rule for ONWS. Once adopted, we plan to establish a new ONWS program to implement these rules statewide. Local Health Jurisdictions with the interest and capacity may establish Joint Plans of Responsibilities with us to implement all or part of the rule.

Using nonpotable sources like reclaimed water and treated onsite nonpotable water not only reduces the pressure on potable water supplies but also contributes to more sustainable water resource management in our state.

For more information, please contact our Reclaimed Water Policy Lead, Jocelyn W. Jones. 

**REMINDER** Lead Service Line Inventories Due October 16, 2024

The new federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) require that all Group A Community and Non-Transient Non-Community (NTNC) public water systems submit a Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) to the state by October 16, 2024. 

Inventories should include:

  • Determination of service line materials for every service line connected to your distribution system.
  • Material determinations must be categorized as either Lead Service Line, Galvanized Requiring Replacement, Non-Lead Service Line, or Unknown.
  • Service line materials must be identified and delineated between utility-owned and privately-owned segments.
  • Any Lead Service Line or Galvanized Requiring Replacement service line must include location identifiers in the inventory, such as intersection, block, street address, etc. Public Water Systems may opt to include location identifier information for service lines of unknown material.”
  • LSLIs must be made publicly accessible by October 16, 2024—utilities that serve a population of more than 50,000 must make their inventory internet accessible.

Public water systems that do not submit a complete LSLI by October 16, 2024, will incur a Treatment Technique Violation (TTV) and potentially a Reporting Violation under the new LCRR. You can read about the details of the upcoming requirements and deadlines in our ODW Now newsletters from January, May, and July of this year.

If you have questions or need assistance in understanding and meeting these requirements, please contact us at LCRRassistance@doh.wa.gov.  

**REMINDER** Deadlines are Closer than they Appear!

We’re near the end of the professional growth cycle for most of our Certified Waterworks Operators.

Most certified operators must earn 3.0 CEU by December 31, 2024, to be eligible to renew their certifications for 2025. Many of our training partners are offering excellent courses, workshops, and conferences to help operators meet this requirement. Keep an eye on your email for announcements and opportunities.

You can also meet your continuing education requirement by earning a higher level or new certification. A sneaky, but encouraged, option is to apply for two certification exams on the same application. Exam approvals are valid for one year, so you could pass an exam this year to meet your current professional growth requirement, then pass the other exam after January 1, 2025, to meet the requirement for the 2025-27 cycle. You must meet the education and experience requirements for the desired certification and pass the exam to meet your professional growth requirement.

Please visit Washington Certification Services webpage to:

  • Review your professional growth report.
  • Search for approved training.
  • Renew your certification (when the window opens).
  • Apply for a certification exam.
  • Print your validation card.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions and don’t ignore our reminder emails. You will only receive an email if our records indicate you still have work to do. Please send questions to wcs@greenriver.edu.

We are experiencing an operator shortage and we want to do as much as we can to help you stay certified and continue doing great work for the people of Washington.

Small Water Systems Drought Survey

The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, in partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System, seeks your participation in this survey about small drinking water systems (serving a population of fewer than 3,300 people) in the Northwest (Washington, Oregon and Idaho). The purpose of this survey is to understand the actions that small water systems take to increase resilience to current and potential future risks to water quality and supply from extreme weather and changing climate conditions. Survey results will inform the development of resources and tools to help Northwest drinking water systems be more resilient in the face of a changing climate.

Take the online survey. 

A Look at Sanitary Surveys

A sanitary survey is a periodic inspection of water system facilities, operations, and records. Our staff use sanitary survey information to identify conditions that may present a sanitary or public health risk. Safe drinking water rules—both federal and state—require that all public drinking water systems have a routine sanitary survey once every three to five years. Our regional staff conduct sanitary surveys. However, because there is so much work to do and little time to get it all done, we contract with local health jurisdictions (LHJs) to help us conduct sanitary surveys. 

The sanitary survey season has been in full swing after a well-attended May 2024 sanitary survey training event in Ellensburg. Since then, ODW and LHJ staff members travel to water systems across the state to ensure all Group A public water systems provide safe and reliable drinking water. Statewide, about half of the 2024 sanitary surveys are complete. Kudos to all LHJ and ODW staff for the many miles you’ve traveled to get this important job done. Keep up the great work as we round the corner into fall and the end of the 2024 survey season!

Our regional staff have the 2025 scheduled sanitary survey lists. Our sanitary survey program team plans to assign surveys by this fall so that we can start the 2025 sanitary survey season even earlier (weather permitting of course).

Speaking of the 2025 sanitary survey season. LHJs will soon have the same access to information as our staff. This includes training, checklists, contracts, sanitary survey submissions, and much, much more! Stay tuned! 

If you're unable to print the newsletter, please contact your regional office and they will print and mail you a copy.

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Archived Issues of ODW Now

2024

July 2024 (PDF)

May 2024 (PDF)

March 2024 (PDF)

January 2024 (PDF)

2023

November 2023 (PDF)

September 2023 (PDF)

July 2023 (PDF)

May 2023 (PDF)

March 2023 (PDF)

January 2023 (PDF)

2022

November 2022 (PDF)

September 2022 (PDF)

July 2022 (PDF)

May 2022 (PDF)

March 2022 (PDF)

January 2022 (PDF)

Archived Issues of Water Tap

2020

2019

2018

2017

Note: The documents on this page were published on the dates specified. The internet links and other resources cited in the document were current as of those dates.