On July 23, KRWA will be holding a one-day Peer Review Seminar. This training is scheduled to be held at the General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton, KY. The objective of this class is to define and refine the abilities of water system operators and managers who volunteer to assist neighboring water utilities. There is no charge for this training opportunity. Six hours of continuing education credit for water will be available for the day.
On July 30-31, KRWA will be holding a two-day training class for water and wastewater personnel. This training is scheduled to be held at the Mason County Extension Office in Maysville, KY (this class was originally scheduled to be held at the Ramada Inn, however, due to scheduling conflicts it has been relocated). Topics to be discussed include treatment processes, regulations, process control, and operation & maintenance. There is no charge for this training opportunity. Six hours of continuing education credit will be available for each day attended at the training session.
The Green River Regional Meeting will be held on July 18 at the Southern Charm Restaurant in Beaver Dam, KY. The Western Regional Meeting will be held on July 25 at the Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park in Gilbertsville, KY. Dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. followed by a presentation about Backflow Prevention at 7:00 p.m by Harold Garrison of Kentucky American Water Company. One hour of continuing education credit will be available for those who attend these meetings.
23rd Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition
KRWA's 23rd Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition is scheduled to be held on August 26-28 at the Drawbridge Inn in Ft. Mitchell, KY. We are anticipating another great Annual Conference, but we need you to make it happen!
Registration materials were mailed out the first week of July. If you have not yet received registration information, materials can be downloaded at www.krwa.org, or contact the KRWA office at 270.843.2291.
Register today!
The Great Water Robbery
The C.I. Thornburg Co., Inc. (CITCO), and Invensys Metering Systems are presenting a Large Meter Installation, Maintenance and Testing Seminar on July 30, 2002 at the Hardin County #2 Administration Center, in Elizabethtown, KY. The seminar will begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 3:00 p.m. Five (5) hours of continuing education credit may be earned for successful completion. Reserve your space by contacting Steve McKinney, CITCO, at 888.286.0852 or 270.535.4040 by July 26.
Farm Bill
Monies from the Farm Bill were directed toward the backlog of Rural Development applications. $13 million in loans and $7 million in grants were allotted for Kentucky, in addition to regular allocations. Funding will only go to utilities that had their applications on-hand and complete.
Drinking Water Provisions in 2002 Bioterrorism Act
On June 12, President Bush signed HR 3448 into law. Title IV of PL 107-188 contains provisions that amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and should be of significant interest to state drinking water programs and community water systems. The following is a brief list of required actions:
· All community water systems serving populations greater than 3,300 must conduct a vulnerability assessment, certify completion, and provide a written copy to EPA according to the following schedule: March 31, 2003 for systems serving more than 100,000; December 31, 2003 for systems serving between 50,000 and 100,000; and June 30, 2004 for systems serving between 3,300 and 50,000.
· Community water systems serving populations less than 3,300 will be provided guidance on vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans from EPA.
The law authorizes approximately $200 million to various water related activities. For additional information, contact KRWA.
Security Vulnerability Self-Assessment Guide for Small Drinking Water Systems
Through a joint venture between National Rural Water Association (NRWA) and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), the publication Security Vulnerability Self-Assessment Guide for Small Drinking Water Systems has been developed. This guide is designed to assist systems serving less than 10,000 in identifying critical system components, evaluate potential vulnerabilities, and target priority security enhancements for implementation. A template for emergency contact information and a phone threat identification checklist is included. This document will serve as the first step for small drinking water systems and hopefully a baseline as EPA moves forward in developing guidance for small water system security. Please contact the KRWA office for a copy of this document, in paper form or electronically.
Helplful Links
Two new links have been added to the KRWA website. Check out SDWA Regulations Online at www.epa.gov/safewater/regs.html. Looking for a website dedicated to homeland security? Take a few moments to visit www.gop.gov/waronterrorism.
Kentucky Rural Water Association
"helping water and wastewater utilities help themselves."
KRWA can electronically mail Rural Water E-News, to your personal e-mail address, on a monthly basis. If you would like to receive a copy, please send your e-mail address to c.howe@krwa.org as soon as possible.