Region 8 Drinking Water Online What's New
On this page
- Conferences and Meetings
- Facts & Tips
- Funding & Grants
- Latest News
- Mail & Reminders
- Newsletters
- New Rules
- New Tools
- Upcoming Training
Conferences and Meetings
Conference and meeting announcements appear here.
Please check back occasionally to see if there are any upcoming conferences or meetings of interest in Region 8.
Facts & Tips
New staff roles
New staff and/or new roles will be posted here occasionally.
For a complete list of all the EPA Region 8 staff and their current roles/responsibilities please see our latest EPA Region 8 Drinking Water Unit Contact List.
Changes to SOC Monitoring Requirements In Wyoming
Special Notice for Wyoming Public Water Systems: For several years EPA has not required WY water systems to sample for 5 Synthetic Organic Contaminants (SOCs) including Endothall, Diquat, Glyphosate, 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), and 1,2-Dibromoethane (EDB). After an evaluation of this practice, EPA is now requiring community and non-transient non-community Wyoming water systems to sample for the complete set of SOCs that are listed in the drinking water regulations at 40 C.F.R. 141.24 with the exception of dioxin and PCBs which EPA is still evaluating.
Please note, this message does not apply to R8 Tribal Public Water Systems.
Drinking Water Guide For Small Business Owners in Wyoming
If your business or facility makes water available to the public by providing food, drinks, restrooms or lodging, then you are likely managing a public water system that must meet certain safety requirements according to the Safe Drinking Water Act. If you would like to find out more, please see the Drinking Water Guide For Small Business Owners in Wyoming brochure.
Some SDWIS Data Now Available to the Public
Compliance and enforcement data from SDWIS (the State Drinking Water Information System) for drinking water systems is now available to the public through the Envirofacts SDWIS Search page on the EPA website.
Sanitary Surveys
If you want to take a look at the questions we may ask during Sanitary Surveys this year, please review either the Wyoming Sanitary Survey Template or the Tribal Sanitary Survey Checklist/Template on the Reporting Forms page. We have also posted the slides from presentations on Sanitary Surveys in the Presentations section.
Funding & Grants
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
If you would like information about the various funding and grants that may be available to assist public water systems, please visit the Program Policy and Guidance for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program page.
If you would like more information about capacity development resources, please visit Technical, Managerial and Financial (TMF) Capacity Resources for Small Drinking Water Systems.
Latest News
Climate Change and Water
Climate change is changing our assumptions about water resources. As climate change warms the atmosphere and alters the hydrological cycle, we will continue to witness changes to the amount, timing, form, and intensity of precipitation and the flow of water in watersheds, as well as the quality of aquatic and marine environments. These changes are also likely to affect the programs designed to protect the quality of water resources and public health and safety. To find out more, please visit the Addressing Climate Change in the Water Sector website.
Hydraulic Fracturing (or Fracking)
You have probably noticed there has been a great deal of public interest and media attention lately regarding hydraulic fracturing (or fracking). To find out more about what EPA is doing, please visit EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources.
Deadly Brain Amoeba Infects US Tap Water
News agencies worldwide are carrying stories about the presence of Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as a brain-eating amoeba, in a New Orleans area water system. The contaminant is believed to be the culprit in the recent death of a four-year-old boy infected after playing on a slip-n-slide.
EPA’s Office of Research and Development indicates that Naegleria fowleri has been known since the 1970’s when it caused infections in people in Perth, Australia as a result of the drinking water being very warm and the chlorine residual levels being very low. It is controlled by keeping the chlorine residual (free chlorine or total chlorine (if you use chloramines)) in the distribution system greater than 0.5 mg/L. You cannot be infected by ingestion, it must enter through the nose.
Water utilities should be prepared for media inquiries about the potential for Naegleria fowleri contamination in their systems. Information is provided below to help utilities speak to this issue.
Systems with warm water temperatures who may be concerned about this pathogen should focus on distribution system residual levels, dead ends and a unidirectional flushing program. More information may be found at the following CDC website: Naegleria fowleri and Public Drinking Water Systems
Mail & Reminders
2016 Drinking Water Monitoring Requirements
The 2016 Drinking Water Monitoring Requirements and a copy of the current water system site schematic and a link to the 2016 Newsletter will be sent (via email or postal mail) to each water system sometime in February. If you do not receive your copy or would like another copy, please let us know.
Drinking Water Watch
Drinking Water Watch is an online tool available to operators, administrators and others involved with public water systems to review monitoring requirements, sampling results and related data, copies of your water system schematic, past sanitary survey reports, the latest reminder to sample and report, and sampling forms for use with chemical and radiological samples. It can be useful for many purposes including checking data when away from your office or system and ensuring that the EPA has all your samples and accurate information about your system.
If you have not yet registered, please contact r8dwu@epa.gov for more information. If you have registered and have lost your password, or if your password has expired, please contact us for assistance.
EPA Region 8 is pleased to announce the creation of a new version of Drinking Water Watch (DWW) that is accessible to the public without a username or password. Although the information available through this website is somewhat restricted, it includes sample schedules, lab results, violations and enforcement actions and more. Please visit the Public Access Version of DWW and feel free to share this information with anyone else who might be interested.
Sampling
One way to track your sampling and reporting requirements is by using the calendar software on your computer. Computer calendars usually allow you to schedule one-time and recurring events easily. You may also set the computer to remind you of a sampling or reporting "event". If you prefer to fill in a paper form and post it on your bulletin board, you may find this Sampling Calendar useful. The sampling calendar is also available in MS Excel format .
Newsletters
Wyoming 2016 Newsletter contains current articles of interest to Public Drinking Water Systems in Wyoming.
Tribal 2016 Newsletter contains current articles of interest to Tribal Drinking Water Systems in EPA Region 8.
New Rules
There are several Drinking Water rules that have, or may soon, affect requirements for your public water system. We have notified systems regarding changes and any actions they may need to take. For general information please refer to the New and Revised Rules webpage.
Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR)
The Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) is a significant revision to the 1989 Total Coliform Rule (TCR) and is intended to improve public health protection. All public water systems must comply with the RTCR starting in April of 2016. Until then, PWSs must continue complying with the Total Coliform Rule (TCR).
For more information please refer to the Revised Total Coliform Rule And Total Coliform Rule webpage.
Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act
Congress recently adopted the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act which will amend the SDWA to reduce the national standard of lead in pipes, pipe fittings and plumbing fixtures from 8% to 0.25%. Several states already have standards lower than 8%. The law provides for a 36 month implementation period.
For more information please refer to Use of Lead Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder and Flux for Drinking Water.
New Tools
Toll Free Fax for EPA Region 8 Drinking Water
The Drinking Water Units at EPA Region 8 now exclusively use the following fax: 1-877-876-9101.
This toll-free electronic fax should be used by anyone faxing information to Region 8 Drinking Water. Since this is an efax, documents sent via this number will be delivered electronically to employees in Region 8. Please include a cover page with your fax that clearly states the name of the intended recipient as well as its subject matter. For example, Attn: TCR Rule Manager Re: TCR Results. Again the new fax number is: 1-877-876-9101.
Tribal Drinking Water Operator Certification Program
This voluntary program was announced in the Federal Register on August 10, 2010. It enables qualified operators in Indian country to be recognized as certified operators by the EPA. Additional information on the program as well as updates and application materials can be found on the Tribal Programs webpage.
New Small System Resource Available
The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) Exit is now housing a new web resource for small communities called SmallWaterSupply.org Exit. This site helps water and wastewater operators find what they need on the Internet. Through an easy-to-use search interface, operators can use SmallWaterSupply.org to find direct links to thousands of online resources and training events as well as keep up with the latest news relevant to small utilities.
Upcoming Training
Drinking Water Academy - Calendar of Courses
Unfortunately, EPA's Drinking Water Academy has been discontinued.
SmallWaterSupply.org - Training Calendar
SmallWaterSupply.org has an excellent Training Calendar/Event Search Exit application that can easily be filtered to show various training opportunities for each month based on category, type, state or sponsor. The calendar is updated often so be sure to check back whenever you are looking for training opportunities.
Additional Training
For additional training, please check the operator training offered by South Dakota Rural Water Exit, Wyoming DEQ Exit or the Indian Health Service Exit.