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WaterNews for June 3, 2003G. Tracy Mehan, III WaterNews is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water. Inside this week’s WaterNews
EPA Announces Significant Progress Toward Protecting Nation’s Drinking Water SourcesProtection of our nation's drinking water reached a significant milestone this month with the completion by drinking water systems, of 32,000 assessments of lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and aquifers that provide drinking water to communities across the country, EPA Assistant Administrator for Water G. Tracy Mehan III announced. The assessments will provide critical information for protection of the sources of drinking water. EPA worked in conjunction with states. "We must ensure that when we turn on the tap, we can trust that the water we drink is safe for us and our families," said Mehan. "Due to the extraordinary efforts of thousands of people across the country, we have new information at the local level about potential sources of contamination to our water. We can now build on our success and use this information to renew and invigorate our efforts to protect the sources of our nation's drinking water." The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Amendments required assessments of potential sources of contamination of drinking water in 52,000 community water systems across the country which serve more than 90 percent of Americans. Potential sources of contamination may include underground storage tanks, agricultural runoff, overflowing storm sewers, septic systems, and accidental industrial discharges. In his speech "Challenges and Opportunities of Source Water Protection," Assistant Administrator Mehan applauded the successes of the program and addressed ways the participants can maximize their efforts to better protect the nation's drinking water. "I am pleased to report that 32,000 assessments have been completed nationwide and the balance will be completed within the year," Mehan announced. "We are on track for a successful completion of this statutory goal." The 2003 National Source Water Protection Conference began on June 2 and will end on June 4 at the Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit Web site www.epa.gov/safewater/protect.html. Drinking Water Security Flyers - Now AvailableThe Office of Water’s Drinking Water Protection Division Outreach Team has designed drinking water security flyers that could be used by law enforcement, water utilities, and community groups, to help remind the public to report suspicious activity at reservoirs, water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, etc. The Water Security Task Force will announce the publication of the materials at the Annual American Water Works Association Conference held June 15 -19 in Anaheim, CA. The conference is attended by more than 12,000 water supply professionals and states. Flyers can be accessed and downloaded from the security website http://www.epa.gov/safewater/security/flyers For more information, please contact Susan Dolgin at 202-564-9895. National Forum on Water Quality Trading July 22-23 - Register OnlineSpend two days this summer learning about market innovations to restore watersheds and meet water quality goals with greater efficiency. Participate in the National Forum on Water Quality Trading at the Courtyard by Marriott in Downtown Chicago on July 22-23, 2003. You'll learn the trading state-of-the-art from practitioners and leaders in the agricultural community, state environmental agencies, municipal and industrial dischargers, and other watershed interests. Interactive sessions will answer your questions on water quality trading's potential benefits, implementation challenges and solutions, and what's next for this innovative approach. This exciting event is designed to give you the latest information in trading implementation and ample opportunities for dialogue with your peers and experts in the field. The forum is sponsored by the U.S. EPA, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Water Environment Federation. Registration for the Forum is free however please register to attend. For more information and registration visit the website at http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading/conferences.html. Deputy Assistant Administrator Gives Keynote Address at 31st National Spring Conference on the EnvironmentDeputy Assistant Administrator Benjamin Grumbles gave the keynote address to the 31 National Spring Conference on the Environment, sponsored by the University of Maryland School of Law, held on May 30 in Baltimore, MD. He discussed “Crisis in Water Resources in the East.” Subscribe to WaterNewsPlease forward this message to your friends and colleagues who share an interest in water-related issues and would like to hear from EPA's Office of Water. To subscribe to the WaterNews listserve: Send an email message, leave the subject line blank, and address it to: In the body of the message write: Subscribe WaterNews firstname lastname (Please leave one blank space between each word, do not include any other message, and use A welcome message will appear in your email box once you are officially subscribed. Following your welcome message, you will begin to receive WaterNews once a week.
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