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WaterNews for October 21, 2005Benjamin Grumbles WaterNews is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water. In This Week’s WaterNews:
Drinking Water Agreements with 24 Domestic AirlinesOn October 19, EPA announced that it reached settlements with 11 major domestic airlines and 13 smaller airlines to ensure the safety of the drinking water used by their passengers and crew. The settling airlines have agreed to routinely monitor the quality of water on their airplanes. The settlements require the airlines to regularly monitor aircraft water systems; notify EPA and the public when tests reveal contamination; and regularly disinfect aircraft water systems and water transfer equipment. The orders also require each airline to study possible sources of contamination from outside of the aircraft. The information released will help the traveling public make informed decisions. Passengers with compromised immune systems or others concerned may want to request canned or bottled beverages. EPA is also developing regulations for water that is served onboard aircraft. EPA held a public meeting in June as part the development process for the airline drinking water rule. For more information on the regulation of water supplies aboard passenger aircraft, to view publicly available testing data, and read a summary of the June 2004 public meeting, visit: http://www.epa.gov/airlinewater. The press release and other materials related to this announcement are available at http://www.epa.gov/. EPA Participates in Educational Events on World Water Monitoring DayBetween September 18 and October 18, 2005, people across the world joined in monitoring their local waters and learning about water quality and their watersheds. School groups, families, Scouts, watershed associations, and water quality agencies held monitoring events, taking water quality samples in streams, lakes, bays and wetlands and entering their results in an international database. October 18, the 33rd anniversary of the Clean Water Act, was the culmination of this month-long series of events. In Washington, DC, Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock and Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Brent Fewell spoke at a monitoring event hosted by the Earth Conservation Corps and America's Clean Water Foundation. Fifth and sixth graders from Ketcham Elementary School took samples from the Anacostia River at this event. Assistant Administrator for Water Ben Grumbles and Regional Administrator Jim Gulliford spoke at a World Water Monitoring Day event in St. Charles, Missouri and sampled water quality in the Missouri River with members of Missouri's Stream Team volunteer monitoring program. They also presented a Water Quality Cooperative Agreement grant award to the Missouri River Communities Network for stream team curriculum development. For more information on World Water Monitoring Day, visit the main Web site at http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org Request for Scientific Information about Atrazine and AlachlorOn Friday, October 14, EPA published a Federal Register notice requesting scientific information about the toxicity and bioaccumulation of both atrazine and alachlor. The Agency is considering next steps in an effort to develop human health water quality criteria for these herbicides. You can get more information on OW’s web site at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/atrachlor.html. Guidance on Fees Charged by States to Recipients of Clean Water State Revolving Fund AssistanceEPA is providing States with improved guidance on fees charged to recipients of Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) assistance to ensure that they are used for water quality purposes. A new document, "Guidance on Fees Charged by States to Recipients of Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program Assistance," identifies the restrictions and purposes for which States may use fees charged to recipients. This guidance provides direction for certain collected fees and explains the greater flexibility in the use of fees for water quality related purposes. The CWSRF is the largest Federal program to fund wastewater infrastructure projects throughout the nation. State-issued loans enable communities to restore and protect valuable water resources through a variety of wastewater treatment, non-point source pollution control and estuary management projects. The Clean Water Act authorizes States to provide loans at or below market interest rates under the CWSRF program. For copies of the Guidance and further information, visit the Clean Water State Revolving Fund web page at: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf. New Additions to Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories Web SiteEPA has added 8 new stories to the Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories Web site. The Web site features projects receiving grant funds from the Clean Water Act section 319 Nonpoint Source Program that have achieved documented water quality improvements, including the achievement of water quality standards and removal from state section 303(d) lists of impaired waters. The Web site was launched in August with 18 stories, and an additional 8 new stories are now featured from Ohio, Colorado, Wisconsin, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe/Nevada, Missouri, Minnesota (Minneapolis Chain of Lakes), and 2 more from Washington (Lower Yakima and Dungeness River). Please visit the Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/nps/success. AQUATOX Workshops Coming UpEPA is sponsoring two AQUATOX workshops (January 24-26 in Austin, Texas, and February 7-9 in Washington DC). AQUATOX is a PC-based simulation model for aquatic ecosystems covering eutrophication, chemical fate, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicology. It predicts the fate of pollutants, such as nutrients and organic chemicals, and their effects on the ecosystem, including fish, invertebrates, and aquatic plants. The courses will provide a detailed overview of the model, and allow ample time to work with it in a lab setting. While there is no charge for the workshop, attendance is limited, and prior registration is required. To learn how to register or to get more information about the workshop contents, visit the AQUATOX training page at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/models/aquatox/workshop2006.html. Watershed Academy WebcastsEPA’s Watershed Academy now sponsors monthly Webcasts to offer free training for watershed practitioners from around the world. On October 19, 2005, the Academy hosted a Webcast titled Low Impact Development Strategies, Tools, and Techniques for Sustainable Watersheds. This Webcast focused on how communities and institutions are using Low Impact Development techniques to meet a wide range of water resource protection and community development objectives. The on-line seminar attracted more than 300 participants from 38 states, Canada and Iraq, with people participating via streaming audio or phone lines, and viewing the PowerPoint presentation on the Internet. Audio versions of this and past Webcasts can be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts/. The next Webcast, scheduled for November 16 from 1 to 3 pm EST, will feature Nikos Singelis from EPA's Office of Wastewater Management, who will explain how communities are using EPA Stormwater Phase II regulations to manage growth and address harmful effects of stormwater runoff. Free Land Conservation/Water Protection CD-ROM Available from LGEANThe International City/County Management Association and the Trust for Public Land, in cooperation with EPA hosted a Webcast in June 2005 called "Protecting Water Resources through Land Conservation: Funding Options for Local Governments." The Webcast provided context for the role of conservation finance in land conservation and water protection, described critical components for creating a successful funding effort, and showcased local government success stories. A multimedia CD-ROM recording of that Webcast is now available for free from Local Government Environmental Assistance Network. For more information, visit: http://www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=961 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 your actual name- i.e. Subscribe WaterNews Robert Jones) A welcome message will appear in your email box once you are officially subscribed.
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