s§i o a Q. 3-g -• OT. |s 03. CO (D C en m c CO ZJ «§ ^ s-' f ^ § Q. ca ZX | 0> §§II 0^2 SL w O -D I ^/ s CD S I United States EPA 816-F-00-001 Environmental Protection January 2000 Agency Office of Water (4601) &EPA Water Q m -o TI (Q (D CD ^* CD § cn > TI r- » Q." Training for Federal. , iBK^ ^ jl •. - „ ^ ' U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water ^1 Printed on Recycled Paper ------- f -.w What Is the Drinking Water Academy? Established by the U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, the Drinking Water Academy (DWA) is a long-term training initiative whose primary goal is to expand EPA, State, and Tribal capabilities to implement the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). In addition to providing classroom and Web-based training, the DWA will act as a re- source for training materials pertaining to SDWA implementation. Why was the DWA Formed? EPA formed the DWA to help EPA, States, and Indian Tribes enhance program capability to meet the public health protection objectives of the SDWA require- ments. The 1996 SDWA Amendments created a number of new programmatic challenges for States, Tribes, and the water systems they regulate. The Amendments also provided new funding opportunities to meet these growing needs. DWA training will support EPA, State, and Tribal efforts to implement these new requirements. What Challenges do Drinking Water Programs Face? Under the SDWA Amendments, EPA is promulgating and implementing new regulations, which State drinking water programs must add to their existing programs. Among them are new microbial and disinfec- tion by-product standards, increased source water protection efforts, new loan programs to fund system improvements, and increased public education and involvement in drinking water programs. Why is Training Necessary? The new requirements and approaches to regulating drinking water systems make training even more important if State and Tribal programs are to maintain a high level of staff expertise. Otherwise, program effectiveness may be compromised as new, untrained personnel join programs, veteran staff members leave, and the program's institutional knowledge about statutes, regulations, and other important SDWA requirements wanes due to lack of sustained training. Want t© Learn SViore? General information about SDWA is available from the Safe Drinking Water Act hotline at (800) 426-4791 or, in the Washington, DC, area, at (202) 260-7908. Information on the Drinking Water Academy can be found on the DWA Web site at www.epa.gov/safewater /dwa.html. Dates and descriptions of upcoming training sessions are posted on the site, and training materials are available for downloading. DWA information is also available from the State and EPA members of the Drinking Water Academy Workgroup: MaryJo Feuerbach EPA Region 1 (617)918-1578 feuerbach.maryjo@epa.gov Leonard Torrey EPA Region 2 (212) 637-3846 torrey.leonard@epa.gov Rick Rogers EPA Region 3 (215)814-5711 rogers.rick@epa.gov Janine Morris EPA Region 4 , (404) 562-9480 morris.janine@epa.gov John Taylor EPA Region 5 (312) 886-4299 taylor.johnc@epa.gov .Bill Davis EPA Region 6 :(214) 665-7536 davis.williamh@epa.gov Stephanie Lindberg EPA Region 7 (913)551-7423 lindberg.stephanie@epa.gov Dan Jackson EPA Region 8 (303)312-6155 jackson.dan@epa.gov Bruce Macler EPA Region 9 (415) 744-1884 macler.bruce@epa.gov Mike Cox EPA Region 10 (206) 553-1893 cox.mike@epa.gov Denny Cruz EPAHQ (202) 260-7776 cruz.denny@epa.gov Murlene Lash EPAHQ (202)260-7197 iash.murlene@epa.gov James Bourne EPAHQ (202) 260-5557 bourne.james@epa.gov ------- How the Drinking Cyrricnium is Creating the DWA's curriculum is the responsibility of a workgroup comprising staff from State drinking water programs, EPA Headquarters, and the Agency's Regional Offices. During the DWA's first year, the workgroup focused on identifying training needs, establishing priorities, developing a Web site and informational bulletin, and helping to develop and review training materials. The result of this effort includes four 1-day modules that can be presented separately, or combined to create a full, 4-day introduction to SDWA. The course instructors all have experience with SDWA and its programs. FY For information on scheduling DWA training for your EPA Regional or State staff, contact a member of the DWA Workgroup listed on the reverse side. introduction to the Safe Drinking Water Act This module takes an historical look at drinking water regulation in the United States, starting prior to enactment of the SDWA in 1974 and provides an overview of the Act's evolution through to the 1996 Amendments. Topics covered include the SDWA's relationship to the Clean Water Act and the process of setting drinking water standards. The three major EPA programs under SDWA, each the topic of a separate module, are also introduced. introduction to EPA's Source Water Protection Programs This module starts by providing information on the hydrologic cycle and the health effects of contami- nants in drinking water. It then introduces the concept of source water protection and the elements of EPA's program. Methods of protecting source water are explained, and how source water protec- tion relates to other drinking water programs is reviewed. introduction to the Underground injection Control Program This module begins with an explanation of what an injection well is and how it relates to subsurface geology. Next, the origins pf the underground injection control program are discussed and its elements under the SDWA are discussed. The module also describes some of the challenges currently facing today's underground injection control program. introduction to the Public Water System Supervision Program The types of water systems and how they operate are discussed in this module. It also explains the regulatory and implementation roles of EPA, the States, and Indian Tribes in the Public Water System Supervision Program. How the program develops regulations is also discussed. ------- |