V9W % PRO^ Clean Water State Revolving Fund FACT use U1 llie Clean Water State Revolving Fund SHEET to Implement Security Measures at Publicly- owned Wastewater Treatment Works Every American needs to be confident that the discharge from their community wastewater treatment plant is safe. Adequate protection of publicly-owned treatment works (POTW) conveyance and treatment systems has been an important goal of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) wastewater program. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we have received questions from states about the eligibility of security measures for financial assistance through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). While the events of September 11 have focused attention on this matter, it is important to note that POTWs have always worked to protect facilities from vandalism and have monitored influent waste streams to assess their vulnerability to industrial discharges. EPA encourages state wastewater programs and CWSRF programs to continue to work with POTWs to help them identify their vulnerability to security threats and vandalism and take steps to ensure protection of the public health of their customers. This fact sheet discusses the types of projects that may be fundable through the CWSRF that will help POTWs ensure the protection of their facilities. What is the CWSRF program? The EPA's CWSRF program provides grant funding to states to allow them to assist POTWs to make infrastructure improvements needed to protect public health and ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act. States may use CWSRF monies to provide low or zero percent interest rate loans to municipalities for wastewater infrastructure, including facility and sewer construction and rehabilitation, storm water management, and combined sewer and sanitary overflow correction. What can wastewater utilities do to ensure security? Water utilities can take straightforward, commonsense actions to increase security and reduce threats from terrorism. Areas in which to focus attention, as recommended by the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies, the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, the Water Environment Federation, and other leading professional organizations, include guarding against unplanned physical intrusion, making security a priority for employees, coordinating actions for effective emergency response and investing in security and infrastructure improvements. What security measures can be funded through the CWSRF? States may provide CWSRF assistance to POTWs to allow them to complete vulnerability assessments and contingency and emergency response plans. Many of the types of infrastructure improvements a wastewater system could need to take to ensure security are also eligible for CWSRF funding and may have already been included within the scope of infrastructure projects funded through the program to date. Table 1 identifies specific activities that POTWs could take to ensure the security of their systems and indicates if the activity would be eligible through the CWSRF program. ------- ; Clean Water State Revolving Fund FACT SHEET What security measures cannot be funded through the CWSRF? It should be noted that maintaining a human presence can be the most important security measure a POTW can take to ensure that its facilities are protected. The CWSRF program cannot fund operations and maintenance activities for POTWs and therefore could not provide financing for an increased human security presence. Likewise, the CWSRF program cannot provide assistance to help a system purchase the chemicals needed to increase disinfection. Type of Activity General Vulnerability Assessments Contingency/Emergency Response Plans Facility Security Guards Fencing Security Cameras/Lighting Motion Detectors Redundancy (systems and power) Secure Chemical and Fuel Storage Lab Equipment Monitoring Sewer System Securing Large Sanitary Sewers Tamper-proof Manholes Eligible under CWSRF Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Table 1. Security Measures & Eligibility under the CWSRF Program How will states fund POTW projects? If a municipality is interested in obtaining financing to implement security measures, the first step in seeking assistance is to contact the state CWSRF representative - who can be found on the Office of Wastewater Management web site at: www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/index.htm Typically, any project that will receive CWSRF funding must go through public review as part of development of an annual Intended Use Plan that lays out how the state will implement its CWSRF program over the subsequent year. States do, however, have the ability to include procedures in their programs that can allow them to fund emergency projects. Each state should consider the proposals they receive from municipalities in order to make a determination as to whether the proposed improvement would qualify as an emergency project that should be addressed immediately. In some cases the types of activities that will need to be implemented may have a longer time horizon. For example, some communities are switching their treatment process to eliminate the use of gaseous chlorine. This type of project, which may require time for design and planning, will be on a longer timeline than a project needed to install adequate security fencing, and would thus go through the traditional process for funding CWSRF projects. Where can I find more information? The Agency is coordinating with the water industry to provide information and technical assistance to states and utilities to help during this time. EPA is working collaboratively with the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and other groups to develop an Information Sharing and Analysis Center to bolster ------- FACT SHEET ; Clean Water State Revolving Fund coordinated notification and response to threats and vulnerabilities. For additional information, you can also visit the following web sites: EPA Counter-terrorism www.epa.gov/swercepp/cntr-ter.html EPA Alert on Chemical Accident Prevention and Site Security www.epa.gov/ceppo/pubs/secale.pdf U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention www.bt.cdc.gov Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies www. am sa-cl ean water. org Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators www.asiwpca.org National League of Cities www.nlc.org/nl c_org/site/newsroom/terrorism_response/index.cfm National Governors Association, Emergency Management and Terrorism www.nga.org/center/topics/l,1188,D_854,OO.html if 2002 * THE YEAR OF ClEAN WATER ------- For more information about the Clean Water Revolving Fund, or for a program representative in your State, please contact: Clean Water State Revolving Fund Branch U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW (Mailcode 4204M) Washington, DC 20004 Phone: (202) 564-0752 Fax: (202) 501-2403 Internet: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfmance/index.htm Clean Water State Revolving Fund Office of Water January 2003 EPA 832-F-03-002 ------- |