Underground
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An update on source water protection and underground pollution control from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pacific Southwest/Region 9, serving Arizona,
California, Hawaii, Nevada, Native American Tribes in the Region, and the Pacific Islands.
Fall 2001
EPA909-N-01-004
ALSO IN
THIS ISSUE:
Tribal Corner ........... 2
Animal Feeding
Operations ............. 3
State Source Water
Assessment
Updates ................. 4
Upcoming
Conferences .......... 4
Questions about
dairy impacts to
water quality?
www.epa.gov/
regionOS/
animalwaste
EPA Proposes to
Continue Existing
Approach on
Managing Class V
Injection Wells:
To review this proposal and
to get more information,
please visit:
www.epa.gov/safewater/
uic/classv.html
On-site Sewage Treatment:
Training Opportunities
Septic tanks and other on-site sewage treatment systems provide sanitation to
millions of Americans. In sensitive environments, such treatment systems can
pollute ground water. To enhance local pollution control, the EPA funds training for
sanitarians, service providers and the general public on operation and maintenance
of conventional septic systems, as well as newer treatment technologies. This
training is available through a number of organizations in the Pacific Southwest,
which offer workshops and academic courses. Here is a partial list of what is
offered:
Distance Learning:
A self-paced course is available from Ken Kerri's Office at California State
University, Sacramento; "Small Wastewater System Operation and
Maintenance". For more information, see www.owp.csus.edu/, or contact CSU
by mail: Office of Water Programs, CSU-Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento,
CA95819.
Classes/workshops with field demonstrations:
At Northern Arizona University, contact NAU College of Engineering and Technology,
P.O. Box 15600, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5600, ore-mail Steven.Hoban@nau.edu, or
call (520) 523-8296. See also www.cse.nau.edu/wdp/.
California State University, Chico offers one to three-day courses with field
components, at multiple locations around the state. Contact Tibor Banathy, CSU-
Chico Onsite Wastewater Training and Research Center, 311 Nicholas Schouten
Lane, Chico, CA 95928, www.calwastewater.org, ore-mailtbanathy@csuchico.edu.
The Hawaii Department of Health supports a Wastewater Operator Training Center
that offers courses relevant to large and small systems. Contact the Statewide
Wastewater Operator Training Center, 1350 Sand Island Parkway, Bldg. 3A,
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96819, or call (808) 832-5478. See alsowww.hawaii.gov/health/
eh/emwwtc.html#anchor863763.
Conferences:
Annual conference of the Native American Water Association (for water and
wastewater professionals), September 2001. See http://nawainc.org/ or write
(continued on page 2)
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(continued from page 1)
Soils Class, Chico, May 1999
NAWA, 1662 Highway 395, Suite 212, Minden, NV
89423; phone (775) 782-6636, e-mail info@nawainc.org.
For Homeowners:
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has
produced a homeowner's guide to on-site systems,
published at http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/water/
az1159.pdf.
The University of Reno Cooperative Extension has
several documents available on septic system and
private well management at www.extension.unr.edu/
pubsmenu.html#waterquality.
The Small Flows Clearinghouse offers free assistance
and information on its Web site and toll-free hotline:
www.nsfc.wvu.edu; or call (800) 624-8301.
EPA Information:
EPA's Office of Wastewater Management has issued
guidelines for management of decentralized wastewater
treatment systems to help communities fill the gap
between conventional septic systems and sewage
treatment plants. For more information see
www.epa.gov/owm/decent.
EPA's Office of Research and Development is working
to update its 1980 Design Manual for On-site Sewage
Treatment Systems. To be notified of its availability, or
to receive information about on-site treatment training
opportunities in Region 9, send an e-mail to
janes.elizabeth@epa.gov.
Tribal
Corner
Source Water Assessments:
EPA's PacificSouthwest Ground WaterOffice continues
to encourage tribes to develop source water protection
programs. The Ground Water Office is currently
soliciting tribes in the Pacific Southwest to submit
proposals under §1442 (c)(3) of the Safe Drinking
Water Act (42 USC §300j-1 (c)(3)). Under this grant,
tribes can conduct assessments of their drinking water
sources and develop protection measures. To qualify
for funding, workplans must be submitted to EPA by
November 30, 2001.
In addition to grant opportunities, technical staff from
EPA are available to work with tribes on source water
protection development and implementation activities.
Underground Injection Control (UIC):
EPA's Ground Water Office mailed letters to all tribal
chairpersons in the Pacific Southwest on April 11,
2001, seeking input on the region's proposal to continue
a ban on motor vehicle waste disposal (MVWD) wells
located on tribal and state lands. MVWD wells are
shallow injection wells (septic tanks, cesspools, or dry
wells) at auto shops, maintenance yards, and other
facilities that receive automotive wastes such as waste
oil, used antifreeze, brake fluid, cleaning solvents, and
leaked fuel. In December 1999, EPA issued national
regulations that prohibit the construction of new MVWD
wells. For existing MVWD wells the rule provides an
option to phase them out over an 8-year period. The
April 11 letter described EPA's Pacific Southwest
proposal to continue the region-wide ban on all MVWDs
due to their potential threat to the environment and
public health. As a follow-up to that letter, our office is
currently calling each tribal chairperson to seek their
input into the process.
For more information: Call EPA Tribal contact Lisa
Penaska, Ground Water Office, at 415-744-1966 or e-
mail penaska.lisa@epa.gov.
U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest/Region 9 Notes From Underground, Fall 2001, Page 2
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Animal Feeding Operations in
Region 9
This morning, did you have cream in your coffee? Have
a ham or chicken salad sandwich at lunch? There is a
good chance that your dairy or meat product originated
from an animal feeding operation, or "AFO".
Definition:
Cows, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, horses — any
grouping of animals confined together, for at least 45
days, in an area denuded of vegetation, is usually
considered an AFO. Feed is usually brought to the
animals, unlike grazing animals. An AFO which houses
more than 1000 animals units is considered a CAFO, or
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation. A dairy, for
instance, with 700 milk cows (equivalent to 1000 animal
units) could be considered a CAFO. CAFOs are usually
regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimi-
nation System (NPDES).
EPA is revising the regulations that define AFOs and
how they should be managed. The public comment
period on the draft regulations closed on July 30, 2001.
The new regulations are expected to be issued in
January 2003 and will be implemented by the del-
egated Pacific Southwest Region states. Arizona is
currently a non-delegated state. EPA's Pacific South-
west Region recently published a general NPDES
permit for CAFOs in Arizona, which will require the large
facilities to develop Nutrient Management Plans to
govern land application of the manure waste. This
permit takes effect on August 27, 2001. In Arizona,
approximately 100 dairies are expected to be covered
under this permit.
Number of facilities in R9:
While an exact number is not known, dairies make up
the bulk of AFOs in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and
Nevada.
Arizona
California
Hawaii
Nevada
Estimated # of dairies
197
2700
50
150
1 Source USDA1999 (Approximate data)
Pollution Potential:
A single dairy cow produces about 120 pounds of wet
manure perday (Nitrate Working Group, CDFA1989:27)
which is equivalent to the waste produced by 20-40
people. That means California's 1.4 million dairy cows
produce as much waste as 28 - 56 million people. Like
many residential, industrial and agricultural activities,
animal feedlots have the potential to pollute ground and
surface waters if not managed properly. Water, mixed
with manure, may contain high levels of nitrates, phos-
phorus, pathogens, sediments, and salt. Through
several pathways, manure water could contaminate
surface or ground waters. Similarly, the same risk
applies at the field sites if the manure water that is
applied to fertilize crops is not applied at an agronomic
rate - that is, at a rate and time where the crop can
utilize most of the nutrients without letting them escape
to the ground water below or flow into surface waters.
Drinking Water Protection:
Animal feedlots deserve special attention from water
managers if they are located within the Source Water
Assessment and Protection (SWAP) areas. Dairy
locations may be determined through the state or local
agency that regulates the milk program. However, this
information may be difficult to determine since records
may be obsolete or considered business confidential
and not available to the public. Inspection records from
state or county regulatory agencies may indicate the
potential for an AFO to pollute surface or ground water
and whether problems have been identified in the past.
If records indicate that the facility has not been in-
spected, it may be prudent to work with the regulating
agency to arrange an inspection and ensure manure is
properly managed, to reduce or eliminate contamina-
tion reaching surface and ground waters that serve as
drinking water sources.
For more information:
Contact Judy Bloom, EPA Pacific Southwest Region
Ground Water Office at 415-744-1829 or e-mail
bloom.judy@epa.gov.
U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest/Region 9 Notes From Underground, Fall 2001, Page 3
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Source Water
Assessment Program Update
All four Pacific Southwest states - Arizona, California,
Hawaii, and Nevada are on track to complete their source
water assessments by May 2003. Information about
completed assessments will be available in each state's
annual Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report which
is released every July. To learn more about your community's
source water assessment contact:
AZ: Department of Environmental Quality, within AZ
(800) 234-5677, Ext. 4653; outside AZ
(602) 207-2300
CA: Department of Health Protection Services,
(707) 576-2295 or www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/
ddwem/dwsap/overview.htm
HI: Department of Health, (808) 586-4258
NV: Bureau of Health Protection Services,
(775) 687-6353
For more information about Drinking Water Consumer
Confidence Reports, visit:
www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr1 .html
Some Upcoming Events
October 23 - 26: Association of State Drinking Water
Administrators Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.
For more information, visit www.asdwa.org.
October 30 - 31: 23rd University of California Biennial
Groundwater Conference & 10th Annual Meeting,
Groundwater Resources Association of California -
Managing California's Groundwater: The Challenges of
Quality and Quantity in Sacramento, CA. For more
information, visit www.grac.org.
November 11 - 14: American Water Works Association
Water Quality Technology Conference in Nashville,
Tennessee. For more information, visit www.awwa.org.
November 14-16: Groundwater Foundation 2001 Fall
Conference Today's Technology Protecting Tomorrow's
Groundwater' in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more
information, visit www.groundwaterfoundation.org.
Notes From Underground
U.S. EPA, Pacific Southwest/Region 9
Ground Water Office, WTR-9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
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