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Notes From UnderarouncL
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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.
Winter 2004
EPA 909-N-03-003
IN THIS ISSUE:
1 > Hawaii Cesspools
2 > Update on State
SWAPs
3 > Tribal Issues
4 > National SWP
Conference
4 > Other calendar
items
What is*
ETY "•
ETV is the Environmental
Technology Verification
Program, a joint venture
between EPA and the
National Sanitation
Foundation (NSF) to verify
technologies for improving
public health and
environmental quality.
Equipment reviewed
includes many onsite
sewage treatment
components, which could
be utilized in response to
the cesspool ban.
To see what ETV
technologies benefit
drinking water and ground
water, visit www.epa.gov/
etv/centers/center4 .html.
Deadline Approaching For Closing
Hawaii's Large Capacity Cesspools
The State of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) has estimated that there are
approximately 185,000 cesspools in Hawaii. Of these, at least 600 are known to be
large capacity cesspools which, by definition, "have the capacity to serve 20 or more
persons per day." The DOH and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have
agreed that this equates to a daily flow capacity of 1,000 gallons or more. Such
cesspools are subject to a DIG national ban, and must be closed by April 2005.
The large number of cesspools is unique to Hawaii. Large capacity cesspools are
known to serve schools, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, industrial facilities,
parks, multiple homes ("gang cesspools") and hospitals. The DIG ban does not apply
to smaller cesspools receiving only sanitary waste. However, any cesspool found to
be contaminating water should be closed to prevent pollution and disease.
Cesspools are usually lined or unlined holes in the ground that receive raw sewage
and do not provide any treatment of the raw sewage. Therefore, cesspools can allow
pathogens, ammonia, and nitrate to percolate directly into ground water which is a
source of drinking water in Hawaii. Pathogens which can be present in sewage
include cholera, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis. Nitrate, at a high enough concen-
tration, can cause methemoglobinemia or "blue baby syndrome" which prevents the
blood of infants from absorbing oxygen and can result in death. Depending on the
proximity of a cesspool to a nearby stream, river or the ocean, pathogens and
nutrients can travel from the cesspool through the ground water to these surface
water bodies. Nutrients from shoreline cesspools may contribute to nearshore algal
blooms.
While other states have required septic systems where sewer lines were out of reach,
Hawaii has very limited soil cover, with heavy clays and volcanic rock at or near the
surface in many areas. Conventional horizonal dispersal via leachfields is not always
used as it is in much of the continental United States. Cesspools have been used
because they are easy to build, cheap to maintain, and require little land. Vertical
disposal, however, can accelerate pollution, without sun and oxygen to aid treatment.
In 1991, DOH promulgated regulations that banned new cesspools in the center of
the islands where most drinking water wells are located. However, many large
capacity cesspools were "grandfathered" in, and must now be closed. To comply with
the federal ban, an owner of a large capacity cesspool will either have to connect to
a sewer and close the cesspool, or install additional treatment such as a large
capacity septic system or wastewater package plant. Facility owners must contact
DOH to determine the requirements applicable to their site, which may include
instructions for proper closure of cesspools and pre-construction approval for new
onsite wastewater treatment systems.
(continued on page 2)
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EPA's FY2003 budget included a $495,000 special
appropriation for the replacement of cesspools in Hawaii.
This grant was directed to DOH (and subsequently to the
County of Hawaii) to assist disadvantaged communities in
complying with the federal ban, by replacing existing gang
cesspools with community septic systems or other
community wastewater systems. Margarita Hopkins, in
the Department of Research and Development for the
County, is the project manager for the grant. The County
will provide $390,273 as a match, providing close to
$900,000 to help the communities on the Big Island.
Other Funding
Sources
for Upgrading
Treatment
For Property Owners: the
U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture (USDA) offers Section 504 low interest loans and
grants to individuals for home repair which includes cess-
pool replacement. If an applicant is low-income, interest
rates can be as low as one percent. If the applicant is over
62 years of age, they can receive a grant.
For communities: the DOH Clean Water State Revolving
Fund (CWSRF) can be used to provide low interest loans
to counties and municipalities. For more information
contact: DOH at 808-586-4294.
The USDA also offers Water and Waste Disposal loans
and grants to develop community wastewater systems in
rural areas or to cities and towns with a population of
10,000 or less. Funds are available to entities such as
municipalities, counties and special-purpose districts. The
money can be loaned directly from USDA or through a
bank. Grants can also be given, in some instances, for up
to 75 percent of eligible project costs. See also
www.usda.gov/rus/water/prog.htm.
There are also U.S. Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) Community Development Block Grant and HOME
programs that provide funds to counties. Under the HOM E
program, counties can use this funding for cesspool
conversion, provided that it is done in conjunction with
HOME funded rehabilitation of existing housing units. See
also www.hud.gov.
To get more information about the EPA large capacity
cesspool ban, contact Shannon FitzGerald at
866-EPA-WEST. For more information about, closure
requirements or State UIC permits, contact Chauncey
Hew, DOH, at 808-586-4258. For information regarding
wastewater treatment installation and approval, contact
Harold Yee, DOH, at 808-586-4294.
Update on State
Source Water Assessment
Programs
Three of the four Pacific Southwest states: AZ, CA and NV
have almost completed their Source Water Assessment
Program (SWAP). Hawaii is working toward completing
its program and is scheduled to finish by the end of the
calendar year. To obtain information about the results of
the assessments or to learn more about how your State is
transitioning from the assessments to source water
protection (SWP), please contact:
AZ: Nina Miller, SWP Manager
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(602) 771-4641, Miller.Nina@ev.state.az.us
http://www.adeq.state.az.us/environ/water/dw/mau.html
CA: Leah Walker
California Department of Health Services
(707) 576-2295, LWalker2@dhs.ca.gov
www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/ddwem/dwsap/overview.htm
HI: Bill Wong, Drinking Water Chief
Hawaii Department of Health
(808) 586-4258, bwong@eha.health.state.hi.us
Dan Chang, SWAP/SWP Coordinator
Hawaii Department of Health
(808) 586-4258, dchang@eha.health.state.hi.us
www.hawaii.gov/health/eh/sdwb
NV: Jim Balderson, SWAP Manager
Nevada State Health Division
Bureau of Health Protection Services
(775) 687-4754, jbalderson@nvhd.state.nv.us
health2k.state.nv.us/bhps/phe/swa.htm
Nevan Kane, Wellhead Protection (WHP) Coordinator
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Water Pollution Control
(775) 687-9426, nkane@ndep.state.nv.us
ndep.nv.gov/bwpc/wellhead.htm
DRINKING WATER SECURITY: EPA is making available the
interim final Response Protocol Toolbox: Planning for and
Responding to Contamination Threats to Drinking Water
Systems. The Toolbox is designed to help the water sector
effectively and appropriately respond to intentional
contamination threats and incidents. It was produced by
EPA, building on the experience and expertise of several
drinking water utilities, in particular, the Metropolitan Water
District of Southern California. See http://www.epa.gov/
safewater/security/index.html#emergency for more
information.
U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest/Region 9 Notes From Underground, Winter 2004, Page 2
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Tribal
Issues
Hualapai Nation's Source Water Assessment
and Protection Activities
The Hualapai Nation has made great strides in securing
their current and future drinking water supplies by
completing a Source Water Assessment (Assessment)
and beginning a comprehensive Source Water Protection
Program.
During the Assessment of a major public water system,
the land area surface that conveys surface water to the
ground water aquifer (protection area) was determined
using extensive computer modeling based on field data.
Activities that could possibly endanger the ground water
supply in the protection area were inspected and evaluated.
As a final assessment step, the nearby residents were
notified of the contamination risk associated with various
activities in the protection area.
Fortunately, no high-risk activities were found in the
protection area. The Tribe is currently developing a
Source Water Protection Program that includes drafting
ground water protection ordinances, developing and
presenting ground water conservation and protection
strategies in schools and at public meetings, and performing
monthly inspections of facilities located within the protection
area to ensure their drinking water resources do not
become contaminated.
The Hualapai Nation is doing an exemplary job in
developing a Source Water Protection Program from the
results of a thorough Source Water Assessment.
Tribal Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Training
EPA will hold a third Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) training in Phoenix, AZ in September 2004 (exact
dates to be announced). The purpose of this training is to enable participants to complete all aspects of a source water
assessment. An assessment includes 4 steps: 1- delineate a drinking water source area, 2- inventory potential
contaminating activities within this delineated area, 3- conduct a susceptibility analysis to determine how susceptible
the drinking water source is to the identified potential contaminating activities, and 4- disseminate the results of the
assessment to the community. This hands-on, highly interactive 3-day course will enable the participants to complete
all aspects of a source water assessment by covering the following topics:
• Hydrogeologic Principles
• Ground Water Mapping Development and
Interpretation
• Aquifer Testing Procedures
• Source Water Delineation Methods
• How to Evaluate and Prioritize Sources of
Drinking Water Contamination
Tribes who currently have a SWAP grant or those
who anticipate applying for one in response to the
announcement of SWAP/SWP grant funds for
Federal Fiscal Year 2004 are strongly encouraged
to attend the upcoming training in Phoenix, AZ. This
training is aimed at federally recognized tribes that
operate their own public water supply system.
For more information, contact Eric Byous at
415-972-3531 or email bvous.eric @ epa.gov.
o
Wellhead area delineation + area map + locations of potential
contaminant sources = tool for source water protection
U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest/Region 9 Notes From Underground, Winter 2004, Page 3
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EPA's National Source Water Protection
Conference, June 2003
Over 450 people attended the 2003 National SWP
Conference in Washington, D.C. Participants came from
47 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. They
represented all levels of government from local to federal,
utilities, technical assistance providers and health care
workers, and private citizens. Twelve conference sessions
included effective communication strategies, GIS tools,
working with upstream neighbors, and integrating CWA
and SDWA programs. The conference also featured
plenary sessions on partnerships, financing and public
health protection.
These publications were made available at the conference:
"Source water Protection: It's In Our Hands" brochure and
poster (EPA 816-F-03-008); "Funding for Source Water
Protection Activities" (EPA 816-K-03-004); and "EPA's
Annotated Bibliography of Source Water Protection
Materials on CD" (EPA 816-F-03-010). These documents
and proceedings are posted on www.epa.gov/safewater/
protect/swpconf.html. Or, hard copies may be obtained
free of charge by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
at 800-426-4791, or email hotline-sdwa@epa.gov.
Upcoming Events
March 21-24, 2004: 10th National Symposium on Individual
and Small Community Sewage Systems joint conference with
the 8th International Drainage Symposium; Sacramento,
California. Register at http://www.asae.org/meetings/
index.html.
March 22-24: Rural Community Assistance Corporation annual
conference in Portland, Oregon. See www.rcac.org for more
information.
March 30-April 2: Annual Educational Symposium, Calfiornia
Environmental Health Association, Pasadena. See
www.ceha.org.
April 19-22,2004: National Tribal Environmental Council 2004
Conference in South Carolina hosted by the Catawba Tribe of
South Carolina; for details see www.ntec.org.
September 2004: EPA Region 9 Tribal Source Water Assessment
Program (SWAP) Training in Phoenix, AZ. For more information,
contact Eric Byous at byous.eric@epa.gov.
New California website for Ground Water:
http://www.aroundwater.water.ca.aov/
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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available to download free at
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using vegetable-based ink. Mailing list correction:
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