Region 8 Tribal Drinking Water Monthly Newsletter September, 2022 Announcement: Railroad Transportation Limitations and Disruptions: Current Status and Potential Supply Chain Impacts Today, EPA published a status report on the ongoing railroad labor dispute, and potential impacts to water and wastewater utilities. Important points to consider: On September 12. rail carriers began to issue embargoes on the transport of hazardous materials, which include chlorine products needed for water and wastewater treatment, Utilities should take immediate inventory of their chlorine supply and other essential chemicals and coordinate with suppliers regarding pending deliveries Considering conservation of existing supply to the extent possible while ensuring adequate chlorine residual in finished water Work with mutual aid and assistance contacts, such as the state WARN Consult the state primacy agency to discuss steps that can be taken, and Communicate potential impacts to treatment operations to the public, especially if boil water advisories become necessary. For more information from EPA, click here. THIS MONTH Announcement: Railroad Transportation Limitations and Disruptions: Current Status and Potential Supply Chain Impacts Announcement: New Region 8 Drinking Water Staff Event: 2022 Tribal Exchange Network Conference Training Resource: IHS Environmental Health Support Center Resource: Tribal Source Water Protection Projects Webpage Launched Upcoming Webinars Upcoming Regulatory Deadlines Key EPA Contacts ------- Announcement: New Region 8 Drinking Water Staff On September 12, two new individuals joined the EPA Region 8 Drinking Water staff. Karen Simpson will serve as the new Drinking Water Emerging Contaminants Coordinator. Karen is an environmental scientist who has previously worked in financial management and Clean Water Act implementation for EPA. Erica Wenzel joins EPA as the new Drinking Water Lead and Lead Service Line Replacement Support and Erica Wenzel. Previously, Erica worked as a drinking water operator and inspector for water utilities and environmental firms around Denver, Colorado. Their contact information will be added to the contact list linked at the bottom of this newsletter. Welcome, Karen and Erica! Event: 2022 Tribal Exchange Network Conference The 2022 Tribal Exchange Network Conference aims to expand tribal capacity for environmental data sharing, management, and analysis through informational, interactive sessions that offer: Networking opportunities and connections with other professionals A showcase of Exchange Network projects and technology tools Workshops, demonstrations, and mentoring for tribal professionals Discussions on resources, funding opportunities, and technical support This event is designed for tribal staff and program managers working with environmental data, particularly those seeking to leverage technology solutions to streamline their work and enhance their data management capacity. Others who may benefit from attending include state and federal partners, collaborators, and other stakeholders working to support tribal sovereignty to address environmental concerns. When: October 18 20, 2022; Flagstaff, AZ and Online Click here for more information. Training Resource: IHS Environmental Health Support Center IHS's Environmental Health Support Center provides training and resources to water and wastewater operators throughout the year. Their website is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about water treatment, utility management, and other relevant topics. Many of these trainings are free. See below for a selection of upcoming trainings EHSC is sponsoring: Workshop Title Workshop Date Workshop Length (Hours) Level 1 Assessment Performance and Reporting 27-Sep-22 4 Pumps and Motors Troubleshooting 2-part series October 12 & 13, 2022 6 ------- Introduction to Activated Sludge Process Control for Grade 1 & 2 Operators 26-Oct-22 4 Water Quality Sampling 9-Nov-22 4 Process Controls & Troubleshooting 7-Dec-22 4 Water Well Operation and Maintenance 18-Jan-23 2 Trickling Filters and Rotating Biological Contract Units 26-Jan-23 4 Basic Electrical Controls 22-Feb-23 4 Activated Sludge Process Control for Tribal WW Operators 9-Feb-23 4 Preparing for a Sanitary Survey 21-Mar-23 4 Hypochlorite 7-Mar-23 4 Lead and Copper 26-Apr-22 2 Operator Safety: An Overview 12-Apr-23 4 Resource: Tribal Source Water Protection Projects Webpage Launched In an effort to increase tribal participation and resources to the EPA website, the Source Water Protection (SWP) program added a Tribal Source Water Protection Projects webpage to EPA s Source Water Protection website. While the current EPA SWP website currently has tribal documents and resources, case examples have been added to the website of ways tribes have creatively completed projects with source water protection components to those projects. The Tribal examples discuss the leveraging of the Tribal 106 Grant Program and Tribal 319 Grant program, and State programs for SWP. Future additional stories may showcase other funding programs at EPA from other regions as well. Click here for more information. Upcoming Webinars Title Descriptions Date Registration National Tribal Operator Workgroup Virtual Meeting (Hosted by ITCA) The Tribal Water & Wastewater Operator Workgroup Meeting provides a forum for Tribal water utility personnel to attend short training seminars, exchange ideas, and learn from their peers. The meeting will provide training on timely topics that are important to operators, wastewater operators, and utility managers. September 19- 22, 2022 Click here AWWA Webinar: Better Data and Models for PIPEiD, a national water pipeline database, will help water utilities of all sizes more effectively manage water pipeline September 21, 2022, 11:00 AM MT Click here ------- Improved Asset Management infrastructure systems for performance, resilience, and sustainability. This work was conducted on behalf of the United States Bureau of Reclamation under congressional direction to collect high- quality field performance data of water pipelines of different materials and diameters, including cast iron and ductile iron, prestressed concrete cylinder pipe, reinforced concrete, steel, thermoplastic, and others. Powering Water Utilities with Renewable Energy No additional information available. October 6, 2022, 11:00 AM MT Click here Septic Systems 101 Recording In this webinar recording you'll learn about septic system management as part of a larger strategy to protect the water in your private well. Using best practices to maintain your septic system can also keep it in proper working order and prolong its life. The webinar will answer questions such as: ¦ What is safe to flush down your drains, ¦ Do you need to put additives in your septic tank, and ¦ How to prolong the life of your system. Previously Recorded Click here Other Webinar and Trainina Resources IHSEHSC Training Calendar AWWA Training Calendar WaterODerator.org Training Calendar Upcoming Regulatory Deadlines (Refer to Tickler for System-Specific Information) Date Event Location Last day of every calendar month Last day to collect monthly total coliform samples Sites approved on your RTCR sample plan 10th of every month Last day for EPA to receive total coliform and DBP samples collected during the previous month N/A ------- September 30th Last day to collect Lead and Copper Sites approved on your samples for systems who have a LCR sample plan seasonal monitoring period of Jun - September (check your To-Do) Key EPA Contacts Region 8 Tribal Team Nate Delano - Denver, CO Office - 303-312-6318 - delano.nathaniel@epa.gov Emily Gillespie - Helena, MT Office - 406-457-5009 - Gillespie.emily.i@epa.gov Joe Faubion - Helena, MT Office - 406-457-5005 - Faubion.joseph@epa.gov Andrea Griese - Pierre, SD Office - 605-945-1192 - griese.andrea@epa.gov Other R8 Drinking Water Employee Contact Information Can be Found Here. This newsletter can be viewed online by visiting: https://www.epa.gov/region8-waterops/epa-region-8- tribal-drinking-water-monthly-newsletter. If you would like to be added or removed from this newsletter distribution list, please email delano.nathaniel@epa.gov. ------- |