Region 8 Tribal Drinking Water Monthly Newsletter April, 2022 Announcement: New Drinking Water Plumbing Inventory Requirement for Public Water Systems The 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions include a requirement for all community and non-transient non- community water systems to develop a service line inventory and submit it to EPA by October 16. 2024. Every service line at the system will have to be classified into one of four categories: • Lead • Galvanized needing replacement (meaning a galvanized service line that is or was downstream of a lead line or is downstream of a line of unknown material) • Non-lead • Unknown EPA recommends that water systems begin developing these inventories as soon as possible. Below are suggested activities that water systems can take now to help fulfill this requirement: • Review existing records to identify gaps • Start documenting service line information as it is encountered in the field • Talk to IHS or past consultants that may have knowledge of the system • Document information from long-time water operators or past operators. Later this year, EPA will be publishing guidance regarding this requirement that will help guide the development of these inventories. The Region will provide additional information as it becomes available. Region 8 is also in the process of hiring an additional staff person to work on this requirement, we will circulate More background information regarding EPA's final revisions to the lead and copper rule can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking- THIS MONTH Announcement: New Drinking Water Plumbing Inventory Requirement for Public Water Systems Funding: EPA Announces Availability of up to $1.6 Million in EJ Grants for Tribal Public Participation Projects Announcement: Targeted Email Account Compromise Phishing Incidents Continue Against U.S. Water and Wastewater Utilities Training: Montana Spring 2022 Water School Upcoming Webinars Upcoming Regulatory Deadlines Key EPA Contacts ------- water/supporting-materials-final-revisions-lead-and- copper-rule Funding: EPA Announces Availability of up to $1.6 Million in EJ Grants for Tribal Public Participation Projects EPA has announced a new Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) Request for Applications (RFA) specifically for federally recognized Tribes, to fund tribal government efforts to establish or modify public participation programs where fair treatment and meaningful participation priorities have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants are being funded by $1.6 million of American Rescue Plan (ARP) resources, provided by EPA's Office of Environmental Justice, and administered by EPA's American Indian Environmental Office. The Agency anticipates 16 to 20 grants nationwide in amounts of up to $100,000 per award. EPA is committed to assisting federally recognized Tribes in building capacity to establish public participation, community involvement, education, and communication systems to engage with tribal members and others living on tribal lands. To be eligible for ARP funding, public participation programs must specifically address activities authorized by section 103(b) of the Clean Air Act (CAA; 42 U.S.C. 7403(b)) and/or section 1442 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA; 42 U.S.C. 300j-l). There will be an informational webinars for interested tribes to learn more about this new EJSG opportunity for federally-recognized tribal governments for projects that help residents of tribal communities understand, address and participate in local environmental and public health issues: • April 14, 2:30-4:00 PM ET. o To register: Click here There will also be a webinar for Tribes to learn more about EJScreen, EPA's environmental justice screening and mapping tool, on May 3, 2:30 - 4:00 PM ET, as part of the EJ Webinar Series for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples. For more information: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaliustice/environmental-iustice-small- grants-program For further information about this new EJSG, please contact Sarah Frederick, Frederick.sarah@epa.gov, EPA, American Indian Environmental Office. Announcement: Targeted Email Account Compromise Phishing Incidents Continue Against U.S. Water and Wastewater Utilities Multiple water utilities have reported targeted phishing emails being sent to their employees during the past week. The emails have attempted to impersonate current employees or government officials. As they often do, these impersonation attempts have utilized official logos to give the phishing emails the appearance of legitimacy. Due to similar activity over the past year, the EPA and WaterlSAC published a joint advisory in November to advise water and wastewater entities of the prevalence of this type of threat. ------- The EPA and WaterlSAC once again remind all members and partners of the sector to review this FBI announcement and adopt the recommended mitigations. End-user awareness of scams and implementing technical controls (such as multifactor authentication) are some of the most important steps you can take to curb this threat. Additional PINs and Resources • FBI PIN: Cyber Criminals Exploit Email Rule Vulnerability to Increase Likelihood of Successful Business Email Compromise • WaterlSAC's 15 Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Water and Wastewater Utilities • AWWA Resources on Cybersecurity • Security Awareness Reminder - Business Email Compromise, a Primer on Impersonation Attacks • Cybersecurity Awareness/Hygiene - Proofpoint BEC Taxonomy Series • Security Awareness - Managing the Human Side of Cyber • EPA Cybersecurity Best Practices for the Water Sector Incident Reporting WaterlSAC encourages any members who have experienced malicious or suspicious activity to email analyst@waterisac.org, call 866-H20-ISAC, or use the online incident reporting form. Training: Montana Spring 2022 Water School Montana Water and Wastewater Operators Initiative (MW20I) is offering Spring 2022 Water School to continue the long tradition of operator training. The Spring Water School will be a two-day training and half-day testing event held in-person at the Miles City Community College in Miles City, Montana, May 16 to May 18, 2022. Knowledgeable speakers from around the nation will provide operators with important training on ways to improve their systems. The Spring Water School will focus on workshops with practical operational information that can readily be put into practice. Registration Link: 2022 Spring Water School - Academic Technology and Outreach I Montana State University *An active application will need to be on file with DEQ or new applications will need to be submitted and received by April 19, 2022 if you plan on taking an exam on May 18th. Please notify Jen VandenBos if you plan on taking the exam at 444-4584 or ivandenbos@mt.gov Upcoming Webinars Title Descriptions Date Registration Risk Management: Small Systems Aren't Small Potatoes - Why Presented by NRWA, WaterlSAC & MCGANRWA and WaterlSAC invite you to the third of our collaborative three-part webinar series providing cybersecurity April 14, 2022 (12:00 pm MT) Click here ------- Rural Water Utilities Need Cybersecurity & What to Do About It advice for water and wastewater utilities of all sizes. Everyone from brand new operators to members of the board will discover helpful tips for avoiding cyber incidents. This session will cover the basics of Risk Management, including: • Patching, • Backups, and • Incident response. Attendees will gain knowledge on: • Patching prioritization, • Backup precautions, and Essential elements of cybersecurity incident preparation and response. Asset Management - Planning for the Future Don't wait until something breaks. Learn about asset management tools to support long-range planning and techniques for setting rates to fund your utility. April 20, 2022 (1:00-3:00 PM MT) Click here Source Water Protection and Harmful Algal Blooms Using Molecular Methods to Studv April 26, 2022 (12:00 to 2:00 PM MT) Click here Cvanobacterial Blooms • Presented by Jorge Santo Domingo, EPA's Office of Research and Development Funding Integration Tool for Source Water: Finding a Plan a FITS • Presented by Terrell Tiendrebogo and April Byrne, EPA's Office of Water\N\th Finding and Retaining Good Leaders and Staff Effective leadership and staff retention are key issues for small utilities. Learn about successful practices from other organizations. April 27, 2022 (1:00-3:00 PM MT) Click here Telecommunications Resources and Services This webinar will provide information on resources and services to help water utilities develop robust communications plans. May 4, 2022 (11:00-1:00PM MT) Click here Wastewater Lagoons and Onsite Septic Systems Many communities rely on small lagoons for wastewater management or onsite septic systems serving individual properties. Learn about the operation and maintenance and how they can be optimized to protect water quality. May 4, 2022 (1:00-3:00 PM MT) Click here ------- 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 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. ------- |