What does it mean to your PWS?
The Ground Water Rule (GWR) is one of the many outcomes from the 1996 amendments added to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. The GWR applies to more than 150,000 public water systems serving more than 100 million customers in the United States. The rule was originally proposed by the EPA in May of 2000, signed into Law in October, 2006 and took effect on January 8, 2007.
You can visit the link in this article for more specifics about the GWR and the “risk-targeted” approach the EPA has established.
What it means to Public Water Systems now is the Water Systems will be evaluated in four major areas.
1. Periodic Sanitary surveys: This requires the evaluation of eight critical elements:
Source; treatment; distribution system; water storage; pumps; pumping facilities; and controls; monitoring; reporting and data collection; system management and operation; and operator compliance with state requirements.
The EPA has allows state Department of Health Services until December 31, 2012 to complete the sanitary survey cycle of ALL community water systems.
2. Source water monitoring: When a water system has a confirmed positive Coliform sample. Source Water monitoring is triggered, as well as optional assessment monitor at high-risk systems.
3. Corrective Action: is required when a water system is identified to have significant deficiency or source water contamination.
4. Compliance Monitoring: More than $3.6 billion has been ear-marked to ensure that drinking water systems comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Much of these funds are already available for low-interest loans to qualified water systems.
As with most of the regulations on Public Water Systems, it basically all comes down to money. Compliance with the GWR may not be too expensive in some cases. However, as we visit many water systems and consider the eight items that will be evaluated during the sanitary surveys, it is apparent that in some cases the water system will be looking for financial assistance and guidance.
Most Public Water Systems using groundwater can contact their local USDA Rural Development Office and / or the Professional Pump Dealer, a ground water specialist, for assistance with the GWR and bringing their deficient systems up to compliance.
As of this month, there is just over five years for the state health department to complete their surveys. There is a lot of work to be done in many areas. Learn what impact the GWR is going to have on your system, understand what is needed to comply with the new rule.
The time is now!