Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - September 2, 2005
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for the FaxAlert ArchiveSeptember 2, 2005
NACWA Members Offer Hurricane Relief
We have all been touched deeply by the devastation and destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Our thoughts are with all those touched by this tragedy, especially the leadership and staff of NACWA member agency, the Sewer & Water Board of New Orleans.The National Office has heard from many of you, offering your resources and support. As reported in our August 31 Special Edition FaxAlert, we are working collaboratively with all levels of government to provide the best possible avenue through which this can take place. We anticipate having additional information soon that will facilitate your response and ensure that resources are appropriately and expeditiously matched with needs. This information will be forwarded by a Special Edition FaxAlert just as soon as it is available and will also be accessible via link from www.nacwa.org. Thank you for your concern and support.
Relocation of 2006 Winter Conference Anticipated
NACWA’s 2006 Winter Conference was slated to take place at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. Current circumstances suggest that this will be inadvisable, if not impossible. The National Office is working aggressively to identify and secure an alternate location for the Winter Conference and will keep members informed of new developments as they occur.NACWA Meets with EPA on Drinking Water ELG, Preliminary ELG Plan
NACWA staff and committee leaders met with EPA officials this week to discuss the effluent limitation guideline (ELG) the Agency may establish for drinking water treatment facilities. EPA is in the process of developing surveys on waste streams and contaminants from these facilities. NACWA recommended that the Agency modify its survey to include additional waste streams that are often discharged to wastewater treatment plants, including those from onsite laboratories, regeneration waste for water softening, chlorine analyzers, and equipment washdown. The Association also noted that those clean water facilities that accept wastes from drinking water treatment facilities can effectively manage the discharges using local limits. Agency officials appreciated NACWA’s input and are scheduled to propose a rule in September 2006, which the Association will comment on, with final action due a year later.NACWA Urges Members to Provide Permit Language on WET for White Paper
NACWA, through its Water Quality Committee, is seeking information from the membership on both problematic and beneficial aspects of the Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) program. This information will be used in a NACWA white paper that will offer useful guidance on implementing the WET testing program and provide sample permit language to assist clean water facilities in implementing program requirements. The white paper constitutes NACWA’s effort to improve the implementation of testing requirements outlined in EPA’s WET program. The Association previously expressed concern with a number of issues in the Agency’s draft guidance in its March 2005 comments. To assist in ensuring the most accurate information is reflected in the white paper, NACWA urges members, specifically in Regions 2 and 6, to send in their permit language to Chris Hornback, Director of Regulatory Affairs, at chornback@nacwa.org. For more information, refer to Regulatory Alert 05-06, which can be accessed on NACWA’s website.Three Clean Water Agencies Complete Biosolids EMS Program Certification
The Encina Wastewater Authority, Carlsbad, Calif., Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, Denver, Colo., and Village Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Fort Worth, Texas, have joined the ranks of clean water facilities who have completed the National Biosolids Partnership’s (NBP) Environmental Management System (EMS) program. These three clean water facilities underwent third party audits and were certified as having an “effective biosolids environmental management system that supports continually improving environmental performance, meeting regulatory compliance obligations, utilizing good management practices and creating meaningful opportunities for public participation.” NACWA congratulates these clean water facilities for their dedication in advancing environmentally sounds practices in biosolids management. The EMS program is a key NBP initiative that allows clean water facilities to achieve management standards that go beyond the already stringent federal criteria for biosolids. The NBP EMS program also helps to improve communication with the general public and ensure the protection of public health. Currently, there are 80 public utilities enrolled, and 9 facilities have completed the program to date. NACWA and other stakeholder groups successfully advocated for $1 million in funding for the program in fiscal year (FY) 2006. For more information on the EMS process visit the NBP website.Online Registration for NACWA’s Law and Pretreatment Conferences Now Available
NACWA is pleased to announce that online registration is now available for its 2005 Developments in Clean Water Law: A Seminar for Public Agency Managers and Attorneys, November 9-11, in Santa Fe, N.M., and the 2005 National Pretreatment & Pollution Prevention Workshop, November 16-18, in Kansas City, Mo. Agendas for both meetings will be available in the coming weeks on NACWA’s Conferences and Meetings webpage.