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The Field Office 5 move back to the Wallace Building is now complete. Most of the staff are located on the east side of the fourth floor, with the emergency response staff on the east side of the fifth floor. Visitors should check in at the reception desk on the fourth floor. Parking is available at the ramp on Grand and Pennsylvania (entrances on Grand Ave. and Des Moines Street), and at various on-street sites. Staff phone numbers and email addresses remain the same, including their main number of 515-725-0268, answered during normal business hours. For after hours, weekends and holidays, the 24-hour environmental emergency reporting number remains 515-725-8694.
The fiscal year 2019 Intended Use Plans (IUPs) Fourth Quarter Update for the Clean Water SRF and the Drinking Water SRF are now available for public review and comment at the following locations:
Clean Water SRF
Drinking Water SRF
The IUPs cover the period of July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019. Public comments are welcome. Draft quarterly project lists are also available for review.
A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, February 14, 2019 in the Wallace State Office Building, 502 E. 9th Street, Des Moines. The meeting will be held in the 5th floor West conference room at 10:00 a.m. Participants should check in at the 4th floor DNR reception desk. Written comments will be accepted through Thursday, February 21, 2019. It is anticipated that the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission will act on the IUPs at their March 18, 2019 meeting.
Questions and written comments should be directed to Theresa Enright, SRF Coordinator, theresa.enright@dnr.iowa.gov.
Julie Sievers, Senior Environmental Specialist, Field Office 3 - Spencer
During extremely cold weather or during periods of high winds, water tower and storage tank piping can freeze, preventing water from entering and leaving the tower or tank. To try and prevent this, operators are encouraged to take steps to keep the water moving in and out of the tower or tank, using the recirculating pump if the tower is equipped with one, and monitoring system pressures. A drop in pressure when the tower or tank level shows adequate water is an indication of ice building up in the piping.
These actions are especially important in storage tanks with industrial or business or school connections where the usage drops to very low levels for long periods of time (such as over a weekend or during snow days). If you encounter a situation where you cannot move water into and out of the tower or storage tank, contact your tower maintenance contractor. Typically hot water or steam is used to thaw out the piping. You may need to request your customers conserve water and reduce usage until the piping can be thawed out. Please notify your local DNR Field Office and apprise them of the situation. If your system is depressurized, they will work with you to get the system back to normal operations.
Note: Look for additional information in the next couple weeks on this subject.
Water Main Breaks
In some parts of the state, the water mains are breaking due to cold temperatures and ground movement because there is less snow for insulation. As a reminder, if your system is depressurized during a repair of the water main, here’s a link to the Main Break and Depressurization Guidance (lower right side of page).
From the website:
“This website is designed to teach you how to stay safe before, during and after a winter storm. You will find information on winter alerts, science and hazards, snow coverage maps, and information describing the different types of winter storms.”
From the website:
“It is important to listen to weather forecasts regularly and check your emergency supplies if a period of extreme cold or other types of severe weather are predicted. Brush up on your winter weather skills by reviewing the information found on this page.”
There are several links to the National Weather Service, Centers for Disease Control, and Department of Homeland Security that are sources of information on winter preparedness. Additional links are available for responding after a storm, such as carbon monoxide, downed power line hazard, slips, and chainsaw use.
The American Red Cross has a list of tips to prevent and recover from frozen water pipes on their website. With the winter season definitely upon us, take a moment to refresh your knowledge.
EPA’s Water Sector Incident Action Checklist for extreme cold and winter storms is available on this webpage. These “rip & run” style checklists are designed to facilitate emergency preparedness, response, and recovery actions for water and wastewater utilities.
Incident Action Checklist - Extreme Cold and Winter Storms (PDF) (8 pp, 987K) | EPA 817-F-15-003, January 2015
Excerpted from WaterOperator.org blog of November 28, 2017
This 2013 presentation (.pdf) by Maine DEP staff was written from a wastewater perspective, but much of it also applies to water systems. And, many of our water operators have dual duty as wastewater operators.
“...Preparing for winter weather can be as simple as making sure workers have warm work clothes, but it also means that every precaution should be taken to keep excess ice off your water tower, which can be not so simple at times. And being prepared means taking a look at all aspects of your operation: hydrants, wells/pumping equipment, storage tanks, backflow, emergency preparedness, trucks/backhoes/equipment, worker needs and emergency stock items. ...”
Iowa DNR staff in the water supply program areas are scheduled to speak at the following events. The date, sponsor and event, location, subject, and contact for more information are listed.
- February 18-20, 2019. IRWA Annual Conference, Iowa Events Center, Des Moines. “Creston Water Plant Failure and Recovery Process; IDNR WS Update.” Brochure and registration.
- March 6-7, 2019. IAMU Advanced Water Workshops, Ankeny. “IDNR WS Update.” Brochure and registration.
- March 13, 2019. IA-AWWA Region 5 Water Operator Conference, DMACC Auditorium, Newton. “IDNR WS Update.”
- March 20, 2019. IA-AWWA Region 6 Water Operator Conference, KC Hall, Washington. “IDNR WS Update, Required Sampling Plans.”
- March 27, 2019. IA-AWWA Region 4 Water Operator Conference, Cass County Community Center, Atlantic. “Creston Membrane Failure; IDNR WS Update.” Contact Steve Marley at 641-347-5510 for registration.
For other professional development opportunities, see the “Training Calendar” at programs.iowadnr.gov/opcertweb/.
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