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Becky Schwiete, Environmental Specialist Senior in the Water Supply Operations Section, will be retiring on March 31, 2021.
Becky has served the people of Iowa for over 31 years by implementing different elements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Underground Storage Tank program with dedication and passion for the resource.
Becky started as one of the original Leaking Underground Storage Tank program staff in January 1990, then onto the Nonpoint Source Section 319 program in November 1994, and transferred to the Water Supply Operations Section in July 2007. She has served on numerous committees and workgroups over the years providing insight and developing policies for the Drinking Water Programs. Her experience and expertise have led her to become one of the program's experts on drinking water compliance.
Becky’s retirement plans include more time on the golf course, riding bikes, and some winter time travel.
From Sarah Petersen, IDPH Community Water Fluoridation Coordinator, 3/5/2021
The Iowa Department of Public Health has released updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for their yearly Quality Award effective as of January 1, 2021. New recommendations to qualify for the award include:
- Achieve an average monthly fluoride level between 0.60 mg/L and 1.00 mg/L for each of the 12 months.
- 0.7 mg/L is the national daily target to reduce tooth decay
- When levels dip below 0.60 mg/L, the effectiveness decreases dramatically
- Complete fluoride testing and record results on Monthly Operation Reports (MORs) for each day of each month. Record at least 80% of daily fluoride samples between 0.60 mg/L and 1.00 mg/L for each of the 12 months.
- Months with 31 days – at least 25 days must be within the stated range
- Months with 30 days – at least 24 days must be within the stated range
- Month with 28 or 29 days – at least 22 days must be within the stated range
- Submit a MOR to the Iowa Department of Public Health for each of the 12 months. Here are the three ways to submit the MORs:
- Add as a carbon copy (cc) the email address mor@idph.iowa.gov when emailing the MOR to your local DNR office
- Mail MOR to 321 E 12th ST, Des Moines, IA 50319 – Attn: Sarah Petersen
- Fax MOR to (515)242-6384, Attn: Sarah Petersen
Please contact Sarah Petersen, Community Water Fluoridation Coordinator, at (515)230-3450 or sarah.petersen@idph.iowa.gov with any questions. Additional information is available on the IDPH Water Fluoridation Operations webpage.
The fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5) was published in the March 11th Federal Register as a proposed rule (pdf, 27 pages). The purpose of the UCMR is to gather information on contaminants on a nationwide basis, to determine if future regulation as a national primary drinking water contaminant is warranted to protect the public health. This is a requirement of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The public comment period on the proposed rule ends May 10, 2021. There are two virtual public meetings scheduled during the public comment period; for more details on the meeting (including dates and times) and registration, visit the EPA UCMR5 website.
In this round, the proposal is for samples to be collected at the source/entry point (after all treatment and before entry to the distribution system). Two samples at groundwater systems and four samples at surface water/influenced groundwater systems, all collected within a one-year period at specific intervals. The samples are to be analyzed for lithium (a naturally-occurring element) and 29 per and polyfluoroalkyl substance compounds (PFAS is the entire group of compounds, which have been used in a wide variety of products and industries since the mid 20th century). Two methods for PFAS are required: EPA 533 and EPA 537.1, version 2.0.
Nationally, all community water supply systems and nontransient noncommunity water supply systems that serve at least 3,300 people, are required to participate. An EPA contract laboratory will conduct the analyses for samples from those systems serving between 3,300-10,000 people. There may also be selected systems serving fewer than 3,300 people that are required to participate. The requirement for all systems serving 3,300 to 10,000 people is new in this round, due to the changes in the Safe Drinking Water Act from the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.
The sampling period is January 2023 through December 2025. The UCMR4 sampling ended on December 31, 2020, and that data is currently being reviewed by EPA, which implements the UCMRs.
From ASDWA Weekly Update, 3/3/2021
“EPA has published the Federal Register (FR) Notice with the “Announcement of Final Regulatory Determinations for Contaminants on the Fourth Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL4).” This FR Notice comes after the Biden administration’s review and re-issue of the regulatory determinations. The review did not change the Agency’s final determinations – to regulate two contaminants (PFOS and PFOA) and to not regulate six contaminants (1,1-dichloroethane, acetochlor, methyl bromide (bromomethane), metolachlor, nitrobenzene, and Royal Demolition eXplosive (RDX)).
The FR Notice provides brief descriptions of the Agency’s findings, responses to public comments, and commits EPA to making regulatory determinations for additional PFAS prior to the 2026 SDWA statutory deadline for the Agency’s fifth Regulatory Determination, if sufficient health assessments, occurrence data, and other scientific information is available. This sufficient data and information includes the new toxicity assessments for seven PFAS chemicals that EPA plans to complete by 2023 for PFBS, PFBA, PFHxS, PFHxA, PFNA, PFDA, and HFPO–DA (GenX chemicals), as well as the occurrence data for 29 PFAS compounds on the UCMR5 where monitoring will begin in January 2023. The clock is also now ticking for PFOA and PFOS, where EPA has 24 months to propose a regulation and an additional 18 months to finalize it.
EPA also provided information in the notice about its continuing evaluations for three other chemicals:
- Strontium: EPA is continuing with its previous 2016 decision to delay a final determination for strontium (on CCL3) to further consider additional exposure studies, data, and effectiveness of treatment technologies.
- 1,4-dioxane: More information and analysis are needed before EPA can make a regulatory determination in order to consider the recently completed TSCA risk evaluation and upcoming Canadian guidelines.
- 1,2,3-trichloropropane: The Agency did not make a preliminary determination due to analytical method minimum reporting level limitations for current occurrence data.
For more information, read the Federal Register Notice (.pdf, 20 pages) and view the Final Regulatory Determination 4 Support Documents”
From EPA’s WaterSense Program, 3/4/2021
“Fix-a-Leak Week is almost here! Join WaterSense (@EPAwatersense) for our kickoff Twitter Party at 1:00 p.m. CDT on Monday, March 15 by tagging your posts with #FixaLeak. Tweet leak detection tips, graphics, or videos to help us get #FixaLeak trending. A new Twitter party graphic is available in two different sizes for Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Check out the full suite of Fix a Leak Week tools on the partner website, including new tools to assist with planning and implementing remote outreach efforts.”
To find continuing education opportunities, please view the “Training Calendar” at programs.iowadnr.gov/opcertweb/ Training events where Iowa DNR staff will make presentations are listed below with the presentation name in the description. Also included are training events provided by EPA where Iowa CEU are granted, or events sponsored by Iowa DNR. See the listing on the appropriate date on the Training Calendar for registration instructions. Look at the calendar often, as there are new opportunities posted throughout the week.
- March 25, 2021, IGWA Virtual Spring Conference, “Iowa's PFAS Action Plan; Water Supply Updates: Drought Outlooks and DNR Protected Flow Process”. See website for registration information; 3 continuing education hours for WT.
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