MakingWaves - News From the Division of Water

The Division of Water Wishes You a Happy New Year!

In This Issue:

• Draft 2020-2022 CWA 303(d) List of Impaired Waters
• WI/PWL Water Quality Assessment Updates
• Additional $23 Million in Water Quality Grants Awarded
• Asset Management Programs for Publicly Owned Treatment Works
• Webinar on NYS Wastewater Surveillance Network Monitoring for COVID-19

New York State Draft 2020-2022 Clean Water Act § 303(d) List of Impaired Waters

DEC has announced the availability of its Draft 2020-2022 Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Impaired/Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Waters. This list identifies waters that do not meet applicable water quality standards and do not support applicable best uses, thereby requiring a TMDL. Comments will be accepted through January 28, 2022.

The Draft 2020-2022 303(d) List and the Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology are available on DEC's website. 

For more information, including where to send comments, view the December 29th Environmental Notice Bulletin. 

WI/PWL Water Quality Assessment Updates

Waterbody Inventory/Priority Waterbodies List (WI/PWL) fact sheets have been updated for all waterbodies that had monitoring conducted on them during 2011-2018. 

DEC programs collect monitoring data on rivers, streams, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters, evaluate these results, and report the water quality information to the public. The WI/PWL provides assessments of many New York State waters. WI/PWL fact sheets are available on the DECinfo Locator. Visit the WI/PWL webpage to learn how to access specific fact sheets. 

Comments on DEC's water assessments are welcome via email.

Additional $23 Million in Water Quality Grants Awarded

Governor Kathy Hochul announced $23 million in grants to help improve water quality across New York State while mitigating the effects of climate change. Through the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation’s Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP), $20.8 million is being awarded to 17 projects that incorporate green storm water infrastructure, as well as implement energy and water efficiency measures. An additional $2.5 million in Engineering Planning Grants (EPG) will help jumpstart planning for 56 water infrastructure projects. The funding is part of the $750 million announced for Round XI of the Governor’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

The full list of projects are in the Governor's December 27th press release, or view the lists on EFC's website: GIGP list of awards;  EPG list of awards. 

Asset Management Programs for Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW)

DEC has posted a new Asset Management Guide (Guide) on its website to help POTW owners and operators develop asset management programs suited to each unique wastewater treatment system and the goals of the community. The Guide will help municipalities plan and budget for the capital improvements and management strategies necessary to run their POTWs as efficiently and economically as possible. You can find additional asset management resources on DEC's webpage. 

DEC and the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) are working together on a plan to put the Guide to practical use beginning this spring, help up to 50 municipalities develop and implement asset management programs, and provide feedback on ways the Guide might be improved. To initiate the plan, EFC has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to hire a firm to act as an advisor, consultant, and program manager to work with up to 10 engineering firms that will work with the municipalities. The full RFQ is available on EFC's webpage. Applications are due February 2, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.

After the advising firm is hired, EFC will issue a second RFQ to select engineering firms. The selected firms will be trained to provide engineering consultant services, including the use of asset management software, to assist participating municipalities in the development of an asset management program. An asset management program includes inventories of collection and treatment system assets, the identification of projects and necessary budgets for capital improvements, and management strategies. DEC and EFC will solicit volunteer municipalities across New York State to participate in the program. Municipalities and engineering firms are encouraged to review the Guide and consider volunteering or applying for the program. More information is available on EFC's Asset Management Program webpage.

Webinar on NYS Wastewater Surveillance Network Monitoring for COVID-19

Registration is open for the free webinar, "Introduction to the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network", which will be held January 19, 2022, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. The webinar will introduce the NYS wastewater-based epidemiology network that is providing real-time monitoring of wastewater for cornonavirus RNA. In collaboration with the NYS Department of Health and DEC, Dr. David Larsen’s team at Syracuse University is working to scale a wastewater surveillance network across New York State to aid the response to public health threats. 

Wastewater treatment plant operators, county and municipal governments, elected officials and staff, and public health officials are encouraged to attend. View the Wastewater Surveillance Network website for more information about the monitoring network. The webinar is organized by Syracuse University Falk College Department of Public Health and the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center and is co-sponsored by the New York Water Environment Association and NYS Water Resources Institute.