DOH-ODW COVID-19 Update 9/28/20

Washington State
Department of Health

Office of Drinking Water

Hello Drinking Water Partners:

It’s been an exciting first month as the Acting Director of the Office of Drinking Water. I’ve learned so much and enjoyed hearing from many of you as we face challenges together. We’re hopefully transitioning away from fire season; but we’re now seeing the potential for inclement weather, power outages, and flooding. Planning for emergencies in nice weather makes responding much easier when the weather turns. Now is the time to review your emergency response plan, verify your contacts, and update what you have with any lessons learned over last eight months. We have an Emergency Response Planning Guide (331-211) to help you prepare.

Some other publications you may find useful include:

• Flooding Advice for Drinking Water Systems 331-300.
• Emergency Publications for Consumers webpage.
• Be Prepared Be Safe Floods webpage.
• Be Prepared Be Safe Landslides and Mudflows webpage.
• Be Prepared Be Safe Windstorms webpage.

It’s also time to start thinking about winter. EPA’s Incident Action Checklist for Extreme Cold and Winter Storms helps you prepare for freezing temperatures and severe weather. If you operate a surface water source you need to make seasonal adjustments to your treatment processes when temperatures drop. Disinfection, coagulation, and backwash rates are all effected by temperature. Learn more at Adjust Operations for Cold Weather (331-649).

Update—New Resource on Harmful Algal Blooms
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a potential source of contamination for surface water sources in Washington. Toxins produced by cyanobacteria found in source water or released from cyanobacterial cells through treatment processes can harm people and animals. In addition to potential public health risks of cyanobacteria, any source water algal bloom can cause increased filter loading and shorter filter run times, reduced treatment plant capacity, odor, taste, and color problems in finished water, and loss of consumer confidence in the quality of drinking water. You can prepare for and mitigate these events by proactive planning and active source management. With the algae bloom season coming to an end, now is the time to plan ahead for next year. Newly available on our website, Dealing with Algal Blooms: Time to Make a Plan (331-654).

Update—Last Chance for the Customer Assistance Programs Survey
Our Customer Assistance Programs Survey is open until the end of the month. This information will help us identify gaps and better support water systems while helping customers maintain this essential service. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey if you haven’t already done so. We need to hear from you!

Please feel free to forward this message. If you or someone else would like to be added to our email list for water systems and operators, contact Elizabeth Hyde. If you have technical questions or concerns, please contact Bill Bernier or your favorite ODW staff member.

Thanks for all the work you continue to do to protect public health!

Sincerely,

Emily Sanford
Acting Office Director