Description: The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 (SGMA) has been called “the most important legislation in California in 100 years.” SGMA mandates the sustainable use of California groundwater. Given the fact that many groundwater basins are in overdraft, implementation of sustainable practices will likely have a significant impact on small water systems that use groundwater from these basins. SGMA applies to the 127 high and medium priority groundwater basins, which account for approximately 96 percent of groundwater use in California. It is therefore very likely that a significant number of California small water systems will be impacted by the implementation of sustainable practices mandated by this law. Given that both Water Rights and Adequacy of Supply are Division of Drinking Water (DDW) Technical, Managerial and Financial (TMF) elements and that SGMA is very likely to have a significant impact on both these elements for a large number of California small water systems, it is very important that these systems have adequate training into SGMA’s process and requirements. Participants will learn:  The basics of groundwater hydrology, including: The Water Cycle and types of aquifers The provisions of SGMA, including: The goal of sustainable water extractions from a basin What the […]

Join experts from the Environmental Finance Center Network for a no-cost webinar series on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). This monthly series is intended to help you better understand the CWSRF funding process. Sessions will be held on the third Thursday every month (excluding December 2023 which will be held on Tuesday, December 19). April 20, 2023 | Session 4: Taking on capital improvement projects can be expensive and often necessitates financing, such as loans. Since loans need to be paid back over time and may require rate increases to generate sufficient revenue for debt repayment, it is beneficial to decrease the interest and principal as much as possible. Subsidized low-interest rate loans, like the state Drinking Water or Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRF), can save money over time by offering lower interest rates compared to market rates and, for qualifying communities, partial principal forgiveness. We recommend low interest loans because they decrease impacts on the customer base. In this webinar, we will describe low-interest loans, their merits, and demonstrate two tools to help evaluate different loan options and their financial impact. We introduce the Subsidized Loan Calculator, which allows you to compare different loan options and their […]

Description: The water meter is the cash register for public water systems! Water systems need an accurate measurement of the water being used by their residential, commercial, and industrial customers or they could potentially be losing money. The accuracy is vital for planning all aspects of water system operations from budgeting, reporting to the primacy agency and planning for the short- and long-term future. It is crucial that the meters be replaced prior to a predetermined date (no more than 15 years) to ensure that the meters are still reading accurately. When replacing meters, the public water system may want to consider replacing manual read water meters with radio read, cellular read or other technology, which brings us to funding. Will we be funding this from our existing budget, or will we be seeking grant/loan money for a meter replacement project? Participants will learn:  Different types, brands and styles of water meters and choosing the one best for your system Proper application of water meters (types and size) Installing a water meter Budgeting for water meter replacement vs. loans/grants for water meter replacement Manual read water meters vs. smart meters The recommended audience includes board members, management and operators.

Description: The water meter is the cash register for public water systems! Water systems need an accurate measurement of the water being used by their residential, commercial, and industrial customers or they could potentially be losing money. The accuracy is vital for planning all aspects of water system operations from budgeting, reporting to the primacy agency and planning for the short- and long-term future. It is crucial that the meters be replaced prior to a predetermined date (no more than 15 years) to ensure that the meters are still reading accurately. When replacing meters, the public water system may want to consider replacing manual read water meters with radio read, cellular read or other technology, which brings us to funding. Will we be funding this from our existing budget, or will we be seeking grant/loan money for a meter replacement project? Participants will learn:  Different types, brands and styles of water meters and choosing the one best for your system Proper application of water meters (types and size) Installing a water meter Budgeting for water meter replacement vs. loans/grants for water meter replacement Manual read water meters vs. smart meters The recommended audience includes board members, management and operators.

Description: The issue of PFAS contamination is being highlighted throughout the country with many experiencing anxieties over possible water contamination.  PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals which include Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS). Known as “forever chemicals” PFAS compounds have been found widely in the environment including thousands of groundwater sources throughout US. PFAS compounds are currently the #1 emerging threat to water systems. Continuing studies are identifying potential health risks associated with these chemicals. This session examines the origin, the concerns, and provides information for small systems about protecting public health. Participants will learn: Why these "forever" chemicals are not going away Where do PFAS come from What are the health effects of PFAS PFAS regulations in drinking water PFAS treatment technologies for drinking water systems The recommended audience includes board members, managers and operators.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development and the Office of Water invites you to attend a free webinar on Manganese. There will be two parts to this webinar. For further information, view the flyer for the webinar HERE. Presentation 1: Manganese Interference with Disinfectant Residual Methods This presentation will provide a summary of manganese occurrence in public water systems and describe its potential interference with commonly used methods to measure disinfectant residual. Case studies will be shared to demonstrate this issue. A flow chart to diagnose manganese interference will be introduced to help identify approaches to minimize manganese interference with commonly used methods, including sample pre-treatment, sample filtration, and alternative methods. Presentation 2: Management of Manganese and Small System Considerations Treatment of manganese is an ongoing concern for operational, esthetic and, more recently, health reasons. Manganese has been shown to be accumulated and released from the distribution system. These release events can cause discolored water but also release other regulated metals of health concern (e.g. lead, arsenic) into the distributed water. Research indicates that a finished water concentration of <0.02 mg/L is achievable by most utilities by optimizing existing treatment. At this concentration, it can also […]

Description: The issue of PFAS contamination is being highlighted throughout the country with many experiencing anxieties over possible water contamination.  PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals which include Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS). Known as “forever chemicals” PFAS compounds have been found widely in the environment including thousands of groundwater sources throughout US. PFAS compounds are currently the #1 emerging threat to water systems. Continuing studies are identifying potential health risks associated with these chemicals. This session examines the origin, the concerns, and provides information for small systems about protecting public health. Participants will learn: Why these "forever" chemicals are not going away Where do PFAS come from What are the health effects of PFAS PFAS regulations in drinking water PFAS treatment technologies for drinking water systems The recommended audience includes board members, managers and operators.

Strategic communications is about knowing your audiences and how to reach them. There is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Knowing your community’s demographics and communication patterns can provide water sector leaders with insight into developing consistent and informative communication plans. 

Description: Sampling for total coliforms and E. coli in the water system is one of the most important things an operator can do. The new Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) effective April 2016 affects every public water system. These revisions to the Total Coliform Rule will affect how operators and managers respond to total coliform positives (TC+) and require steps to analyze the integrity of the system as a result of positive samples. Investigation and corrective actions are at the forefront of the RTCR, and knowing how to complete a level 1 assessment can be the difference between compliance and violation. This workshop will focus on reviewing triggers for level 1 and level 2 assessments and who is expected to perform them; how to conduct an assessment with examples and small group exercises. Participants will learn: New procedures for the month following a TC+ What to do if you have a positive E. coli result When an assessment of system is needed How to complete a level 1 assessment of your system Tips on system inspection/investigation Operator Basics Series: The recommended audience includes operators, managers, and board members.