Delaware Office of Drinking Water Office of Drinking Water 655 Bay Road, Suite 203 Dover, DE 19901 302.741.8630 Fax: 302.741.8631 TAPTALK H2O Tapping Into Good Health Division of Public Health Vol. 8, No. 3 Summer 2008 Lead and Copper Monitoring Reminder By Rebecca Fahey, RS Cu Copper Atomic Number: 29 Atomic Mass: 63.55 Summer months mean lead and copper monitoring for those systems on an annual monitoring cycle. Summer monitoring months are June 1 through September 30 of each year. The number of samples required is based on the size of hte public water system and the number of connections and people that drink the water on a daily basis. For example, a public water system serving the same 100 or fewer consumers daily would be required to collect 5 samples and a system serving the same 10,001 - 100,000 consumers daily would be required to collect 60 samples during the summer monitoring period. Despite all good intentions and reminders, public water systems sometimes miss collecting the required lead and copper monitoring samples during the summer monitoring period. What happens then? The system returns to the original schedule of 2 consecutive 6 month rounds of lead and copper monitoring by collecting the required samples during July 1 - December 31 and again January 1 - June 30. In addition to collecting the lead and copper monitoring samples, the public water system recevies a Monitoring and Reporting Violation and must perform public notice of the violation to people that drink the water. Public water systems collecting and reporting lead and copper monitoring samples during the current monitoring periods with results that are below the federal and state standards maybe granted accelerated reduced monitoring status. For more information contact Rebecca Fahey at 302-741-8598. Pb Lead Atomic Number: 82 Atomic Mass: 207.20 The Nor'Easter of May 2008 By Donna Trader The Office of Drinking Water (ODW) is happy to report that the residents of Pickering Beach and Kitts Hummock can safely use their water. Previous tests revealed that the systems were both contaminated by E. Coli when their well heads were submersed by the May floods. When Governor Minner decalred a State of Emergency, the Delaware National Guard aided residents by providing portable water buffaloes while the boil water notices were in effect. Special thanks to Sgt. McKinney of the Delaware National Guard and his staff for ensuring the residents had access to one of our everyday necessities. People don't realize how much safe drinking water impacts their daily lives until you don't have it. DELAWARE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES Division of Public Health Office of Drinking Water Doc. No. 35-05-20-07/08/05 The Administrator’s Corner By Ed Hallock Program Administrator Office of Drinking Water On Thursday, July 17, more than 400 attendees from every state, several territories, large metropolitan and small rural communities, and several Canadian localities tuned in to the Water and Wastewater Sector Pandemic Webinar. The Office of Drinking Water was among those that tuned in. The 90 minute event (cosponsored by the Water Sector Coordinating Council, the Department of Homeland Security, and EPA) offered an overview and discussion of the federally developed basic Pandemic Guideline document and the Water Sector Specific Annex. The annex divides into seven focus areas for water utility pandemic planning considerations: essential services, essential equipment, essential raw materials and supplies, essential workers, interdependencies, regulatory issues, and impacts from community mitigation strategies. Each of these focus areas are described by suggested actions, activities, and questions to consider within the context of pandemic planning. The focus areas are not designed to become a comprehensive stand alone plan. Rather, they are meant to complement a larger emergency planning, response, and resiliency strategy. The essential “take home message” is about crisis planning, continuity of operation, and resiliency for water and wastewater utilities as truly critical infrastructure. Beyond illness and specific health concerns, federal pandemic experts suggest that workplace impacts would be severe. Businesses and communities should expect a 3040% absentee rate (of which about 15% will actually be ill, 10% will be caring for ill persons, 10% will be caring for others such as children when schools are closed, and approximately 5% will be fearful of exposure). While flu vaccines will be available and water/wastewater utility essential staff are among those critical workers who will receive vaccinations (Tier 2 of 4), there is no certainty that the vaccine will be completely effective. Other recommended health based mitigation actions include wearing personal protective devices (face masks), practicing voluntary isolation, voluntary home quarantine, closing schools, and social distancing (cancelling group and sporting events). While this may not be “new information” for some of you, one of the instant polls taken during the webinar demonstrated that a substantial number of attendees were not familiar with the basics of pandemic planning or how it would differ from any other type of emergency planning. A s an example, some attendees had not considered that because of the likely duration and multiple “wave” structure of a pandemic episode, they may need to identify 1st, 2nd, and even 3rd orders of supply vulnerabilities; e.g., are your suppliers and your suppliers’ suppliers ready to meet demand during a pandemic event – do they have supply plans that are consistent with your needs? They had not considered that this or similar situations could be the single point of failure that would have cascading consequences throughout their community. We want to congratulate Ralph Hughes, Town of Felton water operator, on winning both the Operator of the Year for Delaware and also being chosen by EPA Region 3 as the Small System Operator Excellence Award winner. Ralph’s work with EPA and their contractors on the installation of the arsenic removal treatment system was critical in ensuring safe drinking water to the residents of Felton. ODW Courses Approved Sampler Tester Certificates to Expire on 12/31/08 If so, ODW has scheduled refresher courses on September 15 & 22, and October 3, 6, 17 & 20 at the Smyrna State Service Center located at 200 South Dupont Highway, Suite 101. Due to space availability it is required to call for advance registration. Future training dates will be announced. For more information contact Donna Trader at 741-8594. Borrowers Conference WrapUp The Office of Drinking Water’s State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program hosted its first annual Borrower’s Conference on July 23, 2008 at Jonathan’s Landing Golf Course in Magnolia. Eighty-five attendees included municipalities and utilities received more information about the borrowing process. The City of Wilmington gave an update on their Cool Springs project as well as presenters from DNREC, EPA, and Delaware Rural Water. If you would like more information about the DWSRF program, contact Heather Warren at 3027418585. We look forward to seeing you in 2010. The Best in Delaware The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented Ralph Hughes of Felton, Delaware with the EPA midAtlantic region’s award for excellence in operating a public drinking water system. “Public drinking water plant operators like Ralph Hughes are our first line of defense against waterborne diseases and contamination that can cause serious, even fatal, illnesses,” said Donald S. Welsh, EPA regional administrator. “This award honors the excellence of highly qualified, trained professionals who have the expertise to operate water treatment plants.” Hughes operates the drinking water treatment facility for the Felton water Department. He was recognized by the EPA, Senator Carper’s office, Delaware’s House of Representatives, Kent County Levy Court and the Office of Drinking Water during a ceremony at Felton Town Hall on August 13, 2008. Hughes was recognized for his outstanding efforts in the development, construction and implementation of the first arsenic treatment facility in the state. Hughes’ award is in the small system category. Public Notices of 2008 Date Date Returned to System Name Violation Issued Compliance Bridgeville Commercial Park Nitrate 9/21/2007 Pending Brumbley's Family Bacteria 4/21/2008 6/10/2008 Childrens Place Bacteria 6/2/2008 6/30/2008 Forest Park Nitrate 10/12/2005 Pending Frederica Water Department Treatment 8/17/2007 Pending Gulls Way Campground Nitrate 9/25/2007 7/22/2008 Hockers SUpercenter Bacteria 5/19/2008 6/16/2008 Hoods Daycare Bacteria 7/15/2008 Pending Kitts Hummock Improvement Assoc. Bacteria 5/16/2008 7/10/2008 Lakeland Mobile Home Park Bacteria 1/29/2008 1/29/2008 Lloyds Deli and Resale Shop Nitrate 1/4/2008 3/18/2008 Middletown Water Department Monitoring 6/19/2008 4/30/2008 Oak Grove Estates Bacteria 7/24/2008 Pending Pepper Ridge Park DBP 1/9/2008 Pending Pepper Ridge Park Bacteria 5/30/2008 Pending Pickering Beack Bacteria 5/30/2008 6/16/2008 Savannah Place Nitrate 4/28/2005 Pending Sea Breeze Longs Trailer Park Bacteria 7/2/2007 Pending Shore Stop 231 - Rising Sun Nitrate 11/2/2007 3/11/2008 Shore Stop 256 - Milford Bacteria 7/24/2008 Pending Smith Landing Nitrate 7/19/2007 5/5/2008 Sports at the Beach Nitrate 7/22/2008 Pending St. Andrews School System II Bacteria 2/29/2008 4/2/2008 Sussex Pines Country Club Nitrate 2/26/200/ Pending Village at Five Points Center Nitrate 4/22/2008 5/13/2008 Woodland Manor Bacteria 2/26/2008 4/21/2008 Woodland Trailer Court Bacteria 9/20/2007 6/5/2008 Woodside Manor Bacteria 7/24/2008 Pending Memories from our "Summer Vacation" (Photo availale in pdf version of this document.) Corinne Stayton and Becky Kohout providing assistance at the ODW display booth at the Delaware State Fair. (Photo availale in pdf version of this document.) We are still asking ourselves how we got volunteered to be on the water festival planning committee! From left to right: Patty Murray (DNREC), Donna Trader (ODW) and Jennifer Holmes (DNERR) (Photo availale in pdf version of this document.) Bill Milliken of ODW guides his group of students from Woodbridge Elementary School…and he didn’t lose a single kid! (Photo availale in pdf version of this document.) Just in case you were wondering what the game "scoop the poop" meant. Office of Drinking Water Blue Hen Corporate Center 655 Bay Road, Suite 203 Dover, DE 19901