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NJPDES
NACWA's Recommendations For A Viable And Vital 21st Century Clean Water Policy (Posted 1/7/08)In the 35 years since the Clean Water Act was passed, clean water agencies have contributed significantly to improvements in the quality of the nation's waters. Despite these and other improvements from point-source discharges and the significant reductions in the concentrations of pollutants that have been achieved in our lakes, rivers and streams, the incremental rate of water quality improvement has slowed significantly.

Increasing amounts of resources are now being spent to curtail end-of-pipe discharges, but a proportionate return on investment is not being seen in improved water quality. NACWA's clean water agency members remain on the frontlines of protecting and restoring our nation's waters. They continue to upgrade their treatment processes and have increased their overall environmental protection capabilities, but they are also increasingly aware of the disconnect between current management, monitoring and implementation practices and what is needed to achieve the goals of the Clean Water Act.

In March 2007, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) formed a Strategic Watershed Task Force to investigate if the concept of a "watershed approach" may still prove to be the path forward to improve the quality of the nation's waters further. The Task Force was charged with identifying the obstacles to achieving a true watershed approach and the changes that need to be made for it to succeed.

Framed by a discussion of the opportunities provided by a meaningful and effective watershed approach, as well as the current obstacles to implementing such an approach, the Task Force developed several key short and long-term recommendations. NACWA's Recommendations For A Viable And Vital 21st Century Clean Water Policy can be downloaded by clicking here.

NJDEP's most recent NJPDES Monitoring Report Form Reference Manual is available for download here. (Posted 7/25/07)

The USEPA has issued a final MUR that revises the list of the approved analysis and sampling procedures in wastewater regulations. It can be downloaded here. (Posted 7/25/07)

DEP Easy Access lists DEP Staff Members. 
http://www.nj.gov/dep/easyaccess/

EPA Proposes Short-Term Regulatory Revisions
and Clarifications of Lead and Copper Rule

(Posted 7/21/06)

Phosphorus Update

 
 

Links to Security Information for AEA members

The National Security Alert is

Cyber Security Advisories (posted 8/25/08)
Click here for the latest update

Recent Phishing Activity

WaterIsac Basic, is a service of the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC), electronically disseminates bulletins and advisories issued by the US EPA and US Department of Homeland Security.
www.waterisac.org

Department of Homeland Security
www.dhs.gov/index.shtm

State Police Office of Emergency Management
http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/

Find Planning resources for Emergency Management at
portal01.state.nj.us/http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/plan/local-officials.html

New Jersey Requires Background Checks for Independent Contractors in Certain Industries. (Posted 1/4/07) Click here for further details. 

Incident Command Training Required for Public Utility Workers
Did you know that Acting Governor Codey signed Executive Order # 50 requiring all local agencies to follow the National Incident Command System with regard to responding to emergencies? As such, you will need training in this system which is available through the NJ State Police and many local emergency management agencies . You may recall that this ICS was referenced in the Best Security Practices for wastewater and water.

Authorities will need to train their employees with a basic knowledge of the ICS and of counterterrorism. The AEA Preparedness Committee has completed a PowerPoint program that can be used along with a module prepared by the NJ Office of Counterterrorism to train employees. In April, the association will hold a train the trainer session for all members to familiarize you with the program and help you plan your own site specific program.

In the meantime, you may wish to get someone trained in the Incident Command System.   Click here for a copy of the Incident Command System Information.

Link of the Week (Posted 12/21/05)
CREATE Homeland Security Center
www.usc.edu/create/ 
CREATE is an interdisciplinary national research center based at the University of Southern California and funded by the Department of Homeland Security. The Center comprises a team of experts from across the country, including partnerships with New York University and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Maintaining Critical Wastewater Services
Ten Steps to Maintain Critical Wastewater Services and Protect Public Health in an Emergency
Ten Steps to Maintain Critical Wastewater Services and Protect Public Health in an Emergency (in color)
Ten Steps to Maintain Critical Wastewater Services and Protect Public Health in an Emergency (poster)

EPA Issues Water Utility Security Guide (Posted 6/23/05)
EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) published Security Information Collaboratives: A Guide for Water Utilities. The purpose of the guide is to inform drinking water and wastewater utilities about the benefits of establishing collaborative arrangements with other organizations to share information on water security. The guide provides step-by-step suggestions for establishing a successful security-information collaborative and includes three case studies.  To download the guide, visit: http://www.lgean.org/documents/security information collaboratives.pdf.

Employee Security Training Presentation  (pdf)
by Ellen Gulbinsky at the NJWEA
Technology Transfer Seminar
October 2005

Security Training Modules for Water Utilities

For more security resources check the WEF Security page

http://www.wef.org/watersecurity/

Water authorities should be sure to download the information on this site
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/security


N.J. Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force

N.J. Office of Emergency Management

County Emergency Management Coordinators

FEMA

EPA Water Infrastructure Security page

EPA National Homeland Security Research Center

EPA "Guidance for water utility response, recovery and remediation"

 

Ocean
An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century
Final Report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Released by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy on September 20, 2004, An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century contains the Commission's findings and recommendations for a new, coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to open this document. Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded for free.

New Data Indicates Improvements in Beach Health (Posted 7/29/05)
This week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made available on its web site the latest data about beach closings and advisories for the 2004 swimming season.  According to EPA, the data show that only four percent of beach days were lost in 2004 due to advisories or closures triggered by monitoring for bacteria.  In addition, closures were relatively short in duration, with over 2,700 closings for two days or less, and only 59 closings that lasted more than 30 days.  Over 3,500 beaches were monitored in 2004 compared to only 1, 021 in 1997 when EPA first began collecting beach-monitoring program data.  Of the beaches reported in the 2004 data, 942, or 26 percent, had at least one advisory or closing during the season.  The beach-monitoring program is required under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act. Coastal and Great Lakes states and territories must report to EPA on beach monitoring and notification data for their coastal recreation waters. Summary information for 2004 is available at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/beaches/2004fs.html.  (SRT)

Open Public Records Act

The Government Records Council recently issued Advisory Opinion No. 2006-01 entitled "What Constitutes a Valid Open Public Records Request". This important Opinion concluded that OPRA "requires all requestors to submit OPRA requests on an agency's official OPRA records request form." All Records Custodians and legal advisors should review this Opinion at www.state.nj.us/grc/pdf/AdvisoryOpinionNo2006-01.pdf  

Government Records Council web site

Open Public Records Act and the Destruction of Public Records Act
Edward Kondracki, Esq.

Sample Open Public Records Act public notice

Sample Open Public Records form

 

Stormwater
 

DEP Report Shows Municipalities are making good progress meeting stormwater pollution control requirements. (Posted 2/19/08)

 

New Jersey Stream Buffers Cut Back by Senior Environment Official Environmental News Service (posted 2/14/08)

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2008/2008-02-11-096.asp  

TRENTON, New Jersey, February 11, 2008 (ENS) - The commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has revoked her own order issued little more than a year ago protecting stream buffers. These strips of grass, shrubs, and trees beside streams provide cooling shade and act to remove pollutants in urban stormwater, reduce erosion and stabilize stream banks.  Click here for more information

DEP Wins Legal Challenge to Stormwater Regulations

Guidebook Details Control Of Urban Runoff Pollution (Posted 12/15/05)
12/13/2005 Washington, D.C. — The Environmental Protection Agency has released a guidebook on managing runoff pollution caused by urban activities. National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Areas is an information source for states and cities to use in their pollution-management programs for protecting waterways.

The guidebook is free and available at: http://www.epa.gov/nps/urbanmm/

More information about nonpoint source pollution and urban runoff is at: http://www.epa.gov/nps


Check out this web site for an update on products and info on stormwater

www.wateronline.com


New EPA Web Site Shares Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories
(Posted 9/20/05)

EPA launched a new web site sharing Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories. The Web site features projects receiving grant funds from the Clean Water Act section 319 Nonpoint Source Program that have achieved documented water quality improvements, including the achievement of water quality standards and removal from state section 303(d) lists of impaired waters. The Web site includes 18 stories, and 10 more will be posted in the next several weeks.  The web address is http://www.epa.gov/nps/success/

Wisconsin Study Reveals Fertilizers More Harmful Than Previously Thought
A Wisconsin
study found that farmer’s routine application of chemical fertilizers and manure to the land poses a far greater environmental problem to freshwater lakes than previously thought, potentially polluting water for hundreds of years.  The paper is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  The paper concludes that phosphorus in fertilizers builds up in soils and will slowly end up in many lakes where nutrients lead to plant and algae growth and to eutrophication, a phenomenon that turns pristine lakes into smelly, weed-filled swamps.  (PS)

Stormwater information from the Assn. of Environmental Commissions (Posted 7/12/05)
Municipal options for stormwater management
http://www.anjec.org/html/papers.htm#waterresource

EPA Releases Improved Storm Water Management Model (Posted 5/10/05)

EPA Issues Request for Proposals for Watershed Protection Grants 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds issued a request for initial proposals for Asse21t and Watershed Protection Program Grants (AWPPG). The main goals of the AWPPGs include supporting a watershed approach to better address water quality problems in the U.S. and building the capacity of all levels of government to develop and implement effective, comprehensive programs for watershed protection, restoration, and management. States and local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribes, territories of the U.S., public or private nonprofit, nongovernmental institutions, and individuals are eligible to apply. Initial proposals are due June 21. The request for proposals is posted on EPA’s website at http://www.epa.gov/owow/funding.html. (SRT)


For the latest copy of stormwater rules, guidance documents, general permits, and applications please downloads items from the DEP website
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq/
mrsp-.html

 

Watershed

Watershed Tool of the Month
Enviromapper for Water
(Posted 3/19/07)
Enviromapper for Water (http://map8.epa.gov/enviromapper/) is a GIS based application that allows users to visualize and display geographic water information, including a wealth of information stored in EPA’s databases (e.g. Water Quality Standards, Impaired Waters/TMDLs, Waterbody Assessments, Water Quality Monitoring, and Point Source Information).  To learn more about EPA’s tools, sign up for the March 28th Webcast on Key EPA Tools for Watershed Management (see below).

 

The latest Wanaque Report now available (Posted 6/30/05)
Click here to view the report (pdf)

New federal guidelines for 319 grant program funding

New Jersey Watershed Management Areas
Detailed maps showing specific watershed management areas by county, provided by the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Watershed Management.

Purdue's "Know Your Watershed" Site  
http://www2.ctic.purdue.edu/KYW/Brochures/GetToKnow.html

Water Supply

New Jersey Drinking Water Running Out (Posted 10/25/07)
Click here

Water Is Life, and Infrastructure Makes It Happen™ (Posted 2/21/07) is a program to help communities build, maintain and improve life-sustaining water and wastewater systems. A toolkit including PowerPoint presentations, media releases and other materials is available to assist you in educating the community – visit www.WaterIsLife.Net to find these and other tools:

After 60 years, debate over fluoride still rages

USGS Releases First Annual Streamflow Summary (Posted 1/31/07)
Streamflow conditions last year reached record-breaking highs in the Northeast and
near-record lows in other areas of the country, according to a new report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), “Streamflow of 2006 – Water Year Summary.  ”The report compares changes in streamflow conditions over the course of 2006 to conditions over the past 75 years.  “Despite these regional highs and lows, however, streamflow conditions nationwide were relatively typical,” says Harry Lins, hydrologist with the USGS surface-water program. “We expect in any given year that one percent of streamgages will experience a new all-time record high or all-time record low streamflow. In 2006, two percent of streamgages reported new record high streamflow, most of which were in New England, and one percent of streamgages experienced new record lows.”  Below normal conditions were prevalent in Texas and other states in the central and southern Great Plains, parts of the Southeast, and Alaska.  USGS plans to provide similar summaries every year and collects data from more than 7,400 streamgages.  The summary report is available at
http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/2006summary/.

U.S. National Academies Launches Water Information Center on the Web (Posted 9/12/05)
The U.S. National Academies this week announced the launch of its web-based
Water Information Center, containing more than 100 peer-reviewed reports from the National Academies on water-related issues. The goal of the Center is to assist the work of water scientists, engineers, managers, policy-makers, and students throughout the world by providing reports that represent independent and objective consensus among experts from academia, industry, and other entities.  The website features the following major topics: Water Supply and Sanitation, Water and Soil Remediation, Hydrologic Hazards, Water Quality in the Natural Environment, River Basin Systems Management, Environmental Assessment, Management, and Restoration, and Water Science and Research.  All of the reports are free on-line and summaries can be downloaded as PDF documents.  The web address is
http://water.nationalacademies.org

After 60 years, debate over fluoride still rages

EPA Releases Report on Source Water Assessment Program Obstacles (Posted 4/6/05)
On March 28 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General (EPA OIG) released a report reviewing the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) and Source Water Protection Program (SWPP).  Although some states are using these programs to improve their drinking water protection programs and to prioritize efforts and resources, assessment use is limited at the local level, according to OIG.  In the report, OIG points to a lack of consistent funding as a program weakness and stresses the need for more collaborative partnerships “to leverage human and financial resources, technical assistance, and outreach to utilities and communities.”  OIG recommended that EPA provide additional guidance to States on how to leverage resources and to improve cooperation and coordination between States and EPA.  A copy of the report is available at http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2005/20050328-2005-P-00013.pdf

EPA Published List of Contaminants for Possible Future Drinking Water Regulations (Posted 3/2/05)
In February 2008, EPA announced the draft third Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 3) and described the process and rationale used to develop the list.

Looking for innovative ideas for water reuse?  Try this site: http://www.watereuse.org



Water Quality

Final Rule on Lead and Copper in Drinking Water
EPA issued a final rule intended to improve requirements in the areas of monitoring, customer awareness, and lead service line replacement In the Oct. 10 Federal Register.  The final rule makes several targeted regulatory revisions to the existing national primary drinking water regulations for lead and copper (see related story in Sept. 28 issue).  The final rule is effective on Dec. 10.  A copy of the rule and more information on lead in drinking water are available at: www.epa.gov/safewater/lcrmr/index.html.   

Hearing on the Integrated WQ Report July 24th
Please also be advised that the
Draft 2008 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Methods Document (Methods Document) is now available for public review and comment. The Methods Document is intended to provide a description of the methodology to be used to develop the 2008 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies, a key component of the 2008 Integrated Report. A public notice announcing the availability of the draft Methods Document for review and comment was published in the New Jersey Register on July 2, 2007  (see 39 N.J.R. 2548(a).).
 (posted 7/16/07)

Authorities no longer will prepare
WMPs under proposed rule
(posted 5/23/07)

Water Quality Management Planning rules, N.J.A.C. 7:15
Proposal Date: 5/21/2007
Comment Period closed: 8/20/2007
View copy of the proposal
(PDF)

The rule amendments will affect New Jersey Authorities, Municipalities and Counties and propose the following: click here

EPA To Implement Expedited Approval of SDWA Test Procedures for the Analysis of Contaminants
EPA announced in the April 10 Federal Register its intent to implement an expedited process for approving alternative testing methods for existing regulations for drinking water contaminants.  The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes EPA to approve the use of alternative testing methods through publication of a notice in the Federal Register instead of through rulemaking procedures.  EPA plans to use this streamlined authority to make additional methods available for analyzing drinking water compliance and unregulated contaminant monitoring samples. This expedited approach will provide public water systems, laboratories, and primacy agencies with more timely access to new measurement techniques and greater flexibility in the selection of analytical methods.  Comments on implementation aspects of the expedited method approval process were due June 11.  To view the notice, visit
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2007/April/Day-10/w6726.htm

DEP Releases Results of Drinking-Water Study (Posted 2/20/07)
PFOA is used to make fluropolymers-substances with special properties used in many industrial applications, including the manufacture of consumer products such as non-stick cookware and all-weather clothing.

To view DEP's occurrence study and the report establishing a guidance level,
visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/watersupply/pfoa.htm

Public can instantly learn Progress of Permit Applications through new feature on DEP Web Site
(Posted 2/20/07)
To use the new Permit Progress Report, visit: http://datamine.state.nj.us/DEP_OPRA/OpraMain/report?report=Pending+Permit+Progress+Report

Revised Rule Proposed for Lead in Drinking Water (Posted 7/10/06)

Draft Guidance for Implementing the Methylmercury Water Quality Criterion  (posted 8/15/06)
In January 2001, EPA published ambient water quality criteria (AWQC) recommendations for methylmercury for the protection of people who eat fish and shellfish. This criterion, 0.3 mg methylmercury/kg fish tissue wet weight, marks EPA's first issuance of a water quality criterion expressed as a fish and shellfish tissue value rather than as an ambient water column value.

This document provides technical guidance to states and authorized tribes exercising responsibility under section CWA 303(c) on how to use the new fish tissue-based criterion recommendation as they develop their own water quality standards for methylmercury.

http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/methylmercury/guidance-draft.html
 

The report regarding pesticides in the nation's streams and ground water is out and can be downloaded for free.  Go to either: www.usgs.gov   (Posted 3/6/06)

CADDIS: Helping Scientists Identify the Causes of Biological Impairments
EPA site to help with impaired water bodies. http://cfpub.epa.gov/caddis/  
(Posted 1/27/06)

Surface Water Quality Comments - Final (posted 3/1/06)
Final AEA Comments (pdf)
December 14 Supplemental Comments


Click below for a copy of the presentations from the September 26, 2005 Permittees Meeting held at the Middlesex County UA.
Debra Hammond's Slides        John Hall's Slides


 

EPA Releases Draft Metals Risk Assessment Framework (Posted 1/5/05)
The Draft Framework for Inorganic Metals Risk Assessment, designed to provide guidance to scientists in assessing 
the human health and ecological risks associated with inorganic metals and metal compounds, is available for public 
comment through Jan. 18, 2005.  Many EPA programs make decisions on whether and how to regulate metals, 
particularly controlling releases to the environment and establishing acceptable levels in air, water, land and other 
media. The framework presents recommendations for conducting metals risk assessment; including tools, methods
and data for conducting human exposure and health assessments. The draft is available at: 
http://cfpub2.epa.gov/ncea/raf/recordisplay.cfm?deid=88903


TMDL Report for PCBs in the Delaware River now available
The stage 1 TMDL, an executive summary , and associated reports are available on EPA Region III website via the following link: http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/tmdl/index.htm


EPA's National Water Program Strategic Plan, 2004-2008

Phosphorus:  Marvel or Menace?
Diane Alexander, Maraziti, Falcon & Healey

All NJPDES permit holders and water purveyors  
Please note the site below for a new Supreme Court Ruling which prohibits lesser quality waters to be discharged into C1 designated water bodies. You may recall that AEA raised this issue with our comments to DEP regarding the last listings of water bodies that were raised to C1.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/08
mar20041130/www.supremecourtus.gov/o
pinions/03pdf/02-626.pdf.


USGS Releases Water Quality Reports

To read more information about the reports go to
http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/fs/2004/3045/

Competitiveness



Technical Manuals
Protecting the Nations Water Through Effective NJDES Permits  (Adobe pdf format)

Sanitary Sewer Overflow Solutions
  (Adobe pdf format)

Optimizing Operation Maintenance and Rehabilitation Manual  (Adobe pdf format)
 


Biosolids

NBP Releases 2006-2007 Annual Report

(posted 1/31/07)

The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) announced on January 16 the release of its 2006-2007 Annual Report. The Report includes an overview of the NBP environmental management system (EMS) program, 2006 accomplishments, 2007 action plan, listing and geographical locations of participating EMS agencies, testimonials from participating EMS agencies, NBP EMS program offerings, platinum level program recipients, financial summary, listing of volunteer contributors, and more. Hard copies of the Annual Report will be distributed to a broad list of individuals over the next several weeks. Electronic copies are posted in several locations on the NBP web page, www.biosolids.org.  To view the NBP 2006-2007 Annual Report, visit: http://www.biosolids.org/docs/
NBP_2006_2007_AnnualReport.pdf

Columbus Water Works, GA and City of Raleigh, NC Public Utilities Receive NBP EMS Certification (Posted 1/16/07)
The National Biosolids Partnership is pleased to recognize the Columbus, GA Water Works and City of Raleigh, NC Public Utilities Department as the newest wastewater agencies in the nation to be certified and admitted to the Partnership’s environmental management system (EMS) for biosolids program. The Columbus Water Works and City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department are among 92 wastewater agencies currently participating in the NBP EMS program. Columbus Water Works was certified on November 15, 2006 and City of Raleigh on December 19, 2006. There are now 15 NBP EMS certified wastewater agencies.  For more information, visit the NBP web page –
www.biosolids.org. (SJH)

Knowing poplar's DNA is expected to yield biofuel advances and more (Posted 9/28/06)

Looking for innovative ideas for water reuse?  Try this site: http://www.watereuse.org

NBP Releases Biosolids EMS Success Stories Brochure
The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) has just published a 12-page publication entitled “Biosolids Environmental Management System (EMS) Success Stories.”  The brochure provides summaries of how the NBP EMS program has benefited the first six wastewater agencies that have successfully achieved NBP certification after meeting verification requirements by independent audit firms.  The brochure also includes testimonials from several other EMS participating agencies along with instructions for other wastewater agencies to participate in the program.  To view the NBP Biosolids EMS Success Stories, visit the Partnership’s web page: www.biosolids.org or http://biosolids.org/docs/nbp_biosolids_ems_ success_stories_2005.pdf<