Environmental Progress - Summer 1999

New Requirements Will Impact New Public Water Systems

After Oct. 1, 1999, supplies must show they will be able to meet state, federal regulations

Beginning Oct.1, 1999, all new public water supplies will be required to demonstrate they have the basic resources not only to begin operation, but to continue to operate in compliance with all state and federal regulations. Termed "capacity development," the requirement is part of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and will require all new public water supplies to document that they already have the resources to properly operate and maintain the supply into the future or that such resources are being realistically planned and will be available when needed. Technical, financial and managerial resources will be assessed to determine whether capacity development requirements are met.

Though only new supplies are affected by the capacity development requirement, a second part of the Safe Drinking Water Act amendments requires states like Illinois to begin assessing capacity for existing systems, starting in the year 2000. Illinois must develop and implement a strategy for returning non- complying existing public water supplies to compliance with the regulations. Such supplies must receive special assistance in returning to, and staying in, conformity with the regulations. Supplies not able to return to compliance will be subject to enforcement action that could include some means of changing their basic operations to ensure compliance.

$8,000 AWWA grant will fund compliance-related workshops

The American Water Works Association has provided a compliance assistance grant of $8,000 to help underwrite a pair of two and a half day workshops at which operators will be walked through the new requirements. Subject matter will focus on documenting the basic managerial and financial tools needed, and will provide detailed operational documentation using the Illinois Rural Water Emergency Operating Plan. The workshops, being offered in cooperation with the Illinois Rural Water Association, have tentatively been set for Nov. 2-3 in Effingham, and Dec. 7-8 in Joliet.

The sessions are expected to attract at least 40 public water supplies, approximately half the state's significant non-compliant supplies, barring those with radium problems. Supplies with significant non-compliance problems may be able to get assistance in correcting their problems through the state's revolving loan fund program that provides funding at interest rates approximately half those in the private sector. Completion of the workshop materials will give participants a head start in completing loan fund documents.