Drinking Water Program Activities AMWA 2008 Water Policy Conference

1. Drinking Water Program ActivitiesAMWA 2008 Water Policy Conference Cynthia Dougherty, Director USEPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water

2. The Road to Safer Drinking Water Identify Appropriate Fed/State/Local Management Actions Improvements in PWS Source/Treated Water Quality & Resiliency Long-term Positive Outcomes e.g. reduced illness Improve Science & Information Prevent & Reduce Risk Improve Operations & Maintenance Measure & Communicate

3. Identify Appropriate Management Actions • Improve Science and Information • UCMR2 monitoring begins this summer • Analyzing Community Water System and Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Surveys data for 2009 release of reports • Carrying out activities to assess existing regulations and identify future contaminants for regulation • Reg Det 2 final determinations in summer • Aircraft Drinking Water Rule proposal this spring • CCL3 and Six Year Review in progress • TCR FACA considering future rule revisions • Carrying out effort to protect ground water from underground injection of carbon dioxide

4. Focus on Contaminant Candidate List 3 • Draft CCL 3 published on February 21, 2008 • Implemented NAS & NDWAC recommended process, represents a more comprehensive, data driven, reproducible process • 93 chemical contaminants, 11 microbial contaminants • Identifies contaminants that: • May require regulation • Require additional research/data collection • Seeking comment on the draft list and process • Public comment period closes May 21, 2008 • SAB consultation during public comment -- April 2008 • Review comments and finalize in 2009

5. Focus on Six Year Review • EPA required to review and, as appropriate, revise existing NPDWRs every six years • In 2003, EPA completed 1st Six Year Review; reviewed 69 NPDWRs and made decision to revise Total Coliform Rule • Currently, performing 2nd Six Year Review • Expect to publish preliminary review results by summer 2009

6. Key Elements of Review Protocol

7. Yes No Highlight on a few Six Year Review Factors • For contaminants where no new health assessments have been completed, performing literature searches for other toxicological endpoints and/or developmental & reproductive end points. • PWS occurrence data critical to develop estimates of national occurrence • 45 states plus several tribes, territories and DC provided occurrence data in response to the April 2007 ICR request • Working with state co-regulators to identify key implementation issues

8. Focus on TCR RevisionsFederal Advisory Committee • Total Coliform Rule/Distribution Systems Advisory Committee (TCRDSAC) established in July 2007 • Purpose: • recommend revisions to the TCR and advice on distribution systems issues • consider information needs to better assess public health risks from distribution systems • 16 members representing broad range of stakeholder interests • AMWA rep - David Visintainer – St. Louis, MO {Erica Brown is alternate} • Affiliated Technical Work Group to assist with the advisory committee on technical issues

9. TCRDSAC - TCR Issues • Should the Rule construct change from monitoring-MCL-PN for total coliforms to monitoring-investigation-corrective action? • What is an appropriate TC trigger for corrective actions? • What sampling frequency should be required? Different for small systems? • Should reductions in monitoring frequency be allowed if specific criteria are met? • How should investigations and corrective actions be characterized? • How should violations be communicated?

10. TCRDSAC – DS Issues • In accordance with the recommendations in the 2001 M-DBP Agreement in Principle and the 2003 Six Year Review, the TCRDSAC Technical Work Group is evaluating the research and information collection needed toinform regulatory decisions on: • Cross connections and backflow • Storage • New and repaired water mains • Intrusion • Biofilm • Nitrification • Contaminant accumulation

11. TCR Next Steps TCRDSAC • 6 meetings held through February • 4 additional meetings planned before anticipated Agreement in Principle in late summer TCR revisions • Proposed rule scheduled for publication in 2010 • EPA plans to work with AwwaRF, states, water systems, CDC to develop a plan for research and information collection

12. Focus on Geologic Sequestration – Background • Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) is a major component of US climate policy • US storage capacity for geologic sequestration (GS) is significant • SDWA requires EPA to protect underground sources of drinking water from injection

13. Carbon Capture and Storage CO2 Capture and Transport Geologic Sequestration UIC Program Scope

14. Developing a GS Rule • Convened 7 technical workshops held since 2005 • Released guidance for permitting wells in March 2007 • Held 2 stakeholder workshops in 12/07 & 2/08 • Expect to propose rule in July 2008 • Proposal will address requirements related to: • Geologic Siting Criteria • Area Of Review • Well Construction Standards • Mechanical Integrity Testing • Operation and Monitoring Requirements • Well Closure and Post-Closure Care, • Financial Responsibility, and Monitoring • Public Participation and Communication

15. Improve Water Quality &Utility Resiliency • Improve Operations and Maintenance • Training and early implementation support for new rules – LT2, Stage 2, GWR • Advancing sustainable infrastructure (e.g., better mgt, full-cost pricing, water efficiency) • Building resiliency of PWSs to prepare, respond, and recover from adverse incidents (natural or man-made) • Other Focus Areas • Water Efficiency, Operator Retention, Consecutive Systems, Partnering for SWP

16. Focus on Water Efficiency WaterSense program is focused on end users Expanding focus to supply side - water systems Minimizing leakage has many benefits for water systems and their customers, including: Improved operational efficiency Lowered water system operational costs Reduced potential for contamination Extended life of facilities Reduced potential property damage and water system liability Reduced water outage events Improved public relations 16

17. Focus on Water Efficiency – 2008 tasks Identify existing policies and best practices Partner with ASDWA to Identify State Water Efficiency Policies Collect and disseminate state programs, policies and activities to promote water efficiency at utilities Water Loss Mitigation Tools Document Collect and compile information on effectiveness and key considerations for tools and techniques to conduct water audits and to identify and repair leaks Summarize information to allow utilities to identify effective water loss mitigation tools most appropriate based on their system’s characteristics Raise awareness via web casts and dedicated web page Include general water loss mitigation info, available research, links to state programs and utility organization resources 17

18. Demonstrate and Communicate Long-Term Outcomes • Measure and Communicate • Risk communication on drinking water issues • Beginning development of next EPA Strategic Plan • Collaborating with CDC to improve waterborne disease surveillance and reporting • Collaborating with ORD on projects to assess disease reduction • Performance measures to assess risk reduction attributable to new regulations

19. Focus on Performance Measures • Initially 2 parallel efforts • EPA working on improving measures to respond to OMB • NDWAC working on effort to identify measures to use in Strategic Plan • EPA asked to work with NDWAC to identify a recommended approach for moving forward • November 2007 – NDWAC recommended moving forward to develop measures looking at Stage 2 DBP Rule and LT2 Rule using approaches based on the rule models and analyses • Next Steps • Developing paper to describe approach • Submitting to Science Advisory Board this spring for review • Goal is to have measures in place for next Strategic Plan

20. Focus on Performance Measures • Avoided bladder cancer cases attributable to the national reduction of average concentration of TTHMs observed resulting from the implementation of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 Disinfectant and Disinfection Byproduct (DBP) Rules, considering: • bladder cancer risk attributable to drinking water • population weighted national TTHM average, • relationship between TTHM reduction and bladder cancer incidents attributable to drinking water • cessation lag (the time delay between reduction in exposure and realization of predicted health benefits). • NDWAC recommended EPA utilize a twenty year time horizon to estimate the total annual health benefits recognized by reductions in the national average TTHM concentrations achieved by 2014.

21. Focus on Performance Measures • Annual cases avoided nationally of endemic Cryptosporidiosis illnesses attributable to implementation of the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule considering: • source water Cryptosporidium occurrence • changes in treatment resulting from LT2 rule provisions, • disease reduction associated with the reduction in exposure to Cryptosporidium • NDWAC recommended that EPA acknowledge and discuss other activities of water systems and drinking water programs that are contributing to the reduction in microbial contamination in finished water.

22. Remember our goal…. America’s drinking water is safe, affordable, and secure everywhere, every day, and Americans know it