USEPA Happenings
By John Ungvarsky

New Class V Webpage for Large Capacity Septic Systems

The Office of Water's Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program has launched a new Class V webpage for Large Capacity Septic Systems. The page is designed to give owners and operators of Large Capacity Septic Systems an overview of the UIC Program and help them learn how to comply with Class V regulations. To learn more about Class V Large Capacity Septic Systems go to: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/uic/classv/class5_types_lcss.html.

Handbook for Small Noncommunity Water Systems: Total Coliform Rule

This new handbook, for Small Noncommunity Water Systems serving less than 3,300 persons, will help owners and operators of small drinking water systems, technical assistance providers, and state drinking water personnel to better understand the Total Coliform Rule provisions under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). EPA has developed this up-to-date reference handbook with the intent of enhancing system capacity for prolonged infrastructure sustainability. This document and additional tools to help small water systems are available on EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys/ssinfo.htm.

Guidance Helps Small Drinking Water Systems Identify Affordable Treatment Options

The guidance document, Point-of-Use or Point-of-Entry Treatment Options for Small Drinking Water Systems, provides operators and water officials with valuable information about treatment devices that can be installed at Point of Use or Point of Entry. Owners and operators of small drinking water systems will find the guidance useful during the planning stage, including pilot testing, public education, and operation. Maintenance and other implementation issues are also covered. See the guidance at: http://epa.gov/safewater/smallsys/ssinfo.htm#two.

Tools Will Help Small Drinking Water Utilities Monitor Drinking Water

EPA has released a set of user-friendly multimedia products to help small drinking-water utilities determine federal monitoring requirements and prepare water compliance samples under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The tool kit features an interactive Rule Wizard website that provides a complete list of all of the federal monitoring requirements for a selected type and size of public drinking water system, such as a community water system serving 3,300 people using ground water as a source of supply. A companion tool, Interactive Sampling Guide for Drinking Water Operators, is also available. The CD-ROM is available through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) and to launch the RuleWizard, go to: http://www.RuleWizard.org.

Waterborne Disease Research Summaries Published

EPA's Office of Research and Development and the Office of Water have published a series of papers summarizing the research conducted on waterborne disease in the last 10 years. The work includes research supported by EPA and others and is limited to gastrointestinal illness as the health effect of concern. The papers also represent the most comprehensive review conducted in the last 25 years and the first publication of models and their results developed to estimate waterborne illness on a national level. The papers have been published in the July/August 2006 supplement of Journal of Water and Health. The publications and more information can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/nheerl/articles/2006/waterborne_disease.html.

John Ungvarsky is an Environmental Scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9. He works in the Water Division's Ground Water Office and oversees source water protection efforts in CA. For information on any of the above topics, please contact John at 415-972-3963 or ungvarsky.john@epa.gov.