Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association

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Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
Keystone Tap
SERV I NG T H E WATER AN D WASTEWATE R INDUSTRY SINCE 1988   SUMMER 2021

            IN THIS ISSUE
       TOOLS FOR AWIA COMPLIANCE
        2021 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
  PNC TAKES COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO
           FINANCIAL WELLNESS
Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
Keystone
                                                                                  Summer 2021
                                                                                              Tap
                                   BOARD OF DIRECTORS
                                   BOB BLOUGH II
                                   President –District 5
                                                                                  In This Issue
                                   RALPH STEWART
                                   Vice President–District 4                      WATER
                                   DENNIS BECK
                                   Treasurer– At-Large                            14   Technical Article: Working Safely with Electricity - OSHA
                                   ROBERT CROSBY                                  22   Technical Article: Build Flood Resilience - Gabrielle Minton, US EPA
                                   Board Member –District 6
                                   ROGER HADSALL
                                                                                  24   Column: Tools for AWIA Compliance - Charlene Kormondy, US EPA
                                   Assistant Treasurer – District 2               26   Featured System: Bellwoood Borough Authority
                                   HERB MATTERN
                                   Assistant Secretary–District 3
                                   CHRIS NORRIS
                                   Board Member –District 1                       WASTEWATER
                                   GEORGE CRUM                                    30 Column: Never Stop Learning - Chris Williams
                                   NRWA Director For PRWA
                                                                                  40 Technical Article: Ozone Disinfection - US EPA
                                   EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
                                                                                  46 Featured System: Kline's Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
                                   JOE FALCONE

                                                                                  SOURCEWATER / STORMWATER
                                   FIELD STAFF                                    54 Column: 2020 Stormwater Needs Assessment Results - Rebecca
                                   GLENN COWLES
                                   Director of Operations / Water Technician           Holler
                                   JOEL JORDAN                                    56 Technical Article: Healthy Benefits of Green Infrastructure in
                                   Director of Education
                                   MICHAEL EMERY
                                                                                       Communities - US EPA
                                   GIS Specialist                                 58 Column: Managing a Natural Asset: Forests - Kurtis Wagner
                                   PHIL GIUNTA
                                   Wastewater Technician

                                                                                  GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)
                                   TOM GOEHRING
                                   Wastewater Manager / Trainer
                                   CHAD HEISTER                                   52 Column: GIS Data Models - Vector Datasets vs. Raster Datasets - Mike Emery
                                   Energy & Sustainability Circuit Rider
                                   REBECCA HOLLER
                                   Stormwater Specialist / Training Technician
                                   WENDY MALEHORN
                                   Education & Training Development
                                                                                  ADMINISTRATION
                                   DON MUIR                                       2 Column: Holisitic Energy Management: What It Means & Why Your Organization Could
                                   Sourcewater Protection Specialist                   Benefit - Susan Skirta
                                   CHRIS SHUTT
                                   Water Technician                               7 Column: PNC Takes Comprehensive Approach to Financial Wellness - PNC Bank
                                   JOSHUA STOEHR                                  8 Column: Creating A Sustainable Business Model - Chad Heister, CPA
                                   Sourcewater Protection Specialist
                                   KURTIS WAGNER                                  10 Column: Water Insecurity and the De-regulation of Bottled Water in PA - Erik Ross
                                   Sourcewater Protection Specialist

                                                                                  TRAINING & EVENTS
                                   CHRIS WILLIAMS
                                   Wastewater Technician

                                                                                  9    PRWA Golf Outing
                                   OFFICE STAFF                                   12   Certification Exam Study: Lead & Copper Rule Certification Check - Wendy Malehorn
                                   STACEY WALKER
                                   Director of Training & Events
                                                                                  16   Column: Plumbum - Wendy Malehorn
                                   JEFF MARTIN                                    32   PRWA Annual Conference
                                   Controller / IT Specialist
                                                                                  63   PRWA Annual Clay Shoot
                                   PATTIE-JO HORNER
                                   Membership Coordinator
                                   KIRSTIE TAYLOR
                                   Office Support                                 IN EVERY ISSUE...
                                                                                  4 Training Schedule
                                   Management & Finance                           62 New Members of PRWA
                                   PETER CALIRI
                                   Rave / SwiftReach Public Notification
                                                                                  64 Advertiser Index
Cover Photo: depositphotos.com

                                   MARGO MADDEN
                                   APPI Energy
                                   TONY WORLEY
                                   eNetPay - Credit Card Processing
                                                                                        The mission of the Pennsylvania Rural Water Association is to work cooperatively
                                   ROBIN RICHARDSON
                                   PA Municipal Health Insurance Cooperative           within the industry to support not only its members but all the water and wastewater
                                   BRIAN PRESKI                                            utilities throughout the Commonwealth with professional technical support,
                                   NAWSC - Backflow Management
                                   JASON OPFERBECK
                                                                                       certified training, legislative representation, and other valuable services and benefits.
                                   Mapping Solutions
                                                                                 138 West Bishop Street, Bellefonte, PA 16823 | (800) 653-PRWA | Fax: (814) 353-9341

                                 Printed by: THE YGS GROUP                                                                       SUMMER 2021             KEYSTONE TAP              1
                                 York, PA 17404
Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
Administration | Column
     Holistic Energy Management: What It Means & Why Your
     Organization Could Benefit
    By Susan Skirta
    Communication Specialist, appi energy
      Energy consultants, energy suppliers, energy managers,         supply contract, but rather they look at your needs fully
    energy brokers, energy advisors, the utility…if your head        and holistically, first assessing and then presenting you with
    is spinning from the options made available to your              concrete solutions that are varied and also tailored to your
    organization when it comes to taking control of your energy      borough’s individual needs. Simply stated: you’ll be provided
    usage, it stands to reason. So where do you turn and what’s      with a comprehensive way to reduce energy expenses, reduce
    the best course of action to consider? Let’s start by taking a   demand, and improve resiliency and sustainability.
    closer look at what holistic energy management means.              What Solutions Are Available?
      Holistic Energy Management                                       Holistic energy management means taking a full-service
      Energy is without a doubt one of the top expenses for          approach to what solutions fit your needs to help you reduce
    any organization. It’s a no-brainer to aim for decreased         and improve. That can vary depending on your current
    energy costs, but the question becomes: what is the best         needs and goals, but a few options include:
    way to reduce costs and minimize budgetary risks while                • Negotiating with a wide base of fully vetted, trusted
    concurrently improving the sustainability and efficiency of             suppliers to provide you with ideal pricing and
    your organization? Are you under pressure to be “greener”               contract terms
    or take greater strides to reduce your carbon footprint? It
    all comes back to your energy management and energy                   • Locking into a new (and improved) natural gas or
    strategy, which is where a holistic approach enters the scene.          electricity supply contract, but also assisting you well
                                                                            past the point the contract with your new supplier is
      Holistic energy management is as simple as it sounds,                 signed. A holistic, comprehensive approach means
    aiming to take a full, comprehensive, 360-approach to setting,          your energy consultant is continually monitoring
    meeting, and exceeding your organization’s energy goals,                your accounts and keeping an eye out for new
    be it reducing costs or meeting the demand for increased                opportunities to reduce costs. Moreover, they’re on
    renewables. Holistic energy consultants don’t look at one               deck to assist you with any supplier issues that may
    aspect of your organization, such as locking you into a new             arise, such as a discrepancy on your bill or opening
                                                                            additional service accounts.
                                                                          • Identifying, presenting, and implementing energy
                                                                            efficiency and sustainability solutions that are both
                                                                            product and technology agnostic, ensuring you
                                                                            are utilizing the most productive energy efficiency
                                                                            measures such as:
                                                                          • Energy Conservation Measures
                                                                             o LED Lighting
                                                                             o Solar
                                                                             o AI Battery Storage
                                                                             o Renewables
                                                                             o Demand Response
                                                                             o Utility Bill Management
                                                                             o And more…
                                                                       Through customized solutions, you’ll receive a
                                                                     comprehensive evaluation of demand and usage profile, yielding
                                                                     recommendations that are most impactful to your operations.
                                                                       A great place to start is by contacting APPI Energy for
                                                                     your complimentary assessment. S
2       KEYSTONE TAP           SUMMER 2021
Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
SUMMER 2021   KEYSTONE TAP   3
Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
TRAINING SCHEDULE
                                                             July 2021
                                                                    Contact   W/WW/                                            Non
    Date                           Course                                                County       Instructor     Member
                                                                     Hours     Both                                           Member
    7/8/21      #2952 Securing Drinking Water & Wastewater            5        Both      Clarion       R. Holler      $125     $165
                           Treatment Facilities
    7/8/21   #722 Financial Management Basics for Small Utilities     6        Both     Lycoming     J. Opferbeck     $130     $175
7/13/21       #8402 Fundamental Principles and Techniques in          5        Both     Chester        Eastcom        $105     $140
                         Buried Utility Location                                                        Assoc.
7/13/21         #146 Operator Health & Safety Survival Guide          6        Both    Armstrong       J. Jordan      $105     $140
7/13/21            #3035 Reducing Unaccounted for Water               6         W     Westmoreland   W. Malehorn      $105     $140
7/13/21              #5657 Inflow and Infiltration Toolbox            6        WW        Indiana       P. Giunta      $105     $140
7/14/21              #3038 Employee Evaluations Basics                4        Both       Erie        C. Heister      $105     $140
7/14/21                    #6527 Flagger Training                     3        Both    Huntingdon      C. Shutt       $70      $95
7/14/21        #2570 /7524 - Collection System Fundamentals I         6        WW        Warren      Exeter Supply    $105     $140
                   Collection Rehabilitation & Maintenance
7/14/21                           #3608 GIS                           4        Both     Venango       M. Emery        $105     $140
7/15/21       #7640 Water and Wastewater Workplace Safety -           6        Both   Montgomery       B. Spada       $165     $220
             Confined Space, Trenching & Bloodborne Pathogens
7/15/21        #2570 /7524 - Collection System Fundamentals I         6        WW      Washington    Exeter Supply    $105     $140
                   Collection Rehabilitation & Maintenance
7/15/21         #146 Operator Health & Safety Survival Guide          6        Both      Mercer        J. Jordan      $105     $140
7/20/21         #146 Operator Health & Safety Survival Guide          6        Both     Franklin       J. Jordan      $105     $140
7/20/21      #6820 Importance of Air Release Valves in Water and      3        Both      Centre       Rockacy /       $70      $95
                           Wastewater Systems                                                         A.R.I USA
7/20/21      #1658 Using Activated Sludge Process Control Tools       6        WW        Carbon       T. Goehring     $105     $140
7/21/21                    #6116 Basic Hydraulics                     5        Both     Dauphin         T. Long       $105     $140
7/22/21         #146 Operator Health & Safety Survival Guide          6        Both      Adams         J. Jordan      $105     $140
7/22/21        #6964 Drinking Water System Fundamentals 101           5.5       W         Blair      W. Malehorn      $105     $140
7/27/21           #8718 Flagger Training (SWBT Live Online)           3        Both      Zoom          C. Shutt       $70      $95
7/27/21      #1658 Using Activated Sludge Process Control Tools       6        WW       Clearfield    T. Goehring     $105     $140
7/28/21       #6114 Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants          5        WW       Cambria       T. Goehring     $105     $140
7/28/21                           #3608 GIS                           4        Both      Fayette      M. Emery        $105     $140
7/28/21              #3038 Employee Evaluations Basics                4        Both     Luzerne       C. Heister      $105     $140
7/29/21              #5657 Inflow and Infiltration Toolbox            6        WW        Berks         P. Giunta      $105     $140
7/29/21            #3035 Reducing Unaccounted for Water               6         W        Beaver      W. Malehorn      $105     $140

                                                         Search: PaRuralWater to stay up to
                                                         date on all classes & events!
                                                  Schedule is Subject to Change
4          KEYSTONE TAP          SUMMER 2021
Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
TRAINING SCHEDULE
                                              August 2021
                                                                 Contact   W/WW/                                           Non
 Date                           Course                                                County       Instructor    Member
                                                                  Hours     Both                                          Member
8/3/21                  #6116 Basic Hydraulics                     5        Both   Montgomery       T. Long       $105     $140
8/3/21      #6964 Drinking Water System Fundamentals 101           5.5       W     Westmoreland   W. Malehorn     $105     $140
8/3/21     #6114 Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants          5        WW       Lycoming     T. Goehring     $105     $140
8/4/21     #8402 Fundamental Principles and Techniques in          5        Both       Erie        Eastcom        $105     $140
                      Buried Utility Location                                                       Assoc.
8/5/21                        #3608 GIS                            4        Both     Dauphin       M. Emery       $105     $140
8/5/21     #6114 Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants          5        WW       Lycoming     T. Goehring     $105     $140
8/5/21    #722 Financial Management Basics for Small Utilities     6        Both     Chester      J. Opferbeck    $130     $175
8/10/21    #7640 Water and Wastewater Workplace Safety -           6        Both      Adams        B. Spada       $165     $220
          Confined Space, Trenching & Bloodborne Pathogens
8/10/21        #8718 Flagger Training (SWBT Live Online)           3        Both      Zoom          C. Shutt      $70      $95
8/10/21      #3186 Protecting Your Drinking Water Sources          9         W        Warren        D. Muir       $105     $140
                        “A Hands On Course”
8/11/21      #3186 Protecting Your Drinking Water Sources          9         W        Clarion       D. Muir       $105     $140
                        “A Hands On Course”
8/11/21           #3038 Employee Evaluations Basics                4        Both       Blair       C. Heister     $105     $140
8/12/21                       #3608 GIS                            4        Both      Berks        M. Emery       $105     $140
8/12/21     #6964 Drinking Water System Fundamentals 101           5.5       W        Snyder      W. Malehorn     $105     $140
8/17/21      #2952 Securing Drinking Water & Wastewater            5        Both      Mercer       R. Holler      $125     $165
                        Treatment Facilities
8/18/21   #1658 Using Activated Sludge Process Control Tools       6        WW         York       T. Goehring     $105     $140
8/18/21           #3038 Employee Evaluations Basics                4        Both      Beaver       C. Heister     $105     $140
8/18/21         #3035 Reducing Unaccounted for Water               6         W       Clearfield   W. Malehorn     $105     $140
8/19/21    #6114 Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants          5        WW        Lehigh      T. Goehring     $105     $140
8/19/21                 #6527 Flagger Training                     3        Both     Luzerne        C. Shutt      $70      $95

          Register for classes at: WWW.PRWA.COM/STORE
            Classes are regularly updated on our website. Check here for the most up-to-date schedule!

                                                                                   SUMMER 2021         KEYSTONE TAP          5
Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
TRAINING SCHEDULE
                                             September 2021
                                                                   Contact   W/WW/                                            Non
    Date                           Course                                               County       Instructor     Member
                                                                    Hours     Both                                           Member
9/1/21                     #6116 Basic Hydraulics                    5        Both    Armstong         T. Long       $105     $140
9/14/21      #7577 Advanced Disinfection Technologies for Water      6        Both   Westmoreland   M. Harrington    $130     $175
                             and Wastewater
9/14/21     #6820 Importance of Air Release Valves in Water and      3        Both     Dauphin       Rockacy /       $70      $95
                          Wastewater Systems                                                         A.R.I USA
9/14/21         #3186 Protecting Your Drinking Water Sources         9         W       Lycoming        D. Muir       $105     $140
                           “A Hands On Course”
9/15/21         #3186 Protecting Your Drinking Water Sources         9         W     Lackawanna        D. Muir       $105     $140
                           “A Hands On Course”
9/15/21        #3036 The 10 Best Kept Water and Wastewater           6        Both   Westmoreland   M. Harrington    $130     $175
                      Process Management Secrets
9/15/21      #8460 Activated Sludge-A view beneath the Surface -     3        WW                      S. Leach       $70      $95
                                Microbiology
9/16/21       #7640 Water and Wastewater Workplace Safety -          6        Both    Washington      B. Spada       $165     $220
             Confined Space, Trenching & Bloodborne Pathogens
9/16/21                          #3608 GIS                           4        Both       Blair        M. Emery       $105     $140
9/21/21       #8402 Fundamental Principles and Techniques in         5        Both     Luzerne        Eastcom        $105     $140
                         Buried Utility Location                                                       Assoc.
9/21/21         #2952 Securing Drinking Water & Wastewater           5        Both      Berks         R. Holler      $125     $165
                           Treatment Facilities
9/21/21       #6114 Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants         5        WW        Beaver       T. Goehring     $105     $140
9/22/21              #3038 Employee Evaluations Basics               4        Both   Montgomery      C. Heister      $105     $140
9/22/21      #1658 Using Activated Sludge Process Control Tools      6        WW        Mercer       T. Goehring     $105     $140
9/22/21       #6964 Drinking Water System Fundamentals 101           5.5       W        Adams       W. Malehorn      $105     $140
9/23/21                    #6527 Flagger Training                    3        Both       Erie         C. Shutt       $70      $95
9/23/21      #8460 Activated Sludge-A view beneath the Surface -     3        WW        Lehigh        S. Leach       $70      $95
                                Microbiology
9/23/21                          #3608 GIS                           4        Both     Lycoming       M. Emery       $105     $140
9/28/21          #8718 Flagger Training (SWBT Live Online)           3        Both      Zoom          C. Shutt       $70      $95
9/29/21             #5657 Inflow and Infiltration Toolbox            6        WW         York         P. Giunta      $105     $140
9/29/21            #3035 Reducing Unaccounted for Water              6         W       Schuylkill   W. Malehorn      $105     $140
9/30/21      #1658 Using Activated Sludge Process Control Tools      6        WW     Lackawanna      T. Goehring     $105     $140
9/30/21     #722 Financial Management Basics for Small Utilities     6        Both     Clearfield   J. Opferbeck     $130     $175

                                                            Search: PaRuralWater to stay up to
                                                            date on all classes & events!
                                                  Schedule is Subject to Change

6          KEYSTONE TAP          SUMMER 2021
Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
Column | Administration
 PNC Takes Comprehensive Approach to Financial Wellness
 By PNC Bank
  PNC Organizational Financial Wellness offers tailored                  that include surveys, online tools, live and virtual
solutions designed to help improve employees’ financial                  meetings, webinars and more.
health—and your bottom line.                                       The first step in implementing an effective financial
  The impact of employee financial stress is substantial,        wellness program is understanding the needs at all levels of
costing American businesses $500 billion a year in               your employee base. PNC’s Financial Wellness Consultants
productivity alone.1 Additionally, employers that don’t take     can help recommend financial wellness solutions based
an active role in their employees’ financial wellness will       upon each company’s unique needs and can serve as the
most likely continue to face challenges retaining talent, as     touch point for consumers as they kick off their financial
well as the inevitable expenses associated with attrition.       planning or saving for the future. If you are interested in
  To address these issues, PNC recently launched a new           learning more, please contact Ginger Bosworth at ginger.
offering called PNC Organizational Financial Wellness,           bosworth@pnc.com or visit https://www.pnc.com/en/
which is focused on delivering financial wellness solutions to   corporate-and-institutional/organizational-financial-
both our corporate and consumer clients. PNC collaborates        wellness.html. S
with the human resources decision-maker or dedicated
benefits manager to design a custom program for each
organization, built with an understanding of employees’
financial wellness needs.
  Whether it be budgeting workshops, wealth management,
investment strategies or even student loan relief programs,        This article was prepared for general information purposes
consumers are eager for training, tools and resources that       only and is not intended as legal, tax or accounting advice
provide basic financial education. Below are three solutions     or as recommendations to engage in any specific transaction,
that tend to make an immediate difference in employees’          including with respect to any securities of PNC, and do not
financial well-being.                                            purport to be comprehensive. Any reliance upon any such
                                                                 information is solely and exclusively at your own risk.
     • A strong bank-at-work program: This program
       should offer a variety of account options for
       employees to choose from, as well as onsite and           (Endnotes)
       virtual financial services. Employers should also
                                                                 1         The Employer's Guide to Financial Wellness - 2019,
       implement workshops and informational events              Salary Finance
       on direct deposit sign-ups, applying for mortgages,
       understanding various credit card programs and
       utilizing digital money management tools.
     • Healthcare savings resources: Today, more and
       more employees are being asked to take greater
       responsibility for paying for their healthcare.
       Offering them an HSA has become a common
       solution, but it’s vital that employees know how
       an HSA works, understand the often-overlooked
       benefits and know how to use the tools they have
       available to them.
     • Retirement Plan and Fiduciary Investment Services:
       Since most likely every employee has a goal of
       financial independence, including the ability to
       retire on their own terms. Successful programs
       should focus on everything from investment
       selection to policy assistance, and offer a dedicated
       resource to deliver annual education campaigns

                                                                                 SUMMER 2021            KEYSTONE TAP            7
Keystone Tap - IN THIS ISSUE - SUMMER 2021 - Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
Administration | Column
      Creating a Sustainable Business Model
      By Chad Heister, CPA
      If you have ever taken my financial or utility management         Board and/or Authority Manager qualified, proactive and
    plan you may have heard this already, but we are in the             understands how to lead others? Be financial sustainable
    water and sewer business to make a profit! Unfortunately,           and make this mission a reality. Are they diligent and can
    too many systems are not financially viable, because they           persevere when circumstances get difficult?
    only generate enough income to pay for the operational                The operating plan is the day-to-day process of making
    expenses (and sometimes don’t even do that) and nothing             this mission a reality. This involves creating procedures,
    else. If something major breaks down, there is no capital to        training employees, preventative maintenance plan, hiring
    replace it. Yes, we may be a municipality, but we also must         procedures, accounting procedures, handling customer
    be a sustainable business enterprise.                               complaints, emergency response plans, the daily operation
       The first thing that any business must start with is a plan.     of the water and wastewater plants and other administrative
    A business plan basically asks two questions: Why does this         duties.
    opportunity exist? And How can we develop it? Well, just              The next plan is the Financial Plan. A great place to
    like the children’s book says Everybody Poops! …there’s the         start is creating a yearly cash flow budget. This way you
    opportunity… how can we exploit it?                                 can match up bills with months where you know the most
      A business plan or vision has several elements. It                money is coming in. This is very handy for systems that
    has a mission, what kind of system do we want to be? It             do quarterly billing. The cash flow budget is not only for
    has planning. This includes management planning,                    ensuring you are liquid enough to get the bills paid, but it is
    operating planning and financial planning. Lastly, there is         what enforces your mission. There is a misconception that if
    accountability, how are we doing and what needs to change?          you don’t spend the money, then you are saving the money.
       The first step is to create a mission statement. Everyone        That might work for your personal finances, but not when
    should learn and know that mission statement. This needs            you are running a commercial business. The budget is what
    to be communicated clearly and frequently throughout the            dictates what you are going to do that year to ensure you are
    whole organization. The mission reflects what you want the          maintaining your infrastructure, able to have capital saved
    system to be. Do you want to provide a quality product              up for upgrades, new equipment or major repairs. Don’t
    or effluent? Do you want to have highly trained, competent          rely on loans and grants. Water and wastewater systems are
    and passionate people? Do you want to be financially                designed to be self-sustaining business enterprises.
    sustainable? Do you want to keep the lowest rates possible?           Where to begin? There are Business Plan Consultants
    Do you want a non-toxic work environment? You might like            out there that can be a great service. They can help with
    all of these; however, the purpose of the mission statement         computer upgrades, billing upgrades, human resources,
    is focus on what is important to you. Therefore, only try to        financial advice and infrastructure strategies. It won’t be
    pick two to four goals.                                             cheap, but its an investment in your community. You can
     A great example of a mission statement is from Altoona             seek help through Pennsylvania Rural Water Association
    Water Authority:                                                    or another one of our Member Associates. The paramount
                                                                        concern is to maintain the health and safety of your
       As stewards of the community’s water system, our mission         community and ensure your survivability for many years to
    is to provide a clean, safe, reliable water supply and to collect   come. S
    and treat wastewater in a manner that protects public health
    and the environment. Our commitment is to ensure a cost-
    efficient operation, render the highest standard of customer
    service and maintain an active role within the community.1
                                                                                                     Chad Heister, CPA
      It’s not too simplistic, shows that they put some thought                                 Energy & Sustainability
    into it, but not too wordy that it becomes unrealistic and                                            Circuit Rider
    ambiguous.                                                                                    cheister@prwa.com
      Planning involves putting action to make this happen.
                                                                        (Endnotes)
    The different plans are all important, but the most important
    is the management plan. Arguably, this is even more                 1
                                                                            https://www.altoonawater.com/our-mission-statement
    important that producing quality water or effluent. Is your

8       KEYSTONE TAP            SUMMER 2021
SUMMER 2021   KEYSTONE TAP   9
Legislative Update
      Water Insecurity and the De-Regulation of Bottled Water in PA
       By Erik Ross
        Due to the lead crisis in Flint, Michigan, PFAS               regulate all bottled water facilities; however, there has been
     contamination and infrastructure concerns associated             a policy in place since 1984 where the PDA oversees facilities
     with public water systems, there is a growing concern about      that bottle water less than a half-gallon in size and DEP
     water insecurity and a general distrust in our tap water.        oversees facilities that bottle a half gallon in size or larger.
     This is a problem for the drinking water industry because        Much has changed since 1984 including consumption
     if people do not trust their tap water they may shift to more    habits where bottled water is now probably the highest
     expensive and often less healthy options, like bottled water     volume mass-market drink in the U.S. Over 90 percent of
     or sugary drinks.                                                consumers choose bottled water for its perceived safety and
       A recent study: “Examining Recent Trends in the Racial         many utilize it as a replacement for their drinking water
     Disparity Gap in Tap Water Consumption,”1 estimated              supply. Moreover, parents often make baby formula with
     that approximately 61.4 million people in the United States      bottled water because it is marketed as safe and pure.
     did not drink their tap water as of 2017-2018. This study          Therefore, bottled water should be held to the higher
     was released in preprint format on April 8, 2021, and has        standards established by the PA SDWA, which is more stringent
     not yet been peer reviewed, but found that this number           than federal regulations and more protective of public health.
     has grown sharply in the past several years. According to        Water for human consumption in Pennsylvania should
     the study’s authors, who also penned an op-ed, stated that       be regulated under the same standards and not bifurcated
     “other research has shown that about 2 million Americans         between state agencies or defined differently simply to avoid
     don’t have access to clean water. Taking that into account,      DEP regulation. Whether in a bottle or from the tap, drinking
     our findings suggest that about 59 million people have           water does not have preservatives or acids like a beverage;
     tap water access from either their municipality or private       therefore, all water is subject to bacterial growth if not properly
     wells or cisterns, but don’t drink it. While some may have       monitored, sampled, and treated. It is not enough to simply
     contaminated water, others may be avoiding water that’s
     actually safe.”2
       The op-ed also explained, “our new study found that in
     2017-2018, the number of Americans who didn’t drink tap
     water increased at an alarmingly high rate, particularly for
     Black and Hispanic adults and children. Since 2013-2014
     – just before the Flint water crisis began – the prevalence of
     adults who do not drink their tap water has increased by 40%.
     Among children, not consuming tap water has risen by 63%.”3
       This op-ed got my attention, as I recently witnessed a
     debate in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives where
     they passed a two-bill package (House Bill 7544 and House
     Bill 7555) by a 120 to 81 vote on each bill that, together,
     would exempt bottled water systems from the primary
     and secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL),
     treatment techniques and Maximum Residual Disinfectant
     Levels (MRDL) required by the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking
     Water Act (PA SDWA), and its attendant regulations.
       While these bills seek to consolidate regulatory oversight
     of bottled water under PA Dept of Agriculture (PDA), they
     would do so by exempting systems which provide water for
     human consumption from the definition of “public water
     system” under the PA SDWA. Food Safety regulations have
     gaps that are filled by Safe Drinking Water regulations.
       The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
     Protection (DEP) currently has the statutory authority to

10       KEYSTONE TAP           SUMMER 2021
Legislative Update
have DEP regulate the water sources for bottled water. The         (Endnotes)
permitting process also includes many other things, not the
                                                                   1        “Examining Recent Trends in the Racial Disparity Gap
least being an approved treatment process.                         in Tap Water Consumption,” MedRxiv, April 08, 2021 https://
  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) had             www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.06.21255016v1
sent a letter saying that this legislation could jeopardize PA’s
                                                                   2         Nearly 60M Americans don’t drink their tap water,
Safe Drinking Water program, which would result in the             research suggests. Here’s why that’s a public health problem
loss of $24 million in federal funds, but it seemed to have        | Opinion, Pennsylvania Capital-Star https://www.penncapi-
no effect. Even our legislators who favored regulatory relief      tal-star.com/commentary/nearly-60-million-americans-dont-
for the bottled water industry openly expressed distrust for       drink-their-tap-water-research-suggests-heres-why-thats-a-
the DEP and paid no regard to the requirements of the PA           public-health-problem-opinion/
SDWA or the drinking water industry itself. How could
                                                                   3        IBID
this have happened?
  According to the study’s authors and their op-ed, “news          4        House Bill 754 (Day-R) https://www.legis.state.pa.us/
                                                                   cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2021&sind=0&body=H&-
reports – particularly high-visibility events like advisories
                                                                   type=B&BN=0754
to boil water – lead people to distrust their tap water even
after the problem is fixed. For example, a 2019 study showed       5        House Bill 755 (Day-R) https://www.legis.state.pa.us/
that water quality violations across the U.S. between 2006         cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2021&sind=0&body=H&-
and 2015 led to increases in bottled water purchases in            type=B&BN=0755
affected counties as a way to avoid tap water, and purchase        6         Nearly 60M Americans don’t drink their tap water,
rates remained elevated after the violation.”6 Could this          research suggests. Here’s why that’s a public health problem
distrust for tap water be what is occurring in Pennsylvania        | Opinion, Pennsylvania Capital-Star https://www.penncapi-
with the passage of these bottled water bills?                     tal-star.com/commentary/nearly-60-million-americans-dont-
  The PA SDWA is more stringent than the federal law               drink-their-tap-water-research-suggests-heres-why-thats-a-
and the drinking water industry is one of the most heavily         public-health-problem-opinion/
regulated industries in the Commonwealth. While lead
services lines have proven to be a tricky problem to deal with,
the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 120 of 2018
to address the replacement of lead service lines (LSL) and
damaged wastewater service laterals (DWSL). Moreover, the
USEPA recently developed a revised Lead and Copper Rule
which the states will soon begin the implementation process.
  So how do we rebuild confidence in tap water?
Investment in infrastructure replacement is always a
best practice to reduce service disruptions and exceeding
regulatory requirements to be above standards, like the
Partnership for Safe Drinking Water Program promotes,
has always been a hallmark of the drinking water industry
in Pennsylvania. While the service you provide is often
called the silent service, it is time for public water systems
to educate their customers about the benefits of tap water,
which will help rebuild their confidence. For ideas, take
a few minutes to view this video https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=vcCXCPD4lYY from the South Coast Water
District in southern California which urges customers to
choose tap water over bottled water.
  The drinking water industry has always provided high
quality service to its customers and your excellence and
sacrifice should not go unnoticed this year. Please take the
time to plan some events in your community to highlight
your employees and the work you do, particularly the
sacrifices made during the COVID-19 pandemic. S

                                                                                   SUMMER 2021           KEYSTONE TAP               11
Certification Exam Study | Feature
      Lead & Copper Rule Certification Check
      By Wendy Malehorn
       Water systems: check your knowledge of the current Lead         c. Corrosion inhibitors
     and Copper Rule. And prepare for the revisions! S                 d. All of the above
      1. Action level exceedance occurs when the                   6. When a phosphate inhibitor is used for corrosion
         concentration of a contaminant in more than 10% of           control:
         tap water samples is greater than the action level of
         __________ for lead or _________ for copper.                  a. A protective coating is formed from the pipe
                                                                          metal combined with the phosphate.
           a. 0.015 mg/L, 1.3 mg/L
                                                                       b. Phosphate inhibitors should not be used in
           b. 0.15 mg/L, 0.13 mg/L                                        water treatment
           c. 0.051 mg/L, 3.1 mg/L                                     c. The phosphate reacts with the pipe metal to
           d. 1.5 mg/L, 1.3 mg/L                                          eliminate corrosion tendencies in the water

      2. If the 90th percentile results exceed the action levels       d. The system is trying to decrease corrosion
         for lead or copper:                                              control costs

           a. The system must monitor the lead and copper          7. Common       pH/Alkalinity   adjustment   chemicals
              levels in 10 months                                     include:
           b. The system must take action because it exceeded          a. Sodium Hydroxide
              the action level                                         b. Calcium Hydroxide
           c. The system is in compliance                              c. Sodium Carbonate
           d. The system must redirect compliance to the               d. All of the above
              households
                                                                   8. Which chemical is used to raise pH and increase
      3. Lead and copper samples are collected at cold water          alkalinity?
         kitchen and bathroom taps or an interior tap used for
         consumption. The sample must be:                              a. Zinc Orthophosphate
           a. Collected after the system has been completely           b. Potassium Permanganate
              flushed for 6 hours                                      c. Lime
           b. The first‐draw after six hours of standing time          d. Sodium Bicarbonate
           c. The first-draw after 10 hours of standing time       9. Which pH/Alkalinity adjustment chemical is the
           d. Collected after the system has been completely          most hazardous?
              flushed for 10 hours                                     a. Lime
      4. __________________ refers to corrosion that is                b. Sodium Bicarbonate
         caused by two different metals or alloys coming in            c. Soda Ash
         contact with each other.
                                                                       d. Caustic Soda
           a. External corrosion
           b. Electrolysis                                         10. Uses of polyphosphates include:
           c. Galvanic corrosion                                       a. Control scale
           d. Internal corrosion                                       b. Sequester iron, manganese and calcium
                                                                       c. Neither a or b
      5. Lead and Copper Rule Corrosion Control Alternatives
         include:                                                      d. Both a and b
           a. pH/alkalinity adjustment
           b. Calcium hardness adjustment

12      KEYSTONE TAP          SUMMER 2021
Feature | Certification Exam Study
11. Ortho/Poly blends are made to:                          14. The sample size needed for a lead and copper sample:
     a. Sequester iron and manganese                             a. 1 liter
     b. Form film to reduce lead levels                          b. 500 mL
     c. Form film to reduce copper levels                        c. 250 mL
     d. All of the above                                         d. 2 liters

12. As pH increases, corrosion____________.                 15. What objectives can be met with corrosion control
     a. Increase                                                treatment?

     b. Decreases                                                a. Minimize amount of lead and/or copper
                                                                    dissolving into tap water.
     c. pH has nothing to do with corrosion
                                                                 b. Maximize the service life of plumbing materials.
     d. Does nothing
                                                                 c. Improve the hydraulic characteristics of water
13. When a small or medium system exceeds a lead                    distribution systems.
    or copper action level, what is the first step in the        d. All of the above.
    corrosion control treatment activity milestone:
     a. Complete a feasibility study within 24 months
     b. Complete a feasibility study within 18 months
                                                                                     Wendy Malehorn
     c. Complete a feasibility study within 12 months                            Training & Education
                                                                                         Development
     d. Contact the PA DEP to complete a treatment                              wmalehorn@prwa.com
        permit
                                                                ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS CAN BE
                                                                        FOUND ON PAGE 31.

                                                                         SUMMER 2021          KEYSTONE TAP             13
Water | Technical

14    KEYSTONE TAP   SUMMER 2021
Technical | Water

SUMMER 2021   KEYSTONE TAP   15
Training | Column
       Plumbum
       By Wendy Malehorn
       Why is the symbol for lead Pb? It is the abbreviation for          Yet, the health effects of lead poisoning were too serious
     the Latin word for lead - plumbum. So close to the word            and could not be ignored. Regulations were needed to
     plumbing and so important for plumbing. Lead has been              protect public health and stop the use of lead. Lead poisoning
     a part of society for thousands of years and is an incredibly      can cause brain and kidney damage. Additionally, lead
     useful metal due to it is malleability and corrosion resistance.   poisoning can cause anemia due to decreased production
     Romans used lead in a variety of products including                of hemoglobin, as well as hemolysis. Signs of hemolysis
     cosmetics, paint, solder and pipes. In the American                may include jaundice. Young children are particularly
     Colonies, lead was first used in the manufacture of arms and       vulnerable since lead poisoning affects the development
     ammunition. Like Rome, drinking water was transported              of the central nervous system. Specifically, lead poisoning
     through lead pipes and it is reported that by 1900, more than      causes an irreversible reduction in neurocognitive potential,
     70 percent of American cities with 30,000 or more residents        decreased attention span, and increased aggressiveness.
     were using lead-based products for conveying water.                In 1970, as a result of heightened public concerns about
        As amazing of a plumbing material that lead may have been,      air quality, waste management, and contaminated water
     it was well documented that lead caused multiple ailments          supplies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was
     and deaths including saturnine gout, sterility, infertility,       formed.
     and still births. By the late 1800s, the consequences of lead        The Safe Drinking Water Act was passed by Congress in
     exposure were well known and documented. Yet, despite              1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation’s public
     mounting scientific evidence and conclusive research,              drinking water supply. Since that time, concerns about lead
     lead-based plumbing and products were still developed              in our water supplies has prompted multiple changes to the
     and used. This was most likely due to The Lead Industries          Safe Drinking Water Act. Most notably, in 1991, the EPA
     Association, formed in 1928, which monitored changes to            published the Lead and Copper Rule. The purpose of the
     building codes. The group continued lobbying and stayed            regulation was to protect public health by minimizing lead
     active through the 1970’s and published education materials        and copper levels in drinking water. The rule replaced the
     to support the continued use of lead pipes.                        previous standard of 50 ppb, measured at the entry point

16       KEYSTONE TAP            SUMMER 2021
Column | Training
to the distribution system. Additionally, at the time, most     should ensure that drinking water systems and primacy
drinking water regulations required sampling at entry           states have three full years to take the actions needed to
points to the distribution system. However, because the         assure regulatory compliance. However, to help systems
source of lead and copper is generally the customer-owned       prepare, EPA has produced the following document on
piping rather than any part of the water supplier’s plumbing,   the Lead and Copper Rule Comparison guide highlighting
equipment or even the source, the Lead and Copper Rule          the existing Lead and Copper Rule and the final Lead and
required specific tap water samples.                            Copper Rule revisions. However, system personnel should
  Collecting lead and copper samples significantly              attend any training sessions offered on the Lead and Copper
complicates sample collection and makes water suppliers         Rule revisions. The five bullets listed and/or the guide does
responsible for the quality of water sampled at pipes and       not adequately explain how systems will comply with this
locations completely out of the supplier’s control. Samples     updated regulation. When training is offered, sign up and
are collected from kitchen or bathroom taps of residences       prepare for what appears to be some big changes for system
or other buildings. However, this is necessary because          staff. S
lead and copper in drinking water is primarily due to
the corrosion of distribution and household plumbing
materials. In addition to sample collection, the 1991 rule
required public water systems serving more than 50,000                                        Wendy Malehorn
                                                                                          Training & Education
people to survey their corrosion control systems and to
                                                                                                  Development
replace their pipelines with state-approved corrosion                                    wmalehorn@prwa.com
control by January 1, 1997. Suppliers who served a smaller
number of people only had to replace their pipelines if lead    References:
and copper levels were exceeded at the tap.
                                                                Coleman, L. (2021, January 15). EPA update of lead and COPPER
  Long before the events leading up to lead-laced water         rule is first revision in 30 years. Retrieved April 06, 2021, from
poisoning thousands of residents in Flint, Michigan, EPA        https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2021/01/epa-update-of-lead-
was trying to strengthen the Lead and Copper Rule. And,         and-copper-rule-is-first-revision-in-30-years/
finally, on December 22, 2020 the revisions to the Lead and
                                                                Lead poisoning. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://
Copper Rule were announced. The final revisions include:        www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/
     • Using science-based testing protocols to find more       lead-poisoning
       sources of lead in drinking water.
                                                                Revised lead and copper rule. (2021, March 31). Retrieved April
     • Establishing a trigger level to jumpstart mitigation     06, 2021, from https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drink-
       earlier and in more communities.                         ing-water/revised-lead-and-copper-rule
     • Drive more LSL replacements.                             Team, F. (2017, November 02). A brief history of lead in water
     • Required testing in schools and childcare facilities.    supplies: Fluence. Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://www.
                                                                fluencecorp.com/brief-history-lead-water-supplies/#:~:tex-
     • Requiring water systems to identify and make             t=Lead%20pipes%20came%20into%20use,poisoning%20in%20
       public the locations of lead service lines.              the%20late%201800s.&text=Lead%20pipe%20could%20also%-
                                                                20be,existing%20buildings%20or%20other%20structures.
   EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated that the hope
is “This new Lead and Copper Rule will protect children         The origins of EPA. (2021, January 13). Retrieved April 06, 2021,
and families from exposure to lead in drinking water,”          from https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa
and “For the first time in nearly thirty years, this action
incorporates best practices and strengthens every aspect of
the rule, including closing loopholes, accelerating the real-
world pace of lead service line replacement, and ensuring
that lead pipes will be replaced in their entirety.”
  Water treatment system staff and owners have been
offered webinars which introduce the changes to the
revised Lead and Copper Rule which were to take effect in
2021. The effective date has been extended due to President
Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and
the Environment. The extended compliance deadline

                                                                                 SUMMER 2021            KEYSTONE TAP                 17
18   KEYSTONE TAP   SUMMER 2021
20   KEYSTONE TAP   SUMMER 2021
SUMMER 2021   KEYSTONE TAP   21
Water | Technical
       Build Flood Resilience
       By Gabrielle Minton, US Environmental Protection Agency
       Introduction                                                        The planning measures outlined in the Flooding IAC
       The services provided by drinking water and wastewater            encourage utilities and community partners to work
     utilities are vital to the health and resilience of a community.    together before potential incidents to identify priority water
     However, extreme summer weather, such as heavy seasonal             customers, obtain their contact information and develop a
     rainfall can trigger flooding that can disrupt drinking water       plan to restore those customers first, in case of prolonged
     and wastewater services, underscoring the need for long-            water service disruptions. Further, confirming with local
     term resilience solutions in the water sector.                      law enforcement before an incident that your water utility
                                                                         response access credentials are valid can make all the
       Any drinking water or wastewater utility, large or small,         difference when staff are urgently needed to restore flood-
     can be at risk of sustaining significant and costly flooding        ravaged facilities.
     damages. To better prepare for the upcoming summer
     season, your utility can take steps before, during and                Prepare for Cascading Impacts: Power Outages
     after weather emergencies using the U.S. Environmental                 The summer season can bring heavy seasonal rains and
     Protection Agency’s (EPA) suite of easy-to-use tools and            flash floods. These conditions can overwhelm existing
     resources.                                                          infrastructure and lead to pipe breaks, flooded facilities and
       Identify Response Actions and Critical Customers                  widespread power outages. Power loss can have devastating
                                                                         impacts on drinking water and wastewater utilities and the
       Floods are one of the most common and widespread                  communities they serve. Inoperable pumps at drinking
     weather-related natural disasters. They can be caused by a          water utility infrastructures can compromise firefighting
     variety of weather events, including heavy summer rains. The        operations and cause local health care facilities and
     EPA has developed the Flooding Incident Action Checklist            restaurants to close. EPA developed the Power Resilience
     (IAC) that lists activities utilities can conduct to prepare for,   Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities to provide
     respond to and recover from flooding emergencies.                   information and strategies for strengthening relationships
                                                                         with electric providers and increasing water sector resilience
                                                                         to power outages from floods, as well as from other weather
                                                                         emergencies.

                                                                           The Power Resilience Guide identifies steps your utility
                                                                         can take to establish emergency communication protocols,
                                                                         determine your utility’s power prioritization status, and
                                                                         maintain onsite fuel storage, among other recommended
                                                                         actions. The Guide also highlights case studies from water
                                                                         utilities that have successfully implemented power resilience
                                                                         measures.

22       KEYSTONE TAP            SUMMER 2021
Technical | Water
  Transform Preparedness into Mitigation                           Consolidate Information in an Emergency Response Plan
  While preparedness measures can strengthen your utility’s        Another key aspect in planning for and responding to
resilience to flood-related impacts, putting long-term           flood-related incidents is developing a robust Emergency
mitigation planning for flooding incidents into practice is      Response Plan (ERP). An ERP describes strategies, resources,
the most effective way to ensure your utility and community      plans, and procedures to prepare for and respond to an
can better withstand and recover from disasters. To assist       incident, natural or man-made, that threatens life, property,
planning for long-term mitigation projects, EPA’s Hazard         or the environment. Under America’s Water Infrastructure
Mitigation Guide for Natural Disasters provides examples         of 2018 (AWIA) Section 2013, community water systems
of mitigation projects for disaster scenarios that drinking      serving over 3,300 people are required to develop or update
water and wastewater utilities may encounter during a            an ERP. The information, plans and procedures developed
flood, such as purchasing or renting a generator to prepare      when utilizing the Flooding IAC, Power Resilience Guide
for power outages and elevating wellheads to mitigate the        for Water and Wastewater Utilities and Hazard Mitigation
impacts of flooding from summer rains or water runoff.           Guide for Natural Disasters contribute to the foundation of
The Guide encourages drinking water and wastewater               your ERP. Compiling this information provides a clear and
utilities to work with their local mitigation planners to        concise process for unexpected emergencies and fosters a
execute priority projects that are consistent with the overall   culture of preparedness at your utility.
community strategy.                                                Interested in Learning More?
                                                                   To learn more, visit www.epa.gov/waterresilience or join
                                                                 the What’s Going On newsletter email list by contacting
                                                                 WSD-outreach@epa.gov. With the help of EPA’s free water
                                                                 resilience resources, you can help ensure that your utility
                                                                 continues to provide safe and reliable services to your
                                                                 customers during emergencies. S
                                                                                                        Contact information:
                                                                                                            Gabrielle Minton
                                                                                                    Minton.Gabrielle@epa.gov

  The Hazard Mitigation for Natural Disasters Guide also
includes information on eligibility for funding, such as
federal grants or loans, to support mitigation work. This
includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s
(FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) which
can be used by communities to implement hazard mitigation
projects following a Presidential Disaster Declaration.
  Identify Federal Funding Opportunities for Mitigation
  There are several federal programs, including HMGP to
help utilities understand and obtain federal disaster and
mitigation funding. EPA developed the Federal Funding for
Water and Wastewater Utilities in National Disasters (Fed
FUNDS) tool so that utilities can quickly screen funding
programs from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Small
Business Association, FEMA and EPA to identify those that
are applicable to your utility. It also provides examples of
successful utility applications and tips for funding.

                                                                                SUMMER 2021           KEYSTONE TAP               23
Water | Column
       Tools for AWIA Compliance
       By Charlene Kormondy, US Environmental Protection Agency
       Water utilities today face unprecedented threats to the           AWIA Compliance Resources
     security and resilience of their systems. In Pennsylvania,          If CWSs need help meeting these requirements, EPA has
     drinking water utilities may be susceptible to a wide array of    several tools available to help systems develop their RRAs
     extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and winter      and ERPs. EPA does not require water systems to use these
     storms that can damage treatment and distribution systems,        or any designated standards, methods or tools to conduct
     disrupt power supplies, and potentially contaminate source        the RRAs or to prepare the ERPs. Rather, these tools are
     waters. When disasters do occur, rural water systems serve        provided as optional support during the process:
     as a critical lifeline for water systems, public health and the
     community at large. While responding to natural disasters              • Baseline Information on Malevolent Acts for
     can be challenging, you can take steps now to prepare your               Community Water Systems: The information in
     utility and community for future incidents.                              this document can help systems identify and assess
                                                                              the likelihood of malevolent acts occurring at their
       America’s Water Infrastructure Act – Section 2013                      water system as part of their RRA.
       One of the first steps to prepare for disasters is to                • Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (VSAT 2.0):
     conduct a detailed assessment of your risks. The America’s               VSAT 2.0 is a user-friendly tool that can help
     Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) Section 2013 requires                    drinking water utilities of all sizes conduct an RRA.
     Community (drinking) Water Systems (CWSs) serving
     more than 3,300 people to develop or update a Risk and                 • Small System Risk and Resilience Assessment
     Resilience Assessment (RRA) and Emergency Response                       Checklist: This guidance is intended for small CWSs
     Plan (ERP). The law outlines what components must be                     serving greater than 3,300 but less than 50,000
     included in the RRAs and ERPs and establishes deadlines                  people to comply with the AWIA requirements for
     by which water systems must send a certification of                      RRAs.
     completion to the United States Environmental Protection               • Emergency Response Plan Guidance: This template
     Agency (EPA).                                                            and instructions will assist water utilities with
       The certification deadlines are based on system population             developing or updating an ERP in accordance with
     size reflected in the Safe Drinking Water Information                    the AWIA.
     System as of October 23, 2018, the date when the AWIA was              • How to Certify Your Risk and Resilience Assessment
     enacted. Compliance deadlines depend on the system size:                 or Emergency Response Plan: This webpage

         System Size         Risk and Resilience Emergency Response
                                Assessment              Plan
        If serving over        March 31, 2020     September 30, 2020
        100,000 people
      If serving 50,000 to    December 31, 2020     June 30, 2021
          99,999 people
       If serving 3,301 to      June 30, 2021     December 30, 2021
          49,999 people

       Within six months of certifying completion of the RRA,
     water systems must also certify completion of the ERP. The
     AWIA requires systems to consider factors such as monitoring
     practices, financial systems, chemical storage, and operations
     and maintenance in their RRAs. For the ERP, the AWIA requires
     utilities to include items such as strategies and resources to
     improve resilience and procedures to lessen the impact of
     malevolent acts or natural hazards. See the following webpage
     for more information and details about the AWIA - https://
     www.epa.gov/waterresilience/americas-water-infrastructure-
     act-risk-assessments-and-emergency-response-plans

24       KEYSTONE TAP               SUMMER 2021
Column | Water
        explains the three options available to CWSs for           The Water Utility Response On-The-Go (Response OTG)
        submitting certification statements and includes a       Application is an interactive tool allowing real time access to
        training video on the electronic certification option.   response resources to track severe weather, contact response
  Other Resources                                                partners, identify key response actions, and document
                                                                 damages.
  After completing an RRA and ERP, utilities can further
explore how to lower risks and increase resiliency using EPA       Learn more about these and
tools and resources. The Flood Resilience Guide provides         many other water utility resilience
practical solutions to help drinking water utilities respond     resources at: https://www.epa.
to and recover from floods. The guide presents real-world        gov/waterutilityresponse.
examples of flood scenarios that Pennsylvania water utilities      EPA provides regular updates
might face and includes information on staffing, emergency       on water security and resilience
response plans, funding, water supply and demand                 resources. To learn more, visit
management, communications, and partnerships.                    www.epa.gov/waterresilience
                                                                 or join the What’s Going On
                                                                 newsletter email list by contacting
                                                                 WSD-outreach@epa.gov.          Use
                                                                 these free water resilience
                                                                 resources as you continue
                                                                 working toward providing safe
                                                                 and reliable services to customers
                                                                 during emergencies. S
                                                                                                        Contact information:
                                                                                                        Charlene Kormondy
                                                                                                  Kormondy.charlene@epa.gov

                                                                                  SUMMER 2021          KEYSTONE TAP                25
Water | Featured System

                             Bellwood Borough
                                 Authority
       After 25 years in the public water and wastewater business    been on the system, with the ability to add notes with what
     you have an appreciation for up-to-date maps. The Bellwood      kind of leak, and pictures of the repairs showing OD of pipe,
     Borough Authority had maps for designs of new water             type of material of the main or service and has allowed the
     mains, books that had shut-off valve locations that had not     Authority to maintain the information forever.
     been updated in many years, but no whole system maps.
     There were no plans from the original water system that
     started in 1893 due them being destroyed in a fire, which
     left many mysteries to uncover. Every time a water main
     would need shut down, we would have to look through
     multiple maps and books, plus rely on memory. And trust
     me, nobody remembers the same thing after many years.
       In 2017 the Bellwood Borough Authority contracted
     with Pennsylvania Rural Water Association to GIS map the
     Authority’s water and wastewater system. Mike Emery from
     PRWA and I walked our entire system that has roughly
     1400 water customers and 700 sewer customers and covers
     approximately 2.4 square miles. The GIS map was a huge
     improvement and gave us the ability to look at maps on all         After working on the mapping software for a few weeks
     types of devices at any time.                                   I felt that presenting the program to the Authority for
        When it came time to update our GIS mapping, while           purchase was the next step, because the software was so easy
     Mike and I discussed the changes needed, I said to him that     to use and priced reasonably. During the presentation I was
     it would be nice if there was a way to update our own maps as   able to show the many layers that I had added, and the Board
     we find things and while its fresh in our minds. He said, “it   was amazed by the versatility of the program. Another layer
     is funny you would say that”. He told me that Pennsylvania      that I added, and the Authority has found to be helpful,
     Rural Water Association is partnering with Diamond Maps,        a layer for future project ideas. By creating that layer, the
     a cloud-based GIS mapping system. He said there was a free      Authority has been able to discuss with our engineering
     trial that was available and that you can upload existing GIS   firm what we are looking to do in the future. The engineer
     mapping to the program.                                         can then advise us on where grant money may be available
                                                                     to complete those projects. Following that presentation, the
       That evening I signed up for the free trial and uploaded      Authority approved the purchase of Diamond Map with a
     all the GIS files we were currently using and watched the       unanimous vote. The Authority also approved an Arrow
     online video training provided on the Diamond Maps              100 submeter GPS receiver to work with our tablets, so now
     website. I had the software up and running in no time. I        we can do our own mapping with reasonable accuracy.
     have never had training of any kind on mapping and
     very limited computer training, but with the online video         This summer while completing a project of installing
     training supplied by Diamond Mapping, I was able to make        new water mains, we were able to map as we completed the
     changes to our map very quickly.                                project. We added fields to the layers and uploaded pictures
                                                                     of everything we installed. Now in 20 years someone will be
       After reviewing our original GIS file more thoroughly         able to go back and see what is underground.
     I had found errors that I had missed during the proof-
     reading phase, but I was able to correct them myself easily.      Diamond Mapping can be used for maintenance
     One of the nice features of Diamond Maps is the ability         information also, such as fire hydrants. There are fields for
     to add layers. With the layer function I was able to add        GPM and PSI which will hold historic information. We
     different layers showing information you would not find         have also added to the history any time a hydrant is used
     on GIS mapping. Adding a layer showing where leaks have         for a fire. All the information is available just by selecting
                                                                                                            Continued on Page 28
26       KEYSTONE TAP          SUMMER 2021
Mapping
                                                                             Solutions
Whether you're looking for a custom map of your assets or an easy database
system, PRWA is your solution!
 Diamond Maps is a cloud-based GIS designed for sewer and water
 systems to help them keep track of their infrastructure.

 Those starting from scratch love how easy it is to plot valve
 locations and draw pipes on the rich Google imagery backdrop.
 Existing GIS users move their data to Diamond Maps because they
 love how their team can all manage pictures and notes. Users can
 edit the map from any phone, tablet or PC.

 Best of all it costs just $20/month*!
 *$20/month for one user. Unlimited users are determined by each municipality.

 On The Go!
   o Access your map anywhere with
     an internet connection.
   o Runs in your browser on any
     phone, tablet or computer.
   o Nothing to install or back up.
   o New data entered by any one
     person is instantly available to all
     users in your account.

                                                 Work Orders
                                                    o Work orders allow municipalities to organize and maintain repairs, routine
                                                      tasks and special projects.
                                                    o A history is maintained for the ability to export a spreadsheet of all past
                                                      and current work orders. Orders can be set to reoccurring so they can be
                                                      completed each day, week, month, or year.
                                                    o Employees can receive and complete work orders on mobile phones or
                                                      tablets.
                                                    o Work orders allow you to assign each task to a specific employee.

                                                 Whether you’re looking for a custom map of your assets or an easy
                                                            database system, PRWA is your solution!

                                                                                             800-653-7792 | F: 814-353-9341
                                                                                  138 West Bishop Street, Bellefonte PA 16823
                                                                                                          WWW.PRWA.COM
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