2018 Annual Report - Washington State Department of Health · Office of Drinking Water | 2018 Annual Report Director’s Message 2018 was another year of successes, challenges, and

2018 Annual Report

Washington State Department of HealthOffice of Drinking Water

July 2019

DOH 331-637If you need this publication in an alternative format, call 800.525.0127 (TDD/TTY call 711). This and other publications are available at doh.wa.gov/DrinkingWater.

http://doh.wa.gov/DrinkingWater

Office of Drinking Water | 2018 Annual Report

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Table of ContentsMission, Vision, Values 1Director’s Message 22018 Accomplishments and Successes 3

Health Advisories and Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Overview of Systems Over Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Cross-Connection Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Operator Certification Goes Paperless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Rulemaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Newsletters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Drinking Water Week Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Treatment Optimization Program Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Capacity Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Partners in Public Health 10Local Health Jurisdiction Workshop, Day with DOH, AWWA Subsections . . . . 10Coordination with State and Federal Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Source Water Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Reclaimed Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Public Works Board Technical Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Funding 12DWSRF Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Washington Loan Tracking System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Small Communities Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Putting Together 2019-21 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Emerging Issues and Challenges 15

Lead in School Drinking Water Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Legionella—ODW Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Harmful Algae Blooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Per- and Polyfluoralkyl Substances (PFAS/PFOA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2019 Focus—Future Visions 16Update on Federal Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Perchlorate and Long-Term Revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule . . . . . . 16Drought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16WSARP-Like Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Performance Measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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MissionWe work with others to protect the health of the people of Washington State by ensuring safe and reliable drinking water .

VisionThe people of Washington State understand the value of safe drinking water to healthy communities and a vibrant economy . As a result, our public water systems have the technical, managerial, and financial capacity they need to provide it, now and for generations to come .

Values 6 Collaboration

6 Respect

6 Accountability

6 Learning

6 Compassion

6 Diversity

6 Commitment

6 Innovation

6 Empowerment

What We BelieveSafe Reliable drinking water isn’t free .

Clean and consistent drinking water requires commitment, hard work, and investment .

We want everyone to know how water systems provide safe, reliable drinking water to their customers .

Investing in infrastructure today ensures safe and reliable drinking water for our future generations .

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Director’s Message2018 was another year of successes, challenges, and learning for our Office of Drinking Water. I feel a huge sense of pride as I think of the tremendous dedication and resilience everyone in our office showed as we:

6 Implemented our existing programs consistently.

6Adjusted to emerging science.

6Changed office locations and spaces.

6Worked through our budget shortfall.

We successfully balanced our operating budget and balanced our capital budget a full year ahead of original projections. This involved a tremendous amount of work as staff took on key tasks from positions held open, worked with our partners and regulated community to de-obligate loan funds they weren’t using, and adjusted to changes to reduce our costs and facilities.

We adjusted to new people on our leadership teams. We moved our office forward by starting updates on many of the program plans and directives that defined our work over the last decade. This involved a lot of work as staff and managers considered their current programs, developed or updated their program plans, and created processes to approve and support those plans. While that work continues, we made significant progress building and training each other on frameworks and expectations.

We also moved forward with rule development on emerging contaminants. This work involved many internal and external discussions. We worked with the Board of Health to clarify requirements for unregulated contaminants and ways we will address them to protect public health.

We continue to build the technical, managerial, and financial capacity of public water systems. All of our programs and planning requirements push utilities toward that goal.

Data continues to be a challenge for us and most other states. We worked with our developers to understand our reporting gaps and learned that we need to continue bolstering our internal data system while the federal government continues slow progress to develop the Safe Drinking Water Information System.

As I look forward, I see more challenges and more opportunities for success. We will complete toxicological assessments for Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl substances and related stakeholder outreach in 2019, and address our data gaps.

2018 was a terrific year of learning and moving forward with new goals. I look forward to continuing these efforts in 2019 and beyond as we work with others to provide safe and reliable drinking water to the people of Washington!

Mike Means, R.G., L.H.G. Director


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2018 Accomplishments and Successes

Health AdvisoriesTotal: 115 health advisories.

Southwest29 Total Advisories

6Coliform 10 advisories/34.5%

6Nitrate 0 advisories/0%

6Other 19 advisories/65.5%

Northwest18 Total Advisories


6Nitrate 2 advisories/11.1%


Eastern68 Total Advisories


6Nitrate 17 advisories/25%


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Overview of Public Water Systems Over Time

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2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

1970

1973

1975

1977

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1990

1991

1992

1994

1995

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2009

2011

2013

2016

2017

2018

1970s1980s

1990s2000s

2010s

Number of Public Water Systems

Years

Washington Public W

ater Systems


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Cross-Connection ControlWe ask our largest water systems to report their Cross-Connection Control (CCC) activities each year through our online reporting application. In 2014 we began limited compliance activities, a strong technical assistance program, and increased training opportunities for DOH staff, operators, and decision makers. We continue to see an upward trend in compliance with CCC rules. Since 2014 our improvement in protection rates from connections posing a high hazard risk is over 10 percent. There is still much to do; but we see strong and consistent progress.

Our CCC team also worked with the Department of Ecology to develop operator certification and cross-connection control rules and guidance for their Reclaimed Water Rule and Criteria for Sewage Works Design manuals. These guidance manuals include extensive details on protecting potable and reclaimed water from lower quality water through cross-connections.

70

75

80

85

90

-

8,000

16,000

24,000

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Perc

enta

ge

Conn

ectio

ns

Reporting Year

CCC Historical Trends

Total High Hazard ConnectionsTotal High Hazard ProtectedPercent Protected GeneralPercent Protected MedicalTotal Percentage Protected

Operator CertificationIn 2018, our Operator Certification program developed an online exam application to meet the needs of our office and better serve our waterworks operators. This new process launched in January 2019 with great success! The new process reduces the certification application wait time by two weeks and streamlines the review and approval process. Applicants also pay their fees online, which satisfies a long-standing request from operators and utilities.

Operator Certification had already moved to electronic testing and record keeping. We continued to advance our paperless initiative in 2018 by providing online waterworks operator certification renewals, validation cards, and contact information updates through our long-standing interagency agreement with Green River College. In-house, we also moved to online exam-passed letters and certificates.

Operator certification is now completely paperless while improving efficiency and customer satisfaction…truly something to celebrate!

RulemakingDrinking Water Laboratory Certification and Data Reporting Rule Chapter 246-390 WAC

The State Board of Health adopted a change to the lab rule to remove duplicative certification requirements in chapter 246-390 WAC, which are now covered in the Department of Ecology’s accreditation of environmental labs rule, chapter 173-50 WAC. The rule-making adopted requirements for labs to send data results to public water systems and DOH to ensure accurate, consistent, and timely reporting of drinking water sample analysis results, and adopted guidance with test panel templates for submitting written and electronic data results by reference. The updated rule became effective May 14, 2018.

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Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program, Chapter 246-296 WACDOH adopted a rule change to better service our public health protection goal of loaning funds to public water systems by fully using the authorities provided in the federal rule and the Safe Drinking Water Act that allow more uses of the loan fee account for infrastructure improvement projects, and allow deviations for projects otherwise prohibited from receiving a loan.

WAC 246-296-040 only allowed DOH to use the loan fee for program administrative activities. However, 40 C.F.R. Part 35 allows other uses. This adopted change aligns state rule with federal rule to give DOH the ability to use the loan fee for projects such as consolidation feasibility studies. WAC 246-296-060 disallowed the use of the loan fee account funds for purposes other than program administration. This adopted change allows DOH to also use the loan fee account for projects that are eligible to receive a loan. WAC 246-296-080 identifies that EPA may grant a deviation for projects normally prohibited from receiving a loan such as dam rehabilitation, and purchasing water rights. This change allows DOH to request a deviation from EPA on a case-by-case basis. The rule became effective November 4, 2018.

Newsletters

Water TapWe continue to publish two editions of Water Tap. We focus Water Tap toward anyone interested in drinking water. It reaches elected officials and water boards, so we use this venue to cover rule changes, problems solved using one of our funding programs, water boards who support their operators, a message from the director, and success stories—Drinking Water Week and Treatment Optimization Project winners.

6 Summer—cover story Sync: Washington’s infrastructure program.

6Winter—cover story No Infrastructure, no water.

H2Ops H2Ops is focused on water system owners and operators. In 2018, we reduced our publishing from four editions of H2Ops to two. Combined with Water Tap, we now contact water system owners and operators four times a year—roughly quarterly, instead of bimonthly.

6Uncultured: The Disinfection Issue—May.

6Better Safe: The Wellhead Protection Issue—March.

6Coliform Present! Now What?—Fall.

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/4200/WT-Summer2018.pdf

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/4200/wt0118.pdf

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/4200/H2Ops-05-2018.pdf

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/4200/H2Ops-03-2018.pdf

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/4200/H2OpsFall2018.pdf


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Drinking Water Week AwardsWe celebrate Drinking Water Week every year during the first full week of May by recognizing individual water systems and operators who do an outstanding job providing safe and reliable drinking water. Award winners are nominated by their peers, stakeholders, customers, or others in the industry. We gave out six awards in 2018.

Mike LaScuola, Grace Under PressureL-R: Stan Hoffman, Scott Mallery, Dorothy Tibbetts, Mike LaScuola.

Jennifer McDonell-EvansL-R: Jennifer McDonell-Evans, Scott Mallory.

Martin Sebren, Lifetime Achievement L-R: Mike Means, Lloyd Berg, Debra Lester, Martin Sebren, Jim Civilla, Robert Hunter.

Carol Schlender, Commitment to ExcellenceL-R: Mike Means, Carol Schlender.

Mark Weeks, Lifetime AchievementL-R: Stephen Baker, Derek Pell, Mark Weeks, Jolyn Leslie, Bob James.

Doug Quinn, Commitment to ExcellenceL-R: Andy Anderson, Mike Means, Doug Quinn.

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TOP AwardsTreatment Optimization Program (TOP). Turbidity monitoring data show conventional and direct filtration surface water treatment plants continue to perform above regulatory standards—providing better public health protection. Filtered water turbidity goals adopted for these systems are not regulatory. Instead, we encourage systems to achieve optimal water quality using existing facilities, which provides larger safety margins.

Four systems continue their run of excellence and are now at 18 consecutive years of optimization! We also award bronze, silver, and gold certificates to systems the first time they meet the turbidity goals for three, five, and ten consecutive years, respectively.

This year, two systems earned a gold award, one earned a silver award and seven earned a bronze award.

Platinum Award (15 or more years).

6Arlington Water Department (2001-2018)

6 Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District—South Shore Water System (2001-2018)

6Pasco Water Department (2001-2018)

6 Skagit County PUD #1—Judy Reservoir System (2001-2018)

Gold Award Recipients (ten to fourteen years of continuously optimized performance).

6City of Kelso (2006-2018)

6Ryder wood Improvement and Service Association (2008-2018)

6City of Everett (2009-2018)*

6River Bend Water System (2009-2018)*

Silver Award Recipients (Five to nine years of continuously optimized performance).

6City of Bellingham (2011-2018)

6Castle Rock Municipal Water (2012-2018)

6Chehalis Water Department (2014-2018)*

6 Eastsound Water Users Association (2011-2018)

6 Island View LUD 9 (2010-2018)

6 Town of Metaline Falls (2012-2018)

6Olympic View Water and Sewer District (2013-2018)

6City of Woodland (2009-2018)

6City of Yakima (2010-2018)

Bronze Award Recipients (Three or four years of continuously optimized performance).

6City of Anacortes (2016-2018)*

6Carson (2016-2018)*

6Department of Energy/200W (2015-2018)

6Hoquiam Water Department (2015-2018)

6Kalaloch Campground (2015-2018)

6 Lake Chelan Reclamation District (2015-2018)

6Richland (2016-2018)*

6 Tacoma Water Division (2015-2018)

6 Thunderbird Terrace (2016-2018)*

*First-time award recipient for 2018.


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Capacity Development and Water System Sustainability Washington’s Capacity Development Program is one of the strongest in the nation. To accomplish our goals, we use tools that prove successful and create new ones as needed. We focus on training and technical assistance resources as much as possible for water systems willing and able to build capacity to sustain themselves. We rely on our graduated compliance approach to direct water systems when they are unable or unwilling to maintain sufficient capacity. We strive for innovative approaches to help struggling small systems succeed or get out of the water business, and mitigate the impending financial burden on customers of those systems.

In 2018 the asset management team completed the development of our asset management strategy. We now incorporate asset management into water system planning, providing utilities training on asset management, and including asset management in all our DWSRF loans.

Nurturing relationships and developing forward-thinking strategies with partners helps meet our mutual goal of providing safe and reliable drinking water now and into the future. To provide capacity development assistance, we will reserve 10 percent of the DWSRF Local Assistance and Other State Programs set-aside. This provides financial and technical assistance, sanitary surveys, and other types of program support to drinking water systems. Capacity development activities include, but are not limited to:

6Providing outreach and communication tools on technical, managerial, and financial capacity on our website and other media outlets.

6Conducting sanitary surveys and providing related technical assistance to small systems.

6Providing specific technical assistance (such as coliform monitoring, follow-up requirements, and Comprehensive Performance Evaluations) to help water systems achieve and maintain compliance.

6Maximizing public health protection through problem identification, correction, and performance optimization of existing surface water treatment plants.

6Helping public water systems research and determine whether their groundwater source is under the direct influence of surface water.

6Offering technical assistance to water systems to develop and implement source water protection programs, set rates, train new board members, and seek funding for projects.

6Providing statewide training for water system operators, owners, and decision makers to increase knowledge of operations and improve performance.

6 Implementing a coordinated approach to water system asset management programs to encourage strong financial and managerial capacity in every water system. Activities include asset management and rate setting training for operators, decision makers, and other stakeholders; improved education and training for state staff on assessing financial capacity of public water systems in order to improve technical assistance and plan review; and encouraging regional activities to achieve economies of scale and improve utility sustainability through training and outreach efforts.

6Working with partners to communicate the value of safe and reliable drinking water, so the people of Washington understand and support investments in our drinking water systems.

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Partners in Public Health

Local Health Jurisdiction Workshops, Day with DOH, AWWA SubsectionsStatewideIn June 2018, we conducted field training in Ellensburg for Local Health Jurisdiction (LHJ) surveyors from around the state. The training took place over two-and-a-half days, offered beginner and advanced training tracks, and consisted of a combination of classroom and field experiences. For the field component of the advanced track, students were assigned to small groups and guided through a series of stations set up at participating water systems. Groups reported back the next day on what they learned and observed. Typical of the positive feedback we received is the following, “As anticipated, I learned a great deal and found the hands-on experience invaluable, plus connecting with LHJ drinking water staff from other counties and DOH staff from other regions.”

Eastern Regional Office (ERO)In April, ERO staff partnered with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to conduct a day of presentations for the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Inland Empire Subsection. Topics included sanitary surveys, emergency response, and data integrity.

Northwest Regional Office (NWRO)In March 2018, we held our second annual Day with DOH in Mount Vernon. The Northwest Washington Subsection of the AWWA invited water system operators and managers from a six-county region to attend an all-day session to view a number of presentations and interact with DOH staff. Topics included a regulatory and emerging issues update, an E. coli Response Planning presentation, a panel discussion on creating a successful utility organization, an overview of our Treatment Optimization Program, and a hands-on chlorine residual monitoring workshop. About 100 operators and managers attended the meeting and their evaluations were very favorable.

Southwest Regional Office (SWRO)In April 2018, SWRO held their annual LHJ Workshop. Topics included Water System Acquisitions: Lessons Learned, by Kim Gubbe of PUD No. 1 of Thurston County; a refresher on measuring chlorine residual with the digital colorimeters, and sanitary survey findings. We also held an interactive round table discussion for LHJ staff to discuss a variety of topics and ask questions.

Coordination with State and Federal Agencies

Source Water ProtectionThe Source Water Protection (SWP) program continues to look for opportunities to partner with other state, federal, local, and other entities to highlight the important role we all have in ensuring safe and reliable water resources now and for generations to come, and to raise awareness of the need to protect drinking water from contamination and loss of supply. Over the past year, we organized and participated in the following efforts to educate and promote source water protection issues.

6We worked with Rural Community Assistance Corporation’s (RCAC) Environmental Finance Center, EPA Region 10, and the Drinking Water Providers Partnership to conduct four Source Water Protection Watershed Workshops across the state. The goal of these workshops was to bring together source water protection and water shed subject matter experts, agencies that own and manage property within a watershed, and the utilities that rely on that water as a drinking water source. The workshops provided the opportunity for participants to share and learn together—to gain understanding of how planning and projects within the watershed impact public drinking water systems, and the importance of source water and wellhead protection. Attendees included water purveyors, local, state, and federal agencies, special purpose districts, tribes, environmental groups, and even first responders.

6 In conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service and the Drinking Water Providers Partnership (DWPP), we helped review and approve projects that are mutually beneficial for both drinking water and fish. This year, the U.S. Forest Service invested over $175,000 in watershed projects in Washington.

6We worked with Department of Ecology (Ecology) on updates to the Critical Aquifer Recharge Area (CARA) guidance and stormwater management manuals used as design guidelines for state and local agencies.

6We worked with the Department of Commerce and other state agencies to review and update guidance to local communities on CARA planning


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requirements, a component of Washington’s growth management laws.

6We collaborated with Ecology to conduct a joint presentation on SWP funding (specifically, using DWSRF funds to help communities develop SWP plans) at the AWWA Sustainable Water Management conference in Seattle.

6Monitored progress in developing the Icicle Creek Integrated Water Resource Management Strategy (local, state, and federal partners including, in part, Ecology and Fish & Wildlife; Yakama Confederated Tribes; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation), which is related to the Icicle Watershed SWP project funded under the DWPP. We also reviewed and submitted comments on draft programmatic EIS.

6We continued to update and refine our Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) application, increasing the functionality and accuracy of SWP areas and source locations. We regularly provide this information to the Departments of Natural Resources, Ecology, Agriculture, and Transportation. They use the information to make better decisions for facilities, water quality, timber buffers, road construction, and pesticide management compliance. We also updated the SWAP software to make the application more mobile and tablet friendly.

Reclaimed Water

On February 23, 2018, the Reclaimed Water Rule (WAC 173-219) came into effect. The rule was developed after more than a decade of work with Ecology and other stakeholders. It includes standards, as well as project planning, design, and permitting processes for reclaimed water projects. In addition, we supported Ecology in development of the Reclaimed Water Facilities Manual, commonly known as the Purple Book. Our staff continue to work with Ecology staff and other interested parties to support implementation of the rule so that Washington communities can use the right water for the right use and protect public health.

Public Works Board (PWB) TrainingsODW staff collaborated with the Public Works Board, the Departments of Commerce, Ecology, and the Rural Development, and Rural Community Assistance Corporation to provide four trainings around the state in Aberdeen, Port Angeles, Walla Walla, and Moses Lake. These trainings focused on value planning, asset management, and rate setting. They also included a funding panel. ODW staff assisted with the asset management training along with providing a DWSRF staff person on the funding panel.

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DWSRF Funding

WALT and Transfer from the Public Works Board and CommerceStarting July 1, 2018, ODW became responsible for oversight of all Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loans. Loan contracts historically administered by the Public Works Board and Department of Commerce were officially transferred to DOH. DOH’s new Washington Loans and Tracking (WALT) system is now functioning and includes an online funding application, portal for external clients to view and submit information, and a database for all loan-related information. We migrated historic loan information from the Public Works Board to the database.

DWSRF Construction Loan Funding CycleIn November 2018, we received, reviewed, and ranked 31 construction loan applications. We offered DWSRF loans only to applicants that ranked high enough to place within the available funding target of $20 million for the fall 2018 construction loan cycle. ODW awarded about $19.9 million for 15 new projects and made $1.5 million available for construction cost overruns associated with existing construction loans. Funded projects addressed high public health risks and promoted water system resiliency.

In addition, the 2018 state budget included $5,000,000 for Drinking Water System Repairs and Consolidation (DWSRC) projects (formerly known as Water System Acquisition and Rehabilitation Program [WSARP]). We made DWSRC funding available for consolidation, restructuring, or receivership projects that resulted in public ownership of the water system (town, city, county, public utility district, or water district). Consolidation, restructuring, and receivership projects are eligible for DWSRC funding if the water system being consolidated, restructured, or received under court order is a community Group A system serving fewer than 10,000 people, or a Group B system serving residences. In addition, the consolidated, restructured, or received system must become a community Group A system by the end of the project. We made this funding available for receivership projects through the DWSRF Emergency Loan and Funding program, along with the 2018 DWSRF Construction Loan funding cycle for consolidation projects, with 3 percent reserved for administrative costs. With $4.85 million available to award to water systems, $500,000 was awarded to Pierce County for the Kapowsin Water District receivership through emergency funding

and the remaining $4.35 million was awarded to seven consolidation construction projects. Combining the state appropriated DWSRC funding with the DWSRF construction loan funding allowed us to fund additional projects and gave us the ability to co-fund projects that exceeded the consolidation grant funding.

SyncThe 2017 Legislature directed the Public Works Board and the Departments of Commerce, Ecology, and Health to form an interagency systems improvement team (House Bill 1677). Sync’s task is to identify, implement, and report to achieve efficiency, minimize costs, and maximize value across drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure programs. DOH provides two staff as representatives to the Sync team and other DOH staff participate in work groups sponsored by Sync.

Since its inception, Sync sought input from local, state, and federal stakeholders working across the state. They identified three priorities.

1. Expand technical assistance capability.

2. Improve funding program processes.

3. Improve system-wide infrastructure.

Sync developed 14 key activities to address these priority areas.

1. Tech Teams. Increase availability and frequency of tech team meetings to build local technical, financial, and managerial capacity and provide guidance on funding resources.

2. Value Planning. Promote value planning in infrastructure project development to build local expertise. Effective value planning increases stakeholder feedback and the development of the right project for the community. You can review a draft Introductory Guide to Value Planning on the Sync webpage.*

3. Asset Management. Build local capacity to use asset management effectively. Successful asset management reduces the overall cost of ownership, increases the lifespan of the system, and prioritizes capital improvements.

4. Regional Governance and Resource Efficiency. Provide technical tools and expertise to facilitate explorations of regional governance. Tools include interlocal agreements that provide administrative and systems efficiencies, and case studies that detail how to initiate a regional approach.

Funding


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5. Decision Package Requests for Coordinated Technical Assistance. Align agency budget requests for technical assistance staff and resources. Additional staff will focus on building local technical capacity across the preceding four areas.

6. Electronic Resource Portal. Create a repository for technical resources. Sync will improve existing funding portals, such as Fund Finder, as the foundation of a program directory. This will help stakeholders access funding opportunities.

7. Affordability and Hardship. Sync developed a process to share underwriting and continues to explore the development of a universal hardship determination model.

8. Applications. Simplify and streamline funding program applications to create a base of common questions that increase stakeholder efficiency, and support competitive application processes.

9. Co-funding Process. Organize a consistent process for coordinating and packaging investments. This will help Sync leverage federal dollars and bring projects to full funding, particularly if projects involve multiple systems.

10. Income Surveys. Update currently available income survey guidance and coordinate with organizations on alternative data and metrics.

11. Secure the Public Works Assistance Account. Request a phased return of all diverted Public Works Assistance Account tax revenues for local infrastructure projects prior to 2023.

12. Support to the Legislature. Coordinate resources and best practice guidance to provide expertise to legislators making infrastructure-related funding decisions.

13. Alternative Finance. Create consistent state funding opportunities and resources for stakeholders without access to reasonable rates in the private credit market.

14. Workforce Development. Sync will explore options to raise the visibility of infrastructure-related careers. This includes partnerships with institutions of higher learning and studying gaps in the workforce.

Each key activity will address the designated outcomes of HB 1677 and Sync’s objectives. Ultimately, Sync will identify

and develop the human and technical capacity of state programs to implement the identified key activities.

*To learn more about Sync activities, please visit commerce.wa.gov/building-infrastructure/sync-systems-improvement-team.

Small Communities InitiativeThe Small Communities Initiative (SCI) program provides technical advice and facilitation services to small public water systems across the state to develop infrastructure projects, make strategic investments, and identify and access appropriate fund sources. This program is a collaborative effort among the departments of Health, Ecology, and Commerce. All three agencies fund the program, which assists communities that need to upgrade their drinking water or wastewater systems.

More specifically, the SCI program helps local elected officials, local staff, and residents define, prioritize, and identify links between public health, environmental protection, and local development issues. The program also develops and implements an action plan to make necessary infrastructure improvements.

Two staff members, Cathi Read and Jon Galow, make up the SCI Program and serve the west and east sides of the state, respectively. SCI Program staff also participate in multiple inter- and intra-agency efforts to provide technical assistance and funding to water systems.

http://www.commerce.wa.gov/building-infrastructure/sync-systems-improvement-team

http://www.commerce.wa.gov/building-infrastructure/sync-systems-improvement-team

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Putting Together the 2019-2021 Biennial BudgetDWSRF Grant. In spring 2019, ODW was notified that our DWSRF grant would decrease slightly this next year from $24,815,000 to $24,583,000. We will receive this award in fall 2019. Our grant award is split, with 69 percent used for capital loans and 31 percent for administration, operating, and technical assistance programs.

The capital loan fund is supported by our 69 percent DWSRF grant award, an annual state match of $5,500,000, and repayments received on prior year loans. As our fund balance increases so will the size of our annual loan cycles.

Federal Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) Grant. Our PWSS grant changed from a single year to a two-year grant; although we still need to apply each year. The current grant award totaling $5,390,000 is for October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2020. This is $72,000 less than the prior two years.

ODW Fees. The operating permit and document review fee remain the same. We continue to monitor and

evaluate how future business needs can be achieved with modifications to our fee revenue. Our operator and system certification fees are sufficient to meet our current program needs.

Group B. For 2018, we received legislative funding to support LHJs in implementing Group B Programs in their jurisdiction. This was based on a pilot program ODW funded previously and successfully moved LHJs to improved capacity, which addressed a wide array of local drinking water concerns. We are working to submit a decision package to the 2020 Legislature requesting continued funding for fiscal year 2020 and ongoing.

Budget Reductions. Fluctuations in funding from our federal partners requires ODW to staff programs at a more conservative level. As positions become vacant through transfers and retirements, ODW leadership continues to move forward prioritizing and streamlining core programs. Positions that were held vacant to meet our budget and rebuild fund balances are slowly being filled. This slower and priority-based hiring is deliberate and critical to reduce the possibility of staff cuts in the future.


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Lead in School Drinking Water ResultsIn fall 2017, the Legislature directed ODW to test for lead in drinking water in public schools, in an effort to reduce children’s overall exposure to lead in the environment. The Office of Environmental Health Sciences was tasked with administering the testing program. ODW technical experts helped develop sampling guidance, recommendations for follow-up activities if lead was found at high levels, and presenting findings from the testing to stakeholders across the state. We developed the testing protocol based on EPA’s 3T’s Guidance for Testing in Schools and Child Care Facilities. Samples were analyzed at DOH’s Public Health Laboratory.

The program testing focused on schools with the oldest buildings, youngest kids, and schools not tested in the last three years. In all, 228 schools were tested in 2018. Of the schools tested, 58 percent of schools had at least one fixture with greater than 10 parts per billion (ppb); 45 percent of schools had at least one fixture exceeding 20 ppb. We developed recommendations guiding schools’ follow-up actions, including fixture replacement for any sample over 10 ppb. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction was granted $1 million in capital funds to help schools recover the cost of replacing fixtures related to this testing.

Legionella—ODW EffortsLegionella bacteria causes more waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States than any other pathogen, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Drinking water utilities and other stakeholders—including residential, commercial, and industrial users; institutional consumers; building designers; device manufacturers and regulatory agencies —all play a vital role in preventing this public health risk most frequently associated with building water systems.

ODW recognizes this issue and has engaged both nationally and locally to understand and position our agency, utilities, and end users to fully address this national health concern by:

6 Encouraging and supporting Legionella research efforts with Washington utilities. ODW staff developed a protocol for responding to potential Legionella detections, which is used nationally.

6 Supporting other state and national efforts for Legionella control and building water systems through the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA).

6Developing staff and utility guidance for implementing drinking water regulations in building water systems.

Harmful Algal BloomsHarmful algal blooms occur when cyanobacteria—commonly known as blue-green algae—produce toxins. In 2018, we worked with dozens of water systems in Washington state required to collect water quality samples for algal toxins under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 4 (UCMR4). This sampling under UCMR4 is part of efforts by EPA to determine if developing an enforceable national drinking standard for algal toxins is warranted.

Consuming high levels of algal toxins may result in harmful health effects. In 2018, none of the more than a dozen water systems that sampled for algal toxins had a confirmed detection of an algal toxin above the EPA health reference level for drinking water. We continue to work with water systems and other groups to protect sources from nutrients that can increase the potential for algal growth, and we take action when concerns arise.

PFAS/PFOAConcern is growing about possible health effects from a family of perfluorinated chemicals (PFAS). These chemicals have been used in firefighting foam and everyday products like carpets, clothing, and food packaging. Some of these chemicals are of particular concern because they persist for thousands of years in the environment and become concentrated in the environment and in people. Studies in animals show that exposure can affect liver function, reproductive hormones, development of offspring, and mortality. The toxicity in humans is less understood.

We are working with the Environmental Public Health team, the Board of Health, and the Department of Ecology on ways to reduce exposure to PFAS, develop regulations to require testing for these chemicals in drinking water, and provide appropriate follow-up actions if they are detected. We will continue to work with Washington’s drinking water systems to identify and minimize potential risks as we gather more information and understanding on this emerging issue.

Emerging Issues and Challenges

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-09/documents/final_revised_3ts_manual_508.pdf

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-09/documents/final_revised_3ts_manual_508.pdf

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/perflourinated_chemicals_508.pdf

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Updates on Federal Rule Development

Congressional ActionOn October 23, 2018, President Trump signed America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018, which passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan majorities. While most of this law upgrades water resources or flood control infrastructure, more than 20 sections update the Safe Drinking Water Act or otherwise affect public water systems, such as:

Asset Management. The act encourages water system staff to develop asset management plans and supports training and other technical assistance on asset management practices for water systems.

Consumer Confidence Reports. The act requires EPA to revise the rules on Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) by October 2020. These rule revisions will require community water systems that serve 10,000 or more people to publish a CCR at least twice a year.

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). AWIA codified several aspects of the DWSRF program such as:

6 The minimum subsidy awarded for DWSRF funded projects must equal 26 percent of the capitalization grant.

6 Iron and steel products used in a DWSRF project must be produced in the United States.

6Prevailing wages must be used for DWSRF projects.

6Additional money could be appropriated by Congress for the capitalization grant.

6DWSRF programs may have access to additional funding through the Water Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act.

Unregulated Contaminants. The act expands the universe of water systems covered under future versions of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) to include all systems serving 3,300 or more people to monitor, provided Congress appropriates adequate funding.

Implementation of these and other elements of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act will likely unfold over the next two to three years, so our staff will continue to work with EPA and others to develop workable rules that protect public health.

Perchlorate and the Long-Term Revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule In 2019, EPA is expected to propose a Perchlorate Rule and revision to the Lead and Copper Rule. EPA and other stakeholders have been working on these rules for more than a decade. When these rules are proposed, we will review them for their potential to affect water systems and, most importantly, improve public health.

Drought2018 started as a good water year with high elevation snowfall and near-normal temperatures across the state. The April 1 Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) was normal to above normal and in early May the State Climatologist projected there should be plenty of water for the upcoming summer due to a healthy snowpack.

Statewide, however, May 2018 was the second warmest on record and precipitation was below normal for a majority of the state. The warm temperatures melted snow in the mountains much faster than normal, and June and July brought more warm temperatures and below normal precipitation. By the end of July much of the Olympic Peninsula was designated as moderate to severe drought with surface water systems imposing voluntary or mandatory conservation efforts and some systems preparing to truck water. Rains in late August helped these systems get by but the year illustrated the vulnerability of systems to a changing climate.

From this experience, ODW recognizes the need to help systems become more resilient particularly those systems on the west side that historically have not struggled to meet demand due to ample snowfall and rain each year. ODW will work with utilities to update their water shortage response plans, measure water levels, and evaluate additional supply options in order to build their resilience to what is expected to be a change in the timing and amount of precipitation each year. This work will help utilities meet demand and continue to provide safe and reliable drinking water.

2019 Focus—Future Vision


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WSARP Like ActivitiesODW continues to promote consolidation as a tool for small, struggling water systems. The 2018 Legislature awarded $5 million for Drinking Water System Repairs and Consolidation, similar to the Water System Acquisition and Rehabilitation Program (WSARP), which were made available to our DWSRF program for consolidation, restructuring, and receivership projects through DWSRF. We funded one receivership project and eight consolidation projects, eliminating nine Group A water systems and three Group B water systems. The 2019 Legislature awarded $1.5 million for future funding of Drinking Water System Repairs and Consolidation efforts.

To continue to promote consolidation work, ODW will offer Consolidation Feasibility Study Grant funds in 2019. The Consolidation Feasibility Study Grant funding program was temporarily suspended in 2017 due to budget issues associated with the state legislature not passing a capital budget. This grant program was historically funded through set-asides. Our stakeholders found great value in these small grants (up to $30,000 per project) that allowed the study of potential transfer of ownership and consolidation projects to address compliance or capacity issues. We intend to offer the Consolidation Feasibility Study Grant program in 2019 using our 1 percent loan origination fee fund.

Performance MeasuresSafe, clean, reliable drinking water is a basic public health goal. It is also the foundation of a community’s economic vitality. We collaborate with EPA to develop a set of performance measures, which goes into a one-

year Public Water Supply Supervision Grant’s Work Plan. These measures are based on the National Water Program Guidance. The National Water Program Guidance defines and prioritizes EPA’s performance measures, tasks, and goals for the year. For the 2018–2019 National Water Program Guidance, we will address two new measures—Health-Based Violations (HBV) and corrosion control treatment technique violations.

EPA leadership set a goal of reducing the HBV by 25 percent a year. In 2018 we began evaluating EPA’s baseline list of community systems with historic HBV. We plan to conduct ongoing assessments of the lists to help determine likely causes of why violations are occurring. The intent is to combine our National Compliance Initiative activities (technical assistance, increased education, and quality improvement product development) to reduce occurrences by trying to prevent Treatment Technique Violations (TTV) and make sure the utilities are aware how to appropriately respond to MCL violations.

Likewise, we are now taking steps to better track and offer early assistance to water systems that are in the process of design, construction, and initiating operation of corrosion control treatment facilities. We added an increased focus to the process on working directly with utilities and their consultants to evaluate potential influences on corrosivity stemming from changes to a source or treatment process.

We are also now adding operational performance measures to all updated program plans mentioned earlier. We will use this information to ensure that we are allocating the appropriate level of resources to core activities based on priority business needs.

Office of Drinking Water PO Box 47822 Olympia, Washington 98504-7822

Find us online .

doh.wa.gov/DrinkingWater

Social media handle @WADeptHealth, search for #WAH2O .

http://doh.wa.gov/DrinkingWater