Volume 04|April 2020
Ohio Water Resources Center Newsletter
From Our Directors
With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting communities throughout the world, concerns on the safety of drinking water and wastewater have been raised. According to the US EPA, the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water supplies, and it is safe to use and drink water as usual. They also stated that wastewater treatment plants treat viruses and other pathogens. COVID-19 is a type of virus that is particularly susceptible to disinfection. Standard treatment and disinfectant processes at wastewater treatment plants are expected to be effective. WHO has also indicated that “there is no evidence to date that the COVID-19 virus has been transmitted via sewerage systems, with or without wastewater treatment.” One problem with the sewage systems, however, is that disinfectant wipes, paper towels and other paper products are clogging toilets. Flushing these products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities. Visit Water Environment Federation or Centers for Disease Control (CDC) webpages for continued up to date information on coronavirus and water resources. 
Spotlight
Join Us for the Ohio WRC/WMAO April Luncheon Webinar

Wednesday, April 15, 2020, 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM
Locating Elevated Phosphorus Fields Through a Public Private Partnership to Track Impacts of Best Management Practices
Presented by Michael Brooker and Jay Martin, Ohio State University – Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering
Agricultural production can lead to significant nutrient loss that diminishes surface water quality. This is especially relevant in the western Lake Erie basin, where agricultural nutrient runoff drives the severity of annual harmful algal blooms. Within this basin, the Maumee watershed is dominated by agriculture and is a major source of phosphorus contributing to algal blooms. Water quality targets aim for a 40% reduction of both Total and Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus (TP/DRP) loads by the year 2025. Models have shown that reaching DRP targets is especially challenging but progress may be accelerated by targeting Best Management Practices to fields contributing the greatest DRP loads. Because fields with excess phosphorus in the soils have been linked to increased nutrient loadings, our project is aimed at finding these fields so that management practices can be installed and monitored. Approximately 5% (~200,000 acres) of agricultural soils in the Maumee watershed have elevated phosphorus concentrations, beyond 2.5 times agronomic recommendations. The proprietary nature of soil testing data has made it challenging to find and evaluate practices on these fields. To overcome this barrier, we partnered with crop consultants and producers in a public-private partnership. This partnership has allowed us to find farmers willing to participate in our study and we are in the process of designing and monitoring management practices. This presentation will describe our process in finding elevated phosphorus fields, early insights, and how public-private partnerships can function to improve water quality.
From Our USGS Partner
New USGS IWAAs product: National Integrated Water Availability Assessments concept map
The USGS National Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs) concept map is the first product to visualize a current, quantitative view of water availability at the national scale, providing an innovative, much-needed channel of water information. While the demonstration map is not ready for decision making, it can be used to compare an individual region’s current water storage to its historical storage (but it should not be used to compare one region’s storage to another region’s). “Natural water storage” sources include water present on the landscape such as standing water, snowpack, soil water, and shallow groundwater - but water in rivers or deep groundwater is not included.
News Updates
Via WEF, March 23, 2020

Via Bloomberg Environment March 20, 2020

Via The Columbus Dispatch, March 19, 2020

Via   Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , March 18, 2020

Via JD Supra, March 17, 2020

Via Times Herald, March 12, 2020

Via The Hill, March 12, 2020

Via Transport Topics, March 9, 2020
Have a news article you'd like us to feature in our Newsletter? Email us at OhioWRC@osu.edu!
Opportunities
AGU Student Grant in the Hydrological Sciences
The Horton Research Grant is a grant awarded to Ph.D. students studying hydrology, water resources, or a closely related field. The grant is awarded to up to three students each year. It is funded by the Robert E. Horton Fund for Hydrologic Research to promote excellence through encouraging the next generation of professionals in the hydrological sciences. Application deadline is April 15, 2020 . More information.
WMAO Student Scholarship
The scholarship offers opportunities to student members and the relatives of members of the Water Management Association of Ohio (WMAO). The deadline of application is  April 27, 2020  at 5:00 p.m. EST. And award amount is $1000.  More information on eligibility criteria.
Announcement for Program Funding for NRCS’ Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 – OHIO
NRCS is announcing the availability of CIG to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Applications are accepted from eligible entities for projects carried out in the state of Ohio. A total of up to $300,000 is available for the Ohio CIG competition in FY 2020. All non-federal entities (NFE) and individuals are invited to apply, with the sole exception of federal agencies. Projects may be between one and three years in duration. The maximum award amount for a single award in FY 2020 is $150,000. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 15, 2020 . More information .
Stockholm Water Prize
The Stockholm Water Prize honors individuals, organizations and institutions whose work contributes to the conservation and protection of water resources, and to the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants. All who have made extraordinary water-related achievements are eligible. Call for nominations for the 2021 Stockholm Water Prize will be open March 24 until September 30, 2020 . More information .
Coastal Program - Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
The Coastal Program‐Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is a voluntary, community‐based program that provides technical and financial assistance through cooperative agreements to coastal communities, conservation partners, and landowners to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat on public and private lands within the Great Lakes watershed. Awards range in size from $40,000 - $200,000. The Closing Date for Applications is  September 30, 2020 .  More information.
To find more resources offered by Ohio WRC, please visit: https://wrc.osu.edu/resources
Policy Update
EPA Announces Enforcement Discretion Policy for COVID-19 Pandemic
EPA has issued a temporary policy regarding EPA enforcement of environmental legal obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic: COVID-19 Implications for EPAs Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program . EPA's temporary enforcement discretion policy applies to civil violations during the COVID-19 outbreak. The policy addresses different categories of noncompliance differently. For example, under the policy EPA does not expect to seek penalties for noncompliance with routine monitoring and reporting obligations that are the result of the COVID-19 pandemic but does expect operators of public water systems to continue to ensure the safety of our drinking water supplies. The policy also describes the steps that regulated facilities should take to qualify for enforcement discretion.
Ohio EPA - Public Notice: Final Rulemaking Governing Primary Drinking Water Standards
Notice is hereby given that the Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) has final filed the following rules of the Ohio Administrative Code:

3745-81-32 Public Notification 
3745-81-72 Disinfection of water from surface water sources 
3745-81-73 Filtration of water from surface water sources 
3745-81-75 Recordkeeping, reporting, and actionable requirements 
3745-81-79 Filter backwash recycling 

The Director's order of adoption was issued on March 13, 2020. These adopted rules will become effective on  March 23, 2020 .
The Director's action in this matter is pursuant to the procedural requirements of Ohio Revised Code Chapter 119 and is based upon the record of the public hearing conducted by Ohio EPA on November 6, 2019 and comments received during the public comment period.
To view the public notices and the adopted rules, please visit DDAGW's rules web page at  https://epa.ohio.gov/ddagw/rules   and see the March 16, 2020 announcements.
Upcoming Events
Solve Climate by 2030: A Teach-In at Ohio State April 7
Ohio State is joining a national conversation,   Solve Climate By 2030 , which seeks to engage more than 100,000 students across the country in dialog about state and local climate solutions. Any Ohio State class or individual can join the “Ohio Power Dialog,” a webinar featuring Ohio climate experts who will discuss three ambitious but feasible things that need to happen in our state soon if we are to get on track to solve climate by 2030. This event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. April 7 online using Zoom. Click HERE to register.
CEGE Webinar - April 13, 2020 4:00 pm
Simoni Triantafyllidou, Environmental Engineer from the US EPA National Risk Management Research Labortory will be giving a zoom presentation on her research for the EPA. Zoom Link:  https://osu.zoom.us/j/574369434
Simoni Triantafyllidou's Areas of Expertise:
• Distribution system and premise plumbing research to determine drinking water quality at the tap, with emphasis on lead, arsenic and other contaminants
• Lead corrosion research based on harvested pipe scales and water sampling
• Technical assistance to states and communities on drinking water contamination challenges
Webinar on Flood Prevention - Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 2pm CT
As spring arrives throughout much of the region, many of us have flooding on the mind as we continue to recover from 2019 record-breaking flooding and look forward to planting in 2020. Tune in to this month's edition of The Current Webinar series as we focus on Flood Prevention. You'll hear a flood outlook for the region, and learn about the latest flood prevention research.  Register.
2020 | Byrd Center Climate Symposium
The Byrd Center Climate Symposium has been rescheduled for Thurs. and Friday, Oct. 8-9, 2020.  Same speaker, same venues. Please mark your calendars and share.
More details on registration, etc. coming soon via email, Byrd social media, and website.
Have an event you'd like us to feature in our Newsletter? Email us at OhioWRC@osu.edu!
Email : OhioWRC@osu.edu
Phone : 614-292-2807
Website : https://wrc.osu.edu/
Address : 311 Hitchcock Hall
2070 Neil Avenue 
Columbus, OH 43210