FRWA eNews
July 30, 2020
Contact Us
Florida Rural Water Association
2970 Wellington Circle
Tallahassee FL 32309
850.668.2746
Flushing Signs
Upcoming Training
07.31.2020
FlaWARN Virtual Regional Meetings 2020/US Water
08.04.20
Water and Wastewater Training/Daytona
08.18.2020
1/2/3 Water Distribution Certification/Lake City
09.09.2020
B/C Wastewater Certification Review/Punta Gorda
10.06.20
1/2/3 Water Distribution Certification/Pensacola
11.03.20
1/2/3 Water Distribution Certification/Bradenton
11.03.2020
B/C Wastewater Certification Review/Tavares
12.08.20
1/2/3 Water Distribution Certification/West Palm Beach
Online Training
Need to earn CEUs?
Water and Wastewater Training
August 4-5, 2020
Daytona Beach Hilton
100 N Atlantic Ave
Daytona Beach FL 32118
0.6 CEUs DW/WW/DS

As the water and wastewater industry continues to cope with the COVID-19 crisis.  FRWA is looking for venues large enough to be able to hold more onsite classes.  Join us next week as we visit Daytona Beach for the Water and Wastewater Training Class.

For the safety of our attendees this class is limited to the first fifty attendees. It will be held in the Grand Ballroom at the Daytona Beach Hilton in the South Tower, which is large enough to allow us to practice social distancing.  

Please join us at the beach for the opportunity to earn CEUs.  FRWA has a discounted room rate starting at $112.00 (this rate does not include $8.00 self parking rate) plus tax. For reservations, please call 386.254.8200.

Registration will be $50.00 for members and nonmembers.  For more information and to register, click here.
FRWA In Emergency Prep Mode
The Florida Rural Water Association is once again in emergency prep mode in anticipation of Hurricane Isaias that may affect the state by the end of the week and early into next week.  The FRWA staff is busy at the FRWA warehouse prepping equipment and loading it on the FRWA semi to be ready for any emergency.

Isaias is the ninth named storm of 2020.  The storm formed Wednesday over the Caribbean Sea as reported by the National Hurricane Center.  As of this article, Isaias is pounding Puerto Rico with high winds and flash flooding.  The storm is forecast to make landfall over southern Dominican Republic before noon Thursday and then reach near Florida over the weekend.   The state could experience heavy rain and strong winds during the next few days, although it is still too early to determine where the storm may hit.

FRWA recommends that you be sure that your Emergency Response plan is  up to date.  We suggest that you meet with your employees to review their assigned duties so that your system is prepared in case of an emergency.  For more information on preparing your system for an emergency, click here .

Also, be sure that your information is correct in WATER Tracker by clicking here.   This new system combines FDEP's former StormTracker website and Florida Water/
Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN) event tracker and gives utilities one portal for all water and wastewater facilities to post status, submit needs and request resources.  WATER Tracker is your best option in case you need of an emergency.  Be sure to watch the videos for more information on the features that are available.  If you need further assistance, it's just a click away at WATERTracker@floridadep.gov or by calling 800.872.8207.

FRWA is always available for assistance. If you need further information, just give us a call at 800.872.8207.  Stay safe!
National News
House OKs WRDA water bill with South Florida water projects for Indian River Lagoon, others | TCPalm House OKs WRDA water bill with South Florida water projects for Indian River Lagoon, others | TCPalm  more

Hawaii battles complacency after another hurricane near-miss | WFTV  Hurricane Douglas joined a long list of hurricanes that have come near the Hawaiian Islands but didn't cause major damage. more

SDWA Reform in House  On Tuesday, the House SDWA subcommittee will hold an oversight hearing on revisions to the Safe Drinking Water Act's (SDWA) standard-setting process.  more

In a New Precedent, EPA Publishes Final Decisions Not to Regulate Perchlorate Under SDWA  The EPA has determined that perchlorate does not occur "with a frequency and at levels of public health concern" within the meaning of the SDWA,   more

WRDA Bill on Track for 2020 Passage  The House of Representatives is expected to approve its version of legislation to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) this week.  more

Congress Facing August Adjournment after Passage of Next COVID-19 Relief Legislation  Senate Republicans and the White House are expected to release their latest
COVID-19 proposals momentarily.  more

DHS Releases Bulletin on Risk to Critical Infrastructure  The report includes observed cyber-threat tactics, techniques and procedures for attacking critical infrastructure and mitigation strategies.  more

House Passes EPA Spending Bill  The bill passed last week includes current funding levels for SRF and an increase in the rural water SDWA & CWA technical assistance programs. A  Senate Water Committee Reports on National Status of Water Disconnection Policy.  more

PFAs Detected, Used, Stored, or Released in Florida  For a map of this information, click here
State News
Flagler Beach wastewater improvements to start with sludge | Daytona Beach News-Journal The first phase of Flagler Beach's wastewater treatment plant improvement process will replace drying beds for sludge with a screw press: a machine that separates water and sludge by using screen filters and gravity.  more

State Task Force Ponders Toxic Algae Water Quality Standard | WMFE A state task force appointed to advise lawmakers on Florida's toxic algae problems is considering a toxic algae water quality standard.  more

One year later, state fines Fort Lauderdale over water crisis | Sun Sentinel  After failing to keep up-to-date maps of its water pipes, Fort Lauderdale is now facing a sanction from the state in the form of a $19,100 fine.  more

Task force members still confused about process, need for proposed toll roads | News-Press  Some task force members planning for a mandated toll road from just south of Orlando to the Naples area seemed confused Thursday as to why they are considering the roadway at all.  more

Longboat Key residents express concerns after Sarasota Bay sewage break | Your Observer Monday marked the deadline for the town of Longboat Key to submit several reports to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection following June's sewage line break in a patch of mangroves east of Sarasota Bay.   more
This Week in Water History
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July 27, 1976 Outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease in Philadelphia. "On July 21, 1976, the American Legion opened its annual three-day convention at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More than 2,000 Legionnaires, mostly men, attended the convention. The date and city were chosen to coincide with America's celebration of the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia in 1776.

On July 27, three days after the convention ended, Legionnaire Ray Brennan, a 61-year-old retired Air Force captain and an American Legion bookkeeper, died at his home of an apparent heart attack. Brennan had returned home from the convention on the evening of July 24 complaining of feeling tired. On July 30, another Legionnaire, Frank Aventi, aged 60, also died of an apparent heart attack, as did three other Legionnaires. All of them had been convention attendees. Twenty-four hours later, on August 1, six more Legionnaires died. They ranged in age from 39 to 82, and, like Ray Brennan, Frank Aventi, and the three other Legionnaires, all had complained of tiredness, chest pains, lung congestion, and fever. more

For more articles on what went on this week in water history, click  here.
Florida Rural Water Association |   frwa@frwa.net | http://www.frwa.net
2970 Wellington Circle
Tallahassee FL 32309
850.668.2746