FRWA 2023 Annual Conference |
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July 31 - August 2, 2023
Saddlebrook Resort
570 Saddlebrook Way
Wesley Chapel FL 33543
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By now, you should have received your agenda for this year's Conference. If you have not received yours, you can click here for a sneak peek.
This year's event will be held in Tampa at the Saddlebrook Resort. The room rates start at $229.00 which includes a discounted resort fee of $10. Click here to reserve your room today. You will want to bring the entire family to take advantage of all the amenities that Tampa has to offer.
The Exhibit Hall is sold out and overflowing so we feel that this year’s Conference will be the most exciting yet with sessions being presented on the most important topics in the industry such as PFAS, Lead and Copper, etc.
I know that you will be happy to know that the Paul Brayton Golf Tournament will be on site on the Palmer Golf Course. We hope to miss the hottest time of the day by beginning at 10:00 on Monday morning.
Don’t forget to bring your water sample to the registration booth before 2:00 pm on Tuesday to participate in this year’s Best Tasting Water Contest. The winner will be announced at the Exhibitor Social in the Exhibit Hall on Tuesday evening and have a chance to participate in the “Great American Taste Test” in Washington DC in February.
You'll want to be in the Exhibit Hall when your name is called for one of the great door prizes that are given away! These and other activities will keep you informed, inspired, and motivated so that we can help you to make sure the future of the water and wastewater industry in Florida is bright.
For complete information and to register for this year's Conference, click here! Hope to see you there!
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Court pauses Cybersecurity Rule for AWWA, NRWA water utility members following legal challenge |
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Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit granted a request from the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Cybersecurity Rule from going into effect until the current case challenging the rule has been decided.
The Court’s decision applies to all AWWA and NRWA members nationwide. AWWA and NRWA requested that the court stay (pause) the rule during a legal challenge from three states so that their members would not have to undertake costly changes to their operations until the court decides if the rule is legally valid. The stay applies until further notice from the court.
“AWWA is pleased the court recognized the importance of halting the Cybersecurity Rule for our utility members as it reviews the legality of the rulemaking process,” said AWWA CEO David LaFrance. “AWWA strongly supports efforts to strengthen cybersecurity in the water sector, but the Sanitary Survey Program is not the right tool for the job. We are grateful our viewpoint will be heard by the court and look forward to working together with EPA and others on a smart path forward.”
“NRWA commends the court for issuing this stay preventing EPA from enforcing the Cybersecurity Rule until it is determined if it has been lawfully implemented,” said NRWA CEO Matthew Holmes. “While NRWA fully supports efforts to strengthen cybersecurity in small communities across the country, enforcing this regulation is not the best way to help small and rural systems, and could have costly and unnecessary consequences.”
AWWA and NRWA joined the States of Missouri, Arkansas, and Iowa in a legal challenge to the Cybersecurity Rule because of concerns about the legal process and legality of the rule, concerns that the rule may create additional cybersecurity vulnerabilities for members, as well as concerns that states do not have appropriate resources, laws, rules or procedures in place to adhere to the rule requirements. Specifically, in the absence of a viable primacy agency implementation framework, water systems were at risk of violations for which they are unable to prepare. There is also the risk that the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of these systems would be publicly available because they are being done through sanitary surveys, which could be accessed by malicious actors.
The public wasn’t given the opportunity to comment about EPA’s proposed approach before the rule was issued. By granting a stay, the court has prevented these risks to members while it reviews the legality of EPA’s rulemaking process. more
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NATIONAL NEWS
These States Boast The Best Drinking Water Every state has something they’re famous for, whether it’s a natural wonder like the Grand Canyon in Arizona or a popular food like Wisconsin cheese. Some are also known for their own distinct culture, weather conditions, and entertainment hot spots. more
Wastewater Professional's Guide to PFAS Contamination and Testing In this guide, we provide both industrial and municipal wastewater professionals the insights they need to navigate the complex and everchanging landscape of PFAS regulations and management best-practices. more
National Hurricane Center tracking disturbance. Saharan dust helping keep tropics quiet The National Hurricane Center is tracking a disturbance well off the U.S. coastline, along with three tropical waves. more
Federal Study Finds PFAS In 45% Of Tap Water A new federal study estimates that toxic “forever chemicals” can be found in nearly half of U.S. tap water. more
AWWA State of the Water Industry 2023 In case you missed it: AWWA has released the 2023 State of the Water Industry report. This is our 20th annual survey of perspectives and experiences from thousands of professionals across the water community. Get up to speed on key trends impacting the water community! more
EPA Takes Another Step to Protect the Public from Asbestos Exposure by Finalizing Rule to ... Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to require comprehensive reporting on all six fiber types of asbestos as the agency continues its work to address exposure to this known carcinogen and strengthen the evidence that will be used to further protect people from this dangerous chemical. more
No loopholes for polluters: Those responsible for PFAS must pay | The Hill Companies have made tens of billions of dollars creating and using toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, creating the biggest environmental contamination crisis in human history. more
Hurricane forecasters now predict ‘above-average’ season. Blame a hot Atlantic. When forecasters in April first predicted this year’s hurricane season would be slightly below average, they added an important asterisk. more
EPA Announces Framework for Addressing New PFAS and New Uses of PFAS On June 29, EPA announced its framework for addressing new and new uses of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). more
STATE NEWS
DEP Announces Quarterly Resilience Forum The Resilient Florida Program will host its third quarterly resilience forum of 2023. This will be an informative event with three presentations. August 2, 2023 9-11 am. more
In Case You Missed It: Governor Ron DeSantis Announces $187 Million in Awards for Communities Impacted by Hurricane Sally Governor Ron DeSantis awarded $187 million to communities impacted by Hurricane Sally through the Florida Department of Commerce’s (FloridaCommerce) Rebuild Florida program. more
FloridaCommerce Announces Official 30-Day Public Comment Period for the State’s Draft Action Plan to Access More Than $910 Million in Disaster Recovery Funding for Hurricane Ian FloridaCommerce posted Florida’s Draft State Action Plan and announced the opening of the official 30-day public comment period to seek input on the state’s plan to access and operationalize $910 million in funding. more
State report shows Florida may run out of fresh drinking water; South Florida's outlook | WPEC According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida might be running out of fresh drinking water. more
DeSantis awards $125.6 million to Pensacola, Escambia for infrastructure projects | Pensacola News Journal This story has been updated to correct a mistake that appeared in the original version. Pensacola's total grant award was $55.5 million. more
National study finds up to nine PFAS in FL's tap water | The Apopka Voice Tap water in Gainesville, Tampa Bay, and Fort Myers contains chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or in human bodies, according to a study from the U.S. Geological Survey. more
Water outage for Baldwin homes, businesses begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday to repair water main A water outage for the entire Town of Baldwin began at 1 p.m. Tuesday and will continue until further notice so that a water main break at the northwest intersection of Oliver and Main streets can be repaired. more
The Fastest Growing Area In Florida Is A Community I'd Never Heard Of Florida’s population is growing fast. According to the latest US Census, we’re the fastest growing state in the country. more
Grants available for water quality, improvement projects in Florida The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting requests for water-quality grants from local governments, academic institutions and nonprofits. more
DEP Launches Water Quality Protection Grant Portal for Fiscal Year 2023-24 | WQCS The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched an online grant portal to provide eligible entities the opportunity to submit proposals for water-related grant programs. more
DEP Accepting Comments on Landscape Irrigation and Florida-Friendly Landscaping™️ Design Standards This document is intended to be utilized by landscape designers, irrigation designers, and irrigation system installers as a best management practice guide. more
Utilities Department Wins Awards At Florida Water Resources Conference | Plant City Observer “Only rain should go down that drain,” said Super Murph (a.k.a. Plant City Utilities Chief Plant Operator Patrick Murphy) in an entertaining and informative YouTube video about not dumping leaves or debris in storm drains. more
Soundside septic-to-sewer project going to bid | Gulf Breeze News A step in the Soundside Drive septic-to-sewer conversion project is complete as the City of Gulf Breeze entered a subrecipient agreement with Santa Rosa County. more
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This Week in Water History |
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Water Supply for Roanoke, VA |
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July 8, 1908: Municipal Journal and Engineer article. Roanoke’s Public Utilities. “Roanoke, VA, is what is known as a railroad town, being largely populated by employees of the Norfolk and Western Railroad, which has its general offices and shops located there. During the 25 years of its history it has grown to a population of about 32,000. It is a beautiful and well-kept city, which is probably largely due to the fact that about 90 per cent of the homes are owned by their occupants.
One of the most interesting features of the city is its water supply, which is owned by a private company. The water is furnished by a single mammoth spring which gushes from the foot of Mill Mountain. The water is clear, cold and pure, and is very satisfactory for drinking purposes, although not entirely so for manufacturing uses. The spring furnishes about five million gallons of water per day, which is about double the amount now being used. It discharges into a large concrete-lined well or pond, the overflow from which forms a small stream. A reservoir is located on the side of the mountain 175 feet above the city. Pumps draw the water from the pond at the spring and force it into a main, one end of which leads to the reservoir and the other to the city; the pumping being thus on the direct-indirect system.”
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2970 Wellington Circle | Tallahassee FL 32309 | 850.668.2746 | Contact Us
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