Earlier this week, Beryl jumped from a Category 1 to a Category 4 hurricane in under 10 hours marking

the fastest intensification ever recorded before September. Beryl neared Jamaica as a powerful Category 4 storm on Wednesday, after flattening homes and devastating agriculture on smaller islands in the eastern Caribbean, killing at least seven people on Grenada. After battering Jamaica on Wednesday, Beryl continues to track across the Caribbean on Thursday. Meteorologists say the storm is being steered around a large area of high pressure over the U.S.

As Hurricane Beryl continues to make history as the earliest major hurricane in history, it continues to barrel through the Atlantic with a low risk of direct impacts from Panama City to New Orleans. From about Brownsville TX the risk increases significantly for more direct impacts.

Beryl is currently a category 2 hurricane and is expected to continue weakening over the next 12 hours as it moves across the northern Yucatan Peninsula, interacting with a less favorable environment. There are multiple factors including moderate upper-level winds, terrain, and dry air that will ultimately lead to weakening. The uncertainty with the intensity forecast continues to be how much will the system weaken as it moves over the northern Yucatan Peninsula today and emerges over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico tonight. Regardless, computer models generally agree that some re-intensification will be possible after 48 hours before the system reaches northeastern Mexico and southern Texas.

In preparation for the season please make sure that your information in WATER Tracker is correct at https://flwatertracker.com/ and your Emergency Response Plan up to date. In case of emergency be sure to report your status in Water Tracker.

11:00 AM EDT

Friday, July 5, 2024

A west-northwestward motion is expected during the next day or so, with the center expected to cross the northern Yucatan Peninsula today. Beryl is expected to emerge over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico tonight and then move northwestward toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas by the end of the weekend. Continued rapid weakening is expected as Beryl moves farther inland and crosses the Yucatan Peninsula today, but slow re-intensification is expected once Beryl moves back over the Gulf of Mexico. more

"Source water protection was founded on the concept that informed citizens, equipped with fundamental knowledge about their drinking water source and the threats to it, will be the most effective advocates for protecting this valuable resource."

Florida Rural Water Association’s Source Water Protection Technical Assistance Program provides practical assistance to rural and small communities with the development and implementation of local source water protection plans. These plans are designed to prevent the deterioration of source water such as streams, rivers, lakes or underground aquifers that are used to provide public and private drinking water.  

• A source water protection plan involves the following steps: 
• Defining the water supply resources to be protected
• Forming a steering committee
• Identifying potential threats to the quality and quantity of drinking water resources
• Recommending and implementing measures to reduce threats to drinking water resources
• Planning for the future, including water supply emergency events.

In order to get the most scientifically accurate data, FRWA’s Source Water Protection Specialist gathers lists of a variety of potential contaminant sources and hydrogeologic data from the Department of Environmental Protection and Florida’s Water Management Districts. They then seek the guidance and input of local stake holders during the planning process to ensure that the completed source water protection plan reflects the needs of the local community. Individuals on the planning team commonly include local government officials, water suppliers, representatives from various county and regional agencies, and individuals from interested non-governmental organizations.

For information on a wellhead protection plan for your system contact KC Bell at KC.Bell@frwa.net or call us up at 850.668.2746 and we will be happy to connect you.

July 29-31, 2024

Hilton Daytona Beach Hilton

100 N Atlantic Avenue

Daytona Beach FL 32118



Time is running out to take advantage of the low room rates that end on July 8th for this year's FRWA Annual Conference. Rooms start at $159, with no resort fee and a $10 discount on parking, this rate is hard to beat in a location such as Daytona! Be sure to select the arrival date of July 28th and departure date of July 31st to view the available $159 rooms.

Click here to reserve your room.

Plan now to take your family along with you and let them play while you learn! Daytona Beach is a perfect place to take the family for a last minute vacation before school starts! The best part about it is that everything is in walking distance.

Be sure to be there early on Monday morning to take advantage of earning 0.5 CEUs as you tour our sold out Exhibit Hall and learn from the best in the industry! Click here for complete information.

NATIONAL NEWS

Important Notice Regarding PFAS Settlements Napoli Shkolnik partnered with The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) to bring together utility systems from across the country more

Operator Apprenticeships: Three Perspectives on Value Registered apprenticeships through state rural water associations are helping smaller utilities attract and develop operators and boost industry professionalism more

EPA Announces $250,000 to Winners of Small Communities - Big Challenges Prize Competition Today, June 21, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $250,000 in cash prizes for the winners of the Small Communities more

PFAS in baby wipes? We've got a solution for that. - Environment America  No parent should have to worry if the products they’re bringing home to care for their children are endangering their family’s health. more

Tap Water – An Essential Part of a Hurricane Preparedness Plan - OCFL Newsroom  In the days leading up to a major storm, stores may scramble to meet the demand for bottled water. While bottled water is convenient, Orange County Utilities’ customers already have a reliable source: the tap. more

AMWA-AWWA Statement On PFAS Legal Filing AWWA and AMWA share the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s goal of protecting people from potentially harmful levels of PFAS in drinking water. more

President's Investing in America Agenda Delivers More Than $142M To Bolster Resilience To Drought And Boost Water Supplies Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior Laura Daniel-Davis today announced a $142M investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance drought resilience and boost water supplies across the country more

New Method To Degrade PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Found Effective In The Lab Scientists at UNSW Sydney are developing catalysts able to break down PFAS chemicals that contaminate water. more

Changing Water Conservation Attitudes Positively Impacts Water Availability The increased demand for clean water and its limited supply has made water management one of the most pressing challenges facing society today. more

Fewer Measurements Required To Determine Level Of Pharmaceutical Residues In Wastewater Due To New Model It is becoming increasingly obvious that pharmaceutical residues in wastewater are damaging to the environment, making it imperative that wastewater is tested for such residues. more

Small towns face high costs to remove PFAS from drinking water - EHN  The Environmental Protection Agency's new limits for PFAS in drinking water are pushing utilities to adopt advanced treatment technologies more

Chevron takeaways: Supreme Court ruling removes frequently used tool from federal regulators  Federal rules that impact virtually every aspect of everyday life, from the food we eat and the cars we drive to the air we breathe, could be at risk after a wide-ranging Supreme Court ruling Friday. more

West Virginia Attorney General applauds SCOTUS ruling pausing EPA plan - WV News  West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey celebrated a decision Thursday by the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plan requiring facilities to curtail emissions that impact other states. more

When Left In The Sun, Plastic Water Bottles Release Toxic Compounds That Can Cause Cancer  On a hot, sunny day, drinking water from a plastic water bottle comes with some risks, as a new study has found out. more

Multiple Lawsuits Filed Against EPA for Final PFAS Drinking Water Rule Three petitions for lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit against EPA for the Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Rule more

ASDWA Submits Groundwater Comments to White House PCAST Advisors On June 27, ASDWA submitted comments to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology’s (PCAST) important questions related to the nation’s groundwater challenges. more

Additional $43M Delivered for Rural Water Projects Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments will help bring clean, reliable drinking water to rural communities more

Quick Solutions To PFAS In Drinking Water, Especially For Smaller Systems With funds falling short of costs for pending PFAS rules compliance, utilities require an economical treatment solution. more

Treating Micropollutants With UV In Drinking Water PWN Water Supply Company, North Holland is currently operating a TrojanUVSwift™ECT UV-oxidation system to provide an additional barrier to micropollutants at their plant in Andijk, the Netherlands. more

The fight over Florida wetlands permitting authority will continue for months | WMNF  While Florida has sought to speed up the case, an appeals court battle about permitting authority for projects that affect wetlands likely will not be resolved until late this year — at the soonest. more

STATE NEWS

Lakeland has an estimate of how much it will cost to clean up its southwest sewage spill  Lakeland officials have gotten an estimate of what it will cost to clean up the source of the foul odor in Southwest Lakeland. more

Florida City Suffering Drinking Water Shortage - MSN  West Palm Beach is now pumping water from underground wells to help with its declining drinking-water supply. more

Central Florida relief plane stocked with water purifiers heading to areas hit by Hurricane Beryl  Relief efforts are already in the works for those hit hardest by Hurricane Beryl. more

Annual chlorine flush in West Palm Beach begins July 5; residents may notice taste, odor | WPEC  If residents in Palm Beach and West Palm Beach notice a slight chlorine taste or odor in tap water, don't worry, it's the annual chlorine flush to the drinking water system. more

Saving water = saving money this summer | South Central Florida Life  Tips on cooling down your water bill this summer and year-round more

Hurricane Beryl explodes into Category 5 storm with 165-mph winds. Will Florida feel impact? There is a low risk of direct impact from Beryl between Panama City and New Orleans more

Florida Keys Stewardship Grant Opportunity Added to DEP's Water Quality Protection Grant Portal This grant is available to local governments located in the Florida Keys Area of Critical State Concern or the City of Key West Area of Critical State Concern. more

Alachua County reminds residents of restrictions on fertilizers this summer | WCJB  Alachua County officials remind you to be careful when it comes to using fertilizers this summer. more

Hillsborough County Releases Annual Water Quality Reports: Your Drinking Water Explained  Residents can now access the 2023 Hillsborough County water quality reports, which detail the testing results, local water resources, and ongoing infrastructure investments. more

Advocates Say So Far Florida's New Plans To Heal Polluted Springs Still Fall Short | WLRN  Most of the nitrogen loads in Florida’s springs and rivers come from just 3 of the state’s 13 impaired basins/springsheds, including the one for Silver & Rainbow Springs, according to the Florida Springs Council. more

Angry Lake Panasoffkee Residents Fighting To Save Their Rural Way Of Life | Villages-News Lake Panasoffkee residents again confronted Sumter County commissioners Tuesday night to oppose a project to replace septic tanks with a centralized sewer system in their community. more 

Reclaimed Water Might Be An Option For More Homes And Businesses - Osprey Observer  According to county officials, as much as half of the water used in Hillsborough County is for irrigation purposes, such as watering lawns. more

July 4, 1961: On this date, Patent Number 2,991,092 was issued to Mr. J. W. MacKay of the American Cast Iron Pipe Company in Birmingham, Alabama, for the Fastite push-on-rubber gasket joint for iron pipe. The Fastite gasket uses a dual-durometer gasket having a stiff rubber ring to hold the gasket in place against insertion loads and a softer, fatter section to provide the leak-free seal. The push-on gasket soon supplanted the bolted mechanical joint for virtually all underground pipe-to-pipe connections and is part of ANSI/AWWA C111/A21.11, Rubber-Gasket Joints for Ductile-Iron Pressure Pipe and Fittings. In 2014, Mr. MacKay is alive and well at age 104. He was inducted into the state of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2011.

FLORIDA RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION | http://www.frwa.net

2970 Wellington Circle | Tallahassee FL 32309

850.668.2746 | Contact Us