December 30, 2021
Best Wishes for a Happy New Year
from the
FRWA Board and Staff
The FRWA office in Tallahassee will be closed for the New Year's holiday on December 31, 2022.
In case of emergency, please call the office and leave a message.
2022 FOCUS ON CHANGE AGENDA IN THE MAIL
By now you may have received your 2022 Focus on Change Agenda in the mail. The classes are held at locations throughout the state which gives everyone a chance to attend within driving distance. What better way to start off the new year than by catching up with the changes in regulations and earning 0.6 CEUs!

You will notice that this year’s agenda includes several timely topics in the General Session and Breakout Sessions. You are encouraged to take the time to join us for what we anticipate to be an informative Training Seminar. If you haven't received your agenda, you can access a complete agenda, clicking here.

If you would like to register and for more information, click on the location you wish to attend below.
NATIONAL NEWS
Camarillo doubles local potable water supply as desalter plant comes online The city of Camarillo, Calif. has announced the start-up and commissioning of its North Pleasant Valley (NPV) Groundwater Desalter Plant, moving the city closer to a more self-reliant potable water future. more

Shifting attitudes: U.S. cities warm to the idea of wastewater recycling More places around the U.S. are eyeing the practice of recycling wastewater for reuse in homes and businesses as tap water. more

New septic nitrogen sensor passes field testing The innovative nitrogen sensor technology, developed by Dr. Qingzhi Zhu as part of an EPA research challenge, recently passed rigorous field testing at Cape Cod. more

CDC, WEF aim to develop disease surveillance system The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected the Water Environment Federation to develop, manage, and provide training for a nationwide network of water utilities, public health agencies, and laboratories participating in wastewater-based disease surveillance. more

COVID-19 breakthrough: Researchers' new method detects variant in wastewater SMART researchers have developed an innovative method to detect and quantify the more transmissible B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant of concern via wastewater epidemiology. more

Consider the hidden costs of PFAS treatment Water utilities dealing with PFAS need to understand local water quality conditions, available technologies, regulatory drivers, and public engagement while they pursue proactive planning and weigh treatment costs. more

What to do about PFAS? Science and NGOs at loggerheads Maine is the latest state to ban products that use PFAS technology. The American Chemistry Council cautions that the “misguided law” will affect every major industry in the state without having a meaningful impact on public health. more

Next step: EPA submits PFAS data, analyses for scientific review Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking the agency’s Science Advisory Board to review draft scientific documents regarding the health effects of certain Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). more

Positive outlook: AWWA survey says optimism prevails in water sector Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic and a series of extreme weather events, American Water Works Association (AWWA) members and water sector partners indicated their highest level of optimism about the health of the water sector in 17 years in a recent survey. more

Career opportunities: EPA invests $3.8 million to help build water workforce Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the selection of ten organizations to receive a total of $3.8 million in funding under a new grant program that will help build the water workforce by connecting individuals to jobs in the drinking water and wastewater utility sectors, and expanding public awareness about the benefits of careers providing vital water services. more

Are YOU prepared for a water contamination incident? It is imperative that laboratories be able to continue their essential core functions when incidents occur that disrupt their normal operation. more

EPA finalizes rule to monitor 29 PFAS, lithium in water EPA is expanding testing efforts for "forever chemicals" in the nation’s drinking water systems. more

Distributing the Billions of Dollars in New EPA Water Funding Update Advocates for communities seeking a piece of the hundreds of billions of dollars in new assistance worry that the process may be "too weighty, too heavy and too full of bureaucracy." more

Global Critical Infrastructure Cyberattack Concerns In the lead up to the holidays and in light of persistent and ongoing cyber threats, CISA urges critical infrastructure owners and operators to take immediate steps to strengthen their computer network defenses against potential malicious cyber attacks. more

EPA Announces the UCMR 5 Final Rule and Public Webinar The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires that once every five years EPA issue a list of unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems (PWSs). more

How Utility Operators Can Use Big Data For Better Asset Management, Operations, And Customer Engagement Big Data is more than a marketing buzzword. It’s become an essential tool for helping utility operators prioritize capital investments, manage network assets, and provide a higher level of service to customers. more

EPA Announces Nationwide Monitoring Of PFAS In Drinking Water Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5) to establish nationwide monitoring for 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and lithium in drinking water. more

Pressure Sewers Can Save Millions Alternative wastewater collection systems, such as pressure sewers, provide affordable service to municipalities, new subdivisions, and areas where gravity sewers are difficult and expensive to install. more

Biden Administration Details Plans To Address Lead In Drinking Water Responding to what might be the most high-profile drinking water contamination issue in the country, the Biden administration has detailed its plan to curb the presence of lead in consumer taps. more

EPA Releases Final Rule for UCMR 5 On December 20th, EPA released the pre-publication of the final Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5). As was originally proposed, EPA is requiring public water systems (PWSs) to test for 29 different PFAS and lithium. more

News Briefs: Are There Enough Skilled Workers to Fill Jobs Created by Infrastructure Act? Also in this week's sewer and water news, leaders meet in Las Vegas to discuss how to spend Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding amidst water loss in the region. more

High Springs wastewater treatment facility receives FDEP grant | WCJB The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has given nearly seven million dollars in grant money to the High Springs Waste Water Plant. more

New Study Finds PFAS in Water Results in PFAS in the Air Toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in the ocean are transported from seawater to air when waves hit the beach and that phenomenon represents a significant source of air pollution, a new study from Stockholm University has found. more


STATE NEWS
Flood resilience plan channeling funds to Miami Beach | Miami Today As part of the Florida Statewide Flooding Resilience Plan, Miami Beach is recommended to receive more than $28 million for two underfunded projects. more

With goal of preventing future sewage spills, St. Pete crews begin work on new pipeline | ABC Action News Crews will begin work on the pipeline Tuesday in southwest St. Pete. more

Dunedin water plant partially repaired | WTSP It's been nearly three months since Dunedin's water treatment facility was partially damaged in a fire. more

Century’s New Utility Contract With Prison System In Effect; $180K Annual Increase Expected | North Escambia Century is expected to see an annual revenue increase of over $180,000 from a new utility agreement for the Florida Department of Corrections’ Century Correctional Institution. more

Water system getting upgrades | Gulf Breeze News Along with the benefits of being a peninsula city come challenges related to water, whether it is potable water, wastewater moving through the treatment plant, water associated with the sewer system, stormwater or water from the bay. more
This Week in Water History
1918 Influenza/2021 Influenza Outbreaks
1918
2020
December 28, 1918 Municipal Journal article—To Investigate Cost of Influenza. “Harrisburg, Pa.-An investigation is to be conducted by the state department of health into the cost of the epidemic of influenza, which has taken 47,000 lives. Dr. B. Franklin Royer, acting state health commissioner, has announced that every phase of the social and economic cost of the disease will be surveyed. Doctor Royer has sent letters to men and women in charge of the work of fighting the epidemic in various parts of the state and asked that the information desired be returned at once to the department. ‘Professor J. P. Lichtenberger, of the Wharton School of Finance, of the University of Pennsylvania’ he said, ‘has been engaged by the department to undertake this work, and a large corps of clerks, stenographers and other officers of the state department of health have been designated to cooperate in gathering the data….’” 

Commentary: In the midst of a national construction push for more filtration plants, the U.S. was devastated by the influenza pandemic. It has been estimated that 500,000 to 675,000 people died in the U.S. alone and 20 to 50 million people worldwide.

2020 Update: I would never have guessed that 102 years after this article, the world would be in the grip of a raging viral pandemic. As of this date in 2020 in the US, deaths from Covid-19 are expected to reach over 470,000 by March 1, 2021. Vaccines are on the horizon but hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved if only people would wear masks, socially distance and stay home. Tragic beyond belief.

2021 Update: As of this date, Covid-19 has infected over 52,000,000 with over 800,000 deaths attributed to the virus. Vaccines have been available for over a year and boosters are now being encouraged. Those receiving the vaccine, may still develop COVID-19 but the symptoms are milder. Due to problems related to COVID, there are still shortages in many areas.

To enjoy more opportunities to take a look at the past in water history, go to this link.