Remember our Fallen
from the
Board and Staff
of the
Florida Rural Water Association
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FRWA will be closed on Monday, May 29, 2023 in recognition of Memorial Day. |
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UTILITY CUSTOMER RELATIONS |
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When we polled our members on services that they would like to see us provide, one of the responses was to improve utility customer relations by educating your customers on emerging issues. FRWA listened and is starting a new feature in eNews with topics you can use as proactive messaging to your customers on timely issues and requirements that may affect their water service, rates, water availability etc. You are welcomed to copy the information provided and use the graphics for inclusion on your billing information, on your website, or where ever you choose to use it. We have also listed links to some flyers in Word that you can customize for your system by just inserting your information.
Please contact FRWA at frwa@frwa.net with your suggestions/comments on information that you would like covered."
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Flushable wipes, are they truly flushable? Flushable wipes are marketed as being fresh, gentle and effective for a truly refreshing clean and septic-safe. Sounds great, but if you flush them that's where the problems begin! You may think, "Hey! This is great!" as they disappear from sight! You may not notice anything different on your end unless your toilet starts draining slow, but bigger problems lurk in the system. These wipes will may eventually disintegrate but take much longer compared to toilet paper that can result in clogged pipes and blockages to occur more frequently that could cause damage to sewer infrastructure. Repair and/or replacement costs the system money that we may be forced to pass along to the consumer resulting in higher rates. Remember "Protect your pipes - Don't flush wipes!
Links to information in Word that you can personalize for your use:
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DEP Announces Funding Opportunity
for Lead Service Line Inventories
and Replacement Projects
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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Water Restoration Assistance (DWRA) is currently accepting proposals for Lead Service Line Inventories and Replacement Projects to identify and eliminate any lead service lines that may be present in Florida. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided Florida's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for these projects.
All drinking water facilities in the nation are currently participating in a comprehensive survey coordinated by EPA to identify any lead service lines, with an expected completion date of October 2024. Eligible entities may apply for funding to complete this survey and, if necessary, for the design, bidding and replacement of any identified lead service lines between the water main and the point of entry.
Interested eligible entities should complete a Request for Inclusion by 5 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2023, to be considered. EPA has developed a Frequently Asked Questions webpage to help applicants understand eligibility requirements for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law State Revolving Funds.
Applications will be accepted electronically at SRF_Reporting@FloridaDEP.gov. Hard copies will also be accepted, though electronic submittal is encouraged. To submit a hard copy, call Eric Meyers at 850-245-2969 for the correct mailing address.
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The 2022 CCR Report Template is posted on our website. To access the information, click here. Please contact the water circuit rider in your area if you need additional assistance by calling FRWA at 850.668.2746.
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NATIONAL NEWS
Medium Cybersecurity Alert: People's Republic of China State-Sponsored Cyber Actor Living off the Land to Evade Detection Care should be taken not to assume that findings are malicious without further investigation or other indications of compromise. more
ICYMI: Legal Action Required in Response to Kidde Fenwal Bankruptcy Kidde Fenwal, a well-known manufacturer of fire protection and suppression systems, has recently filed for bankruptcy. more
USDA to Bring New Jobs, Improved Infrastructure to Rural Partners Network Communities U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is helping rural communities across eight states and Puerto Rico address some of their immediate needs and foster long-term economic growth. more
Implementing the First Federal Water Assistance Program Household water and sewer costs more than doubled from 2000-2016, as household income stagnated. more
EPA Proposes Reforms to New Chemical Review Process The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed amendments to the regulations that govern the Agency's review of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to improve efficiency and align with the 2016 bipartisan TSCA amendments under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. more
Special Feature: A Wise Approach to Water Use Many years ago Aurora Water started reaching out to the community about how to conserve water. Customers apparently drank in the information. more
17% of U.S. Households Face Growing Water Affordability Challenge In 787 communities served by the United States’ largest utilities, 17% of households struggle to afford basic water services, according to a new analysis by researchers at Duke University. more
CISA, FBI, NSA, MS-ISAC Publish Updated #StopRansomware Guide The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) published the #StopRansomware Guide—an updated version of the 2020 guide with additional recommended actions, resources, and tools. more
EPA Awards Nearly $2.5M for Research to Assess Perchlorate after Firework Events The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $2,499,579 in research grant funding to Texas Tech University for research on the behavior of perchlorate after fireworks events near water sources. more
What to expect from EPA on drinking water regulations EPA brandished its powers to regulate new drinking water contaminants earlier this year, but many question whether the agency will apply the same approach to other chemicals. more
STATE NEWS
What’s likely in store for hurricane season. We’ve got the details from NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its closely watched 2023 forecast. more
Cocoa City Council Proclaims May 7-13 as 'Drinking Water Week ... - Space Coast Daily The Cocoa City Council proclaimed the week of May 7–13 as “Drinking Water Week” in the City of Cocoa. more
Supreme Court ruling narrows scope of Clean Water Act's wetlands jurisdiction The U.S. Supreme Court placed new restrictions on the scope of the jurisdiction the Clean Water Act has over wetlands, ruling in favor of Idaho landowners who had challenged the law. more
Hurricane season 2023 is near. Here’s what to know about forecast tracks. It happens every year: A new hurricane season begins, and the forecast graphics start trickling in. Online, your friends and family share maps with multicolored blobs. more
Broward leaders want county water tested for 'forever chemicals' - CBS News Broward residents may soon have a clearer picture of what's in the water they drink. Commissioners voted Tuesday to test the water at their two plants for PFAS contamination. more
Orange County looking into ‘stormwater utility fee’ | WESH On Tuesday, Orange County’s public works department updated commissioners on stormwater management. Public Works Deputy Director Brett Blackadar talked about what they are doing and researching, especially after last year’s devastating floods. more
Wakulla residents ask for more to be done with water protection ordinance - WTXL "We're dependent on the water, the springs in particular. Our family's livelihood is dependent on making sure we have clean water and springs are protected," said Adrianne Johnson. more
Grant Providing $1.3 Million In Water Meter Upgrades For Century | North Escambia The Town of Century will receive just $1.3 million for new water meters and associated upgrades through a grant awarded to Escambia County. more
Decade of hurricane seasons saw 7-year streak of early starts, Greek alphabet & January storms | Naples Daily News When it comes to hurricanes, it's been a long 10 years. As the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1, we're taking a look back at the times hurricane season started early. In 2012, tropical activity occurred in May, followed by a seven-year streak from 2015 to 2021. more
5 Most Common Contaminants in Florida's Water Sources Access to clean and safe drinking water is essential for human health and well-being. In Florida, however, water contamination issues have become increasingly prevalent, leaving many residents concerned about the quality and safety of their drinking water. more
Environmental groups press DeSantis to veto summer fertilizer budget item | WUSF The provision would prohibit cities and counties from enacting new summer bans on applying fertilizer. The ban has been promoted as a way to reduce nutrients that cause algae blooms and red tide from flowing into waterways. more
Toilet to Reef: A unique recycling program turning your old potty into an ecosystem | ABC Action News If you have an old leaky toilet and plan to replace it, don't throw it away! Rebates through Tampa Bay Water are available, and you can help protect the environment. more
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This Week in Water History |
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First Municipal Water Pumping Plant |
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May 27, 1755: Hans Christopher Christiansen installed the first municipal water pumping plant in America at Bethlehem, PA; city supplied from a 70 foot high tank that was filled with water pumped from a spring through wooden pipes.
“Begun in 1754 and enlarged in 1762, the Bethlehem Waterworks is thought to be the first municipal pumping system to provide drinking and washing water in the United States. Johann Christopher Christensen devised the system in 1754 to transfer spring water from the Monocray Creek flood plain to the Moravian settlement on the bluff above it. Six years later, Christensen enlarged the waterworks and installed it in a 24-foot-square limestone rubble structure with a red-tile covered hipped-bellcast-gable roof. The system’s 18-foot undershot waterwheel powered three single acting cast-iron pumps which forced spring water through wood (later lead) pipes 320 feet (94 vertical feet) by a collecting tower, and from there water flowed by gravity to strategically placed cisterns throughout the community. Machines to raise water had been in use in Europe for centuries, but until the construction of the Bethlehem Waterworks, none had been erected in the American Colonies.
In 1652 the Water-Works Company of Boston had constructed a gravity conduit system that used bored logs to convey water from wells and springs to a 12-foot-square reservoir, but the system had not fulfilled the expectations of its promoters and had fallen into disuse. Christensen, born in Schleswig-Holstein in 1716 and trained during his youth in a royal mill in Hadersleben, probably took his ideas for the Bethlehem system from his knowledge of the forcing pumps that had been in use in many German cities since the end of the 15th century. The system served the city until 1832.
By the 1960s the area had become an automobile junkyard. The stone pumphouse was restored in the 1970s, and the waterwheel and pumps were subsequently reconstructed based on the original plans that had been preserved in the Moravian Archives in Germany. The Old Waterworks is a National Historic Landmark.”
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2970 Wellington Circle | Tallahassee FL 32309 | 850.668.2746 | Contact Us
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