FRWA eNews/August 18, 2023

August 18, 2023

No Cost FRWA Webinar

Thursdays at 11:00 am Through 9.14.23

You don't want to miss this opportunity to sign up for the no cost FRWA webinar for Water and Wastewater Utilities in Florida about a time sensitive update on the distribution of funding for the Florida LIHWAP (Low Income Household Water Assistance Program). The purpose of this webinar is to provide an important update regarding how water and wastewater utilities can sign up for the accelerated distribution of $55 million in federal LIHWAP funding still available for their customers. Sign up now to learn more about what LIHWAP can do for you. To register, click here.

To complete registration:

Select the date you want to attend on the calendar on the right.
Select the time you are available (each meeting is scheduled at 11:00 am)
Enter your name and email
You will receive a confirmation in your email (search your junk folder if you do not receive it or contact julie@joinpromise.com)
You will have to open the attachment invite.ics to add it to your calendar and access the link for the meeting.

For more information, please click here.

LIHWAP Funds are set to expire in September 2023, so please enroll at

https://floridalihwap.com or contact Julie Kennebeck at julie@joinpromise.com at your

earliest convenience for more informaiton.

The "Yuck" Factor

With climate change and drought causing water shortages, there are few alternatives for water systems to expand their supply. Cities and states are rapidly adding recycled water to their portfolios and expanding the ways in which it can be used. Researchers say it’s safe — and that it’s essential to move past the 20th century notion that wastewater must stay flushed.

Proponents are fighting an uphill battle to overcome the “yuck” factor. A recent study found that reused water is not only safe but that it’s actually cleaner than conventionally sourced water — yet acceptance is “hindered by perceptions of poor water quality and potential health threats.”

If you are considering the reuse alternative, the information below may help you defend the "yuck" factor.

Articles of Interest

NATIONAL NEWS

Increase Your Cyber Resilience EPA is launching a cybersecurity newsletter to help water utilities in your efforts to prevent and respond to cyber- attacks. Cyber incidents are steadily growing in frequency as well as the cost of recovery. Check out our website and learn about free tools, training and resources to assist with increasing your cyber resilience. more

Lessons From 6 Years Of Income-Based Water Assistance In Philadelphia Six years ago, to great fanfare, Philadelphia Water launched a new approach to bill assistance for low-income water and sewer customers: the Tiered Assistance Program (TAP). Casually dubbed “income-based rates,” TAP held out the promise of achieving true “affordability” by whatever standard policymakers set. more

Take Action: Scan Your Utility Networks for China State-Sponsored Cyber Attackers Water and wastewater systems remain at high risk of becoming victims of Volt Typhoon (also known as

BRONZESILHOETTE and VANGUARD PANDA), a People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber actor. more

'Sue and settle' business is booming at Biden's EPA | Washington Examiner Real wages are still down in President Joe Biden’s economy, but far-left activist lawyers are rolling in the dough thanks to the president’s embrace of a loophole Democrats and their allies use to implement policy without input from the public. more

Water Pros Remain Optimistic Despite Mounting Challenges As they have for each of the last 20 years, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) published its State of the Water Industry Report recently, revealing the current concerns of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater professionals in North America. more

PFAS In Wastewater: Promising Management And Treatment Strategies The presence of “forever chemicals” in wastewater is a significant impediment for water and resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) to recover resources (water, energy, nutrients) and serve as anchors for the circular economy and a decarbonized future. more

Managed Aquifer Recharge Key To Water Reclamation Water is one of our most precious and important resources to sustain life. In some areas of the world, the dwindling supply is becoming so apparent that federal, state, and local municipalities are seeking unique solutions to ensure residents have access to clean water. more

ASDWA, ECOS, and ASTHO Send Letter to President Biden Seeking Support from Federal Agencies to Remove Sources of PFAS ASDWA, along with the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), sent a letter to President Biden requesting that the administration focus additional federal resources and support to federal agencies and the actions they are undertaking to address PFAS contamination. more

Public Comment for NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) Update The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a draft version of the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0, which it first released in 2014 to help organizations understand, reduce and communicate about cybersecurity risk. more

Biden urges Congress to replenish disaster relief fund President Joe Biden is asking Congress to approve $12 billion in emergency spending to replenish the nearly broke federal fund that helps communities and individuals recover after major disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires. more

Understanding The Importance of Safe Drinking Water - EIN News Discover the truth about the safety of tap water and the solutions offered by Eastern Water and Health, a leading water treatment company at the Treasure Coast. more

Water leader shares words of wisdom for WOTUS changes As regulators and advocates grapple with the fallout of a Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the Clean Water Act, water lawyer Rhett Larson offers a calming bit of advice: Be like Bruce Lee. more

STATE NEWS

Tropics Update: Tropical Wave to Bring Increased Rainfall to the Florida Peninsula This Weekend; Active Atlantic Basin, But No Direct Tropical Threats to Florida [Friday 8/18/2023] Showers and thunderstorms continue to show some signs of organization in association with a broad area of low pressure, located a few hundred miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands. Environmental conditions appear generally favorable for additional development of this system, and a tropical depression is likely to form over the weekend while it moves toward the west-northwest or northwest at about 10 mph across the eastern tropical Atlantic. By early next week, upper-level winds over the system are forecast

to increase, and further development is not expected. more

Here's how this year's rainfall compares to last year across Southwest Florida | NBC-2 Southwest Florida’s rainy season has been very unusual this year, with below-average rainfall along our entire coast. more

Florida city leads the way in major settlement over 'forever chemicals' - YouTube A small city in Florida is leading the way in a major settlement over 'forever chemicals.' more

Revolutionary Wastewater Project Reaches Key Milestone in Tampa Bay Imagine an underground highway for wastewater: that’s what the Harbour Island Force Main is. This vital pipeline was installed on Harbour Island in 1951, moving more than 15 million gallons of wastewater daily from the Hillsborough River Corridor to the Howard F. Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. more

Anheuser-Busch Delivering More Than 9,000 Cans Of Emergency Drinking ... - Key West Citizen Anheuser-Busch and its wholesaler partners are teaming up with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) for the fifth consecutive year to donate emergency drinking water to local fire departments nationwide. more

Could giving kids more access to water at school prevent weight gain? - ABC Action News Students were provided with better access to water throughout the day at school. Researchers wanted to know if it helps reduce childhood weight gain. more

Fort Lauderdale officials hope $100M in stormwater money helps avoid future flood catastrophes | Local 10 Fort Lauderdale city leaders jumped a big hurdle in their effort to combat localized flooding and climate change. more

Bay Bridge water, sewer design fees approved | Gulf Breeze News On Monday, Aug. 7, the Gulf Breeze City Council approved the professional service fees of $165,700 under the Master Services Agreement with Baskerville Donovan, Inc. for the Bay Bridge Water and Sewer Replacement Project. more

This Week in Water History

Save Water and Win the War

August 17, 1918: Municipal Journal editorial. Save Water and Help Win the War. “If nineteen cities of New York State would cut down their consumption to an average of 100 gallons per capita (which is probably more than is necessary) the result would be a saving of 75,000 tons of coal a year. Almost anyone who lived through last winter in the northern part of the country would have welcomed a minute fraction of one per cent of this amount last February, and may again next winter. It is, however, no longer the mere saving in dollars, although this alone would be well worth while (75,000 tons represents interest at 5 per cent on about six million dollars), but it may mean that much coal released for use in munitions factories, ships or other factors in the prosecution of the war.

The above figures are discussed more at length in an article in this issue referring to a campaign in New York State to effect a saving in coal by reducing waste of water, and similar efforts are being made by numerous other cities, following the attempt made by Municipal Journal a few weeks ago to arouse water works superintendents to this opportunity and duty. The Committee on Water Supply of the New York Conference of Mayors has sent to the water works officials of the cities of that state suggestions for bulletins to be printed in the local daily papers, which might well be made use of by cities in other states as well. One is devoted to arguments in favor of metering; another to suggestions of ways in which waste can be avoided. Among these suggestions are the following:

Have all leaky pipes and fixtures repaired immediately, and keep them in good order.
When closing your house for any period of time, see that the water is turned off to insure against a leak occurring during your absence.
Do not neglect leaking toilets and faucets. Large amounts of water are wasted through small leaks which you may think too insignificant to warrant attention. A leak 1/32 of an inch in diameter wastes 8 gallons an hour or over 5,000 gallons a month.
If care is exercised, when installing piping, to keep the hot and cold water pipes at least a foot apart, it will be unnecessary to “let the faucet run to get a cold drink.”
Don’t let water run to get it cold. Use ice, or draw some water off into a receptacle and put in a cool place.
Do not allow roof tanks to overflow. Eliminate this waste by providing tanks with ball cocks.
Don’t leave faucets open on cold nights this winter to prevent freezing of water pipes. Start now to have your pipes properly protected.
A stream 1/4 of an inch in diameter will waste 514 gallons an hour or over 370,000 gallons a month.
To determine the presence of hidden leaks, consumers whose services are metered should occasionally close all outlets and observe the meter to see if it registers or not.
Don’t keep the faucet open while you are washing or bathing. Draw off as much as you need and then turn off the faucet.
It costs just as much for coal, oil and equipment to pump and filter water that is wasted as it does to furnish water for useful purposes.

A gallon of water saved just now will help Uncle Sam to win the war.”

Commentary: Truly an astonishing editorial when viewed from 95+ years later. Curbing water waste today is considered to be part of our duties as good citizens and stewards of the environment. Water/energy savings are also mentioned today but for reasons that involve saving the planet from global climate change. I guess I am having trouble wrapping my brain around the concept of saving water so that we can make more bullets.