What’s special about the Safe Drinking Water Act 50th Anniversary and Colorado?

Dear Aqua Answers,

When I read the recent Program Manager message about the 50th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, I wondered how Colorado has specifically fared on that journey? Please let me know. Thanks,

Fan Attic

Dear Fan,

Thanks so much for your question! Indeed, a journey it has been. President Ford signed the Safe Drinking Water Act on December 16, 1974 after passage in both houses of Congress. President Ford had deep connections in Colorado, particularly in Eagle County. Ski runs at Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts are named in his honor. But the story of safe drinking water in Colorado goes back much further than 50 years.

Before we were a state, typhoid and cholera were common killers in Colorado Territory and Denver was known as the filthiest U.S city. In 1890 almost 300 people in Denver died from typhoid when the population was 10 times less than today. This is not a count of people sick, but people dead! Drinking water filtration and disinfection eliminated typhoid deaths in Denver by 1940.

But waterborne disease outbreaks continued in Colorado even after the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) became law with 40 outbreaks in the 1980s alone. Indeed implementing the SDWA in Colorado has been very challenging. EPA conducted an audit of what was then called Colorado’s Water Supply Program in 1974 and found that Colorado experienced “Disease outbreaks due to deficiencies at water systems” and that “Colorado is not meeting its responsibility” as a “direct result of lack of resources.” Over the next 20 years, the resource situation did not improve sufficiently relative to the workload attached to maintaining primacy (the authority to enforce the SDWA). In the early 1990s, EPA began the process of formally stripping primacy from Colorado due to “many problems with implementation and enforcement” directly “attributable to inadequate resources.” The program got a few more resources in that decade and hung onto primacy, but struggled again with the new rules that came in after the 1996 SDWA amendments. None of the rules was adopted on time, and in 2005 the Rocky Mountain News ran a front-page story stating that the program’s “staff shortage threatens the state’s future water supply.” Finally, by the end of the 2000s, things started to turn around; the program gained funding and resources from both state and federal funding sources. 

Unfortunately, disease outbreaks continued in Colorado up to 2008 when 1,300 people got sick and 1 person died in Alamosa. This event triggered big changes in the Safe Drinking Water Program and water systems across the state, and no regulated water systems have had an outbreak since. But outbreaks are a challenging metric to measure safety because so many epidemiological variables are involved. We believe this chart of E. coli violations by decade since the 1990s better reflects our progress. E. coli violations in Colorado are now rare and most of them in the 2020s have been in water systems that were previously unregulated. 

Undoubtedly, we have made great progress in Colorado in improving tap water safety. Our tap water in Colorado is safer than ever. We have adopted all new EPA rules adopted on time since the early 2000s. This is what EPA has said about Colorado’s program in recent audits:

• Colorado “manages a very effective drinking water program.”
• “The State continues to maintain good data quality ….”
• “EPA, once again, commends” Colorado “for … taking formal enforcement actions.” 

But as we move forward into 2025, the Safe Drinking Water Program and water utilities in general face considerable challenges spread over a number of areas. This is a partial list of challenges we will be facing over the next few years:

• Climate change
• Cybersecurity threats
• New federal rules involving lead, PFAS and the Consumer Confidence Reporting (CCR) rule
• Additional new rules expected to be finalized or drafted in 2025 including the Water System Restructuring Rule, M/DBP Rules and Perchlorate Rule.
• Struggling small systems including mobile home parks
• Aging workforce issues
• Increased demand for assistance and funding
• Aging infrastructure
• Addressing Environmental Justice
• Enhanced public and media scrutiny
• Emerging contaminants

Funding needs are substantial to address these challenges. We’ve seen great federal investment via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which Colorado provided match funding to gain. But the BIL funding is slated to end in a few years, and Congressionally directed spending has led to considerable cuts in the base Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) that we normally rely on to support both the Safe Drinking Water Program and community infrastructure needs across Colorado. We must not let history repeat itself and allow a lack of investment to risk drinking water safety. 

To secure the needed investments in drinking water infrastructure: human, regulatory and constructed. We need public trust and confidence that this funding is merited and beneficial. We believe that adopting an industry-wide Culture of Health can support this goal. 

What is culture?

• Culture is a shared belief that connects our past, present and future. 
• Culture is a way of life. It’s how we do things.
• Culture is about our shared experiences, stories and history.
• Culture shapes our behavioral norms and institutions

Thus a Culture of Health in the drinking water industry means that we look at our daily routines and emergencies through a lens of protecting people’s health. We are an industry that works 24/7/365 to provide safe drinking water to everyone, and crucially to maintain societal functionality via sanitation and fire fighting. We are relentless!

Thanks for everything you have been doing to protect public health in Colorado. Remember:

We are all vital public health infrastructure!!

Sincerely,

Aqua Answers

State Revolving Fund Improvements

The State Revolving Fund (SRF) is implementing improvements to the prioritization process that will go into effect in 2025. The goal of these improvements is to ensure that the highest priority projects have the best chance at receiving SRF funding throughout the year. This article covers the upcoming changes and some helpful reminders as you begin preparing your application for funding.

• To receive updates about the SRF Program and reminders about the upcoming eligibility survey, please sign up for the Grants and Loans mailing list here. 

What is changing?

The current process is based on a first-come, first-serve process and does not utilize priority points until the end of the application process. As a result, it can prevent projects that score a high number of priority points from receiving funding because they apply too late in the funding year when funding capacities are lowest. The new prioritization process will implement priority scoring early in the process and provide advance notice of project priority and funding opportunities. The criteria for project scoring can be found in Attachment 1 of the Drinking Water Revolving Fund and Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund Intended Use Plans (IUPs).

Under the new process, priority points will be used to determine when a project may submit a loan application. Projects that score at or above the threshold may apply at any loan cycle during the year. Also, any borrower that qualifies as a disadvantaged community (DAC) is eligible to come in at any cycle. Projects that score below the threshold may only apply at the “Open” cycles. The priority point threshold for the WPCRF program is 100 and the threshold for the DWRF program is 110 points. Applicants will be provided a preliminary score at the prequalification stage and a final score at the project needs assessment stage. Please see the proposed schedule for "Open" and "Limited" cycles:

• January 5th (leveraged) - Open
• February 5th - Open
• April 5th - Limited
• June 5th (leveraged) - Limited
• August 5th - Limited
• October 5th - Limited
• November 5th - Limited

When will this go into effect?

The changes will go into effect in 2025. The current process will remain unchanged until that time. The 2025 IUP’s have been approved by the Water Quality Control Commission and will be posted on the website later this year. A list of FAQs can be accessed here. 

Helpful Tips & Reminders

In order to apply for SRF funds, you have to complete the eligibility survey which is the first step in the SRF process. The eligibility survey should be completed the year prior to be eligible for funding. The eligibility survey for funding in 2025 has been completed. If you are interested in future funding, be sure to complete the 2026 eligibility survey that will be open during the early summer of 2025. You will want to get signed up in the Colorado Environmental Online Services (CEOS) system to access the forms. The eligibility survey is not an application and completing it does not guarantee your project funding.

If you completed the 2025 eligibility survey and are planning on applying for funding in 2025, be sure you complete the Pre-Qualification form which triggers the next step of the process, the pre-qualification meeting. The Pre-Qualification form can be found in CEOS. During your pre-qualification meeting, your project manager will walk you through the loan process and the next steps. Here are links to the loan program steps for the Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) and Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund (WPCRF) and the main program page. 

If you have any questions about the SRF loan process, feel free to email cdphe_grantsandloans@state.co.us. If you need assistance navigating CEOS or form submission you can contact Angela Garcia  angela.garcia@state.co.us.

➽ Angela Green Garcia, Drinking Water Training Specialist

➽ James Wheatley, Project Manager

  

Coming in 2025: Renewing the General Permit for Water Treatment Plant Wastewater Discharges (COG641000)

The division is in the process of renewing the general permit for Water Treatment Plant Wastewater Discharges (COG641000). This permit was last renewed on November 1, 2005 and has been administratively continued and remains in effect beyond the expiration date of October 31, 2010. The general permit covers discharges of wastewater from drinking water treatment plants such as filter backwash water, to surface waters of the state and/or groundwater that is hydrologically connected to surface water. For this renewal, the division conducted a stakeholder process that included public meetings on March 14, 2023, April 5, 2023, June 6, 2023 and April 2, 2024. All current permittees were invited to participate in the stakeholder engagement process. Once a draft of the general permit is complete, it will be noticed for public comment in 2025. Following the public comment period, the division will respond to public comments in writing and make any applicable changes to the draft. Then the division will issue the final general permit and begin the process of renewing all the existing permit certifications.  

For more information, consult the division’s webpage about the COG641000 updates.

➽ Engineering Section and Clean Water Program Permits Section

New Grant Provides Money for Emerging Contaminants!

The division has been awarded $86 million from the EPA to implement the EPA Emerging Contaminants for Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program (EC-SDC). The purpose of the program is to assist public water systems in small or disadvantaged communities with planning and design grants, and infrastructure funding to reduce public health risks from emerging contaminants.

The division is implementing the grant program in a multi-round Request For Application (RFA) process for public water systems under two tiers: Tier 1 is a planning and design grant up to $300,000. Tier 2 is a construction grant in award amounts up to $10M per year for up to three years. The program places priority on PFAS treatment projects followed by manganese and other drinking water emerging contaminants. More information regarding program details can be found on the WQCD Water Quality Grants webpage under the EC-SDC blue banner.

In order for projects to be eligible for this funding they must be governmental or private non-profit public water systems, be considered disadvantaged, and have an identified emerging contaminant issue through direct sampling. The program is focused on addressing issues related to PFAS, but manganese is also considered an emerging contaminant and can be funded through this program. If your system has not completed any PFAS sampling yet, you can qualify for a one time sampling of your finished drinking water for PFAS. Use this form to request PFAS sampling for your public water systems.

The program has already funded a number of projects including a new water plant to treat PFAS, a pilot study to evaluate new technology to treat emerging contaminants, and a planning grant to conduct studies to determine system improvement options for treating PFAS and manganese. 

The division plans to release an RFA near the beginning of 2025 and systems are encouraged to apply for this grant opportunity. The RFA will be announced on the WQCD Water Quality Grants webpage under the EC-SDC blue banner. There will also be an announcement sent out to all subscribers of our listserv under the topics of “General - Grants and Loans” and “General - PFAS (Toxic Firefighting Foam Chemicals)”. Please go to the Stay Informed - Water Quality site to subscribe to these and other lists. If you have any questions or you would like to discuss a potential project please reach out to cdphe_wqcd_ec_sdc_grants@state.co.us.

➽ Mark Henderson, Section Manager, WQCD Community Development & Partnership Section

Happy 50th Anniversary to the Safe Drinking Water Act

Water is a precious resource. Water is life, and we need to continue protecting it. On December 16, 2024 we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act. President Ford  (a part-time Vail, Colorado resident) signed it in 1974. This landmark legislation set unified standards for water systems across the United States to protect public health. The act set national health-based standards to protect against naturally occurring and human-made contaminants. 

That work continues today. In April 2024, the EPA set standards for the group of chemicals known as PFAS. That made headlines. It was the first new standard to be set since 2000. However, the typical water consumer probably never sees all the routine things that happen under the act. The Water Quality Control Division (division)  works every day to assist and educate our water partners across the state to ensure that water is properly treated and tested. Since 1974, the risk of waterborne disease and children’s lead exposure from drinking water has been dramatically reduced. The Safe Drinking Water Act also gives people the right to information about tap water from their community systems. This occurs annually in Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs), another rule EPA updated in 2024, and via the Public Notice Rule when violations occur. This transparency helps people trust that their tap water is safe.

Moreover, the Safe Drinking Water Act provides federal money to help communities improve their drinking water systems, often costing millions of dollars. That benefit comes from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). South Fork, Colorado is a prime example of how well it can work. The town of about 600 people in Rio Grande County is located on the west side of the San Luis Valley. Two years ago, the town built a new water system to replace a patchwork of private wells. Now, there is enough treated water to supply 158 houses and to fight fires if needed. Town officials have stated that they would never have been able to achieve this project without the Water Quality Control Division's guidance and the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

We’ve made tremendous strides in the last 50 years improving drinking water quality. And we’re not done. Today, the division supports innovative ways to combat current and future challenges like new and emerging contaminants, wildfires, and more. We’re assisting dozens of communities helping them to replace aging water infrastructure, and that need will only expand as we head into the future. We’re also working with communities across the state to protect people from drinking water pipes that may contain lead. Water providers are looking for them. In several communities like Denver, the removal of lead pipes is already underway. 

The Safe Drinking Water Act provides our direction. The bottom line: we want people to have the water they deserve. The division will continue to do that here in Colorado, with guidance from the Safe Drinking Water Act, for years to come. Together with our water utilities, we’ve been safeguarding drinking water for the past 50 years via the Safe Drinking Water Act. 

Thank you for all the progress over the last half a century!

➽ John Michael Marketing and Communications Specialist

➽ Ron Falco, P.E. Safe Drinking Water Program Manager

Record of Approved Waterworks and Sanitary Survey Significant Deficiencies

The Field Services Section (FSS) just wrapped up the 2024 inspection year (IY24) in September 2024 and the new IY25 inspection year started in October 2024! We appreciate all the assistance from public water systems in completing 497 sanitary surveys in 2024. In this article we will discuss one of the most frequently cited significant deficiencies from IY24: T119 Proper treatment operation of surface water or groundwater under the direct influence (GWUDI) systems. 

Many suppliers of surface water or groundwater under the direct influence (GWUDI) have participated in the Disinfection Outreach and Verification Effort (DOVE) led by the Engineering Section. DOVE reviews typically include a detailed  assessment of the disinfection process and thorough documentation of all other unit processes at all active surface water treatment plants. The two end results of the DOVE review are 1) a facility-specific Monthly Operating Report (MOR)  and 2) a Record of Approved Waterworks (RAW). The RAW is issued by the Engineering Section and it covers all the supplier’s approved treatment and storage facilities and water sources. To find you facility's RAW please visit this website and type in your PWSID or the name of your facility. 

The RAW includes conditions of approval specific to the treatment plant that are evaluated during the sanitary survey. These conditions of approval are important operational requirements specific to each facility that are in place to ensure the production of safe drinking water and protection of public health. All suppliers are encouraged to be familiar with their RAW; especially the “conditions of approval” for each facility. 

Frequently seen RAW conditions of approval that are evaluated during the sanitary surveys include but are not limited to:

1. For suppliers reporting the log inactivation ratio achieved in their MOR:
• Clearwell levels and flow rate must be measured and recorded at least as often as each disinfectant residual monitoring event as defined in Section 11.8(3)(c) of Regulation 11. The records of clearwell volume and flow rate are subject to Division review during sanitary surveys.
• Water temperature and pH must be measured and recorded as often as necessary given source water quality conditions but at least as often as once every week. These records are subject to Division review during sanitary surveys.
2. For suppliers reporting the lowest daily chlorine residual value in their MOR:
• The minimum contact time volume must be measured and recorded at least as often as each disinfectant residual monitoring event as defined in Section 11.8(3)(c) of Regulation 11. The records of contact time volume is subject to Department review during sanitary surveys.
• Tank level sensors typically are required to be verified at least annually to ensure measurements are calibrated and accurate. Records of level sensor measurement confirmation must be kept and  are subject to review during sanitary surveys.
3. Any contact tank bypass valves (if present) must be confirmed as being operationally closed at least once per year by appropriately actuating the valve. If the bypass is operated at any time, the supplier must notify the Division prior to use. Records of bypass valve annual actuating and maintenance must be maintained and are subject to Division review during sanitary surveys. A common method for verifying valve closure and valve actuator integrity is to count, and keep a record of the number of actuator turns from open to closed and verify that the number of turns counted is correct for the valve type and size.
4. Suppliers using alternative filtration technology must continuously meet the design, performance, and operation and maintenance requirements established in Sections 4.3.9.6 – 4.3.9.8 of the Design Criteria and in the Department’s Acceptance letter for the specific filtration technology/vendor. 

• For bag and cartridge filtration systems, this includes the requirements to not exceed the maximum specified pressure differential and keep a record of daily routine pressure differential readings and filter change outs and these records will be reviewed during the sanitary survey. Specific spare parts may also be required to be on hand and will be checked during the sanitary survey. 
• For membrane systems, suppliers must maintain an operation and maintenance manual for the filtration system. All integrity tests and Clean In Place (CIP) procedures must follow manufacturers prescribed procedures. The supplier must also keep records of the following operational parameters and the records will be reviewed during the sanitary survey:
• Integrity test date, results (pass or fail), and initials of person performing the test
• Clean in place dates with clean water permeability and integrity test results.
• Filter maintenance and fiber repair results
• Filter replacement date and reason for replacement.

Please review your RAW and make sure you are aware of the requirements established by any conditions of approval and keeping the required records. The RAW conditions of approval and site-specific records will be reviewed during the sanitary survey and if there is an issue, a T119 Significant Deficiency may be issued. According to Regulation 11, Section 11.3(72), a significant deficiency means: any situation, practice, or condition in a public water system with respect to design, operation, maintenance, or administration, that the state determines may result in or have the potential to result in production of finished drinking water that poses an unacceptable risk to health and welfare of the public served by the water system. Significant deficiencies must be addressed in writing within 45 days after the sanitary survey letter and any significant deficiencies that remain unresolved after 120 days or past an department approved schedule will be referred to compliance for a type 45-violation that requires Tier 2 public notice (30 day public notice with health effects language). 

Please check the conditions of approval in your RAW to protect public health and avoid significant deficiencies during your next sanitary survey. If you have any questions regarding your RAW, please contact the Engineering Section. If you would like additional assistance on technical issues or sanitary survey preparation, please sign up for individualized coaching here.  For any questions or concerns about sanitary surveys please email our Field Services team at cdphe_wqcd_fss_questions@state.co.us. 

Thank you for all your efforts to protect public health!

➽ Heather Young, PE, CWP, Field Services Section Manager

➽ Andrew Rice, PE, Engineering Section

Operator Examinations - Be prepared before you apply!

As a friendly reminder, the operator examination eligibility period changed on March 1, 2024, from 180 days to 100 days. This means that upon examination application approval by CCWP, operators have 100 days to pass that exam. CCWP does not offer extensions or refunds to operators who do not pass the exam within that 100-day window and PSI requires 30 days between exam attempts. This means that if an operator does not pass an exam, while they may schedule a re-test at any time, the operator must wait 30 days to take the exam again. 

So, we recommend that operators study and prepare for an exam before submitting an exam application! 

Water Professionals International (WPI) provides various examination resources (including the Need-to-Know Criteria for each exam type), and you can also find other helpful links to study resources on CCWP’s website.  

For tips on managing testing anxiety, check out this Aqua Talk article on Equipping Operators with Skills to Manage and Overcome Testing Anxiety. 

Important things to keep in mind: 

• Use the CCWP Portal to submit an exam application.
• If you do not pass the exam within the 100-day eligibility period, do not re-apply on the CCWP Portal until at least 30 days after your unsuccessful exam attempt. 
• Schedule your exam with PSI, not CCWP. You can either go to a testing center (Find a Testing Center) or use PSI’s remote proctoring option (PSI Online Proctoring Compatibility Check) to take your certification exam. Be sure to know the rules and expectations before you choose which option is best for you. More information can be found on CCWP’s website or in PSI’s Candidate Handbook for Colorado. 
• Plan accordingly! Winter weather can greatly impact travel to test centers and PSI may not issue refunds due to inclement weather. Consider contacting PSI to verify your test center is open before you travel. 
• The CCWP exam application fee is $50; the PSI examination fee is $104 per exam attempt. 

If you have any questions about the examination process, feel free to contact CCWP (719-225-7339 or info@coloradocwp.com) or Jessica Morgan (cdphe.facilityoperator@state.co.us). 

➽ Jessica Morgan WWFOCB Liasson