The Energy & Mineral Impact Assistance Fund

Resources: 

• EIAF website 
• Find your DOLA Regional Manager

The Energy & Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) offers grants to local governments that are socially and/or economically impacted by the energy and mineral industries. The EIAF grant program is funded through the State’s severance tax on energy and mineral production and a portion of the State’s share of royalties paid to the federal government for mining and drilling of minerals and mineral fuels on federally-owned land. Entities eligible to receive grants and loans include municipalities, counties, school districts, special districts and other political subdivisions and state agencies.

DOLA’s intent in administering this grant program is to do as outlined in statute and promote sustainable community development, increase livability and resilience of communities through strategic investments in asset-building activities. The most successful applications into this program are those that demonstrate urgency and local commitment to get the project done, show a high priority for the proposed application, are prepared to start work, and can demonstrate a relationship to energy and mineral impact in rural Colorado.

The next EIAF application deadline is September 3, 2021. This cycle has $6.5M available and Tier 1 and Tier 2 applications will be accepted. In this cycle, the maximum Tier 2 request will be $600,000 instead of $1,000,000. The EIAF program is planning for a second cycle with a March 4, 2022 application deadline and anticipated funding of $10M. For more information, please visit the program website. To apply, contact your DOLA Regional Manager. 

➽  Desi Santerre, Department of Local Affairs, Water and Wastewater Program Manager

Culture of Health: Unregistered Water Systems

Unregistered Water Systems Can Pose a Risk to Public Health

In spring of 2021 the department learned that a small mountain resort was open to the public and serving untreated groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GWUDI). The water supplier was aware of its lack of treatment and had historically been in contact with the department but failed to notify us upon reopening to the public. Inadequately treated GWUDI can contain disease-causing organisms and other contaminants with acute health effects. It is the supplier’s responsibility to put public health first by contacting the department prior to serving water and ensure that, if applicable, it is in compliance with the safe drinking water regulations. Please read on to discover how the involved parties responded to the situation in order to best protect public health and how other water providers can do the same.

The supplier had historically been classified as a regulated public drinking water system serving groundwater under the influence of surface water. After submitting documentation that the resort was no longer open to the public, the water system remained unregulated for several years. Aware of the regulatory requirements and their lack of filtration and disinfection treatment, the supplier reopened its resort to the public. Upon receipt of this information, the department issued a boil water advisory to be immediately distributed throughout the resort due to the increased risk associated with untreated GWUDI. The department also issued a violation for their failure to provide adequate treatment.

As the situation evolved, water samples were collected and shown to contain coliforms which are organisms known to exist in the digestive tracts of animals. Coliforms can indicate the presence of microbial contaminants with acute health effects such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. The purpose of filtration and disinfection treatment is to inactivate and remove such organisms before they can cause harm. Some unregistered water suppliers have treatment installed, however it may not be meeting the minimum removal and/or inactivation requirements needed to protect public health. That is one of the reasons that each new public water system’s treatment system is reviewed by the department.

While under a boil water advisory, the resort chose to temporarily close and immediately began working with a certified operator to install chemical disinfection. Within 11 days, a chlorinator was installed, operational, and providing disinfection at the required interim level. Following the installation, multiple sample results confirmed that coliform was no longer active in the water and now, several months later, the supplier is on track to have a filtration system installed as required under Regulation 11’s Surface Water Rule. As we have worked towards an acceptable resolution, the water supplier has been cooperative and has worked quickly to return to compliance.

Unregistered water suppliers can pose a serious threat to public health by exposing the public to potentially harmful pathogens if the appropriate treatment systems are not installed and properly operated. Even suppliers that have some form of treatment may not be meeting the minimum removal and/or inactivation requirements needed to protect public health. These scenarios create conditions that could lead to waterborne disease outbreaks. If you are a water supplier or operator in Colorado, thank you for joining us in our mission to protect public health. If you are aware of any unregistered systems in Colorado, the department requests that you contact the compliance specialist for your region and work with them to determine whether the system meets the criteria of a public water system. Together we can ensure that the water meets safe drinking water standards and better serve the citizens and visitors of Colorado.

➽ Jamie Duvall, Drinking Water Compliance Specialist

Coming Down the Pipe: Direct Potable Reuse Rule Stakeholder Process

The stakeholder process is underway!

Resources:

• Regulation 11 - Direct Potable Reuse

On March 16, 2021 we ran an Aqua Talk article announcing our stakeholder process for Direct Potable Reuse (DPR). We are providing a brief update here with highlights of the project so far.

Since the previous article, we have accomplished the following key activities:

• Hosted two kickoff stakeholder meetings, 

• Formed workgroups to focus on key areas of the regulations:

• Communications and outreach

• Source water nexus - including pretreatment and wastewater treatment

• Advanced drinking water treatment

• Operations

• Regulatory development

• The workgroups met numerous times and produced several key decisions and draft materials

• A midsummer update stakeholder meeting was held on July 14, 2021.

• All materials are available on our DPR website.

The stakeholder community has agreed generally about the definition of DPR. The definition will be important both for determining the applicability of the regulation and also establishing a new drinking water ‘source’ type. The definitions below reflect the current status of the stakeholder efforts and could change somewhat going forward.

• “DIRECT POTABLE REUSE” means using a series of processes that produce finished water utilizing a source containing treated wastewater that has not passed through an environmental buffer.

• “ENVIRONMENTAL BUFFER” means either a surface water or a groundwater aquifer that causes adequate dilution or natural attenuation of pathogenic and chemical contaminants. Treated wastewater from a permitted (e.g. Colorado Discharge Permit System) wastewater treatment plant that has been discharged to a surface water body is considered to have passed through an environmental buffer. 

• “TREATED WASTEWATER” means any water source that originates at a wastewater treatment plant that has undergone biological nutrient removal that has reduced total nitrogen in wastewater. Treated wastewater is not required to pass through a disinfection step at the wastewater treatment plant.

The workgroups are on schedule and making progress with regulatory language, technical content, and additional policy concepts. Workgroups have agreed to the following requirements: 

• Applies to drinking water utilities - as all drinking water regulations apply to drinking water utilities

• Require advanced public outreach from the utility to the public about the intent to utilize DPR for drinking water.

• Require the utility to ensure the wastewater collection system has proper controls in place to reduce the risk of contamination being introduced that will threaten public health or hinder the treatment process.

• Require nitrification/denitrification at the wastewater treatment facility before water is sent to the advanced drinking water treatment process. 

• Require a significantly higher level of treatment than treatment of lakes, streams, or reservoirs including:

• Additional pathogen barrier(s)

• Chemical treatment barriers - including treatment for trace pollutants and contaminants of emerging concern present in treated wastewater

• Additional monitoring and reporting

• Require operations plan to address overall process monitoring and plan for addressing wasting water that is off-specification.

 

Program Manager: Culture of Health Message

Our Culture of Health - The Next and Better! Normal

Hello everyone,

As our response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many workplaces including CDPHE are transitioning to a different work environment, often referred to as “The New Normal.” However, I believe that we are several steps away from that stage. I do not believe we know what “normal” will look like several years from now considering workspace and technological changes. So, I have been referring to it as “The Next Normal.” But I have come to realize that there are many aspects of a new “hybrid” work environment that provide us the opportunity to enhance our services to the public and our partners at public drinking water systems. So, from now on, I will be calling our next operating state: The Next and Better Normal!

Many CDPHE staff have been working from home during the pandemic, and it is likely that will continue to some extent through the remainder of 2021, which is still considered a transitory period for us. Rest assured, meeting our public health protection mission and helping assure that drinking water is always safe remains our top priority. While some staff may choose to work more often in the office, it is possible that many staff will continue to pursue our mission working remotely into 2022 and beyond. I believe that we can provide services and succeed in our mission accomplishment better than ever before! 

Together with our utility partners we have proven that we can be efficient and productive working remotely and providing enhanced services in many ways virtually. For example, our coaches have been providing a mix of in-person and webinar services, and this has provided the capacity to assist more water systems and water professionals than ever. We have received positive feedback on our modified sanitary survey process of executing as many tasks as possible remotely - like records reviews. Now, our time in the field is focused on the condition of the water system and helping operators. We believe virtual meetings allow us to connect much more quickly and efficiently with small water systems located in rural areas of the state, thereby providing better services. Working remotely also supports a good work/life balance for many employees, which will hopefully help us support and retain our fantastic staff for the future. Additionally, by reducing commuting activities, we are reducing our carbon footprint and supporting cleaner air.

We remain committed to meeting community needs. So, these are examples of in-person and hybrid services that will continue:

• Sanitary survey inspections with appropriate safety protocols

• Training, coaching and assistance

• Public meetings

• Utility and other partner meetings

• Water and Wastewater Facility Operator Certification Board and Water Quality Control Commission meetings

Most importantly we are a Culture of Health dedicated to serving the public! We will provide needed services to communities, especially those that are most vulnerable. We will look out for and help one another because we are a team. We will embrace each next normal on this evolutionary journey to a new and better than ever normal!

Thank you for all you do to keep tap water safe in Colorado.

➽  RonFalco, P.E. Safe Drinking Water Program Manager