New Monitoring Schedule Website

The Drinking Water Compliance Assurance Section (DWCAS) is updating how Monitoring Schedules are displayed. Monitoring Schedules communicate water system’s sampling and reporting requirements, as well as additional compliance requirements. DWCAS recognizes that this is a significant change. Which is why the rollout of this change will be implemented in phases. Please share this article with others who may not have received it.

The new schedules come with added features (listed below) that will be beneficial to many users. The reasons for the change are complex: First, the current system has been in place since 2012, and is intertwined with our aging data system. Second, with our data system potentially nearing its end-of-life, and to ensure continuity with any potential future changes, we are transitioning to a new adaptable platform. Lastly, the new system will allow us to make updates faster, increase accessibility, and offer an interactive display. 

The new schedules are now available, along with the current system, at our drinking water monitoring schedule website.

Before diving into the features this new system has to offer, we encourage water systems to refer to our new Drinking Water Schedules Information and Guide or overview video. 

As a part of the update, the new schedules system allows for interactive tables. The tables within the monitoring schedule can be filtered by water system, operator, facility, analyte, monitoring period, frequency, and compliance schedule type. This means, associated contacts can filter to view all systems they are linked to. This will be helpful for contract operators managing multiple systems.

After using the filters, water systems are able to create a specific link that can be bookmarked or saved for future use. For more information about creating your own unique link, please refer to our Drinking Water Schedules Information and Guide. Using the link will automatically filter the report. The new system retains the ability for PDF downloads. For more information about downloading the report, please refer to our Drinking Water Schedules Information and Guide. The new system also allows for individual table exports for offline access. This feature will be helpful for large public water systems with requirements across numerous facilities. 

DWCAS recently made updates to the AIMS (Am I Missing Something) Tool. This update now shows all satisfied sampling schedules. The satisfied schedules section in the monitoring schedules links directly to the AIMS tool without extra filtering (this link is also available in SWIFT). This process is also more consistent as it uses the same system we use internally for determining compliance. Next, compliance schedules are linked to the website for systems to easily get to the relevant information and form. The new platform is better aligned with Colorado’s digital accessibility requirements (CDPHE digital accessibility).

Anticipated Questions:
Q: Why is this happening?
A: Our data system is nearing its end-of-life. Updating now positions us for continuous service regardless of the future data system. In addition, this will help us better meet accessibility requirements established by State law.

Q: How do I use the new system?
A: It is available at the same website. A detailed Monitoring Schedules Help Guide and overview video have been created to help users. It also includes steps for downloading as a PDF and exporting tables.

Q: How will I know that samples have been received in the new system?
A: Schedules in the new system contain a direct link to the recently updated AIMS Tool, providing confirmation of satisfied monitoring requirements. This has the following improvements:

• Fully aligned with how compliance is determined internally.
• Includes monthly schedules, so all analytes and frequencies are in one location.
• Shows the number of samples received (instead of just stating the schedule was satisfied).

Q: Will the data still be updated weekly?
A: Yes, there is no change to the data update frequency. The updated schedules and AIMs tool will be available every Thursday morning.

Q: When is this happening?
A: We are targeting a complete implementation of the new Monitoring Schedule platform in Winter 2025. However, to ease the transition to the new system, from now through January 2026, both monitoring schedules are available online. 

Q: I am having issues accessing my schedules. How can I fix this?
A: The monitoring schedules do not require a Google account to view. If you run into an issue, then your browser might not be up-to-date or a Google account might be tied to your browser. To fix this, you can try updating your browser, try a different browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari are all supported), or open a new window using Private or Incognito Mode (this will remove any saved login information). In the new Private window or Incognito Mode window, then try accessing the monitoring schedules.

Please do not hesitate to contact us during this transition for assistance. Thank you all for your commitment to Colorado’s drinking water and for your continued support as we update the Monitoring Schedule system. 

➽ Phillip Stanwood; Data, Records, and Reporting Unit Manager 

Colorado Adopts Federal PFAS Rule

Resources: 

• Frequently asked questions on PFAS Initial Monitoring 
• PFAS in Finished Drinking Water for PWS interactive and dynamic map 

The State of Colorado’s Water Quality Control Commission recently took final action in August 2025 and has adopted the April 2024 EPA PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation into the Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations (Regulation 11). EPA has indicated that they plan to make changes to this rule and finalize them in 2026.  Colorado’s PFAS Rule will adjust to these changes, but remain at least as stringent as the federal rule to maintain program primacy. However, no changes are expected to the initial monitoring rule’s timeline. Many drinking water systems have already started these efforts. For the PFAS rule, all community and non-transient, non-community water systems are required to complete initial monitoring for PFAS in all entry points by April 1, 2027.

This is a public health protection measure to facilitate positive public health outcomes (and environmental protection) in Colorado and the nation. This class of omnipresent chemicals and their serious effects on human health have been recently addressed with this regulation, both in drinking water and PFAS reductions in source waters. Thanks to the new PFAS regulations, this class of chemicals can be monitored and public exposure issues addressed. 

The Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) wants to help water systems start sampling for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) now, reducing the sampling demand as systems prepare for this upcoming deadline. To this end, WQCD has been reaching out to systems that have yet to start PFAS sampling to notify them that we are offering to fund one-time sampling through the PFAS Grant Program. The deadline to apply for this free sampling opportunity is January 9, 2026. After this deadline passes, funding for one-time sampling will no longer be available, and systems will need to contact a certified lab and complete the sampling requirements as required under the regulation at their own expense.

The current six regulated PFAS chemicals and their respective Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) include:

• PFOA - 4.0 ppt
• PFOS - 4.0 ppt
• PFHxS - 10 ppt
• PFNA - 10 ppt
• HFPO-DA (GENX) - 10 ppt
• Mixture of two or more: PFNA, PFHxS, GenX, and PFBS - Hazard Index of 1.0

Sampling results from initial monitoring will be used to determine the future compliance monitoring schedule for each system. If PFAS results are found to exceed the current MCLs, completing initial monitoring will also allow systems to fully understand their PFAS system issues and begin the appropriate planning to address the contamination. If treatment is necessary, funds like the PFAS Grant Program, the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program (EC-SDC Grant Program), and the State Revolving Fund are available to assist systems.

Unfortunately, some drinking water wells in remote rural areas have been shown to be vulnerable to PFAS contamination due to a variety of potential sources such as fire fighting foams, individual sewage disposal systems (ISDS), biosolids applications on farm fields, various industries, and landfills. PFAS compounds are pervasive in the environment, and early sampling can provide more opportunities for funding support. Fortunately, PFAS in drinking water is treatable, and the Division is here to assist public water systems and communities with technical and financial support.

➽ Adam J. Taubman Emerging Contaminants Coordinator 

➽ Claire Wadler PFAS Program Specialist

Inspection Year 26 is Here!

The Field Services Section (FSS) wrapped up Inspection Year 2025 (IY25), completing 496 sanitary surveys and four (4) Level 2 assessments/sanitary surveys. We would like to extend a big “Thank You” to all the water suppliers and operators for all their help in making IY25 a success! 

After one inspection year ends, another starts, and the new Inspection Year 2026 (IY26) started on October 1, 2025 and will end on September 30, 2026. A total of 555 sanitary surveys are planned for IY26. The list of suppliers included in the IY26 sanitary survey plan takes into consideration a number of factors including:

• Last sanitary survey date and EPA required frequency for sanitary surveys - community water systems are required to have a sanitary survey every 3 years, non-community systems are required to have a sanitary survey every 5 years.
• Recently activated public water systems are prioritized for sanitary survey.
• Other conditions or concerns may also lead to a prioritized sanitary survey.

Please note that if your system is due for a sanitary survey, your inspector will be reaching out to you to schedule the survey anytime during the IY26 inspection year (October - September), and that the scheduling is not based on the date of the previous inspection (i.e., will not be in March or after March every 3 years).

The Field Services Section also performs Level 2 assessments or Level 2 sanitary surveys as they are triggered under the Total Coliform Rule. Level 2 assessments are triggered by either an E. coli MCL violation or two Level 1 assessment situations occurring within 12 consecutive months. Level 2 assessments are site visits that include review and identification of atypical events that could affect distributed water quality or indicate that distributed water quality was impaired. Items also evaluated include changes in distribution system maintenance and operation, including water storage, that could affect distributed water quality, source and treatment considerations that affect distributed water quality, existing water quality monitoring data, and inadequacies in sample sites, sampling protocol, and sample processing. Level 2 sanitary surveys (L2SS) are a combination of the Level 2 assessment and a sanitary survey. Level 2 assessments/sanitary surveys must be performed within 30 days of the date of issuance of the violation that triggered the Level 2 assessment. More information on Level 2 assessments can be found in Regulation 11.16 - the Total Coliform Rule. Thankfully, due to Colorado’s disinfection requirements and the great work by our operators, we had only four (4) L2SS occur in IY25, and typically we experience under five (5) of these events a year. Compared to other states that do not require a minimum disinfection concentration in the distribution system, this number is very low. 

Field Services recommends that suppliers take advantage of the free sanitary survey preparation course from the Local Assistance Unit. Operators who participate will receive 0.3 training units. The training provides concrete steps for your system to prepare for your next sanitary survey including:

The ability to recognize, address, and eliminate potential violations and system deficiencies

Actions to take to address potential violations and system deficiencies before your survey

If you are interested in this FREE training, please visit this document and click on the date that you would like to attend and fill out the associated registration form. Please reach out to cdphe.wqdwtraining@state.co.us with any questions or feedback, or if you do not receive an invitation email.

For any questions or concerns about sanitary surveys, please email our Field Services team at cdphe_wqcd_fss_questions@state.co.us. We look forward to working with you on your next sanitary survey, and thank you for all your efforts to protect public health!

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

Cybersecurity - Please fill out the WaterISAC survey by 11/7/25

CDPHE is sharing the following survey opportunity in partnership with Water Information Sharing & Analysis Center (WaterISAC). Please take a few minutes to share your response with this critical cyber partner! The survey will close Friday, November 7, 2025.

Link to survey

WaterISAC is asking utilities to respond to its survey asking about physical and cyber incidents and suspicious activities they've experienced in the past quarter, from July 1 to September 30, 2025. WaterISAC will share with any utilities that complete the survey its next Quarterly Water Sector Incident Summary report. Even if you have no incidents to report, WaterISAC is asking utilities to complete the survey anyways, simply indicating you experienced no incidents.

Why participate?

Providing this information helps keep the water sector and its partners apprised of the threats facing water and wastewater utilities, helping to inform the prioritization of preparedness measures that can prove critical to prevention, mitigation, and response efforts. WaterISAC understands incidents and suspicious activities constitute sensitive information. Only WaterISAC staff see the full responses and, for the report and any other products it develops, it maintains the confidentiality of utilities to include by omitting their names, locations, and other details that could be used to identify them. The report will be marked TLP:AMBER, which recipients may only share with members of their own organization and with clients who need to know the information to protect themselves or prevent further harm.

WaterISAC has included further details about how it maintains respondents’ confidentiality and protects the information on the first page of the survey. It also welcomes any questions you might have, which can be submitted by emailing analyst@waterisac.org or calling 866-H2O-ISAC.

Submitting a coaching request has never been easier!

The water sector is more engaged now than ever before. With evolving regulations and emerging contaminants, the way we treat and distribute safe drinking water is constantly transforming. Water system owners and operators are expected to stay informed in real time as new technologies are implemented and new findings arise. Public Water Systems throughout Colorado each have varying capabilities and challenges to meet the changing compliance standards and keep up with the daily operations and maintenance. To take action in aiding systems and continuing compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Colorado Department of Public Health’s Water Quality Control Division offers free customized coaching and assistance through the Local Assistance Unit (LAU). This program provides technical assistance to public water systems that request support using the new WQCD Coaching Request Form. 

*Please Note: There is a new google form link to submit a coaching request. The previous formsite link is no longer available and will redirect you to the current form linked above.    

Who should submit a Coaching Request form?

If you are a water system administrator, operator, owner, or decision maker seeking assistance to increase your Technical, Managerial and Financial (TMF) capacities our coaches are available. TMF topics LAU coaches specialize in include: 

• Meeting and understanding regulatory compliance 
• Water resource management
• System organization and planning
• Operator certification
• Asset management and Operations and Maintenance Planning 
• Navigating grant and loan application and implementation

Specific examples of coaching requests that can be submitted include:

• Drinking water systems seeking additional support within the water sector.
• New or current system owners needing help hiring and defining roles and responsibilities for an Operator In Responsible Charge.
• Systems encountering enforcement order requirements.
• Assistance with public notices.
• Navigating backflow or storage tank plan requirements.
• Support creating and managing a sampling schedule.
• Preparing for or responding to a Sanitary Survey
• Capital improvement plans, emergency response plans or monitoring plan assistance.
• Guidance on submitting documents, the CDPHE website, and identifying funding opportunities.

The Local Assistance Unit encourages the use of this valuable service provided throughout the state of Colorado for public water systems. Coaches offer compliance courses, direct assistance, onsite visits and arrange plans to help systems achieve or maintain compliance. Whether in a small rural town or a larger municipality, our goal remains to upkeep the culture of health and ensure communities have access to safe, reliable drinking water.

• To learn more about how the LAU can support your system visit the Aquatalk article: How can the Local Assistance unit help you?
• To learn more about TMF capacity please visit the Aquatalk article: Capacity– why is it important, and what can I do about it?

Ready to get started? Submit a WQCD Coaching Request form here for tailored coaching sessions specific to your system's needs. 

➽Priscila Lopez,  Excellence Coach

EPA Cyber Alerts: Mitigate Vulnerabilities in F5 Devices

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing this alert to inform water and wastewater systems about Emergency Directive (ED) 26-01 issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This directive highlights an ongoing exploitation campaign by a nation-state affiliated cyber threat actor that has compromised F5 systems. The actor has exfiltrated data, including portions of F5’s BIG-IP source code and vulnerability information, providing them with a technical advantage to exploit F5 devices and software. This poses a critical threat to water and wastewater systems using F5 products. F5 is a is a technology company that provides products and services to protect and enhance the speed, reliability, and security of applications and networks.

• Link to Emergency Directive 26-01
• Specific Common Vulnerability and Exposure (CVE) information can be found on the vendor’s webpage

Mitigations

Although Emergency Directive 26-01 is directed at federal agencies, EPA strongly recommends that water and wastewater systems review the Emergency Directive and follow the mitigation steps. Systems that outsource technology support should consult with their service providers for assistance with these steps.

Important: Water and wastewater systems are not required to report their activities to CISA, including those outlined in mitigation steps 2.b, 6, and 8 in the Emergency Directive. This requirement applies only to federal agencies; however, systems may choose to report voluntarily and are encouraged to do so if a compromise is detected.

Conclusion

If you have questions about any of the information in this alert, including assistance with the mitigation steps included in the Emergency Directive, please submit a request to EPA’s Cybersecurity Technical Assistance Program for the Water Sector. Additionally, CISA has provided the following contact information specific to this Emergency Directive:

• General information, assistance, and reporting: CyberDirectives@cisa.dhs.gov
• Reporting indications of compromise: contact@cisa.dhs.gov

Wildfire Response and Recovery Resources for the Water Sector

The Water Quality Control Division has resources available to assist your county, municipalities, communities, and water and wastewater systems through wildfire response and recovery processes. 

General resources

• CO - Post Fire Playbook: updated May 2025. 
• After the Flames: general community resource. 
• CoWARN: Use CoWARN if you need to, update your profile so you receive activations, and utilize the message board to discuss post-fire treatment issues, etc. 

Best practices to protect public health and comply with regulatory requirements

Communicate with the division if your water or wastewater system’s source water, collections system, treatment, or distribution system may be impacted by a wildfire. 

Non-emergency concerns for planning and response: 

• Drinking water - communicate with your compliance specialist. 
• Wastewater - communicate with the division’s Lead Wastewater Engineer - David Kurz  (303)692-6298.

Emergency concerns: 

• Immediate challenges with treatment, distribution, and collections, call the department’s 24-hour Incident Report Line - 1-877-518-5608
• Drinking water - Please consult the Pressure Loss Response Guidance for additional information on pressure loss/outages. 
• If any portion of your distribution system was burned by the fire, please consult the WQCD acute team regarding flushing, sampling, and potential advisories. Contact Lead Drinking Water Engineer, Chelsea Cotton, chelsea.cotton@state.co.us, and the acute team email inbox, cdphe.wqacutes@state.co.us 
• If any portion of your distribution system loses pressure for any reason, such as wildfire impacts to infrastructure, power outage or intentional shutdown due to evacuation, please call the department’s 24-hour Incident Report Line - 1-877-518-5608.
• If you are a surface water system and have filtration concerns, including but not limited to, if you are unable to meet your microbial removal or are getting close to exceeding your turbidity limits, following a wildfire, please call your compliance specialist. If you are calling outside of normal business hours please call the Incident Report Line. 

Best management practices for immediate response: 

Communicate the following information to the incident management team: locations of critical infrastructure, special considerations or hazards such as high-voltage power, chlorinators, source water protection areas.  If you don’t have a direct line of communication with the incident management team, please reach out to our 24-hour report line and the department emergency management team will assist you with getting the correct point of contact. 

• Evacuation 
• Pay attention to all emergency alerts, instructions, and evacuate immediately if asked by authorities.
• Turn off air conditioning or air circulation systems.
• Detach any electrical garage doors.
• Have an N-95 or other type of respirator available, if possible, to limit exposure to smoke and other toxic fumes.
• Re-entry
• Consult with the local incident management team before any utility personnel re-enter the facility. 
• Minimize the risk of inhaling dust particles by wetting debris.
• If returning from evacuation, remember that dangers could still exist for personnel such as hot spots, charred and fallen trees, downed power lines, smoldering and falling debris, sinkholes, mud, and landslides, etc.
• Resources
• EPA’s Incident Action Checklist 
• Tier 1 public notice instructions - Use for boil or bottled water advisory once you receive the advisory for the division.
• National Environmental Health Association - WILDFIRE RESPONSE Guide for Environmental Public Health Professionals

Best management practices for long-term recovery:  

• Purdue University - Addressing Contamination of Drinking Water Distribution Systems from Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) After Wildfires
• Center for Disease Control - Private Wells after a Wildfire
• Boulder County Health Department - Fire Recovery Resources for Private Wells and Septic 

➽ Kyra Gregory Drinking Water Training Specialist 

➽ Chelsea Cotton, P.E. Lead Drinking Water Engineer

Program Manager Message: A reminder about The Significance of Deficiencies!

Hello everyone, 

In the Winter 2009 Aquatalk issue, we ran a Program Manager message about significant deficiencies. This was in the aftermath of the 2008 waterborne disease outbreak in Alamosa, Colorado. We have not had a waterborne disease outbreak at a public water system in Colorado in the 17 years since. Water utilities and the Safe Drinking Water Program have worked together since 2009 to correct thousands of significant deficiencies across the state. But we thought it would be a good time to rerun this article (with a few updates) as a reminder of how important it is to address significant deficiencies and avoid complacency despite our strong recent track record. We have had situations of reported illnesses likely associated with drinking water problems, but the exact combination of epidemiological evidence needed to confirm a waterborne disease outbreak did not materialize. 

The Safe Drinking Water Program periodically conducts sanitary surveys at all public water systems in Colorado. During the survey, we review source(s), treatment, distribution system, finished water storage, pumps and controls, monitoring and reporting data, system management and operation, and operator certification

compliance. The Safe Drinking Water Program believes that the benefits of conducting sanitary surveys include providing compliance and technical assistance, communicating with water systems to better clarify current and upcoming regulations, and conducting a detailed review of all the elements listed above to help ensure that the water system is able to provide safe drinking water to its customers.

After the survey is complete, a sanitary survey report letter is sent to the water system. The sanitary survey letter will notify you if your system has any significant deficiencies. Significant deficiencies are conditions or practices at a water system that may result in the production of finished water that represents an unacceptable health risk to the public. Occasionally, we find situations that represent an imminent, acute health threat to public health. These instances require the immediate attention of both the water system and the state.

However, more typically, the sanitary survey letter will include a specific time frame for the water system to correct the significant deficiency or contact us regarding its plan to correct the significant deficiency. This follow-up is required in the Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations. Due to the public health risk that significant deficiencies represent, it is imperative that public water systems correct significant deficiencies and that the Safe Drinking Water Program verifies that these issues are addressed. Section 11.38(3) of the regulations requires a public water system to respond in writing to significant deficiencies and violations from Sanitary Survey reports no later than 45 days after receiving the report. The response must indicate what actions the system will take to address the significant deficiencies and violations noted in the survey letter and include a proposed schedule for completing those actions.

Therefore, I encourage you to locate your last sanitary survey letter from us and review it to see if any significant deficiencies were noted. If there were significant deficiencies, are you sure that they were corrected? I recommend verifying that the deficiencies were corrected and contacting the person who conducted the sanitary survey, if necessary. If the deficiencies have not been corrected, then I recommend contacting the person who conducted the survey and developing a plan to correct the deficiencies. When the deficiencies are corrected, please provide documentation of the correction, including photos, by uploading them to the Drinking Water portal. This will confirm that the deficiency is resolved. 

By working together to identify and correct significant deficiencies, the Safe Drinking Water Program and public water systems can help ensure that the public always receives safe drinking water.

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

Acute Health Risks - Can it happen to you?

The below article is a re-run and update from an article published in the 2007 Summer Aqua Talk newsletter. Since then, the water sector has navigated many acute and emergency situations in partnership with the WQCD. We value your continued partnership and vigilance as you protect the public health and environment for our communities. 

We could all learn a little something from the Boy Scouts, especially when it comes to acute health risks in drinking water systems. Acute health risks that must be reported can be caused by events such as:

• Acute total coliform maximum contaminant level violations (when fecal or E. Coli is present);
• Failure to collect repeat samples after a fecal or E. Coli positive sample;
• Failure to test for fecal or E. Coli in a total coliform positive repeat sample;
• Nitrate, nitrite or total nitrate nitrite maximum contaminant level violations;
• Failure to take nitrate or nitrite confirmation sample within 24 hours after receipt of the first sample showing exceedance of the maximum contaminant level;
• Surface water treatment rule violations, such as not using a filter cartridge, not feeding coagulant, or a single exceedance of the maximum allowable turbidity limit or failure to maintain chlorine level entering the distribution system; etc).
• Suspected waterborne disease outbreak;
• Situations such as depressurization of a distribution system due to a line break or loss of power;
• Uncontrolled cross connections that contaminate the water supply;
• A treatment or supply emergency (for example, failure or significant interruption of key water treatment processes, a natural disaster that disrupts water supply, chemical spill or unexpected loading of pathogens);
• Tampering or vandalism that could have contaminated the water supply

Preparing for these situations can save lives, not to mention save you time and money. To help you keep your cool in a stressful situation, consider preparation measures such as:

• Plan: Gather necessary forms and phone numbers, including the 24-Hour incident reporting hotline (877) 518-5608. 
• Be familiar with the Public Notice wizard to create public notice templates and think through possible acute situations.
• Designate people responsible for specific activities, make sure your Operator Delegation Plan is up to date.
• Practice with benchtop exercises/drills. Use this coaching request form to request a  Local Assistance Unit benchtop exercise for your facility.

If your system has experienced tampering or suspected tampering, including a cyber attack, you are required to notify the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment immediately. For details, see section 11.2(1) of the Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations and visit the Drinking Water Security Response Toolbox. Report physical and cyber security incidents to the WQCD Tampering Threat and Incident Report Form. 

For more information about acute procedures, please check Drinking Water Policy DW-0001 Response to Acute Health Threats from Public Water Systems, the Pressure Loss and Main Break Guidance and the Drinking Water Emergency information website.

CoWarn, the statewide Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CoWARN) of utilities helping utilities to prepare for the next natural or human-caused emergency is also a resource to help public water systems.

By being prepared, water suppliers can effectively handle emergency situations and potential acute situations to protect public health. 

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

➽ Emily Clark, Drinking Water Enforcement Unit Manager

Legionella Bacteria and Drinking Water Disease Outbreaks

I attended the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA’s) Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE) in Denver, Colorado, earlier this year. There were some excellent sessions on a wide variety of topics. However, the session that stood out the most to me covered Legionnaires'  Disease and drinking water. Presenters include Dr. Mark Lechavellier, Dr. Chad Seidel, Sheldon Masters, and Julie Kennedy. The session covered some of the latest research into Legionella and drinking water, plus a case study regarding an outbreak in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, that occurred from 2023 to 2024.

Although there are over fifty Legionella species and about half can cause disease, Legionella pneumophila is the most important because it causes most Legionnaires' disease cases and occurs naturally in aquatic environments. The species can infect free-living Amoeba, where the amoeba can act as a host for Legionella. The 1989 drinking water Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) set a treatment technique for Legionella and established a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) equal to zero. Groundwater systems have no such treatment technique requirements, but one-third of the outbreaks occur in groundwater systems. Partly due to better reporting and testing, Legionella cases rose 10-fold from 1990 to 2021. Legionnaires’ outbreaks often occur in buildings such as hotels, medical facilities, and offices. People catch Legionnaires’ disease by inhaling small droplets of water suspended in the air containing Legionella. Legionnaires’ disease does not spread from person to person.

Dr. Lechavallier reported on a Legionella occurrence study that involved water testing 57 utilities. Overall, 9,118 samples were collected, and 1.2% (109) were positive. Thirty-two percent of utilities had detections. A chlorine residual of at least 0.4 mg/L dramatically reduced the positive detection frequency. Dead-end water lines, low water usage, and tank sediment raised the risk of finding Legionella. Flushing can be effective in reducing Legionella levels. Optimum Corrosion Control Treatment (OCCT) reduces pipe corrosion, which reduces the habitat where Legionella can grow. The study concluded that while eliminating Legionella is impossible, testing and management are feasible. Communicating with commercial and industrial customers about Legionella can also be beneficial. 

Unfortunately, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, experienced a severe Legionella outbreak from 2023 to 2024. Grand Rapids has a population of 11,000 and uses groundwater from five wells. The community did not disinfect and had three storage tanks (0.5 million-gallons each) and 81 miles of distribution system. Increased disease incidence began in mid-2023, but water was not believed to be the cause at that time. Legionella were not found in the water system, but the bacteria were found in the water in buildings with Legionnaires’ Disease cases. Over the next year, there were 34 total cases with 30 people hospitalized and two fatalities. After a complete assessment and expert assistance, including Dr. Seidel, chloramination started in June 2024. There have been no Legionella cases in Grand Rapids since then. Considerable effort also involved working with building owners in the town. Generally, buildings that maintain and actively implement water quality management plans do not have outbreaks.

EPA is in the process of updating its rules addressing Microbial Pathogens/Disinfection Byproducts (M/DBPs). It will be a few years before the update is finalized, and these rules will still not apply to groundwater systems. The updated rules are likely to improve the treatment technique requirements for Legionella at surface water systems. While we believe that Colorado is well-positioned to implement improvements due to our rules covering disinfectant residual, storage tanks, and cross connection control (backflow prevention), the occurrence data in this study are concerning. Additionally, even with solid operations by water utilities, important work involving water quality management plans within buildings is not part of our oversight. We encourage utilities to learn more about Legionella and consider partnering with their commercial and industrial customers, especially health facilities like hospitals and nursing homes, to take steps that could reduce the likelihood of a Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak in Colorado.  

As always, thank you for keeping our drinking water safe.

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

➽ Co-Author Chelsea Cotton, P.E. Lead Drinking Water Engineer

EPA Cyber Alerts: Cisco Products and SonicWall Cyber Incidents

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is posting the following cyber alerts in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Please reach out to EPA with any questions about this or any additional Cyber concerns  watercyberta@epa.gov.

Alert: Identify and Mitigate Potential Compromise of Cisco Devices

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing this alert to inform water and wastewater systems about Emergency Directive (ED) 25-03 issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This directive highlights an ongoing exploitation campaign by an advanced threat actor targeting Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA). The campaign is widespread and involves exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities to achieve unauthenticated remote code execution on Cisco ASAs. Additionally, it includes the manipulation of read-only memory (ROM), enabling threat actors to maintain access even through reboots and system upgrades.

Link to Emergency Directive 25-03

Mitigations

Although Emergency Directive 25-03 is directed at federal agencies, EPA strongly recommends that water and wastewater systems review the Emergency Directive and follow the mitigation steps. The Emergency Directive includes a detailed step-by-step guide along with resources to assist in implementing each mitigation. Systems that outsource technology support should consult with their service providers for assistance with these steps.

Important: Water and wastewater systems are not required to report their activities to CISA, including those outlined in mitigation steps 2, 3, and 6 in the Emergency Directive. This requirement applies only to federal agencies; however, systems may choose to report voluntarily and are encouraged to do so if a compromise is detected.

Conclusion

If you have questions about any of the information in this alert, including assistance with the mitigation steps included in the Emergency Directive, please submit a request to EPA’s Cybersecurity Technical Assistance Program for the Water Sector.

Additionally, CISA has provided the following contact information specific to this Emergency Directive:

• General information, assistance, and reporting: CyberDirectives@cisa.dhs.gov
• Reporting indications of compromise: contact@cisa.dhs.gov
• Colroado specific assistance and interpretation of the emergency directive for the water sector: kindra.brewer@cisa.dhs.gov

PFAS Grant Program Over the Past 5 Years

Click here for more information about the PFAS Grant Program.

PFAS are man-made chemicals with unique properties that make them useful for many consumer and industrial uses (e.g., waterproofing, non-stick surfaces). But those properties also make them persistent in the environment. PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam, personal products, and other substances are toxic and may get into the groundwater and surface water, potentially contaminating Colorado’s drinking water supplies. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects including low infant birth weights, cancer and negative effects on the immune system. 

The state continues to address PFAS issues through legislative-directed funding from Senate Bill 20-218. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Hazardous Substances Response Act (SB20-218) was signed into law on June 29, 2020 ( C.R.S. 8-20-206.5(7)). 

The act created fees on the transportation of fuel products, which will be collected between September 1, 2020, and September 30, 2031, when the available balance in the fund is less than nine million dollars. The collected fees are placed in the PFAS Cash Fund established by the legislative bill. The funding is managed by the Water Quality Control Division and can be used for the PFAS grant program, PFAS takeback program, and PFAS technical assistance to impacted communities.

The PFAS Grant Program provides funding opportunities to eligible entities through three (3) primary project categories: 

1. Sampling - standard sampling and Independent Environmental Studies;
2. Emergency Assistance - to communities and water systems affected by PFAS; and 
3. Infrastructure -water system infrastructure for the treatment of PFAS and prevention strategies for upstream sources of PFAS.

The PFAS grant program has awarded over 19 million dollars in grant funds to help communities across Colorado identify and mitigate PFAS in water. Some current and past projects include:

• Determining the impacts of firefighting foam, ski wax, and septic systems on source water. 
• Piloting PFAS treatment for drinking water systems and landfill leachate.
• Installation of filtered drinking water stations in schools.
• Several fish tissue sampling efforts.
• Over $3.5 million to identify and assess PFAS in drinking water, source water, and groundwater. 
• ~$12 million used to implement PFAS treatment for clean drinking water.

A full list of awarded projects can be found on the PFAS Grant Summaries webpage.  In addition, our annual legislative reports on the program progress can be found on the PFAS Laws webpage.

Any questions may be directed towards the cdphe_wqcd_pfas_grant@state.co.us email. Please use the subject line “Grant Program Questions.”

➽ Sierra Mitchell, PFAS Program Coordinator

Equipping Operators with Skills to Manage and Overcome Testing Anxiety!

As coaches, one thing we often hear is that sitting for water and wastewater operator certification exams is a dreaded experience. While this apprehension is completely understandable, it is not insurmountable. We are re-publishing the below article that will help you understand where this anxiety comes from, steps you can take to overcome your testing anxiety, and tangible tools to help you succeed when you take your next operator certification exam. Thank you for all the work you do to protect the environment and public health of your communities. Keep calm and test on! 

➽ Kyra Gregory, Drinking Water Training Specialist 

Note: This article has been reposted with permission from the author, Tom Healy, Director of Certification Services for The Association of Boards of Certification. Original article published Summer 2021 Arkansas Drinking Water Update

                                                                                                                                         

We have all experienced it, that feeling of dread and foreboding before taking an exam; a myriad of scenarios running through your head outlining the worst possible outcomes.

These feelings of testing anxiety are very real and can have detrimental effects on an operator’s exam performance. In fact, a recent survey of operators conducted by the Ohio Water Environment Association found that nearly 30 percent of respondents cited testing anxiety as a main cause for not passing the exam.

To examine why testing anxiety is such a prevalent phenomenon, especially in high stakes vocational testing such as an operator certification exam, I spoke with Dr. Ian MacFarlane of Elizabethtown College. Dr. MacFarlane is an Assistant Professor of Psychology, as well as a clinical psychologist. With more than 1,000 hours of therapy work with college students and adults, he has helped countless individuals recognize and overcome testing anxiety.

Why do Operators worry?

Taking a certification exam is different from a high school biology or chemistry final: the stakes are exponentially higher. Psychologically, operators may feel that taking an exam related to their everyday job duties raises a question about their professional competence. This spark of anxiety will be fanned further if a passing score on the exam is mandated for their current job or required for promotion potential.

When asked how test anxiety manifests, Dr. MacFarlane pointed to both cognitive and physical (or somatic) symptoms stating, “The most detrimental effects of anxiety are cognitive. The human brain is limited to a certain amount of processing power at one time. The more your brain is occupied with the anxiety of the exam, the less ability it has to process the exam content. It would be akin to going into a wrestling match with one hand tied behind your back. Anxiety is a ‘mental suck’ or leech draining your brain power and limiting your ability to recall information or facts that might be as familiar to you as the names of your parents.”

One particularly common manifestation of testing anxiety Dr. MacFarlane cited is detachment–an operator is likely to avoid the discomfort of test anxiety by simply not thinking about the exam. Just as your body will pass out instead of coping with a lack of oxygen, you are likely to avoid the discomfort of test anxiety by simply not thinking about the exam.  He noted, “This can be quite detrimental as this avoidance loop can cause you to disengage from exam preparatory practices which can seriously hinder performance on the exam.”

Other effects of anxiety can be seen as physiological symptoms such as nausea, stomach cramps, or lightheadedness. To explain this, Dr. MacFarlane offered, “Our bodies lack the ability to differentiate between real life and mental simulations. So, if we are extremely worried or anxious about something, our minds can create physiological manifestations that are directly associated with the negative mental simulations.”

Why do some operators who excel in their jobs perform poorly on the exam?

Even though the exam is measuring the knowledge and application of tasks that an operator performs daily, while in the testing environment, they lose the contextual cues that would normally assist them in everyday operations.

Without those additional sources of information, operators must work harder to draw parallels between the tasks on the exam and the tasks they perform in their job. In other words, because an operator is not being tested in the environment in which he/she normally performs a task (a water or wastewater system), it can be difficult to recognize and solve the same problem in a test environment.

What can operators do to help with testing anxiety?

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

There is no better way of reducing test anxiety than to spend an adequate amount of time preparing and practicing. Test-taking is a skill—one that must be practiced and honed. Dr. MacFarlane noted that in many cases, due to inefficient study techniques, people have a tendency to work on areas in which they are already proficient and to avoid areas that could use improvement. Operators should make better use of their study time by taking periodic practice tests to help gauge the areas they need to work on. As an added benefit, the practice tests will train them to work under the pressure of a time constraint. Because the time limit on most certification exams can create a state of panic, it is important that operators learn to perform under these stressors and to control the feelings of unease.

2. Don’t “cram”

Countless studies have been done over the years on the ineffectiveness of “cramming,” or waiting until the last available opportunity to study for an exam. Say an operator spends the last six hours before the exam reviewing material. It is easy for them to think that they have everything committed to memory; the material is “fresh” in their mind. The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. Reviewing this way gives an operator a familiarity with the material, meaning he/she will be able to recognize it when they see it on paper. Unfortunately, the ability to recognize concepts is not the same as being able to recall it. The ability to recall or reconstruct information accurately when an operator needs it requires exposure to the information over a long period of time.

The best course of action is to build a study plan that spans the course of several weeks prior to the exam. The more time an operator spends reorganizing the material so it has a structure, the more likely they are to commit the information to long term memory. Operators should aim for 45-60 minutes per day with their study material for at least six weeks prior to the exam.

3. How can an operator cope with anxiety on test day?

Even the most prepared test-takers can feel anxiety on test day, but there are proven methods to counteract the effects. Operators should start with getting adequate sleep the night before. Studies have shown that people perform better on memory tasks when they are well-rested. Some people will suffer from interrupted sleep when particularly worried about something. To help with this, operators can try exercising for 30 minutes before bed. Doing so will help their bodies release excess cortisol (stress hormone) in their systems caused by anxiety and will allow them to sleep better.

An operator should ensure their body is well nourished the day of the exam. This means do not skip breakfast and eat healthy foods such as grains or fruit and avoid foods with high fat content. The goal here is to eliminate as many distractors as possible so an operator can dedicate all their attention to the exam. If an operator is tired or his/her body does not have enough fuel, it can drastically hinder their performance.

4. Breathing – The 5-5-7 Method

During the exam, it can be extremely beneficial to stop at regular intervals (perhaps every five questions) and take deep breaths. The 5-5-7 is a breathing exercise performed by inhaling for five seconds, holding your breath for another five seconds, then exhaling for seven seconds. Dr. MacFarlane suggested that completing this exercise at regular intervals during a test session can physiologically stimulate the central nervous system, which can heighten an operator’s awareness and push anxiety from their mind. He also stressed the importance of practicing this technique for several weeks prior to the exam during their preparation, saying “The more practiced you are in this technique, the more effective it will be during exam time. Your body and mind will have a Pavlovian response to the exercise which increases its effectiveness.”

5. Muscle Relaxation

Another proven technique outlined during our discussion was progressive muscle relaxation, or PMR. This is done by deliberately applying tension (by clenching) to certain muscle groups and then releasing the induced tension. During this process, all of an operator’s attention should be focused on how their muscles feel as the tension is released. As operators learn to distinguish the feelings of a tense muscle as compared to a completely relaxed one, they are able to recognize the physical effects anxiety has on their bodies and can quickly alleviate it with this technique. Operators should be encouraged to practice PMR both when preparing for the exam and on the day of testing. They should spend 15-20 minutes at a time performing this technique on their major muscle groups (feet, legs, hands, arms, neck, and shoulders) and it will help mitigate anxiety.

The Bottom Line

While these methods have been shown to help with anxiety, they may not work for everyone. There are many more techniques that may offer relief, and operators can use these tips as a starting point to find what works best for them. Above all, operators should make sure they spend adequate time studying and reviewing the material. The better command they have of the content, the less anxious they will be about the exam, and the better they will perform.

➽ Tom Healy, Director of Certification Services for The Association of Boards of Certification

REMINDER - Walter A. Weers Outstanding Achievement Award

In the past, the Water and Wastewater Facility Operators Certification Board (board) annually issued the Walter A. Weers Outstanding Achievement Award to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Colorado Water and Wastewater Facility Operators Certification Program (program) and to the water professionals operating facilities under the program.     

The award is named after Walter A. Weers, who devoted a half-century of outstanding volunteer service to the advancement of the certification of professionals in the Colorado water and wastewater industry. The award is intended to honor truly exceptional contributions and may not be presented each year or may be awarded to more than one recipient per year (at the discretion of the board). The award was last presented in 2019, and the program would like to raise awareness of this award in hopes of honoring an individual in 2026. 

This outstanding achievement award recognizes those individuals who:

• Have given their time unselfishly to educate operators,
• Have provided their expertise to the examination of operators, or
• Have used their creativity and tenacity to build Colorado’s certification program into one of the premier programs in the country. 

Anyone who has had a direct impact on the program and the water professionals operating Colorado facilities under this program can be nominated for this award. Nominations must be submitted before October 15th of each year to be considered and acted on by the board at its November meeting. If the board decides to honor an individual, the award will be presented in conjunction with the Colorado Rural Water Association (CRWA) annual conference in March of the following year. 

Consider taking a few minutes of your time to submit an award nomination that can inspire others to continue providing outstanding service to the program and to highlight the importance of the profession and its impact on Colorado communities. Anyone can submit a nomination form, and nominations can be as short as one to two paragraphs. You never know what great acts of service and kindness you may inspire!   

You can find more information about this award on the board’s website, as well as a link to the nomination form, submission instructions, and previous recipients. 

If you have any questions about this award or the nomination process, feel free to contact Jessica Morgan cdphe.facilityoperator@state.co.us.

➽Jessica Morgan, Liaison to the Water & Wastewater Facility Operators Certification Board

WQCD wants your input! - What does Excellence mean to the water sector?

Click here to take the survey!

Providing safe drinking water to the public has never been a simple task. While there are thousands of water systems, and operators that are working to install backflow devices to prevent contamination, maintaining and adjusting chlorine levels, sampling and managing all the documents to prove that the work is being done and safe water is being provided, seldom is there recognition for the work.

Continually improving a water system has never been so hard. As our scientific knowledge and discoveries of contaminants expand, so do the regulations and standards operators need to uphold. This increases the work and the amount of pressure that comes with operating an entire community drinking water system. While we are not physically present on a daily basis to observe and acknowledge the effort it takes to maintain such standards, we do appreciate and rely on the knowledge and passion it takes to maintain a culture of health - that is we look at our daily routines and emergencies through a lens of protecting people’s health. One way of showing our appreciation is through the Excellence Program Awards formerly known as the Pursuing Excellence Program. We intend on continuing and revitalizing the tradition of recognizing the wonderful public water systems that have been supplying safe and clean water by showing our gratitude and how much we value the work being done.

The Excellence Awards Program will distribute two recognition awards, the Outstanding Compliance Award and the Commitment Award. The Commitment Award will focus on recognizing entities that have been proactive in enhancing their water system by submitting a project they have done that embraces a continuous improvement approach. 

We understand that "excellence" is subjective and what is considered excellent in one system's circumstances may not be the same for another system in different circumstances.  Our aim is to understand what “excellence” means to you and ensure it reflects the achievements of water professionals who are delivering exceptional performance in our water systems. One entity might be putting in maximum effort in educational outreach for exposure of the industry to recruit new operators, while a different entity might find it more rewarding to assist smaller systems in bettering their water supply and process. 

We notice and value all the different ways operators are advancing the industry and want to make sure this Commitment Award is tailored to include the opinions of water systems. In order to take into account opinions of those working first-hand in the field, we have created a two-question excellence survey that includes different ways we believe a system can achieve excellence in the industry. There are various aspects of maintaining a water system included in this survey and we want to know which ones are valued the most within this community.

To customize this Commitment Award and reward projects that resonate with the survey results, we ask that you please take a couple seconds of your day to complete the survey. The link for the survey will be below. We appreciate every response and will make sure to take them into account when discussing what projects to award.

➽ Priscila Lopez, Drinking water coach- Excellence Program Manager