Ground Water Rule Teleconference Presentations

On July 17, 2009, the Texas Section AWWA in conjunction with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) presented a teleconference to locations in Texas and California providing important information on how utilities can meet the requirements of the new Ground Water Rule. The requirements of the rule are to be met by in December 2009.

YOU CAN NOW WATCH THESE PRESENTATIONS ONLINE.  

SEE COMPLETE DETAILS TO THE LEFT.

Approximately 147,000 public water systems in the United States use ground water sources, supplying drinking water to 114 million people. Over 85 million people receive water that is either not disinfected or not sufficiently treated to prevent disease.

More than half of all waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States between 1991 and 2000 were associated with ground water systems. Twenty years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued regulations requiring public water systems to check underground sources of drinking water for viruses and bacteria. During that time, stakeholders in the water community have been able to collaborate on a flexible and moderate Ground Water Rule that will help reduce the spread of infectious disease.

It is expected that implementation of the Ground Water Rule will substantially reduce outbreaks of waterborne disease. The Ground Water Rule is designed to identify those ground water systems that are most at risk of fecal contamination, because these systems may be supplying water that contains microbial pathogens.

For the first time ever, there is a federal requirement for sanitary surveys of all ground water systems. And depending on the outcomes of those surveys, in certain circumstances, the Ground Water Rule also requires source water monitoring, corrective action, compliance monitoring, and reporting.