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Water Headlines for May 22, 2006Benjamin H. Grumbles Water Headlines is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water. In This Week’s Water Headlines:
Drinking Water Fund Tops $9 Billion for Infrastructure ImprovementsEPA, all 50 states and Puerto Rico have invested almost $9.5 billion in drinking water improvements since 1996, according to the just-released Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) 2005 annual report. The first of its kind, report focuses on nearly 4,400 projects that have ranged from treatment, transmission and distribution, and rehabilitation of wells to developing new sources of water, upgrading storage facilities, and consolidating water systems. "The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund is a thriving, multi-billion dollar partnership that protects public health and sustains America's water infrastructure," said Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. "It has a robust future and will continue to provide critical assistance to help communities provide safe drinking water and meet economic needs." Congress established the program in 1996 to help finance infrastructure improvements. EPA awards grants to states, which, in turn, provide low-cost loans and other assistance to eligible water systems. Since 1997, the fund programs have improved public health protection for 100 million people. In recent years, the program has averaged more than $1.3 billion in annual assistance to drinking water systems. The program appeals to financial institutions because no participants have defaulted on their loans. More information on the DWSRF annual report: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf.
Fifth National Monitoring Conference - Monitoring Networks: Connecting for Clean WaterMore than 880 people attended the Fifth National Monitoring Conference in San Jose, CA on May 7-11, 2006. This year’s conference theme, Monitoring Networks: Connecting for Clean Water, highlighted the human, technological, and programmatic networks that connect all of us working for clean water. The conference included twelve technical workshops and short courses, over 350 professional papers and 135 posters. Forty-five organizations and vendors exhibited there. The conference was the first professional discussion of the approach to and results of EPA's new Wadeable Streams Assessment released on May 5th (for information on this report see: www.epa.gov/owow/streamsurvey/). It was also the forum for an extensive discussion of the proposed National Water Quality Monitoring Network For U.S. Coastal Waters and Their Tributaries. The US Geological Survey also used the conference to showcase the results of ten years of studies under its National Water Quality Assessment. Special emphasis was given to current programs in pesticides, mercury and urban areas. These studies were presented amid discussions of the role of state water quality monitoring programs and the importance, credibility, and role of volunteer water monitoring data and programs. The conference was co-sponsored by the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, whose member organizations include EPA, USGS, USDA, NOAA, and others; the North American Lake Management Society; the California Water Boards; and many other agencies. For more information on the conference, visit: www.tetratech-ffx.com/nwqmc06/. Second National Water Quality Trading ConferenceMark your calendar for the Second National Water Quality Trading Conference May 23-25, 2006, in Pittsburgh, PA. This conference will highlight the economic and environmental benefits of water quality trading. A collaboration of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Farm Foundation, this conference will explore opportunities and challenges associated with developing trading programs. If you’re involved in water management issues, this conference is a must-attend. Please visit http://www.farmfoundation.org/projects/06-30WQTHomepageTWO.htm Subscribe to Water HeadlinesPlease forward this message to your friends and colleagues who share an interest in water-related issues and would like to hear from EPA's Office of Water. To subscribe to the Water Headlines listserve: Send an email message, leave the subject line blank, and address it to: In the body of the message write: Subscribe Water Headlines first name last name (Please leave one blank space between each word, do not include any other message, and use your actual name- i.e. Subscribe Water Headlines Robert Jones)
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