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Water Headlines for April 28, 2008Benjamin 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:
Free May 8 Webcast on EPA’s Draft Water Climate Change StrategyOn Thursday, May 8, EPA will be hosting a free webcast from 2:30 to 4:30 pm EDT to discuss EPA's Draft National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change. The agency recently distributed this draft strategy and is now seeking comment until May 27, 2008. The draft strategy represents an initial effort by EPA's National Water Program to identify potential impacts of climate change for clean water and drinking water programs, and to define actions both to adapt water programs to these impacts as well as to mitigate the release of greenhouse gases. The free webcast will highlight some of the key impacts on water resources and water programs, and key actions we are proposing. If you are interested in participating in this webcast or want a copy of the draft strategy go to http://www.epa.gov/water/climatechange/ EPA Invests $12 Million to Secure New York City’s Drinking Water SupplyTaking proactive steps to protect the nation’s drinking water supply through robust investments in water security, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is providing $12 million to New York City to help it develop and evaluate a drinking water contamination warning system for its drinking water supply. The pilot project, called the Water Security Initiative, is expected to have broad application for the nation’s drinking water utilities. The announcement was made by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at a ceremony at City Hall. While specific details about the system can’t be divulged for security reasons, the contamination warning system to be installed and evaluated by New York City involves online water quality monitoring, public health surveillance, sampling and analysis, enhanced security monitoring and consumer complaint surveillance. In addition, the warning system is designed to be sustainable for long-term operation and to even improve water quality management. EPA established its water security initiative in response to President Bush’s homeland security directive to develop robust, comprehensive, and fully coordinated surveillance and monitoring systems for water quality that provide early detection and awareness of disease, pest or poisonous agents. To learn more about EPA’s efforts in Water Security, visit: http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/ Watershed Handbook OnlineEPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds released a online document this week to help communities, watershed organizations, and local, state, tribal, and federal environmental agencies develop and implement watershed plans to meet water quality standards and protect water resources. The "Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters" is designed to help anyone undertaking a watershed planning effort, but should be particularly useful to persons working with impaired or threatened waters. It contains in-depth guidance on quantifying existing pollutant loads, developing estimates of the load reductions required to meet water quality standards, developing effective management measures, and tracking progress once the plan is implemented. New materials were added to the handbook including ways to protect important elements of the landscape and aquatic habitats within a watershed. The document is available on the web at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook/. 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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