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Water Headlines for April 27, 2007Benjamin 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:
New Improved: Water Quality Modeling ToolThe Environmental Protection Agency has released a new version of its acclaimed watershed management program making it easier to use and more readily available. "Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources" (BASINS) is a multipurpose system that integrates environmental data, analytical tools, and modeling programs. BASINS will help regions, states, and local agencies develop cost-effective approaches to watershed management and environmental protection. BASINS 4.0 is a valuable tool for watershed and water quality-based analyses, including developing total maximum daily load (TMDL) allocations. Unlike earlier releases, BASINS 4.0 runs on non-proprietary, open source, free geographic information system (GIS) software, making the tool universally available to anyone interested in the system. Prior versions required users to purchase costly GIS software to run the BASINS system. Once installed on a personal computer, BASINS 4.0 gives users access to detailed point and non-point source data, which they can use to assess or predict flow and water quality for selected streams or entire watersheds. More information about BASINS 4.0: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/basins/ FY 2006 National Water Program Performance ReportThe Office of Water has released the FY 2006 National Water Program Performance Report. The report describes the progress made in FY 2006 towards the goals and objectives described in the EPA Strategic Plan. A new addition to this Performance Report is a focus on FY 2006 "Best Practices." These "Best Practices" focus on innovative programs that can be widely adopted by the regions to improve program effectiveness. This report will be posted shortly on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/water/waterplan/. For more information, contact Jill Smink at smink.jill@epa.gov. Updated Web site on Public Notification for Drinking Water SystemsThe Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water has recently improved its Web site on Public Notification for drinking water systems. Public notification is intended to ensure that consumers are immediately alerted if there is a serious problem with their drinking water which may pose a risk to public health. Drinking water systems will now have immediate access via our Web site http://www.epa.gov/safewater/publicnotification/ to revisions to the 2000 Public Notification Handbooks to provide information on new drinking water rules. The Public Notification Handbooks were developed to provide public water systems with the information and tools they need to meet the notification requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Handbook revisions have been made to include violations or situations related to the Filter Backwash Recycling Rule, the Long Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, and the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule. In addition, handbook documents have been updated to include more information on effective risk communication techniques, such as suggestions on how to plan in advance of public notification, actions to take during a violation or situation, and follow-up actions after the violation or situation has been resolved. The handbooks are also available through our warehouse, the National Service Center (telephone number 1-800-490-9198). 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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