Department of
Environmental Quality

Guidance and Fact Sheets for Public Water Systems

Guidance and fact sheets are provided to assist public water systems in understanding and complying with the requirements of rules and regulations impacting their operations. Some of the documents were developed by DEQ, while others originate with EPA.

Cross-Connection Control

• Drinking Water Cross-Connection Control Programs
  Explains what a cross-connection is and advises water purveyors on measures that must be taken to protect their water systems against contamination and pollution from cross-connections.
• Drinking Water Cross-Connection Control - Frequently Asked Questions (April 2014) Provides answers to questions about cross-connection control, backflow, and community and noncommunity water system requirements.

Contracting for Engineering Services

• How to Hire an Engineer for Public Water System and Wastewater System Design or Modification (February 2013)
  Provides assistance to communities or other entities in planning and designing new public water systems and wastewater systems, or modifying existing systems.
  

Ground and Source Water Protection

• Implementation Guidance for the Drinking Water Program—Ground Water Rule  (May 2009)
  Provides a concise summary of the ground water rule for water system owners and operators who need to learn about their obligations under this rule. The ground water rule is designed to protect public water system customers from microbial contamination in ground water by requiring sanitary surveys and correction of significant deficiencies identified during those surveys.
• Protecting Drinking Water Sources in Idaho (April 2007)
  Provides guidance on how to develop a drinking water protection plan; guides systems through the five-step process for assessing source water, from forming a planning team to developing a contingency plan and planning for future drinking water sources.

Mercury Seals

• Drinking Water, Submersible Pumps, and Mercury Seals: A Potential Problem (August 2006)
  Discusses the potential problem of mercury contamination if a mercury seal is used in the design of submersible pumps and advises systems on precautions to take when repairing submersible pumps.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Guidance on Preparing Idaho Consumer Confidence Report
  Provides assistance to public water systems in preparing Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs); includes CCR template and certificate.
• Monitoring Waiver Guidance (February 2011)
  Explains the conditions under which public water systems may apply for waivers from monitoring for certain contaminants and the process by which DEQ and/or the public health districts may grant waivers.

Compliance with Rules and Regulations

• Guidance to Determine Continual Operational Problems Necessitating Submittal of an Operation and Maintenance Manual (January 2014)
  Provides guidance to define those continual operational problems that may require a public water system to submit an operation and maintenance (O&M) manual for DEQ review.
• Guidance for Public Water System Disposal of Water from Construction, Maintenance, and Operations (April 2014)
  Provides information related to managing the disposal of water related to construction, maintenance, and operations of public water system facilities.
• Guidance for Actions to be Taken Following Water System Depressurization (August 2014)
  Defines actions required or recommended when water pressure within a public water system falls below 20 psi, the level required by the Idaho Rules for Public Drinking Water Systems.
  
• Guidance for Determining Equalization Water Storage for Public Water Systems (March 2013)
  Provides methods for design engineers to determine sufficient equalization storage necessary to compensate for the difference between maximum pumping capacity and peak hour demand.
• Implementation Guidance for the Filter Backwash Recycling Rule (May 2003)
  Explains requirements of the filter backwash recycling rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all public water systems that use surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water as a source. Note: Applies only to systems that employ conventional or direct filtration and recycle spent filter backwash water, thickener supernatant, or liquids from dewatering processes.
• Guidance: How to Demonstrate Financial, Technical, and Managerial Capacity in New Public Water Systems (April 1999)
  Provides direction on how to comply with the state rule pertaining to capacity, a term used to refer to all of the capabilities that a public water system must have to provide safe water to its customers and remain in compliance with the drinking water regulations on a continuing basis. Intended for use by DEQ and health district drinking water staff and by engineers, consultants, developers, and others involved in the development, ownership, or operation of public water systems in Idaho.
• Procedure for Determining Ground Water Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water (GWUDI) (August 2013)
  Describes the methods used by DEQ to evaluate ground water sources to determine if they are under the direct influence of surface water. Outlines a means for achieving a scientifically defensible assessment of whether or not a source is surface water-influenced while minimizing costs to drinking water systems.
• Lead and Copper Rule Short-Term Revisions and Clarifications: Draft Regulatory Guidance (December 2007)
  Provides draft implementation guidance on the 2007 short-term revisions to the lead and copper rule and can help summarize and explain the requirements of the revised rule.
• Point of Use: Implementation Guidance for the Use of Non-Centralized Drinking Water Treatment Devices (October 2006)
  Provides public water systems with information necessary to make an informed decision about selecting point-of-use treatment and describes the process involved in obtaining DEQ approval of a point-of-use treatment system.
• Guidance for New Source Water Testing Procedures for Public Drinking Water Systems (December 2007)
  Explains requirements of the rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all public water systems that use surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water and serve at least 10,000 customers.
• Surface Water Treatment Rule Compliance Guidance (January 1996)
  Outlines the criteria and procedures to be used for determining if a public water system using a surface water source is in compliance with the treatment requirements of the surface water treatment rule.
• Implementation Guidance for the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (October 2001)
  Explains requirements of the rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all public water systems that use surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water and serve at least 10,000 customers.
• Implementation Guidance for the Long-Term One Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (May 2003)
  Explains requirements of the rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all public drinking water systems that use surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water and serve fewer than 10,000 persons.
• Implementation Guidance for the Long-Term Two Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (November 2007)
  Provides a concise summary of the requirements of the long-term 2 enhanced and surface water treatment rule and a compliance timetable. The primary audience is water system owners and operators who need to learn about their obligations under this rule, but it may be helpful to DEQ regulatory personnel, professional consultants, and interested customers of public drinking water systems. Applicable to all public water systems that are supplied by a surface water source and systems supplied by a ground water source under the direct influence of surface water (GWUDI).
• Implementation Guidance for the Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection By-Products Rule (January 2003)
  Explains requirements of the rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all community and nontransient noncommunity public water systems that use a disinfectant for either primary or residual water treatment and to transient water systems that apply chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant.
• Implementation Guidance for the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection By-Products Rule (November 2007)
  Provides a concise summary of the requirements of the Stage 2 disinfectants and disinfection byproducts rule and a compliance timetable. The primary audience is water system owners and operators who need to learn about their obligations under this rule, but it may be helpful to regulatory personnel, professional consultants, and interested customers of public drinking water systems. Applicable to community and nontransient noncommunity public water systems that add a primary or residual disinfectant other than ultraviolet light, or deliver water that has been treated by a primary or residual disinfectant other than ultraviolet light. Learn more about compliance with the disinfection byproducts rules.

Source Water Protection

• Protecting Drinking Water Sources in Idaho (April 2007)
  Explains how to develop a drinking water protection plan from forming a planning team to developing a contingency plan and planning for future drinking water sources.

STEP Guides

These Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) guides offer clearly stated, step-by-step information to help small systems better understand complex regulatory requirements or policy initiatives.

• Drinking Water Security for Small Systems Serving 3,300 or Fewer Persons: One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide Series (December 2005)
• Strategic Planning: A Handbook for Small Water Systems—One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide Series (September 2003)
• Asset Management: A Handbook for Small Water Systems—One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide Series (September 2003)
• Taking Stock of Your Water System: A Simple Asset Inventory for Very Small Drinking Water Systems (October 2004)
• Small Systems Guide to Safe Drinking Water Act Regulations: The First STEP to Providing Safe and Reliable Drinking Water—One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance [STEP] Guide Series (September 2003)
  

Waste Residuals

• Guidance for Handling Waste Residuals Resulting from Drinking Water Treatment (February 2007)
  Presents guidance to assist drinking water system owners on proper disposal of waste residuals from treatment processes for arsenic, nitrate, or uranium.