This week FRWA traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit key members of USDA and EPA to discuss important funding programs that directly impact our members around the State of Florida. Critical water infrastructure is a basic requirement for a healthy economy. Without safe and reliable water and wastewater services, our communities will not thrive. Our technical assistance programs help you, the members of FRWA, achieve compliance, maintain critical services and provide much needed training to ensure that our workforce of tomorrow is prepared to meet the changing environment with regulations. 



***Now more than ever we need you to tell the story of the importance of critical funding for water and wastewater infrastructure, technical assistance, and workforce development***

Contact your congressional representatives today

The FRWA Team looked forward to visiting beautiful Panama City as they rolled into the Gulf State Community College campus for the fourth in a series of the 2025 Focus on Change sessions. The Team was greeted by a near capacity crowd of operators and water and wastewater system personnel, eager to find out the changes in regulations that may affect their systems. DEP representatives from Tallahassee and the NW District were on hand to inform the attendees of updates that are relative to them.

FRWA will travel to Punta Gorda, April 21st and Pompano Beach, April 22nd to finish up this year's Focus on Change sessions. You can click on the locations below to register online.

If you haven't completed all of your CEUs for the 2025 cycle, you still have time to register as an early bird. The CEUs earned at this year's sessions will be posted by the deadline for CEUs of April 30, 2025. CEUs for the 2025 cycle must be earned and posted between May 1st, 2023 and April 30th, 2025. CEUs earned in this cycle cannot be rolled over into the 2027 cycle.

The Florida Forests and Water Forum brings together partners from across the state to discuss the connection between healthy, managed forests and clean, reliable drinking water. You can join forest landowners, utilities, conservation groups, state agencies, and others as they plan for a safe, secure future for all Floridians.

At the forum you will learn about some of the history of the forest, its purpose, and some of the ongoing projects taking place on site. Topics will include forest genetics, prescribed fire regimes, forest carbon and water dynamics, forest hydrology, forest products, and more.

For information on this year's Forum and to register to attend, click here.

NATIONAL NEWS

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Releases Video Message About the EPA Mission U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin today shared a message to America, highlighting EPA’s core mission and the work the agency does on behalf of the American people. It also demonstrates his commitment to driving growth through his Powering the Great American Comeback initiative. more

EPA will expeditiously review new science on fluoride in drinking water On April 7, at an event in Salt Lake City, Utah, with U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency’s decision to expeditiously review new scientific information on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water.  more

Water Sector Cyber Resilience Briefing | April 23, 2025 | 1:00 pm CT On April 23, WaterISAC will convene its monthly Water Sector Cyber Resilience Briefing. Presenters will cover the latest cyber threats facing the water and wastewater sector. WaterISAC members only. Register any time. No need to cancel if you can’t attend. more

STATE NEWS

Learn how to assemble Tiger Dams for hurricane season | WINK Hurricanes Ian, Helene, and Milton brought unprecedented flooding to Southwest Florida. As hurricane season approaches, WINK News is taking proactive steps to prepare with its own Tiger Dam system. more

Poll: Miami-Dade residents trust dentists over politicians, support water fluoridation | Florida Politics By a sizable margin, Miami-Dade residents trust water fluoridation and one of its most vocal supporters, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, the survey found. more

The full Florida House will consider a bill to curb oil drilling near the Apalachicola River | WMNF The House State Affairs Committee Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal that seeks to protect Northwest Florida’s Apalachicola River by requiring some environmentally sensitive areas to be shielded from oil and gas drilling.  more

Using Polymers and Chemistry to Optimize Dewatering Performance | April 17, 2025 | 2:00 pm CT A critical factor in achieving the desired results in mechanical dewatering is making sure you have the correct polymer and chemistry to properly condition your sludge. A polymer expert will provide essential knowledge on polymers and conditioning along with steps to select the best polymer(s) to achieve desired cake solids. more

NRWA-WaterISAC Webinar Series: What to Expect During a Cybersecurity Circuit Rider Visit | The Next 5… | April 30, 2025 | 3:00 PM EDT Cybersecurity is no longer an option, but that doesn’t make it any easier. That’s why the Circuit Riders are here to help! more

LCRI Compliance: What's Included and How To Start Preparing | May 15, 2025 | 2:00 pm CT With the November 2027 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) compliance deadline on the horizon, water systems are evaluating their next steps. more

Mary Esther, Paxton receive state grants to improve aging water infrastructure The city of Mary Esther has been awarded a $3.5 million Local Government Water Supply Pilot Grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for the 2024-25 fiscal year. more

April 10, 1913 Engineering News article. Conditions of Small Water Purification Plants in Illinois. By Ralph Hilscher. “In Illinois there are about a dozen water purification plants with rated capacities of about 2,000,000 gal. per day, or less, which involve the use of coagulants, settling basins and filters. Of these, with possibly two or three exceptions, it can be said that none produce an effluent that attains at all times the standard of purity that any municipality should demand for Its public water-supply. Some of these plants yield an effluent during the major part of the time, which is of quite satisfactory quality, but fall far short of successful operation during periods of excessive turbidity and color in the raw water. Others produce an effluent at no time that is of good appearance and satisfactory from a hygienic standpoint.

The poor results realized are due largely to certain faults in design and operation, which are more or less common to these small installations. Many of the plants are of obsolete design and in practically all the plants, too great economy was attempted in building and certain essential features were omitted. The operation has usually been deficient due to lack of experience and expert advice In such matters. Certain faults largely responsible for the short-comings of these plants will be discussed [in the larger article].

Reference: Hilscher, Ralph. 1913. “Conditions of Small Water Purification Plants in Illinois.” Engineering News article 69:15(April 10, 1913): 707.

Commentary: Like today, there were problems with small water systems throughout the U.S. The image of the double-plunger angle blowoff valve has nothing to do with the article about small water treatment plants. It was just a cool drawing in the same issue of Engineering News.

FLORIDA RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION http://www.frwa.net

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