Call for Abstracts - 45th Annual NCRWA Conference & Exhibition |
Apprenticeship Positions Available in the Triad Area |
Stay tuned for National Apprenticeship Week!
The 7th annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) will take place November 15 - 21, 2021.
NAW is a nationwide celebration where industry, labor, equity, workforce, education, and government leaders host events to showcase the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeship for re-building our economy, advancing racial and gender equity, and supporting underserved communities. NAW is an opportunity to highlight how Registered Apprenticeship, a proven and industry-driven training model, provides a critical talent pipeline that can help to address some of our nation’s pressing workforce challenges such as responding to critical supply chain demands and supporting a clean energy workforce, modernizing our cybersecurity response, addressing public health issues, and rebuilding our country’s infrastructure.
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Surface Water Protection Planning Rule Upcoming Deadlines |
In accordance with this rule, every supplier of water operating a public water system treating and furnishing water from a surface water source shall create and implement a Source Water Protection Plan.
For community water systems that are subject to this Rule and also required to complete a Risk and Resilience Assessment and an Emergency Response Plan under Section 2013 of America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA), the system's Risk and Resilience Assessment and Emergency Response Plan created to comply with AWIA may be referred to as a SWRRP and used to satisfy the requirements of this Rule, if the PCS list was compiled in accordance with Paragraph (b) of this Rule. The schedule for certifying completion and implementation of the SWRRP pursuant to this Paragraph shall be as follows:
- by September 30, 2020, for community water systems serving more than 100,000 people;
- by June 30, 2021, for community water systems serving 50,000 to 99,999 people; and
- by December 30, 2021, for community water systems serving 3,301 to 49,999 people.
On January 1, 2019, a new rule went into effect that mandates source water protection (SWP) planning for all public water supply systems that treat and supply water from surface sources. Prior to rule adoption, SWP planning in NC was voluntary (additional information can be found in the "SWP Planning Brochure" link below). The new and expanded SWP planning model includes proactive activities to identify and reduce the risk of contamination, with additional emphasis on reactive emergency response mechanisms. Although SWP planning does not guarantee the absence of contamination, it is an important step for a utility to assess vulnerabilities and to identify strategies that could better protect public health.
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NCRWA Job Opening for Eastern Water Technical Assistance Specialist (Circuit Rider) |
NCRWA is now accepting resumes for Technical Assistance Specialists (Circuit Riders) to provide on-site managerial, financial, technical, and organizational assistance to rural and small public and private water and/or wastewater systems throughout the State of North Carolina. The water circuit rider position will focus on assisting systems in the eastern half of North Carolina. Being a circuit rider takes more than knowledge and experience to complete the job. It requires a passion for the industry and the systems we serve, determination to train operators with constantly changing regulations, and selflessness to assist systems no matter when the call comes. If you would like to be a part of the NCRWA Team, please send your resume and references to jobs@ncrwa.org. For a detailed description of the current position available, please follow this link!
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DEQ Accepting Public Comment on Draft Priority Rating System for
Viable Utility Reserve-funded Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects
The Division of Water Infrastructure is accepting comments on the draft Priority Rating System for Viable Utility Reserve (VUR) wastewater and drinking water construction project funding.
Session Law 2020-79 created the VUR. Pursuant to §159G-39, the Division must rank each application for Authority review. The Authority must consider the Division's determination of priority when it reviews an application.
The Division and the State Water Infrastructure Authority use a well-established Priority Rating System for projects seeking funding through the State Revolving Fund and State Reserve Programs. This priority rating system was approved by the Authority, which tasked the Division with seeking public comment on the use of this Priority Rating System for VUR-funded construction projects.
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Introducing Jordan Jackson - Source Water Specialist
We would like to introduce to you Jordan Jackson, our newest Source Water Specialist serving water systems across NC. We are super excited for her to be a part of our team at NCRWA! Jordan holds a master’s degree in Water Resources and has worked for numerous water systems during her career, including Two Rivers Utilities and the City of Shelby. Feel free to contact her for your source water protection needs at (336) 596-3805 or Jordanjackson@ncrwa.org.
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Have you Signed up to Receive our Regional Text Alerts? |
Don't ever miss out on class closures, inclement weather updates, and the latest class offerings.
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Certify Your AWIA Compliant Emergency Response Plan by December 30, 2021 |
For small systems required to certify the development of a risk and resilience assessment of your water system by June 30, 2021 – don’t forget the second half of this requirement!!! No later than six months after certifying completion of the risk and resilience assessment, each system must prepare or revise, where necessary, an emergency response plan that incorporates the findings of the assessment. The plan shall include:
- strategies and resources to improve the resilience of the system, including the physical security and cybersecurity of the system;
- plans and procedures that can be implemented, and identification of equipment that can be utilized, in the event of a malevolent act or natural hazard that threatens the ability of the community water system to deliver safe drinking water;
- actions, procedures, and equipment that can obviate or significantly lessen the impact of a malevolent act or natural hazard on the public health and the safety and supply of drinking water provided to communities and individuals, including the development of alternative source water options, relocation of water intakes and construction of flood protection barriers; and
- strategies that can be used to aid in the detection of malevolent acts or natural hazards that threaten the security or resilience of the system.
Community water systems shall to the extent possible coordinate with local emergency planning committees established under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 when preparing or revising an assessment or emergency response plan under the AWIA. Further, systems must maintain a copy of the assessment and emergency response plan for five years after certifying the plan to the EPA. Using the results of your Risk Assessment, your system must develop, or update, an Emergency Response Plan that meets the requirements of AWIA Section 2013.
Please contact NCRWA at ta@ncrwa.org if you have not yet completed your Risk and Resilience Assessment for immediate assistance.
For a template to develop an AWIA compliant Emergency Response Plan, click this LINK or request a copy by emailing us at ta@ncrwa.org.
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Change in 2021 Audit Process and Unit Response Requirements
There are significant changes to the audit report submission process and to the Unit Letter process including important new requirements for auditors and governing boards. One such change is in NCAC 03.0508.
If a unit is notified by its independent auditor that the audited financial statements included one or more significant deficiencies, material weaknesses, other findings or if Financial Performance Indicators of Concern were identified, the governing body must develop a “Response to the Auditor's Findings, Recommendations, and Fiscal Matters" signed by a majority of the members of the governing body and submitted to the LGC within 60 days of the auditor's presentation.
For more information, please visit the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer website. The linked page provides local governments and public authorities, their finance staff, auditors, and governing bodies with information and resources on these changes.
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SAVE THE DATE - VENDOR SIGN UP for 45th NCRWA Conference & Exhibition
The 45th NCRWA Conference & Exhibition Vendor Sign-Up is going to be on our website soon, make sure you check back often.
As always, NCRWA offers an early bird special to vendors, don't miss out on the savings.
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ARP Funding Resources
NCRWA welcomes the opportunity to assist you with your water/wastewater concerns regarding ARP (American Rescue Plan) funding. Other Resource Agency Partners, including the NC League of Municipalities and the NC School of Government, have resources available to help local governments with administering their local fiscal recovery funds. Please visit their sites for more information about compliance, procurement, and more.
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Information on the North Carolina Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP)
Funding is available to assist low-income customers with payment of past-due water and wastewater bills.
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FROM THE TRAINING DIVISION: |
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Do you have a training need? Whether it is a certification school, continuing education, or cross-connection training, or how about flagger, customer service, supervisor, or Utility Management? We want to hear from you. Please visit our website where we have both certification school and special training request forms you can fill out to let us know exactly what you are looking for and we will go to work planning to meet your training needs.
- If you have taken one of our schools and are waiting for exams do not miss out on upcoming review sessions. As soon as the state decides on exams, we will offer review sessions to ensure you are prepared for the exam you plan to take.
- Come see us. We have a new training facility in Sanford, NC and we would love for you to see it. Thanks to the hard work of several of our team members it looks great and ready for training. We plan to offer Backflow Cross Connection, Certification Schools, and many other training events there.
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We are looking for more topics and presenters! With the average water and wastewater operator's age being north of 40 years of age and many looking at retirement in the next few years we know there are some great stories and experiences to share. Everyone in this industry has a story or experience that would benefit others in the industry. We would love to hear from you. We can assist you with putting your story into presentation format and coach you if needed on the delivery of your topic. With training offered mainly online these days, we can even help get you comfortable with presenting virtually. If you're willing to speak for an hour we can work with you on getting credit for your time. Call or email training@ncrwa.org and let us know of your interest.
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Due to the recent uptick in COVID-19, a face-covering/mask will be required to attend any NCRWA training or event as well as entering any NCRWA facility.
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