Priority Areas
SE-TAC solicited proposals in the following areas, in support of the 2003-2008 EPA Strategic Plan’s Goal 2 of Clean and Safe Water and sub-objective 2.1.1 Water Safe To Drink. The entire plan can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/2003sp.pdfGenerally, the five (5) priority areas all expand on the broad capacity development category. The Board considers all five (5) priority areas to be equally important.
A. Training/Technology Transfer – Compliance with the SDWA’s increased reporting and monitoring standards requires additional and timely training for small public water systems’ board members and/or operators. Technology assistance or transfer projects are sought, with an emphasis on proposals to develop or enhance training materials (e.g., videos, multimedia, audio visuals, manuals, workbooks, handouts) or the delivery of training to small public water systems. Novel technology transfer and training approaches to establish or enhance the ability of small public water system operators or boards to access and use relevant web-based and CD ROM technology are also encouraged.
B. Capacity Development – Proposals to enhance the technical, managerial, and financial capacity of small public water systems to directly and significantly assist them in complying with SDWA are encouraged. Potential areas of interest include but are not limited to alternative water supplies, system consolidation, optimization of existing facilities and processes, compliance with new regulations, long-range planning, demonstration projects in financial and managerial methods and/or practices, as well as technology applications to improve small public water systems’ managerial and financial viability and reporting.
C. Source Water Protection Implementation – Innovative approaches to implement state source water protection plans or methodologies for small public water systems are sought. Applicants are encouraged to consult their state primacy agency to determine priority source water threats (i.e., Non-Point Source Pollution including agricultural/industrial runoff, failing septic systems, animal feeding operations) and/or priority geographic areas for demonstration or outreach projects. Letters of support and/or a willingness to participate in demonstration or pilot projects from small public water systems are also important. Projects must relate to implementation of approved Source Water Protection Plans and must clearly outline a plan to transfer project results to other small public water systems with similar source water protection issues. Competitive proposals will clearly document a direct link to significant small systems’ source water protection issues.
D. Small Public Water System Natural Disaster Response and Security – Proposals for innovative demonstration/pilot, training and/or technology transfer projects that enhance small public water system emergency responses to and security from purposeful contamination or jeopardy through acts of terror and/or vandalism, and natural disasters are requested. These proposals should enhance and/or expand emerging national and state efforts in this area. Applicants must provide a literature review of existing small public water system emergency response and security tools and programs to show that their proposed project will not duplicate any existing program. Security training projects must identify the source of proposed training materials/tools. Proposals must ensure that they are consistent with EPA’s Small Drinking Water System Emergency Response Plan guidelines http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/security/index.html Applications should focus on systems with 3,300 or fewer customers unless they are preparing tools or training in response to a particular rule that clearly identifies small systems as serving 10,000 or fewer customers.
E. Distribution System Operation and Maintenance – Many small systems lack resources to address aging distribution systems. In particular, older systems require more attention to operation and maintenance programs. Proposals to improve potable water delivered by distribution system are requested. Projects that support improved water loss/accountability, valve excising, flushing programs, and mapping/modeling are of particular value. Proposals to develop a comprehensive energy conservation program that demonstrates how leak detection saves money by conserving water and electricity, economizing on chemicals, and saving wear and tear on pumps and motors are also of interest.
