Water System Security Workshops
A Long Water Journey
Water system security will be highlighted at water operator
schools conducted by the Minnesota Section American Water
Works Association (Minnesota AWWA) in 2003. Half-day
sessions will cover vulnerability asssessments, emergency
response, and security measures in addition to featuring case
studies to determine vulnerable points in a system’s facilities.
The first of the workshops will be held on March 4 at the
Minnesota Rural Water Association (MRWA) Technical
Conference in St. Cloud.
These workshops—which focus on the security elements
required by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
for systems serving populations up to 10,000—will also be held
on March 26 at the Southeast District School, April 1 at the
Metro District School, and April 9 at the Northeast District School
as well as other Minnesota AWWA schools throughout the year.
These systems will be able to complete their vulnerability
assessments with a Security Vulnerability Self-Assessment Guide
that is available on the Minnesota Department of Health
Drinking Water web site at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/
eh/water and at the MRWA site at http://www.mrwa.com.
In addition to the workshop for systems serving up to 10,000
people, Minnesota AWWA is exploring the possibility of
conducting a series of security/vulnerability workshops in
conjunction with the Minnesota Public Works Association. These
workshops would focus on municipal water systems serving
populations between 10,000 and 50,000.
More information on the schools that contain the workshops
is in the section on training news on pages 2 and 3.
Upcoming Certification Exam Dates
March 6, St. Cloud
March 28, Rochester
April 3, Bloomington
April 11, International Falls
April 24, Fairmont
June 13, Deerwood
See calendar on back page for more details
Spring 2003
Volume Ten/4
Inside:
This picture of the Toulumne River in California was taken
from the top of the O’Shaughnessy Dam in Yosemite National
Park. The 312-foot-high dam created the Hetch Hetchy
Reservoir, the source of drinking water for residents in the
San Francisco Bay area, more than 160 miles away. For more
about the Hetch Hetchy system and water supply elsewhere,
see the story on page 4.
Training News
Sampling Schedule
Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels
Training News
2003 Metro School
The 2003 Metro Waterworks Operators School will be held from Tuesday, April 1 through Thursday, April 3 at the Thunderbird
Hotel in Bloomington. The certification exams will be held on Thursday afternoon. A Competent Person workshop will be
offered with both classroom and on-site training on Wednesday. There will be an additional $35 registration fee for those taking
the Competent Person training, and attendance will be limited to the first 50 to register. Participants in the school will receive
16 credit hours for their attendance. Registration for the school is $115 ($150 after March 17 or at the door).
A registration form is on page 7. Those wishing to stay at the Thunderbird can make guest room reservations by calling the
hotel at 952/854-3411.
Thursday, April 3
Tuesday, April 1
7:45 Breakfast
Featured Speaker:
Joel Maturi,
University of Minnesota
Athletic Director
8:30-noon
• Welcome, Water for People
• Jim Klobuchar, former
Minneapolis Star Tribune
columnist
9:30 Product Exposition with
Mini-Sessions
or
• Customer Service
• • • • •
1:00-4:00
• Exam Prep—Math
Joel Maturi
Jim Klobuchar
9:30 Study Session
• • • • •
or
1:00 to 4:00
• Certification Exams
Water Sources
• Well Management
• Source Water Protection
• Pump Design and Selection
• Electric Power Management
MRWA Technical Conference
or
• Security and Vulnerability Assessments for Systems
Serving Populations up to 10,000
The 2003 Minnesota Rural Water Association Technical
Conference will be held at the St. Cloud Civic Center from
Tuesday, March 4 through Thursday, March 6.
For more information, contact the MRWA office at
218/685-5197.
Wednesday, April 2
2003 Teleconferences
The American Water Works Association has set Thursday,
March 13 and Thursday, November 6 as the dates for its
2003 teleconferences. The topics will be Water Storage in
March and Water Quality in November. The downlink
locations serving the Minnesota Section will be Hennepin
County Technical College in Brooklyn Park, the Minnesota
Department of Health in St. Paul, Memorial Union Hall on
the campus of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks,
Lake Superior College in Duluth, South Central Technical
College in North Mankato, and Northwest Technical College
in Bemidji.
Participants will receive 4 contact hours. All AWWA
members will receive registration information in the mail. In
addition, a registration form for the March 13 teleconference
is on page 7.
The March 13 teleconference will cover storage from the
operations perspective, focusing primarily on water tanks. A
panel of experts will provide an overview of proper tank
maintenance, how to determine which design is right for a
utility, inspection of tanks, and quality issues concerning
water storage. As always, the program will include panel
discussions, question and answer sessions, and a case study.
8:00-11:30
Water Quality
• Water Chemistry
• New Problem Contaminants
• Sampling Techniques
• Lab Analysis
or
Safety
• Competent Person (classroom)
or
• Exam Prep—General Operations
• • • • •
12:30-4:00
Safety
• Competent Person (field work)
or
• On-Site Hands-on Training
2
Spring 2003 Schools
Other spring schools include the Southeast School, March 26-28, Best Western Apache, Rochester; Southwest School,
April 24 in Fairmont; Northeast School, April 9-11,Holiday Inn in International Falls; and Central School, June 11-13,
Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge in Deerwood.
For the Northeast School, the Holiday Inn in International Falls is holding a block of rooms at the rate of $69 plus tax per
night until April 1. Attendees may call 218/283-8000 and mention American Water Works Association to get the special rate.
The Northeast School will also feature a pair of luncheon speakers: Barry Woods of Woody’s Fairly Reliable Guide Service will
present Rainy Day Folklore on April 9, and Francis Einarson will speak on local history on April 10.
For the Central School, licensed operators in the region will receive a school and lodging registration form in the mail. Others
may obtain one by calling Jeanette Boothe at 651/215-1321.
Below are agendas for the Southeast and Northeast schools. A registration form for the schools is on page 7.
Northeast School Agenda
Southeast School Agenda
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
9:00-noon
• The Good, Bad, and the Ugly
• Chlorine Safety
• Trench Safey and Fall Protection
Wednesday, April 9, 2003
9:00-noon
• Security and Vulnerability Assessments
• Water for People
or
Exam Prep—Math
or
Exam Prep—Math
1:00 -4:00
• Boise Cascade
1:00-4:00
• Security and Vulnerability Assessments
or
or
Exam Prep—General Operations
Exam Prep—General Operations
Thursday, April 10, 2003
8:00-noon
• Getting Along with Your Boss
• SCADA
• Meters
• Water Tanks
• Business Meeting
Thursday, March 27, 2003
8:00-noon
• Operator Breakfast
• Exhibitor and Product Fair
1:00-4:00
Hands-on Sessions and Top Ops
1:00-4:00
Hands-on Sessions
Friday, March 28, 2003
8:00-noon
• Business Meeting
• Youth Education Program
• Chemical Practices
• Well Rehabilitation
• Getting Along with Your Boss
Friday, April 11, 2003
8:00-noon
• Media Relations
• Chlorine Safety
• Hydrants
• Pump Design and Selection
• Biological Agents in Water
or
or
• Study Session
• Certification Exams
• Certification Exams
Say What?
Each group of letters represents what well-known phrase?
B
CR-WD
GUN, JR.
DANCER
A E
D U M R
OPERATOR
CC C
C CC C C
Answers on page 6
3
Water Supply Elsewhere
Yosemite Reservoir Provides Water to California’s Bay Area
Watersheds
The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is located within the
459-square-mile Tuolumne River watershed. The
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) works
closely with Yosemite National Park and Stanislaus National
Forest to protect water quality within this and two other
watersheds managed by SFPUC on federal land. SFPUC
provides funds for backcountry patrols, trail maintenance,
educational programs on responsible recreational use, campground inspections, and clean-up programs.
The watershed-protection programs are so effective that
water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is not filtered
(although chlorine is added).
The city of Modesto, in California’s Central Valley,
welcomes visitors with a lighted sign proclaiming its virtues.
The first item noted on the sign, water, became a major
issue on Sunday, November 10, 2002, when a pipeline
rupture produced a 100-foot-high geyser just to the west of
Modesto. The pipeline was carrying water from the Hetch
Hetchy Reservoir, in Yosemite National Park, to
San Francisco and other communities in the Bay Area.
The rupture and ensuing problem with a regulating gate
were fixed by the following Wednesday, but the incident
underscored the need for a massive upgrade to a colossal
infrastructure. Fortunately, only five days before the line
break, San Francisco voters approved a revenue-bond
measure to pay for the city’s share of a multibillion-dollar
capital-improvement program to expand, repair, and improve
a water system that is at risk because of its age as well as its
vulnerability to earthquakes.
Distribution and Challenges
Water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, supplemented by
five Bay Area Reservoirs, travels through an extensive
network of tunnels, pipelines, pump stations, valve lots, and
treatment facilities to supply approximately 770,000
customers in the city and county of San Francisco in addition
to another 1.6 million residents in adjacent counties.
Of the more than 200 miles of pipeline in the SFPUC
system, more than half are composed of material that is at
least 50 years old. In addition, these pipes and other facilities
either cross or are adjacent to three active earthquake faults.
A recent study concluded that damage from an earthquake
along these faults could cut off water for up to 60 days.
History
Bay Area residents have long recognized the role of water
in the development of the region as well as the need to look
beyond their boundaries for sources of water. The search
finally settled on the Hetch Hetchy valley, 160 miles away, an
area first inhabited by the Ahwahneechee Indians and later
explored by naturalist John Muir.
A 1913 act of Congress granted the city and county of
San Francisco water and power resource rights-of-way in
Yosemite National Park and the surrounding Stanislaus
National Forest, enabling the city to move forward with the
Hetch Hetchy Water and Power Project. Construction of the
O’Shaughnessy Dam created the eight-mile-long Hetch
Hetchy Reservoir, which can store more than 117 billion
gallons of melted snow from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Hetch Hetchy Water—Continued on next page
Guess What’s in Their Water?
A sign in St. John’s, Newfoundland, promotes protection of
the city’s harbor with a graphic drawing, complete with
images of condoms and sanitary napkins. However, the sign
contains no pictures of the type of contamination that
plagued Cow Head, on the province’s northern peninsula,
where a boil order advisory was issued after a moose broke
through the roof of the town’s reservoir and was seen in the
water.
Water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National
Park first began flowing by gravity to Bay Area residents, more
than 160 miles away, in 1934.
4
Hetch Hetchy Water—Continued
Maintenance and Upgrades
To address the issues of aging
infrastructure, seismic vulnerability,
increasing demand, and more stringent
water-quality standards, the SFPUC
has adopted a long-term program to
rebuild and expand the Hetch Hetchy
system.
One of the challenges the SFPUC faces
is the inability to take pipelines and other
facilities out of service to perform
inspections, maintenance, and repairs;
the current capacity of the system is so
limited during much of the year that all
transmission lines must be kept in
service to meet demand.
The capital-improvement program
proposed by the SFPUC and approved
by the voters calles for 77 projects designed to replace or repair aging facilities, seismically upgrade reservoirs and
transmission lines, and increase
capacity, including the construction of
another pipeline to augment the three
existing San Joaquin Pipelines that cross
the Central Valley.
The work will be performed while
maintaining water service during the
entire construction period, a feat that one
commission member has characterized as
“fixing a plane while it’s still in the air.”
Above are the pipelines near Mocassin, California, approximately 50 miles from
the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, carrying water to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Below is a map of the water system of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
What Is a SMCL?
By Karla Peterson
SMCL (rhymes with Schnickel) stands for Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level. SMCLs are established by the
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency for contaminants that affect the aesthetic quality of the water but that are not health
risks. SMCLs are recommended standards only and are not regulated. If a water system has an iron and manganese plant,
testing should be done at least monthly to ensure that the plant is operating effectively. Here are the SMCLs, which, except for
pH, are expressed in micrograms per liter (parts per million) along with the effects of these contaminants in Minnesota water.
Contaminant
SMCL
Effects
0.5 to 0.2
Colored water
Aluminum
Chloride
250
Salty taste
Iron
0.3
Rusty color, staining, metallic taste
Manganese
0.05
Black-to-brown color, staining, metallic taste
6.5 to 8.5
Corrosion, metallic taste if below 6.5; deposits, slippery feel, soda taste if above 8.5
pH
250
Sulfate
Laxative effect
500
Total Dissolved Solids
Hardness, deposits, colored water, staining, salty taste
Note: Iron and manganese may be present at concentrations higher than the SMCL, but the effects are often reduced
through sequestration, that is, the addition of phosphates.
Alkalinity and total hardness (the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water) also affect asthetic qualities although no
SMCLs are assigned to them.
Although the Minnesota Department of Health does not monitor for these contaminants, community water systems should
consider testing for them at least once every three years since they are the water-quality characteristics most frequently noticed
by customers and the ones most likely to prompt phone calls with requests for remedies. The concentrations of these
contaminants may change over time, and it is important to know the quality of the water being provided to consumers. This
information is valuable in considering treatment needs, determining if existing treatment is working effectively, and helping
homeowners decide if a home water treatment unit is a worthwhile expense.
5
Public Water Supply Sampling Responsiblities
All public water supply systems must monitor their water on a regular basis. Here is a summary of the sampling responsiblities.
Quarterly Bacteriological Monitoring
Monthly Bacteriological Monitoring
Public water supply systems that serve a population of
1,000 or fewer are required to collect one bacteriological sample
per quarter from the distribution system. The sampling must
take place on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday so that the
samples will reach the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
laboratory before the weekend. The sample must reach the
laboratory within 30 hours of the time it was taken or the
sample will be rejected and the system will have to take a
new one. Each December, MDH ships a sampling kit—which
includes the quarterly sampling schedule, laboratory request
forms, microbiological bottles, and mailing containers—for
the following year’s samples.
Public water supply systems that serve a population of
greater than 1,000 are required to collect a specified number
of samples (depending on their specific population—see
below) from representative locations on the distribution
system. Each of these systems is responsible for arranging
with a certified laboratory to analyze their samples each month
and to ensure that the laboratory forwards the monthly
results to MDH no later than the 10th day of the following
month. As is the case with the smaller systems, the samples
must be no more than 30 hours old by the time they reach the
laboratory. Systems that fail to collect the required number
of samples each month will be issued a monitoring violation.
Nitrate Monitoring
Quarterly Flouride Monitoring
Public water supply systems are required to collect one
nitrate sample at each entry point between April and
September each year. MDH will ship a sampling kit—
containing a laboratory request form, nitrate bottles, and
return mailing container—approximately two weeks prior to
the scheduled sampling date. Should any of the samples
exceed 5.4 parts per million (ppm), the system will be
required to collect a sample quarterly for one year or until it is
determined that the samples are reliably and consistently
below the maximum contaminant level of 10 ppm.
All municipal water systems in Minnesota must add
fluoride to the water for dental protection and must submit
one fluoride sample from the distribution system each
quarter. Systems that are on quarterly bacteriological
monitoring will have it coincide with their fluoride schedule
so they can collect and ship both samples on the same day.
Systems must also keep records of the testing done at their
plant (either daily or weekly depending on the population)
and submit the reporting form, provided by MDH, by the
10th day of the following month.
If, for any of these monitoring requirements, a system does
not collect and submit the required number of samples within
the monitoring period during which they were scheduled, MDH
will issue a notice of violation. Any public water supply
system that receives a notice of violation must notify the
public. Included with the violation letter from MDH will be a
sample public notice and certification form. The sample
contains the language required by the U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to be in the notice. The system in
violation must publish the notice in a local newspaper or, if no
paper exists for that community, must mail or hand deliver
the notice to each customer served by the water system.
The system must return the certification form, along with a
copy of the public notice, to MDH within 30 days of having
received the violation letter. Failure to do so will result in
another violation for failure to have informed customers.
Each public water supply system that receives a notice of
violation is reported to the EPA. Any system that repeatedly
fails to submit the required samples and does not do the
subsequent public notice will have enforcement action, which
may result in fines and other penalties, taken against it by the
EPA and MDH.
Questions regarding monitoring may be directed to Pat
McKasy at 651/215-0759 or [email protected].
Answers to Say What?
A Face in the Crowd
Son of a Gun
Bermuda Triangle
Topless Dancer
Overseas Operator
Population Served
Minimum Number of
Bacteriological Samples per Month
1,001 to 2,500 ................................................................. 2
2,501 to 3,300 ................................................................. 3
3,301 to 4,100 ................................................................. 4
4,101 to 4,900 ................................................................. 5
4,901 to 5,800 ................................................................. 6
5,801 to 6,700 ................................................................. 7
6,701 to 7,600 ................................................................. 8
7,601 to 8,500 ................................................................. 9
8,501 to 12,900 ............................................................. 10
12,901 to 17,200 ........................................................... 15
17,201 to 21,500 ........................................................... 20
21,501 to 25,000 ........................................................... 25
25,001 to 33,000 ........................................................... 30
33,001 to 41,000 ........................................................... 40
41,001 to 50,000 ........................................................... 50
50,001 to 59,000 ........................................................... 60
59,001 to 70,000 ........................................................... 70
70,001 to 83,000 ........................................................... 80
83,001 to 96,000 ........................................................... 90
96,001 to 130,000 ....................................................... 100
130,001 to 220,000 ..................................................... 120
220,001 to 320,000 ..................................................... 150
320,001 to 450,000 ..................................................... 180
My inferiority complex
is not as good as yours.
Some things have to be
believed to be seen.
6
Waterline
Published quarterly by the Drinking Water Protection Section, Minnesota Department of Health
Editor: Stew Thornley
Staff:
Jeanette Boothe
Dick Clark
Noel Hansen
To request this document in another format,
call 651/215-0700; TDD 651/215-0707 or toll-free through the
Minnesota Relay Service, 1/800/627-3529 (ask for 651/215-0700).
Past issues of the Waterline (in PDF format) are available at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/binfo/newsletters/archivedmain.html
REGISTRATION FORM FOR TELECONFERENCE AND SPRING SCHOOLS
You may combine multiple fees on one check if more than one person is attending a school; however, please make a copy of
this form for each person. Questions regarding certification, contact Cindy Cook at 651/215-0751. Questions regarding
registration, contact Jeanette Boothe at 651/215-1321.
AWWA Teleconference: Water Storage.
March 13, 2003. Fee: $65 if received by March 7 ($85 after March 7 or at the door) for all but North Mankato; $55 if
received by March 7 ($75 after March 7 or at the door) for North Mankato (no lunch served at this site). Note: No late
registrations for the University of North Dakota site will be accepted. All registrations for this site must be
received by March 7.
Check location you wish to attend:
____ Minnesota Department of Health Distance Learning Center, Metro Square Annex, St. Paul, Minnesota
____ Hennepin County Technical College, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
____ University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
____ Lake Superior College, Duluth, Minnesota
____ Northwest Technical College, Bemidji, Minnesota
____ South Central Technical College, North Mankato, Minnesota
Southeast School, March 26-28, 2003, Best Western Apache, Rochester. Fee: $125 ($135 after March 14 or at the door).
Metro School, April 1-3, 2003, Thunderbird Hotel, Bloomington. Fee: $115 ($150 after March 17 or at the door).
_____ Check here to attend the April 2 Competent Person Training (must include an additional $35).
Northeast School, April 24, 2003, Fairmont. Fee: $20 ($25 at the door).
Northeast School, April 9-11, 2003, Holiday Inn, International Falls. Fee: $100 ($110 after March 31 or at the door).
Central School, June 11-13, 2003, Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge, Deerwood. Fee: $60 if staying at Ruttger’s, $90 if staying
elsewhere (add $10 after May 23 or at the door).
Check here if you would like to receive an exam application. (Applications must be postmarked at least 15 days
prior to the exam.)
Check here if you would like to receive a study guide.
Name
Address
City
Zip
Day Phone
Employer
Please enclose the appropriate fee. Make check payable to Minnesota AWWA. Mail this form and fee to Public Water
Supply Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, 121 East Seventh Place, Suite 220, P. O. Box 64975,
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975.
7
CALENDAR
Water Operator Training
Minnesota Section, American Water Works Association
*April 24, Southwest Waterworks
*March 26-28, Southeast Waterworks
Operators School, Best Western Apache, Operators School, Fairmont. Contact
Rochester. Contact Paul Halvorson, Mark Sweers, 507/389-5561.
*June 11-13, Central Waterworks
507/292-5193.
*April 1-3, Metro Waterworks Operators School, Ruttger’s Bay Lake
Operators School, Thunderbird Hotel, Lodge, Deerwood. Contact Bill Spain,
Bloomington. Contact Stew Thornley, 320/654-5952.
651/215-0771.
*April 9-11, Northeast Waterworks
Operators School, Holiday Inn,
International Falls.
Contact
Stew Thornley, 651/215-0771.
Minnesota Rural Water Association
Contact Kyle Kedrowski,
1/800/367-6792.
*March 4-6, Technical Conference,
St. Cloud Civic Center.
April 16, Operation & Maintenance,
Elbow Lake
MRWA Training for
Non-Municipal Systems
American Water Works Association Teleconference
Minnesota Rural Water Association
March 13, Water Storage, Brooklyn Park, St. Paul, Duluth, Bemidji, North
April 22, Wadena
Mankato, and Grand Forks. Contact Stew Thornley, 651/215-0771.
April 23, Monticello
*Schools/meetings marked with an asterisk include a water certification exam. To be eligible to take a certification
exam, applicants must have hands-on operations experience at a drinking water system.
For an up-to-date list of events, check the training calendar on the MDH web site at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/einfo/wat_op_sched.html
MDH Drinking Water Protection web page:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water
Minnesota Department of Health
121 E. 7th Place Suite 220
P. O. Box 64975
St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0975
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED