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Wastewater

EBOLA In Wastewater Update

On 11/4/14 NYRWA participated in a webinar on EBOLA.  Here are notes from this event.  The short version is if you can take enough precautions for the aids virus, you are covered for EBOLA.

The CDC (Matt Arduino) says they have little to no research on this for wastewater.

1.      This virus is a “negative sense RNA virus” or an “envelope virus” – so is the aids virus.

2.      Envelope virus is the easiest to kill as compared with others like hep-C

A Long Time Friend and Member Remembered Harry Balz from ALHA Community

It is with deep sadness that we inform you that our long time member and friend from the Adirondack Lodges Homeowners Association Harry Balz passed away earlier today, November 5, 2014, following a brief hospitalization.  Harry was always present at our Annual Conference and training events with a warm smile, kind words and very supportive of this organization and the industry.  Our deepest sympathies to Harry’s wife Elaine and the other members of their family.

SEWAGE POLLUTION RIGHT TO KNOW UPDATE

SEWAGE POLLUTION RIGHT TO KNOW UPDATE:

POTWs and POSSs Apply to Use the NY-Alert System

To assist in complying with the law, DEC has worked with the NYS Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to modify the NY-Alert system to accommodate reporting sewage releases and distribution of this information to the public. The principal executive officer or ranking elected officer for publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) is required to:

EPA Launches Website to Commemorate SDWA

2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Act was passed to protect public health by regulating the nation’s public drinking water supply. We have made great progress over the past 40 years, but many challenges remain. EPA is committed to working with states, tribes, water sector partners and the public to meet the challenges ahead and protect public health.

http://www2.epa.gov/safedrinkingwater40

Gov Cuomo Announces $1.8 Million in Federal Public Assistance Approved for Village of Saranac Lake

Gov. Cuomo announced the approval of $1.8 million from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to help the Village of Saranac Lake rebuild their municipal sewage treatment plant and better protect it from future damage.  “This vital funding will allow the Village of Saranac Lake, which has seen firsthand the damage that can be caused by extreme weather, to strengthen its infrastructure and build back better than before.”  Gov. Cuomo said.

CDC Recommends Disposal of Ebola Waste to Public Wastewater Systems

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends disposal of Ebola related waste to public wastewater systems (see below).  The CDC does not have guidance for wastewater operations specialists and employees related specifically to Ebola.  The CDC and the World Health Organization conclude that Ebola is not a foodborne, waterborne or airborne illness, it is transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and Ebola infected cells don’t live long in water because it does not have the same salt concentration as bodily fluids.

Fallsburg gets $10M Loan for WWTP

A $10.8 million no-interest loan was awarded to the eastern Sullivan County Town of Fallsburg last week so it can upgrade a wastewater treatment plant.

The state Environmental Facilities Corporation’s board of directors announced the money will go toward improvements at the Loch Sheldrake Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was built in 1938 and last renovated in 1980. Upgrades will include a membrane bioreactor for secondary treatment at the plant and an ultraviolet light system for disinfection.

WaterSense Free Webinar on Water Loss Control

There is a free water loss control webinar that will review effective tools, policies, and programs. They will  discuss free software utilities can use to manage water loss; review policies that local and state governments can implement to encourage program adoption; and hear about the successful water loss control efforts of two utilities: the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) in California and the Water and Wastewater Aut hority of Wilson County (WWAWC) in Tennessee.

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