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4 ~I News Briefs Salt, Verde Water Supplies Recovering The year 1996 was very dry in Ariz0- na. Precipitation for October 1995 through February 1996 was 50 percent of normal for the Salt and Ve:",1e wa- tersheds, and snowpack reach"d only 75 percent of normal by March 1, 1996 (see chart below). This year, precipita- tion for October 1996 through Febru- ary 1997 was 83 percent of normal, and snowpack was 100 percent of normal on March 1. Reservoir levels have not recovered, however. Supplies declined from 63 percent of capacity on March 1, 1996 to 47 percent on March 1 1997. Safe Drinking Watler Act Amended The Safe Drinking Water Act was amended in August 1996 for the second time since its establishment in 1974. Among the changes is a priori,.:ization of contaminant regulation according to' health risks, greater attention ::0 the needs of small water providers, and Arizona Water Resource better availability of water quality information to consumers. Changes in the contaminant selec- tion criteria are to make risk assess- ment and prioritization part of the selection process. Selection will be based partially on whether there is a meaningful opportunity for reduction in risk from adverse health effects for persons served by the system. And, instead of regulating an additional 25 contaminants every three years as per the 1986 amendments, the U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency (EP A) will publish a list of contaminants and then decide whether or not to regulate at least five of them every five years. EP A is to decide at the time a standard is proposed whether its bene- fits justify its costs. EP A will continue to establish standards based on afford- able technology available, but MCL's may subsequently be adjusted to "maxi- mize health risk reduction benefits at a cost that is justified by the benefits." However, EP A can bypass the require- ments of the contaminant selection process and the cost/benefit justifica- tion if a contaminant is determined to pose an urgent threat to public health. The amendments require states to protect drinking water sources by identifying potential contaminants in source watersheds and assessing the susceptibility of the state's water sys- Salt and Verde Water Supply Condition Averclge vs. 1996 and 1997 ---------------..--- ------------------ ------------------- ,E' 100 ---------..--. 0 '" ---------..--- a. '" 80 u - lii E 60 0 z '0 40 C CD e 20 CD (L 0 Precipitation Snowpack ~ Long-Term Average Reservoir Level m1996 [IIJ 1997 March-April 1997 , tems to those contaminants. States also are required to establish the legal authority to ensure that new water systems can meet drinking water stan- dards, as well as identify existing water systems needing assistance. And states must implement an operator certifica- tion program to ensure that every system has an operator to perform key compliance functions. The amendments also create state Drinking Water Revolving Funds to assist water providers in meeting the requirements of the Act. Specific funding objectives include source water protection, loans to small and! or disad- vantaged water providers, and research on the health effects of contaminants. The funds may be distributed as set- asides or loans. Each state must set aside at least 15 percent of the fund for small water providers. , .. EP A Targets Rural Wastewater Needs A $50 million U.S. Environmental Protection grant program will help rural, disadvantaged communities with fewer than 3,000 residents meet waste- water treatment needs. Guidelines and funding allotments for the Hardship Grants Program for Rural Communi- ties were released March 20. Targeting small, rural communities with outdated or failing wastewater treatment systems, the program will be implemented in conjunction with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan program (see previous story). EP A funds states, which in turn pro- vide hardship assistance to commu- nities. For guidelines or further infor- mation, call Stephanie von Feck, 202- 260-2268 or visit EP A's web site at: http://www.epa.gov/owmlwm04200- 2.htm. " Western Water Quality Standards Studied The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Congress funded Pima County Wastewater Management Department to undertake a water quality study. Tided the " Arid West