presenter: karen fligger, epa. what is a small community? total present resident population fewer...
TRANSCRIPT
What is a Small Community?Total Present Resident Population fewer than 10,000
persons
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Total Resident
Population
present resident
population receiving collection
and centralized treatment
present resident
population serviced by onsite
wastewater treatment systems
present resident
population not
receiving wastewater treatment
+= +
Issues Facing Small CommunitiesMany unsewered areas and areas with decentralized
wastewater treatmentExisting infrastructure old, not maintainedHigh per capita, per household costs for wastewater
treatmentResidents often have low or fixed incomesHigh administrative cost to operate systemsNeeds are under-reported, don’t get attention
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CWNS 2008 Small Community Data$22.7 billion (8% of total needs)Seven states (PA, NY, IA, UT, IL, WV & OH) reported ~50%
of the small community needs. Small community facilities are a large majority of the total
number of publicly owned facilities in each State. More than 90% of facilities in three States (IA, KS, NE) serve
small communities. 80-90% of facilities in nine additional States serve small
communitiesOnly 32.3% of small communities have documented needs
compared to 61.1% of non-small communities
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Facility/ project typesRules and documentation requirements for small
communities apply to these facility types:Publicly owned wastewater facilitiesCombined sewer overflow (CSO) control Decentralized wastewater treatment systems
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What data is collected for small communities?Information collected includes:
Estimated needs (cost and technical information) – and DOCUMENTS
Location and contact informationPermit information and discharge data Solution to the project/ best management practices (BMPs)WWT facility population served, flow, effluent, and unit
process data
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Documentation MethodsStandard DocumentationSimplified Methodology
Information from an Assistance Provider (72)CUPSS (Check Up Program for Small Systems) Wastewater
Asset Management Plan (73)EPA-approved Small Community Survey (71)State Form (12)
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Standard Needs and Costs DocumentationStates should use standard documentation if available May use any of the 2012 Pre-approved Document Types
or approved Innovative MethodsCommon documents include:
Signed health department statement Application for funding Capital Improvement PlanEngineering studies or Plans of StudyGeneral Plan or Facilities Plan
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Simplified Methodology for Small CommunitiesWater quality or water quality related public health
needs are documented by:Written explanation of need Certified by the SIGNATURE of a local official representing
the community. A local official can be an elected official (e.g., mayor) or other qualified official (e.g., public works manager).
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Simplified Methodology for Small Communities
Costs are documented by written explanation of costsCosts are certified by one of the following:
The SIGNATURE of a local professional engineer (PE) in the cost certification
orThe SIGNATURE of a local government official in the cost
certification AND a the SIGNATURE the State Professional Engineer (PE) to certify that the cost is reasonable after reviewing the estimate.
If no cost certification signature is provided, cost curves generate estimated costs (if possible).
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Special Circumstances for Very Small CommunitiesFor communities with populations of 3,500 or less and
under extraordinary circumstances:A state registered engineer or circuit rider may sign the
cost or need justification with pre-approval from EPA.States should send written statements to EPA HQ with the
each community’s details and why local signatures are not available.
States should wait until EPA HQ approves the request before entering needs or cost information into the database.
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Information from an Assistance Provider (72)
To document need onlyA statement from a technical assistance provider
E.g. state training center, health department, RCAP (Rural Community Assistance Partnership)
Requires signatures from a local official and the service provider
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CUPSS Wastewater Asset Management Plan(73)Asset management tool for small wastewater utilities
available free from EPA http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/pws/cupss/
This document can only be used for communities already using CUPSS to manage their assets
Information must be entered by local community and the “Asset Management Plan” must be completeMay be supplemented by other documents if necessary
A CWNS specific cover sheet will require a local government official SIGNATURE to certify that: The needs and costs are accurateThe community is using CUPSS to manage their assets
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Small Community Needs Form (71)Not Cover Pages for other documents
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Small Community Needs FormJanuary 31, 2012
Town: Needsville
Needs: SSOsCost: $1,000,000
(See Attachments)
Signatures: XXXXXX
Needsville Capital Improvement PlanMarch 1, 2005
Project 1:Correct SSOs Problems.Estimated Cost: $1,000,000
Project 2:Rebuild High School. Estimated Cost: $9,000,000
Small Community Needs Form (71)There are two versions:
1. Blank form Will be available when CWNS 2012 ICR is approved Very few changes from CWNS 2008
2. Customized form, pre-populated with data in DEP Available for all existing CWNS wastewater facilities with
populations <10,000 persons Will be available when CWNS DEP re-opens in April Multi-print function will be implemented in April Completed forms are submitted by fax, digitized, and uploaded to
the facility’s “Needs by Document”
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New multi-print function in DEPAdvanced search can be
used to limit the Facility List to only Small Communities
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State Forms (12)Must be pre-approved by
EPA HQ prior to useStates should not begin
data entry until the survey is approved
Surrveys approved in 2008 must be re-submitted for approval in 2012
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State Forms RequirementsState forms are acceptable for documenting need if they
contain certain minimum elements, such as:Description of Needs & Project BenefitsTime Horizon of Needs Contact Information Population Estimates A local government official's signature certifies that the
community has the water quality needs described in the form.
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State Forms RequirementsCost Justification - Population <10,000:
Costs by engineer or engineer circuit rider.Other acceptable documentation types not available.State project staff signature.
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Cover Letter for SurveysA good cover letter is key for improving response rate to
surveysAdded by state coordinatorsInclude contact information for state coordinator, state
deadline for submitting needs, and reasons that your state’s communities should respond
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Examples Cover Letters“The results of this data will be sent to U.S. EPA where your response can
help return your tax dollars to the State of Ohio! Demonstrating your wastewater infrastructure, storm water and nonpoint source pollution abatement needs will help determine the level of funds made available to communities in Ohio through programs such as the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, and help keep that program’s interest rates low.”
“ Even if you no longer have need for water quality improvements locally, your response is vital to ensuring that all communities are represented in the overall needs of Ohio’s communities.”
“This information will help New Jersey to secure federal grants to fund the needs of New Jersey communities. Please try to fill out this survey form as completely as possible and return it to New Jersey State DEP.”
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