The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) launched an online grant portal to provide eligible entities, typically including local governments, higher education and nonprofit organizations, the opportunity to submit proposals that bolster existing efforts to protect and restore Florida’s water resources.

From May 1 to June 30, 2024, DEP is accepting project proposals for water-related grant programs for Fiscal Year 2024-25. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for all grant programs for which they may be eligible.

Grant opportunities include:

• Water Quality Implementation Grants, which help communities address wastewater (including septic-to-sewer conversions), storm water, agricultural and other projects to reduce nutrients in our waterbodies. Grants include the Water Quality Improvement Grant, the Indian River Lagoon Water Quality Improvement Grant, the Biscayne Bay Water Quality Improvement Grant and the Caloosahatchee Water Quality Improvement Grant.
• Alternative Water Supply Grants, which help communities plan for and implement water conservation, reuse and other water supply and water resource development projects. Priority funding will be given to regional projects in the areas of greatest need and for projects that provide the greatest benefit.
• Springs Restoration Grants, which can be used for land acquisition to protect springs and for capital projects that protect the quality and quantity of water that flows from springs. Eligible project types include agricultural best management practices, water conservation, hydrologic restoration, reuse, land acquisition, septic-to-sewer, wastewater treatment upgrades and stormwater treatment.
• Wetlands Restoration and Protection Grants, which help restore and protect wetlands. Priority will be given to projects that benefit fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, water storage, water conservation or flood attenuation, and to projects with at least $200,000 of non-state funds in match funding.
• Innovative Technology for Harmful Algal Bloom Grants, which are for projects that evaluate and implement innovative technologies and short-term solutions to combat harmful algal blooms and nutrient enrichment, restore and preserve Florida’s fresh waterbodies, or implement certain water quality treatment technologies.
• Local Government Water Supply Pilot Grants, which are for water supply infrastructure (including distribution and transmission facilities) in the Northwest Florida Regional Water Supply Planning Regions I or II. To be eligible, the project must be located within Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa or Walton Counties.
• Nonpoint Source Management Grants, which support shovel-ready stormwater treatment projects that reduce or eliminate nonpoint source nutrient pollution in verified impaired waterbodies. Funding is also available for projects that implement non-point source pollution best management practices, public education programs to prevent pollution and septic abandonment/connection to sewer on private property.
• Florida's Coral Reef Restoration and Recovery Initiative Grants, which help establish, expand and maintain in-state propagation and grow-out facilities; develop and implement strategies and site-specific restoration plans including curriculum for a trained workforce; and reinforce and expand restoration efforts across Florida’s Coral Reef.

To submit a proposal or view a list of past grant awardees, visit ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov/Grants.

May 5-11, 2024 is National Hurricane Preparedness Week. But in Florida, we need the whole month to prepare! Since 1850 all of Florida's coastlines have been impacted by at least one hurricane. Florida has been hit by more than twice as many hurricanes as the next hurricane-prone state of Texas. Of the 292 hurricanes that have hit the US since 1851, 120 of them have made landfall in Florida.

With that being said, we can't just take a week to prepare, we need the whole month!

Hurricane season officially begins on June 1, 2024. The Florida Rural Water Association suggests that you begin now to prepare your system for the upcoming season. The first thing you should do is be sure that your information is up to date in Water Tracker at https://flwatertracker.com/. This information will be used to request assistance for your system during an emergency.

In addition, we recommend the following:

• Update your Emergency Response Plan. If you do not have an emergency response plan, you can assess a simplified template by clicking here.
• Contact your electrician to check emergency generator & run on load bank 
• Contact electrician to check running amps on pumps
• Make sure unnecessary equipment is properly decommissioned
• Clean, inspect & disinfect aerator/degassifier screens, sprayheads & gaskets
• Make sure you have GPS coordinates of all lift stations and valves for assisting utilities that provide assistance following a disaster
• Test eye wash and emergency shower
• Inspect fire extinguishers

As the saying goes, everyday is an emergency. For more information, call FRWA at 850.668.2746 or email FRWA@frwa.net.

Just a few days are left in Drinking Water Week but we should be celebrating everyday by educating the public, connecting with the community, and promoting employee morale. Too often, water utilities only receive negative publicity – a main break in the middle of rush hour or increasing rates. Recognizing Drinking Water Week provides an opportunity for positive communication. Anytime can is a perfect time to educate children about their water supply in a fun atmosphere.

We can't forget all those that work round the clock to provide clean, safe drinking water for the public! Drinking Water Week should be every week to reaffirm the importance of what it is they do!

The Florida Rural Water Association employees three drinking water circuit riders to provide training and technical assistance to water utility managers, boards and operations specialists. The training is designed as on-site, hands-on, activity-based training, where participants take ownership in learning how to resolve their current and future problems. The program is designed to protect current water utility infrastructure investments and help them plan for a more sustainable future.

Providing Assistance

Our Circuit Riders provide hands-on assistance to small, rural water systems on an everyday basis. Personal, professional assistance is at the heart of the Circuit Rider program. On-site help is delivered when and where a rural community needs it. Assistance to small communities and rural utility systems includes:

• Identifying & evaluating affordable solutions to water & wastewater problems in rural areas
• Assisting systems to rapidly respond & recover after natural & man-made emergencies such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, ice storms and the health pandemic, COVID-19
• Protecting the environment & public health by improving treatment processes
• Improving financial sustainability through better management practices, more efficient operations & better maintained system components
• Enhancing compliance with federal regulations
• Assistance directed toward RD/RUS borrowers and potential borrowers
• Assistance provided for all aspects of water utility management, finance, operation and maintenance, regulatory compliance, energy efficiency and loan/grant applications

For more information on this program or any other program available through FRWA, contact us at frwa@frwa.net or give us a call at 850.668.2746.

You won't want to miss seeing all the new technology available for your system as you stroll through our sold out Exhibit Hall.

We are back in Daytona with our new format that promises to be the most exciting one yet! You will want to be there early on Monday morning to take advantage of earning 0.5 CEUs as you tour the Exhibit Hall and learn from the best in the industry! Click here for complete information.

July 29-31, 2024

Hilton Daytona Beach Hilton

100 N Atlantic Avenue

Daytona Beach FL 32118

Room rates start at $159, with no resort fee and a $10 discount on parking, this rate is hard to beat in a location such as Daytona! You must reserve your room by July 8, 2024, to take advantage of the discounted rate. Be sure to select the arrival date of July 28th and departure date of July 31st to view the available $159 rooms.

Click here to reserve your room.

NATIONAL NEWS

First U.S. PFAS drinking water standards set, CERCLA legislation introduced In two related events last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released final drinking water standards for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to exempt water utilities from PFAS contamination liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). more

NRWA Statement Regarding Senate 2024 Farm Bill Announcement NRWA CEO Matt Holmes comments on the bill's framework, which contains several provisions NRWA has championed for many years. more

$3B for Lead Pipe Replacement Announced EPA announces latest round of funding toward President Biden's commitment to replace every lead pipe in the nation, protecting public health and helping to deliver safe drinking water. more

EPA Announces Final Rule to Protect Tribal Water Quality Rule will help protect water quality where Tribes hold and assert rights to aquatic and aquatic-dependent resources. more

Documents citing 88 FR 18638 Rules CERCLA Hazardous Substances: Designation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid more

Don’t fall for these hurricane season misconceptions There are many myths when it comes to hurricane season and believing them could cause you and your family to make costly mistakes when preparing for a storm. more

EPA Highlights New National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure The White House issued a new National Security Memorandum (NSM) to secure and enhance the resilience of U.S. critical infrastructure. The NSM will replace a decade-old presidential policy document on critical infrastructure protection and launch a comprehensive effort to protect U.S. infrastructure against all threats and hazards, current and future. more

EPA Finalizes Stronger Chemical Risk Evaluation Process To Protect Workers And Communities These improvements to EPA’s processes advance the goals of this important chemical safety law, ensure that TSCA risk evaluations comprehensively account for the risks associated with a chemical, and provide a solid foundation for protecting public health, including workers and communities, from toxic chemicals.  more

Federal Flood Standard Support Website Identify the Floodplain The Federal Flood Standard Support Tool helps federal agencies and their non-federal partners and grantees identify if a federally funded project will be located within a FFRMS floodplain using the freeboard value approach (FVA), and climate-informed science approach (CISA). more

EPA's Busy April for CERCLA and PFAS: New CERCLA Authority, an Enforcement Escape ... In connection with EPA’s final rule listing two PFAS as hazardous substances under CERCLA, EPA also released policy guidance addressing its enforcement discretion under the new rule. more

Scientists explore nature's promise in combating plastic waste - Mongabay Since 1950, humanity has produced more than 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic. Most has ended up in landfills or the environment. more

6 Ways To Make Waste Management Easier After Hurricanes And Flooding Whether it is the unprecedented downpour of 35.93 inches after Hurricane Florence, or the impact of Hurricane Michael – the most intense landfalling hurricane in the past 49 years, one of the major challenges after hurricanes is the tremendous task of waste collection. more

3M reaches tentative $10.3 billion deal over US 'forever chemicals' claims - Yahoo News Singapore  The company said the settlement would provide the funds over a 13-year period to cities, towns and other public water systems to test and treat contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. more

Performance Matters: How to Maximize Funding by Optimizing Coatings Service Life to Obtain the Lowest Life-Cycle Cost | May 30, 2024 | 2:00 pm CDT The passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act in 2021 is offering the water sector a significant generational opportunity to restore our declining infrastructure.  more

Rural Water Cyber Update: Threats, Vulnerabilities, Regulations & Funding, and Cost-Efficient Cyber-resiliency | May 23, 2024 | 2:00 pm CDT Current Threat Landscape for Rural Water Systems with SCADA, ICS, and/or OT •Exactly Who and What are Being Targeted (and Why) •How ICS, SCADA and OT Ransomware and Other Cyber Attack Scenarios Play Out Today more

Drinking Water Safety Called Into Question By 41% Of U.S. Water Utility Customers, J.D. Power Finds The combined water and sewer bill for a typical household in the United States has increased 54.8% since 2021 amid a seemingly non-stop barrage of safety alerts, growing concerns about per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) contamination and supply shortages. more

Improved AI Process Could Better Predict Water Supplies A new computer model uses a better artificial intelligence process to measure snow and water availability more accurately across vast distances in the West, information that could someday be used to better predict water availability for farmers and others. more

Can you actually avoid “forever chemicals” in your diet? | Salon.com  It’s no secret that many of our favorite foods contain an array of chemicals that can lead to serious health risks. more

EPA Makes Major Moves On PFAS In April - Environmental Law - United States - Mondaq  In the course of a few short weeks in April, EPA finalized new drinking water standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act, finalized the listing of PFOA and PFOS [1] as hazardous substances under CERCLA, and released a major update to guidance on destruction and disposal of PFAS. more

America May Have Just Found More Drinking Water - Newsweek The new model uses artificial intelligence (AI) to get better estimations of water supply across large distances in the West. more

EPA Releases FY24 DWSRF Allotments for Lead Service Line Replacements  EPA released the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund allotments for lead service line replacements (LSLR). EPA has estimated a total of 9 million lead services lines across the country, based on data collected from the updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA). more

STATE NEWS

Join Us for DEP Northwest District's Panama City Office | Open House | 06.18.24 | 11 am - 2 pm Register online to meet with staff and learn about agency topics. more

Orlando Public Works considers increasing stormwater fees for improvements, residents push back | WESH Costly repairs and population growth are some of the reasons why Orlando Public Works wants to increase stormwater utility fees, but some property owners are trying to stop the proposal. more

Cape Coral residents feeling impacts of city's water shortage - YouTube Cape Coral residents are expressing concern as they deal with the effects of the area's water shortage. more

Neighbors react to the Wakulla Gardens Septic-to-Sewer project - WTXL  The county says this project is part of a program to remove all wastewater discharges from running off into the Wakulla Springs Basin. It will connect hundreds of homes to the sewer and the the dirt roads will be switched to pavement. more

Hollywood on Track to Eliminate Ocean Outfall by 2025 with Construction of Two New Deep Injection Wells • Hollywood Gazette | Hollywood Gazette Members of the Hollywood Commission and city leaders got together for a groundbreaking ceremony last month for two deep injection wells at the Southern Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. Construction is now taking place and it will take about two years to complete. more

Panama City Beach planning to expand water supply | WJHG Bay County commissioners say they are selling the land on Pete Edwards Field to Panama City Beach. Panama City Beach officials are adding new pumps for water supply to the area. more

New Stuart water treatment plant to ensure safe drinking water for generations - WPTV  The water treatment superintendent for Stuart said in 2016, the city was told by the Florida Department of Revenue water exceeded safe limits for PFOS and PFOAS, or "forever chemicals," which are linked to several health issues including a higher cancer risk and weaker immune systems. more

Ormond Beach receives over $5 million in state funds for new pump station in Central Park area | Palm Coast Observer  The city recently received $5.35 million from the Florida Legislature for the construction of a new stormwater pump station and force main along Fleming Avenue. more

Environmentalists worry plans to drill near the Apalachicola River could hurt the ecosystem | WFSU The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has said it plans to approve a permit for Clearwater Land & Minerals Fla, a Louisiana company, to drill for oil in Calhoun County near the Apalachicola River floodplain. more

Governor DeSantis Announces Free Florida State Parks Admission for Memorial Day Weekend | Florida Specifier On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Florida State Parks will offer free admission on Memorial Day Weekend to kick off Florida’s summer. In addition, DeSantis announced he would be signing legislation that creates a sales tax holiday throughout July. more

Governor Ron DeSantis Highlights Investments to Strengthen Florida’s Commitment to Conserving our Natural Resources | FDEP This week, Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted investments to continue to strengthen Florida’s natural resources, announcing his commitment to signing $1.5 billion for Everglades and water quality, making investments in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and strengthening Florida’s infrastructure. more

ECOS Updates State PFAS Standards White Paper ECOS has published its annual update of its White Paper entitled, “Processes and Considerations for Setting State PFAS Standards.” The paper focuses on regulatory, legislative, and scientific processes and considerations for setting state PFAS standards. more

The First CCR?

May 4, 1916:  Municipal Journal article. Report on Sacramento's Possible Water Supply. "Sacramento, Cal.-In one of the most comprehensive reports ever made on a water supply for Sacramento, Professor Charles Gilman Hyde and G. H. Wilhelm, engineering experts, have shown that the Sacramento River is the best source of supply for the city. Professor Hyde and engineer Wilhelm were employed several months ago at a cost of $50 for each day they worked. Their report consists of several hundred pages of data, maps, etc. Three sources of supply are treated very thoroughly-mountain, wells and river. Each source of supply is treated independently of the other. The location of the supply distance, route, dams, pipe lines, quantity and quality of supply and cost thereof, are given in each of the three cases. 

FLORIDA RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION | http://www.frwa.net

2970 Wellington Circle | Tallahassee FL 32309

850.668.2746 | Contact Us