Posts made in April 2023

On April 26, 2022, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm (ET), EPA will hold a public listening session on the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule revisions. From EPA’s announcement and webpage: “EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water will provide a brief introduction of the CCR background and goals of the revision, followed by an opportunity for attendees to offer input on considerations for the revisions.”

“EPA encourages input from members of public water systems, environmental groups, public interest groups, risk communication experts, the States, and other interested parties.”
“Potential topics of discussion may include, but are not limited to:
1. Tools that address challenges to developing CCRs.
2. CCR delivery methods, including electronic delivery options.
3. Considerations and concerns related to underserved communities environmental justice.
4. Opinions on biannual delivery, including timing and content of reports.
5. CCR accessibility challenges and solutions.
6. Improving readability, clarity, understandability, accuracy, and risk communication of the information presented in CCRs.”

Link to Register for the April 26, 2022 listening session:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/consumer-confidence-report-rule-revision-public-listening-session-tickets-322669462047

March 31, 2022, EPA announced they have concluded their review of the July 2020 decision not to regulate perchlorate in drinking water. EPA concluded: “….the 2020 decision is supported by the best available peer reviewed science. EPA’s determination under the Safe Drinking Water Act does not impact any state standards.” This decision was released as part of a larger plan to address perchlorate contamination, please see the enclosed EPA document.

Link to EPA website for additional information on perchlorate:
https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/perchlorate-drinking-water

SAB Meeting on PFOA and PFOS Health Effects
In April 1, 2022 Federal Register EPA announced that on May 3rd (noon to 5:00 pm, ET) and May 6th, (1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, ET), 2022 the Science Advisory Board (SAB) will meet to discuss their review of EPA’s documents regarding: (1) the health effects data to inform the derivation of proposed Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLG) for PFOA and PFOS; (2) the analysis of health risk reduction benefits of potential decreases in drinking water concentrations of PFOA and PFOS and (3) approaches to assess the cumulative risk among mixtures of PFAS.

Copies of the draft EPA documents can be found at the following location:
https://sab.epa.gov/ords/sab/f?p=114:19:13119643651721:::RP,19:P19_ID:970#doc

March 29, 2022, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Division of Drinking Water (DDW) sent out a brief notice stating that DDW “….has initiated the process of developing revised notification and response levels for manganese. This process will result in proposed new notification level and response level concentrations for manganese.” At the present time no additional details are available.

The current Notification Level (NL) for manganese is 0.5 mg/L (the Response Level is 10 times the Notification Level).

Manganese also has a secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 0.05 mg/L.

Link to DDW web page with background information on manganese:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/Manganese.html

EPA announced that on April 19, 2022 they will provide an update to the National Drinking Water Advisory Council
“….on a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).”

Background On Development of PFAS MCLs:
In March 2021, EPA published a decision to regulate PFOA and PFOS in drinking water (that were listed under the Contaminant Candidate List). Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), once EPA made the decision to regulate PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, the Agency had 24 months to propose regulations (i.e., by March 2023) and 18 months after that to publish final regulations (i.e., by September 2024). In October 2021, EPA published a PFAS Strategic Roadmap addressing PFAS contamination in different media. According to the PFAS Strategic Roadmap, EPA intends to move faster on setting the drinking water standards than allowed under the SDWA and plans to propose MCLs during fall of 2022 and publish final MCLs by the fall of 2023.

Wednesday, March 30, 2022,
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) will hold a workshop on PFAS funding opportunities. In addition to the March 30th workshop, on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, DDW staff will give a briefing to the SWRCB on PFAS issues. As stated in the DDW announcement the April 5th briefing will include: “…an update on the state-wide investigations regarding per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The presentation will also include a summary of upcoming funding opportunities by the Division of Financial Assistance for water-related projects.”