March 5, 2012

1) EPA Provides $15 Million to Help Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Across the Country
2) Urban Waters Federal Partnership Launches Ambassadors Program to Support Revitalizing Urban Waterways in U.S. Communities
3) National Ground Water Awareness Week
4) EPA to Host National Webinar on New Stormwater Construction General Permit
5) 2012 Water Laboratory Alliance Security Summit
6) EPA Launches New Green Infrastructure Website
7) Blog Spotlight: The Water Sector Workforce Needs Skills of American Workers

1) EPA Provides $15 Million to Help Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Across the Country
EPA announced that it will provide up to $15 million in funding for training and technical assistance to small drinking and wastewater systems, defined as systems that serve fewer than 10,000 people, and private well owners. The funding will help provide water system staff with training and tools to enhance system operations and management practices, and supports EPA's continuing efforts to protect public health, restore watersheds and promote sustainability in small communities.

EPA expects to make available up to $500,000 to provide training and technical assistance to tribally-owned and operated public water systems.

Applications must be received by EPA by April 9, 2012. EPA expects to award these cooperative agreements by Summer 2012. For more information about these competitive announcements, visit: http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/sdwa/smallsystemsrfa.cfm.

For more information on EPA's programs and tools to help small water systems, visit: http://water.epa.gov/type/drink/pws/smallsystems/index.cfm.

2) Urban Waters Federal Partnership Launches Ambassadors Program to Support Revitalizing Urban Waterways in U.S. Communities
The Urban Waters Federal Partnership, made up of 11 federal agencies, announced a program in seven cities that will accelerate and coordinate on-the-ground projects that are critical to improving water quality and public health, restoring forest resources and fostering community stewardship in urban watersheds. Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Urban Waters Ambassadors program will work with state and local governments, non-governmental organizations and other local partners. The Urban Waters Federal Partnership is an effort to help urban and metropolitan areas, particularly those that are underserved or economically distressed, connect with their waterways and work to improve them.

The first Urban Waters Ambassador has been selected for the Los Angeles River watershed pilot project with additional ambassadors to follow for the Anacostia River watershed (Washington, D.C. and Maryland), the Patapsco River watershed (Baltimore, Maryland), the Bronx and Harlem River watersheds (New York City), the South Platte River (Denver, Colorado), Lake Pontchartrain (New Orleans, Louisiana) and Northwest Indiana. Each of the pilot locations was selected due to the strong local and community leadership spearheading restoration efforts underway. Lessons learned from these pilot locations will benefit communities across the country.

For the full press release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/00199716f07b713e852579b500665d93!OpenDocument

3) National Ground Water Awareness Week
National Ground Water Awareness Week is March 11-17, 2012. During the week, EPA and other organizations that are concerned about water resources will promote public awareness through various educational events and publications. Forty-four percent of America's population regularly depends on ground water for its drinking water supply — reason enough to be ground water aware. Another reason is that ground water quantity and quality can strongly impact the environment. To access more information and events or publications that encourage public awareness, go to EPA's website at: http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/awarenessweek.cfm

4) EPA to Host National Webinar on New Stormwater Construction General Permit
On March 15, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. EST, EPA will host a webinar to provide the public with an overview of the new 2012 Construction General Permit (CGP) and with an opportunity to ask questions of Agency staff. Information about the 2012 permit is available online: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/cgp.cfm.

To register for the March 15 webinar, please go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/347121224. There is a limit to the number of participants, and registration is open on a first-come, first served basis. For those unable to register for the first webinar, EPA will present similar material at a second webinar on March 21 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST. To register for the March 21 webinar, please go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/926808824. EPA asks that participants register for only one webinar to ensure that as many people as possible are given the opportunity to join. EPA will archive a copy of the webinar on its training website (http://cfpub2.epa.gov/npdes/outreach.cfm?program_id=0&otype=1) shortly after the March 21 webinar.

5) 2012 Water Laboratory Alliance Security Summit
EPA, in conjunction with the Association of Public Health Laboratories, is sponsoring the third Water Laboratory Alliance Security Summit scheduled to take place on March 22-23, 2012 in Nashville, Tenn. The event will feature EPA Regional Administrator Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming as the keynote speaker. The summit will actively engage a broad array of technical and leadership staff from the water and emergency response sectors to discuss water contamination laboratory response coordination and complete a table top exercise that practices the water laboratory alliance response plan, a plan designed to assist alliance member laboratories with improving laboratory preparedness for response to natural, intentional, or unintentional water contamination incidents. To learn more about the Water Laboratory Alliance Security Summit including registration for the event, please contact wla@epa.gov.

6) EPA Launches New Green Infrastructure Website
EPA's Office of Water is pleased to announce the release of its new Green Infrastructure website to better communicate the "what, why, and how" of green infrastructure to municipalities, developers, and the general public. Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils and natural processes to manage water and create healthier urban environments. The new Green Infrastructure website is a one-stop shop for resources on green infrastructure that features improved navigability and up-to-date content. 

The site offers a wealth of publications and tools developed by EPA, state and local governments, the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions. The new green infrastructure website emphasizes the multiple environmental, social, and economic benefits associated with green infrastructure. The new site also provides access to the latest research developed by EPA's Office of Research and Development. To start exploring EPA's new green infrastructure website, visit: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure.

7) Blog Spotlight: The Water Sector Workforce Needs Skills of American Workers
Nancy Stoner, acting Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Water, blogged about her roundtable attendance with utility managers and leaders to discuss developing the next generation of the workforce in the water sector. In the blog, Ms. Stoner cites examples across the country of organizations building on American skills and EPA's efforts to promote water sector careers. To read the blog, visit: http://blog.epa.gov/blog/2012/02/28/the-water-sector-workforce-needs-skills-of-american-workers/