Mayors Water Council

Newsletter of the Mayors Water Council of The United States Conference of Mayors

SUMMER/Fall 2010
Message from
the Co-Chairs
Mayoral interest in public water and wastewater
issues is growing. Eight water-related resolutions were
considered and adopted this June at the 78th Annual
Meeting of The U.S. Conference of Mayors. The single
most pronounced theme common to all of these new
water policies is the desire of Mayors to impose costefficiencies in an area that has burgeoned with public investment over the last five decades. Not surprising
since required spending in this area far exceeds inflation, and expected future cost requirements are daunting at a time when Main Street is still reeling from the
Great Recession. Still, cities are committed to the goals
of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water
Act. The newly adopted policies call for smarter service
and infrastructure management at the local level; and
they call for more sophisticated planning and partnering with federal agencies. Congress, however, remains
silent in this debate, apparently comfortable with
expanding clean water goals that will be paid for by
local governments, or happy to authorize new federal
financial assistance that they likely suspect will never be
appropriated.
A critical, and glaringly absent, element necessary
to achieve clean water goals is a national coordinated
strategy on water that involves local, state and federal
government working together, and a dialogue between
local elected officials and Congress. Rather than continuing to struggle with top-down federal mandates that
are increasingly unaffordable, Congressional consultation could provide the needed leadership to prioritize
goals and better match mandates to the reality of local
financing burdens. The end-game goals enjoy a general consensus among federal and local government
- fishable and swimmable waters, safe drinking water,
floodplain management to protect people, property
and natural resources, etc. But the urgency driving the
federal appetite to push through rules and regulations
to cure all water problems in the short-run has painful affordability implications for: local government who
must take on significant long-term debt to finance the
necessary infrastructure; ever-increasing operations

Pleasanton (CA) Mayor

Jennifer Hosterman

Schenectady (NY) Mayor

Brian U. Stratton

and maintenance costs that burden annual budgets;

and multiple rate increases borne by fixed income, low
income and unemployed citizens. Are we entering a
period where the federally imposed requirements are
creating a social justice dilemma for financially struggling cities and their citizens? Is it time to start questioning whether the marginal public benefits of social
resources devoted to water and wastewater improvement yield lower public benefits than could be achieved
by investing in other services and infrastructure? There
are no easy answers to these questions but they deserve
to be addressed. The days of just throwing money at the
problem are over for now.
Mayors are, however, still optimistic about what can
be accomplished. New attitudes on implementing current enforcement policy regarding Combined Sewer
Overflows (a costly federal mandate) can provide local
financial relief without sacrificing clean water goals. The
Conference of Mayors is pursuing an expanded dialogue
with the US EPA to find cost-efficient solutions to achieve
compliance. The current federal enforcement attitude in
the EPA Regional Offices tends to favor dictating solutions
that require cities to step up local investment according to
what is calculated to be affordable. This attitude should
yield to requiring local investment in long term control
plans that achieve compliance with the law. The difference between calculated affordability and actual compliance costs is clearly ripe for the discussion of marginal
public benefits. The current policy guidance on this matter
does not necessarily require that cities spend up to what

Mayors Water Council

See Message on page 2

Page 1

THE United States CONFERENCE OF MAYORS

Status of Combined
Sewer Overflow
Dialogue with US EPA
THE UNITED STATES
CONFERENCE OF MAYORS

By Pleasanton (CA) Mayor Jennifer Hosterman

Elizabeth B. Kautz
Mayor of Burnsville
President
Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles
Vice President
Michael A. Nutter
Mayor of Philadelphia
Second Vice President
Tom Cochran
CEO and Executive Director

Message
from page 1

is calculated to be affordable. That policy is designed to

identify CSO controls that exceed a citys ability to afford
controls to achieve compliance, and that triggers other
policy elements that provide flexibility.
EPA has recently exhibited remarkable receptivity to
a dialogue with the cities to achieve compliance with
clean water goals with cost-efficiency as a guiding principle. The Mayors we have been working with in this
dialogue have also reported EPA receptivity to the idea
that incorporating green infrastructure with gray infrastructure can yield cost benefits as well as reduce carbon footprint and still achieve compliance with existing
law. Additionally, some cities are reporting that EPA is
open to discussing longer than usual compliance schedules to ease local financial burdens.
Local government, cities and Mayors, have the
responsibility to comply with all laws, and they also
have a responsibility to articulate reasonable means
to achieve the goals of the water laws. One of the
main purposes of the USCM is to strengthen federalcity relationships, and the Mayors Water Council provides a national platform for cities to develop policy
and working intergovernmental partnerships to provide
safe, affordable and adequate water and wastewater
services and infrastructure for cities in the 21st century.

Soon after our appointment as Co-Chairs of the

Mayors Water Council it became clear that Mayors
across America are urgently concerned about US
EPA enforcement efforts regarding Combined Sewer
Overflows (CSOs). In a series of Water Council meetings Mayors repeatedly emphasized that their number one issue is the unfunded mandate by the federal
EPA to structurally improve water/wastewater/storm
water systems to address wet weather overflows and
the potentially serious public health concerns arising
from such events. They expressed the fundamental,
and foremost, concern in their cities is maintaining the
highest level possible of health and safety for our citizens. They also recognized that digging up streets to
replace old pipe and add new is very expensive and
can be cost prohibitive.
Over the past 53 years (1956 2008) local government spent $1.65 trillion dollars on services and
improvements to water infrastructure. Not surprising,
the federal government contributed a paltry 7 percent
of those expenditures. In contrast, it is forecast that
over the next 20 years (2009 to 2028) the price tag for
needed water service and infrastructure upgrades will
range from $2.5 trillion (in a low growth scenario) to
$4.8 trillion (in a high growth scenario). If the federal
government continues to contribute a small percentage
of that amount, it is clear that local government will
never be able to afford much-needed improvements in
water infrastructure. How will the diminishing level of
federal financial assistance affect the public health of
Americans? How will this failure to provide meaningful financial assistance to local government retard our
environmental stewardship efforts to achieve the goals
of the Clean Water Act? The Mayors Water Council
has been tasked with addressing this issue on behalf
of the Conference of Mayors. We have, with a number of participating Mayors, embarked on a series of
discussions with the EPA and the DOJ (Department of
Justice) to engage them in a serious dialogue to bring
the local government perspective to CSO enforcement,
the development of long-term control plans based on
knowledge of local conditions, and a better understanding of compliance and the good-government
principles of cost-efficiency.
Our first discussion was held in December of 2009.
Mayors were encouraged by EPA to air their concerns
over the consent agreement negotiation process. One

Mayors Water Council

See Overflow on page 3

Page 2

Overflow
from page 2

by one Mayors expressed their frustration with a consent decree negotiation process where the federal
agencies involved cast the local government as villains, if not engaging in near-criminal behavior. Their
accounts of negotiations across the nation indicated
that the EPA Regions (there are 10 EPA Regional Offices) lacked consistency in their negotiation processes
and attitudes. The consent agreement negotiation
process has become so adversarial that local government perceived EPA and DOJ demands to far exceed
what was necessary to achieve compliance with clean
water goals. In short, the Mayoral consensus was that
the federal government was acting with too heavy a
hand in this process, and that success was being measured by asserting command and control approaches
that had little to do with compliance and more to do
with punitive mandates that no longer balanced environmental benefits with local government expenditures. Throughout this conversation the EPA and DOJ
were attentive and open to criticism without presenting
a defensive posture.
Our second meeting was held in February of 2010.
In that meeting, EPA and DOJ took the initiative and
extended an offer to explore ways in which more flexibility could be incorporated into the consent negotiation process to ensure compliance but provide some
financial and other types of relief to local government.
In recognition of the frustrations expressed by Mayors
in the previous meeting, EPA and DOJ identified four
areas of concern that they are willing to focus the dialogue on for flexibility options: affordability; incorporating green infrastructure; front-end loading benefits
to extend compliance schedules; and, addressing carbon footprint issues. EPA made it clear that the dialogue could not, as a legal matter, touch on any current
enforcement actions, but could suggest policy options
in general. It was during that meeting that we agreed
to a format for discussion a technical advisory group
made up of staff from Conference of Mayors member
cities and the Mayors Water Council staff, and repre-

sentatives from the EPA and DOJ would review options

related to increased flexibility related to compliance.
Following the technical group meeting, the Mayors plan
to engage in another meeting with the EPA and DOJ to
try to come to closure. The Mayors are suggesting that
EPA provide direction to the Regions on how to apply
flexibility that already exists in the current CSO Control
Policy, they are not asking for the development of new
guidance or new policy.
On July 14, 2010 the Conference of Mayors technical working group held a meeting to discuss these issues
and formulate options for consideration by the participating Mayors. We anticipate that the policy options
and an issues background document will be presented
to the Mayors for discussion. This will inform our review
of what options avail us of the best outcomes, resulting
in maintaining the health and safety of our citizens, in a
way which is fiscally responsible. Thereafter, the Mayors want to engage the EPA and DOJ directly, in this
current calendar year. We are hopeful that the result
will be a true partnership between the federal government and cities to address this critical issue, and move
to compliance expeditiously while recognizing the need
to balance environmental goals and the fiscal limitations of local government.
The Mayors Water Council will continue to work
on your behalf to achieve an outcome which is best
for all. The reason we ran for office was because we
saw ways in which we could improve our communities
and we envisioned ways in which we could effectuate change that would better the lives of our citizens.
We are all about creating caring communities within
which people can work, play, attend school, raise
families and be an integral part of their community.
It is our job to create and pass sound policy which
allows us to deliver quality services to the residents
and businesses of our cities. But, first we must maintain the health and safety of our communities which is
why providing proper water/wastewater/storm water
conveyance systems is so important. Mayors are not
criminals, we are the principal environmental stewards
who care deeply for those we serve, and we must
adhere to our fiduciary responsibility to govern properly. We get it.

The Mayors Water Summit will be held

December 8-9, 2010 in Washington, DC.
Information will be sent out in the next two weeks.
Mayors Water Council

Page 3

OPINION

Procurement Practices that Impede

Rehabilitation of Underground Water
Infrastructure
By Bruce Hollands
Our countrys underground infrastructure is at a
crossroads. Its corroding at an alarming rate and
mayors have the opportunity to take an active role in
reforming procurement practices to ensure adoption of
sustainable and cost-effective materials and solutions.
Over the next twenty years, municipalities will
spend $3 to $5 trillion to upgrade water and wastewater systems, according to Schenectady (NY) Mayor
Brian Stratton. Renewing water and wastewater
lines alone, according to other estimates, will require
between $660 billion and $1.1 trillion over the same
period. Speaking at a recent conference on underground infrastructure, Mayor Stratton pointed to the
results of a Mayors Water Council report on the nature
and extent of the problem. U.S. water and wastewater
infrastructure, the study noted, lacks a coordinated
and integrated national strategy.
Accordingly, any comprehensive action plan must
urge the reform of municipal procurement practices that
limit competition, shackle innovation and increase costs.
A major impediment is the stubborn local attitude that
traditional bidding methods should not be challenged.

Changing Outdated Procurement

Every mayor and local elected official has the ability, and perhaps the obligation, to review the local
procurement practices of their utility staff. This provides an excellent opportunity to ensure that bidding
is aligned with modern asset management standards,
and considers life-cycle costs and performance of
materials in all public projects. Current procurement
methods, however, are costly and prevent informed
decisions from being made because bids are often
closed to qualified products. Opening them, according to experts, will save municipalities between 10 to
20 percent on all goods and services purchased.
The water and wastewater sector is a case in point.
Pipe is the largest component of a water utilitys assets
and seriously impacts operations and maintenance
costs, which are spiralling out of control, increasing by
6 per cent above inflation yearly. So, the performance
of a utilitys pipe materials is critical to holding the line
on costs. The traditional habit of using one or two
pipe materials exclusively, says Mayor Stratton, is
no longer satisfactory. Local officials need to compare
all proven pipe materials.

Unfortunately, utility operators will often exclude

widely used materials, saying they need to further
study them, or relying on myths to avoid breaking
old habits. The corrosion eating away at our nations
underground infrastructure demands that all municipalities renew their practices in this area. And beginning this process will require fair bidding and openness to alternative and proven pipe materials.

The Corrosion Crisis: Old Technology

versus Sustainable Options

Corrosion is the leading cause of the water-main

break epidemic in North America, estimated at some
255,000 breaks annually. Moreover, according to a
2002 congressional study, its a drag on the economy,
costing U.S. drinking water and wastewater systems
over $50.7 billion annually, or more than $1 trillion
dollars over the next twenty years. Despite these huge
expenses, however, municipal utility operators have
largely failed to consider the cost-benefits of using
non-corroding pipe materials.
Todays corrosion crisis is due to the materials used
in Americas underground pipe networks over the last
100 years. At first, cast iron was used, with ductile iron
gradually replacing it as the material of choice. Both
now suffer from the ravages of corrosion. Moreover,
the burden of old technology materials is not limited
to the cost of repairing and replacing failed pipelines.
It includes the cost of losing treated water from leaking
systems. All told, leaking pipes lose some 2.6 trillion
gallons of drinking water every year, or 17 percent of
all water pumped in the United States. This represents
$4.1 billion in wasted electricity annually.

Sustainable and Corrosion-Proof

The solution to these problems begins with sustainability, durability and corrosion resistance, and this
is why municipalities must actively consider including
alternative materials such as PVC in their bidding processes. Increased durability means fewer leaks, better
water conservation and lower costs.
With over two million miles in service, PVC has
been celebrated by Engineering News Record as one
of the top 20 engineering advancements of the last
125 years. A study by the American Water Works
Association Research Foundation recently quantified

Mayors Water Council

See Procurement on page 5

Page 4

Plan Now for Water Infrastructure Future

By Lake Oswego (OR) Mayor Jack Hoffman
When I talk with other mayors, a reoccurring concern is our infrastructure. Safe and reliable infrastructure is one of many components of a great community.
Our city, like all the cities in our region and like tens of
thousands of cities across our nation, has aging infrastructure. If we dont responsibly invest and maintain it,
we risk potential loss of property or life that could financially burden our citizens. Clean water, safe sewerage
systems and good roads are just part of our paramount
responsibilities. This year, Lake Oswego celebrates its
centennial. For me, this has not only been a time to
contemplate how far weve come with our infrastructure, but just how much attention we need to continue to
give to it in order to ensure that our investments last.
The City of Lake Oswego is located in northwest Oregon just eight miles south of Portland with some 35,000
residents and a very attractive 405-acre lake. One of
the biggest modern day challenges we have tackled in
Lake Oswego is the replacement of our sewer interceptor system. Its old, failing and undersized. More than
90 percent of the interceptor pipe lies within Oswego
Lake, its bays, and canals. Originally designed to serve
4,500 acres, the Lake Oswego Interceptor Sewer system (LOIS) today serves an area of 5,500 acres. When
too much rainwater enters the sewer during periods of

Procurement
from page 4

the life expectancy of PVC pipe at more than 110 years

making it excellent for long-term asset management
and sustainability. Furthermore, PVC pipe is more efficient to manufacture, taking four times less energy to
make than concrete pressure pipe, and half that used
for iron pipe. PVCs light weight reduces transportation
and installation costs, yielding additional greenhouse
gas reductions. It is also totally recyclable, though
most of it has yet to enter the recycling stream given its
great durability.
For municipal officials, PVCs most attractive feature is perhaps its cost-effectiveness. Annual savings
derived from PVC pipe now used in sanitary systems
throughout the U.S. are estimated at $270 million.
Converting the entire sanitary sewer system to PVC
could save upwards of $800 million a year.

A Municipal Success Story

sustained, heavy rains, the

interceptor system becomes
surcharged and backs up,
spilling untreated wastewater through manholes at
various locations adjacent
to and within Oswego Lake.
Additionally, the systems
steel and timber pile supports are corroding and are
at risk of collapse in a moderate seismic event. If this
were to occur, millions of
gallons of untreated waste- Lake Oswego (OR) Mayor
water would enter the lake Jack Hoffman
and millions of gallons of
lake water would drain downstream to the treatment
plant, overwhelming its capacity.
A series of public hearings and community briefings were held in 2007 on replacement alternatives.
As a result, the City Council accepted the City Engineers recommendation to replace the system with a
combination of pile-supported pipe and a submerged,
buoyant, gravity-flow pipeline.
When construction of this project began in OctoSee Lake Oswego on page 8

tage of PVC pipe it is, nevertheless, a success story

retold countless times in municipalities throughout the
U.S. Myrtle Beach, SC, for instance, has used PVC in
its water system since the 1980s. Today, over 50 percent of its pipe network is PVC and its increasing
annually as cast iron and galvanized pipe are being
replaced. Similar water infrastructure renewal programs, where iron pipe is being replaced with PVC
pipe, are also taking place in cities like San Diego,
CA, Fargo, ND, and San Antonio, TX, to name a few.
Solving our nations underground corrosion crisis
will require openness to alternative and more resilient
pipe materials such as PVC. And mayors should take
the lead from Myrtle Beach and other communities by
insisting their utility officials make it part of a competitive bidding process.
Bruce Hollands is Executive Director of the Uni-Bell
PVC Pipe Association, a non-profit organization which
serves the engineering, regulatory, public health and
standardization communities. He can be reached at
bhollands@uni-bell.org

While many localities have yet to take full advanMayors Water Council

Page 5

Getting Water Supplies from Thin Air

By Jill Techel, Mayor, City of Napa (CA)

is required this approach breaks the chain of providing water supply by using carbon producing energy.
(The technology and how it operates can be found on
http://groasis.com).
This new approach to water supply is important for
the Napa Valley. The Robert Mondavi vineyard is dry
farmed, and does not employ an irrigation system.
Dry farming works well for the older vines, but new
vine plantings doneed an external water source to

The City of Napa is the major city in Americas premier wine country, about an hour north of San Francisco, on 17.8 square miles of land with a population
of 72,585. Napa has a Mediterranean-like climate,
and like most western US cities has low precipitation
levels and is subject to drought cycles that make it difficult to plan for the provision of water supplies.
Agriculture is the key to the success
of Napa Valley and theCities in Napa
County.We created county wide principles that we could all agree on and foremost is the Preservation of Agriculture.
We understand that water resources are
important to agriculture, so much so that
the cities in the Valley do not use ground
water for municipal water supplies.
I recently participated in a groundbreaking ceremony at the Robert Mondavi Winery where a new water technology was introduced that provides
water out of thin air. This new technology
moves us toward city sustainability in a
new way. Its called the Groasis Waterboxx. Invented by Pieter Hoff of the
Netherlands, it is being used for multiple Left to right, Napa Mayor Jill Techel, Bart van
BoluisConsulate General of the Netherlands and, Margit
purposes all over the globe.
It is a simple, yet elegant, technology Mondavi, Vice President of Cultural Affairs at the Robert
Mondavi Winery. Matt Ashby Director of Vineyard
that is very inexpensive. The Waterboxx
Operations at Robert Mondavi Winery and Pieter Hoff, the
is about the size and shape of a tire. It Inventor of the WaterBoxx, install the Waterboxx around
has a concave cylinder cover that is situ- the vine.
ated over a container, (roughly 20 inches
in diameter and 10 inches in height).
There is a hole in the middle, and the Waterboxx is
start. Using the Waterboxx, Mondavi is planting three
placed over a sapling. The top cover gathers rain and
acres of new vines. Each new vine will be covered by
condensation from the atmosphere and stores it in the
the Waterboxx, and it will get the water it needs from
lower container. The container slowly drips the coneither rain or condensation.After one year the plants
tained water under the sapling to supply moisture for
will be strong enough to grow on their own and the
root development.
Groasis Waterboxx can be easily removed at any
The container holds four gallons of water that
time and reused for the other plantings. . This technolis made up of rain water or condensation collected
ogy can work for cities in areas where new plantings
at night when the cover cools more rapidly than the
are desired but irrigation is not available to get the
container. The concave design of the cover allows the
new plants started.
condensate to run into the container. During the day
This is a shining example of low impact developtime the cover prevents evaporation, and the cover
ment for sustainable cities. Groasis, the manufacturer
and container protect the sapling from intense heat,
of the Waterboxx, is involved with many demonstracreating a conducive growing environment. A trickling
tions and experiments world-wide. The technology has
wick is inserted in the bottom of the container to allow
applications that address reforestation, water conserwater to drip into the soil under the sapling to promote
vation and food production. In the Napa Valley, the
root growth. As a result, other than filling the container
technology promises to provide multiple public benat planting, the Waterboxx is self sufficient and relies
efits to our water supply, local economic activity, and
solely on atmospheric water in the form of condensalow impact development.
tion and rain. And because no external energy supply
Mayors Water Council

Page 6

Mayors Convene in Oklahoma City to Discuss

Strategy on CSOs and Infrastructure Financing
By Rich Anderson
Jennifer Hosterman, Pleasanton (CFA) Mayor and
Brian Stratton, Schenectady (NY) Mayor, and Co-Chairs
of the Mayors Water Council convened a Council meeting in Oklahoma City on June 11. Mayor Hosterman
presided over review of several policy resolutions. The
Mayors Water Council reviews resolutions and makes
recommendations to the Environment Committee. Resolutions adopted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors can
be accessed at www.usmayors.org.
USCM Staff member, Brett Rosenberg, commented
on the preliminary results of a city bottled water survey
conducted by the Conference of Mayors in May/June
of this year. Rosenberg emphasized that the majority
of the cities responding to the survey do not currently
have city departmental bottled water purchase bans in
place, but they actively encourage city departments to
use and promote municipal tap water in lieu of bottled
water. Rosenberg plans to complete his analysis of the
survey and post a final report on the USCM website
later this summer.
Mayor Hosterman then turned to the subject of
municipal water and wastewater finance. Referencing
the Trends in Public Expenditures report published by
the USCM in February, she commented on the projected city spending range of $3 to $5 trillion over the
next 20 years, and expressed concern over whether
or not this is a sustainable financial model.
David Gadis, Executive Vice President of Veolia

Sheik Mohammed Bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief

Executive, Bahrain Economic Development
Board, Kingdom of Bahrain; Mayor Jennifer
Hosterman, Pleasanton (CA); Mayor Brian U.
Stratton, Schenectady (NY)

Water North America presented a logic-based case

for long-term sustainability of water and wastewater
services. Recognizing the current revenue crises most
cities are facing, Gadis made a strong case for mayors to seek sustainable financing rather than shortterm solutions. For example, many cities are now
deliberating over cost-cutting measures such as furloughs and layoffs, rate increases, service reductions,
etc.; they are not giving due consideration to different
business models that offer long-term solutions such as
public-private partnerships and design-build-operate
alternatives. Rather than relying on the uncertainty of
increased federal aid, cities currently have the power
to recast their relationship with their water utilities.
Indianapolis, he stated, has had two decades or more
of experience with partnerships. In that time they have
provided quality service to city customers, and are
envied at having the third lowest overall combined
water and wastewater rates of all major US cities.
Moreover, Gadis made a persuasive argument for the
ability of a public-private partnership to develop customized solutions in any given city. Partnerships can
establish programs tailored for a citys operating, capital and asset management needs. Large water companies with a demonstrated history of experience and
successful performance can bring to bear resources
and expertise that would not normally be within the
reach of city utility departments.
See Oklahoma City on page 8

David Gadis, Executive Vice President,

Veolia Water North America; Mayor Jennifer
Hosterman, Pleasanton (CA); Mayor Brian U.
Stratton, Schenectady (NY)

Mayors Water Council

Page 7

Lake Oswego
from page 5

ber 2009 the City promised residents that it would

complete the project on time and within budget. I am
proud to say that this complex and innovative $100
million project is on schedule for completion in late
2011 and under budget.
The new sewer interceptor line is the first of its kind
to use a submerged pipeline in a gravity flow design.
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe was selected
for the project to enable creation of a pipeline with a
life cycle expected to exceed 100 years, according to
the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI), because it wont rust, and
can withstand seismic activity and still perform under
drought and flood conditions that would lower and
raise the level of water in the lake. The new interceptor
system will be held under the lakes surface by ground
anchors. Custom fabricated stainless steel wire rope
tethers connect the ground anchors to tether brackets
that hold the main pipe and additional buoyancy baskets in place at specified grades to allow wastewater to

Oklahoma City
from page 7

Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton led the discussion on the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) initiative the USCM is engaged in with the US EPA. Mayor
Stratton described the initiative whereby several meetings with the US EPA and the US DOJ have resulted in
an agreement to review the CSO compliance negotiation process, and consider local government proposals
to achieve compliance and simultaneously reduce the
cost to do so. Stratton said that EPA reports indicate
over 800 cities have CSO events that endanger public health, sensitive habitats and critical ecosystems.
He stated that the nations mayors share EPAs goal
of reducing these threats, but that it can be done in a
more cost-efficient manner.
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard commented that
when he took office in 2008 the city had already
entered into a consent agreement to control CSOs
with a price tag of $3.9 billion. He was concerned
about human exposures to raw sewage and worked
to develop an alternative and sustainable engineering solution to reduce flows to the Combined Sewer
System using green infrastructure methods. In 2009

flow by gravity to the wastewater treatment plant.

Another favorable attribute of this design is that
using HDPE pipe to construct a shorter, less disruptive
gravity-flow pipeline is a low-impact-development
approach. It will consume fewer natural resources
during construction, limit digging up our land and it
will take less energy to operate, all of which produces
a smaller carbon footprint.
The cost of the in-lake portions of the new system
is estimated at $65 million. The City is financing this
project through revenue bonds and residents will see
user rates increase by 30 percent for three years to
pay for the new system. Nonetheless, the price tag for
the in-lake system was about $20 million less in lifecycle costs than an around-the-lake, pumped system.
The City of Lake Oswego is fortunate for the good
decisions of the past 100 years that have created, protected and enhanced our property values and the quality of life we continue to enjoy today. Our generation
of mayors will be judged on how well we protect and
enhance that quality of life and provide sustainable and
secure infrastructure solutions for the next generation.

the citys consent decree was modified with a plan

to remove over 1 billion gallons of sewer overflows
ahead of the EPA approved schedule. Still, Mayor Ballard stated, the then-current consent decree was overly prescriptive, and the city developed a new plan that
had greater environmental benefits at a lower cost.
The net result was that EPA agreed to work with the
city on the new plan, and the city was able to save
hundreds of millions of dollars with a new long term
control plan.
Mayors Hosterman and Stratton introduced Shaik
Mohammed Bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the
Bahrain Economic Development Board of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Shaik discussed the water development needs of Bahrain. He stated that Bahrain is
the most open and friendly society within the United
Arab Emirates for foreign investment. He welcomed
American water companies and water equipment
and engineering companies to contact the Economic
Development Board to pursue business development
and investment opportunities.
In closing, Mayor Stratton announced that the Mayors Water Summit will be held in DC on December 1
and 2. Also, Mayor Hosterman will be hosting a Regional Meeting of the Mayors Water Council in Pleasanton,
CA the last week of October (tentative date).

Mayors Water Council

Page 8

Getting More from Your Mobile Workforce

By Guerry Waters, Oracle Utilities
Today, it seems, theres no end to smartness. We
have smart grids, smart phones, smart buildings, and
smart cards.
But what you really need is smarter workers.
To some extent, of course, municipal workers are
getting smarter. In the office, theyre using computers
that correct obvious errors, check for conflicts in information, and automate routine tasks. Computers take
information out of dusty basement filing cabinets and
put it at everyones fingertips. They expedite problem
solving.
Outside the office, though, computers dont seem
to be doing much to help your mobile workers perform routine maintenance tasks and respond to
emergencies.
Granted, many municipal departments use computers to maintain technician credentials, track equipment
location, and schedule tasks. But every department
seems to have a different application. Theres no central scheduler; the Public Schools Department repaves
a parking lot two days before Water & Sewer tears
it up to replace a main. And departments cant share
staff or equipment. Tom, from Parks & Recreation,
mows grass on a playing field but not on the medial
strip just 20 feet away. Instead, Mary from Transportation mows it, even though it takes her an hour just to
load her equipment and drive to the site.
Its tempting to blame the bureaucratsor maybe
the previous administration. But the problem isnt really
their fault. Up to now, a single field service computer
application typically wasnt strong or fast enough to
juggle all your mobile workers simultaneously.
Field service applications of the past could produce
schedules only if workers stayed within one section of
the city and performed just one type of work. Applications could route workers to the next job, but not
well, because they couldnt avoid construction sites or
accommodate rush-hour restrictions. Even worse, these
older applications couldnt schedule changes throughout the day. If workers had to handle emergencies like
a water main break, dispatchers had to monitor the
repairs progress and make subsequent task changes
without computer help.
Fortunately, todays mobile workforce applications
are getting smarter. Theyre incorporating new technologies that let all your departments coordinate field
tasks and share equipment and staff. Here are some
of the new concepts youll increasingly hear about:
Computational grids divide huge volumes of data
among multiple servers and then coordinate the tasks
assigned, no matter how large or unwieldy. As a result,
your mobile workers can perform any task for which

theyre qualified, anywhere

theyre needed.
Mobile communications
platforms treat all communications devices equally.
Dispatchers use a single
interface to link to the
bookmobiles cell phone
and the utility trucks ruggedized laptop. A mobile
communications platform
can maintain devices in
the field; theres no more
time out as workers drive
across the city to get their Guerry Waters, Oracle
Utilities
laptops updated. Platforms
cut travel time even more
when they let workers transmit pictures of a situation
back to experts in the office who can help them diagnose and fix that air conditioner problem at the animal shelter.
Context-oriented dispatching lets IT put your specific rules into scheduling and dispatching programs.
The mobile workforce application can then make
routine decisions without human intervention. When
exceptions arise, the application lays out the situation
for the dispatcher and suggests options to resolve it.
As a result, fewer dispatchers can handle many more
workers. And your dispatchers have the time to focus
on your most urgent citizen complaints.
Spatial viewers let dispatchers see whats going on
in the vicinity of an emergency. When traffic backs
up, dispatchers can easily spot and call a halt to the
routine streetlight testing going on two blocks away.
Training dialogues and checklists lead inexperienced workers step by step through new tasks. Workers spend less time in classrooms. Theres no time-consuming trolling through bulky paper manuals. Remote
supervisors are always available, but they dont have
to hang around worksites just in case theyre needed.
Better, faster, cheaper training takes a lot of the
pain out of the retiring baby-boomer phenomenon.
And supervisors can handle far more crews than they
previously could.
The bottom line is: new mobile workforce applications save money. They reduce the number of dispatchers and supervisors and help you get more
workers performing tasks. Mobile workforce applications reduce travel time, fuel use, and vehicular wear
and tear. They increase workers on-site hours without overtime. They make sure inexperienced workers
perform complex tasks without a hitch, the first time

Mayors Water Council

See Mobile Workforce on page 10

Page 9

Tapping the Potential for Energy in Water

By Clinton O. Robinson, Associate Vice President
Black & Veatch

sumer confidence in the balance between economics

and environmental sustainability.

More than ever, new programs come with greater

need for resources and funds to support your visions.
Consider this: you have the power to bring energy and
water utilities together for the common good of your
constituents and actually save money. Using this nontraditional approach can deliver promising results.
In Unquenchable, Robert Glennon notes that 39
percent of the countrys total use of fresh water is being
used to cool and fuel power plants, while the delivery
of water and the treatment of wastewater consume 4
percent of all electricity. Therein lies an opportunity to
examine synergy among utilities that has been overlooked, and some thought-starters are suggested for
mayors to consider.

Uniform Utilities

Educate for Empowerment

As your communitys leader, you have an unusual

opportunity, perhaps even an obligation, to initiate a
dialogue with your constituents about the price and
value of the public water supply and service. A recent
U.S. Conference of Mayors study showed that bottled
water is more than 2,000 times more expensive than
municipal tap water yet not at all safer. Your municipal water supply, available at an affordable rate, is
probably the most attractive water supply source for a
nearby thermoelectric power plant; and it may be consuming more of your precious resource than you are
willing to share. Are your residents participating in the
discussion about how water is allocated?
The Hartford Metropolitan Districts Biosolids Incinerator Heat Recovery Project features a 1.7 MW steam
turbine projected to supply 40 percent of their plants
electrical power needs and save $1.4 million annually
in electricity costs. Hartford educated their public on
the green attributes and favorable economics of the
project. By educating their constituents, they built con-

Mobile Workforce
from page 9

around, and without an on-site supervisor.

In short, in these tough times, new mobile workforce applications help you do more for your citizens
with fewer of their dollars.

Water and wastewater systems are commonly the

responsibility of city government while the energy companies are typically independent power producers and
wholesalers of electricity on the grid. They are rarely
combined under the same roof,. Integrated planning
of energy and water resources should interest mayors
and constituents alike. It is reasonable for a mayor to
initiate the dialogue on this topic, using the power of
City Hall, and official planning mechanisms such as
the Land Use Master Plan- Water Element and/or
Energy Element, the Capital Improvement Plan, etc.
to bridge a gap that may exist between public and private utility providers and to establish a collaborative
(uniform) planning approach.
A recent contract exemplifying the collaborative
concept is Black & Veatchs work with the New York
City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP)
for the 26th Ward Emergency Generator Project. The
project will include replacement of existing gas turbine
generators with diesel generators for 7.5 MW of emergency generation. The project will allow NYCDEP relief
from servicing the generator and pollutant discharge
issues with the current gas turbines used in emergencies. The project also responds to Mayor Bloombergs
challenge to all city services to review their energy utilizations and become more efficient. By using a uniform utility approach, NYCDEP will reduce operating
costs, provide for more reliable wastewater treatment
through diversifying their energy supply portfolio,
reduce wastewater spills due to power outages, and
may even be a source of electricity for peak shaving
during critical summer months for the energy utility
when not in service at the wastewater plant.
See Potential on page 11

Guerry Waters is Vice President of Utilities Industry

Strategy at Oracle, which offers Oracle Utilities Mobile
Workforce Management, a field service application
designed around complex municipal and utility needs
for real-time, cost-effective handling of emergencies
and scheduled field projects. This article is based on
his presentation at a May 2010 meeting of the Conference of Mayors.

Mayors Water Council

Page 10

Potential
from page 10

Planning for Progress

Stimulus projects have often focused on the shovel

ready construction industry, but this approach merely fast-forwards projects on the verge of start-up. It
doesnt necessarily stimulate the planning process. An
approach we may see in future stimulus bills is something I like to call pencil ready projects that involve
sustainable planning at the city government levels. This
approach will put as many, if not more, people to work
to produce the best management practices for your
utility and generate more public participation in the
planning process. Progress usually comes with a price
tag and engaging your constituents early and often
with the energy-water value proposition should yield
a document that you can use for years to come and
demonstrate accountability to the public.
The City of Philadelphia engaged their water and
wastewater utility, Philadelphia Water Department
(PWD), in the preparation of an Energy Master Plan
project. The city had anticipated an increase in their
energy costs due to a 2011 sunset of their favorable
Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) electric rate
cap. They face higher energy costs in the future due to
potential increases in water and wastewater treatment
requirements. The Greenworks Philadelphia city-wide
sustainability initiative aims for a 30 percent reduction
below 2008 levels in energy consumption, a 20 percent
reduction below 1990 levels in GHG emissions, and a
requirement to generate 20 percent renewable energy
by 2015. PWD management identified the need for a
strategic plan to verify utilization of best management
practices, with a goal of becoming a water and wastewater utility energy management leader, with raised
awareness of energy opportunities.

SMART to Sustainable

The terms SMART and sustainable, relative to

energy, have significant green connotations. As in
the education process on water allocation, it makes

sense to initiate a public dialogue that includes both

public and private utilities on how they are using and
paying for their water with SMART systems similar to
what is being implemented in the energy market. At
the same time we need to make sure that the water
solutions we are implementing have a reasonable useful life and are not driven strictly by popular market
trends, as more affordable, sustainable solutions may
be just around the corner. For this reason we recommend diversifying your energy portfolio at your water
utility which will lead to the most economical and most
efficient power source available and release you from
your single source use of the local energy utility.
An example of a major water/wastewater utility actively increasing its own supply of renewable
energy is the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA). The Deer Island Wastewater Treatment
Plant Wind Turbine Project includes two wind turbines at 600 kW each that could save approximately
$230,000 annually. The project is part of an ongoing
effort to increase the number of renewable energies
currently utilized. Their renewable energy portfolio
now represents approximately 26 percent of their total
energy, with a goal of achieving 30 percent self-generation by 2020. MWRA utilizes solar panels, biogas,
hydropower, and now wind turbines to provide power
for a portion of their energy requirements.

Ask Yourself and Your City

Departments These Questions

A SMART and sustainable City should consider a

simple self-examination: What are your resources (both
public and private)? Who controls them? How can you
impact their regulation, distribution, and cost?
As you consider your answers and your leadership
obligation to maximize your water and energy resources, join me in a glass half full world view and fill our
glasses for the future. Your constituents will thank you.
Photo cutline: An 8 ounce glass of water will fuel a
60-Watt light bulb for an average of 30 minutes.

Mayors Water Council

Page 11

Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton Addresses

Worlds Largest Gathering of PVC Pipe
Manufacturers
By Rich Anderson
Schenectady (NY) Mayor Brian U. Stratton
addressed participants of the 38th Annual Meeting of
the Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association in Florida on April
20. The event marks the Worlds largest gathering of
PVC pipe manufacturers. PVC pipe (poly vinyl chloride) is rapidly becoming the preferred material for
municipal water transmission and wastewater collection in public systems across the nation. Mayor Stratton, speaking on behalf of the Mayors Water Council
of The U.S. Conference of Mayors, talked about the
challenges facing Americas principal cities in providing safe, affordable and adequate water and wastewater services and infrastructure for sustainable cities
in the 21st Century.
Citing a 2010 report published by the Conference of
Mayors, Stratton presented information about the huge
looming cost to local government over the 20-year
period 2009 to 2028 on public water and wastewater
systems. He said that forecasts of spending on operation and maintenance, and capital investment ranged
between $3 and $5 trillion dollars. A significant portion of the capital investment, he said, will be devoted
to the underground infrastructure (the pipes).
Stratton also presented information gathered by the
Conference of Mayors National City Survey conducted
in 2007. Pipe corrosion is the major reason for pipe
breaks. Based on this information it has become clear
that pipe rehabilitation and replacement may dominate
capital investments in public systems for some time into
the future. EPA has suggested that almost a quarter of
a million pipe breaks in municipal systems occur each
year. The United States Geological Survey (USGS)
estimates that as much as 1.7 billion gallons of water
is lost from these pipe breaks each year, at a cost of
$2.6 billion. Stratton stated that every city has a vested
interest in correcting this situation. He also stated that
the costs are daunting, so that anyone who has a cost-

Mobile Workforce
from page 12

around, and without an on-site supervisor.

In short, in these tough times, new mobile workforce
applications help you do more for your citizens with
fewer of their dollars.

efficient solution needs to step-up with the evidence if

they are going to be successful in helping cities.
Stratton commented on the importance of the planning process conducted by local government in regard
to water infrastructure. He stated that city officials must
exercise due diligence in choosing how to spend public money (whether tax payer or rate payer money).
The traditional habit of using one or two pipe materials
exclusively is no longer satisfactory. Local officials need
to compare all proven pipe materials on a life cycle
basis before choosing the best pipe for the city. Mayors could be open topublic-private partnerships as one
way to meet the expected huge cost of replacing underground water and wastewater infrastructure, especially
if those partnerships are proven and demonstrated to
offer cost-effective solutions, stated Mayor Stratton.
The biggest challenges facing North American
pipe manufacturers are to provide products that are
sustainable both environmentally and economically.
PVC pipe does both, providing a truly resilient, high
quality option, responded Bruce Hollands, Executive
Director of Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association, (a Dallasbased nonprofit association). Hollands also stated The
biggest problem in water infrastructure is the corrosion
epidemic. Corrosion-prone piping materials cost U.S.
drinking water and sewer systems some $50.7 billion a
year. With municipalities facing serious financial challenges, Mayor Strattons call for cost-efficient solutions
in water and wastewater infrastructure is key to maintaining our quality of life. In contrast to old-technology
materials, less energy and fewer resources are needed
to manufacture PVC pipe, its competitive price and
durability are taxpayer friendly, and it doesnt deteriorate due to corrosion, producing significant savings
over the life cycle of a pipe network. For sustainability,
long-term performance is critical, added Hollands.
Stratton concluded his remarks with an invitation
to the Mayors Water Council Regional Meeting to be
held May 12-13, 2010 in Schenectady.

Guerry Waters is Vice President of Utilities Industry

Strategy at Oracle, which offers Oracle Utilities Mobile
Workforce Management, a field service application
designed around complex municipal and utility needs
for real-time, cost-effective handling of emergencies
and scheduled field projects. This article is based on
his presentation at a May 2010 meeting of the Conference of Mayors.

Mayors Water Council

Page 12

Glens Falls Addresses Dam Safety, Water

Supply Infrastructure, Emergency Planning
Regulatory Compliance in Single Project
By Gary Dale, PE, Associate Senior Engineer and
Project Manager, CHA
According to the Association of State Dam Safety
Officials website, the recorded number of deficient
dams in the US has risen by 85 percent since 1998.
This, coupled with several high profile dam failures in
the last decade, has brought the issue of dam safety
to the top of many cities water supply infrastructure
improvement lists. Glens Falls proactively addressed
their dam safety, water supply and compliance issues
in one project.
Clough, Harbour Associates (CHA), a consulting
engineering company, was retained by Glens Falls to
help them address their dam safety needs. Glens Falls
is a small city of about 15,000 nestled at the foot of
New Yorks Adirondack Mountains. The citys water
supply comes from five surface water reservoirs: four
remote upland reservoirs, and one auxiliary reservoir.
The creation of these reservoirs and the five associated embankment dams dates back to the 1870s. Three
of the five dams are categorized as high-hazard and
two are intermediate hazard, according to New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation
(NYSDEC) regulations.
The city recognized in 2005 that deferred maintenance and repair of the five dams created a dam
safety issue. A review of the water supply situation
concluded that these reservoirs could not be economically replaced with an alternate source and that dam
rehabilitation was the most cost-effective solution. Subsequently, City Engineer Steve Gurzler, PE, established
a comprehensive dam safety program. Engineer Gurzler implemented the program that included safety
inspections and engineering evaluations to quantify the
condition of the structures, embankments and appurtenances of each of the dams. These technical analyses
provided the information needed to determine the best
methods to repair or rehabilitate. CHA was selected
to be the citys dam engineering consultant based on
a proposal to perform dam safety inspections. The
city retained CHA for all of the subsequent repair and
rehabilitation work.
Each dam had several deficiencies that posed
safety and operational concerns, including large tree
growth on downstream slopes, inoperable low level
outlet valves, seepage and stability issues, and insufficient spillway capacity. CHA identified several critical issues warranting immediate action: existing spillways needed to be expanded, upgrades in the form

of larger capacity piping and flow controls needed to

be made to low level outlets, and improvements to the
dam embankment slopes needed to be performed.
The city and CHA worked closely with the NYSDEC
Dam Safety Section to develop cost-effective designs
to bring the dams into compliance with current regulations. In addition, Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) were
developed for each dam. The EAPs provide the city and
first-responders with an understanding of the communication network and individual responsibilities necessary
to respond to a dam-related emergency or potential
uncontrolled release of water from a reservoir.
The project had three general milestones for each
dam: one for assessments, analyses and planning; one
for dam rehabilitation design; and one for construction. Milestone 1 tasks included dam inspection and
repair recommendations, hazard assessments, survey
and mapping, subsurface investigations, embankment
stability analyses, hydrologic and hydraulic analyses,
emergency action plan development, and recommendations for dam modifications.
Milestone 2 tasks included performing necessary
designs related to rehabilitating the dams to achieve
compliance with the NYSDEC Guidelines for Design of
Dams, and developing construction plans and specifications for spillway and outlet systems, access road
improvements, seepage controls, and embankment stabilization plans. All required permit applications were
prepared and submitted during this phase.
The final tasks (Milestone 3) included project advertisement, contract award, rehabilitation construction,
construction inspection and observation by the engineer, reservoir filling monitoring, dam rehabilitation
certification, and inspection and maintenance plan
development and implementation.
CHA brought additional value-added to the city
by designing a public information website to keep the
regions residents and businesses apprised of the projects progress. This provided a public education element that proved to be important because it explained
to residents and ratepayers how public expenditures
were used in a cost-efficient manner to provide water
and safety services to the community. The website
remains active, and can be viewed at www.glensfallswater.com.
Currently, work on three of the five dams has been
completed, and the final two are in the construction
phase. All five dams will be fully rehabilitated and in full

Mayors Water Council

See Glen Falls on page 14

Page 13

Reducing Wasted Drinking Water

Providence, Rhode Islands Proactive Leak
Detection Program
By Pam Malone, Itron Inc.
The Importance of Water Efficiency

According to the EPA, total demand on the nations

public water supply systems nearly tripled from 1950
2007. Shortages across the US in traditionally waterabundant regions such as the Southeast, and parts of the
East and Midwest, served as a shocking reminder that
no geographical area is left untouched. The situation is
exacerbated when demand is inflated by water loss due
to main breaks and leaky pipes. Under these scenarios, water suppliers and end-users spend unnecessary
financial resources and capital, often during times of
poor economic conditions. Wasted water also impacts
the environment as more water that is pumped, treated
and distributed requires energy/electricity; resulting in
increased green house gas emissions, in many cases.
On a local level, in an effort to address some of these
issues, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline published a
comprehensive report and strategic plan called Greenprint: Providence, (Matthew Soursourian, Greenprint:
Providence, www.providenceri.com/greenprint). The
Report is designed to help create a more sustainable
community and accelerate the Citys green economy.
The plan includes a number of aggressive goals and
objectives for the City and participants to reach by
engaging in best practices and implementation methods. Providence Water Supply Board (PWSB) is one of
the plans key participants because it provides a critical
resource that is vital to the life of every citizen water.
Mayor Cicilline stated, One of the most important
aspects of a strong local economy is water. Providence
Water continues to invest in projects that demonstrate

Glen Falls
from page 13

operation by June of 2011. The entire project will have

spanned six years and cost approximately $13 million.
By proactively and methodically addressing their
dam safety issues and working with a qualified consulting firm with verifiable dam engineering experience
and the NYSDEC Dam Safety Section, the city accomplished three important objectives: they brought their
water supply infrastructure up to date, enhanced the
safety of residents living in potential flood zones, and

new and innovative ways to

manage water resources in
a sustainable way and is
a major contributor to building a greener environment.

PWSBs Water
Conservation and
Greening Efforts
with Acoustic Leak
Detection

Although PWSBs water

resources may be considered abundant, 70 percent
(RI) Mayor
of its water is supplied to Providence
David N. Cicilline
outlying communities. The
strong external demand
requires the efficient use and protection of its water
supplies by employing information technology (IT)
solutions. This approach becomes critical as suburban development increases and population expands.
Moreover, using less water aids in reducing the Citys
carbon footprint, and this is consistent with the water
conservation and greening initiatives in Greenprint.
One such solution PWSB is utilizing is acoustic leak
detection. Earlier this year PWSB embarked on a comprehensive program to proactively prevent leaks and
avoid distribution pipeline maintenance costs. The utility is using Itrons Water Loss Management Solution
called MLOG to monitor leaks throughout PWSBs distribution system spanning over 870 miles.

See Providence on page 15

achieved compliance with New York States progressive dam safety regulations. These achievements suggest that the approach adopted by Glen Falls serves as
a Best Practice for other communities to address their
dam safety problems.
CHA is a full service engineering firm providing
planning and design services to municipalities in the
fields of civil, environmental, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical, structural, traffic and transportation
engineering as well as planning, survey, landscape
architecture, construction inspection, and technology
services. The firm employs 700 staff in over two-dozen
offices across the United States.

Mayors Water Council

Page 14

Providence
from page 14

How it works:

Detecting leaks in PWSBs water distribution system

is based upon measuring sound vibrations that travel
down distribution pipes. MLOG acoustic sensorsor
loggersare spaced out along the distribution system
adjacent to water meters. Sound vibrations are recorded over a four-hour period and collected wirelessly
with a mobile collector. The data is analyzed with
specialized online software alerting the utility if a leak
occurred. Compared to traditional leak detection methods, the MLOG technology provides an efficient, cost
effective and predictive way for PWSB to find leaks
before they present a major problem.

The program:

PWSB is planning to install 11,000 MLOGs in

selected locations throughout its service area. 8,400

sensors will be strategically located, and they are partially funded by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Act) Grant that also aids in meeting the Acts
Green Project Reserve investment requirements. Funds
from the grant provide additional benefits. The utility
trained its meter technicians to perform MLOG installations thereby broadening their skill set while enhancing
PWSBs water management program.
Since mid-May, weve installed 2,500 sensors and
discovered 40 leaks. Finding leaks so quickly helps in
reducing non-revenue water and promotes conservation. The MLOG system also enables us to mitigate
leaks from surfacing into main breaks resulting in possible road damage; and time, employee resources and
money to repair, said Mark Ceseretti, PWSBs MLOG
Program Manager.
Ceseretti remarked, Weve asked our customers to
be good water stewards. With the leak detection system, we are leading by example.

New Federal Water Mandates on Horizon

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
assembled public sector water organizations in Washington (DC) September 2 to conduct a public outreach
and consultation regarding their intention to propose
rules revising existing water quality standards under
authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The new
rules are currently scheduled to be proposed by the
summer of 2011 for comment. Final adoption of the
proposed rules has not yet been determined.
Among the rules under consideration, the antidegradation regulation would have important implications for state and local government. States would
be required to adopt specific antidegradation policies and identify implementation methods. States
would be required to specify methods to meet certain

minimum requirements to achieve or maintain water

quality standards, and they would be subject to EPA
review and approval/disapproval (this goes beyond
the current situation). Local government, in turn would
be required to implement measures to meet the water
quality standards and ensure that the water use designations are achieved or improved.
The EPA has not conducted any cost impact analyses on this subject. Nor has the Agency looked at cost
implications for the other five rules under consideration in this effort. During the meeting, EPA officials
recognized that cost impacts will be addressed, and
they will be requesting such information from states,
tribes and local government.

Mayors Water Council

Page 15

THE United States CONFERENCE OF MAYORS

Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director

1620 Eye Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: 202-293-7330
Fax: 202-293-2352
usmayors.org

Mayors Water Council

Page 16