ON THE LONG ROAD TO COMPLIANCE

Weber Basin Job Corps (WBJC) is a Department of Labor Career Technical Training Program. The facility is administered through the US Forest Service which has to work with two different federal agencies in order to determine budgets and potential funding sources. WBJC had received a correspondence from the
State of Utah Division of Drinking Water (DDW) indicating they met the requirements to be a regulated public drinking water system.

They requested support from the Rural Water Association of Utah (RWAU) Compliance Specialist and Training Supervisor, Brian Pattee for help through the process. A meeting was set up enabling Brian to help them interpret the DDW Compliance Rule requirements.

In their meeting they went over every item identified by the DDW letter, creating a detailed plan to address each requirement listed. They began with sampling and monitoring. At the time, WBJC was behind on their sampling & monitoring schedule which had accrued violations. Brian trained and instructed them to begin collecting their monthly Routine Bacteriological Sample and start monitoring the chlorine residuals. Per the rule on chlorine residuals, this requires 3 samples per week.

He advised the system that they needed to have someone on staff to become a Certified Operator. Subsequently, they were able to have 2 on staff become certified through RWAU conferences and trainings. Brian also discussed with the system the need for Plan Approval and Operating Permit from the DDW for facilities. They agreed that WBJC needed to hire an engineering firm to work on creating and obtaining both the plan approval and operating permit for their facilities. WBJC would also need to contact Weber Basin Water Conservancy District to complete the appropriate forms for source water approval.

Cross Connection Control Program elements also needed to be addressed. Brian taught WBJC staff Back-flow 101 to suffice one of the elements, he also provided templates for the other Cross Connection Control elements in order to meet the requirements to develop a program through to completion. The Consumer Confidence Report needed to be updated and RWAU provided them with aid to accomplish this as well.

Training was also provided for them on lead & copper sampling and lead & copper sampling site plans. They were required to do a baseline level of samples before the system could go to a reduced monitoring sample. Because of this, they also setup up a monitoring schedule for lead and copper as well as DBP Stage 2 monitoring. Brian instructed staff on what Disinfection By-Products were and why systems have to monitor for them. He trained and assisted staff on the correct procedure on collecting these samples and in mapping the 2 sites for the DBP sample collection. Concerns for the older mainline piping and dead-end lines came up which warranted assistance in a flushing plan as well. A fire hydrant flushing schedule was created to ensure dead ends with potential stagnant lines were periodically flushed.

Brian attended many DDW meetings and had conference calls advising and supporting WBJC through this long and tedious process. The staff at WBJC were excellent to work with. Danica, Steve, and Jesse were very proactive and professional keeping the safety of the water system user’s at their highest priority. Assisting a water system on the road to compliance is a long but rewarding journey. Those rewards come to fruition as dedicated staffers, like those at WBJC, do whatever it takes to provide professional service to communities they serve. As of this article, the system is on track to becoming an approved public water system.