What is emAlert? The emAlert
Emergency Notification System uses
21st century technology to provide the Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) with a way to communicate rapidly with our partners
in protecting Pennsylvania's citizens from environmental dangers.
The system links DEP electronically with operators of critical
infrastructure facilities throughout the Commonwealth.
What is a critical infrastructure facility? The emAlert system
has the ability to maintain contact information for six primary
types of critical infrastructure facilities at thousands of locations
throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Public Water Supplies,
Sewage Treatment Plants, Nuclear Power Plants, Conventional Fuel
Power Plants, High Hazard Dams and Large Above Ground Storage
Tanks.
Who can access the emAlert system? DEP maintains a database
of the above types of facilities that are operating in Pennsylvania.
If your organization operates one of the above types of facilities,
you may contact DEP at emalert@state.pa.us to request a subscription
to emAlert. DEP will contact you to discuss the issuance of user
authorization as well as specific instructions on how to access
and update your facility's information in the emAlert system.
How does emAlert work? In the event of an attack, accident,
natural disaster or other incident that threatens the safe operation
of the critical infrastructure facilities listed above, each
facility may receive an electronic notification of the situation.
This electronic notification system will allow state officials
to quickly disseminate information on how the situation is developing,
and on how owners and operators of critical infrastructure facilities
may be affected.
What do emAlert messages contain? An emAlert Emergency Notification
System message will provide you with pertinent details on the
event that has triggered the system. The message that you receive
will also have important contact information and safety instructions
specific to the particular event that has occurred.
What if I'm already a subscriber? Please ensure that the emAlert
system contains your up-to-date contact information. Contact
emalert@state.pa.us if
your phone number or e-mail address has changed after you subscribed
to the system.
How do I learn more about the emAlert
system? If you have questions
about emAlert, or wish to request a subscription, please contact
emalert@state.pa.us. You may also wish to visit www.dep.state.pa.us (Keyword "DEP
emAlert") for more information.
Public Drinking Water Suppliers Respond to Source Water Protection
Efforts
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) routinely conducts
assessments of the state's waters for the attainment of protected
uses, such as aquatic life, recreation, fish consumption and
special protection. In early 2004, DEP expanded opportunities
for the state's 350 filtered surface water suppliers to become
more involved in protecting their sources for the public water
supply use. The primary objective of this effort is to encourage
water suppliers to collect source water data on total coliforms
and nitrate-nitrite. These parameters in particular represent
acute health threats to consumers. In Pennsylvania, the 350 suppliers
provide drinking water to over 8 million residents and numerous
out-of-state visitors.
The ongoing monitoring program assesses and will ultimately
improve source water quality in Pennsylvania. One of the primary
interests of a public water supplier is to remove waterborne,
disease-causing organisms and other health-related contaminants
that are present in surface water sources. If the source water
concentrations overwhelm the treatment processes, or if a treatment
breakdown occurs due to human error or equipment malfunction,
the costs associated with a waterborne disease outbreak or other
illnesses are staggering. Furthermore, a public water supplier
using an impaired surface water source faces a continuing economic
impact due to the expenses related to the need to design, construct,
operate and maintain added infrastructure to better treat the
contaminated water. As a result, DEP requested assistance from
water suppliers in identifying surface water sources with water
quality limitations in Pennsylvania.
To date, water suppliers have collected and submitted raw water
quality data at over 60 intakes in response to DEP’s request
this year. Other suppliers also initiated monitoring later in
the year. Ultimately, DEP will use the data to help determine
if the quality of the source water meets the standards established
for the potable water supply use. If DEP determines that the
source is not attaining this use, the source water may be included
on Pennsylvania’s “303(d) list” of impaired
waters. Listed waters are subject to corrective actions, and
possibly the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL),
which controls pollutant loads throughout the watershed. More
importantly, any action taken to reduce pollutant loading will
also benefit water suppliers by reducing the health risks to
their customers and the economic and operational problems associated
with the use of impaired source waters.
This ongoing, voluntary monitoring program of surface water
sources is meant to help water suppliers and their customers
in the following manner:
- Under the US Environmental Protection Agency’s
Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, drinking
water suppliers that draw from source waters containing more
than one (1.0) Cryptosporidium oocyst/L are expected to incur
substantial costs for the addition of processes such as ozonation,
ultraviolet light irradiation, membrane filtration, and other
expensive technologies. Reducing microbiological pollution
will reduce Cryptosporidium loading.
- Reducing pathogen concentrations in source waters will
help prevent waterborne disease outbreaks and reduce instances
of endemic waterborne illnesses. Disease prevention saves
millions of dollars in expenses that businesses, homeowners,
local government and state government would incur in response
to an outbreak.
- Improving the source water quality helps reduce the
economic and operational problems associated with the use
of impaired source waters.
- Even "state of the art" treatment at a filtered
surface water supplier provides no guarantees. A treatment
breakdown due to equipment failure or human error represents
an on-going threat when the source water is highly contaminated.
It behooves Pennsylvania's water suppliers to remain involved
in reducing pathogen loading to their treatment facilities. DEP
is looking for data from more public water suppliers. For more
information, contact Phil Consonery at (717) 772-4018 or e-mail.
Information is also available on DEP's web site at www.dep.state.pa.us (use the keyword: "dep
filtration" to
view the information under “Source
Water Quality Report”).
New Grant Program
On January 19, 2005, the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA)
adopted guidelines to administer the PennWorks Program (The
Water Supply and Wastewater Infrastructure Program established
under Act 218 of 2004). The program provides single-year
or multiyear grants to municipalities and municipal authorities
and loans to municipalities, municipal authorities, industrial
development corporations and investor-owned water or wastewater
enterprises for projects which construct, expand or improve water
and wastewater infrastructure, which are related to economic
development. Review
the Guidelines for this program. (PDF: 227KB)
Scholarship Award Program
The WWOAP Scholarship Committee annually awards one $1,500 grant
to any WWOAP member in good standing, to his or her dependent;
or to a deserving student in his or her pursuit of higher education.
The successful applicant must be a Pennsylvania resident, but
may select an out-of-state institution (such as a technical institute,
college, university or graduate school*).
Although not essential to the grant award, it is desired that
the successful applicant pursue a course of study that applies
to the water supply industry.
The annual scholarship application deadline is April 1.
Please contact WWOAP Secretary-Treasurer Duane
R. Close at P.O. Box 1303, York, PA 17405
for more information about the scholarship process. Click
here to download a .doc version of the scholarship application.
* Effective as of January 12, 1994.
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