June 17, 2002 -- On June 12, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law new anti-terrorism measures that has made it mandatory for water utilities to conduct vulnerability assessments to ensure the safety of the country's drinking water.
Federal funding is now available for Haestad Methods' RAM-WSM Plus training program, which applies to parties who will be conducting these assessments, developing emergency response plans, and upgrading existing security measures.
Organizations who qualify for grant funding are required to use these monies within six months of receipt. This deadline, combined with the urgency of these new federal regulations, make it imperative that water professionals get the knowledge they need to assist in national security initiatives.
Sandia National Laboratories, a consultant for the U.S. Department of Energy, has worked in conjunction with the AWWA Research Foundation to create Risk Assessment Methodology for Water Utilities (RAM-W) training. In a highly selective process, Haestad Methods has been licensed by Sandia to conduct RAM-W training throughout the United States, based on their superior training capabilities, expertise in water security matters, and an outstanding reputation in the water resources industry.
Haestad Methods RAM-W Plus training is based on Sandia's RAM-W methodologies, with added material concerning distribution system vulnerability. This comprehensive training package only offered by Haestad Methods has been created using the same standard of excellence that defines their highly acclaimed Continuing Education program, making it the most accelerated and comprehensive security training available.
To help promote security training, Congress has created the EPA Security Planning Grant Program, which supplies the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a total allocation of US$89 million to disburse in the form of individual grants up to $115,000 to those utilities who qualify.
Another existing source of financial aid, the EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) provides grant funding to states to allow them to assist public water systems (PWS) in making infrastructure improvements. States may provide DWSRF assistance to PWSs to allow them to finance activities that protect sources of drinking water and enhance their technical, financial, and managerial capacity.
In May 2002, Haestad Methods launched RAM-W Plus training in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional dates and locations available for the remainder of 2002 and the first quarter of 2003.
Additional Information on Funding:
EPA Security Planning Grant/H.R. 3178
In response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. EPA received a supplemental appropriation from Congress to improve the safety and security of our nation's water supply. The $89 million is intended to reduce the vulnerability of water utilities to terrorist attacks and to enhance their security and ability to respond to emergency situations. For more information on the EPA Grant Program, visit...
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/security/large_grants.html
EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF):
The EPA DWSRF program provides grant funding to states to allow them to assist public water systems (PWS) to make infrastructure improvements needed to protect public health. States may provide DWSRF assistance to PWSs to allow them to complete vulnerability assessments. Many of the infrastructure improvements water systems would need to ensure security are also eligible for DWSRF funding. For more information on the EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/security-fs.pdf
For more information from Haestad, visit http://www.haestad.com.
