Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 33 - Public Health - Local Governments And Rural Water Systems Improvements Board › Part 11 - Drinking Water Systems Improvements Revolving Loan Fund Program Regulations › Appendices › Appendix 33-11-G - Local Assistance and Other State Programs Annual Work plan Section 1452(g)(2) - Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996

Current through June 25, 2024
INTRODUCTION
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Bureau of
				  Public Water Supply (Department), will use the Local Assistance and Other State
				  Programs Set-aside of the DWSRF in a wellhead protection and assistance
				  program. The program will be eliminating inactive wells and/or open holes which
				  pose a contamination risk to the state's groundwater aquifers, by properly
				  abandoning them in accordance with state guidelines. Local governments realize
				  that the inactive wells/open holes pose a risk of contamination to the
				  groundwater which may be utilize via their active wells; however, funds to
				  properly abandon wells/holes are limited. The financial assistance provided
				  through this set-aside will allow the state, by way of contractual
				  agreement(s), to identify and then properly abandon inactive wells/open holes
				  posing contamination risks to the state's groundwater aquifers.
SELECTION PROCESS
The contract for coordination of the decommissioning/properly
				  closing inactive water wells/open holes was bid and awarded; the current
				  contract runs until June 30, 2019. A new contract for the
				  decommissioning/properly closing inactive water wells/open holes is currently
				  being developed in accordance with new State contracting requirements.
An Invitation For Bids (IFBs) for the coordination of the
				  decommissioning/properly closing inactive water wells/open holes was sent to
				  qualified potential contractors. Bids received were reviewed by the Department
				  to select the lowest and best bid for the agency. Recommendations for award of
				  a contract were presented to the Board at their regularly scheduled Board
				  meeting; following authorization by the Board, the coordination contract was
				  awarded.
The contracts for the coordination and
				  decommissioning/properly closing inactive water wells/open holes currently
				  reside as following:
The first contract (the coordination contract) - Mississippi
				  Rural Water Association (MsRWA).
The second contract (closure contract) - is currently being
				  developed in accordance with new State contracting requirements.
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
The activities described herein will be accomplished through
				  a four part process: Identification of wells / holes needing proper abandonment
				  for the protection of aquifers and the overall public health; communication
				  with public water supply that owns well/hole to encourage proper abandonment;
				  mobilization of well contractor to identified site to perform the work; and
				  confirmation that the work has been completed.
Identification
- The contractor will use a list
				  provided by the Department through a cooperative effort with the Mississippi
				  Department of Environmental Quality Office of Groundwater Resources (MDEQ) to
				  identify wells or open holes owned by particular water systems to be abandoned.
				  Wells/holes deemed high risk by MDEQ will be sought out first for abandonment.
				  Upon completion, wells/holes that are considered medium risk will be addressed
				  next, then low risk.
Communication -
Staff from the contractor will
				  meet with system officials to encourage them to properly abandon existing
				  inactive wells or open holes posing risk of contamination to their water system
				  and aquifer. This is considered essential to successfully achieving the goal of
				  abandoning those wells/holes posing risk.
Mobilization -
Once the communication phase has
				  been completed, staff of the MSW&MW, the licensed well driller contractor
				  and the well closure coordinator will mobilize to the selected site and
				  commence with the proper abandonment of the well/hole. This will be
				  accomplished in accordance with established guidelines set forth by the MDEQ
				  Office of Groundwater. When the abandonment is complete, the well contractor
				  will contact the well closure coordinator to inform them of project
				  completion.
Confirmation -
Staff of the well closure
				  coordinator will perform site visits to confirm proper abandonment of the
				  wells/holes. When the abandonment is confirmed, the well closure coordinator
				  will notify the Department to ensure that each abandoned well matches invoices
				  submitted for payment.
SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETING ACTIVITIES
The schedule for completing Local Assistance and Other
				  Program activities under this work plan will be the schedule established by set
				  contractual dates.
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
The MSDH will be monitoring contractors throughout the
				  process to ensure effective completion of contractual assignments.
EVALUATION PROCESS TO ASSESS THE SUCCESS OF SET-ASIDE
				  ACTIVITIES
The success of this set-aside will be defined by the ability
				  of the MSDH through the solicited contractor(s) to remove by proper abandonment
				  wells or open holes that potentially pose a risk to existing water supplies and
				  the aquifers which supply the well water.