Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 33 - Public Health - Local Governments And Rural Water Systems Improvements Board › Part 19 - Drinking Water Systems Improvements Revolving Loan Fund Program Regulations › APPENDICES › Appendix 33-19-E - EMERGING CONTAMINANTS TESTING

Current through June 25, 2024
INTRODUCTION
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Bureau of
				  Public Water Supply (Department), will use the
Small System Technical
				  Assistance Set-Aside & Local Assistance and Other State Programs
				  Set-aside
of the DWSRF EC in an Emerging Contaminants Testing Program.
				  The program will be surveying the State's drinking water system to identify,
				  plan, and assist water systems in testing their system to identify emerging
				  contaminants for treatment projects. Emerging contaminants are defined as those
				  listed on EPA's Contaminant Candidate Lists (CCL1- CCL5).
SELECTION PROCESS
The contract for coordination of the program will run on a
				  State Fiscal Year Basis. A contract is currently being developed in accordance
				  with State contracting requirements.
A Request for Qualifications will be advertised statewide.
				  Qualifications received will be reviewed by the Department to select the best
				  qualified candidate for the agency. Recommendations for award of a contract
				  will be presented to the Board at their regularly scheduled Board meeting;
				  following authorization by the Board, the coordination contract will be
				  awarded.
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
The state will use the Small Systems Technical Assistance (up
				  to 2%) set-aside from the BIL EC FFY-2023 Cap Grant to provide funding for EC
				  Test to ultra small systems serving a population of 300 or less. With approval
				  by the Board, the state intends to use this set-aside to fund a contract for
				  providing professional services to water systems with a population of less than
				  300. This assistance with will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis
				  to water systems serving a population of 300 or less.
The state intends to use the first 10% of the 15% set-aside
				  amount which is allowed from the FFY-2023 BIL EC Cap grant to provide funding
				  for sampling for PFAS for water systems with population less than 1,000 but
				  greater than 300 that are not currently required to sample for UCMR-5.
The state intends to use the remaining 5% of the 15%
				  set-aside amount which is allowed from the FFY-2023 EC Cap grant to provide
				  funding for sampling for PFAS for water systems with population less than 3,300
				  and greater than or equal to 1,000 that are not currently required to sample
				  for UCMR-5.
With approval by the Board, the state intends to use this
				  set-aside to fund contract(s) for providing professional services for EC
				  testing to water systems of three separate size categories: A.) ultra-small
				  systems serving a population of 300 or less B.) very small systems serving a
				  population of less than 1,000 and greater than or equal to 300 and C.) small
				  systems serving a population of less than 3,300 and greater than or equal to
				  1,000. This assistance will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis to
				  water systems serving a population that falls within these categories.
The activities described herein will be accomplished through
				  a four-part process:
identification
of testing projects from our
				  priority list and/or communication with the Program's Project Management Staff
				  or the Department's Regional Engineers;
communication
with public
				  water supply;
mobilization
of contractor to identified site to
				  develop plans and perform testing; and
confirmation
that the work
				  has been performed.
Identification
- The contractor will survey our
				  priority list and/or communication with the Program's Project Management Staff
				  or the Department's Regional Engineers while identifying the proper set-aside
				  category to fund the potential testing.
Communication
- Staff from the contractor will
				  meet with system officials to inform them of the program, explain what Emerging
				  Contaminants Testing looks like for their system, and encourage them to take
				  advantage of funding through our program.
Mobilization
- Once the communication phase has
				  been completed and the system request to move forward, staff of the contractor
				  will mobilize to the selected site and commence with the plan and testing of
				  the System's drinking water. Acceptable methods of testing will be determined
				  and outlined by the Department then communicated to the contractor.
Confirmation
- Staff of the contractor will
				  provide the Program's Project Management staff with results and recommendations
				  for an Emerging Contaminants Treatment Project.
SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETING ACTIVITIES
The schedule for completing Emerging Contaminants Testing
				  Program activities under this work plan will be the schedule established by set
				  contractual dates.
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Program 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 these set-asides will be defined by the
				  ability of the MSDH through the solicited contractor(s) to identify, plan, and
				  assist water systems in Emerging Contaminants Testing that lead to Emerging
				  Contaminants Treatment Projects to create safer drinking water for all
				  consumers of Mississippi's drinking water.