Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 33 - Public Health - Local Governments And Rural Water Systems Improvements Board › Part 3 - Drinking Water Systems Improvements Revolving Loan Fund Program Regulations › Appendices › Appendix 33-3-E - Mississippi Small Systems Technical Assistance Set-Aside Work plan

Current through June 25, 2024
INTRODUCTION
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Bureau of
				  Public Water Supply (Department), proposes to use the Small Systems Technical
				  Assistance Set-Aside of the DWSRF in an assistance and training program
				  directed at improving the technical, managerial, and financial capabilities of
				  small community public water systems in the state. The goal of this program is
				  to assure that assistance is provided to all small community public water
				  systems that require such assistance to maintain adequate technical, financial,
				  and managerial capabilities necessary to comply with requirements of the
				  SDWA.
SELECTION PROCESS
A request for proposals (RFP) for the technical assistance
				  contracts was published in the legal section of The Clarion-Ledger and
				  proposals were received on May 10, 2013, from potential contractors. All
				  proposals were evaluated by the Department and recommendations for aware were
				  presented to the Board (at a regularly scheduled Board meeting); all contracts
				  were awarded.
All contracts cover a two-year period with an optional third
				  year to be exercised at the Board's discretion on July 1, 2015. The contracts
				  for technical assistance currently reside as following:
Small Systems Technical Assistance (long-term and
				  intermediate technical assistance) - Community Resources Group;
Board Management Training Monitoring and Coordination for
				  Water System Officials - Mississippi State University Extension Service;
Hands-On Operator Training - Mississippi Rural Water
				  Association;
PEER Review Program for Public Water Supplies - Mississippi
				  Rural Water Association.
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
The technical assistance program consists of four major
				  categories (see below) of activities that will be accomplished through
				  contracts with qualified organizations that are experienced in providing the
				  type of support required by each activity. These categories may be updated
				  and/or revised as a result of work plan reviews that will be conducted annually
				  during the life of the program. Amendments will be submitted whenever
				  activities or budgets change and when required to extend the term of the work
				  plan.
Small Systems Technical Assistance:
1.
- Long-term technical
				assistance
- This assistance is comprehensive in nature and is provided
				to an equivalent of sixteen (8) small public water systems annually. At a
				minimum, the contractor will provide comprehensive assistance to at least eight
				(8) public water systems per contract year. At the beginning of each contract
				year, the MSDH - Bureau of Public Water Supply will provide to the contractor a
				list of systems that are to receive this assistance. Within 30 days of the
				start date for that contract year, the contractor will identify, with the help
				of MSDH, eight (8) systems that will receive comprehensive technical
				assistance, complete an initial assessment of the needs of each of the eight
				(8) systems, and develop a work plan for each water system. The contractor
				shall submit the assessment and work plan for each system to MSDH for approval
				prior to initiating technical assistance. MSDH shall use its latest report of
				Capacity Ratings of Public Water Systems, along with the recommendations of
				MSDH staff and the contractor, to identify those public water systems that are
				to receive this assistance.
Activity Objective
- provide
				  long-term on-site comprehensive technical assistance to resolve problems
				  identified by contractor. Eight (8) systems will be chosen from a prepared
				  list.
Reporting/Evaluation
- written
				  progress reports using a format approved by MSDH will be furnished monthly to
				  MSDH and members of the Board by the contractor. The reports shall identify
				  progress made on the work plan developed for each system. The contractor shall
				  meet with the Board on a quarterly basis to update the Board on accomplishments
				  under this contract and answer any questions the Board might have regarding the
				  implementation of this contract.
2.
Intermediate technical assistance
				-
This assistance is selective in nature and consists of one or more
				additional contact or non-contact hours for public water systems previously
				receiving short-term assistance or systems not requiring comprehensive
				long-term assistance. Selection of systems will be based on the list supplied
				by MSDH for the remaining public water systems from the initially prepared
				list. Intermediate technical assistance projects will be counted toward the
				minimum sixteen (16) required comprehensive projects at a ratio of 2:1 (two
				intermediate projects will be the equivalent of one comprehensive project).
Activity Objective
- provide
				  intermediate on-site technical assistance to selected systems covering the
				  subject(s) determined by the contractor to be most needed.
Reporting/Evaluation
- written
				  progress reports using a format approved by MSDH will be furnished monthly to
				  MSDH and members of the Board by the contractor. The reports shall identify the
				  assistance provided to each system. The contractor shall meet with the Board on
				  a quarterly basis to update the Board on accomplishments under this contract
				  and answer any questions the Board might have regarding the implementation of
				  this contract.
Coordination and Monitoring of Board
				  Management Training for Water System Officials:
Section
				  41-26-101
				  of the Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated, states "Each member elected or
				  reelected after June 30, 1998, to serve on a governing board of any community
				  public water system, except systems operated by municipalities with a
				  population greater than ten thousand (10,000), shall attend a minimum of eight
				  (8) hours of management training within two (2) years following the election of
				  that board member. If a board member has undergone training and is reelected to
				  the board, that board member shall not be required to attend training. The
				  management training shall be organized by the MSDH. The management training
				  shall include information on water system management and financing, rate
				  setting and structures, operations and maintenance, applicable laws and
				  regulations, ethics, the duties and responsibilities of the association and
				  other organizations. The Department shall develop and provide all training
				  materials. To avoid board members having to interfere with their jobs or
				  employment, management training sessions may be divided into segments and, to
				  the greatest extent possible, shall be scheduled for evening sessions. The
				  Department shall conduct management training on a regional basis." The
				  contractor shall: serve as the coordinator for MSDH in regards to all
				  activities related to the implementation of the training program in the state;
				  randomly attend training sessions to ensure the established curriculum is being
				  followed and that the curriculum is relevant and effective; manage the Board
				  Member Training Curriculum Review Committee; continue to update the established
				  computerized database to accurately track the most current status of each board
				  member attending the program; and other related duties.
Activity Objective
- manage those
				  activities related to the effective training of the members of the governing
				  boards of small community public water systems.
Reporting/Evaluation
- Randomly
				  attend at least two sessions/contract year/training organization unannounced
				  and furnish both MSDH and the Board members a written report within 7 days of
				  attendance including the following information: review of presentation by
				  trainer(s); any needed remedial action; attendee comments; attendance roster;
				  and other related items. Written and oral quarterly reports shall be furnished
				  to MSDH and the Board members that include: attendee evaluation of the trainers
				  and training material; contractor evaluation of trainer(s); attendee comments;
				  attendance rosters; needed remedial action; curriculum review committee
				  meetings; itemized costs of training organization(s). Monthly reports
				  containing the above information shall be submitted to MSDH along with the
				  invoices for work performed under the contract. MSDH, affected board members,
				  and affected entities shall be provided with periodic reports listing those
				  board members who have not completed the board member training and the time
				  remaining for completion of the training.
Hands-On Operator Training:
The Contractor will provide practical, applied, "hands-on"
				  training for public water system operators in the State of Mississippi. MSDH
				  defines hands-on operator training for the purposes of this contract as
				  training that provides functional instruction in the necessary skills and
				  knowledge to be able to better fulfill the job requirements of a drinking water
				  system operator. The hands-on training will include a comprehensive approach
				  (lecture plus physical, hands-on sessions with equipment) for all operators
				  attending the training. Trainings are to include equipment/props pertinent to
				  the training topic(s) as a part of the training discussion.
Activity Objectives -
Provide a
				  minimum of sixteen (16) hands-on operator training sessions within the
				  year.
Reporting/Evaluation -
written
				  quarterly reports using a format approved by MSDH on Hands-On Operator
				  Training. The reports shall include but are not limited to:
a) details of sessions conducted;
b) number of attendees and their comments;
c) related problems that occurred
				during or as a result of a training session and any solution(s);
d) an itemized list of the costs incurred by
				the training organization; and
e)
				other related items. The contractor shall meet with the Board on a quarterly
				basis to update the Board on accomplishments under this contract and answer any
				questions the Board might have regarding the implementation of this
				contract.