Water Headlines for the week of November 14, 2011

Water Headlines is a weekly online publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water

In This Week?s Water Headlines:
 
1) EPA Renews Partnership to Improve Septic Systems
2) Success Spotlight: Carter Lake in Nebraska and Iowa 
3)  Register for Free Webinar on "Tools for Developing State Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies"
4) Subscribe to Water Headlines




1) EPA Renews Partnership to Improve Septic Systems
On November 9, 2011, EPA and 16 organizations renewed their commitment to improve septic system performance for over 26 million homes nationwide.  One of the challenges that communities face is the improper operation and maintenance of septic systems, leading to system malfunctions and potential health hazards. Today, one in five homes in the United States uses a septic system to handle its wastewater. Ten to 20 percent of all septic systems may not be properly functioning, which can pose risks to public health and the environment. 

Signatories to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) have doubled since its initiation in 2005 with eight public and private partners. The MOU partners have achieved a number of successes in encouraging proper management of septic systems and increasing collaboration among EPA, state and local governments, practitioners and assistance providers. The partnership has supported a credentialing program for septic system installers and a model septic system performance code, training opportunities and improved curriculum consistency to enhance the competencies of installers and maintenance professionals, coordinated research priorities, and a wiki website to serve as a one-stop shop for sharing decentralized wastewater information. 

For more information, visit: www.epa.gov/owm/onsite. 

2) Success Spotlight: Carter Lake in Nebraska and Iowa 
EPA?s Section 319 Program provides funding for restoration of nonpoint source-impaired waterbodies. Success stories are posted at: http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/success319/.
This week?s success spotlight shines on Carter Lake in Nebraska and Iowa. 

Carter Lake is a 315-acre oxbow lake along the Missouri River, which drains 2,722 acres of mostly urban, residential and commercial land. As a result of water quality problems, especially elevated levels of nitrogen in phosphorous in the lake, Iowa and Nebraska both placed Carter Lake on their 303(d) lists of impaired water bodies. 

In 2006, the cities of Carter Lake, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska started working with state and local agencies on a community-based planning process to restore Carter Lake. The city of Carter Lake installed five rain gardens totaling 17,503 square feet, and restoration partners have conducted an extensive nutrient educational effort targeted at fertilizer use and pet waste management. Algaecide was applied to the lake and a 100 acre no-wake zone was established in order to minimize sediment displacement. As a result, nutrient levels in Carter Lake have dropped, resulting in less algae and decreased levels of the toxin microcystin. Nebraska now plans to remove Carter Lake?s algal toxic impairment from its 2012 303(d) list. Efforts to further restore Carter Lake are ongoing, including a plan to manage increased vegetation growths.

For more information, visit: http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/success319/ne_carter.cfm 

3)  Register for Webinar on Tools for Developing State Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies

Join us for a free Watershed Academy Webinar, ?Nitrogen and Phosphorus Webinar Series: Tools for Developing State Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies,? on Nov. 30 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This webinar will help states and others stakeholders understand key tools they can use to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous pollution. The webinar will demonstrate EPA?s new nitrogen and phosphorus pollution data access tool designed to help states develop reduction strategies (www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/npdat). The webinar will also demonstrate the new, interactive SPARROW decision support system, designed by U.S. Geological Survey. The system can be used by water managers, researchers and the general public to map long-term water quality conditions and source contributions by stream reach and catchment, as well as track nitrogen and phosphorus transport to downstream receiving waters, such as reservoirs and estuaries. The system is available at: http://cida.usgs.gov/sparrow. 

This webinar is one in a series on the important issue of nutrient pollution. To register, please visit www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts.