FWPCOA Training Calendar

News Beat Continued from page 54 manage and execute drinking water programs at scale.

“Hach is the original pioneer of expert solutions for water analysis around the globe. Together we can bring an end-to-end drinking water compliance platform to our mutual utility customers,” said Megan Glover, chief executive officer of 120Water. “This is especially important as many utilities face ongoing resource constraints, in addition to the new challenges based on proposed changes to the Lead and Copper Rule, which is already one of the most complex requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.”

The turnkey platform was built specifically for the water industry and can be used across a broad scope of drinking water programs, such as lead service line replacement, and can be applied to multiple contaminants, including lead and arsenic. The solution will integrate with Claros™, the water intelligence system from Hach, extending its ability to apply data management and process management to drinking water compliance.

“We’re excited about our partnership with 120Water and how it extends our ability to help our customers provide the highest quality water to their consumers,” said Jeff Stock, vice president of marketing at Hach. “With this partnership, as well as the recent announcement of the acquisition of Aquatic Informatics into Danaher’s water quality platform, Hach is better positioned than ever before to support customers in their ambitions to ensure water quality, optimize their processes, and overcome budget constraints.”

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In anticipation of harmful discharges released from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries, the

Florida Department of Environmental

Protection (FDEP) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) are preparing for the use of innovative technology to mitigate blue-green algae, if needed, following a recent announcement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps).

Although algal bloom conditions on Lake Okeechobee have improved in recent weeks and there is no concerning presence of an algal bloom on the lake near discharge structures, Gov. Ron DeSantis has directed FDEP and SFWMD to be ready to respond to protect south Florida estuaries and communities.

“Harmful algal blooms have a debilitating effect on our ecosystems and our communities,” said Gov. DeSantis. “That is why, for the first time, I made it a priority to secure dedicated funding to deploy innovative technology to mitigate blue-green algae blooms. I will continue to advocate for better management of Lake Okeechobee and the resources needed to bolster our natural resource protection efforts. Our economy and way of life depend on it.”

Approximately $10 million was appropriated in Fiscal Year 2019-20 specifically for innovative technologies to combat and clean up harmful algal blooms. The FDEP’s Innovative Grant Program (IGP) facilitated the allocation of this funding following recommendations made by FDEP’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force. The recommendations included an investment in a diverse portfolio of technologies to prevent, detect, and address harmful algal blooms in a cost-effective, environmentally safe, and scalable fashion. To continue this investment, another $10 million was appropriated for additional projects in the FY2020-21 budget.

One of grants that has been awarded through the IGP is for $1.7 million to St. Johns River Water Management District to evaluate the application of a hydrogen peroxide-based algicide to prevent algal bloom formation in Lake Minneola. This is a proprietary innovative algicide developed by BlueGreen US Waters Technology Inc. and was demonstrated during the governor’s trade mission to Israel in 2019. This will be the first of its kind to be tested in Florida. It will be used to illustrate how hydrogen peroxide can repress harmful algal growth and induce the succession of phytoplankton communities from a harmful to nonharmful state. This technology could be deployed along the C-44 Canal, if algae mitigation is needed to protect the St. Lucie Estuary as a result of harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee.

“The decision by the Corps to begin discharges is disappointing, but the state remains committed to leveraging every possible resource toward studying and understanding algal blooms so we can prevent harmful algal blooms from disrupting our ecosystems and communities,” said Noah Valenstein, FDEP secretary. “Innovative technologies are a component of our multifaceted approach to protecting water quality in Florida.”

“I’m grateful that we can improve water quality across Florida and reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the northern estuaries,” said Chauncey Goss, SFWMD chair. “Our partnership with FDEP is ready to bring innovative technologies and other immediate solutions to protecting our water resources in South Florida, while we expedite critical restoration projects, like the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Project.”

“This action is a direct result of recommendations made by the Blue-Green Algae Task Force. Although the task force emphasized the importance of preventative measures, it recommended clearly that FDEP invest in a broad suite of technologies, including those capable of reducing the abundance of algae and toxins they produce,” said Dr. Tom Frazer, chief science officer. “The application of the proprietary algaecide to release water coming from Lake Okeechobee holds a great deal of promise and we’re prepared to evaluate the efficacy of the technology to help guide future mitigation efforts around the state.”

Over the past two years, there has been focus on promoting water management that improves water quality, supports beneficial vegetation growth and ecosystem responses, and provides flood protection and water supply. Specifically with regard to Everglades restoration, the state has been leading the effort to expedite critical Everglades restoration infrastructure, including work on the Central Everglades Planning Project and EAA Reservoir, the Caloosahatchee and C-44 Reservoirs, and raising the Tamiami Trail. Historic federal funding for Everglades restoration by President Trump, combined with more than $625 million per year in state funding secured for Everglades restoration and statewide water quality investments, have provided unprecedented momentum for important water projects.

All of these efforts, however, cannot guarantee an end to devastating releases from Lake Okeechobee. More flexible water management policies by the Corps and significant increases in large-scale water infrastructure and storage are critical elements to minimizing the risk of future detrimental discharges.

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The former superintendent of the wastewater treatment plant in Sioux City, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to manipulating water sample test results to show that plant discharges into the Missouri River met federal requirements.

Jay Niday, 63, entered his pleas in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to charges of conspiracy and falsifying or providing inaccurate information. He faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and fines of up to $260,000, although Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Vavricek said he did not expect Niday’s sentence to be close to the maximum levels. A sentencing date will be set once the U.S. Probation Office has completed a presentence investigation.

Niday admitted that, from 2012 through June 2015, he and at least one other person at the treatment plant manipulated chlorine levels to make it appear that the city was meeting federal E. coli standards when wastewater samples were tested.

Niday is the second former plant official to be charged. Patrick Schwarte, who was a shift