Texas on Tap: May 2020

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COVID-19 Essential Employees: Maintaining Water Operations During a Pandemic Also Inside: Protect Yourself Online from COVID-19 and Coronavirus-related Scams Plugging Abandoned Water Wells

Your Texas Rural Water News Source Texas Rural Water Association | www.trwa.org | (512) 472-8591

Texas Water Supplies are Safe

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espite quarantine protocols altering other parts of our lives to minimize risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus, the delivery of safe drinking water is not in jeopardy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. The virus is highly responsive to conventional water treatment and disinfection methods such as those used by drinking water utilities. Tap water is also important for handwashing, which is encouraged as one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The employees of your water system are working tirelessly to supply treated water or wastewater services to homes and businesses in your community. There are no delays, restrictions or supply shortages. For this reason, it is unnecessary to stockpile bottled water. Shortages of bottled water can be completely avoided by citizens using the safe drinking water being delivered right to their homes.

Ninety-four percent of water utilities nationwide are rural or small municipal systems serving populations of less than 10,000. In Texas, thousands of rural water suppliers are scattered across the state serving small communities far off the beaten path. The Texas Rural Water Association (TRWA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association that serves these rural and small water suppliers by providing them a variety of support services that enable them to ensure the safe water supply of millions of Texans. The safety of the state’s water supply and the health of water users across the state is of the highest importance to TRWA and its members, including your water utility.

We recommend you monitor updates with your state and local media outlets or contact your water provider directly with any concerns. For the latest information from the CDC on COVID-19 and water transmission, visit their website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/water.html.

Thank you, essential workers!

The efforts of essential workers are critical to keeping society functioning, making sure Texas stays safe, healthy and has access to all of the resources we need. Your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed!

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Texas on Tap — May 2020

COVID-19 Essential Employees: Maintaining Water Operations During a Pandemic

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lean water plays a very important role in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and so do the employees that keep our water and wastewater infrastructures running smoothly. As the country continues to fight against COVID-19, it is crucial that essential employees keep our society functioning by continuing to ensure the safe supply of water to our communities, especially to our hospitals.

On March 19, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a memorandum identifying essential critical infrastructure workers during the COVID-19 response, including employees needed to operate and maintain drinking water and wastewater/drainage infrastructure.

Essential Employees Helping Customers During Difficult Times The essential employees of the water industry are working together to ensure that customers continue to have access to water during this global pandemic.

On March 27, 2020, the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urged Governors across the nation to ensure that water and wastewater workers, as well as the manufacturers and suppliers who provide vital goods and services to the water sector, will be considered essential workers and businesses by state authorities when enacting restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19.

The following day, the DHS released guidance that recognized the functions that were deemed “essential� for critical infrastructure workers. By designating water and wastewater workers as essential, employees can work in the public despite any shelter-in-place orders.

State and Federal Employee Functions During COVID-19: Water authorities, water systems and wastewater treatment facilities are continuing to provide services to their customers by repairing water and wastewater pipelines, performing required sampling and maintaining digital systems infrastructure that support water and wastewater operations. They are also overseeing and maintaining water treatment/ collection facilities and performing water distribution and testing.

On the federal level, agencies such as the EPA are working with states to provide resources to rural water systems through programs like the U.S. Department of Agriculture Circuit Rider Program, which helps with systems that are experiencing day-to-day operational, financial or managerial issues.

The Circuit Rider Program is an essential service that plays a key role in the way the federal government plans to respond to the demands of rural systems, particularly during a national disaster such as a pandemic in which potable water supplies and public heath are at risk. At the state level, Circuit Riders are often the first point of contact and frequently work with the emergency management response teams to find solutions to problems as they arise.

Operators: Working the Frontlines of a Pandemic to Ensure Your Household Has Access to Water Between layoffs, shutdown orders and people falling ill, COVID-19 has already disrupted the workforce in a major way, and some experts believe it could get worse before it gets better. When a water/wastewater operator becomes ill, it will be crucial for another person to step in and maintain operations.

In preparation for major disasters, professionals in the water industry established the Texas Water/ Wastewater Agency Response Network (TXWARN) to provide water utilities with emergency planning, response and recovery information before, during and after an emergency.

TXWARN is compiling a pool of certified water/ wastewater operators who will volunteer to provide support to neighboring utilities during their time of need. Texas Rural Water Association and your utility are proud partners with TXWARN and will continue to work together to find operators willing to help utilities when they need it most.

Your water utility is committed to keeping you informed and will continue to provide resources and updates to their website as things change.

Texas on Tap — May 2020

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Plugging Abandoned Water Wells

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ore than half of the water used in Texas is supplied by aquifers. That makes groundwater one of our most precious resources and protecting the quality of this water is the responsibility of all our citizens and landowners.

A major threat to the quality of groundwater is abandoned water wells that are found across the state.

These wells are a direct conduit from the surface to the aquifer below. Any contaminants on the surface can flow directly into the groundwater without natural filtration from the soil. Deterioration of the well casing can also allow the co-mingling of two aquifers that are chemically different. Not only can contaminants wash into an abandoned well, but an unaware person may utilize the well to dispose of unwanted chemicals, oils and paints, or even car batteries and other household items. This puts the aquifer and those using the aquifer at a health risk.

Abandoned wells may be found in various shapes, depths, casing sizes, condition and locations. Sometimes a well is hard to find, particularly when property has changed hands and the new landowner doesn’t know the history of the past land uses. To assist in locating wells, look for signs such as: • Old windmills or pieces of windmills, as these are always associated with a water well • Location of old homesteads • An unexplained sinkhole • An odd pipe protruding from the ground • A hole that has been covered with boards, corrugated tin, etc.

• An abandoned electrical source located in an odd place Plugging of these abandoned wells is extremely important. One thing to keep in mind is, should a contamination issue be tracked back to a specific well, the landowner can and usually will be held financially responsible for damages and cleanup. This could be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

When is a water well considered abandoned?

A well is considered abandoned if it has not been used for six consecutive months. However, if the well’s equipment is in good working condition or if it has been capped, it is deemed "in use." Call a licensed well driller in your area, the Texas Well Driller/Pump Installer/ Abandoned Well Program of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) (800-803-9202) or your local Groundwater Conservation District if you are uncertain if your well is legally abandoned.

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Texas on Tap — May 2020

How can an abandoned water well be taken care of?

There are three ways you can deal with an abandoned water well. First, you can return the well to an operable state by ensuring the casing, pump and pump column are in good shape. Second, you can cap the well to prevent surface water or contaminants from entering it. The cap must support 400 pounds and it cannot be easily removed by hand. The preferred method is to plug the well from the bottom up with bentonite chips, bentonite grout or cement. Large-diameter wells can also be filled with clay-based soils, compacted clay or caliche soil.

Who can legally plug an abandoned well?

The three people who can legally plug an abandoned water well include the landowner, a licensed water well driller or a pump installer.

The landowner may plug an abandoned well on their property if the guidelines of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality are followed. This guide may be downloaded from www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/ comm_exec/pubs/rg/rg-347.pdf. Within 30 days after the well is plugged, a plugging report must be completed, which can be found online at https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ wwd/abandonedwells.htm. You should also send a copy of the plugging report to the groundwater conservation district if your property is located within one. It is also a good idea to contact your water utility to inform them of your intent to plug an abandoned well. This allows your water utility to keep more accurate records of abandoned wells within their service area.

Instead of doing the work yourself, it is recommended that you hire a local licensed well contractor or pump installer to plug your abandoned water well. These individuals will possess the proper equipment and understanding of the soil conditions that affect how the well should be plugged. They will also complete and file all necessary forms with the state.

Is there financial assistance to help plug a well?

Some groundwater conservation districts do have funds to assist landowners with plugging wells. To check your district for possible funding, go to https://tgpc.texas. gov/water-wells/. This website will bring up an interactive map. Simply move your curser over your county. This will indicate if you have a conservation district, contact information and the amount of funds available. Please consider being proactive and plug wells that are no longer in use.

Coming Soon: Consumer Conf idence Reports In today’s world, most organizations communicate via the internet, email, social media or other form of online communications, so sometimes important information that you need to focus on gets lost in the mix. However, you will be receiving notification of a document by July 1, 2020, that you will want to give your attention to.

The document is entitled “Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)” which serves to inform you about the quality of your drinking water. The document will be written in plain language, making it easy to understand.

The CCR summarizes previously collected water sample data by your water utility in accordance with regulations established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Information contained in the CCR includes chemical and bacteriological data; your water utility’s compliance with drinking water standards; information regarding the source(s) of water used by your water utility (i.e.., rivers, lakes, reservoirs or aquifers); educational health information; water utility contact information; and information about public participation opportunities.

Electronic delivery is the way most utilities are now delivering these reports. Your water utility may notify you in a billing statement or by other means that the report has been posted on their website along with the URL where it can be found. Some utilities are still mailing the reports and those with 500 or fewer customers may choose to deliver them door-to-door.

If you live in a multi-family housing unit or work in a school or community center, the utility may post notices that the CCR is available or make other efforts to ensure that everyone who consumes their water knows where to access the report.

Again, the purpose of the Consumer Confidence Report is to keep consumers informed about the quality of their drinking water. Therefore, it is important that you keep an eye out for this document and take the time to read the information enclosed within. Should any questions or concerns arise, do not hesitate to contact your water utility for an explanation.

Don't Flush Disinfectant Wipes

As a reminder, never flush disinfectant wipes or paper towels down the toilet. Even if marketed as “flushable” or “biodegradable,” these products cause major issues and sometimes even equipment failure for your treatment plant, putting the treatment process at risk. Flushing these items also affects the personnel responsible for the sewer collection and treatment systems, resulting in longer work hours to locate and remove blockages.

If your house uses a septic tank, these products can clog the sewer line between your house and your tank, which can cause the septic to back up into the house. It can also reduce the efficiency of your septic system and increase your maintenance burden, resulting in higher costs and burden.

Texas on Tap — May 2020

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Protect Yourself Online from COVID-19 and Coronavirus-related Scams

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ybercriminals are opportunists who are always adjusting their tactics to take advantage of their victims, and the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic is no exception. These criminals are exploiting the wide-spread desire for information, concern and fear surrounding the virus and a high-stress situation to attack people when they are most vulnerable.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently announced they are seeing a growing use of COVID-19 related themes by cyber attackers to target individuals and businesses of all sizes.

Phishing is a very common tactic in which deceptive emails or websites are used to either solicit sensitive information or distribute malware to victims. In the wake of the pandemic, cybercriminals have been using phishing campaigns using the subject of the virus as a lure. They use legitimate-looking logos, official sounding titles and impersonate sender information so the email looks like it’s coming from a trustworthy source.

Examples of recent observed phishing email subject lines include: 2020 Coronavirus Updates; Coronavirus Updates; 2019-nCov: New confirmed cases in your City; 2019-nCov: Coronavirus outbreak in your city.

These emails often contain a call to action that encourage the victim to either open an attachment, download a file or visit a website that the bad actor then uses to either steal valuable data, such as usernames or passwords, credit card information and other information, or distribute malware. In some instances, links embedded in the email will take the user to a fraudulent page that is impersonating a trusted site, such as Microsoft or Google, and prompt the user to enter their username and password. Once entered, the site captures your information, which enables the cybercriminal to access your online accounts.

Though most phishing attempts come by email, it can be carried out by other means as well, such as by messaging services like text messaging or WhatsApp. These attempts tend to have a financial theme, prompting victims to surrender their contact and banking information under the false premise that they are signing up for government employment or financial support packages. In general, be suspicious of any messaging about government aid packages responding to COVID-19, as this will continue to be a popular theme.

Phishing campaigns intended to deploy malware typically prompt a user to open an attachment or click on 6

Texas on Tap — May 2020

a link to a malicious website to download a file that then compromises the device in use. Malware can be designed to do a range of things and can take on many forms.

Common forms of malware include: • Spyware — Malware designed to covertly gather information and report back to the attacker.

• Ransomware — Malware designed to encrypt your data so the attacker can demand something as ransom.

• Virus — A self-replicating program that attaches itself to a clean file and spreads, infecting files.

• Trojan — Malware that enters your system disguised as a normal, harmless file or program to trick users into downloading and installing additional malware.

• Worm — Malware that spreads copies of itself from computer to computer by exploiting operating system vulnerabilities.

COVID-19/Coronavirus-related themes are currently being used to encourage users to open files containing malware. One known example of this is a campaign attempting to distribute a file named “President discusses budget savings due to coronavirus with Cabinet.rtf.”

Other recent examples include a fraudulent email campaign appearing to be sent from the DirectorGeneral of the World Health Organization and a similar campaign falsely offering face masks and thermometers to fight the pandemic.

These are just a few examples of recent scams designed by cybercriminals. Make yourself a harder target and take proactive steps to protect yourself and your sensitive information. Some of these steps should include: • If you are seeking information related to the pandemic, visit trusted websites such as the Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov.

• Exercise caution when handling any email with a COVID-19/Coronavirus-related subject line, attachment or links, especially when the email is from an unfamiliar source.

• Always be wary of unsolicited messages, calls or social media pleas related to COVID-19.

• Never reveal personal or financial information in email and do not respond to email solicitations.

• Verify a charity’s authenticity before making donations.

Visit the CISA’s website at us-cert.gov for additional guidance on how to protect yourself online. The agency has created a hub specifically for issues related to the Coronavirus and COVID-19 at cisa.gov/coronavirus.

About half of Texas’ water comes from aquifers Seymour

Ogallala

Trinity Carrizo-Wilcox

Pecos Valley

Hueco-Mesilla Bolsons Edwards-Trinity

AQUIFER: an underground area of gravel and sand that holds water.

Gulf Coast

Edwards

Find the names of aquifers in Texas

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Activity page developed by the Texas Water Development Board and illustrated by Seth Mabbott with creative direction from Camille Fredin. The full activity book can be found online at www.twdb.texas.gov

Texas Rural Water Association

1616 Rio Grande | Austin, Texas 78701

Texas on Tap Published by: Texas Rural Water Association 1616 Rio Grande, Austin, TX 78701 www.trwa.org

TRWA Editorial Staff Lara Zent, Editor in Chief Allison Kaminsky, Managing Editor Kelsey Copeland, Art Director

Questions?

General correspondence should be directed to your utility office.

Editorial inquiries may be directed TRWA Communications Staff at (512) 472-8591 or editor@trwa.org On the Cover: Red Pump in Lubbock Photo Credit: Alison M. Jones