RD20 - Efficacy of Virginia’s Waterworks Capacity Development Strategy -- July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2014

  • Published: 2015
  • Author: Department of Health
  • Enabling Authority: Federal Safe Drinking Water Act - Section 1420(c)(3)

Executive Summary:
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Drinking Water (ODW) is the primacy agency for implementation of the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The following report has been prepared pursuant to Section 1420(c)(3) of the SDWA, and constitutes the fifth report to the Governor on Virginia’s Capacity Development Strategy for public waterworks. This Section requires that the primacy agency “shall submit a report to the Governor that shall also be available to the public on the efficacy of the strategy and progress made toward improving the technical, managerial and financial capacity of water systems in the state.” The first report was submitted to the Governor two years after the Commonwealth adopted the Capacity Development Strategy which was subsequently approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in May, 2000, and subsequent reports are required every three years.

The capacity of a public waterworks is comprised of technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) components. These components demonstrate the waterworks ability to reliably produce and deliver safe, affordable drinking water to citizens of Virginia. Assessment of these components measures a waterworks ability to plan, achieve, and maintain compliance with the SDWA. Technical capacity is demonstrated through the physical infrastructure of a waterworks including its water source, and in the knowledge and skill required to properly operate the facility. Managerial capacity is evidenced by a waterworks’ planning, organization, and implementation of compliance with the SDWA. Financial capacity is documented by the waterworks’ reports on its revenues, expenses, loan ratios, and related financial data.

The TMF elements that constitute capacity are interdependent; all three elements are essential for ensuring the sustainability of a public waterworks. Weakness in one element of capacity can in turn impair the other elements. For example, waterworks that demonstrate a lack of financial capacity by setting inadequate service rates are not able to plan for future maintenance.

The SDWA requires that states develop and implement programs that will help all new and existing public waterworks gain sufficient TMF capacity to ensure and enhance their continued operation. To fulfill this requirement, VDH – ODW has devised a Capacity Development Strategy, which was originally approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in May, 2000 and was revised and submitted to EPA in February, 2014. The EPA Drinking Water Branch Chief, Mr. William Arguto, approved the revised plan by letter dated May 29, 2014.

The Capacity Development Strategy is an effective tool to improve the TMF capacity of Virginia’s public waterworks ability to reliably produce and deliver safe drinking water to consumers. The incorporation of the strategy into ODW’s major program activities and the daily work of staff maximize the potential for successful capacity development.

Since July 1, 2014; ODW has staffed four positions dedicated to capacity development in Virginia. An increase in the complexity and number of federal drinking water rules that must be implemented, monitored, and enforced has and will continue to result in an increased workload. ODW will continue to achieve the fundamental goals of the Capacity Development program with funding and staffing capable of implementing activities most critical to enabling waterworks to achieve and maintain sufficient TMF capacity for the provision of safe drinking water to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.