“The new and adjusted fees for public water systems (PWS) are necessary to ensure adequate funding for the department to carry out its responsibilities under the SDWA and the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act,” explained Neil Shader, DEP press secretary.
“This funding will allow for the hiring of additional staff to increase the frequency of drinking water inspections throughout the commonwealth.” The new Safe Drinking Water (SDW) annual fee is based on the number of customers a public water system has, according to Shader, who explained that “the revised fee structure for new or amended SDW permits depends on the population served and whether the proposed modification is a minor or major change.” Steve Disney, the Bradford authority executive director, described the financial impact the new fees will have locally.
“Since The Bradford City Water Authority serves approximately 18,000 residents, we fall into the population served category between 10,001-25,000, which constitutes a $20,000 annual fee,” he said.
“Bradford City Water Authority will also see fees charged for construction permits or major construction permit amendments of $5,000 and also for minor construction permit applications of $1,000.” There will be higher fees, but Disney is hopeful the fees will translate into clean water coming from customers’ taps.
“Protecting and improving water quality is always a good thing, and something our board and our employees strive to do every day,” he said.
“I’m hopeful the DEP will work hand-in-hand with each water system to continuously look for ways to improve water quality and will not resort to just over regulating the industry and causing undue financial hardship on the various water systems, which ultimately trickles down to the rate payers.
“We’re all in this together with a common goal of providing an adequate, safe supply of water to our customers at an affordable rate,” Disney added.
“Ensuring that Pennsylvanians have access to safe, clean drinking water is one of the most important roles that DEP has,” said Shader.
“The recommended number of PWSs/per DEP inspector was determined to be 100-125.” Article with images +2 Shader said the biggest positive change to come from more funding — and more inspectors — will be “more frequent inspections, which can identify possible issues with drinking water systems before they affect customers.” Shader said the DEP anticipates generating about $7.5 million in additional funding in 2019 and explained, “These fees are necessary to ensure adequate funding and staff for DEP to carry out its responsibilities under the Federal and State Safe Drinking Water acts,” he said.
“The minimum services that the Safe Drinking Water Program must provide to administer the SDWA and its regulations include monitoring and inspection; maintaining an inventory of public water systems in Pennsylvania; conducting systematic sanitary surveys of public water supply systems; assuring the availability of laboratories certified to analyze drinking water for all contaminants specified in the drinking water standards; reviewing and approving plans and specifications for the design and construction of new or substantially modified public water systems to deliver water that complies with drinking water standards with sufficient volume and pressure to users of the systems; and issuing orders and taking other actions necessary and appropriate for enforcement of drinking water standards.”

AT ST JOSEPH’S Barcaldine, a small Catholic primary school an hour from Longreach, the drought is so crippling that school fees have been waived and a mob of famished kangaroos have taken over the school’s oval.
It is one of several Catholic schools in drought-ravished Queensland regions that have stopped charging parents because times are too tough.
Neil McDonald, from the Catholic diocese of Rockhampton, said term-two school fees at three parish schools in Longreach, Blackhall and Barcaldine had been waived to take the pressure off families.
The schools have also received food and grocery vouchers for families to use in local stores.
St Joseph’s principal Annie Wachtel said the decision to waive school fees has made a big impact.
“It was a huge relief for our families, to have that cost away from their budgets, especially the families who live on properties,” she said.
Ms Wachtel said the school’s oval was now the only slice of green in Barcaldine, so a mob of hungry kangaroos had taken over.
Wealthy independent boarding schools such as Marist Brothers Ashgrove and Rockhampton Grammar School also are doing their bit to help country families whose livelihood is being impacted by the protracted drought.
James Metzeling, the school’s head of boarding, said that Marist did not want students to be forced to leave the school because of family financial pressure.
Australian Boarding Schools Association excecutive director Richard Stokes said most independent boarding schools were offering bursaries or payment plans for school fees, so country kids did not have to suffer the dislocation of being pulled from school in tough times.

The Tahoe-Truckee area’s water agencies say they oppose a budget trailer bill that is part of Gov.
The bill, according to the Association of California Water Agencies, is essentially a modified form of State Bill 623, dubbed the "Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fee."
A Lake Tahoe regional coalition of local water agencies including Tahoe City Public Utility District, South Tahoe Public Utility District, North Tahoe Public Utility District, Truckee Donner Public Utility District, Northstar Community Services District, Squaw Valley Public Service District and Alpine Springs County Water District strongly oppose the legislative proposal, which would tax Californians’ drinking water.
"Our issue is more on the tax as a funding mechanism … that money is not going to stay in Tahoe and will go to these disadvantaged communities, which we recognize their need for safe drinking water.
However, taxing Californians’ water is not the solution."
Boyd said local water agencies already don’t meet California’s requirements to receive state funding, and the tax would mean more money leaving the area.
The effect of the bill, which was first introduced as SB 623 in 2017, would essentially tax Californians for something that is essential to life, according to the Tahoe City Public District, erode the affordability of water for local water users, turn hundreds of local water agencies into taxation entities that send money to Sacramento, impact families just above low-income thresholds, and would open the door to future taxes on water customers.
"We believe our customers should be aware of this legislative proposal and our efforts to actively oppose it, unless amended to remove the water tax as a funding mechanism," the district said in a statement.
Many of the local water agencies are aligned with the Association of California Water Agencies, which stands opposed to the bill.
The bill would establish a fund to be administered by the California Water Resources Control Board to assist those who do not have access to safe drinking water, according to the association.

About 100 state residents who lack access to clean drinking water will head to the Capitol today and join with several lawmakers to support Brown’s proposal, which the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Resources and Transportation will discuss during a hearing at 11 a.m. in Room 447.
"No one in this state should have to be exposed to contaminated water."
Supporters of Brown’s fund include environmental and agricultural groups who argue immediate action is necessary to save residents from contaminated drinking water.
Brown’s plan would put the State Water Resources Control Board in charge of collecting fees from residents and businesses that use public water systems.
Brown’s 2018-19 budget proposes $4.7 million to "take initial steps toward implementation" of the new fund, which includes hiring staff, developing fee collection systems and assessing how much ongoing funding may be needed to fix contaminated water systems.
Pedro Hernandez said long-term support for clean drinking water programs is needed as other funding sources, such as Proposition 1, dry up.
The Association of California Water Agencies does not support Brown’s current proposal due to its proposed tax on water users.
ACWA and more than 135 public water agencies are instead proposing an alternative funding plan to ensure clean drinking water for state residents.
"For that small fee, residents in California could help support other residents’ rights to clean drinking water," he said.
WALK OUT: California political leaders will participate in the National School Walk Out taking place around the country today in protest of gun violence following last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

About 100 state residents who lack access to clean drinking water will head to the Capitol today and join with several lawmakers to support Brown’s proposal, which the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Resources and Transportation will discuss during a hearing at 11 a.m. in Room 447.
"No one in this state should have to be exposed to contaminated water."
Supporters of Brown’s fund include environmental and agricultural groups who argue immediate action is necessary to save residents from contaminated drinking water.
Brown’s plan would put the State Water Resources Control Board in charge of collecting fees from residents and businesses that use public water systems.
Brown’s 2018-19 budget proposes $4.7 million to "take initial steps toward implementation" of the new fund, which includes hiring staff, developing fee collection systems and assessing how much ongoing funding may be needed to fix contaminated water systems.
Pedro Hernandez said long-term support for clean drinking water programs is needed as other funding sources, such as Proposition 1, dry up.
The Association of California Water Agencies does not support Brown’s current proposal due to its proposed tax on water users.
ACWA and more than 135 public water agencies are instead proposing an alternative funding plan to ensure clean drinking water for state residents.
"For that small fee, residents in California could help support other residents’ rights to clean drinking water," he said.
WALK OUT: California political leaders will participate in the National School Walk Out taking place around the country today in protest of gun violence following last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Gov.
Rick Snyder pitched a plan Thursday to raise $110 million per year to fix Michigan’s busted and rusted water and sewer systems — and to replace lead service lines in the wake of Flint’s water crisis.
The funding source: Michigan ratepayers.
Snyder, a Republican, proposed phasing in a state fee on users of public water systems that serve 1,000 or more people.
The fee would start at $1 and increase by another $1 per year until capping at $5 per year in 2024.
Meanwhile, Snyder is pushing a separate proposal that would require some water utilities to replace all of their lead drinking water service lines lines over 20 years.
Much of the money raised under Snyder’s proposal would go to local grants for lead line replacements.
Though Flint is now internationally associated with Michigan’s failing water infrastructure, it’s far from the only example.
In a press release, Snyder’s office called the added fees “affordable.” The plan requires legislative approval.
On Thursday, Snyder’s office said 80 percent of the extra money from extra water system fees would fund projects in the region that collected it.

Gov. Rick Snyder pitched a plan Thursday to raise $110 million per year to fix Michigan’s busted and rusted water and sewer systems — and to replace lead service lines in the wake of Flint’s water crisis. The funding source: Michigan ratepayers. Snyder, a Republican, proposed phasing in a state fee on users of public water systems that serve 1,000 or more people. The fee would start at $1 and increase by another $1 per year until capping at $5 per year in 2024. “Critical updates are necessary to rebuild our state’s failing water infrastructure,” Snyder said in a statement. “Investing in our state’s water infrastructure needs is essential to ensure every Michigander has access to safe drinking water, protect our environment and continue our state’s outstanding economic growth.” In 2016, a commission assembled by Snyder concluded Michigan was short $800 million per year to meet water and sewer system needs…

Special legislative session on WV budget starts Thursday at 11 a.m.. Gov.
Jim Justice issued a special session call Wednesday afternoon, pulling West Virginia legislators into session at 11 a.m. Thursday to address three major themes, including a revenue compromise worked out with Senate leadership that increases sales taxes but lowers income taxes.
Justice did not spell out details in the special session call or accompanying news release, although indications are that the plan is essentially unchanged from proposals discussed last week, resulting from negotiations that began with Senate leaders on the last night of the regular session, on April 8.
Justice’s call specifies three main topics of legislation to be taken up in the special session: n The revenue measure, including the sales tax increase and income tax phase-out, an income tax exemption for military pensions, a temporary increase in the corporate net tax, a surcharge on West Virginians with incomes over $300,000 and the tiered severance tax.
Previously, Justice chief of staff Nick Casey said the revenue plan includes a 1 percent increase in the consumer sales tax to raise about $180 million a year; elimination of sales tax exemptions on telecommunications and data processing services to raise more than $60 million in additional revenue; a temporary increase in the corporate net from 6.5 percent to 8.5 percent to raise $45 million a year; and a surcharge on wealthy West Virginians to raise about $4 million a year.
As the West Virginia Center for Budget & Policy has noted, because the sales tax increase would take effect on July 1, while the income tax cuts would not go into effect until 2018, the plan provides additional revenue for the 2017-18 budget, but ultimately results in a $70 million a year revenue shortfall — a budget deficit that supporters of the income tax cuts contend can be made up through growth in the economy.
Justice also is proposing an increase in tax credits available for restoring historic buildings, reviving legislation that failed to pass in the regular session.
Casey has said the road bonds are integral to the overall revenue plan, since the income tax cuts are not feasible without the economic stimulus the road construction package would provide.
As Carmichael noted Wednesday, indications are that there is general support for the revenue plan among the Justice administration, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, and House Democrats — with House Republicans being the exception.
The second bill merged several state mine safety boards and helped coal companies avoid lawsuits over stream contamination cleanup.

Fee hike: Parents form human chain.
Haryana Mukesh Tandon Panipat, April 10 Enraged over the hike in fees and annual funds by private schools, parents of students formed a human chain here today.
They gathered under the banner of the Panipat Parents Association at a local market to oppose the private schools’ move.
The parents protested against the fee hike, annual charges, development charges, smart classroom charges and other funds by private schools.
The protesting parents formed a human chain for more than an hour.
Rakesh Chugh, vice-president of the PPA, said all schools were under the state education policy and norms and they were bound to obey norms of the Education Department.
Rohan Goyal, secretary of the PPA, urged parents not to hand over vehicles to teenagers because it was dangerous for children as well as other commuters.
Private schools oppose order to install sewage treatment plants Faridabad: The state Pollution Control Board has directed private schools to install sewage treatment plants (STP) on their premises to prevent water wastage.
No school in the district has such a facility at present, it is revealed.
While the demand of STP in educational institutions was not a new norm under the Pollution Control Act, no school in the city had established one, they claimed.