A UTILITY MEMBER BENEFIT FROM VA AWWA
Feedback is Requested on HB1721 and SB1013
The Virginia Legislative Session began yesterday (January 11, 2023), and two bills related to drinking water require your attention and feedback.  The bills are listed below with the VDH-ODW's request for your input.  Each utility is asked to review and consider these bills with regard to their jurisdiction and potential impacts on the delivery of safe, reliable water to your customers.  
 
 
HB1721 - Work Group to Study the Occurrence of 5 Microplastics in the Commonwealth's Public Drinking Water
The Office of Drinking Water (ODW) wants your feedback on legislation that may have an impact on the drinking water program and waterworks in Virginia. Delegate Clark introduced HB 1721 which requires the State Health Commissioner to convene a work group to study the occurrence of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. 
 
HB1721 also mentions the following
"In completing its work, the work group shall (i) determine current levels of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water; (ii) identify possible sources of such contamination, where identified; (iii) evaluate existing approaches to reducing microplastics in drinking water, including regulatory approaches adopted by other states and the federal government; and (iv) develop recommendations for the reduction of microplastics in the Commonwealth's public drinking water. The work group shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and Education and Health by December 1, 2023. "
 
Please review HB1721 and let me know whether your respective organizations or constituency supports the bill, opposes the bill, has no position on the bill, or believes the bill should be amended; and if so, how.  We are making sure we understand stakeholder perspectives as part of our analysis of the bill, which we will share with our chain of command.  
 
There is no deadline for response and no response is necessarily expected. Thank you for your time reading the bill and responding if you have points to share.  You can contact me at Tony.Singh@vdh.virginia.gov or (804) 310-3927.  You can also reach Ms. Kris Latino at Christine.Latino@vdh.virginia.gov or (804) 664-4403.  
 
SB1013 - Notification of Water Contamination to Waterworks Customers
The Office of Drinking Water (ODW) wants your feedback on legislation that may have an impact on the drinking water program and waterworks in Virginia. Delegate Clark introduced SB1013 which requires 
 
"a waterworks owner to notify customers when a water quality analysis reveals that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS chemicals), as defined in the bill, are present in the water supply or when a contaminant in the water supply exceeds maximum contaminant levels established in state or federal regulations, whichever is more stringent. Such notification shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected area and mailed to all customers. Such published and mailed notifications shall include information regarding the water quality analysis, the contaminant or contaminants, potential adverse health impacts, actions to reduce the level of the contaminant or contaminants, and public contact information for the waterworks."
 
Please review SB1013 and let me know whether your respective organizations or constituency supports the bill, opposes the bill, has no position on the bill, or believes the bill should be amended; and if so, how.  We are making sure we understand stakeholder perspectives as part of our analysis of the bill, which we will share with our chain of command.  
 
There is no deadline for response and no response is necessarily expected. Thank you for your time reading the bill and responding if you have points to share.  You can contact me at Tony.Singh@vdh.virginia.gov or (804) 310-3927.  You can also reach Ms. Kris Latino at Christine.Latino@vdh.virginia.gov or (804) 664-4403.  
 
Thank you for being a Utility Member in VA AWWA