March 2020

Contact Us

Ohio Water
Environment Association
info@ohiowea.org
614.488.5800
Twitter: @Ohio_wea
LinkedIn: OWEA

COVID-19 Update

The staff and Executive Committee of the Ohio Water Environment Association want to insure accurate and timely information regarding the COVID-19 virus is available to our members. There is much uncertainty regarding the virus, and we want to assure you that your health and safety are of our utmost concern.

OWEA and Section Events
Currently, we have not received any indication from any governmental agency, federal or state, that there is a need or requirement to cancel any state or section events. We are actively monitoring the situation, but currently all OWEA events are proceeding as planned.​

What Can You Do?
We understand that you might feel helpless during this time, but there are things you can do.
  • Use every day preventative actions such as:
  • WASH YOUR HANDS for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If a tissue isn’t available, sneeze or cough into your ELBOW NOT YOUR HANDS.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. This includes your laptop and phone.
  • Get accurate information specific to Ohio at https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/Novel-Coronavirus/welcome/
  • Start thinking ahead concerning staffing at your plant. While the majority of your staff probably aren’t high risk, your employees might have to be absent due to school closings or the illness of a loved one. Plan now how you will deal with a reduction in available staff.
  • STAY CALM. The best thing you can do for yourself, your family and your community is to stay informed and remain calm.

2020 Integrated Report

The Ohio EPA is required to report on the general condition of Ohio’s waters under Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act and develop a list of waters that are currently impaired, every two years, by Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act.  Ohio EPA accomplishes this through an Integrated Report.  Ohio EPA is accepting stakeholder comments on the 2020 Draft Integrated Report through March 13, 2020.  Earlier this week, Ohio EPA held a webinar summarizing the report.  This webinar and draft report are available on the agency’s website, https://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/tmdl/OhioIntegratedReport.  
 
OWEA’s Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee has reviewed the draft report and would like to call your attention to four key points from report:
  1. The 303(d) list of impaired waters in the Draft 2020 Integrated Report is organized differently than previous reports.  Historically, the 303(d) list assigned “priority points” to each impaired assessment unit and the list used these “priority points” to prioritize the need for a TMDL.  The 2020 list does not include priority points and includes all “high” priority waters;
  2. The 2020 Draft Integrated Report calls for the development of a total maximum daily load (TMDL) over the next two to three years for Lake Erie’s western shoreline, western open water, and island shoreline to address impairments of public drinking water supply and recreation caused by algae;
  3. In addition to the Lake Erie TMDL, the draft report also calls for the development of a multi-watershed bacteria TMDL to address the many bacteria impairments throughout the state;
  4. Last year Ohio EPA shared a revised water quality monitoring approach that included annual focuses on large rivers, headwaters, and streams, as well as focused watershed monitoring.  The agency is moving forward with that monitoring plan and plans to sample large rivers in the summer of 2020.
If you have any questions regarding the Draft 2020 Integrated Report please reach out to the GARA Committee.

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