Department of
Environmental Quality

Guidance and fact sheets are provided to assist public water systems in understanding and complying with the requirements of rules and regulations impacting their operations. Some of the documents were developed by DEQ, while others originate with EPA.

Cross-Connection Control

• Drinking Water Cross-Connection Control Programs (October 2008)
  Explains what a cross-connection is and advises water purveyors on measures that must be taken to protect their water systems against contamination and pollution from cross-connections.

Contracting for Engineering Services

• How to Hire an Engineer for Public Water System and Wastewater System Design or Modification (February 2013)
  Provides assistance to communities or other entities in planning and designing new public water systems and wastewater systems, or modifying existing systems.
  

Ground/Source Water Protection

• Ground Water Rule, Implementation Guidance for the Drinking Water Program (May 2009)
  Provides a concise summary of the Ground Water Rule for water system owners and operators who need to learn about their obligations under this rule. The Ground Water Rule is designed to protect public water system customers from microbial contamination in ground water by requiring sanitary surveys and correction of significant deficiencies identified during those surveys.
• Protecting Drinking Water Sources in Idaho: A Guidance for Public Water Systems (April 2007)
  Provides guidance on how to develop a drinking water protection plan; guides systems through the five-step process of assesing source water, from forming a planning team to developinga contingency plan and planning for future drinking water sources.

Mercury Seals

• Drinking Water, Submersible Pumps, and Mercury Seals: A Potential Problem (August 2006)
  Discusses the potential problem of mercury contamination if a mercury seal is used in the design of submersible pumps and advises systems on precautions to take when repairing submersible pumps.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Idaho Consumer Confidence Report, Guidance on Preparing
  Provides assistance to public water systems in preparing CCRs; includes CCR template and certificate.
• Monitoring Waiver Guidance (February 2011)
  Explains the conditions under which public water systems may apply for waivers from monitoring for certain contaminants and the process by which DEQ and/or the public health districts may grant waivers.

Rules and Regulations, Compliance with

• Equalization Water Storage for Public Water Systems, Guidance for Determining (March 2013)
  Provides methods for design engineers to determine sufficient equalization storage necessary to compensate for the difference between maximum pumping capacity and peak hour demand.
• Filter Backwash Recycling Rule (FBRR), Implementation Guidance for (May 2003)
  Explains requirements of the rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all public water systems that use surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water as a source. Note: Applies only to systems that employ conventional or direct filtration and recycle spent filter backwash water, thickener supernatant, or liquids from dewatering processes.
• How to Demonstrate Financial, Technical, and Managerial Capacity in New Public Water Systems, Program Guidance on (April 1999)
  Provides direction on how to comply with the state rule pertaining to capacity, a term used to refer to all of the capabilities that a public water system must have in order to provide safe water to its customers and remain in compliance with the drinking water regulations on a continuing basis. Intended for use by DEQ and Health District drinking water staff and by engineers, consultants, developers, and other persons involved in the development, ownership, or operation of public water systems in Idaho.
• Lead and Copper Rule Short-Term Revisions and Clarifications: Draft Regulatory Guidance (December 2007)
  Provides draft implementation guidance on the 2007 Short-Term Revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule and can help summarize and explain the requirements of the revised rule.
• Point of Use: Implementation Guidance for the Use of Non-Centralized Drinking Water Treatment Devices (October 2006)
  Provides public water systems with information necessary to make an informed decision about selecting point of use treatment and with a description of the process involved in obtaining DEQ approval of a point of use treatment system.
• Pumping Redundancy and Fire Flow Rule Interpretation (October 2006)
  Provides clarification on drinking water rules dealing with pumping redundancy/fire flow in public water systems.
• Source Water Testing Procedures (New) for Public Drinking Water Systems, Guidance for (December 2007)
  Explains requirements of the rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all public water systems using surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water and serve at least 10,000 customers.
• Standby Power Rule Interpretation (August 2006)
  Provides clarification on drinking water rules dealing with standby power.
• Surface Water Treatment Rule Compliance Guidance (January 1996)
  Outlines the criteria and procedures to be used for determining if a public water system using a surface water source is in compliance with the treatment requirements of the Surface Water Treatment Rule.
• Surface Water Treatment Rule (Interim Enhanced), Implementation Guidance for (October 2001)
  Explains requirements of the rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all public water systems using surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water and serve at least 10,000 customers.
• Surface Water Treatment Rule (Long-Term One Enhanced), Implementation Guidance for (May 2003)
  Explains requirements of the rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all public drinking water systems that use surface water or ground water under the direct influence of surface water and serve fewer than 10,000 persons.
• Surface Water Treatment Rule (Long-Term Two Enhanced), Implementation Guidance for (November 2007)
  Provides a concise summary of the requirements of the Long-Term 2 Enhanced and Surface Water Treatment Rule and a compliance timetable. The primary audience is water system owners and operators who need to learn about their obligations under this rule, but it may be helpful to DEQ regulatory personnel, professional consultants, and interested customers of public drinking water systems. Applicable to all public water systems that are supplied by a surface water source and systems supplied by a ground water source under the direct influence of surface water (GWUDI).
• Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection By-products Rule, Implementation Guidance for (January 2003)
  Explains requirements of the rule and provides an implementation timetable. Applicable to all community and non-transient non-community public water systems that use a disinfectant for either primary or residual water treatment and to transient water systems that apply chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant.
• Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection By-products Rule, Implementation Guidance for (November 2007)
  Provides a concise summary of the requirements of the Stage 2 DBP Rule and a compliance timetable. The primary audience is water system owners and operators who need to learn about their obligations under this rule, but it may be helpful to regulatory personnel, professional consultants, and interested customers of public drinking water systems. Applicable to community and non-transient non-community public water systems that add a primary or residual disinfectant other than ultraviolet light, or deliver water that has been treated by a primary or residual disinfectant other than ultraviolet light.

Source Water Protection

• Protecting Drinking Water Sources in Idaho: A Guidance for Public Water Systems (April 2007)
  Explains how to develop a drinking water protection plan from forming a planning team to developing a contingency plan and planning for future drinking water sources.

STEP Guides

These Simple Tools for Effective Performance guides offer clearly stated, step-by-step information to help small systems better understand complex regulatory requirements or policy initiatives.

• Drinking Water Security for Small Systems Serving 3,300 or Fewer Persons: One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide Series (December 2005)
• Strategic Planning: A Handbook for Small Water Systems -- One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide Series (September 2003)
• Asset Management: A Handbook for Small Water Systems -- One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) Guide Series (September 2003)
• Taking Stock of Your Water System: A Simple Asset Inventory for Very Small Drinking Water Systems (October 2004)
• Small Systems Guide to Safe Drinking Water Act Regulations: The First STEP to Providing Safe and Reliable Drinking Water -- One of the Simple Tools for Effective Performance [STEP] Guide Series (September 2003)
  

Waste Residuals

• Waste Residuals Resulting from Drinking Water Treatment, Guidance for Handling (February 2007)
  Presents guidance to assist drinking water system owners on proper disposal of waste residuals from treatment processes for arsenic, nitrate, or uranium.