EPA Y2K and Water - Waste Water

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread
FM and everyone else. (Even the pollys)

Water is a problem. Fortunately this is an issue that pollys and preppers and doomers can all agree on. WE NEED WATER. This is the last word on the issue. Recommended reading for everyone that is conserned about their water supply. Please read this and think of the questions one should ask. Do the reasearch

 EPA OW Sector Action Plan
http://www.epa.gov/year2000/owlong.html

DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS AND YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCE





Y2K, the Year 2000, or the "Millennium Bug" computer problem could adversely affect the operations of the nation's drinking water and wastewater treatment systems if it is not corrected. The Year 2000 issue is a potential problem for these systems because many of them use computers and equipment with embedded computer chips. If action is not taken now, the "Millennium Bug" could affect drinking water and wastewater operations, leading to public health and environmental problems.

The "Millennium Bug" is expected to arrive on January 1, 2000 (although other dates are impacted as well, as noted in this article.) This is when millions of computers around the world will attempt to process date-specific information where the year is listed only as "00". Simple date calculations frequently involve subtracting one date from another. Many computers and embedded computer chips are programmed to recognize or record only the last two digits of a given year instead of the complete four digit date. For that reason, computers could end up with "negative" dates (which they don't recognize) or with completely wrong dates (if they interpret "00" as 1900 instead of 2000.) A potential problem exists whenever calculations based on actual dates are used within hardware or computer programs, applications, controls or procedures.

The arrival of this "Millennium Bug" could affect any computer and any kind of date-active device or software. Some computers and equipment will "crash"; others will operate erroneously; others may simply stop and need to be restarted; some may create corrupt data that will be assumed valid because it will not be readily detected; and some may continue to operate correctly.

The Year 2000 problem can affect any administrative system, such as payroll, billing, ordering and compliance reporting as well as plant operations. Since a large volume of information is already available on how to assess and repair such problems, this article focuses on actual drinking water and wastewater plant operations in order to assist plant managers in locating and correcting Year 2000 problems in their treatment systems.

WHERE IS THE PROBLEM?

Y2K problems in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems can occur in computers, computer software, and in systems that use computerized controls. Much attention has already been focused on finding and fixing those problems because they are the most obvious.

A less readily apparent, yet potentially serious, problem in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems could be caused by equipment with embedded computer chips. Many of these chips are time and date sensitive, relying on real-time clocks to perform their functions.

Embedded chips can be either single- or multi-purpose computerized devices that are literally embedded within equipment controls or control systems. Embedded chips can perform actual control and monitoring functions of the drinking water and wastewater treatment processes.

A real-time clock function is used for operations that are date or time specific. A real-time clock function can be programmed into any device, computer hardware or software package to record, store, or transmit actual time, day, and date. Real-time clocks might be found in processes or actions that must occur on a specific day of the week, or operations that must be repeated on a set cycle such as every other day or just weekends but not weekdays.

Examples of these processes in drinking water and wastewater treatment plants are: starting and stopping aeration blowers and pump motors; filling storage tanks; cycling of heating and ventilation systems; and monitoring equipment.

Depending on the treatment system, the Year 2000 problem may not exist (no automation), may exist only in specific pieces of equipment (some automation), or may exist not only in equipment but also in a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA). Any drinking water or wastewater treatment system which might have equipment with this problem should be assessed and any needed repairs performed.

FINDING AND FIXING THE PROBLEM

The approach to dealing with Y2K problems has become fairly standardized. EPA recommends following a six-step approach, which is based on similar recommendations from industry and other government agencies. The approach has been adapted to apply to drinking water and wastewater treatment systems.

Because of the diversity of these systems, plant managers will need to tailor this approach to their systems. It is important to record plans, repairs, tests and test results to be able to revisit the process if the testing is not successful.

The six-step approach includes suggested dates by which activities in each step ought to be completed to help assure that systems are ready by January 1, 2000. (Note that all recommended dates should be treated as "no later than" dates. Sooner is better than later, particularly if new software, hardware or consulting services are needed.)

STEP 1. AWARENESS (Complete As Soon As Possible)

While much of the United States population is aware that a Year 2000 computer problem exists, many people have not yet focused on what impact the problem might have upon them personally, or on their place of work or business. Also, many are not aware of the existence of the problem in equipment with embedded computer chips.

If your utility is not dealing with the problem yet, it may be necessary to promote awareness across the entire organization and all levels of leadership, including operating staff, supervisors, upper managers, and corporate or public officials.

There are many web sites, articles, conferences, and trade organizations which can help with raising the level of awareness about this problem. EPA has published an awareness Fact Sheet focusing on Y2K and drinking water and wastewater utilities which is available on the EPA Y2K web site at www.epa.gov/year2000/problem or by writing to the U.S. EPA, Office of Water (4204), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.

At the end of this article is a list of web sites that could be useful for increasing understanding and awareness of the issue, as well as being sources of additional information. There have also been numerous articles in trade journals and the general news media that might be of interest. Additional reading from the list of references for this article may be helpful as well.

STEP 2. ASSESSMENT (Complete As Soon As Possible)

The assessment stage is when a utility performs an inventory of all its computer systems, communications, and electrical equipment and determines what problems exist where, and what potential impact the problems will have. This is the most crucial and perhaps the most difficult stage.

Locating all of a facility's computers and embedded chips with real-time clocks can be difficult. Things that look like a computer are easy to find but control equipment, including Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and equipment with embedded chips can be almost anywhere. Some problems may not be readily apparent, but may cause system failure.

Plant managers should be aware that dates other than January 1, 2000 could cause similar problems. Some of these dates are: 01/01/1999; 04/09/1999; 07/01/1999; 09/09/1999; 12/31/1999; and 02/29/2000. (2000 is a leap year). A more complete list is included in Appendix 1.

Every circuit board is suspect, but priority should be given to systems that ask for a date after a power failure, or have a back- up power source. Most newer systems use PLCs in place of conventional control systems. As the name implies, PLCs have a visual display or transmit data to a remote display terminal. These controllers can be programmed or reprogrammed by the operator. Older systems, however, may contain embedded timing devices that have no visual display of the real-time clock function, nor any means to see if a real-time clock function was installed at the factory.

Most computerized control systems and telemetering systems also contain some type of real-time clock function. These monitoring systems alert the operator about equipment problems, breakdowns and malfunctions. They also record and transmit data from remote locations showing the exact date and time of the problem.

Even chips without real-time clock functions may have been programmed with default values. In the event of a Year 2000 failure, these chips may malfunction or revert to the default value. These devices are often found in systems such as power, security, heating and ventilation, telephones, elevators, monitoring, and process controls.

To jumpstart the assessment process, we have provided a quick check list (Appendix 2) of the most probable locations to find embedded chips in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems. These are only examples; drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities vary in their processes and equipment so each plant needs to be examined individually.

To assess Year 2000 compliance:

  • Locate and inventory all computerized equipment and realtime clock functions in embedded chips. Record all model and serial numbers for reference. If you need assistance, contact the appropriate equipment supplier in writing or visit their website if they have one. There are also centralized Y2K compliance databases that are subscription based. Note: each manufacturer or supplier may have a different standard for Year 2000 compliance; ask fortheirdefinition of compliance.
    • STEP 3. CORRECTION -- Complete by 06/30/1999

    After assessing a system, steps need to be taken to correct the problems. These may include:

    STEP 4. TESTING/VALIDATION -- Complete by 07/31/1999

    Testing should be completed in accordance with EPA's Y2K Enforcement Policy www.epa.gov/oeca/enforcement. Owners and operators of facilities should carefully evaluate the public health and environmental impact of plant failure during testing. They should take steps to prevent failure and mitigate resulting adverse impacts if testing activity fails. All testing plans, procedures and results should be thoroughly documented for internal Y2K contingency planning, including:

    STEP 5. IMPLEMENTATION -- Complete by 09/30/1999

    During implementation, utilities should put their repaired systems back into full operation having adjusted for issues found during assessment, correction, testing and validation. This also means having contingency plans available and ready to operate. Other important steps in implementation include:

    STEP 6. CONTINGENCY PLANS -- Draft by 06/30/1999; Finalize by 09/30/1999

    Despite the best efforts to repair the Y2K problem and prepare for its impact, problems may still arise. Therefore utilities must develop effective and thorough contingency plans.

    Most drinking water and wastewater treatment plants have contingency plans for operating during natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. The Year 2000 problem may be similar to these emergencies, since it represents a potential disruption in operation of local utilities, but the plans should still be adapted for the Y2K situation. In particular, the plans should address internal failures and the failure of service and supply chains external to the facility.

    Since the Year 2000 begins on a Saturday, the need to have additional operating personnel available to handle any problems that might occur at the plant or in the collection or distribution system should be considered. Staff should have two-way radios to allow communication between locations if telecommunications systems are down. Consideration should be given to having additional customer service representatives available to handle inquiries and complaints.

    Owners and operators should check with contractors, vendors and utility suppliers to ensure that they are Year 2000 compliant and that power, gas, telecommunications service, chemicals and other supplies will be delivered as scheduled. All contracts and maintenance agreements should be checked to identify vendor or contractor responsibilities and warranties for Year 2000 compliance. Be sure all new contracts and agreements require Year 2000 compliance certification. Insurance coverage should be evaluated against business interruptions, claims regarding environmental damage and consequential damages from Year 2000 compliance failures.

    It is also important that owners and operators check with all industries and commercial establishments that provide pretreatment of their process water or wastewater before discharge to a treatment plant. Failure of the pretreatment process due to a Year 2000 related problem could hydraulically or organically overload the wastewater treatment plant or release toxic or hazardous contaminants that could interfere with the plant's ability to meet permit requirements. Owners and operators should make sure that the pretreatment providers fully understand the requirements and liabilities of federal and state pretreatment regulations and local sewer use ordinances.

    Appendix 3 lists some examples of problems that might occur and possible contingency plan solutions. Owners and operators should consider contingency plan options during the assessment phase of preparing for the Year 2000, and revisit these plans during the testing/validation phase. Contingency plans should include:

    WHERE TO GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE

    Considerable information on Year 2000 problems and solutions is currently available on the Internet from the federal and state governments, consultants, manufacturers and vendors, trade and professional associations, and other private sector groups. A list of web sites is included in Appendix 4. Although not inclusive, it should provide useful additional information and assistance.

    WORK TOGETHER!

    The Year 2000 will be here very soon and by now many utilities have finished their repairs and completed their testing. Wherever possible, these utilities should help alert neighboring utilities to this problem, and to make any useful information gleaned from their own repair process available to those still working to get ready for Y2K. If we all work together, we will successfully treat

    -- Brian (imager@home.com), June 04, 1999

    Answers

    No comment needed. *JUNE 1999*

    -- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 04, 1999.

    Here is a bit more information. The first link is from a thread just a bit lower and below that some testimony from the EPA

     Calif. Water board "in the trenches" info
     

    Written Testimony - Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem,

    *Pages 1--18 from minutes 12/18/1998* STATEMENT OF DANA D. MINERVA DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR WATER U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY BEFORE THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE YEAR 2000 TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM UNITED STATES SENATE FIELD HEARING ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA DECEMBER 18, 1998

    Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: I am Dana D. Minerva, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I am pleased to be here today at this hearing on the readiness of the drinking water and wastewater utilities to deal with the Year 2000 (Y2K) technology problem. EPA welcomes your involvement in this critical issue, and I appreciate the opportunity to discuss our activities related to this matter.

    Snip

     Overview of Drinking Water and Wastewater Service Providers

    Snip

     Characterization of the Problem With respect to their operations, drinking water and wastewater utilities deal with specific water quality problems in their localities. Their methods of treatment vary. As you might guess, the treatment systems also vary greatly in their degree of automation and sophistication, with the larger plants being heavily automated while some of the smaller plants have little, if any, computerized equipment. However, many plants, both large and small, have individual pieces of equipment that have embedded computer chips. Larger plants depend on computerized control systems that run plant operations based on information received from sensing and monitoring instruments. These systems are known as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, or SCADA systems. It is critical that steps be taken to ensure that this equipment continues to operate properly on and after January 1, 2000.

    Fact Finding and Outreach Efforts EPA's approach to understanding the nature and extent of the Y2K problem has been through numerous and continuing contacts with trade and professional associations and utilities. A list of the trade and professional associations with which we have consulted is attached. We have also made a number of site visits to gain a better understanding of the types of problems that the utilities must solve, their Year 2000 readiness, and the contingency plans they have made. Based on these discussions and site visits, we believe that most of the large drinking water and wastewater plants are aware of the problem and are actively taking steps toward making necessary corrections.
     

    We have less information, however, about the readiness and the level of awareness of the small and medium plants. Although they are generally less automated than the larger plants (and many of the smaller plants may have little, if any, computerized systems or equipment), without examination and assessment, it is hard to predict whether these plants are prepared. Plant managers have said that much of the equipment in these small and medium plants contains embedded chips that are not date sensitive, but rather are sensing devices. Nevertheless, we are encouraging all plants regardless of size to assess, correct, test and validate, implement corrections, and plan for contingencies.

    There is no single entity such as a trade or professional association that can readily communicate with all owners and operators of drinking water and wastewater treatment plants throughout our nation. Our outreach challenge is to identify the best ways to make sure the 171,000 drinking water systems and supplies and 19,860 wastewater treatment plants have been contacted about this problem and that they have access to helpful information.

    Snip

    In addition, the National Rural Water Association is preparing its "circuit riders" to provide information on the Year 2000 issue and to collect information on the status of rural drinking water and wastewater systems. These "circuit riders," funded through a grant from the U. S. Department of Agriculture, visit drinking water and wastewater plants providing technical assistance to owners and operators. This assistance covers technological, financial, and managerial aspects of small drinking water and wastewater utilities. NRWA is also addressing the Y2K issue in its in-service training for plant operators.

    Since a common thread for many of these plants is the equipment used, the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association has stated that, based on its own survey, equipment built since the early 1990s is Y2K compliant, equipment from the late 1980s to early 1990s needs to be tested, and equipment installed prior to the late 1980s may need to be replaced.

    In October, EPA and the American Water Works Association co- sponsored a meeting with representatives from the electric power, drinking water, and wastewater treatment industries. The purpose of this meeting was to explore the potential risks of drinking water and wastewater treatment failures due to Y2K-caused power outages. The participants from the electric power industry represented to the group that Y2K-related power outages would be unlikely.

    Snip

    External Factors Let me now address some external factors beyond the control of these drinking water and wastewater utilities. Most significantly, these are the electric and telecommunications utilities and our transportation system. Most drinking water and wastewater treatment systems cannot operate without an outside source of electricity. Wastewater treatment utilities have some ability to generate electric power themselves and to be able to operate in an emergency for a short period of time. Most drinking water plants do not. Therefore, should there be electricity failures, some drinking water utilities will not be able to operate and will need to depend on their storage reserves or on other facilities' water supplies. We should remember that these facilities have had short-term outages during natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and ice storms. In most instances, good planning has resulted in quick recovery.

    In addition, suppliers to the treatment systems, such as chemical companies supplying chlorine and fluoride, could be subject to their own Year 2000 or transportation problems, resulting in lack of supplies needed for water treatment. Further, if pretreatment providers experience Y2K-caused problems, downstream wastewater treatment facilities could experience difficulties in meeting their permit requirements thus causing public health and environmental quality problems in the receiving water. We are encouraging drinking water and wastewater utilities to meet with external suppliers such as the power and telecommunication utilities, pretreatment providers, and chemical and other material suppliers to ensure that their contingency plans address the potential inability of these entities to deliver needed materials and services.

    We are also encouraging these water utilities to ascertain their position on power companies' priority lists for restoration of power. In particular, we urge the power companies to give a high priority to wastewater collection and treatment facilities if they have not already done so. Raw sewage overflows would adversely impact drinking water and should not be overlooked as power companies make their Y2K contingency plans.

    Contingency Planning Given the status indications I discussed previously and the early Y2K test results which have been generally positive, we are guardedly optimistic that our drinking water and wastewater utilities will have few, if any, Y2K-related problems on January 1, 2000. However, contingency plans are still necessary and are one of the steps in our six-step approach. We are continuing to focus our efforts on medium and small plants to ensure continued progress and contingency planning. These plans should address not only interruption of operations due to a Year 2000 failure in the treatment system, but also interruption of operations due to a failure external to the treatment system, such as a power failure.

    In speaking with representatives from utilities and trade associations, we have learned that contingency planning relies on manual operation of these plants. Most drinking water and wastewater treatment plants can be operated without their computerized control systems and, in fact, are operated in the manual mode from time-to-time. In addition, most large drinking water systems have two to five days storage capacity and have been designed, in some cases, to supply water by gravity while major repairs are underway. Some of our drinking water plants have the advantage of being able to share water supplies with other local drinking water utilities. They regularly buy and sell drinking water among themselves and can provide backup for one another should circumstances warrant. In the event that water being produced does not meet health standards, "boil water" notices for microbial problems can be issued or residents can be advised to use alternate drinking water sources to avoid microbial or other contaminants, such as nitrates. Even though manual operation is feasible and provides a means of operation in the event of computer or equipment failure, we believe this raises another concern --that of the availability of the workforce needed to sustain manual operations for any significant length of time and the ability of the utility to afford a higher payroll. This is another consideration that we recommend be addressed in contingency plans.

    Snip

    Recommendations With respect to your call for recommendations as to how the Committee can be most helpful in this area, we offer the following suggestions. First, your encouragement of other infrastructure-related sectors, including power and telecommunications utilities, to continue to move swiftly toward Y2K compliance and to ensure the inclusion of wastewater systems as well as drinking water systems as a high priority in service restoration plans would be helpful. These sectors can greatly enhance the ability of the drinking water and wastewater service areas to be ready on January 1, 2000.

    Second, it may be advisable to explore the ability of small communities and tribes to deal with this issue. Many have voiced the opinion that these entities do not rely heavily on automation and therefore would have few, if any, problems. However, without specific knowledge of their status, it is impossible to gauge the extent of any problems or the resources needed for repairs.
     

    Summary In closing, I would like to say that the drinking water and wastewater utilities are making good progress in their efforts to identify and fix potential Y2K problems. We continue to reach out to these utilities to ensure that their diverse entities, large and small, have identified these problems and have access to important and useful guidance and information. I would also like to commend the trade and professional associations for bringing this issue to the attention of their members, providing information and assistance, conducting surveys, and generally supporting Federal, State, tribal, and local government efforts to ensure that this problem is successfully addressed. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this important issue today. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. 18
     

    -- Brian (imager@home.com), June 04, 1999.

    170,000 systems, and they don't know how many will be ready....

    Two dates from the EPA, and today sees the first in June go past...

    < STEP 4. TESTING/VALIDATION -- Complete by 07/31/1999 >>

    Nothing from the EPA about waivers if the shit hits the river .... I mean, hits the fan.

    -- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), June 04, 1999.

    Nothing from the EPA about waivers if the shit hits the river .... I mean, hits the fan.

    The answer to that would be below.

    EPA's Y2K Enforcement Policy

    -- Brian (imager@home.com), June 04, 1999.

    More information on EPA's enforcement policy: http://www.mintz.com/y2k

    -- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), June 04, 1999.
    It's times like this you just shake your head and think this can't be true. It's like giving the finger to Y2K. Incompetance as art form. Might as well have made it a 3rd grade term project.

    -- Gia (Laureltree7@hotmail.com), June 05, 1999.
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