Grantee Research Project Results
2003 Progress Report: Community Water Quality Information System for a New and Sustainable Water Supply
EPA Grant Number: R828576Title: Community Water Quality Information System for a New and Sustainable Water Supply
Investigators: Pearthree, Marie S. , Davis, Stephen E. , McGuire, Michael J. , Wierenga, Peter J. , Pepper, Ian L. , Rosen, Jeffrey S. , MacNeill, Elizabeth , Johnson, Freda , Chavez, Kathleen , Cline, Linda , Kotelman, Marleen , Lindsey, Marti , Kaneen, Richard
Current Investigators: Pearthree, Marie S. , Davis, Stephen E. , McGuire, Michael J. , Wierenga, Peter J. , Pepper, Ian L. , Rosen, Jeffrey S. , MacNeill, Elizabeth , Johnson, Freda , Chavez, Kathleen , Mariner, Linda , Kotelman, Marleen , Lindsey, Marti , Kaneen, Richard
Institution: City of Tucson, AZ , Pima County Wastewater Management Department , University of Arizona
Current Institution: City of Tucson, AZ , Arizona Department of Environmental Quality , Kaneen Advertising & Public Relations, Inc. , McGuire Malcolm Pirnie Environmental Consultants , Pima County Health Department , Pima County Wastewater Management Department , Rillito Consulting Group , Technology Planning and Management Corporation , Tucson Unified School District , University of Arizona
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: February 1, 2001 through January 31, 2003 (Extended to January 31, 2005)
Project Period Covered by this Report: February 1, 2003 through January 31, 2004
Project Amount: $400,000
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (2000) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Water , Air
Objective:
The goal of this research is to develop time-relevant methods of water resource data collection and reporting to Tucson-area consumers. This research project will use online monitoring technologies and customer response capabilities that were not available 6 years ago and allow consumers to participate in the decisionmaking process with respect to acceptable household water quality and consumptive choices.
The specific objectives of the research project are: (1) environmental parameter monitoring and measurement; (2) information management, processing, and delivery; and (3) communication.
Progress Summary:
Objective 1: Environmental Parameter Monitoring and Measurement
Through consumer surveys and questionnaire responses, the most important water quality issues for Tucson Water (TW) customers were and continue to be identified. This information was used to design the continuous (real-time) online monitoring program to track water quality measures of concern to TW’s consumers and to address the integration of online monitoring capabilities. The initial monitoring program was launched with the start up of the Clearwater Program in April 2001 and was based on grab sampling at 20 of the locations where online sensors eventually would be located. The first two online monitoring stations were installed and made operational at the treatment and storage facilities receiving the new water supply during Year 1 of the project. TW completed installation of the remaining 20 continuous online monitoring stations in the main distribution system by June 2000. All 22 continuous online monitoring stations were online and fully operational by August 2002. In 2003, 5 of the 22 stations were transitioned in TW’s Maintenance Management Program to determine the cost, labor, and time it would take to properly maintain and service the instrumentation for each station. Data still are being gathered and will be used to optimize the operation of all the stations. Adding new instrumentation has been investigated and will continue through this next project year. More than 95 percent of the stations were operating optimally during 2003.
Objective 2: Information Management, Processing, and Delivery
Several information management, processing, and delivery activities were accomplished during Year 3 of the Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) grant. During Year 1 of the project, a complete set of requirements analysis was performed utilizing a storyboard approach to design a Web system to receive, process, and manage the new monitoring program data as either grab or online data streams. A pilot Web-based information system was launched and alpha tested. A live version of the Web-based system was implemented and beta-tested during the initial 2 months of its implementation. During Year 2 of the project, a series of design modifications were identified and implemented over the next 6-month period including completion of the methods for transmitting and checking the quality of the data in near-real time and improving the accuracy of how the coliform data was being displayed. During Year 3 of the project, all of the headings and scale increments were updated and clarified for the data tables and associated graphs. The display of the coliform data was updated to reflect the regulatory rule for each distribution system displayed on the Web. Currently, TW is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to merge the two independent water quality maps into one water quality map and also link to EPA’s Web-based environmental information program, “Window to My Environment.”
For the conventional information delivery systems, customer service representatives were trained during Year 1 of the project on navigating the Web-based system to respond quickly and accurately to customer inquiries on specific water quality or water resource information from the Web-based system. Customer service representatives continue to use the information collection system. Tracking the customer service calls about water quality provided better management of the calls and/or complaints. Each customer service call is added to the information collection system and mapped on a quarterly basis to provide a larger data set to review and better determine trends in water quality problems. This data tracking system began in May 2001 and continued in 2002 and 2003.
TW continues to provide monthly bill inserts entitled, “Your Water Connection,” with a summary of water quality information for the 10 water quality zones located within the main distribution system and the recharged Colorado River water. Water quality brochures were developed to provide more information on specific parameters of concern such as coliform bacteria, chlorine, pH, nitrate as nitrogen, trihalomethanes, temperature, minerals, hardness, sodium, and fluoride. These brochures were produced in English and Spanish.
Objective 3: Communication
The results of the surveys and the focus group meetings conducted during Year 1 of the project were used to begin developing an outreach program to address the concerns of Hispanic, Native-American, and medical communities with respect to water resources and water quality. The Hispanic Outreach Coordiantor began implemeting an action plan to make inroads into the Hispanic and Native-American communities with the purpose of developing a multicultural outreach plan. In addition, a comprehensive communciations action plan developed by the EMPACT team was implemented to address effectively the multiple aspects of reaching specific community groups. Six “ EMPACT News Water Info Now” newsletters were published in English and Spanish and included sections such as “P artners in Focus” and “Water Quality in the News.” The newsletters focus on different aspects of water quality that include how important it is to know about drinking water quality, cloudy water, sodium, bottled water, local and national contamination events, and so on. The newsletters are mailed free of charge, and we are exploring ways to increase the circulation to 1,000 people. Six of the 10 EMPACT partners were featured as the “Partner in Focus,” and the remaining 4 partners will be featured in year 2004 of the project. TW continued to coordinate outreach activities with EMPACT partners to improve communication of water quality and quantity throughout the Tucson area. The partners’ activities include creation and distribution of several new brochures, publication of bimonthly newsletters, presentations, and community events. Other activities are listed below.
- The Pima County Health Department (PCHD) and TW collaborated in publishing an informational brochure on West Nile Virus in English. The PCHD provided the content and format, and TW paid for the printing costs. Both TW and the PCHD began distributing the brochure to the community.
- The Tucson Hispanic Chamber and TW developed and finalized a work plan to refocus water quality outreach activities primarily to reach the Hispanic business community and secondarily to reach the greater Hispanic community.
- The Department of Neighborhood Services continued to mail project materials (i.e., “EMPACT News Water Info Now” and newsletters) to approximately 140 presidents and 140 vice presidents of the Tucson area neighborhood associations.
- The Pima County Wastewater Management Department began providing regular articles on wastewater quality for publication in the “EMPACT News Water Info Now” newsletter.
- The University of Arizona National Science Foundation Water Quality Center completed two research projects during 2003. One project characterized the microbial population from source waters to finished drinking water and the other project characterized how the natural organic matter in the Colorado River water was influenced by recharged Colorado River water.
Future Activities:
We will: (1) summarize the water quality monitoring results in an interim report on TW’s implementation of the Clearwater project and customer response to the new water supply; (2) complete the merging of the two interactive maps into one map and link to EPA’s Web-based environmental information program, “ Window to My Environment,” in collaboration with EPA, and develop a health Web page linked to the appropriate EMPACT partners’ Web sites and the Water Health Connection site for physicians; (3) continue development of specific Hispanic, Native-American, and medical community outreach programs, including delivery mechanisms by implementation of the EMPACT Communications Action Plan and the Multicultural Outreach Plan; (4) assess differences in public awareness levels regarding Tucson’s water resource and water quality issues, and assess whether the objectives have been achieved for this research project; and (5) continue developing additional water quality information and educational materials for distribution to the community, including a series of brochures, fact sheets, and bookmarks detailing various water quality constituents and concerns that are of particular interest to the community.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 77 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
drinking water, groundwater, monitoring, analytical, Southwest, Arizona, AZ, community based, sustainable development, Clearwater, Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking, EMPACT, partner, Colorado River water, recharge,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Health, Geographic Area, Water, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, Environmental Chemistry, Health Risk Assessment, State, Arsenic, Monitoring/Modeling, Susceptibility/Sensitive Population/Genetic Susceptibility, Environmental Monitoring, genetic susceptability, Water Pollutants, Drinking Water, EPA Region, EMPACT, Region 9, monitoring, disinfection byproducts, sensitive populations, community-based approach, disinfection by-products, health risks, exposure and effects, public information, ethnic, exposure, other - risk assessment, water supply, community water quality information system, Arizona (AZ), treatment, community outreach, water quality, outreach and education, dietary exposure, DBP exposure, groundwater, information management, real-time monitoringRelevant Websites:
http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/water Exit
http://www.azdeq.gov/index.html Exit
http://instech.tusd.k12.az.us Exit
http://www.ag.arizona.edu/azwater/ Exit
http://coep.pharmacy.arizona.edu Exit
http://www.co.pima.az.us/health/epirpt.htm Exit
http://www.hispanicchambertucson.org Exit
http://www.lib.ci.tucson.az.us Exit
http://www.cityoftucson.org/dnr/ Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.