[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 102 (Tuesday, May 29, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 29498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-10241]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8319-2]


Water Security Initiative: Preliminary Notice of a Request for 
Applications for Contamination Warning System Pilots

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing 
preliminary notice of its intention to solicit competitive applications 
for cooperative agreements to support contamination warning system 
demonstration pilots. These pilots will be part of the Agency's Water 
Security (WS) initiative (formerly WaterSentinel), which addresses the 
risk of contamination of drinking water distribution systems. Local 
governments or institutions (either public or private nonprofit 
organizations) that operate community water systems serving at least 
750,000 people will be eligible to compete for these cooperative 
agreements. The purpose of this notice is to alert potential applicants 
to this future opportunity.

DATES: EPA intends to issue the Request for Applications (RFA) for 
contamination warning system cooperative agreements in June 2007.

ADDRESSES: For further information, contact Dan Schmelling, Water 
Security Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (MC 
4601M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC 20460; telephone number (202) 564-5281; fax number: 
(202) 564-3753; e-mail address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The WS initiative is an EPA program that 
includes piloting contamination warning systems at drinking water 
utilities. This initiative is responsive to Homeland Security 
Presidential Directive 9, under which the Agency must ``develop robust, 
comprehensive, and fully coordinated surveillance and monitoring 
systems * * * for * * * water quality that provides early detection and 
awareness of disease, pest, or poisonous agents.'' The purpose of these 
pilots is to demonstrate warning systems that achieve timely detection 
and appropriate response to drinking water contamination incidents.
    Under the WS initiative, EPA anticipates awarding four cooperative 
agreements for contamination warning system demonstration pilots, with 
individual award amounts between $3 and $12 million. A minimum 20 
percent cost-share, which may include in-kind services, would be 
required. Contamination warning systems must address five monitoring 
and surveillance components, (1) online water quality monitoring, (2) 
contaminant sampling and analysis, (3) enhanced security monitoring, 
(4) consumer complaint surveillance, and (5) public health 
surveillance, along with a consequence management plan.
    EPA has developed a document, Water Security Initiative: Interim 
Guidance on Planning for Contamination Warning System Deployment, to 
assist utilities with demonstrating these components. It is available 
at http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/initiative.cfm. EPA 
encourages utilities that may be interested in the upcoming RFA to 
review this document. When issued, the RFA will be available at this 
same Web address and may also be viewed through http://www.grants.gov.
    Funding may be used by recipients to acquire services and fund 
contracts or to fund partnerships through subgrants, provided 
recipients follow applicable contracting and subgrants procedures. 
Please note that recipients may not award sole source contracts to 
consulting, engineering or other firms assisting applicants with the 
proposal based on the firm's role in preparing the proposal.

    Dated: May 21, 2007.
Cynthia C. Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
 [FR Doc. E7-10241 Filed 5-25-07; 8:45 am]
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