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*JUNE 2025*

In this issue:

* $50 Million Water Quality Bond: What's Next After Public Hearing. [ #link_2 ]
* Cybersecurity - Evaluating Threats & Vulnerabilities. [ #link_1389912066563 ]
* DMR-QA- 2025 Preview. [ #link_1 ]
* Certification and Training Opportunities. [ #link_1389912070779 ]
* For Practice. [ #link_1389912072571 ]

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$50 Million Water Quality Bond: What's Next After Public Hearing.

Image of water drop with heading Water Quality Bond

The Department of Environmental Protection has submitted a Department bill for a $50,000,000 bond that would provide grants to publicly owned treatment works for infrastructure projects facilitating proper management and disposal of wastewater sludge or biosolids, such as dryer and digestor projects.  The bill is LD 25, "An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Fund Wastewater Treatment Facility Planning and Construction of Infrastructure Projects.  "The intent of the bill is to address current concerns with state sludge disposal capacity.  The bill can be tracked here under LD 25:  [link removed]

A public hearing on LD 25 was held on April 10, 2025, by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee:  [link removed]

The Department, along with several other entities, testified in support of the bill.  The legislative website above for LD 25 currently contains 27 testimony submissions in support of the bill.  *Testimony can still be submitted online at *[link removed]

The Department has discussed this bill with MeWEA, MWUA, and MRWA and we expect these associations will be reaching out to their members and other partners to promote this important bill and garner support via submittal of testimony to the AFA Committee and contact with your local legislative representatives.

Typically, there are many bond requests in each legislative session and only a few are approved by the legislature.  Currently there are a total of 20 General Fund bond requests totaling $997 million before the legislature.  The next step in the process will be work sessions held by the AFA Committee to deliberate on LD 25, and the other bond bills.  Each of these will then be voted on by the AFA Committee.  _A unanimous vote of “ought to pass” from the AFA Committee would strengthen the possibility of LD 25 being passed by the full legislature._

Bonds bills that are approved by two thirds in both the House and the Senate must then go to the voters for final approval.  Voter approval for bonds is typically in November.  If approved by the voters, the Department intends to solicit proposals for funding in early 2026 along with the annual CWSRF request for proposals. 

Questions on this issue should be directed to Brian Kavanah, Director of the Bureau of Water Quality, [email protected], 530-0293.



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Cybersecurity - Evaluating Threats & Vulnerabilities.

A valuable tool for evaluating the cyber hygiene of your facility plant is to conduct a vulnerability assessment. A vulnerability assessment is a systematic examination to determine the adequacy of security and privacy measures by identifying security holes that may be exploited on a computer or network. The assessment may also include a vulnerability scan that detects and classifies system weaknesses in computers, networks, and communications equipment. Results are used to predict the effectiveness of security controls and countermeasures over time.

A vulnerability assessment may be conducted by an organization’s IT department or a private security service provider. In addition, the EPA offers free assessments to public drinking water plants (DWP) and wastewater facilities (click Here [ [link removed] ] for more information on EPA’s vulnerability assessment program), and the Maine National Guard (MENG) is developing a program to provide free vulnerability assessments to POTWs.

There are currently no state requirements in Maine for a water or wastewater facility to perform a vulnerability assessment, so all efforts at this time are voluntary.

Vulnerability assessments can include:


* _Configuration Review_ of operating systems, database settings and configurations.
* _Interviewing_ individuals or groups within an organization, reviewing policies, procedures, security plans, security requirements, standard operating procedures, architecture diagrams, engineering documentation, asset inventories, system configurations, rulesets, and system logs.
* _Penetration Testing_ to determine susceptibility to an actual attach by infiltrating the target environment, using current, real-world tactics, techniques, and procedures. Testing also allows organizations to measure levels of compliance in areas such as patch management, password policy, and configuration management.
* _Vulnerability Scanning _- includes continuous monitoring to assess internet-accessible network assets to evaluate their host and vulnerability status. Vulnerability scanning can help your utility identify and address cybersecurity weaknesses that an attacker could use to impact your system.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers free vulnerability scanning to POTWs and PWS using automated tools that look for vulnerabilities and weak configurations that adversaries could use to conduct a cyberattack.

For more information on free cyber vulnerability scanning for public water and wastewater facilities, go to CISA’s website [ [link removed] ] or email [email protected].

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DMR-QA- 2025 Preview.

As of the writing of this article Maine DEP has not received an update from EPA on the schedule for the 2025 DMR-QA program.

All facilities enrolled in the DMR-QA program should receive an email from EPA announcing the opening of the study, along with an announcement letter. Please review the letter carefully as it contains important forms that must be filled out along with due dates for results. Be sure to check your email spam folder periodically as the announcement email from EPA may end up there.

Maine DEP will forward a copy of the announcement letter as soon as it is received from EPA.  You can also go to the EPA website, [link removed] to download the letter when available.

You do not need to wait until you receive the letter to order your DMR-QA supplies and begin analyses of the samples. Make sure that you choose the DMR-QA and/or Water Pollution (WP) studies that are valid during the DMR-QA study period, typically January 1st through August or September, actual dates will be listed in the EPA announcement letter).

If you have any questions or need to update your contact information, please contact Brett Goodrich at [email protected] or call 207-450-5590

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Certification and Training Opportunities.

*Hands-on Lab Training for Water and Wastewater Operators*

Join MWUA and Phyllis Rand for this Hands-on lab training taught at three locations throughout Maine!

This class will provide water and wastewater operators with hands-on experience performing certain drinking water and wastewater compliance tests/calculations and basic laboratory safety training. Compliance tests include BOD5, Solids, pH, Total Residual Chlorine, Free Chlorine, E. coli (IDEXX), Total and Fecal Coliforms (IDEXX), Fluoride, Settleable Solids and Quality Control for Lab Analyses and Analytical Equipment. Proper sampling procedures are included with this training. Lab Safety Training will include Chemical Hygiene, Electrical Safety in the Lab, Autoclave and Fume Hood Safety, Safe Storage of Combustibles and Lab Safety Best Practices.

Locations:


* June 3, 2025: Southern Maine
* June 4, 2025: Greater Augusta Utility District’s Treatment Plant, 33 Jackson St, Augusta
* June 5, 2025: Presque Isle Utilities District, 870 Skyway St, Presque Isle

The class is approved for 6 wastewater TCHs. Register at MWUA’s website or by call us at 207-623-9511. Register early as these classes are limited to 20 attendees.

*GIS for Wastewater Collection Systems*

The Environmental Finance Center (EFC) is presenting a FREE webinar on June 4 from 1:00-4:15 pm covering GIS for Wastewater Collection Systems.

This training begins with an overview of Asset Management’s core components, focusing on asset inventory and criticality (risk analysis)—key elements in prioritizing maintenance, repairs, and replacements. Participants will learn:


* What data to collect for a robust asset inventory
* How to assess asset condition and develop a criticality matrix
* Best practices for data collection and mapping to support informed decision-making

We’ll cover real-world examples of utilities using GIS mapping to enhance efficiency and asset management. Participants will explore and compare mapping platforms, including ESRI’s ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, and Google Earth, helping them identify the best tools for their system’s needs. This session will equip wastewater professionals with the knowledge, tools, and strategies needed to strengthen asset management practices and make data-driven decisions.

To register, go to*: **Registration* [ [link removed] ]*.*

*RCAP Presents Wastewater Pumps, Controls, and Wastewater Safety Class in Biddeford*

The upcoming In-Person Training: Wastewater Pumps, Controls, and Wastewater Safety will be held at the Saco River Drinking Water Resource Center, 16 Waterworks Drive, Biddeford, ME 04005 on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM.

Workshop Description: This in-person class will cover the basics of control systems. We will discuss how operators can utilize a variety of control systems, from floats to radar and ultrasonic. We will go over how to optimize a station/system by using certain controllers and instruments for certain situations. We will also touch on pumps and how they are affected by different types of control systems. This class will also feature a small section touching on operations safety, including lockout tagout procedures and chemical safety.

The class is approved for 4 TCHs for ME Wastewater Operators! There is no cost to attend this training.

Lunch will be provided by the presenting vendor, Champlin Associates.

To register go to Registration [ [link removed] ].

*Dexter Utility District Hosts Lagoon Day!*

Join MRWA and lagoon operators for Lagoon Day at Dexter Utility District (101 Dunn Road in Dexter) on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.

Lagoon Day offers a day of technical session, a tour of Dexter Utility District Lagoon System, and the opportunity to network with other lagoon operators to share their experiences, successes and issues.

For more information and to register, go to Lagoon Day 2024 - Maine Rural Water Association [ [link removed] ].

*Upcoming EPA Cybersecurity Training – Free!*

Join EPA and cybersecurity experts from CISA for these free online webinars.


* Cybersecurity 103, June 10, 2025, 1-2:30 PM, Cybersecurity 103 | US EPA [ [link removed] ]
* Water Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (WCAT), June 11, 2025, 1-3:30 PM, Water Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (WCAT) | US EPA [ [link removed] ].

Attendees are eligible for TCHs by sending a Certificate of Completion to Aiden Aubrey, Aiden [email protected].



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For Practice.

1. Facultative bacteria require:

a. Nitrogen
b. Hydrogen
c. Either aerobic or anaerobic conditions
d. Cannot live with O2 present

2. ____________________ removes Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

a. Biological
b. Aeration
c. Denitrification
d. Detention
e. Sedimentation

3. Inorganic solids include:

a. Sand, Grit, & Minerals
b. BOD
c. Oil & Grease
d. Duckweed

4. If the flow to a treatment plant is 21 MGD, what is the average flow in gallons per minute?

a. 1,458
b. 5,833
c. 8,750
d. 14,583
e. 87,500

5. A treatment plant receives a flow of 3.5 MGD. If the clarifier is 100 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 12 feet deep, what is the surface loading rate?

a. 78 gal/ft2/day
b. 700 gal/ft2/day
c. 1170 gal/ft2/day
d. 1500 gal/ft2/day

6. In an electrical circuit, which wire is almost always the ground wire?

a. White
b. Green
c. Red
d. Black

*Answers:*

1. c.
2. e.
3. a.
4. d. 21,000,000 gal per day ÷ 1400 min/day = 14,583 gpm
5. c. 3,500,000 gal per day ÷ 3000 ft2 = 1166 gal/ft2/day. Round to 1170 gal/ft2/day
6. b.

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