The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

The revised Radionuclides Rule came into effect on December 8, 2003. U.S. EPA's revisions to the Rule provide standards that, if met, ensure that all customers served by community water systems (CWSs) receive water that meets the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for radionuclides in drinking water.

In accordance with the Rule, all CWSs must complete initial compliance monitoring by December 8, 2007. While most systems will be in compliance with the revised Rule, systems in areas of the country with elevated levels of naturally occurring radionuclides, and the few systems located near facilities that could potentially contaminate source waters with radioactive substances, might have to install new or upgrade existing treatment to meet these revised standards. These treatment processes will produce residuals containing regulated radionuclides.

This course is intended for state regulators, technical assistance providers, and field staff. It outlines options available to help systems address elevated radionuclide levels. It provides an overview of the types of treatment listed as Best Available Technologies (BATs) and Small System Compliance Technologies (SSCTs) by U.S. EPA, the wastes produced by these technologies, waste disposal options and considerations, and the federal statutes and regulations governing waste disposal. It will also assist those professionals that work in the upgrading and expansions of existing drinking water facilities or the design of new facilities.

In this course the student will learn how the EPA Radionuclide Rule affects drinking water systems and how to respond to them. Information on how to comply with the provisions of the Radionuclide Rule is presented. The course is suitable for a student with basic water treatment knowledge or for an advanced student that needs to brush up on water treatment basics. It is geared toward treatment plant operators and those consulting engineers involved with water plant designs and upgrades.

The student is expected to read and review the material contained in the A Regulators' Guide to the Management of Radioactive Residuals from Drinking Water Treatment Technologies, USEPA, Office of Water (4606M), EPA 816-R-05-004, July 2005.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty-five (25) questions at the end of this course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

  · General Requirements of the USEPA Safe Drinking Water Act
  · Regulatory Requirements of the Radionuclide Rules
  · Water Treatment Technology Practices
  · Overview of the Removal of Radionuclides from Drinking Water
  · Effects of Radionuclides on Water Plant Residuals and Disposal Options

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.