Rutland Meeting Comments from 4/4/2000 at 7pm meeting:

How the State Will Use the Authority And Resources Of the Safe Drinking Water Act

• Strengthen link between owners/operators and the Water Supply Division.
  
  
• Fund a State wide advertising program with creative mailouts to the public to promote water system activities. Call in show promotions. Program should be on going due to high turnover of boards/operators.
  
• Form a clearinghouse where water system owners/operators can go for list of resources..
  
  
• Simplify rules/regulations requirements for small water systems. Water systems are overwhelmed with information. Keep it simple.
  
  
• State shouldn't regulate TNC if they have good water quality.
  
  
• Educate customers that this is a full time job and how much work is being performed. It isn't a volunteer position for many of those systems. Need more press release/educations support.
  
  
• State government shouldn't need to review plans. PE certification by consulting firms should be adequate.
  
  
• State needs to lower the mhi (median household income) criteria rate for obtaining a negative interest loan. Consider system size as well.
  
  
• State should provide incentives for doing certain projects that are important but doesn't seem affordable.
  
  
• Develop a mentoring program on a geographical regional basis. Where professional can assist another system in developing templates for long range planning , O & M manuals etc...(Pennsylvania is doing mentoring work.) Create more technical workshops.
  

• Funding of computer technology to enhance communication (i.e. -email) with public on water system management.
  
  
• Fund water system with grant money for the cost of sampling..
  

Encourage/Impair

• Impair the viability of systems trying to decommissioned. This may create a higher public health risk not being a public water supply system anymore.
  

• Encourage discussion for a shared operator to operate/ sample several water system. Entrepreneurship...