Notice2024-29403
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; The 8th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment
Primary source
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Published
December 13, 2024
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), the 8th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (EPA ICR Number 7798.01, OMB Control Number 2024-0561) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, the EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a request for approval of a new collection. This notice allows for 60 days for public comments.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 240 (Friday, December 13, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 240 (Friday, December 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 101008-101009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29403]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OW-2024-0561; FRL-12416-01-OW]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information
Collection Request; Comment Request; The 8th Drinking Water
Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to
submit an information collection request (ICR), the 8th Drinking Water
Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (EPA ICR Number 7798.01, OMB
Control Number 2024-0561) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Before doing so, the EPA is soliciting public comments on specific
aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This
is a request for approval of a new collection. This notice allows for
60 days for public comments.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 11, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA- HQ-
OW-2024-0561, to EPA online using <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> (our preferred
method), by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#81ced6acc5eee2eae4f5c1e4f1e0afe6eef7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="652a3248210a060e0011250015044b020a13">[email protected]</span></a>, or by mail to: EPA Docket
Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 28221T, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460. EPA's policy is that all
comments received will be included in the public docket without change
including any personal information provided, unless the comment
includes profanity, threats, information claimed to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tirzah Glebes, Drinking Water
Infrastructure Development Division, Office of Ground Water and
Drinking Water, 4606M, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; email address:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#26414a4344435508524f545c474e6643564708414950"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0a6d666f686f79247e6378706b624a6f7a6b246d657c">[email protected]</span></a>. John Towe, Drinking Water Infrastructure
Development Division, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, 4606M,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington,
DC 20460; telephone number: 202-564-2298; email address:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#82f6edf5e7ace8edeaecc2e7f2e3ace5edf4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bbcfd4ccde95d1d4d3d5fbdecbda95dcd4cd">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a request for approval of a new
collection. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
This notice allows 60 days for public comments. Supporting
documents, which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be
collecting, are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket
can be viewed online at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> or in person at the EPA
Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW,
Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-
1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit
<a href="https://www.epa.gov/dockets">https://www.epa.gov/dockets</a>.
Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA is soliciting
comments and information to enable it to: (i) evaluate whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility; (ii) evaluate the accuracy of
the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (iii) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; (iv) minimize the burden of the collection
of information on those who are to respond, including through the use
of appropriate forms of
[[Page 101009]]
information technology; (v) solicit feedback on alternative suggestions
for collecting lead service line information to reduce burden and
obtain best quality information, including potentially using Lead and
Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) service line inventory information; (vi)
solicit feedback on whether and what questions to ask Tribal systems
regarding operation and maintenance needs; and (vii) solicit feedback
on what questions to ask about potential barriers to accessing DWSRF
funding. EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for
review and approval. At that time, EPA will issue another Federal
Register notice to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB.
Abstract: The EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water will
conduct a survey to estimate the capital improvement needs of drinking
water systems eligible to receive Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
(DWSRF) funds. The survey is authorized by sections 1452(h) and
1452(i)(4) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), as amended by
America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018. The 8th DWINSA will
survey large drinking water Community Water Systems (CWSs) (serving
over 100,000 persons) via a census approach and medium CWSs (serving
between 3,301 and 100,000 persons) through a statistically based
sample. Information collection will be facilitated by the CWSs'
respective State Revolving Fund programs. The 8th Drinking Water
Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA) will collect
information from drinking water systems in all 50 states, Puerto Rico,
the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories (American Samoa,
Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands). The 8th
DWINSA will not directly collect data from small CWSs (those serving
populations of 3,3000 and fewer persons), non-profit non-CWS (NPNCWSs),
or American Indian or Alaska Native Village drinking water systems,
except for potential operation and maintenance supplemental questions
for Tribal systems only. The 8th DWINSA will estimate the capital
improvement needs for these water systems by cost adjusting the needs
estimates from the 7th DWINSA to reduce burden on those previous survey
respondents.
The survey will collect the 20-year capital improvement needs for
Community Water Systems through their submission of project information
and supporting documentation. In addition, the survey will collect
information and supporting documentation via its supplemental questions
that address the SDWA section 1452(h)(2) requirement for the DWINSA to
estimate the national cost to replace lead service lines. The EPA is
exploring the potential of alternatives for collecting lead service
line information to reduce burden and obtain best quality information,
including potentially using LCRR service line inventory information.
Supplemental questions will also be asked to identify potential
barriers to accessing DWSRF funding. The EPA is exploring the potential
of asking a statistical sample of Tribal systems supplemental questions
on operation and maintenance needs and is seeking feedback on
considerations for this approach and on potential questions to ask.
Information will be collected via an EPA-hosted website.
Information will be retained within the EPA's records for the mandatory
length of time after survey completion. The capital improvement needs
results of the DWINSA will be used by the EPA primarily as a basis for
allotting DWSRF funds among states. In addition, a national assessment
improves the EPA's ability to gauge long-term (20-year) capital costs
of SDWA regulations and the provision of safe drinking water to the
public. The 8th DWINSA is preceded by seven DWINSAs, with the first
implemented in 1995.
The effort for the 8th DWINSA will involve 2,164 respondents (2,108
water systems and 56 states), requiring 30,087 hours at a total cost to
the respondents of $1,875,387. Supporting Statement A, Section 12,
Estimating the Respondent Burden Hours & Labor Costs, provides a
detailed description of the unit burden and costs for this collection.
Note this burden estimate does not yet include the potential
supplemental questions for Tribal systems. Although the Agency does not
anticipate the burden of this addition to be significant compared to
the total, it will capture the associated burden in the final ICR if
operation and maintenance supplemental questions are included for
Tribal systems.
Form Numbers: None.
Respondents/affected entities: The respondents for the 8th Drinking
Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment are CWSs and State
agencies.
Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.
Estimated number of respondents: 2,164 respondents (total).
Frequency of response: One time.
Total estimated burden: 15,044 hours (per year). Burden is defined
at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).
Total estimated cost: $937,694 (per year), which includes $0
annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.
Changes in the Estimates: There is a decrease of 13,444 hours in
the total estimated respondent burden compared with the ICR previously
approved by OMB. This increase is primarily due to a decreased sample
size.
Jennifer L. McLain,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 2024-29403 Filed 12-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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