Newsletter #141 for October 2025
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Santee Sioux Nation Water Updates from U.S. EPA |
In early September 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 responded to a drinking water concern at the Santee Sioux Nation near Niobrara, Nebraska. Routine testing of the public water system revealed the presence of total coliform bacteria and one location showed presence of E. coli that exceeded EPA’s maximum contaminant level (MCL).
Following protocol, the Santee Sioux utility issued a boil water advisory on September 5 and began flushing water lines and increasing disinfection. EPA scientists arrived on-site to assist with sampling, flushing, and conducting a Level 2 Assessment under the Safe Drinking Water Act to identify and correct sanitary defects. The boil advisory remained in effect until October 2, 2025.
Note: The Boil Advisory was lifted for E. coli, but the Manganese Advisory is still in effect.
Although EPA Region 7 has officially rescinded the boil water advisory for the Santee Utility Commission Public Water System after confirming the absence of E. coli and total coliform bacteria, there is still an ongoing Manganese Advisory. Santee Sioux Nation issued public notices recommending that water from the public drinking water system not be consumed and continues to provide bottled water for drinking and cooking. Tap water is still safe for bathing, laundry, and dishwashing.
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Register for Our Free Webinar on October 28, 2025 |
Community Engagement Resources for Wastewater Utilities
October 28, 2025 | 10:00 AM CDT
WaterOperator.org
This webinar will explore effective digital communication strategies, approaches for building public support around capital improvement projects, and methods for promoting transparency during rate-setting processes. Plus, participants will learn how to use our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional resources and training events.
This continues our webinar series covering topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality.
Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request. Check with your certification body for acceptance criteria.
Previous Webinars... |
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Tap Talk Episode 57Examining Well Water Standards, Sampling, and Research in Minnesota’s Dakota County
This episode, we are pleased to welcome another deeply knowledgeable guest from the state of Minnesota: Vanessa Demuth, a geologist and well inspector from Dakota County, Minnesota’s Environmental Resources Department. Dakota County is one of a set of Minnesota counties that has stricter standards for well water pollutants than the state. Vanessa tells Steve and Jennifer how these stricter standards benefit the well owners of Dakota County, other well care tactics the county undertakes, unique pollutants, and more!
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Updated: Homeowner’s Guide to Septic Systems for Tribal Communities |
We are excited to share the updated Homeowner’s Guide to Septic Systems for Tribal Communities. The original guide was published in 2013 and has been widely used by IHS and tribal environmental and health departments to help homeowners and communities understand, operate, and maintain their onsite wastewater systems.
In 2024, EPA began revising the guide with input from IHS Area Offices and EPA Tribal Coordinators. The updated version streamlines the original content, includes maintenance tips tailored to tribal audiences, and features new graphics highlighting the diverse regions where tribal communities are located.
View more SepticSmart resources for Tribal Communities.
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Lorelei Cloud: Championing Tribal Water Rights and Sustainable Management |
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"Lorelei Cloud, a member of the Southern Ute Tribe, is celebrated as a Hydro20 honoree for her trailblazing leadership in water rights and sustainable water management.
Rising from a community without reliable water access, Cloud became a powerful advocate for tribal sovereignty and Indigenous voices in water governance. As Vice Chairman of the Southern Ute Tribal Council, she leveraged her role to champion tribal water rights, emphasizing the need for tribes to have a stronger, unified voice in advocating for their needs without accepting imposed solutions.
Cloud’s influence grew rapidly as she engaged in high-level water discussions, including representing the Southern Ute Tribe at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference and taking on the chairmanship of the Ten Tribes Partnership, a coalition of ten tribes in the Colorado River Basin. Her ability to navigate complex water policy and terminology allowed her to advocate effectively for tribal interests.
In a historic milestone, Cloud became the first Indigenous person to serve on the Colorado Water Conservation Board, later ascending to its chairmanship. In this role, she drives decisions that benefit not only tribal communities but all of Colorado, integrating Indigenous knowledge into water management practices.
As a board member for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, Cloud champions sustainable practices, emphasizing collaboration with Native communities and incorporating Indigenous knowledge and spirituality to reconnect human and natural systems.
Lorelei Cloud’s dedication to amplifying Indigenous voices and advancing sustainable water practices has earned her a well-deserved place among the Hydro20 honorees."
Find more videos like this on waterloop's YouTube Channel.
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Featured Events for Tribal Water Systems |
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Implementing Reliability Maintenance Programs to Optimize O&M
October 22, 2025 | 11:00 MDT
American Water Works Association & Indian Health Service
Learn key strategies and steps you can take to implement and sustain a successful reliability program from any stage of your reliability journey.
This free session includes a high-level overview of maintenance reliability; the journey and lessons learned from three utilities successfully implementing reliability maintenance projects; tips for developing strategies to sustain and improve asset reliability; and a panel discussion with audience engagement.
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Flow Monitoring Without a Hitch
October 23, 2025 | 11:00 MDT
American Water Works Association & Indian Health Service
Water utilities across the country are under pressure to reduce non-revenue water, detect leaks faster, and improve visibility across aging distribution systems without costly shutdowns or disruptive retrofits.
This free webinar shares proven strategies for smarter flow monitoring which helps to reduce water loss, support audit compliance, and modernize their distribution network.
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Water 2050: Strategic Planning for Resilient Water Resources
November 5, 2025 | 11:00 MST
American Water Works Association & Indian Health Service
This free session will explore Sonoma Water’s approach to moving from a reactive to a proactive agency in areas such as critical infrastructure investment, resilience to climate change, and environmental equity. The Sonoma Water team will also speak to how technology is helping support core values such as community collaboration, transparency, and creating a “living” plan, as key pieces to achieving their vision: “Ensuring resilient water resources now and for future generations.”
Attendees will leave equipped to adopt a living strategic plan, implement performance dashboards, and engage stakeholders meaningfully, ensuring their agencies are not just prepared for the future but are actively shaping it.
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Recent Blog Posts at WaterOperator.org |
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Texas Water Supply Endangered by Workforce Shortage
Read Here »
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Pathways for Career Development in Wastewater Treatment
Read Here »
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Groundwater & Well Care for Public Water Systems is a free online course from WaterOperator.org. Certificates are provided and the course is currently pre-approved for 2 hours continuing education
credit in a number of states.
Click here to learn more.
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WaterOperator.org is a free service, grant-funded to support small community water and wastewater operators with comprehensive resources and information in one easy-to-use place. We also serve the 800+ training, primacy, and technical service organizations, by
helping operators get to their information. We aren't selling or advertising anything. Call us at 1-866-522-2681 for assistance.
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Visit our other websites:
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Illinois State Water Survey, 2204 Griffith Drive, Champaign, IL 61820, United States
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