| Water
is a priceless commodity that is critical to both human and community
economic development. The governing bodies of the more than 1,300
small and rural water systems in Mississippi continue to face
many pressing challenges in managing these systems due to increased
legal mandates and poor management practices. As a result, the
Mississippi Legislature enacted Senate Bill 2597, in 1997.
The
bill requires members of any governing board, on any community
water system, elected, or re-elected after June 30, 1998, to attend
a minimum of 8 hours management training within two years following
his or her election. Systems operated by municipalities with a
population greater than 10,000 are excluded.
The
Mississippi State University Extension Service Community Resource
Development responded to the legislation by developing a partnership
with the Mississippi State Department of Health to provide overall
coordination of the Public Water System Board Management Training
Program.
To comply with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which
requires each state to implement a Capacity Development Program
to improve the technical, managerial, and financial capacity of
the state's public water systems, the Mississippi Legislature
revised the Mississippi Safe Drinking Water Law (MS SDWL) in 1997.
In response to this legislature, the Mississippi State University
Extension Service Community Resource Development obtained funds
from the Mississippi Department of Health in order to implement
and coordinate a Peer Review Program for public water systems
in Mississippi.
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