98-13985. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; 1999 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 29007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13985]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6103-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; 1999 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit the 
following proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB): 1999 Drinking Water Infrastructure 
Needs Survey, EPA ICR # 1708.02. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for 
review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of 
the proposed information collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the ICR without charge please contact 
the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, [phone]. Hours of operation are 
9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (ET), Monday--Friday, excluding Federal 
holidays. Copies are also available from the Office of Water Resource 
Center (RC4100), U.S. EPA Headquarters, 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 
20460.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Safe Drinking Water Hotline, (800) 
426-4791, e-mail: [e-mail]; or Richard 
Naylor, [phone], fax [phone], e-mail: 
[e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Affected entities: Entities potentially 
affected by this action are those which own, operate or regulate 
community water systems but not limited to: Owners/operators of 
community water systems, State Environmental Water Quality Agencies, 
and State Departments of Health.
    Title: 1999 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey, EPA ICR # 
1708.02.
    Abstract: The purpose of this information collection is to identify 
the current and future infrastructure needs of community and nonprofit 
noncommunity public water systems for the 20-year period from January 
1999 through December 2018. The collection will be conducted by EPA's 
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) in order to comply 
with Sections 1452(h) and 1452 (i)(4) of the Safe Drinking Water Act 
(SDWA) (Public Law 104-182).
    The collection will involve two methods. A questionnaire will be 
used to collect information from large and medium community water 
systems. For small systems and nonprofit noncommunity water systems, 
data will be collected through a site visit by the EPA contractor. 
Questionnaires and site visit reports will be reviewed by State Needs 
Survey Coordinators before submission to EPA.
    The data from the questionnaires and the site visits will provide 
EPA with a basis for estimating the drinking water infrastructure needs 
of community water systems for the 20-year period, January 1999 through 
December 2018. Furthermore, under section 1452 (a)(1)(D) of SDWA, the 
results of the needs survey must be used as the basis for allocating 
Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund capitalization grant funds 
among the States. Responses to the collection of information are 
voluntary.
    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. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter 15.
    The EPA would like to solicit comments 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; and
    (iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.
    Burden Statement: It is estimated that this information collection 
will involve a total cost burden to the Respondents of $1,533,029 and a 
total hour burden to the Respondents of 44,096 hours. There will be no 
capital, start-up or operation and maintenance costs but the collection 
will involve a one time response, from 4,670 respondents, of 
approximately 9.4 hours per respondent. Burden means the total time, 
effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, 
maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a 
Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; 
develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the 
purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information, 
processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing 
information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously 
applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to 
respond to a collection of information; search data sources; complete 
and review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information.

    Dated: May 21, 1998.
Cynthia Dougherty,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
[FR Doc. 98-13985 Filed 5-26-98; 8:45 am]
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