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established ISTS Advisory Com- <br />mittee and other stakeholder <br />groups in August 1996. A num- <br />ber of improvements to the ISTS <br />program came out of the review. <br />ISTS program changes are being <br />considered in the following areas: <br />inspection triggers; triggers for <br />upgrades to existing ISTSs; <br />flexibility in the vertical separation <br />distance in the "failing" definition; <br />technologies; differences in <br />standards and enforcement <br />across the state; household <br />financial burden; and training for <br />ISTS professionals. <br />Recommendations for program <br />change were finalized following <br />ISTS Advisory Committee <br />meetings on December 16 and <br />January 8. <br />encouragement of new ISTS <br />Minnesota De artment of Health <br />eief o Tae ri ig ate e- <br />volving Fun Create as art o <br />Congress has created a Drinking <br />Water Revolving Fund as part of <br />the re-authorized Safe Drinking <br />Water Act (SDWA) signed by <br />President Clinton in early August. <br />The program will allow states to <br />set up revolving-loan funds that <br />will provide below-market rate <br />loans to municipalities and other <br />community drinking water suppli- <br />ers, as well as non-profit <br />noncommunity drinking water <br />suppliers, to improve or construct <br />water treatment, storage, and <br />distribution systems needed to <br />comply with the Safe Drinking <br />Water Act. <br />For Minnesota, this could mean <br />relief to aging public drinking <br />water systems, some of which are <br />50 to 1.00 years old. Funds are <br />needed to upgrade or expand <br />water systems and. to remedy <br />water quality problems, which <br />include contamination threats <br />such as microbes and nitrate. <br />The revolving fund program, <br />which is jointly administered by <br />the Minnesota Department of <br />Health (MDH) and the Public <br />Facilities Authority (PFA), will <br />provide cost-effective assistance <br />to Minnesota's cities, towns, and <br />local communities. The PFA will <br />be responsible for managing <br />financial aspects of the revolving <br />fund loan program, including <br />setting interest rates and. making <br />loans to community drinking <br />water suppliers and non-profit <br />noncommunity suppliers. The <br />MDH will be responsible for the <br />technical aspects of these capital <br />improvement projects as they are <br />funded. <br />Basic Concept of the Drinking <br />Water Revolving Fund <br />For more information on the <br />ISTS program, contact Susan <br />Schmidt at 612/ 297-7573 or <br />800/657-3864. <br />13 <br />