LRWA The Complete Package

LRWA MISSION STATEMENT

LRWA provides our water and wastewater utility members with the highest quality of leadership, representation, support services, and Emergency Response services in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.

Louisiana Rural Water Association (LRWA) is governed by a membership elected Board of Directors. LRWA is a non-profit organization established in 1978 to assist small water and wastewater systems through training, onsite technical assistance, and state operator certification. Our assistance is geared toward the operation and maintenance of water and wastewater systems and to assist them in understanding the rules and regulations of said operation. LRWA has been the driving force providing water and wastewater training and technical assistance to the small towns and rural areas of all sixty-four (64) parishes of Louisiana.

In short, LRWA has a proven track record of providing the highest quality training, technical assistance and information, products and services necessary for promoting public health and environmental protection. The professional staff of LRWA is skilled in all areas of water and wastewater operations and management. The goals of Louisiana Rural Water Association, through the Safe Drinking Water Program, are to protect the public’s health by ensuring the provision of safe drinking water and compliance with federal and state rules, regulations, and standards as we have in years past.

Technical assistance is a key ingredient in LRWA’s effort to improve the quality of utility services in rural Louisiana and America. More than 2,700 water and wastewater systems benefit from this assistance each year. Our dedicated group of professional technical assistance providers makes over 7,000 on-site visits annually. They assist systems with their efforts to comply with complex regulations and to protect the public’s health.

LRWA provides assistance by telephone, on-site technical assistance, and classroom instruction training. We have various programs in place with qualified field technicians per program. By simply calling the office at 1(800) 256-2591 or (337) 738-2896 you will be provided with the necessary information or your message will be relayed to the proper field technician(s), followed up by a telephone call and/or an on-site visit.

Some of the services LRWA offers are: • Provide assistance by telephone, on-site technical assistance and training to all water and wastewater systems across the state • Provide membership to water and/or wastewater systems, small municipalities, individual and vendors associated with the water and/or wastewater industry • Updated member list provided to associate members • Operator certification training, applications, and information • Energy conservation training sessions and technical assistance (smoke testing, leak detection, sewer video camera, etc.) • Statewide training sessions on related topics for water and/or wastewater systems • Re-certification credit hours available through LRWA training sessions

• Annual technical/training conference • Certification training at the LRWA training facility • Rate structures • Informing membership of federal and state issues • Lobby programs on the state and federal level • Quarterly magazines with advertisement and articles related to the water and wastewater industry (free classified ads – help wanted or equipment for sale) • Expeditious on-site technical assistance for all types of water and/or wastewater systems • Water and/or wastewater system health insurance package • Water and/or wastewater system liability insurance package • Reduced registration fees for all

LRWA events • LRWA offers up-to-date information on our website (lrwa.org) • Equipment available along with technical assistance • Voting rights in association affairs All of the following programs and their services are free of charge.

EPA Training & On-site Assistance Program Funded by National Rural Association through the Environmental Protection Agency, Louisiana Rural Water Association has one (1) Training Specialist covering the state. This program provides technical assistance to systems with a population under 10,000 across the state. The program also offers training sessions to update systems on the Safe Drinking Water Act rules and regulations. The training hours received is used to comply with state re-certification requirements. Water Circuit Rider Program Funded by National Rural Water Association through USDA-Rural Development, Louisiana Rural Water Association has four (4) Water Circuit Riders covering the state providing technical assistance to water system operations specialist on the daily operations of their system. These services include on-site visits and information on Safe Drinking Water Act rules and regulations, water quality analysis, disinfection and chemical feed, treatment processes, distribution maintenance, line and valve locations, pump and motor maintenance and rate structures.

Wastewater Program Funded by National Rural Water Association through USDA-Rural Development, Louisiana Rural Water Association provides on-site technical assistance throughout the State of Louisiana with two (2) wastewater technicians. Technical assistance provided includes treatment plant operations, maintenance, finance, management, regulatory requirements (EPA and DEQ permits), health concerns and operator certifications. The wastewater technician can also offer assistance for systems that will be constructing new treatment plants. Our wastewater technicians provide training sessions throughout the state on a small scale. This small-scale training enables them to have more of a one-on-one with the operators, managers, etc.

Source Water Protection Program Funded by National Rural Water Association through the United States Department of Agriculture, LRWA provides technical assistance to rural and small communities served by public water systems to reduce or eliminate the potential risks to drinking water supplies through the development of Source Water Protection Plans and providing assistance to entities with the “substantial implementation” of contamination prevention measures.

Energy Efficiency Program Funded by National Rural Water Association through USDA-Rural Development, Louisiana Rural Water Association provides on-site technical assistance throughout the state with one (1) Energy Efficiency Technician. The primary goal of the Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance Program is to assist rural and small community water and wastewater utility systems in evaluating their energy needs, consumption and costs; recommending measures to reduce energy consumption; and identifying potential funding sources for improvements.

EPA Training and Technical Assistance for Wastewater Treatment Works Funded by National Rural Water Association through the Environmental Protection Agency, Louisiana Rural Water Association has one (1) Water Quality Action Specialist covering the state. This program provides Sustainable Utility Management Plan (SMAP) assistance for rural, small, and tribal publicly owned treatment works and decentralized wastewater treatment systems. Assistance under this program will be provided to those systems that treat up to 1 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater or serve a population less than 10,000 person and may also serve operations such as, but not limited to, hospitals, schools, and restaurants.

Apprenticeship Program Funded by National Rural Water Association through USDA/RUS, Louisiana Rural Water Association has one (1) Program Coordinator who is responsible for the general oversight of the day to day operations of the program, community outreach and partnering with state and local agencies, recruitment of employers and apprentice participants and sourcing for program funding and financial assistant for participants. Rural Water Energy Program Louisiana Rural Water Association offers specialized training and technical assistance to small water and/or wastewater systems with five (5) field technicians in the State of Louisiana. The program is designed to reduce energy consumption and increase the efficiency of operation with emphasis on the following: • Leak Detection • Bench Testing for Water Meters • Consumer Metering Program • Infiltration (Smoke Test) Survey • Sewer Video Camera • Source Metering Program • Rate Studies

Capacity Development Funded by the Louisiana Department of Health, Louisiana Rural Water Association has one (1) technician who provides on-site assistance to resolve technical/operational problems that plague public water systems statewide to stay in or come into compliance with current and upcoming federal regulations in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. This program also provides either on-site or at a designated location, classroom training to policy and financial decision makers of public water systems statewide (managers/board members/mayors/city council members and others) of their legal responsibilities of preserving public health in accordance with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Rural Water Board Development Training This training focuses specifically on providing training to governing officials and utility managers of small rural water and wastewater systems. This training emphasizes topics that will enhance knowledge of basic governing skills and responsibilities and also offers guidance in specific areas such as setting goals and policies, hiring and managing managers, ensuring adequate financing and accountability and board self-evaluation. It will also work with board members and upper management in expanding their system’s financial, managerial and technical capacity through the use of selfassessment. Training in areas of budgeting, policy-making, customer relations, and board member’s legal obligations will assist each system with their capacity development process.

Very Small Water System Training Program Louisiana Rural Water Association offers the Very Small Water System (VSWS) Training Program to all water and wastewater systems throughout Louisiana. LRWA provides six (6) one (1)-day training sessions located throughout the state annually. The VSWS Program targets the small systems (systems under 500 pop., mobile home parks, subdivisions, etc.). The training is done by the LRWA staff in conjunction with LDH and other sources available through LRWA. Homeowner Sewage Maintenance Educational Workshops Funded by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, LRWA provides workshops educating the homeowners on the importance of inspecting and maintaining their own individual home sewage treatment systems. Homeowners are instructed on how their systems work, how to conduct a thorough inspection, and how to maintain their system (through repairs, upgrades and pump-outs as needed).

Conference LRWA provides an Annual Conference to over 1,500 water and wastewater systems operations specialists, as well as mayors, board members, clerks, and decision makers. The conference allows these professionals to receive expert training, as well as up to 32 hours of re-certification credits. Our conference has had more than 150 exhibitors displaying their state of the art products, which is important to the water and wastewater industry. Our annual conference places water and wastewater personnel in touch with vendor’s products while obtaining valuable training.

Training Program LRWA takes pride in the Training and Technical Assistance that we offer throughout the year from one end of Louisiana to the other. The training sessions are instructed by individuals with a wide variety of expertise in water and wastewater-related areas, as well as Louisiana Department of Health – Office of Public Health personnel to keep attendees abreast of current and changing State Regulations. LRWA offers a wide variety of training sessions such as Environmental Protection Agency, Very Small Water System, Board/Council Member, Wastewater, Safe Drinking Water “The Basics” as well as our Annual Conference which includes Certification Training and Technical Training for office personnel.

Visit us at lrwa.org

LRWA provides 32 hours of training for water and wastewater certification Levels 1 and 2 at the Wayne Fontenot Training Center located at our office in Kinder. This training provides educational instruction to assist with the certification exam as well as to meet all state and federal regulations by learning the Rules and Regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act.

The LRWA’s specialized training sessions provide water and wastewater operations specialists with an opportunity to solve problems by sharing ideas with state and federal agencies, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, and other operations specialists. Training sessions cover a broad spectrum of needs ranging from water treatment, state and federal water and wastewater regulations, to financial management practices, and operator certification. This training allows water professionals to upgrade their skills, improve the quality of their utilities’ service, and protect their community’s health.

LRWA provides one-day or twoday training sessions to keep systems updated on Safe Drinking Water Act Rules and Regulations, Water Conservation, Operation & Maintenance, Board/Council Members Training, and Training for Secretaries, Clerks, Office Managers, etc. The training hours you receive at these training sessions can be used to comply with state re-certification requirements.

Below is a list of some topics that are covered during these training sessions and conferences: • Introduction to Safe Drinking Water

Program • Enforcement, How to Maintain

Compliance • Bacteriological Sampling • Operator Certification Program • Source Water Protection Program • Operating a Water System…

Getting Certified • Sewer Lift Stations • Troubleshooting, Control Transformers,

Single Phase • Smoke Testing and Sewer Video

Inspections • Hydrant Operations • Chlorination and other Disinfection

Processes Training & Safety • Troubleshooting Filters • Water Leak Detection • Wastewater Plant Operations • Electrical Equipment • Cross-Connection/Backflow Prevention • Property Security for Your Water System • AWIA Risk & Resiliency/Emergency

Response Plan • Management Training • Capacity Development

Code Updates

In-Service Cleaning

NEW TANKS — Rick DiZinno (270) 826-9000 ext. 2601 EXISTING TANKS — Jordan Pyles (270) 826-9000 ext. 4601

LaWARN – Louisiana Water/ Wastewater Agency Response Network Following the impacts of Hurricane Katrina and then Hurricane Rita, it became apparent that even with the extraordinary efforts of utilities, water associations, and state regulatory agencies, the demand for resources and knowing where those resources were available overwhelmed the ability to effectively coordinate the initial response. Realizing that utilities needed a different approach, leaders in the water community and state agencies have joined together to create the Louisiana Water/ Wastewater Agency Response Network or LaWARN.

Our mission is to support and promote statewide emergency preparedness, disaster response, and mutual assistance matters for public and private water and wastewater utilities. The LaWARN program provides its member utilities with: • A standard omnibus mutual assistance agreement and process for sharing emergency resources among members statewide. • A mutual assistance program consistent with other statewide mutual aid programs. • The resources to respond and recover more quickly from a disaster. • A forum for developing and maintain emergency contacts and relationships. • New ideas from lessons learned in disasters.

Legislative LRWA works with coalitions to provide data and disseminate rules and regulations to evaluate effectiveness and cost to rural water systems. Attend legislative sessions in Baton Rouge and Washington, DC, to inform our congressional members of the water and wastewater issues in Louisiana.

Ask About Special Loan Terms for LRWA Members!