Texas H2O Fall'22

Danielle Angert Kailey Babulal Maryam Badr Razan Bayan Ania Cadena Amy Cain

Mandalyn Castleberry Ellen Freireich Larah Gonzalez Elizabeth Howard

Kaylin Jackson Isabella Landeros

Evelynne Metzler Alejandro Morales Rivera Grace Pietz Brennan Riley Shadaab Shirazi Arahim Zuniga

Monica Lange

TAWWA Awards 19 Scholarships to Students

In its continued effort to support higher education, Texas Section has awarded 19 scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year. The TAWWA Scholarship Committee selected 17 students to receive a $2,000 TAWWA scholarship.

TAWWA, in cooperation with Plummer Associates, Inc., also named Danielle Angert, of Austin, as the recipient of the $3,000 Plummer Associates, Inc./ TAWWA Environmental Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to a student studying to become an engineer or scientist in the water environmental field.

Amy Cain, of San Antonio, was also named the recipient of the One AWWA Operator Scholarship. This scholarship award can be used for certification/ licensure, two-year water related associate degree, technical school program, professional training program, books and manuals and operator-related conferences.

You can help TAWWA fund more scholarships for students next year by purchasing the TAWWA water conservation license plate or donating online at www.tawwa.org/page/scholarships.

Isabella Landeros was awarded a scholarship from funds raised by the Water Conservation License Plate. Thank you to our Scholarship Committee, co-chaired by Mica Garza, Capital Area Chapter, and Yongki Shim, Southeast Chapter, for their hard work in selecting the scholarship recipients: Christina Burleson, Central Texas Chapter; Aidé Fuentes, Desert Mountain Chapter; Jennifer Klidies, Coastal Bend Chapter; Michael McBee, North Central Texas Chapter; Ann Peche, South Texas Chapter; and Jessica Salinas, Rio Grande Chapter.

The 2022-2023 scholarship recipients are:

DANIELLE ANGERT

University of Texas at Austin | Environmental and Water Resources Engineering

Danielle Angert is the recipient of the Plummer Associates, Inc./TAWWA Environmental Scholarship for 2022. She is currently attending the University of Texas at Austin, working toward a master's degree in environmental and water resources engineering. She is a fellow through the Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS) NSF Research Traineeship program, which fosters reciprocal teaching and learning, reinforcing her belief that collaboration is necessary to develop effective and inclusive solutions to major problems, including the world water crisis.

KAILEY BABULAL

University of Texas at Dallas | Molecular Biology

Kailey Babulal recently graduated from Boswell High School in Fort Worth and is currently attending the University of Texas at Dallas as a molecular biology major, with the goal of becoming a genetic engineer. Babulal graduated sixth in her class, was a member of the National Honor Society, and volunteered with the Cowtown Marathon, the Special Olympics and at the John Ed Keeter Public Library, assisting with their summer reading program and STEM activities. Her AWWA family member is Wendy Chi, assistant director of strategic operations at the City of Fort Worth Water Department.

Scholarships, Mentoring and the AWWA 2050 Initiative

Texas Section

American Water Works Association P.O. Box 80150 Austin, Texas 78708 www.tawwa.org

Drew Molly, Chair 361-826-1853

Amy Middleton, Chair-Elect 210-510-0888

Karen Menard, Vice-Chair 214-670-5887

Melissa Bryant, Imm. Past Chair 210-302-3611

Mike Howe Executive Director/Secretary-Treasurer 512-238-9292 Fax: 512-238-0496 mikehowe@tawwa.org

This publication is distributed bi-monthly to the more than 3,500 members and friends of the Texas Section – American Water Works Association.

Contributing writers can contact the editor:

Elizabeth Rose GCP Association Services, LLC PO Box 676 Pflugerville, TX 78691 512-251-8101 Fax: 512-251-8152 TXh20@tawwa.org

The publication name, TexasH2O: © 1996-2022

Texas Section – American Water Works Association, Inc.

© 2022 Texas Section – American Water Works Association, Inc.

FOLLOW TAWWA ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER!

Texas AWWA @txawwa

BY DREW MOLLY texas section chair

For those who don’t know me, October is my favorite time of the year. The weather has cooled off considerably, hurricane season is on the downward trend, we haven't yet lost an hour of daylight in the evening (don’t get me started on this), the leaves are starting to change color (for those who are lucky to have deciduous trees), college football season is in full swing, and my kids are finally back to school!

It's also a new beginning for me personally and professionally as I recently moved to a town south of Houston called Corpus Christi. It’s a wonderful city also situated on the Gulf Coast, where the sand is a little whiter, the water is bluer, and the people are just as friendly. Leaving Houston after more than 20 years was bittersweet as I grew to love the area and made so many life-long friends. I learned a tremendous amount from some brilliant leaders in the Houston Public Works Department and benefited immensely from several incredible mentors who made a positive difference in my professional career. Most of us have had those special leaders who recognized our talents and appreciated our hard-work, thereby unlocking some potential opportunities we may not have had otherwise. I appreciate the saying "good mentors hope you will succeed, and great ones know you will."

This is also the time of year we celebrate our scholarship recipients— the next generation of problem solvers. One of TAWWA's most important missions is to raise money for scholarships, and we do this through the countless philanthropic activities at both the Section and Chapter levels. Scholarship winners are a select group of talented and ambitious students, many of whom have not yet entered the workforce. It’s important—not just for this group but for all our colleagues—to give them meaningful access to a mentorship program (formal or informal) so that they may launch their careers to the pinnacle of excellence.

Fortunately, TAWWA can help with this endeavor because when we

34 | letter from the texas section

DREW MOLLY 361-826-1853 drewm@cctexas.com

section chair

"If you cannot see where you are going, ask someone who has been there before." — J Loren Norris

director report

We Are Serious About Education

BY MIKE HOWE tawwa executive director

It’s in our guiding principles. It’s in our Articles of Incorporation. It’s even in our IRS non-profit 501 c 3 declaration. We are about education!

As you look through this issue of TEXASh2o you will find this year’s group of 19 outstanding scholars who, out of 50 amazing applicants, will receive in total nearly $40,000 in scholarships this academic year from Texas AWWA.

When you add this amount with the additional schol arship awards from our chapters, each year we award more than $65,000 to deserving students. And, over time, the total amount of our scholarship awards now exceeds $500,000.

Education of the next generation of water professionals is important to us. And, to you.

For all we do, it’s not enough. Not anywhere near enough.

I can’t fathom what I would have done coming out of school with the load of debt that so many students are carrying when they graduate. It can be many thousands of dollars and this debt limits their ability to achieve the "promise" of the value of higher education and thus, their ability to become fully contributing members of their community.

You can help.

We need to raise the annual award for each student above the current $2,000 per student per year. You can help. It’s easy and even small amounts can add up.

And, aside from individual contributions, your firm, like Plummer has with their annual funding of the TAWWA/Plummer Scholarship, can work with us to fund an annual scholarship through our well managed and respected process. Its an easy way to demonstrate your corporate commitment to education of water professionals. Just reach out to me at mikehowe@ tawwa.org.

MIKE HOWE 512-238-9292 mikehowe@tawwa.org

All contributions are tax deductible and easy to do. You can learn more here: https://www.tawwa.org/ page/scholarships, and donate here: https://www. tawwa.org/donations/donate.asp?id=10321

You can also consider a legacy donation in your name or the name of a family member.

I am asking because it is important!

The SETH Project – Update!

And, because education is important to us and we are committed to the next generation of water professionals, I want to give an update on the development of the SETH Project for High School Students.

In our last issue I provided details about the program. SETH© stands for Science, Engineering, Technology and Health and is the name of the most unique

Rebate Program Incentivizes Businesses

BY CASSIE FLORES

utility public information coordinator, el paso water

Businesses

looking to be water efficient can now qualify for financial help from El Paso Water. The WaterWise Business Rebate Program offers up to $15,000 to commercial customers to purchase long-term water efficient equipment or to perform process upgrades.

"El Paso residents have embraced a culture of conservation over the past three decades, resulting in significant progress in water conservation," says Water Conservation Specialist Dawn Walker-Hughes.

"Businesses now have the opportunity to get assistance from EPWater to save water and money while also helping our community continue its water conservation focus."

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PAGE 32 | rebate program

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winner

Texas Student is Recipient of Carollo Engineers Bryant L. Bench Scholarship Bryant

L. Bench scholarship recipient Himanshu Sail is a long way from home but is excited to attend the University of Texas at Austin to pursue his master's degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering. Himanshu received his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. His research is focused on the biological treatment of produced water distillates for beneficial reuse. Receiving this prestigious award from Carollo Engineers will assist Himanshu in his future plans to become a Professional Engineer (P.E.) and leverage his skills to develop sustainable energy-efficient processes for water treatment.

Himanshu attended ACE22 in San Antonio and was presented

CONTINUED PAGE 17 | scholarship winner

Dedication beyond design keeps utilities thriving.

At Garver, Justin Rackley knows it goes beyond the design of water and wastewater infrastructure. It’s about rising to the challenges our partner utilities face every day. For the City of DeSoto, this meant creating a custom hydraulic model so that the City could meet water demands during operating scenarios while expanding a major pump station. Because we know we’re not just protecting a resource, we’re protecting a lifeline.

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Justin Rackley, PE | North Texas Facilities Team Leader

Delivering innovative solutions to restore, enhance, and protect coastal ecosystems across the Gulf.

Scan the QR code to learn more:

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| awwa scholarship program

AWWA's Scholarship Program Now Open

Doyou know a student pursuing a career in the water community? If so, please spread the word that it’s time to apply for 25 scholarships sponsored by corporations and the American Water Works Association.

Why are scholarships important? University costs continue to increase, and these scholarships encourage students to join the water community.

In fact, 79% of AWWA Scholarship program recipients since 1985 have remained involved in some way in water careers.

The scholarships range from $3,000 to $30,000 for undergraduate and graduate students studying finance, IT, legal, policy, communications, engineering

and water studies.

Applications are being accepted through Dec. 21, 2022, with awards announced in Spring 2023 to assist in educational funding for the Fall 2023-Spring 2024 academic year.

For more information and to apply, go to https://www.awwa.org/Water-Equation/AWWAScholarship-Award-Program.

The AWWA Scholarship program is managed by the Association’s philanthropy, Water Equation. Your company can sponsor a scholarship through the AWWA Scholarship program by contacting Michelle Hektor at mhektor@awwa.org.

EPWater Secures $20 Million for Advanced Water Purification Facility

BY MARTHA KOESTER

lead public affairs coordinator, el paso water

ElPaso Water’s Advanced Water Purification Facility was awarded $20 million in federal funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for water reuse projects.

EPWater was the only Texas water utility to be among the selected recipients of a combined $309.8 million to improve drought resilience.

Industry leader

The Advanced Water Purification Facility will transform treated wastewater into fresh drinking water. The

CONTINUED PAGE 31 | epwater funding

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with the award by Carollo Vice-President Tom Gillogly. Himanshu said, "The $10,000 scholarship is going to be a great support in my pursuit of my master's degree. It will help me cover my tuition for the next semester and will ensure that I can comfortably complete the degree. Apart from the award, registration for the ACE conference helped me network with industry professionals and get to know about the recent developments in the water space."

AWWA Water Equation manages the scholarship program, which includes 28 academic scholarships for students pursuing a career in the water community. Scholarship applications are available through Dec. 21, 2022 on the Water Equation website, https://www. awwa.org/Water-Equation/AWWA-ScholarshipAward-Program.

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10 | scholarship winner

MARYAM BADR

Wesleyan University | Neuroscience & East Asian Studies

Maryam Badr is currently attending Wesleyan University as a pre-med student majoring in neuroscience and East Asian studies. She is an intern at the Race, Ethnicity and Nationality Resource Center and serves as president of Spectrum, which creates events to serve marginalized identities on campus. She volunteers with Paper Airplanes, teaching English to those displaced by conflict in the Middle East and is copresident of the Wesleyan Refugee Project, advocating and providing services to refugees and other displaced persons. Her AWWA family member is Hanaa Fayyadh, supervising engineer at the City of Houston.

RAZAN BAYAN Southern Methodist University | Human Rights & History

Razan Bayan attends Southern Methodist University, majoring in human rights and history, with minors in Arabic, African/Middle Eastern students and mathematics. Bayan is a Cooper-McElvaney Peace & Justice Fellowship recipient, as well as a SMU Human Rights Fellowship recipient. Her current research project involves awareness in Muslim youth of U.S. government violence against Muslims. She is also a youth mentor at the Islamic School of Irving and education chair of SMU's Muslim Student Association. Her AWWA family member is Mohammad Bayan, vice president at Quiddity Engineering.

CONTINUED PAGE 20 | scholarships

INTEGRATED WATER SOLUTIONS

CONVEYANCE

WATER RESOURCES

WATER TREATMENT

STORMWATER WASTEWATER TREATMENT

ANIA CADENA

Texas State University | Biology

Ania Cadena is attending Texas State University, majoring in biology with a minor in biochemistry. She plans to attend dental school after graduation. Cadena serves as recruitment committee chair of the American Chemical Society at Texas State, and this past semester helped coordinate an effort to plant trees (and save existing ones) around San Marcos. Her AWWA family member is Ignacio Cadena, consultant at Black & Veatch.

AMY CAIN

Amy Cain works for Quiddity Engineering, LLC as an engineering assistant and is the recipient of the One AWWA Operator Scholarship. She plans to use the scholarship to earn her water systems operator license, helping her

expand her career and expertise in the water industry. She also hopes that by earning her water license, it will encourage her fellow engineers to earn theirs as well.

MANDALYN CASTLEBERRY

Texas A&M University | Mechanical Engineering

Mandalyn Castleberry is currently attending Texas A&M University, majoring in mechanical engineering with focuses on thermofluids and energy systems, as well as minoring in engineering project management. She is involved with the Society of Women Engineers at Texas A&M, as well as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Castleberry is a student in the engineering honors college and was an engineering (product development) intern at Mainstream Medical Devices, a biomechanical and manufacturing engineering firm, last summer. Her AWWA family member is Christianne Castleberry of Castleberry Engineering & Consulting.

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ELLEN FREIREICH

University of Delaware | Chemical Engineering

Ellen Freireich recently graduated from Rouse High School in Leander and is currently attending the University of Delaware, pursuing a degree in chemical engineering. In high school, she was involved with varsity soccer, the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society and was in the top ten percent of her graduating class. Freireich was also awarded the Green Cord Community Service Certificate for completing 272 hours of community service in high school. Her AWWA family member is David Freireich, chief utility engineer for the City of Round Rock.

LARAH GONZALEZ University of Texas at Austin | Computer Science/Environmental Science

Larah Gonzalez is currently attending the University of Texas at Austin and is currently in the process of transferring her degree from computer science to environmental science, where she can help create change through technology. She is involved with MAES Latinos in Engineering and Science, the Society for Advancing Gender Equity in STEM and Project Advance Austin, where she worked with Keep Austin Beautiful to create a curriculum used to engage high schoolers with their environment. Her AWWA family member is Carlos Gonzalez, utility engineer for McAllen Public Utility.

CONTINUED PAGE 24 | scholarships

ELIZABETH HOWARD

Texas A&M University | Architectural Engineering

Elizabeth Howard is currently attending Texas A&M University, working toward a degree in architectural engineering with a minor in history. She would also like to obtain a master's degree in finance and work at a structural engineering consulting firm, eventually opening her own firm. On campus, she is involved with AEI and STEM to Stocks, an organization led by students in the Master of Finance program who teach career prep skills to other students. Her AWWA family member is Jonathan Howard, director of water and wastewater treatment and conveyance at WSP USA.

KAYLIN JACKSON Baylor University | Pre-Nursing

Kaylin Jackson is currently attending Baylor University, majoring in prenursing. She is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, the Future Nurses Association and Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society. She is working toward becoming a nurse and during her senior year in high school, she enrolled in the health science Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course. At the end of the year, she passed her exam and is now a registered Certificated Nursing Assistant in Texas. Having her CNA license has helped prepare her for nursing school. Her AWWA family member is David Jackson, vice president at Freese and Nichols.

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CONTINUED PAGE 27 | scholarships

FROM

23

scholarships

FROM PAGE 24 | scholarships

ISABELLA LANDEROS University of Texas Rio Grande

swift program

scholarships

MONICA LANGE Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | Speech Language Hearing Sciences

EVELYNNE METZLER

Texas A&M University | Geophysics

Evelynne Metzler recently graduated from Brock High School and is currently attending Texas A&M University, majoring in geophysics. In high school, she was involved with band and UIL Academics, served as drum major and was a member of the National Honor Society. Metzler was recognized nationally by the Brock Chapter of the Masonic Lodge with the Honesty and Integrity Award, and also received the John Philip Sousa Award. Her AWWA family member is Steven Metzler, manager of construction services at Trinity River Authority of Texas.

ALEJANDRO MORALES RIVERA University of Texas at San Antonio | Cybersecurity

Alejandro Morales Rivera is attending the University of Texas at San Antonio, majoring in cybersecurity and minoring in digital forensics. He is involved with Students Helping Students, serves as a Peer Mentor for other UTSA students and is part of the CompTIA student chapter and the Computer Security Association. He has also interned with the Office of Comptroller of the Currency in San Antonio. His AWWA family member is Angel Morales, manager at San Antonio Water System.

GRACE PIETZ

Brigham Young University | Biology

Grace Pietz recently graduated from Marysville High School and is currently attending Brigham Young University, majoring in biology. In high school, she was active in basketball and softball, served as team

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 | scholarships

captain of the golf and swim teams, was senior class president and part of Key Club and Anonymous Readers Club. She volunteered with Helping Hands after Hurricane Harvey, helping clean up people's homes, and with Say Love, cleaning up little league baseball fields. She would one day like to become an obstetrician-gynecologist doctor. Her AWWA family member is Ian Pietz, senior project manager at BGE, Inc.

BRENNAN RILEY

Texas Tech University | Environmental Engineering

Brennan Riley is attending Texas Tech University, where she recently gradu ated with a degree in environmental engineering and a minor in civil engineering and is now working towards earning her master's degree in environmental engineering. She's interned with Freese and Nichols, Inc. as a water/wastewater treatment intern and co-presented at Texas WaterTM 2022 on how to build an effective internship program. Riley has also

interned at the NASA Advanced Water Recovery System Laboratory in Lubbock as an undergraduate research assistant. She is a student member of AWWA through Texas Tech University.

SHADAAB SHIRAZI

Texas A&M University | Biomedical Engineering

Shadaab Shirazi is attending Texas A&M University, working toward a degree in biomedical engineering with a minor in electrical engineering. He wants to become a biomedical engineer to improve the lives of those in need and one of his biggest accomplishments has been creating a program to detect melanoma. Shirazi is a member of the Texas A&M Wind Symphony, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and works at Cardinal Health as a manufacturing engineering intern. His AWWA family member is Saqib Shirazi, senior project engineer at San Antonio Water System.

CONTINUED PAGE 30 | scholarships

Water and Wastewater Consulting Engineers

ARAHIM ZUNIGA University of Texas at El Paso | Environmental Science and Engineering

Arahim Zuniga is currently attending the University of Texas at El Paso, working towards a doctoral degree in environmental engineering and science. He hopes that his current research can help policymakers make better decisions to mitigate climate change and to one day become a professional environmental engineer. He is a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the American Society for Civil Engineers. Zuniga currently works as a research assistant at the university. He is a student member through the University of Texas at El Paso.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29 | scholarships

kimley-horn.com

innovative facility will send purified drinking water straight into the water distribution system.

"We are grateful to the Bureau of Reclamation for recognizing the importance of this new water source to secure El Paso’s water future," said Gilbert Trejo, Interim Chief Operations Officer. "This funding will help El Paso Water to catapult forward the construction of the Advanced Water Purification Facility early next year. The AWPF will use robust treatment processes to transform treated wastewater into fresh drinking water, another example of EPWater’s innovative water supply solutions."

EPWater’s planning process spans 50 years into the future. Aside from an annual river water supply, the utility has built an innovative portfolio of water resources that includes desalination, water reuse and conservation. Because of years of investment and responsible management of water sources, EPWater is a renowned industry leader.

"This facility will be a game changer for El Paso and other arid communities across the globe facing drought challenges," Trejo said. "We extend a special thanks to Mayor Leeser, County Judge Samaniego and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar for their active support of our grant application."

Water Reliability

Grant recipients range from California, Hawaii, Idaho, Utah and Washington. Funding will help water management agencies stretch existing water supplies and help ensure that growing water needs can be met through the advanced treatment of wastewater and

naturally impaired surface and groundwater.

"Water is essential to everything we do, and it will take all of us, working together, to address the significant drought impacts we are seeing across the West," Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said. "As the climate crisis drives severe drought conditions and historically low water allocations, President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making historic investments to address water and drought challenges and invest in our nation’s western water and power infrastructure."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $8.3 billion for Bureau of Reclamation water infrastructure projects to repair aging water delivery systems, secure dams, complete rural water projects and protect aquatic ecosystems. The funding is part of the $1 billion in WaterSMART Water Recycling and Reuse grants provided.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 | epwater funding

While most of EPWater’s past incentive programs have focused more on residential customer efficiencies, the utility has shifted in recent years to collaborate with businesses that prioritize conservation.

The program is designed to shorten the payback timeframe and reduce the financial burden on commercial customers who want to undertake water-saving projects. Rebate incentives can help overcome the initial financial investment associated with water saving equipment, making implementation more economically feasible.

Rebates will cover 50% of equipment or improvement costs up to the maximum rebate amount of $15,000 per owner or company. Rebates can only cover equipment and material costs; installation and taxes are not eligible costs.

"Technology is always evolving, and new equipment can help businesses save money, water, and can improve operational efficiencies," said Walker-Hughes.

"In our current economic times, when staffing may be less than optimal, the introduction of upgraded, water-efficient equipment can save time and add revenue for the business."

The program is easily adaptable to any proposed retrofit project ranging from installing water efficient toilets to irrigation system improvements to installing large process water reclamation systems. To be considered for the rebate program, customers must meet certain criteria and demonstrate water savings potential.

Rebate Program Highlights:

• Any direct El Paso Water commercial customer with a record of service for at least the past 12 consecu tive months from the date of application at current location can apply

• Rebates will cover 50% of equipment or material costs only, up to a maximum of $15,000

• Proposed projects resulting in the highest verifi able amount of yearly water savings will be given priority

• Customer is responsible for providing supporting documentation, including estimated yearly water savings calculations

• Applications must be submitted and approved

HOU DAL AUS

education program we have ever started.

As you know, most of our public water systems in the State of Texas are considered small systems that often find it hard to employ and retain certified operators. Recognizing the need for ALL Utilities, we are creating a training program for high school students that allows them to complete the Basic Water training course to satisfactorily pass the TCEQ test to become a Class D Certified Water Operator.

TCEQ has agreed that students who complete the SETH training before they reach age 18 WILL be able to take the TCEQ Class D test, and if successful, be able to receive their TCEQ Class D license when they reach the age of 18.

This means that students can be licensed or ready to be licensed before they graduate. And that means they can seek employment at a local or nearby utility as they finish their last year in high school. This is a game changer! At no cost to the student or the utility.

We have reached a very important milestone. By the time you read this, we will have completed the primary recording of all the training presentations. That means that all the modules are in post-production, adding specific video, visuals, detailed animations and more to make each module an engaging training tool for high school students, including the "Brain Breaks" that will become part of each training module.

This brings us one step closer to our launch in 2023.

While this work continues, we are working to promote SETH around the state, working with utilities and educators to place the program in school districts while keeping key supporters like the TCEQ, the State Agricultural Department, who has provided grant funding, and seeking connections with interested educators and

utilities statewide.

If you want to know more, or if you are a utility manager or educator who wants to help place SETH in your local school district, you can follow the SETH project at our website and sign up to regular updates and let us know you want to help: https://www. tawwa.org/page/SETH

It’s fun and important to be serious about education.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 | executive director report

| executive director report

raise our glasses (of water) to our scholarship recipients and celebrate their achievements, we should immediately think about our Mentoring Program led by Ishita Rahman. Prior to taking on this initiative, Ishita was the Chair for the Young Professional Committee and it’s clear when you talk to her—she has a passion and excitement that inspires you to grab your mentoring cap. The bottom line is this—mentoring is the essence of strong and resilient organizations. Mentors are the guiding light that selfishly give back to the next generation and truly believe in helping mentees achieve their goals. The mentoring program is in full swing with about 37 mentoring pairs (including both TAWWA and WEAT)—a number that is slightly better than last year but still down considerably from prepandemic levels, where we had peaked at about 70 pairs.

At this point, we have more mentees than mentors available, so I ask on behalf of Ishita for those seasoned water veterans to consider being a mentor by reaching out to her at ishita.rahman@freese.com. And of course, I always like to say that even Shannon Dunne could use some mentoring!

And finally, I know some of you have been asking pointed questions about the AWWA 2050 initiative, which was rolled out formally in March 2022. Recently in September, AWWA invited several leaders to Las Vegas to explore the theme of sustainability. Our own Daniel Nix participated in this think tank, and we look forward to more information as it becomes available.

As more of the initiative is unveiled, the following drivers will shape the conversation, and it’s important that you, as a major contributor and key stakeholder, have a voice. I’ve offered a few of my own perspectives as it relates to these drivers: Sustainability, Technology, Governance, Economics, and Social and Demographic.

1. Sustainability – The more our climate changes, and the more the world endures violent weather events, the more we will be judged by our abil ity to build infrastructure that can hold up to mother nature—this is a huge and difficult task. One of my most difficult moments in Houston was responding to the challenges associated with Hurricane Harvey—a storm that dropped 50-inches

of rain, and caused more than 100 Boil Water Notices (BWNs) in our region. We were fortunate to keep our system operational during that 5-day period of torrential flooding, despite being completely stranded inside our facilities. Our Mayor emphasized how important it was for him to tell Houstonian's that the water system was safe and operational when much of our city was underwater.

While we avoided a BWN, we also used the disaster as an opportunity to better prepare for the next emergency. One example included our effort to survey high-water elevations (HWE) and compare them to planned elevations of critical structures at our new 320 MGD Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) expansion project that was still in the design phase at the time. It turned out that our HWE were approximately equivalent to the existing 500-year floodplain. Collectively, our teams agreed that not only should we raise all of our building elevations to three-feet above the HWE, but we should also consider increasing elevations for supercritical facilities even higher. As a result of our efforts to build greater resiliency into the future plant, all of our critical electrical buildings like our Main and Substation Switchgear Buildings, just to name a couple, were raised 5.5-feet above the HWE. It should be noted that about 8 months later all critical infrastructure in the 500-year floodplain were required to be three-feet above the 500-year floodplain per new floodplain ordinance rule, but we preempted this requirement prior to the rule being in effect. This was resilient and sustainable planning at its finest, and it was great to see both Houston and its Regional Water Partners effectively collaborating on such critical decision-making.

2. Technology – One of the most frustrating circumstances is installing new equipment only to find out that it will be obsolete in five years or less, especially when many of us are challenged with red-tape procurement processes that can add months to the already difficult timeline. What can you bring to the table that offers advancements to your team and will provide long-term benefits? I recall years ago, a wise sage named Dean Sharp encouraged me to visit a technical session at the

| letter from the texas section chair |

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 | letter from the texas section chair

Texas Water Conference when it was last in Galveston (see if you can figure out the year). The session involved pump optimization and I was immediately a believer. The next chal lenge was convincing my leadership team and colleagues that this technology was worth the investment and would provide long term value. I’m proud to say that we are still us ing this technology today and expect to expand our use of pump optimization technology at our new facilities.

3. Governance – As pressure mounts on utilities to continue to provide access to safe drinking water and reliable wastewater services, the government will likely take a greater role in how utilities are operated and regulated. Unfunded mandates are a significant challenge in our industry when it comes to government legislating policies that impact our operations. Before Texas Senate Bill 3 in 2021, there was Texas Senate Bill 361 in 2011. SB 361 required municipalities serving more than 3.3 million customers (Houston was the only one at the time) to provide on-site generators as a result of Hurricane Ike in 2009. While it’s true that nine days after the storm, nearly 250,000 did not have access to running water, Houston was not one of those utilities. Despite Houston’s ability to quickly recover from the disaster, Houston complied with the bill, but was left with a hefty price tag of more than $100 million with no immediate way to pay for it.

4. Economics – For every decision or non-decision you make, costs will be incurred by your rate payer. It’s an incredibly terrifying and exhilarating place to be as your community truly depends on you to make good decisions. We know that if we treat every precious dollar wisely, and ensure we are maximizing those dollars, our rate payers and hopefully elected officials will continue to trust us and support our missions. It’s a short leash sometimes, and the pressure is always on.

5. Social and Demographic – The public demands access to clean water—no matter where they live. In last month's TEXASh2o magazine, I talked about a small utility in Harris County, outside of Houston, that had no access to running water for four months. Imagine-A-Day-Without-Water could be done in the third largest county in the U.S. without hav ing to imagine. I don’t know if I can imagine that!! We need to work collaboratively across our political divide to ensure that we strengthen the trust of our community.

I would love to know how your utility or project team are tackling these drivers and what your approach will be for the future, so that if asked, I can communicate effectively to our AWWA leaders. Thanks for tuning in!!!

| letter from the texas section chair |

members

TAWWA Welcomes New Members Joining July 1–September 30, 2022

Laura Aguilar Houston, TX

Gianna Aguirre El Paso, TX

Elva Alvarez Houston, TX

Taylor Alvarez Watauga, TX

Cristian Ampuero Manvel, TX

Parker Anderson Austin, TX

Nuria Andreu Garcia El Paso, TX

Zahra Anwar Houston, TX

Sebastian Araya Padilla San Antonio, TX

Olalekan Aremu San Antonio, TX

Aurigo Software Technologies Austin, TX

Rose Ayala Houston, TX

Rebecca B'Smith Houston, TX

Emily Baca Austin, TX

Laura Bailey Austin, TX

Kirsten Ballard Irving, TX

Jane Baxter Houston, TX

Jim Beare Houston, TX

Katherine Beeman Abilene, TX

Ryon Bell Sugar Land, TX

Cesar Belle Houston, TX

Benjamin Benedict Dallas, TX

Doug Black Fort Worth, TX

Lisa Brandt Houston, TX

Jeff Brehm Flower Mound, TX

Isaac Briones Austin, TX

Lester Brown Jr Houston, TX

Michael Buck Georgetown, TX

Raymond Caballero Houston, TX

Aja Calderon San Antonio, TX

Jose Cardenas Houston, TX

David Carrillo Frisco, TX

Eric Castro Houston, TX

Monica Cerceo Houston, TX

John Cervantes Houston, TX

Juan Chavira Houston, TX

Brian Christopher Houston, TX

Emma Clow San Marcos, TX

Christopher Collins Houston, TX

Rebecca Cook Friendswood, TX

Travis Copeland Round Rock, TX

Darhen Coryea San Marcos, TX

Brian Corzine Weatherford, TX

Isaac Danas Houston, TX

Kevin Daniel Houston, TX

Daniel Davis Houston, TX

Shamere Davis Houston, TX

Tyler Dawson Denton, TX

Jose De La Sancha A. San Marcos, TX

Elizabeth De Leon San Antonio, TX

Tara Delagarza Austin, TX

Marcos Diaz San Antonio, TX

Marcos Diosdado Denton, TX

Kevin Drennan Arlington, TX

Joel Dubow College Station, TX

Jeff Dunsworth Pflugerville, TX

Michael Easley Ferris, TX

William Edwards Krum, TX

Stacy Ellis Kempner, TX

Jacob Escobedo Houston, TX

Alex Espitia Converse, TX

Abimbola Ezeh Houston, TX

Amanda Fabela Fort Worth, TX

Marcus Farrar Plano, TX

support

flexible and on budget, meeting ambitious deadlines, and becoming

most

advisor.

members

TAWWA Welcomes New Members Joining July 1–September 30, 2022

Jeffrey Farrell Houston, TX

Christopher Foley Dawson, TX

Cheyenne Footracer Dallas, TX

Sean Fuller Houston, TX

Elizabeth Gage Houston, TX

Eric Garcia Austin, TX

Amy Garza San Antonio, TX

Ashlynn Garza Houston, TX

Jesus Garza San Antonio, TX

Mike Generalovich Dallas, TX

Amy Giannini Round Rock, TX

James Gilleland Houston, TX

Clinton Giron Houston, TX

Adrian Goldberg Austin, TX

Jacob Gonzalez San Antonio, TX

Mike Gran McKinney, TX

Brandon Grimm Houston, TX

Caroline Guerra Junction, TX

Mark Hall Austin, TX

Crystal Harness Ferris, TX

Sazadul Hasan Austin, TX

Kimberly Heck Houston, TX

Kevin Howington Houston, TX

Casey Hughes Friendswood, TX

Jinia Islam Katy, TX

Jassim Jaf Houston, TX

Robert Jones Houston, TX

Shivani Katkar Austin, TX

Craig Kerkhoff Dallas, TX

Alex Kilcrease Wichita Falls, TX

Detrick King Houston, TX

Feng-Chao Kuo Houston, TX

Kevin Lancaster Houston, TX

Nickolas Landin Houston, TX

Elizabeth Lara San Antonio, TX

Otilia Law Grand Prairie, TX

Kuan-Lin Lee Austin, TX

Billiard Lefranc San Marcos, TX

Robert Leyva El Paso, TX

Yuanzhe Liu Fort Worth, TX

Ma Loi Houston, TX

Najibullah Loodin College Station, TX

Alberto Lopez Del Valle, TX

Carol Ly Houston, TX

Deanna Lytle Dallas, TX

Gary Macelarri Houston, TX

Crispulo Mallillin Houston, TX

Cody Manley Ferris, TX

Nathan Mara Decatur, TX

Thomas Maurus Austin, TX

Timothy Maxwell Houston, TX

Alyssa McCain Arlington, TX

William McCaughey Sugar Land, TX

Tucker McCoy Austin, TX

Chelsea McDonald College Station, TX

Molly McKinney San Antonio, TX

Diego Medrano Harlingen, TX

Joellen Meitel Houston, TX

Troy Merino Rockwall, TX

Hannah Miller Austin, TX

Maximus Miranda Houston, TX

Bob Mitchell Katy, TX

Lisa Montemayor Houston, TX

Brett Moreland Stafford, TX

Emily Myers Richardson, TX

Katie Neal Houston, TX

Vu Nguyen Irving, TX

Valery Nsabe Houston, TX

James O'Brien San Antonio, TX

Collin O'Neill Houston, TX

Chidinma Obuekwe Houston, TX

Ayooluwabami Odusote Richmond, TX

Ignacio Partida Houston, TX

Vikrant Pendharkar Houston, TX

Dominique Perez Ozona, TX

Mark Peterson Fort Worth, TX

Chris Phillips Ferris, TX

Lynn Phipps Houston, TX

Omar Pineda Houston, TX

Alec Pollok Dallas, TX

Renee Raines San Antonio, TX

Amy Ramirez San Antonio, TX

Terrance Remo Houston, TX

Taylor Reynolds Austin, TX

David Richards Houston, TX

Terry Robbins Houston, TX

Malik Robinson Houston, TX

Tristan Robles Austin, TX

Chelsea Roth Dallas, TX

Amelia Ruiz Houston, TX

Josh Ruiz San Marcos, TX

Jose Sagrera Houston, TX

Jose Sanchez Houston, TX

Pedro Sanchez Devine, TX

Sandra Sanchez Houston, TX

Patrick Sapp Spring Branch, TX

Sebastiaan Schuite Houston, TX

Christopher Schuttler Austin, TX

Leon Scott Houston, TX

Kelly Shankles El Paso, TX

Joshua Simmons Marlin, TX

Andrew Simonsen Fort Worth, TX

Summer Simpson Austin, TX

Alex Smith Houston, TX

Chetan Soni Plano, TX

Angela Spevak Dallas, TX

Ashley Sponsler Ingleside, TX

Karen Stafford-Brown Dallas, TX

Makonnen Taye Houston, TX

Natalie Taylor Dallas, TX

Trevante Thomas Houston, TX

Salai Thura Zaw College Station, TX

Jiaher Tian Houston, TX

Y Tomasek Fort Worth, TX

Kellie Tondre La Coste, TX

Elvis Trevino San Antonio, TX

Alejandro Trujillo League City, TX

Susana Vallejo Houston, TX

Leilany Vazquez Houston, TX

Bo Wang Houston, TX

Andrew Webb San Marcos, TX

William Wendland Fort Worth, TX

Jeremy White Terrell, TX

Eric Whitten Canyon, TX

Juliana Whittiker Wichita Falls, TX

Scott Williams Grand Prairie, TX

Matthew Wolff Houston, TX

Jing Wu Austin, TX

Roger Zygmunt Missouri City, TX

it. Delivered.

What’s Happening Across Texas

NOV

Chapter Annual Golf Tournament

Utility Leadership Training

Texas Chapter Scholarship Dinner

Chapter Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

Area Chapter Seminar 2023

Country Club www.tawwa.org

District Services Katy www.tawwa.org

Family Center and Zachry Family Acequia Garden - San Antonio www.tawwa.org

Point Brewery Bedford www.tawwa.org

City of Austin Permitting and Development Center - Austin www.tawwa.org

Want to share your event with the Texas water community? Contact Mike Howe, 512-238-9292, or mikehowe@tawwa.org

the Section’s website, www.tawwa.org, for the latest information on Section activities.