Texas H2O Summer 2024 by TEXAS AWWA

AWWA ACE24 Competition Winners

Congratulations to all of our Texas AWWA competitors who traveled to AWWA ACE24 in California to represent the Texas Section and a special shout out to our winners!

Women's Pipe Tapping:

Second Place: Big D Lady Tappers, Dallas Water Utilities, 2:25.97

Third Place: Alamo City Tappers, San Antonio Water

Meter Challenge:

First Place: Dennis Laskowski with a time of 33.97

Second Place: Leamon Anderson, 55:19 (includes penalty)

Randall Payton of the North Texas Municipal Water District was also recognized as the Mark Kirkland Volunteer Appreciation Award recipient. This award recognizes an Operator Involvement Committee member, volunteer OR participant who has demonstrated outstanding service and a long-term commitment to helping the AWWA achieve their goals. Congrats to all of our winners!

| letter from the texas section chair |

Texas Section

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

Karen Menard, Chair 817-493-5195

Marisa Vergara, Chair-Elect 210-494-8004

Mary Gugliuzza, Vice-Chair 817-392-8253

Amy Middleton, Imm. Past Chair 210-510-0888

Daniel Nix

Executive Director/Secretary-Treasurer 512-238-9292 Fax: 512-238-0496 danielnix.wf@gmail.com

This publication is distributed bi-monthly to the more than 4,500 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

FOLLOW TAWWA ON FACEBOOK AND X!

Texas AWWA @txawwa

Dog Days of Summer

BY KAREN MENARD texas section chair

Texas weather is incredible. After our deluge of spring rains up here in the North Central Region, I never thought I would be so happy to welcome a dry summer. Fortunately, most reservoirs on the east half of the state are full as we enter the hotter summer months, but I know that’s not the case for everyone, especially those of you west of I-35. In addition, our friends along the Gulf Coast are entering hurricane season, and my heart goes out to those affected by the recent storms. I grew up in a coastal community and remember filling up our bathtubs in preparation for long-term power outages. Between the heat and humidity, that is not a pleasant experience. Luckily, the season will pass in a few weeks and we will enter my favorite time of year – Fall. In the meantime, I have several updates to share with you along with a Chapter Challenge!

ACE’24 Re-Cap

KAREN MENARD 817-493-5195 menardke@trinityra.org

The Texas Section was well represented and received special recognition at #ACE24 in Anaheim, California this past June. During Opening Session, our very own Desmond "Des" Lawler received the Water Industry Hall of Fame Award, Board Members Mary Gugliuzza (Vice President) and Sally Mills-Wright (Chair, Standards Council) were recognized, and Mike Howe received a special award for his distinguished career and dedicated service to AWWA. Our Texas Section maintains its bragging rights for the Big D Lady Tappers (DWU) earning 2nd place and the Alamo City Tappers (SAWS) earning 3rd place in the Women’s Pipe Tapping Competition. In addition, I was happy to see many of our members presenting at technical tracks and participating in various events throughout the week! Next year, #ACE25 will take place June 8-11 in Denver, Colorado and the theme is “Elevate" –we hope to see you there!

CONTINUED PAGE 22 | letter from the texas section chair

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Hot, Hot, Hot

BY DANIEL NIX tawwa executive director

“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s about what you’re made of, not the circumstances.”

- Roald Dahl

Summer in Texas is in full swing and things are heating up literally and figuratively across the State. The members of the Texas Section are out in full force, showing what they are made of.

The Texas Section continues to grow at a steady pace. As of June, we are still the second largest Section (the largest single State Section) with 4,642 members and a 2.3% growth rate. With California/Nevada Section having 5,199 members, Texas is only 557 members away from being the largest Section within the AWWA organization.

The Membership Committee, chaired by Ann Peche, is working closely with the Chapter Membership Chairs to discuss what initiatives we can start that focus on recruitment and retention. The value that TAWWA membership brings to the profession is a large part of that formula. Networking, professional development and resources are the top of the list on membership value. Let’s continue to make our steady progress forward with membership recruitment and retention

and see if we can become the "hot" Section that is making things happen.

Texas Section members that participated at ACE in Pipe Tapping, Hydrant Hysteria, Meter Challenge and Top Ops brought the heat to the other Section competitors, making them work hard to keep up.

512-238-9292

danielnix.wf@gmail.com

Dennis Laskowski and Leamon Anderson brought home 1st Place and 2nd Place, respectively, in Meter Challenge. In Pipe Tapping, the Big D Lady Tappers from Dallas Water Utilities brought home 2nd Place, and the Alamo City Tappers from SAWS brought home 3rd Place. All of competitors did an outstanding job and represented the Section well. We are looking forward to seeing what Texas can bring to ACE in Denver in 2025.

It was my honor to speak at the Breakfast of Champions for the competitors at ACE and was happily surprised at the feedback that I received from several competitors about how my speech inspired them. Afterwards, I got to hang out with all of the Texas teams before they went to their sperate events. The highlight of the breakfast was AWWA awarding our very own Randy Peyton with the Mark Kirkland Volunteer Appreciation Award for his untiring dedication to the competitions. When you see Randy, show him how much we appreciate all of his work on competitions at both Texas Water and ACE.

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CONTINUED PAGE 38 | executive director report

DANIEL NIX

Daniel Nix and Texas AWWA Competitors at ACE 2024.

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Women in Water Make Strides in Engineering

BY ITZAIANA ROJAS communications assistant at el paso water

It is a rare occasion to walk into a room full of female engineers, with only a sprinkling of men. That was exactly the case at the TAWWA Desert Mountain Chapter’s first Women in Water event.

The sold-out event was on May 16 at Park Tavern, with featured guest speaker EPWater Chief Technical Officer Irazema Rojas. Engaging in a Q&A session with Troy Svede, Desert Mountain Chapter President, allowed Rojas to give the audience insight into her inspiring background and how she carved her path to becoming a successful engineer.

"Events that promote Women in Water bring light to respected individuals who have made great impacts on the engineering community and encourage the

CONTINUED PAGE 24 | women in water

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Emergency Preparedness for Environmental Laboratories

by josephine longoria, lcra environmental laboratory services; hunter adams, city of wichita falls; selina tabor, city of longview; himanshu sail, wolfspeed; lilian nguyen, city of houston; veronica godley, san antonio water system & elizabeth turner, eurofins environment testing

In today's interconnected world, the role of environmental laboratories transcends the confines of scientific inquiry. These facilities are the linchpins of our collective efforts to monitor, understand, and address the complex environmental challenges that impact our world. They play a crucial role in ensuring the quality of our water, air, and soil, ultimately safeguarding public health, national security, and the integrity of our ecosystems.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a profound lesson

in emergency preparedness for environmental laboratories. It underscored the critical importance of stringent protocols when handling biohazardous samples, as laboratories found themselves on the frontlines of pandemic response. The experience highlighted the necessity of having stockpiles of essential supplies such as sanitizers, gloves, masks, and other personal protective equipment to ensure the safety of laboratory personnel and maintain the

CONTINUED PAGE 28 | laboratories

October 31-November 1 Menger Hotel 204 Alamo Plaza San Antonio, TX 78205 Cost: $199 Visit www.tawwa.org/event/customerservice2024 for more information and to register.

Agenda coming soon

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AWWA Embraces Water Sector Leadership in New 2030 Strategic Plan

Anew five-year strategic plan adopted by the American Water Works Association prioritizes member experience, best practices for the water community and long-term sustainability.

The new 2030 Strategic Plan, which will be in effect through the end of 2029, is the guiding document for AWWA and its operations. It defines the Association’s vision, mission and core principles, while laying out strategic goals and objectives. It was approved by AWWA’s Board of Directors during its June meeting at the 2024 Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE24).

reports to the Board’s Executive Committee developed

the plan. Chaired by past president David Rager and current board member Keisha Thorpe, the committee included representatives from sections, councils, service providers, manufacturers and the AWWA board and staff

"The 2030 Strategic Plan continues AWWA’s vision of 'A Better World Through Better Water,' stressing the importance of strong collaboration between the Association and its Sections," Rager said. "It continues to focus on the members’ value experience, using transformational technology to expand the sharing of

CONTINUED PAGE 26 | strategic plan

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

(DEI)

The Texas AWWA Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee has started a Book Club! This summer we will discuss Belonging at Work by Rhodes Perry, MPA. The D&I Book Club will meet from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm (Central Time) on August 13th, August 28th, and September 11th when you can join your colleagues for an interactive discussion on the book’s topics:

• Part I – What it Means to Belong (First Meeting)

• Part II – Why Belonging At Work Matters (Second Meeting)

• Part III – How You Can Cultivate A Sense of Belonging At Work (Third Meeting)

Registration for the D&I Book Club is easy and no cost.

TAWWA will reimburse the first 40 registrants the cost of the book. Attendees will be able to discuss with your colleagues the importance of creating an environment where everyone feels they matter and belong. The D&I Book Club will be moderated by Dedra Ecklund, Chair of the D&I Committee. Reimbursement will be coordinated after the first meeting. The discussion will be held via Zoom (the meeting link will be provided closer to the webcast date). Registration is limited – so sign up today: https://www.tawwa.org/event/bookclub2024

Upcoming Training & Events

TAWWA Executive Committee members attended the AWWA Summer Workshop on July 25-26 in Denver to help volunteer leaders and staff explore how to effectively and successfully lead their Sections. Some of the key areas explored were: collaborative leadership

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and alignment, strategic governance, delivering mission-driven member value, prioritizing, and decision making.

The Texas Section will host the AWWA Regional Meeting of Section Officers September 29 - October 1 in Fort Worth. It is our chance to discuss challenges, opportunities, new ideas, and best practices in small groups with leaders from different Sections.

The TAWWA Mid-Year Board Meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 1. This is when we adopt next year’s budget and receive updates from our Executive Director, AWWA Directors, Trustees/Chapters, Councils, Divisions, and Committees. We have a lot going on and we’re always looking for volunteers! If you’re interested in learning more the TAWWA leadership, visit our website at https://www.tawwa. org/page/leadership

For more information about upcoming events, please visit our website at https://www.tawwa.org/events/event_list.asp

Texas AWWA Memes

Did you know that we have Texas AWWA memes, created by our Education Division volunteers? You can post and share holidays and celebrations along with other water-related memes on your personal or company social media platforms. Memes are saved on the TAWWA Facebook page under "Photos" for easy self-service: https://www.facebook.com/ txawwatx/photos. Here are some meme ideas for August holidays and celebrations:

National Honey Bee Day on August 17th

Women's Equality Day on August 26th

Water Conservation Chapter Challenge

Water conservation is always in style, especially this time of year. Did you know that Texas AWWA has a Water Conservation license plate, developed by our very own Daniel Nix? "Save Water, Texas!" is a great message that promotes water conservation no matter where you live in our state! In an effort to increase our license plate sales to better fund our scholarships, I’m challenging our Chapters to encourage their local members to purchase our Texas AWWA Water Conservation license plate. This can be a friendly competition within or even between Chapters. Best part? Everyone wins!

Our specialty Water Conservation License Plate is only $30 ($22 of which goes directly to our Texas AWWA scholarship fund): www.myplates.com/design/personalized/passenger/ conserve-water

CONTINUED PAGE 24 | letter from the texas section chair

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Final Remarks

On a personal note, this summer I am in my "College Tours" era with my oldest child, Morgan. We have traveled to many Texas cities in the search for her glass slipper, the college that fits her just right. During these stops, we (of course) drink the local tap water. Somehow, I’m always surprised at how refreshing a cool glass of tap water can be during these hot summer months! And I’m really impressed by how great that tap water tastes, no matter where I am in Texas. I’m so grateful for you, the hard-working men and women throughout this great state who help to keep our safe – and tasty! – tap water flowing yearround. I wish all of you a safe and enjoyable summer!

If you have ideas or suggestions on how to make our Texas Section even better, please email me directly at menardke@trinityra.org. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ karenemenard/

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 | women in water

younger folks," Svede said.

Both new and already established female engineers from El Paso and across Texas filled the room to hear Rojas speak.

Inspiring the room

Rojas took time answering questions from the audience at the end of the Q&A session.

"What was one of your proudest moments while working in this industry?"

Rojas recalled a memory from an engineers’ week event for her highlighted engineers where an audience member asked a female engineer how she felt working in a male-dominated industry.

"Her response amazed me because she said she didn’t see it as a male-dominated field or workplace because there are so many women in the organization and that many of her bosses were women," Rojas said. The audience smiled with joy. "To me, it was a revelation of – we must be doing something right and making

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a positive dent on the ratio between male and female in the engineering field."

Younger female engineers could be heard expressing their excitement, being in a room full of female engineers.

"These events aim to educate, influence and drive change in the water sector by promoting gender equality and fostering a more inclusive workforce," said Lourdes Borrego, a member of the Texas American Water Works Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. "Currently, women make up only 18% of the water utility workforces, highlighting the critical need to ensure gender diversity."

"Back in my day, there was maybe five girls amongst all men, and that’s not the case anymore," Rojas said. Audience members asked more questions of Rojas pertaining to her professional experiences and advice as they embark on and continue their careers in engineering.

Continuing the conversation

The event was deemed a great success, with an extensive waitlist, and left many eager to attend future Women in Water events.

"The chapter anticipates hosting a Women in Water event at least once a year, with the hope of expanding it to two events per year," Svede said.

AWWA information, best practices and innovative solutions."

Thorpe said the plan also highlights AWWA’s role as a leader in the water profession. "AWWA is the authority on water," she said. "This speaks to our credibility, our professional content, and representing who we are as water professionals."

This is AWWA’s first five-year strategic plan to be developed since the Association’s Water 2050 initiative was introduced and is one of the building blocks in the collaborative process to shape the future of water.

"A key aspect of AWWA’s strategic planning process is the effort to involve volunteers from all across North America who have different experiences, both professionally and geographically," Rager said. "They bring that knowledge to the discussion about what AWWA should be thinking about in the future, which is very valuable in developing a plan that resonates across our membership."

Setting the Framework for Strategic Priorities

The 2030 Strategic Plan maintains AWWA’s vision and mission statements from the previous 2025 Strategic Plan:

• Vision: A better world through better water

• Mission: Providing solutions to effectively manage water, the world’s most vital resource

The plan advances four strategic goals that were carried forward from the 2025 Strategic Plan, although a goal titled Member Engagement & Development changed to Member Experience. The four strategic goals are:

• Member experience

• Organizational stewardship

• Knowledge creation & exchange

• Water policy leadership

"Having successfully come through an economically challenging time, the plan stresses maintaining AWWA’s financial health and investing in the organization," Rager said.

The plan also lists six core principles, which

summarize AWWA’s values as an organization:

• Protect public health and the environment

• Strengthen public trust

• Advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

• Inspire innovation

• Engage globally

• Shape water’s future

The 2030 plan built on the previous framework by expanding the principle of advancing diversity and inclusion to add equity and belonging.

"Recognizing that AWWA members serve an exceptionally diverse customer base, the Strategic Plan builds upon AWWA’s culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging to provide members with knowledge to use in serving their unique communities," Thorpe said.

Rager added, "This plan really focuses on AWWA’s leadership in the future. AWWA recognizes we are the largest water organization and a leader in the water sector. The plan reflects where we want to be – not just in five years but in 10, 15, and 20 years."

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 | laboratories

continuity of operations during crises. Furthermore, it emphasized the need for laboratories to consistently adhere to best practices, not only to protect their staff but also to maintain the integrity of the data they generate. As the world grappled with a global health emergency, environmental laboratories learned that robust emergency preparedness, stringent safety measures, and adequate supply management are not only essential for public health, but also for the effective execution of their critical roles in monitoring and safeguarding the environment.

The Uri storm in February 2021, a stark reminder of the intensifying frequency of extreme weather events, has also prompted reflection on how environmental laboratories can better prepare for such emergencies. The power failures that lasted for several hours, coupled with the loss of water, heating systems, and other essential services, revealed the need for enhanced resilience. To be better prepared, environmental laboratories can consider bolstering

their own infrastructure, including backup power systems, to ensure uninterrupted operations during crises. Additionally, developing and rehearsing comprehensive emergency response plans that address various scenarios, such as extended power outages or severe weather-related challenges, can help laboratories maintain their vital functions and continue providing essential support to communities. By proactively identifying areas for improvement and implementing measures to enhance their readiness, environmental laboratories can play an even more effective role in securing public health and environmental integrity during future emergencies like the Uri storm.

TXWARN

The Texas Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (TXWARN) is an organization dedicated to facilitating mutual aid and assistance among water and wastewater utilities during emergencies and disasters. Working closely with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the State Emergency

Operations Center, TXWARN is prepared to assist water and wastewater utilities in response and recovery during major system outages and increase system preparedness by providing new tools and proven practices that can enhance a utility’s readiness to recover should disaster strike. Membership is free. More information is available on its website at https:// www.txwarn.org.

The TXWARN program provides its member utilities with:

• A standard omnibus mutual assistance agreement and process for sharing emergency resources among members statewide.

• The resources to respond and recover more quickly from a disaster.

• A request and resource tracking system to gather data when needed including for reimbursement needs.

• A mutual assistance program consistent with other statewide mutual aid programs.

• A forum for developing and maintaining emergency contacts and relationships.

• Training to assist utilities be better prepared for disaster response and recovery.

A damaged utility is a participating utility that sustains physical damage to its water/wastewater system due to a natural or manmade disaster and seeks assistance through WARN. As part of the request for assistance, the damaged utility can request analytical support from laboratories. A request will be made to participating utilities in regards to their ability to respond.

Preparedness in Action

Utilities and laboratories, whether municipally-owned or independent, must be prepared for various types of emergencies in order to respond appropriately. The case studies below demonstrate how emergency preparedness was put into action for a moderate-size municipality, the fourth largest city in the United States,

CONTINUED PAGE 30 | laboratories

ENGINEERING POSSIBILITIES.

university laboratories, and a commercial laboratory.

City of Longview

Although the City of Longview Water Purification Division and Public Works Department have plans in place that cover numerous types of emergency situations, the 2020s have, so far, been eventful enough to make folks feel the need to reassess plans to account for the unexplainable. Thinking outside the box has become absolutely necessary and required to continue running smoothly. No matter how much meteorologists warned everyone in the State of Texas, nothing had prepared most of the state for Winter Storm Uri. Probably the biggest advantage that the City of Longview had during the Winter Storm Uri, aside from the incredibly dedicated operations and maintenance personnel, was that all three water treatment plants DID NOT lose power throughout the week. Had there been a power loss at any of the City’s three water treatment plants, one can only assume that a boil water notice most likely would have had to be issued, even though one of the plants is equipped with generators for lower flow outage events.

Power or no power, operators can’t treat water without chemicals and supplies. Part of the City of Longview Water Purification’s standard operating procedures for any type of severe weather event is to top off chemicals and supplies, if at all possible, which was done. However, had the winter storm lasted much longer, treatment chemicals would have been depleted. As reserves were used, chemical orders were placed, but trucks continued having a rough time with

deliveries through most of the week. Near the end of the week, as chemical delivery trucks were showing up at the gates of the plants, staff was relieved and glad to see them. An additional alum bulk storage tank was added at one plant the following year with one planned in the next year at another plant, all to help with future similar events.

A praise for the staff of Longview was the communication and how well everyone was completely informed. Roughly 13 personnel at the time were handling the maintenance of three water treatment plants and one wastewater treatment plant. All of these plants are on the outskirts of the City and, on a regular day, can take 20-30 minutes to reach another plant. Add in treacherous conditions and it could take up to an hour. Add in six elevated storage tanks, two ground storage tanks, an airport pump station, four distribution system flow control valves, and 22 lift stations, then add in three raw water pump stations; approximately 2 miles away, 12 miles away, and 26 miles away. That’s A LOT of road time, not even getting to fixing what broke! Through calls and a lot of text threads with pictures and videos, everyone was informed and everything got fixed. One lesson learned though was that if it wasn’t directly involved in the actual treatment of water or wastewater, it could wait. If through FaceTime, a good operator, a good maintenance mechanic, it could be fixed or mended, it was done; but only through clear and direct communication. COMMUNICATION NEEDS TO BE CONSTANT.

As most people that are involved in water and wastewater already know, this field is a dynamic environment. It’s constantly changing and staff have to change with it. Environments can change regardless of the weather or a pandemic. It takes operators and maintenance personnel, and laboratory staff to be constantly aware of their surroundings and ready to react at any time. The key is to be in constant communication with the team.

City of Houston

When preparing for a Hurricane or Uri storm, the laboratory must be prepared for the event as well. Laboratory equipment and instruments must be connected to a battery backup and surge protector in

case the generator does not immediately turn on.

The necessary employees split into shifts as needed and volunteers known as the "Ride-Out Crew," will be working, riding out the storm at the laboratory. This may mean working for long stretches of hours. It can also mean that employees may be away from home for a few days while assisting with plant function and maintenance. This Ride-Out crew should be given a couple days paid off work prior to the hurricane in order to prepare for staying at the plant for a longer duration of time. A second team will be at home during the storm and prepared to come in relief of the RideOut team after a few days given that it is deemed safe enough for travel and the plant is accessible.

Stocking up all chemicals and reagents needed for the laboratory before the hurricane is required. If there are not enough chemicals or reagents, the representative of contract vendors should be contacted and help to ship overnight. In case the contract vendors can’t help, the laboratory manager should contact the other laboratories in the city to borrow the needed chemicals to get over the

hurricane. The city has several laboratories for drinking water and wastewater that can be contacted for assistance.

San Antonio Water System Environmental Laboratory Service Department

In the context of emergency preparedness, Webster’s Dictionary defines "preparedness" as a state of readiness. The San Antonio Water System’s laboratory exemplified this notion during the onslaught of Storm Uri. Thanks to the foresight and initiative of administration, crucial questions were asked of the team: Who would stay behind? Were there provisions for overnight stay? Were all of the emergency supplies within their expiration dates? These considerations led to the decision for staff to remain onsite at the laboratory, ensuring that critical tests would not be compromised.

When it comes to preparing for storms or emergencies, the linchpin is undoubtedly emergency

CONTINUED PAGE 32 | laboratories

| laboratories |

preparedness. It is important that both laboratories and individuals alike to ponder these vital points: Do you possess an emergency prepared kit that not only include medical but also food (can goods and frozen); sleeping materials (blankets, cots, pillows, etc.); essentials such as flashlights, weather radio, water, and much more. Other questions to consider include have you conducted drills with your team to simulate emergency scenarios? Do you have a robust chemical hygiene plan and safety manual that is reviewed with the team on some type of frequent basis?

The lessons gleaned from the SAWS Environmental Laboratory Service team offered valuable insights. Consider a variety of food for your emergency provisions, ensure you have reliable charging capabilities for your phones, equip your area with a mobile hotspot for seamless communication and collaborate with facilities, HVAC team and electrical team to guarantee backup power for critical instruments. Ultimately, the resounding takeaway in

this: In times of crisis, effective planning, communication and coordination are paramount.

Public University Laboratories

The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for environmental laboratories in public universities. One of the major issues is the early retirement of laboratory managers and staff, who have decided to leave their positions due to health concerns, financial pressures, or personal reasons. This has resulted in a loss of valuable knowledge and expertise, which is hard to replace in a short time. Moreover, recruiting new staff members has become more difficult during the pandemic, as many potential candidates are reluctant to relocate or work in highrisk environments. Another factor that affects the performance and retention of laboratory personnel in public universities is the salary structure. According to various surveys, the average salaries of laboratory personnel at public universities are fixed and generally lag behind the market rates.

The pandemic also had a significant negative impact

on graduate students and research activities. Many students faced disruptions in their studies, experiments, and fieldwork, as well as reduced funding and opportunities. Furthermore, the pandemic caused long lead times on laboratory equipment, such as reagents, consumables, and instruments, which are essential for conducting environmental analyses. These delays have hampered the progress and quality of research projects and publications. Therefore, environmental laboratories in public universities have had to cope with multiple challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected their operations and outputs.

To be more prepared for such emergencies in the future, universities can take several measures to enhance their resilience and readiness. Some of these measures are:

• Developing and updating comprehensive emergency plans that cover various scenarios and contingencies, such as campus closures, lockdowns, evacuations, and recovery.

• Establishing an incident command system that coordinates the response and communication among campus personnel, local authorities, and external partners.

• Conducting regular drills and exercises to test and improve the emergency plans and procedures, as well as to train and educate the campus community on their roles and responsibilities.

• Providing support and resources to students, faculty, and staff who are affected by emergencies, such as counseling services, financial aid, academic accommodations, and health care.

Commercial Laboratories

Commercial laboratories exist to serve the needs of their clients. However, they are not immune to natural and manmade disasters. The commercial environmental laboratory sector took off in the 1980s and thus had never experienced the impact of operating under a pandemic until COVID-19. The industry saw challenges related to supply chains, staffing, and availability of services for instrument maintenance while seeing a reduction in sample loads.

Staff shortages due to illness put a strain on many laboratories. The laboratories best able to weather the

staffing vulnerability were the laboratories that had strong cross-training programs with multiple redundancies. This eliminated the single point of failure if only one analyst was qualified to perform a particular analysis.

Supply chains were interrupted across the country often resulting in long lead times for supplies. To compensate for extended supply lead times, some laboratories implemented on-site consignment of the most critical supplies. The laboratories worked with select vendors to establish a mini-store within the laboratory for the most critical items such as gloves, pipette, pH buffers, etc. The laboratory would scan the supplies "out" when needed, which constituted a purchase. Agreements were made with vendors to keep a minimum supply of items in consignment. This allowed the most critical items to always be available. As the pandemic wound down, the minimum supply quantities could be adjusted.

For materials that could not be obtained through consignment, multiple vendors were qualified by the laboratories to provide items. Thus, if an item had a long lead time from one supplier, another supplier could be utilized as needed. Laboratories also purchased more in bulk quantities. Previously, laboratories might maintain a month’s supply of an item on-hand. During the pandemic, the laboratories would aim to keep a two-month supply on-hand to compensate for long or unknown lead times. Multilaboratory organizations were also able to share supplies among their laboratories as needed.

Weather events can have the most impact on commercial laboratories. Most commercial laboratories have contingency plans for events. Larger commercial laboratories have uninterruptible power supplies on their most critical equipment. Select staff members/ positions are deemed mission critical and are required to report to the laboratory. One item out of the control of laboratories are the services of shipping companies such as Federal Express or UPS. Laboratory clients need to keep in mind that deliveries to laboratories may not occur in extremely bad weather such as snow storms, hurricanes or severe flooding. Clients need to schedule sampling and shipping around these events.

CONTINUED PAGE 34 | laboratories

While commercial laboratories do not participate in TXWARN, they are prepared to handle emergency response activities. Every large commercial laboratory has an emergency response hotline that is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Clients are urged to meet with a laboratory in advance of any disaster to establish an account with points of contact, payment options, pricing and turnaround times. The time to search for an available laboratory is not during an emergency.

Continuity of Operations

As the case studies clearly illustrate, there have been some lessons learned. Each organization should have a Continuity of Operations plan. If the laboratory is part of a larger organization, the plan needs to address laboratory operations even if the plan is only to shut

down the laboratory during extreme weather events.

The scheduling of staff needs to be considered. It is suggested that laboratories designate certain positions/roles as mission critical. This is to ensure that compliance requirements are met. The individuals assigned to the roles could rotate as needed. Individuals need to know in advance if they will be required in storm events. In events such as pandemics/epidemics where staff shortages due to illness are possible, it is important to have a strong cross-training program for redundancy. This is also critical in a field where staff retirement is beginning to have an impact.

Supply shortages still occur. It is important to have redundancy in suppliers. The time to identify multiple suppliers is before you need them. Implementing consignment programs is one option to assist with having the most critical supplies available. Laboratories will need to evaluate their purchasing patterns and adapt. For items with long lead times, the laboratory may need to purchase more at one time and more

frequently than in the past.

Power backup on mission critical equipment is important. Utilities are required to have plans in place to keep the water flowing. Laboratories need to evaluate their processes. While a UPS on an ICP-MS may not keep the instrument running for hours, it will allow the laboratory sufficient time to shut down the instrument safely to prevent destroying a very expensive instrument.

Finally, have other laboratories identified in your contingency plans. Understand what compliance samples will still need to be analyzed and identify laboratories able to meet your needs. Contracts with commercial laboratories can be put in place prior to need so that items related to account setup, sampling supplies and testing are already addressed prior to an emergency. Many commercial laboratories also have emergency response hotlines that are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

While emergencies happen and roadblocks occur, advance planning can minimize the impact. As the old saying goes…failing to plan is planning to fail.

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TAWWA’s Laboratory Committee

The TAWWA Laboratory Committee (LC) was formed in April 2023 at Texas Water, and has exploded onto the water scene in Texas. It currently consists of 33 members, and is comprised of laboratory staff, plant operators, administrators, engineers, and industry representatives. The TAWWA LC is looking for new members to help build a strong, geographically diverse, network of scientists and operators involved in the Texas water industry. The LC meets bimonthly and discusses ideas for articles, webinars, and conferences. The LC is actively working with the Water Environment Association of Texas Laboratory Committee to identify areas in which the two committees can collaborate, such as joint meetings at Texas Water, as well as staying connected to the AWWA Water Quality Laboratory Committee. If you’re interested in joining the Laboratory Committee, please contact Committee Chair Hunter Adams (hunter.adams@wichitafallstx.gov).

TAWWA Welcomes New Members Joining May 1–June 30, 2024

Bobby Adams Houston, TX

Rifat Alam Lancaster, TX

Hank Amen Plano, TX

Corey Anderson Rockwall, TX

Maxwell Aransen Fort Worth, TX

Michael Baca Pecos, TX

Ed Belmares San Antonio, TX

Kirsten Bequette Bulverde, TX

Casey Berend McKinney, TX

Christopher Berens Jr Katy, TX

John Blake West Lake Hills, TX

Miranda Blevins Roanoke, TX

Darryl Block Denton, TX

Elizabeth Boddicker Lewisville, TX

Ken Breux Cypress, TX

Hugh Brightwell San Antonio, TX

Brock Solutions Inc Irving, TX

Andrew Brower Wylie, TX

Jane Bullan Austin, TX

Victoria Burbridge Fort Worth, TX

Ryan Burnside Nash, TX

Jared Byrd Deer Park, TX

Christofer Calleja Wylie, TX

James Cantrell Jr

Chad Cooper Plano, TX

Christopher Copple Cedar Park, TX

Jacob Covarrubias San Antonio, TX

Michael Cruz San Antonio, TX

Damon Cunningham Fort Worth, TX

Perry Day Springtown, TX

Patricia De Leon Austin, TX

Jose Delgado

Jason Fowler Mansfield, TX

David Franco Cedar Park, TX

Gregory Franco Brenham, TX

Daniel Frazier Austin, TX

Caitlin Freemark Tyler, TX

Jenifer Fuhrman Fort Worth, TX

S. Kumar Gali Waxahachie, TX

Luis Garcia

Fei Guo Austin, TX

Danny Hadley Fort Worth, TX

Brittany Hanly Dallas, TX

Mustafa Haque Dallas, TX

Chad Henderson Southlake, TX

Matt Hendrix Austin, TX

Lazaro Hernandez Waxahachie, TX

Charles Hill Leander, TX

Trey Hund Austin, TX

Idahosa Igbinoba Sugar Land, TX

Imaobong Inyang Spring, TX

Taylor Irwin Austin, TX

Heber Jacquez Anthony, TX

Tim James Plano, TX

Laura Jardine Elgin, TX

Kala Jeske Bryan, TX

Brent Johnson Austin, TX

Ethan Jones Lewisville, TX

Kris Jones Lewisville, TX

Austin Jordan Waxahachie, TX

Henry Juarez Buda, TX

Chase Juhl Houston, TX

Jonathon Jung Houston, TX

Michael Kampstra San Antonio, TX

Kara Kara Dripping Springs, TX

Murali Kariyarveedu Dallas, TX

Brian Kelm Lewisville, TX

Jon King Plano, TX

Rich King Alvarado, TX

Steve Kohler Alvarado, TX

Kendall Kotara Fort Worth, TX

Luke Krizan Navasota, TX

Jared Lapaglia College Station, TX

Dustin Lawrence New Braunfels, TX

Steven Lawrence The Woodlands, TX

Wesley Layfield North Richland Hills, TX

Jelynne LeBlanc Jamison San Antonio, TX

Wayne Lee Sherman, TX

Morris Libson Eagle Pass, TX

Reza Limon Fort Worth, TX

Denise Livingston Austin, TX

Lisa Locaynia Waco, TX

Kelly Locke Bryan, TX

Joshua Lowery Fort Worth, TX

Erika Lugo Lubbock, TX

Tam Ly San Antonio, TX

Isael Martinez Anthony, TX

Alec McAndrew Brenham, TX

Colin McDonald Murphy, TX

Scott McWilliams San Angelo, TX

TAWWA Welcomes New Members Joining May 1–June

Carlos Mendoza San Antonio, TX

Katie Menzer Dallas, TX

Chad Minkley Waxahachie, TX

Erin Mokate Dallas, TX

William Moore Wichita Falls, TX

Jacob Morales Waxahachie, TX

Jose Morales Waxahachie, TX

Kashfia Nazneen Arlington, TX

Kendall Nettik Mansfield, TX

Tin Nguyen Frisco, TX

Adewale Odufuye Austin, TX

Hector Ortiz Dallas, TX

Marion Osteen Lampasas, TX

Alyssia Padilla Austin, TX

Michael Pantell Flower Mound, TX

Greg Petty Dwg, TX

Jean-Yves Pinvidic Houston, TX

Johnnie Pitchford Lewisville, TX

Juan Plascencia Wilmer, TX

Dedrette Poe Odessa, TX

Quintin Pollok San Antonio, TX

Juan Porras Garland, TX

Erin Ramseyer Fate, TX

Cesar Rascon El Paso, TX

Andrea Realyvasquez El Paso, TX

Brent Reeh San Marcos, TX

Renata Renova El Paso, TX

Marilu Reyna San Antonio, TX

Yvonne Rivera Houston, TX

Maria Romo Laredo, TX

Richard Ross Tomball, TX

Ryan Ruiz Mansfield, TX

Jorge Saldana Mission, TX

Gerardo Saldivar Brenham, TX

John Sealy Houston, TX

Clinton Segroves Colleyville, TX

Lina Sela Austin, TX

Sheila Serna Laredo, TX

James Shelton Houston, TX

Shield Engineering Group PLLC Fort Worth, TX

Geoffrey Smith Fort Worth, TX

Brent Stauffer Round Rock, TX

Michael Steffen New Braunfels, TX

Valarie Stewart Dallas, TX

Charles Stoffels Grapevine, TX

Sheeba Susai Manickam Houston, TX

Ian Taylor San Marcos, TX

Chris Techau Bedford, TX

Chris Thompson Magnolia, TX

Darren Thompson San Antonio, TX

Errick Thompson Burleson, TX

John Tichi Jonestown, TX

Town of Anthony Water Anthony, TX

Sonali Tyagi Houston, TX

Mike Uldrich New Braunfels, TX

Amy Uniacke New Braunfels, TX

Charles Van Horne Sugar Land, TX

David Van Riper College Station, TX

Sarah Vandiver Houston, TX

Steve Vavrecka Friendswood, TX

Jorge Vazquez El Paso, TX

Russell Veasey Murphy, TX

Cecilia Velasquez San Antonio, TX

Dan Velasquez San Antonio, TX

Dhwani Virani Arlington, TX

Nathan Virdell New Braunfels, TX

Blake Ward Mansfield, TX

Dalton Warren San Marcos, TX

Bob Watson Houston, TX

Michael Wellbaum Fort Worth, TX

Brent Whipple Cypress, TX

Chris Whittaker Angleton, TX

Chris Wilcut San Antonio, TX

Allen Williams Navasota, TX

Caitlyn Williams Katy, TX

Christopher Williams Farmers Branch, TX

30, 2024

Suzanne Williams Canyon Lake, TX

Robin Wilson Irving, TX

Arlon Wimpey III Mesquite, TX

Donald Wotring Dallas, TX

Timothy Ybarra Jr San Antonio, TX

James Young Richardson, TX

Richard Yovichin Dallas, TX

Maddie Zimmerman Sugar Land, TX

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 | executive director

ISD, with 13 students completing the program. TCEQ staff were on site for the duration of the two-week pilot program and provided TAWWA with wonderful feedback on what we could do to improve the program before its full-scale launch.

The SETH program has already started yielding the results that it was designed to obtain. Of the 13 students that completed the SETH course and applied to take the D (or Provisional D) Water License, seven of the students passed giving an overall pass rate of 54%, exceeding the State average of 39%. The TCEQ has approved the SETH program for 22 hours of credit towards a D Water License and recognizes it as providing both Basic Water Operations course credit and Resiliency course credit. One of the students, now

APEI_TEXAS_2024_0105_QuarterPage_FINAL.pdf 1 1/5/24 1:42 PM

THE FILTRATION SOLUTION

with their fresh D Water License, has already succeeded in obtaining a job in the water industry. Full scale launch of the SETH program will be in August 2024. A huge shoutout to Dean Sharp, Management Committee Co-Chair, the SETH project team and the TCEQ for putting together this HOT project that will serve the State of Texas water systems well in the near future.

These are just a few examples of what the hottest activities are that are going on in the Texas Section. But, there’s more.

The Chapters continue to knock it out of the park with their events and fundraising. They will be taking on a new challenge of replicating the Water 2050 initiative in Texas. (More on that in future issues of TEXASh2o).

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Texas is the hot spot for AWWA events this coming year, as well. We will be hosting the Regional Meeting of Section Officers (RMSO) in Fort Worth this September/October, and in February 2025, we will be hosting the Young Professionals Summit and Utility Management Conference in Dallas.

I could go on and on about what the hot news is for the Texas Section, but then what would I write about in the coming issues of TEXASh2o? You are just going to have to stay tuned to see what else the members and volunteers have in store and show the rest of AWWA what they are made of.

Randy Peyton is recognized with the Mark Kirkland Volunteer Appreciation Award at ACE 2024.