Texas H2O Winter 2024 by TEXAS AWWA

Sh2o

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TAWWA SETH Water Operator Training Program Has Launched

TAWWA is proud to announce that the SETH (Science, Engineering, Technology, Health) Water Operator Training Program is now live.

Developed with support of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Texas Department of Agriculture, SETH is a water operator training program designed to be implemented in YOUR local school district to train students to become licensed operators ready to be employed – locally!

We don’t have to explain to any of you the ongoing need to train students to become licensed operators

in the water industry. After two years of work and the efforts of a small working group within Texas AWWA, a training program for high school students to complete the Basic Water training to become Class D Licensed Water Operators is now available.

The SETH program is delivered in your local high school through a series of online videos presented by TCEQ-approved subject matter experts and is provided at no cost to the students, your school district or your utility.

CONTINUED PAGE 24 | seth program

PFAS represent one of the most significant water and wastewater contamination challenges of our generation.

With our targeted expertise in PFAS planning, design, and construction, we focus on developing cost-effective and reliable solutions to help meet regulatory, resiliency, and reliability needs. We are committed to finding the right PFAS solution for you!

| 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

It’s a Waterful Life!

BY KAREN MENARD texas section chair

This time of year, I enjoy snuggling under a blanket with my family watching classic movies. One of my favorites is It’s a Wonderful Life, which tells the story of George Bailey. If you haven’t seen the movie, George is a man of the people, who has dedicated his life and career to helping others. He married the love of his life, has a large family, and earns a modest living. He set aside his ambition of world travel to take over his father’s business (The Savings and Loan) while protecting the townspeople from the movie’s antagonist (Mr. Potter). George goes through a crisis and receives a precious gift when his guardian angel Clarence shows him what life would have been like if he had never been born. What George had forgotten was how beloved he was by his family, his friends, and his entire community (except perhaps Mr. Potter!).

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

As a water professional, I see many similarities between our water utility employees and George. It is a daunting task to dedicate one’s life and career to serving our community. It is not always an easy path, and we don’t always get appreciated for the long hours, weekends, and holidays. Just think about the sacrifices our water utility members make 365 days a year to serve the greater good, to provide safe and reliable tap water to millions across Texas, and to ensure the health and prosperity of our communities. Servant leadership is not for the faint of heart. It is work. It is hard. And it is just so darn rewarding. I cannot imagine what life would be like if we didn’t have water utility professionals. And when I hear a bell ring, I imagine that a water operator just got their license. It truly is a waterful life!

Texas AWWA Memes

Created by our Consumer Outreach Committee volunteers, TAWWA memes are a fun and easy way for members to post and share holidays and celebrations along with other fun water-related events on personal and/or company social media platforms. Our memes are saved on the

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Wind of Change: Celebrating 50 Years of the Safe Drinking Water Act

BY DANIEL NIX tawwa executive director

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

- Albert Einstein

Several years ago, a good friend of mine gave me an old, thick book on Public Water Supplies (Turneaure & Russell), that they had found at an estate sale. It was visibly worn from use, and the

Steel and Wooden),

• Pumps and Motors (Water and Steam Driven), and Distribution System (Tanks, Fire Hydrants, Lead Service Lines)

Ozone, Calcium of Lime and Hydrogen Peroxide for disinfection were given a total of two pages under the Miscellaneous Purification Processes chapter, which also included Lime Softening

My how things have changed in the last 118 years. Fast forward 68 years from 1906.

On December 16, 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was signed into law by President Gerald R. Ford, "in an effort to increase protection of the public’s health." This legislation led to the establishment (Federal responsibility) and enforcement (State responsibility) of drinking water standards, and enhanced the Federal government’s ability to conduct research into the health effects of drinking water contaminants. A Basic set of Primary Drinking Water standards was established in 1975/1976, with 22 contaminants. Three years later, the Total Trihalomethane Rule was

CONTINUED PAGE 34 | executive director report

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Trip Report: TAWWA Conservation and Reuse Division

by emily morales, tawwa volunteer and city of round rock conservation specialist

Once a year, the Texas Section of the AWWA Conservation and Reuse Division holds an inperson meeting and an educational field trip related to water conservation, quality, water utilities, or environmental restoration. This year’s field trip to the Headwaters at the Comal located in New Braunfels, TX, showcased how all these practices work together to better manage resources and overall quality of life.

The Headwaters at the Comal is not only a water treatment plant; it serves as an education center for the community and an environmental restoration project that helps protect the water quality of the Comal Spring

CONTINUED PAGE 22 | conservation and reuse division

Apply for a Watermark, Water Conservation or Reuse Award

Get recognized with a TAWWA Water Conservation or Reuse or Watermark Award! The deadline for both awards is January 7, 2025 and winners will be recognized at the Texas Water conference, March 18-21, 2025, in Houston. Apply for both online at https://texaswater.awardsplatform.com.

TAWWA Water Conservation or Reuse Award

Spread the word about your efforts in preserving Texas’ precious water resources; apply for a TAWWA Conservation or Reuse Award!

The Water Conservation and Reuse Division of TAWWA is seeking applicants that have implemented new or innovative methods for water-use efficiency, water reuse projects, rebate programs or other water

saving projects. Entries will be judged on innovation, implementation/execution, transferability, and benefits/results.

Award Eligibility

• Projects must have been conducted or achieved substantial completion by December 31, 2024.

• The nominated entity or person must be a current TAWWA member.

Conservation Activity Description

Any project that saves water and promotes water efficiency is eligible for this award.

CONTINUED PAGE 30 | watermark & conservation/reuse awards

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What can you do with an accuracy of 0.01 GPM? Scan below for a look at the hidden value of low flow and what it could mean for you.

• Excellence Awards are given to partners who exhibited success in a specific WaterSense program area.

• Partner of the Year Awards are given to partners who exhibited outstanding work and support in spreading the word about the WaterSense program.

• Sustained Excellence Awards are the highest level

PAGE 26 | watersense awards

EPA Announces Final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements

On October 8, the EPA announced the final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). The final rule requires drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years, strengthens tap sampling requirements and lowers the threshold for taking action and eliminates the overly complex trigger level.

The final rule also improves communication within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them.

The pre-publication version along with additional fact sheets and press releases are available on EPA's webpage at www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/lead-and-copper-rule-improvements

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Need a gift idea for the holidays? Purchase a unique "Save Water, Texas!" conservation license plate! Not only will you share the message of water conservation every day, but you’ll also be helping support future water professionals.

Through our partnership with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, out of the total fee for the specialty plate, $22 comes back to the Section to fund scholarships for families of Texas AWWA members like you. Your small investment helps shape the future of water conservation and the future of water professionals.

Go to www.myplates.com/design/personalized/passenger/conserve-water/ to purchase yours today!

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The future of water

Garver’s Marco Ramirez knows that when it comes to the future of water in Texas, it goes beyond pipelines, treatment plants, and technology. It’s about rising to the challenges our partner utilities face every day in communities across west Texas. Because we know we’re not just protecting a resource, we’re protecting a lifeline.

Marco Ramirez, PE West Texas Infrastructure Team Leader

Sign up for a Competition at Texas WaterTM 2025

Texas WaterTM 2025 will be held March 18-21, 2025 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. If you're feeling competitive, don't miss out on signing up for a competition!

Texas AWWA hosts several competitions at Texas Water, and the winners will continue on to represent TAWWA at the AWWA ACE25 competition in Denver, Colorado in June.

TAWWA competitions include:

• Best-Tasting Drinking Water

• Hydrant Hysteria

• Meter Challenge

• Pipe Tapping

• Top Ops Registration for competitions is free and available online at www.txwater.org.

If you're not participating in a competition, please stop by to cheer on your fellow TAWWA members at the conference! The competition schedule can be found in the online conference preview posted at www.txwater.org.

We hope to see you in March in Houston!

| conservation and reuse division |

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 |

system and River at its source— the headwaters.

This project has removed 85% of impervious pavement, created vernal pools, and raised bioswales, which include native prairie plants. This has helped reduce pollutants from reaching the Comal Springs system. Another great

water quality protection feature is the gabion catch basin. If the water in the storage tank needs to be emptied in an emergency, the water is diverted to the basin and is naturally filtered, which prevents chlorinated water from entering the spring system, which can be harmful to wildlife.

Introducing native plant species also provides habitat for wildlife. Comal Springs is home to four endangered species: Comal Springs Riffle Beetle, Peck’s Cave Amphipod, Fountain Darter and Comal Springs Dryopid Beetle. Tiny insects or darter fish may seem insignificant; however, it’s important to remember that these tiny creatures are the foundation of the food web! They play an important role in the ecosystem— even if they are tiny!

During the restoration project, they found history buried underground that told the story of the importance of the Comal, which dates back 10,000 years. Thousands of tools and remnants of life from Indigenous hunter-gatherer communities were found

scattered throughout the property.

Current conditions show the effects of severe drought in Comal County, as part of the spring run is currently dry. Physically seeing this dried-out section makes attendees remember the importance of water conservation!

We saw the following notable plants: big bluestem, Indian grass, Lindheimer muhly, side oats gramma, inland sea oats, American beautyberry, Mexican hats, fire wheel, sunflowers, and so much more!

Attendees on this field trip came from all around the state, including people from different sectors, such as local and state governments, water districts, and utilities. These attendees included folks from Round Rock, Georgetown, San Antonio, Frisco, College Station, the Texas Water Development Board and the Tarrant Regional Water District. The group had a great time meeting in person after several virtual meetings throughout the year.

Would you like to share what your Chapter, Committee or Division has been up to?

DOWNSTREAM MAT TERS

Responsible Dechlorination

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 | seth program

The entire program is a series of self-contained video training and examinations, without the need for local high school instructors to have any experience in water education. When the students successfully complete the 22-hour course, they will have the opportunity to apply to take the TCEQ exam for a Provisional Class D Water License.

Unique to the SETH Training, TAWWA has worked with the TCEQ to allow students under the age of 18 and without a high school diploma to be able to take the Class D exam upon completion of the SETH course.

This means high school students in your community are available to be employed at your utility with or without a high school diploma, with 22 hours of valuable SETH course credit and a valid Professional D Water License.

For you, as a member or utility leader, this means these students are ready to be interviewed and become candidates to fill vacancies in your local utility while they are in the SETH training program. Before

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they graduate.

And, before they graduate, utility leaders can have the opportunity to meet with these students to assess their capabilities to become members of your local utility workforce.

This opportunity is unique and to make this happen in your service area, we need your help.

If you know someone within your local school district, contact them, explain the SETH program and direct them to the SETH website at www.tawwa.org/ page/SETH to find out how they can incorporate the SETH program at their high school.

You just need to explain the critical importance of employing licensed operators at your local utility and then direct high school educators to the website for complete information. Make them understand how important it is to bring new staff into your local utility and how employment in the water community can become a lifelong professional opportunity.

In the discussion with your local educators, let your school district contacts know that the Texas Education Agency Career Technology Education (CTE) Programs

of Study already includes the Class D Water Operator License in the TEA approved list of Industry Based Certifications for Public School Accountability. This makes it easier for the high schools to adopt the SETH program into their curriculum.

All utilities are looking for licensed operators to help resolve their staffing issues. The SETH Project meets the needs of training high school students to understand the value of becoming members of the water community and helps your local utility satisfy their employment needs now and in the future.

With a few easy steps, you can make it easier for your local high school to bring the SETH program into their curriculum and make it easier for you to identify future candidates to become licensed operators in your community. Contact your local school district or high school educators and let them about the SETH Program. Then direct them to the SETH website at www.tawwa.org/page/SETH. We will do the rest. And keep you informed.

If you have any questions, send an email to sethtawwa@gmail.com.

Realize More

Direct potable reuse uses proven technologies to produce water that exceeds drinking water regulations, but presents new challenges to facility operators.

Working with the only operating DPR facilities in the country, we've gained unique insight into how to put operators in a position to succeed and protect the health of our community.

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| watersense awards |

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 | watersense awards

of recognition and are given to those partners who demonstrate consistent Partner of the Year efforts.

Congratulations to the Texas utilities and organizations who were recognized with awards:

2024 WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award

The City of Plano won its fifth Sustained Excellence Award after ramping up its outreach and education efforts in 2023. Plano’s water education coordinator collaborated with Customer Utility Services and developed new materials to educate customers on various water conservation practices and available free water conservation items. They also conducted individual outreach calls to residential customers with high water use or continuous use issues, offering these customers solutions to reduce consumption, such as replacing fixtures with WaterSense labeled products.

In the initial month of program implementation, nearly one million gallons of water were estimated to be saved.

The City’s Sustainability and Environmental Education Division (SEED) conducted five pop-up water conservation education events using their new electric van, where they handed out information on WaterSense labeled products. SEED also launched a campaign to strengthen internal partnerships, which resulted in three Fix-A-Leak workshops in collaboration with the Neighborhood Services Department and in six Play at the Park events with the Parks and Recreation Department. Overall, the City of Plano delivered 35 classes and workshop programs focused on water quality, conservation, and efficiency, which reached over 3,800 participants.

To help customers get their irrigations systems ready for summer, the city hosted an online contest promoting Sprinkler Spruce-Up. Participants completed an interactive learning module focused on leak repair

and the cycle-and-soak method of irrigation. At the end of the learning module, participants took a short survey to demonstrate what they learned. Three winners were chosen out of nearly 40 individuals who entered.

The Harris Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) won its first Sustained Excellence Award for its continued dedication to water conservation and promoting WaterSense. In 2023, the District implemented several water conservation community outreach efforts, including a dedicated presentation for homeowner associations with an interactive water conservation Jeopardy game to put their knowledge of water conservation to the test. Additionally, HGSD created informational handouts with step-by-step

instructions on how to detect toilet leaks using attached toilet tank leak-detecting tablets and additional resources promoting WaterSense labeled products and a QR code linked to WaterSense’s Replace Your Leaky Flapper video.

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

HGSD’s Water Conservation Grant Program funded a fixture replacement project that distributed over 300 WaterSense labeled showerheads to residents, potentially saving 974,562 gallons of water per year. This program also helped fund advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) projects, installing 27,000 smart meters, which allow users to access a customer portal for real-time water usage, the ability to identify leaks, and additional water conservation resources linked to HGSD’s Smarter About Water website.

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HGSD continued its Water Conservation School Program, H2O Lab!, that provides third through sixth grade classrooms with age-appropriate water education, along with take-home water conservation kits to engage families with activities that reinforce the lessons taught at school and encourage water efficiency at home. The program reached more than 20,000 students and 425 teachers in 2023, projecting an annual water savings of more than 173 million gallons based on the installation of the kits.

2024 Excellence Awards

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Excellence in Education and Outreach: Arlington Water Utilities had a big year promoting water conservation in 2023, earning their first WaterSense Award for Excellence in Education and Outreach. In February, they promoted a Love Your Yard campaign to reduce outdoor water use. The utility offered free kits to customers that contained four sprinkler gauges, instructions on how to measure sprinkler output, and information on water-smart irrigation. For Fix a Leak Week in March, Arlington Water hosted two in-person classes and posted on

| watersense awards |

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 | watersense awards

social media to educate residents on the importance of finding and fixing leaks inside and outside their homes. In addition, the utility promoted Fix a Leak Week in its Tips and Tools for Saving on Your Bill newsletter. Arlington Water customers also could sign up for free sprinkler evaluations all year long as part of a collaboration with WaterSense partner Tarrant Regional Water District. The utility used targeted emails to promote the program and performed more than 500 evaluations! Arlington Water and Tarrant also worked together to allow customers to exchange old, inefficient showerheads in the fall for a WaterSense labeled model, distributing more than 120 showerheads.

2024 Partner of the Year Awards

With a solid showing in its promotion of WaterSense and water efficiency in 2023, the City of Round Rock has earned its second Partner of the Year Award. For Fix a Leak Week, the City created a new educational video showing residents how to detect leaks at home

by reading their water meter and how to locate leaks in sprinkler systems, water softeners, water heaters, toilets, faucets, and spigots. The City posted the video on its conservation page and sent it to customers with water leak notifications.

To encourage more indoor water savings, the City of Round Rock identified older homes in their community where many still have original toilets and other bathroom fixtures. The City sent postcards promoting their Better Bathroom Rebate to encourage over 1,600 customers to switch to WaterSense labeled bathroom fixtures. In addition to plumbing fixtures, the City offered rebates on WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers and spray sprinkler bodies.

During Smart Irrigation Month in July, the City of Round Rock hosted an Irrigation 101 class covering efficient irrigation scheduling, detecting system leaks, minor repairs with hands-on practice, native landscaping, and various irrigation components. The City also collaborated with Williamson County AgriLife Extension Services and other neighboring water utilities to implement an education event called Irrigation Station

aimed at residential outdoor water use. The events included a presentation on water issues, such as supply, distribution, and water restrictions, as well as an open forum with stations dedicated to sprinkler scheduling, maintenance, upgrades, and landscaping.

Tarrant Regional Water District in Fort Worth has earned their second Partner of the Year Award by working with their customer cities to promote WaterSense and water efficiency at various educational events. In 2023, TRWD held over 230 water conservation classes and events, reaching over 15,400 participants. Posting class recordings on YouTube gained an additional 93,000 viewers! In collaboration with other water districts and utilities, TRWD offered two Fix a Leak Week workshops on finding and fixing leaks inside and outside the home. Attendees heard from leak-fixing experts and saw hands-on demonstrations, then an indoor leak kit or a sprinkler test kit was provided for participants to take home.

During the hottest months of the year, TRWD offered a Summer Savings Series of online classes to all of its customer cities, including Be Smarter Than Your

Smart Controller, Home Sprinkler Basics, and DIY Sprinkler Repair. They also participated in a regional water conservation advertising campaign with the City of Dallas and North Texas Municipal Water District, which included a weekly watering advice service that promoted smart lawn watering techniques. When winter rolled around, TRWD promoted WaterSense labeled products as part of the Holiday Gift Guide on their website and in the Save Tarrant Water Monthly Drop newsletter.

Throughout 2023, TRWD conducted drawings for water conservation-related prizes in conjunction with WaterSense campaigns such as Your Better Yard, Smart Irrigation Month, and Shower Better. To be entered in the drawing, customers could read a web page or blog post and answer questions to win native Texas plant garden kits, WaterSense labeled smart irrigation controllers, or a shower savings kit that included two WaterSense labeled showerheads. During Shower Better Month, TRWD provided WaterSense labeled showerheads to nearly 200 residents who brought their old showerheads into their local water utility offices.

In preparing your award application statement of no longer than 4 double-spaced pages, please include the following information, as able.

• Criteria used to determine the need and potential benefits of the project.

• Planning objectives, strategies, techniques, and resources.

• Implementation methods, difficulties encountered and overcome.

• Extent to which project objectives were met and any results.

• For DIRECT (quantifiable) projects – include the volume of water saved or reused, and if applicable/ available, savings in water purchase costs or treatment costs.

• For INDIRECT (nonquantifiable) projects – include a description of program’s success measures.

Bob Derrington Reclamation Award

Water reclamation and reuse projects are eligible for an additional award: The Bob Derrington Reclamation Award. The Bob Derrington Reuse Award is named after the visionary and innovative Odessa Texas Utility Manager, who in the 1980s expanded Odessa’s existing water reuse program. As a strong advocate for reuse long before it was popular, Bob Derrington understood that the beneficial use of treated effluent and water conservation would not only increase water supplies for Odessa but help develop the expansion of reuse in Texas.

Submittal

• A short summary of the project, not to exceed 250 words, is requested to be used in the printed awards program, if the project is selected as a winner, in addition to the activity description.

• Pictures or supporting documents are encouraged and may be uploaded on the last page of the online application.

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Watermark Member Award

The Watermark Award for communications excellence recognizes TAWWA and WEAT members who have produced top quality communications. Effective internal and external communication is essential to a member’s ability to provide excellent service. Today’s water resource professionals must communicate with a variety of audiences to achieve success.

Watermark Media Award

The Watermark Award for media excellence is designed to recognize Texas media who have raised the public’s level of understanding of water issues in Texas. Texas media have advanced community understanding and support for water resources significantly by interpreting issues affecting water in our state.

Read more about the Watermark Awards at www.txwater.org/watermark_awards_ submission_2025.cfm.

Building Next-Generation Water Systems

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 | letter from the texas section chair

TAWWA Facebook page under "Photos" for easy selfservice: www.facebook.com/txawwatx/photos. Here are some meme ideas for upcoming holidays and celebrations:

✓ National Compliment Day on Jan. 24

✓ National Hot Chocolate Day on Jan. 31

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

I am a member of the Texas AWWA Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Committee, which promotes diversity and inclusion across all levels of the water profession in alignment with the objectives of the Section and AWWA. The D&I Committee develops and implements awareness initiatives along with relevant training and informational resources (https://vimeopro.com/texasawwa/ diversity-and-inclusion). We host a quarterly webinar series, nominate D&I awards, and host Women in Water events throughout the state. Be on the lookout for our next Book Club session in January 2025! We will

olsson.com

Most see a water treatment plant.

We see a community asset.

ENGINEERING POSSIBILITIES.

be reading (or listening to) We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee. If you’re interested in joining our Committee, please contact Dedra Ecklund at DAEcklund@lan-inc.com.

Upcoming Training & Events

The Texas Section is hosting both the Young Professionals (YP) Summit and the AWWA/WEF Utility Management Conference in Dallas this February, and we hope to see a large turnout of Texas YPs in attendance from across the state! This is a great opportunity for organizations to support their young professionals. It also provides a community for YPs to learn from each other, build networks, and envision a bright career in the water industry.

• For more information and to register for the YP Summit, please visit https://www.awwa.org/ event/young-professionals-summit/#attend

• For more information and to register for the Utility Management Conference, please visit https://www.awwa.org/event/awwa-wef-utilitymanagement-conference/

Final Remarks

Our Texas Section has accomplished many wonderful things this year. From hiring a new Executive Director in February, to setting a record-breaking Teas Water conference in April, to hosting the very first Agricultural Water Sustainability Summit in August, and launching the SETH high school water operator licensing program in November. We have provided eight webinars, hosted the Regional Meeting of Section Officers, and hosted new Chapter Chair calls to keep all levels within our organization informed and engaged. This year, our very own Greg Wukasch, Chair of the Education Division’s K-12+ Committee, redesigned our booth at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) as a Water Geek Welcome Center…a place where all water geeks (and aspiring water geeks) gather to share our purpose and passion related to all things water. Drop the mic, Greg!

Our membership has made a huge difference in 2024. Our Chapters continue to organize amazing fundraisers that help to support our numerous scholarships. And our YPs continue to impress me

by offering exciting opportunities for our young and young at heart members to stay connected while making an impact. I could literally fill this newsletter by listing all of our accomplishments. And, with 2025 right around the corner, we have even more amazing initiatives planned, including an exciting Texas 2050 vision!

If you’re looking for ways to volunteer your time with Texas AWWA and you’re not sure exactly how to do it, please reach out to me at menardke@trinityra.org and I’ll help plug you in with all of the wonderful work of our Texas Section water family!

As we enter the holiday season, I encourage you to make time to reflect on all of the things that are going well in your life and ways that you have made the world a better place, just because you’re in it. Until I see you again, I wish all of you a safe and enjoyable holiday season!

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 | executive director report

added, only affecting large systems. (Apparently, citizens in small communities were more resistant to cancer). Turbidity MCL was 1.0 NTU.

When I started my career in the drinking water industry, the SDWA was only 12 years old, and President Ronald Regan had just signed the 1986 Amendments to the SDWA. This added eight new organic contaminants to the NPDWRs and required most surface water systems to use filtration and groundwater systems to use disinfection. But, the biggest part of the amendment was the prohibition of using lead solders, flux and pipes in PWSs. I watched as the City of Wichita Falls utilities workers, in a herculean effort, removed every single lead service line that was in the system.

Numerous amendments have been made to the SDWA over the span of my 38 years in drinking water treatment. Turbidity MCLs went from 1.0 NTU, to 0.5 NTU (1989) to 0.3 NTU (1998). Microbial

regulations expended from coliform bacteria (1975) to Total Coliforms and adding Giardia Legionella and Viruses (1989), Haloacetic Acids, Cryptosporidium, and many more. Some regulations even dictated how we operate, such as the Filter Backwash Rule and the Consumer Confidence Rule.

Today, we look back and celebrate a landmark Act that has made lasting and laudable changes to our drinking water.

Now, to the future and the wind of change.

We are faced with new challenges and new contaminants. As we have seen looking back, yes, there will be new solutions, so don’t fret. New treatment technologies will be invented/improved and pressed into service to meet new regulatory goals. New professionals will be developed to step into the workforce to research the new contaminants and technologies, as well as operate them at the local scale.

Here, in Texas, we are not in an isolated bubble. All of these challenges will affect us. That is why we are working today on new initiatives at TAWWA, like Water 2050 and SETH, to explore the possibilities of meeting these upcoming changes head on.

I have seen the majority of the last 50 years of changes with the SDWA and the water professionals step up to the challenge and overcome each and

Building community value through innovative engineering solutions

everyone of them. I know that over the next 25 years (Water 2050) every challenge that we will face will be met with the best that our industry has to offer.

TAWWA members have already shown what they are capable of accomplishing in developing and now rolling out to local ISDs the SETH program, in an effort starting to solve workforce challenges. In the next couple of months, TAWWA Chapters will be working on implementing a Water 2050 initiative that focuses on Texas challenges. Coupled with the work that has already been accomplished at the AWWA level, this program will bring together the best ideas that Texas can come up with and set us on a path to sustainable water by 2050.

I am looking forward to working with all of you as we match that wind of change and ride along with it to make a difference for all of the citizens of Texas.

Capital Area Chapter Seminar

February 6, 2025 8 am to 4:30 pm

City of Austin Permitting and Development Center

Early Bird Registration through Jan. 6: $100 | $150 after Public Sector: $75

Student/Retiree Registration: $25

Sponsorship opportunities available

For more information and to register:

www.tawwa.org/event/cacseminar2025

| new members |

TAWWA Welcomes New Members Joining Oct. 1–Nov.

Portia Agyemang San Marcos, TX

Jason Arellano Southlake, TX

Rafael Balderas McAllen, TX

Ross Bates Wichita Falls, TX

Jennie Baumeister Cedar Park, TX

Kelly Bertrand Richmond, TX

Michele Birmingham Fort Worth, TX

Ross Brookbank Murphy, TX

Brian Brown Fort Worth, TX

Hudson Bubar Haslet, TX

Chris Cagle Maud, TX

Rhett Clark Fort Worth, TX

Emma Clow San Marcos, TX

Adrian Dias White Settlement, TX

Jack Dillavou Dallas, TX

Madisson Dunn Southlake, TX

Fred Ehler Argyle, TX

Nicholaus Fitzgerald Whitehouse, TX

Luis Gutierrez El Paso, TX

Chris Hanley Boerne, TX

Nii Nortey Hanson Nortey Houston, TX

Victoria Harrell Dallas, TX

Kayla Husband San Marcos, TX

Andrew Ivey Hamilton, TX

Arin Jett Fort Worth, TX

Bobby Kivlin Hurst, TX

William Kuehne Houston, TX

Rosalyn Le Palmer, TX

Jason Leggett Arlington, TX

Joseph Martinez Seguin, TX

Ronnie Martinez Saginaw, TX

Riya Mathew Austin, TX

Justin McFerrin Crowley, TX

Wade Miller Fort Worth, TX

Steven Morales Harlingen, TX

Eric Morgan Benbrook, TX

Kimberly Morrison Kingsland, TX

Brian Neal Dallas, TX

Dawne Payne Dallas, TX

Josey Pearson Scurry, TX

Steven Pitts Morgans Point, TX

Zach Pflugrath Houston, TX

Nowrina Rahim Austin, TX

Taylor Ray Dallas, TX

Dave Rogers DFW Airport, TX

Alejo Ruiz Camauer Allen, TX

Jacqueline Silva San Antonio, TX

Ralph Sinno Austin, TX

Mason Sirianni Kerrville, TX

Jacob Smith Amarillo, TX

30, 2024

Thurman Smith Canyon Lake, TX

Marcus Stewart Dallas, TX

Tyson Traw Wichita Falls, TX

Omar Vargas McKinney, TX

Juan Ventura Van Alstyne, TX

Aaron Walker Fort Worth, TX

Lavinia Walker Rosharon, TX

Ellie Wimberley College Station, TX

Robert Winiecke Galveston, TX

Icen Yoosefdoost San Antonio, TX

Membership Is What Connects Us!

Thank You, Members!

AWWA is celebrating you—the dedicated members who make what we do possible.

Your unwavering support and commitment are the backbone of the water community. Every day, you work tirelessly to ensure our communities have safe and clean water, making a true difference in people’s lives. We are profoundly grateful for all you do and celebrate all you have accomplished.

Help us continue the connections that empower us and the shared vision—a better world through better water—that unites us.

Thank you for being an integral part of the AWWA community!

AWWA members can save 20% off a bookstore purchase between November 1 and December 31, 2024. Use code THANKYOU* to save.

*Exclusions may apply.