Quench Magazine: Issue 1, 2020

TRWA Attends National Rural Water Rally in Washington D.C. Also Inside:

Technical Assistance Corner: Free Chlorine Conversion The Texas Rural Water Political Action Committee Needs Your Support

2020 — Issue 1 www.trwa.org

TRWA Today Established in 1969, the Texas Rural Water Association (TRWA) is a statewide nonprofit trade association with an active membership consisting of over 750 nonprofit water supply corporations, water districts, small-town water departments and investor-owned utilities. In addition, more than 200 water industry suppliers participate in TRWA activities as associate members. TRWA members provide water and wastewater service to 3 million customers throughout Texas.

TRWA is dedicated to helping directors, managers, operators and office professionals provide efficient service and clean, safe drinking water to their customers. Through on-site technical assistance, education and information exchange, TRWA helps its members better meet their needs as well as the needs of their customers.

Board of Directors

TRWA Staff

Leadership Team

Officers

President Brian Macmanus Cameron (District 6) Vice-President Chris Boyd Denton (District 3) Secretary Bruce Alexander Medina (District 2) Treasurer Robert Nettles Walker (District 13) Immediate Past President Pat Allen Guadalupe (District 9)

District Directors Mark Gardenhire Shackelford (District 1) Steve Adams Brown (District 4) Dave McMurry Bastrop (District 5) Johnny Rudisill Collin (District 7) Charles Beseda Hill (District 8) Kent Watson Brazos (District 10) Kevin Spence Franklin (District 11) Shirley Thompson Kaufman (District 12)

Lara Zent Allison Kaminsky Larry Bell Nichol Howell Tom Shephard, CPA Trent Hightower Jason Knobloch

Executive Director & General Counsel Deputy Executive Director Technical Assistance Director Professional Development & Training Director Finance Director Assistant General Counsel Environmental Services Director

ext. 101 ext. 107 cell: 512-964-8133 ext. 134 ext. 102 ext. 106 ext. 137

Amanda Ashcraft Melody Bennett Ross Brookbank Pam Cantrell Kelsey Copeland Lisa Gallo Angela Harris Miles Hartman Brittney Melancon Heath Mikulec Ariane Walker

Office Manager Project Support Specialist Membership and Outreach Manager Accounting Support Specialist Communications Specialist Meeting and Event Planner Project Support Specialist Project Support Specialist Paralegal Assistant Environmental Services Director Training Support Specialist

ext. 100 ext. 130 ext. 108 ext. 139 ext. 155 ext. 105 ext. 131 est. 135 ext. 110 ext. 132 ext. 111

Thomas Acker, Jr. Michael Beadnell Nathan Cantrell Alex Eaves Paul King Deborah McMullan Charles Perkins Bruce Pearson Refugio Rodriguez James Smith Quentin Turner William White Scott Willeford Gilbert Ybarbo

Instructor Instructor Wastewater Technician Wastewater Technician Circuit Rider Source Water Protection Specialist Circuit Rider Instructor FMT Specialist Circuit Rider FMT Specialist Assistant Technical Assistance Director FMT Specialist FMT Specialist

cell: (512) 751-6337 cell: (512) 924-4552 cell: (512) 924-7158 cell: (512) 964-7203 cell: (512) 913-9753 cell: (512) 923-5842 cell: (512) 964-2108 cell: (512) 922-4942 cell: (512) 923-5812 cell: (512) 964-9234 cell: (512) 517-9889 cell: (512) 924-4233 cell: (512) 657-8813 cell: (512) 317-2003

Office Staff

Field Staff

Contact the Editor

Editorial and advertising inquiries may be directed to the Communications Department at editor@trwa.org.

Join the conversation at: www.facebook.com/TexasRuralWaterAssn 2

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Find us at @TexasRuralWater for industry and legislative news relevant to you!

Features:

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In Every Issue: Letter from the President Letter from the Executive Director

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Ask Larry

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Keep it Legal

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Answers to your technical questions Answers to your legal questions

Classified Ads Advertiser Index Plan Ahead

TRWA’s Calendar of Events

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TRWA Attends NRWA Rural Water Rally in Washington D.C.

Texas was well-represented at this National Rural Water Association annual event in our nation's capitol.

Technical Assistance Corner: Free Chlorine Conversion

By Jason Knobloch, Texas Rural Water Association Learn more about this preventative maintenance technique for your distribution system.

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Customer Service Inspections: Then and Now

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Local Project Implementation: Cultivating the Next Generation of Industry Personnel

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From the Hole: Tales from the Road

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TRWA Welcomes New Staff

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The Texas Rural Water Political Action Committee Needs Your Support

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By Bruce Pearson, Texas Rural Water Association What do you know about Customer Service Inspections?

Read on for a history of the requirement, the inspection itself and why it's necessary, and today's challenges.

By Lazaro Hernandez, Rockett SUD This TRWA leadership program participant organized a system tour for local high school students.

By Michael Beadnell, Texas Rural Water Association One of TRWA's instructors travels to Brownwood for a Wastewater Collections course.

We have had a lot of changes in the past few months.

Meet the newest members of the TRWA Team!

Our annual fundraising campaign is underway, and there are several ways you can support the PAC and give Rural Water a voice at the capitol.

TRWA Briefs

It's Not too Late to Register for RuralWaterCon 2020; Be Sure to Update Your 2020 Quench Subscriptions; Take Advantage of TRWA's Direct-to-Consumer Magazine

On the Cover: Balloon and Water Tower in Rural McKinney, Texas by Mike Scarborogh, 2019 PhotoStream Category Finalist Quench — 2020 Issue 1 3

President’s Message Howdy Texas Rural Water Association!

I write this as my term as President of TRWA is rapidly winding down.

It has been a great honor and privilege to represent you and our great organization. I have thought long and hard about what to say for my parting words and think it best to do a summary of my talking points for the last two years. Here we go:

“Great customer service...is what truly sets folks in rural water apart from our counterparts.”

Everyone would like their water to be inexpensive. As leaders in the rural water business, it is our job to clearly communicate how it already is. Make sure you charge enough for your water.

Provide “Best-In-Class” customer service. Great customer service, and a true concern for our rate payers, is what truly sets folks in rural water apart from our urban counterparts. Take the time to assess the level of customer service that your utility is providing.

Support our PAC! Bronze, Silver and Gold sponsorships are the best way.

If you really care about our industry, this is a critical component in all of us being successful. Read more about how you can contribute on page 27 of this issue.

Reach out individually and collectively at the local level to your elected leaders, particularly in the Texas Legislature. Real life connections are so valuable for our lobby team to attach to and help spread our message. Just Do It! Enjoy the natural resource of water. It is one of God’s most critical components in bringing life to the world, and joy to our souls. Dip your toes in the lake, river, creek, bay, ocean, wetland, etc.

Kindness is a contagious thing. Be part of it spreading. Be TRUE to RURAL. We hope to see all of you at RuralWaterCon in San Antonio! Come on out.

It will be a party!

Thank you for the tremendous experience of serving as your TRWA President.

Until next time, keep the water going with a “true to rural” smile.

Be Good,

Brian E. Macmanus, P.E. President Texas Rural Water Association 4

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Letter from the Executive Director Dear TRWA members, In this new year, we’re excited to be welcoming new staff to our TRWA team! You can learn more about each of them starting on page 24 in this issue of Quench.

Every organization goes through cycles of change. Although it’s hard to say goodbye to folks who have served our organization well, we are happy to have been a part of their journey. At the same time, new team members bring new ideas and new energy to the organization which gives us the opportunity to grow and improve in new ways.

At the beginning of a new year, we think about what our priorities will be for that year. My “to do” list is often longer than I can reasonably accomplish.

I recently read an article I received from the Texas Society of Association Executives that challenges leaders to try something new in 2020 — slow down and aspire to do less. The idea is to ask yourself, “What do I need to accomplish so I can look back and say 2020 was a successful year?”

Well, this is hard for me because I have so many goals for the Association.

One early goal is to receive your input on how TRWA can better serve you in the next 4 years. We are reaching the end of our 2016-2020 strategic planning cycle and we’ll be seeking your feedback to help guide us in this process. Please look out for an electronic survey we’ll be sending soon. We’ll also be conducting the survey and holding a focus group at Convention.

“We need to work together to attract and retain tomorrow's work force for our industry.”

A key goal this year is to increase member outreach and engagement.

We’ll be bringing more programming and networking opportunities out to our members around the state. Our vision is for these lunch meetings to connect members with each other and with local leaders, to include training credits and to provide an opportunity for us to share about TRWA programs that members can utilize.

On the training front, we have a goal to bring to completion new online training courses we started developing in 2019, including an online board training course. We are also working to develop a tool that will simplify our members’ compliance with America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.

Finally, workforce development and launching an apprenticeship program in Texas for water and wastewater operations will be a priority for us. We need to work together to attract and retain tomorrow’s work force for our industry.

While moving forward with these new initiatives, we’ll also be striving to maintain the highest level of quality and service with our existing programs.

I’m looking forward to working with you and serving you in 2020!

My best,

Lara Zent Executive Director and General Counsel Texas Rural Water Association Quench — 2020 Issue 1 5

TRWA Attends NRWA Rural Water Rally in Washington D.C.

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exas was well-represented at the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) Rural Water Rally on February 4-5, 2020, in Washington D.C. TRWA’s Executive Director, Lara Zent, along with several TRWA Board Directors and members attended the annual rally, which brings state association and utility system representatives to D.C. to give rural water a united voice at the Capitol.

Approximately 280 rural water professionals from across the country attended the two-day event.

The rally kicked off with a ceremony which included remarks from special guest speakers Missouri Senator Roy Blunt and Deputy Undersecretary for USDA Rural Development DJ LaVoy. Both speakers lauded the hard work rural water professionals do and emphasized Rural Water’s importance to our communities and the larger industry. “[Water and wastewater technicians] represent the kinds of communities, the kinds of neighborhoods where people want to be connected,” Blunt said.

He continued by saying these rural water and wastewater professionals “are part of the most basic connection of all.”

One of the areas of focus during rally is to make USDA and EPA training funding a priority in annual spending bills. Workforce development and apprenticeship were also a focus of discussion this year. The VIP speakers touched on these, emphasizing the importance of continuing these programs, and even growing them.

“The programs that have been put in place in the last few years deserve priority support,” said Blunt.

“Our partnerships and programs aren’t going anywhere,” said LaVoy. “We want to grow our relationship with you.”

After the opening session, TRWA representatives visited the offices of Texas congressional districts, including attending meetings with U.S. Representatives Kay Granger, Filemon Vela, Ron Wright, Louie Gohmert, Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez, Jr., Mike Conaway and Lance Gooden.

TRWA encouraged our elected officials to keep rural water interests in mind, advocating for funding and support for infrastructure, training, technical assistance, and workforce development programs.

TRWA representatives gather on day one of the NRWA Rally.

Team TRWA meets with Congressman Lance Gooden.

Team TRWA meets with Congressman Louie Gohmert.

Team TRWA meets with Congressman Filemon Vela.

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Technical Assistance Corner: Free Chlorine Conversion

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By Jason Knobloch, Environmental Services Director, Texas Rural Water Association

o, we’ve made it to 2020. A new year brings on new opportunities, as well as its challenges. As utilities, we have another round of due dates, maintenance items and “other duties as assigned.”

For some water systems that use chloramines, it may also be time for another round of preventative maintenance for your distribution system — the free chlorine conversion.

In the start of my water career, we referred to the free chlorine conversion as a “burnout” or “free chlorine burn.” Over the years, the terms made their way to the public and created a sense of panic in some cases, which is understandable given that when you look up the word burn in the Merriam-Webster dictionary you find definitions such as “damage to the skin or deeper tissue, an injury caused by exposure to heat,” and “to produce or undergo discomfort or pain.” The definitions listed, paired with the thought of something you are consuming into your body, could rightly cause some concern as a customer. Interestingly enough, the process of a “burn” or free chlorine conversion is even commonly misunderstood by those in the water field.

When a utility does a free chlorine conversion as a preventative measure or as a response to nitrification issues, the goal isn’t necessarily to kill organisms in the water by adding a stronger disinfectant. Rather, the intent is to remove the potential food source for harmful bacteria and prevent them from developing and/or growing. The bacteria that feeds off available ammonia in the water is Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB), which makes nitrite. When the nitrification process continues, Nitrite Oxidizing Bacteria (NOB) forms and feeds on the nitrite to create nitrate.

Operators maintaining a distribution system utilizing chloramines need to understand the chemistry of chloramines, the breakpoint curve, the nitrification process and the necessary steps to take during a conversion.

Chloramines are a compound created by adding chlorine to ammonia. Chloramines are not as strong of a disinfectant as free chlorine yet have the ability to last longer and do not react the same with 8

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organics as those typically found in surface water.

The ideal ratio of chlorine to ammonia-nitrogen is 5:1. At this point, a water system is maintaining the optimal levels of chloramines, and more specifically, Monochloramines (Zone 2). It is important to point out that a 5:1 is a recommended ratio — there are many systems out there that operate at a 4:1 or even less and have no problems at all. Operate your system at the level that gives you the best water quality and the least amount of issues.

As you can see from the breakpoint curve in the above diagram, the process of combining the available ammonia and chlorine have maxed out at the peak between Zone 2 and 3. Once the ratio of chlorine to ammonia has moved past that optimal level, Di- and Tri-chloramines are being created.

This is a common day-to-day issue for utilities running chloramines if they are not feeding the correct doses and monitoring regularly. During a free chlorine conversion, however, the utility is actively trying to surpass the downward slope of creating the unwanted chloramines and move to Zone 4 to achieve a free chlorine residual.

One of the main errors we see in the field are when operators simply turn off the Liquid Ammonia Sulfate (LAS) and continue the chlorine feed as normal. As explained above, once you start injecting chlorine over the 5:1 ratio, you start creating Di- and Tri-chloramines and your total residual plummets.

This is also the range in which taste and odor issues reside. In order to successfully reach a free chlorine conversion, the system must apply the appropriate

dose of chlorine to effectively hit the target free chlorine residual. An additional item to note is that it takes 10 times the amount of chlorine to use up just one part of ammonia. This is an important piece of information to have when planning your conversion to ensure you have the necessary chemical available to see it through.

to form in those pockets of water not flushed. In addition, one reason that a free chlorine conversion is often done between fall and spring for maintenance reasons is because of the lower water demand on the system. This allows for easier management of the process with lowering tank levels and additional flushing.

Although understanding chemical dosage is key in converting to free chlorine, there are other processes that are equally important to carry out.

As mentioned above, the interaction of free chlorine and chloramines have a negative effect on your water quality. Unfortunately, this interaction is inevitable when your freshly chlorinated water hits the chloraminated water in your storage tanks and distribution system. That is why once you have reached your appropriate dosage, you must start moving the water through the system, and quickly!

As part of this flushing process, it is key to monitor as you go. You cannot assume that you have flushed enough to bring the chlorinated water to the area without first testing all the parameters. This means that you must take samples for total chlorine, free chlorine, monochloramine and free ammonia. The information you obtain from these samples inform you on where you are in the process.

Initially, you need to drop your storage tanks to a low, but manageable level to maintain ample supply and pressure for your customers. The reason for the drop in tank level is to decrease the time it takes to consume the available ammonia and convert the outgoing water to a free chlorine disinfectant.

The next step is to initiate an effective flushing sequence. This process should be identified before starting the conversion to ensure that flushing points are identified and valves are working properly.

The flushing sequence should start at the closest available location to the entry point or booster station where the chlorinated water is coming from. From there, a systematic approach needs to take place to ensure that the free chlorine disinfectant is sweeping through the system thoroughly and pushing the chloraminated water out in a unidirectional manner (as depicted in the image above). It is important to note that all dead-end mains should be addressed in this process or else taste and odor issues are likely

For example: In the chart, notice that at Sample Site 1 the Total Cl2 (chlorine) is 2.0. That information alone isn’t enough to tell you that you have efficiently pulled the chlorinated water to that point in your system.

Further testing at that site tells you that you have a monochloramine of 1.2 and a free ammonia residual of 0.04. Referring to the breakpoint curve, you can see that you cannot have free chlorine exist when free ammonia is present or when monochloramines are still formed. Therefore, you have not converted to free chlorine at this site. At Sample Site 2, you see the same Total Cl2 of 2.0. With further testing, you see that the monochloramine is gone and there is no free ammonia. At this site, you have effectively moved the chlorinated water through the distribution system and to that sample site. It is worth noting that you can occasionally get false readings of monochloramine, free ammonia and free chlorine all existing in the same sample source. These readings should only be trace amounts and able to be identified as the margin of error from the equipment.

The last main component of the free chlorine conversion is communication. Communication is a key point in most any action in a water system but plays a very important role in a disinfectant conversion. A system should first and foremost communicate with the staff. All employees, field or office, should be aware of the upcoming changes. Field staff need to be aware of what to monitor for and what to record at the plants and in Continued on page 10 Quench — 2020 Issue 1 9

Continued from page 9

distribution, including the daily chlorine samples for the Disinfectant Level Quarterly Operating Report (DLQOR). Office staff will also need to be aware for the potential calls and/or complaints regarding water quality issues and excessive flushing.

The next communication effort needs to be with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Though it is not a requirement to tell TCEQ, it is in your best interest, not only for customer complaints that go straight to the region, but also to help coordinate your Disinfection Byproduct (DBP) monitoring. I can tell you from experience that a free chlorine conversion going on, or wrapping up, at the same time of DBP sampling will surely skew your samples if you are purchasing or producing treated surface water.

Lastly, communicate with your customers.

Inform them of the process and the benefits of what you are doing. Your customers would rather be overcommunicated with than uninformed — this usually results in less complaints and calls. It is also necessary for wholesale systems to let their customer water systems know what is happening so they can plan accordingly. There is a huge lack of communication between wholesalers and purchasers across the state that results in unnecessary violations, as well as wasted water and manpower.

Once you have worked through the entire process and have successfully completed a free chlorine conversion, all you have left is to revert to chloramines. A typical conversion is for only 30 days. This should allow you time to change doses, drop tanks and move the water through the system to thoroughly flush the system. That being said, expect a similar timeline to convert back to chloramines. Plan to be as engaged and vigorous with your flushing in order to move the chloramines back through your system to minimize the amount of water quality issues that could arise. As before, communicate with your staff, your customers and with the TCEQ region to let them know what you are doing.

As I’ve mentioned, routine or preventative maintenance is not the only reason for a free chlorine conversion. The other primary use for a conversion is to eliminate nitrification from your storage tanks and distribution system. This process commonly follows the red trigger levels in your Nitrification Action Plan. I feel it is important to note that many utilities react with a free chlorine conversion prematurely in response 10

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to lower residuals in the distribution system, but in fact are only dealing with unstable chloramines.

Other possibilities of low residual may also be from water age, cross connections, treatment failure or increased demand.

If you would like more information on understanding chloramines, nitrification or more details on a free chlorine conversion, contact TRWA at (512) 472-8591 or email Jason.Knobloch@trwa. org for free assistance through TRWA’s Financial, Managerial and Technical on-site assistance program.

Additional Information on these topics can be found online at the following TCEQ links: https://www. tceq.texas.gov/drinkingwater/disinfection/temporaryfree-chlorine-conversion and https://www.tceq.texas. gov/drinkingwater/fmt.

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Quench — 2020 Issue 1 11

Customer Service Inspections: Then and Now

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By Bruce Pearson, Instructor, Texas Rural Water Association

he Customer Service Inspection became a reality for water purveyors in a 1996 Rule change by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), previously known as the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC). The genesis for the rule change was in parallel with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amendments dealing with cross connection control and lead.

In 1974, the SDWA, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), made a specific reference to the protection of drinking water supplies from contaminants: “Minimum protection should include programs that result in the prevention of health hazards such as cross connections.” In 1986, the SDWA was further amended to require all community water systems to establish a cross connection control program and it placed full responsibility for the protection of the public water supply upon the water purveyor.

In response to these federal amendments, Texas amended 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 290, Subchapter D. Rules and Regulations for Public Water Systems, specifically 290.44 Water Distribution (h) Backflow, siphonage. The state also addresses lead most recently in 290.44(b) which further reduces the allowable lead content in pipe and fittings from the SDWA Amendment in 1986.

is limited to the identification and prevention of cross connections, potential contaminant hazards, and illegal lead materials.” This inspection is not a plumbing inspection.

The inspection, according to TCEQ in 30TAC 290.46 (j), “should be completed prior to providing continuous water service to new construction, on any existing water service when the water purveyor has reason to believe that cross connections or other potential contaminant hazards exist, or any material improvement, correction, or addition to private water distribution facilities.” NOTE: The phrase continuous water service can be interpreted to mean after construction is completed and before the facility begins being used for its intended purpose.

Upon completion of the Customer Service inspection, the inspector shall complete the customer service inspection certificate. This certificate can be found on the TCEQ website, Form 20699. The original certificate shall be retained by the water purveyor for at least 10 years.

Backflow Prevention Assemblies

The Inspection The Customer Service Inspection as found in 290.46 “Minimum Acceptable Operating Practices for Public Drinking Water Systems” (j)(4) “is the examination of the private water distribution facilities for the purpose of providing or denying water service. The inspection 12

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Any backflow prevention assemblies discovered during the inspection and identified as to their proper installation and protection of the water supplies should be accompanied by a Test and Maintenance Form which is to be completed by a TCEQ Licensed Backflow Assembly Tester. It must be signed and dated by the tester. The form can be found on the TCEQ website, Form 20700. The original form shall be retained for a minimum of three years by the water purveyor.

The Inspector The Customer Service Inspection can be conducted by one of three individuals. Two of these

inspectors are licensed and endorsed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) through the state plumbing license law found in Vernon’s Texas Civil Statues, Title 109A, Article 6243-101.

These two individuals are a Licensed Plumbing Inspector and a Licensed Plumber with a Water Supply Protection Specialist (WSPS) endorsement from the TSBPE and are found in 30 TAC 290.46(j) (1)(A).

The third individual who can conduct the inspection is a Customer Service Inspector who has obtained and holds the license from the TCEQ through the Rule found in 290.46 (j)(1)(B). The requirements to obtain this license are to complete a 16-hour TCEQ approved course, demonstrate a minimum of two years “water or construction related experience” approved by the commission, and pass the administered exam. Originally, licensed plumbers could conduct the inspection but that provision was eliminated in 2000.

Today’s Challenges Customer Service Inspectors have been presented with numerous new challenges in recent years by way of new regulatory requirements and industry innovations.

The challenges mentioned here are mostly related to residential and small commercial settings, but regulatory requirement changes cover agricultural, commercial, industrial and residential settings alike.

accompany two new assemblies that had previously been approved by the University of Southern California in their Manual of Cross Connection Control, Tenth Edition.

The advent of new and popular On-site Sewage Facilities (OSSF) necessitated a change in the industry where they relate to the cross connection control aspect of the Customer Service Inspection.

In January of 2009, the TCEQ changed the irrigation Rule(s) 344.50, 344.51 and 344.52. This rule change stated that any site that has an OSSF and has potable irrigation must install a Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Assembly on the irrigation branch or at the meter if the irrigation system has a dedicated meter.

Water conservation in Texas has given a sudden and dramatic rise in many areas of the state to rainwater harvesting. This type of water supply also relates to the cross connection control aspect of the Customer Service Inspection, as it collects rainwater into containers or storage tanks of varying configurations and sizes. The rainwater is collected usually from the roof of the facility and stored for later use, primarily by irrigation systems. This type of water supply and the regulatory requirements that accompany it can be found in 30 TAC 290.44(j).

As the water industry continues to evolve through regulatory requirements, technological advancements and innovation, the Customer Service Inspection ultimately will be revised as these advances relate to cross connection control and lead content. The Customer Service Inspectors, Plumbing Inspectors and Water Supply Protection Specialists will also continue to increase their technical abilities through education and training as well.

Regulatory changes in reference to the allowable lead content in pipe and fittings was changed in 2014. Though the allowable content was originally 8 percent, the new requirement, 0.25 percent, is referenced with the ANSI/NSF Standard 61, which was adopted by the EPA. This amendment necessitated a change in the Customer Service Inspection Certificate. The new certificate has a new “checkoff” question relating to construction after January 4, 2014. The amended certificate was produced by TCEQ on November 4, 2015.

Another regulatory change took place on April 4, 2019. The Backflow Test and Maintenance Form, which Backflow Assembly Testers complete after testing a Backflow Prevention Assembly, changed to Quench — 2020 Issue 1 13

Ask Larry A Q&A column with TRWA Technical Assistance Director Larry Bell

Q:

Some of our customers have built duplexes in our system. We have generally required individual meters for each unit, but one owner wants to know if they can put in a 2-inch master meter for all 10 units in five nearby duplexes. What should we do?

A: We get this question from time to time, and the answer as to whether you should have one master meter for each apartment building or one meter per individual apartment is “it depends.” In general, the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) rules first want separate meters for each unit so each individual user’s water usage can be measured accurately. However, due to some political maneuvering several years ago, some exceptions were included in the Texas Administrative Code that allow the commission’s executive director to permit master metering when applicable.

First, the customer must supply the system a final plat showing the intended use and ultimate development of the property to be served. Next, the utility should contact the system’s engineer to obtain a study showing how the number and location of the different dwellings are situated on the tract of land.

From this, they can develop a plan that best provides service to the entire development considering the wishes of the developer and the system. Based on the level and manner of service being requested by the owner, a 2-inch water meter may or may not be sufficient to provide the water capacity being requested.

The rules provide some ways for the applicant to opt out of individual meters and having multiple water service lines crisscrossing their tract of land.

Sometimes multiple lines from multiple meters can become a maintenance nightmare because all the lines, meters and valves look the same. This can make it difficult for maintenance personnel to identify which line is leaking and increase maintenance expenses compared to a situation with a single meter and a single yard line.

For years, many rural and municipal systems have opted to install master meters for rental 14

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properties such as multiple apartment buildings on the same tract of land, multiple mobile homes or manufactured homes on the same tract of land, as well as multiple RVs or strip/multi-use business centers with a common owner. This saves the systems from having to maintain multiple meters and make multiple service trips to disconnect and reconnect individual rental property meters, allows for a single water bill to be mailed, and saves the property owner money by not requiring them to maintain multiple lines across their property.

Additionally, many systems didn’t want to maintain extended meters and lines within the private property, because in several cases working on these lines proved too intrusive on peoples’ private property and roads. Systems generally don’t want to extend their liability onto or across private property to read meters or make repairs after dark within a private property on the off chance that frequent trips onto that property raises the chance of some type of accident or damage to the owner’s property or tenants.

Based on my experience, a great number of systems opt to have a single meter properly sized to meet the service needs requested by the owner instead of having multiple smaller master meters or even individual meters for each apartment.

Q: We were recently told by a plumber that a Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester (BPAT) license is now being issued to plumbers as an endorsement, rather than as its own license. Is this true? If so, can plumbers perform customer service inspections (CSIs)?

A: We reached out to the TCEQ for clarification on this question. The short answer here is no.

A licensed plumbing inspector (as opposed to a “licensed plumber”) may conduct a CSI if he or she has a Water Supply Protection Specialist endorsement on their license, as specified by TCEQ Rule 290.46(j)(1). The agency clarified for us that there is no endorsement that would allow a licensed plumber to test backflow prevention assemblies without a valid BPAT license.

To receive a Water Supply Protection Specialist endorsement on their plumbing license, a licensed journeyman plumber, master plumber or plumbing inspector must have specific training related to backflow prevention assemblies. This training must be approved by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners and must pertain to the subject matter applicable to the protection of public and private potable water supplies. Additionally, please note that having this training and the associated endorsement does not license an individual to perform testing or repair of backflow testing assemblies on domestic, industrial or irrigation services. A BPAT license from TCEQ is still required to conduct those activities.

Q: I was informed by an operator that a neighboring system has a convicted sex offender working for it who has a CSI, Water and Wastewater license. Can this person hold these licenses?

A: We also reached out to TCEQ to get clarification on this question. The agency responded that their criminal history review process has not changed and continues to be as outlined in Texas Occupations Code Ch. 53 and their RG521 guidance document. Occupations Code Section 53.0231 states, “a licensing authority may suspend or revoke a license, disqualify a person from receiving a license, or deny to a person the

WHEN YOUR TOWN IS COUNTING ON YOU, YOU CAN COUNT ON US.

opportunity to take a licensing examination…” based on criminal convictions. Denied applications are afforded due process.

As it relates to sex offenders, 30 TAC 30.33(h) defines when TCEQ can deny, revoke or suspend a license, including when “an individual has been convicted of an offense…that, is a sexually violent offense, as defined by Texas Code of Criminal procedure, Article 62.001.” It is possible that the person in question received their license prior to the Sept. 1, 2013, statutory change in the Criminal Procedure Code 62.063, which prohibited a registered sex offender from holding a job that will “provide or offer to provide any type of service in the residence of another person unless the provision of service will be supervised…” If that is the case, TCEQ stated that it is up to the license holder and their employer to ensure that the proper supervision is provided. Therefore, TRWA advises our member systems to be aware of their potential liability if they employ such an individual and allow them to enter customers’ properties unsupervised.

TCEQ also noted that, as part of the process to renew a license, the application now requires an updated review of the applicant’s criminal history.

If the license holder has received convictions Continued on page 16

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Quench — 2020 Issue 1 15

Continued from page 15

during the three years the license was valid, TCEQ will re-evaluate whether renewing the license is appropriate.

Q: I recall a rule stating that WSCs should maintain a reserve account in an amount equal to our membership deposits, but our CPA is unable to locate a statute or rule on point. Do we have to maintain this type of an account, and if so, why?

A: While there isn’t a specific rule on point, there is a long history that explains why this practice is a good idea. When WSCs were first being created and funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Home Administration (USDA FmHA) office, new systems were instructed by the FmHA staff to keep membership fees accounted for in the event some of the areas of the proposed distribution system were unable to be funded by the project. If that were to happen, the system would be able to refund the membership fees to applicants who were not eligible to receive service.

Up through the mid-1970s, FmHA took the stance that it was not necessary for these membership fees to be in a totally separate bank account as long as the system could trace those funds and be able to refund them if needed. Then, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, some systems going through rate appeals at TCEQ were able to justify their savings or reserve accounts tied to their membership fees as long as those fees were refundable. Systems that had changed their membership fee classification from refundable to non-refundable, however, could not justify they still maintained a membership fee reserve since those fees didn’t create any kind of associated liability.

When I came to TRWA in 1988, our policies and sample tariff referred to membership fees as being refundable, which meant systems could justify keeping these funds accounted for and designated

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as restricted should they find themselves involved in a rate hearing. The Texas Water Commission, the predecessor to the modern TCEQ, agreed that refundable membership fees were indeed a liability that could be called for at any time by members seeking to leave the system.

These designated membership fee accounts were also used by systems as a kind of contingency fund if a well needed to be repaired or a major water line expense popped up. They could either borrow against the fund or withdraw from it and then begin paying themselves back until the account was again equal to the membership fee totals.

The bottom line is no, I can’t point to a specific statute that requires this practice. However, there are many WSCs who have been before the TCEQ that would have been flat busted had they not had those membership fees separately designated and accounted for. It is still highly recommended by TRWA in our sample tariff that membership fees be designated as refundable for the reasons stated above.

If you have a technical question you would like answered, please e-mail larry.bell@trwa.org.

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Keep It Legal Answers to Members’ Questions by TRWA Assistant General Counsel Trent Hightower

E

ditor’s Note: The following is a correction to an answer we published in the December issue of Quench. In the last edition of Keep it Legal, we discussed comments by Public Utility Commission (PUC) Staff at TRWA’s Fall Management Conference relating to whether a system may charge customers the minimum base rate while their meter is locked for nonpayment. After receiving comments from our members that such a rule would be difficult to comply with in terms of logistics and accounting, the TRWA Legal Team met with PUC staff to clarify their comments. They informed us that they distinguish meters that are “active but locked” from meters that are totally “inactive.” As such, the agency would support the utility in charging the base rate while the meter is locked for nonpayment and would not require any proration of the bill for days in which the meter is locked.

While this may be the case in the short term, it is unlikely that the PUC would support charging the base rate to a locked meter on a long-term basis.

In consulting with several TRWA members, the consensus seemed to be that systems should give a customer until the next billing cycle to either pay the amount owed or request a total disconnection of service. If the customer does neither by the time the next month’s bill is due, the system should disconnect the meter and liquidate the account at that time. This way, the system doesn’t find itself in the limbo area of charging a base rate to a locked meter for more than a month or so.

Thank you to the TRWA members who brought this issue to our attention!

Q: I heard that water utilities are now required to provide their employees and board members with cybersecurity awareness training. What can you tell me about that?

A: It’s true, with cybersecurity becoming an increasingly hot topic, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3834 in the 2019 session, which applies to all “local governments” including water districts and cities. This new law requires all local government elected officials (i.e. directors in the case of water 18

Quench — 2020 - Issue 1

districts), as well as all employees having access to computer systems or databases, to complete cybersecurity awareness training once per year.

The legislature directed the Texas Department of Information Resources to certify at least five training programs that focus on forming information security habits and procedures that protect information resources, and that teach best practices for detecting, assessing, reporting and addressing information security threats. The Department released its list of compliant training programs in January 2020, which can be found along with more information about the training requirements at: https:// dir.texas.gov/View-About-DIR/Information-Security/ Pages/Content.aspx?id=154. Impacted organizations have until June 14, 2020, to ensure that their board members and covered employees have completed one of these programs. TRWA will be hosting one of these approved trainings at our annual convention in March. Though this session will be held as part of our Board Track, anyone attending RuralWaterCon is able to attend. If you haven’t already registered, you can do so now at www.trwa.org by clicking on the “Conferences” tab on the navigation pane. Covered individuals will have to complete updated training annually due to the constantly-evolving nature of cybersecurity threats.

The training requirement applies to all political subdivisions such as cities and water districts, but not to water supply corporations (WSCs). However, TRWA recommends that WSCs voluntarily provide their board members and employees with this type of training to protect them from possible attacks. Cyberattacks have become increasingly frequent and sophisticated, with several TRWA member systems falling victim in the past few months. Employees and board members who know what to look for are less likely to expose your system to a potentially serious security threat, so all utilities should take advantage of training programs that are at least as stringent as those required by this new law, regardless of whether they are required to do so.

Q: It's election time again for our WSC, and we have had a few questions come up. First,

we have a customer who has a meter in her name at a rental property, who also shares an account with her husband at their residence. She requested a ballot based upon the rental property membership. One staff member refused to give her a ballot at our annual meeting, but we found out later that due to her persistence, she was eventually allowed to vote based on the rental property membership. Should she have been? If not, how can this affect our election?

A: The answer to your question will likely turn on whether this individual’s husband also voted.

Section 67.007 of the Water Code states that each member of a WSC “may be allowed only one vote regardless of the number of memberships…held by the person.” This provision is easy to apply to a single person — even if they have five memberships, they are only allowed one vote. The analysis gets more complicated, however, when married couples are thrown into the mix.

A WSC membership is treated as community property if both partners jointly own the property tied to the membership and if the membership was acquired after their marriage. In such cases, if both spouses were to vote based on the same membership, that membership would account for two votes in the election, not the one vote allowed by the Water Code. Thus, married couples who share a membership may only cast one vote between them regardless of how many memberships they have or whether those memberships are attached to their separate property. How they decide who gets their vote is up to them.

This is why it matters whether the husband of the woman in question also voted in your election. If he did, the wife’s vote based on the rental membership was invalid because she would have cast two votes in violation of the statute cited above. If the husband didn’t vote, she was free to vote based on

the rental property provided she also didn’t exercise her voting rights based upon their primary residence membership.

Assuming the woman in question cast an invalid ballot, whether any of this will affect your election will depend on your vote totals. If someone only won by a single vote and this woman voted when she shouldn’t have, the loser would have grounds to challenge the results in district court. The loser might also have grounds for a challenge if this mistake was widespread enough to potentially flip the election.

However, if the winning candidate won by 20 votes and this was the only invalid ballot cast, I believe that this would be seen as what courts call “harmless error.”

Q: What is the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, and how has it recently changed?

A: First passed by Congress in 1972, the Clean Water Act is the primary federal law regulating the discharge of pollution into the “waters of the United States.” While the law is clear that major rivers, lakes and directly connected waterways are such waters, it doesn’t define that term for other, more looselyrelated bodies of water, such as streams that are dry for part of the year. After years of litigation and numerous attempts to define the waters subject to the Clean Water Act, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), put forth the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in 2015, which classified numerous tributaries, wetlands, ponds and even isolated waters as being subject to the law.

This new definition generated several new court cases, with critics arguing that it was an overreach of federal power that too broadly defined the bodies of water subject to federal pollution laws. Common criticisms of the rule pointed to its application to ditches, groundwater and small water features as Continued on page 20

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Quench — 2020 Issue 1 19

Continued from page 19

excessively burdensome on farmers, landowners and businesses.

In January 2020, the EPA issued a new version of the rule that narrowed the rules applicability to: • • • •

territorial seas and traditional navigable waters; perennial and intermittent tributaries to those waters; certain lakes, ponds and impoundments; and wetlands adjacent to jurisdictional waters.

The rule also clarifies that the following are no longer considered “waters of the United States”: •

• • •

features that only contain water in direct response to rainfall; groundwater; many ditches, including most roadside and farm ditches; farm and stock watering ponds; waste treatment systems; and prior converted cropland.

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• •

The EPA argues that these new definitions put an end to federal overreach and bring certainty to those who interact with American waters. Whether that is the case remains to be seen. The EPA is currently accepting comments on the proposed rule before it can become final.

If you have a legal question you would like answered, please email legal@trwa.org.

Local Project Implementation: Cultivating the Next Generation of Industry Personnel

By Lazaro Hernandez, Emerging Leader Program Participant; Rockett SUD

I

am a crew leader at Rockett Special Utility District (SUD) and a class of 2019-20 TRWA Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) participant. One of the ELP requirements is to plan and carry out a developmental project that proves beneficial to my community. The next generation is crucial for the continuation of the water industry, so my local project was directed toward this aspect.

High school students are pressured into going to college because people will say, “You can’t have a more than adequate job unless you go to college and get a degree.” Students need to be informed that college isn't for everyone, and you can get a great job without a college degree. They need to know that they can make a living by working in an industry such as water and wastewater. Because of this, I felt strongly compelled to carry out a project that would help inform the next generation of workers that the water industry is a great career path you can take without a college degree.

To initiate my project, I first contacted a few local high schools and invited their classes to come on a field trip to tour Rockett SUD’s water treatment plant. A biology teacher from Palmer High School was interested in my proposal and was able to plan a date quickly to make the field trip happen. Since the City of Palmer bought water from Rockett SUD, this system tour was an opportunity for the students to learn about where the water they drink comes from.

We toured the students around the plant and showed them the step-by-step water treatment process. We also had a hands-on lesson where the students were able to sit and learn how they are able to help their community by conserving water.

High school students learn more about careers in the water industry during a system tour.

Students from Palmer High School tour Rockett SUD's water treatment plant to learn more about where their local water comes from.

The project was very successful, and the students asked many questions. The tour sparked some of the students' interest in learning more about water distribution, water treatment and what more they could accomplish for the environment by conserving water. The tour went so well that the teacher wanted to set up more field trips for her students to attend at least once a year. To implement a yearly field trip, we plan to have different groups of students come to the plant on different days.

I plan to keep my developmental project alive by contacting other local schools to see if they would be interested in coming on a tour of our water treatment plant as well, using our tour with Palmer High School as an example of a successful model. I would also like to expand the field trip to include a tour of our facility. We could go into detail of what our outside crews do, as well as what goes on inside the office.

I would even like to do a demonstration part of the tour where we could do a water main break repair simulation, so the students can get a better overall knowledge of what Rockett SUD does every day.

I’m hoping that the project will continue so that we can grab the attention of students who may not know what they want to do when they graduate. By inviting young people to tour our plant, adding improvements to the model we have already developed and capturing the excitement of students, this will help promote the water industry in a positive way.

Quench — 2020 Issue 1 21

From the Hole Tales from the road by Michael Beadnell, Instructor for Texas Rural Water Association Wastewater Collections, Brownwood

I

n the early 1820s, in an area that separates Central Texas from West Texas, the Conquistador of the Spanish Crown established the empresario system. If you remember from your Texas history lessons, an empresario was a person who, in the early years of the settlement of Texas, had been granted the right to settle on Mexican land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers. Empresario is the Spanish word for entrepreneur.

In 1828, a Texas Revolutionary soldier named Captain Henry S. Brown was the first Texan Known to cross into the area. The Captain, with about 25 men and a Native American guide, entered what is now Brown County.

“Feels like home” is Brownwood’s trademark phrase — and for good reason. Brownwood, and all of Brown county, boasts a little taste of everything.

There are more than 50 community events that take place throughout the calendar year in Brownwood, including the Brown county rodeo, the Riverfest, Heartland Cruisers Run, Pioneer days and Christmas under the stars just to name a few.

The following morning, we began our 20hour comprehensive course in wastewater collections. I took the class through introductions and we completed paperwork. Starting with the Environmental Protection Agency’s characteristics of wastewater, we covered physical, chemical, radiological and bacteriological characteristics, and ultimately, we found our way to pathogens.

Pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms and are found only when there is an infection or disease. Waterborne pathogens and the protection of public health are wastewater operators’ main concern. Waterborne pathogens live and grow in the intestines of infected people.

There are three categories of pathogens: bacterial, viral and parasites. First, we focused on the bacterial, using the well-known Typhoid Mary as an example. Mary was an Irish immigrant who was a carrier of typhoid and passed along the illness through prepared food. She didn’t have the symptoms of the pathogenic disease, but she carried the disease and was able to transmit it to others. Another example of a bacterial pathogen is dysentery, which I illustrated to the class by discussing Hurricane Dorian and the resulting refugee camps. These camps lacked proper wastewater disposal, which can quickly infect water with pathogens like dysentery. Concluding our discussion about bacterial pathogens was a segment on cholera and its outbreak in London, England in the mid-1800s.

"After any catastrophic event, before you can turn on anything, you better have the wastewater lift stations running."

The Brownwood fire station on East Adams, located just 22 miles from the geographic center of Texas, graciously provided a state-of-the-art classroom for operators from the City of Brownwood and the surrounding communities to attend my Wastewater Collections course.

I arrived and set up the classroom then set up camp just west of the Pecan Bayou, near one of the 10 outdoor living communities called the Shady Oaks. The Pecan Bayou is a tributary of the Colorado River that divides Brown County into two distinct cities: Brownwood and Early. A dam on the Pecan Bayou 7 miles from Brownwood forms Lake Brownwood and is the main source of the surrounding communities water supply.

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Next, we discussed viral pathogens and the disease Polio. Everybody in class that was my age or older knew someone growing up in an iron lung. This made for good discussion and led us into other viral pathogens, including hepatitis A and gastroenteritis, or Montezuma’s revenge, which is what I called it in high school.

Finally, we covered parasites, the final category of pathogens. These are the real bad ones —the ones that will kill you or make you wish you were dead. No wonder FEMA recognizes Wastewater Collection Operators as first responders.

and pumping. On the recommendation from one of my colleagues, I’m going to start adding a relative mathematical question for you in my column. Then, can find the formula and the answer to the question elsewhere in the issue.

After any catastrophic event, before you can turn on anything, you better have the wastewater lift stations running. In class, we cover the two types of lift stations: Wet well and dry well. A distinctive way to tell them apart is where their pumps and motors are located. In wet well lift stations, the pumps and motors are submerged under the wastewater, whereas in the dry well ones, the pumps and motors are above the wastewater in a dry area.

Here’s the first problem: A one-cylinder reciprocating pump with a 10-inch bore and a 5-inch stroke pumps 50 cycles per minute. How many minutes must the pump be operated to pump 5000 gallons of Wastewater?

After discussing lift stations, the class covers a good deal of construction and safety procedures recommended for operators to practice. These procedures protect them from the perils of being a Wastewater Collections Operator, one of the most dangerous jobs known to man.

As is the case with most of my classes, Wastewater Collections covers a good bit of math as well. In this class, we use applied math to solve specific problems related to wastewater hydraulics

Try to work out the problem before you look up the formula and the answer on page 31.

This is just a snapshot of what we cover during my Wastewater Collections course. If you would like to attend a future course, please visit TRWA’s website at www.trwa.org. More information on our training courses, including our current schedule, can be found under the “Training” tab on our navigation pane. If you are interested in hosting a TRWA class, please email training@trwa.org or call 512-4285754.

Clean up your system

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Complete the online form and submit your check to TRWF!

Bolster the industry Your donation will support training for rural utilities, student scholarship programs and veteran employment within the industry.

www.trwa.org/scrap (512) 472-8591 | foundation@trwa.org Quench — 2020 Issue 1 23

TRWA Welcomes New Staff

S

ince last fall, we have had a few staffing changes at TRWA. We have welcomed new faces and said goodbye to long-time friends.

Read on to learn more about recent staff departures and new members of the TRWA team.

Late last fall, Angela Russell, our former Member Services Director, left TRWA for an advancement opportunity to serve as the Associate Director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association. Around the same time, our former Development Director, Lisa Adams, moved on to be the Development Director of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust. Having both positions vacant at the same time provided an opportunity to restructure the roles and create two new positions at TRWA: Meetings and Events Planner and Membership and Outreach Manager.

We are pleased to introduce Lisa Gallo as our new Meetings and Events Planner. Joining our team in December, Lisa brings to TRWA over 12 years of meeting management experience in the non-profit and association sectors. She has a passion for creating educational events that meet the needs of members.

Lisa has a bachelor’s degree from St. Francis University in English and a certificate in meeting and event planning (CMP) from Austin Community College. Education is very important to her, and she obtained her CMP designation very early in her career because she wanted to show her commitment to the field.

Lisa resides in northwest Austin with her husband, Gary, and their three dogs and two cats.

She is an animal lover, and her other interests include book club, live music, theater and spending time with family and friends.

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Filling the Membership and Outreach Manager position is a familiar face, Ross Brookbank. Ross started his water career at the City of Bedford, Texas, and came to TRWA as an FMT Specialist in our Environmental Services Department. He spent two years in the field as an FMT specialist and an additional two years in the office as the Assistant Environmental Services Director. He began his new role in January and is enjoying serving TRWA in a new capacity. Ross currently has TCEQ Groundwater, Distribution and Collection operator’s licenses, as well as his CSI and Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester licenses.

Ross is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys spending time at his deer lease with family and friends. He is married to his beautiful wife Stacy and has two sons, Nathan and Tony. He is also a dog lover and has a 2-year-old German Shephard named Franklin. He currently lives on the north shore of Lake Travis in Lago Vista, Texas.

Filling Ross’s prior role as Assistant Environmental Services Director is new staff member Heath Mikulec. Heath was born and raised in Cameron, Texas. His water career began in 2001 at Aqua WSC in Bastrop, Texas, where he started out as a Field Operator, overseeing a region of the company’s distribution area. During that time, he also attended Texas State University, ultimately earning his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In 2006, he was promoted to Land Man, where he negotiated land leases for the company to lock up land for well rights and future water sources for the company, and the following year, he became the Technical Lab Director, helping

establish the water quality lab that was used in drinking water and wastewater testing for the company and surrounding water districts. While employed at Aqua WSC, Heath enjoyed attending many TRWA classes which helped him to attain his TCEQ Class B Ground Water license. He will be pursuing his “A” license this year.

After leaving Aqua, Heath served as an Application Engineer for U.S. Water Services and as a Technical Field Sales Representative for Agua Recycling Solutions.

Outside of work, Heath is a proud father of three beautiful children: Mason, Mattox, and Mariah.

He and his spouse Michelle love to check out live music, attend sporting events, barbeque and cook.

In his free time, Miles enjoys attending live music concerts, exploring the many natural sights of Central Texas and long drives in the hill country.

Another change to our leadership team came late last year when long-time TRWA team member Celia Eaves left TRWA for other pursuits. Filling the role of Professional Development and Training Director, we welcome Nichol Howell to our leadership team.

Originally from the Denver area in Colorado, Nichol moved to Austin in March of 2013 for a job opportunity at Texas Electric Cooperatives, where she worked for two and a half years as the Member Education Manager. Nichol’s team of three was responsible for planning and hosting over 150 training events per year, including 11 conferences and a myriad of webinars and instructor-led training events.

Another new addition to the Environmental Services Department is our former TRWA intern Miles Hartman, who has formally joined our team as a Project Support Specialist.

Miles was born and raised in St. Peters, Missouri, a small suburb of St. Louis. His parents wisely moved him to the great state of Texas, where Miles has resided for the past 14 years. After high school, Miles pursued his higher education attending Texas State University in San Marcos. During this time, he devoted a decade to bettering and promoting the performing arts, of which he spent 9 years with groups among Drum Corps International.

Miles graduated with a Bachelor of Science while interning with TRWA his last semester and accepted a full-time staff role in December.

Nichol earned her B.S. in Applied Human Sciences from Colorado State University and her M.S. in Education from Regis University. Spending the last 15 years of her career in the training field, Nichol is passionate about education and leadership development. Prior to joining TRWA, her most recent work includes serving as a Program Manager/ Leadership Development Training Specialist for St. David’s Healthcare for the Continued on page 26 Quench — 2020 Issue 1 25

Continued from page 25

last four and a half years. Earlier in her career, she was the Program Development Specialist/Training Lead for Wagner Equipment Co., a Caterpillar dealership in Colorado and New Mexico. Nichol is a Six Sigma Greenbelt, certified practitioner of numerous assessments, and holds a variety of training certifications.

Outside of work, Nichol and her boyfriend Gary enjoy traveling and have a goal to visit all 50 states (only 11 left to go). They also enjoy playing tennis, cooking and entertaining, as well as exploring Austin and the Texas wine country. With a passion for people, education, leadership and event planning, Nichol considers herself fortunate to be joining the TRWA team and she looks forward to building relationships with our members.

Retiring in late February after over 17 years of serving our Association, Finance Director Janice Gibbs leaves us in the very capable hands of her replacement, Tom Shephard. Tom is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Public Finance Officer. He was born in Detroit and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Central Michigan University, Tom began his career in the energy industry in Houston where he worked in various accounting and financial reporting management positions.

Before moving to Austin 15 years ago, Tom was the Chief Financial Officer of an early-stage Drug Testing/Data Management company called DrugTest.Com. While at DrugTest.com, Tom was instrumental in securing $13 million of Venture Capital funding with two highly regarded investor groups. More recently, Tom was the Finance Manager for an Austinbased

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semiconductor manufacturer, and for the last 8 years, Tom has been the Controller for the Texas County and District Retirement System, where 26

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he was responsible for all general accounting, budgeting and financial reporting activities.

Tom and his wife Penny, who teaches high school in Eanes ISD, enjoy hiking, reading and antiquing.

They have two boys who have recently graduated from college — and gotten married! Jordan and his wife Jess live in Denver, Colorado and Dylan and his wife Morgan live in Sylacauga, Alabama.

Also new to the Association is Brittney Melancon, our new Paralegal who joined our Legal and Legislative Services team in December after our former Paralegal, Patti Flunker, moved on to be an analyst for the Texas Reliability Entity. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Brittney decided it was time for a new beginning after an unexpected flood tore through her community. She and her boyfriend packed up their pets and headed for higher ground in Texas.

Brittney earned her associate degree in Paralegal Studies from Baton Rouge Community College in 2016. She is a certified paralegal through the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. (NALA) and is a member of many different paralegal organizations, including the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas, College of the State Bar of Texas, Austin Bar Association and Capital Area Paralegal Association, on which she also serves as a Co-Chair on the Networking & Events Committee.

When she’s not working or volunteering, Brittney enjoys attending concerts and comedy shows. She also enjoys cooking and spending evenings with friends to play board games.

Join us in welcoming our new team members!

The Texas Rural Water Political Action Committee Needs Your Support

T

his year’s Texas Rural Water Political Action Committee (PAC) fundraising campaign is already underway, and there are several ways you can help! TRWA has set a strategic goal to raise $50,000 for the PAC in 2020, which we aim to achieve through sponsorships, in-kind donations and through fundraising events at RuralWaterCon in March and our Training and Technical Conference in July.

Suggested contribution amounts are guidelines, though any level of contribution is appreciated.

Individuals may legally contribute up to $5,000 per calendar year. To make a contribution, please visit our website at www.trwa.org and click on the "Legislative" tab to find our online contribution form, or you may download a form and mail it with a personal check payable to the Texas Rural Water PAC to 1616 Rio Grande, Austin, Texas 78701.

The Texas Rural Water PAC is the bipartisan state and federal political action committee of TRWA. PAC contributions are pooled to make impactful contributions to state and federal candidates in Texas — men and women who understand the issues facing water and wastewater utilities. The Texas Rural Water PAC Board reviews candidates' effectiveness, committee assignments and voting records to determine which ones to support.

The second way you can support Texas Rural Water PAC is by making an in-kind donation to be featured at the RuralWaterCon PAC auctions. A silent auction will be held throughout the convention in the exhibit hall, and a live auction for premium items will be held Thursday, March 26, during the President's Banquet.

The first way you can support the PAC is by becoming a sponsor! Each year, TRWA members make individual contributions to the fundraising campaign. By contributing, you can affect the political process and ensure Texas rural water is fairly and effectively represented. PAC Sponsors will be able to display their pride in rural water with sponsorship gifts and will also receive recognition in Quench and at RuralWaterCon, to be held in San Antonio on March 25-27, 2020. Those who contribute by March 11 will also be printed in the RuralWaterCon official program! Sponsorship levels and gifts are as follows: •

Gold Level: An individual contribution of at least $300 — TRWA embossed leather padfolio

•

Silver Level: An individual contribution of $200 to $299 — Roll-up fleece picnic blanket with waterproof side

•

Bronze Level: An individual contribution of $50 to $199 — Travel portable conversion plug with 4 USB Ports

For pictures of these items, see our website or our weekly eNews.

By law, only monetary contributions from individuals may be used by the PAC; corporate or district contributions are prohibited by law to be used for this purpose.

We encourage members to donate unique and locally-sourced items for the auction. It is important to note that if the donated item is given by a district or a corporation, the item's winning bid must be at least three times the cost of the item for proceeds to benefit the PAC according to law. If you would like to donate an item, please either send it to the TRWA office, c/o Texas Rural Water PAC, 1616 Rio Grande St., Austin, Texas 78701, or you may drop your donation off at the PAC booth when you arrive at the convention. All donations are appreciated.

The third way you can show your support is by attending our PAC fundraising events! If you’re traveling to San Antonio for RuralWaterCon 2020, join us for a sporting clays tournament on Wednesday afternoon, March 25. If you will be joining us in Galveston in July for our Training and Technical Conference, we will be holding our annual Family Fun Fish Fry on July 15th. All registration fees paid with a personal form of payment will go toward the PAC. The Texas Rural Water PAC's strength lies in the involvement of water professionals like you.

By pooling your contributions with those made by hundreds of other TRWA members across the state, we can make the voice of our industry in Texas even stronger.

Join the Texas Rural Water PAC team and help us advocate for the future of Texas rural water!

Quench — 2020 Issue 1 27

TRWA Briefs It's Not too Late to Register for RuralWaterCon 2020

Sessions continue Thursday afternoon covering a range of subjects of interest to rural water utility staff. We also offer a conference-within-a -conference focusing specifically on board member training.

egistration is now open for TRWA’s RuralWaterCon, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio on March 25-27, 2020. Our annual convention is a time for TRWA membership to come together for three days of networking events, informative breakout sessions, an exhibit hall featuring the latest products and services in the industry, TRWA’s annual business meeting and elections, and more!

Thursday evening, enjoy a pre-banquet happy hour before doors open to the President’s Banquet.

This year, comedian Mike MacRae will emcee and perform. The Banquet will also feature a live auction of unique and premium items in support of our Rural Water PAC.

R

Pre-conference events begin Wednesday, March 25 with Public Funds Investment Act initial and renewal training in the morning, and a fundraiser benefitting the Texas Rural Water Political Action Committee (PAC) in the afternoon. The fundraiser, hosted by AIA Insurance Agency, is a sporting clays tournament, which will be held nearby at the San Antonio Gun Club starting at 1:00 p.m. Join us for friendly competition and fellowship while networking with new and old friends. Registration is only $85 per shooter and includes 50 shells. Bring the whole team!

We encourage you to register with a personal form of payment so that proceeds may support the PAC. Corporate/ district funds are prohibited by law to be used for this purpose.

Concurrently on Wednesday, we will also host the TRWA/ USDA Engineering Conference.

Wednesday evening, you’re invited to attend the Welcome Reception where you can mingle with your peers, and enjoy drinks, snacks and a first look at the exhibit hall. The exhibit hall is also home to our PAC silent auction booth, where you can bid on items throughout the conference to support the Texas Rural Water PAC. The opening general session starts the official RuralWaterCon program Thursday, with a keynote address from NRWA president Kent Watson, remarks from TRWA’s President and Executive Director, and the 2020 Awards of Excellence and Texas Rural Water Foundation scholarship recipient announcements. The opening general session will be followed by a round of educational breakout sessions, the annual business meeting and complimentary lunch in the exhibit hall.

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Friday morning, attendees can enjoy breakfast in the exhibit hall and visit with vendors until the exhibit hall closes at 10 a.m. District caucuses also take place Friday morning. Caucuses provide official delegates representing each member system a chance to discuss and vote on official TRWA business, including an election for TRWA District and Alternate Directors in designated districts.

The remainder of the morning will include two more rounds of educational breakout sessions and will finish with a closing luncheon where we will announce the results of the 2020 TRWA Board elections and the new slate of officers will be introduced. We will also honor the graduates of the 2019-20 Emerging Leaders Program during the luncheon. Tickets for the closing luncheon can be purchased for only $10.

Registration is online at www.trwa.org under the “Conferences” tab. If you have questions about registration or convention events, please email meetings@trwa.org or call 512-472-8591, ext. 105.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Be Sure to Update Your 2020 Quench Subscriptions

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on't forget to review your Quench subscription information and make any necessary changes when you renew your TRWA membership for 2020.

Your membership with TRWA will continue to include complimentary subscriptions to Quench: •

Regular Utility Members: Up to five complimentary subscriptions

•

Associate Members: One complimentary subscription

Included in each renewal packet is a list of who we have from your system currently receiving a copy of the magazine. If you have not updated your information, it will list the main address for your system to which we have been sending your five complimentary copies. If your system purchased additional subscriptions for an annual fee of $30, we will continue to send magazines to those individuals in 2020 and issue an invoice, unless we hear otherwise.

If you would like to make any changes to your subscription list, please send them in at your earliest convenience. You may do this with your renewal, by email to editor@trwa.org, or by fax to 512-472-5186. If you have any questions please contact us at editor@trwa.org or call (512) 4728591 Ext 115.

Take Advantage of TRWA's Direct-to-Consumer Magazine

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allowed us to include important updates, as well as a closer look at the history and future of our utility district,” said Cash SUD General Manager Clay Hodges. “The process was simple on our end and we look forward to participating in future issues.”

We are still seeking commitments to move forward with future issues of this publication. Subscribing systems can choose from two options: •

Standard eight-page version – universal content — $0.79 per customer

•

Customized 12-page version – universal content plus custom pages and system branding — $0.99 per customer

Prices include production, mailing and handling costs for the issue. Just send us your distribution list, and we handle the rest!

The standard version of the most recent issue of Texas on Tap can be found online along with the schedule and commitment form at www.trwa.org/ consumer. If you have any questions, contact us at editor@trwa.org or 512-472-8592, ext. 115.

RWA has just published its sixth issue of Texas on Tap, a member-only direct-to-consumer magazine for participating utilities. This magazine is used to communicate with and educate utility customers while building public support for the local water utility and the industry as a whole.

Nearly 40,000 consumers across the state have received Texas on Tap which features articles including smart watering tips and techniques, important rural water legislative issues and their impacts on consumers, simple ways to protect public water supplies, little-known facts about water operators, cyber security, variables that affect water rates, water permitting policies, the responsibilities of the utility's board of directors, and more.

“Texas on Tap was wellreceived by our customers and the customization

Code Updates

If you are interested in having us as your partner, feel free to contact one of our department representatives below

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

In-Service Cleaning Quench — 2020 Issue 1 29

Classified Ads Three Oaks WSC | System Manager/Operator Job Qualifications: Minimum 5 years water system operation experience and possess a valid Class C Groundwater License. Should have a general understanding of budgets, contracts, State (TCEQ) and Federal (EPA) reporting and regulations for water supply corporation systems. Must be able to maintain a positive relationship, demonstrating courteous and cooperative behavior when interacting with members, citizens, visitors, and outside agency staff.

Specific Duties: Maintain mid-size water system to ensure safe potable water for all customers meeting safety standards as determined by regulatory agencies. Check equipment and meters to verify proper operating conditions and recognizes abnormal conditions, maintains records of services performed to return to normal operation.

Continually provide documentation of system changes to ensure complete updated records exits for maintenance, operation and or replacement of existing system assets. Maintain an updated system map. Collect water samples as required by regulatory agencies and ensure delivery of samples to testing laboratory. Repair water leaks to prevent water outages to customers and prevent water loss. Coordinate new construction projects with contractors and engineers as required. Ensure reporting requirements are met as required by regulatory agencies. Supervise and train less experienced operators. Complete continuing education, including training seminars, classes as required or identified for development purposes and maintaining of water operator license. Course fees are reimbursed.

Minimum Qualifications: Have the necessary construction, maintenance, and equipment operation skills (backhoe) to enable work to be performed in an efficient manner and ensure safe potable water is delivered to the public.

Physical Demands and Working Environment: Must be in good physical condition and capable of handling the laborious task normally associated with construction underground pipe repair and general earthwork. Beneficial to have a working knowledge of the use and application of office business software including Microsoft Word and Excel.

Work Schedule: Normal work hours for routine operations. Water plants must be checked daily. Must be able to respond to emergencies as required.

Minimum Education Requirements: High School Degree or GED. Some College Preferred.

Location is Wilson County, Texas. System is located in Southwest Wilson County and Northwest Karnes County.

Company transportation provided for work activity. Must live in the district. Relocation expense negotiable.

Salary commensurate with experience. Employee health insurance allowance is provided and 401K Simple available.

To apply, please submit your resume to: Three Oaks Water Corporation Board President,10834 FM 1344, Floresville, Texas 78114; or use our "Contact Us" feature at www.threeoakswsc.com

SAMCO | Leak Detection and/or GPS Technician SAMCO is seeking a Leak Detection and/or GPS Technician based out of Austin. Under supervision of the Project Manager, this position will perform acoustic leak detection on various water distribution systems, water conservation consulting and GPS data collection services. These services will help improve utilities infrastructure by enhancing operational efficiency, reliability during water system assessments, and most importantly conserve water for the public.

Education: HS diploma or equivalent Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities : • Leak detection and water distribution field knowledge : 1 year experience • Knowledge of GPS applications and data collection • Must be proficient with computer skills and applications • Must live in the Austin area to commute daily to SAMCO office building.

• Able to travel and stay overnight while working on out of town projects Employee Benefits: • 50% company contribution for employee only medical • 10% company contribution of employee gross income to SEP IRA after 2 years of full time employment • Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays • Employee Incentive Programs Employment Requirements: • Candidates must successfully pass a pre-employment background check • Possess valid Texas driver’s license and maintain insurability • Please go to website samco-leakservice.com under “Contact” tab and email application with resume to owner Sam Godfrey 512.751.5325 if you have any questions.

• Salary is pending based on experience & qualifications.

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Plan Ahead CONFERENCES: March 26-27, 2020

RuralWaterCon Annual Convention, San Antonio

June 4-5, 2020

Office Professionals Conference, San Antonio

July 15-16, 2020

Training and Technical Conference, Galveston

OPERATOR TRAINING COURSES: Water Credit Courses

Basic Water Works Operations: Mabank, May 5-7  Bells, May 5-7  San Antonio, May 5-7  Princeton, May 12-14 Groundwater Production: Lorena, April 14-16  Van, April 28-30 Surface Water Protection: San Antonio, March 3-5 Water Distribution: Kilgore, April 7-9  Harlingen, April 14-16  Decatur, April 28-30  San Antonio, May 19-21 Water Laboratory: Harlingen, May 19-21

Water and Wastewater Credit Courses

Basic Math: San Antonio, March 11 Customer Service Inspections: Harlingen, March 3-4  San Antonio, April 7-8  Kilgore, May 27-28  Decatur, May 27-28 Chlorinator Maintenance: Pleasanton, April 7-9 Pump and Motor Maintenance: Denton/Aubrey, April 28-30 Utility Management: Denton/Aubrey, March 3-5  San Antonio, March 17-19  Atascosa, March 24-26 Utility Safety: New Braunfels, March 10-12  Denton/Aubrey, March 31-April 2 Valve & Hydrant Maintenance: San Antonio, March 31- April 2  Atascosa, May 19-21 Water Utility Calculations: San Antonio, March 24-26

Wastewater Credit Courses

Basic Wastewater: Decatur, March 24-26  Terrell, May 12-14 Wastewater Collections: Harlingen, March 17-19  Texarkana, March 31- April 2 Wastewater Treatment: Van, March 10-12  San Antonio, April 14-16

Public Funds Investment Act Initial: San Antonio, March 25 Renewal: San Antonio, March 25

*Answer to "From the Hole" math question from page 23 To find the formula: Water and wastewater hydraulics use two distinct formulas. One is Sir James Watts theories of centrifugal horsepower and the other is the reciprocating or piston type formula. A one-cylinder reciprocating pump tells us that it is the hydraulics of the piston type 3.14 x (R)2 x L’ x # strokes x 7.48 Or 3.14 x the radius in feet x radius in feet x the length in feet x the number of strokes x that magic number 7.48 = gallons per minute Or 3.14 x {(10÷12) ÷2} x {(10÷12) ÷2} x 5÷12 x 50 x 7.48 .543 x .416 x 50 x 7.48 = 84.5 gallons per minute The next step is to find how many minutes it would take to pump 5000 gallons of wastewater:

Advertiser Index AIA Insurance Agency......................................... Page 11 Childress Engineers......................................................16 CoBank...........................................................................17 Daniel & Brown, Inc.......................................................20 Ferguson Waterworks...................................................15 Hayes Engineering........................................................13 J.F. Fontaine & Associates...........................................19 Maguire Iron...................................................................10 NewGen Strategies & Solutions...................................19 Pittsburg Tank & Tower Maintenance Co., Inc............29 Russell Drilling Co., Inc................................................16 SAMCO.............................................................................7 Smith Pump Co., Inc......................................................16

5000 gallons ÷ 84.5 gallons per minute = 59.1715976 minutes ... or about an hour!

Quench — 2020 Issue 1 31

1616 Rio Grande| Austin, TX 78701-1122 Telephone: (512) 472-8591 | Fax: (512) 472-5186 www.trwa.org

San Antonio, TX March 25-27

2020

Register Online: trwa.org/event/rwc