Meet the 2020 Winners of TRWA's Awards of Excellence Also Inside:
Protect Yourself Online from COVID-19 and Coronavirus-related Scams Communication Strategies for the Water Sector — Issue: Your Tap Water is Safe to Drink
2020 — Issue 2 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 Vacant 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
Quench — 2020 - Issue 2
Find us at @TexasRuralWater for industry and legislative news relevant to you!
Features:
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Meet the 2020 Winners of TRWA's Awards of Excellence
By Kelsey Copeland, Texas Rural Water Association The Awards of Excellence are designed to honor excellence within our membership of rural utilities across Texas.
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Wastewater Plant Process Control Testing
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Communication Strategies for the Water Sector— Issue: Your Tap Water is Safe
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By Deborah McMullan, Texas Rural Water Association Learn more about how the Guadalupe State Park implemented a source water protection program to protect their water quality.
Letter from the Executive Director Keep it Legal
Answers to your legal questions
Ask Larry Answers to your technical questions
Advertiser Index Plan Ahead
TRWA’s Calendar of Events
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Protect Yourself Online from COVID-19 and Coronavirus-related Scams
By Allison Kaminsky, Texas Rural Water Association Cybercriminals are opportunists who are always adjusting their tactics to take advantage of individuals and organizations, and the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic is no exception.
In Every Issue: Letter from the President
Guadalupe River State Park Leading the Way for the Future with Source Water Protection
By Nathan Cantrell, Texas Rural Water Association Process control testing is something every wastewater treatment system should be doing annually.
By the U.S. Water Alliance Value of Water Campaign During this time of panic and uncertainty, people are turning to bottled water while their tap water remains safe to drink. It is up to us in the water industry to communicate with our customers so they don't let fear get the best of them at the expense of their wallets and our environment.
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Make Plans to Attend TRWA's Summer Conferences
By Lisa Gallo, Texas Rural Water Association TRWA's Office Professionals Conference is Going Virtual; On the Galveston Horizon — Training and Technical Conference
TRWA Briefs
Information Security Awareness Training Now Available; Congratulations to TRWA's Emerging Leaders; TRWA Developing AWIA Compliance Tool; Take Advantage of TRWA's Direct-to-Consumer Magazine
On the Cover: Amanda's Ray of Sunshine, by Joy Newman, 2019 PhotoStream Category Finalist Quench — 2020 Issue 2 3
President’s Message Howdy Texas Rural Water Association! In our last Quench issue, I wrote that it would be my last letter to the TRWA Membership, as my term as President of TRWA was rapidly winding down as we approached our Annual Meeting and Convention. Then along came this little thing called Sars-CoV2 and its heir apparent COVID-19. BOOM! The world has changed as we know it.
“I want to recognize the staff of all rural water systems that make our mission possible, and who have continued to work through this pandemic.”
Everyone would like their lives to get back to normal. However, there is the constant threat of starting the COVID-19 exponential growth all over again, after we have already made such a significant sacrifice to stop it. There is not an easy answer to any of this struggle, and we will continue to have ups and downs as we go along. As leaders in the rural water business, we need to stay focused on our mission of delivering safe potable water to our customers, while also being mindful of the public health environment in our individual workplaces and communities. I don’t want to wear you out on issues related to nCoV2019, as each of you has probably spent much more time on it already than you ever cared to do. Simply put, we all need to be wise in the decisions made to keep the mission on track. Since cancellation of RuralWaterCon 2020 due to COVID-19, we have lost some of the critical fund-raising opportunities for our Political Action Committee (PAC). Please support our PAC! With the world partially shut down, sponosring at either a Bronze, Silver or Gold level are currently the only way. If you are reading this letter, that tells me that you really care about our industry. Other than completing your mission of potable water delivery every day, supporting our PAC is one of the best ways to help our industry. Please spend the time and money to do your part. I want to recognize the staff of all rural water systems that make our mission possible, and who have continued to work through this pandemic. The people of TRWA are what makes TRWA great. As I said on our last edition, thank you for the tremendous experience of serving as your TRWA President. It has truly been an honor. 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
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Letter from the Executive Director Dear TRWA members, What a strange time we’re living through. I tell my son this is a time in his life he’ll be telling his children and grandchildren about. He has been journaling daily — something I should be doing too, but it hasn’t become part of my daily routine. At TRWA, we have been striving to adapt to a new way of doing business, supporting our members and providing needed training. We have a strategic planning goal of providing more online training and the current situation is requiring us to find ways to expedite that process. We’re getting accustomed to business meetings and family visits on Zoom — now we’re going to bring you the Office Professionals Conference in this format. Read more on page 26 about how we're striving to make it a fun and interactive experience! Our communications and legal teams have been working hard to keep our members updated on pertinent information as it changes, from open meetings to employment law to small business loans. We also filed an Amicus Brief in our member Green Valley SUD’s federal court fight to preserve their CCN and the investment to serve their community. Our technical field staff have been helping systems remotely and have been able to connect with more systems than usual. We are also planning virtual regional meetings to facilitate systems connecting with each other. We organized bringing generators and crews to member systems who were damaged by recent tornadoes and delivered masks from FEMA/EPA to distribution hubs throughout the state (mostly TRWA members) to distribute to small systems. I recently came across this poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, an American poet who lived from 1807-1892. It seems relevant to me today: Don't Quit
My best,
“At TRWA, we have been striving to adapt to a new way of doing business, supporting our members and providing needed training.”
When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is strange with its twists and turns As every one of us sometimes learns And many a failure comes about When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don't give up though the pace seems slow— You may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out— The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell just how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit— It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
Lara Zent Executive Director and General Counsel Texas Rural Water Association Quench — 2020 Issue 2 5
Meet the 2020 Winners of TRWA's Awards of Excellence
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Compiled by Kelsey Copeland, Communications Specialist, Texas Rural Water Association
he TRWA Awards of Excellence program is designed to honor excellence within our membership of rural utilities across Texas. These awards are meant to recognize our member utilities and the shining stars who serve the Texas Water community. Though we typically honor our award winners during RuralWaterCon in March, the Texas Rural Water Association Board of Directors canceled our Annual Convention to protect the health and safety of attendees in response to the global Coronavirus pandemic. Although we were unable to recognize these deserving recipients during the event, we are proud to now be able to share their stories with you!
conferences and graduated from the first TRWA Emerging Leaders Program. Karen has helped with numerous TRWA District meetings and provides insight to office managers that are just getting started in the industry. She makes sure that her employees and board members are treated well, and that the customers receive excellent customer service. She takes the time to get to know each of her employees and continually goes above and beyond to help others succeed. Congratulations to Karen on her well-deserved achievement! We also extend a special thank you to Live Oak Bank for sponsoring this award!
Excellence in Administration
Ronnie J Hoelscher, Manager/Operator, Violet Water Supply Corporation
Karen Theiss, Office Manager, Wickson Creek Special Utility District Nominated by Kent Watson, General Manager, Wickson Creek Special Utility District For 22 years Karen Theiss has had a desire to be the best of the best. She was hired in 1998 as an office employee at Wickson Creek Special Utility District and 10 years later was promoted to the office manager position. She is an excellent office manager, a qualified public funds Investment officer, manages an office staff of 4, oversees the bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, and helps prepare an annual 5 million dollar budget. Karen is always looking to expand her knowledge and improve the SUD. She regularly attends TRWA 6
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Excellence in Operations
Nominated by Linda Visor, Office Manager, Violet Water Supply Corporation Ronnie J Hoelscher began working for Violet Water Supply Corporation in February 1968. His father, Jerome Hoelscher, was the first manager/ operator of the system which was dedicated on April 18, 1968 and serviced approximately 100 families in the rural Violet, TX area. During Ronnie's tenure as manager/ operator of the small water corporation, he accomplished an expansion of the system which now includes over 850 customers. During his 52 years of service, Ronnie has made many changes and has facilitated expansions to meet the water needs of the rural communities. "At
the end of the day, it is important for our customers to trust that we are providing safe drinking water for families, the best service we can and are in compliance with all state regulations,” says Hoelscher. Ronnie is highly deserving of TRWA's attention and this significant award and recognition, congratulations!
beyond his job duties with a kind heart, a good attitude and patience that few people possess. Special thank you to AIA Insurance Agency for sponsoring this award. Small System Excellence South Cleveland Water Supply Corporation
Excellence in System Management Daniel Heideman, General Manager, County Line Special Utility District Nominated by Susan Browning, Office Manager, County Line Special Utility District
Daniel Heideman has been the manager of County Line SUD since 1981. In the 39 years since being hired, Daniel has operated the system with the utmost level of integrity and ethics. When Daniel was hired, the system had approximately 400 connections. Due to various reasons, neither the system’s infrastructure nor the bookkeeping were being adequately cared for. There were no maps of the system and the list of customers was incomplete. Daniel took a notepad and pencil, then walked the entire system. He created the first map and created an accurate list of customers and addresses with their corresponding meter serial numbers and readings. For 17 years, Daniel was the sole employee of County Line WSC. During that time, Daniel spearheaded several initiatives to expand and replace infrastructure in preparation for growth. In 1998, Daniel hired his first employee. County Line SUD now has eight employees with 3800 connections plus 1200 reserved accounts. When met with opposition to obtaining new water sources, Daniel has repeatedly stated “this is our duty as a water company. We have to make sure people have water in the future.” Daniel is very active within his community and has consistently gone above and
South Cleveland Water Supply Corporation, a system with 950 water connections, is committed to providing safe, high quality water services to their community, while maintaining a standard of excellence in customer service, regulatory compliance and environmental conservation. South Cleveland WSC’s goals this past year were to improve the organization in all areas of performance, including the following noteworthy accomplishments: •
The system optimized services to their customers by improving communications and outreach along with updating their payment system. This has allowed customers to easily see account status, make payments and have access when they need it, resulting in fewer late payments and happier customers.
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With the help of an outside engineering firm, South Cleveland WSC put the finishing touches on a complete mapping and flow analysis of the water system. All lines, valves and hydrants are now mapped and will be continually updated. This will allow them to maintain all lines and valves more efficiently and project when and where to build their next well. They also updated all maintenance checklists for the system and equipment.
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They improved the offices and shop by cleaning, remodeling and organizing. These improvements included adding a shower, lockers and full kitchen for the staff. These changes have boosted employee morale and Continued on page 8 Quench — 2020 Issue 2 7
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attendance. They also implemented an IRA for employees along with renewed health insurance. •
They provide lunch and have employee meetings to discuss issues such as safety, projects, rules, regulations or parts of the Tariff for better understanding. Sometimes talks are based on an item found on the “Ask Larry” section of the TRWA website. This has created a better understanding by all about the system’s needs, tasks, goals and objectives.
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Their Board of Directors meet monthly to provide oversight and direction to the organization. They have been supportive of the cost outlay and changes required to get the system to where it is today. Their success would not be possible without their Board members.
The impact has been felt at every level by the customers, the employees and the Board members. Congratulations to South Cleveland WSC for taking a proactive stance in meeting their future needs. We would like to thank CoBank for sponsoring this award! Large System Excellence Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation
After decades of recording water meter data by hand and on foot, toting a clipboard house-to-house came to an abrupt halt with the investment and installation of an Automated Meter Reading (AMR) system. This technological advancement allowed staff to focus their time on further improving our system infrastructure including replacing waterlines, installing more efficient pumps, lowering water loss and making system software updates. Additionally, management committed funds to upgrade its system software to generate real-time daily water trends to management allowing operators to react and troubleshoot any water distribution matter; thereby further minimizing system downtime and water loss. Dripping Springs WSC members can now sign up online and instantly connect to their water consumption used at their home or at their business. The investment in and combination of AMI and Customer Portals allows both members and staff for the first time to have an instant water conservation strategy to further minimize the loss of water and equally as importantly, bolster the availability of water. Dripping Springs WSC continues to look to the future with additional system improvements including researching the benefits and feasibility of an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) well. These forwardthinking investments have proven Dripping Springs WSC is in the industry forefront of water conservation placing members ahead of profits. Congratulations to Dripping Springs WSC for their Large System Excellence award! Special thank you to MasterMeter for sponsoring this award. Congratulations to the 2020 Awards of Excellence recipients, and a big thank you to everyone who helped spread the word about this program. Without you, these programs would not be possible. Stay tuned — the nomination period for the 2021 awards will open in August!
Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation’s beginnings were humble, serving a few hundred water connections annually. Due to tremendous population and commercial growth in the last decade and a half, it now serves water to nearly 2,000 water connections every day. Faced with a roaring demand for water in western Hays County, Dripping Springs WSC took hold of the wheel, expanded their services and developed infrastructure to meet the thirsty needs of their existing and new members. 8
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Keep It Legal Answers to Members’ Questions by TRWA Assistant General Counsel Trent Hightower COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, has caused numerous shutdowns and cancellations around the globe since it first appeared last December. The TRWA Legal Department has fielded a high volume of calls about how best to conduct business, elections and annual meetings during these uncertain times. This is a special edition of "Keep It Legal" to address some of these more common COVID-19/Coronavirus-related questions.
Q:
On March 27, congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion package designed to aid individuals and entities impacted by the coronavirus situation and subsequent business shutdowns. Are rural water systems eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program? A: In addition to providing customers with access to funds to help them pay their utility bills, the CARES act created two sources of funding for small businesses: the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which is administered directly by local lenders, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), which is administered by the Small Business Administration. The PPP provides forgivable loans to assist qualifying entities in covering payroll costs. Initially, based on the language of the statute, it was thought that neither water supply corporations (WSCs) nor districts qualified for this program. However, in late April, Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development Bette Brand announced that agricultural cooperatives such as WSCs have been determined to be eligible for the program as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements. Qualifying utilities should work with their local banks to put together an application as soon as possible, since funds for the program tend to be quickly depleted once approved by Congress.
with non-forgivable loans at a rate of 2.75 percent. Loans can be for up to $2 million and can be used for any business purpose due to temporary loss in revenue, but not for business expansion. Applicants can also receive a $10,000 grant within three days of applying for the loan, though the loan may take up to a month to receive. Applications for this program are processed directly through the SBA website. For a period of weeks, the SBA was not accepting new applications under the program. However, on May 5, 2020, they began accepting applications for “agricultural businesses” only. It is unclear whether this would apply to water supply corporations in the same manner that the term “agricultural cooperatives” was deemed to apply to them under the PPP above. Therefore, interested WSCs are encouraged to apply and let the administration determine their eligibility.
"Our national organization, National Rural Water Association, is working closely with legislators in Washington for more tailored relief for water utilities in subsequent coronavirus relief bills."
The EIDL program is available to all nonprofits, including WSCs, and provides eligible organizations 10
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Additionally, our national organization, the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), is working closely with legislators in Washington for more tailored relief for water utilities in subsequent coronavirus relief bills. Specifically, they are advocating for funding to USDA Rural Development to assist utilities that are financially impacted by lost or reduced customer revenue during the crisis. The goal is to provide affordable financial assistance necessary to keep staff employed and ensure the utility’s current and ongoing financial sustainability. NRWA is also seeking funding for utilities that have to backfill operators or other staff if their employees become infected or are quarantined during this time. We will let you know as soon as we learn more
about funding opportunities in the CARES Act or any subsequent legislation. Q: Can we still disconnect customers’ service for nonpayment or other violations of our tariff or rules during a declared state of emergency? What do we do about late fees? NOTE: The answer below is subject to the Governor’s ongoing emergency declaration, which was still in effect as of April 21, 2020. Utilities will be able to disconnect service as usual once the emergency declaration has been rescinded. Please check www.trwa.org/covid19 to verify the current status of the governor’s declaration. A: WSCs, Districts and Cities are free to decide the policy that is best for their communities, but TRWA recommends that they not disconnect service during the COVID-19 emergency. On March 26, the Public Utility Commission (PUC) issued an order banning disconnection of water and power service by privately owned utilities and requiring them to put customers on deferred payment plans. The order lasts until the governor’s ongoing disaster declaration is terminated, and although it only applies to investor-owned utilities, other types of utilities are strongly encouraged to voluntarily implement similar measures to avoid negative press and possible legislative repercussions in the future. No system wants to be painted in the media or in a legislative hearing as being responsible for exacerbating a pandemic in their area by disconnecting service at a time where people are required to be home and vigilantly washing their hands. As for late fees, utilities are free to implement whatever policy makes the most sense for their communities. Some systems have chosen to waive fees, at least for a time. Others are allowing the fees to accumulate, but putting customers on a payment plan. I have also heard of some systems who are requiring customers to demonstrate financial need due to the COVID-19 situation, such as a letter from an employer describing a layoff or furlough, or proof that they recently applied for or obtained unemployment benefits. No matter what policy you implement, if you’re not waiving late fees entirely, it is important to communicate to your customers that they are still responsible for their fees and bills, even though you aren’t using your usual enforcement mechanism — disconnection –— during this time. Q: Due to social distancing guidelines and
reduced revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are having to look at reducing the hours of some of our employees. How do we go about doing that while minimizing the financial impact on those employees? A: Since utilities provide an essential service and they will need the full strength of their workforce once this crisis ends, TRWA recommends maintaining your workforce at full salary even if you are staggering or reducing work hours. However, if the continued sustainability of your utility depends on reducing hours and pay for some employees, you can help soften the blow for them by utilizing the Texas Workforce Commission’s shared work program, which allows employers to reduce an employee’s hours and supplement their wages with partial unemployment benefits. Employers can tailor a shared work program based on different departments, shifts or units, each of which must have at least two employees. This allows the employer to focus benefits on areas most affected by the current downturn. Additionally, the employer is free to return individuals to fulltime on a temporary basis and then continue the plan as needed. Employees participating in shared work unemployment benefits must reduce their normal weekly work hours by at least 10 percent but not more than 40 percent, and the reduction must affect at least 10 percent of the employees in any business unit or shift. More information can be found at: https://www.twc.texas.gov/businesses/ shared-work. Q: Would reducing an employee’s hours impact their insurance coverage under our policy? A: You will want to verify with your insurance carrier, but generally insurance companies are now allowing employers to continue to pay their employees’ premiums to maintain health coverage during the pandemic even if an employee works less hours than is normally required for coverage. Q: An employee is displaying symptoms of COVID-19, can an employer require the employee to go home? A: Yes. During a pandemic, an employer is allowed under the ADA to require an employee to leave the workplace, particularly if the employee is exhibiting symptoms that would pose a threat to the remaining workforce.
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presiding officer being physically present at a specified location, provided that a quorum participates in the meeting.
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Q: Can an employer ask an employee whether the employee has symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., fever, shortness of breath, etc.)? A: Yes, an employer can ask if an employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. However, any information received from the employee must be treated as confidential medical information. Therefore, as with any other employee medical information, such information must be stored in a confidential file, separate from the employee’s personnel file. Additionally, employers should not disclose the identity of an employee diagnosed with COVID-19 or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Q: Many jurisdictions have limited the number of people who can congregate in one place, and some have restricted public gatherings altogether. Can we conduct our board meetings and annual meetings by phone or videoconference? A: Yes, subject to a special order of Governor Greg Abbott. Under normal circumstances, the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) reserves telephone and videoconference meetings strictly for emergencies, and in the case of videoconferences they are subject to extremely burdensome technical requirements that often make them impractical. While well-intentioned, these rules are simply unworkable during an ongoing pandemic. TRWA joined with the Texas Municipal League in requesting the Governor make exceptions to these requirements. In March, Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order suspending many of these requirements until his March 13, 2020 disaster declaration is lifted or expires. Under the order: •
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Boards may meet by phone or videoconference without a quorum or
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Systems are not required to post physical notice of the meeting as long as their online notice includes a toll-free dial-in number or free-of-charge videoconference link, along with an electronic copy of any agenda packet.
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Systems are not required to provide the public with audio access to a phone or videoconference meeting to members of the public who are physically present at a specified location, as long as the dial-in number or videoconference link provided in the notice allows for the public’s two-way communication with the board.
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The board must make a recording of any phone or videoconference meeting available to the public.
•
The new law requiring a public comment period at meetings is still in effect. However, boards are not required to facilitate faceto-face interaction if they offer alternative methods for the public to communicate with them. Dial-in communications, participation in group videoconferences, submission of questions by email, or other reasonable means of communication would presumably satisfy this requirement.
The governor’s order would also apply to your annual members’ meeting. There are numerous conference call services out there — TRWA uses Telspan for our phone meetings. For a fee, attendees can call a 1-800 number to listen and participate in the call. For a complete list of the open meeting provisions that have been temporarily suspended, visit texasattorneygeneral.gov. Systems may contact the Office of the Attorney General with questions
about the suspension order by telephone at (888) 672-6787 or via email at TOMA@oag.texas.gov. Officials with questions about teleconference and videoconference capabilities offered by the Texas Department of Information Resources should visit dir.texas.gov or call (512) 475-4700.
request to disconnect service to their rental property, the system should be careful to follow all required steps in their tariff, including giving adequate notice to the renter before disconnecting. Also, be sure that the landlord’s request is documented in writing before disconnecting service.
Q: A member of our water supply corporation has asked us to disconnect service at a rental property they own. The tenant of that property does not want service disconnected. Should we disconnect service here in light of the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) recent guidance that utilities not disconnect service during the ongoing pandemic emergency? Does it matter whether the tenant has kept up with their utility payments?
If you have a legal question you would like answered, please email legal@trwa.org.
A: This is a tricky situation that WSCs might find themselves in given the unique nature of their relationships with property owners and their renters. Under normal circumstances, we would advise members that they are free to disconnect service regardless of whether the tenant’s account is current, because most WSCs have a customer relationship with the property owner, not the renter. However, given the PUC’s recent steps to prohibit disconnections by investor-owned utilities, as well as many jurisdictions’ prohibiting landlords from evicting tenants for nonpayment during the crisis, we caution our members against disconnecting a tenant’s water service during this time. In normal times, a property owner can request that the utility disconnect service regardless of whether the tenant has kept their account current. The Property Code gives the renter some remedies against their landlord for interfering with their utility service, but that is a private dispute between them that can be resolved without the utility’s involvement. While the PUC’s recent order only directly prohibits investor owned utilities from disconnecting water service, we have advised our WSC and district members to voluntarily implement similar policies to avoid any negative or legislative attention that might come from disconnecting service during this emergency. Unfortunately, the renter/landlord scenario places the WSC in a tenuous position. Landlords will likely take issue with being forced to pay for water service they no longer want if utilities refuse their disconnection requests, but renters could cause problems for systems in the court of public opinion if their service is disconnected during a pandemic. If a WSC chooses to comply with a property owner’s Quench — 2020 Issue 2 13
Guadalupe River State Park Leading the Way for the Future with Source Water Protection By Deborah McMullan, Source Water Protection Specialist, Texas Rural Water Association; Mason T. Miller, Source Water Specialist, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; and Russell Miller, Park Ranger, Texas Parks and Wildlife
D
rinking water sources are subject to a variety of contaminants, and this is especially true for surface water. Source Water Protection (SWP) can be considered the front-line defense against the impacts of pollution. Water systems spend a significant amount of money each year on protection-related measures and understand the value of SWP in maintaining optimal water quality. The benefits of SWP include reduced water treatment costs, increased public health protection and improved environmental conditions. By dedicating resources to SWP, water systems can save money that might otherwise be spent on water treatment or alternative sources. SWP provides water systems with a means to combat the uncertain impacts of unregulated microbiological and chemical contaminants. Pollution prevention is cost effective and provides a path to future sustainability. Excess nutrients, sediments and chemicals can become part of runoff and negatively affect the quality of our drinking water supplies. It is important for water systems to prevent contaminants from entering the source water and before the treatment plant. In October 2019, the Guadalupe River State Park staff decided they wanted to learn more about SWP and be proactive in protecting their sources of drinking water. Even though the park does have wells, most of their water usage comes from the Guadalupe River. The staff determined that this would be their focus and joined with Texas Rural Water Association (TRWA) and Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to implement a SWP program. The process took several months of surveying the park and surrounding areas for Potential Sources of Contamination (PSOC), creating site maps and developing Best Management Practices (BMP) for any PSOC found within their SWP areas. 14
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Park staff attend a half-day steering committee training session, hosted by TRWA, focusing on source water protection and best management practices.
In January, the Guadalupe River State Park staff participated in a half day training session hosted by TRWA. During the training, the staff discussed how contaminants can reach the water sources, ideas for public education and BMP that could be implemented. Prior to the training session, Guadalupe River State Park staff implemented several BMP. One BMP that has had the biggest impact on the park is the removal of traditional trash cans by the river. Park staff noticed that animals were getting into trash containers at night and spreading plastics, diapers and other items that were often finding their way into the river. Working with the Comal County Water Oriented Recreation District, park staff installed a wooden box that contains free trash bags for the visitors to use while at the park. Trash bags are provided by the Water Oriented Recreation District. Large trash receptacles, which are animal resistant, were placed in the main parking lot for visitors to deposit their trash bags as they leave.
or Mason T. Miller at mason.miller@tceq.texas.gov for more information about the SWP program. Guadalupe River State Park staff wish to challenge all state parks to participate and keep the effort going in maintaining our state’s sources of water and improving our parks.
Source water protection signs were installed at the park office, surface water intake and water wells as a best management practice.
With overuse of the park being another threat to water quality, the staff decided to limit the number of visitors per day. With less foot traffic in the grassy areas, water runoff has slowed. Less traffic means less cars in the parking lots, which results in less chemicals and oil drips from parked cars washing into the river during rain events. Other implemented BMP included installing “Doggy Bags” for visitors to pick up after their fur babies and displaying SWP signs at the park office, surface water intake and water wells. These signs inform the public that they are in a sensitive area and encourage them to ask park staff for more information about SWP. Guadalupe River State Park plans to include a SWP booth at their Annual Pollinators Festival in October.
Traditional trash bins were removed and were replaced by a wooden box containing free trash bags for visitors to use while at the park.
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SWP specialists with TRWA or TCEQ can provide technical assistance to public water systems that are interested in updating or implementing a SWP program. There is no better time than right now to start protecting your source water. Please contact Deborah McMullan at deborah. mcmullan@trwa.org Quench — 2020 Issue 2 15
Protect Yourself Online from COVID-19 and Coronavirus-related Scams By Allison Kaminsky, Deputy Executive Director, Texas Rural Water Association
C
ybercriminals are opportunists who are always adjusting their tactics to take advantage of individuals and organizations, and the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic is no exception. These criminals are exploiting the widespread desire for information, concern and fear surrounding the virus and a high-stress situation to attack their victims when they are most vulnerable. In a recent statement, the United States Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in partnership with the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre, announced that they are seeing a growing use of COVID-19 related themes by cyber attackers. These criminals are using COVID-19 or coronavirus-themed scams to target individuals, small and medium businesses and even large organizations. Phishing is a very common online tactic in which bad actors use deceptive emails or websites to either solicit sensitive information or distribute malware to their victims. In the wake of the pandemic, cybercriminals have been using phishing campaigns using the subject of COVID-19 or coronavirus as a lure. Many of these scams create the impression of authenticity by using legitimatelooking logos, official sounding titles and spoofing sender information so it looks like it’s coming from a trustworthy source. Examples of recent observed phishing email subject lines include: • • • •
2020 Coronavirus Updates Coronavirus Updates 2019-nCov: New confirmed cases in your City 2019-nCov: Coronavirus outbreak in your city (Emergency)
These emails often contain a call to action that encourage the victim to either open an attachment, download a file or visit a website that the bad actor then uses to either steal valuable data, such as usernames or passwords, credit card information, and other information, or distribute malware. In some instances, links embedded in the email will take the user to a fraudulent page 16
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that is impersonating a trusted site, such as Microsoft or Google, and prompt the user to enter their credentials. Typically, the only way to identify these sites is by closely examining the URL to find discrepancies. Once entered, the site captures your username and password and the cybercriminal can use that information to access your online accounts and further acquire your personal and sensitive information. Though most phishing attempts come by email, phishing can be carried out by other means as well, such as by messaging services, such as text message (SMS) or WhatsApp. These phishing attempts have been observed to have a financial theme associated with the pandemic, where victims readily surrender their contact and banking information to these bad actors under the false premise that they are signing up for government employment or financial support packages. In general, be suspicious of any messaging surrounding government aid packages responding to COVID-19, as this will continue to be a popular theme in phishing campaigns. Phishing campaigns intended to deploy malicious software, or malware, are typically designed to prompt a victim to open an attachment or click on a link to a malicious website to download a file that then compromises the device in use. Malware can be designed to do a range of things and can take on many forms. Common forms of malware include: • •
•
•
Spyware — Malware designed to covertly gather information and perform reconnaissance and report back to the attacker. Ransomware — Malware designed to encrypt your data so that you cannot access it so the attacker can then demand you do something to get it back. Virus – A self-replicating program designed to damage its target computer by attaching itself to a clean file and spreading, infecting files with malicious code. Trojan – Malware that enters your system disguised as a normal, harmless file or program
•
to trick users into downloading and installing malware. Once a user has installed a Trojan, the cybercriminal has access to your system to steal or destroy data, modify files, install more malware, monitor user activity, etc. Trojan malware cannot replicate by itself; however, if combined with a worm, the damage Trojans can have on users and systems is endless. Worm – Malware that spreads copies of itself from computer to computer by exploiting operating system vulnerabilities. A worm can replicate itself without any human interaction, and it does not need to attach itself to a software program in order to cause damage.
COVID-19 or Coronavirus-related themes are currently being used to encourage users to open malicious files containing malware payloads. One known example of this is a campaign attempting to distribute a file named “President discusses budget savings due to coronavirus with Cabinet.rtf.” Other recent examples include a fraudulent email campaign appearing to be sent from the DirectorGeneral of the World Health Organization and a similar campaign falsely offering face masks and thermometers to fight the pandemic. Both of these campaigns attempt to deploy keylogger malware on users’ machines. These are just a few examples of recent scams designed by cybercriminals to take advantage of individuals and organizations. Make yourself a harder target and take proactive steps to protect yourself and your sensitive information. Some of these steps should include: •
•
If you are seeking information related to the COVID-19/ Coronavirus pandemic, visit trusted websites such as the Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov. Exercise caution when handling any email with a COVID-19 or coronavirus-related subject line, attachment or links, especially when the email is from an unfamiliar source.
• • •
Always be wary of unsolicited texts, messages, calls or social media pleas related to COVID-19. Never reveal personal or financial information in email and do not respond to email solicitations for this information. Verify a charity’s authenticity before making donations
Visit the CISA’s website at us-cert.gov for additional guidance on how to protect yourself online. The agency has created a hub specifically for issues related to the Coronavirus and COVID-19 at cisa.gov/coronavirus.
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Ask Larry A Q&A column with TRWA Technical Assistance Director Larry Bell
Q:
Our standard procedure for field calls is to have two workers travel together to the job site in the same vehicle. Due to COVID-19, social distancing procedures make this impossible, so we have been having workers trade off using their own vehicles and company trucks to get to work sites. Would you recommend this practice? A: While your instincts to separate workers from each other in this way were absolutely correct and in line with the recommendations of healthcare professionals, I think there is a better way to do this. The coronavirus is known to live on surfaces for many hours after making contact with that surface. Think of all the surfaces a person regularly touches when they are driving — door handles, steering wheels, seat belts, radio controls, gear shifts, etc. After one driver finishes using a vehicle, he or she has potentially left the virus all over the place for the next driver to encounter when its their turn to get behind the wheel and start touching all those same surfaces.
A: Water operators are essential personnel and should be prepared to address potential impacts to supply due to personnel interruptions tied to COVID-19. Water systems play a vital role in public health, and TRWA recommends that systems take the following actions to ensure the continuing functionality of their critical operations and systems: •
Identify essential employees required to maintain continuous operation and designate an emergency backup for these employees in the case they cannot report to work.
•
Make sure essential employees have documentation describing their essential status to show to law enforcement in case your area enacts a shelter-in-place order (TRWA has provided a template for this documentation on our COVID-19 Hub – www. trwa.org/page/covid
"Since deep cleaning and sterilization between every shift isn't practical, I recommend assigning your work vehicles to a single driver for the duration of this crisis."
Since deep cleaning and sterilization between every shift isn’t practical, I recommend assigning your work vehicles to a single driver for the duration of this crisis. For employees who must use their personal vehicles to travel to worksites, you should reimburse them for their mileage — just be sure to require them to submit mileage logs for travel to and from worksites, and make it clear that you will only reimburse for workrelated travel. For 2020, the Texas Comptroller has set the mileage reimbursement rate at 57.5 cents per mile. Q: As the COVID-19 emergency continues, what measures should our water system be taking to ensure we can continue adequately serving our customers?
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• Strategize implementation of an ancillary workforce (e.g. neighboring water systems, contractors, employees in other job titles/descriptions, retirees) to operate utilities on emergency basis.
•
Stay stocked on chemical supplies and order products ahead of schedule to avoid delays from understaffed chemical suppliers.
•
Generate a back-up supplier contact list for essential chemical and operation needs.
•
Update/create detailed written instructions for crucial operations (i.e. shutdown, water quality sampling, public notification, etc.).
•
Review/update emergency response plan and contacts. Identify key customers — hospitals or care facilities — with special needs.
•
Discuss cybersecurity precautions when using remote access. Back-up critical files frequently as a prevention measure to restore data.
•
Consider emergency food and overnight necessities at 24-hr facilities for personnel working long shifts.
•
Encourage personnel to stay home when they are sick. Provide work-from-home or sick leave options. Discuss backup or alternative shift rotations for personnel that need to stay home to care for themselves and/or loved ones.
•
If possible, make a plan with your family and any groups that you lead in case of school/ work closures.
•
Limit meetings, gatherings and travel. Encourage personnel to postpone all non-essential travel to areas affected by COVID-19.
Q: Is there a standard template drought contingency plan that systems must file with the TCEQ or can systems develop their own? What role do various regulatory entities play in the drought contingency planning process? A: Systems are required to have a drought contingency plan that addresses water restrictions during times of drought or other conditions that might reduce water availability; however, there isn’t a “standard” plan that they are required to follow. Each water system, county, wholesale water provider, water aquifer authority or other entity is free to develop and implement their own plan, including establishment of various restriction stages and triggering events. These triggers should take into account each system’s unique production, storage, pumping, distribution system hydraulics, planned improvements and emergency repairs’ level of impact on the system to ensure that the system can maintain water for all their customers in the event of water scarcity. Water systems might be subject to additional restrictions if they receive water from a wholesale provider. These providers have their own drought contingency plans to contend with, so they sometimes require their purchasers to adopt a rationing plan that aligns with theirs. Groundwater conservation districts (GCD), which manage the permitting of groundwater, also might impose rationing restrictions on utilities operating within
their jurisdiction to ensure the continued viability of that water resource. The TRWA Sample Tariff includes a drought contingency plan template that can be amended as a system desires or to account for restrictions placed on the system by a purchase water contract, GCD policy or policy of any other entity with regulatory jurisdiction over the system. These provisions can be drafted to accommodate for any drought or water level conditions that would trigger water restrictions. Systems can also include provisions in their plan to address additional factors that might cause them to have less water available than they would have under normal conditions, such as scheduled maintenance and repairs of storage tanks, water lines and other infrastructure. Q: The owner of a commercial property currently has a standard ¾” meter that services a few business suites. The owner plans to expand its operations on the property, and has requested a larger 2” meter to accommodate that growth. Since the owner already paid an equity buy-in fee (EBIF) for its current ¾” meter, can we charge them new EBIF for the larger meter? A: In this situation, you’re not really charging the customer a “new” EBIF so much as you’re charging them the correct EBIF for the additional capacity they now require. According to the American Water Works Association (AWWA), a nonprofit scientific and educational association within the water industry who puts out a variety of common industry standards, a 2” meter is the equivalent of eight standard ¾” meters. This is because a standard ¾” meter is capable of supplying roughly 20 gallons per minute, while a 2” meter can provide approximately 160 gallons per minute. Section G of TRWA’s Sample Tariff reflects this equivalency value for purposes of calculating a utility’s EBIF: whatever amount the utility calculates for a customer with a ¾” meter’s EBIF is multiplied by eight to get the EBIF a customer owes for a 2” meter. Since this customer has already paid the EBIF for their standard-size meter, they would owe the difference in the 2” meter EBIF once they upgrade to the larger size. In other words, the customer will owe an additional EBIF for the seven new service unit capacities they are requesting above their current ¾” meter. If you have a technical question you would like answered, please e-mail larry.bell@trwa.org. Quench — 2020 Issue 2 19
Wastewater Plant Process Control Testing By Nathan Cantrell, Wastewater Technician, Texas Rural Water Association
A
lthough the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) writes up many wastewater systems for not performing a process control test each year, this is very important and should be performed by all wastewater treatment systems. Process control testing is required by Title 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 30, Subchapter J, Rule §30.331, (c) which states “Operators are responsible for performing adequate process control of wastewater treatment and collection facilities.” Therefore, failure to perform process control testing not only involves the permit holder, it also impacts the licensed operator. Process control is testing that is done throughout the treatment system to monitor each treatment unit and its effectiveness. All types of treatment plants should do this testing. TCEQ has established Regulatory Guidelines (TCEQ publication RG-002) for activated sludge type plants but others, such as lagoon or ponds systems, should also be doing basic testing. This will tell you how each phase of the treatment process is performing, and it will also provide a base line to be used to identify problems in the treatment process. When effluent quality begins to change, the operator can review previous lab results and see what was happening in the system when things were performing well or if the quality of the influent has changed. Troubleshooting a treatment plant is very difficult without a base line
J. F. FONTAINE & ASSOCIATES, INC. CONSULTING ENGINEERS RURAL WATER SYSTEM ENGINEERING SINCE 1962 700 N. Sycamore St. P.O. Box 4187 Palestine, Texas 75802
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(903) 729-6005 jffontaine@jffontaine.com
with which to compare current results. What testing should be done? This will have to be determined by each system, but at a minimum the system should be doing the following: •
•
•
Influent: Flow, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and water temperature. After each treatment unit: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and water temperature. Activated sludge plants should follow the tables in RG-002
This will provide valuable information to the operator if an upset occurs. This information should be charted and kept up to date. This way the operator can track trends in the operation and often prevent problems before they become violations. Also, each system should clearly identify and mark the location of each sample point. Most permits require effluent testing to be done after the last treatment unit. If you have a cascade or other means of increasing DO, that is a treatment unit and the samples should be taken after the cascade. By clearly marking the sample point, you will ensure accurate sampling. This will also aid the TCEQ inspector when they collect their samples. Be sure and read the permit carefully, as it should identify
each treatment unit. If it does not, you should file a minor amendment or make the needed changes on the next permit renewal. How often should this testing be done? Again, this depends on the individual system. If a flow recorder is available, total daily flow should be taken each day the operator is at the plant. If no recorder is available, then take an instantaneous measurement each day at the plant. DO, pH and temperature measurements should be done daily. These are instantaneous measurements and should be done at the designated sample points. The other tests (BOD5 and TSS) should be done as often as possible, but at least monthly. The type of sample (grab or composite) should be the same as required by TCEQ on the effluent permit. The more information a system has, the better equipped they are to operate the plant and to diagnose problems when they arise.
office to get them. Maintain all records in an orderly manner. This way the needed records can be found quickly when a request is made. It can appear very unprofessional when you have to dig through boxes and files looking for operating records for the TCEQ inspector. It is also important to keep copies of all records at the office or in another safe place. There has been more than one system that lost all their records due to a flood that covered the treatment plant. It is good insurance to have backups. The Texas Rural Water Association has Wastewater Technicians on staff to assist systems with their problems. They are happy to provide on-site assistance at no charge to systems in need. The more information that can be provided greatly aids in the problem-solving process and as our staff work to return the system to compliance. For assistance contact the Texas Rural Water Association at 512-472-8591.
Be sure and maintain all records with copies at the plant and at the office. It is wise to have copies at the plant since TCEQ will need to look at the records when they inspect the facilities. It makes their job easier when you can provide the needed records at the plant without having to drive to the
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Communication Strategies for the Water Sector — Issue: Your Tap Water Is Safe By the U.S. Water Alliance, Value of Water Campaign
W
ater is playing an essential role in everyone’s health and well-being during the public health crisis brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Clean, reliable, and accessible water service is fundamental to public health and thriving communities. As water professionals, we know COVID-19 has not been detected in drinking water supplies, and no evidence suggests the virus survives the disinfection process. But the general public may be unaware. At this time of panic and uncertainty, people are turning to bottled water at a considerable expense to their wallets and the environment while tap water remains safe to drink. It is normal to have fear, but as water professionals we have an obligation and a mission to inform people that in this crisis, they can rely on the safety of their tap water. How can water utilities reassure their customers and dispel myths about water quality? How can other water sector stakeholders effectively communicate with their constituencies about the safety of drinking water supplies? The Value of Water Campaign prepared this fact sheet to provide tips for communicating about the safety of drinking water supplies. It also highlights some great examples of how supporters of the Value of Water Campaign use successful approaches through social media. More examples can be found on the Value of Water Campaign COVID Response Page at http://thevalueofwater. org/content/covid-response-tools.
We hope this round-up of tips and examples helps empower water sector stakeholders to communicate the value and safety of drinking tap water during the COVID-19 crisis. Lead with Empathy Empathy—the ability to understand and share the feelings of another—is the foundation for any effective crisis communications. In moments of 22
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crisis, people look for validation of their concerns. Your fact-based messages about the safety of drinking water supplies are more likely to resonate when conveyed with empathy. This can be as simple as acknowledging people’s fear or uncertainty before providing key points. Be Early, Be Proactive People are more likely to remember and trust the first message they hear in an emergency. When an organization is proactive and communicates immediately in an emergency, it shows its credibility and readiness. If water utilities stay silent, that leaves a gap where less credible or accurate sources of information may fill. Haven’t communicated yet with your customers? It’s okay. Start now and maintain consistent frequency and tone of messaging. Emphasize the Role of Treatment Research shows that highlighting the effective treatment processes that make tap water safe is
an effective way to build customers’ trust in the quality of their water supply. It’s important to use accessible, easy-to-understand language. Avoid jargon and acronyms. Be cautious with words or phrases that could be perceived as negative by people outside the water sector. Instead of communicating messages that emphasize compliance with federal water quality standards, use messages that describe the extensive treatment that results in safe drinking water. People do not need an in-depth description of every engineering component or chemical reaction, but customers want and expect technical information about water quality and treatment from their utilities.
to-use information to share on their social media platforms and in e-newsletters and talking points. Humor Humor can humanize your message, convey empathy, and make water utilities appear more personal. It can be effective when used in appropriate settings. It can be well suited for social media, especially if humor is part of your organization’s online brand. Do not use humor in press announcements, as humor often will not translate well in such messages.
Show the Human Side Communicate Frequently People are understandably anxious, and they want information. The more you provide steady, consistent messaging that tap water is something customers don’t need to worry about, the better. Use every communication channel you have available, social media, email newsletters, signage, bill inserts, and more. Consider how you can engage other influencers in your community who can spread the word, local news stations, newspapers, local elected officials, school districts and more. For example, city council members and schools regularly put out information about COVID-19. Give them easy-
Your customers are receiving a lot of information right now, and you are competing for their attention. The most effective message needs a compelling, human narrative. Narratives help increase trust and improve knowledge retention. Tell the story of your treatment process and organization’s resiliency through the people doing the work. Storytelling through effective images and visuals is compelling. Share your treatment process in a cellphone video by an operator. Feature photos of the people hard at work keeping Continued on page 24 Quench — 2020 Issue 2 23
Continued from page 23
the water safe to drink, and in the office and working remotely, keeping the lights on. Communicating in an emergency comes down to being credible, empathetic, and communicating openly, honestly, and frequently. Water utilities are a trusted source of information for their customers, and have a critical role to play in providing vital public health information during this public health crisis.
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). 2019. Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC). https:// emergency.cdc. gov/cerc/ Henderson et al (2020). Talking to Customers and Communities about PFAS. Journal AWWA: May 2020. Denver. CO. About the Value of Water Campaign The Value of Water Campaign educates and inspires the nation about how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of investment. Spearheaded by top leaders in the water industry, the Value of Water Campaign is building public and political will for investment in America’s water infrastructure. To learn more: www.thevalueofwater.org If you would like to learn more, share ideas, or get involved with the Value of Water Campaign, please contact Katie Henderson, Program Manager: khenderson@ uswateralliance.org.
THE LEADER
AND ORIGINAL INNOVATOR OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE TANKS
Additional Resources AWWA Coronavirus Resource Page: https:// www.awwa. org/Resources-Tools/Resource-Topics/ Coronavirus 24
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888-PRELOAD | WWW.PRELOAD.COM | INFO@PRELOAD.COM
FINANCING SOLUTIONS FOR RURAL WATER SYSTEMS
Specially negotiated terms for TRWA members
Texas Rural Water Association has partnered with CoBank, a national cooperative bank that serves vital industries across rural America, to provide attractive financing solutions for TRWA members. Find out about the specially negotiated terms on many loan products for water and wastewater utilities, including:
3 USDA GUARANTEED LOANS AND BONDS 3 USDA INTERIM CONSTRUCTION FINANCING 3 LINES OF CREDIT 3 USDA REFINANCING 3 TERM LOANS Visit TRWA’s website for complete information about the program:
www.trwa.org/cobank For further questions, please contact John DeLuca at 303-694-5958 or email texaswater@cobank.com
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Make Plans to Attend TRWA's Summer Conferences By Lisa Gallo, Meeting and Events Planner, Texas Rural Water Association
TRWA's 2020 Office Professionals Conference is Going Virtual
R
egistration is now open for TRWA's first virtual conference — our 2020 Office Professionals Conference!
As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, our board made the decision in mid-April to cancel our in-person event in San Antonio for the safety of our guests and our staff. Instead, we will be bringing the same top-quality educational programming directly to you! The conference will now be held the mornings of June 1-4 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The program will consist of two educational sessions each day, followed by a choice of two 30-minute interactive roundtables, for a total of eight educational sessions and four roundtables by the end of the week. All attendees will also receive a link to a full recording of the conference and written responses to questions once the event is over. The Office Professionals Conference has been specially tailored to provide training in areas that will directly benefit water and wastewater utility office staff. Topics were requested by prior attendees, so we are confident our sessions will bring you the relevant and timely information you need to get the job done. This years topics include legal hot topics, social media for utilities, TCEQ compliance inspections, handling delinquent customers, and more! We will also include a session on cybersecurity that satisfies the new House Bill 3834 cybersecurity training requirement for districts and cities. For a full agenda with topic descriptions, please visit www.trwa.org and click on the "Conferences" tab. We hope to see you there!
On the Galveston Horizon — Training & Technical Conference
W
hile our board continues to evaluate the COVID-19 situation and the well-being of our guests, TRWA’s Training and Technical Conference is currently on course to be held in Galveston on July 15-16. If this remains a live conference, TRWA will ensure protective measures are in place including social distancing measures in the classroom set-ups, wrapped and pre-packaged food and beverages, requiring masks and offering hand sanitizer stations. We also plan to include virtual learning and engagement opportunities for those individuals who are more comfortable participating remotely this year. This conference has been specifically tailored to provide training in areas that will ensure water utility operators are up to date on the latest technical issues, while also including sessions that are relevant to directors, managers and other staff. There is something for everyone, so you don’t want to miss these informative and timely sessions! Pre-conference courses include three operator trainings, Customer Service Inspections & CrossConnection Control, Water Utility Safety, Water Utility Management and Public Funds Investment Act (PFIA) Training. These trainings will be held at the Hilton Hotel beginning Monday, July 13. Operator training courses range from 16 hours to 20 hours each, and Public Funds Investment act initial and renewal courses range from four to six hours. These sessions each require separate registration fees. The conference begins on Wednesday, July 15, and offers a wide range of courses. Topics include the use of drones in the water industry, variable frequency drives and soft starters and digital solutions for daily operations. There will be an Information Security Awareness Training that satisfies the training requirement mandated by H.B. 3834 for districts and cities, and participants will obtain a certificate of completion documenting their attendance. Water and wastewater operator certification credit has been requested from TCEQ for the conference topics. The full agenda can be viewed on our website at www.trwa.org. 26
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Be sure to visit our exhibit hall at the Galveston Island Convention Center, where vendors for the water and wastewater industry will be available to inform you about their products and services. Join us for continental breakfast served in the exhibit hall on Wednesday and Thursday mornings along with Vendor Showcases. Wednesday night is the annual Family Fun Fish Fry, hosted by WinStar Insurance Group (formerly AIA Insurance), in support of the Texas Rural Water Political Action Committee (PAC). This event, featuring delicious catfish with all the fixings, a trivia challenge and games for the family, is always a big hit and is a successful fundraiser for the Texas Rural PAC. We hope that this year will be as well! We will be ensuring that this event will be adapted to social distancing guidelines and food safety requirements. We will be taking every precaution at all events to ensure our staff and attendees are safe.
Tickets for the fish fry are just $15 per adult and $10 per child under 18. For an additional $10, register a team of up to six people for the Trivia Showdown. We encourage you to use a personal form of payment (personal check, credit card, or cash) so that your registration fee can support the PAC. PAC funds are distributed to legislators who understand our issues and support rural water. A PAC contribution helps open their doors to consider our positions on issues important to our membership. Sponsorship opportunities are available for the Tech Conference and for the Family Fun Fish Fry. If you are an associate member, contact us at (512) 472-8591. A list of sponsorships can be found on our web site. We hope you will be able to join us this year! Please visit our website for the latest developments regarding this conference.
Please pre-register early so that we can have an accurate headcount for all those hush puppies! The fish fry will take place at a beautiful new venue this year — The Lyceum. Thank you to our venue sponsor, CoBank! Shuttles will run to and from the San Luis Hotel to The Lyceum.
ONLINE TRAINING AVAILABLE Earn training credit hours through self-paced courses.
Learn More: www.trwa.org/59 training@trwa.org (512) 428-5754
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TRWA Briefs Information Security Awareness Training Now Available
C
ybersecurity is currently a hot topic in the water utility industry, not only in Texas, but on a national level. In response to growing cybersecurity threats, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3834 in 2019 requiring annual cybersecurity awareness training certified by the Department of Information Resources (DIR) for all local government elected officials, as well as local government employees with access to official computer systems or databases. The new law applies to cities and all types of water districts, but not to water supply corporations. However, Texas Rural Water Association recommends that WSCs voluntarily provide their board members and employees with this type of training to protect them from possible attacks. In response to this new requirement, TRWA developed a one-hour training session on Information Security Awareness, and we are pleased to announce the course has been DIRcertified and meets the requirements set forth in HB 3834. The training covers the types of information you should protect, vulnerabilities and common types of cyber threats and attacks to be aware of, including phishing campaigns, social engineering tactics and malware. We will also talk ways you can protect yourself and your information by implementing best practices online and through physical security. The deadline to complete the training this year is June 14, and individuals must report their compliance through an online form by June 15. This certification form can be found on the DIR website at http://dir.tex.gov. To help our members comply with this new requirement, we are offering two virtual sessions in May, May 5 and May 19, and are also including this training at our Virtual Office Professional Conference in early June. If we find we have a high demand for this course, we will schedule more sessions before the compliance deadline. The cost of this virtual training course is $60. Upon completion of the course, we will provide a 28
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certificate documenting attendance. Registration can be found on our website at www.trwa.org under the Training tab. You can also email training@trwa. org for more information.
Congratulations to TRWA's Emerging Leaders
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e are proud to announce the graduates of the 2019-20 Emerging Leaders Program, TRWA’s professional development and networking program. This program is designed to enhance individual leadership skills and prepare participants to be active and engaged community leaders and advocates for rural water issues. Thirteen participants began the program last June and spent the subsequent nine months earning leadership development credit hours for attending live training sessions and webinars, interacting through an online forum, and completing monthly reading assignments and coaching sessions. Participants also were required to plan and execute an individual leadership project. Ten graduates completed the program in March 2020. They are: Amber Durham, General Manager of Jackson WSC; Carlos Febus, Assistant General Manager of SS WSC; Charles Martin III, Field Supervisor of Bear Creek SUD; Felix Ruiz, Foreman of East Medina County SUD; Floyd Ross Jr., Operator of Walker County SUD; Jorge Bernal, Plant Maintenance Operator of Riverside SUD; Josh Howard, Utility Services Manager of Johnson County SUD; Lane Thompson, General Manager of East Texas MUD; Mark Rogers, General Manager of Elderville WSC; and Ricky Hernandez, Crew Leader of Rockett SUD. We have already featured articles on several of our Emerging Leaders’ individual projects throughout the course of the program, and will continue to do so throughout the year. We will begin accepting applications for the 202122 Emerging Leaders Program class this fall. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, please email leadership@trwa.org.
TRWA Developing AWIA Compliance Tool
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merica’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, which was signed into law in October 2018, requires community water systems serving a population of more than 3,300 to develop or update risk assessments and emergency response plans for their systems. This includes assessing the security of any electronic, computer or other automated systems that the community water system uses. Affected systems must then review their risk assessment and emergency response plan at least once every five years to determine if it should be revised. Upon completion of review, the system must submit to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a certification that the documents have been reviewed and revised, if applicable. To help our member systems comply with this requirement, Texas Rural Water Association is in the process of developing the Water/Wastewater Risk Assessment and Planning Tool (WRAPT). This cloud-based software will help systems complete their risk and resilience assessment and walk the system through the components of their emergency response plan based on the results. The finished result will be a series of reports and a certification document that can be sent to the EPA to satisfy the certification requirement. WRAPT will also securely store that information so the system can return to their risk assessment and emergency response plan at a later date to make necessary revisions. We are in the final stages of developing WRAPT and will launch this software early this summer. Be on the look out for more information on this easy to use compliance tool on our website, in the TRWA Pipeline and in the next issue of Quench.
Take Advantage of TRWA's Direct-to-Consumer Magazine
educate utility customers while building support for the local utility and the industry as a whole. Nearly 40,000 consumers across the state have received Texas on Tap which features articles including maintaining water operations during a pandemic, 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, plugging abandoned water wells, and more. “Texas on Tap was well-received by our customers and the customization 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 for future issues of this quarterly 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! Subscribers to the custom version of the magazine can sell advertising space on their individualized pages to help offset the cost. 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. There are two remaining issues in 2020, and systems can sign up on an issue-by-issue basis. If you have any questions, contact us at editor@ trwa.org or 512-472-8592, ext. 115.
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f you haven't already, now is a great time to take advantage of TRWA's direct-to-consumer magazine, Texas on Tap! This members-only publication is a great tool to communicate with and Quench — 2020 Issue 2 29
PROPERTY COVERAGE COMMERCIAL LIABILITY DIRECTORS & OFFICERS LIABILITY MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN WORKERS COMPENSATION POLLUTION LIABILITY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BONDS
Advice. Insight. Agility.
For more than 30 years, we have been providing peace of mind to Texas water utilities thanks to our reputation of excellence.
TRWA has endorsed us since 1988*
B00.666.9551 Visit our website to see the coverages we offer. AIAINSAGENCY. COM
30
Quench — 2020 - Issue 2
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Plan Ahead CONFERENCES:
June 1-4, 2020 Virtual Office Professionals Conference July 15-16, 2020 Training and Technical Conference, Galveston
OPERATOR TRAINING COURSES: Learn more about our online training options at www.trwa.org/59
PUBLIC FUNDS INVESTMENT ACT TRAINING: Initial: Virtual training, June 24 Renewal: Virtual training, June 24
INFORMATION SECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING: Virtual: May 19 Session at Office Professionals Conference: June 3
Advertiser Index AIA Insurance Agency......................................... Page 30 Childress Engineers......................................................12 Chlorinators Incorporated............................................17 CoBank...........................................................................25 Daniel & Brown, Inc.........................................................8 Hayes Engineering........................................................13 J.F. Fontaine & Associates...........................................20 KSA Engineers...............................................................15 Maguire Iron...................................................................13 Pittsburg Tank & Tower Maintenance Co., Inc............17 Preload...........................................................................24 Russell Drilling Co., Inc................................................13 SAMCO.............................................................................9 Smith Pump Co., Inc......................................................20 USABlueBook................................................ Back Cover Vita-D-Chlor....................................................................15 Quench — 2020 Issue 2 31
1616 Rio Grande| Austin, TX 78701-1122 Telephone: (512) 472-8591 | Fax: (512) 472-5186 www.trwa.org
