From the Hole: Tales from the road by Michael Beadnell, Instructor/ Circuit Rider for Texas Rural Water Association Wastewater Collections, Galveston
I
was asked to teach a 20-hour wastewater collections course the second week of November in Galveston. To be able to recognize Veterans Day, Galveston wanted the 20-hour course in two 10hour days on November 12 and 13th.
Rider #4, I’ve been on the road assisting non-profit water supply corporations, water districts and small cities with less than 10,000 population with a variety of issues, but I was excited to get off the road for a bit to teach a course.
When I travel to a system, I like to dive into the history of the area, and Galveston has a rich history.
On the morning of November 12th, I met with the Utility Supervisor Mary Kimbark prior to the student's arrival for the class. After our meeting, I unloaded and set up for the class. Once the operators arrived, we performed the usual paperwork, and I started class with introductions and goals. Then we jumped into the lecture, book work and demonstrations.
The Spanish conquistador Francisco Vazquez de Coronado and his team were dying of thirst and wandering desperately in search of a fabled golden city. Just when they thought they were at the end of their ropes, along came the Apache who graciously guided them to a stream. The stream, which Francisco and the team joyously dubbed Rio de los Brazos de Dios, is known today as the Brazos River and is the 11th-longest river in the United States, stretching 1,280 miles from its headwater source in Northwest Texas to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico. The Brazos River has a 45,000-square-mile drainage basin. Being one of Texas' largest rivers, it is sometimes used to mark the boundary between East Texas and West Texas. The Brazos flows through exposed bedrock to eventually discharging into the Gulf of Mexico. The City of Galveston is one of the major cities in the Brazos River watershed and the river serves as Galveston's drinking water source, which it purchases from the Gulf Coast Water Authority through the Thomas A. Mackey Water Treatment Plant in Texas City. Galveston Municipal Utilities Department is located south of Harborside Drive, two blocks from the famous Strand Street, and has a brand-new state of the art building with a fully equipped training room. The building embraces the conveniences of modern technology and keeps up with the growing needs of the community and its staff. We are excited to have recently partnered with Galveston to provide our operator certification classes in the area. As I mentioned in my last column, until TRWA’s Technical Assistance Department can find a permanent replacement, I have been helping out with the Circuit Rider program. Serving as the Circuit 26
Quench — 2020 - Issue 6
While providing a general description of the responsibilities of wastewater personnel, the class dove headfirst into the water cycle. Next, we covered the need for regulations of wastewater discharges to protect public health, followed by a discussion of receiving streams. Then we discussed area design and volume after chapter one. Up next was an explanation of state and federal regulators, general goals of wastewater collection and treatment objectives. After that, we went over the requirements and general characteristics of wastewater, which includes the physical, chemical, bacteriological and radiological characteristics. We ended the first day of training with a discussion of pump curves. The following day, I started by going around the room to see how much was retained from the day before. Our Wastewater Collections Course is known as a core course—an approved curriculum that fulfills a main requirement to become a licensed operator. Comprehension of course material that the state feels a student needs to know to become an operator can be at times overwhelming, so it is important as an instructor to check regularly for understanding and gauge retention. The wastewater collection system is made up of many hazards, so the next and most important subject for comprehension on the agenda is the topic of general safety practices. Awareness of the hazards and how to protect ourselves and our families
