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TRWA Briefs
Previous Article Update
In 2019, Quench published an article about irrigation systems. TCEQ had decided to explore whether there was a need to reclassify those systems i.e., health hazard or non-health hazard. Recently, the TCEQ Commissioners voted to leave a potable irrigation system as non-health hazard unless it has chemical injection, in which case it would be classified as a health hazard. This means there was no change in the classification. However, the Commissioners did make numerous changes to the Irrigation Rule 344. The most notable was that Atmospheric Vacuum Breakers can no longer be installed on irrigation systems. A Pressure Vacuum Breaker would be the assembly of choice in those applications. The Rule was voted on in July 2020. For more information access the TCEQ website at www.tceq.texas.gov and type Rule 344 in the search box.
Calling All Texas Rural Water Emerging Leaders
Are you an energetic and engaged water/ wastewater utility professional? Don’t miss your chance to participate in TRWA’s professional development and networking program, the TRWA Emerging Leaders Program (ELP). This program is designed for up-and-coming leaders in the Texas rural water industry and combines remote and inperson training specifically designed to enhance leadership, engagement and advocacy.
Applications are now being accepted for what will be our third class of Emerging Leaders. Program participants will spend nine months earning leadership development credits for attending live training sessions, webinars, interacting through an online forum, completing monthly assignments and receiving one-on-one coaching from established industry leaders. Participants will also develop and execute an individual local leadership project. In addition to formal professional development, participants also benefit from networking opportunities that enable them to connect with influential leaders in the industry.
Program alumni continue to have heightened engagement with TRWA. Our graduates serve on our conference planning committees, are invited to speak at conferences, volunteer at TRWA events and contribute to Quench. We even have program graduates that now serve on the TRWA Board as Directors and Alternate Directors.
Program details and applications can be found at www.trwa.org/ELP. We will be accepting applications until April 16 and the program will begin in June. Please contact us at leadership@trwa.org if you or someone you know would be a good fit for this program.
Notice About TRWA Elections
In early January, we sent out our annual notice of election for TRWA Board Director and Alternate Director positions, along with Qualification and Consent forms to certify candidates to run in the election. Districts 1, 4, 6 and 14 were to hold regular elections in 2021, with special elections possible in Districts 7 & 8 to fill vacant Alternate Director seats. The deadline to submit Qualification and Consent forms was January 29. We have reviewed all submitted forms and have verified there are no contested races for the seats up for election this year. Per our Board Policies (2.5), we will not print a ballot and an election will not be held in a district in which the races have single unopposed candidates. As such, we will not be issuing absentee ballots by mail or holding elections at the Annual Convention in March. If you have any questions, please contact info@trwa.org.
Update Your Quench Subscription for 2021
Don’t forget to review your Quench subscription information and make any necessary changes when you renew your TRWA membership for 2021. 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 2021 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 via our online form, located under the “Publications” tab on our website. If you have any questions, please contact us at editor@trwa.org or 512-472-8591.
TRWA Welcomes New Staff TRWA Briefs
TRWA would like to welcome Scott McClure to its communications team. Scott replaces Kelsey Copeland as our new Communications Specialist. He comes to TRWA with 25 years of association experience, including his last position as Communications Director for The International Order of the Golden Rule, an association of independently owned funeral homes.
Scott resides in Austin, Texas with his wife of 19 years, Natalie, and their two children, Christian (17) and Michelle (16). If the house weren’t full enough, their family includes two dogs (Eddie and Jazzy) and two cats (Spike and Murray). Scott and his wife enjoy cooking, traveling, and entertaining their COVID-safe pod. TRWA is pleased to introduce Roel Gonzalez as our latest addition to the Environmental Services Department’s FMT Assistance Team. In his new position, he will be providing on-site financial, managerial and technical assistance to systems located in South Texas. Roel brings 13 years of experience as a Water Plant Operator, has a Bachelor of Arts from Texas A & M Kingsville and an Associate’s degree in electronics. When not at work, he enjoys competitive door decorating and Pumpkin carving in his community and won 3rd place in his age bracket in his city’s 5K race. Roel enjoys watching WWE professional wrestling and has had photos taken with wrestlers Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks. He and his wife Shirui are devoted church goers and reside in Alice, TX.
In Memoriam
Texas Rural Water lost a longtime friend and supporter, David (Dave) Barnett, in December after a very brief illness. He was 80 years old.
Dave was the long time Board President for Cedar Oak Mesa WSC in Wimberley. During his 15 years’ service, he was passionate about running an exemplary water system and was instrumental in the system being awarded several grants which gave Cedar Oak Mesa the resources to maintain the quality of service afforded to their members. With his leadership, a very small rural system has been able to be financially and physically sound and prepared to handle emergencies and upgrades.
He will be greatly missed by the system’s employees, customers and Texas Rural Water. Our prayers are with his loved ones.
Answer to "From the Hole" math question from page 25: In Quench 2020 Issue 5, you were challenged to find the weight of water in a pipe, which we determined by first finding the cubic feet of the pipe, multiplying the cubic feet by the number of gallons that a cubic foot holds, and then finally multiplying the gallons by 8.34 to find the pounds of water.
Here we determine gallons by dividing the pounds 2,500,000 by 8.34: 2,500,000 pounds (÷) 8.34 pounds per gallons = 299,760.192 gallons
Next, you divide that number by the population equivalent that equates 130 gallons per person: 299,760.192 (÷) 130 = 2305.84763 gallons
You can round that figure to the whole number of 2306 to get your answer.
Advertiser Index
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