Quench 2022 - Issue 5

Established in 1969, the Texas Rural Water Association (TRWA) is a statewide nonprofit trade association with an active membership consisting of 800 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

OFFICERS

President

Bruce Alexander Medina (District 2)

Vice-President

Robert Nettles Walker (District 13)

Secretary Mark Gardenhire Shackelford (District 1)

Treasurer Steve Adams Brown (District 4)

Immediate Past President

Chris Boyd Denton (District 3)

DISTRICT DIRECTORS

Dave McMurry Bastrop (District 5)

Brian Macmanus Cameron (District 6)

Allen Knight North Collin (District 7)

Charles Beseda Hill (District 8)

Pat Allen Guadalupe (District 9)

Kent Watson Brazos (District 10)

Rachel Webb South Rains (District 11)

Paula Weber Kaufman (District 12)

Matthew Barrett Swift (District 14)

TRWA STAFF

Main Office Line (512) 472-8591

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Lara Zent Executive Director & General Counsel ext. 101

Jason Knobloch Deputy Executive Director ext. 137 Larry Bell Technical Assistance Director ext. 138 Mary Alice

Boehm-McKaughan Assistant General Counsel ext. 106

Nichol Everingham Professional Development & Training Director ext. 134 Tom Shephard, CPA Finance Director ext. 102 Eric Betts Communications Director ext. 115

Eli Aguirre Meeting and Event Planner ext. 105 Melody Bennett Project Support Specialist ext. 130

Pam Cantrell Accounting Support Specialist ext. 139 Haley Dixon Apprenticeship Program Manager ext. 107 Chelsea Gomez Training Support Specialist ext. 103 Miles Hartman Course Development Specialist ext. 135

Deborah McMullan Membership and Outreach Manager ext. 108 Wendi Noble Legal & Executive Assistant ext. 321 Sonya Stocklin Office Manager ext. 104 Ariane Walker Training Manager ext. 111 Emily Young Assistant Environmental Services Director ext. 132

Robert Archer Instructor

OFFICE STAFF FIELD STAFF

cell: (940) 783-6374

Nathan Cantrell Wastewater Technician cell: (512) 924-7158

Trey Daywood Water Training & Technical Assistance Specialist cell: (512) 806-6171

Barry Dobbs Wastewater Training & Technical Assistance Specialist cell: (512) 771-6976

Roel Gonzalez FMT Specialist cell: (512) 923-5812

Justin Guerra Member Services Specialist cell: (512) 317-8992

Paul King Circuit Rider cell: (512) 913-9753

Tony Moreno Circuit Rider cell: (512) 924-4552

Charles Perkins Circuit Rider cell: (512) 964-2108

Bruce Pearson Instructor cell: (512) 922-4942

James Smith Circuit Rider cell: (512) 964-9234

Donnie Stanton FMT Specialist cell: (512) 774-9455

Quentin Turner FMT Specialist cell: (512) 517-9889

Jewel Uzquiano Source Water Protection Specialist cell: (512) 354-0506

William White Assistant Technical Assistance Director cell: (512) 924-4233

Scott Willeford FMT Specialist cell: (512) 657-8813

Gilbert Ybarbo FMT Specialist cell: (512) 317-2003

In Every Issue From the

Change

Keeping

changeout process

The

TRWA

Calendar

Why Choose TRWA?

More utilities than ever are taking advantage of the benefits of TRWA membership. Learn what we can do for your system.

SOPs

Needle in a Haystack

Systems that wait on their Lead Service Line Inventories risk being left behind for funding and other

TRWA News

New Staff

Meet the latest additions to the TRWA team

TRWA's

TRWA's Membership Team has criss-crossed the state holding District Meetings in 2022

Celebrate National Apprenticeship

Celebrate the benefits of Registered Apprenticeship with TRWA

on the cover: The sun sets over Lake Travis in Central Texas.

photo by Emily Young, Assistant Environmental Services Director

Editorial

CONTACT

to Eric Betts in the Communications Department at editor@trwa.org.

may be

President's Message

Hello Texas Rural Water!

I hope everyone is doing well.

I was recently asked what membership in TRWA means to me and how it impacts the operations of our water system.

I have worked for two TRWA member systems for nearly 40 years and have personally been involved with the association for 24 of these years. One of my first encounters with TRWA was when William White came to my office and introduced himself as a Circuit Rider. He said he was there to offer any technical assistance, and it didn't take long for me to realize exactly what that entailed: knowledge, experience and information on how to better operate our system. We started taking advantage of TRWA's training opportunities to support our employees in getting and maintaining water licenses. As I became more familiar with what TRWA had to offer, I slowly became involved in issues that impacted rural water systems in our area.

In 2014, I was asked to serve on the TRWA Board of Directors as the Director for District 2, which consists of 41 counties and stretches nearly 600 miles from San Antonio to El Paso. My first act as a director was to join Larry Bell for a four-hour training event in Fort Davis, almost 400 miles from home. It was a long drive but proved well worth it.

Over the last eight years and counting I have become active in my role as a director, an officer and now President of TRWA. I look forward each year to representing our rural water members at the Texas Legislature in Austin and at the U.S. Capitol in

Washington, D.C. The legislative efforts of TRWA continue to help formulate water policies that impact rural water in Texas and across America. TRWA is a recognized leader in national legislative efforts on issues that impact rural water. I’ve been fortunate to have a seat at the table and meet with multiple state legislators, state senators, U.S. Congressmen, U.S. Senators and even scored a visit to the White House to tour the West Wing, all because of my involvement with TRWA.

Working with TRWA has provided my systems with countless benefits through legal services, personnel and operating policies, meter calibrations, rate studies, energy efficiency audits, source water protection and,. yes, the technical assistance that William promised me way back when. TRWA is one of our greatest assets as a rural water utility.

If you’re not already taking advantage of the many services TRWA offers, please reach out to TRWA Executive Director Lara Zent or a member of her team. They can either help you out with one of the many services membership provides or point you in the right direction to get a response to your concerns.

Be safe,

Bruce Alexander President TRWA

Dear TRWA Members,

Letter from the TRWA Executive Director

A lot of you have been struggling with staff turnover, whether it’s veteran employees retiring, employees leaving to work for a neighboring utility for a few dollars more or better benefits or employees who just aren’t working out. Water utility managers and boards are grappling with providing competitive pay and benefits while wanting to keep water rates affordable. The cost of staff turnover is high – training a new employee takes time and, in the meantime, work may take longer to complete, and things may fall through the cracks. In addition, you may lose an employee to a higher paying job, but then end up having to pay their replacement more.

We discussed this issue at our Office Professionals Conference held in San Antonio on October 13-14. Several attendees pointed out that in today’s market, it’s cheaper to pay higher wages than to hire and train new employees. Others shared that their utilities are finding out what benefits other systems are offering employees and matching them.

caused delay in deliverables, such as the salary and rate surveys this year.

The silver lining for TRWA has been that new staff have brought new perspectives, fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the organization. Turnover also created opportunities for existing staff to try out a new position or receive a promotion. While it was difficult to say goodbye to long-time colleagues, I am excited about the current team we have at TRWA. They work well together and are passionate about serving our rural water system members. I am energized daily by working with this team and they are looking forward to meeting you during onsite visits, phone consultationsand at upcoming events.

You will read about our new legal team on page 14 who have been getting up to speed on our issues, providing legal assistance to our members and gearing up for the 2023 Texas Legislative Session, which kicks off on January 10th.

At TRWA, we have also experienced turnover in the past year and have been grappling with some of these same issues. There has been a learning curve for new employees to figure out programs that were administered by others which in some cases has

Thank you for keeping the faucets flowing in rural Texas despite staff turnover and other challenges! I look forward to seeing you soon!

My best,

Lara Zent Executive Director & General Counsel TRWA

Keep It Legal

Answers to Members’ Questions by TRWA Contract Attorney Kristen Fancher

Q: Are credit unions an authorized banking or investment institution?

A: The answer depends on whether the utility is a water supply corporation (“WSC”) or a district. For WSCs, the answer is no. Section 67.014(a) of the Texas Water Code states that the WSC board must select a depository that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Credit unions are not FDIC-insured and are instead insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which makes them ineligible to be used by WSCs as a banking or investment option. WSCs are required to invest certain funds in accordance with Section 67.014(b) of the Texas Water Code, which states:

(b) Funds allocated by the board to a sinking fund for replacement, amortization of debts, and the payment of interest that are not required to be spent in the year in which deposited shall be:

(1) invested in bonds or other evidence of indebtedness of the United States;

(2) placed with the depository in an interestbearing savings account;

(3) invested in shares or share accounts in a sav ings and loan association insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; or

(4) invested in an investment that is authorized under Subchapter A, Chapter 2256, Government Code, and by a written investment policy ap proved by the board that complies with Section 2256.005, Government Code.

Section 67.014(b)(4) allows a WSC to invest certain funds based on its approved investment policy that complies with the Public Funds Investment Act (“PFIA”) in Subchapter A, Chapter 2256, Government Code. Although the PFIA al lows investment with credit unions, the limitation in Section 67.014(a) of the Texas Water Code requiring FDIC insur ance should be followed, and WSCs should therefore avoid the use of credit unions for this reason.

For districts, however, the answer is yes with regard to whether credit unions are acceptable banking and investment institu tions. Sections 49.156-.157 of the Texas Water Code authorize the use of credit unions by districts as long as the Public Funds Collateral Act in Chapter 2257, Government Code and the PFIA are followed. Section 2256.009 of the PFIA authorizes districts to use interest bearing accounts or investment in cer tificates of deposit (“CDs”) that are guaranteed or insured by either the FDIC or the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. Note that for CDs the issuing bank or credit union must have its main or a branch office in Texas.

A: The answer is yes for districts with boundaries that extend into one or two counties only. The answer is also yes for water supply corporations (“WSCs”), with no limitation on the number of counties. Under Section 551.127 of the Texas Government Code (the Open Meetings Act), less than a quorum of a board or employees can participate in a meet ing by Zoom or videoconference call as long as the following criteria are met:

• The video and audio feed are broadcast live at the physi cal meeting location;

• A quorum of the board is physically present at the meeting location (except see the next bullet);

• For governmental bodies, including WSCs, that extend into three or more counties only, the presiding officer (not a quorum) is required to be physically present at the meeting location;

• The meeting notice is posted as is normally required for a meeting of the governmental body;

• The audio and video must be clear and visible on both ends of the videoconference call, and there are strict limi tations to recess or consider the remote board members absent when the video and audio does not meet the statu tory criteria and the rules established by the Department of Information Resources; and;

Q:Can a board member participate remotely in a board meeting by Zoom or videoconference call?

• At a minimum an audio recording of the meeting must be made and must be available to the public upon request.

The videoconference call link does not have to be included in the meeting notice and is not required by law to be accessible to the public. Members of the public can be allowed to participate or provide public comment remotely through videoconference call at the discretion of the entity.

For districts with territory that extends into three or more coun ties, Section 551.131 of the Texas Government Code limits the ability to use videoconference call. Section 551.131(c) of the Texas Government Code states that a meeting can only be held by telephone conference call or video conference call by a water district with territory that extends into three or more counties if: (i) the meeting is a special called meeting and immediate action is required; and (ii) the convening at one location of a quorum of the board is difficult or impossible. It should also be noted that the use of telephone conference call (audio only and distinguished from video conference call) for meetings is governed by Section 551.125 of the Texas Government Code. For districts with territory in one or two counties and WSCs (regardless of how many counties), this provision only allows the use of telephone conference calls for meetings if an “emergency or public necessity exists” as

defined by Section 551.045 of the Texas Government Code. In addition to the emergency or public necessity requirement, the statute also requires that the ability for a quorum of the board to convene at one location be difficult or impossible.

In summary and as a general rule, districts with territory that extends into one or two counties and WSCs (regardless of number of counties) can use Zoom or videoconference call to allow less than a quorum of board members and employ ees to participate remotely in board meetings as long as the strict requirements of the statute are met. The use of telephone conference call for meetings, however, is very limited based on Sections 551.131 and 551.125 of the Texas Government Code. Districts and WSCs should therefore be careful not to allow board members to be considered present and partici pate in board meetings through telephone conference call.

Kristen Fancher has extensive experience in rep resenting clients on water and other legal matters across the state of Texas.

TRWA Members can email legal@trwa.org for their legal inquiries or search the archive at https://www.trwa.org/page/KILHome.

Financing Solutions for Rural Water Systems

In partnership with TRWA, CoBank can offer members specially negotiated terms.

Visit www.trwa.org/cobank or contact John DeLuca at 303-694-5958

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

Q:

Our WSC’s CCN borders that of a nearby city. Between the two CCNs is a small area that’s unclaimed by either system. The city has water lines in some of this area but are at capacity. Now our system has an applicant who would like our WSC to install a water line to his prop erty in this unclaimed area, which city officials have no problem with. What does our WSC need to do in order to legally install this water line and serve customers in this unclaimed area?

the distribution system and customers in existence at the time of the application.

•Facilities Plus 200 Feet – This CCN applies to all the areas within 200 feet of either side of a RPU’s distribution lines and the current and future customers to be served within that 400-foot wide CCN.

•Area CCN – This is a Service Area that is bounded by either metes and bounds or other established lines such as but not limited to, roadways of all types, natural water ways (creeks, lakes, rivers, etc.), cross-country pipelines, electric transmission lines or actual property lines used as part of that outer limits of the CCN.

A: There are many retail public utilities (RPUs) that pro vide water services outside their or any other CCN and have been doing so for years. Cities are not required to have a CCN to serve outside their boundaries, but he Texas Water Code does require that all WSCs obtain a CCN amendment to provide service outside their CCN in Sec. 13.242.

The exception to this statute is primarily if the proposed line extensions are less than one-quarter mile outside their existing CCN boundary and if another RPU is not serving there, as stated in Sec. 13.243.

Because the city already is serving some existing cus tomers outside their city limits, the PUCT may suggest or require a “Dual” CCN be issued for this particular water service area.

There are several types of CCNs authorized in Texas now. Below is a paraphrased description of these types of CCNs.

•Facilities only– A CCN issued which only applies to

•Dual CCN – This is normally when two different RPUs agree to let the new applicants apply for service from either of these two different RPUs. This could mean that a water main belonging to both the RPUs could be on the same side or on opposite sides of the roadway.

If the city agrees to a dual CCN, the application process should go smoothly, but the agreement will need to ad dress how these existing customers outside the CCN will continue to receive water service and whether either the city or WSC will take over all customers, just the future water customers or if the future applicants will be granted a choice of which RPU they’d like to receive water service from. The WSC will still need to comply with all the statu tory requirements for amending their CCN.

There are required forms, maps, and other documents each RPU will need to provide the PUCT before a CCN can be issued. We’d advise you continue to work with the city to mutually agree on the final type of CCN to be requested in this “no man’s land.”

Are Drought Contingency Plans required for all retail public utilities, including Investor-Owned Utilities and Water Supply Corporations?

A: The short answer is yes, all retail public utilities, includ ing Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) and Water Supply Corporations (WSCs), must comply with the rules requiring adoption of a Drought Contingency Plan. TCEQ’s Rule §288.20 spells it out clearly.

Since the plan must be prepared in accordance with Section §288.20, you'll need to think about elements such as the below in coming up with it:

• Provisions to inform the public about the plan, as well as provide opportunity for public input, and to provide continuing education regarding the plan.

• Documentation of coordination with regional water planning groups to ensure consistency.

• Description of criteria for and the procedures to be fol lowed for the initiation and termination of drought response stages in the event of a number of potential situations.

• Specific, quantified targets for water use reductions to be achieved.

• Specific water supply or demand management mea sures to be implemented during each stage of the plan.

• Procedures for enforcement of the plan, as well as granting variances to the plan.

There's more detail in the rule itself, but these are, broad ly speaking, the sorts of issues any water system, regard less of type, will need to develop a plan.

Larry Bell is TRWA's Technical Assistance Director, with more than 30 years experience at the association.

If you have a Technical Question, please email larry.bell@trwa.org or search the archive at https://trwa.org/qualityontap/

‘Salvage Your Scrap’ for America Recycles Day!

Support two great causes at once through TRWA's Salvage Your Scrap initiative!

Each November, millions of people across the United States take part in America Recycles Day. This national initiative on November 15 raises awareness about recycling and reducing waste. And while even the smallest steps toward recycling can have significant benefits for the environment, some rural water systems across Texas have been aiming bigger than cereal boxes and soda cans, and using the proceeds to support the Texas Rural Water Foundation and TRWA's Student Scholarship Program.

While other water systems utilized the Salvage Your Scrap initiative to clean up their utility sites, South Rains SUD has taken it to another level by cleaning up their community while engaging their customers and providing them with a valuable service. In the first year of their program (2017), the utility staff helped community members clean up after a tornado struck the area, in addition to hauling away loads of unwanted scrap metal. Every year since, South Rains customers look forward to bringing their old appliances and other scrap metal to the utility and at the same time giving to a good cause.

TRWF challenges systems to tap into their resources by clean ing up their systems, collecting as much as they can to recycle with their local vendor, and donating the proceeds back to TRWF. All systems who donate a check to the Foundation’s ‘Salvage Your Scrap” by December 31 will be eligible to be entered into a drawing for a feature in Quench in 2023.

The Student Scholarship Program was established to recog nize and assist qualified individuals in their pursuit of a higher education and a potential career in the water or wastewater industry. It helps offset the costs of tuition, fees, books, and/ or room and board. The number of annual scholarships awarded, and the amount of each scholarship is based on the number of qualified applicants and amount of funds in the TRWF Scholarship Fund. Last year, 12 students were awarded scholarships totaling $19,000!

Visit trwa.org/page/scrap or email foundation@trwa.org for more information on the program, including how to participate and donate.

South Rains SUD's Rachel Webb presents TRWA Executive Director Lara Zent with a check for $1,100 for the Texas Rural Water Foundation as part of South Rains' Salvage Your Scrap drive.

TRWA's TexAs TouR

TRWA's District Meetings have been a big success in 2022!

The pandemic paused our plans to put on meetings across the state in 2020, but after hosting several in 2021, this year was the first time we’ve been able to hold two meetings per month in different locations across the state.

Our members took advantage, joining us to earn operator certification credits and meet and form relationships with oth er systems. Training topics included How to Utilize Mapping and Maintaining Assets, Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, Cross-Connection Control and Source Water Protection, to just name a few. Attendees were also able to visit with several vendors and learn about their products and services.

A special thank you goes out to those sponsors who sup ported our efforts in these meetings in 2022. With their generous donations we were able to secure larger venues, provide lunch to attendees and offer great door prizes. Those sponsors included:

• Zenner USA

• Hubble Utility Solutions

• Higginbotham Insurance

• Jacob Martin Engineering

• Ferguson Waterworks

• APSCO

• Aqua Water Supply Corporation

• Dunaway Engineering

• Birome Water Supply Corporation

• San Jacinto SUD

• Maguire Iron

Plans are currently being made for the 2023 meetings which will include new training topics and events. Watch our website, trwa.org/district-meetings, for more information. Get the latest news and updates by signing up for our Pipeline electronic newsletter by visiting trwa.org/enews.

Our member water and wastewater systems have many

talented and knowledgeable utility staff members that may be interested in presenting on a topic at your district meeting. If so, we would like to hear from you. We would need a description of the contents of your presentation and a short bio to obtain CEU approval from TCEQ. Please email deborah.mcmullan@trwa.org to volunteer.

If you missed attending a meeting this year, we encourage you to make plans for 2023. You don’t have to wait for a meeting that is in your TRWA district! You are welcome to attend any and all meetings, as the topics do change from district to district. We’d also like to encourage you to bring a

non-member system with you so that they can discover what TRWA has to offer through membership.

We look forward to bigger and better meetings in 2023 and to seeing each of you there.

TRWA adds to our staff

TRWA added new staff members in October to help us better serve the needs of our members.

In September, Wendi Noble was brought on to TRWA’s Legal Department as our Legal & Executive Assistant.

Born and raised in Southern California, Wendi has been liv ing in Texas since 2006. She consid ers herself a Texan and loves living in this great state! Wendi started her legal career at the age of 19 when she landed her first job as a Receptionist for small law firm in San Diego. Since then, Wendi moved up to Legal Assistant and Paralegal roles in various law firms across California and Texas. She is so happy to call TRWA her new home!

In October, Mary Alice Boehm-McKaughan joined TRWA as the Assistant General Counsel. Mary Alice will be taking over answering member legal questions, writing the Quench article Keep it Legal, and advocating for our members at the Legislature. Originally from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Mary Alice has lived in Texas for more than thirty years.

Mary Alice earned a political science degree from Tufts University in Boston and a law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas. Before coming to work for TRWA, Mary Alice worked for the Law Office of Ramon Garcia in Edinburgh, Texas, pros ecuting mass toxic tort cases all over Texas. She then moved to San Antonio and worked with Martin Drought & Torres practicing business, class action, oil and gas, and employment law.

True to her California roots, Wendi thinks nothing is more relaxing than a beautiful white sand beach. In her spare time, Wendi loves cruising to beautiful beach destina tions. She just went on her ninth cruise in September 2022 and has already booked her tenth, a celebration of 20 years with her husband, Todd.

A typical weekend at the Noble Household includes spending time with Todd and with Lucy, their 50-pound boxer mix/big ball of love. Wendi and Todd are also proud parents of 18-year-old Avery, who graduated high school in May 2022 and recently moved out of state, leaving her parents to enjoy being empty nesters. Some of Wendi’s favorite things to do are happy hour with girlfriends, watching sports, eating great Mexican food and lounging by any body of water she can find!

In 2001, Mary Alice moved to Austin, Texas, to be with her husband and take a job with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, where she stayed for seven years. Mary Alice then opened her own law firm. For twelve years, her firm represented state agencies in contested case hearings, tracked legislation, advised clients on rule changes and assisted Mark Zeppa in representing utility clients. Most recently, Mary Alice worked with the Eminent Domain Section of the Travis County Attorney’s Office.

In her free time Mary Alice loves to hang out with (drive around) her two teenage daughters, cook, thrift shop and

travel to new places, preferably with a beach.

We also brought on veteran water and wastewater professional Trey Daywood as our Water Training & Technical Assistance Specialist, a position funded by the EPA. A native Texan, Trey has 30 years of hands-on ex perience working in many aspects of the water/waste water utility industry, from inspection and operations to maintenance and heavy constructions. He has earned double "A" licenses in both Water and Wastewater and received a number of notices of "no violations" from TCEQ for facilities he operated and managed.

Trey looks forward to receiving approval from TCEQ to teach TRWA classes. With all his experience, Trey thought he knew a lot about the industry, but since coming to TRWA he says he's realized how much more there is to learn.

In addition to his work, Trey is a student and teacher of martial arts, having trained under instructors in judo, Wing Chun and Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do under students

of Lee. He teaches private classes to law enforcement personnel and military recruits, as well as women's self defense classes. He is also an accomplished poet, aspiring novelist and frequent attendee of writing retreats with Austin author Victoria Erickson.

We're happy to welcome Wendi, Mary Alice and Trey to our team!

HANGE IS OMING

A meter changeout can be an intimidating endeavor. Here's how to smooth the process for yours.

By James Wallingsford

Replacing water meters within your system can be a daunt ing task to contemplate. You know how many connections you have. You know roughly how long it takes to replace each meter. The math is pretty easy from there, and it's often intimidating. However, with proper preparation and planning, a changeout program can be made to run very smoothly.

The first thing to determine is if all the meters need to be changed. There are several methods that you might use to figure this out. The most common method is to get an average meter age. You'll likely be able to run a query on meter age in your billing software. Typically, a meter has a life expectancy of 10 to 20 years, though the average tends to lean closer to 20. As meters get older, they lose ef ficiency and unmetered water usage climbs in your system. With an older meter, you not only have a higher percentage of water loss, but you also lose revenue. Typically, if the average age of a meter in your system is 12 to 15 years old, then the entire system is due for a change.

Once you decide a change is needed, then you'll have to de termine which type of meter you are going to purchase for your system. There are three main categories of meters:

• Manual read, which is the standard walk up to the meter and get the reading;

• Automatic Meter Reading (AMR), which allows for either a walk by or drive by collection of readings;

• Advanced Metering Infrastructre (AMI), which al lows for a two-way communication between meter endpoints and a utility endpoint.

There are cost differences to consider with each type of meter, and additional software charg es for the AMR and AMI.

Figuring out your Return on Investment (ROI) is recom mended when determining which type of meter is to be purchased. There are several options for funding, such as going through the meter company, or an outside source.

You will need to send out propos als for bidding. A Request for Proposals is generally used if you are unsure of which type meter you want or a Request for Bids if you know what you want. I'd highly recommend getting a presentation from the contractors who respond, rather than just asking ques tions of them. Ensure that you contact references once you have narrowed down the candidates.

In most cases, entities choose to changeout the larger me ters first. The larger meters bring in your greatest revenue. I would recommend a letter to each large meter user to contact the person in charge of the changeout program so a day and time can be agreed upon for the changeout.

You can use your billing software for help in developing plans for the changeout of smaller, mostly residential meters. The maps and other organizational tools in that software can be a huge help when figuring out how to replace meters in order.

You have to prepare your system for the residential meter change as this is where most of your calls are going to be coming from. Look for ways to head some of these ques tions off. Develop a door hanger with information about the changeout and contact information to be distributed a day before the changeout.

On the day of the changeout, place signs on each end of the street describing that a meter changeout is tak ing place in the neigh borhood. Ensure that the contractor has no ticeable signage on their vehicles that identify them as the correct con tractor for the job and each employee has a name badge.

If you are us ing the meter book map, post it on the web site identifying when each area is scheduled to have their meters replaced. You likely don't need to notify the entire system of the changeout, since a person's meter may not be changed out for months or even years.

As this process begins, be sure you've prepped your system personnel with answers to the questions and concerns that customers will have. A Frequently Asked Questions list posted on your website can both prevent some calls and serve as a resource for your employees when they're answering others. You can use this to explain:

• Why their meter is being replaced;

• Where their meter is located;

• Who will install the meter;

• Will their water service be interrupted;

• Why the switch requires access to their property;

• How much will the meter cost them;

• Whether installers need to come into their house;

• Whether they have to be present for the installation;

• And whether their bill will increase; among others.

There are many ways to run a meter changeout program, but the key lesson on any project of this size is to ensure that you do the work ahead of time to make it easier for yourself and your system. With the right preparation and communication, your system can complete its changeout smoothly.

James Wallingsford is the general manager of Chatfield WSC and was previously an FMT special ist with the Texas Rural Water Association.

Why Choose TRWA?

With the end of the year in sight, TRWA is preparing to kick off its 2023 Membership Drive. Throughout Texas, more water systems than ever before — 871, as of publication time — are enjoying the benefits of TRWA membership.

It's the committment these systems and their people have shown us that has allowed TRWA to grow and thrive, offering more services to more systems than ever before. Keep reading for more information about the benefits your continued membership in our association can offer.

Technical Assistance & Emergency Response

TRWA field staff are experts in the industry and provide hands-on support in a variety of ways to member systems.

We have technical assistance programs funded through the United States Department of Agriculture – Rural Development (USDA – RD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Through these federal and state contracts, TRWA is able to provide direct assistance to water and wastewater systems in need of aid for system viability. This service is free for water systems throughout Texas. If you would like a visit from one of our technical assistance staff, call us at 512-472-8591 and we’ll make sure you get the help you need. We also offer water loss and leak detection and meter flow testing and verification at no cost for members.

In addition to the everyday technical challenges faced by systems through out Texas, TRWA has built up an emergency response service for disasters impacting utilities. TRWA is a part of the Texas Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (TXWARN), a mutual-aid network for free assistance to all utilities. We also maintain generators to help systems get back online in the case of power outage. Your membership grants you access to these vital resources in times of crisis.

Training & Education

Member systems and their employees receive discounts on all training classes and conferences. TRWA continues to provide 25 classroom training courses and multiple online and virtual training opportunities as well. Our online instructor-led courses and self-paced virtual classes are a convenient way for operators to earn valuable credit hours. Learn more at www.trwa.org/training.

TRWA's conferences offer networking opportunities and educational program ming that counts toward licensing requirements. Mark your calendars and plan to join us for RuralWaterCon March 29-31 in Austin, the Training and Technical Conference July 12-13 in Galveston and the Office Professionals Conference on October 5-6 in Frisco.

Legal Services

TRWA's legal team will respond to your utility’s legal questions by phone or email, providing advice as part of your membership. Additional legal ser vices including filing required eminent domain reports with the Comptroller and applications for sales tax exemption for a discounted rate.

Members also have access to a database of past member legal questions and responses at www.trwa.org/keepitlegal. In addition, TRWA maintains a legal defense fund to assist members with representation regarding issues of statewide concern.

Advocacy

TRWA is a strong and effective advocate for rural water in Texas. In 2022, we met with legislators and regulatory agencies in support of our legislative and policy goals, and filed several amicus letters on matters before the PUCT. Our staff testified before committee hearings and helped shape the con versation leading up to the next legislative session.

As a member of TRWA, you are part of our coali tion building for the 2023 legislative session and beyond. We work to protect utilities from bad legis lation and promote policies that foster stability and growth for rural water and wastewater utilities. You will also receive our weekly legislative newsletter.

District Meetings

TRWA organizes regional meetings to connect members and non-members working in the rural water industry throughout Texas. These meetings in clude lunch and at least one free credit hour approved by TCEQ taught by in dustry experts as well as opportunities for networking and interacting with industry vendors.

Publications

Your TRWA membership includes five subscrip tions to Quench, which can be sent to any ad dress you choose. Quench is published six times a year and is Texas’ premier rural water trade magazine.

Additionally, we have a weekly eNewsletter and training newsletter that keeps you updated on the rural water industry as well as TRWA-specific updates like scholarship deadlines and awards applications. Visit www.trwa.org/eNews to subscribe.

We will be posting new meeting dates for 2023 soon. Check out the calendar at www.trwa.org/district-meetings for more information.

GIS and Drone Services

TRWA’s GIS Team has 27 years of combined experience in capturing as sets for water/wastewater systems and developing accurate, user-friendly programs that operators, managers and office staff alike can navigate. Our team uses multiple GIS platforms to cater to the system’s experience and ensure easy use and implementation.

Our aerial and underwater drone services can be used by utilities in a variety of ways, including tank inspections, capturing project progress, performing leak detection by aerial identification and thermal imagery and mapping.

Additional Resources

TRWA has a library of more than 30 publications, including salary and rate surveys, legal handbooks, training manuals, sample policies and tariffs and guidebooks for system operators, managers and directors. We regularly revise these publications to ensure they provide updated and accurate information.

Our website houses archives of questions and answers for members to reference, as well as toolkits filled with links and information on subjects ranging from funding sources to working with state transportation officials. Our weekly enewsletters and social media accounts keep our members and other stakeholders abreast of the latest developments in the rural water community.

Thank you for the dedication and hard work you provide every day serving the rural communities of Texas. We are honored to continue to serve you.

Be on the lookout the rest of the year for information on renewing your membership. The sooner you renew and send in your payment, the easier the process will be. If you have any questions about your membership or need any further assistance, please contact our Membership and Outreach Manager at deborah.mcmullan@trwa.org or (512) 954-1360.

Keeping The Books

By Charles Perkins

When operating something as compli cated as a water or wastewater plant, it helps to have every possible tool at your disposal, well-maintained and accessible for potential use. But many systems forget to keep one of the most valuable tools in their stockpile in a ready condition: their Operations and Maintenance (O&M) manuals and Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.Ps).

According to the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 290, each plant in a water system must have an op erations manual that is specific to that particular plant. There are some important details in the actual rule for

us to talk about, so let's look at the whole thing:

§290.42(l) Plant operations manual.

A thorough plant operations manual must be compiled and kept up to date for operator review and reference. This manual should be of sufficient detail to provide the operator with routine maintenance and repair procedures, with protocols to be utilized in the event of a natural or man-made catastrophe, as well as provide telephone numbers of water system personnel, system officials, and local/state/federal agencies to be contacted in the event of an emergency.

Notice in the language that this manual is to be kept “up to date” for operator review and reference. These manuals

are to be amended and changed when some part of the normal maintenance or operation of the plant changes. It also means that they need to be re viewed periodically to make sure that they reflect the most current informa tion and procedures as they apply to this specific facility and its operation. Too often I see these manuals on a shelf in a pump room gathering dust. We compile them to comply with the rule, then we put them at the various locations where they are required and forget about them until the TCEQ inspector comes around.

But a good O&M manual must be a “living document,” and as such it should be reviewed and amended with as much new information as possible.

Your plant's O&M Manual and SOPs aren't meant to be antiques. They're most useful if they're constantly being updated.

An S.O.P. for writing an S.O.P.

1. The first step should be to identify the desired outcome or condition to be met.

2. List all of the steps you perform when completing the task. It’s important not to leave anything out of the list, no matter how simple or trivial it might seem. Even though you may perform a task so often that you can do it without thinking about it, remember that somewhere down the line someone else might need to perform the same task and they might not have the same specific knowledge that you have.

3. Confer with co-workers or colleagues in your profes sion and get some additional input. This is crucial for

You wouldn't want to reach into your glove box and discover your vehicle's manual actually covers a model from several years earlier.

If your plant's manual hasn't been up dated in a while, then start with some low-hanging fruit: the section with “telephone numbers of water system personnel, system officials, and local/ state/federal agencies to be contacted in the event of an emergency.” This should be updated whenever condi tions are warranted and should be reviewed at least annually to make sure the contact information is correct. It's also relatively easy to do.

Often times we fixate on the part of the rule that states the manual “should be of sufficient detail to provide the operator with routine maintenance and repair procedures, with protocols to be utilized in the event of a natu ral or man-made catastrophe to the

making sure your operating procedure is in fact standard. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, and someone else’s perspective might give you a better idea or show you a more efficient way. Remember that different people have different experiences and bring differ ent perspectives to the table.

4. Write the steps down clear ly and concisely and give the document a title. It might be “S.O.P. for changing gas chlorine cylinders at Plant No.1”, or something similar to differentiate this from other S.O.P.s you have adopted. You should also include a date when this S.O.P. was written (or revised) and maybe even the name of the person who is writing it. This will help in

determining when the proce dure should be reviewed, and ultimately who should do that review.

5. Have the S.O.P. reviewed again by all personnel who may be involved in operating the plant and performing the procedure. This allows more discussion and input and an opportunity for changes and improvements.

6. Finally, the S.O.P. should be included in the O&M manual for that facility. Having a section in the O&M manual with specific instructions can be of huge benefit both in times of emergency and during times when normal operations per sonnel are not available.

detriment of the routine. "Routine" is different for each plant, and these manuals can also be used to outline the best way to operate the plant or its components under normal conditions as well, or when certain unique situ ations may arise that might be more common at a particular facility than elsewhere. I can personally attest that there have been times in my career when a good written set of instruc tions on how a particular action was to be performed at a specific location would have been very helpful to say the least. That is where the S.O.P. comes into play.

An S.O.P. is a set of written step-by step instructions that gives direction on how to perform a task. We all use S.O.P.s every day without consciously thinking about it. If you have a certain way of getting dressed in the morn ing, say you alway put your belt on before your socks, then that is your

S.O.P. for getting dressed. It’s not complicated, so you don’t bother to write it down, but nevertheless it’s a certain procedure that is followed to complete a task.

The goal is to come up with a concise list of steps needed to complete the task at hand. It’s important to make the instructions as simple and clearly written as possible. Anyone who has ever tried to assemble furniture from a certain Swedish furniture company can tell you that a good set of instruc tions makes the job a whole lot easier. (For instructions on writing your own S.O.P.s, see the sidebar above.)

Creating S.O.P.s for the tasks per formed at each plant (and it may well be the same S.O.P. with a slightly different title that is used at differ ent locations) can be beneficial to new personnel as well as seasoned

personnel who may not be familiar with that particular facility.

But not all operations are standard. There are times at certain facilities when special or unique conditions may arise whose remedies may require more specific steps than what is listed in the S.O.P. In these cases, operators have usually made notes in logbooks to indicate what steps they have taken to address these unique situations.

While having an accurate record in the log is certainly beneficial, it can also take much time and effort to go back through those books to find solutions for problems which may arise. For this reason, it is not only helpful but ex pedient to write a “Unique Operating Procedure” listing those steps taken when these issues have arisen in the past.

For example, let us say that a particular water plant has a history of the hydro pneumatic tank losing the air blanket. Let us say also that when this occurs, the pumps have a habit of becoming air locked. Another example would be at a wastewater treatment facility where air lift pumps have a habit of becoming clogged. Perhaps these conditions can easily be remedied by following a few specific steps which personnel unfamiliar with this type of equipment may not know. If the operators of these facilities have dealt

with these situations in the past and have thereby found the most efficient method of dealing with these prob lems, why not write up a supplemental step-by-step set of instructions to help the next person who may encounter this issue? If nothing else, this might help to ensure that the original op erator who solved this problem in the past is not roused from a good night’s sleep at two in the morning by a less experienced operator or by someone who hasn’t dealt with this kind of is sue before.

post these types of unique procedures in that section.

Writing S.O.P.s both for routine prac tices as well as unique conditions and placing these instructions in the plant O&M manual will create a centralized location for information that can be of vital importance to the smooth operation of a facility. Making sure the O&M manual is readily accessible to anyone who might need it can help to eliminate confusion and loss of time and manpower by providing clear in structions on what to do when certain situations arise. Dating the S.O.P.s and setting aside a period for review will help ensure that both the S.O.P.s and the O&M manuals don’t sit on the shelf and gather too much dust.

These types of Unique Operating Procedures can be given the heading of an S.O.P. as long as it is clearly outlined in the title that this procedure is only to be performed under certain circumstances, and not as a normal part of the daily operation of the facil ity, such as “S.O.P. for Clogged Return Activated Sludge (RAS) Pump”, or “S.O.P. for Loss of Air Blanket.” It may be useful to create a supplemental section in the O&M manual to address unique situations that are known to occur at each specific facility, and to

The O&M manual is akin to a toolbox and the S.O.P. is one of the tools it contains, but a toolbox is only as good as the tools which are placed within it. Keeping your O&M manual sharp can be of great benefit to a system and to the personnel who operate the individual facilities.

Charles Perkins is an Energy Efficiency Circuit Rider with the Texas Rural Water Association.

INDUSTRY

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NEEDLEINAHAYSTACK

By James Smith

When it comes to Lead Service Line replacement, the biggest problem is that many systems don’t know how big the problem is.

There are millions of lead pipes in the ground that carry water to homes and businesses. They are found more densely in the Midwest and Northeast, but were used in areas all over the country, in cluding some parts of Texas. Their removal has become a prior ity because the lead in these pipes has been shown to leach into the drinking water, which can cause seri ous health problems, especially for children. Studies have shown that lead that makes its way into the body through drinking water can lower IQ, stunt development and cause behavior problems.

But before they can be removed, they must be found. Many systems don’t have detailed records of the materials or locations of pipes

that were installed decades ago. This has led the EPA to require that water systems prepare an inventory of their service lines by October of 2024,

and for all.

with the goal of removing them and the health problems they cause from the nation’s water infrastructure once

But there’s good reason for your system to compile its inventory even earlier than that, since billions of dollars in new federal funding is becoming available to address the problem. The infrastructure bill signed by the President last year offers $15 billion to tal for the problem of lead pipes, which means some towns and water systems could be left behind if they don’t know where their affected lines are, beat out by systems and cities in a better position to start digging once their application for funds comes through. This knowledge gap could prove to be a big hurdle over the next two years. If a system isn’t sure whether its pipes are leaded, PVC or cop per, then it might not even know to apply or whether it might be eligible to receive some of these funds.

Systems that don't start to inventory their lead service lines could get left behind

The problem is bigger than the fact that many systems don’t have accu rate records about their materials. To comply with the EPA requirements for lead service line inventories, utili ties have to catalog the material of the entire service line on both the utility and customer side, not just to the meter but all the way to the residence or building. For many systems, that might be more infrastructure than they’re used to keeping records on. (It does not, however, include the pipes in the customer’s home or business.)

The information required to com plete the EPA’s sample inventory is extensive, but broadly speaking, the information can be broken down into the following categories:

• The methods by which your sys tem completed its inventory, such as verifying materials during meter readings, line repairs or other normal operations. Reviewing records such as tap cards, permits submitted for con struction or reviewing information from your county appraisal district might tell you which material was used for the purposes of completing the inventory.

• The materials, locations and es timated dates of installation for service lines on both the utility and customer sides. If possible, take

pictures and verify locations or get GPS coordinates for each of the lines, which will help you keep track of the information. One benefit of doing your homework in advance to identify date of installation is to minimize the workload of searching out lead lines in your system. For example, construction after 1988 can be set to lower priority since lead lines were banned then under the Lead Contamination Control Act. Knowing when your lines were installed can guide your focus to areas with older installations.

• Any special information about who might be affected by potential lead lines, such as whether the location is a school, day care or a multi-family home.

It’s important to note that the EPA does not recommend waiting until your inventories are completed to be gin Lead Service Line Replacement, since time is of the essence to minimize negative health effects. But the Lead Service Line Inventories are just the beginning of the LSL Replacement process. From there, the EPA asks that systems:

1. Identify the areas most impacted by lead service lines.

2. Strengthen drinking water treatment

requirements.

3. Replace lead service lines.

4. Increase sampling reliability with new procedures and to better target locations with higher lead levels.

5. Improve risk communication with customers.

6. Protect children in schools and childcare facilities by requiring wa ter systems to take drinking water samples from the schools and child care facilities served by the system.

Each of these subsequent steps will be made significantly easier if you first have good information about where the lead service lines might be in your system. The sooner you know if and where you might have problem areas, the sooner you can address those problems and get your system’s health to where it needs to be.

James Smith is a Circuit Rider with the Texas Rural Water Association.

TRWA Briefs

Submit your nominations for TRWA's Awards of Excellence today! We're accepting nominations in three individual categories:

• Excellence in Administration

• Excellence in System Management

• Excellence in Operations As well as two system-wide categories:

• Small System Excellence (1,500 or fewer connections)

• Large System Excellence (More than 1,500) Get more information or start your nomination now by visiting trwa.org/awards for individual awards and trwa.org/systemawards for system awards. Individual winners receive a $500 prize, while system winners receive a $1,000 prize.

Anyone can nominate an individual or a system, but please remember eligibility is limited to TRWA members and their employees. Former award winners are not eligible. All entries must be submitted or postmarked by January 30, 2023, to be considered.

The Texas Rural Water Foundation is now accepting applications for our Student Scholarships for the 20232024 academic year.

This year, TRWF is using a new online platform for scholarship submissions, which will make applying easier for students. You can find the link to the plat form on our Student Scholarship page at trwa.org/ student-scholarships.

The TRWF Scholarship Committee is particularly interested in supporting students who seek a ca reer relating to the water and/or wastewater industry or a career that will support rural Texas, especially veterans who are pursuing these same career goals. Former student scholarship recipients are invited to apply for a continued scholarship.

All applications must be submitted in full by 5 p.m. on February 6, 2023. If you have any questions, email foundation@trwa.org.

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

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Whether you joined our rural water community recently or have been a member for years and years, TRWA invites you to make sure you're getting everything our association has to offer by checking to make sure your membership information is up to date.

Having the right email, phone number and address for our members helps us serve you and your system better by ensuring you're getting all of our benefits. (See page 18 in the magazine for more information on those.)

Visit trwa.org/page/update to follow the steps to ensure your information is correct and up to date. Thank you!

Make sure you're signed up for our weekly e-newsletters

Don't miss any of the opportunities TRWA has to offer by making sure you and others at your system are receiving TRWA's two weekly e-newsletters, the Weekly Pipeline on Thursdays and the Training Pipeline on Tuesdays.

The Weekly Pipeline features all the latest TRWA news as well as upcoming deadlines, updates from TCEQ, the EPA and the NRWA. It's your source for everything TRWA is doing, as well as more insight into what's going on at both the state and national levels.

The Training Pipeline has a special focus on the wide variety of different continuing education opportunities available to water and wastewater professionals, from TRWA's own in-person and virtual training seminars to events put on by our partners or other groups that we think our members would benefit from.

Next January, when the Texas Legislature convenes for its 88th Session, we'll resume our Capitol Pipeline, which provides weekly legislative news on issues that affect the rural water community.

To sign up for one or more of these, visit trwa.org/page/ eNews and click the links to subscribe. (If you have signed up but aren't receiving them, check your spam folder to make sure they aren't getting sorted out.) The Weekly and Training Pipelines are not limited to TRWA members, so if you know someone in the rural water community who might be able to benefit but isn't a member of TRWA, encourage them to sign up as well.

Celebrated November 14-20, National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is a nationwide celebration established by the U.S. Department of Labor to bring together leading business, labor, education and other critical partners to showcase the impact Registered Apprenticeship programs have on shaping the American workforce and building a pipeline to good, quality jobs and well-paying, lifelong careers.

Dennis Fournier began his employment with McCoy WSC a year ago. Dennis is from Leming, Texas, which falls in the McCoy WSC service area, and is a gradu ate of Pleasanton High School. He enjoys fishing and looks forward to the a long career with McCoy WSC.

NAW gives employers, including sponsors and provid ers, the opportunity to showcase their programs, facilities and apprentices so that career seekers can learn more about the benefits of Registered Apprenticeship and the programs that are available in their communities. During NAW events, apprentices have a platform to share their apprenticeship experience and how it has transformed their lives, while employers can showcase their programs, facilities and apprentices so that career-seekers can learn more about the benefits of Registered Apprenticeship.

The water and wastewater utility industry is especially wellsuited to benefit from the combination of training and onthe-job experience Registered Apprenticeship can provide. Advancements in water treatment and supply technology have increased the skills and training required of this work force, but over the next decade, the water sector is expected to lose between 30 and 50 percent of the workforce to retirement. Many of these employees have worked at the same utility for the majority of their careers, and they will depart with decades of valuable institutional knowledge. Apprenticeship offers the opportunity to transfer some of that knowledge to a new generation of workers.

That process has already begun in Texas, with the inaugura tion of TRWA's first Registered Apprenticeship Program class. Meet the apprentices and mentors participating:

Adan Guerrero

Adan is a new Field Operator for Wickson Creek Special Utility District. Adan is from Bryan, Texas and enjoys playing with his 1-year-old daughter, spending time with family and playing soccer. Before coming to Wickson Creek, Adan worked as a carpenter.

Robert Garza

Program mentor Robert Garza was born and raised in Atascosa County. Robert began his career with McCoy Water Supply in 2009 as a water operator and became Field Operations Manager in 2016, overseeing the entire McCoy WSC water distribution network throughout Atascosa, Live Oak and Wilson Counties. In his spare time you can find Robert at the baseball field or on the golf course looking for his golf ball.

Kyle Eppler

Program mentor Kyle Eppler was born and raised in Mason, Texas and is a graduate of Texas Tech University. He began working at Wickson Creek SUD in 2010, and now serves as the Assistant General Manager. Kyle is also a graduate of the TRWA’s first Emerging Leaders Class and serves TRWA's District 10 as an Alternate Director.

For more in formation on TRWA's Registered Apprenticeship Program, visit trwa.org/RAP. To learn more about National Apprenticeship Week, visit appren ticeship.gov/NAW.

Dennis Fournier

National Apprenticeship

with TRWA

The