TRWA Awards Honor Individuals and Systems that Demonstrate Excellence
Also Inside:
North Alamo WSC to Conduct Pilot Test of Energy Efficiency Alternatives for Treating Groundwater Protecting Your Storage Tank from Lightning Strikes July/August 2019 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 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) Rhonda Shaw Rusk (District 14)
TRWA Staff
Leadership Team
Lara Zent Allison Kaminsky Lisa Adams Larry Bell Celia Eaves Janice Gibbs, CPA Trent Hightower Jason Knobloch Angela Russell, CMP
Executive Director & General Counsel Deputy Executive Director Foundation Development Director Technical Assistance Director Professional Development & Training Director Finance Director Assistant General Counsel Environmental Services Director Member Services Director
ext. 101 ext. 107 ext. 105 cell: 512-964-8133 ext. 134 ext. 102 ext. 106 ext. 137 ext. 108
Amanda Ashcraft Melody Bennett Ross Brookbank Pam Cantrell Emily Collins Kelsey Copeland Patti Flunker Angela Harris Ariane Walker
Office Manager Project Support Specialist Assistant Environmental Services Director Accounting Support Specialist Administrative Assistant Communications Specialist Paralegal Project Support Specialist Training Support Specialist
ext. 100 ext. 130 ext. 132 ext. 139 ext. 138 ext. 155 ext. 110 ext. 131 ext. 111
Thomas Acker, Jr. Michael Beadnell Nathan Cantrell Alex Eaves Paul King Deborah McMullan Charles Perkins Bruce Pearson Refugio Rodriguez James Smith Quentin Turner William White Scott Willeford Gilbert Ybarbo
Instructor Instructor Wastewater Technician Wastewater Technician Circuit Rider Source Water Protection Specialist Circuit Rider Instructor FMT Specialist Circuit Rider FMT Specialist Assistant Technical Assistance Director FMT Specialist FMT Specialist
cell: (512) 751-6337 cell: (512) 924-4552 cell: (512) 924-7158 cell: (512) 964-7203 cell: (512) 913-9753 cell: (512) 923-5842 cell: (512) 964-2108 cell: (512) 922-4942 cell: (512) 923-5812 cell: (512) 964-9234 cell: (512) 517-9889 cell: (512) 924-4233 cell: (512) 657-8813 cell: (512) 317-2003
Office Staff
Field Staff
Contact the Editor
Editorial and advertising inquiries may be directed to the Communications Department at editor@trwa.org. Join the conversation at: www.facebook.com/TexasRuralWaterAssn 2
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Find us at @TexasRuralWater for industry and legislative news relevant to you!
Features:
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TRWA Awards Honor Individuals and Systems that Demonstrate Excellence By Allison Kaminsky, Texas Rural Water Association Nominate an individual or a system for one of TRWA's annual awards!
North Alamo WSC to Conduct Pilot Test of Energy Efficiency Alternatives for Treating Groundwater
By Nora Garza, North Alamo WSC North Alamo WSC is testing nanofiltration as an energy saving technique in using reverse osmosis to produce drinking water.
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In Every Issue: Letter from the President Letter from the Executive Director
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Ask Larry
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Keep it Legal
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Answers to your technical questions Answers to your legal questions
Advertiser Index Plan Ahead
TRWA’s Calendar of Events
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Monitoring Plans: What Do We Need to Know?
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TRWA Briefs
The City of Seguin's WWTP Success Story: Reducing Total Phosphorus
By Gilbert Ybarbo, Texas Rural Water Association Read about one city's compliance struggles with phosphorus discharges and how they overcame them.
Wiping Out the Problem: Flushable Items in Sanitary Sewer Systems
By Alex Eaves, Texas Rural Water Association So-called "flushable" items, such as wet-wipes, are causing major problems for wastewater treatment plants.
Protecting Your Storage Tank from Lightning Strikes
By Erin Schmitt, Pittsburg Tank and Tower Group Are you taking the right precautions to protect your storage tanks from lightning strikes?
Converting a Problem into an Opportunity: Achieving Compliance While Saving Money
By Mike Tibbets, Hayter Engineering, Inc. Hear first-hand how Central Bowie County WSC overcame compliance challenges and turned a potentially costly challenge into a money saving solution. By Bruce Pearson, Texas Rural Water Association Learn all you need to know about this document that overviews the monitoring of up-to-date chemical and microbiological sampling. Save the Date for Our Fall Conferences; Call for 2020 Conference Presentation Proposals; Welcome to TRWA's New Utility Members; Take Advantage of TRWA's Direct-to-Consumer Magazine
On the Cover: Small Town Sunset by Kelsey Copeland, 2019 PhotoStream Category Winner Quench — July/August 2019 3
President’s Message Howdy Texas Rural Water Association!
“Consider serving everyone you encounter with a kind smile, a nice compliment and a sincere heart.”
I returned to work four weeks ago after a vacation to the rural western United States that I had dreamed of my whole life. My beautiful wife, Nancy, planned a 20-day trip for the two of us and our five children. We went to the Rio Grande River basin and mountains of northern New Mexico, Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, Grand Tetons National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Craters of the Moon National Park, Great Salt Lake, white water rafting in the mountains of Idaho and spent some quiet time at my cousin’s Idaho mountain cabin with no cell service. The time to reconnect to the beauty of God’s creations (particularly in water features) and fun time with family lulled me into a peace that I still feel today. Finding peace has been difficult for many with the very tragic events that occurred in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. I ask you to pray for the victims, their family and friends, and our country to find healing. It is hard for almost all of us to conceive someone being so disconnected from good in the world and wanting to do that much harm to so many others. Each of us in the rural water business see people from all walks of life, with many different experiences and difficulties that they face. I have spoken before about best-in-class customer service, but consider serving everyone you encounter with a kind smile, a nice complement and a sincere heart. Kindness is a contagious thing. You individually and collectively can spread that kindness around and may be the spark that brings goodness and peace to people at a time when they desperately need it. Stay cool in the summer heat. Get out and dip your toes in the water and find your peace. Until next time, keep the water going with a 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, Your Texas Rural Water Association staff team is working hard every day to support our utility members and the communities they serve. We provide legal consultation, technical assistance, training, on-site support, rate studies, numerous publications and sample policies, workforce services and advocacy before the Texas legislature and regulatory agencies. This past year, we put together a one-page graphic (included on page 27 of this issue) illustrating how the value of a TRWA membership far outweighs the cost of membership. All our members have access to these great resources, but not all systems are aware of everything TRWA has to offer. I was approached by one of the participants of our Emerging Leaders Program at the training in June. He is a relatively new manager who was hired to bring up to standard a water system that had been mismanaged. He wanted to thank me for all the assistance he receives to support him in his position which he has found invaluable. He regularly calls for legal advice and receives on-going training and support from his TRWA circuit rider. Several of our members provided feedback that they appreciated receiving our weekly Capitol Pipeline, the legislative e-newsletter we launched this year, that kept members updated about what was happening at the Capitol that could impact water systems. We also made it easy to send emails to your legislators on key issues. Members asked if we would continue a weekly newsletter in a similar format, keeping members up to date on relevant issues, in addition to TRWA’s offerings. In July, we began sending this e-newsletter each Friday.
“Please let me know what TRWA can offer that would better serve your needs.”
A new initiative we will be working on for the rest of this year and next is organizing local TRWA district meetings where utility staff can receive training, share knowledge with each other and get to know their local legislative leaders. These types of meetings have been very successful in some areas of the state and help utilities feel connected with each other and with the association. I would like your feedback! Please let me know what TRWA can offer that would better serve your needs. In 2020, we will be revising our Strategic Plan. It would be helpful for us to know what priorities our members would like us to focus on in the next four years. My best,
Lara Zent Executive Director and General Counsel Texas Rural Water Association
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TRWA Awards Honor Individuals and Systems that Demonstrate Excellence
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By Allison Kaminsky, Deputy Executive Director, Texas Rural Water Association
on’t miss the opportunity to nominate your system or one of your colleagues for our TRWA Awards of Excellence! Every year, rural water systems across Texas submit nominations for these prestigious awards honoring those who exemplify excellence, dedication and achievement. Our individual awards were created to recognize the shining stars of our member utilities, seeking to honor their spirit and commitment in support of their system and the larger community. Individual awards are given in the following categories. The Excellence in System Management award recognizes any manager of a member utility who exemplifies exceptional leadership and oversight skills. This includes general managers, superintendents, assistant general managers, system managers, plant managers, etc. We want to hear about what makes these leaders so important to you! The Excellence in Administration award is meant for any and all office personnel whose support and dedication keep their utility’s office administration running smoothly on a day-to-day basis. This includes office managers, administrative assistants, bookkeepers, accounting clerks, customer service representatives, secretaries, receptionists, etc. Take this opportunity to appreciate someone who makes your life easier. The Excellence in Operations award is designed to recognize any personnel who are instrumental in the technical operations of your utility, and go above and beyond the call of duty in their work. This could include any operator, instrument or maintenance technician, field manager, utility service worker, etc., whose expertise and hard work are an invaluable asset to your system. Don’t miss your chance to recognize your employee or coworker for working tirelessly to keep your system operations running smoothly. New this year, we have expanded the criteria for our annual system-wide awards! We will still give out two awards — the Small System Excellence Award, for systems serving 1,500 or fewer connections, and 6
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the Large System Excellence Award, for systems serving more than 1,500 connections — though instead of reviewing efforts in a specific category, the Awards Committee is looking for stories of hard work and success across the board! Use this opportunity to showcase whatever it is that sets your system apart from the rest, and share your ideas with your industry peers who can learn from your successes. Are you employing innovative technologies or processes? Did you do something special to engage with your community? Did you make significant efforts to improve your system? Did you successfully launch a grassroots campaign or activity to foster political participation? Tell us about it! To nominate your system, fill out our Awards of Excellence nomination form and tell us in 1000 words or less why your system stands out and deserves this award. Only TRWA member systems are eligible, but anyone can nominate your system for an Award of Excellence. Get started on your nomination now and submit it online at www.trwa.org. Please remember that eligibility is limited to TRWA members and their employees and that former award winners are not eligible. All entries must be postmarked or delivered by February 3, 2020 to be considered. All award winners will be honored during the Awards Ceremony at RuralWaterCon in March and will be featured in the spring issue of this magazine. Individual winners will each receive a $500 prize and a commemorative plaque. The system-wide winners will each receive a $1000 prize and commemorative plaques. Special thanks goes out to our Awards of Excellence sponsors, CoBank, Master Meter, Inc., AIA Insurance Agency, Inc. and Live Oak Bank. If you have any questions about the nomination form or the awards process, or if you are interested in sponsoring one of the awards, please contact the TRWA Communications Department at 512-472-8591 or editor@trwa.org.
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North Alamo WSC to Conduct Pilot Test of Energy Efficiency Alternatives for Treating Groundwater By Nora Garza, Customer Service Outreach Coordinator, North Alamo WSC
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orth Alamo Water Supply Corporation (NAWSC), based in Edinburg, Texas, leads the state in number of water treatment facilities using reverse osmosis to produce drinking water. Now, they are testing nanofiltration to make the process even more energy efficient. Using nanofiltration to treat brackish groundwater could be a game changer for water-thirsty Texas. Faced with a long, ongoing drought, NAWSC has tapped into groundwater to supply its customers with a reliable source of safe drinking water since 2004, building its first reverse osmosis water treatment plant in Lasara. Groundwater in the Rio Grande Valley is often brackish, or salty. Desalination, the process to remove salts and other minerals, is energy intensive, making it more expensive than processing surface water. As the largest rural water supplier in Texas, part of the NAWSC mission is to produce water at the lowest cost possible. With an eye to conserving electricity in the treatment of raw water, General Manager Steven P. Sanchez turned to engineering firm Freese and Nichols Inc. for their expertise. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Freese and Nichols recently evaluated energy-efficient alternatives for brackish groundwater desalination plants and found that nanofiltration could significantly reduce the amount of electricity used by NAWSC to treat brackish groundwater. The study received funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and matching funds from North Alamo Water Supply Corporation, Brownsville Public Utilities Board, McAllen Public Utility and Freese and Nichols. The modeling and analyses for NAWSC found that replacing reverse osmosis membranes with nanofiltration membranes at two facilities would cut desalination energy use by 52.2 percent at one plant and 49.8 percent at the other. The switch also would provide for a small increase in production and allow the plants to continue meeting water quality standards. “To test the feasibility of nanomembranes, North 8
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Standing in the reverse osmosis plant that will be the site of a nanofiltration pilot test are NAWSC managers (from left) Agustin Gomez, wastewater department; Robert Rodriguez, water department; Steven P. Sanchez, general manager.
Alamo Water is considering a pilot project at a cost of $160,000,” said Sanchez, NAWSC general manager. “The results will be used to determine if nanotechnology will be installed in existing and future water treatment plants.” NAWSC operates four brackish groundwater desalination plants (and co-operates a fifth), making it the water system with the most desalination facilities in Texas. The system provides potable water and wastewater utility service for rural residents in eastern Hidalgo, Willacy and northwestern Cameron counties. The service area encompasses 973 square miles in the Rio Grande Regional Planning Area (Region M) and a population of 180,000. The Freese and Nichols team studied options and concluded that nanofiltration membranes could replace the existing RO elements with minimal infrastructure adjustments while yielding substantial energy use benefits. “It’s fairly innovative to be looking at nanofiltration for desalination plants,” said Jason Cocklin, who is project co-manager with Jorge Arroyo, both of Treatment, Transmission & Utilities, Austin. “Traditionally, it’s been reverse osmosis, which has
a really tight membrane that allows water molecules through but is relatively impermeable for salt. Nanofiltration elements have a looser membrane and require less energy in the feedwater stream.” But, he said, the specific circumstances of NAWSC’s operations, along with advancements in membrane technology, make nanofiltration a good fit. Incremental retrofitting and expansion of well field capacity is projected to increase NAWSC’s droughtproof supplies by 33 percent. And with the energy savings, the new membranes are expected to pay for themselves within a few years. Arroyo said this project offers new ways of viewing the viability of brackish groundwater to supplement drinking water supplies. “Although Texas sits atop of an ocean of brackish groundwater, developing this source into a fresh water supply is often considered too expensive,” Arroyo said. “The NAWSC study shows an innovative path to lower the energy required to desalinate and, thus, reduce the cost to produce brackish groundwater desalination supplies.” A successful pilot study to verify performance and provide data for designing a nanofiltration system “would change the outlook for tapping into brackish
groundwater sources in Texas,” he said. The Freese and Nichols team included Client Representative Ray Longoria; Account Director, Fort Worth Mike Morrison; Mark Graves, Michael Sherer and Oliver Haugland, all of Treatment, Transmission & Utilities in Austin; and Dave Buzan, Environmental Science/Coastal, Austin. If you have questions about this article, you may contact Nora Garza, customer service outreach coordinator for NAWSC, at ngarza@nawsc.com. Quench Bus Card Ad 2018 .qxp 2/22/18 8:01 PM Page 1
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The City of Seguin's WWTP Success Story: Reducing Total Phosphorus By Gilbert Ybarbo, FMT Specialist, Texas Rural Water Association
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n 2010, as part of a focus on reducing phosphorus discharges, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) proposed a limit of 1 mg/l. The City of Seguin’s wastewater treatment plants had been discharging in a concentration range of 12-18 mg/l which became apparent with their annual influent and effluent pollutant scans. Seeing the significant and unplanned cost to comply, the City of Seguin asked for a meeting with TCEQ officials to request more time to investigate. As talks progressed, TCEQ stated they were mainly interested in dropping effluent phosphorus below 5 mg/l, the threshold limit for harm to the Guadalupe River. After more discussion, the state agreed not to impose the limit for three years, giving the City time to study the problem and consider alternative options other than plant process upgrades. With the extension given to comply, the City worked with representatives from TRC, the city’s consulting engineering firm, to develop a sampling and monitoring plan. The sample points were established to test influent at the plant and at all the city’s main sewer trunk lines so that the team could determine what section of the city, and thus which customers, were the main phosphorus contributors. The monitoring revealed that the largest source of phosphorus was the poultry plant, followed by the engine plant, and then a number of connections that included restaurants and other commercial establishments. The team set out to talk to the customers and explain the problem. The City provided assistance to commercial users to find the ideal points to sample and trace the water quality for total phosphorus within their facilities using blueprints of the location. The City performed camera inspections of lines, did smoke testing and used ink dye where smoke testing was not an option in efforts to find cross connections that could be contributing to the problem. Staff looked at floor scrubbers and identified the types of detergent they were using. The idea was to find any concentrations of total phosphorus and trace it up stream to reduce and/or eliminate it by containment 10
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or by promoting best management practices (BMP). In Seguin, the restaurants changed the detergents and cleaning products to phosphorus-friendly chemicals. They also began making sure their grease traps were serviced regularly, since the grease trap is the most important part. If it’s being cleaned properly, none of the detergents or other constituents will enter the wastewater stream. A good city ordinance for cleaning grease traps, as well as good building inspections for drain line separation, was in place; however, the grease trap cleaning was not being conducted by the commercial user nor was it being enforced until then. Trap maintenance also benefited restaurants because frequent pumping meant they were not regularly spending money to have plumbers unclog blocked drains. In reviewing manifests from the previous year, the City found proper grease trap pumping kept about 250,000 gallons of grease waste out of the city system. Also, the influent spikes of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) had dropped off significantly from about 180 mg/l to about 100 mg/l. With new customers, the utility was taking a proactive approach and meeting with them before a project began. The City provided educational material about the problems phosphorus can cause and how staying in front of it can really help reduce problems in the system. When the time came to renew the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit in 2015, the City of Seguin received a pleasant but anticipated surprise. The total phosphorus limit was removed with the help of careful benchmark sampling studies, engineering and planning, and education to the customers. The City of Seguin not only beat the proposed 5 mg/l limit, but avoided having a phosphorus limit in its current permit. That saved customers millions of dollars in plant upgrades. The City reached its success in reducing the phosphorus by working closely with customers upstream to reduce phosphorus inputs to the system. Money saved by avoiding a wastewater treatment plant upgrade could instead be focused on improving and expanding existing treatment facilities. If the
City had installed equipment at its treatment plants to remove phosphorus, the associated costs of procuring, running and operating the equipment, as well as engineering fees could have reached $1 to $2 million. Chemical costs would have been about an additional $120,000 annually and resulted in more solids to deal with. The end result for the system was that they had a new NPDES Permit good through August 2020 that was free from the total phosphorus limit and would continue to remain so as long as the effluent pollutant scans continued to reflect low concentrations below the 5 mg/l. With the continued effort and support from the city’s utility staff, building inspectors, health inspector and customer cooperation, the City continued to report the total phosphorus levels dropping to and maintaining at 1-2 mg/l concentration. The City was very proud of the combined effort and won the Top Performance Award from the National Trade Promotion organization (TPO). If you have questions about this article, please contact Gilbert Ybarbo at Gilbert.Ybarbo@trwa.org or by calling (512) 317-2003.
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Wiping Out the Problem: Flushable Items in Sanitary Sewer Systems
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By Alex Eaves, Wastewater Technician, Texas Rural Water Association
major problem has been rearing its ugly head across the United States and worldwide— “flushable” items in sanitary sewer systems. These products are marketed as flushable, disposable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly, but they are causing major issues and costly maintenance bills for the treatment plant. These items may eventually break down over time, but sometimes we fail to consider how long it takes them to biodegrade.
refuse from entering the treatment plant. I personally could name at least a dozen systems that routinely pull their pumps each Friday just to prevent the staff being called out on weekends. That is unreasonable and expensive, not to mention unfair to the staff we rely on to keep us safe. On the environmental side, these wipes do not just go away—they have to be contained and disposed of properly. This results in more manpower expended, which means more cost for the system.
The topic that is at the forefront in the wastewater treatment business is the overuse of wet-wipes, or baby wipes, which are being flushed into the sanitary sewer systems. Yes, they do go down the drain and may even make it through the piping system, but what happens after that? I’ll tell you what—a major environmental and labor problem.
I have a challenge for each system reading this article. Please put a notice out to your consumers, whether it be with your utility bill, in a newsletter, on social media, in TRWA’s consumer magazine, etc. This situation affects us all, so we need to do our part in educating the customers and making them aware that the cost of wastewater treatment will continue to go up unless they do their part. Try to appeal to the importance of protecting the environment and protecting their pocketbook. It is not flush and forget—it could be flush and regret!
I have been in the water treatment business for thirty years, and up until the past 15 years, the main use of wet-wipes was cleaning up after babies during diaper changes, and they were disposed of with the diaper in the waste basket and ultimately ended up in the landfill. That is where they belong. However, this has changed in recent years, and the products are being marketed toward adults for everyday use. I visit with rural water utilities on a daily basis and have an intimate knowledge of the challenges they face both operationally and financially. The flushing of these products is causing a major problem for the treatment systems. The influx of these wipes causes equipment at the treatment plant to not work as efficiently, which also causes the plant to expend more energy. In some cases, it has even caused equipment failure, which is even more costly. All these issues put the treatment process at risk.
Keep our systems flowing efficiently by keeping your customers informed and wipes, paper towels and plastics out of sewer systems. Take care, and thanks for all you do for your customers and the quality of our greatest asset: Water! If you have questions about this article, you may reach me at alex.eaves@trwa.org or by calling 512-964-7203.
Additionally, it affects the personnel responsible for the sewer collection and treatment systems. Work hours escalate due to having to pull pumps to unclog them, clean out clogged sewer lines and prevent the Quench — July/August 2019 13
Protecting Your Storage Tank from Lightning Strikes By Erin Schmitt, Media Director, Pittsburg Tank and Tower Group
S
torage tanks and towers stand tall, subjecting them to lightning strikes. These tanks and towers are also often made of metal – making them good conductors of electricity. There are about 1.4 billion lightning strikes every year globally, according to the Met Office, the United Kingdom’s national weather service. Depending on the convection levels and presence of moistureladen air masses, some areas of the world are more prone to lightning than others. Six regions in the world – The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Northwestern South America, The Himalayan Forelands, Central Florida, the Pampas of Argentina, and Indonesia – have intense lightning activity. The Central Florida region, roughly between Tampa and Orlando, has been called “lightning alley” due to the frequency of lightning strikes. Between 2007-2011, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 301 fires at outside storage tanks, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These fires caused an annual average of one civilian injury and cost $3 million in direct property damage. Storms, or specifically lightning, attributed to 1/3 of all storage fires. Nearly half – 46 percent - of fires at outside storage tanks occurred from May to August. July and August are the months with the most lightning strikes in the United States. Installing some form of lightning protection for 14
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water tanks has often been overlooked in the past. After all, there is nothing to burn on a steel water tank. However, many of these same steel towers and tanks are equipped with cell phone and/or 911 communication antennas. This sensitive equipment is vulnerable to lightning strikes. If lightning strikes the antennas, emergency and/or cell phone communication could fail, leading to some potentially dire situations. Tanks are also equipped with SCADA – Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition – which tracks how much water is in the tank, among other measures. If lightning strikes the system, it could be down for quite a while. All water storage tanks, whether they are specifically designed for fire protection or potable water, help provide water when there’s a fire. A potable water tank is still fire protection in the sense that it provides water to hydrants that are then hooked up to firehoses. In a disaster, potable water tanks are also needed for drinking water. However, if the system is compromised, everyone has to boil water to make it usable. Providing adequate grounding is where lightning protection starts. “Tanks shall be grounded to conduct away the current of direct strokes and the buildup and potential that causes sparks to ground,” according to NFPA 780. One of the simplest solutions is to place a grounding rod in the ground. Grounding
rods help prevent damage to a tank. Cables are run from the tank to the grounding rod so that, in the event of a lightning strike, the electricity is discharged safely through the ground. Ground rods shall not be less than a ½ inch in diameter and 8 feet long, according to NFPA 4.13.2.1. The rods shall also be free of paint or other nonconductive coatings, according to 4.13.2.2. In accordance with NFPA 780 7.3.7.2, A metal tank shall be grounded by one of the following methods: 1. A tank shall be connected without insulated joints to a grounded metallic piping system. 2. A vertical cylindrical tank shall rest on earth or concrete and shall be at least 20 feet (6 m) in diameter, or shall rest on bituminous pavement and shall be at least 50 feet (15 m) in diameter. 3. A tank shall be grounded through a minimum of two grounding electrodes, as described in Section 4.13, at maximum 100 feet (30 m) intervals along the perimeter of the tank. 4. A tank installation using an insulating membrane beneath for environmental or other reasons shall be grounded as 7.3.7.2(3). Before any grounding rods are placed, soil samples should be collected from near the tank to test what level of pH is present. The pH scale is used to rate water-solutions on an acidic to basic scale. Acidic solutions have a lower pH – 0 to 6.9 – while alkaline solutions have a higher pH – 7.1 to 14. A pH scale of 7 is truly neutral. It’s important to know what the pH of the soil is before putting in any grounding rods. Grounding rods are designed and placed based on the results of the soil tests. The soil tests identify what type of soil is present, the pH level, what is needed to transfer the current into the ground and how many ground mats are necessary. In sandy soil conditions, as per 4.13.8.2, “because sandy or gravelly soil conditions are characterized by high soil resistivity, multiple grounding electrodes shall be used to augment the lightning grounding electrode system.”
Running cables from the tank to a grounding rod will discharge electricity safely through the ground, preventing damage to the tank in the event of a lightning strike.
be grounded and protected from lightning strikes. Lightning struck a Virginia hospital’s storage tank and fried the equipment. The tank could not be drained or taken out of service to make repairs. It took the hospital a year before everything was up and running properly again – though part of the delay was waiting for a grant to be approved that would allow them to replace the damaged equipment. Tank owners should hire a contractor who will be thorough and not overlook any issues that are fixable within the scope of the work. Problems and non-compliance problems should be fixed safely and quickly. Tank owners can also have a lightning rod installed on top of their water tanks. This can be done by the owners or by hiring contractors to do the work. Lightning protection systems, which factor in a tank’s diameter and the product stored, among other things, should be installed by a qualified professional. “Lightning protection systems, where provided, should be inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with NFPA 780,” according to NFPA 780 9.2.4.1.
Properly grounding a tank can save owners money in the long run. Direct lightning strikes cause more than $200 million in fire damage each year, according to the Lightning Protection Institute. This translates into insurance companies paying out billions for claims that are directly or indirectly associated with lightning. Even though ground storage tanks are lower to the ground than elevated towers, they should also Quench — July/August 2019 15
Ask Larry A Q&A column with TRWA Technical Assistance Director Larry Bell
Q:
What are pressure planes and how should we go about identifying them?
A: These are good questions that I hear from a lot of folks. Many systems have only one pressure plane because they have one production or entry point for treated water to enter their system and all customers depend on that sole water plant for all their water demands. This doesn’t mean that a system as described above will have the exact same pressure as everyone else all across the service area. There will be differing pressures within that single pressure plane mainly due to the elevation changes within that specific service area. Unfortunately, there can be differing pressures caused by too small of a water main trying to serve too many customers within that single pressure plane.
water at their pump station our water sources only to a level high enough that pressure can meet the needs of the customers in that first pressure plane while maintaining residual pressures to fill a remote storage tank. Then from that second remote storage tank the pumps increase the pressure again to push water uphill or farther away to fill a second or third remote booster plant site. To keep the pressures at a manageable level for customers at lower elevations, the system may install a pressure reducing valve. This valve takes the 80 to 120 PSI pressure and drops it back down to around 50 PSI at an engineered elevation so the folks at the bottom of the hill will not have plumbing problems due to excessive pressures. TRWA’s Circuit Riders are happy to visit your with you and your board to review your system and specifically address how pressure planes may work in your system.
"TRWA's Circuit Riders are happy to visit with you and your board to review your system and specifically address how pressure planes may work in your system."
If a system’s primary water pump station, well, or surface water treatment location provides water pressure to a group of customers near the plant site but there are also customers living up on the side of a hill or at extreme distances, then the system will need to install a booster plant site. This booster plant site receives water from the source plant through the normal distribution lines to fill a storage tank. From that tank a set of booster pumps (sometimes called high-service pumps) are used to provide increased pressure to pump water to the tops of the hills so that customers on the tops of the hills are receiving at least 35 PSI at their meters. Water systems need separate pressure planes because the elevations of parts of the system could require lower elevations of the system to have pressures exceeding 100 to 180 PSI. These excessive pressures would drastically increase the number of leaks at the lower elevations while maybe only getting a trickle of water to the top elevations. To prevent this, systems pressurize 16
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Q: Our system is working on a cross-connection control program. To complete this project, we need to know about every well within our service area, whether it is currently producing or not. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) database only shows five wells, but we know that at least 10 other private wells exist within our service area. What other resources are at our disposal for identifying wells? A: Systems typically rely on a variety of sources when it comes to identifying wells within their service area. One source is the TWDB database you mentioned, which can be found at https:// www2.twdb.texas.gov/apps/waterdatainteractive/ GroundwaterDataViewer/. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which regulates water well drillers and pump installers, also has information relating to abandoned or deteriorated wells, which can be accessed at www.tdlr.texas.gov/ wwd/wwd.htm.
While these can be valuable tools, as you noted, the state’s data can be incomplete. To fill in the gaps, many systems also rely on more low-tech sources of information, including “hear-say” from neighbors, relatives, and town folks who have lived in the area for a long time and know all the local history. An additional source of information may also be the local Customer Service Inspector or Plumbing Inspectors who may have seen and verified that other customer wells were not interconnected. Regardless of how many sources of information you use to develop your system’s cross connection control plan, there will still be a few wells or other types of cross-connections which are not documented simply because no one remembers each one of those potential sources of contamination. Q: We have a source of water on the north end of our system, but our pump station for the whole system is located on the south side. Do we have to take that water all the way to the pump station on the south side, or could we just put it into the system on the north end and mix it with our current water? Are there any rules or regulations for that?
to be added along that new water main. If there are potential new customers, then the system would need to consider amending their CCN to include property adjacent or in the proximity of this new water line. The addition of new meters could help offset the costs of sending a transmission line to the older pump station or installing new treatment facilities, if treatment is required. If the decision is to install a new water treatment, storage, or pumping site at the new northern well site, the TCEQ Plan Review Section will need to approve the additional production, treatment, storage, pumping and distribution lines. The TCEQ would also need to approve the development of a new well and transmission line should the board decide to send this new well water down to the older plant site. Finally, any modifications to the existing production, treatment, storage, pressure tanks, or water mains would need to be approved by the TCEQ as well. If you have a technical question you would like answered, please e-mail larry.bell@trwa.org.
A: This is one of those situations where the answer is less complicated than it seems. If a system is able to find good well water outside their CCN or in an area of their CCN which is not near their existing water plant stations, there is no rule or regulation which requires that new well water to be piped all the way across the system to be treated at the original pump station. When mixing water, systems need to compare the expected water quality from a new source with the existing water quality of its current wells. Chances are that groundwater quality from two different sources could be relatively the same, especially if all that has to be done to either of these well sites is to add chlorine. That being said, the directors and manager should consult with their engineer to explore the cost of a transmission line from the new well site down to the older/existing water plant vs. installing a water plant at the new well site or nearer to the northern edge of your existing CCN to determine which would be the most cost effective. If the new well site is five or ten miles outside the system’s CCN, then a close review of potential customers within those miles should be made to determine if there is a potential for new customers Quench — July/August 2019 17
Converting a Problem into an Opportunity: Achieving Compliance While Saving Money By Mike Tibbets, Vice President, Hayter Engineering, Inc.
I
f we haven't complained about this ourselves, we've heard someone else complain about it: “My system is so spread out that I can't get a good disinfection residual at the end of my lines without lots of flushing! And that treated water going out on the ground is expensive!” This complaint is common to many rural water utilities across Texas. In many cases, distribution systems have miles of pipe with few customers, resulting in a situation where disinfection residuals are difficult to maintain. And failure to properly maintain these residuals by mandatory flushing can result in fines by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and highly unpopular Boil Water Notices being issued to the customers. THE SITUATION: Central Bowie County Water Supply Corporation (CBCWSC) found itself in this situation a few year ago. The corporation (which serves approximately 2,800 connections) was required by TCEQ to issue a Boil Water Notice following an incident in which the minimum disinfectant residual was not achieved. Attempts to resolve this issue, and attempts to not repeat the situation, required extraordinary amounts of flushing just to meet the minimum disinfection residual level. The water that CBCWSC sends to its customers is purchased from a regional supplier about 30 miles away. Not only was it costly to flush purchased water out on the ground, it was costly in terms of personnel and equipment to travel over 20 miles to each flushing station each day. The Board of Directors wanted a solution that would reduce the flushing and improve the disinfection residual. The Board instructed General Manager Hal W. Harris to pursue a solution to the problem. Harris then reached out to Hayter Engineering, based in Paris, Texas. Hayter Engineering was asked to review the situation, and to propose a solution. Vice President and Senior Project Manager Mike Tibbets met with Harris to evaluate the situation. Tibbets recorded the following observations: 18
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• • • • •
Source of supply over 30 miles away One pipeline served numerous other wholesale water suppliers other than just CBCWSC No coordination between wholesale water suppliers as to when water will be drawn from the pipeline Extreme variation in the flow rate of water (0 to 600 GPM) delivered to CBCWSC No consistency in the chloramine concentration (1.8 to 3.6 mg/L) due to the large number of users on the line
The consequence of the large variation of flow rate and disinfection residual, occurring simultaneously, was that the system operators could not adjust their manual chlorine feed system to match the ever-changing conditions. Not being able to adjust the chlorine feed system meant that legal minimum disinfection level of 0.5 mg/L of total chlorine could not be met on many occasions, and that the maximum level of 4.0 mg/L was also exceeded. If that was not bad enough, CBCWSC was not able to boost the chloramine residual because the only chemical feed they had was chlorine gas (free chlorine). If the system wanted to boost the disinfectant residual, it had to add enough chlorine to “burn out” the chloramines and convert the residual to chlorine only. To make matters worse, the ground storage tank only had one pipe from which to draw and fill the tank. There was not much turnover or circulation occurring in the tank. As a result of the conditions described above, CBCWSC experienced great difficulty staying in compliance with TCEQ minimum and maximum disinfection residual levels – so much that Boil Water Notices had to be issued and the system was cited for these violations. THE SOLUTION: To address the issue of varying flow rate, Hayter Engineering designed a flow-paced chlorine feed system. This design tied the 4-20 mA signal of a
new flowmeter to the chlorine feeder so that the chlorine fed into the system was proportional to the volume of water entering the ground tank.
savings realized in the first four months of operation was over $2,700 per month.
To address the issue of not being able to boost chloramines, a feed pump was designed that fed liquid ammonium sulfate (LAS) into the water before it entered the ground tank. The chemical feed pump was also flow-paced (like the chlorine feed system) so that the amount of ammonia introduced into the system was proportional to the flow rate.
If your system is experiencing a similar situation, consider using flow-paced chlorine and chemical feed, perhaps combined with improvements in piping, to improve the consistency of your disinfection residual to reduce the amount of flushing required.
To address the issue of stagnant water in the ground tank due to only one fill/draw pipe, modifications were made to the ground tank piping. The original fill/draw pipe was converted to fill-only. A riser pipe was added to this pipe so that it filled the tank at the top. A second pipe was added on the opposite side of the tank, at the bottom, so that water coming in at the top had to exit at the bottom – thus achieving a much higher degree of water turnover than was the case originally. An online total chlorine monitor was included in the design. This monitor was tied to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to provide real-time data and alarms. This allowed for remote monitoring of the conditions at the site.
DISCUSSION:
Perhaps your system will find itself as fortunate as Central Bowie County WSC. Mike Tibbets is the Vice President of Hayter Engineering in Paris. Tibbets has a MS and BS in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station. He has over 33 years of experience in the area of water resources engineering as it pertains to municipal and rural governmental entities. He is also the author of Feasibility of Seasonal Multipurpose Reservoir Operation in Texas, among other publications. Tibbets can be reached at mtibbets@haytereng. com or 903-785-0303.
RESULTS: After placing the tank into service, and after several weeks of troubleshooting and operational adjustments, consistent disinfectant residual levels were achieved, as evidenced by the following chlorine residual monitor record: Note that the residual does not vary widely, as was the case prior to the implementation of the new design. The residual varies from extremes of 4.1 to 3.1 mg/L in this example. The operator stated that a higher and more consistent residual was attained at the far reaches of the system – which in turn reduced the amount of required flushing. The savings achieved by a reduction in flushing in the first four months of operation is shown below: Compared to the previous year, the average
Month
2017 Flushing
2018 Flushing
Savings (Gallons)
June 2,015,081 1,331,390 683,691 July 2,240,120 771,215 1,468,905 August 1,769,440 674,310 1,095,130 September 4,297,399 241,050 4,056,349 * = raw water cost @ $1.48/1,000 gallons will soon increase to $1.61/1,000 gallons
Savings (%)
Savings ($)*
33.9% 65.6% 61.9% 94.9%
$1,012 $2,174 $1,621 $6,003
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Keep It Legal Answers to Members’ Questions by TRWA Assistant General Counsel Trent Hightower
Q:
Our district has a vital piece of equipment that could stop working any day. We expect the repairs to be in the vicinity of $100,000. How do we get these emergency repairs done without running afoul of state bidding requirements? How is this situation different for WSCs? A: Water Code Sections 49.273(d)-(f) lay out the general rules districts must follow when it comes to bidding out contracts. For contracts of more than $75,000, districts are required to advertise the letting of the contract, including the general conditions, time, and place of opening of sealed bids, in at least one newspaper circulated in each county in which the district is located. The notice must be published once a week for two consecutive weeks before the date that the bids are opened, and the first publication must occur not later than the 14th day before the date of the opening of sealed bids. For contracts ranging from $25,000 - $75,000, the two-week notice is no longer required, but the district is still required to solicit written competitive bids on uniform specifications from at least three bidders. There are no bidding or notice requirements for work costing less than $25,000. If a critical piece of equipment is likely to malfunction before you can fully comply with the applicable notice and bidding processes described above, Water Code Section 49.274 gives districts the authority to approve projects on an emergency basis. This limited exception to the general rule applies only if the district experiences an emergency condition that may create a serious health hazard or unreasonable economic loss that requires immediate corrective action. Note the specificity of this requirement: only operation-critical equipment in danger of a near-immediate malfunction or shutdown would qualify for the exception. The statute also requires districts to submit to the Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) details describing the specific serious health hazard or unreasonable economic loss as soon as practicable following the issuance of a contract. When possible, the statute 20
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states that districts should obtain prior approval of the Executive Director before authorizing the contract. Water supply corporations (WSCs) are not subject to any of the bidding and notice requirements described above, but TRWA advises its WSC members to voluntarily adopt a procurement policy to guide the system on when it should solicit bids for contract work. Adopting and following such a policy can help the system avoid any appearance of impropriety in contracting and increase transparency of operations with the WSC’s membership. Q: More than 40 years ago, a waterline was placed on one of our customer’s property, but today there is no easement to be found. This customer has requested that this line be removed from her property but will not allow us access to the property to locate our line. This customer still has service with our system. What should we do? A: Assuming this line is not necessary to serve her home and she could continue receiving service if it were removed, I think you have a few options, but unfortunately, they will all likely cost some money. Without an easement, your line is currently trespassing on her property. Further, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has made it clear that a utility cannot compel someone to grant an easement once they are already receiving service. One option would be to give her what she wants and remove the line. Of course, to do this she will have to let you onto the property to locate the line and subsequently remove it. I am not aware of any legal mechanism at your disposal to compel her to let you onto the property right now, but I also don't see how you could be held liable for failing to remove the line if she were to sue you for trespass without giving you a chance to correct the issue. An individual typically cannot stand in the way of their own desired remedy like that. If you don't want to remove the line, court would probably be your only option. There is a concept in law called a "prescriptive easement," where an easement can be acquired through continuous, open, and notorious use for a period of years. Essentially,
this occurs when Party A uses Party B's land as if they had an easement, but without actually having anything to that effect in writing. If Party B knows or had reason to know about the use, the law says they cannot suddenly complain about it after a long time has passed. It would take a court determining that an easement has been created in this way, and that is a very fact-specific inquiry that would have to be litigated. Your other option is utilizing your eminent domain authority to condemn the property. Again, this would involve a court process and you would have to compensate the landowner as you would in any other condemnation, but this would likely be a simpler path than the prescriptive easement route since utilities have clear statutory authority to condemn property. Q: Does the “consultation with attorney” exception allow our board to have a closed meeting to interview potential law firms to represent the system in various matters? If not, how do we conduct interviews in an orderly fashion without too many interruptions from the public?
A: The answer is no, this is not something that the Open Meetings Act would allow to take place in closed session. The Act generally presumes all topics are to be debated and acted upon publicly unless they meet one of a handful of very limited exceptions. One such exception is for consultations with an attorney, but this does not include all communications you may have with an attorney, or interviews to determine whether you want to retain them. The exception is narrowly written and only allows governmental entities to meet in closed session to discuss specific current or pending litigation. It is meant to protect the attorney-client privilege and allow the system to discuss litigation or potential litigation without worrying that those communications can be used against them in their legal disputes. To conduct interviews in an orderly fashion without interruptions, the board may appoint a committee of less than a quorum of the board members to interview the potential law firms. The committee can then make recommendations to the full board for review and discussion at the open meeting.
Continued on page 22
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Continued from page 21
To deal with public interruptions, the board can adopt and enforce reasonable rules to maintain order at meetings, and you can ask people to leave if they are being disruptive. Currently, the public has no right to speak at a meeting unless the board chooses to allow public commentary. When a board chooses to invite public comment, it can do things like set time limits and require people to speak one at a time at a designated time and place during the meeting. I say "currently" because the legislature recently passed a bill that gives the public the right to speak at meetings. That bill takes effect September 1, 2019 and requires governmental entities to allow public input before it acts on any agenda item. However, the new law will still allow the board to establish rules and time limits for public comment that maintain order and decorum at the meeting in the manner described above. Q: I heard that the legislature recently passed a bill requiring specific language on districts’ utility bills. What was TRWA’s stance on this bill during session? What does the new law require, and do you have any suggestions for how we can comply with it? A: You are correct, S.B. 239 by Sen. Jane Nelson requires all districts to include the following language on all monthly utility bills beginning September 1, 2019: "For more information about the district, including information about the district's board and board meetings, please go to the Comptroller's Special Purpose District Public Information Database or (district's Internet website if the district maintains an Internet website)." Notably this law does not apply to WSCs or investor-owned utilities. TRWA recognized that this mandated language might not easily fit on postcard-style utility bills, and officially opposed the bill. However, as an association we did not launch a large-scale opposition effort to this bill because it is traditionally very hard to oppose open government laws, particularly ones such as this that have the sole purpose of providing consumers with access to more information. Lawmakers are often critical of such opposition because they assume it is motivated by an industry wanting to hide things from the public, which is the very thing open government laws are designed to protect against.
online, regardless of the system’s size. In this case, it was easier to justify our opposition without offending legislators because the law already applied only to cities, school districts, and counties serving around 50,000 people. We were able to make the case that we weren’t opposing the open government aspect of the bill, but that it should apply only to water districts similar in size to those other entities. S.B. 239 however, did not present such an opportunity, and became law with broad support in the legislature. So, how do districts go about complying with this law? We suggest the following: •
The statute does not have a font size requirement, so this required language certainly can be “the fine print” as long as it is readable somewhere on the utility bill (even the back of the post card)
•
If you use a vendor to do your billing, contact them to see how you can incorporate this language. They might have a way to make it fit, or they might be able to help you redesign the bill to be more efficient on space usage.
•
Some systems have gotten away from the use of postcard-style bills because they want to avoid potential privacy issues. If you have similar concerns about privacy, this might be a good time to investigate other billing types that also offer more space for content at the same time.
If you have a legal question you would like answered, please email legal@trwa.org.
TRWA Ad 2016 (bleeds).pdf 1 2/2/2016 7:57:33 PM
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As an association, TRWA led a more robust opposition to a different open government bill this session – a bill which would have required many districts to record their meetings and post the footage
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Monitoring Plans: What Do We Need to Know? By Bruce Pearson, Instructor, Texas Rural Water Association
A
Bit of History
The Public Water System Monitoring Plan was first adopted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in September 2000. The plan itself was intended to be an inclusive document for water systems to develop by following the regulatory requirement that can be found in Title 30 Chapter 290 Subchapter F Rule 290.121. This rule has been amended several times since 2000 to include 2002, 2004, 2008, 2011 and most recently in 2017. Monitoring Plan Criteria The intent of the rule is to assist water systems with one document for the monitoring of up-todate chemical and microbiological sampling. The required sampling for regulated chemicals can be found in Rules 290.106 – 290.118. All public water systems must maintain a current copy of their Monitoring Plan at each treatment plant and a central location as well. Public water systems that treat surface water and groundwater systems under the influence of surface water are required to submit a copy of their initial plan, as well as any revisions made to the plan, to the TCEQ for review and approval. Public water systems that treat groundwater and purchase water from a wholesaler are also required to develop a monitoring plan, but instead submit it for approval upon request. It is also important to note that an up-to-date plan should be maintained for all systems and be submitted to the agency upon request as well. Compliance Compliance with the plan is determined by several factors: 1. An administratively complete plan must have been submitted by the public water system on or before the date requested by TCEQ. 2. A public water system that fails to submit an updated plan to its surface water treatment is not compliant. 3. A public water system that fails to maintain an up-to-date plan is not in compliance. 24
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A community system that fails any of the three provisions described above must notify its customers in its next Consumer Confidence Report. Emphasis Points There are four emphasis points of the Monitoring Plan; 1. Sampling Schedules 2. Locations 3. Methods and/or lab analyses used and laboratories 4. Compliance statements and how to remain in compliance Sampling Requirements The Monitoring Plan shall include a written description of sampling frequencies and schedules. It shall list all routine samples required on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or less frequent basis. It shall also identify the locations where samples are to be taken. The public water system shall maintain an up-to-date record of its schedule of sampling. The Sample Siting Plan must be included in the Monitoring Plan and is required by 290.109(d) (1) (6). It shall include a list of all microbial distribution monitoring sites, including routine and repeat sampling sites as well. The Sample Siting Plan shall also include all groundwater sources and any raw groundwater well compliance samples that are required by 290.109
J. F. FONTAINE & ASSOCIATES, INC. CONSULTING ENGINEERS RURAL WATER SYSTEM ENGINEERING SINCE 1962 700 N. Sycamore St. P.O. Box 4187 Palestine, Texas 75802
(903) 729-6005 jffontaine@jffontaine.com
(d)(4) and/or any raw surface water plan that is required by 290.111. Treatment Plant Sampling Requirements The location of each sampling site at a treatment plant or pump station must be shown on a plant schematic. The schematic must show the origin of any stream that is recycled at the plant, any pretreatment before the recycle stream is returned to the primary treatment process and the location where the stream is reintroduced to the primary treatment process. In addition, the schematic must also identify all water pumps, flow meters, unit processes, chemical feed points and chemical monitoring points. Distribution System Requirements Entry points to the distribution system can be identified in one of the following ways: (1) a physical location or (2) a designation on a plant or distribution system schematic representative of the system. Sampling sites in the distribution system can be identified by (1) a physical address or (2) a designation on the distribution system schematic. If a schematic is utilized, it must identify all pump stations, storage tanks and the location of chemical feed points in the distribution system. The public water system must update its Monitoring Plan if revisions, changes or additions are made to the treatment plant or the distribution system, which would necessitate a change in sampling locations. Analytical Requirements The Monitoring Plan shall include the steps utilized to perform each analysis that is required. In addition, methods used to determine compliance with maximum contaminant levels, maximum disinfectant residuals and treatment techniques that may apply to the water system are required to be in the plan. All laboratory facilities that may be utilized to analyze samples required by the Rule must also be identified. Compliance Statements Compliance statements are necessary to achieve an administratively complete Monitoring Plan. These statements are a part of the Monitoring Plan Template that is provided by TCEQ, should the water system decide to use it. The compliance statements are directly related to the Rule itself, 290.121 (b)(1). How to remain in compliance within this section is referenced in Rules 290.106 Continued on page 26 Quench — July/August 2019 25
Continued from page 25
– 290.118. The Monitoring Plan Template can be found online at: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/ drinkingwater/monitoring_plans/monitoring_plans. html. Plan Development and Assistance Development and assistance with the plan are provided by the TCEQ in the form of two documents: the Regulatory Guidance (RG) Document 384 and The Monitoring Plan Template. RG 384 is designed to assist public water systems in developing their Monitoring Plan in accordance with 290.121. Currently it is under revision review to include the Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) and an Appendix to assist with sampling and frequencies. It includes instructions for completing the new Monitoring Plan Template that all water systems are encouraged to use. It also provides guidance for listing the public water system’s points of contact and general system information. RG 384 has sectional headings matching the exact verbiage from the Monitoring Plan Template sections to avoid any confusion. Each section contains a purpose and assistance subsection to provide readers additional background of the section along with contact information should they need to update any information. In addition, it guides the public water system representative directly into completing each section with basic steps. The Monitoring Plan Template Includes many items built into the template that are required for every monitoring plan to contain, including compliance statements and possible schedules. It is all inclusive where inorganics, organics and radionuclides are concerned. In addition, it details the attachments needed to accompany the template to make it administratively complete, including a system schematic up to entry points, the RTCR Sample Siting Plan map and a Nitrification Action Plan (if applicable). It also gives background information and general guidance for each section, is user-friendly, completely interactive and is easy to update and maintain moving forward in the event of any changes to the public water system. If you have any questions about this article, please contact Bruce.Pearson@trwa.org or call (512) 922-4942.
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The Cost Membership dues are based on the number of water meters a systems has. We also put a minimum and maximum cap on the cost of membership to keep dues fair and predictable.
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$400
We provide free resources to help water systems promote jobs & attract candidates
Communications and Publications Members enjoy free access to online resources, including sample templates & forms; operations & maintenance manual/required monitoring plan; WSC election procedures; rate study worksheet; vulnerability assessment; emergency response plan; SUD conversion manual, & more!
$2800
Members have access to use TRWA-owned generators at no cost during emergencies.
Estimated value of answering member technical questions by phone and email.
20-30%
$200
We keep abreast of regulatory updates & pass that information along to our members. Estimated monthly value:
Daily cost to rent a generator for use during emergency
$75/hr + travel
$3000
Savings passed on to members in need of these documents
$1600
Technical Assistance
Percentage of first year’s salary charged by recruiters hired to fill a position
$10
Savings members enjoy on Public Funds Investment Act training
Cost to hire someone to create a sample tariff or district service policy Cost of TRWA’s sample tariff or district service policy
We represent member interests at state & federal agencies. We regularly meet with agency staff, attend stakeholder meetings & provide comments on rule packages. Estimated montly value:
included with membership
per meter
$5,000
minimum
The Value
$1.25
FREE
TRWA membership includes 5 subscriptions to our bimonthly trade magazine, Quench, valued at $30 each
Members receive a free copy of each report for participating in the survey.
$50
$950
$150
Quencl h
ua 5 ann ons ti ip r c s sub
TRWA’s members-only online and print membership directories are free for members. It typically costs $1 per entry to buy comparable industry directories.
$20-30
Range in cost of our members-only publications, including an essential training manual for water board directors
The value is clear!
Quench — July/August 2019 27
TRWA Briefs Save the Date for Our Fall Conferences
R
egistration is now open for our Fall Management Conferences and our Water Districts Conference, to take place in San Antonio and in Dallas/Allen this fall. On October 9-10, we will be hosting our Fall Management Conference at the Marriott Plaza San Antonio. Session topics will include a variety of topics ranging from a avoiding rate appeals, management of easements and right-of-ways, dealing with difficult people and more! If you cannot attend the south Fall Management Conference, we will be holding this program again at the Courtyard Dallas/Allen at the Allen Event Center on November 6-7. Held concurrently with the north Fall Management Conference, we will also be holding the annual Districts Conference at the Courtyard Dallas/Allen at the Allen Event Center as well. Districts Conference topics include conducting effective meetings, providing city services, annual audits, district election procedures, and more! Both conferences will include a 2019 legislative update, information about implementing a cross-connection control program, and a session on attracting and retaining your workforce. Attendees who register for one of the two events at the Dallas/Allen location have the added benefit of choosing from classes from either one of the conference educational programs. Also, the Tuesday preceding each conference (October 8 and November 5) we will be hosting Public Funds Investment Act (PFIA) initial and renewal training courses at the host hotel. This is your last opportunity for PFIA credit this year, so don't miss it! Also, on Tuesday, November 5, TRWA is cohosting a day long seminar on Cyber Security with the EPA. This training is free of charge and open to all, even if you cannot attend either conference. For full agendas, visit our website at www.trwa. org and check under the "Conferences" tab. We are applying for operator certification credit and continuing legal education credit for courses at all three conferences. 28
Quench — July/August 2019
If you have any questions about any of these events, please don't hesitate to call us at 512-4728591 or email meetings@trwa.org.
Call for 2020 Conference Presentation Proposals
W
e are currently accepting presentation proposals for the 2020 TRWA Conference schedule! If you have an idea for an educational session and/or would like the opportunity to present at one of our 2020 conferences, let us know! Presentations should seek to address current issues utilities are facing, as well as day-to-day operations. Presentations that market specific products, vendors and services will not be accepted. Organizations may submit a maximum of three presentation proposals. TRWA encourages broad participation; however, time limitations make it impossible to accept all the proposals submitted. Proposals will be reviewed by the TRWA Conference Planning Committees based on a number of factors. Major factors in the selection process include clarity, appropriateness for the intended audience, relevance to the industry, and industry trends and research. The Planning Committee also tries to achieve a balance of topics and interests including those requested by attendees in conference evaluations. Please note that we may request an alternative approach. For example, you may be asked to form a panel with other presenters speaking on a similar topic or be a part of a roundtable discussion. The deadline for submitting a presentation proposal is Monday, September 1, 2019. To submit, visit our website at www.trwa.org and click on the "Conferences" tab on the main menu. You can also send proposals via email to Celia.Eaves@trwa.org.
Take Advantage of TRWA's Direct-to-Consumer Magazine
T
RWA is currently working on its fourth issue of Texas on Tap, a member-only direct-to-consumer magazine for participating utilities. This magazine is used to communicate with and educate utility customers while building public support for the local water utility and the industry as a whole.
Welcome to TRWA's New Utility Members TRWA's 2019 Membership Drive officially ended on May 15, and we are excited to announce and welcome our new Utility Members: • • • • •
Buckeye Knoll Inc. Chilton Water Supply & Sewer Service Corporation City of Shallowater Fort Davis Estates, Inc. Jacobs Water Supply Corporation
• • • • •
Lakeview Hills Water Supply Corporation Prairie Hill Water Supply Corporation Southern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District Southwest Gardens Water System Verona Special Utility District
Welcome to the TRWA family! We would also like to thank our renewing members for their loyalty and continued dedication to this Association. If you have any questions about your membership benefits, please do not hesitate to contact us at membership@trwa.org or 512-472-8591. Nearly 40,000 consumers across the state received the first issue of Texas on Tap which featured articles that overviewed smart watering tips and techniques, important rural water legislative issues and their impacts on consumers, simple ways to protect public water supplies and little-known facts about water operators. Subsequent issues published in 2019 have featured articles on cyber security, variables that affect water rates, water permitting policies, the responsibilities of the utility's board of directors, an interview with Chairman Perry, and more. “Texas on Tap was well-received by our customers and the customization allowed us to include important memos, as well as a closer look at the history and future of our utility district,” said Cash SUD General Manager Clay Hodges. “The process was simple on our end and we look forward to participating in future issues.” We are still seeking commitments to move forward with future issues of this publication. Here are a few reasons our new consumer magazine can benefit your system. Provide Industry Insight: Take advantage of consumer-specific content curated by the legal, training and technical professionals on our editorial board. These articles will serve the ultimate purpose of informing consumers and decreasing the divide in industry comprehension. Maximize your Resources: Simplify internal processes and outsource communications services.
Our team will save you time and energy while producing a quality, consistent and relevant product. Reduce your time spent on research and design and focus on what’s most important to you: informing your customers. We encourage all participating systems to join our editorial board to submit article suggestions and feedback. Include Key Messages: While this publication will be streamlined to include universal consumer information, it can also serve as a direct communication avenue for systems. Customized pages can be used to provide meeting notices, highlight staff, share accomplishments or promote local events — it’s all dependent on your goals and key messages! Subscribing systems can choose from two options: •
Standard eight-page version – universal content — $0.79 per piece
•
Customized 12-page version – universal content plus custom pages and system branding — $0.99 per piece
Prices include production, mailing and handling costs for the issue. Just send us your distribution list, and we handle the rest! The standard version of the most recent issue of Texas on Tap can be found online along with the schedule and commitment form at www.trwa.org/ consumer. Questions? Contact the Communications Team at editor@trwa.org or 512-472-8592, ext. 115. Quench — July/August 2019 29
Classified Ads Madera Valley WSC Water Operator Quadvest Water and Wastewater Utility Company is in search of the top talent in the industry. We have been in business since 1978 and have recently made it our focus to grow—becoming one of the few privatelyowned utility companies that are classified as a Class A utility company. Achieving success through our happy employees, we have become “Houston Business Journals” top 40th best company and “Texas Monthly’s” 14th best company! Our Core Values set us apart and take us down an ‘E-P-I-C P-A-T-H’ to success. They are Employee Centricity, Professionalism, Innovative, Customer Centricity, Passion to Win, Accountability, Trust and Hard Work.
Madera Valley Water Supply Corporation is seeking an Operator in Reeves County, Texas.
If you want to be a part of a top Texas Utility Company and our Core Values are important values to you, please contact us at http://quadvest.com/careers or email Mandi Brown at mbrown@quadvest.com.
Please send inquires and resumes to maderavalleywsc@yahoo.com
Required: •
HS diploma/GED
•
Valid Drivers License
Preferred: •
Class D or higher Water License; or
•
Ability to obtain license within one year.
We offer a competitive benefits package and up to $21.00/hour. To Apply:
“The Glass Is Always Full”
Advertiser Index AIA Insurance Agency......................................... Page 12 American Flow Control...................................................9 Childress Engineers......................................................26 Chlorinators Incorporated..............................................9 CoBank...........................................................................23 Daniel & Brown, Inc.......................................................13 Dedicated Controls........................................................17 J.F. Fontaine & Associates...........................................24 KSA Engineers...............................................................22 Maguire Iron...................................................................26 Pittsburg Tank & Tower Maintenance Co., Inc............26 Russell Drilling Co., Inc................................................15 SAMCO.............................................................................7 Schaumburg & Polk, Inc............................................... 11 Smith Pump Co., Inc......................................................19 Texas Aquastore...................................................... 11, 25 USA BlueBook............................................... Back Cover
30
Quench — July/August 2019
Plan Ahead CONFERENCES: October 9-10, 2019
Fall Management Conference, San Antonio
November 6-7, 2019
Fall Management Conference and Districts Conference, Dallas/Allen
OPERATOR TRAINING COURSES: Water Credit Courses
Basic Water Works Operations: San Antonio - Oct. 29-31 Groundwater Production: San Antonio - Sept. 10-12 Water Distribution: San Antonio - Aug. 27-29 Water Laboratory: Denton/Aubrey - Oct. 1-3
Water and Wastewater Credit Courses
Applied Confined Space Safety: Fair Oaks Ranch - Oct. 29 Customer Service Inspections: Mabank - Sept. 4-5 Waxahacie - Nov. 5-6 Pump and Motor Maintenance: Harlingen - Sept. 24-26 San Antonio - Nov. 5-7 Utility Calculations: Harlingen - Sept. 3-5 San Antonio - Oct. 8-10 Utility Management: San Antonio - Oct. 22-24 Denton/Aubrey - Nov. 12-14 Lorena - Dec. 10-12 Utility Safety: Bastrop - Aug. 27-29 Greenville - Sept. 17-19 Schulenburg - Sept. 24-26 San Antonio - Oct. 1-3 Harlingen - Oct. 8-10 Valve & Hydrant Maintenance: San Antonio - Oct. 15-17 Lorena - Oct. 22-24 Harlingen - Dec. 3-5
Wastewater Credit Courses
Wastewater Collections: San Antonio - Sept. 17-19 Harlingen - Nov. 5-7 Wastewater Technology: San Antonio - Aug. 19-23 Wastewater Treatment: Fair Oaks Ranch - Aug. 27-29 San Antonio - Sept. 24-26 Bastrop - Oct. 15-17
Public Funds Investment Act
Initial: San Antonio - Oct. 8 Dallas/Allen - Nov. 5 Renewal: San Antonio - Oct. 8 Dallas/Allen - Nov. 5
Quench — July/August 2019 31
1616 Rio Grande| Austin, TX 78701-1122 Telephone: (512) 472-8591 | Fax: (512) 472-5186 www.trwa.org