Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Teamwork in the Water and Wastewater Industry by Emily Davis

neighbors helping neighbors teamwork in the water and wastewater industry

Like all other businesses, water and wastewater utilities face their fair share of unanticipated problems that threaten the stability of daily system operations.

Safe and reliable drinking water, a resource we all rely upon, is heavily reliant on smooth and consistent system processes. So, what happens when a natural disaster strikes and a utility system loses electricity, manpower, fuel, or other critical resources? The functionality of an entire system is at risk.

Thankfully, Texas Rural Water Association’s (TRWA) water/ wastewater utility members have access to a network of other utilities willing to help during these extreme circumstances. TxWARN, which stands for Texas Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network, is a Texas-based mutual aid network that facilitates connections between utilities when emergency assistance is needed. The network is managed by the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association and is partially funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. TxWARN’s mission is to support and promote state-wide emergency preparedness, disaster response and mutual aid assistance for public and private water and wastewater utilities.

“TRWA used to manage its own mutual aid network … but after [Hurricane] Harvey we noticed that we were getting a lot of calls directly from TxWARN to see if we could fill some of the needs through TRWA and/or through our membership,” said Jason Knobloch, TRWA Environmental Services Director. “That worked out really well and showed us that through TxWARN we could reach a larger network of people to either help, or request help for our members.”

TRWA now partners with TxWARN to utilize a variety of resources, including educational materials, specialty equipment and access to a larger network of utilities that are able to help out during a catastrophic event. TRWA members have access to this mutual aid program at no additional cost. And while not all TRWA member requests for assistance are facilitated through TxWARN, access to a larger pool

of resources is still a valuable tool to have, according to Knobloch.

Utilities such as Mustang Special Utility District (SUD), North Collin SUD, Jonah SUD, San Jacinto SUD, One-Five-O Water Supply Corporation (WSC), Onalaska WSC and Walker County SUD are among those that have responded to calls for emergency assistance over the last few years.

“There have been a lot of systems that have given up time and resources to help others,” Knobloch said.

Some utilities, such as Mustang SUD, have built a reputation for being equipped and ready to respond to emergencies.

Mustang SUD has gone as far as creating a Critical Resources Team made up of Mustang employees who have gone through additional certifications and training to give them working knowledge on emergency equipment.

“Many utilities are willing and able to assist but are limited in what they can offer due to various reasons such as manpower, equipment they can part with for a period of time, or just the amount of equipment they have to offer — [for example]: one mobile generator,” Knobloch said. “All of their efforts help the cause to get their neighboring Texas utilities up and running again and it is appreciated. Mustang, however, is able to disperse a number of different items and manpower during an event and offer help for extended periods of time like they did during Hurricane Laura.” hurricane that hit the Texas/ Louisiana border in August 2020, knocked out power at Mauriceville Municipal Utility District (MUD), leaving thousands of Mauriceville residents without water. Mustang’s Critical Resources Team quickly reported to southeast Texas, where team members were able to power up a well and pump station using a Mustang generator, restoring water to Mauriceville MUD’s customers.

“We established a Critical Resources Team in the summer of 2019,” Mustang SUD General Manager

Chris Boyd said. “I had been thinking about what we as a District could do after seeing the needs resulting from hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. I made the decision to primarily focus on assisting smaller rural utilities that might be overlooked for larger systems in more urban areas.”

Over time, Mustang built up an inventory of military-grade emergency vehicles, industrial strength generators and other heavy machinery crucial in responding to emergency situations. surplus vehicles and equipment,” Boyd said. “The capabilities built into the military equipment available are perfect to handle areas suffering from disaster. Another factor in my decision is where we are located — we are far enough North of the coast to avoid significant hurricane damage, while also being in close proximity to areas frequently impacted by tornadoes.”

And while TRWA and TxWARN are Texas-based networks, assistance is not limited to just Texas agencies. TRWA and Mustang, in addition to other utilities that provide assistance, are capable of mobilizing to help rural entities in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.

“I think it’s important to be willing to help our neighboring states and their rural systems because, as is the case everywhere, the rural water systems are likely to not receive the level of assets [compared to] more urban areas,” Boyd said. “It’s important to note that just about every state has access to federal surplus and have sites where smaller entities can obtain it.”

The recent natural disasters, such as tornados, hurricanes and recordbreaking ice storms, have all demonstrated the need for planning for worst case scenarios at the systemlevel. The success of mutual aid programs like TxWARN showcases the importance of a network in which other systems are prepared to assist their neighbors.

Photos provided by Mustang SUD Story by Emily Davis