Mayjune15

FORT DAVIS WSC RECEIVES BLUE LEGACY AWARD FOR CONSERVATION OUTREACH

ALSO INSIDE: Updated Guidance on Filing Tariffs at the Public Utility Commission TRWA Members Become On-the-Job Training Sites for New Hires MAY / JUNE 2015 WWW.TRWA.ORG

TRWA Today TRWA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TRWA STAFF Fred Aus Executive Director

Officers

Allison Kaminsky Communications Director

Clay Hodges Pat Allen Brian Macmanus Barry Miller James Morrison

President Hunt (Dist. 7) Vice President Guadalupe (Dist. 9) Secretary Cameron (Dist. 6) Treasurer Gonzales (Dist. 5) Immediate Past President Walker (Dist. 13)

District Directors Finley Barnett

Taylor (Dist. 1)

Teresa McAnally Member Services Director Lance Harrell Information Technology Lara Zent Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel Pauline Word Legal Assistant Larry Bell Technical Assistance Director Raymond Curtis Wastewater Trainer Alex Eaves Wastewater Technician Paul King Circuit Rider James Smith Circuit Rider William White Circuit Rider Celia Eaves Environmental Services Director Deborah McMullan Source Water Protection Specialist

Bruce Alexander

Medina (Dist. 2)

Chris Boyd

Denton (Dist. 3)

Delores Goode

Lampasas (Dist. 4)

Steven Mindt Technical Assistance and Training Specialist Refugio Rodriguez FMT Specialist Janice Gibbs, CPA Finance Director

Hill (Dist. 8)

Pam Cantrell Administrative Assistant

Kent Watson

Brazos (Dist. 10)

Angela Harris Administrative Assistant

Kevin Spence

Franklin (Dist. 11)

Michael Vollmar Professional Development and Training Director

Vickie Armstrong

Kaufman (Dist. 12)

Melody Bennett Administrative Assistant

Charles Beseda

Vacant

District 14

Len Klandrud Instructor George Patterson Instructor

Established in 1969, the Texas Rural Water Association (TRWA) is a statewide nonprofit trade association with an active membership consisting of more than 750 nonprofit water supply corporations, special utility districts, municipal utility districts, small-town water departments, investor-owned utilities and individual members. In addition, more than 200 water industry suppliers participate in TRWA activities as associate members. TRWA members provide water and wastewater service to 2.5 million customers throughout Texas.

TRWA is dedicated to helping directors, managers and operators 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.

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Quench — May/June 2015

CONTACT THE EDITOR Quench is the official bimonthly publication of the Texas Rural Water Association. Your comments and opinions, as well as editorial and advertising inquiries, are welcomed and should be directed to the Editor, Allison Kaminsky, at (512) 472-8591 or at editor@trwa.org.

Find TRWA on Facebook “Like” our Page and join the conversation at: www.facebook.com/TexasRuralWaterAssn

Follow TRWA on Twitter!

Find us at @TexasRuralWater for all water industry news and @TRWALegislative for legislative updates relevant to you!

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Features:

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Updated Guidance on Filing Tariffs at the Public Utility Commission

By Pauline Word, Texas Rural Water Association

Read about the PUC’s internal process for filing tariffs, which has recently changed.

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In Every Issue:

By Khristian Kesterson, Texas Rural Water Foundation Three TRWA utility members have recently been approved as OJT sites. Read more about how this designation can help your system. .

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Letter from the Executive Director

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Fort Davis WSC Receives Blue Legacy Award for Conservation Outreach

By Marushka Grogan & Caroline Hackett, Texas Rural Water Foundation Thanks in part to efforts by TRWA/TRWF staff, a new category was added to the awards program this year specifically designed to highlight water conservation achievements of utilities serving populations under 10,000.

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Answers to your technical questions

Keep it Legal

Meet the Winners of the 2015 TRWA Awards of Excellence This is TRWA’s way of honoring excellence, dedication and achievement in those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

Letter from the President

Ask Larry

TRWA Members Become On-the-Job Training Sites for New Hires

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Answers to your legal questions

Advertiser Index

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Plan Ahead

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By Hughes Simpson, Texas A&M Forest Service This is the third in a series of articles we will run in 2015 on forests and watershed management and their importance to drinking water supply.

TRWA’s Calendar of Events

O N THE C OVER : Old Water Tower East of Kingsville; P HOTO C REDIT : Alison M. Jones, No Water No Life®, Category Winner of TRWF PH 2OSTREAM 2015

The Importance of Forests to Water Resources — Water Quality

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TRWA’s RuralWaterCon Was a Huge Success

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TRWF 2015 Scholarship Recipient Profiles

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TRWA Briefs

By Teresa McAnally, Texas Rural Water Association The 46th Annual TRWA Convention saluted “Everyday Heroes of Rural Texas” and hosted over 340 attendees and 250 exhibitors.

By Allison Kaminsky, Texas Rural Water Foundation Meet the students and industry professionals who received this year’s Texas Rural Water Foundation scholarships.

TRWA Legislative Update; Don’t Miss the Training and Technical Conference in July; Participate in the Texas Rural Water PAC Golf Tournament in Galveston; TRWA Welcomes New AmeriCorps VISTA. Quench — May/June 2015

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President’s Message Texas RuralWaterCon was a huge success and one of the best conventions TRWA has had in Austin. The hotel was sold out; over 120 people attended Rural Water Day at the Capitol; over 100 vendors showed off the latest and greatest merchandise; and our banquet recognizing our everyday heroes of rural Texas was very well received.

Bob Phillips, Texas Country Reporter, had a great program and was very impressed with the video that Allison produced featuring some of our members. I bet we see a Texas Country Reporter program in the future about a rural water system.

TRWA’s strength has always been our members. I personally want to thank all our members for their hard work in handing out bags and visiting so many offices at the Capitol. I was right back at the Capitol the next week, and you made an impact on all the staff I spoke with during my visits. Most importantly, you made a positive impact for rural water.

“If your system is going to have an anniversary in the next few years, start planning now to make it a big deal.”

I had the pleasure of attending the 50th anniversary/annual meeting of Markout Water Supply Corporation in April. Markout WSC has done a great job in preserving old documents, and a lot of their members turned out for the celebration. If your system is going to have an anniversary in the next few years, start planning now to make it a big deal. I can’t think of a better time to tell your system’s story. Invite the county commissioners, your representative and senator. This is a perfect way to educate your local officials about rural water and all you have done to keep the water flowing.

The TRWA Training & Technical Conference will be July 15-16 in Galveston, and I hope you are planning to attend. I am calling out all Duffers, Hackers and Long Knockers who think they can play golf. This year’s golf tournament, benefitting the Texas Rural Water PAC, has made some changes and improvements that you will enjoy. Many new faces and sponsors will join us as we tear up the links on Galveston Island. Remember, work is for people who don’t know how to play golf; a good golf partner is one who’s always a little bit worse than you are; and whoever said “Practice makes perfect” obviously never played golf; so, sign up to play this year when you register for the conference.

Hope to see you there.

Keep Texas Rural.

Clay Hodges President Texas Rural Water Association

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Letter from the Executive Director As usual, things in the world of Texas rural water are busy. Thank you to everyone who attended RuralWaterCon 2015, our annual convention.

In addition to a wide variety of excellent speakers and topics, you were able to get in-depth information about USDA’s Build Out Texas project to help fund rural water and wastewater projects in Texas. We appreciate the efforts that USDA staff from across Texas and the country are making in our great state. I was pleased to see so many of our members interacting with each other and with the many vendors who provide so much service and support to our industry.

The Texas Legislature is in full swing, and water issues continue to get a great deal of attention this session. Thank you to everyone who participated in Rural Water Day at the Capitol. You have made an impact, and many legislators recognize the importance of doing what they can to Keep Texas Rural. Please stay vigilant in these remaining weeks of the session, as we may ask for your help at any time.

Regardless of the final outcome this legislative session, we know that legislators appreciate hearing from you about the impacts of legislation on you and your customers, and it helps us represent your interests also.

What makes rural water so great is when everyone pulls together and works toward common goals. That is true whether we’re working on a legislative issue, a regulatory challenge or learning from each other’s experiences in the field. And TRWA’s conferences are some of the best places to get together for all of those things. I encourage you to register for and attend TRWA’s Office Professionals Conference on June 4-5 in San Antonio, and I also hope you will be able to attend TRWA’s Training and Technical Conference in Galveston on July 15-16.

“What makes rural water so great is when everyone pulls together and works toward common goals.”

Meanwhile, please keep doing what you do best—providing quality water and wastewater service to your communities and working to Keep Texas Rural!

Fred Aus Executive Director Texas Rural Water Association

Quench — May/June 2015

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Updated Guidance on Filing Tariffs at the Public Utility Commission

By Pauline Word, Certified Paralegal, Texas Rural Water Association

T

he Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently changed its internal process for filing tariffs.

These guidelines differ from what we reported in the November/December issue of Quench.

On September 1, 2014, PUC took over economic regulation of water and wastewater systems, including certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN) issues and rate appeals, from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

All CCN amendments, tariffs for water supply corporations, sale, transfer, merger applications and other such documents previously filed with TCEQ now must be sent to PUC. One of the changes PUC recently made relates to tariff filings. Water supply corporations are only required to file one copy of the tariff with the PUC pursuant to Texas Water Code Section 13.136(c) and 16 Texas Administrative Code Sec. 24.21(j).

TRWA clarified this rule with PUC Central Records, and the staff should not ask a WSC to file more than one copy. Investor-owned utilities (IOUs) are required to file six copies under 16 TAC 22.71(c), and some WSCs recently had been required to also file six copies. Even though WSCs are only required to file one copy, as a courtesy, PUC has asked WSCs to voluntarily send two copies of their tariffs to help with the agency’s internal filing process.

PUC also initially planned to scan an electronic copy of all the paper water and wastewater tariffs it received from TCEQ. The agency since has abandoned that process and instead will keep all tariffs in hard copy binders at PUC Central Records.

PUC will consider those tariffs to be the official version on file at the agency.

Some of the tariffs PUC scanned and added to the PUC Interchange, its online filings database, after the program transfer may be outdated, so WSCs should no longer search that database for their tariffs. WSCs can call PUC Central Records at 512-936-7180 to determine what version of their tariff is on file. If the tariff is not current or is outdated, WSCs can file a new copy.

If a tariff is more than 10 pages, WSCs also must file an electronic copy. Detailed instructions on using

Mailing Address: Public Utility Commission of Texas Central Records 1701 N Congress PO Box 13326 Austin, Texas 78711-3326 Shipping / Overnight Delivery Address: Public Utility Commission of Texas Central Records 1701 N Congress, Suite 8-100 Austin, Texas 78701 PUC’s eFiler software are on the TRWA website at http://www.trwa.org/?179 or under the “Services” tab > “Legal” and then “Legal Resources” on the individual page menu on the right hand side.

PUC assigns a control number (internal unique reference number) to each new filing or tariff it receives, and those filings are posted to its Interchange. After a correct and current tariff is on file, PUC still prefers only the amended tariff pages be filed with its Central Records and not an entire new tariff each time it is revised. However, a WSC that does not file a whole new tariff each time should clearly state the pages that are changing so PUC staff knows which sheets to amend. WSCs also should use the control number assigned to their tariff, if applicable, to file subsequent amendments.

Tariff cover sheets should include the WSC name and signature of the system’s representative. TRWA has created a sample tariff cover letter for WSCs on our PUC filing web page.

Visit our website for a comprehensive list of filings required for systems.

The following pages contain filings we have identified that water districts and water supply corporations must file with local, state and federal agencies or keep on file internally. We will continue to add new filings as we identify them.

• Districts: bit.ly/distfilings • WSCs: bit.ly/wscfilings If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact us at 512-472-8591.

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TRWA Members Become On-the-Job Training Sites for New Veteran Hires

By Khristian Kesterson, Veteran Employment Specialist, Texas Rural Water Foundation

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he Texas Rural Water Foundation’s Veteran Employment Program (VEP) strives to promote the water and wastewater industry as a viable, interesting and meaningful career path to veterans, match veterans with job openings at rural water and wastewater systems, and encourage utilities to hire veterans. The Foundation provides new veteran hires with a TRWA training course, reimburses a license exam fee and works with hiring systems to become On-the-Job Training (OJT) sites.

Obtaining OJT site status gives water and wastewater systems a competitive advantage in attracting veterans to work at their system because it provides veterans with an alternative way to obtain their GI Bill benefits. If a veteran is eligible to receive GI Bill benefits, employment at an OJT approved system will allow them to receive a monthly stipend that supplements their salary as they develop a new professional skill. The amount of

the stipend depends on the veteran’s GI Bill benefit and how long they have been enrolled in an OJT program, but it is a significant supplement to an entry-level operator salary. The VEP has made it a priority to work with water and wastewater systems to ensure that each system that hires a veteran applies for OJT site status for their utility. This program supports eligible veteran employees, but does not require them to enroll if they do not wish to use their benefit in this way. There is no fee to apply for OJT approval, and the process takes a couple of months to complete.

To become approved as an OJT site, utilities must first submit an application to the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC), the agency that manages the OJT program in Texas with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The application consists of a training request form that specifically outlines the proposed program, wages the veteran will be paid, standard workweek information and the contact name and phone number for the person who will be supervising the veteran. The VEP has strived to make the application process as simple as possible by developing job training outlines for water and wastewater system operators for applicants to include with their application.

After the application is submitted, the TVC will schedule an on-site visit. During the on-site visit, the TVC representative will tour the system and meet with the person who will be supervising the veteran.

The TVC representative will discuss the information that the utility will need to provide during the visit, the program requirements and the guidelines for maintaining accurate records. One requirement is that veterans must receive the same pay as nonveterans for the same level position; the stipend cannot be considered a substitute for paying the standard operator salary. Utilities that have had their applications approved have expressed satisfaction with the process and with TVC staff, who are very helpful and accessible to contact outside of the onsite visit. The VEP is also available to assist utilities with the application process and to answer any questions about it.

Wickson Creek Special Utility District (SUD),

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Combined Consumers SUD and East Cedar Creek Fresh Water Supply District (FWSD) have been approved as OJT sites. Karen Theiss of Wickson Creek SUD and Lisa Thompson of Combined Consumers SUD both admitted that the application does involve a lot of paperwork, but said that utilities that are considering applying shouldn’t be discouraged.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” says Thompson, who described the process as initially daunting but found that it was actually simpler to complete the application than what she had expected.

Bill Goheen, General Manager at East Cedar Creek FWSD, called the application process “straight forward.” Theiss describes the application material as self-explanatory, and like Goheen and Thompson, found the TVC staff to be a great help and source of information. Theiss noted that the TVC representative who completed the on-site visit portion of the approval process at Wickson Creek SUD was very helpful and explained the OJT program and paperwork in detail.

are now receiving their GI Bill benefit stipend while working on the job. The utilities are also listed in a directory of OJT approved work sites with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Utilities only have to go through the approval process once, and there is no renewal requirement. When approved as an OJT site, utilities will have a competitive advantage in attracting veterans to work at their system who are interested in careers as operators. This is an excellent opportunity for water and wastewater systems to help new veteran employees and to attract veteran employees in the future.

Hiring veterans and participating as an OJT provider is a positive way to support our veterans who have proudly served our country. If you are interested in the Veteran Employment Program and the On-the-Job Training program and would like more information, the Texas Rural Water Foundation team is ready to assist your utility. Please contact the VEP at 512-472-8591 or e-mail foundation@ texasrwf.org to get started.

Once a utility is approved as an On-the-Job Training site, veteran employees eligible for GI Bill benefits can enroll to receive their allotted stipend.

New veteran hires at all three of these systems

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

Q:

My general manager wants to know how other TRWA members have dealt with the issue of conducting customer service inspections (CSI) at properties with livestock troughs.

A: TRWA has not requested any formal information from each member system on how they determine which valves are approved and which are not. In some parts of the state, the supply stores may handle only one brand of valve, while in other areas they offer a different valve.

However, you pose a good question as water troughs are and always will be a plumbing function that must be inspected according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) drinking water rules. TCEQ considers water troughs a potential health hazard and cross-connection issue.

I suspect every rural water system has had at least one location on their system with some type of livestock watering trough or tank that should have been inspected if the inspector knew it was out there. If the owners didn’t tell the system about the pasture trough or if they installed a watering trough after the inspection was completed, then the system’s CSI inspector wouldn’t have checked that trough.

TCEQ’s rules at 30 Texas Administrative Code Section 290.47(i) Appendix I require an air gap or pressure vacuum breaker installation on water troughs. There are two basic types of automatic fill valves for watering troughs. One is the approved anti-syphon type and the other is a submersible valve installed to discharge below the surface “to keep it from freezing.” Each water trough should be filled by using an anti-syphon type fill valve. The second type is a submersible fill valve that creates a cross-connection and should not be approved by the CSI inspector.

So to begin the process, the system should start with the CSI inspector(s) you have conducting inspections. This person took the CSI course and should have learned the correct and approved type fill valves and probably the wrong type valves 10

Quench — May/June 2015

as well. If your CSI inspector can’t answer your questions about which one is approved or not, then they need more training.

Many water systems begin their training for water trough inspections by sending their operators or the manager down to the local feed stores, hardware stores or “box” stores to purchase each type of water trough fill valves. Then, when they get back to their office/shop, they read and study the diagrams of each valve to determine which has the antisyphon type valve. If that initial inspection doesn’t work, they should take off the valve covers to see which one is the cross-connection type valve and which is the approved type valve. Usually there is some type of manufacturer’s contact information with each valve so the system can contact them for more diagrams or drawings showing how their valves are made.

Many systems request their CSI inspectors do this hands-on research and become familiar with these different types of fill valves and the accompanying literature explaining the innerworkings of each type of valve.

Q: Last week, an oil company had a break in their oil pipeline next to our water treatment plant. While repairing the oil line, the company broke our water line and oil spilled in the rightof-way of a local farm-to-market road and toward a nearby creek. They did not call 811 for a utility line locate before performing the work. Now the company says we had no right to run our line across their easement.

We built our water line and that plant in 1971.

It was an FHA loan project and our engineer said FHA would not have loaned funds to build the line and plant without all documentation and easements. We are reviewing our loan and own easement paperwork right now.

We have had this water line in the ground for 44 years, and believe the oil company may have installed their line in our water line easement.

How should I address this?

Continued on page 12

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Continued from page 10

A: This is a very common situation where water lines cross oil/gas pipelines and neither entity knows of the other pipeline’s existence.

Yes, this company should have made a call to have utilities located in accordance with the Texas Utilities Code Chapter 251, Subchapter D for excavation and underground utilities. This call would only benefit your WSC if the system voluntarily joined an underground pipeline notification center and is listed as one of the utilities to be called/ contacted when a line locate is requested in your service area.

As for what to do, you should seek any documentation in the original plans and specifications, engineering agreements, and old easement files proving that the WSC had permission from the landowner to lay the water line there.

You should also request to see the oil company’s easement or other documentation supporting their claim of a valid easement at that location.

If you do not have the documentation in your files, search the county deed records at the county clerk’s office. An easement should be properly recorded and attached to that particular property.

If both the water company and the oil company have valid easements at that location, review the easements to see if they contain language that addresses the other entity’s easement and whether any priorities exist.

Ultimately, in this type of dispute, both entities have to show that they had the legal right to lay their line in that location. If it’s on private property, you will both have to show that you have an easement there. If it’s in the public right-of-way, Texas Water Code Section 49.220 provides districts and WSCs the legal authority to lay their water lines there.

Hopefully, you can work with the oil company to

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come up with an agreeable solution to the dispute that minimizes the costs and risks to both entities moving forward.

Q: Which utility customers are exempt from the regulatory assessment fee?

A: The regulatory assessment is a fee water and wastewater utilities collect from retail customers, except state agencies, wholesale customers or buyers of non-potable (not drinkable) water. Utilities send the amount collected to TCEQ. The regulatory assessment fee is not a tax, so tax-exempt institutions also must pay the regulatory assessment, including school districts, cities and similar institutions that are not state agencies.

TCEQ’s Regulatory Guidance document (RG199) explains this in greater detail. It can be accessed at: http://www.tceq.texas.gov/publications/ rg/rg-199.html/at_download/file.

If you have a technical question you would like answered, please e-mail Larry.Bell@trwa.org.

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Meet the Winners of the 2015 TRWA Awards of Excellence

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he Texas Rural Water Association Awards of Excellence program is designed to recognize outstanding managers, operators and secretary/office managers of rural water systems across Texas. This is TRWA’s way of honoring excellence, dedication and achievement in those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

The TRWA Awards Committee received several outstanding nominations this year, making the decision a hard one to make. Read more about our outstanding 2015 winners below.

Manager of the Year – Bill Goheen, East Cedar Creek FWSD Bill Goheen is the General Manager of East Cedar Creek FWSD, and has 30 plus years in the water and wastewater profession. His work has encompassed working in the field, operating many different types of facilities, working with engineers, city staff and the District Board, as well as local and national regulatory agencies. With his vast background, Bill has brought fresh new thinking and creativity to East Cedar Creek FWSD’s management team to assist in reducing expenses, as well as creating new revenue streams.

Bill involves staff in the research and development of an idea, follows through once an idea has been selected for implementation and concludes with a report on the return on investment.

Two key recommendations he made to the Board were the purchase of tanks and upgrades to purchase bulk chemicals instead of higher priced 55 gallon drum purchases, and a new sludge belt press to dewater sludge and dispose of it instead of paying contractors to haul liquid concentration containing 1.5 to 2 percent solids. To date, both projects have proven to reduce expenses between $30,000 and $40,000 annually, and the return on investment of both proved to be less than 5 years.

Bill is very knowledgeable and attends TRWA conferences, industry webinars and has hosted TRWA Customer Service Inspection classes to benefit his employees. He ensures there are funds allocated in the District’s annual budget for all departments so his mid-management has the opportunity to send staff to advanced training as well. Bill requires his mid-management team to accompany him at the annual TCEQ regulatory conference in Austin. During this conference, he encourages his team to visit with TCEQ staff and calls for a post-conference meeting to review relevant issues specifically related to each department.

Bill gives credit where credit is due. He has an open door policy and encourages employees to bring in any question or issue for discussion. He is a firm believer in performance-based evaluation, and schedules weekly meetings with management and regularly attends mid-management meetings to assess how the departments are doing. His goal is to have a management team at the helm that can and will continue to operate regularly in his absence without missing a beat. He stresses that employees are the most important asset a company has.

Bill was nominated by East Cedar Creek FWSD’s Office Manager, Angie Crowsey.

Secretary/Office Manager of the Year – Irma Tamez, North Alamo WSC

Bill Goheen, General Manager of East Cedar Creek FWSD, accepts his award from TRWA Board Director and Awards Committee member Chris Boyd and TRWA Board President Clay Hodges.

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Irma began her career with North Alamo WSC in 1983 as a secretary/bookkeeper. At this point, she had already received her business degree from McAllen Business College while working in various positions honing her skill set. Upon her hiring, Irma was given the tasks of preparing payroll for the WSC, which consisted of roughly 32 employees,

tasks assigned are completed, and is a highly motivated team player.”

With her guidance over the customer service team, public perception of the system shifted from being a “negative big water corporation” to being thoughtful, kind and overly helpful, even in the face of an angry customer. Irma goes the extra mile when needed, and will do what it takes to get each and every job/task done. She is well respected and appreciated by the staff, as well as by the Board of Directors.

Irma was nominated by Steve Krenek, North Alamo WSC’s Board President.

Irma Tamez, Office Manager for North Alamo WSC, accepts her award from TRWA Board Director and Awards Committee member Chris Boyd and TRWA Board President Clay Hodges.

as well as taking care of accounts payable for a system comprised of approximately 7,000 members.

Irma has progressively advanced through the ranks, consistently taking on more responsibilities, and managing tasks and staff. She was officially promoted to Office Manager in 2012, and is responsible for overseeing 20 office staff, customer billing, customer payments, service applications, new customer applications and systems set-up, and monitoring customer complaints, just to name a few.

According to her nominating officer, Irma “has outstanding customer service skills for both internal and external customers, is a good communicator with the ability to adapt the discussion to the circumstance, works well up and down the chain of command, has the respect of direct and indirect reports along with others in the industry, has a strong understanding of the organization, systems used, and processes employed, is a motivator, exhibits an ability to adapt to changing environments, has a desire to make sure that the

Operator of the Year This year’s Operator of the Year award was dedicated to all water/wastewater operators working at TRWA member systems across the state. A commemorative plaque was created to hang in the TRWA office that reads: “The TRWA Board of Directors would like to recognize every water and wastewater operations specialist of a TRWA Member System for their valuable service and contribution to the betterment of our industry.”

The Board came to this decision unanimously, agreeing that our operators are the everyday heroes of rural water, working hard every day on the frontlines to ensure their communities have fresh, quality water.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination for a 2015 award. The Awards of Excellence nomination cycle runs between September and November. Check back in the September/October issue of this magazine, or visit www.trwa.org, for details on how you could nominate one of your peers for a 2016 award!

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Fort Davis WSC Receives Blue Legacy Award for Conservation Outreach

By Marushka Grogan, Assistant Program Manager, and Caroline Hackett, Foundation Development Specialist, Texas Rural Water Foundation

T

he Water Conservation Advisory Council’s Blue Legacy Award is a state-level recognition of outstanding water conservation practices implemented by Texas water utilities. According to the award website, “Recognition is given to water suppliers that have demonstrated outstanding and innovative commitment to the state's mission of promoting responsible management of water resources as well as conservation of Texas' water resources.”

As of 2015, thanks in part to efforts by TRWA/ TRWF staff, the Blue Legacy Award has a new category specifically designed to highlight water conservation achievements of utilities serving populations under 10,000. As a result, the Foundation was proud to nominate Pattison Water Supply Corporation (Waller County) and Fort Davis Water Supply Corporation (Jeff Davis County) for the award. In March, Fort Davis WSC was selected as an awardee for its exceptional public awareness program and conservation outreach materials. More information on the nomination may be found at: http://www.savetexaswater.org/awards/ municipal/2015MunWinners.htm.

Fort Davis WSC’s resources are typical of many small water utilities. The system has a staff of six, including two office employees and four field operators, and is responsible for 660 customer connections spread over 2,265 square miles in the unincorporated area of Fort Davis, Texas. Despite these challenges, over the past several years Fort Davis WSC has championed water conservation in their arid community through a variety of technical improvements and educational efforts.

These measures include providing free water conservation supplies, such as toilet leak detection kits, leak-measuring drip cups, shower flow meters and pamphlets printed in English and Spanish.

Additionally, the system has developed an in-house water conservation presentation, available to any community group upon request. Students from the Fort Davis Independent School District often tour the system, and thanks to Fort Davis personnel’s emphasis on water conservation, students are 16

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amazed to learn how they can save water at home through simple methods.

Fort Davis staff also enlisted the help of the Texas Extension Service to outfit their office building with a rainwater harvesting system to irrigate the flower beds. This is used as a prominent demonstration for visitors, and often piques the interest of community members to learn more about ways to conserve water in their own homes. The rainwater harvesting system is a demonstration of how simple and economical such a system can be for Fort Davis residents. Since installing their model system, Fort Davis staff has seen similar measures being adapted and installed around town, including several 10,000-gallon water collection tanks and household xeriscaping gardens. These rainwater tanks help reduce demand for outdoor irrigation needs. Additionally, they are a strong indicator of the general sense of responsible water use that the system has fostered within their community.

Water utilities have long been stewards of Texas water, serving as many communities’ most visible representative of responsible stewardship on behalf of the state’s water supplies.

“Rural communities, in particular, understand their communities’ water use and water needs better than anyone else, and these utilities’ personnel are often in a unique position to work for effective water resource management within their communities,” says Adam Carignan, Foundation Development Specialist and AmeriCorps VISTA. Systems like Fort Davis WSC and Pattison WSC are essential to demonstrating the feasibility and necessity of saving water through ingenuity, frugality and Texas community spirit. The Foundation’s ongoing efforts to support rural water conservation are focused, first and foremost, on enabling water utilities across Texas to adapt water-saving measures to the needs of their communities, providing a rural-focused approach to a statewide issue.

Keep It Legal

Answers to Members’ Questions by Lara Zent, TRWA General Counsel and Deputy Executive Director

U

pdate: After my last column ran in the March/ April issue of this magazine, I received several follow-up questions about whether the prohibition against charging a fee for credit and debit card payments also prohibits third-party online payment processors from collecting a fee for these forms of payment. The Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC), the state office charged with enforcing this issue, released an Advisory Bulletin on March 27, 2015, which addresses this and other questions. So, I’m following up on my previous response to include a summary of that Bulletin, which we have also posted on the legal services page of TRWA’s website under “legal resources.”

Many of our members are now offering online payment options and contracting out this service to third-party processors who collect a fee from customers who utilize this service. The OCCC’s interpretation of the law is that the processors may charge a higher fee for payment by credit card as long as the following conditions are met:

“A board member of a water supply corporation is not required to provide written notice of a resignation...”

As a reminder, Section 339.001 of the Finance Code prohibits a retailer, including a water supply corporation or investor-owned utility, from imposing a surcharge on a customer for using a credit card to pay for goods or services. The law differs for water districts and cities, which have specific authority to charge these fees.

The OCCC Bulletin states that there are four main alternatives to a prohibited credit card surcharge: (1) a uniform convenience fee (not limited to credit card payments), (2) a cash discount, (3) an option to pay by credit card with no fee, and (4) a third-party processor.

•

• The water system cannot receive any portion of the fee or any direct or indirect benefit from the fee.

• The business relationship between the water system and the third-party payment processor must be limited to processing payments.

Multiple payment channels must be available to the customers, so they are not required to pay the processor’s fee to pay their water bill. If the only way to pay the water bill is to use the third-party processor, then the same fee must be charged for all forms of payment, including credit and debit cards.

Q: We canceled our board meeting last night due to bad weather. Can we hold it the next day instead?

A: Yes, Section 551.0411(b) of the Open Meetings Act allows your board to convene the meeting within 72 hours if you were prevented from Continued on page 18

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Continued from page 17

holding the properly noticed meeting because of a “catastrophe.” “Catastrophe” includes “fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, tornado, or wind, rain, or snow storm.” The decision to hold the meeting the next day must be made in good faith and not to circumvent the Act. You are required to post the notice again for at least two hours before the meeting is convened in accordance with Section 551.045 of the Act. If you are unable to convene the meeting within those 72 hours, you must provide regular notice again (at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting).

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Q: A board member of our water supply corporation told our board president that he resigned, but then he withdrew his resignation.

Is written notice required? And when does a resignation become effective?

A: A board member of a water supply corporation is not required to provide written notice of a resignation, and the effective date is typically when the full board accepts the resignation.

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Section 22.211 of the Business Organizations Code provides “a director of a corporation may resign at any time by providing written notice to the corporation.” The 1st District Court of Appeals in Houston has interpreted that section though as not requiring written notice because of the word “may;” and held that the resignation may be oral or by other means. See Inwood N. Homeowners’ Assoc., Inc. v.

Meier, 625 S.W.2d 742, 743 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1981, no writ).

For public offices, courts have found that a resignation is not effective until accepted by the rest of the board or the entity with the authority to appoint a person to fill the vacancy. See Garcia v.

Angelini, 412 S.W. 2d 949 (1967). Roberts Rules of Order, which many of our member systems adopt, is consistent with this premise that there must be an action of the board to accept a resignation and once that occurs, the resignation may not be rescinded.

So, if a board member rescinds their resignation before the board has acted to accept it, then the board member effectively has not resigned.

If you have a legal question you would like answered, please e-mail legal@trwa.org.

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The Importance of Forests to Water Resources— Water Quality

By Hughes Simpson, Water Resources Manager, Texas A&M Forest Service

F

orests are vitally important in providing clean and abundant drinking water for millions of people. While approximately 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, less than 1 percent of it is considered to be available fresh water. In the United States, two-thirds of our freshwater resources originate on forestlands, producing the cleanest water of any land use.

Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, clearly understood this relationship, saying “The connection between forests and rivers is like that between father and son. No forests, no rivers.”

In much the same way that forests regulate water supply and stream flow, they also help ensure water quality protection. Tree canopies intercept precipitation, reducing the amount and impact of erosion causing rain. The forest floor, made up of decomposing vegetation, along with shrubs, forbs and grasses, holds the soil in place, preventing it from becoming detached and washing into nearby streams rivers, and lakes during intense storms.

Forest soils absorb large amounts of water through a process known as infiltration, preventing floods which can deliver pollutants and harmful debris to our waterways.

Perhaps the most important place to maintain forests is adjacent to water resources. Riparian forests function as “nature’s kidneys,” slowing down stormwater runoff long enough for sediment, nutrients and other pollutants to be deposited or absorbed before reaching our waterways. Just like with a coffee filter or kitchen colander, clean water is allowed to flow freely through these areas.

Research has shown that maintaining a forest buffer as small as fifty feet along streams and rivers can reduce sediment delivery by 75 – 90 percent. These buffers are just as important in agricultural and urban settings.

Water filtration provided by forests can significantly lower water treatment costs. Monitoring has shown that in-stream total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), and turbidity increase as forest cover decreases. Researchers, studying 27 different U.S. water supply systems, found that protecting forestlands within public

Beef Creek Falls in Jasper County, Texas. Photo courtesy of Texas A&M Forest Service

drinking water supply watersheds can reduce capital, operational and maintenance costs for drinking water treatment. Reducing forest cover by half, compared to a watershed with 60 percent forest cover, can increase drinking water treatment costs by 97 percent. Forest wetlands can also reduce the cost to treat wastewater. One study found that wetlands were 85 percent less expensive than conventional wastewater systems for every 1,000 gallons treated.

In addition to filtering stormwater runoff, riparian forests also stabilize stream banks and provide thermal protection to streams. Shade from tree canopies help lower water temperatures, increasing the dissolved oxygen content in waterbodies and allowing fish to flourish. Many organisms have small tolerances for large variations in water temperature.

Increasing the amount of sunlight that reaches the water, and thereby raising water temperature, can lead to substantial changes in the aquatic ecosystem.

As our population continues to grow, increased urbanization will likely lead to significant changes in land use, resulting in impacts to water quality. In the absence of mitigating actions, the conversion of forest lands can have substantial impacts on water quality.

Continued on page 20 Quench — May/June 2015

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Continued from page 19

Urbanization results in increases in impervious cover (buildings and associated roads, sidewalks, parking lots, driveways, and rooftops). Development that removes forest vegetation converts permeable forest soils to impermeable surfaces. As rain falls on these areas, runoff water mixes with pollutants, such as oil, gas and other automobile fluids, and is delivered to streams through the storm drain network. Homeowners, wanting to live near waterbodies, continue to maintain manicured lawns right up to the waterfront. Landscape chemicals, including fertilizers and pesticides, are able to flow directly into streams, lakes and rivers when forested buffers are not maintained.

Auburn University has documented these water quality impacts, referred to as the “urban stream syndrome.� For years, researchers have studied the hydrologic changes that result when forested watersheds transitioned to urban areas near Columbus, Georgia. In addition to the traditional pollutants mentioned above, emerging concerns are developing with the increasing prevalence of bacteria and personal care products (deodorants, perfumes, pharmaceuticals and medical waste)

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Forest conversion, regardless of the type of new land use, results in substantial changes in the quality of adjacent and downstream waters.

The importance of conservation and integrated management of our forestlands cannot be understated, and will be critical to meeting our future water demands.

This is the third in a series of articles we have been running in 2015 on forests and watershed management, and their importance to drinking water supply. The final installment on creative solutions for water resource management will run in the July/August issue of this magazine. If you have any questions about this article, you may contact Hughes Simpson at the Texas A&M Forest Service, Division of Forest Resource Development and Sustainable Forestry, at hsimpson@tfs.tamu.edu.

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TRWA’s RuralWaterCon Was a Huge Success

By Teresa McAnally, Member Services Director, Texas Rural Water Association he 46th Annual TRWA RuralWaterCon saluting “Everyday Heroes of Rural Texas” at the Renaissance Austin Hotel hosted over 340 attendees and 250 exhibitors March 18-20. Highlights included Rural Water Day at the State Capitol, an Exhibit Hall featuring over 100 booths, special guests from NRWA and USDA, as well as an inspiring message from “Texas Country Reporter” Bob Phillips.

T

On Wednesday, March 18th, the Legislative Briefing Breakfast gave attendees the opportunity to become familiar with the issues and legislation impacting water utilities before heading over the Capitol to visit state officials. Concurrently, associate and regular members competed in the annual TRWA/ AIA Insurance Agency-sponsored golf tournament at Avery Ranch Golf Club. Proceeds from the tournament benefitted the Texas Rural Water Political Action Committee (PAC).

The staff of G-M WSC enjoy the Exhibit Hall, which featured over 100 booths presenting some of the latest product advances in the industry.

Thursday morning kicked off with breakfast and time to explore the Exhibit Hall. Those who arrived early for booth viewing were eligible to win cash prizes at the PAC silent auction booth. The opening general session featured remarks from RuralWaterCon sponsors, including AIA Insurance, CoBank, Daniel and Brown and TraC-n-Trol. Next, NRWA President Charles Hilton was invited to the stage for opening remarks. As is tradition when a

new NRWA President attends our convention, TRWA President Clay Hodges and TRWA Executive Director Fred Aus presented him with custom-made cowboy boots to welcome him to Texas. Following Hilton’s stirring words lauding the rural water industry as the unsung heroes of the country, Jacqueline PontiLazaruk, Assistant Administrator of USDA’s Water and Environmental Programs Rural Development, Rural Utilities Service, was invited to the stage. She gave a presentation about the new USDA RD “Build Out Texas” initiative. TRWA members were invited to attend USDA meetings throughout the convention to learn more about how this new initiative can help serve rural water and wastewater systems in Texas by reducing processing times and streamlining the approval of infrastructure projects.

NRWA President Charles Hilton accepts his custom-made cowboy boots from TRWA Executive Director Fred Aus.

Next on the program was the TRWA Awards of Excellence and Texas Rural Water Foundation (TRWF) Scholarship ceremony, presented by TRWA Board Member Chris Boyd. Commemorative plaques and checks were presented to Bill Goheen, East Cedar Creek FWSD, for Manager of the Year and Irma Tamez, North Alamo WSC, for Secretary/Office Manager of the Year. He then dedicated the Operator of the Year award to all Texas operators for being the everyday heroes of the Texas rural water industry.

A commemorative plaque now hangs in the TRWA offices to remind us of who is out in the trenches every day, bringing quality water to our communities.

The TRWF Student Scholarship recipients were John Coffee of Cisco, Olivia Hunt of Taylor, Justin Macmanus of Harlingen and Karina Rice of

Wednesday evening, the Welcome Reception, sponsored by CoBank, gave attendees the chance to renew friendships and visit with suppliers.

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the stories of real Texans since 1972. Phillips entertained the audience with his recollections of everyday heroes all around us.

Friday morning, delegates convened for District caucuses at 8:30 a.m. to discuss District matters and host elections. District 1 elected Finley Barnett as Director, District 2 reelected Bruce Alexander as Director, District 4 reelected Delores Goode as Director and District 6 reelected Brian Macmanus as Director and Steven Sanchez as Alternate Director.

Following the caucuses, educational sessions continued with updates on the Public Utilities Commission, the Texas Water TRWA Board President Clay Hodges honored former Board Infrastructure Coordination Committee and Presidents Jo E. Ball (left) and Terry Kelley (right) for their years of Texas Water Development Board Funding. service to the Association.

Afterward, the RuralWaterConnections Lunch Grandview. TRWF Operator/Manager Scholarship provided attendees a relaxed atmosphere to recipients were Michael Hale of Fruitvale WSC, network with attendees before heading back into the Chanceler Moehring of Atascosa Rural WSC, Luis afternoon sessions.

Cruz of North Alamo WSC, Joe Simmons of Cross Two additional rounds of breakout sessions Timbers WSC and Ronnie Yohan of Cross Timbers rounded out the convention with topics such as tariff WSC. You can read more about our award winners service policies, energy efficiency assessments and on page 14 and our scholarship recipients on page an update on regulatory policies at TCEQ. Many 24. of the courses throughout the convention were Following the opening general session was the approved for TCEQ continuing education hours to Annual Business Meeting, where the President, benefit attendees in both water and wastewater Executive Director and TRWA Board Committee fields. reports were given. The announcement and This year’s convention was a resounding success! introduction of all candidates for the TRWA Board of Thanks to all who joined us in Austin for a fun and Directors election was the final item on the agenda educational event. You can see more pictures from before the meeting adjourned.

RuralWaterCon on our Facebook page. We hope Breakout sessions began in the afternoon to see you in June in San Antonio for the Office on topics such as CCN Update, Water Loss/ Professionals Conference and also in Galveston Conservation and TWDB’s Focus on Rural Texas. for the Training and Technical Conference in July.

The sessions concluded at 5:00 p.m., giving Registration and additional information can be found everyone time to relax before the evening social hour at www.trwa.org. and banquet.

Prior to the President’s Banquet, a live auction benefitting the Texas Rural Water PAC auctioned off several highly coveted items raising nearly $2000 for the PAC. We also raised approximately $2600 for the PAC as a result of our silent auction, which ran throughout the event in the Exhibit Hall.

Immediately following was the banquet, which kicked off with the TRWA-produced video “Everyday Heroes of Rural Water,” featuring stories from several of those who have laid the groundwork of the rural water industry. The banquet concluded with our keynote speaker, television journalist Bob Phillips, who has traveled the back roads of Texas and told

TRWA members, staff and board participated in the annual golf tournament, benefitting the Texas Rural Water PAC. Quench — May/June 2015

23

Texas Rural Water Foundation 2015 Scholarship Recipient Profiles

By Allison Kaminsky, Communications Director, Texas Rural Water Foundation

T

he Texas Rural Water Association has been awarding scholarships since 1999 with the goal of assisting qualified students, operators and managers in their pursuit of continued education in areas of study that will benefit rural Texas. The Texas Rural Water Foundation has since absorbed these scholarship programs, extending these great benefits to a larger pool of outstanding and worthy individuals interested in promoting rural Texas. Under the new administration, applicants no longer need to be affiliated with a member system to be eligible for a scholarship. Further, previous recipients of this student scholarship can now reapply for additional funds as an upperclassman, provided they can demonstrate continued academic excellence in a field supporting rural Texas.

This year, the Awards and Scholarship Committee reviewed 25 applications from highly qualified students and operators. After careful consideration, the committee awarded four student scholarships and five operator/manager scholarships. Student scholarships are awarded in two installments of $500 per semester. Operators are awarded up to $250 in scholarship funds as a reimbursement to cover the cost of a TRWAapproved operator certification course. Learn more about this year’s recipients below.

Student Scholarship Recipients John Coffee John graduated from Eastland High School in Eastland, Texas in May 2014, and was awarded a Presidential Scholarship and a full-ride baseball scholarship to attend Abilene Christian University (ACU) in the fall. However, soon John was diagnosed with hemochromatosis, and learned that he would not be able to play baseball in college. As a result, he lost much of his financial assistance, and chose to undertake a paid internship at a civil engineering firm to help pay for school.

In his work at the firm, John has focused on creating hydraulic models. His work has included projects for water supply corporations in small West Texas towns, and he is excited to work on a project in a county that contains his hometown.

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“I have seen firsthand the impact of the drought on the economy, the ranchers, Hubbard Creek Lake and the citizens in general,” said John. “Being able to help my hometown is my way of giving back all they have given to me.”

He has since solidified his area of specialization at ACU to civil engineering with a concentration in water resources, and plans to continue his work with the engineering firm, who has already offered to hire him on full-time upon graduation.

Olivia Hall Olivia will be graduating in late May 2015 from Thrall High School in Thrall, Texas. During her tenure there, she was very active in extracurricular activities, including the University Interscholastic League (UIL) in poetry, student council, National Honor Society, fellowship of Christian athletes, and Future Farmers of America, as well as playing on the varsity tennis, volleyball and basketball teams.

She has also has dedicated much of her time to servicing her community, volunteering for various local charities, organizations and through her church.

Olivia is no stranger to the Texas rural water industry. Her mother has worked at Manville WSC for 10 years, and her father serves on the Noack WSC Board of Directors. Because of her exposure to the rural water industry and seeing firsthand how resources have affected her local areas, she is driven to advocate for water projects that will help drought-proof future generations.

“I want to make a difference and be involved in growing and protecting this precious natural resource,” said Olivia. “My dream would be to eventually run for public office, perhaps serving in the Texas Senate drafting bills to address water issues.”

She has already begun to earn college credit at Temple College at Taylor, but plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall to study government. Her goal is to graduate with a degree in political science, and then proceed to law school to study water and environmental law.

Justin Macmanus Justin will graduate as valedictorian in late May from Harlingen High School in Harlingen, Texas.

He has been heavily involved in academics and in extracurricular activities throughout his high school career, serving as the team captain of the tennis team, captain of the flag crew, and vice-president of the National Honor Society, as well as participating in the UIL math/science team and in the Har-Tex 4-H Club. Justin is also the president of the Cameron County 4-H Council, a 4-H Gold Star Recipient, an

Eagle Scout and a Rio Grande Valley Linking Economic & Academic Development (RGV LEAD) Ambassador.

Last summer, Justin took a job with a local engineering firm on their surveying crew, and now plans to pursue a degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station. He will also participate in the university’s ROTC program, the Corps of Cadets, and plans to serve a minimum of four years in the Texas State Guard or in the U.S. Army or Air Force upon graduation.

His long-term plans are to earn a Master of Engineering and build a career in Texas focusing on the latest developments in the agricultural and engineering fields. His areas of concern are the supply of drinking water and the threat of drought on the availability of this resource. He hopes to work on projects to utilize saltwater as a solution.

“The solution could be a revised version of the desalination process, a new use of saltwater or a brand new idea,” said Justin. “We don’t know which one will be the best solution yet, but I do know two things: One, the future agricultural engineers will have the ability and training necessary to find the right solution, and two, I will be one of them searching for that solution.”

Karina Rice New to the program in 2015, the TRWF Student Scholarship program earmarked funds to grant to one exceptional upperclassman. Karina is the first to receive one of these scholarships. Karina graduated with honors from Grandview High School in Grandview, Texas in May 2009. In high school, Karina was heavily involved in band, placing in district and regionals all four years, and participating in the band UIL. She was also a member of National Honor Society. Following high school, she attended Hill College, where she was on the Dean’s List, and tutored in the subjects of algebra and calculus.

She has since transferred to Texas A&M University, where she is a junior in the school’s physics program. While attending university full time, she has intermittently worked as temporary help in the Johnson County SUD accounting department.

“Working in the accounting department for Johnson County SUD has taught me that attention to detail can be the difference between five dollars Continued on page 26 Quench — May/June 2015

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Continued from page 25

course in pursuit of his class “D” water license.

and five hundred thousand,” said Karina. “I am very grateful for the opportunity Johnson County SUD has afforded me in allowing me to serve the rural population of Texas and applying for this scholarship.”

Chanceler Moehring

She hopes her education will give her new insights on water delivery and waste management systems, potentially leading to new and more costefficient delivery systems for rural Texas.

Operator/Manager Scholarship Recipients Luis Cruz Luis Cruz is a water meter reader for North Alamo Water Supply Corporation. Luis is not yet certified, and plans to use this scholarship to pursue his class “D” water license.

Joe Simmons Joe Simmons is an operator for Cross Timbers WSC. Joe is not yet certified, and plans to use his funds to take course to pursue his class “D” water license.

Michael Hale Michael Hale is an operator assistant at Fruitvale Water Supply Corporation. He plans to use his scholarship to take a Groundwater Production

Chanceler Moehring works in field and yard maintenance and has been employed at Atascosa Rural WSC for over five years. He plans to use his scholarship to attend courses at Northwest Vista College in order to give him a better understanding of basic water works operations and the rules and regulations of water municipalities.

Ronnie Yohan Ronnie Yohan is an operator for Cross Timbers WSC. He currently has his level “C” water and wastewater licences, and plans to apply his scholarship funds toward continuing education to maintain his licences. *** Congratulations to all 2015 scholarship recipients! The selection process was a rigorous one, and we encourage those of you who applied and did not receive a scholarship to reapply next year. We appreciate those of you who contribute to the Foundation’s scholarship fund to make these programs possible, and we thank those of you who help to spread the word about these programs to your staff, colleagues and community members.

The 2016 scholarship application cycle opens in mid-December, and will run through February of next year. If you or someone you know is interested in applying, please keep these dates on your calendar. We will run an article with application details in a future issue of this magazine, and eligibility requirements and application packets will be mailed to your system and will also be posted on the Foundation’s website at www.texasrwf.org.

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As this magazine goes to print, there are several weeks left in the session, and things change day-to-day, hour-to-hour, and minute-tominute. But here’s a quick recap, and stay tuned to TRWA’s website, Twitter and Facebook accounts, and e-mail blasts to members for action alerts and other updates.

government and special districts this session.

There is a general theme from some parts of the Capitol that any local debt is bad debt— without regard to it not being tax-supported debt, such as is the case for our Special Utility District members. Bills including SB 309 (Sen. Donna Campbell) and HB 3891 (Rep. Pat Fallon) would require the Comptroller’s office to establish a new database called the Special Purpose District Public Information Warehouse. And bills such as SB 1042 (Sen. Paul Bettencourt) and HB 1378 (Rep. Dan Flynn) would require each political subdivision to provide an annual report about their debt obligations secured by property taxes.

As of the writing of this article, HB 3357 (Lucio III), our bill that would allow water districts and other political subdivisions to post public meeting notices on their websites, instead of at the county clerk’s office, has passed out of the House and is headed to the Senate.

SB 1812 (Sen. Lois Kolkhorst) and HB 3988 (Rep. Charlie Geren) will require the Comptroller’s office to create and maintain an “eminent domain registry” on the Comptroller’s website, detailing the entities with eminent domain authority and their geographic scope.

HB 3356 (Lucio III), our bill that seeks to require groundwater conservation districts to consider the service area or service needs of retail public utility in permitting decisions, has also just passed out of the House and on to the Senate. This bill has faced substantial opposition from some private property rights groups and some groundwater districts, as we anticipated, but we continue to fight for rural water and the communities you serve. We have been able to work with Rep. Eddie Lucio III and Rep. Kyle Kacal to forge compromise that allays the fears raised by some of the bill’s opponents.

We continue to be vigilant in defense of TRWA members’ rights and issues—including those regarding service area and other issues affecting your ability to do your job in serving your customers and communities.

TRWA Briefs TRWA Legislative Update

Thanks to those of you who have helped contact your legislators in support of these important bills.

We’ll be asking for more help from you in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the Legislature is placing a tremendous amount of scrutiny and emphasis on transparency and accountability of local

Don’t Miss the Training & Technical Conference in July Now is the time to register for the 2015 TRWA Training and Technical Conference, to be held in Galveston from July 15-16. Whether you are a director, manager, operator or office staff of a water/wastewater system, our educational program has something for you.

Before the conference commences, Operator training, including Customer Service Inspections and Water Utility Management, as well as Public Funds Investment Act training will be made available at the Hilton Hotel beginning Monday, July 13 for those interested in earning continuing education credits. Operator training courses range from 16 to 20 hours each, and Public Funds Investment Act initial and renewal courses range from four to six hours. These sessions all require separate registration.

The conference itself begins on Wednesday, July 15, and offers a wide range of courses.

Technical topics include sessions on backflow and cross-connection control, automatic control valves, chemical feed pumps, new technologies for water

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and wastewater monitoring and control, and more!

Managerial topics—such as ethics, compliance issues, infrastructure funding options, and cyber security—will also be covered. Keep your eye out for the full agenda, which will be posted on our website and mailed to each TRWA member system early this summer.

Make arrangements to attend the Training and Technical Conference by June 14 to get the early bird rate and save on registration! Please note that TRWA no longer handles hotel reservations and attendees must contact the hotels directly to book your room. To make room accommodations, you may contact the San Luis Hotel or the Hilton Galveston Hotel. The San Luis has been offering a special discounted rate for TRWA conference attendees; however, this room block is currently full. Please check back with the hotel before the early bird deadline to check for cancellations. As of printing of this article, the Hilton Galveston Hotel still has rooms at the TRWA discounted rate. Be sure to mention the Texas Rural Water Association to ensure you get the discounted rate if rooms are available.

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More details about this event can be found at www.trwa.org. Contact TRWA at 512-472-8591 if you have any questions.

Participate in the Texas Rural Water PAC Golf Tournament in Galveston Plan for a day of F-U-N for a good cause—the Texas Rural Water Political Action Committee (PAC)! This summer’s Texas Rural Water PAC Golf Tournament will be held in conjunction with the Training and Technical Conference on Tuesday, July 14 at the outstanding golf course of the historic Galveston Country Club.

The format is being changed to emphasize fun and camaraderie! It will still be a four-person scramble, and the entry fee is still $95. But to emphasize the fun, we will have door prizes galore instead of prizes for the lowest score! Fun and games along the way will include closest-to-thepin contests and longest drive contests. And, of course, there will be food and fellowship at lunch after the tournament.

Continued on page 30 Quench — May/June 2015

29

TRWA Briefs Continued from page 29

Whether you’ve played in this tournament every year or this would be your first time to play, come out to have fun and make new friends. Your worst day on the golf course can still be better than your best day at work.

To register for the tournament, please visit our website at www.trwa.org or call 512-4728591 to save your spot today! There are still golf tournament sponsorship opportunities available for Associate Members, so if you are interested, please contact TRWA for more details by e-mailing meetings@trwa.org.

TRWF Welcomes New AmeriCorps VISTA The Texas Rural Water Foundation is pleased to announce the newest addition to the AmeriCorps VISTA team working to support TRWF programs.

Adam Carignan of Dover, New Hampshire, began

his year of service on April 17. As the newest Foundation Development specialist, Adam’s work will primarily focus on assisting to develop the Foundation’s water conservation education program. Adam has a degree in environmental engineering from the University of New Hampshire in Durham. During his tenure there, Adam gained experience working in soil remediation and water toxicity testing labs. Upon graduation, Adam traveled to Namibia with the Peace Corps and taught math and science classes to 5th through 7th graders. After his term of service with the Foundation, Adam hopes to work for a private engineering firm.

We are excited about how Adam will help TRWF to grow and prosper over the next year. If you have any questions about how you can take part in the Foundation’s programs, please visit www.texasrwf. org or e-mail foundation@texasrwf.org.

30

Quench — May/June 2015

Plan Ahead CONFERENCES: June 4–5, 2015 Office Professionals Conference, Hyatt Regency Riverwalk

July 15–16, 2015 Training & Technical Conference, Galveston, San Luis Hotel and Hilton

OPERATOR TRAINING COURSES: Water Credit Courses Basic Water Works Operations: Brownwood, June 23-25  Harlingen, August 18-20  San Antonio, August 25-27 Groundwater Production: San Antonio, July 21-23 Surface Water Production 1: San Antonio, July 7-9 Surface Water Production 2: San Antonio, August 11-13 Water Distribution: Odessa, June 2-4  Harlingen, June 9-11

Water and Wastewater Credit Courses Advanced Math: San Antonio, June 24-25 Basic Math: San Antonio, June 23 Customer Service Inspections: Kingsland, May 27-28  Kenedy, June 10-11  Galveston, July 13-14  Terrell, July 28-29  San Antonio, August 4-5 Pump and Motor Maintenance: San Antonio, May 27-29 Water Utility Management: Galveston, July 13-15 Water Utility Safety: Denton, June 30 - July 2  Springtown, August 25-27

Wastewater Credit Courses Basic Wastewater Operations: San Antonio, June 16-18 Operation of Activated Sludge Plants: San Antonio, June 9-11 Wastewater Collections: Brownwood, August 4-6 Wastewater Technology: San Antonio, August 17-21 Wastewater Treatment: San Antonio, August 28-30

Public Funds Investment Act Training PFIA Initial: Galveston, July 14 PFIA Renewal: Galveston, July 15

Advertiser Index AIA Insurance Agency........................................ Page 11 American Flow Control ................................................20 Childress Engineers .....................................................17 Chlorinators Incorporated .............................................8 Daniel & Brown, Inc. .....................................................21 DN Tanks .......................................................................29 DSA Coatings ................................................................21 Global Treat ...................................................................27 Hayes Engineering .......................................................15 HD Supply .......................................................................6 J.F. Fontaine & Assoc., Inc. .........................................12 KSA Engineers ..............................................................29 Maguire Iron ..................................................................12 Pittsburg Tank & Tower Maintenance Co., Inc ...........17 RG3 Meters................................................................9, 13 Russell Drilling Co., Inc. ..............................................29 Smith Pump Co., Inc.....................................................15 Tabor & Associates, Inc. ..............................................28 Tank Connection...........................................................21 Texas Aquastore ...........................................................18 TraC-N-Trol, Inc. ............................................................21 USA Bluebook ............................................... Back Cover Utility Service Group, Inc. ............................................30 Velvin and Weeks .........................................................30 Quench — May/June 2015

31

1616 Rio Grande| Austin, TX 78701-1122 Telephone: (512) 472-8591 | Fax: (512) 472-5186 www.trwa.org

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