QUENCH - July/August 2015

84th Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Also Inside: The Art of Sustainability: 10 Principles of Sustainable Utility Management The Importance of Forests to Water Resources— Creative Solutions to Protect Water Supplies July / August 2015 www.trwa.org

TRWA Today

TRWA Board of Directors

TRWA Staff

Officers

Lara Zent Interim Executive Director and General Counsel

Clay Hodges President

Hunt (Dist. 7)

Pat Allen Vice President

Guadalupe (Dist. 9)

Pauline Word Legal Assistant

Lance Harrell Information Technology

Brian Macmanus Secretary

Cameron (Dist. 6)

Barry Miller Treasurer

Gonzales (Dist. 5)

James Morrison Immediate Past President

Walker (Dist. 13)

District Directors

Finley Barnett Taylor (Dist. 1)

Bruce Alexander Medina (Dist. 2)

Chris Boyd Denton (Dist. 3)

Delores Goode Lampasas (Dist. 4) Charles Beseda Hill (Dist. 8)

Allison Kaminsky Communications Director Angela Russell Member Services Director

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 Charles Perkins Circuit Rider Celia Eaves Environmental Services Director Deborah McMullan Assistant Projects Manager Steven Mindt FMT Specialist Refugio Rodriguez FMT Specialist

Ross Brookbank FMT Specialist

Janice Gibbs, CPA Finance Director

Kent Watson Brazos (Dist. 10)

Pam Cantrell Accounting Clerk

Kevin Spence Franklin (Dist. 11)

Angela Harris Member Services Coordinator

Vickie Armstrong Kaufman (Dist. 12)

Vacant District 14

Michael Vollmar Professional Development and Training Director

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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Melody Bennett Administrative Assistant Len Klandrud Instructor George Patterson Instructor

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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84th Legislative Session Wrap-Up

By Lara Zent and Pauline Word, Texas Rural Water Association Get a summary of some of the new laws and how we fared regarding our 2015 legislative agenda.

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In Every Issue: Letter from the President

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Letter from the Interim 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

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Plan Ahead

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TRWA’s Calendar of Events

House Bill 3357 Allows Posting Notice of Open Meetings on Website Instead of With County Clerks

By the TRWA Legal Department TRWA provides guidance on implementing HB 3357, TRWA’s Open Meetings Act bill passed this session.

Art of Sustainability: 10 Principles of 14 The Sustainable Utility Management

By John Padalino, Kemp Smith LLP This article is the first in a five part series focused on sustainable utility management, centering on the first two principles.

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The Importance of Forests to Water Resources— Creative Solutions to Protect Water Supplies

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

The Case for Higher Pay—Why Rural Water Systems Should Consider Increasing Salaries and Benefits

By Khristian Kesterson, Texas Rural Water Foundation This article explores incentives for attracting job seekers to a rewarding career in the water and wastewater industry.

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Keeping Workers Safe During Night Time Repairs

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TRWA Briefs

By Doug Riseden, Krausz USA Every precaution should be taken to ensure your night time workers are safe and get the job done effectively.

Menlow WSC Celebrates 50th Anniversary; RWEAC Offers Assistance to Rural Utilites.

O n the C over : Palo Duro River in 2012 Drought; P hoto C redit : Alison M. Jones, No Water No Life®, Water Conservation and Drought Category Finalist in TRWF PH 2OSTREAM 2015 Quench — July/August 2015

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President’s Message We had another great Tech Conference in Galveston this year. I want to thank all our member water systems who sent people to the conference. With its wide range of vendors, timely information and beautiful location, this conference continues to be one of the best attended.

“Rest assured, our Association is in good hands.”

I want to say a special thanks to the golf sponsors, AIA Insurance, CoBank, Texas Land Professionals, TraC-n-Trol, Badger Meter, Master Meter, Texas811, Velvin & Weeks, McCain Waterworks, Fred Aus and Charles Beseda for making this year’s PAC golf tournament a success.

To those of you who participated, thank you. If you didn’t play in the tournament, be sure and bring your clubs next year. The Galveston Country Club has a very nice course, and it is one of the oldest clubs in Texas.

As you have heard by now, TRWA’s Executive Director Fred Aus tendered his resignation during the conference. Over the last several years, Fred has made some great things happen with the Association, and we wish him the best with his future career. Rest assured our Association is in good hands, as Deputy Executive Director Lara Zent has taken the reins as Interim Executive Director. Lara has been with TRWA for 11 years and will be working closely with the Board during this transition.

Please register for the Fall Management Conferences this year. I look forward to seeing you at San Antonio or Rockwall.

Until then,“Keep Texas Rural!”

Clay Hodges President Texas Rural Water Association

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Letter from the Interim Executive Director As Clay mentioned, I have recently been appointed by the TRWA Board to act as Interim Executive Director after Fred Aus announced his resignation in mid-July. I am so grateful for all the support I have received from our dedicated board and incredible team of staff who are assisting me with this transition. I am proud to serve the Association and you, our members, in this new capacity.

I want to thank everyone who participated in one of our summer conferences! Our Office Professionals Conference in June was a great success, with a nearly 15 percent increase in attendance from the previous year. A special thank you to Rural Water Impact for sponsoring that event and providing our attendees with support and product information during session breaks, not to mention donating the very popular door prizes gifted throughout the event. Our Training and Technical Conference in July was once again one of our most popular events of the year, and featured a diverse educational program, sold out exhibit hall, and a golf tournament supporting the Texas Rural Water PAC. At Tech Conference, TRWA gave out our first Lone Star of Texas Rural Water Award to Texas Water Development Board Member and former Chairman Carlos Rubinstein. This is a new award that is used to honor individuals who have tirelessly worked for our cause and supported the betterment of rural water systems in Texas. During his tenure at the Texas Water Development Board, Director Rubinstein worked to ensure that rural Texas systems received their fair share of the SWIFT funding; and he created the new position of Ag & Rural Ombudsman to provide outreach to rural communities, educate them on the Board’s programs and spread the word about funding opportunities through SWIFT. We wish Chairman Rubinstein all the best in his future endeavors after his retirement from state service at the end of the summer.

“I am proud to serve the Association and you, our members, in this new capacity.”

I am very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for us, and am committed to providing you with the highest standard of service. I welcome feedback and ideas on how the Association can better serve and grow our membership.

I hope to see you at one of our upcoming Fall Management Conferences or at the Water Districts Conference, to be held in October and November of this year.

Thank you for all that you do to serve your communities every day!

Sincerely,

Lara Zent Interim Executive Director and General Counsel Texas Rural Water Association Quench — July/August 2015

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84th Legislative Session Wrap-Up

By Lara Zent, Interim Executive Director and General Counsel; and Pauline Word, Legal Assistant, Texas Rural Water Association

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exas Rural Water Association tracked 1,052 bills of interest to member water and wastewater systems during the 84th Legislative Session. The following is a summary of some of the new laws and how we fared regarding our 2015 legislative agenda.

TRWA worked with legislators to file bills regarding three legislative initiatives this session: 1) allow for website posting of open meeting notices instead of with the county clerks’ offices; 2) amend Texas Water Code Chapter 36 to require groundwater conservation districts to consider the CCN area or service needs of a retail public utility when making permitting decisions instead of issuing a permit solely based on tract size; and 3) amend Texas Water Code Chapter 49 to exempt special utility districts from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ’s) bond review process.

TRWA’s first legislative initiative was successful with the passage of HB 3357 by Rep. Eddie Lucio III. It provides districts and water supply corporations the option of posting open meeting notices on their websites instead of with the county clerk. Sen. Kevin Eltife sponsored the bill in the Senate. HB 3357 takes effect September 1, 2015.

See page 9 in this issue of Quench for guidance on implementing HB 3357.

Addressing TRWA’s second legislative initiative, Rep. Lucio III filed HB 3356. TRWA lobbied extensively, worked with stakeholders on compromise language and asked TRWA members to contact their legislators to vote “yes” to ensure that rural communities are allocated the groundwater resources they need. HB 3356 passed the full House and the Senate Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs Committee; however, it did not get heard by the full Senate, so did not become law.

Regarding TRWA’s third legislative initiative, Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. filed SB 1663 that would have exempted special utility districts from TCEQ’s bond review requirements. This bill did not move forward likely due to a strong sentiment among legislators this session that local government debt 6

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should be more scrutinized as opposed to less scrutinized.

TRWA’s legislative agenda also included monitoring bills on a variety of issues that impact our members. These included bills pertaining to certificates of convenience and necessity, fireflow, rural water representation in state and regional water plans, groundwater district regulation, and regulatory agencies including the TCEQ, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB).

Only one CCN-related bill passed, SB 789 by Sen. Kevin Eltife addressing a local issue in Smith County. The bill allows the city of Tyler to provide wastewater service in its city limits even though another utility already has a CCN there. A bill with the same language passed in 2013, but then Gov. Rick Perry vetoed it. HB 3782 by Rep. Myra Crownover contained similar language to SB 789, but pertained to a situation in north Texas. TRWA’s lobby team was successful in educating Rep. Crownover about the situation there and as a result she did not seek to advance her bill.

Legislators did not file any bills addressing fireflow requirements this session.

Open Government HB 685 by Rep. Kenneth Sheets allows a public information officer to refer a person making a public information act request to an exact URL on the entity’s website, instead of pulling the records, if the requested information is identifiable and readily available at the link. The officer must clearly notify the requester, however, that if preferred, the records may be accessed by inspection or duplication by receipt through U.S. mail. The bill also provides that systems may automatically withhold confidential customer information as defined in Section 182.052, Utilities Code, without seeking an Attorney General opinion (takes effect on September 1, 2015).

HB 2134 by Rep. Cindy Burkett allows an entity to ask for clarification if a records request is unclear or discuss narrowing the scope through email correspondence, if the request was made by

email. If the requestor doesn’t respond by the 61st day after the request for clarification was sent by email, the original request is considered withdrawn (takes effect on September 1, 2015).

Desalination HB 2031 by Rep. Lucio III creates new Chapter 18, Water Code, to allow for the diversion and use of state marine seawater; requiring permits for both the diversion and the discharge of treated seawater back into surface water sources and the Gulf (took effect on June 17, 2015).

HB 4097 by Rep. Todd Hunter requires a study of the state’s electric utility facilities to assess whether they are adequate to support seawater desalination projects and provides for permitting for desalination of seawater for industrial purposes (took effect June 17, 2015).

Water Conservation SB 1356 by Sen. Chuy Hinojosa creates a taxfree holiday over Memorial Day Weekend for the purchase of “water-conserving” products, building on that weekend already being a tax-free holiday for the purchase of energy-efficient products. (takes effect October 1, 2015) HB 949 by Rep. Lucio III allows TWDB to waive the requirement for retail public utilities to use some of their TWDB funding to mitigate water loss if they are already addressing water loss (took effect on May 28, 2015).

SB 551 by Sen. Kel Seliger expands the Water Conservation Advisory Council’s (WCAC) role to include legislative recommendations to advance water conservation. TRWA’s Lara Zent currently holds the Rural Water seat on the WCAC (takes effect on September 1, 2015).

HB 1902 by Rep. Donna Howard requires TCEQ to adopt and implement minimum standards for indoor and outdoor use and reuse of treated graywater and “alternative onsite water.”

“Alternative onsite water” includes rainwater, airconditioner condensate, fountain drain water, storm water, cooling tower blowdown, swimming pool backwash and drain water, reverse osmosis reject water or any other source of water considered appropriate by TCEQ. The standards must allow use of these sources of water for toilet and urinal flushing. The rules may allow for inspection and annual testing (took effective June 16, 2015).

Groundwater Bills HB 200 by Rep. Jim Keffer establishes a

procedure for an affected person to file a petition with a groundwater conservation district (GCD) requesting a hearing conducted by the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) to appeal the reasonableness of a desired future condition adopted by the district (takes effect September 1, 2015).

HB 2179 by Rep. Lucio III provides that an applicant may request that the GCD conduct a contested case hearing regarding a permit application, which may be conducted by the GCD or delegated to another person or to SOAH to conduct. The GCD then issues a “proposal for decision,” but TWDB makes the final decision on the permit based on the evidence presented at the hearing (took effect on June 10, 2015).

HB 2767 by Rep. Keffer creates a procedure for an affected person to file a petition with TCEQ requesting an “inquiry” to review a district’s failure to fulfill its statutory obligations such as adopting or enforcing rules, submitting a management plan, adopting desired future conditions, etc. The bill also clarifies that a lawsuit may be filed to appeal a district decision on a permit application (took effect on June 6, 2015).

HB 3405 by Rep. Jason Isaac expands the Barton Springs-Edward’s Aquifer Authority territory to include all of Hays County, but not Plum Creek GCD’s area (took effect on June 19, 2015).

HB 2407 by Rep. Doug Miller creates Comal Trinity GCD with the boundaries same as Comal County except any area covered by Trinity Glen Rose GCD. The bill requires nonexempt well operators to install a well meter at their cost within 36 months of the effective date of the new law which was June 17, 2015.

SB 1101 by Sen. Eltife requires a regional water planning group to determine the supply of groundwater for regional planning purposes if no groundwater district exists within the area of the regional water planning group. This was meant to address an issue in Region D and takes effect on September 1, 2015.

HB 655 by Rep. Lyle Larson creates a new definition and regulations for aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) projects. TCEQ has exclusive jurisdiction over regulation and permitting and may limit the amount of water recovered to the amount injected. These projects must register with the local GCD, but GCDs do not have permitting authority Continued on page 8 Quench — July/August 2015

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unless a withdrawal exceeds the amount injected (took effect on June 16, 2015).

HB 3163 by Rep. John Cryier provides directors of GCDs with immunity from liability for official votes and actions the directors take (took effect June 15, 2015).

Eminent Domain SB 1812 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst creates an annual reporting requirement with the Comptroller’s Office for all entities with eminent domain authority.

The first reports will be due on February 1, 2016. TRWA met with a representative from the Comptroller’s Office who said that they plan to make the requirement as user-friendly as possible through their website.

Texas Election Code HB 2354 by Rep. Marsha Farney changes the uniform election date in May to the first Saturday (instead of the second Saturday) and takes effect on September 1, 2015.

HB 2721 by Rep. Cesar Blanco requires an early voting election notice also to be posted to an entity’s website, if they have one; and in a primary or general election sent timely to the Secretary of State (took effect on June 19, 2015).

SB 1703 by Sen. Joan Huffman amends multiple election deadlines, including that candidate applications are due by the 78th day before the election (instead of the 71st day); and for elections held on a uniform election date, must order the election not later than the 78th day before instead of the 71st day before (takes effect on September 1, 2015).

Fiscal Transparency HB 1378 by Rep. Dan Flynn requires water districts to provide the same audit and financial reports currently filed with TCEQ under Subchapter G, Water Code Chapter 49, to the Comptroller (takes effect on January 1, 2016).

If you have questions about this article, please contact TRWA’s legal department at legal@trwa. org or at 512-472-8591.

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House Bill 3357 Allows Posting Notice of Open Meetings on Website Instead of with County Clerks By the Texas Rural Water Association Legal Department

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exas Rural Water Association’s legislative initiative was successful with the passage of House Bill 3357 by Rep. Eddie Lucio III during the 84th Legislature. This bill provides political subdivisions that are required to comply with the Open Meetings Act (includes water districts and water supply corporations) with the option of posting notice of their board meetings and annual meetings on the system’s website instead of providing the notice to the county clerks’ offices.

HB 3357 takes effect Sept. 1, 2015, and applies to notice of meetings held after that date. The bill amends the Open Meetings Act, Government Code Sections 551.053 and 551.054. The following are things to keep in mind and suggested “best practices” when implementing this new notice requirement at your system: •

Posting notice on the system’s website is optional for systems that have a website.

Systems that do not have a website must continue to provide notice to the county clerk’s offices.

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In addition to posting notice on its website, a system still is required to comply with the other notice requirements in the law.

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Notice must still be posted for at least 72 hours in advance of the scheduled meeting time. TRWA recommends including a date and time stamp with the website notice showing when the notice was posted in case the timing of the notice is challenged. It also is good practice to put a date and time stamp on the notice posted at the system’s administrative office.

Systems serving in four or more counties: In addition to the new website notice, systems still must post the notice of each meeting at a place convenient to the public in their administrative office; and provide it to the Secretary of State.

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Systems serving in fewer than four counties: In addition to the new website notice, systems must still post the notice of each meeting at a place convenient to the public in their administrative office.

TRWA recommends posting the website notice in a prominent location on the homepage. For example, a front page box that clearly identifies the date, time and location of the meeting with a link to the full agenda.

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The law still requires that the notice provide the date, time, place, and subject of each item to be considered.

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A notice may be removed from the system’s website after the meeting is held; however a record of it must be kept in accordance with the system’s records retention schedule, e.g. the State Library & Archives Commission schedule prescribes two years for meeting notices.

The record could be in the form of a printout of the webpage, a screen shot, or a file maintained on the backend of the website. Systems may decide to keep past agendas and meeting minutes on their website under a “meetings” tab for easy access by their customers and the public.

Please provide us with feedback on your system’s implementation of this new law. As TRWA’s members utilize this new posting option and we learn additional tips and best practices, we will update this information. Please contact TRWA’s Legal Department with questions or suggestions at 512-472-8591 or legal@trwa.org.

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Ask Larry

Q:

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

What can our system do to keep lightning from blowing out our SCADA* (supervisory control and data acquisition) system or other pump controls at our water plants?

A: Many water systems have faced this problem for years and a few have been fortunate enough to find an electrical engineer or electrician who had experience installing different types of “grounding systems” that redirect lightning to “ground” rather than run into their pump houses.

The following is one system manager’s comments on the benefits they’ve had since installing their protective system: “What this does is it creates a path of less resistance to ground after a lightning strike than the one coming down the antenna coax into the SCADA equipment. Since we have done this, in the last six years, we have had only one SCADA lightning strike, and it was set up as option 2 in the schematic

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(below). Even then it only caused a problem with our radio and did not hurt the SCADA pack.”

An electrician set up this grounding system much like the type used by telephone companies at their phone substations to protect their phone equipment from lightning strikes. This grounding system or any properly installed lightning diversion system provides a path of least resistance for lightning to strike first and then follow the grounding wiring to rods in the ground rather than following the system’s electrical conduits to the normal electrical grounding wires at the main electrical disconnect.

Other systems have constructed their own types of grounding networks on top of their tanks or buildings and have installed larger ground wires to large buried metal pipes or rods away from their plant buildings and tanks.

Electrical equipment and controls are all subject to lightning strikes, and system managers should study various options to find what will best work

The included schematic and pictures are courtesy of Steamboat Mountain WSC, and are for illustrative purposes only. If you would like to install lightning protection on your system, please consult with an experienced engineer.

at their plants. Some companies specialize in designing and installing simple to more complex lightning diversion systems based on the type of protection needed for the type of equipment at an individual plant site.

Check with your system engineer or local electrician, go online to search for companies specializing in this technology and of course contact other water systems to see how they have addressed the damage caused by lightning to their SCADA, pump controls, booster pumps and well motors.

either by a request from the member/customer or by the system locking the meter for non-payment. Once the meter has been locked, service is no longer available; therefore, no minimum/base water bill should be sent out after the meter has been locked or pulled from the box.

In this situation, I recommend that the system go back out to the property to verify this customer has not cut the lock or damaged the meter or installed some sort of bypass through which they still are using water.

“Electrical equipment and controls are all subject to lightning strikes, and system managers should study various options to find what will work best at their plants.”

*SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) is a system operating with coded signals over communication channels so as to provide control of remote equipment, using typically one communication channel per remote station.

Q: When a member ignores our notice of nonpayment and disconnection, we lock the meter as promised. Normally, the member will then contact us to pay his bill and we will unlock the meter and charge the normal lock and unlocking trip fees. In the case where the member doesn’t contact us to unlock the meter, should we continue to bill the monthly base fee and late fees each month thereafter, which will continue to increase the balance due?

A: No, the system cannot continue to add a monthly water bill to accounts that have been closed

Your tariff should state what and when the next actions will be initiated after a meter is locked/pulled out. Some tariffs state if no payment has been received within 90 days from the disconnection date then the meter is pulled from the box and the balance of the membership is refunded to that owner, if any amount remains. Some systems only allow 30 days to refund a refundable membership fee.

Check your system’s tariff to see whether membership fees are refundable or non-refundable.

If they are non-refundable then the system has to “write off” the bad debt because the membership stays with the property.

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

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The Art of Sustainability: 10 Principles of Sustainable Utility Management Principle 1: Product Quality, and Principle 2: Customer Satisfaction

By John C. Padalino, Partner, Kemp Smith LLP This article is the first in a five part series focused on sustainable utility management.

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any rural communities face significant challenges in financing the costs of replacing or upgrading an obsolete drinking water or wastewater infrastructure. The demand for funding is estimated to be more than $140 billion in the coming decades. The fact is that government financing alone will not be enough to fill the gap. Any investor—a bank, government agency or potential partner—will want to know that your system is well managed. If you manage your system to be sustainable for the long term, you will be that much more prepared for whatever may come your way.

While I was at USDA serving as the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, together with the EPA, we published a Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable Utility Management. The Guidebook lists 10 principles of sustainability: Product Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Employee & Leadership Development, Operational Optimization, Financial Viability, Infrastructure Stability, Operational Resiliency, Community & Economic Development, Water Resource Adequacy, and Community Engagement. Whether you are struggling with aging infrastructure, difficulties recruiting or retaining qualified staff, growing or establishing financial reserves, and setting rates that are reflective of operational costs, the key to your system’s future depends on how well your system is managed today.

So, here goes the Art of Sustainability: 10 Principles of Sustainable Management: Principle 1 – Product Quality Is your system in compliance? More to the point—are your customers happy with the way the water you deliver looks and tastes? Are you discharging high quality effluent so that the streams and rivers are not negatively impacted?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, we have work to do. While you may need legal help in dealing with any possible enforcement issues, you 14

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are also going to need help from your engineer and probably a whole host of other resources. What’s important here is product quality or the quality of your product.

Compare these situations, a tale of two cities: Now, the folks who operate the water system in Aumsville, Oregon, they take water quality seriously.

They consider it their number-one responsibility. It’s a duty. Sometimes they say it’s a grind, monitoring water samples and flushing the water lines to ensure quality. No matter how many samples taken and lines flushed, that was not enough to improve the quality of the water they delivered. There was this perception that the system’s water was horrible.

It bugged the system’s operators for a long time— years.

After years of complaints about the taste and odor of the water, the city decided to postpone other maintenance projects and put a filtration system as a top priority. In a sense, the system went from worst to first. After installing the new filtration system, this past year, the system won the Oregon Rural Water Association’s Best Water Award.

Ferriday, Louisiana had water that turned everything it touched orange and was too hard. The town decided to build a new water plant not realizing that the cause of the problems was the river—Old River—from where they were drawing the water.

Within a year of being built, the town realized it was going to have to retrofit the plant to treat the high manganese coming from the river. That was almost 25 years ago.

Poorly built, poorly maintained and poorly managed, the plant continued to fail, with debilitating water leaks and, by 2007, a water tank that deteriorated beyond repair. By May of 2009, the town called in the National Guard to supply water buffaloes for the residents to fill their bottles. The town was on a boil water notice for almost a year and orange water in the pipes. Just last year, the town broke ground on a new plant financed by a $5.3 million USDA grant and a $1.4 million loan.

Just think about those 30,000 cars a day that would not stop in Ferriday because of the quality of the water. Think about the impact on morale that the horrible tasting water had on the hard working operators in Aumsville. The quality of your product is vital to building community support for your water or wastewater system. By providing a quality product, you are ensuring the long term sustainability of your system.

Principle 2- Customer Satisfaction Do you want to be poor, average, good or excellent? A few years ago, Standard & Poor’s analyzed the benefit of a positive customer service environment in the electric utility industry. In the more de-regulated electricity industry, customer retention is important. In many areas, customers can choose the retail supplier of their electricity.

Better credit is another benefit of a customer service program. Standard & Poor’s explained that happy customers may translate into a happier regulatory environment, and regulation is a highly important factor in ratings decisions. If you apply for a federal loan from the USDA you are required to post a public notice. What would be better: happy customers reading that notice or unhappy customers?

Now, the question is, what can you do to gain and keep happy customers? First, it’s important to understand what drives customer satisfaction.

Developed at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, the American Customer Satisfaction Index shows a basic cause-andeffect model. Customer expectations, perceived quality and perceived value determine satisfaction.

Customer complaints and customer loyalty are the outcomes of satisfaction. The diagram shows how each item impacts the others and how they are all connected.

Customer Expectations: Customer expectations are measured based on the customer’s anticipation of the quality of a company’s services. Expectations represent prior experience, information derived from advertising and word-of-mouth, and your system’s projected ability to continue to deliver a quality product.

Perceived Quality: Perceived quality is measured based on the customer’s evaluation or firsthand experience of the quality of a company’s services. Quality is measured by two things: how much a service meets the customer’s individual needs and how often things go wrong with the product or service. On one hand, water very much meets everyone’s individual needs. On the other hand, your customers most likely view water as a commodity unless (and until) something goes wrong.

Perceived Value: Perceived value is the measure of the quality of the service comparative to the price paid. Most people want an uninterrupted supply of water at the lowest possible rate. This would be the ideal perceived value.

Customer Complaints: Customer satisfaction has a negative relationship with customer complaints.

The more satisfied the customers, the less likely they are to complain to you or other customers.

Lower customer complaints keep overall costs down by not having to use time and manpower addressing such complaints.

Customer Loyalty: Customer loyalty is the odds of the customer repurchasing from the same supplier in the future. For a utility that is a monopoly, a customer may not have a choice on repurchasing.

Nevertheless, customer loyalty is a very important part of the model as it stands as a representation of profitability. With customer loyalty may come an Continued on page 16

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understanding when rates go up in the future. A loyal and satisfied customer could serve as your number one marketing tool by promoting your system to other customers and beyond.

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Communication is another important factor that fits in with all aspects of the model above.

J.D. Power and Associates found that customer satisfaction rises substantially when utility customers receive regular communications from their provider. Text and email notifications of upcoming projects, emergency repairs, planned meetings and other community events have proven effective. Use social media to your advantage. A Facebook page, blog and/or Twitter that includes general information, community outreach and education, and any utility related alerts are all very useful. These tools help keep the consumer feeling connected and informed. This results in happy customers with high customer satisfaction.

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The satisfaction of your customers is vital to building a strong and stable base for your water system. By striving toward high customer satisfaction you are ensuring the long term sustainability of your system.

In the next issue of Quench, we will talk about Principle 3, Employee and Leadership Development and Principle 4, Operational Optimization. *** John Padalino most recently served as the Administrator for USDA’s Rural Utilities Service where he was engaged in public policy issues affecting the utility industry. He served in several other positions at USDA from Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Rural Development to Acting Principal Deputy General Counsel.

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Keep It Legal Answers to Members’ Questions by Lara Zent, TRWA General Counsel and Interim Executive Director

Q:

What is the status of the eminent domain law that passed a few years ago requiring all systems to register with the state? How do we check to make sure that we still have eminent domain authority?

Have there been any changes in the law since that time?

A: Senate Bill (SB) 18 in 2011 required all entities in Texas that have eminent domain authority, including water supply corporations, districts and cities, to report that they have eminent domain authority and cite that statutory authority to the Comptroller by December 31, 2012. Entities that did not file by that date lost their authority to exercise eminent domain.

Texas Rural Water Association heavily publicized the deadline by emailing and calling all members about timely submitting the required information.

In addition, to cover member systems that may not have filed, TRWA filed a letter with the Comptroller listing our entire list of member WSCs, districts and cities and their statutory authority to exercise eminent domain; however, we were uncertain whether this would fulfill the requirement.

We met with a representative from the Comptroller’s office this past June and learned that all members on the list we filed retained their authority. To check whether your system is on the list of entities that timely filed their eminent domain authority information, you may check the Comptroller’s online eminent domain database at http://www.trackingtx.org/index.php/sb18report/.

This session, lawmakers passed SB 1812 which added a new annual eminent domain reporting requirement. The first report will be due Feb. 1, 2016. The purpose of the new law is to help the Comptroller keep its eminent domain database current. All WSCs, districts and cities with eminent domain authority will be required to annually report their name, contact information, address, website URL, type of entity, statutory authority for eminent domain, date first granted this authority, taxpayer ID and whether they exercised eminent domain authority in the previous calendar year.

At our meeting with the representative from the Comptroller’s office, we discussed this new requirement and provided feedback that the format for providing the information should be very easy and straight forward. We also learned that there will be stakeholder meetings and rulemaking to implement SB 1812 later this year, and TRWA will have the opportunity to participate.

The Comptroller’s office plans to create a prescribed form on their website for entities to report the required information. They hope to make the reporting as simple as possible with some of the information pre-populated or in a drop-down selection menu. We will publicize more details on this new reporting requirement as they become available and in advance of the February 2016 deadline.

Q: Which agency handles the regional service provider approval process—TCEQ or PUC? Continued on page 18

Quench — July/August 2015

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Continued from page 17

A: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) processes applications for the regional service provider exemption under Texas Tax Code Section 151.355(5). This law exempts sales tax on equipment, services or supplies used solely to construct or operate a water or wastewater system certified by TCEQ. WSCs and investor owned utilities may apply for regional provider status. Districts and cities already are exempt from sales tax.

Initially the Public Utility Commission (PUC) took this function over from TCEQ when the economic regulation of utilities transferred on September 1, 2014, but the PUC legal department later determined that jurisdiction must remain with TCEQ because of the language in the Texas Tax Code that specifically names TCEQ as the agency to make this determination. Systems applying for this certification should send the application to: Justin P. Taack, Manager Districts Section Texas Commission on Environmental Quality MC 152 P.O. Box 13087 Austin, TX 78711-3087 Contact Information: Phone: 512-239-1122 justin.taack@tceq.texas.gov Q: Did any of the open carry bills that passed this session affect guns in the workplace? What about the signs we display telling concealed handgun owners they cannot come on our system property? And can we still prohibit employees from carrying on system property and in system vehicles?

A: Several new handgun laws passed this session. The two most important to water and wastewater systems are SB 273 and the omnibus open carry bill, HB 910, which take effect September 1, 2015 and January 1, 2016, respectively. The biggest change is that handgun license holders no longer must conceal and now have the option to conceal or carry in a belt or shoulder holster.

A system still can prohibit an employee from carrying a weapon on utility property and in a utilityowned vehicle under Labor Code Section 52.062.

An employer cannot prohibit an employee from keeping a gun in their personal locked vehicle in the employer’s parking lot (Labor Code Section 52.061).

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In reading the new bills and current law, it appears that WSCs only can prohibit licensed carry for persons other than employees in buildings, but not in parking lots, sidewalks or outdoor areas.

Districts cannot prohibit licensed carry anywhere on their premises including inside their buildings.

SB 273 prohibits districts from displaying the sign preventing a licensed handgun owner from entering their property.

However, SB 273 gives all types of systems, subject to the requirements of the Open Meetings Act, the authority to prohibit licensed carry in the room where an open meeting is held.

If you have a legal question you would like answered, please email legal@trwa.org.

The Importance of Forests to Water Resources— Creative Solutions to Protect Water Supplies

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

H

ealthy forests are critically important to protecting water resources and sustaining them in the future. In fact, one of the primary reasons for establishing the National Forests (Organic Act of 1897) and many State Forests was to protect the country’s water resources.

The National Association of State Foresters clearly recognizes the connection between forests and water resources, stating in a 2005 position statement that “water, in all its uses and permutations, is by far the most valuable commodity that comes from the forest land that we manage, assist others to manage, and/or regulate.”

As previously discussed in this series, forests enhance water quality and supply by intercepting and absorbing rainfall, refilling groundwater aquifers, stabilizing soils and stream banks, filtering storm water runoff, regulating steam flow and maintaining watershed stability and resilience. With an ever increasing population and demand for water, coupled with intense weather, insect, disease, and invasive species outbreaks, forests, and the many watershed benefits they provide, are constantly at risk. In order to sustain these “services,” creative solutions must be developed and embraced. Listed below are a few potential opportunities that should be investigated.

Partnerships One innovative approach is the Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water Resources. This collaborative effort between the forest sector and water managers seeks to explore the relationship between forested watersheds and water resources, with a special focus on surface waters needed for municipal water supply. Discussions from the initial meeting of the Partnership indicated strong consensus that maintaining or expanding healthy forests in watersheds is a cost-effective strategy for helping ensure a clean water supply, and that a watershed-based pilot project should be implemented within the region. Texas A&M Forest Service, in cooperation with TRWA and Texas American Water Works Association, are working to host a Texas Partnership forum later this year to gauge interest in Texas.

Guadalupe State Park. Photo courtesy of Texas A&M Forest Service

Forest Conservation Several local governments in Texas have taken proactive approaches to protecting water supplies through various forms of forest conservation.

For example, Austin Water, owned by the City of Austin, manages land within the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, a critical part of the city’s drinking water supply. These Water Quality Protection Lands, totaling approximately 26,000 acres, are managed to produce optimum levels of clean, high quality water to recharge this segment.

The Woodlands has also utilized forest conservation measures for environmental protection.

Based on George Mitchell’s vision over 40 years ago, the community has truly been “designed with nature.” Currently over 7,000 acres of green space have been preserved, part of which are included in the area’s Spring Creek Greenway Project, an initiative to connect 12,000 acres of forests along Spring Creek in Harris and Montgomery Counties.

Low Impact Development Strategies exist to incorporate green infrastructure, or the natural environment, into the land use planning process. This type of “smart growth,” through the reduction of impervious surfaces, enhances water resources through effective storm water management. Polluted runoff water is treated “at the source” instead of flowing Continued on page 20 Quench — July/August 2015

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Continued from page 19

through a traditional curb and gutter system.

Examples of low impact development (LID) include conservation design, permeable pavement, green roof systems, rain gardens, constructed wetlands, rainwater cisterns and many other common sense practices. LID practices have been implemented throughout Texas, including Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Education Education and public awareness are critical for protecting water resources. In addition to promoting water conservation to the general public, homeowners, especially those on the waterfront, need to be made aware of the impact their actions can have on adjacent waterways. For example, maintaining a well-manicured lawn up to the water’s edge can result in water pollution from fertilizers and pesticides. Forest buffers can mitigate these kinds of impacts.

In addition to informing the general public, the importance of forests also needs to be communicated to local governments. Providing for urban forests, trees, and other vegetation in land use plans and development decisions can have

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multiple benefits. In this regard, Texas A&M Forest Service, in cooperation with local organizations, hosted the Emerging Communities workshop series across the state several years ago. City and county land use planners, engineers and public works officials participated and learned about watershed protection, sustainable planning, the benefits of trees, and how to plan for trees within their community.

The above listed strategies are samples of programs in place that are working to encourage forest enhancement for the protection of surface water supplies in Texas. Projected population increases, continued weather and precipitation variability, and forecasted forest losses over time heighten the need for creative solutions that benefit the state’s forestlands, while at the same time, sustain the area’s water supplies.

This is the fourth and final installment in a series of articles we have been running in 2015 on forests and watershed management, and their importance to drinking water supply. 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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The Case for Higher Pay—Why Rural Water Systems Should Consider Increasing Salaries and Benefits

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

T

he water and wastewater industry is facing the “silver tsunami,”1 the exit of older operators preparing to leave the workforce, as an estimated 30 percent to 50 percent will retire in the next decade. Younger workers are entering the industry at a sluggish pace trailing below replacement level2 causing an uneven age distribution, a concern if it means utilities are unable to fill positions left by retired operators. There are many indications the slow replacement is due to difficulties attracting and retaining workers.

Attracting workers with the requisite skills can be difficult in rural areas, where careers in the adjacent energy industry often offer more competitive salaries. Careers in the utility industry demand workers with highly technical skills and a deep knowledge of their positions. Water and wastewater positions are rewarding for workers interested in serving their communities and building longterm careers, but job seekers may be dissuaded from entering a position with a salary far below the state median for other occupations. Working operators may be drawn away to careers in other industries that offer higher salaries and better benefits, creating high turnover rates that represent a significant cost to utilities. Addressing concerns of low pay and low occupational prestige are key to cultivating a sustained workforce, which is an imminent need for the rural water and wastewater industry.

Operator salaries in Texas are below the national median and for some operator positions they are below what qualifies as low income. According to the Texas Rural Water Association’s (TRWA) 2014 Salary Survey, the average salary for rural water and wastewater operators of all experience levels is $38,154, and meter reader positions in the rural water and wastewater industry had an average income of $22,703 in 2014. The operator workforce tends to be older, has been employed for longer periods and subjected to salary increases throughout their careers, so their salaries could inflate salary statistics, masking low entry level salaries that often fall in the range of $10 to $12 an hour, according to Larry Bell, TRWA technical assistance director.

The average income for operators across the nation in the water and wastewater industry for 2014 is $44,100,3 significantly higher than the average income for rural Texas operators. The effects of the disparity between the national and Texas average salaries may be tempered by Texas’ relatively low cost of living, but in many areas operator salaries in Texas are at or below the low income level, a level determined individually for cities or counties by the United States Department of Agriculture.4 For instance, a household of one in Jack County is classified as low income if the person’s income does not exceed $34,250;5 and the average income for a plant operator in that TRWA member district is $31,200, according to the 2014 salary survey.

Compared to all occupations combined, the average operator income falls vastly short, as the general average income for all positions in Texas is $51,900.5 Operator incomes are drastically lower than the state average income and the national average income for operators, and it has the potential to negatively impact the industry.

Increasing utility employees’ salaries and providing a competitive benefits package likely is more cost effective in the long run. The negative impact of a high turnover rate is extensive as utilities lose the investment of a trained worker and have

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to restart the process of filling a position. The total cost for a single employee turnover can be vast, as much as 150 percent of the employee’s annual compensation when considering the cost of lost productivity, training and recruitment.

Increasing salaries and benefits also will increase the prestige of career paths in this industry, whereas low pay devalues these positions.6 Operators perform a duty that should be regarded according to its importance to our rural communities and operators should be compensated accordingly.

Workers get satisfaction from their work being appreciated, and one way that appreciation is expressed is through compensation commensurate with the jobs they perform. The occupational prestige for operators is reduced because of their relatively low salaries and lack of recognition.

Increased prestige in water and wastewater careers will attract new workers.

Attracting new workers to this industry requires an awareness campaign. Although water and wastewater systems serve every community in Texas, the public often is not aware of what goes into providing them with safe drinking water.

Every community needs operators, which means these positions are secure and can last for an entire career, but jobseekers may not know about opportunities in water and wastewater. The industry could benefit from a recruiting strategy that gives prospective employees a brief look into the industry.7 The Texas Rural Water Foundation is launching the Rural Water Workforce Initiative (RWWI) program to develop materials and strategies that provide rural water and wastewater systems with tools to build interest in the utility industry. The Texas Rural Water Foundation also has been working since 2013 to bring in new talent to the industry through its Veteran Employment Program, which matches veterans with job opportunities at rural water and wastewater systems.

Improving operator salaries and benefit packages is an investment in the utility. It decreases the turnover rate, attracts new talent and brings more prestige to this career path. The upcoming retirement of much of the water and wastewater workforce requires new workers to be drawn to the field, which is difficult with the current low salary averages. Systems that feel they lack the necessary resources to increase operator salaries should evaluate the cost of high turnover and examine their rates to support higher wages and better benefits.

Utility employees who are well compensated will be more dedicated workers, ultimately benefiting the utility and the community they serve.

Fomer TRWF AmeriCorps VISTA Lily Roblin contributed research for this article.

References 1: King, Pamela. 2014. “WORKFORCE: ‘The great crew change’ forces utilities to rethink hiring.”

Center for Energy Workforce Development. http:// www.cewd.org/news/energywire-crewchange.php 2: Brueck, Terry, Isbell, M., O’Berry, D., and Brink P. 2010. “Water Sector Workforce Sustainability Initiative.” Water Research Foundation & American Water Works Association. http://www.waterrf.org/PublicReportLibrary/4206.pdf 3: O Net. 2014. “51-8031.00 - Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators.” O Net. http://www.onetonline.org/link/ details/51-8031.00 4: United States Census Bureau. 2015. “State & County QuickFacts”. United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html 5: United States Department of Agriculture.

2015. “Rural Development Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program.” United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.rd.usda.gov/ files/RD-GRHLimitMap.pdf 6: Bo, Ernesto, Finan, F., Rossi M. 2013.

“Strengthening State Capabilities: The Role of Financial Incentives in the Call to Public Service.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics.

128 (3): 1169-1218. http://qje.oxfordjournals.org/ content/128/3/1169.full 7: King, Pamela. 2014. “WORKFORCE: ‘The great crew change’ forces utilities to rethink hiring.”

Center for Energy Workforce Development. http:// www.cewd.org/news/energywire-crewchange.php.

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Keeping Workers Safe During Night Time Repairs

By Doug Riseden, Technical Support Manager, Krausz USA

W

orking at night on pipe repairs is always more difficult than during the day. Workers are usually tired having already worked a full day and visibility is greatly reduced due to shadows, darkness and poor lighting at the work site. Throw in drivers who are also tired and perhaps driving faster than usual due to reduced traffic, and you have the makings of a high-risk situation. Your employees are your most valuable asset, so every precaution should be taken to make sure they come home safely every day.

than not having the right parts during an emergency repair. Poor planning results in the job taking longer to complete, delays in returning water service to normal and disgruntled customers.

Here are six things to ensure your night time workers are safe and get the job done effectively.

3. Keep a close eye on the crew

1. Move carefully and deliberately on the work site Many times, workers will want to get the job done quickly and skip some steps. This is understandable but it’s important to remind them to slow down and work more cautiously than they do during the day.

Even if they are very familiar with performing certain repairs, dark areas and shadows can hinder their perception of risk.

Planning and communication become crucial during night time operations. Before the job starts, supervisors should have a brief meeting to ensure all team members understand what will take place at the work site, what their role is and where they will be located throughout the night. Plan your work and work your plan!

Make sure everything is done with a focus on safety. This includes wearing reflective clothing in accordance with the law, and using a trench box or shoring to ensure that the trench doesn’t collapse while workers are inside. There are many who never use a trench box because it gets in the way of some repairs. At night, the use of trench boxes and shoring is even more critical. Make trench boxes a normal part of every excavation, and never put speed ahead of safety.

2. Have the right repair products on hand for every possibility Always make sure that you have repair products on hand for every situation. There is nothing worse 24

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There are a variety of repair couplings on the market that are quick and easy to install, and are extremely useful for night conditions. Some couplings can attach to two pipes of differing diameters and materials, which comes in handy when the exact material of the pipe or its diameter are not known in advance.

Supervisors need to keep a close eye on workers who will be tired from working a full day and prone to making mistakes. Supervisors should patrol their work area to see how workers are doing, and offer food and drink on a regular basis. Flaggers in particular should be checked as they play a critical role in making sure night time operations are safe.

Crews want to make the repair and then get some rest before having to get up and do it all over again. A lack of rest or sleep accumulates over time.

It’s important that crews are not run down to the point where they become exhausted and unable to perform. Provide them with the proper tools and repair parts to get the job done.

4. Keep the work area lit and clear In the interest of saving time, sometimes workers will use the lights of the backhoe to do this job without auxiliary lighting and a generator. These lights will not supply enough illumination for the work site and compromise safety.

Use floodlights to illuminate any equipment crossings and other areas where crew members will be working. Flaggers in particular should be well lit to ensure their own safety and the safety of the work zone. If drivers can’t see the flagger, his or her ability to slow down, divert or stop traffic is hindered.

Floodlights can also blind drivers entering a work zone. Once lights are set, a worker should drive through the area to observe the lights’ positioning and make adjustments as necessary. The use of self-righting work lights is a great way to provide

light without causing it to shine in motorists’ eyes.

Keep the work area clear of obstacles, tools and equipment.

The use of rotating or flashing amber lights on service vehicles is necessary and required by law in most states; however, these lights can be their own hazard. They can be very bright and blind drivers who are traveling the roadways and prevent safe driving. Wherever possible, direct these lights so drivers can see properly as they drive through and ensure worker safety.

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5. Manage traffic If possible, close the roadway where the repairs are taking place and direct traffic away. If you can’t close the roadway, place warning signs or lights in a way that will give motorists more time to react and slowdown before reaching the work area. Ensure that your signs are clean and have good reflectivity.

Make the work zone as large as possible to give employees more of a buffer and to keep them safe.

After the repair is completed and the roadway reopened, do several drive-throughs to make sure that the road is clear and the road repair is safe for the public’s use.

6. Notify the public Make every effort to contact law enforcement, fire and rescue services, emergency dispatch centers and the general public about the night time operation. Notify the above organizations, and local radio and television stations, in advance by sending a concise email and following up by phone.

Include information about where the repair is taking place, why it’s happening and any roads that will be closed off. These agencies and media outlets will appreciate the information, and keep the community aware of the repair. *** Doug Riseden is the Technical Support Manager for Krausz USA, and has worked in the public utility field for over 20 years. His extensive experience with water and wastewater repairs and operations includes working for municipalities and private contractors, and providing water services to the NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

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TRWA Briefs Menlow WSC Celebrates 50th Anniversary; Honors Cofounders Earlier this year, Menlow Water Supply Corporation celebrated its 50th anniversary. During their celebration, they honored Board President, L.B. Etter, and his wife, Polly Etter, for their contributions to the creation of and continuing success of the system.

In 1963, L.B. Etter initiated the organization of the system. He worked with the Texas Rural Water Association, USDA – Rural Development, Duff Engineering, lawyers and other water systems to learn what it was going to take to drill a deep well and build a pipeline system. He garnered community support and involvement to get enough meters to secure a loan to drill a well.

Menlow WSC was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1965, and started with just 58 customers. L.B. Etter was on the WSC’s first Board of Directors, along with Louis Janda, Jr., Jimmy Hykel, Harry Bezdek and George Mikeska. Later that year, the system’s first well was drilled on a piece of land donated by the Etters.

To date, L.B. Etter has remained on the board as president, and also has functioned as the system’s

Polly and L.B. Etter accept commemorative plaques honoring their service and dedication at the system’s 50th Anniversary celebration.

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operator for many of those years. Polly served as the system’s bookkeeper for 25 of those years.

“They are the life of the system,” said Ronnie Skerik, vice president of the system.

Menlow WSC has seen much growth over the past 50 years, expanding closer to the areas of West and Abbot. The system now has 180 active meters, two wells, one pumping station, more than 40 miles of water line and a service area of about 25 square miles.

Does your system do something that stands out? E-mail editor@trwa.org or call 512-472-8591 and tell us your story! You could see your system highlighted in the next issue of our magazine!

RWEAC Offers Assistance to Rural Utilities You never know when a disaster will strike and you will need help. In May, Texas experienced the wettest month ever on record for the state.

According to the NOAA National Center for Environmental Information, spring time precipitation was more than 200 percent than normal, and May rainfall was 6.62 inches above the 100 year normal.

At one point, Texas rivers were in flood stage at 108 locations, causing hundreds of people to be displaced and 24 Texans to lose their lives to the May floods. This extreme weather event prompted Governor Greg Abbot to declare 110 counties in a state of emergency.

President Barak Obama also declared the State of Texas in a state of major disaster, ordering federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding.

As rural utilities are often not the top priority when state and federal emergency response efforts are mobilized, TRWA’s Rural Water Emergency Assistance Cooperative (RWEAC) is available to help bridge the gap when personnel, equipment and other materials are needed to help protect the health and welfare of small and rural utilities’ customers.

Established by the TRWA Board of Directors in response to Hurricane Rita in 2005, RWEAC is a collaborative effort to pool resources together during emergency situations in order to provide assistance to small and rural water/wastewater utilities experiencing damage or distress.

Several TRWA Members were affected by the May storms, and some RWEAC responders were

dispatched to help train on leak detection equipment and assist in repairing some large main leaks. Many of these systems were not members of RWEAC, but still received assistance from responders and neighboring systems. It is important to remember that you do not have to be a member of the RWEAC network to receive assistance, but priority will be given to RWEAC members.

Any water/wastewater utility in Texas can request emergency assistance from RWEAC by calling 1-866-586-6480, a toll free hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Assistance may be in the form of heavy equipment (portable generators, backhoes, etc.), supplies (pipes, valves, hydrants, fittings, etc.), or trained personnel (operators, electricians, instrument panel technicians, etc.). During an emergency, RWEAC will match the equipment, manpower and other resources needed with those available within the RWEAC network. RWEAC will coordinate and manage all disaster relief efforts for the donor utility and those utilities needing assistance. This includes working with the appropriate local, state and federal agencies if necessary.

of the RWEAC network, all your water/wastewater utility will need to do is complete an application, resource survey and mutual aid agreement with TRWA that will help identify the available resources you are willing to share with the network and the process of giving and receiving RWEAC assistance.

For more information, email rweac@trwa.org or contact TRWA at (512) 472-8591. We will send you a welcome packet and set your utility up in the RWEAC network. Periodically, we will contact you to make sure the information and resources you listed are updated.

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Classified Ads TRWA Instructors Wanted Full-Time and Contract opportunities available TRWA is currently accepting resumes for Water and Wastewater Instructors. Individuals are required to possess TCEQ approval as an instructor in the areas of Water, Wastewater and Customer Service Inspections; Successful candidates must be knowledgeable of current TCEQ Rules and Regulations such as Chapters 217, 290, 291, and PUC Chapter 24, as well as applicable EPA SDWA and Clean Water Act regulations.

Qualifications: Applicants must meet the following criteria in order to be considered: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Have at least 60 hours of classroom instructional experience or have completed the following training courses: 40 hour – Methods of Teaching or Effective Instructional Techniques; and 40 hour - Organization and Use of Training Materials or Instructional Design and Evaluation.

Have at least a class B (or higher) Water and Wastewater license and CSI license.

Be familiar with TCEQ Operator critical operating tasks for water, wastewater and customer service inspections.

Have at least three years of applicable hands-on experience.

Be a clear and effective communicator with the ability to relate detailed technical information.

Be familiar with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Be able to enter data into database programs and/or spreadsheets.

Be willing to travel extensively across Texas.

Pass pre-employment drug test and submit to future random drug test.

Have a good driving record and able to maintain a valid driving license.

No prior convictions of any federal offenses.

To Apply: email cover letter, resume and salary requirements to training@trwa.org or mail to TRWA, 1616 Rio Grande, Austin, Texas 78701. Attn: Training Department / Instructor Position

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Quench — July/August 2015

Water/Wastewater Operators Wanted SouthWest Water Company SouthWest Water Company has openings for Water and Wastewater Operators in Pflugerville / Austin, Benbrook, Conroe, Mabank and Pottsboro, Texas. Performs routine checks of the facilities, maintenance and field customer service; helps ensure compliance with governing agencies regulations. $16.79 -$20.51 / hr DOE and TCEQ license held.

Requirements: TCEQ C or above water and/or wastewater license, advanced skills and technical knowledge of water and wastewater treatment, HS diploma or GED, 1-2 years’ related experience; water / wastewater operations and maintenance experience.

To Apply: http://swwc.applicantpro.com/jobs/

Plan Ahead CONFERENCES:

October 6-7, 2015

Fall Management Conference, San Antonio, Hyatt Regency Riverwalk

November 4-5, 2015

Fall Management Conference; Water Districts Conference, Dallas, Hilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront

OPERATOR TRAINING COURSES: Water Credit Courses

Basic Water Works Operations: San Antonio, August 25-27 Water Distribution: San Antonio, September 1-3

Water and Wastewater Credit Courses Customer Service Inspections: Argyle, September 1-2  Powell, September 15-16  Harlingen, October 6-7  Plantersville, October 20-21  San Antonio, November 3-4  Riverside, November 17-18  Bastrop, December 1-2 Pump and Motor Maintenance: Terrell, September 9-11 Valve and Hydrant Maintenance: Powell, October 27-29  San Antonio, November 17-19 Water Utility Management: San Antonio, December 1-3 Water Utility Calculations: San Antonio, November 3-5 Water Utility Safety: Springtown, August 25-27  Midlothian, October 6-8  San Antonio, October 13-15  Harlingen, December 15-17

Wastewater Credit Courses

Basic Wastewater Operations: San Antonio, October 20-22 Wastewater Collections: Harlingen, September 29-October 1 Wastewater Treatment: Harlingen, November 10-12

Public Funds Investment Act Training PFIA Renewal: Dallas, November 3

Advertiser Index

AIA Insurance Agency......................................... Page 12 American Flow Control.................................................29 Childress Engineers......................................................17 Chlorinators Incorporated..............................................8 Daniel & Brown, Inc.......................................................23 DN Tanks........................................................................25 DSA Coatings.................................................................21 Ferguson Waterworks...................................................13 Global Treat.................................................... Back Cover Hayes Engineering........................................................15 HD Supply......................................................................27 J.F. Fontaine & Assoc., Inc...........................................21 KSA Engineers...............................................................25 Maguire Iron.....................................................................8 Pittsburg Tank & Tower Maintenance Co., Inc............17 RG3 Meters..............................................................20, 26 Russell Drilling Co., Inc................................................25 Smith Pump Co., Inc......................................................15 Tabor & Associates, Inc................................................29 Tank Connection............................................................21 Texas Aquastore............................................................16 TraC-N-Trol, Inc..............................................................21 Utility Service Group, Inc..............................................18 Velvin and Weeks..........................................................22 Quench — July/August 2015

31

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

HOUSTON, TEXAS

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