Quench 2021 - Issue 6

BRIDGING THE COMMUNICATION GAP

FINDING & FIXING LEAKS

INCIDENT RESPONSE PLANS

ASSET MANAGEMENT, NEW STAFF, AND MORE!

2 0 21 — I s s u e 6 www.tr wa.org

TRWA Today Established in 1969, the Texas Rural Water Association (TRWA) is a statewide nonprofit trade association with an active membership consisting of over 750 nonprofit water supply corporations, water districts, small-town water departments and investor-owned utilities. In addition, more than 200 water industry suppliers participate in TRWA activities as associate members. TRWA members provide water and wastewater service to 3 million customers throughout Texas.

TRWA is dedicated to helping directors, managers, operators and office professionals provide efficient service and clean, safe drinking water to their customers. Through on-site technical assistance, education and information exchange, TRWA helps its members better meet their needs as well as the needs of their customers.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS

TRWA STAFF

President Chris Boyd Denton (District 3) Vice-President Bruce Alexander Medina (District 2) Secretary Kevin Spence Franklin (District 11) Treasurer Robert Nettles Walker (District 13) Immediate Past President Brian Macmanus Cameron (District 6)

DISTRICT DIRECTORS Mark Gardenhire Shackelford (District 1) Steve Adams Brown (District 4) Dave McMurry Bastrop (District 5) Allen Knight North Collin (District 7) Charles Beseda Hill (District 8) Pat Allen Guadalupe (District 9) Kent Watson Brazos (District 10) Paula Weber Kaufman (District 12) Bill Baird Rusk (District 14)

LEADERSHIP TEAM Lara Zent Larry Bell Nichol Everingham Jason Knobloch Tom Shephard, CPA

Executive Director & General Counsel Technical Assistance Director Professional Development & Training Director Environmental Services Director Finance Director

ext. 101 cell: (512) 964-8133 ext. 134 ext. 137 ext. 102

OFFICE STAFF Melody Bennett Project Support Specialist Eric Betts Communications Manager Pam Cantrell Accounting Support Specialist Haley Dixon Apprenticeship Program Manager Lisa Gallo Meeting and Event Planner Chelsea Gomez Training Development Specialist Miles Hartman Course Development Specialist Emily Young Assistant Environmental Services Director Ariane Walker Training Manager

ext. 130 ext. 115 ext. 139 ext. 107 ext. 105 ext. 103 est. 135 ext. 132 ext. 111

FIELD STAFF Thomas Acker, Jr. Michael Beadnell Nathan Cantrell Alex Eaves Roel Gonzalez Paul King Deborah McMullan Charles Perkins Bruce Pearson James Smith Donnie Stanton Quentin Turner William White Scott Willeford James Wallingsford Gilbert Ybarbo

Instructor Circuit Rider Wastewater Technician Wastewater Technician FMT Specialist Circuit Rider Source Water Protection Specialist Circuit Rider Instructor Circuit Rider FMT Specialist FMT Specialist Assistant Technical Assistance Director FMT Specialist FMT Specialist FMT Specialist

cell: (512) 751-6337 cell: (512) 924-4552 cell: (512) 924-7158 cell: (512) 964-7203 cell: (512) 923-5812 cell: (512) 913-9753 cell: (512) 923-5842 cell: (512) 964-2108 cell: (512) 922-4942 cell: (512) 964-9234 cell: (512) 774-9455 cell: (512) 517-9889 cell: (512) 924-4233 cell: (512) 657-8813 cell: (512) 865-8809 cell: (512) 317-2003

CONTACT THE EDITOR

Editorial and advertising inquiries may be directed to the Communications Department at editor@trwa.org.

Join the conversation at: www.facebook.com/TexasRuralWaterAssn 2 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

Find us at @TexasRuralWater for industry and legislative news relevant to you!

In Every Issue

From the Field

Letter from the President .........4

Fixing Water Loss.....14

Letter from the Executive Director ........5

In Part Two of this two-part series, TRWA Environmental Services Director Jason Knobloch goes in-depth on ways to fix leaks in your utility's infrastructure.

Keep it Legal .........6

Answers to your legal questions

Ask Larry .........10

Answers to your technical questions

Plan Ahead .........31

Ready for Failure...........22

Learn how an asset management plan can keep your system one step ahead of the constant wear and tear on infrastructure.

Common Ground..........24

TRWA’s Calendar of Events

Boost your chances for success on any capital improvement project by bridging the communication gap between operators and engineers.

Features

TRWA Briefs

Preparing Customers for Rate Hikes...20

New Staff Members....12

Fearing the backlash? John DeLuca discusses how to enact and, more importantly, how to communicate with your customers about upcoming rate hikes.

Keep track of the comings and goings on the Texas Rural Water Association staff!

Building an Incident Response Plan for Cyberattacks.........26

Upcoming deadlines, chances to get involved, the veteran job board and more!

Even the best cyber defenses can be breached by a determined attacker. Does your organization know what to do when that happens?

TRWA Opportunities............28 In Memoriam............30

Honoring some of the people Texas rural water lost in 2021.

Advertiser Index AIA Insurance Agency................................. Page 8 Childress Engineers............................................ 15 CoBank..............................................................22 Hayter Engineering...........................................24 Hayes Engineering.............................................23 HydroPro Solutions.............................................7 J.F. Fontaine & Associates..................................23

MRB Group........................................................22 Pittsburg Tank & Tower Maintenance Co., Inc........7 Russell Drilling Co., Inc.........................................7 Texas Aquastore.................................................11 SAMCO................................................................9 Smith Pump Co., Inc………………...…………………..15 USA Blue Book.....………………...…………………....32 Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 3

President's Message Texas Rural Water, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Happy New Year for 2022!

forward to seeing you at our annual convention in April!

As we continue to deal with COVID issues, rapid growth, funding matters and just everyday utility life, let’s all keep in mind the importance of the precious resource we manage and provide to our customers.

It’s the base function of our daily mission.

Until then, stay safe, and may God richly bless each of you in 2022!

Rural water in the past and present has made this resource available in all corners of Texas, and we will continue this mission well into the future. This is something I’m proud to be a part of in my work.

Thank you all for being a part of TRWA! I really look

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My regards,

Chris Boyd President TRWA

Letter from the TRWA Executive Director Dear TRWA Members, Our Board of Directors meets three times each year and our third meeting was held December 8-10. Two big priorities for this meeting were to approve our 2022 budget and set our legislative priorities for 2023 which we will be working on during the legislative interim. For 2022, we have budgeted for a return to a normal year and I sincerely hope that is the case for all of us.

As I’m writing this letter, I’m reflecting on 2021 and looking forward to 2022. In a lot of ways, our lives have returned to pre-COVID normal and in other ways they haven’t. We continue to lose loved ones to this terrible disease. We’re mostly meeting in person again at conferences, district meetings and training classes, but we’re still offering some of these virtually and will continue to do so as long as there is demand. Like other organizations, we have had more than usual staff turnover this year, which has been a difficult transition, but is also providing new opportunities.

For 2022, our Board adopted a big change for TRWA. We’re reducing the number of conferences to three – Convention, Technical and Office Professionals. Our

Office Professionals Conference will move to the fall.

The dates and locations for these conferences are provided on page 8 of this issue.

We’re gearing up for Convention, so please check your mail for the brochure in January! It will be held at a brand-new venue – the Kalahari in Round Rock. It will extend an extra half day and will have four tracks.

In addition to providing informative educational sessions, we are planning several fun networking events including attending a Round Rock Express baseball game, bowling for PAC in the on-site bowling alley, the opening reception and the President’s banquet. I look forward to seeing you there!

I wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season!

My best,

Lara Zent Executive Director & General Counsel TRWA

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Keep It Legal Answers to Members’ Questions by TRWA Contract Attorney Kristen Fancher

Q:

Can a WSC’s bylaws provide that the WSC Board of Directors may amend the bylaws rather than the WSC’s members?

A: Yes. Neither Chapter 67 of the Texas Water Code nor Chapter 22 of the Texas Business Organizations Code prevent a WSC’s bylaws from authorizing the WSC Board of Directors to amend the bylaws, as long as the WSC’s Certificate of Corporation and/or Articles of Incorporation do not state otherwise. Even though state law allows it, however, we also checked with USDA to get their take on this issue so that WSCs with USDA-RD debt or those that may apply in the future do not run into issues with having this language in the bylaws. The USDA model bylaws for WSCs state that the members of the WSC amend the bylaws rather than the Board of Directors.

USDA staff informed us that USDA must review the WSC’s bylaws prior to funding approval, and must also review the bylaws if a WSC changes the bylaws after funding occurs. Therefore, if a WSC has USDA debt, then the WSC needs to send the bylaws to its area director each time the bylaws are amended after the debt is issued. USDA staff also stated that even though the model bylaws state otherwise, a WSC’s bylaws can authorize the Board of Directors to amend the bylaws rather than the WSC’s members. For those WSCs that currently have the model USDA bylaws language stating that the bylaws must be amended by the members, the only way that the language can be changed to allow the Board of Directors to amend the bylaws is for the members to approve this change before it can take effect.

Q:

What steps does a district need to take to sell property that is no longer needed (e.g., an old water well site where the well has been plugged)?

6 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

A: Section 49.226 of the Texas Water Code allows a district to sell surplus property by either public or private sale. The first step is for the Board to declare the property surplus through an order/resolution of the Board in order to prove compliance with Section 49.226. It is also a good idea for the order/resolution to designate the Board’s intent to sell the property through public or private sale. If you already have a person/entity in mind to sell the property to through private sale, then the order/ resolution can also state who the property will be sold to and a statement that the Board has found it to be for fair market value. You will not want to include any price terms in the order/resolution. In addition, pursuant to the Texas Open Meeting Act, particularly Texas Government Code § 552.072, the Board can deliberate in executive session regarding the sale of real property if the information being discussed would have a detrimental effect on the district’s negotiations with the third party.

Q:

Does H.B. 872 (2021) change a utility’s responsibilities related to disclosure of customer information to third parties?

A: Yes. H.B. 872 passed during the 2021 regular legislative session amended Texas Government Code § 552.1131 and Chapter 183, Subchapter B, Texas Utilities Code to further limit the disclosure of customer information to third parties. The definitions in Texas Utilities Code § 182.183 provide that the customer disclosure limitations apply to both districts and WSCs. Customer information cannot be provided to a third party unless the customer first consents to the disclosure on a form provided by the utility. The utility must provide information on how to request consent to disclosure in customer billing or, as the 2021 changes provide, on the utility’s

website. TRWA has created a form for members to use for this purpose which may be found at: https:// www.trwa.org/page/Legal-PoliciesFormsResources (“Disclosure of Personal Information Contained in Utilities Records Form.”)

The only exceptions to disclosure without the customer’s prior written consent include the requirement to provide the information to: (1) an official or employee of the state, a political subdivision of the state or the United States acting in an official capacity; (2) an employee of a utility acting in connection with the employee’s duties; (3) a consumer reporting agency; (4) a contractor or subcontractor approved by and providing services to the utility, the state, a political subdivision of the state or the United States; (5) a person for whom the customer has contractually waived confidentiality for personal information or (6) another entity that provides water, wastewater, sewer, gas, garbage, electricity or drainage service for compensation.

If your utility receives a request from a third party for customer information and the person/entity requesting the information does not clearly meet an exception mentioned above, it is a good idea to send back a response in writing similar to the following: Chapter 182, Subchapter B, of the Texas Utilities Code and Section 552.1331 of the Texas Government Code prohibit the utility from providing you with the information that you have requested. The utility can provide this information to you only if the customer submits its consent in writing, or if requested directly by the narrow list of authorized third parties in Section 182.054 of the Texas Utilities Code.

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

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

Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 7

8 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

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Ask Larry: Quality on Tap

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

Q:

What are the best practices we should follow when customers request a line location on their property?

A: It is important to have a clear idea of where exactly the customer needs a line location before you begin line location work. In general, customers or landowners should provide the utility with some type of description of where they are intending to excavate, dig post holes, bulldoze the top of a hill, cut a ditch or install a pond dam. This is especially true if the landowner has a wide frontage or the system’s line is located through the middle of their property.

It is common sense for the utility to know where to start and stop locating their water line.

Ask the requestor to identify the location of their project on the system’s map, if possible, so the system staff can limit their marking efforts to the requestor’s specific needs.

Once the requestor identifies the portion of the property, have the system staff check to verify whether an easement has been filed for water lines on the private property or whether the lines are in a public right of way. Ask the requestor to inform any residents or contractors who may be working on that property that your water system staff will be coming out to do line locates.

know this information so they can accurately locate lines and prevent damage due to the diverse types of construction and other projects.

Q:

We expect some new development in our service area soon, but we are already near full capacity with our current water supply. Can we refuse service to new applicants to avoid going over capacity? If not, what can we do to acquire new supply?

A: For your first question, the answer is “no,” a CCN holder cannot deny service to any qualified applicant within their service area. A CCN gives a utility a monopoly within its service area which comes coupled with a duty to serve qualified applicants within those boundaries.

Your other question of dwindling water supply is a common one across our growing state. New growth can begin to take capacity by adding one customer at a time, or through the addition of multiple customers at once in a new subdivision. This is a widespread issue that requires long-range planning and usually requires significant capital expense to acquire additional capacity by any means.

Aerial view maps are also a helpful tool, and they are now available online for most properties in the world. You may show the requestor on this map where the water main is located within a filed easement on their property or off their property in the public right of way. This may resolve some questions about the water main being in the way of new construction. Have the customer place an “X” on the spot where they intend to do any excavation or activity, and sign and date the printed map. That way, the system has proof if the customer performs work elsewhere on the property and claims the system failed to accurately locate its lines.

If there is not sufficient water supply (production capacity) within your service area, you might need to look at purchasing water from a nearby wholesale supplier. In some areas of the state, several systems have banded together to secure water rights in a region and build a water treatment plant that is owned and controlled by those systems on a shared basis. Other systems have ventured out of their service area by purchasing or leasing land to develop a water well field containing multiple wells, and building transmission lines back to their service area. This approach, however, is based on any applicable groundwater conservation districts’ permitting, well spacing, and out of district transport rules, which vary from district to district.

Systems are not in the guessing business, and they need to

Another, newer option being successfully utilized by other

10 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

systems is to drill down to the brackish water aquifer and pump that water into a reverse osmosis, or “RO,” treatment plant system. This can be more efficient because a water system can usually drill a well near where they need the additional capacity without the system having to spend a huge amount of money to immediately increase its distribution piping. I know of two systems in the Rio Grande Valley that are successfully operating RO treatment plants with daily production figures in the millions of gallons per day range. A side benefit to this type of water treatment plant is that utilities can quickly increase production by installing another well and treatment skid. This additional capacity can be sold to neighboring water systems as a side-income stream.

TCEQ has also granted permits for direct and indirect reuse of treated wastewater effluent. Yes, the human mind balks at the possibility of drinking human wastewater, even though it has been treated, but El Paso and other systems have been recycling wastewater for decades and all tests prove it is safe to drink.

These are just a few ideas for procurement strategies that have been successful across the state. They may be worth exploring further before your system spends millions of dollars on distant water sources, which would require distribution and pumping stations to get the water to where you need it.

Q:

A fiber optics company has approached our WSC about purchasing water through a metered hydrant in support of their boring needs. Can we sell water to them in this way? If so, are there any technical aspects we should be thinking about in facilitating the arrangement?

activities should abide by an established policy that does not discriminate based on the individual or type of operation requesting the service, whether it be a farmer, oil field company or any other type of contractor.

Some WSC’s that have set up independent master meters at their plant site or water office for each bulk purchaser.

Then once each month the system reads those meters and sends bills based on the total gallons registered on each non-member’s designated meter. These meters should be locked and only accessible by the designated buyer and the WSC’s authorized staff.

Any delivery point for bulk water purchases should have protection against backflow and cross-connections through use of an air gap or backflow prevention assembly.

This will ensure that any contaminants cannot get back into the WSC’s meter, lines or tanks. As an additional security measure, some systems utilize keypad access for bulk delivery points. This type of system can also be utilized to automatically initiate a transaction in the utility’s regular billing process. It can also prompt an on-the-spot credit card payment, like the way gas pumps work for filling up your car, which would eliminate the need to send staff to the delivery point each time a purchaser needs water.

Finally, all expenses relating to the set-up of an individual master meter should be paid for by the bulk buyer. If your WSC opts to set up an automated bulk water sales station to service multiple purchasers, you would need to determine a prorated cost per account instead of one purchaser paying the full set up/installation cost.

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

A: Yes, a WSC is free to sell bulk water to non-members if that revenue, plus any other revenue from non-member rates and fees, does not add up to more than 85% of the system’s total annual revenues. Once revenues from nonmember sources goes above that threshold, a WSC risks losing its nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Service and could find itself subject to income taxes for that year.

Assuming that is not an issue for your system, each WSC board should adopt its own policies and procedures for selling bulk water to non-members. All such sales or system Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 11

TRWA Goodbyes and Welcomes Three new staff members join TRWA before the end of the year In the last several months of 2021, TRWA has said goodbye to long-time friends while also welcoming new faces to the association.

First, for the goodbyes. In early October, Trent Hightower, our former Assistant General Counsel, left TRWA for an advancement opportunity with the Texas Veterinary Medical Association. Around the same time, our former Paralegal, Brittney Ventress, moved on to Texas Cable Association.

In November, we said farewell to two other staff members.

Allison Kaminsky, our former Deputy Executive Director, took an Executive Director position with the Associated Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors of Texas. That month also saw our former Communications Specialist, Madie Riley, leave TRWA to become the Marketing Content Manager at Boostlingo.

Last but not least, in December, Ross Brookbank, TRWA’s Membership & Outreach Manager, left the association to take a position as General Manager at Copeville SUD. While we were sad to see these employees go, we were also happy for their new career opportunities.

The departures led TRWA to restructure its state office staff. Membership and Outreach are now part of our Environmental Services Department. Our Meeting Planner and Foundation Programs are now part of our Professional Development & Training Department, and Training Support Specialist Ariane Walker has been promoted to Training Manager. We have a contract with Attorney Kristin Fancher to provide legal assistance to our members.

*

On the arrivals side, TRWA has welcomed three new employees to its ranks. Filling our newly created Apprenticeship Program Manager role is Haley Dixon.

Although born in California and raised in Tennessee, Haley swears she’s from Texas. After spending her high school years in Houston, she moved to San Marcos to attend Texas State University, where she spent most of her time floating the river.

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Haley graduated with a degree in education and was nominated as one of the "Star Student Teachers" of the year. She then accepted a job teaching second graders and soon moved up to teaching third grade. Haley is a people-person who is passionate about helping others and working to better her community.

When she heard that TRWA needed someone to launch their new apprentice program, she knew she was just the lady for the job. She can’t wait to get new folks excited about joining the water and wastewater profession!

In her free time, Haley enjoys reading books and attending to her ever-growing collection of plants. She loves painting, watching Netflix and hanging out with her two cats and dog. You can often find her and her fiancé out and about in Austin, trying out new restaurants. She became a new aunt this year and her niece considers her the best aunt in the world!

Joining TRWA as our new Training Support Specialist is Chelsea Gomez. Chelsea is an Austin native who earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Water Resource Management and GIS certificate from Texas State University. Prior to coming to work for TRWA, she worked at the Lower Colorado River Authority in the Parks Department as an Outdoor Recreation Specialist and then in the Environmental Laboratory as a Lab Technician 1 and 2. She

then spent 5 years in Salt Lake City, Utah working for Covance as a Bio-Analyst, and The Leonardo Museum of Science and Technology, as a Leo’s Laboratory facilitator and educator. Chelsea also has experience working in Alaska as a salmon fishing guide on the Tsiu river.

TRWA Briefs

Chelsea moved back to the Austin area during the pandemic to be closer to her family. When not at work, Chelsea is an avid backpacker and camper, having been to many state and national parks all over the United States. She is passionate about kayaking, hiking, skiing and seeing live music. Chelsea is a vegetarian and a proud pommy mommy to her dog, Copper.

Another new addition to TRWA is Eric Bet ts, who is our new Communications Manager. Originally from Alabama, Eric moved to Texas to work at the Bastrop Advertiser newspaper in Bastrop, Texas. From there, he transitioned into the association world, working as the Communications Coordinator for the Texas School Public Relations Association for six years.

In 2019, he moved with his family to Berlin, Germany for a year and worked as a freelancer both for associations and news outlets before returning to Texas in 2020.

Eric lives in Austin with his wife, Natalie; their two kids, Dashiell and Sedona; and their dog, Saturn. As of this writing, the youngest of those two children is just six months old, meaning that while Eric is sure he had hobbies at some point, right now he does not remember what they are.

Please join us in welcoming our new team members!

Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 13

From the Field

Fixing Water Loss Part Two of a Two-Part Series

By Jason Knobloch TRWA Environmental Services Director

Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series from Jason Knobloch on managing water system leaks. For the first part, on finding water leaks, see 2021’s Issue 5 of Quench.

In most cases, finding the source of water loss is the hardest part. Water systems maintain an infrastructure that is primarily underground and covers a vast amount of area, so locating the issue can be burdensome. However, once you find it, you have to fix it.

In this section I will discuss things to consider when making the repairs.

Texas 811: Most of us are aware of Texas 811. The motto of “call before you dig” has been a part of our world for some time. But there are some misunderstandings when it comes to using this program. It’s not available automatically; Texas 811 is a program that water utilities have to sign up for.

The participant utility pays for work orders sent to them when someone calls for excavation in their area.

Many of the people calling Texas 14 Quench — 2021 — Issue 5

811 think that all utilities are part of that program. So when John Smith is putting in a fence and he makes the call to 811, he feels like he covered the bases and is ready to proceed.

This is where we as water utilities can run into some frustration. You as the water utility need to make sure you are communicating with your customers on the process to call in water line locates if you are not a member of Texas 811 to save some accidental damages to your water lines.

On the other side, water systems also need to make sure they are doing their due diligence by contacting all the other utilities in the area, as well as calling Texas 811, before they dig.

When making a repair to a broken distribution main, the last thing a water utility wants to add to that situation is pulling up 300-pair phone line, fiber optic or even buried electrical lines. Make calling ahead for locates part of your work order process.

Trench Safety: Excavating dirt to fix a leak can be a tricky process

depending on the soil type. For those of you that have worked with sandy soils during a leak, you know that the continuous sluffing off of the sandy walls makes it difficult to get down to the root of the problem. In addition, improperly preparing your excavation can be dangerous or even life threatening. It is important that all staff on site are aware of the different soil types, shoring requirements and where to place your spoils from the dig to keep everyone safe during the repair. All excavations greater than 4 feet should include shoring, steps or ladders to provide safe access and egress from the trench. I strongly encourage operators that work in the field to frequently take a safety course to remain aware of trench safety requirements.

To fix it hot or not: Once the leak has been excavated and you can see what you are working with, you have to determine if it can be repaired live or if you will need to reduce pressure or turn the line off completely. In most

cases, the best option is to make the repair without having to drop the pressure. For small cracks and splits, this can easily be accomplished using the correct repair clamp.

When the split is a little larger, many water systems will still consider fixing it live but may open a downstream flush valve to alleviate some of the pressure and make it more manageable. However, positive pressure can sometimes be misleading. Most operators have learned about the venturi effect. This process is how many of our chlorine injection systems function. The flow of water passing by an opening from a higher pressure to a lower pressure can cause a vacuum and pull the dirty water from the area into the water line. It is not something that always happens, but is definitely something to keep in mind when determining how best to approach the repair.

If you determine that the split is too large or that a section of pipe must be removed, follow your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to safely dewater the line. Communicating this outage with your office and your customers in the area should also be included in your SOPs. Keep in mind the follow-up actions that will be required after dropping pressure below 20 psi.

Using the right parts for the job: As part of knowing your system, you

know what parts work best for your staff and your conditions. Establishing procedures and protocols for making repairs ensures you will not be back to do them again. These SOPs should include the excavation, evaluating the leak to determine how to fix it and knowing what parts to use.

When evaluating the situation, you must determine a few different factors to identify what material you need for that particular application.

•Is the repair near a bend or 90-de-

gree angle in the line? If so, consider a repair fitting with restraints to ensure it doesn’t shift when water pressure is applied.

•Do you need something for backing or anchoring, especially for a turn in the pipe?

•What type of pipe is it? What is the outside diameter? The pipe type and size drastically change the application when considering cast, galvanize, class pipe, C900, ductile iron, etc. Pay attention to the range of the gasket fitting, as well as the texture on the gasket, as there are slight

From the Field differences that make using certain parts a success.

•Is the leak at a bell or joint? Is it glue or gasket? There are repair parts available for either situation that can allow you to fix the leak without taking out a section of pipe in most cases.

•Has this been repaired before?

If yes, consider a different type of repair clamp. What was previously used may not have been the correct application. You should also consider if the previous repair was properly backfilled. Improper backfilling can shift the pipe and repair clamp and cause gaskets to roll or loosen.

Another consideration is to talk with your supplier about newer, more advanced parts for repairs. They do generally have a higher price tag, but consider the time spent making the repair and the potential of coming back to fix it again. In most cases, it is worth fixing it with something that will have a longer lifespan provided by the latest materials and designs. I’ve worked at and visited systems before that use the same type of repair parts for every situation, no matter the case. There is nothing wrong with that approach, but understand that there are a variety of products out there that may save you time, effort and money in the long run.

Continued on next page

J. F. FONTAINE & ASSOCIATES, INC. CONSULTING ENGINEERS RURAL WATER SYSTEM ENGINEERING SINCE 1962 700 N. Sycamore St. P.O. Box 4187 Palestine, Texas 75802

(903) 729-6005 jffontaine@jffontaine.com

Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 15

From the Field Proper Leak Repair Process: We have covered a lot of the basic parts of fixing a leak, but TCEQ states in their rule TAC 290.46 that an operator should follow the proper leak repair process in accordance with the AWWA standards, specifically AWWA C651-14 Standard.

This standard lays out the basic procedures for properly making a repair regarding excavation, repairing with or without pressure, flushing three volumes of water to make sure the line is visually clear and testing for residual at the flush valve.

The AWWA standard also describes the process for four different methods of disinfecting water mains: the tablet method, continuous-feed method, slug method and the spray method.

Utilizing the spray method, operators are required to have a disinfection solution available to clean and disinfect the area by spraying or swabbing with a minimum 1% chlorine solution during a repair. This is to be applied to the excavation area, the materials being used and the pipe.

In addition to disinfecting the surface area, repairs should also include added disinfection to the inside of the water line to ensure no harmful bacteria has entered the water line that may potentially harm the public.

The dosage rate depends on the contact time. For example, 100 mg/L of chlorine is required for a 3-hour contact time. Since we generally need to put the line back in operation much

quicker than 3 hours, TCEQ states in Section 290.46(g) that a dose of 500 mg/L can be applied to reduce the required contact time to a half hour.

With these heavy dosages of chlorine, this allows for the ‘slug’ of highly chlorinated pipe to be flushed quicker and save on the volume of water wasted through flushing. Be cautious of where you are discharging this chlorinated water. Highly chlorinated water can have a negative impact to downstream fish and plant life.

There are water system operators that follow this guidance to the letter, but I know there are some that often skip these steps in efforts to get the repair back online as soon as possible.

Remember that these steps are put in place to prevent potential health effects from contaminated water and should be followed.

Flushing: Flushing is not only a part of our monthly requirements to maintain clean, fresh water throughout our system. It’s also a must following a leak repair. Moving water through the distribution line towards the nearest flush valves reduces dirty or cloudy water and alleviates issues with trapped air in the lines. Air trapped in the lines can cause inaccurate meter reading through service lines and create water hammer (damaging pressure surge) in distribution and homeowner service lines.

The most effective method of flushing after a repair is by using unidirectional

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flushing. Unidirectional flushing is a systematic approach to direct water in a single direction throughout the system to one exit point. This method aids in keeping the dirty water or air pockets from dispersing into the entire network of piping and can help reduce the amount of water wasted through flushing. You can find more information on unidirectional flushing by searching on TCEQ’s website.

TCEQ offers various manuals that include diagrams and guidance on how to effectively conduct this process.

Documentation and other considerations Documentation and recordkeeping may not seem like something directly linked to finding and/or fixing leaks, but it plays a vital role in doing both efficiently and effectively, protecting the work and money you’ve invested in your system. There is no single step to maintaining the right records, but we will cover a few components that can help you manage your system.

Updating Maps: When your utility has an infrastructure project, the engineer will produce the design maps, along with as-builts. It is important to update these as-built maps as these are generally the ones followed as changes happen when onsite. Taking these maps and diagrams and applying them to your overall system map keeps the snapshot of your system up to date. This is even more effective

when you maintain a digital database or use GIS. Plugging in the size, type of pipe, dates of installation or repair, depth, bedding material and whether locate wire was used along with the GPS coordinates of these projects can help you in your future project planning.

Collecting this information and keeping it accurate can assist in your system’s capital improvement planning by noting lines that have been in the ground longer or finding trends in areas where leaks are being repaired.

It also provides you an image of areas that are prone to issues such as cross-country lines and road and water crossings.

an unnecessary extra step when you are simply out there to fix a leak or make a tap, but having that record of the materials used such as the line

Taking inventory on the job site: Many of our members have already established a good habit of conducting an inventory of all parts used on-site at any particular job. This primarily happens when installing a new tap to the system or replacing a valve. Paperwork may seem like

size and type of pipe identified may save you multiple trips for parts and allow you to keep a good stock of parts. This would also allow you to take GPS coordinates of the work area and update your maps to actual locations of the pipe.

From the Field This practice will give systems a leg up when it comes to the upcoming Lead and Copper Rule Revision. As part of that Rule, water systems will have to identify all service line material and record it for every connection in their system. If this is part of your standard procedures, you will have already gathered this information and will save time complying with this part of the upcoming rule. It’s never too late to start adding this step to your work order process.

Getting the details of the event: When a leak happens, it is important to try to identify the cause. It may be that the line was hit during a fence installation or that the infrastructure is hitting the end of its life. Notating some information from each event can also help you identify the amount of water lost and prevent future situations from happening.

Continued on next page

Financing Solutions for Rural Water Systems In partnership with TRWA, CoBank can offer members specially negotiated terms.

Engineering Architecture

(512) 436-8571 (254) 771-2054

info@mrbgroup.com www.mrbgroup.com

Visit www.trwa.org/cobank or contact John DeLuca at 303-694-5958 Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 17

From the Field As part of your reporting in response to work orders, a few things should be documented. The first is the size of the leak. If you are able to gauge the length and width of the break and capture the pressure in the area, you can utilize calculation tools to help you estimate the amount of water lost from the break. A number of tools are available from our affiliate association, the Missouri Rural Water Association. These are free to download and can help with your calculation process: https://moruralwater. org/water-tools/ Pictures are worth a thousand words: Images can also give you a direct look at the pipe layout that can be attached to your work order or uploaded to your GIS for future use. Being able to reference back to pictures before and after the repair can provide information on issues you may find in other areas of your system.

They also give you guidance on the schematic and parts used if you were to ever return to that area in the future.

What caused the problem? Some days it’s obvious. You drive up to see a telephone pole sticking through the middle of your line. However, there are other causes that can impact your preventative maintenance plans and provide information for asset management. One situation I can remember in my system was a periodic failure of a pressure-reducing valve. Due to the elevation drops, the pressure was managed using these valves in different areas of the system. After a series of leaks in one area, we identified that the valve was malfunctioning and occasionally applying pressure in excess of 185 psi. The 20- to 30-yearold infrastructure could not handle the fluctuation in pressure at the joints and was causing line breaks. This can be the case where pumps are malfunctioning or where customer lines are being pressurized from the private side and causing issues in other areas.

Evaluating what happened can lead you to find other issues in your system, 18 18 Quench Quench — — 2021 2021 — — Issue Issue 5 6

such as cross-connections or failing equipment.

•ht tps://www.echologics.com/resources/ar ticles/ Pipe condition assessments: Pipe non-invasive-detection/ condition assessments are tools that are developed to gauge the condition •https://www.fracta.ai/ of your infrastructure that can predict the likelihood of issues in your system. It is important to find and fix water The programs use information col- loss. Losing water directly impacts your lected from your system such as age of revenue and wastes a resource that is pipes, pressure zones, soil types and being spread thin across the nation. other factors to guide you on areas of It is becoming harder to obtain new most concern. Technology has allowed water sources because the supply is for the addition of intelligent data to being depleted. use algorithms and acoustic sensors to pulse throughout your distribution Preventing water loss provides adsystem and predict or identify leaking ditional resources for you and your neighbors as we continue to grow main lines. in this state. Additional technologies There are various companies and are becoming more available such as models used for pipe condition as- brackish water desal, water reuse, and sessments, so do your homework and Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) to help supplement water availability. see if this could be a useful tool for However, we still all need to do our your system. In a quick search online, I part to reduce the water we lose to found a few options to get you started promote efficiency and preserve this on your search for the right application resource for generations to come. for your system. I’m not promoting or suggesting any one in particular, but this will give you an idea of what to If you have any questions relook for in your research. garding this article or would like assistance applying any of the • h t t p s : / / w w w. a w w a . o rg / topics discussed at your water Por tals/0/files/publications/ system, please contact Jason documents/M77LookInside.

Knobloch at Jason.Knobloch@ pdf?ver=2019-05-30-080845-747 trwa.org or call (512) 472-8591.

(An introduction to the manual for purchase.)

From the Field

Apply today for a TRWF Student Scholarship!

The application window for the 2022-23 Texas Rural Water Foundation (TRWF) Student Scholarships is now open! Every year, high school seniors, college students and even graduate students across the state submit applications for one of our TRWF scholarships, which are intended to recognize and assist qualified individuals in their pursuit of a higher education in a field that supports rural Texas.

This Student Scholarship Program is designed to help offset the cost of tuition, fees, books and/or room and board by awarding funds directly to the student upon proof of enrollment. The number of annual scholarships and the amount awarded is based upon the number of qualified applicants and the amount of funds available.

In the 2021-22 award year, six scholarships were awarded in varying amounts, from $1,000 to $3,000, totaling $12,500.

Each year, the Dwayne Jekel Student Scholarship is awarded to the highest scoring applicant, and in the 2021-22 award year, this recipient was awarded $3,000. Thanks to an endowment set up by the Jekel family, the Dwayne Jekel Student Scholarship will continue to benefit students who are interested in the water and wastewater industry.

Mr. Frank Dwayne Jekel served on TRWA’s Board of Directors for 30 years from 1982–2012. He was a water industry leader who owned and operated D&L Service Company in Cameron, Texas. He earned his bachelor’s degree and Master of Education Degree in Agricultural Education from Texas A&M University.

Mr. Jekel’s dedication to water and his community will never be forgotten. His legacy and mission will continue thanks to the generosity of his family.

of future water/wastewater industry leaders. The Legacy Scholarship will be awarded to a student who exhibits exceptional leadership skills and potential. Applicants wishing to be considered for this scholarship will need to meet additional criteria and complete an additional writing prompt focusing on leadership or volunteerism.

Who should apply?

The TRWF scholarship committee is particularly interested in supporting students who seek a career relating to the water and/or wastewater industry or a career that will support rural Texas. They also encourage applications from veterans seeking higher education in an area that will benefit rural Texas. Former student scholarship recipients are invited to apply for a continued scholarship. To be eligible to reapply, the applicant must provide transcripts to demonstrate that they are in good academic standing.

All recipients of student scholarships will be required to provide proof of full-time enrollment each semester for which the scholarship is awarded at an accredited institution of higher learning. Payment will be dispersed directly to the student upon proof of enrollment.

Scholarships are dispersed in two installments over the course of the school year.

How do I apply?

Applications and full eligibility requirements were mailed to the offices of all TRWA member systems. They are also currently available on our website. If you know someone who is interested in applying, please direct them to www. trwa.org/StudentScholarships. You can also get to the page by visiting www.trwa.org and clicking on the TRWF tab in the navigation pane.

All applications must be received by 5 p.m. on February 7, 2022. You can mail it to: ATTN: TRWF Scholarship Introducing the new TRWF Legacy Scholarship Committee, Texas Rural Water Association, 1616 Rio Funded by past and current board members of the Texas Grande, Austin, Texas 78701. You may also send Rural Water Association, we are pleased to introduce applications by email to editor@trwa.org. a new endowed student scholarship, the Legacy Please share this opportunity with your peers and Scholarship! Founders Kent Watson, Leahmon Bryant and community members who may benefit from one of these Chris Boyd, and contributing member Charles Beseda, scholarships. If you have any questions, please contact conceived of this scholarship to help support the education us at 512-472-8591 or email editor@trwa.org.

Quench — 2021 —Issue 5 19

Features

Slow & Steady

Almost Ever y Texas Water System Should Consider Rate Hikes.

Here's How to Limit Customer Backlash.

By John DeLuca VP and Senior Relationship Manager CoBank Water and Communities Facilities Division

A

sk most people where they get clean water, and they’ll point to their kitchen faucets. Yet few realize all the time, energy and money that goes into the infrastructure and operations necessary to provide fresh, safe water. Instead, they tend to see water as a fundamental human right (which it is), but one that they shouldn’t pay too much for.

Rural water providers realize this. It’s why they frequently hesitate to raise their rates even when their coffers are getting low. Nevertheless, anyone who works in the utility business knows that major upgrades and repairs to systems are inevitable and require healthy cash flow. Still, providers routinely wait to raise water rates until they have no other choice. At that point, the hike seems dramatic — particularly to unaccustomed consumers or those who are unable to pay more.

20 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

What’s the solution? Often, the answer is to initiate steady (but modest) yearly rate increases. Regular smaller changes serve several key purposes, not the least of which is allowing water providers to catch up with their overdue repairs. Estimates suggest that over the next two decades, American water and wastewater systems require an investment of $743 billion to fund improvements. If they don’t have funds on hand, that can’t happen unless those providers rely on substantial borrowing or grant funding.

Another advantage to regular rate increases is being able to put money in reserve. In general, having 20% of revenue set aside for emergencies puts providers in a healthy financial position. It also keeps customers from grappling with large hikes when unanticipated issues arise.

Of course, most rural water system providers are hesitant

to raise rates even though they know the upshots of receiving steady income. Why? They don’t want to upset customers, or in the case of elected officials, lose votes.

That’s understandable, but it forces providers into a difficult position.

At the end of the day, annual rate hikes need not cause undue contention if water system providers follow a few strategies:

1) Educate the public People likely have no idea how their money is spent by their water provider or why it can be so expensive to service rural communities with water. Providing customers with expenditure breakdowns will help them see the various costs associated with bringing water to rural areas. Additionally, customers will understand the impact increased labor and material costs or system upgrades (current or upcoming) have. Similarly, the way your system addresses the unique challenges presented by COVID-19 has likely impacted budgets.

Providers can start by including helpful graphics on monthly bills that chart out where water revenue goes.

Informative breakdowns could even compare water system rates to neighboring systems or other types of utilities and products. Case in point: Consumers might think they’re spending a lot on their water bills, but they also might not realize that they can get about 12,800 ounces of tap water for $1. Compare that to the price of a gallon of milk.

2) Explain the purpose of consistent rate hikes

Features meetings or when customers come to the office to pay their bills. Although the majority of water customers won’t attend public board meetings, those that do can get a better understanding of how their money is being stewarded.

3) Sympathize with customers By 2022, one-third of people are predicted to have trouble making ends meet — and specifically when it comes to paying their water bills. To them, even a small price change might be unaffordable.

With this in mind, water system providers must show empathy for those most affected by these increases. This might even mean working with financially vulnerable or disenfranchised customers to educate them on how to use the water more efficiently so they can afford to get the water they need.

Texas’ rural water systems can’t continue trying to do more with less and less. Instead, they need the security that can only come from routine but manageable rate increases. Will it be tough to get buy-in? Maybe at first.

But more money means you’ll be better positioned to keep the water flowing later on — even when the unexpected happens.

John DeLuca is the vice president and senior relationship manager of the Water and Community Facilities division at CoBank, a national cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America by providing loans, leases, export financing, and other financial services in all 50 states. In his current role at CoBank, John works to provide credit and financial solutions to small nonprofit and municipal water and wastewater facilities across 10 states and manages a portfolio of about 80 customers.

Sometimes, consumers assume that rate hikes simply increase employees’ wages rather than paying for clean water, repairing or replacing aging infrastructure and building a system’s capital reserves. Again, this is where transparent communication can be helpful, whether it’s found on a water provider’s website FAQ page, newsletter or social media feed.

Rate changes can also become topics at in-person Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 21

From the Field

Ready for Failure Benefits of an Asset Management Plan

By Paul King, TRWA Circuit Rider

T

aking a proactive approach by adopting an asset management plan has many advantages for a water system. Many water systems I have visited have adopted an asset management plan over the years, but others still have a reactive approach to asset management: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This approach will work if a system has unlimited funds to throw at a problem every time a critical piece of equipment goes down, but most water systems don’t have that luxury in these emergency situations. If a single major piece of equipment goes down in a year, most budgets can manage to pay for this expense without any problem. However, if two or three major pieces of equipment were to break in the same year, it would put a heavy burden on many systems and send others scurrying to their local banks for funds.

The first step is to inventory all of the system’s assets. The good news is several systems have already done much of this work. Several years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required all water systems that serve a population of 3,300 or more customers perform a Vulnerability Assessment and Emergency Response Plan (VA/ERP). A few years later the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RD) required all systems with USDA loans to also complete a VA/ERP. Many systems used the SEMS program that TRWA provided to comply with these EPA and USDA-RD directives.

Even more recently, EPA has implemented new requirements pursuant to America’s Water Infrastructure act of 2018 (AWIA) also for systems that serve 3,300 or more customers. These systems must complete a new Risk and Resilience Assessment and Emergency Response Plan which contains additional information. TRWA developed the Water/Wastewater Risk Assessment and Planning Tool (WRAPT) to comply with this latest directive. These tools (SEMS and WRAPT) require you to input a list of your assets.

Another place to look for information about system assets are depreciation schedules from your accountant. These depreciation schedules usually will have the date the asset was put into service and the life expectancy of the asset.

22 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

Once you have a list of the system’s assets, the next step is to assess how critical each asset is to provide your customer the water service they expect and deserve. Most pump stations have redundancies built in, such as two high service pumps, two ground storage tanks or two chlorinators. These built-in redundancies may keep you from listing some of these assets as critical. However, many times these same pump stations will only have one water well to provide water for several hundred people. If the system has no other way of providing water service to these customers, such as an interconnect from another part of the system, this single well could be a very critical piece of equipment. Other pieces of equipment that could be critical are single pressure tanks or even the compressor that supplies air pressure to that pressure tank to maintain the appropriate system pressure.

Once the critical assets are identified, the system will need to assess the probability of failure and the consequences of failure. By ranking assets in this fashion, it will give the system a good idea of which asset to replace first. In the table below, the assets in red would be high priority, those in yellow would be medium priority and those in green would be low priority.

This table also gives a number ranking system. The higher numbers correlate to higher priorities in the replacement of the asset. These rankings will help plan for failure instead of reacting to failure. In the example above the system only had one well feeding hundreds of customers. Therefore, if that well failed, hundreds of customers would be without water. By predicting failure and establishing a probable timeline, it gives the water system the chance to replace the well before it fails during a period when water usage is lower. Replacing a well in the wintertime when usage is down, as opposed to having to replace it during the Fourth of July weekend, is obviously preferrable.

There are existing resources available to most water systems to help with this ranking process. For instance, the system may have a GIS mapping program that allows photos of repairs to be inserted to track maintenance of the distribution network, which is one of the biggest assets the system has. If one were to look at County Road 111 using this tool and see there are enough photos to fill your high school yearbook, then it might be time to put the water line on County Road 111 at the top of list for replacement. Even if a system does not have a GIS mapping program, a simple work order program will give the same information.

From the Field asset management plan. However, these companies will ask that the water system provide the same type of information and research listed above to complete the plan. Some water systems I have spoken with over the years have utilized free software on the EPA’s website called ‘Check Up Program for Small Systems (CUPSS)’ and have spoken highly of it.

Using a proactive approach to asset management does indeed have many obvious advantages for a water system.

As opposed to the old “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” approach, proactively tracking the expected life of an asset and adjusting for real world conditions can help avoid sudden and costly interruptions in service, allow a system to plan and budget for these expenses and help to avoid the Fourth of July weekend worst-case scenario.

Another example of a source of helpful information is the maintenance logs and/or billing invoices for pumps, motors and other equipment. Using this information can give a better feel for how long an asset lasts under actual operating conditions. If an electric motor has a predicted life expectancy of five years from the manufacturer but historic data shows it only lasts an average of three years, this information is very important in formulating a timetable for replacing that particular asset.

Last, and certainly not least, a system’s seasoned employees are a great resource. Nobody knows better how many times they have made repairs on County Road 111, for example.

An asset management plan also enables a system to plan for expenses and how they will fund these projects. It is important for managers, board members and staff to know how much funding is needed to manage a system’s assets properly. At some point, all current and future assets will need to be repaired, renewed or replaced. These costs will become a basis for your operation and maintenance and capital improvement budgets.

Code Updates In-Service Cleaning If you are interested in having us as your partner, feel free to contact one of our department representatives below NEW TANKS — Rick DiZinno (270) 826-9000 ext. 2601 EXISTING TANKS — Jordan Pyles (270) 826-9000 ext. 4601

It is also important to plan ahead to secure the funding for future needs. Replacement costs of some current assets may be paid though customer rates. However, larger projects will need to be financed through bonds, grants or loans. You may find a list of funding sources on TRWA’s website www.trwa.org by searching “funding sources.”

There are companies that a system can hire to set up an Quench — 2021 —Issue 5 23

From the Field

Common Ground Managing the Operator/Engineer Relationship

By Donnie Stanton, TRWA FMT Assistance Specialist

C

apital expense projthey’re doing. In some ways they are both right. Engineers ects are an inevitable often have preconceived ideas of operators and don’t part of planning and always fully appreciate their skill set and point of view, operations in the water util- and operators often do not keep up with new processes ity industry. Infrastructure and technologies in our changing industry. Operators and will need to be expanded engineers have different points of view and ways of comor replaced. New legislation municating; this needs to be understood and overcome (such as S.B. 3) will require before a project is planned. Operators just want things to system updates. The scope of work reliably, properly and as simply as possible. Engineers these projects can prove chalsee the complexity in building out even the smallest of lenging for any system, but often projects. A good manager will recmanagement can further complicate ognize that both perspectives are Successful a major overhaul by neglecting the necessary. Merging them into one relationship between the system vision can lead to a more successmanagers operators and the engineering figure out how to ful project. consultant.

Managers need to talk to system open lines of All operators have worked for sysoperators and establish a vision of tems where they could see where communication what is ultimately needed from the common-sense improvements project. The operator is the one who between could be added to make the distriunderstands the personality of the operators and system and can help navigate the bution system or water plant work better. Many engineers come to project rollout. Management and engineers early a project with knowledge of the operators must help each other conin a project. latest technology and construction sider the long-term consequences methods to make systems work of the changes, such as mechanical better. But it can be tricky to get these two sides to meet access for maintenance and operations. This is the point in the middle. The best intentions of the operator and where operators need to dream big and ask themselves, the engineer too often get disconnected by poor project “What would make this project the best it could be?” management and lack of communication at all levels. Sometimes an operator’s wish list may make a project Experience has taught this operator that an effective even more efficient or cost-effective to operate. Operators management process can bring both parties together and also need to think down to the minor details: Where do end up with a project that exceeds expectations. Proper you want the valves? Are you going to have enough room active management of this relationship is essential to the to perform maintenance? The grand vision of what is success of the project. needed will be the first “rough draft” that everyone will work from. A successful manager will listen, take in all the Throughout my career, I have heard operators complain operator’s ideas and help them prioritize the importance that the engineers never asked them anything and enof each part of the project without discounting anything. gineers argue that the operators just don’t know what Engineers bring a skill set to the table that makes the 24 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

owner’s visions and needs come to life. It is up to them to manage the details of the plans and designs, assist the system manager in communicating to regulators and manage the construction details of the project. Successful engineers will get to know each member of the staff they are serving and solicit input from everyone. A successful engineering approach will listen to both the operators, to know what is needed in the project for its day-to-day use, and to the system manager to know the limits, costs and other constraints. Some important information to gather from the operators include preferred or standard materials and equipment and the necessary level of control. The more information the engineer has about how the operators maintain and troubleshoot the system, the better they can design the project to meet their needs and expectations.

Everyone needs to be brought into the conversation at the start of the project, from the kickoff meeting onward.

Introduce the participants to one another, define the scope of the project and solicit everyone’s ideas about what is needed from their point of view. Successful managers figure out how to open those lines of communication between operators and engineers early in a project and help steer the project meetings to solicit effective comments

from even the shyest staff member.

Engineers, operators and managers all need to take time during the plan review stages to assure the project is meeting all the project goals and everyone’s expectations.

Each level of plan review needs to have a meeting to solicit comments from everyone involved. At the 30% design review, the project team, operators and managers, should make any conceptual change to the project so the engineers can begin the detailed design. For the 60%, 90% and subsequent design reviews, the project team will be working to make sure the design meets the workability and ease of operability requested by the operators, the manager’s expectations and regulatory design requirements.

Managers must actively take control of the communications from the start when it comes to capital projects.

When engineering consultants and operators learn to talk to one another, it encourages project buy-in and will ultimately yield a successful final product that benefits everyone.

Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 25

Features

Who You Gonna Call?

Why You Need An Incident Response Plan For Cyberattacks

By Rick Bush Cybersecurity Specialist RESPEC There is a saying in cyber security: “It is not a matter of if, but when.”

What this means is that it’s not a question of whether a major cyberattack will occur at your company or utility, but rather when it will happen. Such an attack could target any company on any day, as a water treatment facility in Oldsmar, Florida found out one Friday in February of 2021.

26 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

Th a t m o r n i n g a n o p e r a t o r working at the facility noticed someone was remotely accessing the super visor y control and data acquisition (SCADA) system at the plant. This was not especially alarming on its own. The remote access application was installed for after-hours and weekend access, but it was also used during the week by employees working remotely. The operator could see the remote user looking through the system then eventually logging out.

But later that day, the operator noticed the system was being

remotely accessed again, and this time the remote user’s intentions became clear. The electronic intruder made a change to the system, altering the amount of sodium hydroxide, or lye, from 100 parts per million to 11,000 parts per million before logging out.

While a small amount of lye is a normal part of the treatment process, the operator knew that this was a dangerous and possibly lethal level and immediately corrected the issue to prevent the supply from being compromised. While there are other safeguards in the system to detect and

alert for abnormal chemical levels, the threat and the danger of this type of cyberattack was real.

The operator then had to decide: Who does he tell and how? Does he call his boss on the phone or email the support desk to open a ticket? Has the decision to report something like this at tack already been discussed or does that conversation take place on that day?

Is there an Incident Response plan that someone could open to see what they should do next?

In the Oldsmar case, the company contacted local law enforcement and the FBI, which resulted in an i n v e s t i g a t i o n . Wh e n t h e media learned about the hack, the versions of the story that appeared on websites and news channels the following week ran the gamut, with some outlets running big headlines questioning if the country's infrastructure is at risk and others presenting the story as one more example among their other ransomware and identity theft articles.

There was no shortage of cybersecurity recommendations made in the aftermath of the attack. Experts highlighted a variet y of best practices that might have strengthened the facility’s defenses, among them the dangers of desktop sharing software for external access, the lack of two-factor authentication for external connections, the need for stronger password policies, the risk of using outdated software and the hazards of configurations set for ease of use instead of stricter security. This

is all valuable guidance for those still transitioning their initial security posture from a reactive to an active one, well worth exploring in depth as part of a security assessment and building into any new security plan.

But the protections these and other measures provide should be bolstered by a strong incident response plan in the event of a successful cyber intrusion. No matter the industry you are in, you have to ask how an employee at your organization would react to a cyberattack. How prepared is your organization to respond to a cyber threat?

A good incident response plan outlines the key people to call in response to events, what those people are responsible for, and how to move through a series of actions to stop or reduce the impact of the attack. These plans give structure to the chaos of the event. Every company is required to have fire drills, but how many organizations have ever practiced their response to a cyberattack?

Every employee needs to be trained and understand what they should do in a cyberattack situation. To ensure your organization’s preparedness, there should be an existing incident response plan available for reference in times of crisis and a disaster recovery plan for how to restore operations in the aftermath.

Proper preparation, as outlined in these five bullet points below, is the first step to an effective incident response:

Features Get an assessment of your current security posture.

Both self-assessments and third-part y evaluations are valuable resources for improvement.

Build and publish your security policies. They should be available to everyone for discussion and review.

Create a Security Culture.

Turn your company into one that puts security first in everything they do.

Write out your incident response and disaster recovery plans. These are the cornerstones of your security policies.

Practice your plans to ensure the process can be relied on in times of crisis.

Hopefully “when”, not “if,” the time comes for your organization, it will not be a life-threatening one like it was for Oldsmar. No one can be one hundred percent prepared, but you can put your organization in the best possible position to handle whatever incident occurs by making sure everyone in your company knows what to do and how to react to whatever security situation comes their way.

For more information please contact Rick Bush, Cybersecurity Specialist, RESPEC, rick.bush@ respec.com.

Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 27

TRWA Briefs

Take Advantage of These TRWA Opportunities Nominate someone for TRWA's Awards of Excellence There's still time to submit nominations for TRWA's annual Awards of Excellence! The application window for all award categories closes on February 7, 2022.

Don’t miss the opportunity to nominate your system or one of your colleagues for these prestigious awards honoring those who exemplify excellence, dedication and achievement.

Our individual awards were created to recognize the shining stars of our member utilities, seeking to honor their spirit and commitment in support of their system and the larger community. Individual awards are given in the following categories: • Excellence in System Management • Excellence in Administration • Excellence in Operations To nominate an individual for one of these awards, submit a nomination form and tell us in 750 words or less what makes your nominee stand out in their selected category!

In addition to our individual awards, we also give out two system-wide awards each year. The Small System Excellence Award is designed to honor a deserving system serving 1,500 or fewer connections, and the Large System Excellence Award is designed to recognize a system serving more than 1,500 connections.

and deserves this award.

Get started on your nomination now and submit it online at www.trwa.org/awards. Please remember that former award winners are not eligible.

All award winners will be honored during the Awards Ceremony at the opening general session of RuralWaterCon in April and will be featured in a 2022 issue of this magazine.

Individual winners will each receive a $500 prize and a commemorative plaque. The system-wide winners will each receive a $1,000 prize and commemorative plaques.

If you have any questions about the nomination form or the awards process, or if you are interested in sponsoring one of the awards, please contact us at 512-472-8591 or membership@trwa.org.

Update Your Quench Magazine subscriptions Don't forget to review your Quench subscription information and make any necessary changes when you renew your TRWA membership for 2022. Your membership with TRWA will continue to include complimentary subscriptions to Quench: • Regular Utility Members: Up to five complimentary subscriptions • Associate Members: One complimentary subscription

Use this opportunity to showcase whatever it is that sets your system apart from the rest, and share your ideas with your industry peers who can learn from your successes. Are you employing innovative technologies or processes? Did you do something special to engage with your community? Did you make significant efforts to improve your system? Did you successfully launch a grassroots campaign or activity to foster political participation? Tell us about it!

Included in each renewal packet is a list of who we have from your system currently receiving a copy of the magazine. If you have not updated your information, it will list the main address for your system to which we have been sending your five complimentary copies. If your system purchased additional subscriptions for an annual fee of $30, we will continue to send magazines to those individuals in 2022 and issue an invoice, unless we hear otherwise.

To nominate your system, fill out a nomination form and tell us in 1,000 words or less why your system stands out

If you would like to make any changes to your subscription list, please send them in at your earliest convenience. You may do this with your renewal, by

28 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

TRWA Briefs email to editor@trwa.org, or by fax to 512-472-5186.

If you have any questions please contact us at editor@ trwa.org or call (512) 472-8591 Ext 115.

Look for job seekers on the TRWA veteran job board

and build the capacity of utilities to best serve their customers. But we cannot do it without your support.

When you give to the Texas Rural Water Founation, your tax-deductible donation will go toward the Foundation's Student Scholarship and Workforce Development Programs.

Did you know that TRWA has a Veteran Employment Program that includes a job board where water utilities can post jobs and browse through resumes? Veterans transitioning out of the military and into civilian life make excellent candidates for careers in the water sector and are an asset to whatever team they join. The diverse skillset that they develop in the military includes but isn’t limited to:

Your gift is extremely important to the Texas Rural Water Foundation, and every dollar counts in our quest to support and empower rural water and wastewater utilities and the communities they serve.

• Being able to follow a strict schedule and meet deadlines in a timely manner.

To learn more about the Foundation, visit our webpage www.trwa.org/trwf or give us a call! Your gift will help us become a greater resource to rural water and wastewater systems throughout Texas today!

• Being able to think on their feet and solve complex problems under immense pressure.

To make a donation, visit www.trwa.org/trwf and click the “Donate Today” button. You may also request a donation form by contacting foundation@trwa.org or by calling 512-472-8591.

• Taking pride and showing dedication to the work that they do every day.

• Working well on a team. Teamwork is essential in the military and veterans bring this same mentality to their workplace.

• Being flexible and able to adapt to their circumstances while keeping a positive attitude.

• A wide range of technical skills that transfer into the civilian positions.

For more information on how you post a job listing to our job board and browse through veteran resumes, go to vet-careers.trwa.org/jobseekers/ Help TRWA in the effort to hire veterans first!

Make a donation to the Texas Rural Water Foundation This holiday season, give a gift to rural water by donating to the Texas Rural Water Foundation!

Rural water and wastewater systems face many challenges due to limited budgets, high levels of responsibility, regulatory demands and a shortage of licensed operators.

TRWF was established as a supporting organization to TRWA to support all rural utilities and address these issues through programs that provide resources Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 29

In Memoriam 2021 As the year comes to a close, the Texas Rural Water Association wanted to take the opportunity to honor some of the people the rural water community lost in 2021.

BOB STUTTS, 90

KENNETH HALFMANN, 66 Kenneth Halfmann, who served on the board of the East Bell WSC for more than 30 years, passed away November 5, 2021 in Pearsall, Texas.

An avid sportsman, Halfmann's tenure on the board of East Bell WSC included five years as Board Secretary/Treasurer. Halfmann is survived by his wife Cathy and son Ryan.

JANIE LEGGE, 60 Janie Legge, general manager at Dobbin Plantersville WSC, passed away September 3, 2021 at the age of 60.

Bob Stutts, the longtime general manager of the Onalaska Water and Gas Supply Corporation passed away November 26, 2021, at the age of 90.

A graduate of the University of Houston, Stutts led Onalaska Water and Gas from 1967 until his retirement in 2008. He is survived by his wife Jimmie Jo, four children, seven grandchildren and more than 30 great-grandchildren.

A resident of Plantersville since 1984, Legge started at Dobbin Plantersville WSC as its lone office employee before eventually rising to take over the position of general manager, where she became known as "The Water Lady."

She is survived by three children, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

ANGELA HARRIS, 63 Angela Harris, a TRWA staff member for 12 years, passed away August 4, 2021, at the age of 63.

Harris started at TRWA's receptionist in 2009, before moving into the Environmental Services Department as a Project Support Specialist in 2016. She is survived by her husband.

D.J. BESEDA, 66 D.J. Beseda passed away August 5, 2021 in Waco.

Beseda graduated from Baylor University and worked as a speech therapist and principal at Abbott ISD. Her husband, Charles, is general manager at Birome WSC and has served as a director of TRWA's board since 1999. She is survived by her husband, three children, and eight grandchildren.

SARA ADAMS, 43 Sara Baldwin Adams passed away November 28, 2021, in San Antonio after a brief illness.

Born in Alpine, Texas, Sara worked as an escrow officer and partner in Big Bend Title Company, but she married into a water family. Her husband Jody Adams and her mother- and father-in-law, Janet and Scott Adams, managed Fort Davis WSC and are actively engaged with TRWA. Scott is also a former TRWA board president. Sara is survived by Jody, Scott, and Janet as well as her parents, Lynne and Larry Baldwin.

30 Quench — 2021 — Issue 6

Plan Ahead CONFERENCES: RuralWaterCon — April 7– 8 | Kalahari Resort, Round Rock Save the Date! Registration begins in January Training and Technical Conference — July 13–14 | Galveston Island Convention Center Office Professionals Conference — October 13–14 | San Antonio

OPERATOR TRAINING COURSES:

Learn more about our upcoming classroom and online training options, and to register for classes visit us at www.trwa.org/training.

Virtual Courses Water Distribution — January 11–13, 2022

In-Person Courses Groundwater Production – Riverside – January 25 – 27, 2022 Customer Service Inspections — Decatur — March 1 – 2, 2022

Quench — 2021 —Issue 6 31

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

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