Quench 2023 - Issue 4

TECH

PHOTOS SUPPORT THE TEXAS WATER FUND OUR CHANGING INDUSTRY

TRWA Today

Established in 1969, the Texas Rural Water Association (TRWA) is a statewide nonprofit trade association with an active membership consisting of nearly 900 nonprofit water supply corporations, water districts, small-town water departments and investor-owned utilities. In addition, more than 150 water industry suppliers participate in TRWA activities as associate members. TRWA members provide water and wastewater service to 3.5 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

Main Office Line (512) 472-8591

LEADERSHIP

2)

Bruce Alexander Medina

Mark Gardenhire Shackelford (District 1)

Treasurer

DISTRICT DIRECTORS

Roby Jekel Milam (District 5)

Brian Macmanus Cameron (District 6)

Allen Knight North Collin (District 7)

Charles Beseda Hill (District 8)

Pat Allen Guadalupe (District 9)

Kyle Eppler Brazos (District 10)

Rachel Webb South Rains (District 11)

T. Chad Wilson Kaufman (District 12)

OFFICE STAFF

President's Message

Thanks again to everyone in our rural water community for what you do every day to provide a safe and reliable source of drinking water to rural Texas!

As we move to the end of another summer of extreme heat and dry weather, we realize the widespread shortage of water supplies many systems are faced with. Multiple systems, like the one I manage, are working now to ensure they have access to enough water rights to meet the needs of their customers for the remainder of this year and 2024. As a system that relies entirely on the Edwards Aquifer for our water supply, we are currently under a mandatory 40% reduction in the amount of water we are permitted to withdraw. Multiple small systems that do not have the financial resources to buy additional water rights will face over-pumping their annual permits and be subject to enforcement action by the Edwards Aquifer Authority. While controversial to some, I want to thank the San Antonio Water System for their work in reducing their demands on the aquifer through a diversified water supply that other systems do not have access to. Their management of the region's water supply has helped us avoid greater pumping restrictions and helped ensure we all continue to have access to water during this drought.

You may wonder why this is important to me and my system? I used to be less concerned when other parts of the state were in a water shortage. Not anymore. We all need to work together to ensure we have a safe and secure source of water for the future of our systems, our customers and everyone in the state of Texas. We need to stay focused on updating our systems, replacing aging piping and doing what we can to reduce water loss. We need to invest in new and improved water sources such as new reservoirs, desalination projects, water reuse for irrigation and many more. But how do we afford these things?

One big way is to support passage of the proposed constitutional amendment that sets aside $1 billion of the state's surplus funds specifically for water projects. The funds will be used to establish and develop new water resources and repair/replace aging infrastructure, with a portion of them set aside for rural systems. While much more is needed, we have to start somewhere. I am asking all of us in rural water to vote in support of this constitutional amendment. Remember to reach out to Lara or a member of her team at TRWA if you have any questions or need assistance in the operations of your water system.

Be safe,

Bruce Alexander President TRWA

Hello Texas Rural Water!

Letter from the TRWA Executive Director

Dear TRWA Members,

I recently traveled to Washington D.C. to help train new rural water association executives from around the country with the National Rural Water Association. It was an experience I found very rewarding, an opportunity to share the knowledge and experience I have gained working for TRWA with others. I also learned so much from the meeting, bringing home new ideas to implement at our association.

At TRWA, we currently have two programs where we utilize experienced water utility industry professionals to coach or mentor the next generation. The first is our Emerging Leaders Program, which we hold every other year, with the latest class starting at the beginning of this summer. Each of the participants is paired with a coach to work closely with them, meeting regularly through the duration of the Program. Past participants who got the most out of this Program credited this coaching relationship as crucial for facilitating their growth. I also often receive feedback from the coaches that they benefit greatly from the experience, learning from the participant they’re coaching while forging a

new lasting friendship.

The second is our Apprenticeship Program, which combines classroom learning with On-the-Job training. This Program relies on a mentoring relationship between the apprentice operator and an experienced operator at their system. The mentor guides the apprentice through the skills they will need to master and provides career counseling and support along the way. I encourage our members to check out this Program. It's a great opportunity not only to recruit employees, but also to provide a comprehensive education to our future operators, including learning from our industry veterans.

I would like to give a special thanks to those who have been coaching or mentoring through these programs and recognize the contribution they’re making to the future leaders and workforce of our industry. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to coach or mentor a less experienced individual in our industry to do so. It is rewarding in so many ways!

My best,

Lara Zent Executive Director & General Counsel TRWA

Keep It Legal

Answers to Members’ Questions by TRWA Assistant General Counsel Mary

Alice McKaughan

Q:Can we amend our tariff to require RV parks to have a meter at each pad?

A: When it comes to billing RV Parks, TRWA strongly recommends against changing your tariff language to require individual metering of RV pads. An RV Park is a commercial operation under Texas Water Code Section 13.087 and should be metered accordingly with a master meter.

Q:Can we change the number of our Board Members/Directors?

A: If you are a WSC: Yes, you can change the number of directors. The number of directors a WSC has is set by a WSC’s bylaws. A WSC cannot have less than 3 or more than 21 directors. A WSC can change the number of its directors by amending its bylaws. The process required to amend a WSC’s bylaws should be set forth in the bylaws. Usually, WSC bylaws can only be amended by a vote of the membership. However, while uncommon, I have seen/heard of WSC bylaws that allow the board of directors to vote to amend their bylaws without the necessity of a vote of the membership. The USDA sample bylaws required that amendments be made by a vote of the membership, and this may still be required to qualify to receive USDA funding.

If you are a Water/Sewer District (District) : It is very difficult to change the number of directors in a District. The number of directors a District has is set by its enabling legislation or TCEQ Order. Districts that have not been

given the express authority to change their number of directors in their formation papers must have the change approved through the Legislature. This process involves having a bill passed that either changes the number of directors or explicitly grants this authority to your District. The number of directors must also meet the requirements of Texas Water Code Section 65.101, which mandates that a District be governed by a board of not less than five and not more than 11 directors. The TCEQ has the authority to create a district when a water supply corporation seeks to convert to a Special Utility District (SUD), and the agency has the continuing right of supervision over district issues under the Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 52 and Article XVI, Section 59 and TCEQ Rule 30 TAC Section 293.3. However, they do not have the explicit authority to change the number of directors of a SUD.

Q:We are a SUD. Can the SUD hire the Board President’s wife as the new office manager? Usually, the SUD Board approves the hiring of a new office manager. If the Board delegates hiring the office manager to the SUD’s general manager does that make it OK?

A: No. This is illegal under Texas’ anti-nepotism laws. Nepotism is favoritism shown to relatives by those in power, such as special treatment in hiring. The applicable statute is Texas Government Code Section 573

If you are a Water/Sewer District (District), County or City: Nepotism laws apply to all types of governmental entities including cities, utility districts and MUDs. See, Op. Tex.

Att’y Gen. No. JC-184 (2000). In Texas it is illegal for a public official to hire, appoint or approve payment for certain relatives. A “public official” is defined as an officer of this state; an officer or member of a board of this state or a judge of a court created by or under a statute of this state.

The law outlines which relatives are ineligible to receive jobs or payment from public officials. This determination is made based on the degree of blood or ancestral relationship to the public official (consanguinity), or by relationship established through marriage (affinity). Only relationships within the third degree of consanguinity or the second degree of affinity are affected by nepotism prohibition. An adopted child is treated as a natural child in determining who is affected by the prohibition.

The degree of consanguinity is determined by the number of generations between the people involved. For example, an elected official cannot give a job to: his or her parent or child (first degree of consanguinity); his or her brother, sister, grandparent or grandchild (second degree); his or her great-grandparent, great-grandchild, parents’ brother or sister (his or her aunt or uncle), or siblings’ children (his or her nieces and nephews) (third degree).

The degree of affinity is determined by marriage. The first degree of affinity is the relationship between a husband and wife. A relationship by affinity extends only to blood relatives of an individual’s spouse. It does not include a relative-in-law of the individual’s spouse. Higher degrees of affinity are equal to the degree of consanguinity for the related spouse. For example, if your spouse is the sibling of a public official (second degree of consanguinity), you would also be considered related through affinity in the second degree.

Nepotism statutes only apply to the public official who is the final hiring authority or is a member of the governing body that has final hiring authority. If the District’s board of directors is the hiring authority, then nepotism limitations apply to close relatives of any members of the district’s board.

However, if an employee, such as the general manager, possesses the final hiring authority, then the nepotism limitations relate to persons who are close relatives of the general manager.

It should be noted that the determination of who is the hiring authority depends on whether the public officer can exercise exclusive control over hiring decisions. So, if the District Board delegates the hiring decisions to the system general manager (GM), then the nepotism laws still apply to the Board. However, if the hiring authority was vested in, and solely given to, the GM at the creation of the district then the nepotism rule only applies to the GM, not the Board. For example, the board would still be considered the district’s hiring authority if the District Board could exercise control over a hiring decision, or take back the authority to do so, even though such authority may have been delegated to another individual or entity.

A public official who violates the nepotism laws commits official misconduct and a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $1,000. The official must also be removed immediately from office if they are convicted of violating the nepotism laws and the conviction becomes final. If the official is not removed within 30 days after the conviction becomes final, a proceeding by the local prosecutor may be brought to remove the official.

If you are a WSC: When it comes to WSC’s it is not technically illegal to hire relatives of the Board or General Manager. However, it is best practice not to.

TRWA Members can submit their legal inquiries by emailing legal@trwa.org or by using the form on the bottom of the Legal page. They can also search the archive at https://www.trwa.org/page/ KILHome.

Mary Alice McKaughan is TRWA's Assistant General Counsel.

Ask

Larry

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

We’ve recently been purchasing nearly all of our water from the city, and so have started taking bids to plug (or repair) one of our old wells. The quotes we’re getting seem outrageous, nearly $60,000 to do either job. Is there anything we can do to mitigate this?

A: These prices don’t surprise me too much since labor and materials costs have skyrocketed over the past couple of years. In the past, a well could be plugged from the bottom to the top for $20,000 or so. Now with the detailed reporting requirements and set-up charges, these prices have continued to increase.

I always caution systems that have a contract to purchase 100% of their water from other providers to remember that these contracts can also rise a startling amount over time. PWSs that have older wells and seem to not have any options other than purchasing water by contract might benefit from spending a little money to keep other water sources open for their system, so they can bring something to the table in terms of negotiating a reasonable price and contract provisions.

Yes, $60,000 to rehab an older well that has not been pumped for years sounds like a lot of money, especially because it might not be clear whether the end results of this work will give you a dependable water source or not. It’s a gamble. But treatment technology advances in the last decade have allowed several PWSs to take their sub-par wells and add membrane filters or even Desalination Treatment to remove brackish contamination

at a price about equal to a full Surface Water Treatment Plant’s cost per thousand gallons. Alternatively, you could look elsewhere to find water that doesn’t need as much treatment as the water from these wells.

Wholesale providers run into problems too. I’ve heard of several recent cases where providers notified their purchasers that contracts weren’t going to be renewed or that the price per thousand gallons would have to significantly increase to pay for improvements. Those systems that have tried to keep alternate water sources open seem to do better than those with no other options.

Q:Someone in our system said they heard from another agency that our rates were going to have to be reported to TCEQ and the PUCT annually? Is that fact or fiction?

A: It’s fiction, but there are some annual reporting requirements and it’s important to understand the rules for different types of utilities.

First, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) no longer has jurisdiction over rates, which are now solely regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC). However, the TCEQ does maintain jurisdiction over certain water district matters and districts are still required to file with TCEQ their annual audit or annual financial reports, if they meet the audit exemption (See Section 49.198 of the Water Code),

Water Supply Corporations are required to have their latest tariff on file with the PUC, which includes their rates.

This means that they are required to file an amended tariff every time the board adopts a change to their rates or other policies contained in the tariff.

Investor-owned utilities (IOUs) are required to annually file a service, financial, and normalized earnings report with the PUC by June 1 (see Texas Water Code Section 13.136(b)). The PUC has adopted rules, guidance, and forms to implement this requirement.

Investor-owned utilities (IOUs) cannot raise rates without first applying to the PUC. They must first get approval from the PUC to set their initial rates upon formation; and thereafter, they may apply to raise their rates once every 12 months. Class D IOUs, or those serving less than 500 connections, may adjust their rates once per year up to four times by filling out a form with the PUC, but after that they also have to go through a comprehensive rate proceeding before raising rates.

The PUC has appellate review jurisdiction over rates for districts, water supply corporations and municipal customers who live outside the city limits. A petition of 10% of the customers filed within 90 days after the effective date of the rate change triggers a rate appeal, which is also a comprehensive rate proceeding. A single customer of a water supply corporation may also appeal the cost of obtaining service to the PUC.

Q:About three years ago, we discovered one of our wells has iron bacteria. We spent thousands of dollars trying to eradicate it with no success. Now a test well that’s been drilled has also come back positive for iron bacteria. Is there any filtration system that would be practical and financially feasible for solving this problem?

I’ve seen where iron bacteria was introduced into a new well via casing or other metal that was not disinfected prior to being placed into the new well being drilled. Alternatively, it sometimes pops up when a well that had been in service for years was deactivated for a period of time and then restarted. One PWS had a well drilled and completed, but because the driller waited for eight months to install the pump and motor, iron bacteria infected the well in the interim.

As for removing it, the most common way seems to be use of an appropriate chlorination solution, allowing time for it to kill the iron bacteria, and then pumping the well to discharge the solution along with the iron bacteria which was killed. However, in my experience, this often needs to be done two or more times to get rid of the bacteria, though once it is gone, pumping the well on a regular basis usually keeps the iron bacteria from reforming until the well must shut down for servicing at some time in the future.

I don’t know of any filtration systems designed specifically to remove iron bacteria, though you may want to ask your engineer for recommendations or case studies to see if this is possible.

A: There is no hard and fast answer to why some wells are susceptible to iron bacteria and other wells can be offline for months at a time and never have iron bacteria formed.

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

Larry Bell is TRWA's Technical Assistance Director, with more than 30 years experience at the association.

Funding for Water Infrastructure on the Ballot in November

Voters to decide whether Texas will allocate $1 billion for water projects

In May of 2023, the Texas Legislature voted to make a generational investment in Texas water by allocating $1 billion for the new Texas Water Fund, a dedicated source of funding for securing new water sources and replacing the state's aging water infrastructure. But there's one final step required before the Fund becomes a reality: a constitutional amendment that must be approved by Texas voters this November.

The amendment has broad statewide support. The legislation authorizing its placement on the ballot, Senate Joint Resolution 75, passed both the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives unanimously. The Texas Water Fund is supported not just by TRWA, but also by the Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Association of Business, Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), Texas Water Infrastructure Network and many more.

However, due to the importance of this investment to the future of the state's water supply, Texas water stakeholders cannot afford to be complacent. We need your help to get out the vote and ensure this amendment passes.

Nonprofit water supply corporations and cities should stick to educational messaging only. By including pertinent information in your newsletters and on your website, you can make sure customers have the information they need to make an informed decision. This may include:

What to look for on the ballot: The Texas Water Fund will be Proposition 6 on the ballot, entitled: "The constitutional amendment creating the Texas water fund to assist in financing water projects in this state."

What the amendment will do: The $1 billion investment will be used to secure new sources of water for Texas as well as for projects to replace aging infrastructure. TWDB has said that it plans to allocate at least $150 million of these funds to the Rural Water Assistance Fund.

When to vote: Election Day will be Tuesday, November 7. Early Voting will run from Monday, October 23 through Friday, November 3.

November 2023 is an off-year election in terms of big national, statewide and legislative races, which means turnout is especially important. By keeping voters informed about the Fund and what it will do to benefit our rural water and wastewater systems in Texas, we can help ensure this amendment passes and the Texas Water Fund becomes a reality.

Meet the new TRWA employees

TRWA has bolstered its staff ranks with four new additions to our rural water team this spring and summer.

marketing and more. She has previously worked for the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce, The Texas Medical Association, and the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, among others, and brings a wealth of association knowledge to our staff.

members in the field and at Area Meetings to educate them as to what services they have access to and which staff may be of best assistance. She also works to recruit and assist the Associate Members that provide the many products and services that our members need on a daily basis.

In May, TRWA hired Michaelanne Hurst as our new Membership and Outreach Manager, replacing Deborah McMullan after she retired.

Michaelanne is an experienced association professional with more than 20 years in member management, meeting and event planning, business administration, fundraising,

Michaelanne graduated from St. Edward’s University in Austin with a BA in Organizational Communication and Marketing. Her 16-year-old daughter recently began her junior year at Westwood High School in Round Rock and is interested in becoming a lawyer. She also has a 14-year-old Dachshund/Corgi mix named Lucy.

In her spare time, she loves being by and in the water swimming, boating or camping, but not in 105-degree weather.

As the Membership and Outreach Manager, Michaelanne works with TRWA members and potential

In June, we were joined by Kenny Dykes as a new part-time Instructor, teaching our operator certification classes to systems throughout the state.

Kenny spent the past 11 years in the Water Supply Division at TCEQ, helping troubleshoot and resolve problems in water treatment plants, distribution systems and cross connection control programs across Texas.

While at TCEQ, he served as team leader of the agency's Response and Capacity Development team since 2014. Prior to his time at the Commission, Kenny worked as an operator in the cities of Gonzales and Seguin.

and spent five years on oil field road and site construction, as well as heavy equipment maintenance. When it came time to leave oil field life behind, he got a job at the City of Sonora as a Wastewater Superintendent, eventually earning his Class A Wastewater and Class B Groundwater licenses, among others.

While in Sonora, Don took great pride in implementing devices and procedures to make the water and wastewater system more resilient after he was marooned at the wastewater plant without food for three days during the Sonora flood of 2018. He also led a small team through the extended hours of winter storm Uri to ensure no services were lost.

Jacquelyn comes to us with experience working for Coryell City WSD and as the office manager for Mountain WSC, where she worked since 2020. Prior to her move into the water industry, Jacquelyn worked in real estate and banking. She is the holder of BPAT and CSI licenses.

At the end of July, we added Don Barker as a Technical Project Specialist to help with our Asset Management Program for Small Systems (AMPSS) and USDA-RD Manufactured Homes Training & Technical Assistance Program.

Don was born in San Antonio but raised outside of Austin in Hutto, back when it was a single flashing yellow light town. He graduated from Texas Tech University in 2011, majoring in Petroleum Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

After a brief stretch working in Wyoming, Don returned to Texas

Don started a Federal Surplus Program with the City of Sonora to assist in providing critical equipment on a small-town budget. His experiences have taught Don that he greatly enjoys helping operators through technical and training issues.

In his free time, Don enjoys working with generators, gunsmithing, applying simple solutions to everyday problems and helping other operators be the best they can be.

And finally, in August, TRWA brought on our new Apprenticeship Program Manager, Jacquelyn Knobloch

Beyond her professional life, Jacquelyn cherishes her time with family. She enjoys traveling adventures but equally loves quiet time at home. Additionally, she finds solace and strength in her faith and actively incorporates fitness into her daily routine. She is dedicated to both personal and professional growth, and hopes to make a positive impact on Texas rural water systems in her new role with TRWA and in the lives of those around her!

J. F. FONTAINE & ASSOCIATES, INC. CONSULTING ENGINEERS

Get the Full Picture from the 2023 Training & Technical Conference

Set the Standard

By Gilbert Ybarbo

Does your system have detailed information concerning water distribution construction requirements? Do you know what guidelines to follow for new construction, replacement, repairs or modifications? How would you relocate a water main or sub-main if such a project required it?

As I’ve visited with public water systems (PWS) and looked at their water distribution maintenance and standard operating procedures, I often find that many of them use construction standards that have been passed down informally from one operator to the next through the generations.

Tariffs and O&M manuals may claim that systems must comply with AWWA standards for pipe material and construction methods and point to a rule/regulation reference, but they often lack the necessary detail to be truly helpful. Many of the standard

operating procedures are very general. Occasionally you’ll get caught in an endless loop of citations, where one piece of guidance points you to another manual and that rule sends you to yet another rule citation and so on and so forth until you find yourself back at the original.

That’s helpful to nobody, except maybe the people who want to write their own rules as they go, which is certainly not the way I’d advise tackling these projects. It’s invaluable that a system has good explanations of construction requirements, as well as detailed profile sheets with visual aids to support the pipe fitting and construction methods that a PWS may have on their codes and ordinances.

Contractors, even good ones, working on jobs in your area that call for modifications to or replacement of existing water lines may be used to meeting plumbing code and American Water Works Association (AWWA)

standards, unaware that your system requirements are more stringent. You need an easy way for your crews working with contractors to see what the standards are, so they can know right off whether they’re meeting the proper construction codes or not, even if it’s just a three-ring binder they can look at for guidance. You can find examples on the following pages.

(Please note: In addition to AWWA and the International Plumbing Code (IPC) standards, water distribution pipe and fittings also have to abide by rules from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society of Testing and Measures (ASTM). More stringent requirements that your local system would prefer to have in-place are allowed, as long as it is not less stringent than the ASTM, AWWA, ANSI and the IPC. Illustrations in this article may include all of the above, in addition to some local requirements preferred by a specific PWS.)

Article continues on page 18

Below is an example of a set of detailed specifications and profile sheet for a simple bend and tee with different angles: natural, undisturbed ground or thrust blocking used for different-sized pipe. These include the combination BendTee and Plug details.

Below is a typical gate valve and box assembly. Note the details for the valve box when in a driveway or road, as well as the ASTM material and testing requirement and the gray iron material preferred by the PWS.

MAIN STREET CONTINUES TO BE THE PLACE TO GO.

Every home and business needs water, something CoBank’s finance team understands. As a TRWA member, we can offer special terms at a lower rate. With little paperwork to complete and minimal delays, CoBank can process your application quickly so you can start your projects right away.

Contact John DeLuca Sr. Relationship Manager 303-694-5958 jdeluca@cobank.com www.trwa.org/cobank

Article continued from page 16

These are just a tiny sample of the possible detail sheets your system might have. Think about the questions that might arise and what you’ve already found best practices to be. Do you have meters constantly being repaired due to heavy vehicle damage? Perhaps you need to address these installations with adequate backfill and encasement material to withstand the vehicle weight being applied. Does your system have set specifications and standards for a water pipe offset assembly when another contractor or owner needs access?

Our industry has a whole host of potential scenarios, from back taps on existing lines to water line loops run around cul-de-sacs to larger double-check backflow preventors with Post Indicator Valves and Fire Department

Does your system have a detailed construction standard for water main incasement, such as this one in the diagram below?

Connections installed at schools or commercial sites. We can’t be prepared for every eventuality, but we ought to work to be as prepared as we can for the ones we suspect we might see. Construction specifications with good visual aids can help do that for your water system and for the contractors and commercial owners you work with.

If you need any more information on how to put these type of plans together be sure to contact the TRWA Environmental Services Department FMT Assistance Program so that we can get you some help in this effort.

Gilbert Ybarbo recently retired as an FMT Specialist from TRWA. Happy retirement, Gil!

" You need an easy way for your crews to see what the standards are, so they can know right off whether they’re meeting the proper construction codes or not.

"

L KING BACK

After more than 45 years in the industry, a veteran water professional examines where we came from and where we're going

By Quentin Turner

A few months ago I realized I had been in this industry for 47 years, long enough to have seen generations of changes sweep in and then be replaced by the next new thing. We've solved some challenges that once plagued us, but we've discovered, or even created, new ones too. There are some parts of this job where I can’t believe how far we’ve come, and others where it still looks like we’ve got a long way to go as we move into the future.

Take testing. Prior to the 1980s testing in water and wastewater was based almost totally on sight. We used Secchi disks on the water and wastewater side to determine clarity/turbidity. We had the Jackson Candle Turbidimeter, which put a candle under a sample tube of water to measure the same thing. One of the big changes that hit the industry in that decade was the advancement of testing technology. We went from tried and true orthotolidine (OT) to another color comparison model – N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (most of us just call it DPD). What was once about comparing yellow to brown with the OT became parsing a light pink to a darker pink with the DPD. Even the pH tests of the day were color comparisons.

Trouble is, there were some real problems with these. My father was an operator for more than 40 years, but he was colorblind, which made it quite difficult for him to assess conditions in both water and wastewater testing with that era's technology. He was hardly the only one. Eventually, we started to get analog meters that gave us a scale to reference by shining light through samples with DPD added. Now we have digital displays. There’s a higher degree of accuracy, but also a higher cost. We’ve eliminated some of the potential for user error – my father would have had no problem with the numbers popping up on his digital

display – but the machines themselves must be calibrated to ensure accurate readings. The old ways had some benefits, comparatively. The new ways do too.

Testing the water is not the only thing that’s changed either. Back then, to test for lead and copper, we had to identify residences for sampling and testing and give the customer the bottle along with instructions for how to get their sample, hoping they would be followed correctly. When the bottles were returned – if the bottles were returned –we’d fill out the chain of custody, ship the bottles to the lab and pray they got there within the 14-day time frame.

If you attended TRWA and TCEQ’s Lead Service Line Inventory workshops this summer, or if you’ve been paying any attention at all to our industry in the last several years, you know that things have changed on the lead and copper front due to new requirements from the federal government. No more selective sampling; next year systems will be required to provide an inventory of all service lines, their make-up and locations, with only a few exceptions. After October 16, 2024, systems will then be required to start replacing 20% of the lead we have identified per year.

As we’re all dealing with new lead and copper rules, we’ve begun to hear more and more about something we certainly weren’t talking about forty-plus years ago: forever chemicals such as PFAS. We’re still learning about methodologies for their treatment and renewal; I suspect when someone else looks back from 47 years further on, they’ll be able to point out some big differences in the way we address PFAS.

But, if I’m being honest, many of the biggest changes I’ve seen during my time in this industry aren’t necessarily to do with the ways we test and treat water, but with how we survey, manage and safeguard our systems. As systems grow in size and complexity and as old-timers retire and take their institutional knowledge with them, asset management has become a real priority. The technology to identify and catalogue every component of the system, tracking their life expectancies and helping plan for replacement timelines, is a game-changer.

We’ve also spent the last 40-plus years learning new ways

Many water operators struggled to read pH tests and others that relied on color comparison due to colorblindness.

that things can go wrong for our systems.

The computers we use to connect and monitor our system are themselves vulnerable to outside actors, leading to requirements that we perform Risk and Resiliency Assessments. Emergency Response Plans ask us to have a broader understanding of the possible calamities that might befall our utilities, as well as a list of measures to be taken should they occur.

Most recently of all, the troubles spelling from the deep freeze and resulting power outages two years ago, which saw more than half the water systems in the state issue Boil Water Notices and brought about new Emergency Preparedness Plan requirements for systems to have a plan to deliver water at a minimum of 20 psi even in the event of a power outage that lasted more than 24 hours.

When you lay all these changes, and the countless more I didn't even get to in this piece, out together like this at once, it can feel a little overwhelming. Spread out over 47 years, it's been more manageable. There are things I

miss about the way we used to do things, and things I'm glad we've managed to get rid of. For me, taking time to remember what those are can be valuable guides both to where we are today and where we're headed in the future.

Quentin Turner is an FMT Specialist with TRWA.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SPOTLIGHT

TRWA's Technical Assistance Department consists of nine staff members who provide free training and hands-on assistance to qualifying water and wastewater system boards, councils, employees and consultants. Areas of training and assistance include technical operations, regulatory requirements, managerial issues, financial issues such as rate and fee calculations and planning and energy efficiency assessments. The Circuit Rider, Wastewater Technician, Energy Efficiency and Manufactured Homes Technical Assistance & Training Programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. TRWA's Environmental Services and Membership departments provide additional technical assistance to Texas water and wastewater systems. If your system is in need of technical assistance, you may contact one of the staff below or fill out a technical assistance request form at trwa.org/assistance and we will direct your request to the staff member best able to assist you.

CirCuit Riders

James Smith Circuit Rider (512) 964-9234

Larry Bell Technical Assistance Director (512) 964-1833

William White Asst. Technical Assistance Director/Circuit

Rider (512) 964-9234

Paul King Circuit Rider (512) 913-9753

* Please note that in addition to his assigned areas, William White will also be roving statewide to assist systems as needed. In TRWA's District 8, James Smith will assist with Hill, Limestone and Freestone counties, while Paul King will assist with Anderson and Cherokee counties.

Since 1980, the Circuit Rider Program has been funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA–RD) to provide assistance to small communities for the operation of safe and clean drinking water supplies and compliance with water regulations. TRWA’s three Circuit Riders are in the field every day helping small cities with less than 10,000 population, nonprofit water supply corporations and water districts with a wide variety of technical assistance issues. They provide hands-on training to board members, office staff and operators. They can help with all aspects of water utility operations, management, compliance and rates. They also assist utilities with evaluating alternative technological solutions and recommend operational improvements. Circuit Riders can also provide leak detection and meter flow testing services upon request. If you would like a visit from your Circuit Rider, use our coverage map to determine who is assigned to your area, and give them a call!

Wastewater Technicians

TRWA has two Wastewater Technicians in the field who assist wastewater systems across the state. They provide training workshops that address topics like wastewater operations and maintenance, testing procedures, rule updates, management, security and other topics as needed or requested that relate to wastewater. They also provide onsite technical assistance to small cities that have less than 10,000 population, non-profit wastewater systems and districts. This assistance deals with operations, maintenance, collection systems, treatment facilities, rates, management, rule changes, state laws and more.

Louis Booth Wastewater Technician (512) 221-7477

Energy Efficiency

TRWA has one Energy Efficiency Circuit Rider on staff who specializes in conducting energy efficiency assessments at qualifying small water and wastewater systems and making recommendations that will affect their bottom line. Through this program, our Energy Efficiency Circuit Rider will work with your system to compile a report of recommended energy savings. This program is available to Texas water production and water distribution systems, as well as wastewater treatment and wastewater collection systems serving a population of 10,000 or less.

EPA Training & Technical Assistance

Through this EPA-funded program, TRWA is able to provide on-site and classroom training to cities with less than 10,000 population, investor-owned utilities, non-profit WSCs and districts. This training and on-site assistance covers all topics and rules addressed in the Federal EPA Safe Drinking Water Act and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules relating to water systems, including Compliance with Disinfection Byproducts, Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, Board Member training, Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) regulations and more. These training sessions are approved by the TCEQ for water operator renewal credit hours.

Trey Daywood EPA Training & Technical Assistance Specialist (512) 806-6171

Manufactured Homes TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & TRAINING

Charles Perkins Energy Efficiency Circuit Rider (512) 964-2108

Nathan Cantrell Wastewater Technician (512) 924-7158

The Manufactured Homes Technical Assistance and Training Program (MHTAT) is designed to address the specific challenges faced by rural systems serving manufactured home communities through hands-on, on-site technical assistance and training; assistance with management, operations, maintenance and sustainability and assistance with the preparation of applications for water and wastewater disposal loans and grants. This project is headed up by Larry Bell and Technical Project Specialist Don Barker.

Texas Rural Water Foundation Student Scholarships

The application window for the 2024-2025 Texas Rural Water Foundation (TRWF) Student Scholarships opens September 19, 2023.

Each year, TRWF awards high school seniors and current college or graduate students its student scholarships, which recognize and assist qualified individuals in their pursuit of higher education in a field that supports rural Texas.

The program is designed to help awardees 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 2023-2024 award year, eighteen scholarships totaling $27,500 were awarded. We appreciate the generosity of our 2022-2023 sponsors Hawkins, HydroPro Solutions and RESPEC for their support of the Scholarship Program. We also appreciate the generosity of our members who donate each year to our Foundation during their dues renewals, which directly fund these scholarships.

Each year, the Dwayne Jekel Scholarship is awarded to the highest scoring applicant. Thanks to an endowment set up by the Jekel family, the Dwayne Jekel Scholarship continues 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. Mr. Jekel’s legacy and mission will continue thanks to the generosity of his family. In the 2023-2024 award year, this recipient was awarded $3,000.

In addition, the TRWF Legacy Scholarship received $2,500 for the 2023-2024 school year. This scholarship is funded by past/ current board members of the Texas Rural Water Association, including Kent Watson, Chris Boyd, Charles Beseda, Allen Knight, Dave McMurry, Brian MacManus and Leahmon Bryant. It is awarded to students who exhibit exceptional leadership skills and potential. Applicants wishing to be considered for this scholarship need to meet additional criteria and complete an additional essay focusing on leadership or volunteerism.

Who Should Apply

The TRWF Board 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 also invited to apply for a continued scholarship.

Recipients of student scholarships are required to provide proof of fulltime 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 to Apply

The application and full eligibility requirements can be found on our online application platform. Starting on September 19, you can access this platform by visiting our website. If you or someone you know is interested in applying, please direct them to www. trwa.org/StudentScholarships

All applications must be submitted in full by 5 p.m. on February 5, 2024. Email foundation@ trwa.org with any questions.

We encourage you to share this opportunity with your peers and community members who may benefit from one of these scholarships!

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

Nominate your star performers for TRWA's Awards of Excellence

Individual Awards

Our individual awards were created to recognize the shining stars of our member utilities, honoring their spirit and commitment in support of their system and the larger community. Individual awards are given in the following categories:

The Excellence in System Management award recognizes any manager of a member utility who exemplifies exceptional leadership and oversight skills. Eligible nominees include general managers, superintendents, assistant general managers, system managers, etc. We want to hear about what makes these leaders stand out!

The Excellence in Administration award is meant for office personnel whose dedication keep their utility’s office administration running smoothly on a day-to-day basis. Nominees for this award may include office managers, administrative assistants, bookkeepers, accounting clerks, customer service representatives, secretaries, receptionists, etc. Take this opportunity to appreciate the unsung heroes of your utility's office.

The Excellence in Operations award is designed to recognize

any personnel who are instrumental in the technical operations of your utility. Nominees may include any operator, instrument or maintenance technician, field manager, plant manager, utility service worker, etc. whose expertise and hard work are an invaluable asset to your system.

Don’t miss your chance to recognize an employee or coworker for working tirelessly to help your system excel.

System Awards

We also give out two system-wide awards each year. The Small System Excellence award honors a deserving system serving 1,500 or fewer connections, and the Large System Excellence award recognizes a system serving more than 1,500 connections.

Your nomination for either award is an opportunity to showcase whatever it is that sets your system apart and share your accomplishments with your industry peers who can learn from your successful ideas. 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 rural water political action activity? Tell us about it!

Submit today!

Get started on your nomination now and submit it online at trwa.org/ awards for individual awards and trwa.org/systemawards for system awards. While anyone can nominate an individual or a system, please remember eligibility is limited to TRWA members and their employees. Former award winners are not eligible. All entries must be submitted or postmarked by January 29, 2024 to be considered.

All award winners will be honored during the Awards Ceremony at RuralWaterCon in March and will be featured in the spring issue of this magazine. Individual winners will each receive a $500 prize and a commemorative plaque. The system-wide winners will each receive a $1,000 prize and commemorative plaque. If you have any questions about the awards process, or if you are interested in sponsoring an award, please contact membership@trwa.org.

TRWA Briefs

Come learn ways to keep your system running smoothly and efficiently at TRWA's Office Professionals Conference, held October 5-6 at the Embassy Suites Frisco.

rate as well as complimentary breakfast. Use the link provided in your conference registration confirmation email to book your rooms in the conference block at the TRWA rate.

Get tips on working with TxDOT, GIS mapping, updating your tariff and service policies, social media and more.

The Embassy Suites Frisco is located at 7600 John Q Hammons Drive in Frisco. Conference attendees staying at the hotel will receive a discounted parking

This year for the first time we're also incorporating a Silent Auction at the event to raise money for the Rural Water PAC. Please bring unique or locally sourced items to donate at the event for inclusion in the auction. Supporting the Rural Water PAC helps TRWA achieve its legislative goals in Austin and Washington, D.C.

Autumn Area Meetings

Find a TRWA Area Meeting near you and join us for training, networking, lunch and door prizes.

All are welcome to attend, so feel free to invite systems that aren't members to come see what TRWA is all about.

For more information and to register for the meetings, please visit www.trwa.org/district-meetings.

September 14

Lindale

September 19

Van Horn

October 10

Frisco

October 17

Lake Jackson

October 24

McAllen

November 14

El Campo

November 28

Waco

December 5

Abilene

Thank you for reading Quench! We strive to keep you informed about the multitude of trainings, programs and resources the Texas Rural Water Association has to offer our members that help them stay on top of our ever-changing industry.

But to stay up to date on everything TRWA offers, you need to make sure you and others at your system are receiving TRWA's two weekly e-newsletters, the Weekly Pipeline on Thursdays and the Training Pipeline on Tuesdays.

The Weekly Pipeline features all the latest TRWA news as well as upcoming deadlines, updates from TCEQ, the EPA, and NRWA. It's your source for everything TRWA is doing, as well as more insight into what's going on at both the state and national levels.

The Training Pipeline has a special focus on the wide variety of different continuing education opportunities available to water and wastewater professionals, from TRWA's own in-person and virtual training seminars to events put on by our partners or other groups that we think our members would benefit from.

To sign up for these, visit trwa.org/page/eNews and click the links to subscribe. (If you have signed up but aren't receiving these, check your spam folder to make sure they aren't getting sorted out.) Get the most out of your TRWA membership by making sure you don't miss anything.

Get in touch with TRWA

Do you have a TRWA success story? Tell it to us by completing the short form at trwa.org/accolades. Your story about how TRWA has assisted you or your system will help us share with other utilities the benefits they can receive from TRWA. Plus, the state and federal agencies who help fund many of our programs use these types of letters in their evaluations of how our association is performing. By providing these for us, you help expand the services TRWA offers.

Alternatively, if you're looking for help for your water or wastewater system but don't know specifically who the best person to reach out to might be, send a message to us at trwa.org/assistance and we'll make sure it gets routed to the proper person or department.

Additional LSLI Resources

Our thanks go out to everyone who attended or helped us put on one of the TRWA and TCEQ Lead Service Line Inventory Workshops earlier this year. We blanketed the state this spring and summer, offering 25 different opportunities for water systems to discuss the challenges and best practices that come with completing their LSLI and get one-on-one help from qualified experts.

The last of these workshops was held in August, but if you're still looking for help with the LSLI or other Lead and Copper Rule Revision questions, you can visit our resource page at trwa.org/ lcr. Included there is a video of the virtual LSLI workshop, recorded in Georgetown on May 24. If you missed out on the chance to attend any of the sessions statewide, you can watch the video to catch up.

If you need further LSLI assistance, contact TRWA at trwa.org/assistance or email TCEQ at FMT@ tceq.texas.gov.

TRWA's 2023 Apprenticeship Class

So far this year TRWA has welcomed four additional operators into its Registered Apprenticeship Program. They include:

• Noah Hinojosa, South Texas Water Authority

• John Marez, South Texas Water Authority

• Ronnie Rivers, City of Rockdale

• Ryan Spencer, City of Rockdale

These new apprentices will have the opportunity to combine on-the-job training with their employers with related technical instruction provided by TRWA to give themselves an accelerated start into their careers in the water and wastewater industries. By the time the program is completed, participating apprentices will have earned their Class D Water or Wastewater and Class C Water or Wastewater licenses, as well as their CSI license.

Visit trwa.org/RAP to learn more about apprenticeship and how you can be a part of the next class.

Salvage Your Scrap to support the Texas Rural Water Foundation

As part of America Recycles Day on November 15, TRWA encourages rural water and wastewater systems to join the Salvage Your Scrap initiative to raise money for the Texas Rural Water Foundation and TRWA's Student Scholarship Program.

The Salvage Your Scrap initiative challenges utilities to tap into their resources by cleaning up their systems, collecting as much scrap as they can to recycle with their local vendor and donating the proceeds back to TRWF. Some systems, like South Rains SUD, take it to another

level by collecting scrap from their community, engaging their customers and providing them with a valuable service. Last year, South Rains raised $1,100 and donated it to the foundation

All systems who donate a check to the Foundation’s ‘Salvage Your Scrap” by December 31 will be eligible to be entered into a drawing for a feature in Quench in 2024.

The Student Scholarship Program was established to recognize and assist qualified individuals in their pursuit of a higher education and

a potential career in the water or wastewater industry. It helps offset the costs of tuition, fees, books, and/or room and board. The number of annual scholarships awarded, and the amount of each scholarship is based on the number of qualified applicants and amount of funds in the TRWF Scholarship Fund. Last year, 18 students were awarded scholarships totaling $27,500!

Visit trwa.org/page/scrap or email foundation@trwa.org for more information on the program, including how to participate and donate.

The Months Ahead

Here's a look at a small sample of the events TRWA has scheduled for the next two months. To see more trainings, regional meetings, conferences and more, visit www.trwa.org/event_calendar