Affiliate, National Rural Water Association
In this Issue: Round Rock Journal The Attorneys’ Corner 2015-2016 College Scholarship Recipients Conflicts of Interest 2014 Awards Attracting and Retaining Water System Employees Around the State Capitol Water Taste Test Results Profile of a System: Chariton Co. PWSD #2 Water Hammer Source Water and Your System We’re Celebrating 50 Years Together The Case for Cyber Liability Insurance
Summer 2015
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MRWA Board of Directors
REGION I:
Roger Barker Daviess County PWSD #3 116 Waterworks Drive Gallatin, MO 64640 (660) 663-2771 Fax: (660) 663-2771 rbarker@moruralwater.org
REGION II:
David Waller, President & National Director Macon County PWSD #1 P.O. Box 386 Macon, MO 63552 (660) 651-3726 FAX: (660) 385-6006 dwaller@moruralwater.org
REGION III:
Frank Offutt Platte County PWSD #4 229 Marshall Rd. P.O. Box 1940 Platte County, MO 64079 (816) 858-2782 Fax: (816) 858-3960 foffutt@moruralwater.org
REGION V:
Kathy Voyles, Vice President Jefferson County PWSD #8 7970 Graham Road, Box 170 Cedar Hill, MO 63016 (636) 274-3125 FAX: (636) 274-3126 kvoyles@moruralwater.org
REGION VI:
Melinda Piper, Secretary Barton County C-PWSD #1 1009 E 11th St. PO Box 586 Lamar, MO 64759 (417) 682-3401 FAX: (417) 682-3038 mpiper@moruralwater.org
REGION VII:
Harold E. Landgraf, Jr. Cape/Perry PWSD #1 6386 US Highway 61 Jackson, MO 63755 (573) 243-7111 FAX: (573) 204-7117 hlandgraf@moruralwater.org
REGION IV:
Janet Sears, Asst. Treasurer Boone County C-PWSD #1 1500 N. 7th St. Columbia, MO 65201 (573) 449-0324 FAX: (573) 442-9222 jsears@moruralwater.org
Staff
Randy Norden
Tom Hyatt
Management Circuit Rider
Crystal Cooper
Operator Certification Circuit Rider
Joe Anstine
Wastewater Technician
Office Manager
Donald Jones
Circuit Rider II
Jim Patton
Mapping Specialist
Brad Rayburn
Secretary
Wayne Roderman
Howard Baker Maggie Dixon
Small System Circuit Rider Circuit Rider III
TMF Circuit Rider
Resource Conservation Circuit Rider
Circuit Rider I
Management Circuit Rider
Jim Enterline Billy Everett
Larry VanGilder
Eric Fuchs
Gary Webber
Source Water Protection Specialist
From the Executive Director.............................................. 6 Letters................................................................................... 8 Round Rock Journal......................................................... 14 The Attorneys’ Corner...................................................... 18 2015-2016 College Scholarship Recipients................... 22 Conflicts of Interests........................................................ 26 2014 Awards........................................................ 30-31 Attracting and Retaining Water System Employees...32 Around the State Capitol................................................. 38 Water Waste Test Results................................................ 39 Profile of a System: Chariton Co. PSWD #2................ 40 Water Hammer................................................................. 44 Source Water and Your System....................................... 48 We’re Celebrating 50 Years Together!............................. 49 The Case for Cyber Liability Insurance.......................... 52 Calendar of Events............................................................. 58
Call us and let us know your needs so we can stop and visit with you when we are in your area. There is no charge for our services. Call Missouri Rural Water Association at 573-657-5533 or email: mrwa@moruralwater.org Elizabeth Grove
Deputy Executive Director
President’s Message............................................................. 4
Remember . . .
John Hoagland
Executive Director
Contents
Wastewater Technician
Saem Yem Secretary
This Publication is Printed on Recycled Paper with Soybean Ink.
Missouri Rural Water Association Mission Statement:
“To be the leading source of professional services, support and representation for water and wastewater utilities.” Missouri Water Lines is published by General Printing Service, 1910 N. Providence, Columbia, Missouri 65202, (573) 443-8890 and is distributed free to water/ wastewater systems, board presidents, mayors, suppliers, individual members and associate members. Call the MRWA office at (573) 657-5533 for copy deadlines. Subscription rates are $15.00 yearly to help cover printing and postage costs. To subscribe, send names and addresses with prepayment to: Missouri Rural Water Association, 901 Richardson Drive, Ashland, Missouri 65010. 3
President‘s Message David Waller, MRWA Board President
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As it happens every year for your Association, a board member comes up for re-election for a three-year term. This year we had two positions up for election, Regions 3 and 7. In Region 7, there were two candidates for the position. Harold “Pee Wee” Landgraf, Jr. was reseated as Region 7 Director. Pee Wee has been on the board since 1982 and brings a lot of historical insight into issues that are brought before the Board. We welcome Pee Wee back to the Board. Dennis Knipmeyer, Region 3 Director since 1996, was not eligible to seek another term due to his retirement from Consolidated Public Water Supply District #2 of Lafayette, Johnson and Saline Counties. Dennis served as Treasurer for the Association for a number of years and has the ability to make the dry business of presenting the facts and figures of the annual audit a fun, rather than tiresome event. Dennis was a dedicated board member during his time on the Board, always prepared with numerous questions about matters that came before the Board. He attended many events for the Association, including trips to Washington, D.C., to brief your legislators on the need for training and technical assistance by small systems across the country. His professionalism, humor and friendship will be missed on the Board, but we wish him the best in retirement. Region 3 had a number of candidates vying for the position of Director, any of which would have made a good board member. The Board appreciates the interest that was shown in serving as a Director. The region ultimately elected Frank Offutt, General Manager for Platte County PWSD #4 and Mayor of Platte City, as the new Director for the region. Frank brings a unique perspective to the Board as he wears many hats, two of which are Water District Manager and Mayor of a Municipality. The ability to bring a view from both types of entities to Board discussions will be valuable to the Board. We welcome Frank to the Board and look forward to working with him. As your Association Board looks forward to the challenges ahead we must look backward with sadness at the passing of long term friend and mentor of rural water, Attorney Jim Farley. Jim served many Rural Water Districts as their attorney, mentor and friend. Jim had a passion for both water districts and the law. Besides being instrumental in the formation of many of the water
districts in Northwest Missouri, Jim was both an early member of the Missouri Rural Water Association and returned to active involvement in the Association in 2000 as our legal counsel. Rural Water lost a dedicated friend with Jim’s passing and he will be missed by all within the rural water community. Recently I was privileged to attend a forum hosted at National Rural Water Association’s office in Washington, D.C. In attendance were Brandon McBride, Administrator Rural Utility Services; Jackie Ponti, Assistant Administrator, Water and Environmental Program, USDA Rural Development; Peter Grevatt, Director, Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water, EPA; Andrew Sawyer, Director, Office of Waster Management, EPA; and Jim Taft, CEO, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators and members of their staff. There were representatives of water systems from around the country as well as Board Members of National Rural Water and NRWA Washington Staff. Brian Bender, General Manager of Macon County PWSD # 1; Frank Offutt, General Manager of Platte County PWSD #4 and Mayor of Platte City and myself represented systems from Missouri. Discussions were informal, and covered a range of topics. The forum was set up to allow a relaxed discussion between water and wastewater systems and the heads of the participating agencies on what works and doesn’t work when trying to accomplish the joint goals of providing safe drinking water, protecting the environment through the proper treatment of wastewater and the effective use of federal funds through the loan and grant programs of USDA and the loans made available within the States by EPA through their capitalization grants to form the state revolving loan programs. The Forum and those participating show a willingness on both sides of the regulated and funding environment to seek better ways to accomplish the fundamental purposes of the federal agencies and in a manner that is both efficient and easily implemented by those on the receiving end of the funds and regulations. There was interest in continuing the forum and I encourage you to attend one in the future. My thanks goes out to the heads of the agencies that took time out of their busy schedules to attend and to National Rural Water for hosting the forum.
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From the Executive Director John Hoagland, MRWA Executive Director As MRWA Nears Our 50 Year Milestone...
We’re Planning a Party This morning I met with several of our key staff to discuss plans for next year’s MRWA Annual Technical Conference, to be held in Branson on March 1, 2, & 3, 2016 (Mark your calendars now). While I cannot yet share what is planned, I can safely say that next year’s conference will be like no conference you’ve ever attended and you’ll be genuinely surprised at some of the events and activities planned. MRWA conferences are much different today than they were 30 or 40 years ago. For example, I was reviewing some old photographs of past conferences for a video display we plan to run during next year’s conference. The first thing one notices is the formality displayed in the photographs. Men for the most part are dressed in coat and tie and ladies were in dresses. Not just the MRWA staff but attendees also. Rarely do I see jeans on the guys nor do I see pantsuits on the ladies. I also noted some photos showing the prizes presented by exhibitors to attendees. Today we see TV’s, $100 gift cards, iPods and other larger ticket items. In the photos from the late 80’s, one sees a vendor presenting a large bag of peanuts to a lucky winner, one winner appears to be receiving a large bag of candy, and oh yes, I guess someone did win a TV. One photo shows the lucky winner at a booth receiving what appears to be a 20” black and white Zenith TV. You know, the big old heavy bulky type. He’s got a big smile on this face but I wonder if he was smiling after he toted that bad boy out to the car? Food served at conferences today is much different than it was in past years. No tacos, pizza, or similar foods back then. No buffets either. In the photos, everything appears to be plated with tablecloths, napkins, and again the formality of formal sit down dining. One also could expect the dreaded “Continental Breakfast” at the conference. Real breakfast food (biscuits and gravy) didn’t come into vogue at the MRWA conferences until years later. 6
Do you remember the Spouse Program? Every MRWA conference had a day trip or activities planned specifically for the ladies. A trip to a museum; a presentation on weaving baskets (or some other crafty thing); a demonstration on cooking; some sort of activity specifically planned to keep those ladies in attendance entertained. It was apparently assumed that the ladies COULD NOT be the least bit interested in “man stuff ” like meters or pipes or such. Hospitality rooms… Many of us remember fondly rooms hosted by vendors at the hotel where one could grab a free drink, a free snack, smoke a cigarette (yes, kids, you could smoke in the hotel in the old days) and just generally unwind with peers and friends and catch up on old times and life experiences. Like the dinosaur, such rooms went away due in some part to the cost involved and in a large part to the complaints from adjoining rooms about the noise, smoke, and other activities that might or might not be going on. Don’t take this short walk down memory lane regarding past MRWA conferences as a criticism of how things used to be. One might argue that conferences today are becoming TOO less formal and that our expectation of prizes and their value are TOO tied to the value of the gift and less on the thrill of just winning. I have noticed that winning a $20 bill just doesn’t seem to spark much excitement these days. But concerning spouse programs, continental breakfasts, and smoky hospitality rooms …. maybe some things are best gone. So in 2016, MRWA will celebrate its 50th year with a special conference. It’ll combine some aspects of the old with much of the new. Save the date. We can’t wait to see you there.
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Letters Dear Mr. Hoagland, I would like to thank Missouri Rural Water Association for all its help with Hardin’s public water system and its water loss problems. Joe Anstine came down to Hardin two different times to help with our water loss and to locate leaks across our system like leaking fire hydrants, services lines and also main breaks. The second time Joe came to Hardin on August 6th of 2014 and helped us find our biggest problems, a 9-gallon per minute leak. All the help the Missouri Rural Water Association did with us cut our water loss from 43% in March 2014 to 1.6% in November 2014. Thank you again for all your assistance, it is greatly appreciated. Jason Broom, Public Works Director City of Hardin
Dear Mr. Hoagland, I wrote to you earlier about the fine work that Liz Grove did for us relative to water rates. You are probably aware that recently Liz was contacted by our District to again provide help in our latest rate questions. I am pleases to report that she quickly completed a survey based upon our history and reported at our Board Meeting in December. Using her expert advice, we were able to determine easily what we needed to do to make sure we retained the same financial position and ability to provide great service and quality water to each of our customers. Her reports visually and verbally were awesome! Having the opportunity to utilize her expertise is much the same as having her on staff. She relates well to our water district personnel and board. She has experience and is able to make recommendations that are sound and factual. Thank you for all that you do and that all your staff does to help make our District function properly and effectively. As special thanks to Liz for her constant attention to helping others in the delivery of water to each customer. Sincerely, Dwight N. Hart, Board President Adair County PWSD #1
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Letters Dear Mr. Hoagland, I am writing to tell you how much we appreciate the use of Wayne Roderman for looking for water leaks. This system has consistently lost of 3,000,000 gallons per month for years. We had not been able to find any major leaks, only small ones. We contact Missouri Rural Water Association around three years ago, and so began our association with Wayne. He began coming and using his expertise to locate water leaks. We are so impressed with his knowledge of everything to do with water. He has worked tirelessly beside us, looking for that elusive big leak. Another thing that has impressed me about Wayne, is his memory of the system. He can remember where valves are that he saw a year ago! With all the systems he helps, it amazes me that he can remember these things. Finally, yesterday, we had our big breakthrough. Thanks to Wayne, we found the major leak that had been causing us so much consternation. I cannot begin to tell you what a valuable asset Wayne is to Missouri Rural Water. Not only is he knowledgeable about his job, he is a pleasure to be around. He is always in a good mood and laughing. If it were not for Wayne, we would still be losing 3,000,000 gallons per month and be at a loss to find it. This program is a must for all water systems that cannot afford the big price to pay professional leak detectors. We thank you for making this available to us.
Dear John, The City of Rockaway Beach would like to thank Joe Anstine and Missouri Rural Water Association for all their help to our community. For over a year we have been battling a large water loss shown on our billed to pumped records that each month was getting larger. Joe, on each visit would help our water department search for possible leaks, checking maser meters, and individual meters and lines. Many small leaks were found and a long needed program was established and approved by the Board to systematically replace a number of old meters each month. On March 26th, Joe was in our area and again he assisted our water department in searching for water leaks in our system. Because of Roackaway Beach’s terrain, leaks in the system are very difficult to see, however a large leak was found and Joe literally jumped righ in the help. The major leak was repaired and it appears an over 25,000 gallongs per day water loss has been repaired. Thank you MRWA for all your help and for having employees like Joe Anstine to help and back up small communities like Rockaway Beach. Sincerely yours, Susan Shoemake, City Clerk City of Rockaway Beach
Sincerely, Lawana Baker Wayne County PWSD #2
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Letters Dear Mr. Hoagland, As Public Works Director, I would like to say thank you on behalf of the City of Fayette for providing services to help ensure safe, dependable and affordable utilities to our citizens. The City of Fayette with approximately 2,600 population and another 1,000 college students provides safe utilities to our residents 365 days per year while attempting to meet state and federal regulation. Over the last several years I have witnessed Missouri Rural Water Association provide onsite technical assistance and support for our water and wastewater utilities. For example: Smoke testing, leak detection, wastewater treatment support water plant support, etc. Recently, Gary Weber, Wastewater Technician was onsite helping with manhole inspections when i mentioned we had a water leak our crews had dug for several times and could not locate. Mr. Webber offered assistance in attempting to locate the water leak with MRWA’s leak detection equipment. Within a short time Mr. Webber located two leaks one being approximately a block and a half away and the other being approximately two blocks away. Again, thank you for providing valuable support to the city while we face the challenges of providing utilities to our citizens with aged infrastructure. Sincerely, Angie L Malone, Public Works Director/ Building Inspector City of Fayette
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Letters Dear John, In April 2013 I called Billy Everett and asked him to come and assist us in finding a potential water leak. Bill and I agreed to meet one evening at 6:00 p.m. to set up his Sound Sens Leak Detector System and let it listen for a leak overnight. The next morning Billy stopped by and determined there was no leak. In January 2014 the City of Salem purchased a Sound Sens Leak Detector System the package included one day training. The Sound Sens Representative came and spent the morning going over the system and in the afternoon we went to an area to find a water leak and was able to spend some time out in the field. Due to a major water line project stating in May 2014 we were unable to do any follow up leak detection in the system. In April 2015 I called Billy and asked if he could come and spend a day with us to update our training and then go out in the field. Billy said he’d be glad to come and help us out so we scheduled a date, May 28, 2015. Billy came and spent the morning going over the computer and various stages of the system, that afternoon we went out in the system and did some leak detection. When Billy left we had a much better understanding of how the system worked and was able to go back to the same location and finish listening for leaks in that area. One June 21, 2015 at 6:45 pm. we had a squirrel get into our substation and kill the electricity for the whole city. I was being told that it could be four to six hours and possibly longer. I called Billy at 9:00 and asked him about borrowing a generator form MRWA in the event that we would need it. Billy said he would be glad to go pick it up and have it here before morning. The electricity was restored about 10:30 that night so we didn’t have to borrow the generator. We want to thank MRWA and Billy for being available. We want to thank Liz Grove for coming and conducting a one day class on computers, it was very helpful and appreciated by all of those in attendance. We also want to thank Liz for coming and conducting a rate study on our water and sewer rates, we were able to get those rates updated, the work and input that she provided was beneficial in helping us get our new rates established. We want to thank all of the staff for the assistance and various types of training that is being offered by MRWA. Sincerely, Jack Emory, Water/Sewer Superintendent City of Salem
rwhite@esiwater.com 4343 Merriam Drive ■ Overland Park, KS 66203
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Advertisers Index
Missouri Waterlines Advertising Rates CLASSIFIED ADS
Advertising rates to member water/wastewater systems: First 25 words are free, thereafter $1.00 per word, 15word minimum.
BUSINESS ADS Members: Full page (71/2 x 10) $400 per issue $750 annually Half page (71/2 x 43/4) $300 per issue $550 annually Quarter page (31/2 x 41/2) $200 per issue $350 annually Business card (31/2 x 2) $50 per issue $95 annually Nonmembers: Full page $500 per issue Half page $350 per issue Quarter page $250 per issue Business card $85 per issue Color ads: Per Color $90 per issue $150 annually Full Color $900 per issue $1,500 annually Cover Ads Back Cover $200 additional per issue Inside Front and Back Cover $100 additional per issue If you are one of our current advertisers and want to go to a larger ad, we will gladly credit your new ad with the unused portion of your old one. Ads should be cameraready and prepaid. Support Missouri Rural Water Association
Join Us as an Advertiser
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We Appreciate Your Support Ace Pipe Cleaning, Inc...................................................... 25 ADS Environmental Services.......................................... 53 Allgeier, Martin and Associates, Inc................................ 10 Alliance Pump & Mechanical.............................................8 Alliance Water Resources................................................. 51 Allstate Consultants.......................................................... 29 American Flow Control.................................................... 24 Bartlett & West Engineers................................................ 49 Blue Springs WinWater................................................... 11 Brenntag Mid-South......................................................... 17 Brightergy............................................ (Inside Front Cover) C and C Pumps & Supply................................................ 10 Cady Aquastore Inc........................................................... 45 CEU Plan..............................................................................7 Cunningham...................................................................... 46 D.A. Davidson & Co....................................................20-21 Dave Allert Co................................................................... 43 DN Tanks........................................................................... 58 Douglas Pump Service...................................................... 47 EJ ........................................................................................ 29 Electric Controls Company.............................................. 29 Engineered Systems, Inc................................................... 11 Engineering America......................................................... 40 Environmental Dynamics International......................... 28 Environmental Works....................................................... 40 Evoqua Water Technologies............................................. 55 Flo-Systems...............................................................35 & 37 Flotron & McIntosh............................ (Inside Back Cover) Flynn Drilling Co., Inc...................................................... 42 The Ford Meter Box Company, Inc................................. 12 HD Supply Waterworks................................................... 43 Hach.................................................................................... 35 Hawkins, Inc...................................................................... 29 Haynes Equipment........................................................... 10 Hogan’s, Inc...................................................... (Back Cover) Jayhawk............................................................................... 38 Kupferle Foundry Company............................................ 10 L&J Municipal Supply...................................................... 18 Larkin Lamp Rynearson................................................... 12 Maguire Iron...................................................................... 19 McIntire Management Group.............................................8 MCR Enterprise................................................................ 58 MECO Engineering Company, Inc................................. 13 Medora Corporation............................................................5 Micro-Comm, Inc.............................................................. 33 Midwest Coating Consultants, Inc. ................................ 15 Midwest Meter, Inc............................................................ 57 Missouri Machinery & Engineering Co.......................... 49 Missouri One Call............................................................. 47 Missouri Public Entity Pak.............................................. 54 Municipal Equipment Company, Inc.............................. 15 Municipal Pipe Services.................................................... 47 Nutri-Ject............................................................................ 24 Ozark Applicators, LLC................................................... 56 PDC Laboratories, Inc...................................................... 48 Pittsburg Tank & Tower Co., Inc.................................... 23 Ponzer-Youngquist ........................................................... 15 R.E. Pedrotti Co., Inc. . .................................................... 58 Ressler & Associates, Inc. ................................................ 34 Rural Water Specialty Co................................................. 10 Schulte Supply, Inc............................................................ 27 Schultz Surveying & Engineering, Inc............................ 51 Seiler Instrument Co................................................19 & 35 Sequoyah Software and Consulting, Inc......................... 47 Shafer, Kline & Warren, Inc............................................. 47 Sherwin-Williams............................................................. 18 Springfield Winwater Works Co..................................... 35 T.G. Rankin Co., Inc............................................................9 Tank Connection............................................................... 50 Tomcat Consultants/T.A.P. Co....................................... 55 Utility Service Group........................................................ 16 Utility Solutions Associates............................................. 46 Vandevanter Engineering - Cogent Co........................... 19
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Round Rock Journal: Sidewalks Mr. Black Hat, Cowboy Philosopher There is something I find quite captivating about ruins. Especially recent ones. Today, I walked to the Post Office to get the mail and, for some reason, I decided I wanted to walk as much as I could on sidewalks to get there. There are no sidewalks in front of my house having long since been replaced with shrubbery...no, not a trace. However, very near, I can begin to lodge myself onto the sections of abandoned pedestrian roadways...some long sections.... some very long...others simply short sections of passages providing only a puzzle piece of historical evidence as if stumbling upon an abandoned railroad. That’s a familiar thought. Often I’ve stood upon an abandoned railroad and conjured the sounds and smells of a steam locomotive pulling cars up a grade from a short
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distance, or better yet, wailing a wildcat whistle through the valleys stirring the soul like the whip-poor-will’s song at dusk. Similar emotions came over me as I stood on the old human road of passage and wondered who walked these sidewalks and for what reasons. I strolled along the old sidewalks down Fifth Street then crossed onto Mulberry making my way towards Third Street. I immediately noticed how sidewalks have seemed to begin to recede into the yards of the present dwellers. Although no one implies ownership, somehow I felt odd as I walked along feeling as if I were too close to those houses. I also noticed how some people seemed to embrace their section of sidewalk to the point of maintaining it and trying to keep it beautiful while in
other places the sidewalk was slowly receding into the shadowy depths of yards. Short sections appeared to suffer from continental drift, some were merely crumbling from weather’s painfully slow abuse, yet other sections still stood square and proud. Upon reaching Third Street, I could see a fair distance of sidewalks on both sides of the streets. No one was
walking on them. From here, I began to genuinely think about the ruins of sidewalks. They told of daily errands to and from the square, of friends walking arm in arm in conversation, of people greeting each other as they passed, of the footsteps of witches and goblins seeking Halloween treasures, of lovers, young and old, walking along the evening, of games of hopscotch, and even perhaps of door-to-door salesmen selling their wares. As we’ve communicated from pen to computer, we’ve also transported ourselves locally to globally, from sidewalk to automobile and aircraft. Arguably handier, but arguably not any better. The most outstanding reality of walking to the Post Office was seeing all the many details of life turning that I would have missed had I driven. Sidewalks, I want to resurrect you! Perhaps, I should simply remove my hat and watch you recede into the waters of history. Yes, there is something captivating about these recent ruins.
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The Attorneys’ Corner Scott Robbins, Kennedy Kennedy Robbins, Yarbro, LC Missouri law requires all agreements with a local government body, like a city, town, water or sewer district, to be in writing. Specifically, Section 432.070 RSMo., states that: No county, city, town, village, school township, school district or other municipal corporation shall make any contract, unless the same shall be within the scope of its powers or be expressly authorized by law, nor unless such contract be made upon a consideration wholly to be performed or executed subsequent to the making of the contract; and such contract, including the consideration, shall be in writing and dated when made, and shall be subscribed by the parties thereto, or their agents authorized by law and duly appointed and authorized in writing. This statute has resulted in some horribly unfair decisions in recent years, including one by the Missouri Court of Appeals in March, 2015. In the case of Ballman and Sanders vs. O’Fallon Fire Protection District, the Court was asked determine whether two employment agreements were valid. In 2004, Ballman and Sanders each entered into an employment agreement with the District, which provided for a severance package of at least six months’ salary if they were terminated without cause. The District’s board of directors approved the agreements and they were signed by the parties. However, the District’s meeting minutes did not show a formal vote to approve the
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agreements. The minutes also did not show a formal vote to authorize the District chairman to sign the agreements. In 2011, the parties modified the agreements. The modified agreements stated that the 2004 agreements remained in effect except for those provisions that were changed. The 2011 changes were properly noted in the minutes and a formal vote was taken and recorded. The parties all testified that they intended the agreements to valid and binding. In 2013, the District terminated the agreements and informed Ballman and Sanders that they would not be honoring the severance packages. Both the trial court and the Court of Appeals held that the 2004 agreements were invalid because there was no vote in the minutes to approve the agreements and to authorize the chairman to sign. The Court noted that it is necessary “that the authority to execute contracts on behalf of a [local government] be entered of record upon the minutes of the board.” Ballman at page 4 of slip opinion. This was true even though the minutes reflected the term of the agreements and the directors testified that they intended the agreements to be valid. The Court of Appeals further held that the agreements were void and that the 2011 amendments, even though there was a properly recorded vote at that time, could not validate a void document. The Court of Appeals realized that this was a harsh result for Ballman and Sanders. Nevertheless, the Court concluded that the agreements were void and that because local governments “represent the public, the courts unhesitatingly should enforce compliance with all mandatory provisions of the statutes intended to protect
[local governments] and their inhabitants.” So, what does this mean for water and sewer providers? It means that the Board must make absolutely sure that meetings are properly held and that minutes are sufficiently detailed. Votes must be accurately recorded. Contracts and agreements should be in writing, conforming to the minutes, and properly signed by the parties. The Board should consider the following: 1. Make sure all of the information needed to make a decision on any matter is presented clearly and thoroughly. No one likes to make a decision without adequate information and time to consider it. Review draft documents thoroughly. 2. Make sure all action items are done through the form of a clearly defined and understood motion. The motion needs to be seconded and voted upon thereafter. The clerk or secretary needs to make sure that the motion is properly worded and the vote accurately recorded in the minutes in enough detail to know exactly what happened. 3. Make sure that the authority of the chairman, president or mayor to sign the documents is clearly granted and accurately recorded in the minutes.
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City of Carthage, Missouri
City of Nevada, Missouri
$2,920,000 Refunding Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to refinance the City’s outstanding 2007 Certificates of Participation.
$2,722,000 Combined Waterworks and Sewerage System Revenue Bonds Proceeds were used to improve and replace the City’s sewer collector lines and manholes.
Proceeds were used to refinance the City’s 2009 Special Obligation Bonds.
June 2015
May 2015
May 2015
City of Matthews, Missouri
City of Lilbourn, Missouri
$635,000 Refunding Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to refinance the 2009 Certificates of Participation.
$787,908 Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to acquire, construct, and improve the City’s waterworks and sewage system.
$945,000 Special Obligation Refunding Bonds
PWSD No. 3 of Laclede County, Missouri $1,397,800
Refunding Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to refinance the District’s Series 2004 Certificates of Participation.
February 2015
February 2015
City of Unionville, Missouri
City of Auxvasse, Missouri
March 2015 City of California, Missouri
City of East Prairie, Missouri
$1,601,000 Combined Waterworks and Sewerage System Revenue Bonds Proceeds were used to construct, furnish, and equip improvements to the City’s combined waterworks and sewerage system.
Proceeds were used to finance costs related to the construction, furnishing and equipping of a new swimming pool for the City.
Proceeds were used to construct a new well facility and new water mains within the City.
October 2014
October 2014
October 2014
City of Doniphan, Missouri $468,000 Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to repair, construct, and install certain roadways and related utility improvements within the City.
$2,540,200 Refunding & Improvement Certificates of Participation
$995,000 Combined Waterworks and Sewerage System Revenue Bonds
City of Rockaway Beach, Missouri $444,000 Refunding Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to prepay the City’s outstanding 2001 Certificates of Participation.
July 2014
July 2014
PWSD No. 1 of McDonald County, Missouri $229,000 Refunding Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to refinance the District’s outstanding 2006 Refunding and Improvement Certificates of Participation.
July 2014
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City of New Haven, Missouri $804,200 Refunding Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to refinance the 2008 Certificates of Participation.
City of Mountain Grove, Missouri PWSD No. 2 of Camden County, Missouri $600,000 Lease Purchase Agreement Proceeds were used to upgrade the existing infrastructure for energy efficiency.
April 2015
May 2015
$265,075 Lease Purchase Agreement Proceeds were used to construct and install an ultra violet sewer disinfection facility at the wastewater treatment plant. April 2015
Osage County, Missouri PWSD No. 3 of Chariton-Linn County, Missouri $1,538,500
Waterworks Refunding Revenue Bonds Proceeds were used to refinance the 2011 Waterworks Refunding Revenue Bonds.
February 2015
$1,587,800 Refunding Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to refinance the County’s outstanding Certificates of Participation. January 2015
$100,000 Equipment Lease Purchase Agreement Proceeds were used to replace waterlines to avoid water loss. January 2015
City of Diamond, Missouri
City of Wayland, Missouri $160,000 Certificates of Participation
PWSD No. 1 of Vernon County, Missouri
C-PWSD No. 1 of Barton, Dade, Cedar & Jasper Counties, Missouri
Proceeds were used to acquire, construct, and install certain improvements to the City’s combined waterworks and sewerage system.
$1,385,000 Waterworks System Revenue Bonds
September 2014
August 2014
Proceeds were used to provide funds to extend and improve the waterworks system.
$450,000 Certificates of Participation Proceeds were used to fund lagoon improvements for the City’s sewerage system. August 2014
City of Gallatin, Missouri
City of Russellville, Missouri
City of Rockport, Missouri
$200,000
$678,000 Refunding Certificates of Participation
$1,268,700 Refunding & Improvement Certificates of Participation
Combined Waterworks & Sewerage System Revenue Bonds
Proceeds were used to fund engineering and design services in order to develop plans required to receive permanent funding from USDA-RD. July 2014
Proceeds were used to refinance the 2005 Equipment Lease Purchase Agreement and the 1987A &1987B Sewerage System Revenue Bonds. June 2014
Proceeds were used to refinance the 2007 Refunded Certificates or Participation and provide funds for improvements to the City. June 2014
ommunities and Districts 4700 Belleview Avenue, Suite 425, Kansas City, Missouri 64112 1-800-206-0634 21
2015-2106 College Scholarship Recipients Tom Hyatt, Operator Certification Circuit Rider As another academic year approaches, Missouri Rural Water Association has awarded four young adults financial assistance through the MRWA College Scholarship Program. These scholarships provide $1,000, disbursed in equal measures during fall and spring semesters, to each recipient to lessen the financial burden of higher education. Children of MRWA member water and wastewater systems as well as those of Association staff members are eligible. Recipients for the upcoming academic year are Alysa Lyle of Sheridan, Taylor Mackay from Peculiar, Sara Fahrenholtz who hails from Hermann, and Miranda Meyer of Sedalia. Lyle and Mackay will enter college as freshmen in the fall, while Fahrenholtz and Meyer will continue their higher education. Sheridan Water Superintendent Barry Lyle’s daughter, after graduating from Worth County R-III High School, is planning an engineering degree. Alysa Lyle plans to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology at Rolla to accomplish this goal. Her 3.82 grade point average is a good start to such a challenging career. Lyle’s extracurricular activities at high school included varsity track and field, varsity softball, Alysa Lyle office holder for National Honor Society and Student Council, four-state honor choir, and record holder of career blocked shots in varsity basketball. In addition to ranking among superior players in these sports and others, she earned honors as Wendy’s High School Heisman State Finalist, Quest Bridge College Match National Finalist, Girls’ State Delegate, Cooperative Youth Conference and Leadership Experience Delegate, and County Council President of her 4-H chapter. Her talents range from cheerleading to band, drama, and dance. This motivated student has even placed among top finishers repeatedly in Future Business Leaders of America, been active in Future Career and Community Leaders of America, and has earned top team performer in a Scholar Bowl. 22
Taylor Mackay is the child of Alan Mackay. Alan is a water operator at Cass County PWSD 10. Young Mackay attended home school and is planning a career as a pediatric nurse in oncology due to her love of children. Mackay has been a member and student leader of Cass County Homeschoolers Science Olympiad Team, a stage manager of five musical productions at the local In The Light Performing Arts Center, a member and office holder of the Peculiar Lions Club and its Taylor Mackay delegate to Missouri Girls State, and a worker at Hy-Vee. This young adult, who will enter college with impressive grades, hopes to maintain this intellectual momentum while broadening her knowledge of care for those who suffer. Sara Fahrenholtz, daughter of Owensville Public Works Department Employee Jeffrey Fahrenholtz, continues her studies at the University of Missouri at Columbia, with a major in Agribusiness Management and a minor in Nutrition. She has completed 26 credits toward her graduation goal of 120. Fahrenholtz was extremely active during her secondary education. A few of her Sara Fahrenholtz accomplishments were Homecoming Queen, Missouri Young Achievers Award, and placements in trap shooting competition and FFA Farm Management and Public Speaking Contests. She also made the dean’s list last year for academic achievement at the University of Missouri. Although unsure at present about her ultimate career choice, Fahrenholtz asserts that she will combine her personal commitment to fitness with agriculture in some way. She plans to continue farming on the side while considering employment as a nutrition and fitness trainer. Miranda Meyer has completed 79 college credits so far
on her path towards pre-Masters of Arts in Education, with a major in Mathematics, at Truman State University in Kirksville. She plans to teach high school math one day.   After receiving the President’s Education Award and participating in various academic Miranda Meyer and community groups during high school, Meyer has joined the Kappa Mu Epsilon Sorority and the National Math Honors Society at college. She also attended the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference. This young student helps younger students by serving as tutor at the Kirksville High School. She enjoys helping make sense of mathematical concepts and credits her high school math teachers for inspiring her toward this goal.   These future leaders can be proud of their hard academic work and community involvement!   The MRWA takes an active role in promoting education through these college scholarships, its annual conferences, and its many training opportunities offered throughout the state.
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Conflicts of Interest Elizabeth Grove, Management Circuit Rider As I travel around Missouri visiting with small systems, a common topic that comes up is conflict of interest. Numerous questions arise concerning what is and isn’t a conflict of interest. Chapter 105.450 through 105.467 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri addresses these issues. Generally, an elected official is prohibited from using his/her position, or any confidential information gained as a result of his/her position, to benefit personally or benefit a spouse, dependent child or business interest. This includes receiving payments, gifts or contributions, or using confidential information to gain personal advantage, or in exchange for a vote, or to exercise influence over a decision of the political body. (RSMo 105.452) An elected official is prohibited on voting to hire or appointing any person who is related to them within the fourth degree by blood or marriage. This means anyone (including in-laws) from a great grandparent to a first cousin. This does not mean that a political subdivision (city, village or water district) cannot employ a relative of a board member. It means that the board member who is related to the employee cannot vote to hire or vote to increase wages and benefits of that employee. (Article VII, Section 6 of the Missouri Constitution) Perhaps the most common question that arises is conflict concerning payments to elected officials for services performed. The statute is very clear that elected officials cannot be paid more than $500 per occurrence, or $5,000 per year for services performed for the political entity. The exception to this would be where a service is bid and the board member submits a proper bid and is the lowest bidder. An example is mowing services. If the board solicits bids for summer mowing services and the mayor submits a bid, if it is the lowest bid, the mayor may enter into the contract with the city for those services. However, in another situation, a board member owns a backhoe and it is agreed that the board will use his services to set all new meters at a cost of $250 per meter. No bidding process was done. As long as the payment to the board member does not exceed $500 per incidence or $5,000 per year, it is permissible. If those thresholds are exceeded, a conflict of interest has occurred. 26
Likewise, an elected official cannot sell, lease or rent property to the political entity unless such sale, lease or rent was bid and the elected official was the lowest bid. The $500 per incidence or $5,000 per year limits applies here also. (RSMo 105.458) An elected official cannot be an employee and a board member at the same time. Also, a board member cannot be employed by the political entity in a position that has the potential to influence decisions of the board for one year after leaving office. Situations have occurred where an entity has an opening for a city administrator or chief operator and the question arises: “Can a board member resign his/her position on the board and be hired by the entity for the position?” The answer is no. The board member must be off the board for one year before being hired in such a position. (RSMo 105.454) The Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) oversees the enforcement of these statutes. The commission’s website at mec.mo.gov is an excellent source of information for those wanting to know more. Complaints regarding conflict of interest must be filed in order for the commission to conduct an investigation. Forms are available on the MEC website. Complaints must be signed and notarized and cannot be made anonymously. In deciding whether an action would be a conflict of interest, the elected official can look to the state statutes or contact the Missouri Ethics Commission for an opinion. It is also important to remember that sometimes, the appearance of a conflict can be more harmful than an actual conflict. As a wise man once told me, when considering whether to take an action that could be, or appear to be, a conflict ask yourself this question: “Is this action I am about to take something I would be comfortable with my mother reading in the headlines of the newspaper?” As always, if there is anything Missouri Rural Water can do to assist you, please give us a call. We may not have the answer, but we can probably find someone who will!
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Celebrating 40 years of service to Missouri rural water districts, municipalities and clients both public and private. 29
2014 Awards
Office Professional of the Year, Tina McQuerry, City of Eminence
Congratulations to all the winners. Thank you for being part of our team. Randy Johnson Education Scholarship, Seth Pew, City of Maysville
Wastewater System of the Year, City of Fayette 30
Wastewater Operator of the Year, Mike Profitt, City of Tipton
Cornell Scholarship, Tina Redding, City of Calhoun
Source Water Protection System of the Year, City of Fredericktown
Office Professional Educational Scholarship, Angie Lord, City of Marquand
Water System of the Year, Jefferson County PWSD #12
Not Pictured Associate Member of the Year, Midwest Meter
Water Operator of the Year, Larry Cattell, City of Mountain View 31
Attracting and Retaining Water System Employees Tom Hyatt, Operator Certification Circuit Rider When newest MRWA Region III Director Frank Offutt asked at the April 22nd board meeting how I would interest young people in a career in the water industry, I did not have a well thought-out answer. It occurred to me later that I had been pondering this dilemma for years: What happens when all of those aging operators leave the work force? How are we going to fill their numbers with young, responsible, qualified workers? Frank’s question opened my eyes to realize that we aren’t going to succeed at all if all we do is cite the problem. Merely focusing upon the pending problem left me with no solution. Similarly, if water and wastewater utility representatives are going to encourage members of the young generation to become certified operators, they are going to need to get creative. Emphasizing the issue further was the observation of a city administrator later that same day upon which Frank had asked his loaded question. The administrator said that he could not get anyone interested in applying for either of two job openings: one water operator position and one wastewater operator position. He concluded that potential job applicants hesitate when they learn that these positions require certification. There are two components to this dilemma: how to attract young people to the field and how to retain these employees once they become truly valuable after acquiring knowledge and experience. Each component has a monetary and nonmonetary element. To attract young people into water and wastewater utility work, they have to be paid a fair wage. This will likely necessitate a rate hike, as I’ve observed in a previous article. Here we go! I can see it even as I write this story. Some of you will roll your eyes as if this is an unrealistic expectation and prepare your usual speeches about your small community’s plight of having people on fixed incomes. Surely a community with this problem cannot raise its water 32
and sewer rates! Surprisingly, though, these same fixed income individuals manage to adjust their budgets to buy groceries, gasoline, electricity, and oftentimes cable television. None of these suppliers is freezing inflationary increases in their products or services to accommodate this segment of the population. The May 2015 edition of “Money” magazine itemizes what a young adult needs in order to become financially independent of his or her parents. The individual should be able to afford rent, utilities, student loan payments, car payment, gasoline and insurance for a vehicle, groceries, discretionary income for clothing and modest entertainment, and have enough surplus that he or she can, initially, put money aside to cover one month’s income. How does starting pay for a water or wastewater operator stack up at your organization? Imagine yourself in this position. If you were setting up house and attempting to demonstrate financial independence from your parents, would you be able to afford all of these items given the going pay rate at your utility? Some might argue that they had to struggle when first starting out in life. Even I can cite personal struggles, long after leaving my parents. At the time of starting my work in the water industry, my wife, my first son, and I ate nothing but baked potatoes for supper. Friday’s splurge of hamburger helper seemed like porterhouse steaks. Oh, how my carnivorous appetite had missed the taste of meat! Yes, anyone can get by if using extraordinary resourcefulness. The question, though, is “Will the low pay at your utility attract young workers? The idea is not that the utility offers what workers can subsist on, but that it provides wages which entice younger workers. Does the pay scale at your organization elevate water and wastewater operations to the status of viable career opportunities? “Career” is another key to attracting young
individuals. The word suggests long-term or permanent engagement in something meaningful; not merely a source of income. There are many non-monetary ways to engage interest of young adults. This activity could begin as early as when they are teenagers, perhaps by utility representatives participating in career days at high schools. Emphasis upon certification, continuing education, and diverse responsibilities can better portray the professional nature of the work. Utilities can also offer open house events and tours periodically to encourage community interest. The utility can target young audiences for these “come and check us out” events by holding a “Teen Tech Day.” What better way to attract a young crowd than to use technology as a calling card! Utility workers can demonstrate their remote monitoring and controls through computerized management systems or display operational methods for acquiring meter data through radio read or automated registries. Of course, MRWA offers a wide range of smart phone apps for Android and IOS as well as web-based tools, used to calculate complex determinations on the go. These tools highlight the technically diverse and challenging world of water and wastewater operations. When the utility has successfully attracted young individuals to its workforce, the next challenge is how to promote retention so that they want to keep working there. Again, this challenge can be divided into monetary and non-monetary forms of appeal. An employee survey would be a good way to determine what employees value. We’d probably discover varying priorities based upon age. Young workers might simply like extra spending money in the form of gift cards or bonuses, which could be rewarded for shortterm, uninterrupted work periods. Such a reward system potentially provides sufficient incentive to develop a solid work ethic.
Another benefit might be tuition assistance to encourage individuals to pursue college education. This can enhance leadership skills, which serve both employee and employer needs. As employees gain maturity, their priorities often change. Stability causes people to settle down and assess their circumstances. Small financial rewards can give way to increasingly flexible work schedules, especially for those who have proved themselves dependable. The freedom to work around personal conflicts provides a form of “social equity,” allowing workers to fulfill personal and professional needs. Whether as a result of health concerns or family obligations, workers eventually seek health insurance. Although this benefit might be a mandatory obligation which the utility has to offer from the start, it only becomes valuable in the eyes of workers when they become aware of the need for such insurance. Therefore, it does not necessarily offer incentives to young workers. It can, however, (continued on next page)
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(continued from page 25)
be a justifiable replacement for earlier rewards, even if this means enhancing medical service options or reducing copayment requirements as workers age. Another great retention tool is a pension plan. Many utilities already offer this to their workers, but not all do. Increasing utility contributions or employee-employer matching fund limits as workers age can offer tangible reasons to remain with the utility. In addition to deferred benefits, utility decision makers could implement a system of microspecialties. Besides the chief operator who is ultimately responsible for the management of the system, other workers might earn titles designating specific responsibilities. For instance, an operator earns the title of “Disinfection Specialist” or some other specialty, such as the following options: Valve Exercising, Line Repair, Treatment Operations, Storage Tank Patrol, or Line Flushing. With the above examples, employees would have to prove themselves competent or even proficient before earning these titles. Each micro-specialty could come with an incremental bump in pay. The idea can be expanded to include incremental pay increases for each micro-specialty acquired, encouraging employees to acquire multiple disciplines. Additionally, this form of advancement instills personal pride and worker engagement, reveals interrelationships of different aspects of daily operations, fosters an environment of cross-training, and promotes retention of valuable employees. The idea of micro-specialties is a hybrid between monetary and non-monetary reward. Raises in pay are obviously monetary in nature. Apart from this, skillfully working one’s trade enhances personal satisfaction; acquiring status in the form of earned titles builds esteem; managing segments of work allows employees to experience a measure of co-management and authority; and this develops leadership skills for larger advancements within the utility structure. Another key element in retaining employees is respect, something that is strictly non-monetary but probably holds more lasting value than any 34
monetary reward. Employees must feel respected at the workplace, or they will generally leave in short order. Respected employees tend to feel valued at work. Just as everyone seeks value from work in the form of monetary compensation and personal satisfaction, everyone wants to know that he or she contributes value to the organization. Wages and financial benefits are the compensation for work productivity. Respect, on the other hand, is the “coinage” paid for the value workers offer in fulfilling the organization’s mission. While financial compensation is a form of tangible rewards for tangible or measurable results, respect is a form of intangible give-and-take between employer and employees. Where workplace respect is the norm, morale is likely high; and strong morale among workers entices them to stay. Vacancies within water and wastewater utilities will increase as the workforce continues to age. It is becoming increasingly important for these organizations to appeal to a young workforce. Bemoaning the loss of qualified workers or the reluctance of young prospects to embrace the responsibilities of certification does nothing to formulate a plan for attracting able-bodied workers. We’ll have to become creative and break away from established notions of the workplace, breathing fresh air into our organizations by adapting to the needs of these workers. We’ve all heard the phrase, “thinking outside the box.” The box has confined us. Young workers seek an environment that fosters personal growth; not one that suffocates their spirits. Hopefully, we’re not too old to learn from them or too proud to allow them influence upon our long established structures.
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MRWA Services Did you know you can receive MRWA’s eUpdate Newsletter to get the latest industry news delivered right to your inbox? Receive early notice of conference registration information, classes and various other MRWA activities. How about text notifications? MRWA will also send text messages about upcoming classes, events and severe weather preparedness reminders to your mobile device. All you need to do to receive either of these services is go to the MRWA website at www.moruralwater.org and click on the corresponding icon on the right. Fill out a couple of questions and that’s it. 35
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Around the State Capitol Harry Hill, MRWA Legislative Liaison Explorers and adventurers, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark figure prominently in Missouri history. The two are featured in large statues inside the capitol near the top of the Grand Staircase. They’re also in the “Lewis and Clark Monument” a few hundred feet east of the capitol. While much has been written about the accomplishments of the two, I was surprised to learn that William Clark, despite his heroic adventures, had been defeated in a Missouri election contest. This bit of inconsequential minutia was uncovered recently as I was idling about in the capitol’s first-floor museum. There, in an area entitled “the Governors of Missouri,” I found a portrait of William Clark, Governor of “Missouri territory - 1813-20.” A brief biographical sketch located near the portrait explained that Mr. Clark was a candidate for governor as Missouri approached statehood (1821). However, Clark was defeated by Alexander McNair who focused his campaign on the $2,000 annual governor’s salary which was considered excessive. It would not be an exaggeration to say I was mildly shocked. How could one
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of Thomas Jefferson’s exalted explorers ever lose an election? (Perhaps the equivalent of a brother-in-law defeating Tiger Woods at match play.) It is important to point out that Clark had been appointed Governor of Missouri Territory just as Meriwether Lewis was appointed Governor of Louisiana Territory in 1807. (Lewis’ portrait was there too because what is now the state of Missouri was included in the Louisiana Territory.) As I continued through the display and read subsequent governors’ biographical sketches, I learned that some of them left significant (and sometimes bizarre) legacies. For instance; Robert Marcellus Stewart (Governor from 1857-61) promoted the first rail line completed across the state, the Hannibal - Saint Joseph Railroad. He also is “labeled by some as eccentric as he is reputed to have ridden a horse up the steps of the executive mansion to feed it oats from a grand piano.” Trusten Polk was elected in 1856 when he defeated Thomas Hart Benton (an ancestor of the noted Missouri painter.) Polk served as governor less than a year when he resigned to become a member of the U.S. Senate only to be expelled in 1862 for “secessionist convictions.” Modern-day former governors are included in the exhibit as well. Most of them are presented in flattering, painted portraits (in color.) There is at least one noticeable exception. Forrest Smith, (1949-53) with the mien of a stern school master, is displayed in a lifesize, black and white photo. Joe Teasdale’s (1977-81) likeness could easily be substituted as a star character in a Hollywood movie promotion. Some of the recent governors do not have a biographical sketch included. Bob Holden, 2001-05, is an exception to that. Matt Blunt, 2005-09, does not yet have a portrait exhibited. The museum is located in the capitol’s first floor and is open daily. There is no admission charge.
Water Taste Test Results Tom Hyatt, Operator Certification Circuit Rider Missouri Rural Water Association extends hearty congratulations to Madison County PWSD 1 for being identified as the “Best Tasting Water in Missouri for 2015.” It won this honor April 22nd during the water taste test finals, besting a field of five finalists. Madison County PWSD 1 Office Manager Dora Rosa met District Senator Wayne Wallingford and District Representative Shelley Keeney, as part of the April 23rd Jefferson City Day activities. Congressional members introduced Rosa on their respective floors of Congress and participated in brief photo sessions. Each agreed to draft official resolutions honoring the system for its achievement. Following those activities, the winning district enjoyed a free luncheon at its office where it received an MRWA plaque commemorating its accomplishment. Madison County PWSD 1 will be the next contender at the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) Great American Water Taste Test, escorting its water sample as Missouri’s entry. That event will occur next February. Meanwhile, Madison County PWSD 1 enjoys the title of Missouri’s best water and is encouraged to periodically remind customers of its achievement. As 2014 winner of the statewide taste test, Lowry City’s water represented Missouri at the NRWA taste test conducted February 11, 2015. Unfortunately, Lowry City’s water sample did not advance to the top bracket. Here are the winners from the national event: • East Hampton, Massachusetts captured the gold medal with 1st place; • Rogerson Water District of Buhl, Idaho won silver; • City of Whittier, Alaska rounded out the top three with bronze; • Del Paso Manor Water District of Sacramento, California, and Francis City, Utah also made it to the finals.
Enjoy the possibilities of local and national attention focused upon your community’s superior water quality. MRWA urges you to enter a sample early next year and see how your water fares in our statewide taste test.
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Profile of a System: Chariton Co. PWSD #2 Howard Baker, Mapping Technician One day a few local residents just outside Brunswick, Missouri, got together and decided that if they all worked together they could have a cheaper, more reliable water supply for their farms and homes. So in 1981 pipe was laid and Chariton County P.W.S.D. #2 was in business. The district covers 84,192 acres in the southwest part Chariton County with a little over 127 miles of water mains and 450 active water meters. They buy water from Chariton-Linn #3, City of Keytsville and Missouri American Water Company in Brunswick. Vicki Breshears has been the clerk for 14 years, the operator Barry VanDeventer has been there two and a half years and although Robert Kistler recently retired after 31 years, he still helps out from time to time. I spent two weeks with Barry and Robert mapping their system and when talking with them you can hear the pride they take in the job they do and the area it’s in. Now I can tell you most systems have a lot of the same stories like “We fixed so many leaks that week I almost quit” (but no one ever does) and “The people at this house are always on the shut off list” and my favorite “I have no idea
where that water line is, we never had to fix it” we all have that one, but it’s the stories that can only be told about your system that makes them unique. We were driving down in the Grand River bottoms, we stopped midway of a crop field and Robert got out and walked about ten feet into the field and said “About right here.” Barry grabbed the metal detector and sure enough we found a meter. We did this four more times in about three miles and I had to ask why these meters are out in the middle of nowhere. Robert told me “They all had houses with them, but after the flood they were torn down. They had three feet of water in them for several weeks.” Now that’s a story not everyone can tell. One day we pulled down a long narrow lane and at the end stood an old two story brick building with half way boarded up doors and broken windows, with brush and some old car and tractor parts scattered around. This place truly had seen its better days. Robert told me
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“This was the Dalton Vo-tech school for African Americans and it was used back in the 50’s” he went on to tell me that he thought some kids had to ride a bus from as far as Columbia to get here. This was one of those stories that I would check up on when I got home. Turns out this place had a lot of history and it was called the Dalton Agricultural and Industrial School and it was open from 1907-1956. The school had even won a state-wide corn growing contest in 1913. I got this information from (www.dnr. mo.gov/nps-nr/02000832.pdf ). Look it up, it’s a great story. I can’t remember what day but we pulled up to what looked like a nice, well-kept small church. As I started to the meter Barry said “This is where MFA got started.” Of course all I could say was “Really?” and he replied, “Yes, and it has been all restored on the inside.” This was another story I would check on. What I thought was a church was in fact the Newcomers School. Now back in 1914 seven farmers got together and decided if they all worked together they could get cheaper, more reliable
Newcomers School supplies for their farms and homes (Sound familiar?). And thus the Missouri Farmer’s Association was formed and led from MFA to MFA Oil and Shelter Insurance. Of course all water systems have boundaries but it’s the people that run them and the “stories” that happen within those boundaries that set them apart. If you get a chance, stop by and see Vicki and Barry and even though Robert is “retired,” you might see him around too.
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Water Hammer Brad Rayburn, Circuit Rider When it comes to water and wastewater systems in Missouri, they are faced with choices every day. Those choices can affect hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people and can be quite costly to those customers. Missouri Rural Water Association (MRWA) staff strives to help each and every system with any situation that they are faced with. As an MRWA Circuit Rider, I often receive calls from systems that need assistance locating water leaks. A few months ago a water district contacted me with a request to locate a water leak that had drained their 150,000 gallon water tower. They were unable to provide water to approximately 600 people due to the leak. This particular system had been plagued with these types of leaks for the last twelve months. When I arrived on-site, the water system personnel had already located the leak. It was on an 8-inch PVC water main. They were averaging one of these leaks every couple of months on this 8-inch water main. Every time the water line ruptured, it drained their water tower and left customers without water for several hours. Since the water line stretched approximately eighteen miles through the countryside from their water well to the water tower, it often would take several hours to locate the leak. Then, due to the size and severity of the leaks, it would take several more hours to repair the leak, and refill the water tower enough to supply water pressure to the system. I stayed on-site that evening to determine the reason for the PVC main to leak. By this time, over half of the district had been without water for six hours. Eventually, the water pipe was exposed and the excess water was pumped out of the hole. The piece of pipe was cracked, and it ran the full 20-foot length of the pipe. The 20-foot piece of pipe was belled together on each end, four foot deep, in a straight trench; the pipe was not bent or bowed. So I questioned the cause of this water leak. The water system personnel blamed the contractors for backfilling big rocks on top and underneath the water main. I looked at the excavation site and did see some rocks that were on top of the main and under it. However, none of the rocks were abnormally large. I was not convinced that rocks were the single cause for 44
this particular leak. The next morning I met the water operation specialist at the well house to ensure that the system was pumping water into the tower and pressure was building in the distribution system. Then, the well kicked off, and it sounded like a gun going off. It even shook the floor in the well house. This noise is what is referred to as water hammer. Water Hammer is a pressure surge or wave caused when a fluid, usually a liquid but sometimes also a gas, in motion is forced to stop or change direction suddenly, a momentum change). One cause of water hammer is closing a valve too quickly. After I heard the noise, I made a recommendation that the water system should consider fixing the water hammer, in order to keep their water main from breaking. Unfortunately, they did not repair the problem until they were forced to do so about a month later when the well pump went out. I am not sure if the water hammer was a direct correlation of the well pump going out, but I was told it was due to lightening. After the pump was pulled, it was determined that faulty check valves are what caused this particular water hammer. Four of the five column pipe check valves were stuck in the open position. Those check valves were replaced and now when the well turns off, it is silent. They have not had any more water leaks on the main. Swing check valves are installed in the column pipe that runs from the well pump to the distribution system to help prevent the water hammer effect. A swing check valve is used in water systems because it is a check valve in which the disc swings on a hinge to block water from coming back into the well from the distribution system, but at the same time it allows the forward flow of water when the well is pumping water. The water system had spent thousands of dollars on water main repairs and significant water loss due to these types of water leaks. Each time the main broke, the system was required by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to issue a precautionary boil water order. These triggered two consecutive days of safe water samples to be collected and tested before the boil order could be lifted. In this
instance, it was not hard to diagnose why the water main continued to break due to the water hammer that was taking place in the well house. Often times, water systems are reluctant to have the check valves in the column pipe replaced because of the work and cost that is involved with replacing them. The well pump must be pulled to replace the check valves because it is hard to determine if one or all of the check valves in the column pipe are bad. Good well pump records will let you know how many check valves are in the column pipe and where they are located. This will save time and money. The cost of repairing broken water mains and the down time can be much more than the actual cost of pulling the well pump and replacing the check valves. Water hammer does cause extensive damage to the water infrastructure. Each time water hammer happens a pressure spike occurs and shakes the water infrastructure. There is only so much of this that the water infrastructure can take before the water lines break. The water infrastructure is the heartbeat of the water system, without it water will not flow to the customers.
Water hammer in the well house is not hard to diagnose and typically is not hard to repair. Water leaks are a common issue among most water systems. Sometimes they are due to faulty water mains, old water lines, improper installation, and water hammer. It is important to understand the cause of the water leaks, so that a solution can be created to fix the issue. Sometimes it seems easier to bury your head in the sand and just repair the water leaks than to determine what caused the leak. It might be water hammer causing the water leaks. Contact Missouri Rural Water Association Circuit Riders for assistance with water hammer or any other problem that might be occurring in the water system.
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Save the Date: Be sure to mark your calendars to attend MRWA’s 50th Annual Technical Conference in Branson, March 1-3, 2016. We have lots of special surprises planned to commemorate the event, don’t miss it!
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Source Water and Your System Eric Fuchs, Source Water Technician It seems the news is full of doom and gloom from the government on pending regulations or restrictions in the world of water. We hear news on new clean water rules, water restrictions and many other things that create uncertainty in our systems. There have been algae blooms on Lake Erie which shut off water to the entire city of Toledo. There have been severe water shortage and droughts in California that threatens much of the nation’s food supply. It is becoming more real every day just how important clean drinking water can be to our livelihood. The drought of 2012 gave Missouri a wake-up call on the importance of a clean reliable water source. It can be a daunting task to keep up with the latest news or regulations that can affect our systems. One story that has surfaced in the last few months just happens to be in our neighboring state of Iowa. The Des Moines Water Works has recently filed a lawsuit against three rural counties and the corresponding drainage districts. The lawsuit claims these counties, or the farmers, are contributing to high nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. These waterways serve as the primary sources for the Des Moines water supply. As most of you know, high nitrate levels have been linked to “blue baby syndrome,” and are also expensive to remove from the source water. The Des Moines Water Works claims they have spent approximately $900,000 in treatment costs and lost revenues in 2013 due to these high levels of nitrates. The Des Moines Water Works serves approximately 500,000 customers. This has caused quite a stir among farmers and agricultural groups who are claiming that these are “non point” water quality issues and can’t be traced directly to farmers. No matter which side you are on, the outcome of this lawsuit could have impacts on systems all over the country. While we don’t have the same soils and topography as Iowa, we do have large amounts of agricultural farmland in the state. Much of the state’s population is served by systems that get their water directly from the Missouri or Mississippi Rivers. There are also numerous small surface water reservoirs that are affected by agricultural runoff. Many of these systems are familiar with high levels of 48
turbidity or Atrazine during certain times of the year from agricultural runoff. While dealing with these challenges may seem out of your control, there are ways we can help make things better. Many small systems can work with landowners within their watershed. There are Best Management Practices, or BMP’s that can be used by farmers to limit the amount of soil, fertilizers and chemicals that leave their fields. The two most useful are using no-till and cover crops. These two in combination are the most useful ways to keep soil on the ground, which in turn takes care of issues at the source. Many of these landowners might not realize they can have such an impact on the source water. Good record keeping by the system on cost of treatment and yearly variations can also help to explain the impact of agricultural on your source water. Neither farmers or water systems need or want more regulation, but with our current atmosphere of government, coupled with poor farming practices and pending lawsuits, it is a distinct possibility this is what we will see in the future of our systems. By taking a proactive approach and reaching out to producers in our areas might save us time and effort in the future. Missouri Rural Water Association has partnered with the National Wildlife Federation on a “Cover Crop Champion Program.” We will be working with a local farmer using cover crops on his operation and how their use can affect runoff and water quality. We are looking for water systems who might be interested in partnering with us on this program. If interested, call Eric Fuchs, Source Water Technician, 573-429-1383.
We’re Celebrating 50 Years Together! Fifty years ago the Water District Association of Missouri was formed in a hotel in Springfield, Missouri. Starting with only about 35 members, we’ve now grown to nearly 900 member systems consisting of water districts, municipalities, subdivisions, mobile home parks, and private entities. As part of our upcoming 50 year celebration at our Annual Technical Conference in Branson, Missouri, we’d like to create two keepsakes to mark the occasion. We’re asking members who are into quilting to donate a quilt block of their own design to be incorporated into a couple of quilts commemorating this milestone. The blocks should be sized 12.5” x 12.5” and should reflect the local entity from which the block is sent. Of course we’ll take care of piecing them together, having them quilted, etc. Use your imagination. Color, design, and theme are up to you. A reference to MRWA’s 50th Anniversary would be nice but is not essential. We would like to receive enough blocks to create at least two quilts, one to be retained for the MRWA office in Ashland for permanent display and one to be raffled off for WaterPac with the drawing to be held at the Annual Technical Conference in Branson. Please have your submissions in by September 1, 2015, so we have ample time to piece together a final product. We look forward to your creativity and as always, thanks for your support of MRWA!
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The Case for Cyber Liability Insurance The incidence of data breaches is massive. Any business handling customer data will, sooner or later, be confronted with the challenge of data breach. Data breaches take many forms. External hackers and malicious insiders cause many breaches, but did you know that simple carelessness is responsible for a surprisingly large number of breaches? Breaches can pose a real threat to the individuals whose personally identifiable data has been lost or stolen. Some suspected breaches prove on investigation to be false alarms, but the forensic costs of establishing this can be high. Industry characteristics are critical too – a loss of medical records from a hospital poses different risks than a loss of credit card information from a retailer. How do I know if we have an exposure? • Every business has this exposure. Don’t think about it as a tech exposure only. The key is to protect your information, which can be electronic or paper. Every business holds some amount of sensitive data which can include the following:
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What if we use a vendor or 3rd party service to handle our credit card payments and store our data? • It is not your vendor’s responsibility to notify your customers. It is yours. This is a legal requirement that cannot be changed by contract. • Even if you outsource data handling, your exposure stays in-house. You may feed data into third-party systems or outsource data storage
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to a cloud provider. Still, if your information is breached, you are legally obligated to respond. What if we are comfortable with our IT controls and don’t feel we are a target for hacking? • Hacking is only one cause of data breach. Others include: o Lost/stolen portable computers or media o Lost/stolen back-up tapes o Improper disposal of paper records o Employee misuse o Vendor negligence o Intentional release by rogue employees What can we do to address this exposure? • Obtain an external vulnerability scan. A vulnerability scan will search for and alert you to existing weaknesses in your computer network security. Many IT-security consultants provide vulnerability scans for a modest cost. Many vendors of vulnerability scanning software products also offer free evaluation copies. • Train your employees on proper data security practices. The human element is always the weakest link. For practical tips on creating a training and education plan, try the “Reading Room” from the SANS home page (www.sans.org). • Develop an incident response plan. Talk with your attorney to determine your notification and legal responsibilities in the event of a breach event. Then implement a plan to meet those responsibilities and to ensure that an event is properly escalated to senior management. You can also search for Incident Response Plan information on web sites such as www.searchsecurity.com. • Consider purchasing cyber liability insurance. Insurance programs brokers deliver today can serve a dual purpose, supporting a company’s loss prevention and compliance efforts and mitigating the financial impact of a data breach. For optimal protection look for coverage that encompasses: o Legal liability for: Theft, loss or unauthorized use of personally identifiable information Failure to comply with state data
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MRWA Calendar of Events July
October
21
Office Professionals’ Training
22
MRWA Board Meeting
23
Board & Council Training
28
Board & Council Training
Urich
12
Columbus Day
Ashland
27
MRWA Board Meeting
Lake Ozark
Brookfield
27-28
Office Professionals’ Seminar
Lake Ozark
Columbia
28
Legislative Planning
Lake Ozark
29-30
Fall Conference
Lake Ozark
August 4
10-Day Treatment & Distribution Certification Begins
New Haven
8
Board & Council Training
Savannah
13
Board & Council Training
Oak Grove
20
Board & Council Training
Stockton
25-26
MRWA Bootheel Expo
Poplar Bluff
MRWA Office Closed
November 11
Veterans Day
MRWA Office Closed
26-27
Thanksgiving Holiday
MRWA Office Closed
December 24-25
Christmas Holiday
MRWA Office Closed
September 7
Labor Day
MRWA Office Closed
15
Board & Council Training
16
Office Professionals’ Training
17
Board & Council Training
28-30
NRWA WaterPro Conference
Branson West Cassville St. Robert Oklahoma City, OK
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE
PAID
901 Richardson Drive Ashland, Missouri 65010 “your resource for water quality.”
ATTENTION: WATER DEPT.
When finished reading, please route to n Operators/Managers n Clerk/Treasurer n Board/Council/Commission
Jefferson City, MO Permit No. 89