Affiliate, National Rural Water Association
In this Issue: Reading Meters when Testing Accuracy MRWA Emergency Response Taming the Fear of Test Tanking MRWA 2017-2018 College Scholarship Recipients Agriculture and Sourcewater Protection Awards I can Blow Smoke with the Best Should Your System Budget for Cyber Security? Operator to Operator: Shared Reflection MRWA Water Drop Awards for Excellence An Easier, Faster, & More Informative Registration Process Around the State Capital
Summer 2017
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MRWA Board of Directors
REGION I:
REGION V:
REGION II:
REGION VI:
REGION III:
REGION VII:
Roger Barker Daviess County PWSD #3 116 Waterworks Drive Gallatin, MO 64640 (660) 663-2771 Fax: (660) 663-2771 rbarker@moruralwater.org
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
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
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
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
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
Joe Anstine
Tom Hyatt
Management Circuit Rider Water Training Specialist
Howard Baker
Donald Jones
Wastewater Technician
Mapping Specialist
Jim Patton
Andy Bowman
Crystal Cooper
Source Water Protection Specialist
Maggie Dixon
Circuit Rider III
Jim Enterline
Energy Efficiency Circuit Rider
Resource Conservation Circuit Rider
Circuit Rider I
Wastewater Technician
Ag Resource Technician
Membership Services Secretary
Marketing Coordinator
Cover Description: Cover photo taken by MRWA Wastewater Technician Gary Webber in Princeton, MO. Princeton is county seat and largest city of Mercer County, Missouri.
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
Circuit Rider II
President’s Message..........................................................................4 From the Executive Director...........................................................6 Letters................................................................................................8 Reading Meters when Testing Accuracy......................................15 MRWA Emergency Response......................................................18 Taming the Fear of Test Tanking..................................................22 MRWA 2017-2018 College Scholarship Recipients..................26 Agriculture and Sourcewater Protection.....................................28 Awards.............................................................................................30 I can Blow Smoke with the Best...................................................32 Should Your System Budget for Cyber Security?.......................36 Operator to Operator: Shared Reflection....................................38 MRWA Water Drop Awards for Excellence...............................40 An Easier, Faster, & More Informative Registration Process....44 Around the State Capital...............................................................48 Calendar of Events..........................................................................58
Remember . . .
Randy Norden
Executive Director
Contents
Office Manager
Brad Rayburn
Training Secretary
Wayne Roderman
Billy Everett
Gary Webber
Eric Fuchs
Saem Yem
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 The other day I got a really good deal on a gun safe. Granted it was made in a foreign country but it looked good and seemed to have everything that a conscientious gun owner would want in a safe. It had a touch pad combination lock, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access, everything a person who uses their smart phone for everything could possibly desire. It also had a place for all my other valuables, those things that are not easily replaced, such as pictures of my kids as babies, birth certificates, marriage license, and the complete list of passwords to all my credit card and bank accounts including those that belonged to the companies and associations that had entrusted me with the care and protection of their accounts. I brought it home, followed the instructions faithfully and made the necessary Wi-Fi connection to my brand-new router that I had bought at the same time. Everything was set; I could monitor my safe from my phone, could even lock and unlock it remotely. I was feeling pretty smug about the level of safety that I brought to all the items that needed protecting and I had protected my family by securing all my guns. A couple of months later I had occasion to have a friend over for dinner and was showing off my new safe. He was not as impressed as I would have thought he should have been, so I finally asked him why he wasn’t. His comment was that he didn’t want to rain on my feeling of security but he was aware of this type of safe and a little-known fact about them. He said he was pretty sure that he could open my safe. I knew that was not going to happen because I had reset the combination to a long combination of numbers, letters, and special characters, just as the instructions had suggested. Being miffed at his comments, I bet him a case of beer that he was wrong. He accepted the bet and with a smile he walked over to the safe, looked at the tag on the side and entered a series of numbers and the safe opened right up for him. He explained that because people tend to forget their passwords, the manufacturer builds in an administrative password that overrides any installed password. It is a combination of the model number,
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the serial number and the series of numbers 1 to 15. This is not a published fact in any of their literature, but salesmen and employees of the company that manufacture and sell the safe are aware of this feature he told me. This same password would work over my Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection if a sophisticated hacker was after access to my valuables. While the story above is a work of fiction, it puts in less technical terms, some of the underlying issues of cyber security or protecting your information from the people that are working very hard to access it without your permission. The best intentions can be undone or rendered useless by built in bypasses in electronic devices. Security and ease of access are not usually compatible concepts. We tend to buy electronic devices and give little thought to the doorways that they open into our offices and homes. For example, the administrative password for most routers are easily found on the internet and if you don’t take steps to change this user name and password when you connect your business or home to the internet, then anyone that wants in can easily obtain access to your router. Cybersecurity is becoming a bigger and bigger push from almost every regulatory agency that we as an association have contact with. At a recent forum in Washington DC I heard presentations regarding cybersecurity from EPA, Homeland Security and from the Automation Federation, which has partnered with National Rural Water Association to address some of these growing concerns. In a day and half forum, that is a significant percentage of the presentations. In upcoming conferences, training opportunities, and articles, you will see more information on things you can do, actions you can take if your system is compromised, and how to gain a better understanding of the more technical aspects of being connected to the world-wide web.
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From the Executive Director Randy Norden, MRWA Executive Director
The First 100 Days The latest talk for the past week has been about President Trump’s “first 100 days” as well as the same sort of discussion about Governor Greitens. Strangely enough, I was “honorably inaugurated” about the same time as these two gentlemen and have proceeded through my first 100 days as Executive Director for Missouri Rural Water Association. I’m not a guy to embrace clichés too much, but if you’re not changing then that means you are dead. In as much as we go from baby to toddler to child to teenager to adult, or perhaps even as we go from letter to telegraph to telephone to cell phone, our situations and opportunities change. The challenge is determining when, and how much, of a changeresponse to initiate without losing sight of heritage. Take our industry, for example. “Rural Water”, which, to me, is defined as the service of public drinking water and wastewater in areas outside of established cities, has grown and entered a stage that, at times, can be hard to describe. In Missouri, unless you are St. Louis or Kansas City, or perhaps even Columbia or Springfield...you’re rural. I would argue that Columbia and Springfield, and like cities, have a strong rural element to them. What’s more definitive, however, is that our connectivity has changed. I can recall from my boyhood when “going to town” once a week was it. Now, we think nothing of driving an hour away, and back in the same day, just to go shopping or entertain ourselves all the while watching live videos of something going on at the other side of the planet. That culture shift has taken us from being purely rural to being just a little more “cosmopolitan”. As such, you may have heard me describe the changing demographics of Missouri as “people are going where the internet is”. Farms have become more of a corporate venture; people are gravitating towards service jobs; and the population is, generally, either moving to where the jobs (and internet) are or, otherwise, the large group of baby boomers are retiring. How does this affect “Rural Water”? When a northern Missouri town loses 33% of the population from one census to the next, yet must maintain all the meters and pipes and towers, etc., it affects them. As people are moving, some rural systems will lose people and others will rapidly gain. In effect, the long term appears that we will see some more 6
isolated areas maintain themselves while others are moving into growth and nurturing regionalization. Big change from, say, 1966. Therefore, in my “first 100 days”, what directions has MRWA set? Here are six points to consider right up front: 1. To enhance the use of the huge amount of resources at our website, we will no longer mail flyers announcing one-day training events. We will continue flyers for conferences. Saving mailing expense is secondary, but beneficial. The primary reason is to encourage everyone to utilize the MRWA website (www.moruralwater.org) to not only make it easier for you to check on training, but be able to immediately sign up and open you to the vast resources of the website such as classified ads, sample file downloads, the Legislative Corner, and EASY access to check your certification hours, fulfill your electronic Daily Monitoring Reports, and other regulatory tasks that are definitely going online. 2. When you go to the website, you will see that we will have training laid out for at least six months. When you come to our website to check for training, no longer will you come to a tree bearing no fruit. 3. In coming months, MRWA will be producing some very topic intensive specialized training sessions that requires attendee involvement. This comes from our desire to provide useful training that is a step above just listening to an eight-hour lecture and signing a roster. 4. You will now find that our certification classes will become predictable and reliable with regular locations and dates. 5. Our “Emergency Response” effort has become more formalized to connect with SEMA and MoDNR, yet will retain the personal assistance that often shows up on-site immediately. 6. In coming months, you will notice a much greater value in system membership. Therefore, let us move forward. Certainly, as “Rural Water” grows and changes, your Association will adapt with you. Our membership is our first love and will become especially so as we enhance that relationship even more. Rest assured, though, that we will never lose sight of our heritage.
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Letters Randy Norden, We, Saline Co PWSD #1, would like to express our sincere THANKS for being able to call upon your services when we have excessive water leaks and are unable to locate them with our equipment! Wayne Roderman helped us locate a major leak on January 24th and again on February 7th. This service has proven to be very valuable in leak reduction for our entity. We truly appreciate being able to call you for his help. Thank you again for providing this valuable service! Sincerely, Dean Phlegley- President Saline Co PWSD #1 Coleen Skouby – Bookkeeper/Clerk
MRWA, I am typing this letter commending the work of Mr. Wayne Roderman for all he has done assisting the City of Willow Springs with leak detection. I have known Wayne for several years and within that time, we have found many leaks. In the last 3 years, we have taken a substantial mid 60% water loss and cut it into the mid 30% area. With Wayne’s help in leak detection and our prioritization of replacing undersized, lead joint mains, and replacing many service lines that have existed years past their life expectancy has made a huge difference. Many thanks to Wayne and the help of the MRWA. Danny Cooper Water-Sewer Superintendent City of Willow Springs
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Randy Norden, I am writing this letter in an effort to show my appreciation for the MRWA and Gary Webber for the work and support offered to our small town. As we all know, the increasing regulations and costs put upon our small communities in Missouri can be devastating to a city. With that said, it is comforting to know that Missouri offers an organization such as the MRWA who will assist in finding solutions that can be cost effective and efficient. Over the last several years, I have called on Gary to help us with smoke testing, rate analysis, sludge judging our lagoon, and currently he is helping us with our waste water permit. Sincerely, Shelley Page, City Clerk City of Jamesport
To whom it may concern I wanted to take a minute to thank Joe Anstine with Missouri Rural Water Association for helping me get water to the city’s park; Joe went above and beyond; he came to Orrick on more than one occasion with equipment to help me try to find the source of our problem. We have a new park and we wanted to renovate the restrooms and this could not be done until the water problem was resolved. With Joe’s help, we were able to locate an additional valve that we were unaware of. Thanks again Joe for helping. It is very much appreciated. Sincerely, Dale Bosley City of Orrick
Letters Dear Mr. Norden, I want to let you know how much I appreciate the help I have received from Brad Rayburn. When our city was in crisis from a muddy well, Brad was right here to help us diagnose our problem and take the steps that eventually led us to getting an emergency grant for a new well. Our city has experienced so many obstacles in the last year, and each time, we could call Brad with questions, ask for advice, and have him show up here to assist us. Brad walked us through regulations we didn’t understand, helped us with our Emergency Response Plan. Held our hand through boil-orders, and recently assisted us with technology we didn’t have, to freeze pipes and replace a broken meter. I don’t think it can be said enough how much we appreciate this man and what he has been willing to do with genuine desire to see us succeed here. I just want to make sure that you know how much he has done for us and how much we think of him here in Koshkonong. Sincerely, George Hunt, Mayor City of Koshkonong
To all MRWA employees, We at PWSD #1 of Stone County want you to know how much we appreciate you and all you do for the state of Missouri water districts. PWSD #1 has been a member for years and until recently no one in our office had a clue of the outstanding work or services your office provides. We have implemented many of the tools you offer that are making our water district much more efficient. The most recent tool we took advantage of was the electrical analysis of our district. Jim Enterline, from your staff came out and looked around, sized everything up, asked questions, took notes and bills from our district and came up with a plan for us. Many of the items found on this report have been implemented and others are in the works. Thank you once again for all you do for small districts like ours. Without these free services, we would still be stuck in the last century. Our goal is to provide quality water and service to our customers and with your help and services, we are well on our way. Warm regards, Nancy Ellis, Office Manager PWSD #1 of Stone County
Brad, We wanted to thank you for always taking the time to help us out! We appreciate the commitment that you have shown to our little town. Your knowledge and experience has made otherwise difficult tasks seem easy!!! Thanks for all you do City of Marquand
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Letters Dear Mr. Norden, I’ve never had the pleasure of working directly with Ms. Elizabeth Grove yet, but her article in the Winter 2016/2017 Missouri Water Lines, “Communicating with the Decision Makers,” was profound! She hit on what I call one of those small foxes that spoil the vine! As a new operator, I have not had much trouble yet communicating with the council, but looking ahead I can see how information I take for granted might not get communicated to them with the proper sense of urgency. They all work other jobs and basically volunteer their time as board members, so becoming fully educated on the water and wastewater systems is not very high on their priority list. The Monthly Operations Report she developed covers all the information I want the decision makers to focus on with ONE piece of paper! I began using it at our March council meeting, explaining each area of the report, what they should watch and what they should take away from the report. Each member was quite pleased with how much information they get from that one page. We, the operator and administration, would like to express our sincere thanks to Ms. Grove for covering something so vital in such an efficient way! Whether you’ve been an operator for a long time, or are brand new, having reminders of small things like this goes a long way in taking proper care of a system.
Greetings, I am writing to personally thank Mr. Billy Everett and Missouri Rural Water Association for their generous invitation to the annual conference in Branson. As the teacher of the Bradleyville High School Aquatics class, I feel extremely lucky that my students were able to attend the conference. While at the conference, we had the opportunity to hear two speakers who presented information on water testing and Missouri climate trends. Not only were the presenters extremely informative, but the information on Missouri climate trends tied perfectly to the curriculum we were currently covering. In between sessions, the students had the opportunity to interact with vendors and professionals from various aspects of the water industry. Presenters and staff took the time to talk with the students about various water related topics and job opportunities. The information they gained was valuable and the whole experience was very educational; the students enjoyed themselves tremendously! The generosity and hospitality we received from Mr. Everett, Mr. Norden, and other convention staff members was overwhelming. Sincerely, Becky Williams Bradleyville High School
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Letters To Whom it May Concern: Stockton Hills Water Company is a small, family-owned, family-run water company with very limited resources and staff. This company was begun by my father in the early 1970’s in an effort to provide quality water to an equally small, but growing, subdivision. My father believed in using his knowledge and resources to help others and create a better living environment for all. He was very forward-thinking and visionary throughout the span of his life. After my father’s passing, his responsibilities to the water company and our customers fell onto other members of our family and we found ourselves in a unique situation requiring us to rely on the efforts of others to continue serving the water needs of our tiny subdivision. This proved almost fatal to our organization and without the steadfast help and unrelenting support of the Missouri Rural Water Association, MRWA, their knowledgeable staff, and quality programs, we certainly would have had a battle on our hands to survive in the manner my father intended when establishing Stockton Hills Water Company. Our relationship with MRWA began several years ago with attendance of an operator certification course led by Randy Norden. It was through his instruction, I gained my DS II certification and learned more than I had ever anticipated about the daily operation of a water system. I will be forever grateful to him for bringing that opportunity to me and our company. I also have had the pleasure of attending several continuing education classes with many of MRWA’s other circuit riders and educators, such as Tom Hyatt and Gary Webber, always walking out of the classroom door with more information than when I entered. Stockton Hills Water Company has traveled a very bumpy road since our initial encounter with the staff of MRWA during my DS II certification. Through the years, we have had a multitude of questions, concerns, issues, opportunities to learn and always have had the awareness of having staff assistance on speed dial. And they respond every time. The first encounter I had with Jim Patton was memorable. The pump on our well had gone out, July 4th weekend, and I was walking door to door with a flyer explaining what had happened and our action plan. Jim drove into the subdivision in his minivan, introduced himself, said he had heard we needed some help, and proceeded to drive me to every home to deliver the message. All 140 water customers. Then he proceeded to call Joe Anstine for additional backup. From that point in time, Jim has become an invaluable resource and I appreciate him and MRWA more every time I call for help. Through the expertise and wisdom of MRWA, we have been able to improve the daily workings of our company and are striving to advance it more with each passing day. They are irreplaceable in their assistance and guidance regarding every aspect in the administration of a water company- whether it is correctly completing paperwork, sampling procedures, or their contacts at Missouri DNR, MRWA and their staff are priceless. The dedication this organization has to its constituents is irreplaceable and, from our viewpoint, vital to the success of our small company. We could not ask for a better organization or group of people to rely on for support. MRWA and its staff are the embodiment of my father and his use of knowledge and resources to help others and create a better living environment for all. I will forever be indebted to those visionaries who began Missouri Rural Water Association. My best to you, Tonya Niermann Stockton Hills Water Company
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Letters From the desk of the 2016 MRWA Water Operator of the Year: The first speaker at the first Fall Operations conference that I attended in 2013 opened his presentation with a statement that still rings in my head today “don’t be a pumper”. What he was saying was don’t do just enough to get by. A person within this position could just be a “pumper” and get by. He could come in everyday gather the locates, do locates, run the wells and go home. As long as the tanks are full and the waters good no one would be any the wiser. A pumper. MRWA pounds it in our heads the level of importance the operator’s position holds even going as far as saying we do not get paid enough for what we do. The health of the general public is in my hands. You will notice above my desk a verse of scripture. 1 Corinthians 10:31 is the standard of my office. This and many other verses for God’s word are the driving force behind my quality of work. As a Christian I am called to go the extra mile. As a side note I don’t know how anyone could be an operator and not be a Christian. I will do my best to not disgrace my God, my name, and this company. Because of that I do go the extra mile. We were visited one day by a MRWA circuit rider. He caught up to us at the well house where we were performing the regular monthly maintenance schedule that I have enacted. He mentioned that we were one of about three people he had ever seen do something like that. I do my best to work hand in hand with DNR to make sure we are complying with the regs and to make sure things are done correctly. I feel a direct responsibility to the people of the district. They are the reason we are here and I do my best to make sure they are informed and satisfied. I will not be a pumper. It’s not every day that a person is recognized for something that the moment seems unseen. I would like to thank the MRWA for everything that they do and everything they have done to help me to achieve such an award. I am truly honored. Thank you. God Bless Tim Simmons Chief Operator Cape County PWSD #2 MRWA 2016 Operator of the year (that sure sounds good)
Dear John, I was instructed by my mayor to send you a letter to let you know that we, here in the City of Ridgeway, greatly appreciate the benefits of being a member of MRWA. We have had the opportunity to have Gary Webber come in and work extensively with our city employees. Gary has been very beneficial our town. He has come in and performed a smoke test on our system, run the camera down some of our problem sewer mains, and has done a preliminary sludge judge on our lagoon. Without Gary coming in to do these procedures for us, we would not have been able to establish if our system had any issues. Once again, I want to reiterate what a spectacular job Gary has done for us and that he should be considered a valuable asset to your establishment and for the State of Missouri. Sincerely, J. Diann Cunningham City Clerk, City of Ridgeway
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Letters Dear Randy, Just want to thank you for the MRWA sponsorship and invite to Jefferson City Day. What a productive trip! Was great to have supper with Clark Thomas, his wife, and Cody, the new engineer at USDA. Learn so much in these informal situations and got to bat around some new ideas and information on our project development. On to the hotel social hour and exchanged encroachment and 1926b experience with some Kansas City area operators and Board members. Then a great DBP conversation at the MRWA table. Was really impressed with Senator Hegeman’s speech at breakfast. This man actually has a firm grasp of technical and water issues in my region. I’ve already done some follow up through his office at the Capitol. Can see him as a future asset with our project as it progresses. Office visits at the Capitol were fantastic. Everyone was very receptive and interested in drinking water source development for northwest Missouri. I was a guest of our Senator Hoskin on the floor of the Senate when House Bill 19 was passed, which included $2 million funding for the Little Otter Lake project. MRWA did a great job hosting this event and giving us an opportunity to interact with the legislators and agencies that can make our project happen. I feel it was a very positive trip and want you and your staff to know how much I appreciate the great job of organizing and providing such a positive benefit to our organization.
Good Morning All, I have been trying to figure out the correct words to say “Thank You” for the Office Professional award. I keep coming back to a very very humble “Thank You” from the bottom of my heart. I guess I have struggled with what to say (and typed a million messages) because I have never done anything to get an award. I just try to be helpful. I remember when I entered this field, thinking I was getting a “piece of cake” job, by the second day...I realized that I was overwhelmed and had no idea where to turn. Joe walked into City Hall and just like that....I knew who to call for guidance with questions. I have never called MRWA that I haven’t received an answer or a suggestion on where to find the answer either by calling the State or another City Clerk that has had the same issue. You guys have truly made me the City Clerk that I am. Randy, the conferences have always been so good and I have learned so much because of the speakers but also the networking that takes place. Thank you! Liz, since you joined MRWA, I have continued to learn from your knowledge and your ability to share it so that I understand (except QuickBooks budgets...ha!). All of the staff at MRWA is an asset to the City of Urich, but you three have personally encouraged me and again, I humbly say “Thank You”. Sincerely, Darla Conner, MRWA 2016 Office Professional of the Year City of Urich
Sincerely, Cathy Youtsey, Chair Little Otter Creek Wholesale Water Commission
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Advertisers Index
Missouri Waterlines Advertising Rates BUSINESS ADS Members: Full page (71/2 x 10) $450 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 Cover Ads Back Cover – additional $200/issue Inside Front and Back Cover – additional $100/issue Contact MRWA Marketing Coordinator Andy Bowman with any further advertising questions (573) 657-5533 office (573) 714-3186 cell Email: abowman@moruralwater.org Support Missouri Rural Water Association
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We Appreciate Your Support ADS Environmental Services.......................................... 37 Allgeier, Martin and Associates, Inc................................ 10 Alliance Pump & Mechanical.......................................... 21 Alliance Water Resources................................................. 52 Allstate Consultants.......................................................... 37 American Development Corp.......................................... 43 American Flow Control.................................................... 23 Bartlett & West Engineers................................................ 45 Bailey Special Risks, Inc.................................................... 55 Branson Ticket & Travel.................................................. 34 Brenntag Mid-South......................................................... 17 Cady Aquastore Inc........................................................... 49 Cardinal Pump................................................................... 43 Carylon Water Group....................................................... 37 Cochran.............................................................................. 36 D.A. Davidson & Co......................................................... 19 DN Tanks........................................................................... 58 Douglas Pump Service...................................................... 23 EJ ........................................................................................ 29 Electric Controls Company.............................................. 29 Engineered Systems, Inc......................................................7 Engineering America......................................................... 37 Environmental Dynamics International......................... 17 Flo-Systems........................................................................ 36 Flotron & McIntosh............................ (Inside Back Cover) Flynn Drilling Co., Inc...................................................... 41 The Ford Meter Box Company, Inc................................. 14 HD Supply Waterworks................................................... 28 Hawkins, Inc...................................................................... 49 Haynes Equipment........................................................... 10 Hogan’s, Inc...................................................... (Back Cover) Hydro-Kinetics.................................................................. 21 Kubota................................................................................ 53 Kupferle Foundry Company............................................ 21 L&J Municipal Supply...................................................... 24 Larkin Lamp Rynearson................................................... 14 Maguire Iron...................................................................... 17 Mahoney’s Equipment LLC............................................. 58 Master Meter..................................................................... 21 MCR Enterprise................................................................ 58 MECO Engineering Company, Inc....................................5 Micro-Comm, Inc.............................................................. 47 Midwest Coating Consultants, Inc. ...................................7 Midwest Meter, Inc............................................................ 57 Missouri American Water................................................ 47 Missouri Machinery & Engineering Co.......................... 34 Missouri One Call............................................................. 23 Missouri Public Entity Pak.............................................. 54 Municipal Equipment Company, Inc.................................7 Ozark Applicators, LLC................................................... 56 PDC Laboratories, Inc...................................................... 43 People Services Inc............................. (Inside Front Cover) Pittsburg Tank & Tower Co., Inc.................................... 42 R.E. Pedrotti Co., Inc. . .......................................................7 Ressler & Associates, Inc. ................................................ 39 Schulte Supply, Inc............................................................ 25 Seiler Instrument Co......................................................... 17 Sequoyah Software and Consulting, Inc......................... 24 Sherwin-Williams............................................................. 21 Sidener Environmental Services...................................... 58 Springfield Winwater Works Co..................................... 43 Suez..................................................................................... 33 T.G. Rankin Co., Inc............................................................9 Tank Connection............................................................... 50 Tomcat Consultants/T.A.P. Co....................................... 55 Utility Solutions Associates............................................. 42 Vandevanter Engineering - Cogent Co........................... 17
Reading Meters when Testing Accuracy Tom Hyatt, Water Training Specialist There are two ways to read a water meter. One method uses rounded numbers to determine monthly water consumption. The other method approaches meter reading in a more precise manner. The precise method is desired when calculating a meter’s accuracy. Let’s look at a meter and compare the differences. Figure 1, like other meters pictured in this article, is a positive displacement meter. These are commonly called “service meters” for domestic water registry. The rounded version of the meter display is 94,640 (ninety-four thousand six hundred forty) gallons. That is how many gallons have been registered by this meter during its entire service life. The stationary or non-turning zero, shown with a blue background and positioned to the right of the other numbers, must always be added as a final digit when recording meter readings each month. If not, this number would otherwise be falsely interpreted as only 9,464 (nine thousand four hundred sixty four) gallons. Once recorded correctly, the previous month’s Figure 1 reading can be subtracted from the current number to determine water usage. Let’s say that the previous month’s reading was 91,210. When subtracted from this month’s number, we determine that the customer used 3,430 gallons during the month. Always remember to add the stationary zero to the end of your recorded number for each meter. Some meters have two or even three stationary zeros on their displays. As with a single stationary digit, these zeros must be included in all recorded numbers. They are placed on the far right of the numbers, just as they show on the meter face, to ensure accurate meter readings. This rounded method is very common, since it is used to determine water consumption from month-to-month. However, you’ll want to ensure greater accuracy when testing a meter to find out if it is recording water usage properly. There are several ways to test positive displacement meters for accuracy. Some operators simply test one meter at a time, especially after a customer challenges a water bill. This can be accomplished by hooking up a new meter in line with the customer’s meter, running water through them, and comparing the recorded volume on each meter’s display. Another approach is to pull several meters at a time, take them to the workshop, hook them up in series,
run a known amount of water through them, and compare their readings. With this approach, as with the first method, the operator uses a meter that is considered highly accurate as the standard against which to judge the accuracy of other meters. The best standard is a certified meter which has undergone rigors of testing by the manufacturer. A third method to instill greater confidence regarding accuracy assessments is to run 100 gallons through this interconnected series of meters. To be sure 100 gallons has gone through the meters, collect the water in a large vessel, such as a day tank. Before the test, place the day tank on a scale and zeroout the display on the scale so that the drum’s tare (empty) weight won’t artificially exaggerate the water’s net weight; then flow water into the tank until you reach 834 pounds. All of these steps require the operator’s careful attention. Likewise, the operator must read and record each meter’s display in precise manner. Although the rounded method for reading meters is a perfectly acceptable and common practice for monthly usage determinations, it is inadequate for quantifying a meter’s accuracy. Let’s look at Figure 1 again and determine the precise reading from the display. We’ll consider a couple of details first. The red sweep hand indicates individual gallons, marked in blue numbers around the dial. A full sweep of the hand from the 0 at the top of the dial (12:00 o’clock position) all of the way around and back to the top again, is equivalent to 10 gallons. As the dial stands now, a full sweep of the red hand would change the Digit 4 on the right (with the black background) to a 5. Because we must include the stationary zero on the right of the display in our reading, we see that 40 gallons would become 50 gallons with a full revolution of the sweep hand. Between each blue number around the dial, there are 10 increments of smaller lines to represent fractions of a gallon. Specifically, each mark represents one-tenth (1/10) of a gallon. The second detail is that the stationary zero (with the blue background, again) serves as a place-holder for the numbers on the dial. In other words, the number to which the red hand is pointing is used in place of the zero for precise water measure. Therefore, the precise (continued on page 16) 15
(continued from page 15)
meter reading of Figure 1 is 94,642 gallons recorded through its entire service life. Yes, this is only a two-gallon difference from the rounded reading that we saw earlier, but this two-gallon difference would cause us to determine that the meter is two percent (2%) inefficient had we run 100 gallons through it. That is why we need to be precise when reading a dial for the sake of testing meter accuracy. Otherwise, our conclusion would be false. Now let’s look at two other meters. Figure 2 is from a different manufacturer and has its own design. The easiest difference to see is the triangular leak detector in the lower left area of the dial, in contrast to Figure 1’s leak detector which is Figure 2 at the hub of the sweep hand. Either device will spin freely when water goes through the meter. Any movement of these devices when all water is shut off in the residence is a sign of a leak; thus the name “leak detector.” Let’s determine their rounded and precise readings. As a rounded number for monthly meter reading, Figure 2 is pretty straight forward: 507,930 gallons registered through its service life. The precise reading, however, is a little more complicated to determine than with Figure 1. Our eyes defy the truth. It would be easy to call this number 507,936. While using the Digit 6 where the red sweep hand points in place of the stationary zero on the right is correct, our final number is wrong by 10 gallons. Some meters show the next 10-gallon increment prematurely. That is the case here. Although Digit 2 is out of sight in the black area and already replaced with Digit 3 (to the right of Digit 9), the red sweep hand has not yet made a full revolution back to the top or 12:00 o’clock position of the dial. Therefore, the correct reading is 507,926 gallons registered through the meter’s service history. In this instance, a faulty reading would have the operator assess this meter as only 90% efficient when running 100 gallons through it, given the 10-gallon discrepancy if misreading the number. Finally, Figure 3 presents even greater challenges due to its “electric meter” appearance. However, meters of this design are still in active service; so we need to read them accurately. 16
Other unique features are the two leak detectors in the lower left portion of this display. Additionally, this meter has two stationary zeros at the right of the display (just under the glare on the glass). The rounded reading is 1,022,200 (more than one million) gallons Figure 3 registered in its service life. Of the three smaller dials, the one on the right (3:00 o’clock position) reads “x10” (indicating 10s); the one below this reads “x1” (indicating single digits); and the lowest dial reads “x0.1” (meaning tenths of a gallon). These dials read, in that same order, less than 10 (since the sweep hand is not quite at Digit 1 yet), 5 (since the sweep hand is past Digit 5 but not yet at Digit 6), and 0.8 (with this hand directly pointing to Digit 8). It’s worth noting that when the red sweep hand reaches 0 (12:00 o’clock position), the “x10” sweep hand will be directly pointing to Digit 1 (10 gallons), and the “x1” sweep hand will be directly pointing to Digit 6 (six gallons). In fact, every full revolution of the red “x0.1” sweep hand moves the “x1” sweep hand one full digit or one full gallon, and it takes that same red sweep hand 10 full revolutions to move the “x10” sweep hand one full digit or 10 gallons. The precise reading for this meter is 1,022,205.8 gallons registered during its service history. The difference between the rounded reading and the precise value would have falsely determined that this meter is 94.2% efficient when running 100 gallons through it. With that “x0.1” dial, this meter allows the operator to read volume in tenths of a gallon. The same is true, though, for the other meters. Remember those small marks between the numbers on the outer rim of the dial? They designate tenths of a gallon. Had Figure 2, for instance, shown the sweep hand at four marks past Digit 6, the precise reading for this meter would have been 507,926.4 gallons. Keep reading meters on a rounded basis to determine your customers’ monthly usage. However, you’ll want to examine those dials carefully and record precise readings when testing meters for accuracy. Otherwise, your findings could prove faulty. This could lead to bad meters being left in service, or good meters being retired prematurely. Either represents an unnecessary expense to your water system.
Patrick J. Ely
Regional Manager -North America patrick.ely@wastewater.com 5601 Paris Rd. Columbia, MO 65202 USA p: (+1) 573-474-9456 (ext. 212) f: (+1) 573-474-6988 m: (+1) 573-356-0316
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MRWA Emergency Response Brad Rayburn, Circuit Rider III Finally spring has sprung. The flowers are blooming, turkeys are gobbling, and the fish are biting. I especially enjoy crappie fishing this time of year. They move up in the shallow waters of lakes, streams, ponds, oxbows, and rivers to lay their eggs. Sometimes a person could fish all day long and just catch a few, while other times it’s difficult not to limit out in only a few hours. Working for a public water supply is similar to crappie fishing in the spring. Often times, water systems don’t know when an emergency is going to happen. They happen almost as unexpectedly as a 2 lb. crappie trying to rip a jig pole out of your hand. Of course, catching a 2 lb. crappie is much more enjoyable than experiencing an emergency while working for a water system. With customers constantly calling, complaining, and demanding to know why they don’t have water, this can be a very stressful time for water systems and their operators. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes time to come up with answers for those customers. Missouri Rural Water Association provides emergency response assistance to public water systems during these dire times. Typically, the emergency is due to problems with the water system’s components. Some common emergencies are caused by the following: a well or pump failure, water leaks, water source issues, power outages, or a natural disaster. Often times, emergencies cannot be predicted and are unexpected. This past March, Wayne/Butler County PWSD #4 lost service to their customers for three days. On March 7th, Wayne/Butler #4 District Manager Jennifer Pierce began receiving calls from customers who were out of water. When Jennifer contacted me to see if I could assist with this issue, the district had 700 customers without water. I met with Water Specialist Jason Pierce at the Wayne/Butler PWSD #4 well house to assess the situation. The water district’s well was hit by lightning in February, and the motor had to be replaced. Since that time, the district had experienced issues with the well not turning on when it should. We checked the system’s tower levels on the monitor and they were empty. Each tower’s storage capacity was 150,000 gallons. According to Pierce, when checked earlier in the day, both towers were full. After a few hours, Pierce and I determined that the well 18
pump and the booster pumps were pumping water indicating the water district had a major leak. Locating a water leak this big might sound simple, but since there was no water in the distribution piping, it was going to make locating the leak a challenge. To complicate matters, the creeks and ditches were already flowing with water from a recent rain. This system’s distribution system contains approximately 200 miles of piping in the ground and the water leak was somewhere within that area. Fortunately, Wayne/Butler 4 had an emergency backup well and a booster pump station in the center of the district that could be used to charge the system and help with leak location. After the emergency backup well pumped water for a couple of hours, the north water tower began to fill. This suggested the leak was on the south end of the district. Pierce opened the valve at the booster station so that water could flow to the south end of the district. Once water began flowing to the south end of the system, I was able to utilize MRWA’s x-Mic leak detection equipment to aid with locating the water leak. The x-Mic is a sensitive listening device that is designed to hear water when the instrument is placed on a valve or distribution pipe. By listening to water run through the valves, I determined the leak area to be near the system’s main well. Unfortunately, while detecting in this area, the system’s north tower was all but drained. After the leak was located, Pierce closed the valve at the booster station so water could no longer flow to the south end of the system. With the leak location being near the main well, we utilized the main well to pump water into that section of piping. Once water began pumping into the system, Pierce and I were able to locate the leak on an 8” PVC main in the middle of a field; a spot that I nearly drove over earlier that morning. Because the entire 20’ section of main had to be replaced, it took several hours to repair. At 11:30 pm on March 8, Pierce and I were back at the well house awaiting the tower to fill. We waited, and waited, and waited and waited, but the tower never filled. My first thought was that our leak repair had not held, but (continued on page 20)
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that was not the case. Once more, I listened to valves with the x-Mic. I could hear water going through an upstream valve but not a downstream valve. This indicated the district had yet another leak on this 8” PVC main. The next morning, Pierce and I returned to the same location. By 8:30 am, we located the 2nd leak on the 8” main. At this point, customers of the district had been without water for 2 days and had become impatient. Jennifer contacted the Red Cross for assistance and they delivered a pallet of bottled water. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) was made aware of the situation with several phone calls received from customers of the system. MODNR Water Specialist Jason Kirkman met with me at the 2nd water leak site to assess the situation. By 7:00 pm, March 9, the 2nd water leak was repaired. The well and booster pumps were again turned on. As Pierce and I waited for the tower to fill, a tornado siren went off. This was not a test. The pumps and motor were then turned off until after the storm had passed. Thankfully, there were no tornadoes that accompanied the siren. After several minutes with the pumps being turned back on, the water level in the tower began to
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increase. Finally, on the morning of March 10, all of the water district’s customers had water. It is still unclear on what caused these water mains to mysteriously break. Since the incident, MRWA Circuit Rider Billy Everett and I have provided the district with a system pressure test and flow meter test on the section of distribution piping where the water main burst. These test results provided the district with pertinent information on how many gallons of water per minute the booster pumps were capable of pumping and informed the district as to how much the water pressure fluctuates when the pumps turn on and off. It took three days to restore water back to all of the customers in this water district. Fortunately, Pierce was able to satisfy some of the customers by contacting the Red Cross for bottled water. Jason and Jennifer worked hard to restore water to their customers during this emergency. Knowing they needed assistance and reaching out for that assistance during this event shortened the time of their customers’ water service outage. They are truly assets to their system. Emergencies happen to public water systems throughout Missouri. MRWA provides assistance to water and wastewater systems during these emergencies.
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Taming the Fear of Test Taking Elizabeth Grove, Management Circuit Rider One of my responsibilities at Missouri Rural Water is teaching drinking water certification classes. Usually, after each ten-day class, students sit for the certification exam. Many of the students that I have had in class over the years have expressed anxiety about the test. Some have taken the test more than one time and have developed a fear that they won’t pass, thus elevating their anxiety even more. So, here are some tips on preparing for tests and overcoming “test anxiety”. 1. Prepare, prepare, prepare! Look at test preparation as a marathon, not a sprint. Study and review for the test over a period of several weeks rather than cramming the day or night before. If you are taking a class, review the material covered in class at the end of each day or the following day. Use any quizzes, outlines, etc. as study guides and review them often. The more prepared you are for the test, the less anxiety you will have and the more successful you will be. 2. Know and understand the test format. Is the test a multiple-choice test, essay, fill-in-the-blank? It is important to know what type of test will be given and how many questions are involved. What do you need to bring to the test with you: pencils, calculator, paper, photo ID? Will the test booklet include any additional tools, such as a list of mathematical formulas or key terms? The more you know about the “technicalities” of the test, the less anxiety you will have.
3. Be positive in your outlook. Think about the things you do know and understand and work on those topics that are less clear or you just don’t feel you have a good grasp. Remember, you don’t have to know EVERYTHING about the topics covered by the test, but you must know enough to do well and pass. There may be one math formula that is completely Greek to you. Do you spend all your preparation time trying to figure it out to the exclusion of all other study? Absolutely not! Chances are, there will only be one, maybe two, questions where that formula must be used. Those will be the questions you miss. That’s ok! Make sure you study the rest of the material well. Be efficient with your study time. You can do this! 4. Get plenty of rest. Studies have shown that staying up all night and cramming for a test the next day is not effective. By spreading your study out over days, or weeks, you retain more information and you are well rested the day of the test. 5. Eat healthy. Studies have shown that eating fresh fruits and vegetables the day of or prior to the test aids with alertness and mental sharpness. Don’t eat highly processed foods, high sugar content or high fat content foods just prior to a test. These “heavy” foods require the body to expend more energy digesting them, thus diverting energy used for focus and mental sharpness. Some studies suggest that drinking 12 ounces of Concord grape juice in the mornings boosts memory performance and mental function in adults. It also relieves anxiety. Chewing gum (if you enjoy that, which I personally don’t) while you study and take the test helps with retaining and recalling information. Some strategies to consider on test day include: 1. Arrive early at the test location. Being late adds to the stress of the day and needs to be avoided. Allow time for travel glitches (flat tires, traffic, etc.) and getting lost (I don’t know about you but I can be directionally challenged sometimes and need extra time to reach my destination!). (continued on page 24)
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2. If you have a seating choice, choose a location in the room where there is good light and few distractions. Keep away from doors, windows and paths through to the restroom, etc. 3. Specific test strategies for multiple choice tests (Operator Certification tests are multiple choice) include: a. Answer every question! You are not penalized for guessing an answer, so if you don’t know the answer, GUESS! If you leave the question unanswered, you know it is wrong, but you have a chance of guessing the correct answer. There are ways to do an “educated” guess. If you have been in my classes, you have heard me explain the SWAG method of guessing. You will have to come to one of my classes to get that explanation if you don’t know. But, usually with multiple choice questions, you can eliminate one or more answers because they don’t make sense or you know they are wrong. Each answer that is eliminated increases your odds of guessing correctly. Read the question and review the answers. The answers can give you clues. If the question involves a math calculation, look at the answers to give you hints on what formula to use, which answers are obviously wrong because they are not in the correct unit of measure, etc. b. Do the easy questions that you are sure of first and leave the difficult ones for later. One word of caution: if you are using a bubble sheet to mark answers, be careful that you keep track of where
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you are on the answer sheet! Discovering that you have reached the last question on the test but have more bubbles to fill in on the answer sheet is not good! c. Sometimes, by skipping a question you are not sure of, a question later in the test will give you the answer you were looking for. You can then go back and answer the previous question. d. Don’t second guess yourself! Once you have completed the test, it is recommended that you review to make sure you have answered all the questions and marked your answer sheet correctly. Be careful about changing answers! Most of the time, your first instinct is correct. I have seen too many people go back and change answers after “over thinking” the question. Leave it alone! e. Relax! Take some deep breaths if you become too anxious or are not able to focus. Sometimes just putting your pencil down and closing your eyes for a few seconds can refresh and re-focus your attention. Test anxiety is a real issue for some people and being prepared and having strategies to overcome the fear will insure a good outcome. If you are one who deals with test anxiety, find a strategy or strategies that work for you and practice them. Over time, you will be able to deal with the stress and make it work to your advantage.
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MRWA 2017-2018 College Scholarship Recipients Tom Hyatt, Water Training Specialist The next academic year is rapidly approaching. The 2017/18 school year will see four young women receive financial assistance from Missouri Rural Water Association. Two of these students will be starting their college studies in the fall, while the other two will be returning to higher education courses. Caitlin Crawford will return to her second year at Moberly Area Community College to complete her Associate’s Degree in Nursing, advancing from her current position as Licensed Practical Nurse to one of Registered Nurse. Daughter of Marshall Municipal Utilities Electric Caitlin Crawford Production Director Carl Crawford, young Crawford aspires to serve in the Foundation for Peace. This organization provides help to those in need in under-developed countries. She also plans to work with psychiatric patients “who are often outcast by others.” Being the youngest child in a household of eight children, Crawford seemed determined from a young age to not allow her rank in the family to cause her to become overshadowed. She earned honor roll status during her entire high school career. Additionally, she received multiple awards, including Monsanto Student of the Month, District Debate Champion, various teachers’ pick recognition awards, and three Shining Star awards from Fitzgibbon Hospital for excellent work. That work included volunteer efforts through the First Baptist Church: building homes for the homeless, cleaning Indian reservations, restoring abandoned churches, and teaching bible groups. She also participated in a variety of extracurricular activities: Bird Cage spirit group, choir, orchestra, forensics, and golf. As the other returning college student, Makayla Koenigsfeld is also in the nursing field. She is the daughter of Virginia Koenigsfeld, who serves as clerk for two water districts: Osage County PWSD 1 and Osage County PWSD 3. Koenigsfeld studies nursing at Missouri State University in Springfield where she plans 26
to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and then pursue a doctorate degree to become a Nurse Practitioner. In the short term, she wants to study abroad and learn about healthcare systems in other countries. Her longrange goals include specializing in neonatal work to help ailing babies. Koenigsfeld’s high school experience was filled with activity. Honors include athletic awards such as AllDistrict and All-Conference for volleyball for three consecutive years; and she received the George Washington Carver Award. She served in various Makayla Koenigsfeld leadership roles, including President of for Student Council, Senior class Vice President, and Valedictorian of her graduating class. She participated in the Washington Leadership Conference with FFA; and she volunteered in a number of academic, civic, and church groups. Hannah Criswell has just completed high school this spring and plans to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, as she progresses toward the goal of a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy. Her father is a water plant operator with the Kennett City Light, Gas, and Water Department. Criswell Hannah Criswell will attend Central Methodist University where she plans to play softball. This young scholar envisions a future with her own physical therapy practice. Although she admits her goal is ambitious, she has shown real promise with her 1st place ranking among the 108 students in her graduating class. Criswell seems to blend with ease her athletic and academic skills. In addition to her National Honor Roll Society membership and “A” Honor Roll status, she has earned First Team All-State Catcher each season, Spring Softball State Champion, and participated in varsity
softball and varsity volleyball. With perfect attendance throughout her high school years, Criswell has also participated as a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and the First Baptist Church of Kennett. Additionally, she worked as Summer Food Program employee, local ballpark umpire, and softball instructor for children. Heather Pilliard is the second scholarship recipient to replace high school for the halls of higher education this fall. Crystal City Plant Manager Paul Pilliard’s daughter will pursue a career in Pharmacology. She plans to attend Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Heather Pilliard where she will work toward a six-year PharmD Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Pilliard has been instilled in service since childhood, when she volunteered at the Jefferson Barrack VA Medical Center as early as age eight. This experience influences her career goal: to become pharmacist at Jefferson Barrack VA Medical Center and help veterans, for whom she has great respect.
As with the other scholarship recipients, Pilliard has laid the foundation of an impressive academic and extracurricular regimen. She earned lots of awards and honors during high school: High Honors Academic Award; Superintendent’s Award; High Honor Roll for at least three-and-a-half years; and varsity letters in basketball and concert choir, both for four years running. This ambitious student has also served in numerous clubs, organizations, and volunteer positions: National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, Varsity Letterman’s Club, Cross Country, Track and Field, Yearbook, Health Occupations Students of America, VFW Junior Girl’s President, and several more activities. Each student will receive $500 for the upcoming fall semester and the second half of the disbursement during the spring semester. The four annual MRWA scholarships are awarded to children, step-children, or dependents of full-time employees of active member systems or MRWA. As these four young women approach the increasing challenges of higher education, MRWA extends a measure of financial support and the wish for their success in all of life’s endeavors.
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Agriculture and Sourcewater Protection Eric Fuchs, MRWA Ag Resource Technician The current change in administrations at the state and federal levels have created some interesting dynamics regarding the EPA, MoDNR and the environmental movement. I have watched people “wailing” loudly on social media and news channels on the cut back in EPA budgets and regulations. The “doom and gloomers” are painting a picture of regulations rolling back to a point where dirty air and poison water will be the norm. Like most, I like clean air and water. I like certain standards for my drinking water and wastewater disposal. No doubt we have come a long way from the burning rivers, acid rain and cities shrouded in smog from dirty power production. We no doubt have picked the “low hanging” fruit in regard to clean air and water. So, what are my thoughts on regulations? Working for MRWA has given me the opportunity to work with many small water and wastewater systems across the state. Each state has a “primacy agency” such as Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources that
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using tried-and-true industry practices operating their lagoons and treatment plants are now found to be out-ofcompliance due to these more stringent regulations. The only obvious solution are upgrades that have become very costly to these communities. Grants and loans through USDA Rural Development for improvement projects have been the only way some of these communities could return to compliance. The “bang for the buck” has not been good, as most of these communities were doing an excellent job of taking care of their wastewater. How does this tie into agriculture? There are little to no regulations on what can be spread, sprayed and used on row cropping or pasture areas, specifically fertilizers or chemicals. There are also no regulations on the amount of soil or runoff from these areas. These are considered “non-point” discharge areas and once they leave the field, they are the responsibility of someone else,
or in our industry, the responsibility of the operator or municipality providing drinking water. My point is not to make a case for further regulation, but to show that regulators need to select the correct target. Making a city with a population of 400 spend over a million dollars to upgrade a lagoon or treatment plant to get a “little” better discharge while other “non-point” sources create many expensive and challenging issues downstream, makes no sense to me. We have the technology, knowledge and know-how to fix our water issues. What we are lacking is the follow through. A robust source water protection plan can solve many of our water treatment issues. It’s not enough to write a plan and let it lay on a shelf. Involvement in the local community or industry which makes up our water shed is vital. Educating landowners and businesses on how their actions today affect their drinking water tomorrow will bridge the disconnect that exists between the water consumer and the water producer. Source water protection is an on-going continuous event. When done correctly, it can save systems valuable time and money. Let’s not wait for Congress, the EPA or other regulatory agencies to make the decision for us. That’s what makes our industry great; our will to overcome adversity.
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Waterdrop
MRWA 2017 Associate Member of the Year, HD Supply-Waterworks
MRWA 2017 Source Water Protection System of the Year, City of Kennett
MRWA 2017 Dell Cornell Educational Scholarship, Mike West, City of Bakersfield
MRWA 2017 Wastewa City of
Congratulations to all the winners. 30
Awards for Excellence
MRWA 2017 Randy Johnson Educational Scholarship, Barry Barnes, City of Summersville
ater System of the Year, Linneus
MRWA 2017 Newsletter of the Year, Boone County Consolidated-PWSD # 1
MRWA 2017 Water System of the Year, Andrew County PWSD # 2
Thank you for being part of our team. 31
I Can Blow Smoke with the Best Gary Webber, MRWA Wastewater Technician In the world of wastewater, Missouri included, there flow allows the wastewater treatment is a growing emphasis on wastewater collection system process to correctly and completely do maintenance and inflow and infiltration (I & I) reduction. its job. This attention has merit for several reasons. One reason So, how do we remedy these problems? We develop is that your system’s wastewater discharge permit known a plan of attack. We start by educating our decision as a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System makers and customers with information on proper use Permit (NPDES Permit) calls for active and engaged of the collection system and “how-to” information for reconnaissance of the collection system and storm water collection system maintenance before the main. We then I & I reduction. Operationally, storm water entering the develop a plan for surveying the system. We budget for wastewater collection system can overload the wastewater expenditures, and act by implementing the plan. treatment facility causing non-compliance. This post What tools are available to complete our plan? Visual storm I & I causes untreated wastewater to escape inspections, flow studies, wet weather observations, dye the controlled treatment process. Hydraulic overload testing, CCTV viewing of laterals and mains, and smoke is a huge problem experienced by many communities testing are all practicable surveys for the collection system. with aged wastewater infrastructure. Another reason Using the information collected with the above tools, we supporting renewed collection system emphasis is that can then prioritize the work to be performed. this hydraulic overload also causes wastewater lift stations Of the tools available, smoke testing may be the most and manholes to overflow (sanitary sewer overflow or cost effective to locate a huge part of a system’s I & I. SSO’s) allowing raw sewage to escape into our streets, Smoke testing is simple, easy to learn, and a fun process yards, and waterways. In more serious cases, wastewater of reconnaissance. With a little training, anyone can learn volume increase from I & I backs up into businesses and to effectively test the collection system for leaks. However, (continued on page 34) homes causing direct heath threats to anyone using the structures. In my experience with the many wastewater systems that I visit, I believe about 80 % have I & I issues that are troubling the system in one or more ways. Aging infrastructure develops deficiencies over time. Damaged pipes, disjointed or improperly installed connections, root intrusion, storm-water drain line crossconnections, collection system misuse, compromised or leaking manholes, and broken or unattended cleanouts can all contribute to I & I in the wastewater collection and treatment systems. In fact, many of our wastewater treatment facilities may likely meet most aspects of their respective NPDES Permits if they This photo depicts open cleanouts during a smoke survey. Rain water can easily drain into the had little or no I & I. Even lagoons! sewer system through these cleanouts. There is roughly 10 acres of property draining into this city’s wastewater collection system on this single smoke survey setup. A steady, dependable and controlled 32
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(continued from page 32)
with smoke testing, there are a few hazards that one can trip over. The first and foremost aspect is to give advance notification to the public in the area of the planned smoke survey; let folks know what you’re doing, when you’re doing it, and why you’re doing it. This will minimize trouble with your customers. Next, notify the local Fire Department and Emergency Dispatch Center of the dates, times, and locations you will be testing before you begin the survey. Emergency response to “smoke in a structure” calls are necessary, but taking an axe to the front door may be overkill if your crews are in the area blowing smoke. Sometimes smoke will enter a structure during the smoke survey process. If the structure has any deficient plumbing, the smoke may then find its way into the premises. The smoke is just a visual of what the structure may be experiencing. Sewer gas and sewer smell in the home or structure can go unnoticed by many people. A person’s sense of smell is compromised by some sewer gases and leaves those who are in constant contact with the altered environment vulnerable to health exposure hazards. Smoke surveys will find many of these deficiencies and hopefully the customers experiencing the hazard will have their deficiency repaired.
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34
What will we find during a smoke survey? Many of the deficiencies I have found while assisting systems with smoke testing are broken cleanouts. Left unattended, these can create huge problems for the collection and treatment systems. In most cases these are very affordable fixes, but left as is, can allow a 4” stream of water to easily enter the collection system during rain and flood events. Many of the small communities I have helped smoke survey will have 30 or more broken cleanouts in their system. Connections with roof drains and storm water drains are also another example of things to look for during a smoke survey. Other deficiencies may include leaking service laterals, connected foundation drains, and road crossing culverts leaking into wastewater collection mains. The wastewater collection systems in many communities are approaching 80+ years of age. In the day of their original installation, these systems were a tremendous effort and accomplishment, but these important utility services are buried out-of-sight and outof-mind. The utility has been disregarded and neglected, and the infrastructure is now aged and becoming dilapidated. It is time for our industry to step back into the business of providing a responsible and dependable wastewater utility. Smoke testing and completing smoke surveys of your collection system is extremely effective and affordable. MRWA’s Wastewater Technicians can show utility operators all the needed information and know-how on smoke testing. If you would like assistance with smoke testing your system, give us a call and let us help you “Blow Smoke with the Best of Them”.
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Should Your System Budget for Cybersecurity? Jim Enterline, MRWA Energy Efficiency Circuit Rider Maybe the question should be, “Why does my system not budget for cybersecurity?” Can I not explain the importance of it to the board or council or have I not yet been hacked? If you listen to the news, you will soon realize we are in a cyber war! Keeping this in mind, wouldn’t it be easy for hackers to prey on small water systems in preparation for attacks on larger water systems? Let’s look at the basics. Every day, you see what computer analysts call “social engineering” in spam emails; hackers trying to entice you to click something. It might be click to look at something or click to buy something. Social engineering is trying to entice you to do something you otherwise might not be inclined to do. Usually when you do that click, you end up with malware. Malware is software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems. These malicious programs will follow where you click and monitor what websites you visit. These are the programs which will slow your computer down to a crawl while monitoring your web activity. A couple years ago, I was at one unnamed city hall and we were looking for a specific program they might have on their computer…. and their computer was crawling. After some searching, we soon discovered there were eight coupon-clipping programs on the computer and would you believe it … when we uninstalled those programs,
36
the computer ran much faster! Many of these malware programs could also lead to identity theft. You should systematically be running a good anti-malware program to prevent inadvertently installing malware. Another cybersecurity threat is ransomware. It also comes through social engineering by email and typically resembles something you see every day. It might be an email referencing a bank account or an IT department of a name brand computer hardware company. These types of email are usually accompanied by an attachment. If you open the attachment, the program will encrypt your computer and instruct you to pay a ransom to get it unlocked. You should also systematically be running a good anti-virus program. Don’t freak out over cybersecurity! If companies such as JP Morgan and Chase Bank can be hacked, so can we. Cybersecurity comes in many forms. It can range from anti-malware programs and anti-virus software all the way to cyber security insurance and intrusion detection software. Prevention is a great start to protection. If you think it can only happen to “the other guy”, you will at some time … either budget for cybersecurity or need to have funds available to buy bit coins and new computers. If you would like more information regarding cybersecurity, contact MRWA today.
Did you know... MRWA has developed 10 FREE smartphone apps for you to utilize on the job. Apps are available for both Apple and Android devices. “Want training, conference, and MRWA news updates? Sign up to join our e-mail list. To sign up, go to our website or Facebook page!!”
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Operator to Operator: Shared Reflection Wayne Roderman, MRWA Resource Conservation Circuit Rider My eyes popped open and I sat straight up in the bed. Was I dreaming or did that really just happen? I glanced at the clock, 2:00 am. My wife sleepily asks, “What’s wrong?” Shakily I answered, “I just saw that six-inch main crossing the bridge on South Road break.” Dream…? That’s not a dream, that’s a nightmare! She rolls over and says, “You’re crazy, go back to sleep.” All water operators know going back to sleep is not an option. On a cold January night, I get dressed, crawl into my truck, and drive a couple miles to the South Road bridge just to make sure the water line is still intact. This nightmare actually began the night before opening day of deer season, November 1993. Blaze orange was prevalent at the restaurant that evening as people were partaking of their evening meal and making plans for the big hunt starting the next morning. Folks were talking about where they were going, when they would get there, who was covering which crossing, what time they were going to turn the dogs loose, what gun they were using, who was going to kill the biggest buck, new stories, old stories, true stories, and made up stories. Moms and dads, girls and boys, old friends, new friends, acquaintances and strangers, all geared up for what we believe, in my neck of the woods, should be a national holiday. A time planned from year to year, when local schools are closed, vacations are planned, and work is stopped. It’s deer season! As we left the restaurant and drove through town, my wife didn’t have to wonder where we were going as I drove to the pump 38
house for a final check before retiring for the night. Coming out of the pump house with a frown on my face, she asked, “What’s wrong?” I shook my head and replied, “Something’s not right. Storage tower is low and booster pumps aren’t running. We better go check the well.” Arriving at the well house, we discovered the well pump was not running. Investigating the situation, I discovered the well pump had malfunctioned. On the way home, I started making phone calls to locate a well pump, which is not an easy task at 8:30 pm on a Friday night. I did however, locate one at Jefferson City, but it would not be available until they opened the next day at 9:00 am. At 5:00 am the next morning, I woke up the wife, gave her directions and a phone number to where she was going to pick up the new well pump, and she left on the three-hour drive for Jefferson City. In the meantime, I began taking the roof off the well house and pulled the well pump. Dad came and helped me because everybody else was deer hunting. By the time my wife returned with the new well pump, we had the old one pulled and began installing the new one. At 5:00 pm that evening, we had the well pump working and were pumping water. As I began to pick up my tools, it started raining. At 10:00 pm we had seven feet of water in the tower and everything was looking good. It was still raining when I went home for the night. The next morning at 4:00 am, my phone rang and the caller stated they didn’t have water. By the time I got dressed, the rain continuing, I had three more phone calls telling me they didn’t have water as well. I went straight to the well house and the new pump was running like a champ. At the pump house, the booster pumps were running but the tower level showed to be at only three feet. As I started downtown, Main Street was a river in full flood! All the businesses had four to five feet of water in them and cars were floating down the street. I drove around and came down the hill just above the South Road bridge and could see only the guard rails above the water. The Mayor pulled up and asked what we were going to do. I told him I believed the creek had washed out the main line going south and we needed to shut it off. At this point, the valve was under about five
feet of water and there were cars floating by. The Mayor was a big man, about 6’7”, and I told him I believed if he would help me, we could find the valve and shut it off in order to preserve what water we had. As we waded water that came up to my lower lip, I felt the valve cover with my feet. The Mayor held my belt as I plunged down to remove the cover. We then turned off the valve going south. The storage tower began filling immediately which indicated the creek crossing had definitely been compromised. The creeks continued to rise as the morning hours wore on and at about noon, the storage tower again began losing water. I discovered the flood water had risen above the control panel in the well house and shorted out the well pump. The electric meter was about half full of water and I was now standing in three feet of water looking at the electric box. I told the Mayor to get to dry ground and if I didn’t come back out of the well house in a minute or so to call 911. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done was reaching into that electric box to turn the pump on manual. Yeah, I know it was an idiotic thing to do, but the pump was now running and we were gaining water! All I had left to figure out was how to get water to the southern half of town. With creek levels receding, I could now see the South Road bridge and I get an idea. I can excavate the water line on each side of the bridge and run a water line across the bridge, temporarily hanging it from the guard rails. At the time, the only accessible pipe was glue fitting pipe and in order to keep it from blowing apart I “glued and screwed” the pipe together. I first glued the fittings together, then I installed three or four self-
tapping screws around the bell in hopes it would not blow apart. That temporary fix remained in place from November 1993 to April 1994. The creek level was then low enough that we were able to get into the creek and install a new casing and water line under the creek. Now you know why I had nightmares throughout the winter months because that was not the only night I got up and checked on the South Road bridge water line. I know there are several stories, not only about the flood of ’93, but other times when the water and wastewater operators of the state have gone above and beyond the call of duty. These men and women work tirelessly, often without thanks, providing services too often taken for granted; people can get up and make coffee, take a shower, flush the toilet, or simply take a drink of water. They do their jobs in all kinds of weather, rain or shine, 24/7, holidays and weekends, and public perception is all they do is drive around in the truck or sit in the coffee shop. I don’t believe these utility heroes are providing this service because of the pay, the benefits, or the prestige. I believe they do it because they have a servant’s heart. So, the next time you turn on the faucet and get a glass of water or use the bathroom and flush the toilet, take a moment to remember the water or wastewater operator, and when you see them at the local coffee shop or around town, stop and say thanks. And to all of you operators out there, read Colossians 3:23. God bless and thank you.
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MRWA Water Drop Awards for Excellence Jim Patton, MRWA Source Water Protection Specialist MRWA has several awards presented each year to operators, office professionals and water/wastewater systems at our Annual Conference, Office Professionals’ Seminar and Fall Operations & Maintenance Symposium. The following is a list and description of the awards presented to operators and systems during our Annual Conference. Nominations for these awards must be received by December 31st. • The Dell Cornell Education Scholarship - This award is presented to a new water operator with less than two years in service at a system of 500 connections or less with a population of 1000 or less. This award will go to a water operator that has not previously attended an MRWA conference. This scholarship awards the winner with free registration, free meals, and free accommodations to the Annual Conference. • The Randy Johnson Education Scholarship - This award is presented to a new wastewater operator with less than two years in service at a system of 500 connections or less with a population of 1000 or less. This award will go to a wastewater operator that has not previously attended an MRWA conference. This scholarship awards the winner with free registration, free meals, and free accommodations to the Annual Conference. • MRWA Newsletter of the Year - Nominees for this award may be any system; water/wastewater, municipality/district; that regularly sends their customers informational newsletters regarding their system(s). • MRWA Source Water Protection System of the Year - Awarded to a system that has completed a Source Water Protection Plan, the winner of this award will show that the system has went above and beyond normal duties of operation to protect their 40
water source. Both groundwater and surface water systems are eligible for this award. • MRWA Wastewater System of the Year - Eligible systems nominated for this award will be in compliance with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and have no current violations. Winners of this award will show outstanding performance in system operation. • MRWA Water System of the Year Eligible systems nominated for this award will be in compliance with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and have no current violations. Winners of this award will show outstanding performance in system operation. The following is a list and description of the awards presented to office professionals and operators during our consecutive Office Professionals’ Seminar and Fall Operations and Maintenance Symposium held each fall. Nominations for these awards must be received no later than September 1st. • MRWA Office Professional Education Scholarship - This award is presented to a new office professional with less than two years in service at a system of 500 connections or less with a population of 1000 or less. This scholarship will be awarded to an office professional that has not previously attended an MRWA conference giving the recipient free registration, free meals, and free accommodations to the Office Professionals’ Seminar. • MRWA Office Professional of the Year - Awarded to an office professional demonstrating excellence in job performance, nominees for this award could include administrators, general managers, city clerks, billing clerks, utility clerks, and other roles in the office environment. (continued on page 42)
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(continued from page 40)
• MRWA Wastewater Operator of the Year - This award is presented to a wastewater operator that has demonstrated excellence in job performance to the operation of his/her system. The eligible nominee’s system will be in compliance with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and have no current violations. • MRWA Water Operator of the Year - This award is presented to a water operator that has demonstrated excellence in job performance to the operation of his/her system. The eligible nominee’s system will be in compliance with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and have no current violations. All nominated systems MUST be member systems of MRWA. All nominated individuals MUST either be an employee of a member system or hold an individual MRWA membership. For each award, the top three finalists will be visited and interviewed by MRWA staff. Each finalist will be equally scored by a points system that will determine the winner. To nominate a system or individual, you may do so in one of two ways.
To submit a nomination online: • Go to the MRWA homepage www.moruralwater.org. • Click on the box “Nominate for an Award.” • Fill out all requested information. • Click “Submit”!!
It’s that easy!! To submit a nomination by email, send the name of the nominee and the award for which they are being nominated, along with a short paragraph on why they deserve the award to me at jpatton@moruralwater.org. Regardless of how you submit your nomination, you will receive a confirmation email showing your nomination was received. If you have questions about nominations, you may also email those to me. Nominations are taken year-round, but please keep in mind the two separate deadlines for the two different award sets. So, let’s get them nominations rolling in!! Nominate your system, nominate an individual, or nominate your PEERS today!!
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An Easier, Faster, & More Informative Registration Process Maggie Dixon, MRWA Training Secretary As we continue to advance our technologies within the association, one of the more noticeable advancements is our new website. This article will walk you through the step-by-step process of registration using red circles on the examples to ensure you find the training hours you need. Once on the training page, you will notice that we have added a link to the Department of Natural Resources, Operator Certification Information System (Fig.1). This eliminates the uncertainty of not knowing if you are covered, by allowing you to easily determine the number of hours you need to satisfy your certification level requirements.
Figure 1
Ever wonder where a class location is? Not anymore! You can now see the geographical relationship of a training course to your location. Simply view the map that includes our training courses as they become available. (Fig.2) In addition to this, we have added an interactive link utilizing Google Maps that will give you specific directions to each course from your location. This gives you the opportunity to estimate travel time and acquire directions with just a few clicks!
We have also tried to ramp up the quality and quantity of the classes available by scheduling classes further out and offering multiple locations of the same topic in an effort to minimize the driving distance to a course.
Figure 3
Once you have found the course topic and location you desire, select that course title to expand the listing for more information. By clicking on “more" you can view the specific course details such as date, location, course description, approved renewal hours, and instructor information. (Fig. 3) Additionally, online registration is now easier. Our website no longer requires you to create a username and password to log in to register for courses. When you have decided which course you would like to register for and the number of those attending, scroll down to the “Ticket Section” located at the bottom of the course information. (Fig. 4) Now, there are two possibilities: Fee-Based Courses & FREE Courses 1) If the course is fee-based, you’ll find a dropdown menu to the right of “Fee Rate.” Select your system’s membership status to ensure you are getting all eligible discounts. (Fig. 4)
Figure 2 44
Figure 4
2) A FREE course may simply be added to the cart. A box will appear when your registration has been successfully completed. (Fig. 5)
If the course is fee-based, this is the point when you would be prompted for payment. If you are NOT intending to pay with a credit card, simply select the “VOUCHER” option to defer payment to be mailed to our office. Our mailing address is as follows: MRWA 901 Richardson Drive Ashland, MO 65010 Attn: Training Secretary
Figure 5
From here, you can either “VIEW CART” to see all classes you have added or “CHECK OUT”. (Fig. 6)
The last step is to click on the “Place Order” button at the bottom of the screen. This will submit your registration to our office for processing. (Fig.8)
Figure 6
Once you have all the courses added to the cart for which you would like to register, select “CHECKOUT” and a checkout screen will be generated. Simply provide the attendee information by answering the questions in the provided cells. If there are multiple people planning to attend a course, please include their names in the “Additional Information” cell. (Fig. 7) If at any time, you would like to go back to the Shopping cart to view your selected classes, simply click on the available “VIEW CART” link or click on the shopping cart icon in the upper right hand corner. (Fig.7)
Figure 8
Once you have successfully completed the online registration process, you will receive an emailed notification of the order. It will look similar to the example. (Fig. 9) If at any point further assistance is required, please contact our office. We would be happy to assist you.
Figure 7
Figure 9 45
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Around the State Capitol Harry Hill, MRWA Lobbyist
Photo Courtesy of the Missouri State Archive Summers Collection.
The Missouri State Capitol - in its enduring wooden platform on which to stand. splendor presiding over the river of the same name - is In spite of the hazards and celebrating a birthday. It’s been there 100 years. dizzying height, the photos reveal While there have been a few events to mark the little emotion by the participants. occasion, perhaps none was more eye-catching than Another angle to this story is the whereabouts of the resurrection of a news story of that era. It dealt Rep. Joshua Caleb Bradley. Mr. Bradley was my specifically with activities at the very top of the great-grandfather who, in December 1916, was 62 structure. years old and near the end of his second 2-year term Though work on the building’s interior was to in the Missouri House of Representatives . He lived in continue for several years, the outside was completed. Northern Macon County (the hamlet of Goldsberry.) This called for a ceremony - the laying of the As a member of the legislature, Rep. Bradley would “Capstone” at the very top of the dome. most likely have been entitled to visit the site of the Remarkably - there are photos of the Dec. 6, capstone ceremony. I’ve looked carefully at the photos 1916 occasion. Several men in dark suits are shown but can’t find him. standing on temporary scaffolding observing the Maybe, like many people, Mr. Bradley was not 3-foot-in-diameter stone “capstone” being lowered comfortable with the thought of climbing to the top of carefully into place. the capitol. Or maybe (to avoid the temptation of the These unique photos, along with others depicting hazardous climb) he just found important business in various stages of the building’s construction, are Macon County to attend to that day. displayed on walls amid hearing rooms in the capitol’s There is little family history of Rep. Bradley’s time basement. of service at the general assembly. And certainly no I’ve stopped on occasion to gaze and speculate mention of his recollections of Dec. 6, 1916 and the over the content of the old photographs. How did the capstone ceremony. I find that regrettable. participants seem so unconcerned for their safety? They were on a narrow, temporary platform about 238 feet above ground with no handrail. There was little room for error. A newspaper account of the occasion reported that a small party of men and women “climbed narrow ladders and slender stairways” to reach the makeshift platform. The platform was actually atop a cylinder-shaped structure that sits on the dome. To better appreciate the harrowing experience, try this; from the capitol grounds, peer at the top of the building and imagine clinging to the base of the statue of Ceres. Keep in High above the capitol grounds, intrepid dignitaries supervise the placing of the “Capstone” on December 5, 1916. mind, you have only a 2-foot wide 48
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51 RWLF Full page ad Under Construction Friday, May 29, 2015 2:54:34 PM
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53 KUB5527 - 2016 KAA MO Rural Water Program (KX/SVL/ZD/BX) - 7.5 x 10
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For more information, go to www.nrwa.org/affinity BSR half page ad Wednesday, March 11, 2015 9:30:56 AM
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MEETING ALL YOUR WATER TOWER NEEDS
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Our Employees are OSHA trained and we have 7 NACE certified Inspectors Darrin and Penny Treadway-Owners NACE Level 3 Inspectors 56
Manufacturers who are our partners and for which Midwest Meter Inc. is a leading distributor: Clow Valve Company, Ionware, Kennedy Valve, M&H Valve, Badger Meter, Ford Meter Box, Clow Water Systems, Regal Gas Chlorinators, and Tyler Pipe. Midwest Meter specializes in meter repair and testing both sonic and conventional.
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MRWA Calendar of Events August
27–28 Fall Operations & Maintenance Symposium
15
Office Professional Seminar
Carthage
9
Improving Water Quality in the Distribution System
Seligman
22 -23
MRWA BootHeel Expo
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Happy Halloween!!
November
4
Office Closed for Labor Day Holiday
5
DW & DS Certification Class (runs through Oct 12.)
14
Sustainable Management for Rural & Small Systems
Fredericktown
Dearborn Reno, NV
5
Daylight Saving Time Ends
10
Office Closed for Veterans’ Day (Observed)
23-24
Office Closed for Thanksgiving
December 25-26
Office Closed for Christmas
January
October 9
10 Day Drinking Water Treatment & Diatribution Certification (runs through Dec 5) Garden City
Poplar Bluff
September
18–20 NRWA WaterPro Conference
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1
Office Closed for Columbus Day
25–26 Office Professionals’ Seminar Lodge of Four Seasons
Office Closed for New Year’s
Lake Ozark
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S u s t a i n a b l e I n f r a s t r u c t ure Prestressed Concrete Water Storage Tanks
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For more information, pleaase contact: Dan Schuette (573-821-0588), or Bill Stouffer (660-287-4510) or our general office number (573-635-7570).
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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