Quench Magazine - Issue 3, 2020

Meet the TRWF 2020-21 Student Scholarship Recipients Also Inside:

Water Collection System Main Repair Drought Contingency Plans: Are You Prepared?

2020 — Issue 3 www.trwa.org

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

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

Board of Directors

TRWA Staff

Leadership Team

Officers

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

District Directors Mark Gardenhire Shackelford (District 1) Steve Adams Brown (District 4) Dave McMurry Bastrop (District 5) Johnny Rudisill Collin (District 7) Charles Beseda Hill (District 8) Pat Allen Guadalupe (District 9) Kent Watson Brazos (District 10) Shirley Thompson Kaufman (District 12)

Lara Zent Allison Kaminsky Larry Bell Nichol Howell Tom Shephard, CPA Trent Hightower Jason Knobloch

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

ext. 101 ext. 107 cell: 512-964-8133 ext. 134 ext. 102 ext. 106 ext. 137

Amanda Ashcraft Melody Bennett Ross Brookbank Pam Cantrell Kelsey Copeland Lisa Gallo Angela Harris Miles Hartman Brittney Melancon Emily Young Ariane Walker

Office Manager Project Support Specialist Membership and Outreach Manager Accounting Support Specialist Communications Specialist Meeting and Event Planner Project Support Specialist Project Support Specialist Paralegal Assistant Environmental Services Director Training Support Specialist

ext. 100 ext. 130 ext. 108 ext. 139 ext. 155 ext. 105 ext. 131 est. 135 ext. 110 ext. 132 ext. 111

Thomas Acker, Jr. Michael Beadnell Nathan Cantrell Alex Eaves Paul King Deborah McMullan Charles Perkins Bruce Pearson Refugio Rodriguez James Smith Quentin Turner William White Scott Willeford Gilbert Ybarbo

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

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

Office Staff

Field Staff

Contact the Editor

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

Join the conversation at: www.facebook.com/TexasRuralWaterAssn 2

Quench — 2020 - Issue 3

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

Features:

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Meet the 2020-21 TRWF Student Scholarship Recipients

By Kelsey Copeland, Texas Rural Water Association We are honored to recognize 10 oustanding students who received academic scholarships from the Foundation this year.

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g n i n i a r T e ch &T

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CONFE

RENCE

Galveston, TX | July 15-16

In Every Issue: Letter from the President Letter from the Executive Director

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Keep it Legal

5 10

Ask Larry

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Answers to your legal questions Answers to your technical questions

Advertiser Index Plan Ahead

TRWA’s Calendar of Events

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Drought Contingency Plans: Are You Prepared?

22

Communication Strategies for the Water Sector— Issue: Water Workers are Essential

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Wastewater Collection System Main Repair

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TRWA Briefs

Pesticide Management and Drinking Water Protection

By Deborah McMullan, Texas Rural Water Association Properly managing pesticides on your property is an important step toward preventing drinking water contamination.

By Allison Kaminsky, Texas Rural Water Association Read on for the essentials of creating a Drought Contingency Plan for your system.

By the U.S. Water Alliance Value of Water Campaign It is up to us in the water industry to build public awareness on the importance of utility workers, and also to thank them for their hard work.

By Michael Beadnell, Texas Rural Water Association With many Americans resorting to alternatives to toilet paper during the recent nationwide shortage, collection system repairs are on the rise.

Thank You to Our PAC Sponsors; Update to TRWA's Board of Directors; Announcing the Winners of Our PH2OTOSTREAM Contest; TRWA's Training and Technical Conference is on the Horizon

On the Cover: Stumped, by Hailey Faircloth, 2020 PH 2OTOSTREAM Grand Prize Winner Quench — 2020 Issue 3 3

President’s Message Rural Water Family, Wow! What a year so far!

“Our Association works to see that all rural Texas water systems receive equal benefits of membership, and that every member feels they have open access to participate and enjoy what we offer.”

The year 2020 will certainly be one for the history books. In most of our lifetimes, we’ve not experienced the life-changing events which have occurred this year. Like most of us, TRWA has taken appropriate steps to mitigate the impact of Covid-19. I want to give kudos to our TRWA staff for their efforts this spring and summer. From our staff working around the State, to our Austin office, they have worked hard to keep our membership informed by enacting creative, first-ever type solutions in the era of our “new normal.”

I’m proud to have recently been elected President of the TRWA Board and have served on the Board since 2011. For those of you who don’t know me, I manage Mustang SUD, located just north of the DFW metromess. While at MSUD, I’ve overseen our growth from 1,800 connections in 2002 to 20,000 and growing today. I’m thankful to work alongside other great Board and staff members while doing our part to support TRWA. A special thanks goes to our most recent President, Brian Macmanus, for his leadership over the past two years.

One of the most interesting business trips I’ve ever taken within our State was down to Harlingen to visit and tour East Rio Hondo WSC. I spent a couple of days in an area and system far different from the one I manage in north Texas. It was enlightening, and I remember thinking about how even though many demographics differ from my area, the services our respective entities provide must produce equally excellent results for the health and safety of our customers. This perspective applies to our mission at TRWA. Our Association works to see that all rural Texas water systems receive equal benefits of membership, and that every member feels they have open access to participate and enjoy what we offer. If you feel in any way this is not the case, please reach out — we’re listening. We want to have any discussion necessary to assure that our Association provides equal benefits, services and opportunities for you to help all of us run better systems. We’re all better off working together as an inclusive family.

Here’s looking forward to the second half of 2020 being much better, and I hope to see you at an in-person TRWA event soon!

My Regards,

Chris Boyd President Texas Rural Water Association 4

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Letter from the Executive Director Dear TRWA Members, As we’re growing weary of masks and social distancing, I was hoping things would be returning to normalcy this summer; but unfortunately, that’s still not the case. I’m so proud of the way our industry has adapted to this changed environment and continues to deliver the high-quality services our rural communities depend on.

The first week in June, we hosted our Office Professionals Conference virtually.

We were thrilled with the level of participation and discussion despite the distance between us and appreciate our members giving this new format a chance. TCEQ is supporting new types of virtual training by approving operator certification credit more liberally than they have in the past. In addition to our current self-paced online classes, we have submitted new classes for approval.

We have also started offering some in-person classes which are posted on our website. We’ll be taking recommended safety precautions and encourage you to check the schedule if you are interested in attending any of these live classes.

This summer, we launched our salary and rate survey project which we conduct every two years. The more systems that participate, the better the information we provide. Each system that participates will receive free surveys. If you haven’t already done so, please help us with this worthy project that benefits so many systems. You may access the surveys on our website at www.trwa. org/207.

TRWA’s three regular board meetings are held in March in conjunction with our Annual Convention; in July in conjunction with Tech Conference; and in December. As far as I know, this is the first year the Board has not been able to meet in person at Convention and instead met in May by video conference.

Since we had no contested director or alternate elections this year, one item of business was for the board to adopt a resolution declaring candidates unopposed and elected pursuant to a new policy adopted in 2019. The resolution is posted on our website.

“I'm so proud of the way our industry has adapted to this changed environment and continues to deliver the high-quality services our rural communities depend on.”

The directors also elected new officers. Congratulations to Chris Boyd, our new president from District 3! Bruce Alexander is our new Vice President, Kevin Spence our new Secretary and Robert Nettles will remain in the Treasurer position. Brian Macmanus will serve another two years on the executive committee as Immediate Past President. Thank you, Brian, for your leadership, hard work and dedication to TRWA as president for the past two years!

Hang in there! Keep up the great work, and I hope to see you soon!

Best regards,

Lara Zent Executive Director and General Counsel Texas Rural Water Association Quench — 2020 Issue 3 5

Meet the 2020-21 TRWF Student Scholarship Recipients

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Compiled by Kelsey Copeland, Communications Specialist, Texas Rural Water Association

he Texas Rural Water Foundation's (TRWF) Student Scholarship program was established to recognize outstanding and worthy students who are pursuing a higher education to the benefit of themselves and rural Texas.

We are honored to recognize our TRWF 2020-21 Student Scholarship recipients, including this year’s Dwayne Jekel Scholarship awardee.

Dwayne Jekel served on the Texas Rural Water Association Board of Directors for 30 years and was a water industry leader. He received his bachelor’s and a Master of Education Degree in Agricultural Education from Texas A & M University. He was the owner and operator of D&L Service Company in Cameron, Texas, and his love for water and his community should not go unnoticed.

Special thanks to the Jekel Family for continuing his legacy by establishing the Dwayne Jekel Student Scholarship endowment. Not only does this endowment help a student to reach his or her higher education goals, but it also helps the Texas Rural Water Foundation raise awareness about the importance of jobs in our industry.

Congratulations to Rheanna Blair, our 2020-21 Dwayne Jekel Student Scholarship recipient. She will be awarded $3,000 to be applied toward her 2020-21 school year.

The recipients of our $2,000 Student Scholarships include Erynn Hosek, Reagan Hoelscher, McKenna Pavelock and Josue Borrego.

Also receiving scholarships are Karson Kelso, Emily Newman, Trevor Williams Hannah Verstyuft and Chloe Randall who will each receive $1,000 toward their 2020-21 curriculum. Read more about our recipients below.

Rheanna Blair grew up in Cleveland, Texas and graduated 8th in a class of 452 students from Caney Creek High School. “Her ability to balance academics, sports, a job [at Chick-Fil-A] and participate in multiple organizations tells you she is hard-working, organized, and driven to succeed,” writes her high school principal Dr. Jeff Stichler.

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Among her many leadership roles, Rheanna served as the Varsity Golf Team Captain, VicePresident of her school’s National Honor Society, Class Secretary, Vice President of her school’s National Art Honor Society (NAHS), Co-Captain of the Varsity Swim Team and as a Principal’s Advisory Committee Member. She was also an NAHS Da Vinci Award recipient two years in a row.

With a full schedule of AP classes in her senior year, Rheanna discovered a passion for environmental science in her AP environmental science class. She decided to attend Baylor University in the fall to pursue a degree in biology with a focus on the environmental impact that society’s watershed has on other ecosystems.

Rheanna’s grandmother is the City Secretary of the City of Cut and Shoot, where Rheanna has volunteered answering phones and filing water payments. Rheanna enjoys being involved in leadership programs, spending time with her family, baking and playing with her three dogs.

Erynn Hosek is a senior at Texas A&M University in College Station. She currently studies accounting at the Mays Business School and has been accepted into a master’s program where she will study Financial Management. Hosek has participated in several business organizations at Texas A&M and plans to obtain a certificate in Nonprofit and Social Innovation through the university’s business school.

She grew up in Poth, Texas, a rural town outside of San Antonio.

Erynn’s father is the operator of Three Oaks Water Supply.

“I acknowledge the complexity of maintaining a safe, public water supply,” says Erynn.

“I have been able to experience a water utility system audit and financial review with Three Oaks Water Supply Corporation.” The skills Erynn has learned at Texas A&M have enabled her to assist her father with complying with state water regulations through the creation of various forms and data input. Her continuing education and experience are helping to prepare her for future finical work within the industry.

Reagan Hoelscher is the Tuloso-Midway High School Class of 2020 Valedictorian. She served as the class treasurer and student council vicepresident. Reagan was a member of the U.S. Academic Decathlon Team and earned a Gold Medal in Speech. She was a member of the 2018 and the 2019 UIL District Champion Accounting Team. In addition, Reagan was the Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Secretary and the recipient of the BPA National Ambassador Torch Award for Service & Leadership. Reagan is also an altar server at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Violet, Texas.

Reagan is an avid 4-Her. She raised rabbits and horses and participated in a wide range of service and leadership projects. Reagan is the president of Chaparral 4-H Club, the vice-president of county council, and a Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador and Advocate. She was also a Texas Delegate at the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia and a member of the Texas 4-H West Coast Experience where she traveled

from Portland, Oregon to La Joya, California learning about agriculture.

In the fall, Reagan will attend Texas A&M University. She was accepted into the TAMU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences where she will major in biomedical sciences. Upon the completion of her education, she plans to become a large animal veterinarian and serve in the rural communities of Texas. She believes “it is imperative that those in the agricultural realm work hand in hand with those who protect and provide our natural resources.”

McKenna Pavelock is a sophomore Agricultural Communications major at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. She is involved in several on-campus organizations including Block and Bridle and Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow, as well as being the campus representative for Ag Workers Insurance.

McKenna has an extensive ag background and has been involved in the agricultural industry in some way, shape or form her entire life. Both of her parents are/were ag teachers, and both sets of her grandparents are cattle ranchers.

From the time she was born she was going to stock shows and conventions and even began rodeoing at the age of seven.

Rodeo and FFA have been the biggest influences in her life, both of which offered opportunities and provided perspectives most do not get to see or understand. McKenna understands the importance of amplifying rural voices and educating others on the role of agriculture in Texas and looks forward to her continued studies.

Josue Javier Borrego is a Fightin’ Texas Aggie Sophomore class of 2023 at Texas A&M University, majoring in civil engineering. He is currently involved in The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets where he learns, practices and develops critical leadership and career readiness skills. As a member of Continued on page 8 Quench — 2020 Issue 3 7

teams. He advanced to state contests in most of these contests. He was a captain of the Marion Bulldog Football team, which advanced to the area semifinals the past two years.

Continued from page 9

Squadron 20, he has enjoyed the leadership training he has received from his upperclassmen. Josue is involved in Chi Alpha Ministries where he serves as the bass player in the praise and worship team and is part of a small group ministry.

Josue is from Rio Hondo, Texas Where he attended Rio Hondo High School, graduating Salutatorian of his class. He was involved in band where he became a three time All State Bass Trombone player and in FFA where he built award winning wood and metal projects for the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show.

Josue works as an intern for East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation. He has been installing Digital AMI/AMR Kamstrup Meters, changing over 420 meters last summer and nearly 600 meters this summer. He has also converted meters from AMR to AMI radio signals and has performed meter maintenance, reading, locking and repairs.

Josue has learned the importance of having a good work ethic in any task that is given. He hopes to earn a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering under construction engineering or water resources engineering.

Karson Kelso graduated from Marion High School where he was very active in Marion FFA, Marion Bulldog Football and Guadalupe County 4-H. He served as the president of the Marion FFA chapter and competed on the chapter conducting, ag issues, meat judging and ag sales 8

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Along with these athletic accolades, he was first team all-district offense, as well as first team academic all-state. He served as president of New Berlin 4H, president of the Guadalupe County 4H Council, and was a senior Guadalupe County 4H Ambassador. He earned the opportunity to compete nationally in both parliamentary procedure and food challenge contests, winning the national parliamentary procedure contest in Denver, Colorado. He competitively participated these events while keeping an outstanding academic record and raising show swine to show at all the major livestock shows across Texas. Karson will be attending Texas A&M University in College Station will pursue a degree in Agribusiness. He is incredibly excited to begin his new journey and is proud to represent Guadalupe County and the Texas Rural Water Association during his studies.

Emily Newman lives in Paris in northeast Texas.

Emily graduated eighth in Prairiland High School’s Class of 2020. Throughout high school she was involved in multiple student organizations, serving as an FFA officer all four years. She especially loves participating in leadership events, conventions and camps.

Emily is excited to be attending Texas Tech University in the fall. She plans to major in Human Sciences and later attend the Physician’s Assistant program. She has always had a passion for healthcare, and after shadowing on the surgery floor at her local hospital, her heart was set! She is excited about new opportunities, and thanks Texas Rural Water Foundation for helping to support her endeavors.

Trevor Williams is a 2020 graduate of Sabine High School. He graduated 7th in his class with 32 completed college hours. He is enrolled at Kilgore College in the Process Technology degree program.

At Sabine, Trevor was a member of the National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Varsity Tennis team, and Math and Science team. In Science UIL Trevor won over fifty medals at various local and state meets.

Trevor was among the four-member team that placed first in the UIL Science Team division the last two years and has also placed first in Chemistry and Physics at the district level. Trevor is also a member of East Mountain Baptist Church. This past summer, he volunteered at two youth mission camps. Trevor’s mother, Kimberly is employed by Liberty City Water Supply Corporation.

Chloe Randall is a graduate of Martinsville ISD where she served as an FFA officer, FCCLA officer, class officer and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Chloe was named a Noble Scholar of Nacogdoches, ranked in the top of her class and is focused on her goal of achieving a master’s degree in physical therapy which she set for herself in the 4th grade. As a studentathlete, Chloe learned the importance of hard work and adjustments — both on the court and in the classroom. As a citizen, Chloe leads with family values and a kind heart.

Hannah Verstuyft is from Atascosa, Texas and graduated Salutatorian of Southwest High School’s Class of 2020. She will attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall. Hannah was President of the National Honor Society, a four-year volleyball letterman, and served as the volleyball team captain her senior year. Hannah volunteers with Christus Santa Rosa San Antonio Children’s Hospital and was selected for the Texas High School Coaches Association All State Academic Elite Team. She will be majoring in Public Health with the hopes of going to medical school and becoming a surgeon.

Chloe’s great grandfather helped establish Swift Water Supply, her grandfather served as the Manager/Operator for the system for 35 years, and her grandmother has served as the Secretary/ Bookkeeper for over 50 years. Her father now also serves as the Manager/Operator. Clearly, Rural Water has always been a part of her life. She plans to attend Stephen F. Austin State University to pursue a health sciences degree and then pursue a Master’s in physical therapy to provide care in rural areas.

Hannah’s upbringing in the small community of Atascosa where her parents were also raised has instilled a fondness and appreciation for rural Texas and its values.

She recognizes and applauds the efforts of Atascosa Rural Water Supply Company and plans to return to her hometown after earning her M.D. to take care of the community that has always taken care of her.

Join us in congratulating all of these impressive students. If you know someone who is interested in applying for a 2021-22 Student Scholarship, applications will be available online this fall. If you have any questions about this program, visit www. trwa.org/trwf or contact foundation@trwa.org.

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

(903) 729-6005 jffontaine@jffontaine.com

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Keep It Legal Answers to Members’ Questions by TRWA Assistant General Counsel Trent Hightower

Q:

Has there been any update to the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) order on disconnections during the COVID-19 crisis?

A: As previously reported, the PUC issued an order in March putting a stop to water utility disconnections for customers of investor-owned utilities, which TRWA advised its WSC, district and city members to voluntarily follow as a best practice.

The PUC initially intended the order to coincide with the governor’s statewide disaster declaration, but the commissioners recently changed course by letting the order lapse in mid-June. This means that utilities may resume disconnections for nonpayment of water bills. However, TRWA recommends that utilities implement a transition policy for resuming disconnections rather than an abrupt return to business as usual. Here are some tips for reinstituting service disconnections for nonpayment:

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Give your customers advance notice of the date on which you will resume disconnecting service for nonpayment.

We recommend a date around July 15, though the specific date may vary depending on your system’s billing cycle.

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Clearly communicate with your customers that they should contact you before your new disconnection date if they are unable to pay their bill, and let them know that you are willing to work out a payment plan with them. This can be done on a water bill, in a separate mailing, or as an announcement on your utility’s website or social media.

•

Document attempts to reach out to nonpaying customers so you can support the disconnection should they file a complaint with the PUC.

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Once your disconnection date passes, you may fully resume your usual disconnection policy as specified in your tariff unless the PUC implements new restrictions in the future in response to COVID-19. TRWA will notify its members immediately if that happens.

Q: Now that portions of the state’s economy are starting to open back up after the COVID-19 shutdowns, we are moving our staff back into the office after working from home the past few months. One employee has produced a doctor’s note stating that they are especially susceptible to the virus and therefore needs to continue working from home. Can we require this employee to return to the office in some way?

"Give your customers advance notice of the date on which you will resume disconnecting service for nonpayment."

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Continue to negotiate payment plans with each customer based on their ability to pay and their specific circumstances rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all payment plan.

•

If you have customers who have not paid their bills or established a payment plan while Quench — 2020 - Issue 3

the PUC’s order was in effect, reach out to them personally to let them know that the PUC’s order has expired and you will begin reinstituting disconnections on a specific date if they do not make arrangements for a payment plan.

A: Under normal circumstances, employers are not required to allow employees to work from home unless the employee has a documented disability and working from home is a reasonable accommodation that doesn’t place an undue burden on the employer. Additionally, during a pandemic situation like the one that has recently affected all our daily lives in unprecedented ways, employers must allow employees to work from home if their job can be performed remotely and applicable federal, state or local government orders require the closure of businesses.

As you mentioned, those government closure

orders are starting to be lifted in phases across the state, but the general rule on reasonable accommodations remains in effect on a permanent basis due to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The question then becomes whether this employee’s particular vulnerability to the virus that causes COVID-19 counts as a disability under the ADA. Unfortunately, since this is a novel situation, the answer to that question is unclear at the moment. Congress has toyed with the idea of implementing some kind of shield law protecting employers from liability if they are sued by employees who contract the virus on the job, but as of mid-June, no such shield has been implemented.

State leaders here in Texas have also made mention of these laws, but they are not scheduled to meet again until January 2021 so no such statelevel employer protections can be expected before that time.

Unless such a shield is put into place by state or federal officials, employer liability will ultimately be decided by the courts, which takes time.

Until we have a definitive answer, I would advise members that they can’t get into trouble for allowing vulnerable employees to continue working from home, but they do face potential liability for exposing these employees to the virus if the courts determine that lack of immunity to the virus constitutes a disability under the ADA. Therefore, if an employee has documentation from a physician that they are at increased risk of major health complications due to COVID-19, it is likely in the employer’s best interest to allow them to keep working from home. This advice, of course, assumes that the employee’s job can be performed remotely, and that they have been satisfactorily performing their duties on that basis during the earlier days of the pandemic when offices were shut down. TRWA will advise members if any clearer guidance comes out from the courts or from state or federal officials.

Q: Our WSC postponed our annual meeting earlier this spring due to COVID-19. We would like to have that meeting soon — how quickly can we reschedule it? Is there a minimum amount of notice we need to give our members?

I’ve heard both 30 days and 72 hours; which one is correct?

A: This is a situation where the law isn’t exactly clear, because we’re kind of in uncharted territory when it comes to rescheduling annual meetings on a mass scale like we’ve seen this year. That said, I think the answer is likely going to depend

on a couple of factors. First, is there anything for members to vote on at this meeting? In other words, do you have a contested election or proposed bylaws that people need to vote on? If the answer is no, you can legally call the meeting with only 72 hours of notice, which is the minimum amount of notice required by the Texas Open Meetings Act. Due to the ongoing nature of the pandemic, I advise keeping such a meeting short and to the point, as I have recommended previously for people who went forward with their meetings this spring.

If, however, you’re asking people to vote on directors or bylaw changes, the amount of notice you will need to give will likely depend on how far along you got in your election process before you had to postpone your meeting. If you need to hold an election, the Water Code requires meeting packets (candidate bios, ballots, proposed bylaws changes, etc.) to be sent at least 30 days before the meeting. So, if you already sent the packets in March in anticipation of an April meeting that you eventually had to postpone, you’d still be in good shape because those packets will have been sent at least 30 days before, let’s say, a June meeting.

Therefore, you could hold your meeting now with 72 hours of notice (again, to comply with the Open Meetings Act), but I’d recommend giving people as much notice as you can as a courtesy (say a couple weeks).

If you’re holding an election and the COVID-19 situation caused you to cancel your meeting before you had sent out meeting packets, you should send those out at least 30 days before your new meeting date to comply with as much of the law as is possible.

Q: We have had issues with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) when the agency has expanded roads into areas in which Continued on page 12

Planning & Design Services for your Water System TREATMENT · STORAGE · DISTRIBUTION

877.572.3647 KSAENG.COM

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Continued from page 11

we have exclusive use easements for our water lines. Is there anything we can do to make this process go more smoothly?

A: This is a common issue statewide, particularly in rapidly growing areas near the state’s larger cities. Highway construction projects can often lead to conflict between TxDOT and utilities, so having strong relationships with your local TxDOT offices and frequent communication can streamline the process of getting properly compensated when a road project requires the relocation of water infrastructure. We recommend reaching out to your district TxDOT offices and getting to know the local officials there. Systems who have strong relationships with these local officials have reported having a much easier time dealing with the agency when it comes to road expansion and relocation projects, because the agency knows the general areas where the utility has infrastructure and knows who to call about that infrastructure during the planning phases of the project. In our discussions with TxDOT personnel, they repeatedly stress that communication during early planning phases is critical, because if a utility steps in to assert its easements too late it can be difficult for the agency to change its plans relating to that infrastructure.

TRWA has put together a tool kit to help utilities effectively navigate right of way conflicts with TxDOT. The toolkit includes best practices for working with the agency, including tips on maintaining proper documentation and guidance on the types of issues utilities should proactively engage on with the agency. The tool kit also includes links to common TxDOT standard forms that can streamline the process of working with the agency, as well as information relating to free training courses taught by agency staff to help utilities learn more about all aspects of the road planning process as it relates to utilities and their easements. The tool kit can be found on the TRWA website at https://www.trwa.org/page/TXDoT. If you have a legal question you would like answered, please email legal@trwa.org.

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Pesticide Management and Drinking Water Protection

By Deborah McMullan, Source Water Protection Specialist, Texas Rural Water Association

R

ural residents have a major role to play in protecting their drinking water, whether it comes from groundwater or surface water sources. By becoming familiar with the ways ground and surface water can become polluted and the management practices that can prevent pollution, we can all be assured of a continued safe supply of drinking water.

Pesticides play an important role in agriculture.

They have increased farm production and enabled farmers to manage more acres with less labor.

Voluntary action to prevent pesticide contamination of drinking water will help ensure that pesticides remain available for responsible use.

Pesticides work by interfering with the life processes of plants and insects. Some pesticides are also toxic to humans. If a pesticide enters a water supply in large quantities, which could happen with spills, dumping, or back-siphoning accidents, acute health effects could occur, depending on the toxicity of the pesticide. Contaminated water used for drinking water supplies may cause chronic exposure (prolonged or repeated exposure to low doses of a toxic substance).

Chronic exposure may be hazardous to humans and livestock.

Properly managing pesticides on your property is an important step toward preventing drinking water contamination. If stored in a secure, weatherproof and properly constructed location, pesticides pose little danger to drinking water. Of course, this properly constructed building should be well away from any water sources such as creeks, rivers, ponds and water wells. Container tops should be tightly closed and bags 14

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properly sealed. Another excellent practice is to store liquid pesticides on the lower shelves with the dry products on the upper shelves. This will make for an easier clean up should a liquid product begin to leak, but also keeps the dry products from being dissolved by the leakage.

Common sense suggests keeping pesticides out of the way of activities that might knock over a jug or rip open a bag. Short-term storage poses a lower risk than year-round storage, but storage for any length of time can be a risk to drinking water.

Drinking water contamination can result even from small spills in the mixing and loading area.

Small quantities spilled regularly in the same place can go unnoticed, but the chemicals can build up in the soil and eventually reach drinking water. By mixing and loading on an impermeable concrete surface, most spilled pesticides can be recovered and reused. Again, the impermeable surface should be installed well away from surface water sources and water wells.

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A best practice for storing pesticides is to store liquid products on the lower shelves with dry products on the upper shelves.

Unwashed and improperly stored containers can lead to drinking water contamination if chemical residues leak onto the ground. Use returnable containers and minibulks, and take them back to the dealer as often as possible. Pressure-rinse or triple-rinse containers immediately after use, since residue can be difficult to remove after it dries.

Pour the rinse water into the spray tank. Puncture empty containers and store them in a covered area until you take them to a regional collection event or permitted landfill. Do not bury or burn pesticide containers or bags.

Reducing pesticide waste makes financial, as well as environmental sense, but it means more than just reducing spills. It also means not buying more than you need to apply, keeping records of what is on hand, and using older products first.

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Quench — 2020 Issue 3 15

Drought Contingency Plans: Are You Prepared?

By Allison Kaminsky, Deputy Executive Director, Texas Rural Water Association

E

very year, regions of Texas deal with drought to some degree. Though most concerning in summer months when irrigation and water use is at its peak, a drought can happen any time of year. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the longest duration of drought in Texas lasted 271 weeks beginning in May 2010 and ending in July 2015. When a system is in a time of drought, water emergency or high usage that requires conservation, having a Drought Contingency Plan in place will help curtail water use. Whether you have one in place or are working on developing one, it is important to know the essentials of a Drought Contingency Plan.

A Drought Contingency Plan should be comprehensive and should include all possible variables that will secure enough capacity to meet a drought event. If you need to start from scratch, do you know what you need to be looking for and what to include? If you already have one in place, have you audited it to ensure you’re not missing something important? Hopefully, this article will help you in either scenario.

First, let’s look at rules governing Drought Contingency Plans and how they apply to your system. The mandate requiring these plans for certain entities is found in Texas Water Code Section 11.1272. What needs to be contained within these plans, as well as filing requirements, are set forth in Title 30 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 288. The following entities must develop, implement, and submit a Drought Contingency Plan every five years: • • •

Retail public water suppliers with more than 3,300 connections* Irrigation water providers (Irrigation Districts) Wholesale public water suppliers

*It is important to note that retail public water suppliers with less than 3,300 connections still must prepare and adopt an updated Drought Contingency Plan and make the plan available for inspection by TCEQ, but they are not required to submit plans to TCEQ every 5 years.

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According to these rules, the minimum requirements for these plans include the following: • • • •

• • •

• • •

A plan to actively inform the public and provide opportunity for public input A plan for continued public education and information Documentation of coordination with the regional water planning groups for the area A description of information to be monitored by the water supplier, and specific criteria for the initiation and termination of drought response stages, as well as explanation and rationale for the triggering criteria Drought or emergency response stages Targets for water use reductions Water supply or water demand management measures to be implemented at each stage of the plan, including limitations on non-essential water use and utilization of alternative water sources Initiation and termination procedures for each stage of drought response, including plans for notifying the public Procedures for granting variances to the plan Procedures for enforcement of mandatory water use restrictions, including specific penalties

As you can see from the requirements, a Drought Contingency Plan is not just an outline of stages you need to implement that you can copy and paste every five years to meet the reporting requirements.

Instead, this plan is a detailed, complex document that helps systems prepare for and manage a drought event while attempting to minimize the economic, social and environmental impacts of a drought.

Public involvement and education are an essential first step in developing your plan, so be sure to get your community involved. Your instinct may be to want to leave the public out of the planning process, saying “nobody comes to the meetings” or “all they want is water,” but engaging with community stakeholders who are invested in

the planning process will help you get buy-in and will make for an easier implementation process.

Some ways to do this include, but are not limited to, providing a public notice that the plan is being prepared, forming an advisory committee, holding public meetings, conducting surveys and distributing a draft plan for the public to review and comment on prior to its formal adoption.

To help guide you in your details, there are several things you should consider at the outset and plan to include in your drought response plan.

•

•

•

•

Goals and objectives: Clearly define your system’s goals and objectives, including targets for reduced consumption, customer restrictions, minimum flow requirements, etc.

Supply and Demand: Identify existing and potential water sources and look at trends relating to water demand. When considering demand, you should look at current averages and peaks, as well as historic and projected future demand trends.

Drought Index: Define system-specific drought indicators and indices that will help you monitor and assess the severity and duration of drought events. These could include ground and/or surface water storage, stream flows, soil moisture, rainfall deficit, well drawdown levels, etc.

Mitigation Measures: Identify potential mitigation measures and assess their potential impacts on the system and the community.

Mitigation measures could range from water audits and public education to surcharges and rationing.

Once you have identified and defined these elements, you can get to work on creating your drought response stages that structure your response strategy. Most Drought Contingency Plans have between three to five stages that represent a gradual approach, escalating your response tactics as you progress though the stages. Utilizing drought indicators and indices as benchmarks, you can define what triggers each stage of your plan. Having empirical data supporting the progression of these stages helps you determine if you are responding appropriately, helps you explain the rationale for selecting your criteria as required in your plan, and also helps with public acceptance of the mitigation measures that come with them.

Paired with your response stages will be the mitigation tactics that will be implemented when that stage is activated. These should be related to

the severity of the drought situation and the specific water use reduction targets for each stage. These mitigation tactics should include best management practices for reduction in water demand, such as restrictions or bans on nonessential water use, and also best practices for water supply management, such as acquisition of alternative water supplies.

It is important to coordinate with your regional water planning group to ensure your Drought Contingency Plan is consistent with the appropriate approved regional water plans. As such, one of the requirements of your plan is to provide documentation of this coordination. An example of this would be to include a copy of a cover letter indicating the plan was provided to the regional planning group. If you are not already familiar with your regional water planning group, an interactive map of each region with relevant contact information can be found on the Texas Water Development Board’s website at http://twdb.texas.gov/ waterplanning/rwp/regions/index.asp.

The TCEQ has developed guidance and model forms to create a Drought Contingency Plan for each type of entity that is required to have one.

These can be found at TCEQ’s website at https:// www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/water_rights/wr_ technical-resources/contingency.html. The Texas Rural Water Association also has resources to help. The Texas Rural Water Association’s Sample Tariff contains a model Drought Contingency and Emergency Water Demand Management Plan that meets the TCEQ’s requirements and can be adapted to meet the specific needs of your system.

We also have specialists available that can review your Drought Contingency Plan and provide input and guidance. For more information, please contact us at 512-472-8591.

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

Q:

Our local volunteer fire department (VFD) wants our WSC to allow them to fill customer pools using water acquired from a meter paid for by the department. Is this allowed? What if they were to take the water from one of our hydrants, which we already allow them to use to fill and clean their trucks? I suspect the department is looking for a new source of revenue.

A: As it relates to the meter paid for by the VFD, both the TRWA Sample Tariff and the Service Application and Agreement, which all customers are supposed to sign, include prohibitions on the resale of water. Specifically, these provisions state that water is for the sole use of the member or customer (in this case the VFD), and that the sharing, reselling or submetering of water to any other person, dwelling, business or property is prohibited. Thus, if the VFD were to resell water from its meter to individuals to fill their pools, it would likely be in violation of your WSC’s rules.

or other unknown uses. In at least one case I am aware of a fire department that broke a hydrant late at night refused to take responsibility for the damage.

Systems should also consider the risk fire trucks pose as a source of cross contamination of their water systems. Let’s say a truck filled one day at a stock pond, river or ditch, and then filled at your hydrant the next day. Systems have been known to fail their bacti sample tests in this way. Water systems are responsible for ensuring that all crossconnections are eliminated instantly, so they should educate VFD staff to make sure they are trained on how to protect the system’s hydrants and valves.

They should also make sure that some type of backflow prevention assembly is installed to keep any water in the truck’s tank from entering the utility’s distribution system while it is being filled.

"If the VFD were to resell water from its meter to individuals to fill their pools, it would likely be in violation of your WSC's rules."

Taking water from one of your hydrants for this purpose is also problematic. It is important to remember that all members of your system bear the cost of acquiring, treating and producing the water the VFD would be taking to fill just a few individuals’ pools. In other words, every customer on the system who pays a base rate would be subsidizing the cost of that treated water for just the few residences, some of which might not even be members of the system who shared in bearing all the costs associated with that water. On the surface, this seems innocent enough, but it benefits the VFD at the expense of the rest of your system’s members.

There are other potential downsides of allowing access to the water systems’ hydrants for non-fire related uses. First is the question of who bears the cost of wear and tear on the fire hydrant. Systems may have to contend with expensive maintenance costs for hydrants used to fill fire trucks for pools 18

Quench — 2020 - Issue 3

Q: We were recently written up by TCEQ for storing our chlorine equipment and caustic soda feed equipment in the same building. While it seems logical that these should be separated, I couldn’t find the specific rule that requires that. Also, how would you suggest we go about fixing the situation in the future?

A: Rule 290.42(e) covers all aspects of disinfection and states that systems that use chlorine gas must ensure the risks associated with it are limited in certain ways. Specific to your question, systems must house gas chlorination equipment and chlorine cylinders in a separate building or room with impervious walls or partitions that separate all mechanical and electrical equipment from the chlorine facilities. Housing must be located above ground level as an additional safety measure, and systems may install equipment and cylinders outside of buildings when protected from adverse weather conditions and vandalism.

Therefore, if you currently have only one storage

building or room, you might consider using it to house and store the caustic soda feed equipment and place the chlorine outside. Just be sure that the chlorine cylinders are securely fastened so they can’t be turned over on accident or pulled lose from the chlorine injection system piping.

Q: I am aware of the rule that requires meters to be located on the property being served. My question is, how do we verify the boundaries of properties for this purpose? We have been mostly going by the word of individual landowners, which has recently resulted in us finding out that some of our meters were not correctly located.

A: This is one of those situations where a little extra effort by the system up front can save them substantial headaches and costs down the road.

Throughout my time at TRWA, I have seen too many systems that have allowed customers to dictate where they wanted their meters to be set. This can lead to lawsuits and fights between neighbors and family members, and often the utility ends up bearing the brunt of these clashes. In many cases, system staff were simply too timid to enforce their own policies relating to meter locations if a customer

raised their voice, said they would sue the system, or used an intimidating attitude.

Systems are not required to do expensive title searches, but they should require applicants for service to provide a legal deed or ownership proof showing that the person applying for water or sewer service owns that tract of land. After getting this proof of ownership, the system should at least check the county’s tax rolls and property tax maps to see whose name is listed for that property. While this may have been more of an undertaking many years ago, most counties have modernized and this research can now generally be done from the system’s office.

Is this a fool-proof verification? Not all the time, but it is usually pretty accurate unless another deed or court decree has been issued since the county’s records were last updated. You could also require the applicant to provide this information as part of the application process. Most importantly, you should enforce these policies and refuse to set a meter until you are satisfied that the applicant does, in fact, own the property on which the meter will Continued on page 20

Quench — 2020 Issue 3 19

Continued from page 19

be placed. Until they can do that, they don’t get a meter.

This is a hard line for systems to take, but otherwise you are operating on an honor system in which the applicant has little incentive to uphold his or her end of the bargain. In the event that the placement ends up being wrong, the PUC would likely side with the owner in a dispute about relocation costs because they would see it as the utility shirking its responsibility to exercise due diligence when it set the meter in the wrong location in the first place.

the on-site and off-site improvements that will be necessary to provide the level and manner of service being requested by the applicant. Many engineers have drawn up plans or completed similar calculations for other applicants or systems and may have developed a simple formula they use for establishing the fee.

This is why the Sample Tariff leaves the blank in there for your system or your system’s engineer to either insert a standard “estimated fee” or just takes each application on a case-by-case basis.

If you have a technical question you would like answered, please e-mail larry.bell@trwa.org.

Q: The TRWA Sample Tariff has a place where we can set an appropriate nonstandard service investigation fee for those types of requests.

What would be an appropriate fee, and how do we go about setting that in our tariff?

A: Before establishing the amount of the fee, I think it is important to understand the types of costs the fee is meant to cover. In the Sample Tariff, we state that the nonstandard service investigation fee is for the purposes of paying initial administrative, legal and engineering fees associated with the investigation of the corporation’s ability to delver the desired services to the applicant.

To establish an initial nonstandard service investigation fee, the system would need to rely strongly on their engineer and attorney, as well as any administrative staff in determining the expenses that will relate to the application. Sometimes the system will need an attorney’s expertise to determine the price of amending the utility’s CCN, negotiating water rights or a purchase water contract, or negotiating a contract for the purchase of property to build a remote storage tank or well to service the development.

If you are interested in having us as Some systems contact their engineer to get a rough estimate for the costs of reviewing and calculating the proposed project costs based on 20

Quench — 2020 - Issue 3

Code Updates

your partner, feel free to contact one of our department representatives below

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Quench — 2020 Issue 3 21

Communication Strategies for the Water Sector — Issue: Water Workers are Essential By the U.S. Water Alliance, Value of Water Campaign

I

n response to the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans are sheltering in place. But water and wastewater utilities have to keep the water flowing, and thousands of water workers show up every day to fulfill the mission to protect public and environmental health. More than ever, these workers are essential.

How can utilities thank them for their work and help build public awareness on the importance of these essential frontline workers?

The Value of Water Campaign prepared this fact sheet of communications tips for telling the story of water workers doing their jobs during a global pandemic. It also highlights some great examples of how supporters of the Value of Water Campaign use successful approaches through social media. More examples can be found on the Value of Water Campaign COVID Response Page at http://thevalueofwater. org/content/covid-response-tools.

We hope this round-up of tips and examples helps empower water sector stakeholders to communicate and educate their communities on their essential work.

Spotlight workers on the job.

Say “Thank You.”

Showing your workers repairing water and sewer lines, performing lab tests, or answering customer calls, not only provides a morale boost for your employees, but also shows your customers that there’s more to providing water and wastewater services than they imagined. Including their names and photos is a way to honor those individuals and humanize the work of the water sector. After all, it is people who run the systems that bring water to homes and collect and treat it before returning it to the environment. All of us depend on the thousands of water workers who show up every day to do their jobs.

Unlike those in healthcare and grocery, water workers have gone without due attention. Their work is just as crucial, and they deserve gratitude for showing up and continuing their jobs in a more stressful and uncertain environment. Publicly saying thank you is a way to acknowledge their work and raise awareness among your customers. Also, think of ways to say thank you privately or internally. It doesn’t have to be complicated—sending a note or making a phone call is all it takes. Saying thank you is free and can be meaningful to your employees.

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Connect with the mission.

The mission of your utility is the “why” and “how” of your work. Helping your employees feel

connected to that mission is critical for employee engagement. Engaged employees are more likely to share ideas, comply with new safety standards, and express trust and support for their organization.

When you highlight your workers, tie their work to the overall mission of delivering safe water, protecting public health, or safeguarding the environment.

Show all kinds of workers.

Not every water worker is an operator or wears a hard hat. Try to highlight diverse job functions, including office staff, customer service, education specialists, or lab workers. You bring attention to employees who may not have as much recognition while highlighting the incredible diversity of water jobs.

Choose a good messenger.

A shout-out from your company’s twitter account will feel great, but a thank you directly from the general manager or CEO would feel more meaningful. Whether on social media or in internal communication channels, consider opportunities for your leadership to express gratitude directly.

Some organizations are providing opportunities for employees to give shout-outs to each other through newsletters or on intranet pages. It’s a stressful time and promoting a culture of gratitude is one way to help ease some stress and boost morale.

Continued on page 24 Quench — 2020 Issue 3 23

Continued from page 23

Additional Resources Amplify public support.

If your employees receive a public display of support, amplify it. While water workers deserve a thank you every time someone turns on the tap or flushes a toilet, they rarely receive one. It can feel great to get recognition from outside the organization.

Get creative.

Showing appreciation for and highlighting the work of your employees doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether saying thank you, making banners, yard signs, original songs, or videos, Value of Water Campaign supporters are getting creative.

If you have a smartphone and a few good photos, you can make a simple video for your employees and share it online or in your next newsletter.

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“Resources.” Water Environment Federation, 2020. Water’s Worth It: Coronavirus Toolkit. https:// watersworthit.org/ resources/ About the Value of Water Campaign The Value of Water Campaign educates and inspires the nation about how water is essential, invaluable, and in need of investment. Spearheaded by top leaders in the water industry, the Value of Water Campaign is building public and political will for investment in America’s water infrastructure. To learn more: www.thevalueofwater.org If you would like to learn more, share ideas, or get involved with the Value of Water Campaign, please contact Katie Henderson, Program Manager: khenderson@ uswateralliance.org.

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— 2020 Issue 3 25

Wastewater Collection System Main Repair

By Michael Beadnell, Instructor, Texas Rural Water Association

M

ost public works licensed operators don’t have the luxury of sitting in an environment with no risks, and it is up to us to work as safely around the biggest dangers that life throws at us. In my opinion, the field of water and wastewater is by far one of the most dangerous but the most important occupations there is. We are experiencing a change in our lifestyles like we have never seen before. People are asked to stay home to keep from elevating the spread of the Coronavirus. For public works employees throughout the state, it has been a challenge to keep up with the growing needs of a community staying at home. America works for a living. We determine our peak demands when citizens are waking up, having lunch and before going to bed. If the majority of our customers are at home 24/7, this requires recalculating.

As water and wastewater operators, it is our responsibility to provide potable water, water that has a chlorine residual, has been tested and is safe to drink, and also to stabilize unstable organics to protect public health. The biochemical oxygen demands, total suspended solids, bacteriological samples and every other state and federal compliance regulation don’t go away in a pandemic.

On the wastewater side, one of the most difficult emergency call outs is one where there is nothing you can do but to excavate. Customers sometimes flush things that are not compatible to our piping and are not necessarily biodegradable.

When excavation is the only option, the first call should be 811. This is the phone number you call before digging to protect yourself and others from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines.

Studies show that excavation work is one of the most hazardous types of work done in the construction industry. Accidents in excavation work occur more frequently than accidents in general construction. The primary type of excavation-related work accident is the cave-in. Though these types of accidents are not the most common, when they do occur the related injuries tend to be more serious.

Cave-in accidents are much more likely to result in a 26

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fatality than other construction-related accidents and account for the largest percentage of preventable injuries. The majority of cave-in fatalities are a result of excavations that either did not have shoring of the walls or the sloping was inadequate to prevent soil from sliding in. Emergency repairs are focused on returning the system to service as soon as possible and are executed to protect public health, which is the operator’s primary duty. Oftentimes the conditions surrounding emergency repairs are not ideal, such as working in the dark, without adequate resources, with fatigue, stress and—most recently — working in the midst of a pandemic. Obviously, permanent, pre-planned and scheduled repairs are preferred to emergency repairs.

Most collection system repairs require excavating. Before repairing lines, you need to locate the problem. Televising has proven to be the most efficient and easily reveals the location of the problem. Maps of the collection system are also helpful to locate the line. When all the utility companies have given the ok to dig, the proper personal protective equipment is donned

to protect operators from occupational hazards. A skilled operator with a probe and a long-handled sharpshooter probes the designated area that needs to be excavated, looking for any unseen obstacles that a utility may have missed. Next, the backhoe operator excavates to a safe depth. The procedure is repeated until the operator uncovers an object that appears to be pipe.

Here is where what I call the magic numbers come into play: 2,3,4,5,9,10,20,25 and 50. So as not to have dirt and rocks fall on you while repairing, 2 feet is the distance the spoils need to be from the edge of the trench. When using a ladder for entering and exiting the excavation, the latter should extend 3 feet out of the ditch and be secured. If the excavation is 4 feet or deeper there needs to be a ladder. If the excavation is 5 feet or deeper there needs to be some sort of cave-in protection, either shoring, hydraulic timbers or aluminum sloping, cutting the ditch back or benching cutting the ditch back in a stair step effect.

The final cave-in protection is called “shielding,” which are long, thick trench boxes designed to protect operators during an excavation. Nine feet is the distance we strive for between potable water lines and wastewater lines. Ten feet is the distance to be from electric lines. If the excavation is 20 feet,

WHEN YOUR TOWN IS COUNTING ON YOU, YOU CAN COUNT ON US.

there needs to be a Texas Professional Engineer that designs the cave-in protection. Twenty-five feet is the distance an operator needs to be from a ladder and 50 feet is the maximin spacing of that ladder. If the backhoe operator digs about a foot below on both sides of the pipe, the skilled operator can reveal the pipe.

Once located and revealed, your choices are to either repair the failed pipe or remove it and replace it with new more suitable pipe. Ensure that the joints fit smoothly. Unstable existing bedding should be removed and replaced with new, suitable dry bedding. The replaced piping should be laid on grade on a stable bedded ditch bottom and the connections made in alignment.

Backfill must be as suitable as the bedding and should be compacted appropriately. You may find it advantageous to flood the replaced section with water to help stabilize it. Do not pave over the repair without mechanical compacting or allowing several days for the backfill and bedding to settle properly.

Cone off, disinfect, then restore the repaired area to as good of a condition as it was before the emergency.

If you have any questions about collection system repairs, excavation or this article in general, please contact Michael.Beadnell@trwa.org.

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Quench — 2020 Issue 3 27

TRWA Briefs Thank You to Our PAC Sponsors Update to TRWA's Board of he Texas Rural Water Political Action Committee Directors

T

is an individual-supported PAC dedicated to supporting those at the state and federal level who champion the issues that matter to rural water in Texas. By contributing to the Texas Rural Water PAC, you can affect the political process by ensuring that Texas rural water systems are fairly and effectively represented.

I

Help us reach our goal to raise $50,000 for PAC in 2020!

In 2019, TRWA amended it's Board Policies to allow for the Association to cancel an election if a candidate is running unopposed. This year, the seats for Director and Alternate Director for Districts 2, 3, 8 and 12 were up for election. As of the January deadline, there was only one opposed race, that for Alternate Director of District 3. At that time, Absentee Ballots were sent to all member systems in that district, listing the incumbent Dennis Donoho and aspirant Jennifer Bland as the running candidates.

Bland subsequently withdrew her candidacy for that position, leaving Donoho unopposed.

There is still plenty of time to become a 2020 PAC Sponsor! Sponsorship levels are outlined below.

Sponsors at all three levels will get recognition in Quench, and will get special recognition at upcoming TRWA events!

•

Gold Level: A contribution of at least $300 — TRWA embossed padfolio

•

Silver Level: A contribution of $200 to $299 — Roll-up picnic blanket

•

Bronze Level: A contribution of $50 to $199 — Portable charging station w/ AC outlet & 4 USB Ports

The below individuals have already made a sponsorlevel individual contribution to the PAC in 2020.

Gold-Level Sponsors Steve Adams Bruce Alexander Pat Allen Charles Beseda Chris Boyd Mark Gardenhire Clay Hodges Brian Macmanus Dave McMurry

Robert Nettles William Reese Roark Rohe Steven Sanchez Shirley Thompson Kent & Sharie Watson Terry Winn Lara & Ken Zent

Bronze-Level Sponsors Amanda Sanchez

Greg Tieken

Visit www.trwa.org and click on the “Legal/ Legislative” tab to make a contribution online or to download a contribution remittance form and send with payment to TRWA’s office.

28

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n May, TRWA issued a Board Resolution Declaring Candidates Unopposed and Elected, effectively canceling the Association's 2020 elections. This resolution was disseminated through the weekly Pipeline and can also be found on TRWA's website home page.

As such, all standing Directors and Alternate Directors seeking reelection were reelected for another term. These include: Bruce Alexander, Director, and Danny Smith, Alternate Director for District 2; Chris Boyd, Director, and Dennis Donoho, Alternate Director, for District 3; Charles Besesda, Director, for District 8; and Shirley Thompson, Director, and Paula Weber, Alternate Director, for District 12.

At a board meeting held by videoconference on May 8, the Board elected new officers. Chris Boyd, TRWA’s District 3 Director and the GM of Mustang SUD, is the new President; Bruce Alexander, TRWA’s District 2 Director and the GM of East Medina SUD, is the new Vice President; Kevin Spence, TRWA’s District 11 Director and the Manager of Cypress Springs SUD is the new Secretary; Robert Nettles, TRWA’s District 13 Director and the GM of Riverside SUD, was reelected as the Treasurer; and Brian Macmanus, TRWA’s District 6 Director and the GM of East Rio Hondo WSC, is the Immediate Past President.

Please join us in congratulating our new slate of officers and our reelected directors and alternate directors.

Announcing the Winners of Our PH2OTOSTREAM Contest

A

s part of a continuous effort to shine a spotlight on the water industry, the Texas Rural Water Association and Texas Rural Water Foundation are proud to host the amateur photography contest PH2OSTREAM! PH2OSTREAM responds to a need for images from, and for, rural Texas water and wastewater. This contest gives Texans an outlet to share their experiences while bringing awareness to the role of utilities in Rural America.

Thank you to those who submitted photos into this year’s contest, providing a closer look at Texas water infrastructure and scenery. We received many fantastic entries and are thrilled to share the Grand Prize and category winners listed below: •

•

Rural Texas Water: Images representing the rural water and wastewater utility industry: Category Winner: “Stumped” submitted by Hailey Faircloth Water Infrastructure: Images of the technology that drives water utilities: Category Winner: “Wind and Water” submitted by Alex Eaves

Special congratulations to Hailey Faircloth whose submission was our highest scoring entry, winning the Grand Prize! Her photo is featured on the cover of this issue!

Each category winner will receive a cash prize and the grand prize winner will also receive a matted and framed print of their photo. Once again, special thanks to all who entered photos — your images of Texas water and water infrastructure greatly benefit the Association and Foundation by providing highquality images for use in educational documents, informational handouts and other Foundation and Association materials. Look for the other contest photos in issues of Quench throughout the year!

subsequently announced new closures to help mitigate the surge of record-high cases of the virus.

Out of concern for the health and safety for our attendees, exhibitors, speakers and staff, the Texas Rural Water Association Board of Directors called a special board meeting held by videoconference on June 26 to discuss the conference and how to best move forward. The Board voted unanimously to change the conference from an in-person event to a virtual experience. While we were very excited to be able to see everyone in-person in Galveston, the Board made this very difficult decision to protect our members and the well-being of Rural Texas.

TRWA staff are working hard behind the scenes to pivot and create a virtual event that will provide attendees and exhibitors with the full conference experience, including self-paced training sessions approved by TCEQ for water/wastewater operator credit hours, a virtual exhibit hall, an online PAC auction, and more! We will be publishing updates at www.trwa.org/tech2020 and sending correspondence to members through email as more details become available. Rest assured that we have a lot of great ideas to make this an interactive and exciting virtual event!

Thank you to all TRWA members for your patience and understanding during this time of uncertainty. Your support, now more than ever, is what makes TRWA a truly great association. If you have any questions, please visit the event page at www.trwa.org/tech2020, or contact us at meetings@ trwa.org or 512-472-8591.

TRWA's Training and Technical Conference Goes Virtual

A

lot has changed for the state of Texas recently in regards to the severity of the Coronavirus/ COVID-19 spread. On June 25, Governor Greg Abbot paused the state’s reopening plans, and Quench — 2020 Issue 3 29

SAMCO | Leak Detection and/or GPS Technician SAMCO is seeking a Leak Detection and/or GPS Technician based out of Austin. Under supervision of the Project Manager, this position will perform acoustic leak detection on various water distribution systems, water conservation consulting and GPS data collection services. These services will help improve utilities infrastructure by enhancing operational efficiency, reliability during water system assessments, and most importantly conserve water for the public.

Education: HS diploma or equivalent Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities : • Leak detection and water distribution field knowledge : 1 year experience • Knowledge of GPS applications and data collection • Must be proficient with computer skills and applications • Must live in the Austin area to commute daily to SAMCO office building.

• Able to travel and stay overnight while working on out of town projects Employee Benefits: • 50% company contribution for employee only medical • 10% company contribution of employee gross income to SEP IRA after 2 years of full time employment • Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays • Employee Incentive Programs Employment Requirements: • Candidates must successfully pass a pre-employment background check • Possess valid Texas driver’s license and maintain insurability • Please go to website samco-leakservice.com under “Contact” tab and email application with resume to owner Sam Godfrey 512.751.5325 if you have any questions.

• Salary is pending based on experience & qualifications.

ONLINE TRAINING AVAILABLE Earn training credit hours through self-paced courses.

Learn More: www.trwa.org/59 training@trwa.org (512) 428-5754

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Quench — 2020 - Issue 3

Plan Ahead CONFERENCES:

Training and Technical Conference: Virtual — more details coming soon!

October 7-8, 2020 Fall Management and Districts Conferences, San Antonio November 4-5, 2020 Fall Management Conference, Dallas/Allen

OPERATOR TRAINING COURSES: Learn more about our upcoming classroom and online training options at www.trwa.org/training

PUBLIC FUNDS INVESTMENT ACT TRAINING: Initial: Virtual, July 14 Renewal: Virtual, July 14

Advertiser Index AIA Insurance Agency......................................... Page 25 Childress Engineers......................................................12 Chlorinators Incorporated............................................15 CoBank...........................................................................21 Daniel & Brown, Inc.......................................................15 Ferguson Waterworks...................................................27 Hayes Engineering........................................................17 J.F. Fontaine & Associates.............................................9 KSA Engineers............................................................... 11 Maguire Iron...................................................................12 NewGen Strategies & Solutions...................................12 Pittsburg Tank & Tower Maintenance Co., Inc............20 Preload...........................................................................15 Russell Drilling Co., Inc................................................29 SAMCO...........................................................................13 Smith Pump Co., Inc......................................................24 Quench — 2020 Issue 3 31

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

g n i n i a Tr ech T & Summe

r 2020

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE Learn more and register online: www.trwa.org/tech2020