Quench 2023 - Issue 6

Issue 6 2023 www.tr wa.org

2023 IN MEMORIAM

GIS DELVES UNDERGROUND

GET READY FOR RURALWATERCON

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

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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS President Bruce Alexander Medina (District 2) Vice-President Robert Nettles Walker (District 13) Secretary Mark Gardenhire Shackelford (District 1) Treasurer Steve Adams Brown (District 4)

DISTRICT DIRECTORS Dennis Donoho Denton (District 3) Roby Jekel Milam (District 5) Brian Macmanus Cameron (District 6) Allen Knight North Collin (District 7) Charles Beseda Hill (District 8) Vacant (District 9) Kyle Eppler Brazos (District 10) Rachel Webb South Rains (District 11) T. Chad Wilson Kaufman (District 12) Matthew Barrett Swift (District 14)

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Main Office Line Lara Zent Jason Knobloch Larry Bell Mary Alice Boehm-McKaughan Nichol Everingham Tom Shephard, CPA Eric Betts

TRWA STAFF LEADERSHIP TEAM

(512) 472-8591

Executive Director & General Counsel Deputy Executive Director Technical Assistance Director

ext. 101 ext. 137 ext. 138

Assistant General Counsel Professional Development & Training Director Finance Director Communications Director

ext. 106 ext. 134 ext. 102 ext. 115

OFFICE STAFF Eli Aguirre Melody Bennett Destany Brown Pam Cantrell Lexi Conaway Kimmy Corrigeux Jacquelyn Knobloch Sarah Isbell Sarah Rosenberg Sonya Stocklin Marilyn Stuntz Ariane Walker Emily Young

Meeting and Event Planner Project Support Specialist Paralegal & Executive Assistant Accounting Support Specialist Administrative Assistant Office Manager Apprenticeship Program Manager Course Developer Instructional Designer Membership & Outreach Manager Training Support Specialist Training Manager Assistant Environmental Services Director

ext. 105 ext. 130 ext. 321 ext. 139 ext. 860 ext. 108 ext. 107 ext. 459 ext. 109 ext. 104 ext. 103 ext. 111 ext. 132

FIELD STAFF Don Barker Louis Booth Kenny Butler Nathan Cantrell Trey Daywood Kenneth Dykes Roel Gonzalez Justin Guerra Frank Hernandez Paul King Tony Moreno Charles Perkins Bruce Pearson James Smith Donnie Stanton Quentin Turner Robert Turner William White Scott Willeford

Technical Project Specialist Wastewater Technician FMT Specialist Wastewater Technician Water Training & Technical Assistance Specialist Instructor FMT Specialist GIS & Drone Technician Source Water Protection Specialist Circuit Rider Water Quality Action Specialist Circuit Rider Instructor Circuit Rider FMT Specialist FMT Specialist GIS & Drone Field Specialist Assistant Technical Assistance Director Instructor

cell: (737) 270-3181 cell: (512) 221-7477 cell: (512) 865-8809 cell: (512) 924-7158 cell: (512) 806-6171 cell: (512) 308-9567 cell: (512) 923-5812 cell: (512) 317-8992 cell: (512) 468-6337 cell: (512) 913-9753 cell: (512) 924-4552 cell: (512) 964-2108 cell: (512) 922-4942 cell: (512) 964-9234 cell: (512) 774-9455 cell: (512) 517-9889 cell: (512) 317-2003 cell: (512) 924-4233 cell: (512) 657-8813

In Every Issue Letter from the President .........4

From the Field Lost Underground.......18

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

GIS can chart a path through your labyrinth of wastewater assets

Keep It Legal .........6

Water Board 101...22

Answers to your legal questions

You got elected to your local water board. Now what?

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

Answers to your technical questions

TRWA Briefs .........28

Small pieces of association news

The Months Ahead .........31

TRWA’s Calendar of Events

Features In Memoriam...26

Remembrances of those rural water lost in 2023

TRWA News Renew Your Membership...12

Don't miss a minute of your TRWA benefits

RuralWaterCon 2024...14

Get ready for our biggest event of the year

New Staff...16

Meet the newest members of our TRWA team

on the cover:

Old and new sit side-by-side in Meadow, Texas, southwest of Lubbock photo by TRWA's Technical Project Specialist Don Barker

CONTACT THE EDITOR

Editorial and advertising inquiries may be sent to Eric Betts in the Communications Department at editor@trwa.org.

Quench — 2023 — Issue 6 3

President's Message Hello Texas Rural Water!

As we move into 2024, I want to take this opportunity to reflect back on 2023 and express my thanks to the staff of TRWA and every member of TRWA that helped make 2023 a great success for the association.

TRWA played an important role in securing funding to support much needed water system improvements through the Texas Legislature and with the help of the voters of Texas. A significant amount of these funds will be directed to rural water systems through the Texas Water Development Board. While many more dollars are needed to cover all of the costs, everyone should be excited for the opportunity to access these funds for much-needed system improvements associated with repairs and upgrades to meet the increasing demands on our systems.

TRWA will recognize both Senator Charles Perry, Chairman of the Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and Representative Tracy King, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee at our annual Convention in San Antonio in March 2024.

We will also have a special presentation by Chairwoman Brooke Paup of the Texas Water Development Board.

We hope that all of you are able to attend.

In 2023, TRWA, through the Texas Rural Water Foundation, distributed 18 student scholarships totaling $27,500! With the help of donations from previous and current leaders of TRWA, combined with membership donations and generous vendor contributions, the TRWF has grown from a dream of helping to train our future workforce to a successful program that is able to provide funding support for students interested in a future career associated with water with an emphasis on the rural community. Scholarship opportunities are open to anyone. Applicants are scored based on an application that is weighted towards applicants from member systems combined with an essay on water and the rural community. Scholarship applications are now being accepted through February 5, 2024. Scholarship recipients will be recognized at the TRWA Rural Water Convention during our Opening Session in San Antonio.

Thank you to everyone associated with TRWA for what you do each day to provide a safe and reliable source of drinking water to the rural communities of Texas!

Please continue to reach out to Lara or a member of her team if you have any questions or require assistance in maintaining and/or operating your system.

Be safe, Bruce Alexander President TRWA

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Dear TRWA Members,

Letter from the TRWA Executive Director

We have come to the end of 2023. I’m so proud of all we have accomplished this year at TRWA, from delivering top-notch technical assistance to our successes at the Capitol.

dedicated team of Texas Rural Water Association staff are proud to serve and represent you, bringing you the information and resources you need to help you do your jobs better.

We provided comments on rule packages and provided expert legal services to our members. We grew our GIS mapping and other technical services programs.

We held three successful conferences, 90 classroom training classes and trained over 3,300 students in Texas through our online courses! We held 25 workshops on the new lead and copper rule requirements and 22 area meetings around the state, where we provided training and networking opportunities. We launched a new website, provided three weekly eNewsletters, including our Legislative Pipeline, and produced six contentrich magazine issues. We are always striving to grow, improve and bring more value to our members; and this year was no exception!

I want to thank our dedicated Board of Directors, 14 individuals who volunteer their time to this Association.

These individuals are leaders in our industry who adopt our Association’s goals and policies and provide me with guidance, insight and feedback. They also cultivate relationships with our elected leaders, attend our area meetings, provide a listening ear to our members, and assist in a variety of other ways. Thank you also to our great group of Alternate Directors, several of whom served on committees, attended board meetings and answered the call to help out in other areas.

I’m also proud of everything our members have achieved - successfully providing high quality water and wastewater services to a growing Texas population and overcoming all the challenges along the way. Our

I especially want to thank Bruce Alexander, our Board President, who is nearing the end of his term in this role.

I could not have had a more supportive, enthusiastic, dedicated and helpful partner over these past two years!

I’m looking forward to taking on new challenges and seeking new opportunities in 2024 and to working with and serving all of you!

My best,

Lara Zent Executive Director & General Counsel TRWA

Keep It Legal Answers to Members’ Questions by TRWA Assistant General Counsel Mary Alice McKaughan Happy Holidays to all our TRWA Members. I want to start my year by letting y’all know how grateful I am to have the privilege of working with you every day. I’ve never met a more earnest, hardworking, and welcoming group of folks.

I wish you, and yours, many blessings and the very best in the upcoming year.

On to the topic of the month: the PFAS Class Action Settlements.

Q: A1:

I keep on hearing about the PFAS Class Action Settlements. (1) What are they? (2) Can I apply?

(3) How do I apply? (4) What are the deadlines for applying?

(5) What happens if I don’t apply? (6) Is my system eligible to receive money? (7) How much money will our system get? (8) Do we have to test our system’s water for PFAS?

The PFAS Class Action Settlements

On August 22 and August 29, 2023, the federal court granted preliminary approval for the DuPont and 3M class action settlements. The two class action settlements collectively provide approximately $13.6 billion in funding to compensate public water systems affected by per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in their drinking water. 3M has agreed to pay an amount not less than $10,500,000,000 and not more than $12,500,000,000, subject to Final Approval by the Court. DuPont has agreed to pay one billion one hundred eighty-five million dollars ($1,185,000,000), subject to Final Approval by the Court.

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A2: Can I Apply?

Yes, if you are a non-transient, community public water system in Texas that is not owned by the State of Texas or the Federal Government you are a Settlement Class Member entitled to receive the Settlements if you apply in a timely manner, unless you opted out by the December 2023 deadlines. You do not have to be a party to the multidistrict lawsuit, which TRWA has previously sent information about, to participate in the Class Action Settlements for DuPont and 3M.

A3: How Do I Apply?

To be eligible to receive settlement funds, a water system must first register an account. TRWA urges all its members to register NOW at www.pfaswatersettlement.com or and fill out all available Claim Form(s), for these settlements.

You may either fill out the Claim Form(s) online or you may download, complete, and mail your Claim Form(s) to the Claims Administrator at AFFF Public Water System Claims, PO Box 4466, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821.

In sending any document to the Notice Administrator, Claims Administrator, the Court, Class Counsel, or 3M’s Counsel, you must include the following case name and identifying number on any documents and on the outside of the envelope: In Re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2:18-mn-2873 (D.S.C.), this document relates to: City of Camden, et al., v. 3M Company, No. 2:23-cv-03147-RMG. You must also include the name of the person who will be the system’s primary contact (designated as the “Public Water System Administrator”) and include their job title, email address, and a telephone number where they can be reached.

A Claims Administrator will verify that each entity that submits a Claim Form is a Qualifying Class Member and will confirm the category into which the Class Member falls. The categories will serve as the basis for settlement amounts. (See below under “A7: How much money will our system get?”)

February 2, 2024, which means it will be no earlier than April 4, 2024. The deadline for a Phase Two Settlement Class Member to submit a Phase Two Action Fund Claims Form is July 31, 2026.

For DuPont: The deadline for a phase one Settlement Class Member to submit a phase one Public Water System Claims After you register by filling out the Claimant Information Form is 60 days following the Effective Date, which should Form, your information will be reviewed, and you will be set at the Court’s December 14, 2023, Final Fairness receive a notification via email with additional relevant Hearing, which means it will be no earlier than February claims form(s) to fill out based on your system’s category. 12, 2024. The deadline for phase two Settlement Class These include: Member to submit a phase two Public Water System Claims Form is June 30, 2026.

(1) Phase One Public Water System Claims Form; (2) Phase One Supplemental Fund Claims Form; A5: What happens if I don’t register and (3) Phase One Special Needs Fund Claims Form; apply?

(4) Phase Two Testing Claims Form; (5) Phase Two Public Water System Claims Form; Registering now and filling out all available Claim Form(s), (6) Phase Two Supplemental Fund Claims Form; and does not guarantee your ability to receive any settlement (7) Phase Two Special Needs Fund Claims Form. money. However, if you don’t register and apply you will definitely not receive any settlement money.

These claims forms will be available online (https://www. pfaswatersettlement.com) and can be submitted to the You will likely also be precluded from suing 3M and Dupont Claims Administrator electronically or on paper. There are in the future for PFAS contamination unless you opt out of different claims forms for Phase One and Phase Two and the Class by the deadline. for the 3M and Dupont Class Action Settlements.

A6: Is my system eligible to receive money?

Not all Claim Form(s) are currently available. Claim Forms 4 & 5 require water testing and just became available the last week of November 2023. Claim Forms 6 & 7 will be made available soon. If your system is properly registered, you should receive an email notifying you when the new Claim Form(s) become available; however, TRWA urges you to regularly check back on the website. All Claim Form(s) must be completed by the Claim Form Submission Deadlines (see below).

The 3M Settlement Class Includes: 1) all public water systems in the United States that have one or more impacted water sources as of the settlement date, or 2) all public water systems in the United States that are required to test for certain PFAS under UCMR5, or 3) all public water systems in the United States that serve more than 3,300 people according to the Safe Drinking Water Information System (“SDWIS”).

For any questions about this process, you may contact the PFAS settlement customer service team at 1-855-714-4341 The 3M Settlement Class Excludes: or info@PFASWaterSettlement.com.

1) non-transient, non-community water systems serving 3,300 or fewer people, A4: What are the deadlines for applying?

2) transient non-community water systems of any size, 3) public water systems associated with a specific PFASFor 3M: The deadline for a Phase One Settlement Class manufacturing facility owned by 3M, and Member to submit a Phase One Public Water System 4) any system owned by a state or federal government.

Settlement Claims Form is 60 days following the effective date, which will be set at the Court’s Final Fairness Hearing Continued on next page Quench — 2023 — Issue 6 7

The Dupont Settlement Includes: 1) all public water systems in the United States that draw, or otherwise collect from any water source that, on or before June 30, 2023, was tested or otherwise analyzed for PFAS and found to contain any PFAS at any level; or 2) all public water systems in the United States that, as of June 30, 2023, are either: i) subject to the monitoring rules set forth in UCMR 5 (i.e., “large” systems serving more than 10,000 people and “small” systems serving between 3,300 and 10,000 people), or ii) required under applicable state or federal law to test or otherwise analyze any of their water sources or the water they provide for PFAS before the UCMR 5 deadline.

PFAS as of June 22, 2023, meaning a verified positive test.

Phase One Qualifying Class Members will be allocated $6,875,000,000.

The Dupont Settlement Excludes: 1) public water systems that are owned and operated by a state or the federal government, and cannot sue, or be sued, in their own name; and, 2) certain systems in Bladen Brunswick, Colombus, Cumberland, New Hanover, Pender, or Robenson counties in South Carolina; and, 3) any privately owned well, or surface water system, that is not owned by, used by, or otherwise part of, and does not draw water from a public water system within the settlement class.

1. A Phase One Qualifying Class Member is a public water system that draws, or otherwise collects, from any water source that was tested, or otherwise analyzed, on or before June 30, 2023, and found to contain PFAS at any level.

Phase One Qualifying Settlement Class Members will be allocated 55% of the Settlement Funds.

A7: How much money will our system get?

The settlement money will be allocated based on scientific EPA-derived formulas, approved by the Court, that determine the PWS’s relative cost of treating the PFAS contamination based upon both the volume of contaminated water and the degree of contamination. This means that the more water your system has, and distributes, that is, or may be, contaminated with PFAS, and the higher the concentration of the PFAS in the water, the more money you may get.

2. A Phase Two Qualifying Class Member is a public water system that does not have one or more water sources impacted by PFAS as of June 22, 2023, meaning no verified positive test, and (i) is required to test for certain PFAS under UCMR 5 or (ii) serves more than 3,300 people. Phase Two Qualifying Class Members’ allocation will be between $3,625,000,000 and $5,625,000,000, depending on the factors and process set forth in the Allocation Procedures.

For the DuPont Settlement:

2. A Phase Two Qualifying Class Member is a public water system that is not a Phase One Qualifying Member and is subject to the monitoring rules set forth in UCMR 5 or other applicable state or federal law, but did not test positive for PFAS on or before June 30, 2023. Phase Two Qualifying Class Members will be allocated 45% of the Settlement Funds.

A Claims Administrator will review each submitted Claim Form and, based on the data submitted, will determine whether the PWS is a Phase One Qualifying Settlement Class Member or Phase Two Qualifying Settlement Class Member and use that information to determine the amount of money the PWS is owed.

The money will be distributed from one, or more, of over five To calculate settlement amounts, the settlement class mem- (5) separate payment funds. Each PWS class member is bers are first divided into two categories: (1) Phase One eligible to receive money from at least one, and potentially Qualifying Class Member, or (2) Phase Two Qualifying more, of these separate funds. One of the funds will be used Class Member. to offset the PWS’s costs of PFAS testing.

For the 3M Settlement:

A8: Do I have to test my water for PFAS?

1. A Phase One Qualifying Class Member is a public water Yes, to participate in the settlements, public water systems system that has one or more water sources impacted by need to undergo baseline testing, meaning they must test 8 Quench — 2023 — Issue 6

TRWA News for PFAS in every water source (e.g. each groundwater well and surface water source) they use to supply to their customers. This needs to be done as soon as possible unless the PWS falls under one of the testing exceptions noted below. The labs are backed up and it may take over a month to get your results, so the sooner the better because the submittal deadlines to be eligible to receive settlement money will be coming up quickly.

Please note that the Baseline Testing required under the settlements differs from what the EPA requires for UCMR 5.

Under UCMR 5, a public water system is required to test for PFAS only at the entry points to its distribution system, but to receive money from these class action settlements, a PWS must verify in its Claims Form that it has tested all its water sources. Failure to test and submit Qualifying Test Results for all water sources will disqualify these sources from consideration for present and future payments.

The baseline water testing requirements are: 1) Test the raw water of every source for at least 29 PFAS chemicals required under UCMR 5, using a methodology consistent with the requirements of UCMR 5 or applicable State requirements (if stricter); 2) Request from the laboratory that performs the analyses all analytical results, including the actual numeric values of all analytical results; and 3) Submit the detailed PFAS test results to the claims administrator on a claims form(s) by the relevant claims form deadline.

3M Settlement: 1) Any water source that was tested on or before June 22, 2023, using a state or federal approved methodology and was found to contain a measurable concentration of PFAS does not need to be tested again for purposes of Baseline Testing; and, 2) Any water source that was tested between January 1, 2019, and June 22, 2023, and did not find a measurable concentration of PFAS does not need to be tested again for purposes of Baseline Testing.

DuPont Settlement: 1) Any water source that was tested on or before June 30, 2023, and was found to contain a measurable concentration of PFAS does not need to test that water source again for purposes of Baseline Testing; and, 2) Any water source that was tested between December 7, 2021, and June 30, 2023, and did not find a measurable concentration of PFAS does not need to be tested again for purposes of Baseline Testing.

Failure to test and submit qualifying test results for water sources will disqualify those water sources from consideration for present and future payments.

Class counsel has arranged for discounted testing with the following laboratory to assist water systems with Baseline Testing. There is no requirement to use this laboratory.

Eurofins Environmental Testing Telephone Number: (916) - 374 - 4499 https://www.eurofinsus.com/environment-testing/ pfas-testing/pfas-water-provider-settlement/.

As set forth in A4 above, there are specific deadlines imposed by each settlement that require the testing results If you have questions, please contact the TRWA Legal be sent in within a certain time period, such as the 3M Department at 512-472-8591 ext. 106.

Settlement requiring a testing laboratory to submit detailed PFAS test results to the Claims Administrator on a Claims Mary Alice McKaughan is TRWA's Assistant Form within forty-five (45) calendar days after receiving General Counsel. the test results and no later than July 31, 2026.

Exceptions to the Water Testing Requirement If the public water system previously performed testing on their water sources, they may qualify for one of the testing exceptions available under each settlement as follows:

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

Quench — 2023 — Issue 6 9

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

Q:

Could you help us lay out an argument for our water supply corporation board on why we should reimburse memberships? What is the liability for us of not reimbursing memberships?

A: There are several reasons why a refundable membership fee is preferable to a non-refundable one. First, in addition to establishing membership, one of the main purposes of a membership fee is for use as a deposit to cover two to three months of water bills. The fee can be used to help pay for any water bill balances should the member decide to leave that property and not pay their final bill(s).

In my experience, a refundable membership fee also makes it easier for office staff and management to transfer the membership from a previous owner to a new one.

The refund allows the system to “close the books” on the previous member and allow the new one to start fresh.

The old meter is locked on the final date of service for the old member, and the new applicant then has to complete their paperwork and pay the membership fee anew to begin receiving service. This way there’s no question about whose name the account is in.

If a membership fee is non-refundable, the new applicant may be reliant on the previous one filling out a membership transfer form, which can be a hassle if that original account holder is difficult to reach.

Refundable membership fee amounts are to be logged to each membership account as a liability and set aside in 10 Quench — 2023 — Issue 6

a separate fund, so that when members leaves the system, the system has those funds available for reimbursement.

Some WSCs use this fund as a contingency fund for the unexpected expenses that occur in the day-to-day operations of a WSC. The board then votes to reimburse that fund on a monthly basis until it is again at the required membership fees balance.

Although non-refundable membership fees are not accounted for as liabilities because they don’t have to be refunded when members leave the system, this perceived benefit doesn’t outweigh the many benefits of the refundable membership fee option.

If a WSC Board elects to make membership fees nonrefundable, they become a system asset tied to individual properties, regardless of who the owners are, so cannot be liquidated to pay for members’ bad debt. Instead, the system has to utilize other means of collection, such as debt collection agencies or legal action to recover any bad debt. Remember that trying to collect a bad debt of a previous owner from a new owner is illegal – a nonrefundable membership fee is tied to a property, but debt is tied to the individual who incurred it.

Finally, a nonrefundable membership fee presumes that once paid, service is established at a given property forever, which means that even if the fee has increased from $50 to $250, the original $50 fee remains valid indefinitely as it’s transferred from one property owner to the next. Whereas with a refundable fee, the system can charge the current fee that covers inflationary cost increases with each new owner of that property.

Some systems contend that their non-refundable membership fees can just be placed in the General Checking Account to be used to pay normal expenses and will never be refunded. In this case, there is nothing to refund because it was spent to pay these expenses, but this method also strays pretty far from the original intent.

Q:

We have some customers who decide to connect to a private well but want to keep our meters in the ground as a backup supply.

To avoid the expenses associated with installing a Reduced Pressure Zone Assembly (RPZ), one of them is requesting to instead put in an air gap between their plumbing and our meter. Can we lock the meter and require them to install an RPZ instead?

A: You are correct in that if this customer wants to use their private well, the best practice would be to lock the meter and require and test an RPZ if the customer’s service line is left connected to the public water meter.

However, the customer’s solution – creating and maintaining an air gap between the service line to the house and the water meter – is also workable, provided they keep the air gap available for inspection by the WSC. Installing a hose bib on the end of the service line leaving the meter is also acceptable, so long as they do not connect the other end of that hose to a faucet that is directly connected to the well water service line.

There are several acceptable ways for a customer/member to create an air gap that can be left in place but still give them the benefit of the system’s water to make up what their well may not produce. They could install a storage tank near their well and use a water service line from the meter to fill it. The air gap would be created inside the top of that storage tank, with an open overflow discharge of a minimum of two times the inlet pipe diameter between the inlet and overflow discharge. The owner would need to then install a pressure tank and booster motor to pump water from that storage tank into

the well service line. But the system would need to periodically check that air gap to be sure it is well above the maximum water level in that storage tank. One of your licensed operators or one of TRWA’s Circuit Riders can assist you with other examples of an approved air gap set up.

It's true that leaving the meter unlocked can be tempting to a customer, who might quickly connect a water hose to the meter just for the moment when it’s really needed. It’s best practice to keep the meter locked so they have to contact the system before receiving the backup supply. Some members never intend to illegally install such a cross-connection; they just want to keep a faucet connected to their water meter for drinking or cooking water in a pinch, but we have the good of the whole system to think about.

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

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

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Quench — 2023 — Issue 6 11

TRWA News

Renew your TRWA Membership today!

Don't miss a moment of your TRWA benefits! Renew your • Discounts on our three major conferences each membership for 2024 today and continue to receive all the year: RuralWaterCon (March 26-28), Training & great discounts, resources and services the Texas Rural Water Technical Conference (July 10-11) and the Office Association has to offer. These include: Professionals Conference (October 10-11).

• D i s c o u n t e d ra t e s o n o u r TC E Q - a p p ro v e d • A d v o c a c y o n y o u r b e h a l f a s a m e m training courses, which include in-perber in front of legislative bodies and reguson, live virtual and self-paced online courses. latory agencies at the state and federal levels.

• Legal assistance from our legal team, such as an- • Reduced prices on member services like GIS Mapping, swers to your legal questions and assistance with Drone services and more!

Sales Tax Exemptions and Eminent Domain filing.

Member systems should have received their renewal infor• On-site assistance on issues such as preventative main- mation and dues statements in the mail shortly before the tenance, rate analysis, leak detection, operations and end of the year. Get those checks in to us with your renewal treatment, water audits, budgeting and management. information and you won't miss anything. If you have any questions, contact us at membership@trwa.org or by calling • Five subscriptions to Quench magazine, with the op- (512) 472-8591. portunity to purchase more.

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RURALWATERCON 2024 Join us on the Riverwalk March 26-28 for TRWA's annual RuralWaterCon convention.

RuralWaterCon 2024, held at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, is a one-stop shop for rural water personnel in Texas looking to learn the latest methods, technologies and best practices to keep their utilities running smoothly. With six rounds of breakout sessions organized around tracks including System Management, Operations, High Growth System Concerns and Utility Board Members, there is something for everyone in our industry. Tracks will include our popular roundtable sessions guided by the concerns of you and your peers.

RuralWaterCon 2024 will kick off at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26 with our Opening General Session, featuring a keynote speech from State Senator Charles Perry, who chaired the Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee in the Texas State Senate during the 2023 Legislative Session and authored the bill that created the Texas Water Fund. Be there to show your support as we present Senator Perry with the Friend of Rural Water Award. We'll also hear from NRWA Board

President John O'Connell, present our Awards of Excellence to the deserving recipients and honor our Student Scholarship winners.

On Wednesday morning, we will open with our second General Session featuring a presentation by Texas Water Development Board Chairwoman Brook Paup. We will also honor our longtime friend Representative Tracy King, Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, who will be retiring from his service at the Texas Legislature.

Our Exhibit Hall will play host to a Welcome Reception Tuesday evening, breakfast Wednesday and Thursday morning, lunch on Wednesday and breaks throughout the conference. Come talk with exhibitors from state and national leaders in water and wastewater supply and services, check out our Vendor Demonstrations during breaks or participate in our Water Feud game show Wednesday at lunch. We'll have a Silent Auction to support the Rural Water PAC throughout the conference and give out door prizes that all conference attendees are eligible to win, so long as they're present to

San Antonio hear their name called.

The President's Banquet Wednesday evening will take full advantage of the Fiesta atmosphere of our host city, featuring local music and ballet folklorico dancers, as well as a 360-degree photo booth.

We'll have a live auction to support the PAC. An additional ticket is required for this event.

March 26-28 Rural Water Rally in DC. This event requires an additional ticket as well.

Registration opens January 2. Registration information will be mailed out to TRWA members in January and can also be found online at www.trwa.org/ page/rwc24. Links to book rooms at the conference rate at the adjacent Grand Hyatt San Antonio Riverwalk will be emailed with your registration The Closing Luncheon on Thursday will include confirmation. graduation for participants in our Emerging Leaders Program as well as the finals of our Great Texas Taste We can't wait to see you in San Antonio for Test, our search for the best tasting water in Texas RuralWaterCon 2024! to send to national competition in 2025 during the

Key Event Information Opening General Session tuesday, March 26 | 1 pm

President's Banquet Wednesday, March 27 | 6 PM

Second General Session Wednesday, March 27 | 8 AM

Closing Luncheon & ELP Graduation Thursday, March 28 | 11:15 AM

TRWA News

Meet TRWA's new staff members

TRWA bolstered its field and office teams in the final months of the year TRWA is pleased to welcome aboard three new staff members to help us better serve our membership in 2024 and beyond.

ruptures using GIS tools and helped create tools to monitor water usage in commercial areas. He also worked as a GIS Assistant with The Meadows Center for Water and the Beyond his professional pursuits, Environment, creating StoryMaps Robert is an avid baseball enthusiast, with GIS for a construction project. with a particular fondness for the Atlanta Braves. His love for the sport In the summer of 2023, Frank interned reflects his appreciation for team- with the Texas Water Development work, strategy and perseverance.

Board, tracking research contracts and developing tools for the inteOutside the realms of science and gration of data to help make it more sports, Robert enjoys exploring the accessible and more useful to the many worlds of science fiction litera- TWDB team. He's looking forward ture and embarking on adventures to broadening his experiences with around the globe with his partner, TRWA's source water protection In October, we added Rober t Andrea. Together, they embrace program.

Turner as a GIS & Drone Field the wonders of travel and share a Specialist, assisting with our map- curiosity for different cultures and ping and water loss programs. landscapes.

Robert is an accomplished environmental scientist with a passion In November, we brought on Frank for fisheries and conservation. He Hernandez as our new Source earned his bachelor's degree in Water Protection Specialist, gatherEnvironmental Science from the ing data and putting together Source University of Texas at San Antonio Water Protection Plans for systems in 2020, followed by a master's across Texas. degree in Environmental Science in 2022. In 2023, Robert's thesis, Frank is a 2023 graduate of Texas "Assessing the Fishery and Economic State University, where he obtained a Value of a Restored Guadalupe Bass B.S. in Geography: Water Resources Population," was published by Texas with a minor in Computer Science. And finally, in early December, TRWA Parks & Wildlife. This publication added Marilyn Stuntz as our new reflects his commitment to advanc- Throughout his time in school, Frank Training Support Specialist, helping ing sustainable practices in fisheries gained experience working at a keep our Training & Professional management. variety of Texas water organiza- Development Department running tions. As an intern at the San Antonio smoothly and efficiently.

Robert is excited about the opportu- Water System, Frank performed nity to contribute to TRWA, bringing risk analysis for potential pipeline Marilyn was born and raised in 16 Quench — 2023 — Issue 6

his wealth of knowledge in environmental science and the stewardship of water resources to further the association's goals.

TRWA News Richmond, Texas, and currently resides in Austin. She attended Texas State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in psychology.

Marilyn has previously worked in various administrative professional roles, most recently as the office manager at a manufacturing company's office.

In her time outside the office, Marilyn enjoys spending time with her husband, Alec, and Standard Poodle, Ella. She loves live music and attended her first concert – Britney Spears – when she was just seven years old. Marilyn loves traveling and visited a total of five different countries in 2023. She also enjoys cooking and trying new restaurants around Austin and anywhere she and our programs to utility and asShe is a member of the Austin Young travels. sociate members.

Women’s Alliance, where she participates in volunteer events with In addition to these three new faces, the Austin Diaper Bank and Central in November TRWA promoted Sonya looks forward to working with Texas Food Bank, among others. Her Office Manager Sonya Stocklin current and potential members, as father and stepmother have worked into the position of Membership & well as sponsors, industry partners for school associations in Texas for Outreach Manager, where she'll and others, to educate them about many years, providing her with a oversee the association's member- the wide range of benefits and addeep appreciation for the work as- ship activities and implement out- vantages TRWA can provide. We're sociations do for their members. reach strategies that promote TRWA excited to have her in her new role.

MAIN STREET CONTINUES TO BE THE PLACE TO GO.

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(903) 729-6005 jffontaine@jffontaine.com

Every home and business needs water, something CoBank’s finance team understands. As a TRWA member, we can offer special terms at a lower rate.

With little paperwork to complete and minimal delays, CoBank can process your application quickly so you can start your projects right away.

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

Quench — 2023 — Issue 6 17

From the Field

Lost Underground?

How GIS Mapping untangles the mess of underground wastewater infrastructure

By Justin Guerra

systems in 2015, the vast majority of them never have to think about Since they’re underground and out how wastewater and storm runoff is of sight, sewer systems are an often- moved through their communities. At forgotten component of our infra- least not until something goes wrong. structure environment. Though the EPA says more than 267 million The chief functions of sewer sysAmericans relied on sewer collec- tems, protecting the built and natural tion services and combined sewer environments from flooding and 18 Quench — 2023 — Issue 6

forestalling the spread of waterborne illnesses, are essential for communities. But existing networks are being placed under increasing stress due to population growth, escalating urbanization and climate change. This pressure manifests as operational failures, triggering flood events, reduced drainage quality, increased burdens

From the Field on treatment facilities and leaks associated with structural deterioration.

This makes it more important than any other time in recent memory to catalog sewer infrastructure, including where it is, who is responsible for it, when was it installed, how it is networked and what are its characterizing qualities. The necessity for better interpretation and better communication of sewer information is an ideal use case for Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

GIS innovation has added a totally new degree of practicality to wastewater collection investigation. There are so many moving parts to a sewer organization; each maintenance hole, sewer line, pump station, cleanout and service line is in itself an integral part of the system. GIS allows systems to build an integrated web map of all these components, incorporating spatial data from a broad range of sources: as-builts, field surveys, closed-circuit television, flow meters, and aerial imaging, as well as new categories of data acquired from emerging geospatially empowered technologies.

exponential rate. The combination of aging infrastructure and frequent, extreme storm events have introduced substantial challenges for the collection and treatment of sewage.

The Proactive Maintenance Program is an initiative by the City of Galveston’s Collection & Distribution Division to help their system remain prepared to cope with the rapid pace of change in their environment. A major component of the program is to proactively locate and assess assets and accurately represent them in GIS. Sanitary manholes and sewer main pipelines were collected, assessed and input into a centralized geodatabase. Pipes were inspected to identify the cause of sewer blockages, sources of inflow and infiltration (I&I), and other maintenance-related defects.

These investigations generally result in rehabilitation recommendations, some of which may be costly. But by assembling a complete picture of the system, the program was able to resolve conflicting information and prioritize maintenance properly so that the most important, most urgent repairs could be completed before they became any more costly.

A case study of how this might be put into practice is happening on Galveston Island. The island’s infrastructure is To make the data as useful as possible, precarious, especially susceptible to there was an emphasis placed on coding changes wrought by water and climate.

Continued on next page Erosion shifts its boundaries at an

Quench — 2023 —Issue 6 19

From the Field and collecting conditions in a consistent, reliable manner. Previously, there were no standardized protocols for the compilation and management of data gathered from the field.

Standardization not only makes it practical to compare the condition of multiple segments within a pipe network, but it also allows the city to use GIS to benchmark these conditions to provide better understanding of the deterioration mechanisms affecting underground infrastructure and properly manage assets. Factors that influence deterioration of pipelines can be categorized as structural, maintenance-related and construction/design related. They range from position of groundwater table to hydrogen sulfide attacks or surcharging.

The Proactive Maintenance Program

20 Quench — 2023 — Issue 6

was designed as a three-step process.

First, a GIS inventory of Galveston's sanitary assets was completed. With GPS, positions, spatial features and attributes are gathered concurrently, filing in information and taking out mistakes that might already exist in the system’s records. For instance, Galveston, in the nearly two centuries since its 1839 founding, has used sanitary manhole cover sizes ranging from 16 to 32 inches, so the survey was able to identify where each type was and its condition. Using a Trimble R2, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver that can transmit submeter or centimeter positioning accuracy in real-time to any mobile device, the city was able to provide incredibly precise locations for these and other components of the system.

These become nodes, connection

From the Field points for the maps of sewer lines.

that can interface with the GIS software, providing a detailed map of Second, condition assessments problem areas and making it easy to were conducted using an in-house return to the site of the problem for inspection form to assure that all additional comprehensive CCTV asdata gathering describing the condi- sessment, maintenance or cleaning. tions within a sanitary manhole was consistent. Structural, operational & Conditions in Galveston may have maintenance ratings were calculated made this work especially urgent, using the observations and the fre- but there's no doubt that wastequency of occurrences then input water providers throughout Texas into the enterprise asset manage- stand to benefit from using simiment software, VUEWorks, which lar metholodology for their GIS has web-enabled integrated GIS. mapping. Gathering GIS data can This is crucial for prioritizing re- streamline system maintenance and pairs, rehabilitation and operational provide a baseline from which to & maintenance activities to keep perform future modelling efforts. the system functioning properly. It Clear problems can be averted also provides the ability to detect ahead of time; no more mix-ups changes in pipe condition. where crews bring a 4-inch pipe to insert into the focal point of a T h i r d , a S e w e r L i n e - R a p i d 24-inch pipe. Likewise, setting up Assessment Test (SL-RAT) was used fundamental database connections to provide blockage assessment in between the GIS and customer re6-to-12-inch sewer gravity lines that cords lets utilities track demand with are below 90% capacity. The SL- the GIS network model, useful for RAT uses a specialized transmitter evaluation and reporting. to direct an acoustic transmission through the sewer line to a receiver, As populations continue to grow which has microphone and signal and strains on aging infrastructure processing capabilities to measure worsen, now is the perfect time for the collected acoustic signal. The systems to take stock of what they SL-RAT quantifies the dispersal of have in the ground now, so they can sound energy through the airspace be prepared for whatever the future inside the sewer line between the will bring. sewage flow and the sewer wall. The more total obstructions inside the Justin Guerra is sewer line — for example, roots, a GIS & Drone grease, debris and so forth — the Technician at more the sound energy is hindered.

TRWA. The blockage assessment is given on a rating of zero to ten, where zero demonstrates a complete blockage, and a ten shows a clear sewer line.

Data is then transferred to a format Quench — 2023 —Issue 6 21

From the Field

Water Board 101

Class is in session: Whether you've just been elected or have been faking it this whole time, here's the basics you need to know to serve on the board of your water system

By Paul King If you're already serving or considering serving on the board of a water utility, then you don't need me to tell you it's a big responsibility. Board members are charged with acting in the interest not just of the board but all the members of the water system, putting the system's interests ahead of their own with a duty to preserve faith and trust. This fiduciary position, where board members act on behalf of others, requires being bound both legally and ethically to act 22 Quench — 2023 — Issue 6

in the system's best interests.

This is a serious, and for many board members, long-lasting committment.

For years I have joked with board members that your first step is to get elected to the board and your next step is the grave, since so many board members find that once they are elected they're never able to get off the board.

requirements, duties and responsibilities once you are elected to the board.

A non-profit water supply corporation water board must be comprised of at least three board members, with a maximum of twenty-one board members. Most water boards seem to settle on five, seven, or nine members, with an odd number so there are never tie votes.

The second part of this is a little be- All water board members must take yond the purview of this article, so the Open Meeting Acts training here we're going to talk about board within 90 days of taking the oath of

From the Field office. At least one of the members of the board of directors must also have taken the public information act training. These required trainings are available on the Texas attorney general website: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/open-government.

Other requirements include that a prospective board member must be 18 years of age or older on the first day of their term and they must be a member or shareholder of the water supply corporation.

organization.

mission.

Board members are also responsible for adopting strategic and long-term plans for the water system. It is the board's responsibility to adopt the plans and the general manager’s duty to make those plans happen. The board of directors sets the policy for the organization and the general manager implements those policies

A fiduciary responsibility also covers the system's finances. This isn't just day-to-day cash flow: For a water system it also includes managing the system’s assets and planning for improvements over the long-term.

Think of being on a board of a water system as borrowing a tool or piece of equipment from your neighbor.

If you ever want to borrow anything else from that neighbor, you need to return it in as good or better condition than it was in when you borrowed it. This is where asset management plans for the water system come into play.

Included amongst the duties of a water board is the hiring of a general manager (GM) and the setting of the salary for that position. I consider this one of the board’s most important duties.

The GM is the primary communicator with the board and keeps the board informed of the daily operation of the water system. A good GM has a good working relationship with and works closely with the board president. The board also monitors, supports and reviews the general As a board member you are accountmanager’s performance. able for the decisions you make and the actions you take as a part of the Establishing the organization’s mis- board, so it is a good idea to make sion statement is also a duty of the sure your system has adequate insurboard. Most water system mission ance to cover the board for liability. statements include but are not limited Board members also have a duty that to “producing clean affordable drink- requires board members to place the ing water for the members.” A good water system’s interests before their mission statement communicates to personal interests. This ethical comthe public and especially to the mem- mitment makes it possible for board bers the goals and objectives of the members to fulfill their water system's

Water utilities have a lot of moving parts and everything in a water system is very expensive, especially the things you do not see. The pumps inside the pump houses, chlorine equipment, wells and the pipe in the ground, all will all need to be replaced or upgraded at some point. Having your general manager and engineer put together asset management plans and capital improvement plans for your water system and setting rates that will pay for those plans will save your water system money in the long run.

Board development is a never-ending process for board members. Learning Continued on next page Quench — 2023 — Issue 6 23

From the Field about the industry is important for board members if they do not have a background in the water business.

Sending board members to conferences and training sessions is a good way for them to learn the rules and regulations of the industry. TRWA has training for board members at all our conferences during the year and welcome board members at each of them.

Past President. Once they have served their terms, many choose to leave the board and allow others to take over their position. This can also work for your water system board. Many water systems have told me it is difficult to find people willing to serve on the board. When I hear this I always suggest that they look for people in their community that are already volunteering with other organizations such as churches, the Lions Club and At the start of the article, I spoke volunteer fire departments. Last but about never being able to get off the not least, talk to your neighbors and board. Well there is a way to move on, tell them how great it is to be involved and that is to plan for your own re- with the water system’s board if you placement. If you look at the TRWA think they'd be a good candidate. board, you will see that as board members get more experience on In summary, before a person runs for the board they move up and become a position on a water system board, officers on the board, usually serving they should be aware of their fiduas Secretary or Treasurer, then Vice- ciary responsibilities as board memPresident, then President and lastly as bers. A good idea is to have potential

board members sit in on a few board meetings and speak to other board members after those meetings. It is also never too soon to start mentoring new board members to prepare them to take on additional responsibilities and one day assume an officer position. The board member’s fiduciary responsibilities we have talked about can be used to help move your water system going forward and help the board members leave the water system better than they found it.

Paul King is a Circuit Rider at TRWA.

Start Mapping Today Jump-start mapping and field data collection with easy-to-use applications. esri.com/smallsystems

Copyright © 2023 Esri. All rights reserved.

24 Quench — 2023— Issue 6

Keep Moving Forward

Make the next move in your career with training classes from TRWA • Live Classes • Instructor-led Virtual Classes • Self-Paced Online Classes

Visit trwa.org/training or call 512-428-5754 Quench — 2023 —Issue 6 25

Features

In Memoriam As the year comes to a close, the Texas Rural Water Association takes the time to recognize some of the people our rural water community in Texas lost this year.

Leahmon Bryant 79

Jim Marshall

70

Former TRWA Board President and longtime General Manager of Caddo Basin SUD Leahmon Bryant passed away on June 2, 2023.

James Marshall "Jim" Roberts, Jr., general manager of Marathon Water and Sewer Company, passed away on October 26, 2023.

A graduate of Marathon High School, Jim went on to attend Sul Ross State University in Alpine, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. Following his graduation from Sul Ross, Jim returned to Marathon where he played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Marathon Water and Sewer Company. Jim’s dedication to providing essential services to the community will always be remembered.

Outside of work, Jim found great joy in steer roping, often participating alongside his wife Steph and a circle of close friends.

Jim is survived by his wife, Stephanie Edgar Roberts, two sons and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

26 Quench — 2023 — Issue 6

Leahmon was a rural water leader, serving for many years on the TRWA Board of Directors, including as Board President from 2003-2006.

He and his wife Sandra remained actively engaged and were staunch supporters of TRWA even after he left the board. Leahmon was greatly admired and will be missed by his many friends in our Texas rural water community.

Leahmon lived in Greenville and worked as the General Manager of Caddo Basin SUD for 29 years. Prior to that, he was employed as Assistant City Manager for the City of McKinney and later served on the McKinney City Council for five years.

Leahmon was an avid fisherman and hunter. He loved the outdoors and being with his family and friends.

Leahmon is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sandra Smith Bryant, as well as four children, six grandchildren and four great-children.

Features

Ricky Gerren 60

Richard “Ricky ” Gerren, a Plant Maintenance Technician at Brazos River Authority's East Williamson Count y Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant, passed away on September 14, 2023.

Born in El Paso, Ricky grew up in the center of a web of siblings, cousins and friends in the small community of Minerva, Texas. After graduating from Rockdale High School, he worked in Taylor at Intercraft and ALCOA before joining Brazos River Authority, where he worked for the past 15 years. While there, Ricky was instrumental in assisting the Operations Team in optimizing the facility to help it remain compliant and save customers money.

Ricky played softball competitively for many years, including on a team that won a National Softball Association championship in 1996. He was also an avid league bowler, a recent golfer, and a passionate youth sports coach for his children and grandchildren.

Max Conlin 77

Max Jensen Conlin, former board member turned general manager of Liberty City WSC, passed away on October 11, 2023.

Born in Soda Springs, Idaho, Max first came to Texas on a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and swore he would never return after the end of it. But after graduating from Brigham Young University and working on farms in New Mexico and Hawaii, Max moved back to East Texas.

He was elected to the Liberty City WSC Board of Directors in 1984 and served for six years, including three years as President.

In 1991, Max took on the job of managing the utility, helping turn it around from near bankruptcy to a model system and increasing the number of active wells from two to 10. Max earned Class A licenses in both water and wastewater and was active in TRWA until his retirement in 2017.

Max is survived by his wife of 54 years, Jan, as well as five children and 16 grandchildren.

Ricky is survived by his wife of 40 years, Rachel Gerren of Belton, two children, six grandchildren and three brothers.

Quench — 2023 — Issue 6 27

TRWA Briefs EPA Wastewater Technical Assistance Workshops

TRWA is hosting free workshops in 2024 to provide technical assistance education for wastewater systems.

The first workshop will be held Wednesday, February 21at Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will focus on Technical Assistance for Wastewater Lagoons. Sessions will cover treatment and troubleshooting in the system, staying current with state and federal regulations and providing education on technical assistance programs and resources.

A second workshop will be held Wednesday, April 17 at the Lindale Community Center in Lindale from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will provide Technical Assistance for Wastewater Utilities training. Learn about emerging contaminants, asset management, wastewater resiliency and much more. Additional workshops will be held in other locations in May and June.

Visit our website at trwa.org/wastewatertechprogram to learn more and to find a link to register for these events.

Advertiser Index Axis Construction/Kasco................................... 12 Childress Engineers............................................ 12 CoBank.............................................................. 17 Esri....................................................................24 Hayes Engineering............................................. 11

Join the conversation at: www.facebook.com/TexasRuralWaterAssn 28 Quench — 2023 — Issue 6

J.F. Fontaine & Associates.................................. 17 Russell Drilling Co., Inc.......................................11 SAMCO.............................................................. 13 Smith Pump Co., Inc………………...…………………..17 Texas Aquastore................................................20

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

Don't Miss These TRWA Opportunities

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Quench — 2023 — Issue 6 29

New class of apprentices TRWA's Registered Apprenticeship Program is preparing to kick off its latest class on January 18.

We have eight new apprentices representing six systems preparing to start this step of their journey into the water and wastewater industry, our largest group yet in one cohort. They'll meet in January to receive a program overview and the first of many training hours on their way to earning their licenses.

If you are a system or an individual interested in participating in the Registered Apprenticeship Program, please contact Apprenticeship Program Manager Jacquelyn Knobloch at apprenticeship@trwa.org.

To learn more about the Apprenticeship Program, visit trwa.org/RAP or attend Jacquelyn's apprenticeship session at RuralWaterCon 2024.

Update your Quench subscriptions Don't forget to review your Quench subscription information and make any necessary changes when you renew your TRWA membership for 2024. Your membership with TRWA will continue to include complimentary subscriptions to Quench: • Regular Utility Members: Up to five complimentary subscriptions • Associate Members: One complimentary subscription If you would like to make any changes to your subscription list, please send them in with your renewal or at your earliest convenience by email to editor@trwa.org.

If your system purchased additional subscriptions for an annual fee of $30, we will continue to send magazines to those individuals in 2024 and issue an invoice, unless we hear otherwise.

If you have any questions please contact us at editor@trwa.org.

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

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

30 Quench — 2023 — Issue 6

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

JANUARY 2024

January 17-19

Basic Water Works Operations - Scurry

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January 23-25 Pump & Motor Maintenance - Decatur & Virtual Surface Water Production 1

FEBRUARY 2024 February 13 Virtual Public Funds Investment Act Training

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Basic Wastewater - San Antonio

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