Texas Water Utilities
JOURNAL
VOLUME 23
OCTOBER 2013
NUMBER 10
2014 TWUA REGIONAL SCHOOL SCHEDULE 2014 TWUA REGIONAL SCHOOL SCHEDULE:
DATE
EVENT
PRIMARY CONTACT
EXHIBITS CONTACT
Mar. 2-5
TWUA Annual School
David Moore (512)459-3124
Norma Clark (432)528-1608
Feb. 4-6
Far West Texas Regional School Pecos County Civic Center Ft. Stockton, Texas
Norma Clark (432)528-1608
Tom Ezell (432)553-1196
Mar. 31-Apr. 3
Panhandle Regional School Amarillo Civic Center Amarillo, Texas
Jessie Flores (806)378-3019
Ruben Arias (806)378-3019
Apr. 29- May 1
Southeast Regional School Holiday Inn Centre Beaumont, Texas
Bobby Rogers (409)385-7355
Rob Starr (409)755-1559
May 6-8
Central West Texas Regional School Abilene Civic Center Abilene, Texas
Charlotte McElwain (325)226-3085
Mickey Chaney (325)548-2237
May 13-15
North Central Texas Regional School Univ. of Texas Arlington Arlington, Texas
Selena Jackson (972)237-8377
Jon Mahoney (972)721-2261
June 9-12
Central Texas Regional School Killeen Civic Center Killeen, Texas
Teresa Bryant (254)750-8007
Peggy Smith (830)598-2424 x 309
July 14-16
Southwest Texas Regional School Holy Family Catholic Church Victoria, Texas
Donald Reese (361)485-3414
Lynn Short (361)485-3381
August 12-14
Permian Basin Regional School MCM Grande Hotel Odessa, Texas
Norma Clark (432)528-1608
Norma Clark (432)528-1608
August 26-28
East Texas Regional School Harvey Hall & R.T.D.C. Tyler, Texas
Mike Norris (903)939-8278
Mike Norris (903)939-8278
November 4-6
West Texas Regional School Lubbock Civic Center Lubbock, Texas
Neil Weems (806)775-2880
Neil Weems (806)775-2880
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES ASSOCIATION 65th WEST TEXAS REGIONAL SCHOOL LUBBOCK MEMORIAL CIVIC CENTER 1501 6TH STREET NOVEMBER 5 - NOVEMBER 7, 2013
Academic Offerings WASTEWATER Basic Wastewater Wastewater Treatment Wastewater Collection
WATER
WATER/WASTEWATER
Basic Water Water Distribution Ground Water Production *Surface Water I Water Laboratory
*24 hour course will begin on Monday November 4th from 1:00 to 5:00 Must be Pre-registered for this class
Water Utilities Safety Water Utilities Management Water Utilities Calculations Valve and Hydrant Maintenance
Course schedule Tuesday 8:30 to12:00 and 1:00 to 5:30 Wednesday 8:00 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 5:00 Thursday 8:00 to 12:00 Buffet Lunch Tue, Wed, Thu, 12:00 to 1:00
Registration and Fees Pre-Registration Until November 1st, 2013 Mail Pre-Registration (Cash or Check Only) Internet Pre-Registration (Credit Card Only) On-Site Registration (No Credit Cards Accepted) (Check, Money Order, or Cash)
TWUA Member Price $ 205 $ 205 $ 220 with Proof of TWUA Membership
Non-Member Price $ 260 $ 260 $ 270
Pre-registration via Mail or Internet (preferred) www.TWUA.org with Master Card or Visa. All students are provided study manuals, necessary class room supplies, a quality buffet lunch daily If testing, make arrangements with a TCEQ representative and have a SEPARATE CHECK made out to TCEQ.
Hotel Information MCM Elegante (Host Hotel), 801 Ave Q, Lubbock, TX 79401. (806) 763-1200 Group rate $74.00. Reservation cutoff date is October 28, 2013. La Quinta Inn, Inc., 601 Ave Q, Lubbock, TX 79401. (800) 531-5900
✄
✄ Pre-Registration Form 65th WTRWUS School
✄
Name: ___________________________________________ SS# or TCEQ Operator License#____________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _______________________________________________Home Phone:________________________________ Work Phone:_______________________________ Course Selection: _______________________________________________ Representing (Organization): _____________________________________Job Title:___________________________________ TWUA District/chapter: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Email Address:____________________________________________________________________________________________ Make checks payable to WTRWUS. No purchase orders accepted. No refunds after October 25, 2013. Please mail Pre-Registration Form and payment to: Attn: Secretary / Treasurer, P.O. Box 5068, Lubbock TX 79408 If you have any questions, please call Candy McCarthy at (806) 775-3221 or Fax (806) 775-3246
In This Issue ARTICLES S TRAINING LISTINGS S EMPLOYMENT
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL, 1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 112 W., Austin, TX 78723-1093. TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL is not responsible for facts and/or opinions expressed by contributors or in advertisements herein. Editorials and comments do not necessarily represent the official policy of the Texas Water Utilities Association. All inquiries should be directed to: Texas Water Utilities Association, 1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 112 W, Austin, TX 78723-1093, phone 512/459-3124. Any material accepted for publication is subject to revision and editing at the discretion of the publisher. All advertising in the TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL is subject to approval of the publisher. Learn more about T.W.U.A. at our Web site: www.twua.org
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL (ISSN 1051-709X) is published monthly by the Texas Water Utilities Association, located at 1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 112 West, Austin, Texas 78723-1093, for engineers, operators, managers, laboratory technicians, customer service personnel, and other professionals employed in, or interested in, the water and/or wastewater industry. Five dollars of each annual membership dues payment to the Texas Water Utilities Association pays for a subscription. Non-Member subscription price: USA $50 per year; $4.20 per single copy; $60 per year outside USA. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, TX. The Texas Water Utilities Association is wholly independent, and is not affiliated with the American Water Works Association, the Water Environment Federation, or any other National organization.
ARTICLES: President's Perspective..................................................................6 by Roger Fussell, TWUA President TWUA Executive Director News......................................................8 by Russell Hamilton, Executive Director VM Ehlers News: Ehlers Scholarship Recap................. ...........................................10 By Debbie McReynolds, Foundation Trustee PES News: Thermal Treatment Methods for Wastewater..............................16 By Alphonse Newton, Pretreatment Supervisor, City of Fort Worth Safety News: Do's and Don'ts When Transporting Batteries.............................18 by Paul Cotter, RS, RPIH, CHMM TWDB News: Water Conservation on a Texas Sized Scale................................20 by Texas Water Development Board Customer Service News: Does Every Company Need a Customer Strategy........................22 by Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, Ph.D In The News: Where Are the Replacements?.....................................................24 by Russell Hamilton, TWUA Executive Director
ADVERTISERS: Classified Ads.......................................................................................30 Ana-Lab...............................................................................................26 Chlor-Serv, Inc.....................................................................................26 Global Treat.........................................................................................24 Hartwell Environmental Corporation.......................................................21 Jim Cox Sales........................................................................................5 Magna Flow Environmental...................................................................25 Professional Cards................................................................................26 Samco Leak Detection............................................................................9 Smith Pump Company, Inc...........................................Inside Back Cover
TRAINING: .TWUA
Training Schedule..................................................................................14 .TWUA Annual School Customer Service Information...........................................19 TWUA 65th West Texas Regional School Information.............................................3 WEAT The Saga Continues Conference & Expo...................................................27
4 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
OCTOBER 2013
TRAFFIC RATED EASY AND SAFE ONE-MAN OPERATION REDUCED INFILTRATION AUTOMATIC SURGE RELEASE ANTI-THEFT SECURITY
half the Weight of tRaditional caSt-iRon alteRnativeS.
To learn more, contact Jim Cox Sales, Inc., at 800.838.7377 or visit us online at www.jimcoxsales.com. OCTOBER 2013
When Size Really MatteRS Specify 32” oR 36”
The new PAMREX 32” and 36” CertainTeed Access Covers solves a number of BIG problems for municipalities, fitting oversized manholes at half the weight of traditional castiron alternatives. These covers exceed the new TCEQ mandate of 30” clear openings. They feature a twin-hinge design that make it easier and safer to raise and lower, allowing for one-man operation. Factor in long-term durability, resistance to inflow and infiltration, and security from unauthorized access, and you’ve got BIG answers to all of your BIG issues.
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
President's Message Roger Fussell, Executive Director Lumberton MUD
Be Innovative! Thanks to all those in Tyler who made the East Texas Regional School a success. The volunteers, vendors, and regional Board members did a great job. This month as we continue our discussion on the word “Professional” let’s consider the letter “I”. Today’s water utility professional must be innovative. Webster defines innovative as” advanced, original, or featuring new methods.” Today’s economic climate will often times affect the water utility’s operations, maintenance, and even customer service. Declining revenues and resources result in cutbacks at all levels. If we are innovative we will be able to expand and make the best use of our remaining resources. We often hear "Do more with less.” The innovative water utility professional will utilize new concepts and technology. Combining routine job tasks, for example, may increase productivity and possibly speed up service work. Also, what did we do before cell phones? Our “Smart Phones” are a tool, if used wisely, which can really be innovative in our everyday workplace. These devices can save time and reduce labor costs. Innovative water utility professionals will take advantage of technology and use it wisely and to their advantage. I recently read an article about the Top Ten Innovative People of 2013. Scott Harrison, a 28 year old nightclub manager from New York, made a trip to Africa. Upon his return in 2005, he left his job and established Charity: Water, a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe water to people in developing countries. As a result of Harrison being innovative, Wikipedia reports his charity has received $27 million that funded 6611 projects in 20 countries, benefiting over 2.5 million people. Not all of us may be as successful as Mr. Harrison but we can be innovative in many other aspects. As we enter the last half of 2013, I encourage each of you to take an active role in your job. Take advantage of training opportunities when they arise. You can be innovative in your training requirements. Recent approval of online training opportunities allows the TWUA the ability to provide our water utility professionals with innovative means to receive training. As you continue to grow in your professional role, I encourage you to “think outside the box”. Consider innovative methods, concepts, and technologies to support the growth of the water utility industry. Your success and our success as an industry is dependent on you. S
Roger Fussell TWUA President
6 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
OCTOBER 2013
TWUA EAST TEXAS SCHOOL NEWS: By Mike Norris, Regional Officer
58TH ANNUAL TWUATWUA 58TH ANNUAL EAST TEXAS REGIONAL SCHOOL EAST TEXAS REGIONAL SCHOOL Mike Norris, Secretary/Treasurer
Secretary/Treasurer The 58th Annual TWUAMike EastNorris, Texas Regional School was a Awards Luncheon. The Zenith Award went to Brad Randall, great success! The school took place during the week of Chief Operator at the City of Nacogdoches Surface Water August 26th and was once again in Tyler at the Harvey Treatment Plant. The Distinguished Service Award went to th East TWUA Texas Regional School was a great The school e 58 Annual th Center, East Tyler Rose Center, East Texas Bill Goheen,The General Manager at East Cedar Creek Fresh Annual Texas Regional School wassuccess! aFair great success! school TheTWUA 58Convention th Garden and was k place during the week of August 26 th once again in Tyler at the Harvey Building, andthe the week Fire Department room allowing us Water was once again in TylerSupply at theDistrict. Harvey The Exemplary Service Award in took place during of Augusttraining 26 and nvention Center, Rose Garden Center, East Texas Fair Building, and theand toTyler offer 14 different water and wastewater classes in close &Fire Training went to Lisa Hart, Lab Technician/ Convention Center, Tyler Rose Garden Center, East Texas Fair Education Building, the Fire partment Training Room allowing us to offer 14 different Water and Wastewater proximity to one another. Operator the City of Greenville. Great Job! Department Training Room allowing us to offer 14 different Water andwith Wastewater
sses in close proximity to one another. classes in close proximity to one another.
Turnout was tremendous with a total of 360 students
There are so many people to thank that made the school
nout was tremendous with a total ofone 360 students making this of one the of attending, making this the of largest schools inattending, our 58 suchone a this success thistheyear and every year. Jill Bolin, Turnout was tremendous with a of total 360 attending, students making year history. The “A” test was given to 12 individuals and est schools in our 58 year history. The “A” test was given to 12 individuals and Instructor and largest schools in our 58 year history. The “A” test was given to 12 individualsAwards and Coordination; Scott Baggett, approximately 130 students took water and wastewater Instructor Coordinator. From the City of Tyler: Pam Lee, proximatelyapproximately 130 students took Water and Wastewater Exams. We also had 14 great 130 students took Water and Wastewater Exams. We also had 14 great exams. We also had 14 great TWUA instructors thaton received Sara Hall, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Hukill, Michael Wauqua, UA Instructors received overwhelming excellent their on student surveys. TWUAthat Instructors thatanreceived an overwhelming excellent their student surveys. an overwhelming "Excellent" onWastewater their studenttosurveys. Keith and Austin,Lab Sherry Pettit, Jennifer Palmer, Jimmy Frater, ey taught They courses from Basic Water and Management taught courses from Basic Water and Wastewater to Management and Lab They taught courses from basic Water and wastewater to Leanne Robinette, and Todd Lestage. The guest speakers: rses. courses. management and lab courses.
Greg Morgan, Curtis Smalley, Roger Fussell, and Susan Hier. products. From TWUA: Russell Hamilton, David Moore, Norma e Vendor Hall also packed withpacked 64 venders their great The was Vendor Hall was 64demonstrating venders theirAngela great products. The vendor hallalso was also with packed with 64demonstrating venders Clark, Monroe, Donna Martin, and Henrietta Adee. e School has always been well supported by the vendors, and we are very thankful to The School has always been well supported by the vendors, and we are very thankful to for being there to administer demonstrating their great products. The School has always The TCEQ licensing staff m for thatthem support! On Tuesday night, HD Waterworks Supply sponsored a for that support! On Tuesday night, HD Waterworks Supply sponsored been well supported by the vendors, and we are very the tests and staying alate on Thursday. I would like to beque dinner and on Wednesday night, Underground Utilities sponsored a fish fry for Ron barbeque dinner Wednesday night, Utilities sponsored a fish fry for thankful to and themonfor that support! OnUnderground Tuesday night, HD especially thank Mayfield with the City of Tyler for ryone attending. everyone attending. Waterworks Supply sponsored a barbeque dinner and on being there every year to help set everything up and Wednesday night, Underground Utilities sponsored a fish fry also making sure the donuts and coffee are always fresh. ngratulations to for oureveryone East toTexas award winners. Awards were given out to three attending. Congratulations our East Texas award winners. Awards were given outmany to three There are so people that help, so please forgive me pients during our Wednesday Awards Luncheon. The Zenith Bradto to I havetoforgotten mention anyone and thanks again for recipients during our Wednesday Awards Luncheon. TheAward Zenithifwent Award went Brad ndall, ChiefRandall, Operator at Operator the City of East Nacogdoches Surface Plant. Congratulations to our Texasofaward winners. Water Awards all theTreatment great help!Plant. Already looking forward to next year!S Chief at the City Nacogdoches SurfaceTreatment Water e Distinguished Service Award torecipients Billwent Goheen, Manager at East at Cedar were given out towent three during our Wednesday The Distinguished Service Award to Bill General Goheen, General Manager East Cedar
ek Fresh Creek WaterFresh Supply District. Exemplary Service Award Education & Water SupplyThe District. The Exemplary Service in Award in Education & ining wentTraining to Lisa went Hart,toLab Technician/Operator with the City of Greenville. Great Lisa Hart, Lab Technician/Operator with the City of Greenville. Great ! Job!
Zenith Award Zenith Award Brad RandallBrad Randall
Operator, City of Nacogdoches Chief Operator, Chief City of Nacogdoches Surface Water Treatment Plant Surface Water Treatment Plant
OCTOBER 2013
Distinguished Distinguished Service Service Award Award Bill Goheen Bill Goheen General East Manager, East Cedar Creek General Manager, Cedar Creek Fresh Water Supply District Fresh Water Supply District
Exemplary Service Award in Education & Training Lisa Hart Lab Technician/Operator, City of Greenville
There are so many people to thank that made the School such a succe every year. Jill Bolin, Instructor and Awards Coordination; Scott Ba TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org Coordinator. From the City of Tyler: Pam Lee, Sara Hall, Jimmie Johns Michael Wauqua, Keith Austin, Sherry Pettit, Jennifer Palmer, Jimmy
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NEWS Russell Hamilton, TWUA Executive Director
I, for one, am seldom sorry to see the summer season
coming to an end. Some have been blessed with a few spotted showers, but for the most part – still hot and dry across the state. I mentioned some of the Texas lakes last month. Just to update – Lake Travis is now 30% capacity and Lake Buchanan is sitting at 36% capacity. In West Texas, Lake Spence is sitting at 5% capacity and Lake Ivie is sitting at 16% capacity and Lake Meredith remains at 0% capacity. I urge you to join me and continue to pray for a statewide significant rainfall event and to make us better stewards of this precious resource. We are pleased with the participation and interest we have experienced with the online Webinars. 20-hour classes will be offered in the very near future. We continue to learn and refine our process to improve the quality and usefulness of the training. We greatly appreciate the feedback and hope that this training option will be used as another tool to assist in the renewal process. If you have not received the latest email or considered the most recent flier, there is a 1-hour webinar scheduled for October 16th – you can visit the TWUA website for more information. I thought I would share a recent conversation. We were at a meeting and I asked one of the attendees if he was experiencing problems with retaining or recruiting workers for the treatment, distribution, or collection processes? The response and follow up statement was not surprising but made me stop and think. Basically what was said is something to the effect of – we cannot find people who can pass the application process and we certainly cannot compete with the gas and oil industry. The conversation went on and this attendee said - what one group of people that is employed by a PWS, City, MUD, or SUD has the most potential to impact public health? My response was – utility worker. I don't mean to take anything away from Police, Fire, or EMS and, when they are needed, they are a blessing to have. The conversation continued and this operator said that for his city, a rookie police officer with limited or no experience is paid the equivalent of $19.25 per hour plus retirement and health insurance and is given an hourly raise at the conclusion of his or her probation period. For a utility worker in the same entity who is entry level, the city starts this person at $12.25 per hour plus the same benefits. Some of the requirements for the utility worker require a Commercial Driver’s License so the city works to make the new hire compliant. As soon as he gets a CDL he goes to work in the oil field 8 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
for $25.00 dollars per hour. The oil field typically does not offer a retirement package or the “perks” but a young man starting a family is more concerned with what the employer can provide today; not when they can retire or will they get a pay check even though it has been inclement weather. I shared that on a recent trip to Odessa, I noticed in the window of a Convenience Store a hiring poster that said help wanted. If you pass the application process the beginning wage is $14.00 per hour, plus benefits. The conservation ended on - would a young man or woman just out of high school want to work at an air conditioned convenience store for $14.00 @ hour with very limited responsibility or work in a muddy ditch or maintain a sewer lift station in all weather conditions for $12.25 per hour? "This gentleman shook his head and said, All I need to do is survive 2 more years and I am eligible for my full retirement and this will be somebody else’s headache." Not sure how best to get this message to the City Managers, City Councils, Boards, Directors and decision makers but my experience has been, if you want to attract and retain good employees, you have to be competitive. You want to attract the sharpest, brightest minds; it all boils down to money. The story goes like this - The little country schoolhouse was heated by an old-fashioned, pot-bellied coal stove. A little boy had the job of coming to school early each day to start the fire and warm the room before his teacher and his classmates arrived. One morning in February of 1916, they arrived to find the schoolhouse engulfed in flames. They dragged an unconscious little 8-year old boy out of the flaming building more dead than alive. He had major burns over the lower half of his body and was taken to a nearby county hospital. A few days later the fire would claim the life of his older brother. From his bed the dreadfully burned, semi-conscious little boy faintly heard the doctor talking to his mother. The doctor told his mother that she should prepare herself, for her son would surely die – which might be for the best, really – for the terrible fire had devastated the lower half of his body, much of which was 3rd degree burns. But the brave boy didn’t want to die. He made up his mind that he would survive. The doctors had recommended to the parents that the little boy’s leg be amputated to improve his chances for survival. Doctor’s imagined that infection would be almost impossible to control. The parents decided against the doctor’s advice and hoped for the best. OCTOBER 2013
Somehow, to the amazement of the physician, the little boy did survive. When the mortal danger was past, he again heard the doctor and his mother speaking quietly. The mother was told that since the fire had destroyed so much flesh and muscle in the lower part of his body, he was doomed to be a lifetime cripple with no use at all of his lower limbs.
In the 1970’s in an interview, Glenn remarked, “As long as you believe you can do things, they’re not impossible.” Glenn’s favorite bible verse was Proverbs 23:7 – “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” As long as you desire it enough and allow your will to guide you, you can have and be whatever your heart desires. The only one that can put limits on our personal will is ourselves. S
Once more the brave boy made up his mind. He would not be a cripple. He would walk. But unfortunately, from the waist down, he had no motor ability. His thin legs just dangled there, all but lifeless.
"Remember, We do not need all the operators in Texas to be a member of TWUA JUST YOU !"
Ultimately he was released from the hospital. Every day his mother would massage his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet his determination that he would walk was as strong as ever. When he wasn’t in bed, he was confined to a wheelchair. One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air. This day, instead of sitting there, he threw himself from the chair. He pulled himself across the grass, dragging his legs behind him. He worked his way to the white picket fence bordering their lot. With great effort, he raised himself up on the fence. Then, stake by stake, he began dragging himself along the fence, resolved that he would walk. He started to do this every day until he wore a smooth path all around the yard beside the fence. There was nothing he wanted more than to develop life in those legs. Ultimately through his daily massages, his iron persistence, his resolute determination, and his prayers he did develop the ability to stand up with the use of crutches, then 22 months later, he began to walk by himself – and then – to run. He began to walk to school, then to run to school, to run for the sheer joy of running. Strangely enough, walking hurt caused Glenn great pain, but running hardly hurt at all. When Glenn was in the fourth grade he went to a high school sponsored track competition and to the surprise of everyone, he won. Later, in college, he made the track team and secured the nickname “Kansas Flier”. Still later in Madison Square Garden this young man who was not expected to survive, who would surely never walk, who could never hope to run – this determined young man, Dr. Glenn Cunningham, ran the world’s fastest indoor mile 4:06.7. In 1936 at the World Olympic Games in Berlin, Glenn won the Silver Medal in the mile run. OCTOBER 2013
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TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
VM EHLER FOUNDATION NEWS: Ehlers Scholarship Recap
By Debbie McReynolds, Foundation Trustee
The Ehler’s meeting this year was amazing! It began with gloomy news concerning our finances. Our investments lost money so there was no interest to apply to the scholarships. As we went into the meeting, only $10,240 had been received in pass-through donations and we had 90 qualified scholarship applicants. As the Ehlers Endowment Representatives came, the money came with them! By the end of the meeting, $86,100 was distributed to all 83 applicants. On behalf of the Trustees, we would like to thank each one of you who made donations, participated in fund raisers, or in any other way made it possible to have our most successful scholarship year EVER. You are amazing and have truly made a difference in the lives of the scholarship recipients and their families. In addition to the awarding of scholarships, we addressed several other issues. Due to the challenges some of the students experienced in the electronic submissions of their applications, we will now accept electronic and hard copy applications. We will ONLY accept the application found on the TWUA website, and we will only consider applications received or postmarked on or before July 1. Each applicant will be required to provide an email address where we can confirm receipt of the application. If the applicant does not receive the confirmation, they should assume we have not received the application and must contact us prior to
July 1. If the applicant does not contact us and the application is not received, the student will not be eligible for a scholarship. We will also not process any application which is not complete—ALL blanks must be filled in. It is also important to ensure the TWUA or WEAT membership of the member sponsoring the student has been current for the entire year prior to the submission of the application. We are making a major change to the way scholarship checks are issued. Historically, students have received half of their scholarship funds for the spring semester and half for the fall semester. Beginning with the 2014 scholarships, only one check will be issued in January for the entire year. The student can use the money for one semester or split it between the two semesters. In order to be eligible for the future scholarships, the student must have completed and passed both semesters and submitted a fully completed application. Finally, the Ehler’s meeting will be moved to September along with the TWUA Mid-Year Board Meeting. We are asking each Endowment to submit their pass-through scholarship funds prior to the meeting to ensure the monies are properly distributed and to assist the Ehler’s auditor in submitting our tax documents. Again, thanks to each of you for making this year’s meeting a huge success. I can’t wait to see what happens next year. S
2013 TWUA Presented by the TWUA Awards Committee
CALL FOR
NOMINATIONS
As part of our mission, we are now welcoming nominations by TWUA Members of those who are deserving recognition for their accomplishments. However, for the past several years the nominations have been declining. Therefore, we ask that you please take time to recognize your fellow coworkers during this period of opportunity. There are many man and women that deserve to be acknowledge for their work and dedication in this industry. We cannot reward them without your help. Please visit www.twua.org and submit your nominations online today. All applications are due by December 31, 2013 to be considered. Those who have been selected will be notified by mail. Please contact Central Office at: (888)367-8982 for additional information.
10 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
OCTOBER 2013
V. M. Ehlers 2013 Scholarship Recipients Malorie Alaniz – Floydada John Bach – Justin Kevin Banks – Houston Allison Bennett – Arlington Emily Benton – Burleson Michael Cavazos – Nassau Bay Autumn Durst – Fredericksburg Jerrod Fussell – Silsbee Londria Gilmore – Waco Kaitlyn Harris – Hugo, OK Landon Henderson – Lubbock Adam Holt – New Caney Clarissa Hurn – Levelland Grace Hughes – Nacogdoches Aliese Hyde – Harker Heights Katie Jagge – Atascosa Kylee Kittrell – Colleyville Kelley Kocurek – Alvin Cassandra Lange – Colleyville Jared Lewis – Victoria Matthew Longoria – Arlington Christopher Luna – Seguin Megha Makanji – Plano Bryan McBride – Longview Colin McGuire – Miles Stefany Northam – Lubbock Holly Panencia – Placedo Kaci Pesek – Shiner Eli Polinard – Santa Fe Taylor Printz – Friendswood Annie Reck – Coppell Jeremy Root – Axtell Alexandra Salinas – Del Rio Jacob Sestak – Weimar Marissa Shimek – Seguin Dominik Sobieraj – Lewisville Buck Starling – Flower Mound Selma Valverde – Alice Steven Walden – Mansfield Yuxin Wen – Arlington Connie Xavier – Arlington John Zella – Gonzales OCTOBER 2013
Elizabeth Allen – Arlington Taylor Baker – Rockwall Monica Banks – Houston John Bennett – Arlington Samantha Burkland – San Marcos Alberto Cervantes – Victoria Arthur Faiello – Conroe Matilde Garcia – Rockwall Callum Hall – Colleyville Bransen Henderson – Lubbock Christopher Holcomb – Floresville Landon House – Longview Kevin Hurn – Levelland Thomas Hughes – Nacogdoches Nathaniel Jacquez – Lubbock Nicole Karkos – Ganado Kaitlyn Kocurek – Alvin Katrina Lagunas – New Braunfels Cynthia Lara – Victoria Marshall Little – Lake Dallas Alex Loredo – Arlington Chirag Makanji – Plano Mason Matias – Shiner Mason McDonald – Port Arthur Zachary Miller – New Waverly Kimberly Overstreet – North Richland Hills Krishna Perez – Waco Theresa Pisano – Longview Paige Pollard – China Spring Aaron Reck – Coppell Lyndsey Rios – Runge Jewel Ross-Ferguson – Marshall Brittany Schultz – Brenham Kaitlyn Sestak – Weimar Justin Siddall – Irving Hector Solis – San Ygnacio Justin Tijerina – Laredo Bridgette Vanramshorst – Santa Fe Emory Wegwerth – Robinson Ashley Winslett – Pflugerville Kinny Xavier – Arlington
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
Texas Water Utilities Association 96th Annual School
March 2-5,2014 Corpus Christi, Texas
TWUA Professionals We are proud to announce our upcoming 96th Annual School in Corpus Christi, Texas at the American Bank Convention Center. Please mark your calendars and take advantage of our training program and more. Please remember in some cases classroom sizes may be limited.
Hotel Reservation Information: Hotel: Group Code TWUA/ Omni Hotel Bayfront will serve as our host hotel again this year. Room rate $147+taxes. For direct information or reservation please call (800)843-6664 or you can visit www.omnihotel.com for on-line reservations. This information is also located on our website at www.twua.org. Please note group discount reservation cut-off date is February 7, 2014.
Academic Offerings: All classes are 20 hour training courses. We encourage everyone to attend the General Session on Sunday, March 2nd, at the Omni Hotel and
visit the Exhibitor Area at the American Bank Center. Technical Sessions will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Monday and will end at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
TCEQ Examinations Information: All TCEQ Water and Wastewater exams will be given at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5th. Class “A” exams and TWUA L.A.S. Voluntary Laboratory Analysts will be given *Tuesday, March 4th, at 8:00 a.m. Applications for the “A” exam must be approved prior to the Annual School. Approval for an “A” exam takes approximately 30-60 days. Call TCEQ Occupational Licensing Section for more information. (512)239-6133 (W) (512) 239-0176 (WW). Payment must be made on-site or prior to testing. Please do not include testing fee with your TWUA registration. Please make check payable to: TCEQ and please allow (45) days for test results to be available on (TCEQ) website. Exam Fees: Water Licensing Exams............................$111 Wastewater Licensing Exams...................$111 Collection I/II/III.........................................$111 TWUA LAS......................................$105/$150
Pre-registration and payment is also required for the TWUA Voluntary Laboratory Analysts’ Certification Program. Contact David Moore at TWUA Central Office (512)279-8125 for more information.
Discounts, Fees and No Refunds Policy: By Mail or Online: Please submit all registration forms with a check or money order payable to: TWUA Central Office, 1106 Clayton Lane Suite #112 West, Austin, Texas 78723. Online registration is also available at www.twua.org. All major credit cards are accepted. Fees: MEMBER Pre-Registration Fee: ........................................$220
NON-MEMBER Pre-Registration Fee:................................$270 On-Site Registration Fee (Member):.................................$270 On-Site Registration Fee (non-member):..........................$320
w No Refunds: Attendee substitutions are acceptable if received in Central Office prior to February 14, 2014. In other cases the funds can be used toward a future TWUA course. w Discount: In an effort to encourage pre-registration and save money, all Annual School registrations received and paid prior to November 30, 2013 may deduct $20 dollars from the above listed price. All registrations prior to December 31, 2013 registrants may deduct $15 dollars from the listed price. The payment must accompany the registration form to qualify for the discount. Registrations will still be accepted after December 31st However, all prices will increase $50 dollars. We are requesting all registrations and payments be sent to TWUA Central Office by February 21, 2014. Following this date, on-site registration will be available at the school.
12 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
OCTOBER 2013
TWUA ANNUAL SCHOOL REGISTRATION FORM
Texas Water Utilities Association 95 Annual School (February 24-27,2013) th
96th Annual School Registration Form American Bank Convention Center - Corpus Christi, Texas
ACADEMIC OFFERINGS:
WASTEWATER COURSES:
WATER COURSES:
Basic Wastewater Wastewater Treatment Wastewater Collection Activated Sludge Wastewater Laboratory Advanced Pretreatment***
WATER / WASTEWATER COURSES:
Basic Water Ground Water Production Water Distribution Surface Water II Water Laboratory
Special Topics for Lab Analysts*** Water Utilities Management Calculations Water Utilities Safety Special Topics for Managers*** CCC/CSI CS- Utility Relations – No Operator Credit
Special Notes: *** These (20 hour courses) are pending TCEQ Approval
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES ASSOCIATION MEMBERS ONLY
Pre-Registration Until 12-31-2013
On-Site & After 1-1-2014
Water and/or Wastewater Courses ................................................................................................................... $220.00 ............................................ CSS Utility Relations Course ............................................................................................................................. $230.00 ............................................ PES Advanced Pretreatment Course ................................................................................................................ $230.00 ............................................ LAS Special Topics for Lab Analysts........................................................................... ..................................... $230.00….......................................
$ 270.00 $ 280.00 $ 280.00 $ 280.00
NON-MEMBERS OF TEXAS WATER UTILITIES ASSOCIATION
20 hour Water and/or Wastewater Courses ...................................................................................................... $270.00 ............................................ $ 320.00
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE DISCOUNTS BEING OFFERED
PRE-REGISTRATION FORM
NOTE: Substitutions ONLY - Refunds Cannot Be Made Provide complete information for each registrant
Name:_______________________________________________ SS# or License #: ________________________________________________________________ Badge Name (Nickname):__________________________________ Course Selection: _____________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________________ State: ______ Zip: _______________ Phone: _________________________________________________ TWUA Member
YES
NO
Representing (Region, District, Chapter or Section): ______________________________________________________
Method of Payment: Check (Ck #__________________)
Credit Card: Cardholder Name:________________________________________________________
Bill my (Visa) (MasterCard):_____________________________________________ Exp. Date: ___________ Security Code: ________ Zip Code: _____________ Authorizing Signature for Credit Card: _____________________________________________
Please provide the following information if a receipt is needed:
Attn: __________________________________________ Email: _________________________________________ Tickets for the following must be purchased individually:
School Registration Fees (See Above)……………………………………. .................................................................................... $___________ AA Club Luncheon Ticket - $35 (Monday) ……………………………………. .............................................................................. $___________ A Club Luncheon Ticket - $35 (Monday) ……………………………………. ................................................................................. $___________ Event Parking Pass - $15 (Mon. – Wed.) ……………………………………. ................................................................................ $___________ Total Enclosed……………………………………. ................................................................................................................. $___________ Please make checks payable to TWUA: Mail registration form with payment to: Texas Water Utilities Association Annual School 1106 Clayton Lane Suite #112 West Austin, Texas 78723-1093 - Registration is available online at: www.twua.org For questions please call Central Office: (888) 367-8982 Fax: (512) 459-71249-7124 OCTOBER 2013
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
TWUA TRAIN To register for any TWUA classes – simply complete the registration form and fax to (512)459-7124 or contact TWUA @ 888-367-8982 for additional details. *NOTICE: Due To Recent Increases For Training Materials - Class Costs Have Increased. ***Pre-Registration Is Defined To Mean 14 Days Prior To Any Scheduled Event. All registrations received after the pre-registration cutoff date must pay on-site registration fee. We strongly encourage everyone to please pre-register by fax, e-mail, or calling. On-site registrations are welcome but not preferred. Date
Location
Course
Address/Hours
Credit
Basic Water Oct 29-31 San Marcos Oct 29-31 Carrollton
TCEQ 0092 Basic Water Basic Water
20 Hours Water 170 Charles Austin Dr. 4750 Josey Lane
Ground Water Production Nov 12-14 Bridge City
TCEQ 0223 Ground Water Production
20 Hours 220 Nitche
Distribution Oct 22-24 Port Lavaca
TCEQ 0605 Distribution
20 Hours Water 106 S Commerce 1B
Water Lab Oct 22-24 Bridge City
TCEQ 0285 Water Lab
20 Hours 220 Nitche Street
Water
Basic Wastewater Oct 14-17 Galveston Dec 2-4 Rockport
TCEQ 0059 Basic Wastewater Basic Wastewater
20 Hours 600 59th 2751 SH35 Bypass
Wastewater 5PM-10PM Mon-Thurs
TCEQ 0080 WW Collection
20 Hours 2726 Holly
Wastewater 1PM Start time
Activated Sludge Oct 21-23 Corpus Christi
TCEQ 0009 Activated Sludge
20 Hours 2726 Holly
Wastewater 1PM Start time
Utilities Management Oct 14-16 El Paso Nov 19-21 Gatesville
TCEQ 0550 Management Management
20 Hours 10751 Montana 106 S23rd
W/WW
Utilities Safety Oct 8-10 Richardson Dec 10-12 Carrollton
TCEQ 0426 Utilities Safety Utilities Safety
20 Hours W/WW 1260 Columbia Drive 4750 Josey Lane
Valve & Hydrant Oct 15-17 Victoria
TCEQ 0961 Valve & Hydrant
20 Hours 2902 Bluff
W/WW
Utilities Calculations Oct 14-17 Bridge City Nov 19-21 Victoria
TCEQ 0108 Calculations Calculations
20 Hours 220 Nitche Street 2902 Bluff
W/WW 2PM-7PM Mon-Thurs
TCEQ 0124 Chlorinator Maintenance
20 Hours 106 S 23rd
W/WW
20 Hours
W/WW/CSI/BPAT
2751 SH35 Bypass
1 PM Start time
Nov 4-6
Wastewater Collection Corpus Christi
Oct 8-10
Chlorinator Maintenance Gatesville
Dec 4-6
Customer Service InspectionI/ Cross Connection Control TCEQ 0173,0043 Rockport CSI/CCC
14 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
Water
OCTOBER 2013
NING SCHEDULE 20 HOUR CLASSES : (PRE-REGISTRATION) $200 MEMBER $250 NON-MEMBER (ON-SITE ) $250 MEMBER $300 NON-MEMBER 24 HOUR CLASSES: (PRE-REGISTRATION) $260 MEMBER $310 NON-MEMBER (ON-SITE) $310 MEMBER $360 NON-MEMBER You can register on-line at http://www.twua.org/training.php for your next training class.
(24 hours) *(24 Students Max)
Pre-registration $260 Member, $310 Non-Member On-site Registration $310 Member, $360 Non-Member 8 hr Mod I: TCEQ Training credit for: 8 hrs BPAT, CSI, LI, W/WW & WTS Licenses 8 hr Mod II: TCEQ Training credit for: 8 hrs BPAT, CSI, LI, W/WW & WTS Licenses 8 hr BPAT PRACTICAL SKILLS REFRESHER: TCEQ Training credit for: 8 hrs BPAT ONLY License
TWUA COURSE REGISTRATION FORM
(Note: Please Print Legibly)
Name:_______________________________ E-Mail Address:_____________________________________ Course Name: ___________________________________ Date:__________________________________ Location:___________________________________________ Fee: ________________________________ Home Address:_________________________________ City:_____________State:_____ Zip:___________ Day Time Phone #:______________________ SS# or W/WW License number#:______________________ Company Name:__________________________________TWUA Member/Non-Member_________________ Visa/MC Acct. #:___________________________________________Expire Date: _____________________ Cardholder: __________________________________________________________________________
For credit cards please fax this form to 512/459-7124 Checks or money orders mail completed registration form along with payment to: Texas Water Utilities Association · 1106 Clayton Lane, Suite 112 West Austin, TX 78723-1093, Phone: 512/459-3124 or 888/367-8982, FAX: 512/459-7124, Register on-line at www.twua.org To obtain TCEQ License Number: http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/nav/data/licensed_data.html
OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING CUSTOMERS: Beginning March 1, 2011, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will accept a credit card or electronic check transfer for payments for all new occupational license and registration applications. As a result, any person applying for a new Occupational License or registration will be able to pay their application fee online using the TCEQ’s ePay system. Note: All online renewals will continue to be processed through Texas.gov. The ePay system allows companies, cities, municipalities, and organizations to pay up to 20 employees at one time using this system. At the time of the exam a printed receipt will be required. The receipt is considered to be a copy of the email verifying your payment or a copy of the web page showing the Trace Number and Voucher Number(s). For additional information and instructions on how to use the ePay system, please visit http://www.tceq.texas.gov/licensing/exams/registration. If you have questions please contact the Occupational Licensing Section at 512-239-6133 or email us at licenses@tceq.texas.gov. Russell Gardner, Manager Occupational Licensing Section. OCTOBER 2013
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
PES NEWS:
Thermal Treatment Methods for Wastewater By Alphonse Newton, Pretreatment Environmental Supervisor, City of Fort Worth
Thermal treatment processes offer several advantages. 1. Significant reduction of waste volume 2. Potential recovery of energy 3. High destruction and/or removal efficiency 4. Appropriate for many hazardous wastes The disadvantages of thermal treatment processes can include: 1. The requirement for supplemental fuel 2. Air emissions of toxic by-products 3. Air emissions of oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter 4. Generation of residues and scrubber effluents Basically, waste incineration is the oxidation of the combustible materials contained in the waste. Waste is generally a highly heterogeneous material, consisting essentially of organic substances, minerals, metals and water. During incineration, flue-gases are created that will contain the majority of the available fuel energy as heat. The organic fuel substances in the waste will burn when they have reached the necessary ignition temperature and come into contact with oxygen. The actual combustion process takes place in the gas phase in fractions of seconds and simultaneously releases energy. Where the calorific value of the waste and oxygen supply is sufficient, this can lead to a thermal chain reaction and self-supporting combustion, i.e. there is no need for the addition of other fuels. The main stages of incineration process are: 1. Drying and Degassing – Here, volatile content is evolved (e.g. hydrocarbons and water) at temperatures generally between 100 and 300 °C. The drying and degassing process do not require any oxidizing agent and are only dependent on the supplied heat. 2. Pyrolysis and Gasification - Pyrolysis is the further decomposition of organic substances in he absence of an oxidizing agent at approx. 250 – 700 °C. Gasification of the carbonaceous residues is the reaction of the residues with water vapor and CO2 at temperatures, typically between 500 and 1000 °C, but can occur at temperatures up to 1600 °C. Thus, solid organic matter is transferred 16 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
to the gaseous phase. In addition to the temperature, water, steam and oxygen supports this reaction. 3. Oxidation - The combustible gases created in the previous stages are oxidized, depending on the selected incineration method, at flue-gas temperatures generally between 800 and 1450 °C. These individual stages generally overlap, meaning that spatial and temporal separation of these stages during waste incineration may only be possible to a limited extent. Processes occur in parallel and influence each other. Nevertheless, it is possible, using in-furnace technical measures, to influence these processes so as to reduce polluting emissions. Such measures include furnace design, air distribution and control engineering. Rotary Kilns - Rotary kilns are very robust and almost any waste, regardless of type and composition, can be incinerated. Rotary kilns are, in particular, very widely applied for the incineration of hazardous wastes. The technology is also commonly used for clinical wastes (most hazardous clinical waste is incinerated in high temperature rotary kiln incinerators [64, TWG (Technical Working Group) Comments, 2003], but less so for municipal wastes. Operating temperatures of rotary kilns used for wastes range from around 500 °C (as a gasified) to 1450 °C (as a high temperature ash melting kiln). Higher temperatures are sometimes encountered, but usually in non-waste applications. When used for conventional oxidative combustion, the temperature is generally above 850 °C. Temperatures in the range of 900 - 1200 °C are typical when incinerating hazardous wastes. Generally, and depending on the waste input, the higher the operating temperature, the greater the risk of fouling and thermal stress damage to the refractory kiln lining. Some kilns have a cooling jacket (using air or water) that helps to extend refractory life, and therefore the time between maintenance shutdowns is extended. Drum Kilns - Drum kiln chamber for hazardous waste Incineration For the incineration of hazardous waste, a combination of drum-type kilns and post-combustion chambers has proven successful, as this combination can treat solid, pasty, liquid, and gaseous wastes uniformly. Drum-type kiln plants are highly flexible in terms of waste input characteristics.
OCTOBER 2013
The following range is usual in the composition of the waste input menu:
of oxygen to vaporization, producing a hydrocarbon-rich gas capable of being burned for recovery of energy.”
• solid wastes: 10 – 70 % • liquid wastes: 25 – 70 %
Alternative technologies for thermal waste treatment have been developed since the 1970s. In general, these have been applied to selected waste streams and on a smaller scale than incineration.
• pasty wastes: 5 – 30 % • barrels: up to 15 %. To protect the drum-type kilns from temperatures of up to 1200 °C, it is equipped with refractory bricks. Bricks with a high content of Al2O3 and SiO2 are used. The decision regarding the selection of bricks appropriate for each application is a function of the waste composition. The bricks can be attacked by alkaline metal compounds (formation of low melting alloys), as well as by HF. (formation of SiF4). To protect refractory bricks form chemical attacks and from the mechanical impact of failing barrels, a hardened slag layer will usually be formed at the beginning of the operation with the help of good slag forming wastes or materials as mixtures of glass or sand and glass. Later on, the kiln temperature is usually managed so as to keep this slag layer, based on the mineral matter of the wastes and perhaps some additives e.g. sand. [74, TWGComments, 2004] Fluidized Beds - Fluidized bed incinerators are widely applied to the incineration of finely divided wastes e.g. RDF (refuse derived fuels) and sewage sludge. It has been used for decades, mainly for the combustion of homogeneous fuels. Among these are coal, raw lignite, sewage sludge, and biomass (e.g. wood). The fluidized bed incinerator is a lined combustion chamber in the form of a vertical cylinder. In the lower section, a bed of inert material, (e.g., sand or ash) on a grate or distribution plate is fluidized with air. The waste for incineration is continuously fed into the fluidized sand bed from the top or side. Preheated air is introduced into the combustion chamber via openings in the bed-plate, forming a fluidized bed with the sand contained in the combustion chamber. The waste is fed to the reactor via a pump, a star feeder or a screw-tube conveyor. In the fluidized bed, drying, volatilization, ignition, and combustion take place. The temperature in the free space above the bed (the freeboard) is generally between 850 and 950 °C. Above the fluidized bed material, the free board is designed to allow retention of the gases in combustion zone. In the bed itself, the temperature is lower, and may be around 650 °C or higher. Because of the well-mixed nature of the reactor, fluidized bed incineration systems generally have a uniform distribution of temperatures and oxygen, which results in stable operation. For heterogeneous wastes, fluidized bed combustion requires a preparatory process step for the waste so that it conforms to size specifications. For some waste, this may be achieved by a combination of selective collection of wastes and/or pretreatment e.g. shredding. Some types of fluidized beds (e.g. the rotating fluidized bed) can receive larger particle size wastes than others.
These technologies attempt to separate the components of the reactions that occur in conventional waste incineration plants by controlling process temperatures and pressures in specially designed reactors. As well as specifically developed pyrolysis/gasification technologies, standard incineration technologies (i.e. grates, fluidized beds, rotary kilns, etc) may be adapted to be operated under pyrolytic or gasifying conditions i.e. with reduced oxygen levels (subs-stoichiometric), or at lower temperatures. Often pyrolysis and gasification systems are coupled with downstream combustion of the syngas generated combination processes). As well as the normal targets of waste incineration (i.e. effective treatment of the waste), the additional aims of gasification and pyrolysis processes are to: • convert certain fractions of the waste into process gas called syngas. Syngas is an intermediate for creating synthetic natural gas (SNG), lubricants, synthetic petroleum, fuel and fuel • reduce gas cleaning requirements by reducing flue-gas volumes. Both pyrolysis and gasification differ from incineration in that they may be used for recovering the chemical value from the waste rather than its energetic value. The chemical products derived may, in some cases, then be used as feedstock for other processes. However, when applied to wastes, it is more common for the pyrolysis, gasification and a combustion based process to be combined, often on the same site as part of an integrated process. When this is the case, the installation is in total, generally recovering the energy value rather than the chemical value of the waste as would a normal incinerator. In some cases the solid residues arising from such processes contain pollutants that would, in an incineration system, be transferred to the gas phase, and then with efficient flue-gas cleaning, be removed with the FGT residue. [64, TWGComments, 2003] Reference Source - EIPPC Reference Document on the Best Available Techniques for Waste Incineration, August 2006S
Where this is the case, the waste may only require only a rough size reduction. [64, TWGComments, 2003] [74, TWGComments, 2004] Pyrolysis - Pyrolysis is defined as the process in which solid wastes are heated in an enclosed device in the absence OCTOBER 2013
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
SAFETY NEWS:
Do's and Don'ts When Transporting Batteries By Paul Cotter, RS, RPIH, CHMM
Many of us take batteries for granted from those in our remote control to our kids toys – they are often overlooked. Batteries come in all shapes and sizes designed for many different applications. They supply power for most of the electronic devices we use. Some of the different types of batteries include: dry cell alkaline batteries, dry cell rechargeable batteries, lithium ion batteries, and lithium metal barriers. Batteries are used in everything from computers, cameras, flashlights, mp3 players, alarm clocks, and power tools. If we are going to a conference, into the field, or on a vacation, the proper packing and handling of the batteries or the devices they power usually rank at the bottom of the list. However, improper care when transporting batteries can have serious consequences, far more than forgetting the plane ticket or reservation. It is hard to believe that something as innocuous as a battery could result in an event that would bring down a jet airplane. However, that is exactly what happened to a UPS cargo jet on September 3, 2010 in Dubai resulting in the death of both pilots. The cause was determined to be improperly packaged lithium batteries that shorted out resulting in a fire in the cargo bay. Since 1991, the Federal Aviation Agency has recorded 121 incidents involving batteries which have resulted in fires or near fires events. Certain types of batteries can be taken on a passenger aircraft either in the carry-on luggage or in the checked luggage. Dry cell alkaline batteries (classified as AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt, and “button” batteries), dry cell rechargeable batteries (nickel metal hydride and nickel cadmium batteries), lithium metal batteries (non-rechargeable lithium and primary lithium batteries), and lithium ion batteries (including rechargeable lithium, lithium polymer, and secondary lithium) can be transported with some limitations. Knowing the types of batteries your devices use can help reduce your travel problems. Spare lithium batteries not installed in a device can only be transported in the carry-on luggage and are forbidden to be transported in the checked luggage. For example, an extra computer battery can be carried in the carry-on luggage but not in the checked 18 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
baggage. Even spare batteries in the carry-on luggage should be properly packaged and protected. If possible use new batteries and transport them in their unopened packaging. Batteries that have already been removed from the original packaging should be secured and the terminals taped over to reduce the possibility of a short circuit with other metallic objects. While it might be more convenient to the passenger to put this type of battery into the checked luggage, an overheating short circuited battery is much easier to get to in the passenger compartment than it is in the luggage compartment especially at 30,000 feet. Lithium metal batteries cannot contain more than two grams of lithium or have more than eight grams of lithium or be rated at more than 100 watt-hours. While most of the larger extended life consumer batteries would not be a problem, specific application batteries might exceed these limitations and could not be transported on a passenger airliner. If you are not sure about the type of battery you have, contact the manufacturer of the battery and check with the airline you are flying. Don’t wait to get to the airport, stand in line at the security check-in to then find out you have a problem. Battery powered devices should also be properly prepared for transporting. The on-off switches should be covered or secured from accidental activation. If the devices come with a carrying box, this could be used to safeguard it during transport. Bubble packs can also reduce the potential for a physical impact to activate the device. Batteries that cannot be transported on a passenger aircraft may also have restrictions or even prohibitions on cargo aircraft as well. If they are allowed on cargo aircraft, there may be requirements for packaging, labeling, and manifesting. Just a few simple precautions and little planning can go a long way to ensure you have a safe flight to and from your destination. *** Paul is the Asbestos Program Manager for Texas Tech University’s Environmental Health and Safety Department in Lubbock. He is a graduate of Texas A&I and has a Master’s degree in Range and Wildlife from Texas Tech. Paul currently holds consultant licenses in mold and asbestos and is a Registered Sanitarian, Registered Professional Industrial Hygienist and a Certified Hazardous Material Manager. Paul can be reached at: paul.cotter@ttu.edu. S
OCTOBER 2013
Safety Precautions for Battery Use
Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for battery use in flashlights and other equipment. Read the warnings and fine print before installing. Never mix batteries not by manufacturer or by type. Never mix old batteries and new batteries. Avoid placing batteries in equipment that has unequal charges. When a battery is not in use, disconnect it from the battery connector. Do not leave the battery in the charger once it is fully charged. Overcharging batteries could lead to damage. Never disassemble a battery as the material inside may be toxic and may damage skin and clothes. Do not place a battery in fire as this may cause the battery to rupture. Since the electrolyte inside is very flammable, this could result in an explosion. Never place batteries in water as this may cause the battery to rupture and release poisonous gasses. Never solder anything directly to a battery. This can destroy the safety features of the battery by damaging the safety vent inside the cap. Never charge with an unspecified charger or specified charger that has been modified. This can cause breakdown of the battery or swelling and rupturing. Never attempt to charge a battery with has been physically damaged. Avoid designing airtight battery compartments. In some cases, gases including highly flammable hydrogen gas may be released. Short-circuiting may cause a spark which could ignite the battery. Do not use a battery in an appliance or purpose for which it was not intended. Do not carry lithium powered devices close to the face or use close to a flammable material. If a fire starts, call the fire department immediately. The only extinguisher that will work on a lithiumion battery fire is a Class D Fire Extinguisher, dry sand or dry table salt.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!! March 2-5, 2014
96th TWUA Annual School
Corpus Christi, Texas
ATTENTION CUSTOMER SERVICE PROFESSIONALS Make plans to attend the Customer Service Section’s training at TWUA’s Annual School. Twenty hours of customer service training will include topics such as: Cross Connection CSI Distribution System and Meters Communication, Motivation and Values Working with Difficult People Guest instructors include: CeCe White, (Past TWUA President), Barry Stephens, Bill Darby and Tom Ezell (Past TWUA President). Our customers are important to all of us, so take advantage of TWUA’s Customer Service Section’s up-to-date customer service issues and skills development training. For details on TWUA’s Customer Service Section Certification, please check out our website: www.twua.or/index.php/certifications/css. Contact Roe Gawlik, CSS Chair, for more information @ rosa.gawlik@saws.org.
OCTOBER 2013
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
TWDB NEWS:
Water Conservation on a Texas- Sized Scale By Texas Water Development Board
To consumers across Texas, water conservation might mean installing a rainwater system, taking shorter showers or faithfully following your community’s watering schedule. But if you’re operating a company that employs thousands of water users, how do you conserve this precious resource-and convince your employees to do the same? We wanted to find out what some of Texas’ largest employers are doing to conserve water, and during this time of long-lasting drought, we want to encourage other businesses to follow suit. In drought-stricken San Angelo, waterdatafortexas. org lists area reservoirs at just 11.2% full. Here, water conservation is not a new concept. In fact, Goodfellow Air Force Base has had a conservation program in place for about 15 years, expanding the program as the drought worsened. “We’re required by Executive Order to reduce our water consumption and to implement minimum control measures for any construction project-even walkways,” reports Base Energy Manager Mary Lumsdon. Indoor conservation measures include low-flow toilets, showers and faucets and waterless urinals. Outdoors, measures include using a 10,000-gallon rainwater system for irrigation, installing artificial turf on a base sports field and having a sprinkler system with a single shut-off control when rain is plentiful. “At one time, the base received a Tree City USA award. Now, we’re not planting trees,” says Art Silver, 20 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
Base Pollution Prevention Manager. Today, droughtresistant plants, like red yucca and sage, are being used. (To see Goodfellow’s xeriscaping in action, check out the photos posted in our Flickr group What Does Your Texas Drought Look Like?) One thing Goodfellow does especially well is education. That’s something that’s very important because base residents are coming from all over the country, often from places where water shortages rarely occur. “We have several events where we educate everyone from kids in our daycare to troops in the dining hall about water and energy conservation,” Lumsdon says. “We talk to facility managers about water conservation monthly, and we have a 24/7 hotline where on-base leaks can be reported.” Implementing water conservation measures, Silver says, is as easy as having an all-around plan and promoting it. “There are simple solutions. We do as much outreach as we can.” San Antonio has long been lauded as a Texas city that knows how to conserve. Recently celebrating the 10th anniversary of its groundbreaking, Toyota knew water was a precious resource in San Antonio, and the company built its manufacturing plant with that in mind. “Water is a major component of the vehicle building process,” states Jorge Garcia, Manager, Plant Engineering. “We knew we were building in a water sensitive area (Edwards Aquifer), and we knew San Antonio had an extensive network of recycled water available for industry. Toyota analyzed the water quality and determined, after filtering and cleaning, it could be used.” OCTOBER 2013
The plant uses 1 million gallons of recycled water each production day to irrigate developed areas, for its cooling towers and in the vehicle cleaning process. “Although recycled water is cheaper to purchase than domestic water, once we apply the required filtering, costs begin to equal those of domestic water,” Garcia says. Still, Toyota’s commitment to conservation overrode this issue. In addition to manufacturing operations, plant offices also have timed faucets and auto-flushing commodes. “Toyota’s two basic principles are continuous improvement and respect for people. We extend respect to the communities our plants are in. We saw a critical water issue in San Antonio, and we decided to use recycled water,” Garcia states. Texas Instruments’ Richardson, Texas, facility has the distinction of being the world’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified semiconductor manufacturing facility. Conserving Texas water was just one process that helped them earn that title. “We implement water reuse a lot-it accounts for 26% of our water use globally, primarily in manufacturing processes and building cooling,” reports Lara Hussain,
Director, Sustainability Stakeholder Relations. “Water reuse has dramatically reduced our water use overall. It gives us more efficient operations and quick returns, plus we’re giving back to the community.” The Richardson fabrication facility takes advantage of reused water for product rinses, cooling towers and air abatement systems. It has a rainwater storage pond, which collects air conditioning condensate and rainwater for irrigation needs. And the administration building, certified LEED Gold, has low-flow toilets and waterless urinals. “All of Texas Instruments’ new buildings have these features, and existing buildings are being retrofitted with more efficient plumbing during bathroom renovations,” Hussain says. These physical projects show how to manufacture products with less water, and that inspires employees. “The Richardson facility is a good example. Employees were using these processes for the first time, and it inspired them to come up with even more ideas for watersaving improvements,” Hussain says. “It’s just a part of how we do business. It’s been in our DNA for a long time.” S
HARTWELL ENVIRONMENTAL CORPORATION Houston
Austin
Dallas
Tulsa
The Latest in Technology For the Treatment of Water & Wastewater In Texas and Oklahoma we not only offer the latest in technology and process equipment for water and wastewater but we also specialize in aftermarket sales and service, including installation for products in all phases of processes. For more information visit our website at: www.hartwellenv.com HOUSTON 281.351.8501 ● AUSTIN 512.347.7676 ● DALLAS 817.446.9500 ● TULSA 918.299.8555 OCTOBER 2013
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
CUSTOMER SERVICE NEWS:
Does Every Company Need a Customer Strategy By 1 to 1 founders and authors Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, Ph.D. It’s rare that any one firm can be all things to all customers. Not every enterprise considers a customer focus part of its core competency, but that doesn’t mean that such enterprises can’t benefit from a customer strategy. The fact is, every customer wants three things from the companies she does business with: a great product, good value for the price and good service. That’s why every company needs a proper balance of the three core competencies defined by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema in their landmark work, “The Discipline of Market Leaders”: Operational Excellence, Product Innovation and Customer Intimacy. Whichever discipline gets the larger focus sets the core competency for the firm. But they all require a customer strategy fundamentally designed to grow the value of the customer base. For instance, product innovators need to foresee the future, and a customer strategy that will help meet the needs of the Most Valuable Customers to seed new product lines. The goal is to build a better product -- one that meets the specific needs of certain customers -- and to bring that product to market faster than the competition. ROI comes from improving those processes that create a Learning Relationship with each product user and accelerate product enhancement and innovation, making tailored communication possible. Competitive advantage through operational excellence Companies that derive competitive advantage from operational excellence design their business models to improve the scale of their firm. Through process redesign and continuous improvement, the operationally excellent company eliminates unnecessary products and services in an attempt to streamline the customer-service cycle, providing end-to-end product delivery. Extraneous activities are minimized to concentrate on driving costs down while maintaining quality. For an operations-based enterprise, a customer strategy helps align resources, prevent unnecessary communications and identify unprofitable customers. For example, a firm could reduce costs by discontinuing free services to lower-value customers, or it could encourage a customer to behave differently to allow the company to handle its transactions more efficiently, perhaps by moving service from the phone to the Web.
22 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
With a customer strategy, these firms can enhance their ability to deliver as promised to customers. Operational excellence improves as a result. Wal-Mart is a prime example of a firm that uses operational excellence to create customer value. By investing in innovative optical-scanning technology, Wal-Mart improved the efficiency of its checkout process (increasing first-pass scanning accuracy) and boosted customer satisfaction at the same time, saving time for busy customers. Increasing product scope Customer-focused firms, on the other hand, seek to increase the scope of their relationships with customers, making available a range of products and services designed to provide integrated interactions with customers across the enterprise. Customer-intimate firms may not have the most innovative products or the lowest prices, but their customers find that the overall configuration of products and services is tailored to meet their own unique, individual needs. Customer intimacy Companies that focus on customers can increase the value of their customer base by identifying those who are most profitable and building trusted advisor relationships with them to maximize profits. Nordstrom, for example, is legendary in the retail business for its attention to customers’ individual needs. Instead of categorizing departments by merchandise, Nordstrom created fashion departments that fit individual lifestyles. The retailer’s best customers benefit from Nordstrom’s “Perpetual Inventory” initiative, which provides the “right product, at the right place, at the right time.” Nordstrom respects its customers’ communication preferences, and, in the process, has increased its cross-channel marketing capabilities. So, does every company need a customer strategy? Yes, but in different ways. In fact, different companies in the same industry may have different approaches, and therefore will require very different customer strategies. That means your company needs to be wary of anyone trying to sell you a “vertical” solution that’s meant to apply to all the companies in your industry. Executing a customer based business strategy can improve competitiveness, regardless of the core competency of your business.S
OCTOBER 2013
connect. engage. educate.
VALVE MAINTENANCE October 16, 2013 Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm (CST) Non-Members - $55 Fee: Members - $40 (TCEQ approval pending - 1 hour) REGISTER!! (Registration deadline: October 13, 2013) Space is limited. RESERVE YOUR WEBINAR SEAT NOW
In this webinar there will be discussion related to valves. Their purpose, problems, location, mapping, short circuiting caused by partially or fully closed valves, discussion of mechanical operator devices – advantages and disadvantages. Questions and answers and last approximately 1-hour. OBJECTIVES WITH THIS WEBINAR: Share knowledge and experience that will: • • • •
PRESENTER:
Define issues in the water industry associated with valves. Increase knowledge of providing an effective valve program. Increase knowledge of current technologies. Improve effectiveness of valves when emergencies arise.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: • • •
Water Operators. Distribution system workers. Anyone who works with or operates systems that have large and small diameter valves.
Webinar Training: • • •
Cannot be substituted for hands-on training required to teach critical skills. Can only be used as training for renewal of a license. The same distance training repeated in the license renewal period will not receive training credit per 30 TAC 30.28 (p)(3)(c).
Requirements: • • • •
Jan F. Clawson
Sales Representative E.H. Wachs Jan has been associated with and in the water industry for 22 years and has led countless training classes, product demonstrations, and training presentations at district meetings on the importance of having an effective valve exercising program. Jan represents numerous pieces of equipment designed for use in the water distribution field.
Registrant will be required to complete TWUA’s identity verification process upon successful registration. Voice verification and polling will be conducted during this training. Guaranteed bandwidth of at least 1 Mbps downstream. Any questions contact TWUA Central Office – 888-367-8982
REGISTER TODAY!! Visit www.twua.org for more information Follow us on: OCTOBER 2013
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
In The News: Where Are The Replacements? By Russell Hamilton, TWUA Executive Director This could be classified as “preaching to the choir” but hopefully the following will provide a degree of insight for you to share with your decision makers. One could say there are many pieces in the puzzle of production, treatment, and distribution of potable (disease free) drinking water. If you think of the system as closed and secure to protect its integrity, you need to include staff or operators as a vital part of this system. A Public Water Supply is charged with collecting and submitting monthly bacteriological samples to verify effective disinfection techniques have been practiced and the water supplied meets the basic requirements for safe human consumption. Typically no one who is a customer of a public water supply has to stop and think about health effects of a glass of water from a faucet within the system. To add to the level of confidence and security, the public water supply is required by state law to employ personnel or operators who have received extensive training on how to treat and distribute safe potable drinking water. Part of this licensing process involves actual hands on experience. Once an operator gets beyond the basic license, rules require actual “hands on” experience of at least one year - depending on education and training classes attended in order to advance to the next level. To achieve a more advanced license, this same operator will attend approximately 100 to 120 hours of classroom training and if not a college graduate (with an emphasis on chemistry, biology engineering, microbiology, or bacteriology) accumulate a total of 5 years actual hands on experience. (There are ways to shorten the actual hands on experience requirement)
chemicals the operators are exposed to, the electrical voltage operators work with on a daily basis, the confined space that operators have to work in, the dangers associated with work zone safety and traffic, the list of hazardous duties goes on and on, but simply put, the routine job duties performed place operators at risk every single day. Out of everyone employed by a city or public water provider, who has the most potential to impact and effect public health and safety? The water operator. If water is not delivered to Safe Drinking Water Standards, people get sick or in worse case die. This degree of responsibility requires more than the average minimum wage worker. So back to the integrity of the system - who do you want protecting the integrity of your public water system? Someone who looks at the position as just a job because they cannot get on in the oil field or would you rather have the person who is excited about the possibilities and responsibilities of protecting the integrity of the public water system? Someone who understands the impact an operator can have on public health? In the end it all boils down to money. If you want to compete, on an even playing field, the first step is to make it so that money does not drive someone away. Sadly public water supplies are not going to get the cream of the crop when they pay equal to that of a convenience store clerk. S
Federal and State rules require all public water supplies to collect and submit monthly water samples for testing. Should a bacteriological sample test positive for bacteria, the public water supply is notified and steps are taken to retest the area, flush the distribution system, and verify a minimum disinfection residual is detectable. In some cases, state rules require that the public be notified and a “Boil Water Notice” issued as a precaution and until bacteriological results confirm the threat has passed. The point to this discussion is, operators play a vital role in the delivery of safe potable drinking water. A significant number of current operators are reaching the retirement age. Public water supplies are experiencing growing difficulty recruiting and retaining operators. The obvious reason for this lack of interest in the water profession is - money. A highly trained and experienced water operator struggles to make $45,000.00 per year. A convenience store clerk in certain parts of Texas today makes the equivalent of $29,000.00 per year. With the convenience store clerk, there is a limited degree of responsibility and, if he or she makes a significant mistake, public health is not at risk. In talking to various operators in all regions of Texas, the common message is; we are struggling to retain current staff and we are having a greater problem recruiting new staff. Discussions usually go something like this. Our police department trains and starts police officers with limited or no experience at somewhere between $35,000.00 and $40,000.00 per year and accepts that as the cost of doing business. Discussions also indicate beginning wage at the same entity places the water operator somewhere in the $25,000.00 range. Police officers have a very dangerous job and their presence is essential in protecting the public BUT so are OPERATORS. The
24 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
OCTOBER 2013
OCTOBER 2013
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
TWUA PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS CARDS:
Houston/Stafford/Gulf Coast 281-980-7448 Austin/San Antonio/South TX 512-288-8552 Dallas/Ft. Worth/Oklahoma 972-769-1993
Equipment Sales & Service www.newmanregencygroup.com
WE UNDERSTAND WATER & WASTEWATER DISINFECTION At Severn Trent Services, we understand water. That’s why our Capital Controls® gas feed equipment products are used the world over for water and wastewater disinfection. Vacuum Regulators
Residual Analyzers
Gas Detectors
Gas Control Valves
P. O. Box 9000 • Kilgore, Texas 75663-9000 903-984-0551 • Fax: 903-984-5914 www.ana-lab.com • email: corp@ana-lab.com Ana-Lab Corporation is an employee-owned organization which provides industry, government, consultants, and individuals with complete, timely, and accurate chemical analysis, including state approved total coliform testing. Amarillo 806-355-3556
Represented t dB By: Chl Chlor-Serv, S Inc. 107 Tradesman Drive Hutto, Texas 78634 T: +1 512 992 7473 E: chris@chlorserv.com www.chlorserv.com
Dallas 972-620-8900
Brownsville 956-831-6437
Austin 512-821-0045
Houston 281-333-9414
T104704201
26 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
OCTOBER 2013
The 4M’s of Collection Systems Management: The Saga Continues Conference & Expo January 22 – 23, 2014 – San Marcos, TX Sponsored by the Water Environment Association of Texas
In the first 4Ms conference, the basics of collection system mapping, flow monitoring, hydraulic modeling and master planning were presented. This second conference is designed to move beyond the basics of collection system management to flow and condition assessment analysis, maintenance and operations optimization, system needs prioritization and funding, long range planning and regulatory compliance. Speakers will include industry and municipal leaders in their field of expertise. Register on line at www.weat.org.
Early Registration Deadline – January 14, 2014 Please register me for the – 4M’s of Collection Systems: The Saga Continues Conference & Expo. Name _________________________________________ Title/Position ___________________________________ Organization ___________________________________ Billing Address_________________________________
Check
Method of Payment: Visa MC AMEX
Discover
Card#___________________________________ Expiration Date:___________________________ Name on Card____________________________ Card Holder Signature ________________________________________ Amount:_________________________________
City _________________ State _____ Zip____________
Registration Fee Includes: continental breakfast, lunch, and breaks. Space is limited, so register early.
Op or PE License #:______________________________
8.5 hours of CEUs for wastewater operators has been requested through the TCEQ
Email Address __________________________________ Telephone_____________________________________ Fax__________________________________________ Member of WEAT/WEF @$185 = ........ Member – Government/City @$145= ..... Student @$15= ....................................... *Non-Member @$235= ........................... *Non-Member – Gov/City@$195= .......... *(includes WEAT Only Membership) Total = .................
$________ $________ $________ $________ $________ $________
AFTER JANUARY 14 – ADD $20 TO FEE. Please duplicate form for additional registration
Please mail or fax registration form with check or credit card payment to: WEAT 1825 Fort View Road, Suite 102 Austin, Texas 78704 Phone: (512) 693-0060 Fax: (512) 693-0062 Register on line at www.weat.org or Email registration forms to julie@weat.org Cancellation Policy: Full refund if registrant cancels 10 days before program date. WEAT has reserved a block of rooms at the Embassy Suites, 1001 McCarty Lane, San Marcos, TX 78666. WEAT has obtained discounted single or double rate of $134. The reservation deadline is January 4, 2014. After this date, reservations will be accepted on a availability basis. To make your reservation, call 512-392-6450. Be sure to mention WEAT when making your reservation.
QUESTIONS: Call the WEAT Office at (866) 406-9328 or email julie@weat.org Exhibits and Sponsorship Opportunities Available
OCTOBER 2013
TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
CLASS B
JACKSON, LANDON M MORALES, MELQUIADES PARKER, NICHOLAS L ROBESON, AARON J
BAKER, RONALD R FLUHARTY, JOHN D LUKASIK, MICHAEL A JR MONCADA, CESAR R CLASS II RAGLIN, SHAWN B RODRIGUEZ, LOUIS V BAGBY, WILLIAM T SIMON, TERRY G MUNIZ, GUADALUPE RAC, STEVEN C CLASS C ROMERO, FABIAN D TELFER, ADAM C ACEVEDO, FRANKY WHITTEN, ERIC R CABELLO, JOSE L DIERCOUFF, KENNETH GARCIA, ABEL N CLASS III HILTON, ALBERT M JR JACOBS, KYLE S DURAN, EDUARDO R KOCUREK, DAVID W MORENO, GEORGE C MUSIAL, MICHAEL E NEBGEN, WESLEY R BACKFLOW PREVENTION PONCE, MANUEL P ASSEMBLY TESTER RIGBY, SLADE A RIVERA, CHRISTOPHER ALEXANDER, JOHN W SPEED, EMILY L ANDERSON, WADE R VUONG, RICHIE K ARZATE, FORTUNATO WRIGHT, GLENZIL R BARRIENTOS, JUAN C BURKS, JOSEPH E CAIN, KYLE E CLASS D CASTILLO, JAVIER ALVARADO, JESUS A COLE, TIMOTHY N CORTEZ, ROBERTO H COLLINS, MANNISH D DETTMER, STEVEN T CONATSER, JAMES B DUGAN, JAMES M DANIELS, STEVE L FARLEY, DENNIS L ELLIS, JOHN R FERNANDEZ, VERONICA FOREMAN, PAUL I HERNANDEZ, JOEL R GONZALEZ, JORGE HOOVER, JOHN C GOOSSEN, NOBLE R JACKSON, RANDALL GREEN, BRADLY H JENKINS, NATHANIEL GRIGGS, CHAD P LUMPKIN, DONNY A GUZMAN, LAURO MARQUEZ, ARMANDO JR JACKSON, LAWRENCE JR MCKINNEY, WILLIAM L JURICA, MARK J MEDRANO, PHILLIP F KASNER, GARY W MERDIAN, JAMES MIKE MALDONADO, AARON J MITCHELL, MICHAEL MARTINEZ, ADAM G PARKER, ZEPHAN E MORALES, JUAN PENA, DONATO MUMMERT, DANNY D PEREZ JR, BARTOLO NEBGEN, LAWRENCE P SOSA, JOSE JR OPPERMANN, DAVID L JR VELA, MARIO PRICE, JAMIE R WEBB, ERIC J RODRIGUEZ, JOSE R WIEKAMP, JARED R SALAZAR, ARTURO WITT, SCHYLER P WUBBENHORST, RYAN W WASTEWATER
LICENSES ISSUED BY TCEQ: JULY 2013 WATER
WATER
CLASS A
CLASS D
JACOB, PULIKUNNIL
AHMAD, TROY T ALLEN, TERRY L ALMARAZ, ISMAEL BENFORD, LARRY D BIGLEY, WILLIAM D BOBBITT, BOBBY L II BOSQUEZ, DANIEL G BOWEN, CHRISTINE E CANTU, DAVID R CAREY, JAN R CLARK, RANDY E COKER, MEL L CUNNINGHAM, BRANDON DARNELL, DUSTIN C DAVIS, MELISSA J DAVIS, RANDY D DEVOOGHT, DARRELL R DOLAN, MICHAEL F EDGAR, ANDREW C GARCIA, JUAN JOSE GARCIA, JUAN MENDEZ GASKAMP, SHAWN D GONZALES, MICHAEL J GRAHAM, JENE W GUERRERO, JUAN M GUERRERO, JULIO C JR HANEY, JOHN M HERNANDEZ, EMMANUEL HERNANDEZ, MAURISIO JONES, AMANDA L JONES, HARVEY R JONES, J KERMAN, MARK S KETCHUM, SIDNEY G KOKEMOR, CHRISTOPHER LOMBARD, KRISTERPHER LYNCH, JOSHUA O MAREK, JASON R MARTINEZ, JESUS JR MCGRATH, DAKOTA S MILLER, JOHNATHAN D MONTES, JOAQUIN MORAN, JUSTIN L NEWTON, MICHAEL J OCHOA, RUDY R OLMSTEAD, JERROD P PENA, ELIUD PEREZ, ABEL SR POSTAR, DAVID B PUMPHREY, JENNA B RACHINSKY, ANNA S RICHARDSON, LEROY PE RUMORE, DANA L SAMFORD, DUSTIN L SANCHEZ, RAYMON C SEARLES, WILLIAM L SHERMAN, NATHAN E SIMMONS, CHARLES L SMITH, DANAL S SMITH, STEVEN K
SURFACE WATER TREATMENT CLASS B BARTON, TODD L DAVIS, WILLIAM B FRENCH, GARY W MESSER, ROBBY L PERKINS, ROBERT WALKER, WILLIE L GROUND WATER TREATMENT CLASS B BAKER, RONALD R BERUMEN, JUAN M HILL, ALVIN C JR HUIZAR, JOHNNY D TUCKER, JAMES R SURFACE WATER TREATMENT CLASS C AVIKI, JOSEPH S BEENE, RAMON A BOYCE, DARRELL C BRADSHAW, STEPHEN BUSHONG, WILLIAM C CUPP, CHARLES L DAILY, CHARLES S DAVIS, BRADFORD V GARRETT, KENT A MILLER, BRUCE W JR TOMLINSON, EDDIE W VALLEJO, JUAN M VUONG, RICHIE K WADSWORTH, WESLEY GROUND WATER TREATMENT CLASS C CASEY, JAMES A JR GARCIA, JAVIER J IVICIC, JUSTIN G LEHNICK, MICHAEL A PERKINS, CHARLES R TELFER, ADAM C ZINK, AARON M
SMITH, ZACH R SOLIS, JULIO C JR SORIA, ISAAC C SR STEWART, DENNIS L TRUSSELL, MARVIN K UNDERWOOD, TONY C VAUGHT, DONNA J WILLIAMSON, KIMARIO WILSON, HENRY L XIMENEZ, JOHNNY R YOUNG, JOHN D ZAMORA, JUAN JR WATER DIST CLASS B STOROZUK, THEODORE CLASS C BEDARD, TERRY W BLAKELY, SHIRLEY E CORTEZ, ADOLFO E DELOSSANTOS, ELIUD GONZALEZ, CHRIS M KAPPEL, JOHN M NEBE, CAMERON F ORNELAS, JUAN A PEREZ, MICHAEL P REDDELL, DANIEL R RODRIGUEZ, JOSE R SCHILLING, DARIK S TORRES, GEORGE A VEST, MICHAEL A WUNDERLICH, DAVID C WYSONG, JAMES M YBARRA, ROBERT L WASTEWATER WASTEWATER TREATMENT CLASS A FERGUSON, JIM W SHELTON, DANIEL D WHIDDON, NATHAN WILLIAMS, GARY J CLASS B BAKER, RONALD R FLUHARTY, JOHN D LUKASIK, MICHAEL A JR MONCADA, CESAR R RAGLIN, SHAWN B RODRIGUEZ, LOUIS V SIMON, TERRY G CLASS C
28 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org ACEVEDO, FRANKY CABELLO, JOSE L DIERCOUFF, KENNETH GARCIA, ABEL N
WASTEWATER COLLECTION
CUSTOMER SERVICE INSPECTOR
BUSTOS, JEREMY J CORBELLO, RYAN A GARZA, JASON P CULBERT, JOSHUA J JACKSON, LANDON M FREISLINGER, KRISTI M MORALES, MELQUIADES GUTIERREZ, ARMANDO PARKER, NICHOLAS L HUTSON, RICHARD T ROBESON, AARON J PATTISON, BELINDA L RAMOS, JAVIER E ROSALES, RAMON JR CLASS II RUBINO, SCOTT A CLASS I
BAGBY, WILLIAM T MUNIZ, GUADALUPE RAC, STEVEN C ROMERO, FABIAN D TELFER, ADAM C WHITTEN, ERIC R
OCTOBER 2013
IMAGINE A PROGRAM T H AT H E L P S U S LICENSING REVIEW QUESTIONS
S AV E WA T E R T O D AY.
1. The most common type of valve found in the distribution system for isolation purposes is –
S O T H E Y ’ L L H AV E I T
a. Check Valve b. Butterfly Valve c. Ball Valve d. Gate Valve e. Globe Valve
T O M O R R O W.
2. All water systems will have some unaccounted for water loss; however, this unaccounted for water loss should be less than – a. 5 % b. 10 % c. 12% d. 15% e. 20% 3. Convert 800 Gallons Per Minute (GPM) to Million Gallons Per Day (MGD) –
performance and water-efficiency specifications for products and services. Local utilities can use WaterSense to help residents save water. Together, we can build an ethic of water efficiency and protect this resource for future generations. Learn more at www.epa.gov/watersense.
OCTOBER 2013
4. The presence of Fecal coliform or E. coli bacteria in a water sample indicates – a. Chlorine Residual Too High b. Water Should Be Aerated Before Human Consumption c. Lake or Reservoir Experience Algae Bloom d. Nitrification Occurring In The Distribution System e. Intestinal Waste In The Sample TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
Answers to Licensing Review: 1. D 2. B 3. A 4. E
EPA is proud to introduce WaterSense, a program that sets
a. 1.15 MGD b. 1.92 MGD c. 4.80 MGD d. 5.15 MGD e. None of the above
TWUA EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFIED ADS: CREW LEADER (WATER DISTRIBUTION/ SEWER MAINTENANCE) Beaumont, Texas Supervises and participates with work crews in the maintenance, repair and installation of water and sewer lines, connections, mains, water meters, sump pumps, manholes, fire hydrants and lift stations; receives job assignments from general foreman and plans work schedules for crew; operates machinery, drives light and heavy duty vehicles, backhoe, mini excavator, flush trucks, vacuum truck, boring machines, forklift, front end loader, rodding machine, power saws, winch, pole lifting truck and uses various hand tools. One (1) year experience in operating backhoe/excavator; one (1) year of pipe bursting experience preferred. High school diploma or equivalent; three (3) years of experience in the maintenance, repair and construction of water utilities equipment and projects or related maintenance and repair experience; must obtain a Class D Water Distribution License or Wastewater Collection I License within twelve (12) months of employment. Class C Water Distribution License or Wastewater Collection II License is preferred. Salary: $13.52-$26.21. Fax or email resume and salary requirements to: (409)880-3108/ ccatalina@ci.beaumont.tx.us
WWTP OPERATOR Port Lavaca, Texas The City Of Port Lavaca is now accepting applications for a fulltime Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator. This position is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the municipal wastewater treatment plant; must be knowledgeable in plant equipment, lift stations, laboratory techniques and safety procedures and available for scheduled “on-call” rotation. Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent, pass a criminal background check, a valid Class B Commercial Driver’s License, minimum of 2 years’ experience in wastewater plant operations, TCEQ class C” or B” wastewater license.
Salary: Depending on Qualifications. Fax or email resume and salary requirements to: (361)552-6062/ jbundrick@portlavaca.org
WASTEWATER OPERATOR Various Locations SouthWest Water Company has opening for Water and Wastewater Operators in Austin, Baytown, Benbrook, Conroe, Mabank and Pottsboro, Texas. Performs routine checks of the facilities, maintenance and field customer service; helps ensure compliance with governing agencies regulations. Advanced skills and technical knowledge of water and wastewater treatment. High school diploma or GED; 1-2 years’ related experience; water/ wastewater certification a preferred and backhoe experience a plus. Fax or email resume and salary requirements to: (832)209-5007/jobs@swwc.com
EQUIPMENT OPERATOR SKILLED Beaumont, Texas Operates any or all of the following light, medium, and heavy-duty equipment used in water/sewer maintenance: 8 to 14-yard dump truck, tractor with flair mower, tractor with bushhog, backhoe, front-end loader, trackhoe, dozer, boring machine, pipe bursting machine, steam cleaner, tractor trailer, winch truck, mini excavators; performs such tasks as loading refuge onto trucks and trailers; excavates and backfills trenches; cuts and clears right of ways, ditches; loads and lays piping. Three (3) years of experience in the operation and maintenance of light to heavy equipment; three (3) years supervisory experience preferred. Experience in trenchless technology preferred. Must have or obtain a Class A/CDL license within one (1) month of employment date. High school diploma or equivalent preferred. Salary: $13.39-$24.79. Fax or email resume and salary requirements to: (409)880-3108/ ccatalina@ci.beaumont.tx.us
30 TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL www.twua.org
UTILITY MAINTENANCE WORKER Port Lavaca, Texas General work includes: Operating, constructing, maintaining, or repairing water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment systems and do related work as required. High School Diploma or GED will be accepted. Salary: Depends on experience. Fax or email resume and salary requirements to: (361)552-6062/ jbundrick@portlavaca.org
WATER / WASTEWATER OPERATIONS Austin Area CLASS “B” Surface Water License issued by TCEQ CLASS “C” Wastewater License issued by TCEQ Check multiple water and wastewater plants/district each day, giving high level of service to each utility; perform work independently as well as work with other operators on large utility projects. Applicant must have a valid driver’s license and must pass pre-employment drug screening. CLASS “B” Surface Water License issued by TCEQ CLASS “C” Wastewater License issued by TCEQ. Salary: Depending on experience. Fax or email resume and salary requirements to: (512)402-0304/ kathy@ awrservices.net
CLASS C GROUNDWATER OPERATOR Hallsville, Texas Class C Groundwater Operator Mail resume to: West Harrison W.S.C., PO Box 1027, Hallsville, TX 75650. Applicants may also fax resume and salary requirements to: (903)668-3341.
GENERAL FOREMAN (WATER DISTRIBUTION/ SEWER MAINTENANCE) Beaumont, Texas Plans, schedules, coordinates, directs, and supervises the daily
activities of the construction, installation, maintenance and repair of water/sewer system, lines, and lift stations. Three (3) years’ experience in the installation, maintenance and repair of water lines preferred; five (5) years’ experience excavating and preparing construction sites; five (5) years supervisory experience. High school diploma or equivalent; must possess or be able to obtain within six months of the date of hire a Class C Water Distribution License issued by TCEQ or a Class II Sewer Collection License issued by TCEQ. Class B Water Distribution License or Class III Sewer Collection License preferred. Salary: $16.87-$28.04. Fax or email resume and salary requirements to: (409)880-3108/ ccatalina@ci.beaumont.tx.us
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS Lone Star, Texas Director of Public Works to supervise a water distribution system and wastewater treatment plant and system as well as supervise the streets and parks upkeep. Class C Water and Wastewater Licenses and proven ability to manage projects and employees. College degree preferred but vocation training and high school education will be considered with required licenses and experience. Salary: $40,000 / yr. Fax or email resume and salary requirements to: (903)656-3355/ citylonestar@suddenlinkmail.com
WATER PLANT OPERATOR I/II Denison, Texas The City of Denison, Texas has an immediate opening to work at 13 M.G.D plant. Excellent fringe benefits. Must possess at least a TCEQ Class C surface water license. Salary dependent on qualifications. You may apply on line at www.cityofdenison.com or call for more information at 903464-4449. EOE. OCTOBER 2013
Water, Agua, L’eau, Wasser, Acqua, Água.
In any language, Flowserve is the proven leader. Byron Jackson ® Worthington ® IDP ® Pleuger ® With a global footprint spanning 55 countries, Flowserve is a proven, trusted partner, providing innovative pumping and sealing solutions for the water industry when and where they are needed. And with 50 years of experience and five Texas locations, Smith Pump partners with Flowserve to provide the combined benefits of vast expertise, product breadth and offerings for every essential water resource pumping requirement throughout the state. Well-respected product brands, unmatched product portfolio and experienced associates make it easy to specify Flowserve pumps with confidence... in any language.
For more information, contact Smith Pump Company at www.smithpump.com or visit http://water.flowserve.com.
Smith Pump Company Fort Worth • Waco • Austin • San Antonio • Houston Phone: 1 800 299 8909
WEBINARS AND ONLINE TRAINING “Can’t travel? No problem...we’re bringing the training to you.” Are you in need of operator renewal credit hours? Look no further, we can help you save time and money! We are excited to announce our online training programs coming soon. TWUA will be hosting a wide range of webinars and online courses designed to fit everyone’s busy schedule. Visit our website at: www.twua.org to see the latest educational offerings.
Why attend online training?
v Convenient v Cost Effective v Efficient v Flexible v Quality v Easy Access v Variety v Comfortable v Certification v Tracking
One Click AWAY
Texas Water Utilities Association Voice: 888.367.8982
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Email: d.moore@twua.org