Summer WSJ 15.indd - Iowa Rural Water Association

THE WATER STREET JOURNAL

Member of:

SUMMER 2015

In This Issue…IRWA Membership Benefits ........4

Confined Space Retrofit ............10

On The Road with Joe Finch .....12

Prepared for Social Media? ......28

Forty YearsIowaRuralWaterAssociation1975-2015

Assisting

Water and

Wastewater

Utilities for

40 years!

Continuing Education!

A Leader in the Industry!

In-the-F ield

Training!

Helping to K eep

Expenses Low!

Raising Awareness!

THE IRWA MISSION To provide the highest quality leadership in the support of Iowa’s water and wastewater industries through the provision of technical assistance, training and education, legislative, regulatory and public affairs, and assistance in economic development and financing activities.

For the latest news and updates:www.iowaruralwater.org

Iowa RuralWater Association4221 S. 22nd Avenue EastNewton, Iowa 50208641-787-0330 or 800-747-7782Fax: 641-787-0331E-mail: [email protected]

The WATER STREET JOURNAL is the official publication of the Iowa Rural Water Association for distribution to representatives of IRWA regional and community members; associate members; non-community; individual and sustaining members; legislators; water and wastewater-related agencies; and friends and supporters of the association.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html , or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudica-tion, 1400 Independence Avenue, S. W., Washington, D. C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at [email protected] .

2015 IRWA Board of Directors

DAN McINtOSh, President Southern Iowa Rural Water

KEvIN JAcObSON, Vice President City of McCallsburg

ROD GlOSSER, Treasurer Rathbun Regional Water

RAy WIllhOItE, Secretary West Central Iowa Rural Water Association

RANDy bEAvERS, Director Warren Water District

RANDy PlEIMA, Director Mahaska Rural Water System

DOuG RADKE, Director Cherokee County Rural Water

GAylE SItzMANN, Director City of Le Mars

Lisa WaltersSource Water Specialist

Scott ShoverWastewater technician, East

John VeachWastewater technician, West

Mark Devinecircuit Rider West

Laura McDonaldchief Financial Officer

Cathy LawMember Services and Event coordinator

Joe Finchcircuit Rider East

THE IRWA STAFF

ADVERTISERSAlliance Water Resources ....................14

American Structures, Inc. .....................15

Bert Gurney & Associates, Inc. .............27

Bolton & Menk, Inc. ...............................4

Central Tank Coatings ..........................36

Clow Valve Company ..........................21

D.A. Davidson & Co. ...........................22

EJ ........................................................14

Electric Pump .........................................8

Ferguson Waterworks ............................9

Ford ....................................................23

Fox Engineering...................................32

Garden & Associates ...........................15

Howalt-McDowell Insurance ................34

HR Green ............................................22

Hydro Klean ...........................Back Cover

JEO Consulting Group ...........................9

Kirkwood .............................................23

Maguire Iron .........................................8

Master Meter .........................................3

MC2.....................................................27

McClure Engineering .............................7

McIntire Management Group ..............22

Medora Corporation .............................2

Mellen & Associates, Inc. .....................21

Midland GIS Solutions .........................22

Morris & Company, Inc. .......................15

Municipal Pipe Service .........................32

Northway Well & Pump .......................14

Pittsburg Tank & Tower ...........................9

Professional Computer Systems ............36

Rehab Systems, Inc. ...............................6

Snyder & Associates ..............................8

UECO .................................................14

USA Blue Book ............ Inside Front Cover

Vermeer Iowa ...............Inside Back Cover

Vessco ...................................................6

Visu-Sewer, Inc. ...................................27

Water Well Solutions ...........................36

Table ofCONTENTSFrom the President .................... 3

Membership Benefits Expanding. 4

Legislative Update ..................... 6

Confined Space Retrofit ........... 10

On the Road with Joe Finch ..... 12

Fall Conferences.......16

ServLine..................18

IRWA 70’s Trivia....20

PAC Golf Outing ..................... 24

Iowa Children’s Water Festival . 26

Advertisers.com ..... 27

Is Your Utility Prepared to Fight Misinformation on Social Media .... 28

Annual Conference ................. 30

Water Pro Conference.31

A “Flushable Wipe” Epidemic?.................32

Regional System Spotlight:Rock Valley Rural Water District.38

A Job Well Done .................... 42

12

28

38

Greg Huffchief Executive Officer

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Dan McIntoshIRWA Board President

From the

PRES IDENT

I appreciate the vote of confidence which the IRWA Board Members bestowed me by voting me in as the current President at the March 2015 Board Meeting.

I hope I can live up to their expectations. I have been a member of the IRWA Board of Directors for six years. I began working for Southern Iowa Rural Water Association (SIRWA), located in southwest Iowa in 1989, and became the General Manager of SIRWA in 2003. I currently hold a Grade IV Distribution, Grade III Treatment, and Grade I Wastewater Lagoon DNR Licenses. Although I have only been the IRWA President for a few short months, I have a new respect for outgoing President, Randy Pleima. Randy served as President of the Board from 2000 through 2004 and again 2006 through 2015, a total of thirteen years. Randy went through a few tough times as the President of IRWA, but it was always with a smile on his face. If you get a chance, be sure and tell Randy thank you for his dedicated service. One thing is for sure, I’m not interested in breaking Randy’s record for Board President longevity. The Board is very interested in working for the IRWA membership. We are in the process of updating our Strategic Plan for 2015-2017. A survey was sent out

to all members asking some very pointed questions. I hope each member took the time to complete this survey because this will be used by the Board as a guide to the direction our membership feels IRWA should be heading. IRWA has an excellent group of Board Members. I knew a few of them before joining the Board, but after serving with most of them for several years, I’m proud to call each one of them my friend. They are all there to try to make IRWA a better organization. IRWA is also very fortunate to have a great staff that is there to help our membership in any way they can. They spend countless hours talking with operators and clerks out in the field. They have a wealth of knowledge they are willing to share and if they do not have the answers, they will find them for you. Be sure and take advantage of their experience to make your job easier. If you have a problem or suggestion for IRWA please let me know. I always have my cell phone with me or feel free to send an e-mail. I’m not a very good mind reader, but I’d like to think I’m a good listener and I can’t help with a solution if I don’t know what the problem is. I look forward to hearing from you! DanCell: 641-344-8097 • E-mail: [email protected]

IRWA on Facebook! The Iowa Rural Water Association is now on Facebook! You can “Like” us by going to www.facebook.com and searching Iowa Rural Water Association. This is a great way to keep in touch with IRWA without having to remember to visit our website. We will make frequent posts to keep you informed of the latest industry news relating to Iowa Water and Wastewater. Join us!

Summer ‘15 Water Street Journal 3

IRWAMeMbeRshIp benefIts expAndIng

Amajor initiative is under way to offer our members more services and benefits. I want to begin by mentioning a new program being offered by the

National Rural Water Association, IRWA and ServLine. ServLine is a residential service line and leak adjustment program that you can offer to your customers. The leak adjustment protection covers water loss expenses that customers are charged for a leak which occur after the meter. Rather than the customer having to pay for water loss due to a leak, or a utility writing the loss off, this insurance reimburses to the utility the charge for excessive water and the customer only pays their average water bill for the month. This protection covers up to one leak per customer, per year. Utilities can also offer water line and sewer line protection through ServLine. As with the leak adjustment program, there is no cost to the utility. The customer pays nothing out of pocket to repair or replace their service lines—in other words no deductable. Protection can cover up to $10,000 per incident for water line and an additional $10,000 for sewer line, with no limit to the number of repairs in a year. These programs, in addition to covering the cost of water loss and water and sewer line repair and replacement for

Greg Huff, IRWA CEO

4 Summer ‘15 Water Street Journal

your customers, results in better customer relations, reduces your utility’s administrative work load and depending on your current leak adjustment policy, can result in direct cost savings and additional income to your system. You can find out more about ServLine on pages 18-19 in this issue. Another recent development is the purchase of a new sewer camera. The new camera is more technologically advanced than our previous cameras. We will have it in service around the state this month. NRWA and IRWA are working on other membership programs which we hope to announce as the rest of the year unfolds. In the meantime, I would like to remind you of a few membership programs/benefits that we currently offer. The first is the National Rural Water Association’s Revolving Loan Fund. This fund was established under a grant from USDA/RUS to provide financing to eligible utilities for pre-development costs associated with proposed water and wastewater projects. The funds can also be used with existing water and wastewater systems and the short term costs incurred for replacement equipment, small scale extension of services or other small capital projects that are not a part of your regular operations and maintenance. Systems applying must be public entities. This includes municipalities, counties, special purpose districts, Native American Tribes and corporations not operating for profit, including cooperatives, with up to 10,000 population and rural areas with no population limit. The City of Sac City is the first utility in Iowa to take advantage of this fund. The City was looking at upgrading their SCADA system, plus adding a lime feed system and a high service pump. Jim Johnston, Water Manager for Sac City, told me that the process of applying for the revolving loan fund “was so simple it was unbelievable.” Loan amounts may not exceed $100,000 or 75 percent of the total project, whichever is less. The maximum repayment period is 10 years. Loans will be made at the lower of the poverty or market rate as published by USDA-RUS, with a minimum of three percent. In addition, there are five year, interest-only, pre-development loans, as well as 90 day, no-interest, disaster area emergency loans with immediate turn around available. The application process for these loans requires very little paperwork and the loans are approved quickly—often in a matter of days. Please let me know if you are interested in finding out more about these loans.

Another program offered through the National Rural Water Association is partnerships with the Ford Motor Company and the Chrysler Group to offer special fleet discounts to State Rural Water Associations and their utility system members. This partnership combines the buying power of 31,000 individual utilities to provide reduced fleet pricing on utility vehicles. Iowa Rural Water Association determines membership eligibility and provides a fleet code that allows access to substantial vehicle discounts to fill the need for reliable work vehicles. Incentive discount pricing is available on fuel efficient cars, vans, SUVs and trucks—utilities can save up to $6,750 off factory invoice per vehicle. In January 2013, the EPA issued guidance to make e-delivery an allowable method of distributing your CCR.

NRWA estimated that if every water utility in the nation switched to e-delivery the combined cost savings to those utilities would added up to $126,000,000 annually. IRWA decided to go one step further and designed an easy to use website paid for with membership dues for members to post their CCRs on-line. This is the third year we have offered this free-to-members service. For those water utilities that choose to

use IRWA’s www.IowaCCR.org website versus physically sending out their CCRs—they will save a significant amount of money and resources each year. One of our first membership services which have been around for over 20 years is the Regional Equipment Facilities (REF). These REFs were established to provide our members access to equipment without the cost of renting, leasing or purchasing the equipment individually. IRWA has seven of these facilities across the state where our members can borrow leak detectors, line tracers, smoke blowers, sludge judges, meter testers in addition to other equipment. We also have a library with operator certification study materials and many volumes of other source water, drinking water and wastewater materials available for you to check out. Of course, membership in IRWA includes discounted registration fees for conferences, subscriptions to this publication as well as the annual directory and access to health and vision insurance plans. I hope that you take advantage of the many membership benefits available to you as a member of IRWA!

IRWAMeMbeRshIp benefIts expAndIng

“ServLine can result in direct

cost savings and additional income

to your system.”


Emily PiperIRWA Contract Lobbyist

Legislative Update

The final action of the 2015 legislative session took place on June 5, five weeks after the statutory deadline for adjournment. Deep philosophical differences

over the state of Iowa’s budget and spending priorities dominated the legislative session and contributed to the delay in final adjournment. Iowa law requires that the governor submit a budget that is no more than 99% of estimated revenues plus the ending fund balance from the prior fiscal year. Both Governor Branstad and Senate Democrats originally outlined their budget priorities, spending the same overall amount. House Republicans, on the other hand, developed spending targets based only on the 99% of estimated revenues, leaving the FY 2015 ending fund balance untouched. In the end, Senate Democrats agreed to the lower spending targets proposed by House Republicans in an effort to avoid a potential government shutdown if an agreement was not reached by June 30. In exchange, House Republicans agreed to a one-time funding bill that uses the ending fund balance from FY 2015 to provide additional resources to certain programs. As of press time, Governor Branstad had not yet taken action on this bill, much of which is likely to face the veto pen. Education spending and the gas tax increase were the two dominant issues for this legislative session. Passage of the increase in the gas tax was accomplished with bi-partisan votes in both chambers but also created rifts

within the caucuses. These rifts provided challenges for leadership as they worked to resolve other policy issues. This legislature passed the fewest number of policy bills in recent memory. Eminent domain restrictions on the Baaken pipeline, Clean Line Energy and the Clarke County Reservoir made news but most bills fizzled at the end of the session. However, the legislature did act to put stringent limits on the ability of Clarke County to build a surface drinking water reservoir. While the language adopted in the standing appropriations bill applies only to Clarke County, it is a dangerous precedent for other areas that may turn to the development of a surface drinking water supply. The language limits the size of the Clarke County reservoir to only that water needed to serve the population as certified by the last federal census. This calculation excludes the businesses and agricultural users of water in that county. In addition, it removes the cost consideration from the process of examining alternatives. Thus, if an alternative to the reservoir is possible, it must be the approach taken to provide water regardless of cost or sustainability. As of press time, Governor Branstad had not yet taken action on this bill. Policy items in budget bills may be subject to the line item veto. IRWA’s top priority, removing the sales tax on residential water sales, was well received by legislators but fell victim to the arguments over the budget. Prior

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commitments (backfill for the commercial property tax cut, the teacher leadership compensation program) and the continued pressure from increased Medicaid costs left little new revenue for other program areas. Despite budgetary concerns, the building blocks for future success were placed as House Republicans became more aware of this tax. Phasing out the sales tax on water for both residential and business customers will remove approximately $3 million a year for six years from the state’s revenue. While not a large amount in a $7 billion budget, it proved to be a solid obstacle this year. IRWA will continue to work to educate legislators about the impact of this regressive tax and why it is important to remove it. Debate over cell tower siting regulations started early in the session and agreement was not reached until the final days. IRWA worked to clearly exempt regional water systems. The final bill includes a clear exemption for rural water systems from the requirements of the bill. In addition, modifications were made during legislative

negotiations to provide cities and counties with more control over cell tower siting requests. As of press time, Governor Branstad had not taken action on this bill. Other policy issues of interest to regional water systems and small communities include:

A new law that allows entities that provide wastewater services to a city through either a 28E or franchise agreement to request shut-off of city water services for unpaid sewer bills. This only applies to agreements entered into after July 1, 2015.

A new law that clarifies that electric transmission owners that primarily provide service to public utilities is included in the definition of a public utility for purposes of railroad crossing permits. IRWA, along with other public utilities, worked to pass this legislation to restrict the ability of railroad companies to weaken the permit system.



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The day to day operations of a city employee bring upon a number of different challenges. Some of the duties preformed go without any consideration for

the health and safety of the individual preforming the duty just because they have been done numerous times in the past with little to no consequence. Annually, how many times does a water/wastewater operator put there life and wellbeing in jeopardy by entering a confined space? Confined spaces are abundant in our industry and only a handful of communities have the resources and manpower to perform work within them safely and legally. So how do we identify a confined space? There are three identifiers that can deem a space confined. They are as follows:

(1) Is it large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; and

(2) Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example, tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are spaces that may have limited means of entry); and

(3) Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.

If we take a look at our work environment, we can identify a number of places that fit into these categories. So what do we do about work that must be done within these places that are now defined as confined spaces? In small rural towns the amount of employees that can be trained to enter and work within these spaces is unobtainable due to logistical reasons. The equipment that is required to enter a confined space can be costly and must be inspected and certified to be used correctly. With these factors in place, it leaves employers with a couple different options to deal with this safety hazard.

RetRofit

Discharge Structure Confined Space Entrance


The first would be to contract confined space work out to contractors that have the training and equipment to perform the work safely. In some situations confined spaces can be retrofitted so that they are no longer classified as a confined space. In spaces that require more frequent work to be done, the alternative to retrofit should be looked at and considered so that employees can fulfill their daily duties without relying on an outside source. That is what a city in Iowa is considering. A small city in Iowa was considering spending upwards of $100,000 to upgrade their valve pit and discharge structure so that the operator could perform the drawdown procedure on its lagoon system safely. The structure is made of concrete with two separate chambers set about 6-8 feet below grade. The structure has a concrete cap over the top with one entry and exit into each chamber. The operator has to enter each chamber through a small opening in the concrete cap and climb down steps that are secured into the concrete wall. Due to the concrete cap over the structure, required samples cannot be taken without entering the discharge chamber. To start the discharge the operator must enter the other chamber to open and close the required valves to start and stop the discharge. Upon evaluating the structure it

was determined that if the concrete cap was removed, samples could be taken from outside the structure and valves could be retrofitted to open from topside. This retrofit would reduce entry into this structure by about 90 percent, leaving entry only to maintenance rather than daily operation. With assistance from the Iowa OSHA, it was also determined that installation of a set of approved

industrial steps would eliminate this structure from confined space status. Due to Iowa winters, the city is also considering having a removable lid constructed to protect the components within the structure and avoid it from filling with snow and ice. This retrofit is estimated to cost a fraction of a total redesign of the system and make the operations at the discharge structure a safe and efficient practice. If you have a confined space entry that you are concerned about, please contact your area OSHA office for advice. Iowa OSHA has a division that is dedicated to strictly training and education. You can also contact

the Iowa Rural Water Association for advice on how to make your confined space a safer work environment. We all have people waiting for us to come home after the job is done, so let’s work together to make sure we are around for the ones we love.

“A small city in Iowa was considering

spending upwards of $100,000 to upgrade

their valve pit and discharge structure so

that the operator could perform the drawdown procedure on its lagoon

system safely.”

Confined Space Ladder Valve Pit


On the ROadOn June 17th I had the pleasure of spending

the day with Joe Finch, Iowa Rural Water’s Eastern Iowa Circuit Rider. Joe and his family

lives in Decorah, Iowa – so this gave me a chance to see an area of the state I don’t have a chance to visit as often as I’d like. Joe and I met at 8:00 am and he immediately informed me that plans had changed for the day due to a meeting request the previous day. For those who are not aware, each field staff person sends in a plan each Friday for the following week and I know from personal experience these plans usually are completely changed by Monday afternoon due to requests from systems which require a timely response.

We headed out for the first stop of the day – a meeting with the operator and mayor of New Hampton. It was a quick 45 minute drive which took an hour due to farm traffic and road construction—even northeast Iowa is not immune to these summertime delays. We found Mayor Bob Martin and Operator Jerry Heying waiting for our arrival with a number of questions regarding asset management. The City of New Hampton had been selected for a survey by the General Accounting Office (GAO) regarding this topic and had a

number of questions to prepare for their meeting. Jerry had been signed up for IRWA’s Effective Utility Management Workshop earlier this year, but had been unable to attend and during an earlier visit Joe had mentioned IRWA would be having additional training later this year. The components of an asset management plan were discussed and tools to assist systems in completing a plan were discussed. By the end of the meeting New Hampton had offered to host a meeting and expressed interest in assistance in setting up a plan for the city. As we were leaving Jerry asked if Joe could stop by a system he was assisting with regards to chlorine residual issues they were experiencing. Since the system was on the way to our next stop another

with Joe FinchDale Barrie, Training Specialist


quick change of our schedule for the day was made and we headed out for the town of Nashua, home of the Little Brown Church.

At Nashua, we met with Jeff Smith to discuss the issues he had experienced with chlorine residual for a short period of time earlier this year. After hearing the details, it was decided to head to the well house and do some testing. Joe has new equipment which quickly can troubleshoot issues with chloramination/break point chlorination. After running several series of samples for total/free ammonia, free/total chlorine, monochloramine and nitrite, the chlorine

feed rate was adjusted to provide an optimal level for the well. As we were waiting for test results we found that both Jeff and Joe had lived in Helena, Montana – it truly is a small world! As we prepared to leave for our next stop Jeff told us to swing by the town’s elevated tower – they were in the process of

having the outside cleaned. After a quick pit stop to grab some lunch on the go and a short detour to see the tower we were off to our next stop in Nora Springs.

At Nora Springs we met with the operator, Wade Flattum, who gave us a quick tour of the water treatment plant prior to sitting down to discuss a recent water main break and their emergency response plan.

By this time it was late afternoon and we headed back to Decorah – it had been a very busy day and Joe headed home to some well-deserved family time. Many thanks to Joe and the northeast Iowa communities which put up with me tagging along for a day - I had a great time, learned a lot, met some new folks and got a chance to visit with some old friends!



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CONFERENCES 2015SEPTEMBER 15-16, 2015Okoboji Fall ConferenceArrowwood Resort • 1405 Hwy. 71

OCTOBER 20-21, 2015Dubuque Fall ConferenceGrand River Center • 500 Bell Street

(One Registrant Per Form. Please Copy for Additional Registrants)

Name: __________________________________________________

Name for Badge: ________________________________________

City/Company: __________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________

City: _________________________State: _____Zip: ____________

Day Phone: _____________________________________________

E-Mail: _________________________________________________

Registration Fees: Before Sept. 1st After Sept. 1st

IRWA Member - Full Reg. $130 $140

IRWA Member - 1 Day $80 $90

Tuesday

Wednesday

Non-Member - Full Reg. $185 $195

Non-Member - 1 Day $110 $120

Tuesday

Wednesday

Total Due: $______ $______

Payment is Required with Registration

Please make checks payable to: Iowa Rural Water Association

4221 S. 22nd Ave E., Newton, IA 50208

If you would like to pay by credit card, for security purposes please register through

our website at www.iowaruralwater.org

OKOBOJI, IASEPT. 15-16, 2015 • ARROWWOOD RESORT

(One Registrant Per Form. Please Copy for Additional Registrants)

Name: __________________________________________________

Name for Badge: ________________________________________

City/Company: __________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________

City: _________________________State: _____Zip: ____________

Day Phone: _____________________________________________

E-Mail: _________________________________________________

Registration Fees: Before Oct. 1st After Oct. 1st

IRWA Member - Full Reg. $130 $140

IRWA Member - 1 Day $80 $90

Tuesday

Wednesday

Non-Member - Full Reg. $185 $195

Non-Member - 1 Day $110 $120

Tuesday

Wednesday

Total Due: $______ $______

Payment is Required with Registration

Please make checks payable to: Iowa Rural Water Association

4221 S. 22nd Ave E., Newton, IA 50208

If you would like to pay by credit card, for security purposes please register through

our website at www.iowaruralwater.org

DUBUQUE, IAOCTOBER 20-21, 2015 • GRAND RIVER CENTER

Register On-Line atwww.iowaruralwater.org

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

7:00 AM Registration/Continental Breakfast/Exhibits 7:45 AM Opening Remarks/Welcome 8:00 – 9:00 Pumps & Control Panels 101 (WT, WD, WW) Scott Obernolte, Allied Systems Inc9:00 – 10:00 Data Tracking & Interpretation for Water & Wastewater (WT, WD, WW) Desiree McCaslen, City of Sioux City10:00 – 10:30 Break10:30 – 11:30 Membrane Filtration Technology in Surface Water Treatment (WT) Steve Yarkosky, City of Creston Working with Your Certified Water & Wastewater Testing Lab (WD/WW) Jean Bernius, AgSource Laboratories11:30 – 12:30 Biotta: Efficient Nitrate Destruction at LPRW Holland WTP (WT) Darin Schriever, DGR Engineering Utilizing Video Data in GIS (WD/WW) Kirk Larson, Midland GIS12:30 – 1:15 Lunch1:15 – 2:15 IDNR Updates (WT, WD) OKO – Julie Sievers, IDNR; DBQ – Amber Sausser, IDNR Lagoon Dredging and Cleaning (WW) Scott Wienands, Nutri-Ject2:15 – 2:30 Break2:30 – 3:30 Triple R Approach to Operations (WT, WD, WW) Terry Merritt, Alliance Water Resources Disinfection (WW) Laurie Twitchell, Fox Engineering

7:30 AM Registration/Continental Breakfast8:00 – 9:00 GIS Development Case Studies-Converting Paper to Digital Format (WT, WD, WW) Kenneth Roethler, Garden & Associates Maximizing WWTP Capacity with MBBR Treatment (WW) Eric Larson, WEXCO Environmental9:00 – 10:00 Flexible Drop Pipe: Benefits of Eliminating Corrosion (WT, WD) Tracy Keck, Hose Solutions General Wipes Education (WW) John Miller, Electric Pump10-10:30 Break10:30 – 11:30 Challenges of Ammonia (WT, WD) Julie Sievers, IDNR SAGR System (WW) Tony Bilek, Mc2 11:30 – 12:30 How to Protect Your System (WT, WD) Barry Sutphin, Bermad Clean Water Act Program Updates (WW) Adam Schneiders, IDNR12:30 PM CEU’s * Topics subject to change.

Wednesday Classes

Full Registration Includes:CEU Processing, all breaks and meals. Complete the registration form and mail to IRWA along with payment. Please use one form for each person registering.

Hotel Reservations can be made at the following hotels: Okoboji – Arrowwood Resort 712-332-2161 Reservation deadline is August 15st, 2015. AmericInn of Lake Okoboji -712-332-9000 Dubuque – Grand Harbor Resort - 563-690-3270. Reservation deadline is September 19th, 2015.

CEUs:Up to 10 CEU hours will be offered for water distribution, water treatment or wastewater. CEU can be split. CEU forms must be completed before you leave the training session.

Questions:Call the Iowa Rural Water Association @ 800/747-7782 or 641/787-0330.

Cancellation Policy: If written cancellation notice is received by September 1st for Okoboji and October 1st for Dubuque, you will receive a full refund minus a $25 administration fee. No refunds will be issued for either conference after these dates.

Help support the National Rural Water Political Action Committee by purchasing your raffle tickets for a chance to win a rifle!

Okoboji — 2-Man best shot golf tournament to be held at Brooks Golf Club (Okoboji). Must sign up by 10:00 AM Tuesday at the IRWA registration desk.

Okoboji — Following the sporting events, join us at Arrowwood Resort for a BBQ, which is included with your paid full registration.

Dubuque — Following the Tuesday afternoon Training Sessions, IRWA will host an IRWA Tailgate event at the Grand River Center. This event will offer “tailgate food”, games and simply a time to socialize. Cost for attending the tailgate is included in your paid full registration fee.

Tuesday Classes

NRWPAC Rifle Raffle – Conference Times

Golf Tournament (Okoboji ONLY) – 4:00 PM

BBQ (Okoboji ONLY) – 6:15 PM

Tailgate Event (Dubuque ONLY) – 4:30 PM

The IRWA ServLine Program is a program that protects your utility against losses due to residential customers’ water leaks, and provides the opportunity to add service

line repair and replacement coverage.

Call :

(641) 787-0330

For more information on how to implement ServLine at your utility, Please Contact Greg Huff

Leaks

Hit

Your BUDGET

Like A

Flood

Water Loss Protection enhances and expands your current leak adjustment program. This un-paralleled loss protection program significantly reduces utility

workload and expenses due to customer leaks.

Water Loss Protection Line Protection Your residential customers may choose to enroll in our Line Protection Program. The Line Protection

provides broad coverage and saves homeowners from large unexpected line repair and replacement bills.

Email :

[email protected]

The IRWA ServLine Program is a program that protects your utility against losses due to residential customers’ water leaks, and provides the opportunity to add service

line repair and replacement coverage.

Call :

(641) 787-0330

For more information on how to implement ServLine at your utility, Please Contact Greg Huff

Leaks

Hit

Your BUDGET

Like A

Flood

Water Loss Protection enhances and expands your current leak adjustment program. This un-paralleled loss protection program significantly reduces utility

workload and expenses due to customer leaks.

Water Loss Protection Line Protection Your residential customers may choose to enroll in our Line Protection Program. The Line Protection

provides broad coverage and saves homeowners from large unexpected line repair and replacement bills.

Email :

[email protected]

Water Loss Protection

Water Bill Protection from excess water charges resulting from eligible plumbing leaks, up to $2500.

No deductible. Coverage limited to one leak every 12 months.

Customer calls us to decline protection and accept full responsibility for water bills resulting from eligible plumbing leaks.

Customized for each utilities leak adjustment program.

Water Line Protection

Covers repair or replacement of water line up to $10,000. No deductible. No annual limit.

Provides water line protection from your meter to the foundation of your home.

Includes $500 for site restoration for both public/private paved surfaces such as sidewalks or driveways.

Be protected from these expensive repairs! Enrollment after start date requires a 30 day waiting period.

Iowa Rural Water ServLine

1

2

ServLine 3

Covers repair or replacement of sewer line up to $10,000. No deductible. No annual limit.

Provides sewer line protection from your property line to the foundation of your home.

Includes $500 for site restoration for both public/private paved surfaces such as sidewalks or driveways.

Be protected from these expensive repairs! Enrollment after start date requires a 30 day waiting period.

Sewer Line Protection 2

70’s IRWA TRIvIAForty YearsIowaRuralWaterAssociation1975-2015

1. What two teams played in the XIII Super Bowl of 1979 and who won?

a. Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears; Bears b. Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears; Steelers c. Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys; Cowboys d. Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys; Steelers

2. Magic Johnson’s debut NBA game with the LA Lakers was on _________?

a. October 22, 1978 b. October 12, 1979 c. October 15, 1974 d. October 18, 1976

3. Beginning in 1972, which TV show topped the ratings for five years?

a. The Brady Bunch b. All in the Family c. 60 Minutes d. Mork & Mindy

4. In 1973, who resigned from political office for tax evasion?

a. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew b. President Richard Nixon c. Alabama Governor George Wallace d. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller

5. Whose 1977 single “My Way”, became his final gold record?

a. Frank Sinatra b. Sammy Davis Jr. c. Paul Anka d. Elvis Presley

6. The 1st IRWA Annual Conference Attendance Fee was _________.

a. $10.00 b. $25.00 c. $45.00 d. $15.00

7. In 1979, who became the first pope to visit the United States?

a. Pope Pius XII b. Pope Paul XI c. Pope John Paul I d. Pope John Paul II

8. Which singer/songwriter launched into the 70’s with the jazzy song “Moondance”?

a. Eric Clapton b. Eddie Van Halen c. Van Morrison d. Tom Petty

9. The first association meeting was held on April 15, 1975. Where was it?

a. IRWA Offices, Court Avenue, Des Moines b. IRWA Offices, Rental Space, Kearns Farm c. Holiday Inn, Crystal Tree, Des Moines d. Starlight Village, Fort Dodge

10. Which Kenny Rogers song told the story of a farmer whose wife leaves him and their children?

a. Ruby b. Every Time Two Fools Collide c. Lucille d. Lady

11. Which TV show debuted in March 1977 and featured Jack, Janet and Chrissy?

a. Charlie’s Angels b. The Partridge Family c. Soap d. Three’s Company

12. Darren McGavin portrayed a reporter who investigated crimes of a supernatural nature in which TV show?

a. Kolchak: The Night Stalker b. Night Gallery c. Dark Shadows d. The Professionals

13. What was the nickname of the wide-legged denim pants that were so popular throughout the 70s?

a. Dungarees b. Bell Bottoms c. Blue Bells d. Vanderbilt Bells

14. Name the two main families on Soap? a. Walton’s and Bunker’s b. Dobey’s and Fawcett’s c. Tate’s and Campbell’s d. Brady’s and Tate’s


15. What were the Tuscadero sisters’ first names on Happy Days?

a. Pinky and Leather b. Catherine and Leopard c. Foxy and Susan d. Lorraine and Foxy

16. How many IRWA workshops were held between July 1977 and May 1978?

a. 23 b. 14 c. 18 d. 35

17. Name three spin-offs of Happy Days? a. Laverne & Shirley, The Jeffersons & Joanie’s World b. Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy & Joanie Loves Chachi c. Mork & Mindy, Rhoda, & The Jeffersons d. The Jeffersons, Laverne & Shirley & Joanie Loves Chachi

18. In 1973, Buick produced a compact car on the same body shell used to build the Chevrolet Nova. What did they call this car?

a. Manta b. Century c. Apollo d. Regal

19. On July 6, 1975 which two horses competed in “The Great Match” at Belmont Park?

a. Avatar and Foolish Pleasure b. Ruffian and Promised City c. Foolish Pleasure and Master Derby d. Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure

20. In September 1978, Muhammad Ali defeats __________, 15 rounds, New Orleans, to win heavyweight title for the third time.

a. George Foreman b. Leon Spinks c. Larry Holmes d. Ken Norton

21. In 1976 the movie “Rocky” emerged. Which city was Rocky Balboa from?

a. Chicago b. New York c. Philadelphia d. San Francisco

22. ________________ was the head coach of the 1970 Dallas Cowboys.

a. Jerry Williams b. Tom Landry c. Don McCafferty d. Dick Nolan

23. Larry Bird was drafted by the _____________ in 1978. He was sixth overall in the draft.

a. Washington Bullets b. Los Angeles Lakers c. Philadelphia 76ers d. Boston Celtics

24. The character “Gopher” was featured in which 70s television series?

a. Odd Couple b. M.A.S.H c. Love Boat d. Welcome Back Kotter

25. In 1972 this rock band released the song “Peaceful Easy Feeling”.

a. Bob Segar and the Silver Bullet Band b. The Doobie Brothers c. The Eagles d. Jackson Browne

26. Name the first Executive Director of IRWA. a. Carl Reno b. James Kearns c. Ray Ehlers d. Jim LaPlant

ANSWERS: 1. d, 2. b, 3. b, 4. a, 5. d, 6. a, 7. d, 8. c, 9. d, 10. c, 11. d, 12. a, 13. b, 14. c, 15. a, 16. c, 17. b, 18. c, 19. d, 20. b, 21. c, 22. b, 23. d, 24. c, 25. c, 26. b


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Iowa Rural Water Political Action Committee (IRWPAC) held their annual golf fundraiser on Monday, June 15th. In spite of the morning rain

showers the temperatures did remain comfortable. IRWPAC’s objective is to make a positive impact on rural and small community water systems across Iowa. We could not accomplish this without the financial support and resources of our members and sponsors. We’d like to thank all that participated and supported IRWPAC at this golf outing in Pleasant Hill. Along with Iowa Rural Water Association assistance was provided by McClure Engineering, Brenntag, Mahaska Rural Water, West Central Iowa Rural Water Association, Rathbun Regional Water, VerMeer Sales & Service, Utility Equipment, Micro-Comm, Inc., Howalt+McDowell, Clow Valve, McIntyre Consulting and Lyon & Sioux

Regional Water System. We really appreciate the generous sponsors of the Iowa Rural Water Association’s PAC golf outing. A four-person, best shot tournament was held at Copper Creek Golf Club with prizes being awarded to the top three teams in three flights. Following is how the flights finished out:

ChAmpIonshIp FlIght1. Brons, Washburn, Westerman, VanKley 632. Mahan, Crawford, Cass, Snodgrass 643. Sinclair, Nerman, Eftink, Kunkel 64

1st FlIght1. Buitenwerf, Scott, Pleima, Reynolds 662. Birkel, Sturm, Gjersvik, Fortsch 663. Davis, Leisure, Vermeer, Schultz 68

PAC Golf Outing


2nd FlIght1. Overman, Glosser, Varner, Fisher 702. Anderson, Witt, Braster, Piper 723. Houser, Butler, Vermeer, Newendorp 73

Also winning flag prizes were the following:

longest dRIve – Mitch Scharpman from Rathbun Regional Water

longest putt mAde – Marty Braster from Rathbun Regional Water

Closest to the pIn – Allen Buitenwerf from Vermeer Sales & Service

This event concluded with snacks and the presentation of prizes . All of the committee would like to share their appreciation with the sponsors and their colleagues. Committee members include Chairman Marty Braster from Rathbun Regional Water Association, Vice Chairman Dean Lorenzen from West Central Iowa Rural Water Association, Treasurer Chad Coburn from Poweshiek Water Association, Bonnie Koel from Lyon & Sioux Rural Water System, Dan McIntosh from Southern Iowa Rural Water Association and Jade Willcoxon from Regional Water. Thanks also to all participants for a great day on the course. Funds raised help support Iowa Rural Water Association’s legislative efforts.


It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the summer fly’s by. It feels as if the 2015 Iowa Children’s Water Festival was just yesterday. This year’s festival, held at the DMACC

campus in Ankeny, Iowa brought another round of fun even though it rained during a good portion of the day. The Iowa Children’s Water Festival (ICWF) hosted close to 1,800 kids from around Iowa. Iowa Rural Water Association (IRWA) had a number of staff and members assist with the festival again this year. Lisa Walters, IRWA Source Water Specialist and Randy Pleima, Mahaska Rural Water Manager, presented great educational sessions this year. Lisa demonstrated how groundwater moves and how it can be contaminated. Randy Pleima presented water facts to students under the guise of “Professor Faucet.” In addition, IRWA Members Dustin Knudsen & Tony Rhinehart of Carlisle presented the works and wonders of “Water Towers.” These sessions were thoroughly enjoyed by students from all parts of Iowa. Cathy Law and Greg Huff of IRWA and Mike Wildung of Central Iowa Water Association didn’t have to worry about rain. But they did have to watch out for overly excited 5th graders charging into the exhibit hall to get a t-shirt! Handing out t-shirts provided by IRWA to all the kids has its share of challenges but mostly it’s fun to see the joy on a kids face when they get a free shirt. This group also presented a water tower model to the kids in the exhibit hall. The model represented 190 gallons of water and the students were challenged to estimate the cost of that amount of tap water. It was interesting to see how many students and adults guessed far from the actual cost. Dale Barrie, John Veach and Laura McDonald all served as class guides to groups coming through the festival. These members of the IRWA Staff enjoyed seeing all the presentations and hearing the student’s reactions to all the water and wastewater topics they participate in. Special thanks goes out to the ICWF Steering Committee, led by Kristie Wildung of Central Iowa Water Association, for all their efforts in creating a safe and fun learning environment for Iowa Children. In addition, this festival would not be possible without the generous donations of time and money from industry professionals. This year’s lead sponsor was Morris and Company of Marion, Iowa. Morris and Company has been in business for over 50 years and is a rural water contractor and directional drilling company. They are also proud members of IRWA.As you can see, IRWA and its membership are involved in all aspects of the Water Festival. We hope to continue the tradition again. Please consider joining us next year, May 2016, in helping educate our Iowa kids in water quality, safety and conservation.

2015 Iowa Children’s Water Festival

Lisa Walters, IRWA Source Water Specialist, shares her expertise with students

Professor Faucet from Mahaska Rural Water questions the water knowledge of students

Brent Beste, Source Water Specialist


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Is Your utIlItY PrePared to FIght MIsInForMatIon on socIal MedIa?

Heather Syverson, AE2S

Many utilities, municipalities, and businesses successfully use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media channels to

connect and share information with their customers. When used to augment the more traditional public information methods, social media can be one of the fastest and most efficient ways to provide information to the public. A Pew Research Center study found that nearly one third of adults in the U. S. get at least some of their news from Facebook. “Traditionally, utility companies have provided important information through scripted press releases. Traditional public information channels are still important, but utility companies should also build a social media presence on which they can communicate in modern, effective, and personal ways. It’s no longer sufficient to just ‘push out’ information to the public. Information needs to become part of an ongoing conversation with the consumer, and social media is a perfect channel for that,” says Daron Selvig, AE2S Communications Specialist.

One of the greatest benefits of going social is the ability to immediately share information on your own terms rather than waiting for traditional media outlets to broadcast your message. In fact, many savvy reporters follow businesses, utilities, and local government on social media because it’s such a convenient way to receive information and news tips. “Social media has moved beyond the point of being an afterthought or a luxury for maintaining good relations with customers and the public. It has evolved into a mainstream channel of communication,” says Selvig. Unfortunately, rumors and misinformation can spread just as quickly as legitimate news. Just a few “tweets” or “shares” can kick the rumor mill into high gear, which can snowball into calls and emails from concerned citizens. For instance, during the peak of the Ebola scare in late 2014, false information spread on social media that the outbreak had reached Iowa. The Iowa Department of Public Health acted quickly and released an official statement to shut down the misinformation.

Here are some tips for combating misinformation online:

MONITOR YOUR ACCOUNTS: It’s not enough to just set up a Facebook page or Twitter account. At least one person should be designated to check the utility’s accounts on a daily basis. The same person should be responsible for posting information and responding to posts. Employees who have their own social media accounts should also be encouraged to report misinformation or complaints that they spot online.

GET READY: Identify worst case scenarios that could negatively affect your agency – water contamination, responses to rate changes, water main breaks, flooding or storm damage, etc. Create general guidelines for how the utility will respond.

#HOTTOPICS: Be aware of what is going on in the news, your community, and your business. Hashtags are an easy way to search for specific topics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For instance, after an oil spill I Glendive, MT, many people used #OilSpill in their Facebook posts and tweets. Flood fighters in Fargo, ND have shared photos and information about flood conditions with #FargoFlood. Similarly, #MSPstorm was used after a powerful wind storm in Minneapolis. You can search specific hashtags on individual social media sites or use a website like TagBoard.com to simultaneously search multiple social media sites.

DON’T DELAY: During emergencies such as water contamination, uncertainty can spur people to find other sources of information about the situation. The longer an organization waits to respond, an increasing number of rumors will fill the gaps left by official channels of information such as your social media accounts.

BE CLEAR: Instead of saying “Mandatory water conservation measures could be in place for several days,” it’s better to say, “Mandatory water conservation measures will be in place for as many as ___ days. Until further notice, please limit water usage to essential use only.” The second message conveys a time frame that customers can expect to be impacted along with specific instructions.

Consider Visuals: Be open to using infographics, photos, and videos to share information. An infographic could be the perfect way to explain what “essential use” means when water conservation is necessary. And simple cell phone photos or videos can be used to quickly clear up misinformation. As an example, let’s say there are complaints that the public works department isn’t fixing potholes in a timely manner. Posting or tweeting a photo of crews working on the problem can immediately convey the truth. If you have questions about social media, contact Daron Selvig, AE2S’ social media guru. The AE2S Communications team is comprised of professionals experience in public information, crisis communication, video productions, and social media as well as web and graphic design experts to serve a variety of clients and their projects.


FEBRUARY 22-24, 2016 - Veterans Memorial Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center - Des Moines, Iowa

Host Hotel: Holiday Inn Downtown Des Moines

2016 annual conference

O u r 41st Ann u Al COnferenC e

eXCel In Y O u r

water craft

Iowa ruralwater assocIatIon


A “FlushAble Wipe”

epidemic?Pete Lies – Electric Pump Inc.

While jokes and stories abound at wastewater gatherings and conferences regarding items found in our municipal collection systems, one

class of items has emerged as no laughing matter. In fact, the ramifications have taken the discussion to the national stage. The items in question are “flushable wipes.” As you will see later in this article, the term flushable is greatly exaggerated in almost all cases. A majority of wastewater operators and maintenance technicians are familiar with the problems these solids cause in the waste stream. Problems like full trash baskets, plugged pumps and blinded screens directly impact municipalities where they can least afford it, the checkbook. Costs associated with equipment damage, additional man hours spent, lift stations cleaning services and emergency call outs can be significant and have prompted manufacturers such as JWC Environmental and Flygt Corporation to devote time and resources to study the problem and provide potential solutions. The findings listed below have been gathered by those manufacturers and includes information on the progress that has been made to reduce the impact of “flushable wipes.” JWC Environmental Inc., manufacturer of the “Muffin Monster” wastewater grinder and related screening products has compiled the following information which outlines the problem, puts forth some current solutions and discusses what action is being pursued currently with

various associations and agencies. The perpetrators of these costs, the wipes, are showing an increase in sales of 16 percent per year resulting in a 12-14 billion dollar per year industry. While the term “wipes” encompasses the following items; paper towels, baby wipes, cleaning wipes, feminine hygiene products and flushable wipes, it should be noted that 92 percent of these products are not considered truly flushable. In an effort to reduce the increasing costs to collection systems, efforts have been made in the areas of wipe technology, public education and pump station equipment technology. Kimberly Clark, makers of Cottonelle wipes have reformulated the wipe itself with smaller fibers. The smaller fibers break up and disperse after two hours in water. These reformulated wipes were tested by Xylem in one of their submersible pump installations and resulted in no clogging or increase in electrical draw on the pump motors. The goal is to improve wipe technology to the point where it approaches the dispensability of toilet paper in water. Guidelines set forth by WEF and wastewater professionals are to disperse the wipe fibers within 30-60 minutes. As the changing wipe technology is coming closer to the target for dispersibility, the best way to address the issue is by keeping the wipes out of the waste stream altogether. Customer education should begin with the wipes packaging. There seems to be no consistency with


the warning labeling that identifies the products as non-flushable. In addition, many of the warnings are hidden by folds in the packaging. Public service announcements have been made to get the message out to the public. These attempts have met with positive results when the message is consistently broadcast by television or radio but have fallen short when the public is no longer exposed to the messages. Public education seems to make the most impact when focused on dangers, such as clogged pipes, to the individual homeowner. Unfortunately there seems to be a disconnect between the potential cost to the individual homeowner and the big picture costs to the collection system as a whole. The financial impact to municipal budgets has forced operators to look at pump station technology to combat the increasing maintenance costs. One potential solution is to change the lift station pump type from a standard non-clog design to a chopper or grinder unit design with the capability to reduce solid size. JWC and other manufacturers have developed screening technologies to combat the issues at both the pump station and the headworks locations. Bar screens, fine screens, auger/screen combinations and band screens are all viable options when the goal is to remove the solids from the waste stream before downstream treatment issues are encountered. These screening technologies are estimated to capture anywhere from 42 to 93 percent of solids in the wastestream. Finally, the Muffin Monster wastewater grinder by JWC is available with a special cross cut blade design specifically suited to reduce the flushable wipes to a size that will not clog downstream processes. As all of these solutions are being explored by individual municipalities, there are initiatives that have taken shape in the area of new regulations for the manufacturers of “flushable wipes.” WEF is working with INDA (the association of wipes makers) in conjunction with other wastewater groups including NACWA, APWA, and the Canadian water and wastewater association to develop solutions to the problem. The focus is development of flushability guidelines wastewater professionals can agree with and to educate the public on what to flush. Finally, the Federal Trade Commission

has reached a settlement with NicePak (one of the world’s largest makers of wipes) to label wipes as flushable only if they can substantiate the claim. While awareness is growing regarding the issue at hand, Xylem Corporation, manufacturer of Flygt submersible wastewater pumps, has done research of their own. Flygt pumps are located in lift station and wastewater treatment applications worldwide. The

efficiency and longevity of these pumps is directly affected by the problem of flushable wipe. While the pumps can pass these solids on an individual basis, large volume of such non-dispersible debris can be problematic. Xylem research indicates that the wipes industry is introducing 3-4 new products monthly to a five billion dollar and growing market. Not only does the increase in market growth present a challenge in the quantity of wipes consumed, but the EPA emphasis on low/no flow toilets and low flow shower heads reduces the flowable nature of wastewater collections. Based on inquires made by Xylem to INDA (Industry of Non-woven Mfg.), INDA member companies attitudes seem to be working counter to resolution of the issues identified by municipalities and wastewater associations. Wipe manufacturers are not very willing to put ‘Do not flush’ logo on valuable front of package marketing space. While INDA has developed a ‘Flushability Assessment,’ it contains some vague language and is voluntary to member organizations.

Flygt is being used as an external consultant for the current project to determine a wipes’ flushability. In fact Flygt pumps are being used as a basis for product certification as flushable by the INDA. The INDA standards to list a product as flushable are as follows:

• Product must clear toilets and properly maintained drainage pipe systems under expected product usage conditions

• Product must be compatible with existing wastewater

conveyance treatment, reuse and disposal systems

(continued on page 34)

“While jokes and stories abound at wastewater

gatherings and conferences regarding

items found in our municipal collection systems, one class of

items has emerged as no laughing matter. In fact, the ramifications

have taken the discussion to the

national stage. The items in question are

“flushable wipes.”

APPLY TODAY!

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Money is now available for loans up to $100,000

with 10 year term and interest rateslow .The NRWA Revolving Loan Fund was establishedunder a grant from USDA/RUS to providefinancing to utilities for pre-developmentcosts associated with proposed water andwastewater projects. RLF funds can also be usedwith existing water/wastewater systems and theshort term costs incurred for replacement equipment,small scale extension of services or other smallcapital projects.

Systems applying must be public entities. Thisincludes municipalities, counties, special purposedistricts, Native American Tribes and corporationsnot operated for profit, including cooperatives,with up to 10,000 population and rural areas withno population limits.

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(continued from page 33)

• Product must become unrecognizable in a “reasonable” period of time and be safe in the natural receiving environments

While flushability continues to be a focus, the immediate costs and problems associated with wipes continue to plague municipal collection systems. In an effort to service end users’ needs, Flygt and other pump manufacturers have developed pump impeller technology better suited to handle the problems of “flushable wipes.” Flygt began by identifying the typical problem areas of the standard non-clog design which allow pump clogging. The first problem spot is rags/wipes that get caught on the impeller vane or in the eye of the impeller. Second, the impeller can be jammed by rags caught between the impeller and wear ring. Finally, vortex non-clog designs are susceptible to solids plugging the volute full and not allowing any product to pass. The result of extensive testing and design research is the Flygt N impeller design. This two vane semi open impeller design operates with a self-cleaning, hydraulically efficient design. Since the year 2000, more than 100,000 pumps utilizing this

impeller design have been successfully pumping raw unscreened sewage and sludge. In numerous documented case studies the impeller technology has been successful in reducing energy and maintenance costs associated with clogging caused by rags and wipes of all types. In conclusion, it is evident that the disposable wipes industry is showing no signs of slowing down. While a reduction of wipes in the wastestream resulting from education of the general public is the best possible solution, municipalities continue to deal with the cost of the problems at hand. As evidenced by the research provided above; national and state associations in partnership with manufacturers have been pursuing more stringent regulations and solutions to provide truly “flushable” wipe technology. At present it seems that awareness of the problem and the efforts of manufacturers such as JWC Environmental and Flygt to provide technologies effective at handling the debris in our waste streams is the most immediate way to deal with the “flushable wipe” epidemic.

References: Statistics and data provided by JWC Environmental and Xylem-Flygt Corporation

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Money is now available for loans up to $100,000

with 10 year term and interest rateslow .The NRWA Revolving Loan Fund was establishedunder a grant from USDA/RUS to providefinancing to utilities for pre-developmentcosts associated with proposed water andwastewater projects. RLF funds can also be usedwith existing water/wastewater systems and theshort term costs incurred for replacement equipment,small scale extension of services or other smallcapital projects.

Systems applying must be public entities. Thisincludes municipalities, counties, special purposedistricts, Native American Tribes and corporationsnot operated for profit, including cooperatives,with up to 10,000 population and rural areas withno population limits.

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in Iowa by becoming an Individual Member of IRWA for only $75 per year. And you will continue to receive membership

benefits you have enjoyed over the years.

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Member of:

SUMMER 2015

In This Issue…IRWA Membership Benefits ........4Confined Space Retrofit ............10On The Road with Joe Finch .....12 Prepared for Social Media? ......28

Forty YearsIowaRuralWaterAssociation

1975-2015

Assisting Water and Wastewater Utilities for 40 years!

Continuing Education!

A Leader in the Industry!In-the-F ield Training!

Helping to K eep

Expenses Low!

Raising Awareness!


Member of:

SPRING 2015

In This Issue…Annual Report ..........................16

IRWA 70’s Trivia ........................20

Annual Conference ...................30

City of Murray ..........................34

Forty YearsIowaRuralWaterAssociation1975-2015


Member of:

FALL 2014

In This Issue…

IRWA Turns 40! ...........................4

On the Road with John Veach ..14

Locating Failures .......................20

Annual Conference ...................28

Retiring Soon?

Forty YearsIowaRuralWaterAssociation

1975-2015

2015 Membership Directory

Rock Valley Rural Water DistrictRegional System Spotlight:Regional System Spotlight:

Rock Valley Rural Water District was started in 1982 to meet the domestic, livestock and commercial needs of the rural area around the

City of Rock Valley. The original system was built with a treatment plant designed to treat 420,000 gallons a day, a clear well holding 125,000 gallons of treated water, two wells, and one 125,000 gallon water tower. Over the last eight years, RVRWD has invested over $10,000,000 to keep quality water flowing to its customers. They now have a water treatment plant that will treat up to 4,800,000 gallons a day, clear well storage of 1,825,000 gallons, 13 wells, three water towers holding 510,000 gallons, two booster stations and two ground storage reservoirs holding 1,700,000 gallons. Rock Valley Rural Water District has also installed 20 miles of 16-inch, three miles of 12-inch, three miles of 10-inch, five miles of 8-inch and nine miles of 6-inch, adding to their 350 miles of existing pipelines. In 2013 RVRWD purchased a gravel pit and made a recharge basin for its aquifer. By doing this, the system now has some of the highest water levels in their wells

on record. RVRWD has also purchased additional land for a second well field. In 1984 RVRWD pumped two million gallons a month. In 2014 they averaged two million gallons per day for their 850 customers. This is an average of 71,000 gallons a month per customer. Garvin Buyert became Rock Valley’s System Manager in May 2007, and was named Iowa Rural Water Association’s 2014 Manager of the Year.


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doug Westerman Doug Westerman, System Manager of Osceola County Rural Water System, has completed the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) Utility Management Certification (UMC) program. Water University is a NRWA nationwide initiative offering the UMC program designed to recognize the professional educational achievements of utility professionals and highlight the achievements and skills of today’s utility manager. The UMC designation documents competency in the fields of study of public relations, financial planning, ethics, human resources and other skills not covered in today’s operator certification programs. Congratulations to Doug.

desirae Willms Desirae Willms was named the new USDA-Rural Development’s State Office Community Programs Specialist in December 2014. Desirae has been with the Agency since 2010 in the Le Mars Area Office and has experience in both the USDA Community Programs and Housing Programs. She was also the City Clerk of Akron, Iowa prior to joining the Agency. We look forward to continuing to work with Desirae to improve life in rural Iowa.

Iowa Rural Water Association staff in Reno In June, Iowa Rural Water Association staff attended the 2015 National Rural Water Association In-Service Training in Reno, NV. Sessions topics included environmental assessments, lagoon trouble-shooting, activated sludge trouble-shooting, comprehensive water audits, energy efficiency programs, budgeting skills as well as a source water field trip. Dale Barrie, IRWA Training Specialist, served on a panel discussion on ABC Certification.

Do you know someone in our industry who has had a recent achievement (new position, retirement, award, certification, etc.) that you would like to see

honored in a future issue of the Water Street Journal? Please let us know.

A Job Well Done!


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Summer WSJ 15.indd - Iowa Rural Water Association

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