the technical assistance times - mrwa times/tatimesmrwamay2016red2.pdf · 2016-04-06 · minnesota...

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Over 1,535 Attend MRWA’s Conference

Inside this issue:

MRWA SDWA Training Session - May 4

MRWA Sustainable Management Training Session - May 10

MRWA Wastewater Operation & Maintenance - May 11

MRWA Wastewater Operation & Maintenance - May 11

MRWA Line Tracing Training Session - May 25

WaterPro Community - Join Today!

USDA Announces Lower Interest Rates

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May 2016May 2016

Over 1,535 conference attendees packed the halls at the River’s Edge ConventionCenter in St. Cloud, Minnesotaon March 1-3, 2016 forMRWA’s 32nd Annual Water & Wastewater TechnicalConference. This is the largestwater & wastewater conferencein Minnesota and it was mostcertainly a success! Over 67different training sessions andopportunities were offered toconference attendees this year.

Our exhibit hall was also packed full of vendors with over 220exhibit booths. Attendees were able to get the latest on newtechnology, products, and services as well as a large equipmentdisplay. A model of the world’s largest centrifugal pump was ondisplay at Electric Pump’s booth (shown at right). A big thankyou to all of the professionals who dedicate their time and talents to present and exhibit at our conference!

Congratulations to the city of Le Center for winning the ‘BestTasting Water in Minnesota’ contest held during the conference.Le Center’s water sample will go on to represent Minnesota atthe National Taste Test Contest inWashington DC in 2017. Picturedabove from left to right: Taste Testjudges: Dusty Parker, NationalRural Water Association; CharlieVein, AE2S; Bob Schlieman, ApexEngineering Group; Pat Kaderlik,Le Center; and Robyn Hoerr,MRWA Groundwater Specialist.

A big thank you to Hawkins WaterTreatment Group for donatingtowards the grand prize in the sports raffle of a 4-Wheeler or Lawn Tractor (shown above)and to Team Lab for donating the ultimate fishing package. Visit www.mrwa.com for a listof winners as well as press releases for our awards winners.

We’re on Facebook! Become a fan today!

Reminder:Consumer

Confidence

Reports

are due

July 1, 2016.CCR

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THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TIMES

MRWA SDWA Training Session

May 4, 2016

SDWA TrainingCity of Litchfield - Fire Hall

227 North Ramsey Ave.

Litchfield, MN*Park on the water tower side lot.

Safe Drinking Water Act Compliance Training8:00am Understand the Revised Total Coliform Rule

and Groundwater Rule*Distribution System: water meter readingtechnology is changing every day with radio read,fixed-base, and satellite technology. Learn whatoption is best for your system. Bring questions!

*Lead & Copper Requirements: updates on lead in your drinking water and ideas for systems that go beyond existing Lead & Copper requirementsas well as backflow and cross connection updates.

*Treatment Options: learn about biologicaltreatment options and the feasibility of biologicallyremoving iron, ammonia, and manganese in a single filter vessel.

*Water Treatment Facility Hazard Recognition:understand the rules, regulations, and require-ments of Minnesota OSHA. Don’t let slips, trips,and falls ‘trip’ you up!

12:00pm Lunch - (On Your Own)

1:00pm* Understand the Revised Total Coliform Ruleand Groundwater Rule continued

*Distribution System Operation & Maintenance:discover the benefits of water tower / tank mixing.See how mixing can improve water quality to helpprevent ice formation.

*Water Treatment Facility: learn important stepsin water treatment facility design. See what a pilotstudy consists of and how important it is when rehabbing a current facility or building new.

*Security Intelligence Sharing: discover what to look for in criminal acts and terrorism in thewater industry. Learn about the “See Something,Say Something” campaign.

4:00pm End of Day

About the Class:Get valuable information you need from our

expert trainers to maintain compliance with

the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and

state regulations.

Technical assistance to address compliance

issues is available from Minnesota Rural

Water Association at no cost.

Support Minnesota Rural Water Association

Training | Technical Assistance

6 certification hours | FREE of charge!

To Register: call: 800-367-6792

or online at: www.mrwa.com

(use the training calendar fast

track menu).

Instructors: Great Northern Environmental; KLMEngineering; Metering & Technology Solutions;Minnesota Department of Health; MinnesotaFusion Center; Minnesota OSHA; Short ElliottHendrickson Inc. and Minnesota Rural WaterAssociation.

This training is brought to you through a grant bythe National Rural Water Association and US EPA.

Attend this session and learn how to keepyour water system in compliance with state

and federal drinking water regulations!

*Water Operator Certification Exam will be given at 1:00pm. You must pre-register with the MinnesotaDepartment of Health 15 days prior to the training session. For an application form and study guide,call MRWA at 800-367-6792 or Mark Sloan, MDH, at 651-201-4652. You can also download an examapplication at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/wateroperator/infoexam/opexamapp.pdf.

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MRWA Sustainable Management Workshop

Sustainable Management Workshop and Rate Se ng for Small & Rural Systems

This workshopwill help utilitiesaddress a full range of challengesand improve themanagement oftheir operation and infrastructure.

Utilities will learn to make improvementsin the ten key management areas, focusingfirst on their most pressing challenges.

Ten Key Management Areas:

1. Product Quality

2. Customer Satisfaction

3. Employee Leadership & Development

4. Operational Optimization

5. Financial Viability (including settingrates)

6. Operational Resiliency

7. Infrastructure Stability

8. Community Sustainability

9. Water Resource Adequacy

10. Customer Understanding & Support

Minnesota Rural Water Association in conjunction withthe US EPA and USDA Rural Development, invite you toattend this Sustainable Management Workshop.

Workshop Agenda

Introductions & Workshop Objectives

Overview of Key Management Areas

Utility ‘Self Assessment’ Exercise

Self Assessment Results Discussion

Working Lunch

Improving Outcomes Exercise Practices, Tools, andMeasures Discussion

Action Plan Discussion / Exercise

Workshop Feedback

Objectives:

How to deliver increasingly e cient, and higherquality services.

How to improve long term sustainability and increaseresiliency.

How to set rates and pay for your projects!!!

How to use the Small Systems Guidebook to E ectiveUtility Management to make improvements at yoursystem.

Workshop Details:Date: May 10, 2016

Time: 8:30am—3:30pm (working lunch provided)

Location: City Hall, 336 Morgan StreetTracy, MN

Fee: $20.00 working lunch fee

Register: Call 800 367 6792 or online at:www.mrwa.com/wf6.html

Hurry and register: Class is limited to 35 attendees!

6 credit hours awarded for full day attendance.



MRWA Wastewater Operation & Maintenance Training Session

8:00am Lift Station CalibrationThis session will show you how to calibrate your lift stationfor accurate flow recording. See how mistakes can be made when you calibrate your pumps and how not to make them!

9:00am Metering Technologies: Now and ThenMost systems bill for water and sewer using the usage going through water meters. This session will provide insight on thedifference between old and new meters and the technologythat goes along with them.

10:00am WaterPoint Network TechnologyTechnology for operations specialists is constantly changing. Apps are part of that changing world. Learn about this maintenance manager App that you can use for your waterdistribution, storm water, and wastewater system.

11:00am Trenchless Rehabilitation of SewersHow do you choose between lining or grouting your sewersystem? This session will review a case study comparing thelateral lining versus lateral grouting of sewers.


1:00pm Maintaining and Protecting Your Concrete Floors at Your Wastewater FacilityThis session will cover all aspects of maintaining your floors, from coatings, fixing fillings, and more. See what new flooringis being used in stadiums, including the Viking’s new stadium.

2:00pm GIS and CCTV Video Data TogetherLearn what GIS CCTV is and how it can be installed in yourwastewater system for better management.

3:00pm Wastewater Pond OperationThis session will be a round table discussion on pond operations problems and issues and what works and what doesn’t.

4:00pm End of Day

May 11, 2016City of Slayton

Fire Hall2333 Maple Avenue

Slayton, MN

Course Instructors:Badger Meter, Inc; Kodru-

Mooney; Midland GISSolutions; SwedeBro; Visu-Sewer, Inc.; and MinnesotaRural Water Association.

Six Certification Hours forFull Day Attendance

There is NO charge for this session.

To Register For Any TrainingSession: Call the MRWAOffice at 800-367-6792 oronline at www.mrwa.com.

Use the training calendar link.

Minnesota to open world's first water bar

According to www.upi.com, Minnesota is set to open the world's first Water Bar that will feature a

full-fledged bar that will serve exclusively water products. The Water Bar began as a pop-up art

project in 2014 as a collaboration between artists Shanai Matteson and Colin Kloecker of Works

Progress Studio.

The bar serves local tap water to increase awareness about problems concerning water quality.

"Water Bar is an itinerant open space for the generation of conversations and connections around

the life-sustaining, precarious, communal activity of drinking tap water," the bar's website states.

"We invite Water Bar visitors to engage with one another, as well as with project collaborators, who

tend bar and share their knowledge of water and water issues." The project is set to open its first

brick and mortar location in its home state of Minnesota in order to combine with an art studio and

hopefully extend its reach.

Read more at: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/03/08/Minnesota-to-open-worlds-first-water-

bar/8611457457025/



MRWA Wastewater Operation & Maintenance Training Session

May 11, 2016City of Blackduck

Municipal Golf Course20857 Blackduck Lake

Road NE* Blackduck, MN

*1.5 miles west on CountyRoad 30 (Summit Avenue)

Course Instructors:Minnesota Pump Works;Ulteig Engineers; and

Minnesota Rural WaterAssociation.

Six Certification Hoursfor Full Day Attendance

There is NO charge for this session.

8:00am MRWA Updates & What’s New in the Industry!See what’s new in the industry and discuss the new rules andregulations and how they could affect your system in the wastewater industry.

9:00am eDMR ReportingNow that the new eDMR system is in place, this session will review sample values, operational spreadsheets, pondobservation forms, amendments, and changes. Bring yourquestions for the review!

10:00am Troubleshoot Pump ProblemsSince pumping stations are a big player in your wastewater system, how can you troubleshoot common problems? Learnhow to troubleshoot most common pump problems before they are big problems. Discover from the professionals how to address small issues before they are costly for your system withdaily checks and an understanding based on history at yourcritical pumping stations.

11:00am Roundtable Wastewater Operations Specialist Hot TopicsA roundtable discussion for operations specialists on systems dealing with current issues. Bring your questions and concerns and as a group, we can help troubleshoot current hot topics. Items for discussion include: permits, reporting,ordinances, and day-to-day operations.


1:00pm New Infrastructure PlanningLearn on-site about specific planning of a main pump stationand how to properly engineer a successful project. See howto work with your engineering professionals and learn fromyears of experience. Examples of main lift station replace-ments, forced mains, and pond system inlet structures will beshown in this session.

2:00pm Wastewater Pond OperationsSee how a carefully designed wastewater treatment system offacultative ponds actually treats wastewater and learn from the professionals how this process works. Learn about optimaltimes to discharge, pH issues, phosphorus removal planning,dissolved oxygen (D.O.) sampling, other sampling, sprayirrigation, and maintenance considerations on-site at the Blackduck wastewater treatment ponds.

4:00pm End of Day

To Register For Any TrainingSession: Call the MRWA Office

at 800-367-6792 or online atwww.mrwa.com.

Use the training calendar link.

Disposable Wipes Bill Advances to Senate FloorThe League of Minnesota Cities is asking city officials to urge their legislators to have a hearing on this important bill in the House. (Published Apr 4,

2016) SF 2525 (Sen. Vicki Jensen, DFL-Owatonna), a League-supported bill that would ban the use of the word “flushable” on the labels of

disposable wipes, was heard and passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 1.

Please contact your local representative and tell them: It is critically important to act now to lessen the cost to local residents and businesses caused

by these improperly labeled products. Cities will continue to educate the public on what not to flush, but the industry needs to stop hampering that

effort with inaccurately labeled merchandise and advertising. Also, if your city has any data on public works staff time and/or repair costs associated

with these products being flushed into the wastewater system, please let the League know by contacting Craig Johnson at [email protected] or

(651) 281-1259, or Heather Corcoran at [email protected] or (651) 281-1256. Full story at: http://www.lmc.org/page/1/cities-bulletin-newsletter.jsp



MRWA Line Tracing Training SessionLine Tracing Training Session - Hermantown, MN

MRWA is once again hosting Line Tracing Training Sessions this summer. The training will consist of classroom time as well as hands-on field time. Whether you have line tracing equipment currently or plan to purchase in the future, this class will greatly benefit you.

All attendees are encouraged to bring their own locating equipment for instructional purposes.Demo equipment will also be provided for hands-on field use. All aspects of locating, forboth conductive and non-conductive pipes, will be covered. Agenda is shown below:

8:00am Explanation of January 1, 2006, Office of Pipeline Safety - State Statute for Right-of-Way Locating Requirements.

9:15am Introductions to water & wastewater industry specific line tracing equipment and tools. New line tracing specification explanation.

10:00am Conductive line locating10:45am Inductive line locating11:30am Point and radio frequency sonde locating for non-conductive piping12:00pm Lunch (Provided)

1:00pm Concurrent hands-on stations throughout host city, including:*Water service locating (copper/plastic)*Sewer service locating (plastic/conductive)*Watermain locating (conductive)*Tracer wire locating (plastic pipe)

4:00pm End of Day

The intent of this course is for both experienced and inexperienced locators to leave thissession with a greatly improved confidence and understanding of line tracing.

You can also register online at: www.mrwa.com.

Class: MRWA Line Tracing Training SessionDate: May 25, 2016Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm (Lunch provided)Location: City Hall, 5105 Maple Grove Road, Hermantown, MN Cost: $125.00 members or $150.00 non-membersRegister: Mail class registration form and check by May 20, 2016 to:

Minnesota Rural Water Association217 12th Avenue SE, Elbow Lake, MN 56531Phone: 800-367-6792 * Fax: 218-685-5272

Name: _____________________________________________________________________Title: _____________________________________________________________________ Representing: _______________________________________________________________Address: ___________________________________________________________________City: ______________________________________ State: ___________ Zip: ___________Phone: _______________________________ Fax: ________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________________________________________

Refund policy: Full refund will not be given unless MRWA is notified 48 hours in advance.



WaterPro Community - Join Today!


Minnesota Rural Water Association

217 12th Avenue SE

Elbow Lake, MN 56531

NON-PROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

PERMIT NO. 66ST CLOUD, MN

56301

USDA Rural Development Lowers Interest Rates

Washington D.C. (March 30, 2016) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has

announced new, low rates for their Rural Utility Services loan programs.

The following rates will be effective on April 1:

Market: 2.875%

Intermediate: 2.25%

Poverty: 1.75%

“These new low interest rates for the USDA Water and Waste Disposal Program are an opportunity for rural

communities to upgrade, expand, or replace their infrastructure affordably and bring cleaner, more reliable

service to rural residents,” said RUS Administrator Brandon McBride. “Funding is available and USDA is

ready to work with rural water leaders now while this low rate window is open.”

USDA’s Rural Utilities Service administers programs that provide infrastructure and infrastructure

improvements to rural communities.

“USDA plays a critical role in helping to expand economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for rural

Americans,” said Sam Wade, CEO of the National Rural Water Association. “These rates are incredibly low,

and systems would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity to make needed improvements.”

Project loans can have up to 40-year payback period, based on the useful life of the facilities financed. The

interest rate is based on the need for the project and the median household income of the area to be served.

Applications are accepted year round at local offices of USDA Rural Development, or online using RDApply:

https://rdapply.usda.gov.

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the technical assistance times - mrwa times/tatimesmrwamay2016red2.pdf · 2016-04-06 · minnesota...

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