CONFERENCE REVIEW – 2012: RECIPE FOR SUCCESS ECIPE arm weather with clear skies greeted an attendance SUCCESS of 2,108 people for the 2012 KRWA Conference & W Exhibition held at Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center March 27 – 29 in Wichita, KS. It’s undisputable. The KRWA conference continued to build on its long tradition of being among the best in the U.S. With 58 training sessions making up the technical program, 304 exhibit spaces filled with products and services, the Kansas conference is Mid-America’s largest. There was down-home fun too, good food and more than $13,600 in prizes. A total of 301 cities and 184 rural water or public wholesale districts were represented. Overall, registrants Planning for 2013 came from 29 states. Those attending included 941 water and The annual conference and exhibition requires wastewater operators, 807 industry members, 162 board and approximately 900 motel room nights in Wichita. The entire council members, 129 administrators, city managers or RWD Hyatt was sold out by 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 29 for the office personnel and 69 agency personnel. The 2012 event 2013 conference. Room blocks have been opened up at other again drew operators from neighboring states including staff hotels and are posted on the KRWA Web site at members from the cities of Oklahoma City, Enid, Ponca City www.krwa.net under training and then “conference”. As of and beyond. May 20, exhibitors had already requested 152 booth spaces The 2012 conference marked the 21st consecutive year that for the 2013 conference. KRWA has held the conference at Wichita’s Century II The contributions of exhibitors help KRWA to achieve the Convention Center. Conference-goers reserved rooms at goal of keeping the conference extremely affordable. The fifteen Wichita hotels, purchasing nearly 900 room nights. KRWA conference is not a fund-raiser! Sponsors at the A big show also requires a budget. The total conference carnival party help pay for a portion of those games as well as registration fees and meals totaled nearly $305,000. socials. The hospitality with an unending supply of ala carte’ Exhibitors and sponsors contributed an additional $101,000. items including soft drinks, coffee, freshly-baked coffee cakes, donuts, bagels, muffins, fruit dishes and more make for smiling faces in EXPO Hall and in other break areas. Exhibitors like the KRWA conference! The 2012 conference EXPO Hall provided 304 exhibit spaces. The array of products and services represented vendors from as far as Pennsylvania and California. A total of 199 different companies and agencies were present to greet cities and water and wastewater systems that came to shop, compare and in many cases, close some deals. Big equipment, particularly the motorized units, entered the hall early Monday, March 26. KRWA appreciates the work by Helgerson Company in setting up the exhibit hall with booths and “pipe and drape”. It requires approximately 90,000 square feet of carpet to cover the EXPO Hall. By Tuesday afternoon, March 27, all displays were ready for the doors to The 2012 KRWA conference featured ten pre-conference open at 4 p.m. Thanks to all the exhibitors who help make the sessions and 48 breakout sessions. This photo shows Greg conference good for those who attend and we hope an Taylor of the Southeast Kansas District KDHE office presenng investment that is also beneficial to those who make the on the topic of “Bacteriological And Chlorine Sampling”. investment to set up their displays of products and services. 34 THE KANSAS LIFELINE July 2012 Mike Tate, Director of the Bureau of Water at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, (at le of screen) discussed the topic "Wastewater Regulatory Update: Nutrient Removal Strategy". The session was aended by 185 persons. Pre-conference sessions KanCap: Improving Management Of Kansas Water Systems draw 887 attendees The aim of KanCap is to help cities and RWDs improve Ten day-long preconference sessions were held on management of their water systems. The managerial and Tuesday, March 27. In addition, the 11th annual “Attorneys financial modules of this board/council training program Forum” took place with 28 attorneys from cities and RWDs were presented by KRWA Tech Assistance Rita Clary and in attendance. USDA Rural Development also added a Rose Mary Saunders, Ranson Financial Consultants. program targeting engineering firms and grant KanCap provided the opportunity for board and council administrators; 30 people attended that session to learn and staff members to learn about water utility finance and USDA Rural Development’s expectations for preliminary management issues. As a bonus, they took a copy of the engineering reports and how the agency is expediting the nationally acclaimed resource “KanCap” manual and loan application review process. interactive CD home. KanCap is the nation’s “one of a kind” The ten, five-hour preconference sessions again allowed training program aimed at helping sustain and improve for a more thorough presentation and discussion of topics that management for better drinking water. All attendees were are of importance and interest to water and wastewater able to take a copy of the 270-page training handbook and the systems. interactive CD back to their respective city or RWD. KanCap The pre-conference sessions in 2012 and summaries has been attended by hundreds of city council and rural water follow. district directors since its introduction several years ago. The training provides the opportunity for board and council and Basic Water System Operation – staff members to learn about water system technical and management issues and finance. Attendance totaled 26 The Essential Need To Know people from cities and RWDs. There were 161 people in attendance at this 5-credit hour water operator’s training session that included topics relevant to all public water supply systems. From distribution system operation and maintenance, recordkeeping and monitoring requirements to a focus on the chlorination of drinking water, those attending left with better understandings of why some regulations are imposed and how water systems can treat water to comply with regulatory requirements. Issues covered included the basic chemistry of the chlorination process, the difference between free and combined chlorine and the process of feeding ammonia to convert free chlorine to combined chlorine. The session also discussed chlorine residual requirements in distribution systems and the free chlorine burnout process used to maintain residuals in distribution systems. Presenters were Zachary Phillips, Kent Evans, Community Programs Director at USDA Rural Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Wichita, KS Development, facilitated a special session aended by 30 and Pat McCool, Kansas Rural Water Association, engineers and grant administrators regarding aspects of USDA Lawrence, KS. funding applicaons. Also presenng was Phil Fishburn of Midwest Assistance Program. THE KANSAS LIFELINE July 2012 35 ECIPE SUCCESS Water Distribution Systems – Pipes, Valves and Hydrants With a stage filled with parts and components courtesy of Mueller Co., this pre-conference session was a hit with the Updates on the Kansas Public Employees Rerement System were discussed by 167 who attended. This session was a real Mel Abbot. Mel’s presentaon drew undivided aenon of the 49 clerks who benefit to new operators and it was a good aended the 4th annual city clerks’ forum at the conference. refresher course for those who are experienced. Topics included the safe operation, Wastewater Collection And maintenance, and troubleshooting of fire hydrants. Restrained Treatment For Small Systems fittings, gate valves, butterfly valves and check valves were A crowd of 142 persons attended this preconference all covered. Other topics included pipe repair couplings, session that included a review of the components of a small brass products such as corporation stops, curb stops, service wastewater system. It covered a variety of topics – from the fittings, meter valves, yokes and settings. The training examination of typical collection system issues in the concluded with information about the safe and proper morning portion to an afternoon section that addressed the installation of service saddles, tapping sleeves and stainless most common treatment system used by small systems – steel repair clamps. The presenter was George Lacefield, waste stabilization ponds. Discussions included topics Mueller Co., Decatur, IL. ranging from evaluating collection systems to eliminating sewage bypasses and basement backups to communicating with contractors and residents during construction. The Resolving Disputes In A Neighborly Way afternoon session discussed waste stabilization pond Gary Flory and Ken Grotewiel from the Great Plains operational theory and how to resolve problems. The focus Consensus Council in North Newton make learning how to was on how physical, chemical and biological processes resolve a dispute a day of interesting exchange. This program work. Presenters were Samuel Johnson, P.E. of BG helped many attendees learn how to turn conflicts into Consultants, Inc., Manhattan, KS and Jeff Lamfers, Kansas solutions that people can agree on. Conflicts can be between Rural Water Association, Mission, KS. staff and system customers, people on the RWD board or city council, or one system and other water suppliers over contract or territorial issues. It should be everyone’s goal to Chlorination: Operation, resolve issues in the most civil