The Many Hats We Wear 2015 KRWA Annual Conference Review Who attended? he 2015 KRWA conference promised much – and it delivered, again! With a total registration of exactly In 2015, registrants came from 305 cities and 208 rural T2,300 people, the three-day event was second to none water districts or other public water or wastewater systems. in the Midwest, and the KRWA conference is among the The❖ attendance breakdown is as follows: most respected regional water and wastewater conferences Operators: 1,019 in the U.S. ❖ ❖ Administrative Staff: 144 The Many Hats We Wear outlined the registration banner. Board/Council Members: 143 From hard hats, ball caps, cowboy hats, military hats, ❖ Industry: 928 firemen's helmets, etc., everyone was covered. And from the ❖ Agency: 66 time that people picked up their registration packets to the There were 199 different exhibitors filling all 331 available end of the conference, everyone had a good time. The booth spaces in EXPO Hall. Manufacturers’ representatives conference featured a total of 59 training sessions with more and exhibitors registered from 34 states, and France. than 85 presenters being involved. Nearly 230 water and What did they eat? wastewater operators took the operator certification exam on Thursday, March 26. That is a record number at a KRWA The answer is, “Just about everything in sight!” Seriously, conference. KRWA appreciates the certification staff at the ala carte hospitality items never run our at a KRWA KDHE for their extra efforts in helping provide special conference. KRWA conference-goers consumed the training for water and wastewater operators on Tuesday, following:◆ March 24. Those who took the exam appreciated that very Glazed Donuts: 62 dozen ◆ there's a difference much. ◆ Glazed “Raised Donuts” ( ): 29 dozen ◆ Cake Donuts: 34 dozen ◆ Strudels: 44 dozen ◆ Blueberry Coffee Sticks: 10 dozen ◆ Coffee Cakes: 27 (x 12 servings) ◆ Twists: 40 dozen ◆ Muffins: 50 dozen ◆ Cookies: 170 dozen ◆ Fruit Salad Cups: 1,000 servings ◆ Soda Pop: 1,080 cans ◆ Premix: 32 canisters ◆ Coffee: 28 pounds Beer: 26 kegs While this issue summarizes the 2015 conference, initial plans are already underway for 2016. For starters, EXPO Hall will have additional booths in 2016 taking the total to 341; more than 200 spaces were already reserved as of June 1. Enjoy the next 32 pages as you review the 2015 conference. For those who didn't attend, KRWA extends this welcome for 2016. Mark your calendar now for March 29 -31 at Century II Convention Center in Wichita. 32 July 2015 THE KANSAS LIFELINE Pre-conference Sessions The 2015 KRWA conference featured Water System Components, nine preconference sessions on Tuesday, Operations and Technology Updates March 25. Below is a summary of those Attendance at this pre-conference session filled Room sessions. 210C as 174 people filled every available chair. This training covered a multitude of operational issues including under pressure installations, line stopping “A City Clerk I Am – A City techniques, hot taps, valve insertions, cutting pipe and new products. The afternoon presentations included fire hydrants Clerk I Shall Be . “ and valves, metering technologies and methods of chemical injection. Presenters were Bradley Brush, Neptune How many hats does a city clerk wear? City clerks do Technology Group, Kansas City, MO; Brett Hanes, Team much more than send out water bills! This session focused Industrial Service, Crown Point, IN; Bob Hening, Municipal on two main topics: 1) Dealing with budgets and other city Pipe Services, Hastings, NE; Andy Singer and Jason Shelby, clerk administrative issues; and, 2) Avoiding mistakes in Mueller Co., Kansas City, MO; and, Allan Strobl, Municipal payroll practices. Anita Goertzen with Custom Micro Supply, Inc., Lincoln, NE. Works, Colorado Springs, CO, explained the basics of municipal budgets. Karen Skillman, KJS Computer & Training Services, LLC, Topeka, KS discussed payroll Building The Board/Council Team issues and how to avoid mistakes. Skillman explained IRS compliance concerning taxable compensation, corrections This fast-paced presentation that included many handouts on withholdings, commons mistakes on W-2s and the new and worksheets was professional in every way. Bob Fitch, rules for I-9. There were 58 clerks who attended this President of Non-Profit Solutions, Hawarden, IA, training. encouraged those attending to work to make their board/council experience as productive as possible. Topics included managing liability and risk, identifying Waste Stabilization Ponds: board/council members’ fiduciary responsibilities, Operational Theory and understanding the board’s role in delegation, policy creation, planning and goal-setting, and advocacy. A good share of Troubleshooting the discussion by participants focused on preventing and resolving conflicts on the board/council team. There were Both new and experienced operators participated in this 31 who attended this session. session. They learned that the most common type of wastewater treatment for municipalities in Kansas is the facultative lagoon. Facultative lagoons have an aerobic surface layer, an anaerobic bottom layer, and a zone of facultative bacteria in the center. Topics covered included the biological processes at work in a waste stabilization pond, operational issues, maintenance problems and solutions, a review of permit requirements for both discharging and non-discharging ponds, how to interpret laboratory results and how to produce a good quality effluent and consistently meet permit limits. Presenters were Kitty Rhynerson, Shelly Shores-Miller and Greg Taylor, all with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Attendance was 197. July 2015 33 THE KANSAS LIFELINE Geology, Aquifers, and Water Wells – Ensuring a Good Water Supply This preconference session was geared to those systems operating wells as their source. The types and characteristics of subsurface geological formations and aquifers were discussed. The topics included water well yield, specific capacity, zone of influence, static water levels, drawdown water levels and recordkeeping. The construction of water wells was also a major focus of the training. It included a review of site selection, test drilling, water quality, drilling of the bore hole, well casing, grouting of the annular space, gravel packing, screen placement and well development. Chlorination: Operation, KDHE design standards and source water protection were Maintenance and Safety discussed. Presenters were Ned Marks, Terrane Resources, Stafford, KS; Mike Schneiders, Water Systems Engineers, Knowing about the characteristics of gas chlorine, sodium Inc., Ottawa, KS and Brad Vincent, Ground Water hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite is essential for the Associates, Wichita, KS. Attendance was 125. operators and managers of water and wastewater. This preconference session, presented by Ron Grage, Fort Pierce, FL, again drew a large audience, with 86 attending. This The Many Hats Worn by session familiarized attendees with the safe operation of all Rural Water Office Staff three types of chlorinators including direct cylinder- mounted, all vacuum gas chlorinators and chemical feed Those attending this RWD office forum were reminded pumps injecting bleach and hypochlorite solution. The of the many hats RWD office staff need to wear to help training focused on properties of chlorine, chlorine safety, their systems operate efficiently. Presenter Karen Skillman, safety devices, comparisons of the three forms of chlorine, KJS Computer and Training, Topeka, KS started the day how gas chlorinators work, troubleshooting and with presentations to help system personnel avoid mistakes maintenance of gas and chemical pump systems. in payroll practices. Karen reminded those attended that the size of the RWD doesn’t exempt anyone from paying the Water Operator Forum – Preparing for Certification Exams In an effort to provide additional preparation for those who wish to take the operator certification exam, KDHE and KRWA have worked to provide a longer period of training especially for those planning to take the exam. This training session covered many topics that operators need to understand and that might be on the exam. The morning session focused on small systems and Class I operators. The afternoon session was geared to Class II, III and IV operators. Practice questions addressed issues such as surface water treatment, disinfection, safety, pumps, sampling and recordkeeping, and a math review. Presenters were Vickie Wessel and Marsha Fleming, Kansas Department of Health and Environment. A total of 143 attended this training. 34 July 2015 THE KANSAS LIFELINE price when making mistakes concerning payroll. The improvements in the near future, particularly those who afternoon portion of the training allowed roundtable intend to utilize USDA Rural Development funding. The discussions on policies and procedures for RWDs. topics were selected by USDA Rural Development with Extended discussions were on filing techniques and record the goal of consistency in the development of engineering retention. Facilitators were Sharon Dwyer, Douglas RWD reports, while ensuring that rural communities and rural 5; Mary Jane Gouvion, Crawford RWD 6; Lanna Kettler, water districts receive the most for the investment they Miami RWD 2 and Patricia Shaffer, Butler RWD 5. plan to make. Panelists included Sháne Hastings, USDA Attendance was 44. Rural Development, Topeka, KS; Richard Boyles, USDA Rural Development, Newton, KS; and, Randy