So much moves so fast, yet so slow. Time flies, as they say. But for about eight hours on Wednesday, Sept. 28, time stood still as Hurricane Ian pounded the shoreline and changed Southwest Florida forever.
Days before Ian hit, the Florida Rural Water Association was in emergency prep status. Checking out equipment in our Cairo GA warehouse to make sure it was ready to make the long trip south. Some of the equipment was transferred to our warehouse in Gainesville warehouse for quick distribution. In the days that followed FRWA began to move fast to assist in any way we could in getting affected systems back online and delivering clean water to those in need.
Arriving on the scene, you could feel the devastation that blanked the area like a cruel mist. We hit the ground running, unloading equipment that was transported to those in need at a record pace. We were not alone, rural waters from other states arrived on the scene with much needed help. National Rural Water sent their recovery vehicle to help with the efforts.
Click on the video below to witness he recovery efforts from the unique perspective of the FRWA emergency response staff members.
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New Apprenticeship Training Soon |
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The Florida Rural Water Association apprenticeship program for Water/Wastewater will be starting new programs early next year! Our apprenticeship program provides a prosperous future for operators in your community. New hires and current employees are eligible for the program. The apprentices will learn Related Technical Instructions (RTI) and On the Job Training (OJT) twice a month for two years. The apprentices will be ready for the Class C license in the first year and we prepare them for the Class B in the following as well as providing them with management courses. Our goal is to set the operators up for a successful future in this career. If you would like more information on the program, click here.
If you are interested in signing up your employee or have any questions, please contact our Apprenticeship Coordinator, Jodi Pearson at 352.460.9401 or email her at Jodi.Pearson@frwa.net.
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$16,000
100kW Caterpillar MEP007B Military Generator with 1098 hours run time. Military Serial Number Rz00394. 3306 Cat Engine on an Olive Drab green military trailer in good shape, the trailer has a pintle hook connections for towing the generator. The generator has a 91-gallon fuel, belly tank and 50” of 1 (one) awg conductor wire attached.
For more information, click on the links below:
For further information please email frwa@frwa.net or call 850.668.2746.
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$16,000
100kW Caterpillar MEP007B Military Generator with 1181 hours run time. Libby Co (serial number RZ01408). Brand new tandem axle trailer with 3500-pound axle and 2” ball. The generator is bolted down to the trailer with a 91-gallon fuel tank on the trailer as a belly tank below the generator.
For more information click on the links below:
For further information please email frwa@frwa.net or call 850.668.2746.
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NATIONAL NEWS
Predicting Future Pandemics Through Wastewater The Water Online editorial staff sat down recently for a brief chat with Endress+Hauser CEO Matthias Altendorf, and Flow Product Manager Adam Booth, to discuss the challenges currently facing the water industry, as well as solutions that Endress+Hauser provide. more
Regulators Love Artificial Intelligence A valuable lesson I learned several years ago as a civil engineering project manager was to involve regulators early in a project lifecycle. more
Relieving The Pressures Of ‘Flushable Wipe’ Clogs The adage about the three most important factors in real estate value — location, location, location — carries a certain degree of truth for wastewater collection systems as well. more
5 Job Search Tips For Water Professionals When my friend Björn Otto published a recent post in his newsletter Water. Technology. Marketing., I told the story of how I used business cards during job searches. Remembering this hack compelled me to post the successful job search tips I have used throughout my career... more
EPA Links Erin Brockovich Contaminant To Cancer, Setting Stage For Stricter Limits A high-profile drinking water contaminant has just received a new review by the country’s foremost environmental regulator, potentially setting the stage for stricter rules in the future. more
Asset Management: You Can Only Manage What You Can Measure The phrase “you can only manage what you can measure,” has roots dating back to Victorian era, but it is still true today. more
Worsening Drought in Deep South Seen as Spurring Legal Friction - Bloomberg Law The West’s drought is expected to expand through the Deep South all the way to Georgia over the winter, and legal experts are watching for new and longstanding water wars to flare up in a region known for swamps, hurricanes, and wet weather. more
EPA: Water in Mississippi's capital city is safe to drink | Miami Herald The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed Monday that the water in Mississippi’s capital city is safe to drink, after months of sampling at a treatment plant overwhelmed by August flooding that caused wide supply disruptions. more
Desalinating Seawater Sounds Easy, But There Are Cheaper And More Sustainable Ways To Meet People's Water Needs Coastal urban centers around the world are urgently looking for new, sustainable water sources as their local supplies become less reliable. In the U.S., the issue is especially pressing in California, which is coping with a record-setting, multidecadal drought. more
4 Ways To Unlock The Hidden Potential Of Water Utilities Water utilities face incredible pressures, such as demographic changes, industrialization, rising energy costs, and climate change-related challenges. These must be met amidst complex business conditions, including aging infrastructure, budget constraints, rate pressures, and ever-changing regulations. more
Water Official Caught Secretly Lowering Fluoride Levels In a shocking reminder of the debate around one of drinking water treatment’s most controversial practices, a Vermont town recently learned that fluoride levels in its effluent had been lowered secretly by an official. more
EPA Releases Holistic Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures On Thursday, October 28, EPA released its Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities (Lead Strategy-see below), in conjunction with National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. more
CISA Releases Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a series of Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPGs) aimed at helping critical infrastructure sector partners prioritize cybersecurity best practices. more
EPA Releases Guidance on Community Grants Programs On Friday, October 21, EPA published the Final Implementation Guidance for the Agency’s Community Grants Programs (see below). In the FY2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-103), Congress renewed the practice of funding specifically named infrastructure projects, formerly known as earmarks. more
EPA Finalizes Additional General Applicability Waiver for BABA Requirements On Friday October 21, EPA finalized an additional waiver from the requirements under the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). The waiver, titled the “De Minimis General Applicability Waiver,” applies to projects where qualifying products represent a small percent of the total cost of the materials used. more
STATE NEWS
South Florida Agency Turns to Google Public Sector to Help Manage Critical Water Programs Google Public Sector is partnering with the South Florida Water Management District to help the agency enable visualization and trend analysis for water quality to inform water management decisions across the district. more
Causeway repairs, utilities and more; Sanibel officials update public on Hurricane Ian recovery efforts | News-Press As of Nov. 1, more than 1,000 Sanibel residents now have power restored in their homes since Hurricane Ian slammed the island on Sept. 28. more
Ron DeSantis Announces $4.9 Million for Rural Communities in Northwest Florida Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $4.9 million in infrastructure investments to eight rural Northwest Florida communities through the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) program. more
Oakland receives $300000 grant for water project | West Orange Times & Observer The project will add another connection to the south side of S.R. 50. more
Water suppliers in the greater Tampa Bay region share how they prepare for storms like ... A water expert explains how the Tampa Bay region can prepare utilities for a storm similar to Hurricane Ian. Plus, some providers in the area share what precautions they are taking to fortify their systems. more
Opinion: Congressman, State senator deserve thanks | Citrus County Chronicle U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis met with a few of us in person to discuss the sewer project for Cambridge Greens that is coming up shortly. more
If Hurricane Ian had struck Southeast Florida, here’s how bad it would have been | WUSF As federal agencies and local governments reassess flood zones and incorporate new technology, data on sea-level rise and the fact that the concrete jungle doesn’t absorb as much water as the natural environment, they’ve concluded that vast swaths of South Florida — particularly inland areas — are vulnerable to crippling storm surge and flooding from rain. more
Opinion: Gulf Breeze got $21M in grants in 3 years. Collaborative mayor, city council are to thank | Pensacola News Journal For the last three years, the city of Gulf Breeze has received more in annual grants than it generates in ad valorem or sales tax. Not including FEMA disaster recovery money, the three-year combined total is more than $21 million compared with less than $2 million in the previous four years. more
Lake Okeechobee releases to the Caloosahatchee to begin this weekend | WINK The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said they will begin releasing Lake Okeechobee discharges into the Caloosahatchee River. more
Major infrastructure improvements coming to Homestead | South Dade News Leader There are several large and ongoing infrastructure construction projects taking place in Homestead. One of the largest is the Septic to Sewer Project. more
Water supply for dry season looks good | Okeechobee News Requires Subscription
UF study shows wastewater treatment plant byproduct good for seagrass | Hernando Sun Seagrasses are vital to the marine ecosystem, where they provide food, habitat, shelter and other services for humans and aquatic organisms. more
Century Receives $8.8 Million Wastewater System Loan; Nearly $8 Million To Be Forgiven | North Escambia The Town of Century has been awarded an $8.8 million loan for wastewater system upgrades, and they won’t be required to repay nearly $8 million of it. more
City council approves emergency funding for wastewater system repairs | Hernando Sun On Oct. 17, 2022, The Brooksville City Council unanimously approved an emergency declaration Resolution (2022-21) to allow the City Manager and Mayor to authorize and expedite funding repairs
to the city’s water and sewer infrastructure. more
Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Nearly $5 Million for Infrastructure in Rural Northwest Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $4.9 million in infrastructure investments to eight rural Northwest Florida communities through the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) program. more
Hurricane floodwaters continue to drain south into Lake O | Okeechobee News Runoff from Hurricane Ian’s rain continues to flow down the Kissimmee River into Lake Okeechobee. more
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This Week in Water History |
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Cuyahoga River Catches Fire |
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November 1, 1952: Cuyahoga River catches fire. “In 1952, leaking oil from the Standard Oil Company facility was accused of creating, ‘the greatest fire hazard in Cleveland,’ a two inch thick oil slick on the river. In spots, the slick spanned the width of the river. Although many companies had taken action to limit oil seepage on the river, others failed to cooperate with fire officials.
It was only a matter of time before disaster struck. On the afternoon of November 1, 1952, the Cuyahoga ignited again near the Great Lakes Towing Company’s shipyard, resulting in a five-alarm fire. (Many sources incorrectly put the date of the fire at November 3, 1952) The next morning’s Cleveland Plain Dealer led with a banner headline, ‘Oil Slick Fire Ruins Flats Shipyard.’ Photos taken at the scene are incredible; the river was engulfed in smoke and flame. Losses were substantial, estimated between $500,000 and $1.5 million, including the Jefferson Avenue bridge. The only reason no one died was that it started on a Saturday afternoon, when few shipyard employees were on duty.”
Commentary: There was a long history of fires on the Cuyahoga—by one count a total of 13 with the first occurring in 1868. Other fires of note occurred in 1868, 1883, 1887, 1912, 1922, 1936, 1941, and 1948. A relatively minor fire on June 22, 1969 was reported nationwide and became part of the impetus for passing the Clean Water Act in 1972.
Commentary Update: In 2019, there have been several articles about how the Cuyahoga River has been dramatically cleaned up and is now considered an asset for the City of Cleveland. No doubt this is due in part to the 50th anniversary of the 1969 fire. Check out: Cuyahoga Named River of the Year; Cleveland River Now a Hot Spot (groan).
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2970 Wellington Circle | Tallahassee FL 32309 | 850.668.8023 | Contact Us
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