The FLITE (Fort Lauderdale Independence, Training & Education) Center teamed up with the Florida Rural Water Association to provide these students the Class D Drinking Water Operator course.

Congratulations to the graduates listed below on their achievement:

Quirinius Elmore

Milliene Michel

Kettiana Timogene

Marc-Evens Valcourt

FLITE works with young adults who have aged out of the foster care system and provides them real-world skills needed by local employers. Two of these graduates were hired by the City of Pembroke Pines Utilities Dept. who wholeheartedly supported this opportunity!

FRWA would like to recognize Steve Soltau with FRWA, Paul Johnson with the City of Pembrook Pines, and Tarshia Knight with FLITE for their efforts in securing the future of the water industry in the state of Florida.

Defend Yourself Against the Fraud Epidemic is a one hour webinar presented by Ameris Bank to help our members recognize fraud and how you can protect yourself against the epidemic. Topics covered will include email compromise, ransomware, social engineering, and phishing. This is a one hour webinar that is offered free of charge. There will be time for questions and answers following the webinar. To register, click on the graphic below.

Gateway College is an affordable, accessible (all classes are online), and truly student-centered opportunity to pursue your career in the water and/or wastewater treatment industry. Their next term begins January 2024.

Students with active water and/or wastewater treatment licenses are eligible for at least 16 elective credits toward these programs. Not interested in college credit? Gateway can also help you advance your career in the water quality field with FLDEP approved training courses in water and wastewater treatment operations.

Below are some flyers for our Associate of Science in Environmental Science Technology as well as our Bachelors of Applied Science for your consideration.

• Gateway College Associate Science Information
• Gateway College Bachelor of Applied Science Information
• Why Choose Gateway College

Feel free contact to contact Ali M. Messenger MHP Phd at Ali.Messenger@fgc.edu or 386.754.4308 if you have any questions. Let’s go further together!

By popular demand, we are back in Daytona next year at the Daytona Hilton! The Conference will be held on July 29-31, 2024. More to come!!!

NATIONAL NEWS

$65M in Rural Water Funding Announced Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments will help bring clean, reliable drinking water to rural communities. more

EPA coordinator appointed to work on decades-old sewage, drinking water problems in ... - YouTube A coordinator from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been appointed to oversee the response to sewage and drinking water problems that have plagued the Cahokia Heights community for decades. more

Do Or Dye: Synthetic Colours In Wastewater Pose A Threat To Food Chains Worldwide The ecological and health threats of synthetic dyes entering wastewater systems have been detailed in a new study, which calls for new laws worldwide. more

Understanding A River's History Is Key To Predicting Its Response A new Griffith study has developed a metric to describe the relationship between flow and water quality, which can help understand the response of waterways to flood events. more

Biden DoD: Losing Access to PFAS “Would Greatly Impact National Security”  The Department of Defense’s (DoD) recently released “Report on Critical Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Uses” documents the critical role PFAS chemistries serve in the defense of our nation. more

How to Prepare Your Utility for Disasters: A Webinar for Very Small Drinking Water Systems that Serve Under 3,301 People November 14, 2023 | 12:00 pm CDT Join the US EPA for a free webinar on how to prepare your utility for disasters!  more

Developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) November 16, 2023 | 2:00 pm CDT This training session we will look into assisting in the development of Standard Operating Procedures of many different type of operations, Operating facilities to distribution systems performing maintenance on equipment to laboratory testing & verification of instruments. more

EPA to strengthen lead protections in drinking water after multiple crises, including Flint  Decades after officials banned lead in gasoline for new cars and stopped the sale of lead paint — huge steps toward eliminating lead exposure to the public — there are still an estimated 500,000 U.S. children with levels of lead in their blood that are considered high, and experts say lead in drinking water is one important reason. more

Drinking Water Fluoridation Debates Across U.S. Demonstrate Ongoing Challenges A decades-old drinking water treatment practice continues to spark debate across the country, as some major systems appear to be on the path toward siding with public health advocates while others question its safety. more

Safely Removing Nanoplastics From Water Using 'Prussian Blue', A Pigment Used To Dye Jeans Microplastics can be removed by 99% with flocculants alone, without any additional equipment, by irradiating them with sunlight. more

York Sewer District Files A Lawsuit Against 3M, DuPont And Others Over PFAS Contamination In Wastewater At York Sewer District we are proudly working to hold polluters accountable. Our rate payers are our top priority. more

STATE NEWS

This city famous for its water is now at risk of running out — here's how things changed so quickly The Florida city of Zephyrhills is known for its water — notably the bottled water company with the same name. more

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $120M WIFIA Loan To Strengthen Climate Resilience In Florida This funding will improve stormwater management and bolster climate resilience in the city’s most flood-prone neighborhoods. more

Investing in Tampa's Wastewater Infrastructure | West Central Florida The City of Tampa's Wastewater Department is set to invest $21 million into expansive upgrades that will improve the reliability and sustainability of its infrastructure. more

The City of Bunnell is experiencing low water pressure due to a theater fire overnight | WFTV The City of Bunnell is warning residents and businesses the city is experiencing low water pressure within the city limits due to the amount of water needed by emergency crews overnight to battle the Flagler Playhouse fire. more

King tides cause low-lying flooding in coastal areas of Boynton Beach | WPTV  'I mean, if you're not from here, you don't know what to expect,' fisherman says. more

One of Florida's biggest phosphate mines reports a possible liner tear - WLRN  The incident happened at Mosaic's New Wales phosphate mine, along the Polk-Hillsborough county line. more

Brooksville Seeks State Financing Help for Infrastructure Projects | Hernando Sun The Brooksville City Council has voted unanimously to seek legislative help in paying for a list of projects valued at more than $6 million that will improve the city’s infrastructure. more

Wastewater Groundbreaking PSA 2023 (Video) | Central Florida Construction will soon begin on the Turnpike Wastewater Treatment Facility Phase II Expansion Project. more

Reports on Fort Lauderdale flood show heroism, weaknesses as city ramps up infrastructure projects Fort Lauderdale officials knew that dozens of low-lying neighborhoods flooded easily even during regular rainstorms. High tides and aging drainage infrastructure only made the problem worse. more

Cuyahoga River Catches Fire

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).

FLORIDA RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION | http://www.frwa.net

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