MEET US IN DAYTONA NEXT WEEK FOR THE 2024 FRWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE!!!

This time next week the 2024 FRWA Annual Conference will be history. You won't want to miss this opportunity to bring your family and let them play while you learn! You can choose from over forty topics including a new "Help Session" where FRWA employees will be available to offer one-on-one advice on issues confronting your system. For a final agenda, click here.

The Daytona Beach Hilton is sold out of rooms for the 2024 FRWA Annual Conference on July 29-31. To assist those that have not secured a room for the Conference, we negotiated with the Daytona Grande Oceanfront Hotel (422 N Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach 32118) and secured the low price of $160 for city view rooms. The price (like the Hilton) was negotiated to waive the resort fee ($30) and also entitles guests to a $10 parking fee in the enclosed parking garage across the street from the facility. The facility is just three years old and is located within walking distance of the Hilton (.3 mile/7 minute walk).

To book your room online now, click here or call 386.271.7979 and mention that you are members of the FRWA Annual Meeting. Click here for more information on the Daytona Grande.

It's not too late to register for the conference online by clicking here or you can come to the registration booth at the Conference and register onsite.

See you in Daytona!!!

BOOTH # 301/400

Diamond Maps is a simple and affordable cloud-based GIS and Asset Management solution designed especially to meet the needs of water and wastewater utilities.

You get all the functionality of Diamond Maps with no contract and no commitment. Alternatively, you may choose an unlimited pricing plan. An unlimited plan allows you to create any number of logins for your utility. Unlimited pricing is based on the size of your system’s population.

• Import/Export shapefiles, geodatabases, GPX or CSV files. No long-term commitment required. Data is fully portable so you are never “locked-in” to staying with Diamond Maps.
• Draw points, lines, or area features with the built-in Google Maps background images. You can tag each new feature with attributes such as size, material, date of last inspection, etc.
• Attach Pictures Videos, PDF, or any other document to your assets to be automatically uploaded to the Diamond Maps server and shared with all others within your organization to view.
• Markup your pictures with a built-in picture editor. You can draw arrows, show distances, circle important areas, etc.
• Customize your maps with new layers from Diamond Maps templates or create your own layers with the fields you need. Create pick lists for uniform data entry. Set colors, symbols, and other display properties for each layer.
• Modify and Log changes to features. Each feature has a log field that keeps a running history of changes and automatically updates the field with the username and date of modification. For example: flushing a hydrant or inspecting a pipe.
• Control and Share as you feel necessary. A designated map manager controls who is permitted to make changes to each layer. Anyone on your team can view content, but only authorized users can add, change or delete content. Share maps with recipients outside your organization as well. Maps shared with outside users enables them to interact with your maps in limited ways – zooming, panning, and clicking on features to see the attributes. They only see the layers that you want to share.
• Browse and Search any layer within your maps. The layer’s attribute table allows you to sort each layer by any feature within the table. Clicking any feature within the table will locate that feature on the map. The search function allows you to search all fields of all features for a certain word. The advanced search allows for even more complex searches.
• Track your location in real-time. By using a high-accuracy GPS unit attached to your phone, tablet or laptop you can use Diamond Maps as a data collector - all you need is an internet connection. New data added to the map in the field is instantly available to all account users.
• Integrate your map with billing software, SCADA or other systems. Any developer can integrate your map with the available .Net API
• Training and Support is available from both Diamond Maps and FRWA’s Asset Management team. Diamond Maps includes e-mail support for all subscribers. FRWA offers its members the benefit of additional training and support.

For more information, please contact FRWA at frwa@frwa.net. 

NATIONAL NEWS

ICYMI: NRWA Celebrates Major Federal Investments in Apprenticeship Programs NRWA announces significant breakthrough for Apprenticeship Program with $13.1M in new federal investments. more

WaterISAC Monthly Update: July 2024 Compilation of news and information from WaterISAC, the international security network created by and for the water and wastewater sector. more

CISA Releases Playbook for Infrastructure Resilience Planning Supplemental manual assists with planning for infrastructure security, resilience. more

North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs Publicly known as Andariel and other names, this RGB state-sponsored cyber group remains an ongoing threat to various industry sectors worldwide, including but not limited to entities in the United States, South Korea, Japan, and India.  more

Solar Farms With Stormwater Controls Mitigate Runoff, Erosion, Study Finds As the number of major utility-scale ground solar panel installations grows, concerns about their impacts on natural hydrologic processes also have grown. more

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $4.3B In Grants For Community-Driven Solutions To Cut Climate Pollution Across America Funded by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, EPA announces 25 selected applications through competitive Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program to tackle climate change, improve air quality, and advance environmental justice more

The Future Of Water Tech Comes Together To Address Water Challenges And Provide Solutions Solutions for Water’s Greatest Challenges at Imagine H2O Demo Day more

PFAS widely added to US pesticides despite EPA denial, study finds - The Guardian Research shows ‘forever chemicals’ increasingly found in products as agency claims the chemicals aren’t being used more

Lithium Ion Batteries May Contribute to Global PFAS Contamination, Study Warns Environmental sampling found higher levels of PFAS linked to lithium ion batteries in soil and water near facilities for battery manufacturers, like 3M. more

Study confirms forever chemicals are absorbed through the skin - LabOnline Researchers at the University of Birmingham have revealed that a wide range of PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) more

Cleaner Water With Electrified Membranes Nitrate contamination in water has long presented threats to the environment and human health. more

NGWA Provides Input To White House On America's Groundwater Challenges NGWA provided input on July 1 to the White House Groundwater Working Group’s request for input on “America’s Groundwater Challenges.” more

Young Innovator Develops New Method To Remove Microplastics From Water When Caddo Magnet High School sophomore Vennela Malireddy won regionals and then state for the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition, Louisiana Tech University Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology Dr. Shaurav Alam was not surprised. more

Court halts EPA's 'Good Neighbor' plan that opponents said was not neighborly A massive expansion of federal air emission rules is on hold while legal challenges wind through the courts, which the Supreme Court said it expects to be successful. more

AWWA Releases 2024 State of the Water Industry Report The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has released its 2024 State of the Water Industry (SOTWI) Report. more

Fourth EPA Six-Year Review Determines Revisions to Existing Drinking Water Regulations are Not Needed On July 17, EPA released the results of the Fourth Six-Year Review of Drinking Water Standards. more

EPA Releases Community Water System Service Boundary Dataset On 7/2 EPA released a new data set, mapping application, and supporting materials related to Community Water System (CWS) Service Area Boundaries. more

Urgent Notice! PFAS Cost Recovery Program Free resources are available to help utilities build cyber-resilience more

Ensuring Affordability Affordability is the key factor for small and rural communities when deciding to upgrade and enhance water services for their customers. more

STATE NEWS

Water solicitation notices left at homes NOT affiliated with the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer The Miami Dade Water and Sewer department (WASD) says that water solicitation notices recently left at homes within the Kendall and South Dade communities are not affiliated with the WASD. more

Dig out the umbrella and ditch the fertilizer | Florida Weekly The Southwest Florida rainy season has made a dramatic entrance into Summer 2024, with 12.24 soaking inches of rainfall in June alone in Charlotte County. more

Lake O level stays the same despite heavy direct rainfall | Okeechobee News Direct rainfall continues to be the source of most water entering Lake Okeechobee and evapotranspiration continues to be the way most water leaves the big lake. more

Black & Veatch to Provide Design and Engineering Services for Essential Upgrades at ... As part of their multi-year $8.6 billion Capital Improvement Program, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department is upgrading, enhancing and expanding critical wastewater plant elements during the next eight years more

Wildwood’s explosive growth dominating decisions in city budget | Villages News Taking their first action on next year’s budget, Wildwood commissioners Monday voted to keep the property tax rate at this year’s level of about $2.83 per $1,000 assessed valuation. more

North Central Florida river task force reactivated following raw sewage spills across Georgia ... The Sante Fe River was familiar with Joanne Tremblay, with their morning routine, lying still as she waded calf-deep to collect a sample of its water. more

With rising water levels, manatees return to Myakka | Your Observer Water quality and abundant food are key draws for these massive park regulars. more

Rain barrels: Harvesting the power of Florida's rainy seasons - Mainstreet Daily News Water is one of the most valuable natural resources and with the ever growing concern of climate change and the hot dry conditions Northwest Florida has already experienced this summer, every drop counts more

ECUA Considering Water, Sewer And Sanitation Rate Increases | North Escambia The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority is considering rate increases for water, wastewater and sanitation customers. more

New drinking fountains coming to Satellite Beach schools after contamination concerns New drinking fountains are on the way to schools in Satellite Beach. The upgrade comes as leaders continue to address contaminated water concerns. more

Lightning Strike Causes Water Outage, Boil Notice In Cottage Hill | North Escambia A lightning strike this morning interrupted water service and had led to a boil water notice for some in the Cottage Hill area. more

JEA bill too high? Here’s how you can save money with a free in-home assessment | News4Jax Is your JEA bill too high? A free in-home assessment could save you hundreds of dollars. more

July 30, 2018: Article in Scottish Construction Now—260-year-old Wooden Water Pipes Unearthed in Edinburgh. “Workers have unearthed rare 260-year-old wooden water pipes during a dig in Edinburgh. Fifteen pieces of the elm piping were unearthed during excavation work at George Square, where a new underground heating system is being built by the University of Edinburgh for its new student centre.

The wooden pipes were part of an underground network of pipes to supply drinking water which was built in 1756. It ran from the Comiston area of the Capital to the Royal Mile. Archaeologists called to examine the find – used to bring the “sweet water of the country to the centre” – describe them as being in “very good” condition. Lindsay Dunbar, fieldwork project manager for AOC Archaeology Group which carried out the excavation, said the pipes fixings of metal bands and lead fittings were “very typical” in wooden pipes used across the UK in the 18th century. She said: “To uncover these water pipes preserved in situ beneath the cobbles was just incredible. Whilst the use of such wooden pipes is well-documented and preserved examples exist within museums and collections, to find the pipes in situ is much rarer. “These are first examples we have ever excavated in more than 25 years as a commercial field unit. The level of preservation was very good and allowed important details relating to fittings, construction, size, joining techniques to be recorded prior to their removal.”

Although similar pipes have been found before across the Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, this is the first instance of a section being archaeological excavated in recent times. The City of Edinburgh Council’s Museums have several examples of these pipes within their collection including examples on display at the Museum of Edinburgh. Bill Elliot, national stakeholder manager at Scottish Water: ‘This is an amazing find for our customers in Scotland’s capital who have the opportunity to see first-hand how water was distributed in years gone by. ‘These pipes made up the first dedicated water supply in Edinburgh, and when the pipes were brought into use the town council described how they would ‘bring the sweet waters of the country to the centre’.

Records held by Scottish Water show before the wooden water pipes were laid residents could go many weeks without fresh drinking water. Councillor Donald Wilson, culture and communities convener, City of Edinburgh Council, said: ‘This is quite a significant discovery and the first time archaeologists have unearthed the city’s original plumbing system for a long time.’ ‘Similar pipes were discovered in 1894 in West Register Street. Made from hollowed out elm they date from the 17th to 18th centuries and were used to supply water to Edinburgh’s Old Town from springs like those out at Comiston. In fact, we have two sections of it on display at our free to visit Museum of Edinburgh in the Canongate. It’s pretty fascinating’”

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

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