FRWA eNews/2022 Apprentice of the Year

November 18, 2022

AMANDA FINDLAY

FRWA Outstanding Apprentice

In honor of National Apprenticeship Week, the Florida Rural Water Association is celebrating registered apprenticeships in new and emerging industries! According to the Department of Labor, there are 588 active apprentices in the water and wastewater industry, and that number is only growing with the FRWA Apprenticeship Program!

Apprentices were nominated by their State Rural Water Associations to be recognized as NRWA Outstanding Apprentice. The Florida Rural Water Association would like to congratulate Amanda Findlay with US Water for her nomination. Congratulations and keep up the hard work!

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.

Articles of Interest

NATIONAL NEWS

A Decade Of Progress And Shifting Concerns In The U.S. Water Industry Although the water industry has a reputation for being slow to change, the past 10 years provide evidence to the contrary. more

Rural Water Represented at Committee Hearing Mr. Ken Herring testified at a Farm Bill hearing on November 15, representing Rural Water's interests and recommendations for enhancing and modernizing USDA Rural Development Water and Wastewater programs. more

Water Coalition Submits Comments on PFAS Coalition of national water agencies articulates gaps in proposed EPA rule. more

One Year of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law at USDA Water infrastructure projects include new dam construction, flood prevention projects, repairs to existing watershed infrastructure and more. more

Should you drink water before bed? Experts chime in - Fox Clancy, a New York City-based sleep strategist and host of "The Counterfeit Sleep" podcast, said there are pros and cons of drinking water before bed because it can affect sleep performance in different ways. more

Emergency Disaster Fund aids Tennessee, Florida, Honduras, Uganda, and Venezuela – News Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to support a rebuilding project in Tennessee... more

Regan: Fixing Jackson, Miss., water system a priority JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — EPA Administrator Michael Regan said Tuesday that the agency is still working on a plan to bring long-term improvements to the water system in Mississippi’s capital city, which came perilously close to collapsing more than two months ago. more

What to expect from Congress' lame-duck session The House and Senate are set to reconvene on Monday with jam-packed to-do lists for the lame-duck session, including must-pass pieces of legislation and other items on Democratic wish lists. more

ASDWA Submits Comments on Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA) he Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA) was signed into law in March 2022 and marks a significant milestone in increasing cyber resiliency in critical infrastructure sectors. more

NIST offers cybersecurity plan for water plants he National Institute of Standards and Technology wants feedback on a proposed project that would pilot solutions to common cybersecurity risks faced by water and wastewater plants. more

STATE NEWS

Santa Rosa County's water is at risk. Growing area while protecting wellfield no easy task With Santa Rosa County experiencing exponential growth in the East Milton area, outgoing County Commissioner Bob Cole convened a workshop last week to discuss ways to protect the wellfield that supplies the county's water. more

Boil water notice issued for parts of Sanibel - Fox 4 News SANIBEL, Fla. — The Island Water Association Inc. has issued a precautionary boil water advisory for Sanibel Island from Tarpon Bay Road east to Lighthouse Beach. more

Construction begins on mainland portion of sewer main project | Your Observer

The town of Longboat Key has identified a more cost-effective solution to its parallel sewer main project, and work has begin on initial stages on the mainland side of the pipeline. more

From water reclamation to new training centers, JEA goes to work on $10.2M overhauls A few multimillion-dollar structural projects are about to get underway for JEA. more

Delray Joins National Water Lawsuit and Boca's Election Ballot Shrinks The city commission approved the move at its Oct. 25 meeting. Like the litigation against makers and distributors of prescription painkillers, all cases involving polyfluoroalkyl chemicals—known as PFAs—have been consolidated before one federal judge, this time in Charleston, S.C. more

City of Tampa replacing 80-year-old water pipe on West Columbus Drive. | WFLA TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The City of Tampa has kicked off construction to replace an 80-year-old water main on West Columbus Drive. more

ECUA Sewer Averaging Begins Today. Here’s What That Means For Your Bill. | North Escambia The Emerald Coast Utility Authority’s sewer averaging period begins today.

If you are an ECUA mainland residential wastewater customer, your annual sewer charges are based on the average number of gallons of water used in your household during the period. more

Pasco County Assistance Program Helps Low-Income Households With Water Bill PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Low-income households in Pasco County could be eligible for assistance on water and wastewater payments thanks to a new, federally-funded program operated by Pasco County Utilities. more

Local Town Received $300,000 Grant for Water-Related Project - West Orlando News . The Town of Oakland was recently awarded a $300,000 Florida House of Representatives Local Support Grant for its water system bypass project. more

Osceola County hard-hit by Hurricane Ian mostly unscathed after Nicole | WMFE Osceola County was mostly spared by Tropical Storm Nicole. Officials are still encouraging residents to stay off the roads. more

This Week in Water History

Death of a Sewer Worker

November 13, 2003: New York Times headline-Appreciations, Death of a Sewer Worker. "New York is a mythic place, and one of the most mythic parts of it is the part that nobody ever sees: the sewers. Alligators and giant rats barely begin to sum up the state of our fears about the sewers, when we acknowledge those fears at all. So it's worth remembering how great a joke it is that the New York city sewers should also contain Ed Norton, played on "The Honeymooners" by Art Carney, who died on Sunday at 85."