FRWA eNews
Novemer 19, 2020
Florida Rural Water Association
2970 Wellington Circle
Tallahassee FL 32309
850.668.2746
Flushing Signs
Upcoming Training
12.01.20 
Wastewater Process Control & Trouble-shooting/Crystal River
12.03.20 
System Operations/Lynn Haven
12.08-.09.20
B/C WW Certification Review/Panama City Beach
12.08-.11.20
1/2/3 Water Distribution Certification/West Palm Beach
01.08-.11.21
B/C/D DW Certification Review/W Palm Beach 
01.15.21
System Maintenance And Safety/Edgewater
02.02/.03/.10/.11.21
1/2/3 Water Distribution Certification/St Augustine
04.20-.23.21
 1/2/3 Water Distribution Certification/Santa Rosa Beach
05.04-.06.21
B/C/D DW Certification Review/Lake City
Online Training
Orlando's secret life of sewers: What workers hope you never know
An inappropriate item flushed in a bathroom at Redlight Redlight in Orlando clogged the brew pub's sewer line.

Owner Brent Hernandez got a plumber, who snaked an auger into the pipe that runs under Corrine Drive parking. From there, Hernandez recalls wondering, who knows where it goes.

It turns out that what's flushed from much of north Orlando takes a 35-mile trip through a colossal system that has been under construction for most of a century. The wastewater disperses nearly 33 days later as highly treated effluent into marsh, through the legs of wood storks and roseate spoonbills and then to an expanse of cordgrass and sable palms of the St. Johns River.

"That's crazy," Hernandez said.

He's right. No one knows where their sewage winds up. That's what wastewater operators strive for.

"We don't want people to know about what we do," said Chuck Shultz, assistant manager of Orlando wastewater. "If they do, something bad has happened."

Shultz also is right.

This year, Fort Lauderdale was shamed officially for letting its sewer perform as a sieve; the governor cracked down on "bad actors" by boosting fines for spills; a watchdog called out Orange County's wastewater system as a flagrant offender; and Orlando sounded an alert for a smelly incident at its premier cultural park.  more
Flushing Signs
To better serve our membership, FRWA is offering flushing warning signs to be used when flushing hydrants.  In order to accommodate different needs, the signs are available in three different sizes and configurations.

36" x 36" PVC
We have a 36" x 36" sign that is made of 1/8" PVC making i t  durable enough to used outdoor.  If you already have existing road signs you may want to purchase  our
30" x 30" Decal
 3 0" x 30"d ecal with adhesive backing that can be easily attached to an existing sign.   We also have a convenient 12" x 8" size that can be u sed in small spaces.

12" x 8" PVC
To place an order, click here for an order form to complete and email to Admin@frwa.net.
National News
Yale Website Allows Public Access to Current COVID-19 Sewage Samples A new website allows the public to get up-to-date information on COVID-19 infections in several regions of the state, including days-in-advance predictions based on sewage samples.  more

Richest County in the US Votes Against Expanding Rural Water Because It Brings Development  A proposal to create an exception to a long-standing rule prohibiting central water from the eastern side of the county into the western Rural Policy Area drew consternation from neighbors and the Coalition of Loudoun Towns during a Board of Supervisors Public Hearing on Thursday night.  more

Valdosta Mayor invites residents to attend 'Mayor Paddle' | Valdosta Today Join the Mayor of Valdosta and a hundred of his closest friends for a leisurely paddle on the Withlacoochee River.  more
State News
Lynn Haven Commission approves CDBG-DR grant application for infrastructure improvement | My Panhandle  There are many improvements still left to be made in the city of Lynn Haven following Hurricane Michael. more

Opinion: The bottled water problem | Gainesville Sun  As a hydrogeologist and a lover of Florida's springs, which I know to be the largest collection of big freshwater springs on Earth, I have long been perplexed by the animosity directed toward bottled spring water.  more

Melbourne water may smell, taste like chlorine through February during disinfecting process | Florida Today  For the second time since May, Melbourne utility officials will employ a "free chlorine" disinfecting method that could produce the odor or taste of chlorine in tap water at about 58,000 households and businesses.  more

Report sounds an alarm on ongoing decline of US coral reefs | Telegraph   A first of its kind assessment of coral reefs in U.S. waters is again sounding the alarm over the continued decline of these sensitive underwater ecosystems, which scientists deem essential to the health of the world's oceans amid the environmental effects posed by human activity and climate change. more

Nikki Fried Wants Florida Toll Road Projects Halted, Citing Coronavirus Budget Shortfalls | WJCT  Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried wants the state to put the brakes on a series of controversial toll road projects as lawmakers face budget shortfalls caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  more

City wastewater crew recognized | Key West Citizen  Mayor Teri Johnston, the City Commission, and Utilities Director John Paul Castro recently recognized the professionals at OMI, the company that the city contracts to oversee the wastewater plant.  more

Opinion: Column: Orange County voters approved right to clean water | Florida Times Union  On Election Day, a breathtaking 89 percent of Orange County voters approved the Right to Clean Water Charter Amendment. more

State Sues Miami Beach for 1.7 Million Gallons of Sewage Leaks Into Biscayne Bay | Miami New Times  In July 2019, a contractor called Calea Corporation struck a wastewater pipe while drilling at Fifth Street and Michigan Avenue in Miami Beach, causing a leak of 780,000 gallons of untreated wastewater over two days.  more

Rising sea levels play a role in South Florida flooding after Tropical Storm Eta  Many South Florida homeowners have been shocked by the amount of flooding left behind by Tropical Storm Eta.  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."

For more articles on what went on this week in water history, click here.
Florida Rural Water Association |  frwa@frwa.net | http://www.frwa.net
2970 Wellington Circle
Tallahassee FL 32309
850.668.2746