PRESS RELEASE

The Florida Rural Water Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Alicia Keeter to the position of Executive Director of Florida Rural Water Association (FRWA). She will work alongside the current Executive Director, Gary Williams, until Mr. William’s retirement in October 2024. Prior to this appointment Ms. Keeter served as General Manager of South Walton Utility, located in Miramar Beach, Florida.

As the incoming Executive Director, she will become the first woman to lead the organization in its 45+ year history. Alicia brings to FRWA 17+ years’ experience in the water and wastewater industry, a diverse background in construction project development and oversight as well as served the industry on the front lines with hurricane emergency response through multiple catastrophic events. She was a recipient of the National Rural Water Association Presidents Award for Emergency Response Coordination and Incident Commander efforts for Hurricane Michael. Ms. Keeter has served in a voluntary capacity for various utility associations such as FSAWWA, FWEAUC and Water Utility Council which will enhance her abilities to “fight the good fight” in Tallahassee for our industry.

Ms. Keeter holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology, from University of West Florida. She also attended Auburn University and is a continuing fan of the Tigers!

“We’re delighted Alicia has accepted the Executive Director role,” said Board President Pat Cichon. “Alicia has the experience and skills necessary to lead FRWA to tackle the challenges Florida utilities are facing.”

Last week many in the Big Bend area of Florida were stunned by the early morning tornadoes that touched down. The National Weather Service branch in Tallahassee determined that two EF-2 tornadoes with winds of 115 mph tracked through Gadsden and Leon Counties. A third tornado moved through the community of Woodville with another EF-1 tornado touching down in Jefferson and Madison County.

The storms left a large swath of damage leaving an estimated 70,000 residents without power. Utilities began contacting FRWA immediately. FRWA was there to help by delivering numerous generators and by pass pumps to the affected areas. At the time of this article there were still 177 customers without power.

We will continue to monitor the situation and furnish needed equipment to keep their drinking water safe.

The State Drinking Water Program was the first program that FRWA partnered with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. We started with just three circuit riders, we now have six that are being stretched very thin in order to help small systems stay in compliance with the ever increasing rules and regulations. The following article was written by Tom Gustafson, one of the original State Drinking Water Circuit Riders.

When asked what's new in the world of circuit riders, I thought about the many years I've spent with FRWA and the significant changes that have occurred. 

The drinking water rules in the early 90s were only about a quarter inch of printed rules, but now it's probably closer to two inches if printed. Where we used to deal primarily with the small utilities and training owner-operators it’s now helping all utilities regardless of size with all aspects of operations and management. 

FRWA has been there since the beginning of the lead and copper issue. We toured the state and conducted classes with DEP to help with the initial sampling plans. Currently, we're assisting with the new lead and copper inventory rule to identify components in the distribution and customer side. 

We work with utilities on a daily basis helping them to stay current with DEP rules changes and in compliance. Additionally, we locate lines using ground-penetrating radar, and help with Consumptive Use Permit renewals and water loss. Our work requires much more now, including operations and maintenance manuals, emergency response plans, asset management, and rate studies. We also identify the best treatment for the ever-increasing list of contaminants. 

It is getting much harder for utilities to meet compliance these days. When you fix one problem it tends to create another one. It makes work much more challenging but enjoyable to be able to help solve these problems. 

However, advancements in technology have made it easier for systems. From advancements in mapping and GPS allowing for easier line locates to automated meter reading (AMR). 

But some of the old proven methods of simple plant maintenance is still vital to achieving compliance. Many water plants that are visited are in dire need of just a good cleanup. Keeping your plant clean and tidy goes a long way in an inspection. Mow the grass, paint the pipes, and pick up the trash. 

Times have changed since the early days of Circuit Riding, but our goal is still the same. We do all we can to help the water systems of Florida stay in compliance and deliver safe drinking water to their customers.

We are back in Daytona with our new format that promises to be the most exciting one yet! You will want to be there early on Monday morning to take advantage of earning 0.5 CEUs as you tour our sold out Exhibit Hall and learn from the best in the industry! Click here for complete information.

July 29-31, 2024

Hilton Daytona Beach Hilton

100 N Atlantic Avenue

Daytona Beach FL 32118

Room rates start at $159, with no resort fee and a $10 discount on parking, this rate is hard to beat in a location such as Daytona! You must reserve your room by July 8, 2024, to take advantage of the discounted rate. Be sure to select the arrival date of July 28th and departure date of July 31st to view the available $159 rooms.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Nominations Open for Women in Rural Water Award The Women in Rural Water Luminary Award is a dignified and empowering award that recognizes the exceptional achievements and contributions of women in the field of rural water. This award evokes a sense of brilliance, leadership, and inspiration, emphasizing the recipients' significant impact and leadership within the rural water community. Submit your nomination by June 20!  more

Webinar: WaterISAC Introduction | May 29, 2024 | 1:00 pm CDT Join us on May 29 to learn more about WaterISAC, the international security network created by and for the water and wastewater sector. We will discuss its background, mission, core functions; threat briefings and products; and activating your NRWA WaterISAC benefits. *Systems who sign up for the webinar and serve under 3,300 population will receive a free WaterISAC membership!  more

Effort to Restore Water in Minden, Iowa KETV reports that officials expect the city will be treating its own water again just 10 days after a tornado took out the treatment plant.  more

New EPA Survey Highlights Wastewater Infrastructure Needs Report shows at least $630B needed over next 20 years to protect waterbodies in communities across the country. more

EPA Announces Final Rule to Improve Public Awareness of Drinking Water Quality The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a final rule to make annual drinking water quality reports more understandable and accessible to the public. more

US EPA lists two PFAS aka “forever chemicals” as Hazardous Substances under CERCLA The US Environmental Protection Agency (“US EPA”) announced its final rule designating two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”), namely perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (“PFOS”), as ‘hazardous substances’ under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). more

New Report Details The 'Power' Of Water Infrastructure Investment Today, the Value of Water Campaign is pleased to release a new report, Bridging the Gap: The Power of Investment in Water, which dives into the projected economic impacts of continuing federal investment in water over the next 10 and 20 years. The full report can be viewed online here. more

EPA Announces $41M In Available Grants To Upgrade Stormwater And Sewer Infrastructure The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of nearly $41M in funding through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program to help communities address stormwater and sewer infrastructure needs. more

AI Can Detect Toxic Chemicals Biden-Harris Administration Reports Significant Progress Toward Protecting Children From Lead Poisoning The President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children is publishing the Progress Report on the Federal Lead Action Plan, a comprehensive update on the government’s progress since 2018 toward reducing childhood lead exposures. more

Work To Begin On New Standard: AWWA DANT, Installation Of Antennas For Water Towers The AWWA Standards Council is happy to announce that work on a new standard has been authorized and is now beginning on the development of the following: AWWA DANT, Installation of Antennas for Water Towers. more

Puerto Rico To Get $28.6M For Lead Pipe Replacement To Advance Safe Drinking Water EPA announces latest round of funding toward President Biden’s commitment to replace every lead pipe in the nation, protecting public health and helping to deliver safe drinking water. more

Rural Water Cyber Update: Threats, Vulnerabilities, Regulations & Funding, and Cost-Efficient Cyber-resiliency | May 23, 2024 | 2:00 pm CDT Current Threat Landscape for Rural Water Systems with SCADA, ICS, and/or OT. more

Cybersecurity Guidance for Drinking Water and Wastewater System EPA Office of Water will host a free webinar titled Cybersecurity Guidance for Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems. During the webinar, we will highlight and discuss the latest cybersecurity-based guidance products under development by the Water Infrastructure and Cyber Resiliency Division to enhance cyber resiliency within the sector. more

International SWOT Mission Can Improve Flood Prediction A partnership between NASA and the French space agency, the satellite is poised to help improve forecasts of where and when flooding will occur in Earth’s rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.  more

Shedding Light On Buried Infrastructure Management This longstanding U.S. EPA document on infrastructure management challenges and strategies relating to the deterioration of buried drinking water infrastructure raised issues at the time of its original publication that are still very relevant today. It provides good background information on evaluating structural considerations of existing infrastructure as well as financial considerations on how to evaluate the challenges of repair vs. replacement decisions. 

 more

Removing PFAS from public water systems will cost billions and take time - WMNF 88.5 FM Chemists invented PFAS in the 1930s to make life easier: Nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant carpet were all made possible by PFAS. But in recent years, the growing number of health risks found to be connected to these chemicals has become increasingly alarming.  more

EPA Issues Final Regulation on PFAS in Drinking Water - The National Law Review The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued on April 26, 2024, the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 89 Fed. Reg. 32532.  more

AMWA Pushes Congress For Strong Water Infrastructure Funding In FY25 Last week, AMWA led a coalition of six national water and wastewater organizations in writing to Congress to request for full funding of key EPA water infrastructure funding programs next year.  more

STATE NEWS

Crews working to repair sewer line break in Aventura - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports Crews in Aventura are dealing smelly situation after a sewer line was hit. City officials said a private contractor struck the line on Wednesday near 193rd Street and West Country Club Drive.  more

Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department Receives $5.7M In State Grant Funding For ... Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department (PBCWUD) has been awarded $5.7M in grant funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for two transformational water reuse projects. The Alternative Water Supply program awarded a total of $60,000,000 statewide.  more

Did the tornadoes leave you without power? Here's what to do while it's out and when it's back on Floridians in the Panhandle and in the northern regions of the state have had an eventful few days weather-wise. And it's still not over. Multiple tornadoes and severe storms tore through the state last weekend, causing major destruction and leaving thousands without power for days.  more

New hurricane graphics better explain the dangers of approaching storms | Your Observer  CEO and Chair of the Climate Adaptation Center Bob Bunting stressed the importance of understanding hurricane forecasts and what they mean for hurricane seasons that are increasing in intensity.  more

In thirsty Zephyrhills, moratorium on new development likely to continue | Tampa Bay Times  Water management officials seek more monitoring and more detail before extending city’s water use.  more

Turkey list: Florida TaxWatch flags more than $410M in water projects | Florida Politics Florida TaxWatch spotlighted $854.6 million in so-called “Budget Turkeys” in its annual Budget Turkey Watch Report, and a large chunk of those projects in this year’s budget were related to water resources.  more

Eglin AFB awarded for conservation, environmental efforts | My Panhandle One of our local military installations is receiving national attention for its conservation efforts.  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service awarded Eglin AFB Wednesday as their 20th annual military conservation partner.  more

Army Corps prepares Lake Okeechobee ahead of 'extremely active' hurricane season | WINK The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said human life is its number one priority. The Corps is in charge of keeping the water level on Lake Okeechobee at a manageable level so that if a storm comes, the lake can handle the extra water. more

Hurricane Idalia Match Mitigation The Florida Division of Emergency Management (Division) is happy to announce the Hurricane Idalia Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Match Program! In accordance with the 2024 General Appropriations Act, the Florida Legislature has appropriated $33,000,000 in state funds for the full amount of the required match of local governments within fiscally constrained counties for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants related to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster declaration for Hurricane Idalia to offset the costs that such local governments would otherwise be required to provide pursuant to s. 252.37(6), Florida Statutes.  more

EPA Water Affordability Needs Assessment | June 3, 2024 · 1 - 3pm EDT Water affordability is a growing issue that impacts millions of households throughout the United States. Low-income households are struggling to pay their water bills, and some utilities also struggle to meet rising costs for operations and maintenance and upgrading aging infrastructure.  more

Clearwater Receives 'Wastewater Collection System of the Year Award'  Congratulations to the teams at Clearwater Public Utilities, that were selected for the Florida Water Environment Association’s “Wastewater Collection System of the Year Award,” in the category of medium utilities that serve Florida communities of 20,000 to 75,000 accounts.  more

City maintenance at water distribution system will temporarily shutdown reclaimed water services | Ormond Beach Observer All reclaimed water services south of the Cigar Lake Pump Station, located at 4019 Royal Palms Parkway, will be shutdown between 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on May 14.  more

Deltona City commissioners discuss increasing stormwater rates | WESH Early Monday, there was yet another water main break in Deltona. Crews worked to get it all fixed up, but Deltona City Commissioner Dana McCool believes it's happening way too often.  more

It’s not a matter of if a hurricane will hit Florida, but when, forecasters say The 2024 hurricane season is expected to be busier than average. To ensure that people everywhere are prepared, officials visited residents in Sanford, a landlocked city in the middle of the Sunshine State.  more

New Stuart water treatment plant to ensure safe drinking water for generations - WPTV The water treatment superintendent for Stuart said in 2016, the city was told by the Florida Department of Revenue water exceeded safe limits for PFOS and PFOAS, or "forever chemicals," which are linked to several health issues including a higher cancer risk and weaker immune systems.  more

Water system maintenance to begin May 20 - Pinellas County Pinellas County Utilities will temporarily change its water disinfection process to chlorine from Monday, May 20 through Saturday, June 8. During this time, drinking water may smell or taste slightly different but there will be no impact to water pressure or service.  more

Two Teens Caught Dumping Garbage into Florida Water, Turn Themselves In | Washington Times A pair of teens were purportedly caught on video throwing trash cans full of debris while riding a boat exiting Boca Raton Inlet in Florida. They have since turned themselves in.  more

Water Pumps Planned in Panama City Beach in Response to Influx of Visitors to Beaches | WJHG Bay County commissioners say they are selling the land on Pete Edwards Field to Panama City Beach. Panama City Beach officials are adding new pumps for water supply to the area.  more

Hollywood on Track to Eliminate Ocean Outfall by 2025 with Construction of Two New Deep Injection Wells | Hollywood Gazette Members of the Hollywood Commission and city leaders got together for a groundbreaking ceremony last month for two deep injection wells at the Southern Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. Construction is now taking place and it will take about two years to complete.  more

Preparing for hurricane season with FDEM | WINK  In a round table discussion on hurricane preparedness, The Florida Division of Emergency Management said members are working to finalize contracts to get ferries, aircraft, and more to get people safely out before a storm hits.  more

Because of lack of rainfall, city relying on groundwater to meet demand | Palm Coast Observer The groundwater contains higher levels of organic color which remains even after treatment. The water is still safe, even if discolored, a city press release says.  more

A month after a sewage spill in the Lake Worth Beach area, health advisory fully lifted - AOL.com The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County has lifted the health advisory for all surface water bodies in Lake Worth Beach that were affected by the recent sewage spill near the intersection of the L-10 Canal and Florida Mango Road.  more

We apologize for the quality of the photo below, but we thought it interesting to see the machine in action.

Cleaning Catch Basins in Louisville

May 10, 1917 Municipal Journal article. Cleaning Catch Basins in Louisville. “Louisville, Ky., is cleaning its catch-basins with a machine designed especially for this purpose, at one-fifth the cost of doing the work by the ordinary shovel and bucket method. There are a few more than 7,000 catch basins in the city, and previous to 1917 these had been cleaned by hand, as is the practice in most cities….

Since January 17th this method of cleaning has been discontinued and an appliance known as the Otterson eductor has been used….Briefly, it consists of a steel body on a motor chassis, and a sand ejector at the base of a pipe that is lowered into a catch basin and discharges into the tank; the ejector being operated by water from a centrifugal pump mounted on the truck, which uses the same water over again after the solid matter has settled out from it in the tank. Before beginning the day’s work the tank is filled about one-third full of water drawn from a fire hydrant or pumped up from any stream or other source.

In using this appliance in Louisville, the truck is driven alongside the basin to be cleaned, the manhole cover removed, the vertical steel pipe is swung out over the opening so uncovered and lowered into it until it reaches the bottom, and the engine started forcing water through the ejector. If the deposit in the basin is bard, it is softened by water injected through a stirring pipe; this water being drawn by the pump from that in the tank. After the basin is emptied, a flash light reveals any objects too large to be removed by the pump, and these are taken out by hand tools. If there was water in the basin already, about the same amount is run back into it from the tank after the basin has been cleaned, both because only a certain amount is desired in the tanks and also to seal the basin outlet.

Reference: “Cleaning Catch Basins in Louisville.” Municipal Journal. 42:19(May 10, 1917): 661-2.

Commentary: Not much has changed in 96 years of cleaning catch basins. We use vacuum cleaning trucks but the principle is the same.

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

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