2018 krwa annual conference review · the role of the certified operator is important to public...

32 THE KANSAS LIFELINE July 2018

2018 KRWA Annual ConferenceReview

he Kansas Rural Water Association's AnnualConference and Exhibition is the Midwest’s largest;it's a highly respected event as witnessed by the

attendance and record number of exhibitors. It was heldMarch 27 - 29 at the Century II Convention Center inWichita. The total registration was 2,280 people. The KRWA conference provides something for everyone,

non-stop. And that keeps attendees interested. That’s one ofthe main reasons that the KRWA conference has thereputation as being one of the best water and wastewaterconferences in America. In 2018, attendees came from 309cities and 189 rural water districts. There were registrantsfrom 28 additional states aside from Kansas. The 2018 conference was the 51st annual. On Tuesday,

March 27, there were eight full-day pre-conference sessionsfor water and wastewater utilities, as well as the Attorneys'Forum and USDA Engineering Forum. The conferencefeatured a total of 58 training sessions which involved 81different presenters. Read more about the various events onthe following pages.

Operator certification exams An additional bonus for the conference is that it provides

an opportunity for operators to take the certification exams.KRWA appreciates the operator certification department atKDHE for making the exams available. There were 207water and wastewater operators who took the operatorcertification exam on Thursday, March 29. Tuesday, March27, was a full day of training for water operators from SmallSystem through Class IV as exam refresher preparation.KRWA appreciates the staff at KDHE for their extra effortsin helping provide special training for wastewater operatorson Thursday morning, March 29 as preparation courses tothe exam.Who attended?In 2018, registrants came from 309 cities and 189 rural

water districts or other public water or wastewater systems.The attendance breakdown is as follows: u Operators: 1, 076u Administrative Staff: 130u Board/Council Members: 134u Industry: 886u Agency: 54There 2018 conference involved 190 different exhibitors,

filling all 365 available booth spaces in EXPOHall.While this issue summarizes the 2018conference, initial plans are already underwayfor 2019. As of June 1, nearly 180 booth spaceshave already been reserved. And all sleepingrooms at the Hyatt sold out on April 15 in just alittle more than 30 minutes after the blockopened at 8 a.m. A review of the conferencecontinues on the next pages. Mark your calendars for the 2019 KRWA

Conference at the Century II Convention Centerin Wichita. The dates are March 26-28.

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33THE KANSAS LIFELINE July 2018

t was Schultz, Blanton and Brooke placing first,second, and third in the 2018 “Almost 5K-KRWAConference Run/Walk”.There was no shotgun start ... the runners sprinted

forward on command to start the 6th Annual “Almost 5K-KRWA Conference Run/Walk”. Tuesday, March 27 was agreat morning for running or walking. Nearly 25 peopleparticipated, even with some getting a later start. KRWA’s Mark Thomas headed up this year’s run.

Construction along the river walk is finally nearcompletion, so participants finally got to stay on the riverwalk and not brave Wichita traffic. The event had mildweather once again, but the always-present goosedroppings are a consistent obstacle every year.Jason Shultz of KDHE took home 1st place with a time

of 21:34 on the 2.8 mile course. Ron Blanton from the cityof Hutchinson earned 2nd place with a time of 23:19.Brooke Bailey from the city of Wichita followed Ron witha 3rd place finish with a time of 24:42.

Hot chocolate with rolls andfresh fruit was enjoyed by therunners as they returned toCentury II. KRWA.

The 2018 “Almost 5K-KRWA Conference Run/Walk”I

Ron Blanton, city of

Hutchinson, came in second.

Brooke Bailey, city ofWichita, placed third.

Jason Schultz, KDHE,placed first.

he 2018 conference Attorneys’ Forum was the 17thconsecutive year that the forum has been hostedduring the conference. Gary Hanson, KRWA General

Counsel, has facilitated the program each year. There were 37 attorneys attending in 2018. KRWA has

sponsored the program, which is at no cost to attendees,with the goal of helping to improve the legal representationof KRWA’s 750 municipal and rural water district members.Those attending were invited to provide an evaluation. Oneattorney wrote, “Gary, I rarely attend CLE sessions thatkeep my attention. I recently joined the KRWA. I don’tknow why I didn’t do it a long time ago. This has been oneof the best CLEs I have ever attended. Not only did it keepmy attention, I actually enjoyed it. Very well done!

Another wrote: “Thiswas a very well done CLEwith a great group ofspeakers. I appreciated theupdate on recent cases andlegislation as well as thequality networkingopportunities. And another wrote: This

is a great program and it

encourages knowledgeable andcollaborative practice withinthe area of water practice. Presenters were: John W. Nitcher, Riling,

Burkhead & Nitcher,Chartered, Topeka,Kansas

Kate Gleason, LegalCounsel, KansasDepartment of Health andEnvironment, Topeka,Kansas

Stanton A. Hazlett, Disciplinary Administrator,Topeka, Kansas

Doug Helmke, P.G., KRWA Water Rights and SourceWater Specialist, Tecumseh, Kansas

There were two periods of round-table discussionscovering these topics: Public Purpose Doctrine; Vacation ofEasements by Platting; Recent Legislation, Cases and AGOpinions; Rejecting Project Bids; Use of Easements forOther Purposes; Notice of Delinquent Utility Bills,Implementing HB 2080; Collecting Debts fromMunicipalities.

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Attorneys Forum Attended by 37 Water System Attorneys

Gary Hanson, KRWA General Counsel


Nine Preconference Sessions Attended by 985 PeopleENGINEERS' FORUM FOR WATER ANDWASTEWATER SYSTEMS

Attendance: 33

The Engineers' Forum held at theKRWA conference has proven to bea popular and worthwhile feature. In2018, the training provided an overview of the newlyreleased guidance for the use of Engineers Joint ContractDocuments Committee (EJCDC) documents on water andwastewater projects with Rural Utilities Service (RUS)Financial Assistance. Presentations also focused on theImplementation of American Iron and Steel (AIS)requirements. USDA Rural Development agency personnelalso presented the newly released E-PER capabilities forengineers to deliver preliminary engineering reports to theagency. This training was designed to help engineers,environmental consultants, and other professionals whoassist applicants in preparing engineering and NationalEnvironmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents.Presenters: Richard Boyles, USDA Rural Development, Newton, KansasRandy Stone, USDA Rural Development, Topeka, KansasShane Hastings, USDA Rural Development, Topeka, Kansas

WATER OPERATOR FORUM – PREPARINGFOR CERTIFICATION EXAMS

Attendance: 238

The role of the certified operator is important to publicwater and wastewater systems. Helping individuals preparefor and accomplish passing the exams is a priority forKRWA. This five-hour training offered water operators anexcellent opportunity to refresh and to review prior to takingthe operator certification exam on the last day of theconference. Operators already certified also found thesession informative. With experienced KRWA staffpresenting, it can be no other way. The training review topicsincluding the following chlorination concepts (free vs.combined, etc.), chlorine residual monitoring, samplecollection procedures (bacteriological, THM/HAA5,lead and

copper, etc.), well operation and maintenance; knowledge ofwater quality issues; regulatory update/MaximumContaminant Levels (MCLs), and distribution systemoperation, including leak detection, waterline disinfectionprocedures, water loss, storage tanks, and more. Basic mathcalculations including surface area, volume, chemicaldosages, water pressure, etc., were covered. Presenters: Pat McCool, Kansas Rural Water Association, Wichita, KansasDelbert Zerr, Kansas Rural Water Association, Manhattan, Kansas

WASTE STABILIZATION PONDS – AN EXCELLENT TREATMENT SOLUTION

Attendance: 239

Wastewater treatment by amajority of public wastewatersystems is accomplished bylagoons. And while many maythink lagoons are simple tooperate and maintain, the on-goingprocesses are far more complex. This training session wasattended by both new and experienced operators. Thetraining reviewed the biological processes that occur inlagoons. Those attending were instructed how to help keepdischarging lagoons in compliance with effluent limits.Attendees also learned how KDHE’s revised ammoniacriteria could impact lagoons. The training includeddiscussions on what to check for visually to determine if thelagoon is operating satisfactorily. Other topics includedmaintenance problems and solutions; troubleshootingproblems that may develop with lagoons; review of permitrequirements for both discharging and non-discharginglagoons; how to interpret laboratory test results and properlycomplete monitoring reports and how to produce a goodquality effluent and meet permit limits on a consistent basisPresenters: Jason Solomon, Kansas Department of Health and Environment,Chanute, Kansas

Jeff Lamfers, Kansas Rural Water Association, Mission, Kansas

Pre-conferenceSessions


MICROBIOLOGICAL MONITORING OFACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESSES

Attendance: 131

This training session providedinformation to operators andconsultants, lab personnel andothers how to optimizewastewater treatment plantprocesses using the microscopeand knowledge of wastewater microbiology. Attendeeslearned how to identify the microorganisms that arefavorable to the activated sludge treatment process and howto maintain the proper environment for their growth. Thediscussions included methods for controlling, identifyingand monitoring microorganisms in biological phosphorusand nitrogen removal systems. Presentations also explainedhow to diagnose treatment system problems based on themicrobiology of the system and the identification of andhow to control filamentous bacteria. Step-by-step laboratoryprocedures for tracking, identifying and diagnosingconditions in activated sludge processes were included. Thiswas an outstanding session presented by a nationallyrecognized expert in the field of wastewater treatment. Presenter: Tony Glymph-Martin, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District ofGreater Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

CITY CLERKS' FORUM – WEATHERINGALL STORMS

Attendance: 34

There were two separatetraining sessions during thisforum. From 9:45 a.m. tonoon, the clerks learned aboutbasic water system operations.This presentation included an overview of regulationsincluding monitoring, reporting, and plant operations. Manycity clerks have expressed concern that they do notunderstand all the regulations that are required of publicwater systems. Clerks were encouraged to develop andmaintain good communications with operators. The

afternoon session dealt with workplace issues includingtransparency, workplace drama, leadership, etc. City clerksdeal with a host of issues, and citizens generally expect toreceive information from clerks on any number of topics.Presenters: Delbert Zerr, Kansas Rural Water Association, Manhattan, KansasMarche Fleming-Randle, Ph.D, Wichita State University, Wichita,Kansas

GEOLOGY, AQUIFERS AND WATER WELLS – ENSURING A GOOD WATER SUPPLY

Attendance: 181

The majority of public watersystems in Kansas usegroundwater as a source. That isespecially true in the western halfof the state. This trainingdiscussed the types and characteristics of subsurfacegeological formations and aquifers. Aspects of welloperations such as yield, specific capacity, zone ofinfluence, static water levels, drawdown water levels andrecord keeping were reviewed. Proper construction of waterwells was explained, including sites election, test drilling,water quality, drilling of the bore hole, well casing, groutingof the annular space, gravel packing, screen placement andwell development. The training also reviewed KDHE designstandards. Attendees also learned about how contaminantssuch as nitrates, arsenic, iron and manganese can increase inthe well water causing problems with well operation.Microbial and mineral blockages in wells were discussed aswas well efficiency. The training used real life situations todescribe how to clean wells, restore/ or improve waterquality, and disinfect wells. Presenters: Brad Vincent, P.G., Ground Water Associates, Wichita, KansasNed Marks, P.G., Terrane Resources Company, Stafford, KansasMike Schnieders, Water Systems Engineering, Ottawa, Kansas


More danish, fruit cups, muffins and moreawaited early arrivals for the opening session.

BOARD/COUNCIL LEADERSHIP – WEATHERING ALL STORMS! Attendance: 44

So, you've been elected to the board or council. Nowwhat? Those who attended this session learned about thecritical roles they have in the governance of their local wateror wastewater utilities, among other responsibilities. Asrepresentatives of the public, it’s the board or councilmembers who bear the burden for good decision-making onbehalf of the public they represent. Financial difficulties,personnel issues, construction or renovation complications,or dispute resolutions can all become challenges that maynecessitate a different approach to leadership and decision-making. Here are some of the situations that were presentedto the attendees: 1) How do you manage situations when thediscussion becomes polarized, whether in a board meetingor in a public hearing? 2) How do you better handleconflicts between customers and board/council members orbetween board/council members and staff? 3) How doboards and council energize public support for systemenhancements and renovations? Last, how does a board orcouncil member help establish a culture of accountabilitythe board or council? Presenters:Patricia Clark, Kansas Leadership Center, Wichita, KansasRonald Alexander, Kansas Leadership Center, Wichita, Kansas

RWD OFFICE FORUM

Attendance: 48

The tasks that rural water districtoffice staff experience are quitevaried. Duties include billing and financial report, enteringdata, maintain confidentiality, and often deal as an arbitratorof disputes. Presentations covered in this round-table,somewhat open discussion provided answers to questions ontopics including record retention, easements, the new rule(HB 2020 or KSA 82a-621) forfeiture for non-payment,preparing meeting agendas, etc. This session was intendedfor those who work in RWD offices or those who serve onboards to help them better understand the responsibilities ofthe office staff. A second morning presentation discussedinsurance coverages and the specialized coverages as wellas risk management techniques. An overview on coverages

from property to workers compensation was of keen interestto the attendees. The afternoon presentation addressed waysto help create better interactions with customers. The focuswas on professionalism to help improve customer service. Presenters: Crystal Decker, TrustPoint Insurance, Burlington, KansasLeslee Rivarola, KU Public Management Center, Lawrence, Kansas

WORKING TOGETHER TO GET GREAT RATES

Attendance: 27

Is rate setting an art, science or just politics? How aboutsome of all? This presentation discussed water rates and therate setting process and how to fairly structure rates. Thoseattending learned that setting rates fairly is something closeto being a team sport. First, KRWA can provide no costassistance and provide a basic review. When the reviewrequires much more focus due to complexity of the utilityoperations, then the Kansas Rates Program comes to therescue. GettingGreatRates does a thorough rate analysis.The presentations covered the rate setting field. Many ofthose attending were adopting new rates. They left with abetter understanding of how all the facets of designing,funding, planning, etc. Presenter: Carl Brown, GettingGreatRates.com, Jefferson City, Missouri

Mark your calendars!

KRWA’s 52nd Annual Conference & Exhibition


Butler Headliners Perform “Past, Present, Future” at Opening Session

he Butler Headliners provided another rousing startto the opening session on Wednesday, March 28. It'san early trip from El Dorado for the Headliners to

arrive at Century II in Wichita by 7:30 a.m.But it's a trip they have made for nearly 15years to help the KRWA Conference have aninvigorating start. Their show was entitledPast, Present & Future!The Butler Headliners are a high energy

level show choir; they have national acclaim.Their performance at the 2018 conferencewas described as “simply awesome” by manyof those who attended. The Headliners sangand danced to a nearly a full house on thelower level of Concert Hall which seats1,700. There are 36 singer/dancers in theshow choir. The choir is directed by ValerieLippoldt Mack. Two other students serve asstage manager and sound manager. To be aparticipating member of the Headlinersrequires that the students maintain aminimum grade point average. The group’smembers go on after they graduate fromButler Community College to becomeperformers for the Walt Disney theme parks,Worlds of Fun, and other venues – and toown their own dance studios, and to directchurch and community choirs. They becomedoctors, lawyers and teachers.KRWA provided a $3,000 stipend to the

Butler Headliners in 2018. Always bringing acomplete new show, there's hardly a way toput more energy and talent on the openingsession stage at the KRWA conference thanthis group delivers.

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ome of the most heroic and successful people are thosewho are never recognized by the media.Rural water and municipal workers can – and, often, do –

fit into that definition of heroism, said Charles Marshall, amotivational speaker, rock-and-roll drummer and author whodelivered the keynote address at the opening session of the2018 Kansas Rural Water Association annual conference.“Obviously, heroes aren’t just the guys and girls flying in

the air, wearing spandex,” Marshall said. “And neither arethey just who we celebrate in our culture, like rock stars andmovie stars.”“When you look back and think of who influenced you,

heroes look different,” he said. “They were people who usedtheir time and talents to make the world a better place. Andwhen I think of the Kansas Rural Water Association, that fitsyou perfectly. You are providing a service to your community.And when we don’t have that service, people recognize it.

“You are working behindthe scenes to make sure peoplehave better lives.”We may need a different

definition of “success” thanwhat is popularly used,Marshall said. The actorCharlie Sheen, for instance,may be well-known andconsidered successful becausehe is on television. But,Marshall said, he wouldn’twant to be just like him.“I think the best definition

of success is fulfilling yourpotential and using yourgifts,” he said.

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Charles Marshall, M PowerResources, encouragedpeople to invest in others.

Redefining heroes . . .Keynote Speaker Charles Marshall – Author,Humorist, Drummer – Shares Insights Into Success

etting the annual conferencestarted off on the right foot isimportant. The opening

message is important. And the onemessage that Association PresidentPaul Froelich emphasized to the 1,500who were in attendance is that the

Lindsay Gulley, Convention SalesManager, and Moji Rosson, Vice-President of Sales at Visit Wichita,provide a "Welcome to Wichita" at theopening session. They reviewed many ofthe improvements in the city and plansfor the future.

annual conference is "the people'sconference". Froelich said, "This isyour conference; KRWA is only thefacilitator." Froelich challenged everyone to

attend as many sessions as possible,and to also tour the largest number ofexhibits ever assembled at a water orwastewater conference in Kansas."Ask questions, talk to others, shareyour experiences," he said. "By doingso, you'll make new friends; that's whatan Association is all about – sharinginformation and providing informationand help. Make this conference the bestit can be for you."The Kansas Rural Water Association

has held the annual conference &exhibition at Century II ConventionCenter since 1991. Rental agreementsPaul Froelich, President, KRWA

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2018 OpeningSession

are in place to hold the 2019, 2020 and2021 conferences in Wichita. Winners of $250 VISA gift cards

were Charles Hefton, city of Bentonand Justin Rodgers, city of Columbus.

KRWA Board President Paul Froelich: "This is YOUR Conference!"

There are four ways in which people use their gifts andtheir actions that make them heroes, Marshall said.The first is to own your choices, he said. A person who has

experienced tough situations – losing a job, serious illness,difficult family struggles – might be tempted to blame thosesituations for being stuck or not having much of a future.A hero owns their path forward, Marshall said. They may

have experienced the same tough situations, but opts insteadto choose an outlook where they control their actions insteadof letting the situations control them.Water system personnel are no strangers to challenging

situations, he noted, including changing regulations,workforce struggles and difficult personalities. “What are yougoing to do about those choices in how you approach thesethings?” he asked. “Real heroes make those choices and turnthe challenges into opportunities for growth.”The second characteristic of a hero is to actively take in

useful and helpful content – in other words, choosing toconsume productive information and energy as opposed tonegative words and thoughts.It can be a constant struggle to actively consume useful

information, he said, especially when bombarded with so

many messages from media, advertisers, friends and family, andeven our favorite music.“You are what you eat,” Marshall said. “Do you take care of

your own programming, or do you leave it up to someone else?If you are going to be a hero, or a leader, you need to make sureyou are encouraged. It’s hard for people to keep on giving whenno one is giving to them. Where are you going to get yourenergy and your motivation?”Heroes also take the opportunity to leap into action when

needed. In other words, Marshall said, they take initiative to usewhat they have and do what they can to make progress.“Instead of waiting on the perfect circumstances, work on

what you can do right now,” he said. “You don’t have to waitfor a politician to make a decision. Figure out how to makesomething happen now. Once you take one step, the next stepbecomes illuminated, and then the next step, and so on.”Finally, he said, heroes invest in others. Marshall told a story about his journey to become a drummer.

Although he had a passion for the drums, his initial junior highband audition resulted in his placement as a baritone saxophoneplayer – an instrument for which he held no passion.When he tried to quit the band, his teacher asked him if therewas another instrument he would prefer. When it was clearthat he did not know how to play the drums – but wanted tolearn – the teacher worked with him until he becameproficient and even successful.“He believed in me,” Marshall said. “For a geeky, poor kid

in junior high, that meant a lot to me. I was still a geeky, poorkid, but now I was playing the drums.”The teacher’s investment in him came even though the

teacher himself struggled openly with a serious speechimpediment. Marshall said that was the most impressive –and, heroic – trait: the teacher invested time in at-riskchildren even when it meant that he would need to face hisown struggles.“Who here could be a Mr. Mullins for someone in their

community?” Marshall asked, and awarded a pair ofdrumsticks to an audience member who raised their hand.Marshall attended much of the rest of the conference,

signing autographs at a booth in the exhibition hall where hesold copies of his books, including “The Seven Powers ofSuccess” and “Shattering the Glass Slipper.” Marshall’scompany is M Power Resources, based in Dacula, Georgia.


By Sarah Green

Three guys? Who’s this? Three guys on Concert Hall stage settingup a restrained fitting and valve assembly? Yes, It was none otherthan KRWA’s Lonnie Boller and Doug Guenther and theirsupervisor, Linda Windler, Thoroughbred Systems, to createquestions in the minds of audience members who waltzed off to“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”.

An enthusiastic crowd attended the opening session on Wednesday, March 28.


he staff from BG Consultants expected to distribute1,500 tote bags to attendees in the first two days of theconference.

“We’ve given out about 700 or 800 so far today, and we’llgive out about the same number tomorrow,” said BrianKingsley, the company’s president. “We’ve been givingthese out for about five years or so. It has become an annualtradition.”The conference is an important time for the company to

network with current and future clients, as well as othercompanies doing related work, Kingsley said. “Everyone in the industry who deals with water utilities is

here,” he said. “There’s no other networking opportunitylike this in the state of Kansas.”Kingsley said his company appreciated the technical

support provided by the Kansas Rural Water Association forproviding unbiased second opinions for projects. “We’ve used KRWA for things like smoke testing, and

Rita Clary has been great to work with her knowledge aboutloans and the administration side of things,” he said. “Weappreciate the relationship with KRWA.”

_______At least two vendors used the power of popcorn to attract

visitors to their booths.“We used to bring a smaller machine until it got so

popular that we had to get a bigger one,” said Doug Napier,a technical application specialist with Hawkins, Inc. “We’llgo through more than 500 boxes just during this show. Thesmell brings everyone to the booth. It works!”

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Vendors report success . . . KRWA Conference ConsistentlyOne of the Top Trade Shows

EXPO Hall

The chemical and equipment company has been attendingthe convention for at least 20 years, Napier estimated. Inaddition to being able to answer questions about their ownservices, several of the vendors with whom the companyworks are also on-hand to help customers.The 2018 show brought as much or more traffic than

previous years, he said.“I go to a half-dozen shows every year and this is the best

by far,” he said. _______

Steve Secrest, president of SCI Automation, a Utah-basedcompany specializing in automation technology for water,wastewater and oil and gas systems, said he observed a shift inhow customers approached the exhibition hall in 2018.“This year, people seem more driven to find help and

solutions for problems with their systems,” he said. “We’vehad lots of conversations with people who are truly interested.Some people have come with an agenda and showed me theirlist. They haven’t told me that in the past.”The sheer variety of services offered in EXPO Hall allows

those operators, even from small systems, the ability to takecare of all of their needs in one place, he said.“You’ve got everything here from mowing grass to patching

water lines to unpluging a sewer system to running an entirewater system from a computer or a phone,” Secrest said.


orty-three conference attendees were winners at the Tuesday eveningMeet & Greet. Prizes totaled more than $10,000 and ranged from

practical utensils such as a KitchenAid professional 5-quarter mixer, aVizio 50-inch LED smart TV, a drone, to an 8-foot tall metal windmill.See the listing of winners on page 43. This “shindig” is one of a kind for a conference opener. There's food,

social and friendship – and games to play to earn tickets to enter in prizedrawings. And it was the sixth year for Kansas oldest Rock n' Roll band,King Midas & The Mufflers, to perform background music. Here's aresome of the events: n Seating for 1,200 to enjoy a great barbecue meal and desert bar n Eight Midway game trailers – from "Kentucky Derby" to

"The Exterminator"n A Midway amusement ride; mechanical bull ide; football and

basketball throws n Casino gamesn Beverage trailer and beverage stationsn Two caricaturistsn An oxygen barn Numerous table top games including “Water Bingo”n Video car racingn Laser skeet shootingn Instant photo shoot There was something for everyone, all night long. And at 9:45, it was

time to turn in the tickets won at the various venues for drawings of theprizes that filled a stage. It was a fun time – with something for everyone,non-stop.

Tina Rajala, recently retired from KansasWater Office, was pleased to be thewinner of Waterscapes sofa quilt.

There is always a full house at Water Bingo.

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Many Winners at TuesdayNite “Meet & Greet”

There's always plenty of food at KRWAconferences.

Okay, there's no need to debate – just throw the ball!


It takes food and beverages of allsorts to have a conference. The beertrailer served 26, 15.5-gallon kegs.

Tuesday Night Meet & Greet Prize Winners Prize Winner RepresentsZero Gravity Chairs Case Of (2) Blue Josh Ranker Ellsworth RWD 1 (Post Rock)TACKOBOX SMARTROD Black Series Combo Barry Brown City of El DoradoTACKOBOX SMARTROD Black Series Combo Allen Markley Douglas RWD 28-foot Green Metal Windmill Jan'et Dawson Shawnee Cons. RWD 1Small Quilt-Waterscapes Tina Rajala Kansas Water Office (Retired)Habor Immersible Hand Blender Josh Werner Ottawa RWD 2Instant Pot Multi Cooker 6QT Josh Werner Ottawa RWD 2Pioneer Woman 30-PC Cookware Set Josh Taylor City of LarnedSea Eagle 330 2-Person Inflatable Kayak & Paddles Brian Treaster City of AldenHamilton Beach Digital Steamer Robert McClay Franklin RWD 1Best Choice Electric Fryer Roberta Keys Doniphan RWD 5Dyson Dc59 Slim Cordfree Sharon Dwyer Douglas RWD 5ION Audio Tailgater Wirelss Radio Robert Miller Montgomery RWD 2KitchenAid® Professional 5-Quart Mixer Lori Stone USDA Rural DevelopmentSTANLEY FATMAX J7CS Jump Starter & Air Compressor Shane' Hastings USDA Rural DevelopmentBig Boss Ice Cream Maker Chad Burns City of JetmoreECHO Dot (2) David Baragary Lan-Del WaterGoPro HERO5 Strap Bundle Ron Rech DPC IndustriesGoogle Home Austin St. John City of MarysvilleInstant Pot Marissa Reyes City of MoscowCooler w/Picnic Camping Table/2 Chairs Robert Miller Montgomery RWD 2Vizio LED 50-inch Smart HDTV Cody Zenger City of BellevilleStanley 4 Gal Wet/Dry Vac Chris Gaddis City of GoesselDewalt 20V MAX Lithium-Ion 1/2-inch Drill Driver Kit John Simons City of HaysvilleRockwell Sonicrafter F30 Oscillating Multi-Tool Sharon Dwyer Douglas RWD 5SentrySafe X-Large Fire Safe Lori Stone USDA Rural DevelopmentStanley 2150 psi Electric Pressure Washer Paul Strathman Nemaha RWD 3Promark GPS Shadow Drone Jake Dillman Sedgwick RWD 2Great Northern Black Antique Popcorn Machine Alice Swearingen City of WatervilleElite Pro Toaster Oven Rotisserie/Grill/Griddle Top Norma Najera City of MoscowBCP Stone Design Fire Pit Home Patio Gas Firepit Brent Miller Data Access & Support CenterColeman SaluSpa Hot Tub Dustin Hoffman City of DightonBayshore Sling Rockers Michael Riese City of Hoisington$250 Visa Gift Card Larry Fagen City of Jetmore$250 Visa Gift Card Robert Miller Montgomery RWD 2$250 Visa Gift Card Judy Elam Sedgwick RWD 2$250 Visa Gift Card Chuck Frakes City of Winchester$250 Visa Gift Card Cale Topinka City of Haysville$250 Visa Gift Card Shad Howbert Douglas RWD 3$250 Visa Gift Card Leonard Mostrom City of Burdett$250 Visa Gift Card Doug Byarlay Riley RWD 1$250 Visa Gift Card Nadine Herold Jefferson RWD 11$250 Visa Gift Card Samuel Dillman 3D Plumbing

“Ready, aim, fire” – one of eight Midwaytrailer games provided state fair Midwayatmosphere.


he question sounds simpleenough, but the answer is achallenge.

What is the value of water in Kansas?“The reality is that if I asked all of

you this question, you would say it’spriceless,” said Tracy Streeter, directorof the Kansas Water Office. “It’sintrinsic value is priceless. But untilyou are looking at water scarcity, it’sworth nothing.”Streeter delivered a presentation

during the 2018 Kansas Rural WaterAssociation Annual Conference aboutthe State of Kansas’ attempts to betterunderstand how much worth is assignedto our water.“Even experts disagree on what

factors to take into account,” Streetersaid. It’s even more difficult in a statelike Kansas, where water quality andquantity vary dramatically dependingon the location.The Kansas River, for instance, flows

from Junction City to Kansas City, andtypically experiences good flows.WaterOne, the water utility that servesmuch of Johnson County, has intakeson both the Kansas and Missouri Rivers– “a seemingly endless supply,” Streetersaid.On the western side of the state, in

Groundwater Management District 1,people who have lived on farms arefinding that their water wells arerunning dry. They’re relocating totowns or making other accommodations

to find a steady watersupply, Streeter said.“I bet those folks who are

moving their houses andpiping water place a highervalue on water thansomeone living in OverlandPark today,” he said.“Another question figures in

to the discussion,” Streetersaid. “What’s more important, waterquantity or water quality?”“I say it’s quantity,” he said. “If you

don’t have it, it doesn’t matter what thequality is. When you’re up against it,you take whatever you can get, treat itand use it.”There are examples where dollar

amounts are applied to water – butthose are “what we pay for it, not whatit’s worth,” he said. Streeter providedsome examples, including:v The average Kansan spends $6.51

per 1,000 gallons of tap water. Of thatcost, $0.03 goes to the State Water PlanFund; the remainder toward treatmentand distribution.v In 2002, the city of Colby

purchased irrigation rights for 320 acre-feet of water from one farm for $2,256per acre-foot. In 2009, Dodge Citypurchased water rights totaling 1,465acre-feet from three farms for anaverage price of $2,265 per acre-foot.These prices illustrate the market priceof water, Streeter said.v There is a water bank in Kansas,

in Groundwater Management District 5in central Kansas. Streeter described itas a “kind of brokerage firm” for watertransactions. Each transaction alsocarries with it a requirement for waterconservation. A buyer can sign a leasefor a certain amount of water for oneyear at a time, Streeter said. Theaverage value of water traded in thewater bank is $78.04 per acre feet.“This is really our only true value wehave for knowing how water is tradingon a daily basis,” he said.

v The KansasWater Officealso is involvedin pricing thewater it sellswholesale tomunicipal and

industrialcustomers from

reservoirs in which theoffice owns water

storage. Some contracts from the 1970scapped the rates at $0.10 per 1,000gallons. New contracts in 2018 offervariable rates to customers at $0.39 per1,000 gallons. The water office is onlycharging what it needs to cover theirown costs, Streeter said, but those olderfixed rates are presenting a challenge todo just that.v The recently completed project to

dredge John Redmond Reservoir inCoffey County to remove silt andprovide more storage space for watercost about $20 million. Other reservoirsare facing similar needs to find storagespace – and price tags in the tens ofmillions of dollars to remedy thoseissues, he said.v Streeter quoted a KRWA rate

survey that showed Kansas residentialwater rates ranging from $1.40 to $17per thousand gallons, an average of$6.51 per thousand gallons. Rural waterdistrict rates range from $1 to $22.90per thousand gallons, an average of$9.10 per thousand gallons.“It will be increasingly important to

think about the value of water goingforward,” Streeter said, citing theexample of Cape Town, South Africa,which imposed strict restrictions on itswater users when supplies nearly ran outearlier this year – not to mention havinggood data to inform conversations aboutfunding water projects.“If we understand what the true value

is before we have to, aren’t we betteroff? Can’t we be prepared for it?” heasked.Tracy Streeter, Director, Kansas Water

Office.

Valuing Water in Kansas: Supply, Quality, DemandComplicate the Math when it Comes to Assigning aValue to Water in the State

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afety is a priority for cities andwater districts to prevent theirworkers from being physically

injured.That commitment should also be

extended to ensuring that workers arealso protected from mental andemotional harm by not toleratingharassment, said Wichita attorney KellyRundell.“This is a way you can help your

employees become better people, notjust better employees,” Rundell, said.“It’s a way you can show you careabout your employees, and takeresponsibility for the safety of youremployees.“You probably do that all the time

with regards to making sure yourpeople have their jackets on, their(safety) cones out, and all the rightequipment that they need. This is justan extension of that, making surepeople are safe in the workplace.”Rundell, with Hite, Fanning &

Honeyman, LL.P, is a former deputycity attorney for the city of Wichita. Sheconducted a session on workplaceharassment at the 2018 Kansas RuralWater Association conference.The recent “#metoo” movement has

brought new attention to theresponsibilities of employers to preventharassment, she said. While the national media stories have

covered well-known people in themotion picture and television industries,famous chefs, and high-rankingofficials, she said, workplaceharassment can happen anywhere.But, she said, it can also be prevented

with common sense policies, andcreating a culture where it’s notacceptable.Rundell quoted the Equal

Employment Opportunity Commission,which has defined workplace sexualharassment as unwelcome sexualadvances and other verbal or physicalconduct of a sexual nature, when theconduct explicitly or implicitly affects

an individual’s employment,unreasonably interferes with anindividual’s work performance orcreates an intimidating, hostile, oroffensive work environment.This can include jokes, images,

and stories about one’s sexualencounters, she said – content thatcould make another personuncomfortable or even afraid.“You could be discussing your sexual

fantasies and personal encounters witha co-worker who wants to hear it,”Rundell said, “but you need to realizethe person you’re telling it to may notbe the only person who hears it.”Harassers can be male or female, she

said, but a main characteristic is that theperson lacks empathy. They also have atendency to be authoritative anddominant, and use their power overothers – making sure their victim can’tfight back.While it’s typically believed that

harassment at a workplace is caused bya co-worker, people can also experienceharassment from outsiders who comeinto an office, such as vendors and evencustomers.When that happens – “You may have

to step in to protect your employees,”she said.Workers affected by harassment

experience higher rates of stress,depression, reduced productivity, andpoor attendance, Rundell said, “none ofwhich you really want in yourworkplace.”“All these things lead to employee

turnover,” she said. “Then you have togo out and find someone new to trainand get up to speed. Hopefully, theharasser doesn’t run them off too.”It’s also expensive for an employer to

deal with a lawsuit brought by someonewho has experienced harassment, shesaid. If a court decides in favor of thatperson, their workplace may have torehire them and pay their back wages,or even pay future wages. Theemployer may also be responsible for

compensation for emotional pain andsuffering and for attorney fees for theperson who filed the suit.These fees and fines can easily slide

into millions of dollars, Rundell said.“Maybe you don’t care about the

situation that’s going on,” she said, “butif you think of the monetary costs, thatshould be enough to take action and putan end to that.”An employer should develop a code

of conduct that specifically prohibitsharassing behavior. But they shouldalso develop policies that include:u Having multiple places to

complain. The chef Mario Batali’srestaurant group had a policy ofreporting all unwanted activity to thehead chef – but it was the head chefwho was doing the harassing.u Keeping investigations as

confidential as possible. Even if otherco-workers must be interviewed, allshould agree to keep the detailsconfidential, particularly when thesituation is sensitive.u Investigating all complaints

immediately. “The longer it goes on, theworse it’s going to get,” Rundell said.u Ensuring that a person filing a

complaint will not be subject toretaliation.“Employers can also require

mandatory training for employees – andit can be as simple as ordering atraining DVD and requiring everyone towatch it,” Rundell said.“The Kansas Human Rights

Commission also offers onlinetraining,” she said, athttp://www.khrc.net. The commissionprovides a certificate to those whocomplete the training – which anemployer could require from allemployees.

#Metoo in the Workplace – A Summary of OneConference Training Session

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Wednesday LuncheonInsight into the regulatory process . . .

Understanding the Process – and the Regulators –Important to Rural Water Mission, KDHE Leader Says

ural water districts and cities areclosely acquainted with state andfederal rules and regulations that

govern their operations.And districts and cities don’t always

love them, noted Tom Stiles, the assistantdirector of the Bureau of Water at theKansas Department of Health andEnvironment.“I’d say no function of government

generates more angst, more anger, thanregulations,” Stiles said.Stiles, who delivered the keynote

address during the Wednesday luncheonof the Kansas Rural Water Association’s2018 annual conference, said it might beuseful for a review of why and howregulations came to be.Stiles profiled the different kinds of

people who “find themselves on thewrong side of regulation.”

“One personality is the “hardliner,”who does not understand whygovernment is in the business ofregulating and has no intent tocomply with any regulations,” hesaid.The second kind of person lives in

“a world of gray,” Stiles said.“They may understand the need

and the intent for a regulation, butsay ‘our way is a better way to getthere,’ “ he said. The third person Stiles described is

the “careless abider,” who may try tofollow regulations, but trip up whenit comes to technicalities, such asfailing to leave a signed copy of astormwater plan on a site when it’srequired.“About 99 percent of all land in

Kansas is privately held,” he said. “Thatgenerates natural friction betweengovernment and those private propertyowners who often believe they should beable to govern themselves as they see fit.” KDHE is the local agency that

enforces the federal EnvironmentalProtection Agency’s Safe Drinking WaterAct. It’s an example of “cooperativefederalism,” where the two levels ofgovernment are working together on thesame rules. But there’s often a differencein the culture of the two agencies, hesaid, that can be complicated to navigate. There are also two general kinds of

regulators: the strict constructionalist,who believes the letter of the law isindeed the law; and the liberalconstructionalist who believes that thespirit of the law should guide them.One need to look no further than the

Kansas Turnpike for an example ofliberal constructionalists,” he said. “I’veyet to see someone actually drive 75(miles per hour).”

“KDHE relies on technical assistancefrom KRWA to help the small towns inKansas get it right when it comes toabiding by the regulations, both for theSafe Drinking Water Act and the CleanWater Act as well,” he said. Another piece of the process is the

federal agency’s enforcement component,when the agency uses fines or othermethods to ensure that a town or asystem complies with the regulations. The current secretary of the EPA, Scott

Pruitt, was an attorney general inOklahoma – which will likely shape hisapproach to interpreting rules andregulations.“An attorney general’s first oath is to

uphold the rule of law,” he said. “TheEPA administration is not going to turn ablind eye on existing law. A law is a law.That’s something you’re going to see goaway from the results of the lastelection.” “Something that has changed in the

new federal administration is the way theEPA provides guidance to state agencies

R

Tom Stiles: “I have enough of a libertarianstreak in me that I get the need for limitedgovernment in our lives. But here’s thething: streams and groundwater don’tcare about our property lines.”

Tom Stiles, Assistant Director of theBureau of Water at the KansasDepartment of Health and Environment,provided the noon luncheon address onMarch 28.

By Sarah Green


branch is to administer the law, and thejudicial branch is to interpret the law.”If left unchecked, the executive branch

can interpret a regulation more and morebroadly, leading to complaints of toomuch government power. Then, if anissue is taken to court, “it’s a crap shoot”to know how the judicial branch mightinterpret a law.“The lines between the three branches

have gotten really blurry,” he said. “Allthat results in uncertainty, in themarketplace and in our everyday lives.”Stiles’ advice to water systems is to

keep open lines of communication whenit comes to understanding and adheringto regulations.“Don’t lie to us, don’t blow us off,

don’t flip us off,” he said. “Have aconversation with us, so we get thecontext of your situation, and we’ll find apath to get you back on roadway tocertainty so you can carry on with life’smission.”

“KDHE relies ontechnical assistancefrom KRWA to helpthe small towns inKansas get it rightwhen it comes toabiding by theregulations, both forthe Safe DrinkingWater Act and theClean Water Act aswell”, Stiles said.

The Wednesday noon luncheon was attended by more than 1,200 people. The Hyattfood service allowed for everyone to be through buffet lines in 24 minutes.

about how it intends to proceed withregulating water,” Stiles said. The EPA has signaled that it will work

cooperatively with state agencies,particularly when it comes toenforcement actions.“There will be no surprises,” Stiles

said. “They’re not going to spring asurprise attack on you without stateagencies knowing they’re coming. We’regoing to share our list (of systems in needof inspection) with them and they willshare their list with us. That way you’renot blessed with us coming out to do aninspection, and then six months later theEPA comes out for the same thing. Thatonly leads to consternation on your part.”The state will still call on the EPA to

help with some enforcement issues, hesaid – in emergency situations, when astate program is considered deficient, orwhen a system is significantly non-compliant and the state hasn’t been ableto correct it.The EPA has set a goal to reduce the

national percentage of non-compliantwastewater systems from 24 to 21percent in 2018 and 2019, Stiles said,eventually reducing the percentage to 12percent by 2022. “Kansas has a seven percent non-

compliance rate for wastewater systems,and a compliance rate of 94 percent fordrinking water systems,” Stiles said.“Our track record is solid,” he said.

“When it comes to compliance andenforcement, we’re way above thenational average in terms of whereissues are.”“The purpose of water regulations is

the same as the missions of KDHE andKRWA,” Stiles said, “to provide high-quality water that is safe”.They also serve to protect the

environment, particularly from upstreamcontaminants that have negative impactsdownstream.

“I have enough of a libertarian streakin me that I get the need for limitedgovernment in our lives,” he said. “Buthere’s the thing: streams andgroundwater don’t care about ourproperty lines.”Regulations can provide a level

playing field by providing certainty tobusinesses, Stiles said. Those regulationswork best, however, when they are well-crafted – neither too narrow nor toobroad. Science can help with the scope of

regulations, but sometimes can only goso far, he said. The goal of science is to find a precise

value that can be linked to a preciseconsequence. But is a fish in water with adissolved oxygen level of 5.1 mg/L betteroff than a fish in water with a dissolvedoxygen level of 4.9 mg/L?“In our world, in water, every story

doesn’t have two sides – it might have ahalf-dozen,” he said. “It’s a big ask ofscience to come up with convenientnumbers.”Regulations work best when all parties

are communicating clearly with eachother and understanding all points ofview, Stiles said. They know that “stuff happens,” he

said. Problems arise when patterns andhabits develop of failing to comply.It’s also important to provide input

when regulations are written, he said.“If you want to know what a regulation

will do, ask the people who have toimplement it,” he said. Once regulatorshear concerns, they can use the feedbackto help decide if a regulation is trulyworrisome, or something that people willbe able to live with.“Separation of power between the

executive, legislative and judicialbranches is critical to the rule-makingprocess,” Stiles said. “The legislativebranch is to create the law, the executive


By Sarah Green

Federal investments made in rural water, but future of funding unclear . . .U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall Promotes RuralInvestments, Federal Government Cuts

he national debt is the greatest threatto the national security of the UnitedStates, said U.S. Rep. Roger

Marshall – and rural water systems as well.Marshall, a Great Bend Republican

elected to the U.S. House of Representativesin 2016, delivered a short speech during theWednesday luncheon of 2018 Kansas RuralWater Association’s annual conference.When Marshall’s first grandson was born

three years ago, he said, the child inherited$35,000 in national debt. By the time hissecond grandson was born two years later,that child had inherited $65,000 in nationaldebt.The climbing debt is a threat to rural

America, he said, because it couldjeopardize projects for water and wastewatersystems now being supported by federalfunds.“If we keep adding to our debt, and if we

don’t build a strong a strong economy, therewill be no money to do some of the thingsyou want to do,” he said. Marshall described the ways in which

history might remember his tenure in officethus far. Some of these historical items ofnote are what he described as a newapproach from Congress and the federalgovernment. One approach is to increase military

funding, Marshall said, which he describedas one of only two areas that saw increasedfunding in the current federal budget. Healso touted new infrastructure to protect thecountry’s southern border – “you can call ita wall, or a fence, I don’t care – we’rebuilding it,” he said. Other approaches have included the

administration’s approach to strengtheningthe economy, including rolling back federalregulations, passing a federal tax cut, and itsapproach to negotiations for thereauthorization of the North American FreeTrade Agreement (NAFTA), Marshall said. History will also judge this time in the

country’s history by how it approaches ruralissues, Marshall said.

T “I’ve sat down with the President, and hecertainly understands we are his base, weare the people who elected him president,”he said. “Other people may think we areflyover country, but we’re not to thePresident or to this Congressman.”

The U.S. Department of AgricultureRural Development programs were thesecond area of the federal budget thatexperienced an increase in funding,Marshall said. Some figures he provided: A total of $23 billion investment in

agriculture programs An increase from $2 billion to $3

billion in rural water and wastewaterfunding

An increase from $30 million to $700million in rural broadband support

After his luncheon address, Marshallspoke briefly with The Kansas Lifeline infurther detail about his experiences withrural water systems during his time in office.In places like Jetmore, he said, the elderly

water tower obviously needs some work, buttheir water is brown as well, he said.“They’re going to have to do way more

than just replace their water tower,” he said.He has also observed that many systems

were built at the same time, and are “agingout” at the same time.“We haven’t planned for this day,” he

said. “I’m very concerned about waterinfrastructure in all of our systems in ruralcommunities, and I do know how expensiveit is.”Marshall described the greatest challenge

in the next three decades as creating askilled labor force to fill the 50,000available jobs in manufacturing and othersectors. The second challenge is water, hesaid, in terms of water quality and quantity.“We’re trying to balance the needs of

municipalities and rural agriculture, and wegotta keep working together,” he said,noting that the Cheney Lake WatershedProject was an example of agricultureproducers reducing runoff from their fields

that would have otherwise ended up inCheney Reservoir, where it could affect theCity of Wichita’s water supply.“When it comes to water, we have to

constantly be looking upriver anddownriver, around us and below us,” hesaid. “We can’t live in little silos when itcomes to water.”The future of federal funding for all

projects is unclear, Marshall said, as long asthe federal government continues to spendmore than it takes in.Marshall pointed to what he described as

the “horrible economy we’ve had in the lastnine to ten years” as a contributor to thenational debt, which affected the tax base.The economy has been stimulated, he said,and now the attention has turned toshrinking the federal government. TheEnvironmental Protection Agency alone hascut almost 1,000 positions, he said. “There’s less regulators out there now,”

he said. “We’re trying to do more of that.”Congress “thinks rural America has been

underfunded” during the last two decades,he said, and now it’s a priority. Yet, “we can’t do this every year,” he said

about increased funding for rural programs.“We have to figure out how to shrink thefederal government. I think we’ll be lookingfor more and more states and localgovernments to take care of as much as theycan. The last mile of every project is alwaysthe toughest, and I understand that.”

Congressman Roger Marshall made aguest appearance at the Wednesdaynoon luncheon.


Spouses “Paint the Towne!”t was indeed a “party with apurpose”. It was a totally uniquespouse program at the 2018 KRWA

conference. The fun-filled event began at 1:45

p.m. on Wednesday, March 28 in amake-shift room draped in tall curtainsinside Convention Hall at the CenturyII Convention Center. Nearly 70spouses attended – and paint the towne– they did indeed.When KRWA first proposed “Paint

the Towne” for the program, oneperson commented, “Well, let's havesome wine and chocolate coveredstrawberries too!” And so it was. Therewere also other soft drinks, ice tea andcookies. To say a good time was had byall is an under-statement.“Paint the Towne” was an

unforgettable afternoon of fun, friends,and fine art. Where else might anyoneenjoy the food and drink with KRWAproviding the canvas?In about two hours time, the 70

conference registrants who attendedcreated their own work of art by justfollowing the instructions of theteacher. Everyone worked on asunflower as the general painting.Many of the spouses had never paintedbefore while some had paintingexperience.

Numerous requests have been madeto repeat this program in 2019. KRWAloves to please an audience. Watch forthis on the 2019 program that shouldbe in the mail about January 5.

I


oes were tapping, heads were bobbing andthere were laughs aloud as the 2018 KRWAconference hosted "Pump Boys and Dinettes"

by The Forum Theatre. It was another energeticmusical staged under the direction of Kathy PageHauptman. Cast members included J. Clayton Winters,

Stephen Hitchcock, Leslie Alan Coates, Ted Dvorak,Jen Bechter and Chelsey Moore Ehresman. J. Clayton Winters, Stephen Hitchcock, Leslie

Alan Coates and Ted Dvorak play the “Pump Boys” and bring downthe house as they explain their way through a series of successes andfailures in life and love, all while producing impressive musicalharmony. Winters, who appeared courtesy of the Actor's EquityAssociation, started the show with some banter of the audience,particularly the ladies in the front row. Ted Dvorak's ballad “TheNight Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine” gained great audienceappreciation with applause and whistles. Jen Bechter and Chelsey Moore Ehresman played the Cupp sisters

– Rhetta and Prudie, at the Double Cupp Diner, located somewherebetween Frog Level and Smyrna. The show provided a relaxed and fun-filled evening. Other songs

included “Highway 57”, “Taking It Slow”, “Serve Yourself”, “BestMan”, “Fisherman's Prayer”, “Catfish”, “Be Good or Be Gone”,“Drinking Shoes”, “Tips”, “No Holds Barred”, and “Farmer Tan”. It was a rip-roarin’ good time that filled everyone's entertainment

tank. An extended standing ovation made the day for the highlytalented cast and production staff. KRWA again thanks The Forumfor another tremendous musical production for the 2018 KRWAconference.

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"Pump Boys and Dinettes" – aBig Hit with KRWA Audience


Daryn Martin Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentPat McCool Kansas Rural Water AssociationEd McGrath R.E. Pedrotti CompanyMark McIntire MMGHeidi Mehl Nature Conservancy In KansasTraci Miles Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentRoger Miller Water Systems Engineering, Inc.John Nitcher Douglas RWD 4Rick Penner Maguire Iron, Inc.Toby Prine Kansas Division of Emergency Mgmt.Don Rankin Utility Data IntelKitty Rhynerson Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentDoug Riseden Krausz USALeslee Rivarola KU Public ManagementKelly Rundell Hite, Fanning & HoneymanJerald Runnebaum Kansas Dept. of TransportationMike Schnieders Water Systems Engineering, Inc.John Schwartz USABlueBookPat Shaffer Butler RWD 5 / KRWAJen Sharp JenSharp.comScott Shreve Utility Data IntelDarin Skutt Carus CorporationJohn Snodgrass Maguire Iron, Inc.Jason Solomon Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentBruce Spare Saline RWDs 3, 7 & 8Tom Stiles Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentRandy Stone USDA Rural DevelopmentTracy Streeter Kansas Water OfficeAndy Terhune Kansas Dept of AgricultureRon Thomann TREKK Design GroupMark Thomas Kansas Rural Water AssociationKeith Thompson Chlorinators IncorporatedBrent Turney Kansas Dept of AgricultureBrad Vincent Ground Water AssociatesTim Weston State Historic Preservation OfficeScott Wienands Nutri-Ject Systems, Inc.Brownie Wilson Kansas Geological SurveyDoug Wilson Hose SolutionsMonica Wurtz Kansas Rural Water AssociationBert Zerr Kansas Rural Water Association

Mel Abbott KPERSRon Alexander Kansas Leadership CenterDebbie Beck Kansas Department of CommerceRichard Boyles USDA Rural DevelopmentBrent Briley Subsurface SolutionsCarl Brown GettingGreatRates.comDave Bryan Smith & Loveless, Inc.David Butler One Call ConceptsHarold Casey Substance Abuse Center of KansasPatty Clark Kansas Leadership CenterBrian Cooper Maguire Iron, Inc.Jeanie Cunningham NRWA Healthy BenefitsScott Cushing Kansas Dept. of TransportationCrystal Decker Trust Point InsuranceRoger Dickey Kansas Department of LaborSharon Dwyer Douglas RWD 5Nushat Dyson U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyElizabeth Fitch Kansas Dept of AgricultureMarsha Fleming Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentDr. Marche Fleming-Randle Wichita State UniversityTrevor Flynn Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentJim Gallmann NEO Chemicals & OxidesKate Gleeson Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentToni Glymph-Martin Chicago's Metropolitan Water

Reclamation District

Tara Hammer Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentGary Hanson Stumbo Hanson, LLPAndrew Hare Kansas Dept. of Health & EnvironmentShane Hastings USDA Rural DevelopmentStanton Hazlett Office of Disciplinary AdministratorDouglas Helmke Kansas Rural Water AssociationChad Hollins Collection Bureau of KansasJim Jackson SUEZ Advanced SolutionsKevin Jones Mid West Fire Training AssociatesLauren Jones State Historic Preservation OfficeDale Kimmer Kansas Dept. of TransportationLen Lehmann KPERS 457Jessica Lewis One Call ConceptsAdam Luke Foresters FinancialNed Marks Terrane Resources Co.Charles Marshall M Power Resources

The Kansas Rural Water Association appreciates the time and effort by all the presenters at the 2018conference. Thank you for helping all those who attended “Working Together, Weathering All Storms”.

2018 Presenters


Thursday LuncheonConcern growing in Kansas about opiate use . . .

Substance Abuse Expert Shares Insights onStruggles, Solutions

ubstance abuse and opiate use isnot a new phenomenon. The poet Edgar Allan Poe

frequented opium dens in the 1800s.Heroin was a favorite drug in the1950s. The 1960s brought widespreaduse of LSD and marijuana. Cocainewas a widely used drug in the 1980s.And the 1990s saw widespreadmethamphetamine use.Today, opiates are being prescribed

for pain relief at a rate that far exceedsthe population in many communities,said Harold Casey, the chief executiveofficer of the Substance Abuse Centerof Kansas.

“I was at a meeting earlier this week,and learned that enough opiates arebeing prescribed in Wichita thateverybody in this room could have allthey wanted, plus,” Casey said.Casey spoke about the trend in opiate

prescribing and use during the 2018Kansas Rural Water Association annualconference’s Thursday luncheon.

KRWA President Paul Froelichintroduced Casey during the luncheon.He said his own sister’s death had beencaused indirectly by opioid addiction.Froelich has undergone severalorthopedic surgeries and experiencedsignificant problems with his back. “I can see now how very easy it is to

get opioids,” he said.Casey became involved in substance

abuse counseling in 1982, when hewent to work at a drug and alcoholdetox center, he said. In thinking abouthow to begin his address to the KRWAmembership, he said he rememberedwhat his mother told him at that time.“‘You are going to find two groups

of people to be the most difficult towork with: the very, very rich, and thevery, very poor,’” Casey quoted hismother as saying. “‘They have nothingto lose.’”In the years since, he said, he has met

countless people and their families whohave worked through substance abusedisorders. In the previous week alone,he said, his best friend’s brother haddied of a heroin overdose. He had metseveral times with a family whose sonhad been admitted into a treatmentprogram for heroin use. “They are worried about him living

or dying,” he said.And the consequences of that

addiction, he said, are severe:unemployment, divorce,hospitalizations, domestic violence,time in jail, overdosing, and accidentalor violent death.An anonymous photo illustration he

displayed during his talk showed a manperched precariously on a ledge of atall building, obviously in distress.“When I see this photo, I see high-

risk behavior,” he said. “That photo

isn’t of me, but it is of somebody’sson.”Eight of every ten drug poisonings in

Kansas are caused by pharmaceutical orillicit drugs, Casey said. Pharmaceuticalopioids are a growing cause of thosedeaths.The synthetic morphine drug

Fentanyl, which can be prescribed forsevere pain that accompanies cancertreatment, is now the cause of thehighest risk death from opiates, he said –and is increasing every year.Casey focused on youth drug use

during his speech. About half of allyoung people using drugs are gettingthem from friends and family members,he said.A popular party game gaining

notoriety is for young people to raidtheir parents’ medicine cabinets for pillssuch as Xanax and codeine, thencombine their findings in a bowl to dipinto, potluck style. These parties areknown as “skittles parties” because ofthe colorful pills’ resemblance to thepopular candy.“That’s been going on for years,”

Casey said, but Sedgwick CountySheriff Jeff Easter reports that “it’shappening a lot now.”An irony with drug use among young

people, he said, is that parents often findtheir teenagers more agreeable whenthey are high.“When they’re not using, they’re

irritable and combative,” Casey said.“You get an interesting positivefeedback from the negativity of druguse.”He also shared his own story of his

struggles with substance abuse andaddiction. His mother helped him enter atreatment program that worked for himin 1981. He hasn’t had a drink since.

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Harold Casey, CEO of the SubstanceAbuse Center of Kansas

By Sarah Green


Taxpayer-supported treatmentchanged his life, he said. “Y’all paid for my treatment,” he

said. “Today, I have 87 employees, andabout 30 to 40 percent of them arerecovering from addiction. They paytaxes, they help people in theircommunity. They go to AlcoholicsAnonymous and Narcotics Anonymousmeetings, they live in Oxford Housesand recovery houses, and they are astrong part of your community.”A smoker might try to quit tobacco

use four or five times, he said. Adiabetic who cheats on their diet mightbe in and out of the hospital. Butsomeone with an opiate addiction whorelapses is seen as the “scum of theearth,” he said.“The idea is to help these people,” he

said. “If nothing else, I want you tothink of it as a cost-saving project.”A $500,000 detox center in

Sedgwick County, with support from

local and state governments, is savingalmost $9 million a year in stress on lawenforcement budgets and othergovernmental line items.“I can’t pick, any more than a

physician can with a diabetic, who’sgoing to live, who’s going to die, who’sgoing to get cured and who’s going tostay ill,” he said, “but state-fundedtreatment has paid you back 20-fold inthe sense of what these people do in ourcommunity. I encourage you to supportthem.”

A popular partygame gaining

notoriety is foryoung people to

raid their parents’medicine cabinets

for pills such asXanax and codeine,then combine theirfindings in a bowl

to dip into, potluckstyle.

Sarah Green is a writer,editor and consultant.

A graduate of the WilliamAllen White School ofJournalism and Mass

Communications at theUniversity of Kansas,Green has written for

local and national publications including TheHutchinson News, the KHI News Service

and Saveur magazine. She lives in Wichita.

he KRWA Thursday morning breakfast is a bit out of thenorm, thanks to the serving by Chris Cakes of Wichita.

Chris Cakes is the original pancake catering company thatflips flapjacks... by the millions! Chris Cakes uses a customdesigned grill and dispensing unit that allows theorganization to feed large and small groups extremely fastand efficiently. Add a dose of humor and some fancypancake flipping and you have a one-of-a-kind event thatpeople just love to watch while they enjoy deliciouspancakes! Chris Cakes was the outcome of a breakfast fund-raiser by the Kiwanis Club in Pocahontas, Iowa in themid-1960's. They were preparing for their annual pancakesupper. Since the preparation and presentation of the mealwas labor intensive, requiring a large group of men, the ideaof building a portable grill capable of serving large groupsof people in a short span of time was contrived by Mr. LorinChristiansen. His idea was to build the grill and reduce theworkload at the pancake event and, occasionally, lease thegrill to other groups. However, since Lorin was the primarycook and always the entertainment it was natural that he and

his grill become a team. Thus,Chris Cakes Pancake Cateringwas founded. Today, Chris Cakeshas franchises in numerous states. Kathy Xenos (Short Stack) of

Chris Cakes of Wichita, arrivesat Century II at about 5 a.m. toset up. Short Stack alwaysbrings an ample amount pancakemix and a whole heap ofredneck humor. Short Stackflips pancakes left and right,backhanded even, and canplant a cake on top ofsomeone's head 20 feetdistant. “You want another;here it comes! It's a lot of funthat was enjoyed by morethan 400 starting at 7:30 a.m.on Thursday, March 29.

Watch It – Catch It! It's a Flying Pancake!

T


t's become an expected, annual affair and it's been goingon since 2005. It's the annual effort by the Kansas RuralWater Association conference-goers to support

WaterPAC. WaterPAC is the PAC for the National RuralWater Association that allows the NRWA to support thosemembers of Congress who have helped support legislationthat has been in the best interests of water and wastewatersystems. In 2018, raffle tickets to WaterPAC prizes were purchased

186 individual donors, raising $7,616. Paul Froelich, President of the KRWA's board of

directors, commented during the annual meeting ofmembership of the KRWA how important the support byKansas Rural Water Association has been toWaterPAC. Legislative proposals concerningreduction of regulations and funding (loans andgrants) for USDA Rural Development and therevolving loan funds for water and wastewaterutilities are among NRWA's top priorities inWashington. And that was especially true in 2018when the President's budget proposed the totalelimination of the USDA Rural Developmentwater and wastewater loan and grant program. KRWA directors took other opportunities to

explain the programs and how WaterPAC benefitswater systems. KRWA directors have assumed theresponsibility of attending to receiving thedonations.

The “Power of NRWA affiliates” is apparent each yearwith the NRWA Rally. KRWA typically is represented bytwo or three people who meet with Members of the KansasDelegation to discuss funding issues and other regulatoryconcerns. Sometimes, specific system issues are also

included. NRWA works on behalf of all waterand wastewater systems in support ofreasonableness in regulations dealing withwater and wastewater utilities. In 2013, it wasthe NRWA and its state affiliates who led theeffort to ask Congress to end the mailingrequirement of the Consumer ConfidenceReports. In 2018, NRWA led the effort to seethe USDA Rural Development programs notbe eliminated. Numerous regulatory issueswould be even more complex were it not forNRWA as a stakeholder to weigh in and arguefor reasonableness with the regulations,particularly as those impact smaller water andwastewater systems.

I

186 Conference-goers Contribute $7,616 to WaterPAC


Gary Holle, Washington RWD 1, chosethe design, “Square in a Square” at theWednesday evening awards banquet.

The pattern, “Lilac Applique’”, wasselected by Harold Kuhn, city of Buffalo.

Wayne Rowh, city of Morganville, chosethe design “Pieces of the Night”.

Sam Atherton, former KRWA director andrepresentative of Labette RWD 3, won thepattern “Stars in the Meadow” which was aprize in the WaterPAC Raffle.

96 Quilts and Counting – LuckyWinners Take Grand Prizes Home

our more quilts .. now totaling 96 grand prize drawings since 1984 including2018, have gone home to lucky conference-goers. This year’s patterns were designed by Connie Huerter of Seneca, Kansas. The

patterns were “Square in a Square”, “Pieces of the Night”, “Lilac Applique’”,and “Stars in the Meadow” that was a prize in the WaterPAC Raffle. Four quilts are planned for the 2019 conference and are well-underway as of

June 1.

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Prizes for the Raffle are paid for by KRWA so 100 percent of the donationsgo to WaterPAC. KRWA and NRWA appreciate the support for WaterPACduring the KRWA conference. Donations in prior years have been as follows:2005 - $3,001; 2006 - $3,000; 2007 - $4,324; 2008 - $4,692; 2009 - $6,110;2010 - $5,073; 2011 - $5,065; 2012 - $7,193; 2013 - $7,350; 2014 - $7,650.;2015 - $6,500; 2016 - $7.969; 2017 - $8,795. 2018 - $7,616. Donations overthe last thirteen years total $84,361.

WaterPAC Raffle WinnersPrize Winner SystemQuilt - Stars in the Meadow Sam Atherton Labette RWD 3 / KRWA

Cuisinart Cup Brewer/Single Serve Maker John Douglas Trego RWD 2

Green Mountain Pellet Grill w/WiFi Allan Soetaert Johnson RWD 7 / KRWA

VIZIO LED 50” Smart HDTV Chris Harrington City of Hutchinson

HP 10.1” Laptop, Touchscreen, 2 in 1 Clarence Banzet City of Greensburg

KitchenAid Professional 5-Quart Mixer Paul Strathman Nemaha RWD 3

ECHO Show Brad Barbour Sedgwick RWD 2

RTIC 45 White Cooler Terry Stark City of Anthony

Compound Miter Saw w/Laser Marker Ron Rettele Brown RWD 1

Apple Ipad Air 2 32 GB WIFI Shane' Hastings USDA Rural Development

iRobot Roomba Vacuum Galen Penner Marion RWD 4

Stihl Chain Saw Dennis Schwartz KRWA

Stihl Weedeater Steve McCallum KRWA

Stihl Tiller w/brush chopper attachment Lonnie Rignell City of Riley

Stihl Leaf Blower/Vac Kyle Headrick City of Hesston

Milwaukee M12 Drill Driver Galen Penner Marion RWD

Mark yourcalendars!

KRWA’s 52nd Annual Conference & ExhibitionDon’t Miss It!


group of eight public worksemployees from the city ofHutchinson held down a table in

the Expo Hall on Tuesday afternoon asthey waited for the opening nite Meet &Greet to begin.What’s the best part of the conference?“The free stuff!” they said in unison,

noting that some of this year’s topgiveaways included a small flashlight ona telescoping pole, ball caps, and somequick-absorbing lotion that is a favoriteof their families. It is also, said Lonnie Dale, who works

in the city’s sewer department, “theknowledge that you are able to get here.”“I learned a whole lot today, and it’s

just the first day,” he said. _______

John and Dawnas Gorentz came to theconference from Arma, where John is thedirector of public works for the city.“I come to get my certification hours,

and to see what’s new, if anything, in the30 years I’ve been doing this,” John said.“It’s my spring break,” Dawnas said,

who has accompanied John for the lastseveral years. They enjoy the programming and the

relationships, they said, as well as theopportunity to load up on giveaways inthe Expo Hall.“When I go home, I’ll be the Easter

Bunny,” John said, lifting his heavy totebag and smiling.

_______Carolyn Lamborn, customer service

manager for Crawford RWD 5 inPittsburg, snagged the first spot in linefor the Tuesday night opening reception– a line of more than 1,200 people thatstretched all the way through thebuilding to the back of EXPO Hall.

Lamborn, recovering from recentknee replacement surgery, occupied afolding chair while she waited for thereception to open. This was her third year to attend the

conference, which she found useful fornew information.“I’ll be attending sessions on

bookkeeping, to learn the new thingsthat are coming, and about the newlaws that have been passed,” she said.“And I also come for all the fun.”

_______By Thursday morning, Bill and

Nancy Huss had found a comfortablespot to sit in EXPO Hall as they waitedfor the closing noon luncheon.Bill Huss, chairman of the board of

Doniphan RWD 5, said he appreciatedthe effort that went into designing andcarrying out the conference each year.“I don’t think people realize the

amount of planning and work that goesinto this by the KRWA board ofdirectors and the staff,” he said.In addition to the scheduled

educational sessions, he said, there waspower in networking.“You can learn a lot just sitting and

talking to people from other districts,”he said.Nancy has accompanied Bill for

several years. This year she took part inthe Spouse Program, where womenjoined together for an afternoon ofpainting a colorful canvas whileenjoying treats like chocolate coveredstrawberries and wine.“My ‘Picasso’ is in the car, ready to

go home,” she said. “Everybody’spainting was different, and even thoughwe had the same directions, everyonewent a different way.”

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Networking, education, and the “Easter Bunny”There’s Something for Everyone at theKRWA Conference & Exhibition


Michael Tripp, Purchasing and MaterialsManager at WaterOne, accepted thetrophy for Best Tasting Water in Kansas.

rink up! It’s “Quality on Tap!”The best tasting water inKansas is produced by

WaterOne. So says the team ofprofessionals who judged water fromWaterOne as the Best Tasting Water inKansas during the 51st AnnualConference & Exhibition. MichaelTripp, Purchasing and MaterialsManager at WaterOne, accepted theaward.WaterOne is an independent water

utility, serving approximately 425,000customers in the Johnson County area.As the largest water utility in Kansas,WaterOne is dedicated to setting thestandard for utility excellence. WaterOne dates back to 1957 when

citizens in the Mission, Kansas areawere unsatisfied with the value andservice from their water provider,organized to buy out the Kansas CitySuburban Water Company. Theyreincorporated as public water providerWater District No. 1 of JohnsonCounty. Today, the system is known asWaterOne and has grown to servicemany communities in Johnson County.The system has two water sources;

they are the Missouri River and KansasRiver. System capacity is 200 milliongallons per day to meet customers’needs.Michell Worth, WaterOne's Director

of Production, commented in the

submitted by cities and rural waterdistricts. This is the first year the cityof Russell has participated in thecontest. Russell's water supply is from two

sources; surface water from Big Creekand groundwater from its PfieferWellfield. Treatment involves acombination of water softening and anEDR (electrodialysis reversal) plant toblend surface and groundwatertogether. The plant has five operatorsand one plant supervisor.

D utility's springnewsletter Currentthat the award isa reflection ofthe hard workthat goes intomaking greattasting tap waterfor WaterOne’scustomersevery day of theyear. “There really isan art to water treatment, from oursource waters in the Kansas andMissouri Rivers all the way to ourcustomers’ homes,” said Michelle.“This award confirms that ourextensive, multi-tiered treatmentprocess produces water that is clean,safe, and tastes delicious!”A fresh sample of water from

WaterOne will go up against thewinner in each state rural waterassociation in the “Great AmericanWater Taste Test” to be held inWashington, D.C. next February.Russell places secondThe city of Russell serves 2,400

customers. The water system has aproduction capacity of 1.5 milliongallons per day to meet customers’needs. City Manager Jon Quindaycomments that the city of Russell isproud to have placed second in thecontest as nearly 30 samples were

WaterOne Judged “Best Tasting Water InKansas”; City of Russell Places Second


Edgar Peck, Elliott Insurance Group

THE CONGER AWARD

KRWA’s highest honor, The CongerAward, was presented to Edgard Peck,of the Elliott Insurance Group.Ed began his insurance career in

1963 as a building inspector and firerater with the Kansas InspectionBureau. After 22 years of involvementwith another insurance agency, hejoined forces and created a new agency.It was his position on the local waterdistrict where he served in all offices,that he saw the need for a stableproperty, casualty and directors andofficers’ insurance program. Heproceeded to develop a safety dividendinsurance plan for water districts whichwas underwritten by Employers MutualCompanies. With the endorsement ofthe Kansas Rural Water Association,nearly 250 water districts participateand have benefited from the safetydividend program that has returned five percent to 27.2 percent since 1994.As of March 30, 2018, the programwill have returned $6.1 million towater districts in Kansas.

Anyone who knows Ed knows he isa person who is of consistent integrity,never putting himself in front ofanyone else.In addition to his work on behalf of

rural water districts, Ed has served asTreasurer of the Tecumseh Townshipand board member of the Topeka-Tecumseh Fire District as well as beinginvolved in church and manycommunity affairs. All that is inaddition to his own farming operation.His firm, Anderson Peck and nowElliott Insurance Group, has been anactive supporter of KRWA and hashelped sponsor events and donatedmany prizes at annual conferences.The Conger Award was established

in 1980 to recognize persons who havemade extraordinary contributions to theAssociation’s members and others. TheAward is in honor of the first Presidentof the Association’s board of directors,Carl Conger of Iola, Kansas.

Lane Letourneau, Kansas Dept. of Agriculture,Division of Water Resources

FRIEND OF RURAL WATERAWARD

The Kansas Rural Water Associationpresented a “Friend of Rural WaterAward” to Lane Letourneau, KansasDepartment of Agriculture, Division ofWater Resources.Lane can readily be described as a

“Fine Kansan” because he has devotedmore than 30 years to public servicewith the State of Kansas. He graduatedfrom Fort Hays State University in1983 with a degree in Geology, wherehe was Geology Club President. Hethen worked in the oil patch as aLogging Engineer for three and a halfyears with Great Guns Petroleum. InJune of 1987, he accepted a position at

the Kansas State Board of Agriculture’sDivision of Water Resources where heimplemented their water use reportingprogram. He became the WaterAppropriation Program Manager at theDivision in 2006For the past several years, Lane has

been a key player at the agency to helpdevelop and implement the Governor’sWater Vision, a 50-year water planprimarily aimed at finding ways toconserve the Ogallala Aquifer. He has areputation for being an even-handedregulator, treating water users fairlyand equally.Lane has attended each of the past 30

KRWA conferences, representing theagency. Inside and outside of workLane enjoys telling jokes. In his sparetime, he enjoys hunting and fishing,helping his in-laws on their farm andspending time with his family – hiswife Penny and daughter Lakin.

Award Winners


relatively small city in east-centralKansas, it is the wastewater treatmentfacilities that are getting the lion’sshare of attention.The city’s collection system is all

gravity flow to a discharging two-celllagoon system. Because the cityexperienced some permit failures andsome sewer backup incidents intocustomer’s homes, Brian took theinitiative to have a camera inspectionof the collection system, checking forinfiltration and inflow locations and tohave a sludge profile done at thelagoon. With the results of the sewerline inspection identifying someproblem areas, the city did spot liningat eight locations and completely linedfour city blocks. In addition to liningsewer lines, the city is consideringadding another cell to increase capacityBecause the city has been notified thatthe next permit from KDHE will havea “Schedule of Compliance”, Brian hasbeen working with funding agencies tosecure funding for what will be majorimprovements. His efforts show howsomeone in a small town can make adifference.In his off time, Brian enjoys hunting

and fishing, and as a single farther, heenjoys spending a lot of time with hischildren.

Willard Perrin, City of Oberlin

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

Willard Perrin, a 28-year employeeof the city of Oberlin was presented a“Special Recognition Award” byKRWA at the 2018 conference.Willard was recognized for his

leadership, knowledge, and work ethicwhich all are something that Oberlinhas come to depend on.Oberlin has special challenges when

it comes to water. Willard wasinstrumental in innovative ideas toensure Oberlin has safe drinking waternow and well into the future. In 2014Oberlin faced the challenge of acomplete overhaul of the water supplysystem. The city had to go eight milesoutside of town to locate acceptablewater. The city constructed eight newwells with state-of-the-art pumpsystems, transporting water to town.Willard has stayed busy over the last

28 years, because he has had toinnovate on many occasions because ofthe city’s aging water mains that dateback to the 1880’s. Willard is thereason the city of Oberlin purchasednew operational software supported byGIS mapping showing all of Oberlin’sinfrastructure, particularly the water

mains. City Administrator HalleyRoberson commented that Willarddidn’t need that technology because hehad it all memorized in his head butwith new employees, Willard will bemissed.Oberlin is a very rural community

and the responsibility of the town’swater source, transport, quality, andsafety have rested on Willard’sshoulders without hesitation orquestion for 28 years. And on behalf ofthe citizens of Oberlin, KRWA waspleased to help recognize WillardPerrin’s untiring dedication to publicservice.

Brian Isch, WastewaterOperator, City of Gridley

WASTEWATER OPERATOR

Brian Isch, city of Gridley, waspresented the Wastewater Operator ofthe Year by KRWA at the 2018 annualconference.After graduating from high school in

1993, Brian spent several yearsworking odd jobs before taking a waterand wastewater operator position withthe city of Gridley. Even though he isresponsible for operating andmaintaining all city facilities in this

KRWA appreciatesthese winners fortheir hard work anddedication to theircommunities!


Carolyn Lamborn, Crawford County RWD 5

RURAL WATER BOOKKEEPER

Carolyn Lamborn, Bookkeeper forCrawford County Rural Water DistrictNo. 5 near Pittsburg, was recognized asRural Water Bookkeeper of the Year.Carolyn grew up in southeast Kansas

and attended Pittsburg State University.After working for KG & E (nowWestar) in Wichita, she accepted thebookkeeper’s position with the ruralwater district in 1991. During her yearswith the district, she has seen majorimprovements including theconstruction of new wells and waterlines. These improvements werefinanced through the Kansas PublicWater Supply Loan Fund whichrequires quarterly reporting of financialand operating data, known as FIACreports. Since completion of the projectin 2002, she has consistently compliedwith the reporting requirements,always submitting the reportscompleted and on time.Customer billing was done manually

when she began employment. Sheconverted all accounts to digital formatand moved the district from a manualbilling system to a computerized

billing system. She is currentlyworking to set-up customers to paybills online.Carolyn is very active in her sorority,

having held all offices multiple timesfor her local chapter as well as nationaloffices including national president.She is a founding member of the local“Community Thanksgiving” throughher church. For 32 years, thisorganization has provided meals andfellowship for local people who do nothave family or can’t afford a traditionalmeal. She also helps serving meals tothe homeless and poor in thecommunity. For enjoyment, she enjoyslandscaping and gardening as well astraveling, having been to Alaska andHawaii

Martha Tasker, City of Salina

UTILITIES DIRECTOR

Martha Tasker, Utilities Director atthe city of Salina, was named “UtilitiesDirector of the Year” by KRWA at the2018 conference.Martha has been a long-time resident

of north-central Kansas; she hasworked on water and wastewaterprojects across the state. Whileattending college, she worked as a part-

time intern with an engineering firm.After graduation, the job with theengineering firm became full-time. Asa member of the firm’s environmentaldepartment, she did concept and designwork on water and wastewater projectsfor many municipalities. Her attentionto detail and her ability to manageprojects while with the engineeringfirm earned her a reputation as one ofthe best unlicensed engineeringmanagers in the state from the KansasDepartment of Health andEnvironment.In 2003, after 28 years with the

engineering firm, she made a careermove and joined the city of Salina tomanage the Utilities Department. AsUtilities Director, she manages 57employees responsible for the waterand wastewater treatment plants, andthe distribution and collection systems.She oversees an operating budget ofmore than $12 million, along withmulti-million-dollar capital projects.The city uses both surface water andgroundwater and delivers 15 MGD tomore than 20,000 customers.Infrastructure includes five boosterpump stations, eight elevated storagetanks, about 330 miles of pipelineranging from 2-inch to 30-inchconsisting of cast iron, ductile iron,PVC, and HDPE pipe materials.Planning for the future is an area

where she has been very involved,including working to add a secondwater source to provide water serviceto customers if a natural disaster woulddisable the current treatment plant. Anew well field and treatment plant willbe built to serve as an emergencysupply and to support growth in thecommunity. Also, as a result of adrought several years ago, she pushedto develop a 50-year raw water supplystudy which resulted in a change inhow water rates are charged. Theresults of this change where higher


2003, he implemented the telemetrysystem and just recently, wasresponsible for upgrading that system.In 2007 when the local telephonecompany installed fiber optic cable, hespent many hours keeping waterflowing to customers even though thephone company plowed through manywaterlines. His commitment tocustomers during that time wasapparent as he was takingchemotherapy treatments and manydays should have been home restingrather than working.District board members have been

alerted by this manager that “businessas usual” is not sustainable into thefuture due to high water loss. As aresult, this 45-year-old District thatserves nearly 500 users along more than500 miles of pipeline, is seeking fundsfor a project to deal with waterlineleaks. The original pipeline is solventweld PVC pipe. The project will alsoprovide maintenance and upgrades atthe standpipes and booster stations.Ron is very knowledgeable about the

district and has a story about nearlyevery customer and every water leak. Inhis spare time, he enjoys gardening,metal detecting and woodworking.

water users pay more for water resultedin a major drop in water usage. Inaddition, she worked with the KansasWater Office and farmers in the riverbasin to reach an ultimate goal ofachieving more efficient managementof water resources for downstreamusers, while helping the city meetwater demands during droughts.Martha was one of five area

professionals to receive the Women ofAchievement Award from the YoungWomen Legacy Fund. She says “Inever thought about being a pioneer forwomen in the utilities engineeringfield. I’m just passionate about my joband doing it to the best of my ability.”

Richard Simon, City of Goodland

MUNICIPAL OPERATOR

Richard Simon, Public WorksSuperintendent at the city of Goodland,was recognized as the MunicipalOperator of the Year.Richard began with the city in 1989

as a laborer. The time spent as a laborerallowed for valuable experience fromground level. The result was his veryfast rise through the ranks as hisabilities and knowledge weredemonstrated time and time again. He

was promoted twice, first to theposition of Water Superintendent andthen to his current position of PublicWorks Superintendent.Richard oversees all water,

wastewater, street and parks operationsDuring his tenure and under hisleadership, the city constructed a newwater treatment plant, erected a newelevated storage tank, and completedwater line projects. As is generally thecase in a smaller community, a personin this position is often asked to handlea little bit of everything in addition toregular duties. There is no exceptionhere as Richard was instrumental in theoversight of a historic brick streetproject, a desperately needed waterlinereplacement project, a storm sewerproject, and heavily involved in thepromotion of a $2.3 million GeneralObligation Bond for an upcomingstreet rehabilitation project.City Manager Andrew Finzen

commented that regardless of the sizeof project assigned, Richard alwaysmakes it happen. He adds, “True to hisword, he has always come through. Hisservant-like approach extends farbeyond the workplace as he is an activemember of the community who isalways present at service organizationmeetings, charity events, andcommunity projects.”

Ron Nuss, Russell RWD No. 3

RURAL WATER MANAGER

Ron Nuss, Manager of Russell RWD3, was named “Rural Water Manager ofthe Year” at the 2018 conference.Ron has worked with the rural water

district for the past 17 years startingout as the operator before moving intothe manager position. He wasinstrumental in having the waterdistrict mapping upgraded by GPS. In


Harold Hunzeker, Nemaha RWD 1

RURAL WATER OPERATOR

Harold Hunzeker, Operator forNemaha RWD 1 at Bern, Kansas,received the award “Rural WaterOperator”Harold knows storms because soon

after he began work as a new operator,the water district was heavily impactedby an ice storm in 2007. The districtwas without power for 14 days. Inorder to maintain water pressure thedistrict operator used two tractors withtwo PTO driven generators to operatewells and pumpsThe district has low-producing

wells. In 2013 with hot and dryconditions, Harold monitored theoperation of the wells 24 hours per dayand two other wells 19 hours daily toensure adequate water was producedfor the customers. Realizing somethinghad to be done to alleviate this type ofsituation, a search for more water wasinitiated. Twenty-eight test holes weredrilled before finally locating waterwith suitable quantity and quality. Thedistrict has 152 customers with severalthat are large users due to livestock

operations and also is interconnectedto the city of Bern.During the tenure of this operator,

the district has upgraded operation ofthe wells with a telemetry system.Auto-dialer alarms were also installed.The district updated all mapping withGPS mapping. The district includedlocations where leaks have occurred onthe maps. All new installations haveboth locator wire and are also GPS’d.Harold says that it helps tremendouslyto have a good relationship with theboard of directors who care about thedistrict’s customers, state agencies andhe appreciates the help received fromKansas Rural Water Association. Ifthere’s any free time, Harold and hiswife Sharon enjoy camping.

Julie Stutzman, City of Lyndon

CITY CLERK

Julie Stutzman, City Clerk atLyndon, was named “City Clerk of theYear” at the 2018 conference.Julie is a native Kansan who has

been employed in several career fieldsincluding working in the legal area onbankruptcies, in the medical field doingmedical transcriptions, and for aprescription supplier before becomingemployed with the city of Lyndon in

2006. There, she began as a part-timeutility clerk and pool manager.Subsequently, she moved into a full-time position as city treasurer, and theninto the city clerk position, which shehas held since 2012During the last six years, while

learning and performing the duties ofcity clerk, including attending andgraduating from the city clerk institutefrom Wichita State University, the citylost its city manager. As a result, and inaddition to performing as city clerk,she found herself taking on the dutiesof city manager. She is currentlyheavily involved in a major sewerupgrade project to meet nutrientremoval requirements. Another projectbeing planned for next year (includinghaving set aside the necessary funds) iscomplete maintenance of the elevatedstorage tank. This person has beendescribed as the “GO TO” person forall city business.Outside of work Julie is very civic

minded and really enjoys her twodaughters Renee and Rachael. She alsoenjoys the outdoors, especiallycamping at Melvern Reservoir.

Rural Water District No. 2, Linn County

MOST IMPROVED WATER SYSTEM

Rural Water District No. 2, LinnCounty, was recognized as the mostimproved water system in 2017. LinnRWD 2 was nearly bankrupt a few yearsago but today is operating in the blackand has made numerous improvementsSeveral years ago, the district had

only one employee and hired outsidecontractors to perform repair work.Today, the district has four full-timeemployees – an office manager andthree operators. Equipment acquired inthese few years include a mini-


excavator, two trenchers, a skid-steerloader, two service trucks, andequipment to fuse high density polypipe. All three operators have completedheat fusion training and are certified toperform butt fusion of HDPE pipe. Also,a recent addition to the district officebuilding will allow equipment andinventory to be stored indoors. All workis now being done in house with districtfundsLinn RWD 2 began operation in the

1970’s; the district has about 800 milesof pipeline and 850 customers. Some ofthe original pipe was small diameter 1-1/2-inch pipe. About 4,000 feet of thispipe will be replaced with 3-inch pipe toincrease capacity to customers. Otherimprovement plans include adding7,000 feet of six-inch pipe to a localsubdivision.Because of the difficulty in gaining

access to homes, operators haveinstalled ten sample stations and are

planning to install ten more in the nearfuture to ensure adequate sites forcompliance monitoring. Also, fiveautomatic timer-controlled flushstations have been installed tomaintain fresh chlorinated waterthroughout the distribution system;five more will be installed in the nearfuture.Prior to a few years ago,

bookkeeping was contracted. Allrecordkeeping is now maintained bythe district. The district has a radio-read meter reading system in place forcustomer meters. Also, daily waterproduction can be monitored in therural water district office as a satelliteread system is in place to read mastermeters.The current board of directors

deserves credit for the major turn-around. As a result of renegotiating thepurchase contract with the supplieralong with improved management, this

TORRIE THIEL, RECIPIENT OF DENNIS SCHWARTZ SCHOLARSHIPThe Kansas Rural Water Association was pleased to present a $1,000 scholarship to Torrie Thiel as recipient of the

Dennis Schwartz Scholarship for 2018-19.Torrie is the daughter of Vickie Thiel who is bookkeeper for Cowley RWD No. 4 and her husband Brian who live on a

farm near Winfield. Torrie attends Central Jr-Sr High School in Burden. She ranks No. 4 in a class of 78. She has been onthe Superintendent's Honors Roll every semester of high school. She is a National Honor Society inductee and KansasHonors Scholar.

Torrie has been involved in many community activities. She has been a dedicatedleader in 4-H, holding many offices and she has earned many honors and awards forher work in 4-H. She was junior swine livestock superintendent and junior swineproject leader. Her daily chores at home include caring for and feeding livestock,doing laundry and cooking for her family. She has also volunteered at the hospital,serving meals for the needy at her church and being supportive of Big Brothers andBig Sisters. Through 4-H she has volunteered time for the Humane Society, WinfieldIsle of Lights, Respite House and local food pantry. And in addition she hassupported her school through sports earning varsity letters in basketball and softball.Torrie's goal is to attend Norther Oklahoma University with a gateway program to

continue to OSU in agricultural communications and business.The scholarship is presented to the dependent of an employee of a KRWA member

water or wastewater utility. The scholarship was established in the name of DennisSchwartz, long-service member of the KRWA board and leader in national waterutility organizations.

The office for Rural Water District No. 2,Linn County – winner, most ImprovedWater System in Kansas.

system was able to move from nearbankruptcy to operating in the black in arelatively short time. The system hasweathered many storms – but LinnRWD 2 has overcome them by workingtogether.