2011 SPLASH August

S P L A S H Summer 2011Illinois Section American Water Works Association

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S P L A S H Summer 2011

M . E . S i M p S o n c o . , i n c .

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illinois Section American Water Works Association

s t r a n d a s s o c i a t e s • l a y n e - w e s t e r n • a m e r i c a n d u c t i l e i r o n p i p e

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c h a i r r e p o r t • w a t e r c o n 2 0 1 2

chAir rEportDennis Ross, Chair

Keeping your cool . . . over the past few weeks keeping my cool has been a challenge, to say the least. It started with the A/C in my wife’s car that refused to perform for more the 30 minutes at a time. Several trips to the dealership and a completely new system corrected this problem. Having a warranty can, at times, be a life saver, and help you to keep your cool.

For those of you that were at Visitation Days you know how uncool those two days were. I don’t think I have ever

drank that much water on a golf course, unless it was at Visitation Days in Alton? Thanks to the ever present ladies from Joliet with a golf cart full of ice cold water, I was able to keep my cool. As many of us have seen, demands for water from our customers has also peaked in this past weeks, Relief may be in sight as I write this article, but for now the increased revenue stream will help to keep my cool.

The week following Visitation Days I had the pleasure of attending the Summer Workshop held at AWWA headquarters in Denver. Never missing the chance to mix business with pleasure, I took some vacation days and rode my Harley to Colorado. Crossing Kansas I was met with temperatures of 106 degrees, but no doubt the heat bouncing off the pavement brought that number to 115 degrees. The only way to recover my cool after those temperatures was to ride to the top of Mount Evans, 14,130 feet above sea level, (the photo was taken on July 28th).

Somehow I need to tie this all into AWWA, which is pretty easy. There are so many things that AWWA can do to help you keep your cool as we serve the public. We have standards for absolutely anything you need to do in your system, from disinfecting a water tower to taking proper samples in your treatment process. If a standard isn’t what your latest headache needs,

AWWA has training sessions to help that new employee start the process of becoming a certified water treatment plant operator. Check out our training catalog - there are several multi week sessions across the State. If you are looking for training on a particular session, that same catalog will help you keep your cool. Maybe the thing heating up your day is the need for just a few more hours of training, but you can’t get away from the water plant. The Section is providing free webinars the rest of this year, to help you keep your cool, not to mention your certification! Some of us are struggling with keeping our cool with our customers as we face rate increases. The AWWA bookstore has just the tools you need. New and proposed regulations get to be a source of my rising temperature, but the Water Utility Council is there to get our voice in front of the legislators, which is very cool. Maybe you just want to be cool, and that is easy to do by just being a member! You can be even cooler, by being involved on a committee or serving on the Board. Give me a call, or drop me an email I help you find your own cool spot in the Section.

Watch for the next issue of Splash, where I will probably be complaining about being cold. Two things are for sure in Illinois: this weather won’t last, and something will be changing in the water industry.

MARCH 19 - 22 SPRINGFIELD, IL

VISIT US ONLINE!http://tinyurl.com/watercon2012

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t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s • a b o u t t h e c o v e r

American Water Works Association (AWWA) is the authoritative resource on safe water, providing knowledge, information and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of water in North America and beyond. AWWA advances public health, safety and welfare by uniting the efforts of the full spectrum of the water community.

The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association (ISAWWA) has over 2100 members throughout the State of Illinois. Illinois Section AWWA is the resource for seminars, workshops, video rental library and teleconferences. The Association develops and delivers low cost and convenient educational seminars for water industry professionals.

If you would like to place an ad in Splash, please fill out the form in this magazine and return electronically to [email protected] or mail to the address below.

Illinois Section AWWA545 South Randall RoadSt. Charles, IL 60174

about illinois section awwatable of contents

about the cover

The City of Moline holds an annual art contest, “Only Tap Water Delivers”. Pictured above is winner, Maria Perez next to her artwork. This contest coincides with National Drinking Water Week and is a terrific way to bring people together in support of Tap Water – students, parents, teachers & politicians.

Chair Report ....................................................................Chair Elect Report ...........................................................Vice Chair Report ............................................................Secretary/Treasurer Report ...........................................AWWA Director Report ....................................................District 1 Trustee Report .................................................District 2 Trustee Report .................................................District 3 Trustee Report .................................................District 4 Trustee Report .................................................District 5 Trustee Report .................................................Education Committee .....................................................ISAWWA New Members ..................................................Membership Committee .................................................Backflow Committee .......................................................Backflow Bulletin #2: Boilers & Pressure Vessels ........Legislative Report ...........................................................Source Water Protection Committee ..............................Small Systems Committee..............................................Water Distribution Committee ........................................Information Management & Technology Committee ....MAC Committee ...............................................................Outreach Committee .......................................................AWWA Courageous Service Award .................................Veolia Water Launches Interactive Website… ...............Young Professionals Committee ....................................Portable Drinking Water Trailer Request Form ..............Water For People .............................................................Northwest Water Planning Alliance Forms ....................Illinois State Junior Science Fair ....................................Executive Director Report ...............................................Reminisces from Section Historian Bob Sasman .........Top-Ops for 2012 ............................................................Goose Island Brewery Tour a Success! ..........................Awards Committee ..........................................................Benefits of Student Attendance at ACE .........................Bike & Breakfast at WATERON 2012 .............................Growing Blue Fact Sheet ................................................2011 Visitation Day: Joliet .............................................2011 Visitation Day Sponsors ........................................Water Efficiency Committee ...........................................Deep Well Water Level Measurement Event .................2011-2012 Board, Trustee and Committee Chairs ......Call for Nominees: George Warren Fuller Award ...........George Warren Fuller Award Nomination Form .............2011 AWWA Membership Application ...........................2011 Visitation Day Joliet Golf Outing Pictures ............2012 ISAWWA Awards ....................................................2012 ISAWWA Awards Nomination Form ......................2012 Tapping Contest Entry Form .................................2012 Meter Madness Contest Entry Form ....................2012 Top Ops Contest Entry Form .................................Index of Advertisers ........................................................

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c h a i r e l e c t r e p o r t • d i x o n e n g i n e e r i n g i n c .

What a summer! Between the storms and the heat it is amazing anything was accomplished!

chair elect reportKevin Lookis, Chair Elect

Thank you to all who attended Visitation Day in Joliet. Despite the heat, the golf outing had outstanding participation. The presentations on Friday were very well done (and the timing was perfect, as the rain stopped just as they were finished!) and the tour of the wells, filters and pumping station was very informative.

Speaking of Visitation Day, next year will be held in Champaign and we are looking for locations for 2013 and 2014. If anyone is interested, please contact Laurie Dougherty, ISAWWA’s Executive Director. While hosting this event can be a lot of work, it is very rewarding and a great opportunity to show off your facility!

In talking with those who attended this year’s AWWA ACE in our nation’s

capital, it would appear it was a big success. The ACE next year is slated for Dallas, Texas, and this conference is another great way to network with colleagues as well as see the sights!

Remember to check out the training schedule for the period of July to December of this year. Laurie, Lisa Jordan and Sandi McGinnis (our excellent ISAWWA staff) put a lot of effort into these seminars and all of them allow you to earn hours toward maintaining your operator’s license. These educational opportunities truly are one of the cornerstones of the Section and continue to get better each year.

Have a great rest of the summer and fall!

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v i c e c h a i r r e p o r t • h o r n e r & s h i f r i n , i n c . • h m g

vice chair reportJohn H. Van Arsdel, Vice Chair

Tis the season to be …. HOT, HOT, HOT. It was a roaster of a Visitation Day for Joliet in July. Thanks goes out to Joliet (Jim Eggen and his staff), and Chris Ulm, et al, for such a sizzling golf day! I was waiting for the golf balls to explode when they got hit. Seriously, it was warm, but the day was filled with fun and friendship.

Other activities happening as this article is being written: the Summer Workshop

for officers was held in Denver; and Chair Dennis Ross was brave enough to ride his motorcycle there through the heat of the Midwest and beyond. I was not able to attend, but I am sure Dennis and Laurie were able to soak up lots of good information to share.

We had quite a plate full at the last Board meeting; and, despite the technological communication issues with the phone for those who called into the meeting, we were able to use Laurie’s and Theresa’s cell phones to get the job done.

The ACE conference was a great time. It was good to see our Illinois folks rise and shine for our Monday morning breakfast. Folks had to be up a bit earlier than normal, as the time for the opening session was earlier; but everyone was able to join in for the early morning coffee and buffet. Washington D.C. was a bit toasty while we were there, as well, but not quite the same heat as Joliet. We were pleased to watch Laurie honored at the Fuller breakfast and very pleased to see the Section receive the Club Seven membership award (again!).

There are lots of activities buzzing right now including the WATERCON planning, updated Education Calendar, YP activities, Distribution Committee, Water Efficiency Committee, web sight updates, and more. If you are looking for something to do, ask, as these folks can use your help.

One of the items of discussion at our recent Board meeting was members of various committees who are not members of AWWA. While the Board was able to resolve the issue and set a policy, I am curious why we had committee members who were not members of AWWA. Besides looking at the obvious benefits of membership in AWWA, to a certain extent, I would think that if someone were to join a committee, then they have an understanding of what AWWA is about. If that is not the case, then we may have failed in our efforts to broadcast our message about AWWA. Remember, active participation begins with you, so “tag, you’re it”! Share AWWA with someone new and watch them grow as a result.

I look forward to working with everyone. Let us continue to make this a great year!

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s e c r e t a r y / t r e a s u r e r r e p o r t • n a t g u n a w w a d i r e c t o r r e p o r t • m c c l u r e e n g i n e e r i n g

As I write this article, it is hard to believe how fast summer is passing by. Many of you recently braved the scorching temperatures at this year’s ISAWWA Visitation Day in Joliet. The event was

secretary/treasurer reportChad Laucamp, Secretary/Treasurer

well attended, and water at the golf outing, for once, was not considered a hazard, but instead a welcomed sight. With these high temperatures come increased water demand and an increased strain on water producers across the State. This presents an opportune time for water industry professionals to reach out to the public to educate them on the importance of water conservation and to cultivate an appreciation for this valuable resource that is taken for granted by so many. As the summer months come to a close and we get prepared for cooler temperatures and football games, don’t forget to explore the numerous continuing education opportunities that are available through ISAWWA. There are many training and educational seminars located across the State, and there is an increased availability of online webinars that provide members a means of obtaining CEU’s and PDH’s

while minimizing travel costs and time, which is a very attractive alternative in these times of tight budgets.

It is a constant challenge to retain membership; and our hope is that, by continuously improving the membership experience, we will achieve that goal. I have previously written in this publication about the benefits of membership, as well as to promote the education, leadership and networking opportunities provided by this organization. Our individual members are the framework that defines this Association. I encourage all members to reach out to our Illinois Section officers to provide feedback on their likes and dislikes of what this organization offers them, as well as share fresh ideas so we can continue to enhance our product. Thank you for being a valued member and I look forward to discussing AWWA and the water industry as a whole with many of you at upcoming events.

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Greetings from your new Section Director. Although I was elected by the Section last winter, my term did not officially start until the end of ACE in early June. I am honored to be a member of the national AWWA Board of Directors and will keep the Section informed of the “doings” at headquarters. I attended the winter Board meeting (to prepare for my role), ACE and associated director’s meetings in Washington, DC; and I just returned from Denver and the New Director’s Orientation.

Where has this summer gone? The Tour de France (the single most athletic event in the world) is complete and I tried to watch as much as I could – I have all the coverage taped. An Australian won the

AWWA DirEctor rEportKyla Jacobsen, AWWA Director

event for the first time in history, and the Americans had it rough with many crashes and withdrawals. The NFL has settled their dispute and now it’s ON TO FOOTBALL.

Meanwhile, back to AWWA . . . Several key issues are the main topics of discussion at the national level: partnerships with other groups, membership trends and the Utilities Connection Program.

Partnerships with other groups in a mutually beneficial way are being forged. There are water related partnerships, international partnerships and others. An example of these partnerships is the combined AWWA-WEF fly-in that occurred in Washington, DC this spring. There were 190 participants representing 49 states. This was to bring a united voice to Capitol Hill on all things water related. There are many initiatives that are being heard because of this “bigger” voice. We hope to leverage these relationships to make AWWA stronger.

Membership trends appear to be trending in the wrong direction. Because of this, the Association is going to make slight changes to membership dues. Overall, the goal is to simplify the structure. One aspect will be the elimination of the non-dues-paying Life Member. There will be a nominal charge to those Life Members to cover the cost of mailing publications, etc. AWWA needs to focus on membership value, increasing participation and

membership. This will all be rolled out by Headquarters in September and take effect in January 2012.

AWWA is going to focus on connecting back to our core members - water utilities - through the Utilities Connection Program. The new AWWA President, Jerry Stevens, who was our Section guest at the annual conference in March, is challenging all the directors to get out and meet the utility members. We are to thank them for their utility membership and solicit any feedback that they may have for the Association.

For the first time ever, several ACE sessions were broadcast as a virtual simulcast. There were 86 attendees to the virtual conference and most were people who don’t attend ACE. All the sessions that were available virtually will be archived and available. As an in-person conference attendee, I can say that the opportunity to meet and network with other professionals is incredibly valuable, but the virtual sessions are a way for me to catch a session that I was unable to attend at the actual conference. All full conference attendees can view the virtual sessions. The Board would love to get students interested in this capability and to share with universities, etc. Conventional wisdom tells us that the target audience for this type of conference would be the younger group, but all are welcome to participate. The technology train is speeding along and AWWA needs to be moving in that direction.

a w w a d i r e c t o r r e p o r t • m c c l u r e e n g i n e e r i n g

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g r e e n e & b r a d f o r d , i n c . • m e t r o p o l i t a n i n d u s t r i e s , i n c .

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b a c k f l o w s o l u t i o n s i n c .

CHECK THIS OUTthe history of drinking water in north America and the story of AWWA

http://www.awwa.org/video.cfm?ItemNumber=56433

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c a d y a q u a s t o r e i n c .

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b a c k f l o w s o l u t i o n s

DOWNLOADVISITATION DAY PIX tinyurl .com/ISAWWA-visdaysee our ISAWWA Flickr page at the URL above!

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t r o j a n u v

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d i s t r i c t 1 t r u s t e e r e p o r t

district 1 trustee reportGreg Swanson, Trustee

AWWA’s commitment and ongoing work as our government affairs advocate in Washington D.C. is something that I thought I understood and appreciated. However, I must confess that my appreciation of this advocacy has been greatly enhanced through my recent involvement in the ACE11 congressional visits initiative.

I had never been to Washington D.C. prior to ACE11; and the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital was very exciting. Many diverse images and thoughts danced in my mind ahead of the journey. On one side, images of the White House, the Washington monument and great leaders like Abraham Lincoln, who had the wisdom and fortitude to guide our nation through some of its darkest hours. On the other side, thoughts of Capitol Hill encumbered with partisan gridlock and a stream of new regulations that don’t always make a lot of sense and make our water utility work more difficult.

D.C. proved to be more beautiful and exciting then I had imagined, and ACE11 was just as fabulous. From the opening

ceremony, featuring insights from the Chilean mine rescue drilling team, and on through technical sessions, exhibition hall and other events, ACE11 was a truly exhilarating professional experience. I was especially happy to be in attendance when Illinois’ Village of Glencoe tied for second place in the Best of the Best Water Taste Test. Congratulations to Tom Weathers and the Glencoe team for putting Illinois on the map in this National competition!

While it’s hard to top such great experiences, the congressional visits had the greatest personal impact of all my ACE11 experiences. I quickly learned that Capitol Hill is a busy place, and my visits to congressional offices voicing water supply concerns were truly eye opening. These offices are bustling with activity, and people are literally waiting in line for their 10 or 15 minute opportunities to voice their concerns. There are so many issues and so many players, it is hard to understand how (or if) each voice is heard and considered. While I feel positive about my visits to Rep. Schilling’s and Senator Kirk’s offices, I left with the perception that drinking water concerns have not yet moved to the top of their agendas and a lot more work is required.

It has become increasingly clear to me that we MUST have the collective ongoing voice for drinking water utility concerns that is provided by the AWWA in Washington D.C. Without AWWA advocacy, most water utilities simply cannot afford to have a voice in Washington. The costs and logistics are too great and our individual voices are too weak. Our collective voice, through AWWA, has the strength to be heard and to remain effective as drinking water issues wend their way through the legislative process. Our AWWA memberships are the source and

support of this collective ongoing voice. Since returning home, I appreciate the benefits of Moline’s utility membership more than ever, knowing that through it we are helping to support AWWA government affairs advocacy in our nation’s capital. During a recent ISAWWA board meeting, our Chair, Dennis Ross, pointed out that AWWA advocacy is also at work in Springfield and recently provided crucial advocacy in relation to a concern confronting his water utility. In doing so, I see that Dennis had pointed out another benefit of AWWA membership that I hadn’t fully appreciated, advocacy in our State capital, as well. This has all been a little humbling, given the fact that AWWA sent our utility a plaque recognizing our 95 years of membership earlier this year. WOW . . . AWWA is thanking us, while we struggle to appreciate the many benefits that membership provides.

AWWA consistently looks after our interests by monitoring legislation and educating decision makers, but we may not always be fully aware or appreciative of all these efforts. Water utilities would face many added challenges in a world without AWWA advocacy. It is crucial that we, as AWWA members, recognize the value of this advocacy and continue to support it through our sustained membership. We must avoid complacency such as some of our customers demonstrate toward the drinking water we provide to their homes and businesses.

I postulate that this shared experience will assist other members in viewing their AWWA memberships with a renewed sense of appreciation. In closing, I extend my sincere appreciation to all AWWA members for supporting the Association, which does so much on so many levels to support our common goals and beliefs. Thank you!

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d i s t r i c t 2 t r u s t e e r e p o r t

district 2 trustee reportDon Jensen, Trustee

WHAT IS RMSOIII?As a first year Trustee I frequently learn something new about ISAWWA & AWWA. Shortly after our annual convention in March, I was invited to attend RMSOIII in Custer, South Dakota. This is the Regional Meeting of Section Officers for AWWA Region III. After speaking with a few fellow ISAWWA members who had participated in past RMSOs, each praising it highly, I realized its value and decided that I should make time to attend this conference. If I needed any more convincing, the location was the clincher – the Sylvan Lake Lodge in the heart of the beautiful South Dakota Black Hills.

The RMSO is an excellent opportunity to learn more about AWWA nationally and meet fellow officers from other Sections in our region.

ISAWWA was represented by John Donahue, John Smith, John Van Arsdel and myself.The other Sections in AWWA Region III are Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

All of these sections sent representatives to the meeting, thus providing a tremendous

opportunity to network. Representing AWWA were AWWA President Jerry Stevens, AWWA Deputy Executive Director Paula MacIlwaine, Sr. Section Services Representative Nancy Sullivan, and Senior Manager of Membership Melanie Penoyar.

The formal meeting sessions, all day Friday and half of Saturday, covered:• 212°, The Extra Degree: Member recruitment/motivation• AWWA’s Hidden Treasure – Volunteer Opportunities• Membership Retention: Myths & Realities• Sections – The Laboratories for Innovation Opportunities, Challenges, & Solutions: Sharing of Sections activities & innovations. (The Illinois Section ‘sharing’ presentation which featured a clever animation of our ‘three Johns’ describing our activities was a big hit. Well done, Laurie!)• MAC (Manufacturers/Associates Council) activities and role in the Association• AWWA Washington Update

Other topics covered included: AWWA Governance, Council and Committee Structure, AWWA Staff Contacts, Services Offered to AWWA Sections, Section Services Representatives’ Section Assignments, RMSO Schedule, AWWA 2010 Dues Structure, AWWA Section Dues Assessment, Water For People Information, Water Research Foundation Staff Contacts and Water Research Foundation Fact Sheets

RSMO was not all business, however. Our hosts from South Dakota arranged an open Jeep tour of the Custer State Park. The elevation of Sylvan Lake is 6,300 feet. At that altitude spring comes a bit later. We were greeted by a half-inch snowfall when we arrived which made the ride a ‘brisk’ one. The Park didn’t disappoint. The landscape is beautiful and the free-roaming bison, pronghorn antelope and prairie dogs thrilled us flatlanders. My group’s

ride featured an extra thrill. Our Jeep broke down and was towed the last couple of miles of twisting foothill dirt road. Quite an experience! After the ride we warmed up in an authentic Cowboy Saloon (sarsaparilla, please!) and were served chuck wagon grub to the accompaniment of a cowboy troubadour.

Many of us took advantage of the proximity of Mount Rushmore and visited this remarkable site. John Donahue and I had the pleasure of introducing Mt. Rushmore to our Canadian representatives, Emma and Wayne, of the Ontario Section.

I was even able to fool a few of the Sylvan Lake rainbow trout.

Next year’s RMSOIII will be hosted by the Indiana Section. I urge any Section officers who have the opportunity to attend to consider going.

TOP: What a beautiful place for a meeting! – View of Sylvan Lake

BOTTOM: AWWA President Jerry Stevens providing his Washington Update

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d i s t r i c t 3 t r u s t e e r e p o r t • a m e r i c a n f i l t e r s a n d & a n t h r a c i t e c o . • c d m

district 3 trustee reportTed Meckes, Trustee

Although summer is far from over, my kids are already complaining it went too fast and they don’t want to go back to school. We have had another extreme summer thus far, heavy rainfall events and extreme heat. Hopefully, all of your plants made it through the heavy rainfall and extreme heat without major problems. I know a few of our neighbors did have major problems; and I’m sure everyone in the industry wishes them the best and offer any assistance they need.

As I have said in the past, that is why I love being in the water industry. We do not compete with each other, instead we help each other. As the ISAWWA District

3 Trustee, I have had the opportunity to meet many knowledgeable individuals that I now call my friends. These friends are people I routinely call to pick their brain. I also routinely get calls from those friends picking my brain. Usually, with each other’s help, a solution can be reached.

The Illinois Section of AWWA is viewed as one of the most successful sections. Other sections try to emulate our accomplishments. Numerous other sections are now trying joint conferences after seeing the success of our Section in this area. One thing our Section needs to work harder on is gaining new members and retaining our existing members, as well as recruiting members to become active in the Section. A solution to this may be to run for office or to join a committee. If you have not been asked to join a committee, I’m surprised we missed you. Please look over the list of committees on our website (www.ISAWWA.org click on Association, then Committees) and pick one that interests you.

Volunteering for a committee is a great way to meet new colleagues and expand your knowledge. One committee that could assist when natural disasters hit is the ILWARN committee. For those communities that are not a member of ILWARN, please contact my good friend

and co-worker Jim Strutz at [email protected]. Jim would love to discuss the benefits of joining ILWARN, and I am sure he could use assistance on this committee. For those who are new to the water industry, I recommend joining ISAWWA as well as a committee. The experience is a great step in expanding your career. Not only will you meet people in your new industry, but it will be a great learning experience that your employer can’t provide for you. I would hope that employers would see a benefit for their new employees to join ISAWWA and, especially, to become involved in a committee. These younger members can gain knowledge from the older members; we are always willing to teach those who want to learn.

In conclusion, those of you that are members, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or your District Trustee if you would like to volunteer for a committee. We could always use the help, and I am sure that you will enjoy the experience. For those of you that are not a member, ask yourself, “why not?” The website www.awwa.org can detail the benefits and cost of becoming a new member. Remember why we are in this industry: to provide the highest quality water to our customers. It sure is easier when we have the help of our colleagues.

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d i s t r i c t 4 t r u s t e e r e p o r t • c m t

district 4 trustee report Jeff Kaiser, Trustee

Summer is here; and lawn irrigation systems, sprinklers, and water hoses are going strong all over my neighborhood. What a change from a year ago when we couldn’t wait for it to stop raining. All through southern Illinois water treatment plants are running hard to keep up with demand and pump stations are working around the clock to deliver water to customers, as well as to refill storage tanks. Unfortunately, the additional stress on our water systems can also result in water mains breaks, making this an even busier time for water professionals.

It is also an optimal time to assess water treatment and distribution facilities for possible needed improvements. Not only does the peak summer season highlight the capacity limitations water systems may have, it also exposes the weakness of aging pipes and pumps needing attention, and tanks in need of upgrade or repair.

All across the country, many water systems continue to kick the can down the road knowing that every year the buried infrastructure of our system is one year closer to failure due to lack

of investment. Many small systems don’t have the budget needed to make upgrades; and, if they did, there is little desire by government officials to spend the dollars necessary to maintain water systems, let alone make upgrades to meet future needs and demands.

This is why it is important that all water professionals educate their local and state officials, concerned citizens and civic leaders by providing tours of their facilities. Sure, it is hot outside and even more so inside the plants, but now is the time to invite key stakeholders out to the plants, labs, booster stations, etc., so they can see the hard work that keeps the tap water flowing.

This kind of outreach can increase the understanding of the critical importance of what we do, and how well we do it, each and every day. Tours are a great reminder to our key stakeholders what it costs in personal commitment, dedication and dollars to keep what is the most important utility service we have operating without failure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

As always, if I or any of the other AWWA representatives can be of assistance, please fee free to contact us. My contact information is phone: 618-239-3231; or email: [email protected].

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d i s t r i c t 5 t r u s t e e r e p o r t • k l i n g n e r & a s s o c i a t e s , p . c . • a e c o m e

district 5 trustee reportTim Kite, Trustee

As I am writing my report around the first week of August the temperatures and humidity have been unbearable. Our treatment plant, like so many other small systems, works overtime in July and August to keep up with the heavy demands. Although we haven’t set any major pumping records so far, the demand is still there.

Some small systems have to deal with runoff from farm chemical plants that

use a lot of water for mixing chemicals to spray on corn and beans during the farming season. With some communities offering sewer-exempt usage for gardens and watering the grass, it puts a strain on the water system and encourages customers to use more since there is no sewer charge. Some customers have installed rain barrels on the end of their gutters to help conserve water which is a good thing, if it doesn’t cause mosquito problems. This is a lot more popular in the bigger cities, and some cities are even going to recycled water in the outside tap. Don’t drink it by mistake! It’s interesting to note that 98 % of the systems in the country serve less than 10,000 people. Basically, that means that small systems outnumber the bigger systems; consequently, there are a lot more operators running small systems than operators running big systems. I briefly worked for a larger system, and I found the work can be very repetitive and boring. My actual job was to install water meters with remote readers. That’s all I did - rain or shine. Sometimes I actually got to help read meters, and that helped to break the monotony.

Since spending over 25 years in a small system, watching it grow to a rural water system, I have enjoyed the diversity of tasks that my job includes. I can actually run a lime softening plant, fix a main break, install a water service, and do all the paper work, along with the lab tests to keep our system in compliance. At times small system operators are taken for granted since they operate small systems. However, many small system operators are actually installing their own water mains, along with service lines and fire hydrants. Small system operators need to be adaptable as well as multi-talented. In many ways, we need to know more than a person working for a larger utility who is stuck doing the same job day after day. While most of our budgets are very limited we’ve learned ways to make it stretch farther.

As a rule, small system operators do a great job of maintaining and operating their system 24/7 not just 8 hours a day. If you’re a small system operator, my hat is off to you.

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e d u c a t i o n c o m m i t t e e • i s a w w a n e w m e m b e r s

education committeeNick Winkelmann, Chair

I hope that you have received, reviewed, and are taking advantage of the educational opportunities listed in the July to December 2011 training schedule. This schedule identifies many training opportunities for you and your organization. The training opportunities consist of seminars, webinars, online, home-study, and video courses. If you have not received a copy of this schedule you can go to

the Section’s website at www.isawwa.org to review the document. On behalf of the Education Committee and the entire Section, I want to thank Lisa Jordan and the ISAWWA staff for compiling, organizing, and releasing this valuable document.

The training schedule can be an extremely valuable document for an individual and also an organization. Today’s professional environment is challenging, competitive, and complicated. Professionals and all employees who want to succeed must increase their value to their organizations. Education is one of the most straightforward and significant ways for an employee to accomplish this task.

Water departments, engineering companies, service groups, etc. must set high standards for their employees to achieve the desired results. The standards that are set can be achieved through education. The Illinois Section strives to provide the highest caliber of educational opportunities. Please take advantage of these opportunities to make yourself and your team or

department more valuable. There is no limit to the value of education.

The Education Committee is currently working on a number of tasks and initiatives. We are organizing and planning the Operator’s Track for WATERCON. Also, we will be approaching member utilities to host seminars. This will provide an opportunity for more involvement in our educational opportunities and also an opportunity for utilities to showcase their facilities.

I want to thank the members of our Committee for their hard work and involvement. This dedication and interest in education makes working with this Committee an extremely positive experience.

Please do not ever hesitate to contact Lisa Jordan or myself with your suggestions, comments, or if you are a utility or organization that would like to host a seminar. We can be reached by email at [email protected] or [email protected]. Also, please feel free to contact us regarding membership on the Education Committee.

isawwa new members list april 1 - august 1, 2011Tim Back, Back Municipal ConsultingJorie Ballun Michele Bambach, Griffin Pipe Products Co.Ron Bond, Marshall-Bond PumpsRichard Boris, Village of LeeRoss Bradley Larry Dumford, Graycor IndustrialTimothy Earles, Northwestern UniversityBryan Edwards, Carterville Water & SewerBob Ervin, AQUA Illinois, Inc.Timothy Fahey, Mid American WaterDavid Fennema, Biowish TechnologiesTodd Frantti, Village of MortonMark Gendusa, Town & Country UtilitiesScott Green, City of LockportSahar Hasan, LMK Enterprises, Inc.Karen Hobbs, NRDC

Gwendolyn Hughes Michael Janse, True North Venture PartnersBrooke Jarrett Harald Jensen, Veolia Water North AmericaMichael Johnson, CWLPCameron Jones, SIU CarbondaleMark Kilgore, Illinois American WaterSusana Kimura Hara, UofI Urbana ChampaignHans Krueger, City of Chicago Water Dept.Peter Kumiega, Wilmette Water PlantJerry Last, Griffin Pipe Products CompanyMark Lattner Tony Lee, Spectrum ContractingMatthew Lotz, Village of ThayerTanya Lubner, Water Quality AssociationStacy Nevitt, Rockford City Water DivisionRoger Noe, Village of Wayne City

Ken Oestermeyer, Valves and AutomationTim O’Shea, Dezurik, IncGene Pahnke Jeremy Pas, Village of WoodlawnThomas Powers, City of Chicago Water Dept.Andrew Price, AQUA Illinois, Inc.Dennis Priewe, Rock River Water Reclamation Dist.George Reva T.J. Rodebaugh, Ferguson WaterworksJohn Schulte, Schulte SupplyJunzi Shi, Northwestern UniversityMark Shirley, Griffin Pipe Products CompanyScott Smith, City of Palos HeightsJoshua Stewart, CWLPJake Terlap, Village of Lake BluffLarry Tull, Village of PalmyraJoe Wagner

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THANKYOU TO:

M.E. Simpson Co., Inc.

for their donation to Water For

People at the BoDeans

@ Ravinia Fundraiser

Event

Ken Oestermeyer, Valves and AutomationTim O’Shea, Dezurik, IncGene Pahnke Jeremy Pas, Village of WoodlawnThomas Powers, City of Chicago Water Dept.Andrew Price, AQUA Illinois, Inc.Dennis Priewe, Rock River Water Reclamation Dist.George Reva T.J. Rodebaugh, Ferguson WaterworksJohn Schulte, Schulte SupplyJunzi Shi, Northwestern UniversityMark Shirley, Griffin Pipe Products CompanyScott Smith, City of Palos HeightsJoshua Stewart, CWLPJake Terlap, Village of Lake BluffLarry Tull, Village of PalmyraJoe Wagner

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t r i n e m u n i c i p a l s e r v i c e s l l c

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m e m b e r s h i p c o m m i t t e e • g a n n e t t f l e m i n g • n d i a n i n c .

MEMbErShip coMMittEERandy Lusk, Chair

Can you believe that the summer is more than half over?!?! Where does the time go? What a summer it has been so far, very hot, very wet and more storms than we can handle. Let’s hope this isn’t an indication of how cold or how snowy the winter will be. Well my Cubs are 20 games under .500; and I’m sure you all know what I am thinking so I won’t say it. Good news, the football lockout is over but the Bears will still not going after a #1 receiver since they seem to feel Hester is a #1. Seriously!? Are they the only people in Chicago who feel that way? I think so.

The ISAWWA won a membership award for 2010. It is the “Club Seven Award”

for recruiting the most new members for the year. Congratulations to all of ISAWWA, it’s a great achievement.

MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS:Currently we are at 2124 members, slightly down from last year but we still have time to read our goal of 2179 for the current calendar year. We have a total of 175 new members for the year, but we have lost 207. Some of the loss is from people who are retiring and don’t return their renewal, so AWWA is trying to come up with a different way to count retirees.

MEMBERSHIP APPRECIATION:Don’t forget, to show appreciation for your membership in AWWA we are offering FREE webinars to all members for the remainder of the year. To sign up today you can go to www.isawwa.org, click on Training, then Seminars/Webinars, and this will show you which webinars are available. Click on the link that says “Register for Webinar”, choose the invoice option and put “ISAWWA Member” in the Purchase Order space. Or you can simply call the Section offices at 866-521-3595 and register over the phone.

INTRODUCE A FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE TO AWWA TODAy….You joined AWWA for many great reasons, now pay it forward by sharing those reasons to someone not already

in AWWA. This will help to keep our Section growing and strong. Just by talking about the reasons you joined AWWA, we will see new members joining each month. Write your name and membership number on top of the application and you will receive credit for the new member. If you need pointers on what to say, please call me, any trustee, or staff - we can give you talking points. Student memberships are a great way to get young people interested in the water/wastewater field. It is very inexpensive and opens many doors for the next generation. Call me with any questions.

Membership Committee: If you are a member of AWWA and looking for ways to get involved with the Illinois Section, please do not hesitate to contact us. We have many committees you could participate in. If you’re outgoing and want to get involved with membership, please give me a call, I am always looking for people to help promote membership, work our booth at the conferences and share their experiences on why they continue to be a member of ISAWWA. We have 7 different conferences we will be attending this year and if you have some free time and want to contribute, we would be most appreciative of some of your time.

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backflow committeeTom Staroske, Backflow Committee Member

Backflow prevention is not something that should be taken lightly. The many rules and regulations can sometimes be confusing and often require deciphering.A group of professional individuals came together a few years ago to help clarify the many questions that exist. The group was also set up to help educate

the general public, water operators, water utility personnel, plumbers, cross connection control individuals, etc. The Backflow Committee is part of the Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association (ISAWWA). This group of just under 30 individuals is comprised of experts in their fields and includes water operators, plumbers, utility officials, manufacturer’s representatives, backflow testers, cross connection control program administrators, former IEPA personnel, PHCC personnel, distributors, ABPA officials, and more.

Creation of regular Backflow Bulletins is just one of our many goals. There are currently two Bulletins available to be downloaded for free from our website. We are also creating tri-fold brochures and other educational material. Please check our website often, as we are always adding and updating.

A feature that is also available to everyone is our “Backflow Q & A.” This

is run by a smaller group of dedicated individuals assembled exclusively to answer any questions that may arise. If you have a backflow question, we’ll be happy to answer it. All questions go to the sub-committee for review prior to answering your question or posting it on our website. GOT BACKFLOW QUESTIONS? You can type backflowblog.blogspot.com into your browser. Or simply type Backflow Questions into Google. You’ll see our heading just a few lines from the top. Click on “Backflow Question & Answer.” You also have the option of typing ISAWWA in Google. Then click the “Backflow” link below the heading in the results.

Please don’t be afraid to ask questions or use our educational material. We’re here to help.

Tom Staroske is a contributing member of the ISAWWA Backflow Committee, and is an expert in the field of cross connection control.

do you have questions about

Backflow?visit the isawwa backflow committee blog to ask a question and get a

response from the backflow committee!

backflowblog.blogspot.com

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b a c k f l o w b u l l e t i n # 2

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l e g i s l a t i v e r e p o r t

RISky BUSINESSAfter a rocky beginning, the road has been anything but smooth during the first month of the State fiscal year. The Governor signed off on the budget late on June 30. In the process he surprised everyone by pretty much going along with what the General Assembly sent to him … it had been expected that he would trim and create a pool or revenue that could be reallocated according to his wishes by the Legislature in the fall. But he did have one surprise up his sleeve when he announced that he was axing State employee cost-of-living increases that had been negotiated last year, explaining that the Legislature didn’t provide enough money to fund them.

State employee unions have gone ballistic at the Governor’s action and have gone to court and arbitration seeking to force payment of the increases. And so far, they’ve been victorious in each contested hearing or court proceeding, arguing that an agreement is an agreement and the State has a duty to fulfill its contractual obligations. In the press they have insinuated that, if the negotiated raises are allowed to be sacked, then the whole idea of future multi-year collective bargaining is at risk.

legislative reportTerry Steczo and Maureen Mulhall

As of this past week there is still a stalemate with Governor Quinn insisting that the Legislature has the appropriating power and the responsibility to provide enough to fund any raises or personnel costs and that his hands are tied. The General Assembly, on the other hand, insists that the Governor has other personnel moves that could be made, such as layoffs or elimination of other positions, to allow the raises to be paid.

The Governor has also requested that the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) approve deferring the raises by rule. JCAR members, comprised of twelve legislators, have treated the Governor’s request as a hot, hot potato, deferring any action until the issue is resolved by the courts.

Notwithstanding the push by the Governor to throw blame in other places, there are a few factors that boomerang the issue right back to his front door. First, he wasn’t much of a factor or participant in budget negotiations this past session; the Legislature creating their own plan using conservative revenue and spending plan estimates almost $2 billion below that of the Governor’s initial request. Second, this is a contract that

the Governor himself negotiated last summer and fall, so the burden for the raises falls squarely on his shoulders; and, in the end, the speculation is that the courts will determine the same. Recalling some of the court decisions rendered during the recent legislative overtime sessions, when judges ruled that State employees had to be paid regardless of whether or not a budget was in place, suggests that the Governor is on very shaky ground and should be looking in every nook and cranny for a way to identify the $75 million that will be needed to fund the increases.

REAPPORTIONMENT MAPS CHALLENGEDBoth the newly drawn State and congressional maps have been challenged in Federal court, the lawsuits having been filed this past week. Even though the Illinois Supreme Court, according to the Illinois Constitution, has “exclusive jurisdiction” over the State map, it is being challenged in Federal court based upon voting rights issues; namely, lack of an appropriate number of Hispanic/Latino districts as a primary basis. There is no timetable for any decisions but it is expected that the process will be expedited so prospective candidates can make decisions as quickly as possible.

The lawsuits have been filed by coalitions representing the Republican Party, who stand to lose the most if the new maps are approved. One important Hispanic/Latino organization, MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund), that has had some success in past redistricting court battles has not joined this battle but is reviewing it. With MALDEF joining the chances of a court victory are slim. Without them, it’s almost nil.

Historically, the losing side in redistricting fights will squawk and file a bevy of court suits. Similar activities

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are taking place throughout the nation where state legislatures are cutting up the remap “pie”. One thing to remember is that the GOP triumphs and takeovers in numerous states last November will allow them to maximize their ability to retain their current incumbents and create as many new GOP state and congressional seats as possible. The GOP in Illinois wasn’t very lucky, but a victory in their court suit could jeopardize Republican gains in tens of other states where they hit the jackpot last year.

In the meantime, there is an expectation that the courts will uphold the Illinois maps. Congressman Tim Johnson (R-Champaign) even refused to join the suit, essentially saying he felt it was a waste of time. And, with petition filing set for early December, candidate petitions can be on the streets in early September, so candidates are making plans and preparing announcements. Expect that August will be very, very busy in that regard as incumbents and others weigh options and make decisions.

“ROUND AND ROUND IT GOES …”Gaming expansion legislation and the efforts to convince the Governor to either sign or veto it have become more and more intense. The bill represents a huge increase in the number of additional casinos (five) as well as slot machines at race tracks. And, since the legislation was approved by the Legislature with hardly a vote to spare, anything other than a gubernatorial signature puts the whole package in jeopardy. It’s anyone’s guess as to where the ball will drop at this point. The Governor has said the package is “excessive” but has not said he’ll veto it. The Chairman of the State Gaming Commission, the Chicago Tribune, and others are pressuring Governor Quinn to reject or change the plan. The impacted municipalities and others who see the additional revenue as a means

of helping the State extricate itself from its fiscal morass are urging approval.

As all these forces put pressure on the Governor he doesn’t even have the bill before him and won’t until President Cullerton withdraws a parliamentary motion that has kept the legislation in the possession of the Senate. If you recall, just moments after the expansion bill passed the Senate, Cullerton filed a “motion to reconsider”. This common procedure prevents a bill from moving to the next stage … in this case the Governor’s desk. It may be that the push and pull of the gaming expansion debate will continue until the Legislature reconvenes in late October. By that time there will either be a compromise that can muster the appropriate number of votes, or the Governor will have to make a decision that is sure to both elate and disappoint large numbers of Illinoisans.

Also, just a few weeks ago, the Illinois Supreme Court nixed efforts to stop legislation that was approved for the purposes of funding capital construction projects. Part of the bill included legalizing video gaming and that portion was not part of what fueled the lawsuit, but a negative ruling by the Supreme Court would have required the Legislature to reapprove it or go back to the drawing boards. The unanimous Supreme Court opinion approving the legislative procedure in question now injects thousands of video poker machines into the State gambling mix, in addition to providing one of the key revenue sources for construction projects throughout the State.

LEGISLATIVE APPOINTMENTSRep. Kent Gaffney has been appointed to complete the term of former Rep. Mark Beaubien who passed away in June.

Rep. Jerry Costello, Jr. has been appointed to replace former Rep. Dan Reitz who resigned.

Representative Dave Winters (R-Rockford) and Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) have announced they will not seek reelection in 2012. There may be quite a few such announcements in the coming weeks.

VETO SESSIONThe General Assembly will convene on October 25, 26, 27 and November 8,9,10 for its veto session.

BILLS OF INTERESTOnly bills that are still alive are listed.

HB 248 – Rep. May/Sen. Garrett - Amends the North Shore Sanitary District Act. Authorizes the board of trustees of a sanitary district to enter into an agreement to sell, convey, or disburse treated wastewater with any public or private entity located within or outside of the boundaries of the sanitary district; provides that any use of treated wastewater by any public or private entity shall be subject to the orders of the Pollution Control Board. (Current Status: Sent To Governor)

HB 308 – Rep. Tryon/Sen. Link - Creates the Closed Loop Well Contractors Certification Board. Provides that the Closed Loop Well Contractors Certification Board shall advise and aid the Director in (i) preparing subject matter for continuing education sessions, (ii) adopting rules, (iii) holding examinations, (iv) holding hearings, (v) submitting recommendations to the Director, (vi) grading all tests and examinations, (vii) performing other duties, and (viii) conferring with the Water Well and Pump Installation Contractors Licensing Board; amends the Illinois Water Well Construction Code; provides that the Department shall by rule require a one-time fee for permits for the construction, modification, or abandonment of closed loop well; provides that all closed loop contractors shall be certified by the

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l e g i s l a t i v e r e p o r t • f e r g u s o n w a t e r w o r k s

Department; provides that all closed loop contractors who are certified may not engage in the occupation of closed loop well contractor unless he or she is registered with the Department. (Current Status: Sent To Governor)

HB 1657 – Rep. Bellock/Sen. Althoff - Adds an Illinois congressional delegation member, or his or her designee, to be appointed by the Governor to the Task Force on the Conservation and Quality of the Great Lakes; provides that no later than June 1 of each year, the Task Force shall submit a report to the General Assembly outlining its recommendations concerning legislative actions to protect the water quality and supply of the Great Lakes. (Current Status: Approved – PA 97-213)

HB 2056 – Rep. Osmond/Sen. Schmidt- Excludes from the definition of “pollution control facility” the portion of a site or facility used to incinerate only pharmaceuticals from residential

sources that are in the possession or control of a law enforcement agency; authorizes a law enforcement agency to collect pharmaceuticals from residential sources and to incinerate the collected pharmaceuticals in a manner that is consistent with rules adopted by the Agency; authorizes the Department of State Police to use moneys in the Household Pharmaceutical Disposal Fund to make grants to local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of facilitating the collection and incineration of pharmaceuticals from residential sources.; defines “law enforcement agency”; amends the Unified Code of Corrections; requires a $20 assessment to be levied against persons who commit specified drug offenses; authorizes the Circuit Clerk to retain 5% of the penalties collected; provides that a law enforcement agency may collect pharmaceuticals from residential sources and transport those pharmaceuticals to an incinerator permitted by the

Environmental Protection Agency to be incinerated in accordance with the permit, permit conditions, the Act, and rules adopted under the Act. (Current Status: Sent To Governor)

HB 3090 – Rep. Arroyo/Sen. Delgado- Provides that any city, village, or municipality may authorize the use of its city hall or police department to display a container suitable for use as a receptacle for used, expired, or unwanted pharmaceuticals; provides that the used, expired, or unwanted pharmaceuticals may include unused medication and prescription drugs; provides that the receptacle shall only permit the deposit of items, and the contents shall be locked and secured; provides that the container shall be accessible to the public and shall have posted clearly legible signage indicating that expired or unwanted prescription drugs may be disposed of in the receptacle. (Current Status: Sent To Governor)

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s o u r c e w a t e r p r o t e c t i o n c o m m i t t e e • b a x t e r & w o o d m a n • b l a c k & v e a t c h

source water protection committeeKeith Alexander, Committee Member

An Illinois Nutrient Control Stakeholders meeting was held on May 16 at IEPA headquarters in Springfield. About 60 people representing government, environmental groups, municipal and

industrial wastewater dischargers, agricultural groups, academia, non-governmental organizations, and consulting firms with an interest in the topic of nutrient pollution were in attendance. The meeting covered the following topics:• Illinois Agricultural Industry Enhanced Nutrient Stewardship Strategy named KIC 2025 (Keep It for the Crop by 2025)• IEPA Watershed Prioritization Process• IEPA review of the first draft of Cultural Eutrophication (a water quality standard) and Phosphorus (an effluent standard)• Public comment on the first drafts

Cultural Eutrophication means the process by which water bodies become phosphorus enriched through human activities, resulting in excess growth of algae or aquatic plants, which in turn cause a diel

(24 hour) or longer term cycle of dissolved oxygen depletion.Keith Alexander with the City of Decatur was in attendance representing the Committee. If you have any questions regarding the meeting, please contact him at 217-424-2863 or [email protected]. The IEPA Nutrient Issues web site at http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/nutrient/index.html may eventually contain information regarding the May 16 meeting.

Please contact Robyn Doescher, Committee Chair, if you have any nutrient management ideas or feedback that would be useful to your organization and/or ISAWWA membership. The State continues to be especially interested in short-term and long-term action items that interested organizations can offer to effectively address nutrient pollution in Illinois waters.

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s m a l l s y s t e m s c o m m i t t e e • w a t e r d i s t r i b u t i o n c o m m i t t e e

small systems committeeJon Meyer, Chair

On a recent visit to the farm of my girlfriend’s father, we saw the hog that he is getting ready for the Indiana State Fair. Last year, Tickle Me Elmo III (Elmo), a Duroc hog, weighed in at 1,277 pounds to become the world’s largest pig. He is on track to beat that number this year. Elmo loves to eat. But on this hot summer day, Elmo wouldn’t even move for his favorite snack: watermelon

husks. Neither would any of the other animals. The farm was motionless except for the buzzing of flies and the soft clucking of chickens. That evening the temperature cooled down quite a bit, and the farm came to life. And there was Elmo, eating his watermelon husks amid the swirl of flies. This is the scenario unfolding with the Small Systems Committee. We are springing to life; and we have lots going on!

First off, I want to welcome Mike Burris of Crawford, Murphy & Tilley to the Small Systems Committee. Mike works as a consultant to many small water systems, and his dad (also a well-respected member of the Illinois water community) was a close friend of Wayne Nelson (of IRWA and the Small Systems Committee). Mike is a very welcome addition to our Committee.

Secondly, I would like to give my sincere thank you to the Education Committee. They have agreed to collaborate with our Committee and let us host a workshop geared towards minimally staffed utilities. This workshop will be

in parallel to theirs, and will take place on Operator’s Day. This collaboration demonstrates the partnership capabilities and teamwork mentality of our organization to achieve a common goal to efficiently meet the needs of our members. That is fantastic. Don’t you wish the government worked like that?

We are currently in the planning stage of the workshop; but the ideas are flowing and the outcome will be a fantastic opportunity to provide information useful for minimally staffed utilities. We will now have a conduit to serve these utilities that typically need hands-on (nuts-and-bolts) knowledge and training to develop their skill sets to enable them to run their systems effectively.We have more in the works, so stay tuned.

Please visit our website on the ISAWWA portal for more information regarding the Small Systems Committee. If you have any questions, or would like additional information, please contact me at [email protected] or 312-780-7754.

water distribution committeeOwen Keenan, Chair

The Water Distribution Committee has set the date of April 17, 2012 for the fifth annual Water Distribution Conference to be held in Countryside, Illinois. The conference will have eight presentations approximately 45-50 minutes long on relevant water distribution topics. Individuals are invited to send abstracts of up to 400 words to Lisa Jordan ([email protected]) and Owen Keenan ([email protected]) for consideration by the Committee. The conference will also have exhibits from various vendors, and attendees will be able to earn valuable renewal training credit hours for water operators and professional development hours for engineers. More information on this

conference will be given in future issues of Splash.

Our Committee continues working on the Asset Management for Dummies project.

All work and no play makes for a dull Committee. Our Committee members met at the Arlington Park Racetrack on Friday, August 12th for food, beverages and some exciting horseracing. (No, we were not reviewing abstracts.) If you are interested in joining the Water Distribution Committee, please contact Lisa or Owen.

Best wishes for a safe and happy summer to all AWWA members and their families.

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i n f o r m a t i o n m a n a g e m e n t & t e c h n o l o g y c o m m i t t e e * f a r n s w o r t h g r o u p

information management & technology committeeDon Bratschie, Chair

STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTIONThe Information Management and Technology (IMTech) Committee continues to maintain its strategic vision to accomplish our Mission Statement and our leading strategic goals.

IMTech Mission Statement: To be the authoritative resource for the dissemination of education and information on state-of-the-art technology to members of the Illinois Section AWWA. IMTech Goals:1) To increase member participation at the annual IMTECH Conference2) To support the ISAWWA Annual Conference with technology issues

CONFERENCE PLANNINGThe IMTech Committee has been hard at work revamping our annual conference format which will debut in the summer of 2012. This technology focused conference has been renamed the:“Midwest Water & Wastewater Technology Conference – hosted by: ISAWWA”

This new name is indicative of some of the following changes:Regionalization to attract attendees from the general Midwest area.

- Inclusion of wastewater to appeal to a broader audience in an industry that has many of the same technology needs as ours.- Technology Conference topics will be hot or emerging topics that appeal to operators, management and utility consultants alike.

We will continue the planning efforts for the remainder of 2011 and into the early part of 2012. If you have ideas for presentations or would like more information about this conference planning, please contact me at [email protected].

BLOGThe Committee will be unveiling a new blog which will provide monthly articles

focused on technology and business software solutions for water utilities. These articles will provide timely information on technology topics and will appeal to a wide range of readers. Please visit the blog for a sneak peak and check back regularly for updates at: http://isawwa-imtech.blogspot.com/

MEMBERSWe are growing but we aren’t done yet! We are still looking for members. The commitment for this Committee is participating in a bi-monthly phone call or in-person meeting and participation in the planning and/or execution of our annual conference. We also ask members gifted with the ability to write to submit one or two articles per year for publication on our blog. If you are interested, please contact Lisa Jordan ([email protected]) or Don Bratschie ([email protected]).

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m a c c o m m i t t e e * a l f r e d b e n e s c h

MAc coMMittEETerry Locke, Chair

Big changes are in the works for WATERCON. Now that WATERCON has become a permanent joint conference between the ISAWWA and the IWEA, the MAC Committee believes that we need to expand the exhibit hall hours to provide exhibitors with more bang for their buck by allowing more time for more conference attendees to visit the exhibits. With today’s economy limiting some attendees to just a single day visit, we felt this was of paramount importance to ensure a quality experience for every exhibitor.So, here’s the plan. We will open the exhibit hall an hour earlier on Tuesday. We’ll stay open an hour later and stay open longer on Wednesday. The new exhibit hall hours are:

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 9:00 a.m until 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

In case you’re wondering how we can expand the exhibit hall hours, it’s because the Tapping Contest is moving upstairs to the second floor

and will not interfere with the exhibit hall. With the Tapping Contest taking place in the main ballroom on the second floor, for those of you who may be considering booth space in the second floor lobby, you will be able to keep your booth assembled during the competition.

Because of the expanded hours of the exhibit hall, we are also working on ways to drive traffic through the hall. To that end, we will be providing a lunch in the exhibit hall on Wednesday during the Fuller Luncheon which takes place from 12:00 – 1:30. The IWEA will also be sponsoring their putting contest from 12:15 until 1:45 which we expect will bring visitors to the hall. And we have a few other surprises up our sleeves that we expect will bring people into the hall to interface with exhibitors.

Your MAC Committee is working very hard to make sure that ALL exhibitors have the best possible experience at future WATERCON joint conferences. We are always open to new ideas, so please feel free to contact any member of the committee listed on the ISAWWA Website with your suggestions. And, if you want to be a part of our committee, that can also easily be arranged.

I want to remind all you exhibitors that you need to order your lunch for Tuesday and Wednesday separately from your booth reservation. Neither lunch is included in the booth price. Tuesday’s box lunch is $10.00 and Wednesday’s buffet lunch is $25.00. If you’ve already reserved your booth, you can still go to the Registration page on the website and order your lunches. We’ll see you at WATERCON in March.

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o u t r e a c h c o m m i t t e e • a w w a c o u r a g e o u s s e r v i c e a w a r d

outreach committee: youth outreach initiatives for the coming school yearKristin Rehg, Chair

Back to school is just around the corner. With teachers and students preparing for the coming school year, it’s time to start promoting the youth education and outreach resources that ISAWWA can provide.

We are looking for volunteers to visit schools to speak about the water cycle,

water treatment, or careers in the water industry. We’ve had great success so far with members visiting schools in their area – engaged and interested students and great discussion. The Section has informational flyers and other materials to supplement classroom discussions and facility tours.

The Safe Water Scholarship Program, which will award up to $3,500 in scholarships at WATERCON, is entering its third year. This program provides financial assistance to students pursuing a water-related field of study, including engineering, science, and utility operations. Scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000 are available for adult continuing education students, college undergraduate students, high school graduates about to enter college, and high school students attending a related summer education program.

The scholarship application is available for download at www.isawwa.org (click on the Outreach Program link and scroll down to the bottom of the page).

Please help us promote this important program by passing the application on to anyone you know who may qualify, or dropping off application packets at your local high schools, technical schools, community colleges, or universities.

We’re always looking to expand our network of volunteers. From something as simple as passing an informational packet along to your child’s teacher, to giving a tour of your water treatment plant to students, to providing lab facilities or mentoring to a student working on a water-related science fair project, there are many ways that you can personally advance this important initiative. We can also use volunteers at annual events including the Illinois Science Teachers Association conference (Orland Park, Nov. 2011), high school student activities at WATERCON, and the annual state science fair. Please visit www.isawwa.org and click on the Outreach Program link at the top, or contact Kristin Rehg for more information at [email protected].

Our thoughts and prayers have gone out to individuals in the areas affected by this spring’s slate of difficult and deadly storms. We know that those in the water industry are working overtime to assure that residents have safe and sufficient water. We are hearing stories of brave and honorable AWWA members who have overcome these difficult challenges―stories of individuals

who may very well qualify for AWWA’s Courageous Service Award. The Award was created:To recognize individuals who may not exactly fit the requirements of the Heroism Award, but are deserving of some type of recognition. These individuals may be credited with risking their own life by "staying at their post" in an effort to save their water

supply. While these individuals may not have saved someone else, they certainly went "above and beyond" the call of duty.

Eligibility and qualifications for the Award are located on the Courageous Service Award web site, http://tinyurl.com/awwa-awards. Please consider nominating a deserving person in your section.

awwa courageous service award

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v e o l i a w a t e r

veolia water launches interactive website examining water’s economic, environmental and societal impact

Growing Blue™ provides a data-rich, user-friendly perspective on the state of water both globally and locally

In May of this year, Veolia Water launched GrowingBlue.com, a data-driven resource that is designed to help municipalities, businesses and consumers gain a better understanding of today’s and tomorrow’s global and local water challenges and best practices. Focused on nature’s essential but often forgotten element – water –GrowingBlue.com uses a variety of tools, including animated maps, infographics and case studies, to provide a visually compelling, user-friendly representation of the current state of water in 180 countries. The site also includes possible water availability scenarios in 2050 and the intrinsic link between water and economic prosperity, societal stability and environmental sustainability.

Urban, domestic, industrial and agricultural sectors worldwide are competing for increasingly limited water supplies, and communities are being forced to reconsider the future of their economic and population growth. Currently, 2.5 billion people (36 percent of the world’s population) live in water-stressed regions, while more than 20 percent of the global GDP is already produced in risky, water-scarce areas. According to new data presented on the GrowingBlue.com site, almost half of the world’s economy and 4.8 billion people, roughly half the world’s expected population, could be located in regions facing water limitations by 2050.

“Water is one of the most critical factors in determining how and at what pace our world can support humanity’s continued growth,” said Laurent Auguste, president and CEO of Veolia Water Americas. “The economic implications of the absence of water are no less profound than the environmental or societal implications. GrowingBlue.com examines water from

all three perspectives, while providing real intelligence on more effectively managing this uniquely vital resource. Our local and global water challenges often stem from a lack of public awareness, long-term planning and proper water resource management. Only by changing today’s approach to water resource management and water productivity can we ensure a prosperous future. This path – one that is sustainable and ‘blue’ – will help ensure a better world for the next generation.”

GrowingBlue.com consists of three primary sections:•The Growing Blue™ Tool – A one-of-a-kind summary of the current state of water in 180 countries worldwide, as well as an initial focus on 50 U.S. states and major cities, which translates complex data gathered from a number of resources into a series of animated maps and benchmarks. Facts and figures accompanying each map provide analysis and rank the region’s water stress; municipal, agricultural and industrial water use; and condition of the current water delivery infrastructure. The information, including all data in its original spreadsheet format, is packaged into a PDF for water management officials and government leaders to download and use as a resource.

•2050 Scenarios – Presents different economic, social and environmental scenarios that communities and companies worldwide could face in 2050 based on the implementation of sustainable water management practices versus “business as usual” approaches.

•Implications of Growth – A candid, data-driven assessment of water’s economic, environmental and social impact that includes real-world examples of the costs, trade-offs and potential solutions to a variety of water challenges.

Veolia Water, in collaboration with Global Water Intelligence, was the main underwriter of the site, in consultation with industry colleagues, scientists, academia and non-governmental organizations, such as Clean Water America Alliance and the International Food Policy Research Institute.

“People often overlook the fact that water is an economic issue as well as an environmental one, and because we miss the economic dimension there is a real danger that the environmental challenge will be much greater,” said Christopher Gasson, publisher of Global Water Intelligence. “What Growing Blue does is put the economic importance of water center stage, and by doing so makes the case for the kind of smart investment in infrastructure that is going to both protect the environment and support local economic improvements in the long term.

“We have allowed rivers to run dry, aquifers to become salty, and networks to become leaky and unsafe, but still most people seem to see this as the inexorable process of environmental change. I hope that by focusing on the economic impact of our failure to invest in water, we can redefine the solutions to the crisis. If we can put a price tag on our failure to act, then we don’t need to stand there immobilized by the horror of the environmental destruction.”In addition to the visual representations of the current and future states of water, GrowingBlue.com also contains:•Case studies from around the world, addressing water challenges and potential solutions for mitigating risks

•Updated news on water-related issues, as well as white papers and other resource materials

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•Links to other leading water-focused websites

About Veolia Water North America Based in Chicago, Veolia Water North America is the leading provider of comprehensive water and wastewater partnership services to municipal and industrial customers, providing services to more than 14 million people in approximately 650 North American communities. The company is part of the Veolia Environment companies in North America, with 30,000 North American employees providing sustainable environmental solutions in water management, waste services, energy management, and passenger transportation.

Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environment, is the world leader in water and wastewater services and technological solutions. Its parent company, Veolia Environment (NYSE: VE and Paris Euronext: VIE), is the worldwide reference in environmental services. With more than 315,000 employees, Veolia Environment recorded annual revenues of $46 billion in 2010. Visit the company’s websites at www.veolianorthamerica.com and www.veoliawaterna.com.

About Growing Blue™ GrowingBlue™ was created to tell the important story of how water is as essential to our economic and social growth as it is to ensuring healthy ecosystems and our natural environment. The site is meant to serve as a resource for credible, accurate information on water, aimed at increasing global awareness of our water challenges and the need for thoughtful solutions. For updates, follow us on Twitter @GrowingBlue or visit www.growingblue.com.

SEE FACT SHEET ON PAGE 51

The 2011 Young Professional Summit in Louisville, Kentucky was a great experience. The Summit was a joint effort with members from both AWWA and WEF, very much like our own ISAWWA WATERCON.

Keynote speaker Shari Harley entertained the crowd with tips on how to better communicate. The funniest advice included blow-by-blow strategy for telling a co-worker that they smell. YPs from all facets of the industry contributed: operators, management consultants, civil engineers, biologists and even students. There was so much diversity, even Canadians felt comfortable showing up.

The lecture part of the summit featured an “open mike” for YPs to talk about initiatives/successes/loses that was both an opportunity for YPs to present to a packed house and a unique opportunity to get different perspectives on committee mission and effectiveness. Illinois’s Kristin

young professionals committee: 2011 national awwa/wef yp summitBrian Kooistra, Vice Chair

Rehg gave a talk about our initiative to create SOPs in an attempt to smooth out leadership transition given the inherently frequent turn-over of a group like YPs. A WEF member from Florida talked about community outreach projects coordinated around WEFTEC that showed a lot of passion for people and the industry. And, a consultant/operator team from AWWA’s Pacific-Northwest Section gave an excellent presentation outlining lessons learned from an operator-focused recruitment effort and outlined their vision for the future.

Opportunities like the Summit highlight the importance AWWA places on the YPs for attracting a new generation to the organization and the water industry as a whole. For me, this was my first exposure to the national level of AWWA and it was an eye opener in many ways. The national level is invested in helping sections build and unite to solve similar challenges, but they are also dependent on section members to step into national leadership roles that may seem removed or distant to people just getting into the industry. In the end, it was a great opportunity to network with peers that managed to be educational and expand my horizons.

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w a t e r f o r p e o p l e • h e n r y p r a t t • o p t i m i z a t i o n s o l u t i o n s • r e d v a l v e c o m p a n y , i n c .

What a great start to summer we have had! On July 29th WFP hosted its first ever musical venue fund raiser. We only sold a total of 12

water for peopleEdna Sugden, Vice Chair

tickets to see the BoDean but had a fabulous time at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park. For those of you who have been there before, you would not believe the lawn space that Todd Schaefer was able to squat for us, right behind the pavilion. We danced to songs we knew (and some we didn’t) right outside of the pavilion. A very special thank you to Todd Schaefer and Andrea Putz for all the hard work they put into making this happen. For those of you who have never been to Ravinia, it is a musical venue where you can purchase pavilion seats to enjoy a concert or bring your own chairs, blankets, food, drink, tables, and even candelabras or center pieces, if you wish. Just sit back on the lawn and enjoy listening to good music with good friends. Watch for our announcement next year! I’m hoping to have 4x the turn out.

The Mid Central Water Works Association annual golf outing date for this year is August 17, 2011 at Bloomingdale Golf Club in Bloomingdale, Illinois. Water for People will be benefitting from the raffle ticket sales for their Silent Auction. Hope to see you there!

Our Committee has also been invited to be guest bartenders at Irish Oak Pub in Chicago, and the date is tentatively set for September 22. Please watch for more information on this fun event, and plan on joining us. Irish Oak will donate 10% of all our sales to Water for People. Irish Oak Pub is located at 3511 North Clark Street in the heart of Wrigleyville. Who couldn’t use a quality night out in a good ole’ Irish Pub? If anyone is interested in more information, or if you would like to bartend that evening, please contact me at [email protected].

BELOW: Edna Sugden presenting the Illinois Section AWWA WFP Fundraising efforts during our Annual Conference to Ned Breslin.

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northwest water planning alliance formsPeter Wallers, Engineering Enterprises, and Mayor Thomas Weisner, City of Aurora

The groundwater and Fox River dependent water providers in DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, Lake, and McHenry Counties have recently banded together to coordinate their water supply resource planning.

In March of 2010, the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Supply Planning Group (RWSPG) completed and approved the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Supply / Demand Plan (Water 2050). This landmark plan, which covers 11 counties in northeastern Illinois, provides a roadmap to achieve sustainability of clean and affordable water for residential and commercial use in the region. A copy of the plan can be found on the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) web site at: www.cmap.illinois.gov/water-2050

Among the many recommendations included in the plan is the encouragement of cooperative water resources planning by the various agencies with water supply responsibilities. Municipalities, working through their councils of government (COG) have embraced this cooperative planning approach and have partnered with five counties to form a sub-regional planning group intended to advance

the recommendations and concepts identified in the Water 2050 plan.

The Northwest Water Planning Alliance (NWPA) was officially constituted by intergovernmental agreement on September 10, 2010. The NWPA consists of five local COGs representing approximately 79 municipalities and five counties (DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, Lake, and McHenry) totaling over 1.3 million people. The NWPA executive committee is the governing/directing group for NWPA and consists of nine elected municipal representatives and the five county board chairpersons.

The NWPA is specifically targeted to groundwater and inland surface water dependent communities and suppliers. The NWPA is dedicated to water resource planning, water conservation, and education. It operates as a voluntary organization.

The NWPA has formed a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) consisting of public works officials, planners, engineers, hydrogeologists, and other water professionals. The TAC is currently meeting the 4th Tuesday of the month at 10:00 am at the Centre in

Elgin. The TAC meetings are open to the public. If your schedule permits, please feel free to attend.

The NWPA will from time to time be sending out information regarding water supply planning in the region which we believe will be of interest to you and that you can integrate into your local water supply planning activities. As examples, the NWPA is currently involved with two initiatives. First, NWPA is working with the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) on a cooperative effort to enlist water operators to measure water levels in their deep aquifer wells and submit the information to the ISWS. Second, NWPA is working with CMAP to prepare educational materials that can be included in your newsletters or as water bill inserts.

Water is a critical resource for our region. In order for our region to achieve sustainability and economic success, intelligent water planning is essential. We encourage you to join with the Northwest Water Planning Alliance as we work toward a sustainable future.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, please contact: Larry Thomas, [email protected]

PICTURED LEFT: Pete WallersEngineering Enterprises, Inc.

PICTURED RIGHT: Mayor Thomas WeisnerCity of Aurora

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illinois state junior science fairRandy Vanderwerf, Chair

The Illinois Junior Academy of Sciences State Science Fair for junior and high school students was held on Saturday, May 7th at Assembly Hall of the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. The Science Fair subcommittee of the Outreach Committee judged many different projects which were focused on issues important to the drinking water industry. This year we selected five projects as outstanding – three in junior high and two in high school.

Ajay Dugar is an amazing seventh grade student from Crone Middle School in Naperville. His project “Which Purification Method Best Reduces Bacterial Growth in Water?” studied various methods of purifying water such as freezing, boiling, using a microfilter, or filtering with sand and iron filings by measuring E. coli in the water samples before and after treatment. Ajay was surprised that freezing was the least effective method and actually grew more E. coli rather than having a reduction. He thought this could translate into preserving bodies for cryobiology.

Our eighth grade winner was Martha Motoyama from Gregory Fischer Middle School in Aurora. Martha’s project “Natural Water Filtering!” experimented with various filter media (charcoal, sand and gravel) to determine which method was most effective in removing particles in the water.

Our other eighth grade winner was Katie Schuelke, from Walter R. Sundling Junior High School in Palatine, whose project “Filters for Clean Water”, combined different natural materials with activated filter media to determine their effectiveness if filtering out ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Katie utilized activated carbon, zeolite crystals, sand, gravel and cotton and found that a combination of activated carbon and sand removed the most contaminants.

One of our high school award winners was 10th grade student Alexander Gasca from Payton College Prep School in Chicago for his project “Zero Valent Iron Filtration vs. Chlorination.” He evaluated alternative, safe and cost effective methods of water disinfection using various combinations of zero-valent iron (ZVI) and sand filtration rather than chlorination which is more costly and has safety risks. Alex found that the combination of micro-scale ZVI with sand filtration was the only method able to obtain 100% disinfection efficiency other than chlorination, but ZVI is less expensive.

The other high school award winner was 12th grader Cyatharine Alias from Niles North High School in Skokie for her project “Nature’s Filters: The Effect of Plant Mucilage on Water Coagulation.” Her experiment was to determine whether plant mucilage such as cacti, Chinese yam, tamarind and okra gel can

be used to coagulate soluble particles in water. Cyatharine found that the plant gel-water mixtures cannot coagulate the pollutants because they were less effective than water alone. But, of the plants, Dioscorea opposita (Chinese yam) was the most effective in reducing turbidity, copper and iron concentrations.

Our two eighth graders are honorable mention winners and will each receive a $250 savings bond, while the three other winners will each receive a $500 savings bond. Every one of them has expressed an interest in participating in our conference in Springfield next March. Please stop by and see their presentations and encourage their work in the water industry!

ISAWWA’s involvement in the science fair would not be possible without our dedicated committee members! Our volunteers this year were Tim kite and Linda Humphreys (Long Creek Township Water Department), Paul Burris (DuPage County Public Works), Robert Martin and Susan Martin (Benesch), Walter Voegel and Elizabeth Doellman (Illinois American Water Company), Todd kerry (Water Well Solutions) and Ray Ames and Jacque Ames (retired).

Please consider contacting your local schools to provide support for the science fair and other education activities. If you would like to participate in next year’s science fair, please email me ([email protected]) and I will include you on the mailing list. We can always use more members for the science fair and other Outreach Committee activities.

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e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r r e p o r t

Every day we hear about the troubled economy and how recovery will continue to be slow. At the same time, both water operators and engineers are required to maintain their credentials through training and continuing education. With travel restrictions and doing more with less, we realize this is a challenge.

In evaluating how we can best help you, the members, with this situation, we

are excited to announce a new program piloting this fall. It is a different approach to training, marketing and delivery of information to and from our members.

Let me introduce you to: The Engineering Power Hour.

Currently, all of our educational training opportunities are educational only in nature and are not product specific. We are now adding a new series that will be product and service specific, with learning objectives included.

There is a need for manufacturers and their representatives to communicate the products that they have available to engineering firms and utilities in a cost efficient way.

There is a need for engineering firms to communicate information on projects and special methods or case studies to potential utility clients. We are going to bridge that gap by offering a new webinar service – Engineering Power Hour.

The Illinois Section AWWA will be hosting one hour webinars on Fridays starting this fall. This is a member-

executive director reportLaurie Dougherty

only benefit, as the presenters need to be Illinois Section AWWA Section members. Illinois Section AWWA members can register to view the webinars for free as a member benefit. Non members can register for a small fee to view the webinar. Non members will NOT be offered the opportunity to present, but will be presented the opportunity to join and, subsequently, to submit an abstract for consideration.

To submit your abstract for Engineering Power Hour, follow this link and include the title, short description, presenter, learning objectives, member number and contact information. Lisa Jordan will follow up with you with further information.http://tinyurl.com/isawwa-powerhour

If you have ideas of innovative ways to deliver training, and make connections, just send us an email. We are always looking for cost effective ways to make your membership more valuable.

It’s the connections that you make that help get you where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow.

PICTURED LEFT: Students who took part in the Illinois State Junior Science FairPICTURED ABOVE: Judges of the Illinois Sate Junior Science Fair

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reminisces from section historian bob sasmanBob Sasman, Historian

THE TWO COLDEST DAySWhile I was still in the Champaign office of the State Water Survey, I was often given the job of checking on the testing of a new well somewhere in the State. One day, probably in January, I was told to drive to the Quad Cities area and observe the testing of a new well for one of the communities east of Moline and about as high above the Mississippi River as it was possible to get in that area. The pumping test was underway when I arrived, and all seemed to be going okay--except that it was cold - somewhere around zero or maybe below. The well contractor had a “dog house” on the site and that was the only place that was anywhere near comfortable – although not necessarily warm. The water discharging from the test pump was freezing almost before it hit the ground, and there was a huge pile of ice. I don’t remember the details of the pump test, but I do remember watching two men high above the ground welding on the bowl of a new elevated tank. I was glad I was on the

ground. I collected a water sample and some of the records of the new well and pumping test.

Later that day, I drove to Crystal Lake – a long way across the northern part of the State to McHenry County. The Water Survey had a water level recorder in an observation well on the south side of the Lake of Crystal Lake, which was part of an on-going study attempting to analyze the relationship between the level of the lake and the water level in the surrounding ground area. Our local contact man, Ed O’Neil, was the Police Chief for the Village of Lakewoods, a small community along the shores of Crystal Lake. It was late when I arrived, and I checked into a motel for the night. The next morning the temperature was -31 – one of the coldest I had ever observed. Naturally, my car wouldn’t start. I called Ed and he said he would pick me up at the motel. I got in the squad car and we drove to a nearby gas station. Ed talked to the operator and said we needed help getting a car started. HIGH PRIORITY! A man with a tow truck followed us back to the motel and proceeded to get the car started. No problem! I thought it was great that we had some “clout” on that job. From then on, the car stayed running the rest of the day until I got back to Champaign. Ed was a great help in our work at the Lake and we became good friends. Then Ed and I checked out the water level recorder to make sure it was operating okay in the frigid weather and I headed south. My next stop was at DeKalb, where another contractor was testing a new well for the City. This well was producing about 1000 gallons per minute and WHAT A PILE of ice had accumulated around the discharge pipe. At DeKalb, the

temperature was a warm 15 and it almost felt like summer compared to Crystal Lake. Again, I collected a water sample and then headed back to Champaign, after two of the coldest days I had or have ever experienced. And I’m from Madison, Wisconsin, and used to enjoy winters. WATER OPERATOR TRAININGBack in the days before the IEPA and all the water quality regulations coming from Springfield and Washington, D. C., there was a minimum of testing of well water for public supplies and a minimum of rules and regulations regarding the qualifications of water supply operators (at least well-water supply operators). A “total mineral analysis” consisted of about 15 minerals. (I haven’t checked this number recently, so the number may be somewhat more than 15, or maybe even less.) The State Water Survey regularly run mineral analyses for any public water supply that sent in a sample of water (a gallon for a total analysis, a quart for a partial analysis). I haven’t counted the number of parameters that are included now, but it sure is a lot more than 15, and included a lot a parameters that we hadn’t even heard about in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Another dramatic change on water plant operations is the “requirement” to be “certified” and undergo periodic training and updating of that training. In the “good old days”, most of the water operator training, at least in northeastern Illinois, was conducted by the various water operator organizations that existed - initially the South Suburban Water Operators Association and the Mid-Central Water Operators Association; later followed by the North Shore Association and the Kane County

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Water Operators Association. These groups conducted their own training courses with a variety of lessons that provided valuable information for the operators, even though the courses were not “sponsored” or endorsed by any State organization. But they were valuable lessons that helped many new operators get a good start on their job.

The West Shore Water Operators Association included Lake Michigan water operators from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin and met about 4 times a years to discuss a variety of concerns about lake water use and treatment. In the early days, most of the personnel in this group had a much wider background in water chemistry and water treatment than most of the groundwater operators. COUNTRy MANSION, DWIGHTThe Country Mansion, formerly known as “The Lodge”, is a GREAT PLACE to stop for lunch or dinner if you are traveling from Springfield or Champaign or other southern location to your home or office somewhere north of Dwight. The Country Mansion was recently renovated and is under new management. There are three dining rooms in the Manor House that are open for lunch Thursday, and Friday and for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. A new concrete terrace has been built in the front for outside dining. A large banquet hall at the rear of the Lodge is available for large parties, banquets, weddings, etc. This place is easy to locate, west of Hwy 47, east and south of the Interstate in downtown Dwight. Just look for the old fashioned windmill tower rising about most of the trees.

top-ops for 2012Larry Thomas, Chair

We are already starting our planning for the Section’s Top-Op competition next spring at the annual conference, and we are considering the possibility of breaking away from the Association format to a new format that better fits the slow reflexes of Illinois Section members.

Presently, we do the buzzer thing with the team that hits the button first getting to answer the question. We are considering going to a format that has the contestants write their answers on an erasable white board and then show their answers to the audience. If the team has the correct answer, they get points. If they are wrong, they lose points. (No points off for wrong spelling.)

Let us know what you think. You can contact me at: [email protected] or by phone at 815-459-1260.

Remember, teams can consist of one, two, or three members. You do not all need to be from the same utility. You just need to be operators. In order to compete in Springfield, you don’t even need to be a member of AWWA. Team members are required to work full time as a water treatment plant employee, a water distribution system employee, or in a first-line supervisor capacity. They must also possess a valid operator, laboratory, or distribution certificate. Engineers, upper-level supervisors, etc., who do not work as a day-to-day operator are precluded from participating as an official team.

ISAWWA conference registration is complimentary for participants for the day of the competition. ISAWWA will also provide one room night accommodation for contestants during the conference with double occupancy. Additionally, the Illinois Section assists with travel costs for the winning team to compete at the AWWA conference.

If you have any questions about setting up a team, give us a call and we’ll help you out.

SIGN UP foR ToP-oPS oN

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g o o s e i s l a n d b r e w e r y t o u r a s u c c e s s !

goose island brewery tour a success!Andrea Putz & Amy Talbot

A good time was had by all at the June 24 tour of Goose Island Brewery hosted by both the Water Efficiency and the Young Professionals Committees. Tom Korder, the Goose Island Brewery Operations Manager, and Ian Hughes, Brand Ambassador, gave tours of the brewery’s main facility, including the laboratory (ever wonder what the turbidity of beer is?), bottling process, and inventory warehouse.

In particular, the critical role water quality and quantity plays in the beer brewing and bottling processes was noted. The tour focused on the water efficiency measures Goose Island has recently incorporated into their brewing process, saving the brewery 1.2 to 1.4 million gallons of water per year. The measures have even saved money, an estimated $4,700-$5,200 annually, which is around 4.9%-5.4% of their 2010 water expenses. One example of an efficiency measure is when the inside of a new bottle is rinsed; that still fairly clean water is reused to clean the outside of a beer-filled bottle.

Furthermore, Goose Island’s Green Line Pale Ale helps reduce their carbon footprint through more sustainable production methods. The beer is only sold in kegs to reduce the need for rinsing and using bottles, saving approximately 231,000 gallons of water. This progress is tracked and posted on the Goose Island website.

The tour concluded on the tasting deck with generous samples of several different types of beer (and Goose Island’s pop, too) as well as tasting of different types of dried malts and barleys. By the end, everyone was asking if there would be a tour next year as well!

For more information about the Young Professionals or Water Efficiency Committees or to be added to their email distribution lists, please contact us at: [email protected] (yP) or [email protected] (WE).

PICTURED LEFT: Andrew Putz, young Professionals Committee Chair

PICTURED RIGHT: Amy Talbot, Water Efficiency Committee Chair

PICTURE 1: Like Laverne & Shirley but more water efficient. PICTURE 2: Mmmmmm....inventory.PICTURE 3: On the tasting deck. PICTURE 4: Enjoying the end product.

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A W A r D S c o M M i t t E E

AWArDS coMMittEETerry McGhee, Chair

Do you know someone who goes that extra mile? Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized for the job they do? The Illinois Section of AWWA wants to help make sure these people receive the recognition they deserve.

The Section is asking for your help in finding these individuals. Each year, at the annual conference in March, the Section rewards individuals who have demonstrated that they are innovators and leaders, and those who continually go above and beyond the call of duty in the service of providing clean safe drinking water to their customers.

This has been an extremely trying year for people in our profession. With decreasing budgets, reductions in staffing, and severe weather conditions, we are called upon to continually perform at the highest level with limited resources. These are just a few of the reasons why it is so important

to honor these outstanding individuals for their never ending dedication to serving the public.

So please let us know if the person you work for or someone who works for you deserves to be recognized. Is there one of your colleagues who fought the floods along the Mississippi, stayed on duty through the winter blizzard, or made sure every phone call was answered during a large main break. These are the people we are looking for, the people who never take the easy way out, the people who show excellence in every job they do. For more information on the specific awards and the nominating procedure please contact:

Terry McGhee, Awards Committee [email protected] Dougherty, Executive [email protected]

SEE PIcTURES of awaRDEES oN oUR flIckR PaGE!

http://tinyurl.com/isawwa-award

25 Year AwardeesJose Berrios

Ronald BockenhauerPaul Burris

Lori CoxLeonard Gaghan

Timothy IczkowskiKyla JacobsenRory Maltrotto

Filberto MartinezCharles “Bud” Mason

Stuart NelsonWayne Nelson

Oswaldo NevarezMichael PalmerMichael Ramsey

H.A. Votsmier

Ten-Year Directors Award from the Partnership for Safe Water

City of Aurora’s Water Treatment Plant

Thurston E. Larson AwardTom Rodebaugh

Meritorious Service AwardTim Holdeman

Water Professional of the Year AwardJohn Van Arsdel

John Lechner Award of ExcellenceJeff Fischer

100 Year ClubVillage of BeecherVillage of BentonVillage of Cherry

Village of GranvilleVillage of Herrin

Village of HomewoodVillage of Lyons

Village of MoundsVillage of New Baden

Village of Prairie Du RocherVillage of Skokie

Village of StanfordVillage of Strawn

Village of Tremont

GOLD WATER DROP AWARDDonald R. Canning

Allen E. FehrWilliam F.H. Gros

S.L. HippleHarry M. Pawlowski

LIFE MEMBERPaul R. AndersonCraig W. Brunner

S. John CaliseWalter W. Callahan

Ed J. De GrootJohn M. Fitzpatrick

Hari GuptaRussell A. HandelThomas P. HealyJack D. HendrickRichard S. HerzogCharles J. JohnsonAndrew J. KieserSteve A. LarsonJoe A. Marucco

John P. McGinnisJeffrey D. MohlerMichael A. MoranKevin J. MurphyHarish G. Rao

David C. SparrowSteven O. Stewart

Volunteer of the Year AwardMelanie Van Heirseele

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the benefits of student attendance at the awwa annual conferenceBrooke Jarrett, 2011 ISAWWA poster competition winner

INTRODUCTIONkristin RehgThe Fresh Ideas Poster Competition is a program originally started by the MAC as a way to provide presentation experience for students and young professionals who had never before gotten the opportunity to present at the AWWA Annual Conference (ACE). The program has evolved into an impressive showcase of research and engineering by young AWWA members. For the fourth year running, ISAWWA has held a poster competition at WATERCON and sent the winner to compete against other Section winners at ACE. Brooke Jarrett, an undergraduate environmental engineering student at

Northwestern University, presented ISAWWA’s winning poster titled “The Thirst Project: Bringing Clean, Safe Water to the Driest Place on Earth”. This poster focused on sustainable and affordable treatment alternatives for an impoverished community in the mountains of Chile, whose water supply was contaminated with arsenic and boron from nearby mining activities. Following is a synopsis of Brooke’s impressions of ACE 11 in Washington, DC, and her experience presenting her poster at the national level. Her enthusiasm for her project and new developments in the water industry underscore the importance of reaching out to students and young professionals to become part of our organization.

My EXPERIENCES AT ACE 2011Brooke JarrettAs the orange line metro doors opened at Rosslyn subway station in Washington D.C, I stared at my watch: 7:15 am. I was already fifteen minutes late to the Illinois Section breakfast at ACE11. Everything had happened so fast. It felt like just yesterday that the Northwestern University Team had won the ISAWWA YP poster contest, and we learned

that one member would travel to the national conference to present. As the team’s representative, I found myself juggling final exams, a flight to D.C., and a frantic ACE11 website search to scan the upcoming events. The schedule was packed! We pulled up at Metro Central, and I gingerly stepped off the train into rush-hour crowd. Clenching a hand-drawn map, I transferred to the red line towards Chinatown. Up on the streets, D.C. was already bustling with briefcases and dress shoes.

I looked up at the Hyatt, took a deep breath, and stepped inside. It was huge, and I suddenly panicked. How could I present this poster to so many professionals and academics? I smoothed out my shirt and hair before stepping into the room and finding the first table with a free seat. I closed my eyes, sat down, and opened them to a bunch of smiling faces. “Hi, I’m Brooke from Northwestern University.”

I was immediately welcomed into the AWWA community. My table was full of wonderful people from industry, municipalities, and engineering firms.

They were kind, open, and answered my questions thoroughly. The man to my left was John Donahue, the AWWA Vice President of the Illinois Section. After shaking my hand heartily, he immediately offered to sponsor my AWWA membership. I gratefully accepted and turned to the woman across the table, Laurie Dougherty, the Executive Director of the Illinois Section. We finished breakfast, and then Laurie showed me the way to the opening ceremony – ACE11 had officially begun!In just two short days, I became fully immersed in the world of water. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet passionate people and learn more about jobs, technologies, events, and products in the field. During the opening session, the AWWA president, Joe Mantua, introduced the two keynote speakers: Mr. Dave Singleton of Layne Christensen’s Water Resource Division and Mr. Yoshihiko Misono of the Japan Water Works Association. We heard the devastating and inspiring stories of the trapped Chilean miners and tsunami-struck Japan. After the opening session, I hopped into a presentation by Professor Benito Marinas from

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the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign about new water treatment technologies from his lab, which has inspired students to apply their work to developing countries. Later that day, I had a chance to browse some booths in the exposition hall. There were people talking about their products, companies recruiting potential employees, free lemonade, contests for water tapping and meter building, and more.

After a few hours of soaking in the scene, I decided to throw in the towel; I’d come back tomorrow to finish what I had started. Before retiring for the evening though, I peeked into the poster presentation room. Our poster was titled “The Thirst Project: Providing Water for the Driest Place on Earth”. Started through the Northwestern chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW), the project aims to design and implement affordable water treatment technology to clean the arsenic and boron-laden waters of the Lluta River in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. Watching presenters conversing in front of their posters with attendees, I marveled at the logistics and dedication required to bring together so many people from

disparate corners of the world to share this common experience. I had no idea what to expect for tomorrow, but I was excited for the opportunity to jump in the mix.

The next morning was amazing. Students and young professionals gulped down coffee and nervously pinned up their posters. We all smiled at one another, looked over at the judges, and quietly rehearsed main points from our speech. More than anything, I was looking forward to the opportunity to question my audience about our poster topic. Our Northwestern group had researched the topic to come up with one solution, but the audience would offer their years of experience and expertise – invaluable information! Before the judges began their rounds, I quickly scanned the room: posters ranged from dissolved organic matter, disinfection byproducts, and the rapid bacterial tests. The judges started rotating around the room, and conversation buzzed all around me. I focused on explaining how our team has been working through the engineering design process.

After the ribbons had been distributed, I turned to the presenters next to me

and suggested we walk to a nearby lunch spot. It was great to meet environmental engineers and scientists from other universities, and we had fun scarfing down burgers and fries at Five Guys. After comparing notes about the upcoming career fair, we stashed our posters and ran to get our resumes in order. As I was speeding from booth to booth to talk with representatives, I bumped into Tayina Tardieu from my undergraduate environmental engineering program. We both threw our hands up in surprise and asked “What are you doing here?” We wrapped up the career fair, gathered up our pens, post-it notes, and bags with different companies’ names on them, and jumped off to the young professionals mixer. The rest of the night was a blur of hand-shaking and laughter.

Looking back, I don’t know how I managed to see it all: career fairs, technical sessions, booths lining a gigantic exposition hall, mixers, and presentations. Overall, I think attending ACE11 would be a valuable adventure for anyone (experienced or new!) who wants to check the pulse of what’s happening in water.

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b i k e & b r e a k f a s t

EvEnt The 2nd annual bike & breakfast group is now forming for WATERCON. If you will be attending WATERCON, and would like to participate in this event, please let us know by completing the attached form. All skill levels are encour-aged to attend. The rides are generally less than 15 miles, and will last approximately 1.5 hours depending on the overall speed of the group. Following the bike trip, participants are encouraged to go to the Crowne Plaza Hotel café for break-fast, and a meet-and-greet.

Cost The event is free provided that each participant provides their own bicycle, and pays for their breakfast.

BikE REntal If you are unable to transport your own bicycle to the conference, local bike rental is available. If you require a bike rental, please include that information in the form below. The cost for bike rental is approximately $30/day, and participants would need to coordinate the rental and pick up of the bicycles. Bike rental stores will be posted to the website (ISAWWA will be working with a local bike shop to negotiate the lowest rental fee. Your indication of partici-pation ASAP will help facilitate those negotiations).

UpdatEs You will be provided updates at www.isawwa.org as we approach the annual conference to highlight where participants can rent bicycles, the route will be posted, and to alert you to any other changes to bike rental.

MEEting loCation & tiME We will meet in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Springfield, IL at 6:30am on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.

6:30am, Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Name(s): Company/Utility: Mailing Address:

FoR MoRE inFoRMation Contact Lisa: Phone: 866-521-3595x2 | Email: [email protected] | Fax: 866-521-3591 | Website: www.isawwa.org

Bike &Breakfast

WatERCon Bike & Breakfast REsERvation FoRMFax this form to 866-521-3591 or mail to ISAWWA, 545 S. Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174

{ } I’m a maybe{ } I plan to rideplEasE sElECt:

WATERCON BICYCLE RIDE EVENT RELEASE FORMBy signing this attendance sheet or otherwise participating in this event, I hereby for myself, my heirs and administrators assume any and all risks which might be associated with my participation in this event. I waive and release any and all right and claims for damages which I may have against the Illinois Section American Water Works, Illinois Water Environment, its officers and members, and any other persons connected with this event, their sponsors, representatives, successors, and assigns for any and all injuries or damages of any kind and whatsoever suffered by me as a result of taking part in this event and any related activities. I hereby for myself, my heirs and administrators, agree to indemnify and save and hold harmless the releasees and each of them from any loss, liability, damage, or cost they may occur due to my presence or participation in the event and whether caused by the negligence of the releasees or otherwise.

Signed: Printed Name:

Date

{ } I plan to rent a bike{ } I plan to have breakfast

at WatERCon 2012

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visitation day 2011: jolietPictures from Thursday, July 21, 2011

v i s i t a t i o n d a y 2 0 1 1 : j o l i e t

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visitation day 2011: jolietPictures from Friday, July 22, 2011; Courtesy of Joseph Sanchez, Virtual Marketing Consultants, Inc

v i s i t a t i o n d a y 2 0 1 1 : j o l i e t

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THANK YOU TO OUR 2011 VISITATION DAY SPONSORS!

GOlD SPONSORSClark Dietz

Gasvoda & Associates, IncLayne Christensen Company

Strand AssociatesWater Well Solutions

Williams Brothers Construction, IncWunderlich-Malec

SIlVER SPONSORSCarus Corporation

Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, IncDonohue & AssociatesDrydon Equipment, Inc.Engineering Enterprises

Flow-Technics/USEMCOHD Supply Waterworks

LAI, LtdMetropolitan Industries

Stewart Spreading

HOlE SPONSORSEast Jordan Iron Works

Midwest Mobile Washers, LLCPeterson and Matz, Inc

SensusUnderground Pipe & Valve, Co

RAFFlE SPONSORSCrawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc

Duffield Consulting Engineers, LtdITT-OI Analytical

Department ofPublic Utilities

Illinois Section American Water Works Association

2 0 1 1 v i s i t a t i o n d a y s p o n s o r s

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t a n k i n d u s t r y c o n s u l t a n t s • a q u a b a c k f l o w • c l a r k d i e t z

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h r g r e e n • i l l i n o i s a m e r i c a n w a t e r

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w a t e r e f f i c i e n c y c o m m i t t e e

water efficiency committeeAmy Talbot, Chair

WATER ENERGy NEXUS SURVEyCommunity A spends $378,000 per year on energy while Community B spends only $135,000 per year.

Community A is spending almost 250% more for their pumping costs with a similar water source, population served, and treatment methods. Are you wondering WHY? That’s what we are trying to find out. The Water Efficiency Committee is conducting an on-line survey, and we’re hoping that all utilities will participate.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR yOU?•Opportunity for Peer-to-Peer assistance on how to reduce energy use and cost•Finalized report that allows for benchmarking with similar utilities in Illinois*•Individualized analysis of utility data submitted•Better understanding of the role of energy in your utility’s water production to assist with short and long term planning, assessing infrastructure needs, and projecting revenue requirements.•For every completed survey the Committee will make a donation in your name/utility to Water for People

Estimated completion time only takes about 30 minutes, and the survey can be completed on-line. The 30-minute investment of your time could result in significant savings for your utility. Go to a link on right hand side of the ISAWWA home page at www.isawwa under “Quick Links”. *Please note that utility data will remain anonymous.

LOW COST PUBLIC OUTREACH: USING BILL INSERTS TO COMMUNICATE TO yOUR CUSTOMERS.

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the official regional planning organization for the northeastern Illinois, is providing free bill insert

designs to public water suppliers and municipalities as part of the Water 2050 Technical Assistance program. The bill inserts deliver a concise message using both text and compelling imagery to focus on a variety of topics from conservation to groundwater protection with more to come.

Current topics covered:•Lawn watering•Groundwater protection•Lake Michigan/water efficient fixtures•Aging infrastructure needs•Household leaks

For more details and any questions, contact Amy Talbot at [email protected] or 312.386.8646.

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d e e p w e l l w a t e r l e v e l m e a s u r e m e n t e v e n t

october 16, 2011: save the date! deep well water level measurement eventAllen Wehrmann and Larry Thomas

If you own or operate a deep sandstone water supply well, we need your help.

Deep sandstone aquifers underlie all of northeastern Illinois and have served as a reliable source of water to our communities for over 150 years. However, the deep aquifers recharge very slowly and our history of high pumpage has caused water levels to fall 500 to 800 feet in these wells.

Because of the importance of these aquifers to our communities and industries, the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) has been measuring water levels in deep wells since 1958 with the last measurement in 2007. Continued collection of deep well water levels is essential to assess how the deep aquifers are responding to changes in deep bedrock pumping amounts and patterns. Without the measurements and their publication, all we can do is guess as to what is happening with water levels.

Because of the current condition of the State’s finances, the ISWS does not have the resources for conducting this massive data collection effort. As a result, the Illinois Section AWWA and the Northwest Water

Planning Alliance are encouraging water operators with deep wells to cooperate with the ISWS in a coordinated, volunteer data collection effort. Simply put, we are asking all operators with deep wells (>500’ deep) in northeastern Illinois to record their non-pumping well water levels all on one day and send that data to the ISWS.

We are planning on doing the water level measurements this fall; specifically, on October 16, 2011. If a measurement cannot be taken on that particular day, measurements within the week before or after will be acceptable and welcome.

Deep well owners/operators can expect a letter or e-mail from the ISWS containing water level measurement protocols. ISAWWA and NWPA will be actively working to promote this volunteer event and providing assistance to those who request it to see that the water supply community has the information it needs to effectively plan for our future.

For more details, contact Allen Wehrmann, head of the ISWS Center for Groundwater Science at 217-333-0493 or by e-mail at [email protected].

ABOVE: Allen Wehrmann ABOVE: Larry Thomas

The IllinoisSection AWWA

Eduction Committee

needs your help!

call for trainers!

wEBINaRS

SEMINaRSNIGHT coURSES

**********ask us about

engineerP o w E RH o U R{read more on p.41}

call866-521-3595 ext.2

EMaIll [email protected]

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2 0 1 1 - 2 0 1 2 b o a r d , t r u s t e e a n d c o m m i t t e e c h a i r s

board & trustees: 2011-2012

annual conference committee chairs

Chair ..........................................................Chair Elect ................................................Vice Chair ..................................................Secretary-Treasurer ..................................Past Chair .................................................AWWA Director ..........................................Executive Director ....................................Trustee at Large .......................................District 1 Trustee .....................................District 2 Trustee .....................................District 2 Trustee .....................................District 3 Trustee .....................................District 4 Trustee .....................................District 5 Trustee .....................................

Dennis Ross ....................Kevin Lookis ...................John Van Arsdel ..............Chad Laucamp ...............John Smith ......................Kyla Jacobsen .................Laurie Dougherty ............Dennis Bowe ...................Greg Swanson ................Don Jensen .....................Theresa O’Grady .............Ted Meckes .....................Jeff Kaiser .......................Tim Kite ...........................

217-965-1566 .......... 847-448-8212 .........800-255-1521 .........312-373-6759 .........217-875-5824 ..........847-931-6160 ..........866-521-3595 .........847-347-5015 ..........309-524-2301 .........847-433-4355 .........630-820-1022 .........217-757-8630 ..........618-239-3231 .........217-864-5656 .........

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]@[email protected][email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@amwater.com [email protected]

Computer Operators ................................Exhibit Hall ................................................Greeter ......................................................Meter Madness ........................................Moderators ...............................................Museum ....................................................New Products Demonstration .................Silent Auction ...........................................Student Activities .....................................Tapping Contest........................................Water Taste Test .......................................Technical Program 2012 ..............................Texas Holdem ...........................................Top Ops .....................................................

Don Bratschie ................Terry Locke ....................Len Rago ........................Bruce Vaickus ................David Said ......................Laura Barrette ...............Paul Schumi ..................Barb Waddell .................Kristin Rehg ...................Tim Kite ..........................Nora Bertram.................John Van Arsdel ..............Ryan Williams ................Larry Thomas ................

312-545-1023 .........630-422-4914 .........312-780-7711 ..........815-467-6644 ........815-289-9540 .........630-739-8824 .........630-485-9870 .........217-728-7124 ..........847-341-1419 ..........217-864-5656 .........312-236-9147 ..........800-255-1521 .........630-844-4110 .........815-459-1260 .........

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected][email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]

Awards ......................................................Backflow ...................................................By Laws .....................................................Education ..................................................Finance .....................................................Fuller Award 2012 ....................................History .......................................................Illinois Public Service Institute ................ILWARN .....................................................Information Management & Technology .....MAC ...........................................................Membership .............................................Nominating ...............................................Outreach ...................................................Public Information ....................................Safety/Emergency Planning ....................Small Systems ..........................................Source Water Protection ..........................SPLASH .....................................................Standard Practices ...................................Water Distribution ....................................Water Efficiency ........................................Water For People ......................................Water Trailer .............................................Water Utility Council .................................Young Professionals .................................

Terry McGhee ................Mike Eisenhauer ...........Angela Podesta .............Nick Winkelmann ..........Michael Winegard .........Jeff Fischer ....................Ken Ficek .......................Stephen Page ................Jim Strutz .......................Don Bratschie ................Terry Locke ....................Randy Lusk ....................John Smith .....................Kristin Rehg ...................Karen Cotton .................Carolyn Grieves..............Jon Meyer.......................Robyn Doescher ............Melanie Van Heirseele .......Melanie Van Heirseele .......Owen Keenan ................Amy Talbot .....................Claus Dunkelburg ..........Matt Overeem ................Gerald Bever ..................Andrea Putz ...................

630-834-0100 .........708-389-5600 .........630-620-5740 ..........630-897-6941 ..........312-938-0300 .........630-377-2226 .........815-883-8482 .........847-931-6108 ..........217-757-8660 ........312-372-3405 .........630-422-4914 .........219-405-0615 .........217-875-5824 ..........847-341-1419 ..........309-566-4126 .........815-459-1260 .........312-780-7754 ........815-459-1260 .........847-367-5225 .........847-367-5225 .........847-208-5890 .........312-386-8646 ........847-404-9764 ..........847-870-5640 .........815-787-3111 ..........312-742-1070 ..........

[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected][email protected]@[email protected]@cwlp.com [email protected]@[email protected] [email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@cmap.illinois.gov [email protected]@[email protected]@cityofchicago.org

committee chairs: 2011 - 2012

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c a l l f o r n o m i n e e s : g e o r g e w a r r e n f u l l e r a w a r d

call for nominees: george warren fuller awardJeff Fischer, Chair

Annually, each section of the American Water Works Association is requested to select a member of that section to receive the prestigious George Warren Fuller Award. This is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a water industry professional. This year’s recipient for the Illinois Section was Executive Director Laurie Dougherty. Laurie works tirelessly on behalf of the Section and is an avid proponent of AWWA and the principles of safe drinking water. Perhaps there is someone you know, like Laurie, who goes beyond the expectations of their job and has demonstrated leadership and commitment on behalf of the water industry. This is the type of person who should be nominated. While the deadline for nominations isn’t until December 1, 2011, it isn’t too early to start thinking about who you would like to see receive this honor at the annual Section conference next March in Springfield. The nomination form can be accessed and submitted on line at www.isawwa.org.

To qualify for the Fuller Award, the recipient must be a member of the

Illinois Section AWWA. The award is intended to honor an individual for their distinguished service to the water supply industry in commemoration of the sound engineering skills, diplomatic talent and constructive leadership which characterized the life of George Warren Fuller.

George Warren Fuller was born in 1868 in Franklin, Massachusetts; graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1890; and worked for the Massachusetts State Board of Health for five years following a year spent at the University of Berlin working with the engineer of the Berlin water works. While with the Board of Health, Fuller was in charge of the Lawrence Experiment Station, working to develop ways to treat the growing volume of wastewater. At that time, the Station was recognized as the leader in research on the purification of water supplies and treatment of sewage in the country.

In 1895 Fuller was selected to take over the filtration experiments for the Louisville Water Company, where he studied the suitability of various processes that might prove adaptable to purifying turbid waters such as the Ohio River. The report of these studies opened up a new era of water purification practice and demonstrated the ability of coagulation and rapid sand filtration to handle muddy and highly variable waters. The studies demonstrated the importance of effective coagulation and sedimentation prior to filtration.

Following his research in Louisville, Fuller conducted similar experiments in Cincinnati before he established a consulting engineering firm in New York. During his 34 years of practice, Fuller advised more than 150 cities, commissions and corporations on

major water supply and sewerage improvements. During his career he was chairmen of a board of experts advising the Sanitary District of Chicago regarding problems involved in disposing of its sewage, which ultimately led to the reversing of the Chicago River.

One of the most significant of Fuller’s characteristics was his belief in organization and his devotion to standards. As chairman of the Council of Standardization of AWWA, he was responsible for the successful publication of the Manual of Water Works Practice in 1925. Fuller is also a past president of AWWA.

George Warren Fuller was, first of all, a capable engineer, equipped with a mind that never closed a channel to new ideas. He was an inventive technician, first in the laboratory and later in engineering and design. He was a skilled negotiator, a public relations counsel who was able to persuade reluctant city officials that they were wise and right to authorize sanitary improvements. Upon his death in 1934, Fuller was honored for his “understanding, kindliness, sound judgment and tact.”

While George Warren Fuller’s career established a record that is difficult to equal, water professionals make contributions to public health and safety through their daily work. There is probably someone you have admired for their commitment to the advancement of the water industry; perhaps in a very small way, but nevertheless effectively. The Illinois Section Fuller Award Committee is looking for worthy nominees to receive the 2012 George Warren Fuller Award. The form that appears below can be accessed at the Illinois Section website (www.isawwa.org) and submitted electronically or completed and faxed to 866-521-3591.

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Nominee’s name:

Nominee’ title:

Mailing address:

Phone:

Email address:

Eligibility/Justification - Please provide details of the nominees distinguished service in the water supply field which entitle him/her to this award:

Submitted by:

Submitted by address:

Submitted by phone:

Submitted by email:

Date submitted:

The Fuller Award Committee is seeking nominations for the award to be presented in 2012. The Fuller Award is presented to members who are being recognized for their distinguished service to the water supply field. The person must be an Individual Member or duly appointed representative of an organization member of AWWA. Please take the time to recognize a fellow Illinois Section member who has exhibited talent and leadership and whose contributions to the water supply industry characterize the life of George Warren Fuller.

george warren fuller award nomination formPlease fill out the following form and submit via fax to ISAWWA, 866-521-3591 or email to Fuller Award Committee Chair, Jeff Fischer, [email protected]

DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTALS: December 1, 2011 QUESTIONS? Call 866-521-3595

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s w a n a n a l y t i c a l i n s t r u m e n t s • r u e k e r t / m i e l k e • p o l y p r o c e s s i n g

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i s a w w a v i s i t a t i o n d a y 2 0 1 1 i n j o l i e t

isawwa visitation day 2011 in joliet - golf outing groups

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c p s o l u t i o n s , i n c . • w a t e r w e l l s o l u t i o n s • b a d g e r m e t e r

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WATERCON TAPPING CONTEST ENTRY FORMTAPPING CONTEST

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 - 5:00 p.m. (Ground Floor Ballrooms)

1) I am interested in the water tapping contest as an (circle one)

a) Individual b) Member of a team

2) If you circled “Member of a team”, from which municipality, company, or place of work is this team? _______________________________________________

3) Do you/would you need assistance (sponsorship) with the purchase of tools, equipment, necessary to practice and/or compete? Yes_______ No_______

4) Do you/would you need a location, or area to practice? Yes______ No______

5) Please provide the following information: Name: __________________________________________________________________________ Employer: _______________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________ City: ___________________________________________________________________________ State: ___________________________________________________________________________ Zip: ____________________________________________________________________________ Phone:/ Email: ____________________________________________________________________

For more information, and send this form to either:

Illinois Section AWWA will also provide one room night for contestants during the conference with double occupancy. If you need to have a room provided for you, please make your reservation at the Crowne Plaza or Holiday Inn and contact the Ex-ecutive Director with your confirmation number. The Illinois Section will pay for one nights lodging for every two contestants. Reservation incidentals or no-shows will be the responsibility of the contestants.

____ I need a room provided for me at the Crowne Plaza/Holiday Inn Express

I have made a reservation under the name of ________________ for __________ night.

The names of the contestants occupying this room are:

#1___________________________________ #2____________________ _______________________________.

My hotel reservation number is #__________.

I understand that I am responsible for the room charges in their entirety if I do not show up and fail to cancel this reservation. If I am staying for more than one night, I understand the Illinois Section AWWA will only pay for one nights lodging. Conference registration for the day of competition is complimentary. You will be automatically registered for Tuesday’s conference and will be given a free lunch ticket to the FullerAward Lunch.

Tony CuzzoneCity of Elmhurst 209 N. York Rd. Elmhurst, Illinois 60126(630) 530-6456 office (630) 530-6403 [email protected]

Tim KiteLong Creek Water Department2610 Salem School RoadDecatur, Illinois 62521(217) 864-5656 office (217) 864-2977 [email protected]

2 0 1 2 t a p p i n g c o n t e s t e n t r y f o r m

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WATERCON METER MADNESS COMPETITION ENTRY FORM

METER MADNESS COMPETITIONWednesday, March 21, 2012 - 5:00 p.m. (Ground Floor Ballrooms)

Supervisors encourage your staff to participate. It’s a great way for a small utility to showcase their skills. Practice meters are available through AWWA at no charge. A demonstration video is also available online at (www.awwa.org). If you have any questions, contact Craig McDonald at [email protected] or at 815-877-1421.

The competition will be held at 5:00 p.m. and the winner will receive a trophy and $750 towards travel and expenses to represent the ISAWWA at the national competition in Dallas, Texas.

1. We need to receive your entry form by: February 28, 2012.2. You do not have to be a utility member to enter the competition.3. Complete all information below and send this entry form to the email or fax number listed below. Contestant Name:_________________________________________________________________Utility/Company Represented: _______________________________________________________Contact Person’s Phone #: ____________________________ Fax #: ______________________Contact Person’s Email: ____________________________________________________________Utility/Company Name & Address: ____________________________________________________

T-Shirt Size: ________________________

FAX YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO:Craig McDonald at [email protected] or at 815-877-0211

Illinois Section AWWA will also provide one room night for contestants during the conference with double occupancy. If you need to have a room provided for you, please make your reservation at the Crowne Plaza or Holiday Inn and contact the Ex-ecutive Director with your confirmation number. The Illinois Section will pay for one nights lodging for every two contestants. Reservation incidentals or no-shows will be the responsibility of the contestants.

____ I need a room provided for me at the Crowne Plaza/Holiday Inn Express.



#1___________________________________ #2____________________ _______________________________.


I understand that I am responsible for the room charges in their entirety if I do not show up and fail to cancel this reservation. If I am staying for more than one night, I understand the Illinois Section AWWA will only pay for one nights lodging. Registration for participants for the day of competition is complimentary. You will be automatically registered for Wednesday’s conference and will be given a free lunch ticket to the Fuller Award Lunch.

2 0 1 2 m e t e r m a d n e s s e n t r y f o r m

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WATERCON TOP OPS CONTEST ENTRY FORMPreliminary round is at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Final Rounds - 12:45 p.m. - Tuesday - March 20, 2012

Team Name: _________________________________________________________________________________

Contact Person for Team: ________________________________________________________________________

Contact Person’s Phone # ________________________________Fax # __________________________________

Contact Person’s Email: _________________________________________________________________________

Utility Name and Address: _______________________________________________________________________

Team Members’ Names:

#1: ________________________________________________________________________________________

#2: ________________________________________________________________________________________

#3: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Top Ops is a contest between water treatment operators to showcase their talents by competing against each other in a competitive, fast-paced question-and-answer tournament. Questions encompass all aspects of water operations and treatment, comparable to the water operator certification exam. A moderator poses a variety of multiple choice questions to a panel of teams, each of which attempts to be the 1st to respond. The team correctly answering the most questions in the final round is awarded a trophy and a chance to represent the Illinois AWWA Section at the national conference in June, 2012 in Dallas, Texas. The Illinois AWWA Section assists with travel costs for the winning team to compete in Dallas, Texas.

Teams can consist of one, two, or three operators and do not have to be from the same utility. In order to complete locally, you do not need to be a member of AWWA. However, if you compete at the national level, you will be required to be an AWWA member, an employee of a utility member, or organization member of AWWA. Team members must work full time as a water treatment plant employee, a water distribution system employee, or in a first-line supervisor capacity. They must also possess a valid operator, laboratory, or distribution certificate.

Fax Your Completed Form To:Laurie Dougherty at (866) 521-3591

Illinois Section AWWA will also provide one room night for contestants during the conference with double occupancy. If you need to have a room provided for you, please make your reservation at the Crowne Plaza or Holiday Inn Express and contact the Executive Director with your confirmation number. The Illinois Section will pay for one nights lodging for every two contestants. Reservation incidentals or no-shows will be the responsibility of the contestants.

____ I need a room provided for me at the Crowne Plaza/Holiday Inn Express.



#1___________________________________ #2____________________ _______________________________.


I understand that I am responsible for the room charges in their entirety if I do not show up and fail to cancel this reservation. If I am staying for more than one night, I understand the Illinois Section AWWA will only pay for one nights lodging. Conference registration for participants for the day of competition is complimentary. You will be automatically registered for Tuesday’s conference and will be given a free lunch ticket to the Fuller Award Lunch.

Please contact Larry Thomas,Top Ops Committee Chair for more informationPhone: 815-459-1260 | Email: [email protected]

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index of advertisers Alfred Benesch & Company ...............................American Ductile Iron Pip ..................................American Filter Sand..........................................Aqua Backflow, Inc. ............................................Backflow Solutions, Inc. .....................................Badger Meter ......................................................Baxter & Woodman ............................................Black and Veatch ...............................................Cady Aquastore, Inc. ..........................................CDM ....................................................................Clark Dietz ..........................................................CMT .....................................................................CP Solutions .......................................................CTE/AECOM ........................................................Dixon Engineering ..............................................Eccentric Pumps ................................................Farnsworth Group, Inc. ......................................Ferguson Waterworks ........................................Flolo Corporation ................................................Gannett FlemingGreen & Bradford, Inc. .......................................Heneghan Associates ........................................Henry Pratt Company .........................................HMG ....................................................................Horner & Shifrin, Inc. .........................................HR Green ............................................................Illinois American Water ......................................

Klingner ..............................................................Layne Western ....................................................M.E. Simpson .....................................................Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. ...........................................McClure ..............................................................Metropolitan Industries .....................................Natgun ................................................................Ndian Inc.............................................................Norman Noe .......................................................Optimization Solutions Environmental, LLC. ....PDC Laboratories, Inc. .......................................Poly Processing Co., LLC. ...................................R.E. Pedrotti Co. Inc. ..........................................Red Valve Co./Tideflex Technologies, Inc. ........Ruekert/Mielke ..................................................Strand Associates, Inc. ......................................Swan Analytical USA ..........................................Tank Industry Consultants .................................Taylor Coating Sales/Tnemec Company, Inc. ...Tonka Equipment ...............................................Trine Municipal Services, LLC ...........................Trojan ..................................................................USA Bluebook .....................................................Utility Services Co., Inc. .....................................Water Solutions Unlimited, Inc ..........................Water Well Solutions Illinois Division, LLC ........

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Illinois Section American Water Works Association545 South Randall RoadSt. Charles, IL 60174

Non Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage PAID

Sycamore, ILPermit No. 66

2011 SPLASH August

Documents

Transcript of 2011 SPLASH August