Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA

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Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA
Address service requested: ISAWWA, 545 South Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174

                                                                                                                    Splash

     DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
                                                                                                                    WINTER 2021
Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA
Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA
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                   nutrient removal, biosolids management,
                    permit review & assistance, operations
                         • RENEWABLE FUELS/
                           WASTE-TO-ENERGY
                    planning & design, anaerobic digestion,
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                  • STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
                          quality, volume, permitting
                        • PUBLIC SAFETY &
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Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA
Splash
About Illinois Section AWWA                                       Table of Contents
                                                                                                                                                          WINTER 2021

Illinois Section AWWA
545 South Randall Road                                            Chair Report...................................................................................................... 6
St. Charles, IL 60174
866-521-3595                                                      Chair Elect Report............................................................................................ 8

Established in 1881, the American Water                           Past Chair Report........................................................................................... 10
Works Association is the largest nonprofit,
                                                                  Executive Director Report............................................................................ 12
scientific and educational association
dedicated to managing and treating water,                         ISAWWA Palooza – March 23........................................................................ 13
the world’s most important resource.
With approximately 50,000 members, AWWA                           District 2D Trustee Report............................................................................ 14
provides solutions to improve public health,
protect the environment, strengthen the                           District 3 Trustee Report.............................................................................. 15
economy and enhance our quality of life.
                                                                  Save the Date for WATERCON 2021............................................................ 17
The Illinois Section of the American Water
                                                                  ISAWWA Training Opportunities.................................................................. 18
Works Association (ISAWWA) has more
than 2,200 members throughout the State                           Education Committee.................................................................................... 21
of Illinois and is dedicated to safe and
sustainable water for Illinois. The Association                   Technology Committee.................................................................................. 25
develops and delivers low-cost and
convenient education seminars for water                           Diversity and Inclusion.................................................................................. 27
industry professionals in person and virtually.                   Gaining Traction on Diversity & Inclusion.................................................. 29
If you would like to advertise in
                                                                  Women in Water............................................................................................. 31
Splash, please contact Jeff Kutny,
Marketing Manager, at jeff@kelman.ca.                             My Introduction to the Water Industry...................................................... 32
Toll-free: 866-985-9789
                                                                  Congratulations to Our Scholarship Winners........................................... 35
To submit an article for inclusion,
email articles and photo files to:                                ACE21 Registration Now Open!................................................................... 37
Splash Editor, nadine.miller@rockfordil.gov.
                                                                  Become a Water Ambassador...................................................................... 40

                                                                  AWWA News..................................................................................................... 42

                                                                  Board & Committee Chair Listing ............................................................... 48
Published by                                                      Advertiser Product & Service Center......................................................... 53

                                                                  On the cover:
                                                                  Lake Marmo at Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.
Tel: 866-985-9780
Fax: 866-985-9799
                                                                  ©Jim Roberts | Dreamstime.com
www.kelmanonline.com

Managing Editor: Monique Doyle
Design/layout: Dani Goulet
Marketing Manager: Jeff Kutny
Advertising Co-ordinator: Stefanie Hagidiakow

2021 © All rights reserved.
The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole
or in part without the express consent of the publisher.
Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA
Chair Report
    Jeff Freeman

    WATER AMBASSADORS

    H
               ello 2021, it is good to be with
               you. Thank you for suggesting
               we will return to some
    semblance of normalcy throughout your
    year. While everyone will undoubtedly
    like you better than 2020, we should
    remember what we were able to
    accomplish in 2020. We continued to
    provide uninterrupted high-quality water
    and wastewater services during a very
    difficult time. We weathered the financial
    storm that 2020 generated, and we             outside the water industry even         toilet is flushed. The water that comes
    leaned on each other when we needed it.       thought about water and wastewater      out of the faucet must be safe and
        The water industry is a resilient         services throughout the pandemic.       meet all regulations. The water that is
    group. It showed that throughout              Water is expected to flow when the      flushed down the toilet must be treated
    2020. It is likely that very few people       sink is turned on, and go away when a   properly before it is reintroduced back

6   Splash    WINTER 2021
Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA
into the environment. Pretty easy to
accomplish, right? Of course not!
     There are so many smart,                            In addition to the Water Ambassador
hardworking people who work together
to provide clean water to drink and safely                Program, diversity and membership
convey and treat wastewater so it can be
reintroduced back into the environment.              inclusion will continue to be a focus of 2021
There are very sophisticated facilities
needed to meet those objectives,
too. Both the human and mechanical
                                                 culture’s mix. We must continue to find          I hope 2021 is a brighter year for all of
resources and pipe networks and
                                                 new ways to include underrepresented          you. I look forward to seeing you soon.
appurtenances needed for safe and
                                                 groups in all Section activities, so we can   Happy trails to all (RIP, Eddie).
clean water need continued investment
                                                 benefit from the mix of viewpoints.
to maintain the high-quality services that
our culture demands.
     Now is the time for our industry to
move out of the shadows and let a little bit
of the spotlight shine on us. It is not to get
the pat on the back that you all deserve.
It is to create better awareness of what
it takes to maintain high-quality water
and wastewater systems. We also need
to shine a light on the industry so we can
recruit more high-quality individuals into
the industry. With a better understanding
of what it really takes to provide water to
that faucet and toilet, there will be a better
understanding when water rates need
to be increased to fund needed repairs
within our water and wastewater systems.

                                                       What can solar energy
     Through Paul May’s leadership, along
with a dedicated group who worked
on the public perception campaign

                                                       do for your organization?
throughout 2020, the Section will
facilitate a program to get us closer
to the limelight. It will recognize those
communities whose leadership values
water and is committed to educating                   • Electricity bill savings from day one
the general public about water and
wastewater services. I am so excited to               • Requires no investment – Sol Systems
see the Water Ambassador Program roll
out in 2021. Thank you, Paul and team;                  pays for construction & maintenance
you have done a fantastic job of flipping
the switch for the water industry.                    • Energy cost stability for budgeting certainty
     In addition to the Water Ambassador
Program, diversity and membership                     • Carbon-free electricity during
inclusion will continue to be a focus of                peak demand periods
2021. Robyn Doescher and Jamie Rott
have worked with their committee to
                                                                                                         Power your facility
develop a strong mission and vision.
                                                                                                         with inexpensive,
In 2021, the committee will work
                                                                                                         clean energy.
together to accomplish the diversity and
membership inclusion strategies.
     Andres Tapia is credited with stating,           Find out how your
“Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making
the mix work.” Our Section must
                                                      plant can benefit:                         www.SolSystems.com
                                                      Energy@SolSystems.com
continue to strive to facilitate a diverse
industry that is consistent with our

                                                                                                                  Splash     WINTER 2021      7
Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA
Chair Elect Report
    Randy Lusk

    2020 EVENTS AND MORE TO COME IN 2021

    2
           020 has been one hell of a ride
           and like many of you I am glad it’s
           coming to an end. It has been such a
    different time within the Section, with 90%
    of everything we did being virtual – from
    classes to happy hours. Being your Chair
    Elect has proven to be challenging and
    exciting all at the same time. It has been
    very difficult doing so many things virtually         past. I learned so much by chairing this     in March 2021. Please visit the ISAWWA
    since I just love being in the company                program but I could not have done it         website to see how to participate in
    of people. I am sure many of you have                 without Annie, our Executive Director,       this award you can receive for your
    experienced the same frustrations. As the             and the team that volunteered to help.       community. Thank you, Paul, for all the
    Chair Elect, I was asked to participate in as         Thank you John Van Arsdel, Dave Moody,       hard work you put into this new program.
    many committees as I could find time for.             Todd LaFountain, and Brent Studnicka.            In September I helped organize an
    I want to thank the mentoring, veterans,              I could not have asked for a more            event called Rock, Paper, Scissors. It was
    small systems, public perception, diversity           involved group to help with this task. The   exactly what the name states. All the
    & inclusion, and COVID-19 committees,                 next item we will work on is a Policy &      contestants had signs with a picture of
    and the water utility council, for having me          Procedures Manual. Wish us luck.             a rock, scissors, and just a plain piece of
    participate with them in 2020.                            In 2020 Carolyn Grieves created a        paper. It was a lot of fun and a great way
        I was asked earlier in the year to                committee about public perception. She       to interact virtually. Thanks to all those
    chair the by-laws committee in order                  recruited many members to help get this      who participated and helped organize it.
    to revamp it to match AWWA’s new                      committee off the ground. The first item         In December we had a Virtual Cheers
    format. I had no idea what I was doing                the group worked on is the ISAWWA Water      & Beers event that had trivia, best Zoom/
    as I have never reviewed or worked                    Ambassador Program. Paul May took the        live background, and an ugly sweater
    with any organization’s by-laws in the                lead and created the program we roll out     contest. In the beginning we had a break
                                                                                                       out in two groups to ask questions
                                                                                                       related to Christmas. My favorite
                                                         FIRE HYDRANT PAINTING SERVICE                 question was “What do you plan on
                                                                   • BLASTING •                        getting Randy for Christmas?” I cannot
                                                                                                       repeat most of the answers… Special

                          IANT
                                                          • PRIME COAT • FINISH COAT •                 thanks to the ISAWWA staff for getting
                                                                                                       this event together in very short notice.
                                                                                                       Thank you to the three sponsors of the
                                                                                                       event: Baxter & Woodman, Engineering
                                                                                                       Enterprises, Inc., and ME Simpson.
                                                                                                           I want to take a moment to thank Jeff
                                                                                                       Freeman for all he has done as Chair in
                     BLASTED               FINISH COAT
                                                                                                       2020, especially during a pandemic. He
                                                                                                       is a true professional and handled the
                                                                                                       pressure without missing a step. Thanks
                                                                                                       for all you do, Jeffrey, for ISAWWA.
                                                                                                           There will be much more for 2021
           For more information contact:                                                               and I will become Chair in March. I look
               Mark Giarrante                                        GIANT...                          forward to getting back to in-person
                                                             Providing Superior Service
            Phone 847-388-3711                              for Municipalities Since 1989              events, especially WATERCON, which will
         E-mail mark@giant2u.com                               WWW.GIANT2U.COM                         be happening in August 2021.
                                                                                                           See you soon!

8   Splash     WINTER 2021
Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA
Plash WINTER 2021 - DIVERSITY & INCLUSION UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES - Illinois Section AWWA
Past Chair Report
     Carolyn Grieves

     JUST DO IT (AND YOU’LL THANK ME SOME DAY)

     A
                s I write this article, this year and
                my time on the ISAWWA Board
                is wrapping up. I’ve truly enjoyed
     my experience as a Board member and a
     chair of this Section. Thinking about what
     I will do next with the Section and AWWA
     makes me think back to my very first
     WATERCON (though I don’t think it was
     called that way back when!).
         My boss at the time, Larry Thomas,
     stopped by my desk and said, “Sign
     up for WATERCON and go.” Sounds
     great, I thought! I didn’t really know
     what to expect but I was game. I got to
     the conference and it was big with so
     many people that all seemed to know
     each other. I remember Bev Thomas,
     Larry’s wife, taking time to introduce
     me to people (anyone who knows Bev
     can completely visualize her kindness!).
     Still, even with that helpful hand I
     felt completely out of place. Other
     than knowing a couple of coworkers
     and some friends from school, I felt
     disconnected from the comradery that I
     could see all around me.
         A year or two later I got involved with            In the meantime I started going to       – good for you! Find what connects with
     the Vulnerability Assessments that water           WATERCON again. Lo and behold… I             you and try out different committees
     utilities were required to complete after          knew people! I could connect with more       and attend different events. I completely
     9/11. I attended a training class and met          professionals in the water industry          understand when you walk in a room,
     Laurie Dougherty, ISAWWA’s now retired             because I was now more involved in it        virtual or not, and don’t know anyone –
     but long-time and awesome Executive                myself. I have always felt very lucky to     it’s hard! To everyone who is involved in
     Director. She said, “We have a Safety              have a great job in engineering that I       ISAWWA… invite people to attend with
     Committee, you should join it.” So I figured       love. But being a part of ISAWWA gave        you. Encourage your YPs to join and share
     I’m doing all this work right now… why             me something I didn’t know I needed…         your own story with them. Go say hi
     not? I started to meet with people who             a community. Darn it, Larry was right        and introduce yourself to someone who
     did similar work and had similar interests.        (thank you, Larry!) – going to WATERCON      looks like how I felt that first WATERCON.
     I learned how to put on seminars and               is great. Now I try to remember this story   (I hope we can do this again in person
     conferences and connect with people in             when I invite, ask, encourage, maybe even    next August!) I want more people to
     AWWA. I worked on developing ILWARN                drag people to attend ISAWWA events,         experience what I have enjoyed with
     and improved my presentation skills by             committee meetings, and conferences.         ISAWWA over the years. My volunteer
     giving presentations about the statewide           I had to find what connected with me to      work with the Section has helped me
     mutual aid agreement program. I                    truly enjoy being a part of the Section.     grow, make friends, and find my place
     eventually went on to chair the Safety             However, it was people’s encouragement       in what I believe is the best industry
     Committee, not being a safety professional         along the way to “just do it” that helped    there is… the water industry. As I learned
     at all, and grew and learned more about            me take the steps. To everyone who is        myself and I tell people now – just do it
     leadership. (Thank you, Laurie!)                   just starting to get involved with ISAWWA    (and you’ll thank me some day).

10   Splash     WINTER 2021
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Executive Director Report
     Annie Storey

     IT’S IN THE NUMBERS

     A
               year ago, as I started my career journey with ISAWWA,
               I would have told you that I’m not a numbers kind of

                                                                          ISA WWA
               person. But as the year progressed and we were thrown
     every which way, numbers became my daily routine. How many
     members were signed up for trainings? How was the budget
     looking? How many email addresses bounced? What amount of
     online storage do we have? How many abstract submissions did
     we receive? (You can see that I also like questions!)
        Almost every aspect of my responsibilities came down to
                                                                          20 20                     Safe and Sustainable
                                                                                                    Water for Illinois
     numbers, and so I began to count on them. Literally. They tell our
     story of 2020 – how we went from over 120 events planned and a
     projected revenue to quickly moving to a new virtual world where                                  PARTICIPANTS
     we were able to connect with MORE of our water and wastewater                Total attendees in
     community and continue the great training that you expect
                                                                                    our live events.
     from us. We DECREASED our expenses to meet our forecasted
                                                                                  76% are ISAWWA
     revenue. We ENGAGED with our members in a variety of ways.
        And as I closed 2020, the numbers told us of our success.                         members.
     A year where I would have probably felt or seen the success
     through events and conversations with you, I instead let the
     numbers tell us where we were. I’m happy to share some key                       LIVE EVENTS         125
     data points with you:
                                                                                                          38 In Person Events
     • 2020’s education attendees increased by 17% with our added
        webinars and virtual trainings.
                                                                                                          31 Virtual Seminars
     • In fact, webinar attendance jumped 55% in 2020 compared                                            56 Free Webinars
        to 2019.
     • We ended the year financially where the Board originally
        projected, meaning we kept our ratio of income and
        expenses on target.
                                                                                   $6,000                 SCHOLARSHIPS
     • We increased the number of ISAWWA members voting in our                    5 scholarship winners
        Board of Trustee election by utilizing a new system.                  received funds to further
     • We conducted two surveys and three focus groups on                 their education and training.
        COVID-19’s impact on utilities.
     • Our social media presence is growing on Facebook, Twitter,
        LinkedIn and Instagram (be sure to like and follow us!). We
        increased our Facebook page likes by 12% in 2020.
                                                                                      VOLUNTEERS          300
                                                                                                       ISAWWA has over 300
     • We mailed out 296 appreciation boxes around the state to
                                                                                                       volunteers active in our
        our utility members, sharing with them key membership
                                                                                                       committees and Board
        information, cloth masks, and information from our sponsors.
     As you can see, swift changes by the staff and Board of                                           of Trustees.
     Trustees worked to meet our members’ needs. Thank you for
     staying with us and trusting us to deliver the education and
     member benefits that you need.
        2020 was a jumpstart to new initiatives and new delivery
     methods and, for me, a reliance on the numbers to tell the story.

12   Splash    WINTER 2021
Register at www.isawwa.org

Sugar Grove, IL - 2,000,000

                                              Splash   WINTER 2021   13
District 2D Trustee Report
     Brent Studnicka

     OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS

                  Section committees are working hard to plan something
                for the traditional March time-frame, so keep your eyes open
                      for an opportunity to join your fellow members for
                                some WATERCON-like activities.

     J    ust a few words from your District 2D trustee. Section staff
          and the Executive Director continue to do a fantastic job
          looking out for the interests of the Section and keeping the
     Board up to date. Despite the difficulties of a COVID-19 economy,
                                                                         also want to investigate a new public perception/education
                                                                         program called the Water Ambassador. This program is aimed
                                                                         at educating public officials and the general public about the
                                                                         water industry and is administered similar to the Tree City USA
     the Section remains in good financial condition due to excellent    program. Paul May has led an ad-hoc committee that has put
     financial planning and responsibility of previous Board members     together a great program and some interesting material that
     and trustees. While the current Board has had to dip into the       will be rolled out in 2021. If you want to know more about this
     Section’s financial reserves, we look forward to replenishing       program, feel free to call the Section office.
     those reserves once things return to normal, so that future             The Section’s education staff have been working hard to
     Board members and trustees have the same opportunity to rely        provide virtual learning opportunities for all Section members.
     on reserves when times are tough.                                   For a while they were even able to provide some in-person
         There is one major change for 2021 that you may want            opportunities, but the predicted resurgence of COVID-19
     to mark on your calendar, and one new exciting opportunity          cases in the fall put an end to those opportunities. Who knows
     in 2021 that you may want to investigate. Due to COVID-19           what 2021 will bring, but hopefully we can get back to some
     concerns, WATERCON has been delayed to August instead of the        semblance of meeting one another in person and learning
     usual dates in March. The WATERCON planning committee and           together from some great presenters. Regardless of what
     other Section committees are working hard to plan something         happens, Section staff are working hard to provide a full lineup
     for the traditional March time-frame, so keep your eyes open        of quality education opportunities in 2021. One benefit of doing
     for an opportunity to join your fellow members for some             so many seminars virtually in 2020 was that they were recorded.
     WATERCON-like activities on March 23. Hopefully you will be         You can access the webinars through the ISAWWA website by
     able to enjoy all of the traditional WATERCON activities, plus      hovering over the Training link on the navigation ribbon on the
     some new exciting activities in Springfield in August. You might    top of the webpage and then clicking Recorded Virtual Seminars.
                                                                         These recorded seminars are a great way to attend one of the
                                                                         seminars you wanted to attend, but could not. I know of at least
                                                                         one new training venue in District 2D that may provide some
                                                                         high-quality in-person opportunities centrally located in the
                                                                         District, once we are able to get back to in-person learning.
                                                                             If you haven’t already thought about volunteering to help on
                                                                         one of the Sections’ committees, now is the time. You can get
                                                                         more information by checking out the articles in this issue of
                                                                         Splash from each of the committee chairs, or check out the list of
                 Michael C. Robertson                                    committees on the ISAWWA website by hovering over the Home
                             General Manager
                                                                         link on the navigation ribbon at the top of the webpage and then
              1829 Borman Circle Drive • St. Louis Missouri 63146        clicking on Committees. There are lots of great people already
                    tel. 314-991-0730 • fax 314-991-3527                 volunteering, but more are always welcome (and needed). We
                 toll free 800-528-2887 • cell 314-703-5612              need new faces and ideas to keep progressing and to continue
                              mike@sidener.net
                                                                         the Section’s reputation for excellence.

14   Splash    WINTER 2021
District 3 Trustee Report
Todd LaFountain

A RENEWED SENSE OF APPRECIATION

I
     hope this report finds everyone      be in person or virtual, make the most      many Section activities. The only way to
     safe and healthy during this         of what the new year has to offer. I also   get the maximum amount out of your
     challenging time. It seems like      encourage you to get involved in the        membership is to be involved!
yesterday that I began my two-year
term as District 3 Trustee. ISAWWA
elections are upon us again and the
organization will soon be seeing             Trotter and Associates, Inc.
some new faces in leadership
positions as well some old faces in              Experienced Professionals - Better Solutions
new roles.
    The world has very much changed
over the last two years and made
us all appreciate the professional,
personal, and social get-togethers
we all used to take for granted. As
a vaccine rolls out for COVID-19, I
truly hope that 2021 will bring us
all together again with a renewed
sense of appreciation at the many
in-person events ISAWWA has
historically offered.
    As I am sure most of you are
aware, the annual WATERCON
conference has been moved to
August of 2021. Assuming that the
conference is allowed to proceed,
this move will allow attendees to see
a very different side of Springfield.
With the State Fair in town, there
will be many different entertainment
options and the city will offer a much
different atmosphere than what is
experienced in March. Attendees
will also get to witness and weigh-in
on a water-related myth associated
                                               Our reputation is built on practical experience.
with the State Fair. The myth is that
mere mention of State Fair will bring            Every engineer on our team started in the
with it an oppressive heat wave and                 field, and to ensure that our designs
increase in water demand that drops
the Lake Springfield elevation several                 work in the real world, our team
feet. Make sure to stop me to talk                           always has plenty of
about this folklore if we are fortunate
enough to get together in August.
    I encourage you make it a priority                   Boots on the Ground
to take advantage of the many
training opportunities ISAWWA has to
offer in 2021. Whether those events
                                                                     trotter-inc.com
                                                                                                       Splash    WINTER 2021     15
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Training Opportunities
                                                             TRAINING
     COURSE TRAINING NAME                      DATE           HOURS       TIME (Central)       INSTRUCTOR         LOCATION

     Legionella and Water Management
                                           Wednesday,                                                              Virtual –
     Plans, and How They Are Affected                           1       12:00 PM – 1:00 PM     Brian Burgess
                                          March 3, 2021                                                            Webinar
     by Municipal Water

                                            Monday,
     Spring Regulatory Update                                  2.5      9:30 AM – 12:00 PM        Various          Virtual
                                          March 8, 2021

                                            Tuesday,
     Wastewater Refresher for Class 3/4                         4       8:00 AM – 12:00 PM     Tim Juskewicz       Virtual
                                          March 9, 2021

     Lead & Copper – Water Treatment        Thursday,
                                                                4       8:00 AM – 12:00 PM      Darin Skutt        Virtual
     and Corrosion Control                March 11, 2021

                                            Tuesday,
     Science of Sewer Jetting                                   4       8:00 AM – 12:00 PM     Barry Howell        Virtual
                                          March 16, 2021

                                            Thursday,
     SCADA 101                                                  4       8:00 AM – 12:00 PM    Brent Studnicka      Virtual
                                          March 18, 2021

                                            Tuesday,
     ISAWWA-Palooza                                            2.5      8:30 AM – 12:00 PM        Various          Virtual
                                          March 23, 2021

                                            Thursday,
     Water/Sewer Plans 101                                      4       8:00 AM – 12:00 PM    Randy Patchett       Virtual
                                           April 1, 2021

                                             Tuesday,
     FREE – Setting Effective
                                          April 13, 2021 &
     Rates & Accessing Funding,                                 6       9:00 AM – 12:00 PM      Pat Gleason        Virtual
                                            Wednesday,
     2-Day Workshop
                                           April 14, 2021

     Distribution System O&M –
                                            Thursday,                                         Aaron Gilson &
     Hydrants, Valves, Water                                    4       8:00 AM – 12:00 PM                         Virtual
                                           April 22, 2021                                    Carlos Covarrubias
     Service Lines

     Different Pipe Products or            Wednesday,                                                              Virtual –
                                                                1       12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
     Part 2 of State Revolving Fund        May 5, 2021                                                             Webinar

     Breakpoint Chlorination…
                                            Tuesday,
     Do you Really have a                                       4       8:00 AM – 12:00 PM       Bob Spon          Virtual
                                           May 11, 2021
     Free Chlorine Residual?

     Manhole Rehab Part 1 – Indicators,    Wednesday,                                                              Virtual –
                                                                1       12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
     Engineering, and Surveying            May 12, 2021                                                            Webinar

     SCADA 202 –                            Thursday,
                                                                4       8:00 AM – 12:00 PM    Brent Studnicka      Virtual
     PLCs, Controllers and I/O             May 20, 2021

     Pros & Cons of Trenchless Poly        Wednesday,                                                              Virtual –
                                                                1       12:00 PM – 1:00 PM      Mike Giglio
     Water Piping Installations            June 2, 2021                                                            Webinar

18   Splash   WINTER 2021
Training Opportunities
                                                    TRAINING
COURSE TRAINING NAME                   DATE          HOURS                 TIME (Central)                   INSTRUCTOR                    LOCATION

                                      Thursday,                                                                                           In Person –
Safety Summit                                           5.5              8:30 AM – 3:00 PM                      Various
                                    June 3, 2021                                                                                              Elgin

Manhole Rehab Part 2 – Products     Wednesday,                                                                                              Virtual –
                                                         1               12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
and Rehabilitation Techniques       June 9, 2021                                                                                            Webinar

SCADA 203 –                          Tuesday,
                                                         4               8:00 AM – 12:00 PM               Brent Studnicka                    Virtual
Operator Interfaces & Reporting    June 22, 2021

                                                                                                           Chris Callahan,
Manhole Rehab Part 3 – Lining to    Wednesday,                                                              Culy & TBD,
                                                         1               12:00 PM – 1:00 PM                                                  Virtual
Stop Degradation of the Manhole     July 14, 2021                                                            Madewell
                                                                                                             Products

Water Quality Management
                                    Wednesday,
in Private Buildings/Water                               1               12:00 PM – 1:00 PM                                                  Virtual
                                   August 4, 2021
Quality Plans (WDC)

Ready to register?

                                                                                    Register early to save!
                                    Go to                                            Early bird pricing ends
                                    www.isawwa.org
                                    and click on                                     10 days prior to the event.
                                    Events/Calendar.

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Education Committee
David Vavrek

A NEW SEASON BEGINS

                  Come March, I welcome Brandon Thomas as our new
                 Committee Chair and Steve Dennison as our Vice Chair.

G
          reetings from the Education Committee! I hope you all      February 23, 2021. Don’t forget to check the Section’s website
          had a safe and wonderful holiday season. We are now        at www.isawwa.org and click on Training to find out what is
          halfway through winter, looking forward to spring, and     happening and taking place. This continues to be an excellent
looking forward to what 2021 will bring!                             resource for operators and other professional persons to
    As the old saying goes, “for everything there is a season.”      obtain needed CEUs.
We find ourselves in a new season of moving into spring and              As always, THANK YOU! It has been a joy working with the
setting our sights on new things to come for the Section and the     Education Committee! If you have any comments or questions
committee. I would like to take a moment and thank everyone          about the Education Committee and/or education program,
who had confidence in me to be your Chair. It has certainly been a   contact me at dvavrek@vopf.com or Vice Chair Brandon Thomas
wonderful experience for me to lead our committee. Come March,       at b.thomas@trotter-inc.com.
I welcome Brandon Thomas as our new Committee Chair and
Steve Dennison as our Vice Chair. I plan to stay on the committee
doing what I can to help our new leadership be successful.
    I want to thank John Dillon and Stacey Ramsey at the                 USALCO Salutes All Water and
Section. Without your help, the Section and the Education
                                                                         Wastewater Plant Professionals
Committee could not do all that they do, from planning and
preparing events for WATERCON to planning the educational                Many things in life are essential during these uncertain
opportunities for our Section. Your work is greatly appreciated          times, with few as important as safe drinking water.
                                                                         We would like to recognize all water and wastewater
– keep doing all that you do!
                                                                         plant operators for their sacrifices and outstanding
    I want to thank Annie Storey, our Executive Director. You            performance behind the scenes each and every day.
certainly persevered through all the challenges 2020 had and led         We at USALCO are honored to play a part in
our Section. Thank you for your hard work and dedication and             maintaining water quality standards.
thank you for your words of encouragement and support during
those times I doubted myself.
    However, the biggest thanks goes to the committee
members and all those who continue to volunteer their time. To
the members who faithfully attend committee monthly meetings
and are the first to step up and volunteer your time, please know
that what you do is never forgotten or taken for granted. It’s YOU
who truly make everything happen for our committee and our
Section members!
    As we continue in 2021, we look forward to our new officers
and committee leadership in March. Along with new leadership,
WATERCON is taking place August 9–12, 2021. Be sure to watch
for upcoming information on the events that are to take place.                                To learn more about USALCO’s
We Reimagine the Future – so be sure to register and attend.                                  extensive line of coagulants and
                                                                                              associated technical services,
    Forthcoming events for 2021 include a new Public
                                                                                              please visit our website at
Perception campaign. If you are a municipality, make sure to                                  usalco.com or call (410) 918-2230.
take advantage of this campaign. Watch for more to come!
Additionally, there will be a virtual Meter Symposium on

                                                                                                              Splash     WINTER 2021   21
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24   Splash     WINTER 2021
Technology Committee
Jeremy Henning

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION AT THE FOREFRONT

A
           nother year come and gone,
           and this one rockier than most.
           COVID-19 has impacted nearly
every aspect of our daily behaviors and,
                                                       Remember, just because it’s called
for many, in long-lasting damaging ways.            the Technology Committee doesn’t mean
And yet, despite the extreme adversity
we have all faced, society has persevered                  you have to be tech-savvy!
and found a way to continue. The water
industry is no exception, and the ISAWWA
Technology Committee has done its best
to do the same. In fact, this Splash article   you’ve seen some of them by now and           we have started for the Section. Our team
marks the first Committee Chair update         are enjoying these simple and easy to         is energized about providing additional
since the Technology Committee was re-         consume technical “know-how” emails.          interactive panel-type discussions for
created! So, I’m going to walk you through     We hope to continue providing these tech      the membership, as this unique format
a brief (very brief, I promise) history of     insights in 2021 and are always looking       can present different perspectives on a
the newly formed Technology Committee          for ideas on what we can discuss.             topic in a short amount of time. We are
and what we are working on for 2021.               Throughout the rest of 2019 and           also continuing our efforts to provide a
    The journey began in December              into early 2020, the committee was able       diverse selection of technology-related
of 2018 when I first emailed Brent             to sponsor some great seminars and            webinars and seminars to the Section
Studnicka and Doug Strempek asking             webinars. Another of the committee’s          to strengthen your tech knowledge.
for background on the old tech-related         goals was to diversify the technology-        The Technology Committee has also
committee and their interest in bringing       related education opportunities for the       committed to sponsoring the Spring/
that back to life in some form or fashion.     Section and reach out to organizations        Summer 2021 issue of Splash magazine,
Both were members of the T-CON                 from other states that could provide a        so keep an eye out for some terrific
committee, and they had a wealth of            fresh perspective to our membership.          tech-related articles coming soon.
insightful feedback about their previous       With topics ranging from Smart Water               In closing, a big thank you to all of the
efforts. I know I thoroughly enjoyed the       to cybersecurity and America’s Water          Technology Committee team members
T-CON conference when it was around,           Infrastructure Act (AWIA) training to         who continue working hard to provide
as I know many of you did as well, and         cyber Insurance, we hope you’ve enjoyed       a technology-minded experience for
I was excited to have their help moving        the diverse training we’ve tried to provide   the Section members. Their enthusiasm
forward. With new thoughts and goals           and will continue to provide in 2021.         for tech topics on our monthly calls
on how to provide tech knowledge to                Throughout this journey, the              is contagious and shines through in
the Section, and with the blessing of the      committee has been fortunate enough           the webinars and other content they
Education Committee, we decided to             to recruit some dedicated new team            provide. And we’re always looking for
start moving ahead with a newly formed         members along the way who have all            more members. If any of this sounds
Technology sub-committee.                      done a great job of providing their           interesting to you, come see what
    Fast forward to April of 2019, and the     insights and assistance. Because of the       it’s all about. You can email me, Nick,
committee had its kickoff meeting with         growth of our team and our continued          or Pat Gleason for information on
a great group of people on the call with       efforts, the committee requested to be        our next meeting ( Jeremy Henning:
some terrific ideas brought to life. One       recognized as a stand-alone committee.        jhenning@nsmjawa.com; Nick Paradiso:
idea to come from that meeting was a           The Board approved the request at the         nparadiso@goconcentric.com; Pat Gleason:
desire to keep technology at the forefront     July Board member meeting. Soon after,        pgleason@isawwa.org). Remember,
of everyone’s mind. With that idea and a       Nick Paradiso volunteered and filled the      just because it’s called the Technology
focus on providing recurring technology        role of vice-chair for the committee.         Committee doesn’t mean you have to
education, the committee’s first-ever              Looking now at 2021, after my not-        be tech-savvy! We look forward to a
Tech-Tip email was sent out to the             so-brief recap of the committee’s recent      productive 2021 where we can hopefully
membership in August of 2019. Hopefully,       history, we are excited to continue what      start to see everyone in person again.

                                                                                                                Splash      WINTER 2021       25
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Diversity and Inclusion
By Jamie Rott and Robyn Doescher
                                                                                                                       Diversity and Inclusion Committee

The year 2020 has been full of challenges, changes, and will likely go down in history for so many reasons! One of the more
exciting changes that is coming to ISAWWA is the Diversity and Inclusion initiative! Over the past year the Diversity and Inclusion
Committee and the Board have been hard at work reviewing the Section’s current policy and brainstorming about what diversity
and inclusion mean to the Section, what should it look like, and what we need to implement to develop and encourage a more
diverse and inclusive Section.
    While navigating this process, the questions that kept coming up were, “What does diversity and inclusion really mean?” and “How
are we going to become more diverse and inclusive?” In response to those questions, the committee and Board have developed a
vision of what this means for ISAWWA; we are excited to announce what that vision is and how we propose to accomplish it.

   Vision:                                    Goals:
   Bring awareness of the need                • Achieve a membership that is reflective and inclusive of the diversity within our state.
   for diversity and inclusiveness            • Employ practices that encourage member inclusion.
   to the industry and cultivate an           • Develop, train, and maintain an environment of diversity and inclusion within
   environment in which members                 the industry.
   are represented and engaged.               • Recognize and leverage the full value that diversity of people and ideas can bring
                                                to our organization.

The journey has just begun and we will need many volunteers to help achieve a more diverse and inclusive Section and industry. We
recognize that we cannot solve this problem alone, but we can be an example to others. We welcome your thoughts on how we can
further commit to diversity and inclusion in our organization and the communities we work with and for. Please watch your emails
to see how you can be a part of this process as we move our Section forward. If you have any recommendations or would like to
volunteer, please email annie@isawwa.org.

        B
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                                                                                                                 Splash        WINTER 2021                 27
Gaining Traction
                       on Diversity & Inclusion
                       By Dawn Walker, Trustee At Large

My decision to run for ISAWWA Trustee           organizer, mentor and mentee, but I             shaping ISAWWA to be more inclusive and
was one of the best professional                still longed to see more diversity in the       diverse, take a leadership position. Don’t
decisions I’ve made in my career. Being         water resources field. I decided to run for     take a back seat; jump in the leadership
elected spoke volumes to my personal            trustee to fuel my passion for water and        seat and work hard with ISAWWA’s Board
love for water resources and to the             to seek opportunities to work with the          to weave diversity and inclusion into
mission of ISAWWA. On a personal note,          Board to lead ISAWWA to explore more            policies and training. My experience
my strong desire to represent women of          opportunities to bring diversity to the         with the Board has been positive and
color on the Board came full circle.            Section. I have not been disappointed.          I would encourage anyone passionate
    I am an African American woman and,              During my term, I’ve worked closely        about diversity and inclusion, and women
for the better part of my career, I’ve have     with the Board and challenged policies that     of color, to join the ISAWWA Board
longed to see a more diverse mix of water       fail to align with diversity and inclusion.     or another leadership position. You
professionals including more men and            ISAWWA is gaining traction on diversity         can’t take a back seat, you can’t simply
women of color in the field that I love. I’ve   and inclusion and recently updated some         complain that you wished there was more
worn many hats as a water professional          of its policies to be more inclusive. This is   diversity in the water resources field –
and with ISAWWA including volunteer,            just the beginning. There is more work to       you have to do something. Take charge!
teacher, manager, recruiter, student,           do. If you are a professional interested in     I have no regrets.

                                                                                                                  Splash    WINTER 2021      29
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Opportunities for women to connect with their female
colleagues in the water industry can be hard to come by.

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                                                                      Splash   WINTER 2021   31
My Introduction
     to the Water Industry
     By Dean Swingler, District 4 Trustee

     We need to be proactive in recruiting the next generation, that
     way, veteran operators can help train and prepare new employees.

                                            Water is essential to everyday life. Employees in the water sector are needed to
                                            deliver safe, potable water to homes and businesses. However, many are uneasy
                                            about the future. An estimated 30% of today’s qualified water and wastewater
                                            operators will retire in the next 10 years. Their knowledge is invaluable. I strongly
                                            urge all water utilities to develop a succession plan. We need to be proactive in
                                            recruiting the next generation, that way, veteran operators can help train and
                                            prepare new employees. Below, I am going to share how I became involved in
                                            the water sector. Like many others, I did not always work in water. My story can
                                            be used as an example regarding the search for the next generation of water
                                            operators and service technician, i.e., we should keep an open mind and search
                                            across a variety of industries and backgrounds.
                                               My path to the water industry was not a straight line. In fact, I somewhat
                                            stumbled into it. My background was plumbing, heating, and electric, which I
                                            worked in for six years. I enjoyed the work I was doing, especially the electrical
                                            portion, but I grew tired of tight crawlspaces and hot attics. I had a variety of jobs
                                            before I eventually began working in the maintenance department at a printing
                                            company. I was kept busy working on multitudes of different equipment. I enjoyed
                                            the challenge, but my position required a lot of overtime, which often included
                                            nights and weekends. The amount of work did not bother me, but at the time I was
                                              on third shift and had a young family. I did not want to miss these precious years
                                                   and knew it might be a few years before an opening on a different shift
                                                         would be available. The desire to always be present for family activities
                                                               prompted my search for a new job.
                                                                         Many will remember the challenges of searching for
                                                                          a job the 1990s. You could not advertise your skills
                                                                            or interest in a new position on platforms like
                                                                             LinkedIn or Facebook. You could not easily search
                                                                               for jobs based on factors like industry, tasks,
                                                                                 pay, location, etc., on applications like Indeed
                                                                                  or Google. Instead, I read help wanted ads in
                                                                                    the local newspaper every day. Eventually,
                                                                                     I saw an advertisement that interested
                                                                                     me. It stated that a local water company
                                                                                     was looking for someone with electrical
                                                                                     and plumbing experience. Originally, I was
                                                                                     searching for something that focused on
                                                                                     electrical maintenance, not water, but I fit that
                                                                                     description and applied.

32   Splash    WINTER 2021
My interview was my introduction          meant I was able to see my family and not    water to the public is one of the most
to the water industry. I learned that         miss out on activities with them.            noble careers one can have. Water
EJ Water Cooperative was a small but              Working at EJ Water has been very        is our most precious resource and
growing water company that focused            rewarding. The company has grown a           should be available to everyone.
on delivering water to rural areas. At the    lot during my tenure, and I have been        Everyone close to retirement should
time, EJ Water had a half-million-gallon      involved in many exciting projects. Since    be very proud of the service they
water treatment plant, three wells, and       starting, we have built two new water        have provided to their communities.
500 miles of water main that served           treatment plants, expanded to more           If you are close to retirement, please
1,100 connections. The position’s main        areas, increased connections, and have       share your knowledge and expertise
responsibilities included taking daily        begun offering a variety of services to      with the younger operators in your
water samples at the treatment plant,         other water utility systems.                 community and start recruiting for
installing water meters, reading water            I honestly believe that being involved   the next generation of water and
meters, adjusting/swapping regulators,        in providing clean, safe, and affordable     wastewater professionals.
fixing leaks, and locating water mains.
I was also excited to learn about the
electrical equipment that was necessary
to keep the system running smoothly.
The SCADA and telemetry systems would
require regular maintenance, which
would be a new challenge for me.
    I was offered a part-time position that
had potential to become full time. I would
not be able to support my family with
part-time employment, but I unable to
turn down the offer. I was too intrigued
by the water treatment and operation
processes. I believed this was the career
and company I had been looking for.
    Though my wife thought I was crazy,
I decided to work both jobs for a trial
period. This meant I worked third shift
at the printing company (11:00 PM –
7:00 AM) and then at EJ Water from
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM. I would work all
night and then head to EJ. My typical
day consisted of filling up chemical and
day tanks at the water treatment plant;
taking daily samples; checking to make
sure the system was operating properly;
and completing work orders from the
office. I was proud of the work I was
doing. Some tasks might not have been
enjoyable and working two jobs was
exhausting, but providing clean, safe
water to people made me happy.
    After six months with this schedule, I
was reevaluating my situation. Luckily, EJ
realized they needed a full-time employee
at the same moment, and I was offered
the position. It was another difficult
choice to make because the pay was less
than the maintenance position at the
printing company. Ultimately, I chose EJ
Water and have been working here since
January 18, 1998. I can confidently say
that it has been one of the best decisions
I have made in my life. I was excited and
proud of the work I was doing, and it also

                                                                                                            Splash    WINTER 2021   33
Congratulations                  to Our Scholarship Winners!
One AWWA Operator Scholarship                           Safe Water Scholarship

                           Mark Baines is currently                       Brianna Huber is the
                           the Maintenance                                Founder/Executive Director of
                           Supervisor at the Village                      Her2O™, as well as the Interim
                           of Hopkins Park and                            Director of Water Filtration
                           the Fire Chief for the                         for the City of East Moline.
                           Pembroke Fire Protection                       Brianna is pursuing a Master
                           District. Mark’s goal is                       of Business Administration
                           to become a water and                          with an emphasis in Business
                           wastewater operator so                         Analytics. Brianna believes
                           that he can achieve higher                     that analytics is the future
                           quality of water for his                       of water. Brianna, we look
                           community. Mark, we look                       forward to your continued
                           forward to you achieving                       professional growth and focus
   (photo not available)
                           your goals!                                    on water!

ISAWWA’s scholarship program seeks to support our members and students in water and
wastewater. Our next scholarship deadline is coming up June 30. Scholarship recipients can
use the funds to further their academic coursework and water and wastewater training.
Learn more at www.isawwa.org.

                                                                                    Splash    WINTER 2021   35
Registration Now Open!
    Experience ACE Your
    Way in 2021
    Join us in person or online
    Wherever you are in the world, you can now register to attend
    AWWA’s Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE) in person in
    San Diego OR online from your home or office. However you
    choose to participate, you’ll find a forum for you and your     Co-hosted by the
                                                                    California-Nevada AWWA Section
    colleagues to responsibly gather for the premier education,
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    sector’s immediate and future challenges together.

                                                                    June 13–16 | San Diego, CA
     Learn more at awwa.org/ace
                                                                    #AWWAACE

         Moving Water Since 1913
          Supply, Storage, Conveyance and Treatment Experts

www.stanleyconsultants.com             773.693.9624

                                                                                                Splash   WINTER 2021   37
your water supply experts
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                                  888.769.9009
                                  Oconomowoc, WI • Elburn, IL
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38   Splash   WINTER 2021
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