California Association of Mutual Water Companies

EPA Small Drinking Systems Webinar: Manganese
2023-04-25 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development and the Office of Water invites you to attend a free webinar on Manganese. There will be two parts to this webinar. For further information, view the flyer for the webinar HERE.
Presentation 1: Manganese Interference with Disinfectant Residual Methods
This presentation will provide a summary of manganese occurrence in public water systems and describe its potential interference with commonly used methods to measure disinfectant residual. Case studies will be shared to demonstrate this issue. A flow chart to diagnose manganese interference will be introduced to help identify approaches to minimize manganese interference with commonly used methods, including sample pre-treatment, sample filtration, and alternative methods.
Presentation 2: Management of Manganese and Small System Considerations
Treatment of manganese is an ongoing concern for operational, esthetic and, more recently, health reasons. Manganese has been shown to be accumulated and released from the distribution system. These release events can cause discolored water but also release other regulated metals of health concern (e.g. lead, arsenic) into the distributed water. Research indicates that a finished water concentration of <0.02 mg/L is achievable by most utilities by optimizing existing treatment. At this concentration, it can also help minimize the accumulation (and subsequent release) of manganese into the distributed water. This presentation will outline management strategies for manganese including small system considerations.
Who should attend?: State, and territory, and tribal personnel responsible for drinking water regulations compliance and treatment technologies permitting, water system operators, technical assistance providers, local government personnel, and others may benefit from attending.

RCAC - Dealing with Forever Chemicals: PFAS in Drinking Water
2023-04-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Webinar Only
Description: The issue of PFAS contamination is being highlighted throughout the country with many experiencing anxieties over possible water contamination. PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals which include Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS). Known as “forever chemicals” PFAS compounds have been found widely in the environment including thousands of groundwater sources throughout US.
PFAS compounds are currently the #1 emerging threat to water systems. Continuing studies are identifying potential health risks associated with these chemicals. This session examines the origin, the concerns, and provides information for small systems about protecting public health.
Participants will learn:

Why these “forever” chemicals are not going away
Where do PFAS come from
What are the health effects of PFAS
PFAS regulations in drinking water
PFAS treatment technologies for drinking water systems

The recommended audience includes board members, managers and operators.

EFCN: Strategic Communications for Water Sector Leaders
2023-05-02 13:00 - 14:00 | Webinar Only
Strategic communications is about knowing your audiences and how to reach them. There is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Knowing your community’s demographics and communication patterns can provide water sector leaders with insight into developing consistent and informative communication plans.

RCAC - Coliform Sampling Procedures
2023-05-03 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-05-03 14:00 - 16:00 | Webinar Only
Description: Sampling for total coliforms and E. coli in the water system is one of the most important things an operator can do. The new Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) effective April 2016 affects every public water system. These revisions to the Total Coliform Rule will affect how operators and managers respond to total coliform positives (TC+) and require steps to analyze the integrity of the system as a result of positive samples. Investigation and corrective actions are at the forefront of the RTCR, and knowing how to complete a level 1 assessment can be the difference between compliance and violation. This workshop will focus on reviewing triggers for level 1 and level 2 assessments and who is expected to perform them; how to conduct an assessment with examples and small group exercises.
Participants will learn:

New procedures for the month following a TC+
What to do if you have a positive E. coli result
When an assessment of system is needed
How to complete a level 1 assessment of your system
Tips on system inspection/investigation

Operator Basics Series: The recommended audience includes operators, managers, and board members.

Reporter Training Brown Bag #4: Sections 9-18 & Submission
2023-05-03 11:30 - 13:00 | Webinar Only
Per the March 2023 eAR technical reporting order, all public water systems are required to complete an electronic Annual Report (eAR) by May 13, 2023. The eAR to the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water (DDW) on the operation of public water systems (PWS) during the past year (2022) will be released on March 13, 2023 via the EAR Portal.
DDW will be offering eAR Reporting Training Brown Bags throughout the eAR reporting period. This is the third of four offered sessions.
Register HERE

CFCC: 2023 Virtual Funding Fair
2023-05-04 09:00 - 12:30 | Webinar Only
The California Financing Coordinating Committee (CFCC) is pleased to invite you to attend the free 2023 spring virtual funding fair on May 4, 16, and/or 25, 2023. For further info, view the flyer HERE.
The funding fair will provide the opportunity to learn more about available grant, loan, and bond financing options for infrastructure projects from federal, state, and local agencies.
Representatives from water industry professionals, public works, local governments, and California Native American Tribes should attend. This includes city managers and planners, economic development and engineering professionals, officials from privately owned facilities, water and irrigation district managers, financial advisors, and project consultants.
We look forward to your attendance at the virtual funding fair. For

EFCN - Wellhead Protection
2023-05-09 10:00 - 11:00 | Webinar Only
Description: In this 1-hour webinar, experts from the Great Lakes Environmental Infrastructure Center (GLEIC) will discuss source water protection for drinking water wells, including:

The purpose of the multiple-barrier approach
How to calculate the zone of influence around groundwater sources using the EPA simplified method
Activities that should be limited or prohibited in a wellhead protection area
How contaminant plumes are formed and monitored
And more!

Presenter: Gregory Pearson, Water & Wastewater Trainer, Great Lakes Environmental Infrastructure Center at Michigan Technological University
Certificate: This webinar has NOT been submitted for approval of continuing education credit. We can provide a certificate of attendance to eligible attendees, but cannot guarantee it will meet your PDH or CEU requirements.

Who Should Attend:

Managers, owners, and operators of water systems serving less than 10,000 people
Decision-makers for water utilities, including mayors, financial officers, utility managers, public works directors, city councilors, board members, tribal council members, and clerks
Consultants and technical assistance providers serving water systems

CFCC: 2023 Virtual Funding Fair
2023-05-16 09:00 - 12:30 | Webinar Only
The California Financing Coordinating Committee (CFCC) is pleased to invite you to attend the free 2023 spring virtual funding fair on May 16 and/or May 25, 2023. For further info, view the flyer HERE.
The funding fair will provide the opportunity to learn more about available grant, loan, and bond financing options for infrastructure projects from federal, state, and local agencies.
Representatives from water industry professionals, public works, local governments, and California Native American Tribes should attend. This includes city managers and planners, economic development and engineering professionals, officials from privately owned facilities, water and irrigation district managers, financial advisors, and project consultants.
We look forward to your attendance at the virtual funding fair. For

EFCN: Leader-to-Leader Panel Event
2023-05-16 13:00 - 14:00 | Webinar Only
Meet a panel of experts in the water sector who will share anecdotes and answer questions about their own journeys into leadership positions.
NOTE: This is an interactive session in which participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with panelists. Outside of cohort members, registrants will be approved based on a case-by-case basis.

CFCC: 2023 Funding Fair
2023-05-25 09:00 - 12:30 | Webinar Only
The California Financing Coordinating Committee (CFCC) is pleased to invite you to attend the free 2023 spring virtual funding fair on May 25, 2023. For further info, view the flyer HERE.
The funding fair will provide the opportunity to learn more about available grant, loan, and bond financing options for infrastructure projects from federal, state, and local agencies.
Representatives from water industry professionals, public works, local governments, and California Native American Tribes should attend. This includes city managers and planners, economic development and engineering professionals, officials from privately owned facilities, water and irrigation district managers, financial advisors, and project consultants.
We look forward to your attendance at the virtual funding fair. For

EFCN: Wastewater System Operation and Maintenance
2023-06-30 09:00 - 10:00 | Webinar Only
Description: This 1-hour webinar is designed to develop the knowledge and skills to operate and maintain a wastewater collection system effectively. Operational and maintenance procedures for lift stations, manholes, and other key components of a collection system will be covered.
Presenter: KT Newman, Owner, Utility Contractors LLC
Certificate: This webinar has NOT been submitted for continuing education credit approval. We can provide a certificate of attendance to eligible attendees but cannot guarantee it will meet your PDH or CEU requirements.
Who Should Attend:

Managers, owners, and operators of wastewater systems with an average daily flow of less than 1 million gallons
Decision-makers for wastewater utilities, including mayors, finance officers, utility managers, public works directors, city councilors, board members, tribal council members, and clerks
Consultants and technical assistance providers serving wastewater systems

EFCN: Water Quality Standards – What You Need (or Ought) to Know
2023-07-06 10:00 - 11:00 | Webinar Only
Description: In this 1-hour webinar, experts from the Wichita State University Environmental Finance Center will discuss Water Quality Standards with real-world examples – particularly as they apply wastewater treatment plant owners and operators. In most cases, state Water Quality Standards are the single most important factor in determining NPDES permit effluent limitations. Failing to understand how water quality standards affect NPDES permit limits may subject a permittee to overly stringent requirements that can prove costly to the permittee. Topics that will be covered include:

What are Water Quality Standards?
Designated Uses, Water Quality Criteria, and Antidegradation
Key Water Quality Areas That Utilize Water Quality Standards: Monitoring and Assessment, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), and NPDES Permit Limits
Why You Should Care About Water Quality Standards and More!

Presenter: Mike Tate, PE, Project Associate, Wichita State University Environmental Finance Center
Certificate: This webinar has NOT been submitted for continuing education credit approval. We can provide a certificate of attendance to eligible attendees but cannot guarantee it will meet your PDH or CEU requirements.
Who Should Attend:

Managers, owners, and operators of wastewater systems with an average daily flow of less than 1 million gallons
Decision-makers for wastewater utilities, including mayors, finance officers, utility managers, public works directors, city councilors, board members, tribal council members, and clerks
Consultants and technical assistance providers serving wastewater systems

EFCN: Financial Analysis & Management for Wastewater and Water Utilities
2023-07-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Webinar Only
Description: In this 1-hour webinar, experts from the Great Lakes Environmental Infrastructure Center (GLEIC) will discuss how to conduct a financial analysis of your utility in developing budgets and rates.
Learning Objectives:

Analyze revenue and expenses for budget development
How to effectively develop water and wastewater rates
Calculate affordability metrics
Develop annual reserve fund contributions toward future projects and asset management replacement
Use financial ratios to track financial viability
Consider workforce and maintenance needs for budget development
Predict future financial factors that can impact utility costs through provided resources and methods

Presenter: John Sullivan, Senior Research Engineer, Great Lakes Environmental Infrastructure Center at Michigan Technological University
Certificate: This webinar has NOT been submitted for approval of continuing education credit. We can provide a certificate of attendance to eligible attendees, but cannot guarantee it will meet your PDH or CEU requirements.

Who Should Attend:

Managers, owners, and operators of water systems serving less than 10,000 people, or wastewater systems with an average daily flow of less than 1 million gallons
Decision-makers for water and wastewater utilities, including mayors, finance officers, utility managers, public works directors, city councilors, board members, tribal council members, and clerks
Consultants and technical assistance providers serving water and wastewater systems

RCAC: Water Supply & Sources
2023-07-11 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-07-11 14:00 - 16:00 | Webinar Only
Accreditation: 2 California Drinking Water Contact Hours awarded
Description: The essential mission of every water system is to provide an adequate volume of high-quality water at the lowest sustainable cost. The key words here are “adequate volume” and “high-quality.” This learning event will provide operators, managers and board members of small water systems with a basic knowledge of how to determine the supply requirements (in terms of both volume and quality) of their water supply and to provide a basic understanding of the two types of water sources (groundwater and surface water) commonly used by small water systems. This will include the concepts of max day demand, peak hour demand, diurnal demand and source reliability. There will be a focus on the supply adequacy requirements of the California Water Works Standards.
Participants will learn:

Water system demand – How much is enough?

High-quality water – How clean is clean enough?
Types of water sources commonly seen in small systems
Source water protection planning

The recommended audience includes system managers, new or existing water system operators, managers and especially board members.

RCAC: Water System Basic Operations
2023-07-12 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-07-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Webinar Only
Accreditation: 2 California Drinking Water Contact Hours awarded
Description: Public water system managers and operators have a lot of irons in the fire. They answer to their customers, local government (board of directors), state and county primacy agencies, other state/county/federal agencies and various businesses/industries. Where does one begin? It all begins with operations, and the managers/operators need to ensure that safe water is consistently delivered to the customers; the water is under sufficient pressure; all required water testing is performed promptly and with proper testing techniques; and that all records are documented accurately and as required. This workshop will utilize the trainer’s experiences, as well as the experience of participants in the workshop, to explore these topics and others as encountered by the experienced managers/operators that will be attending this training.
Participants will learn:

About doing “the rounds”

Recordkeeping and reporting
Daily/weekly/monthly tasks
Their responsibility to the public
About dealing with the board of directors or other local government

The recommended audience includes local government (board of directors), managers and operators.

RCAC: Chromium in Drinking Water: Return of the Chromium-6 MCL
2023-07-18 10:00 - 12:00, 2023-07-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Webinar Only
Accreditation: 2 California Drinking Water Contact Hours awarded
Description: Chromium in drinking water has been regulated since 1977, but hexavalent chromium, more commonly known as chromium-6, has had a turbulent regulatory history. In 2014 chromium-6, due to its increased carcinogenicity, had its own maximum contaminant level (MCL) established in California. In 2017, that MCL was invalidated. Now a new MCL has been proposed. Chromium-6 occurs naturally in Californian rock formations and is an industrial contaminant. In 2017, it was found in almost 4,000 wells. This workshop will help systems prepare for the new MCL and make informed decisions on treatment techniques.
Participants will learn:

Basic information regarding chromium and its ionic forms

The adverse health effects caused by chromium-6 exposure
The regulatory history of chromium
What to expect from regulations in the future
Treatment techniques
Practical considerations when choosing treatment techniques

The recommended audience includes operators, managers and board members that have an interest in providing chromium-safe water to their customers.

RCAC: Groundwater Well Operations & Maintenance
2023-07-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Webinar Only
Accreditation: 2 California Drinking Water Contact Hours awarded
Description: How is your well performing? How do you know what is going on deep in the ground? Like all equipment, water wells must be maintained to ensure long life and quality water within the system. Wells need to be monitored regularly to compile vital information on the health of the source.
Participants will learn:

Well inspection

Well operation and maintenance practices
Well pump basics and how to properly throttle a well pump
Groundwater quality concerns and trouble indicators
Measuring drawdown and tracking over time
Well sounders: Which one is right for me?

The recommended audience includes operators, management, water system personnel or anyone with an interest in better understanding the value of operating a safe drinking water system.

RCAC: Groundwater Well Operations and Maintenance
2023-07-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Webinar Only

CalMutuals 10th Anniversary Celebration
2023-08-15 17:00 - 19:30 | Sutter Club, 1220 9th St, Sacramento, 95814, United States
On behalf of our Executive Director Adán Ortega and our board of directors we would like to extend a special invitation to join CalMutuals as we celebrate our 10th Anniversary. Please plan to join us August 15th from 5:30-7PM at the Sutter Club Sacramento to celebrate a decade of growth and honor the pivotal work of Small System Champions!
The California Association of Mutual Water Companies (“CalMutuals”) was founded by fourteen (14) mutual water companies to advocate and develop resources to support other mutual water companies statewide. Today, our membership has grown to include almost 500 mutual water companies. In our first decade, CalMutuals experienced tremendous growth in membership, influence, and the scope of support it provides our members. Our growth would not have been possible without the support of state legislators who understand the challenges of small water systems and actively work towards effective solutions on their behalf. Attached to our invitation is a list of our major milestones and accomplishments as an association.
To celebrate our successes and partnerships, CalMutuals is hosting a 10th Anniversary Reception Tuesday, Aug.15, 2023, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Sutter Club located at 1220 9th St, Sacramento, CA 95814.
RSVP: https://caomwc.wildapricot.org/event-5314737
Refreshments and h’ordeuvres will be served.
Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to celebrating with you!

CalMutuals 10th Anniversary Reception
2023-08-15 17:30 - 19:00 | Sutter Club, 1220 9th St, Sacramento, 95814, United States
Join us August 15th from 5:30-7PM at the Sutter Club Sacramento to celebrate our decade of growth and honor the pivotal work of Small System Champions!
All CalMutuals members are welcome to attend.
Refreshments and h’ordeuvres will be served.

CalMutuals & CalMutuals JPRIMA 2023 Annual Meetings
2023-11-06 11:00 - 2023-11-07 14:00 | The Padre Hotel, 1702 18th St,, Bakersfield, CA, 93301

2024 CalMutuals & CalMutuals JPRIMA Annual Meeting & Board Retreat
2024-09-30 08:00 - 16:00 | Hotel Maya, 700 Queensway Dr, Long Beach, CA, 90802, United States
We cordially invite you to join us for the 2024 Annual Meeting of the California Association of Mutual Water Companies (CalMutuals) and CalMutuals’ Joint Powers Risk and Insurance Management Authority (CalMutuals JPRIMA). Registration is FREE for members of CalMutuals, CalMutuals JPRIMA and the Community Water Systems Alliance, as well as for our insurance broker partners. Our annual meeting will be held Monday, September 30, 2024 at the Hotel Maya, 700 Queensway Dr, Long Beach, CA 90802. The agenda for the meeting is still being finalized.
To register, visit https://caomwc.wildapricot.org/event-5820542.
To reserve a room at the Hotel Maya, use the following link: https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/calmutualsmeetingretreat/. The reference rate/group code is “918” or “CDT918”. The last day date to receive the group rate is Friday, September 6, 2024.
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PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PROXY for election of the CalMutuals Board of Directors.
We invite you to vote by downloading and returning the proxy forms through email to ceili@calmutuals.org or by fax to (714) 398-8819.
You should have received an email from Association Voting with the instructions, links, and credentials to vote in the CalMutuals Board of Directors election online. If you cannot locate the email, please reach out by email ceili@calmutuals.org or by telephone 714-709-4040 ext. 2, and we will provide it to you.
