This course is now offered as an online training. It is recommended to take both parts on the same day.  Part 1 will take place from 10:00am to 12:00pm and Part 2 will take place from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Please follow the links below to register for each part separately.   In part one of this series you learned about pre-hazard mitigation planning and how to reduce drinking water system vulnerabilities. In part two, we will provide water system personnel with the information and resources needed to respond preemptively and proactively to most emergency situations. A water system emergency is any situation which causes water outages, unsafe drinking water, or any harm to humans or animals. The emergency may have been created by a fire, flood or vandalism and having a written response plan, lines of communication and mutual aid agreements in place prior to an emergency will provide an avenue for thoughtful response. Participants will learn: How to develop an emergency response plan and identify the eight core elements required in the ERP  How to assess vulnerability and complete risk ranking as we introduce the concept of the vulnerability assessment The benefits of mutual aid agreements Where to look for resources to complete a […]

Is your small rural water system infrastructure coming to the end of its useful life? Are those replacement dates approaching quickly? Maybe your system is out of compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), or can’t meet peak daily water demand because of drought. Often small rural water systems find it difficult to set aside the appropriate reserve funds to pay for these costs and keep water rates affordable. Many systems depend on multiple state and federal funding sources in the form of grants, and zero- or low-interest loans to remedy these challenges. Don’t assume that your system will qualify for these state and federal funds without doing your research. Funding agencies use the community’s median household income (MHI) to deter­mine the grant amount and/or loan funds they can provide the system, and what is an affordable service rate. This course will help you to determine if your system needs an income survey conducted, and how it can be a tremendous benefit to your community. Participants will learn: How to determine if your system could benefit from an income survey Benefits analysis How it could help you develop a stronger capital improvements plan The MHI process, how and when […]

Description: This webinar will look at how instrumentation and control systems are used by a water utility.  It will look at controlling motors, VFDs and energy management.  The webinar will have math problems related to the topic of instrumentation and control.  It will identify four main building blocks of a SCADA system and have examples, usage and configuration option.  Finally, it will show real world examples of SCADA screens and discuss how water operators interact with SCADA technology. Earn up to 8 contact hours. Instructor: Henry Palechek Member $150 / Non-member $175 Online registration for this webinar closes on February 7.

No water system is an island; we need each other. Small water systems must meet the same regulations as large systems without the economies of scale. What’s a system with 1,000 connections or less to do? This workshop will discuss the spectrum of opportunities for partnering with others. From casual information sharing or operational support, to formal consolidation or joint powers agreements, we will review the challenges and benefits of partnering up. By creating partnerships and opportunities for working together we can solve some of our small system challenges Participants will learn: How to evaluate their system's potential for partnership Options for working with other systems The next steps to start or continue the conversation

This course Pumps, Motors & Energy Efficiency is offered two times on the same day, attendees ONLY need to register once to take this course. Pumping water is one of the most inefficient uses of energy there is. Most water pumping systems only convert 30 to 60 percent of the power they consume (and you pay for) into useful work, one of the lowest margins of efficiency of all uses of energy. Why? The laws of physics mostly, but also simple mistakes made in selecting a pump or motor for a given duty point. This workshop will help you understand and minimize inefficiency in your pumping systems and teach you how to choose the right pump and motor for the job—one that will save money year after year. This workshop will give participants a variety of tools, tips and information they can use to reduce energy costs at their utilities. Participants will learn: Where to find and how to use free Total Dynamic Head (TDH) and horsepower calculators on the internet How to calculate TDH in a fluid pumping system How to solve wire-to-water energy calculations The six factors in friction loss and how to minimize them