April 2008
I just love living in Texas! We just returned from spending the weekend in East Texas. It was wonderful to see all of the various Texas wildflowers in all of their glory! The patches of blue, yellow, red, and orange flowers make me thankful for all of the rain that God has provided this Spring. However, will the rain continue?
As water providers, we need to educate our customers in the practices of water conservation before a summertime drought hits. With the amount of rainfall that Texas received last summer, some residents may think that we are out of any drought danger. That way of thinking may apply if the customers receive surface water, but here in the Houston area, the lake or aquifer isn’t what limits us in water supply but mostly the capacity of our plants as we try to supply all of the irrigation systems and still meet domestic demand. Remember that water conservation begins at home!
Scholarship applications are available now; they are due by April 17th. Applicants must be children or grandchildren of members or members themselves. Current membership must be paid, and you must have been a member for three years. Please contact Allen Schreiber if you have any questions regarding the applications.
The Annual Softball Tournament is coming Saturday, April 26th! Our teams are already formed, and now we are looking for volunteers to help this year! This is a fun, family event with good, old fashioned competition. Let a Board Member know if you are interested in helping out.
Missy Steadman
March 2008
When we think of March, we usually think of the color green or the Luck of the Irish. What if this month, when we think of green we think of our environment? In our professional lives, we help to protect our State’s natural resources in many different ways. Through storm water protection programs, we monitor the runoff from our facilities and construction areas. Through effective wastewater treatment, we protect the streams by producing quality effluent. Finally, through water distribution management, we help to minimize water loss to help conserve water.
In our personal lives, do we look for ways to preserve and protect the environment? I know what the answer is for me, and I can do a better job! It is easy for me to reason that because the city where I live does not have a recycling program, then I can’t recycle. However, most schools in the Houston area have bins that accept most paper for recycling. There is even a place right down the road for me to take my aluminum cans, and I could even get some money back! Talk about thinking green! Please think of ways that you can make changes in your daily routine to help out the environment.
The Southeast Regional School will be held in Beaumont in April 29th through May 1st; registration is already taking place. Please contact TWUA or Richard Steadman if you have any questions.
Scholarship applications are available now; they are due by April 17th. Applicants must be children or grandchildren of members or members themselves. Current membership must be paid, and you must have been a member for three years. Please contact Allen Schreiber if you have any questions regarding the applications.
The Annual Softball Tournament is coming soon! We are looking for volunteers to help this year! This is a fun, family event with good, old fashioned competition. Let a Board Member know if you are interested in forming a team or helping out during the tournament. There is information inside regarding team information.
Missy
February 2008
2008 is now in full swing. How are those New Year resolutions going? For me, I can say that I am still trying to succeed, but it seems like a slow process. I encourage each of you to strive for success!
The Sam Houston Board and Committee Chairpersons have already been hard at work planning out the year. You will see information inside regarding the upcoming Annual Softball Tournament, and we are already planning the All Day Conference! We will also have 2008-2009 calendars to distribute at this month’s meeting. The calendar provides meeting dates, locations and upcoming events. Make sure you are present to pick one up!
To help with our professional development, Sam Houston will continue to offer quality training. Please check out our newsletter and website for upcoming classes and training opportunities. We look forward to seeing you at each of the monthly meetings!
In addition, check out the TWUA Journal and website for state and regional training events. The Annual school will be held in Fort Worth in March and the Southeast Regional School will be held in Beaumont in April; registration for both schools is already taking place.
Missy
January 2008
As we welcome the New Year, I hope that we all welcome change. Some make new resolutions every year, and some choose not to even think about the possibility of doing such a thing. However, change can come in many different forms. In our personal lives, change can come in family, weight, or organization. In our professional lives, change can come in our place of work, our job assignments or duties, and even in the way that we handle ourselves while dealing with our customers or coworkers. I hope that we grow and mature with each change that 2008 gives us.
Sam Houston will strive to help you through some of these changes by continuing to offer quality training. Please check out our newsletter and website for upcoming classes and training opportunities. We look forward to seeing you at each of the monthly meetings!
In addition, check out the TWUA Journal and website for state and regional training events. The Annual school will be held in Fort Worth this year in March; registration is already taking place. The Southeast Regional School will be held in Beaumont in April; registration will soon begin.
On another note, we want to remind you that the 2008 dues will be $60. Hopefully you have all received a membership renewal application from TWUA. If not, you may pick one up at the meeting.
Missy Steadman
October 2007
ALOHA! In the Hawaiian native language, Aloha means hello and good bye. The month of October is Sam Houston’s time to receive the new incoming President. So this is my time to say good bye. However, since Patrick is still waiting on his liver transplant, I will continue to serve as President for 2008. So instead of saying hello or good bye, I say Aloha! We will present the 2008 Slate of Officers at the October meeting, and we will vote in November. I hope that we have a good turn out at these meetings to show support of the upcoming officers who work so hard through out the year. A list of the Slate is included inside.
You will also see inside the newsletter a flyer for an event to benefit Patrick Walters. At this time, he is on the liver transplant list. Although he has insurance, the deductible and many other related expenses have become an additional burden. The city employees have come together to sponsor this event for Patrick. We would love to have Sam Houston members turn out in full force to make this benefit a success. We are also gathering door prizes and raffle items to be given away that day. Please let me know if you would like to participate.
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting at Alsay this month! Remember we only have two more meetings this year! Sam Houston is great way to earn those necessary hours for your water and wastewater licenses.
Missy Steadman
September 2007
We had a wonderful All Day Conference & Exposition this year! Thank you to Ben Connelly, Allen Schreiber, Sam Houston Board Members, and all of our Volunteers for this year’s success! We had over 120 in attendance plus all of our exhibitors. We also want to give a big thank you to HD Supply Waterworks for the terrific lunch they prepared and served to us! We also raised $573 from the raffle drawings which goes directly into the Scholarship fund!
I was able to attend the TWUA Mid-Year Board Meeting in San Antonio last month. We participate in a top rate organization! There are so many committees to participate in that I’m sure you can find one that would suit your interest and expertise! Terry Thompson with TCEQ Occupational Licensing Section was there to give an update on upcoming licensing changes. He asked us to remind you to look for the blue postcards regarding your license renewals. The best and fastest way to renew your license is online. I renewed both of mine last month online. I submitted the application on Thursday afternoon and I had my licenses in hand on Monday!
We have moved the Golf Tournament location this year. Please see inside for location and registration details. We also have a new meeting location this month! I hope to see you all there!
Missy Steadman
August 2007
You may have on your truck or at least have seen the TWUA bumper sticker “Water is Life”. We in the operations field live by this motto. We take pride in the fact that public health and the environment is in our hands. I’m sure you have also heard of the motto, “Give the Gift of Life”. This refers to blood and organ donations.
I bring this up since one of our own friends and colleagues needs this Gift of Life. Patrick Walters, Sam Houston’s President-Elect, is awaiting a liver transplant. The City of West University Place hosted a blood drive for Patrick at the beginning of August. We tried to spread the word to as many people as possible, and I believe that the Drive was a success! If you would like to participate in the next blood drive, please send m an email and I will add you to the contact list. You can also give blood in Patrick’s name at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Hospital; just mention that he is a transplant patient.
I would like to encourage you to give the Gift of Life through blood donations on a regular basis. Also please learn about organ donations, and let your family know if you would like to be an organ donor. This truly is the Gift of Life. I know that we will all keep Patrick and his family in our prayers.
Inside the newsletter this month you will find a registration form and schedule for the 56th Annual All Day Conference & Exposition. Thanks to our friends at the City of Humble, the conference will once again be held at the Humble Civic Center. Please see the registration form for further details.
Missy Steadman
June 2007 I was listening to the radio the other morning on my way into work. The DJ on air made a scheduling mistake regarding an artist that was coming into the studio for an interview. He was very apologetic for the mistake and took full responsibility. A listener called in, and made a comment that I will not soon forget. She said, “The only people that don’t make mistakes are the ones that aren’t doing anything!” How true is this?
I make mistakes all the time. It could be over-scheduling myself and not being ready for an appointment or worse yet, forgetting the appointment all together. I also make mistakes by not meeting a deadline. Even in my personal life, I make mistakes by forgetting to give my son his medicine. How hard is it to give a child an antibiotic once a day for 10 days? At least I can say that I am doing something!
I think the goal is to learn from our mistakes. If I’m overscheduled, or overworked, am I prioritizing my list of to do items? Do I at least strive to meet the deadlines? Do I still care about my job and completing the task with accurateness and punctuality? Do we take full responsibility for our mistakes, or do we point the finger at others? The point is, we all make mistakes, but what are we doing about them? It is something to think about this month.
You will find inside the newsletter I was listening to the radio the other morning on my way into work. The DJ on air made a scheduling mistake regarding an artist that was coming into the studio for an interview. He was very apologetic for the mistake and took full responsibility. A listener called in, and made a comment that I will not soon forget. She said, “The only people that don’t make mistakes are the ones that aren’t doing anything!” How true is this?this month, a registration form for the 56th Annual All Day Conference & Exposition. Thanks to our friends at the City of Humble, the conference will held again at the Humble Civic Center. Please see the registration form for further details.
Please note a time change for this month’s meeting. It is from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Deussen Park. We need to be out of the park before dark. I hope that you all can make it to this month’s meeting!
Missy Steadman
May 2007 A big THANK YOU goes out to Kevin Redden and David Hernandez with Aqua Services, Matt Baker and Jennifer Krug with Water District Management, and Allen Schreiber and Frank Garcia with Severn Trent for helping with the 21st Annual Softball Tournament. The tournament would not have been as successful without their help!
Kevin helped with team registration. David purchased the tournament softballs and led the Team Managers’ meeting. Matt and Jennifer organized the umpires and spent many hours to perfect the tournament bracket. It takes a special group of people to organize that many teams and to allow enough time for all to eat lunch! Speaking of lunch, I heard that Frank grills up a good burger and got the teams re-energized and back in the game. Allen purchased the drinks for lunch and the bases needed for each of the fields. A special thank you goes out to Severn Trent who sponsored the meal for lunch!
Congratulation goes out to the NTS team for winning the tournament. Pictures and a tournament recap are listed inside.
I mentioned at last month’s meeting two very important changes concerning Operations Licenses. Look for a postcard from TCEQ when it is time for your license to renew; an application will no longer be mailed. You can now renew and pay for your license online; just follow the instructions on the postcard. If you do not have internet access, then call TCEQ and ask for an application to be mailed to you. The testing location and dates have changed for taking license exams in Region 12. The new information is included inside. Give TCEQ a call if you have any questions regarding these new changes.
Missy Steadman
April 2007 Consider this scenario…It is early on a lovely spring morning…the birds are chirping…insects are buzzing…and households are beginning to stir. Folks are turning on their coffee makers, stepping into their morning showers, or perhaps starting a load of laundry or a dishwasher full of dinner dishes from the night before.Then, suddenly, the stream of water in the shower slows to a trickle and appliances choke and sputter without their customary water supply. The culprit? Up and down hundreds of streets, sprinkler system controls all spring into action at the same time…sending thousands and thousands of gallons of water airborne to fall on lawns and gardens that do not need it.
Is it possible that we would ever really have to choose between a nice hot morning shower and watering the lawn? Absolutely. If we do not take steps to reign in our community’s voracious early morning appetite for water, that choice might come up as early as this summer! Now is the time to educate our customers about water conservation before the summertime drought hits.
Scholarship applications are available now; they are due by April 19th. Applicants must be children or grandchildren of members or members themselves. Current membership must be paid, and you must have been a member for three years. Please contact Allen Schreiber if you have any questions regarding the applications.
The Annual Softball Tournament is coming Saturday, April 28th! We are looking for volunteers to help this year! This is a fun, family event with good, old fashioned competition. Let a Board Member know if you are interested in forming a team or helping out.
Missy Steadman
March 2007
When we think of March, we usually think of the color green or the Luck of the Irish. What if this month, when we think of green we think of our environment? In our professional lives, we help to protect our State’s natural resources in many different ways. Through storm water protection programs, we monitor the runoff from our facilities and construction areas. Through effective wastewater treatment, we protect the streams by producing quality effluent. Finally, through water distribution management, we help to minimize water loss to help conserve water.
In our personal lives, do we look for ways to preserve and protect the environment? I know what the answer is for me, and I can do a better job! It is easy for me to reason that because the city where I live does not have a recycling program, then I can’t recycle. However, most schools in the Houston area have bins that accept most paper for recycling. There is even a place right down the road for me to take my aluminum cans, and I could even get some money back! Talk about thinking green! Please think of ways that you can make changes in your daily routine to help out the environment.
The TWUA Annual School will be held in San Antonio this month. The last day of the school will be the day of our monthly meeting. I hope that if you are not in attendance at the meeting, then you will be traveling back from the school! The Southeast Regional School will be held in Beaumont in April; registration is already taking place. Please contact Richard Steadman if you have any questions.
Scholarship applications are available now; they are due by April 19th. Applicants must be children or grandchildren of members or members themselves. Current membership must be paid, and you must have been a member for three years. Please contact Allen Schreiber if you have any questions regarding the applications.
The Annual Softball Tournament is coming soon! We are looking for volunteers to help this year! This is a fun, family event with good, old fashioned competition. Let a Board Member know if you are interested in forming a team or helping out.
February 2007
In this month’s TWUA Journal, TWUA Executive Director, Russell Hamilton, makes excellent points regarding professionalism in our industry. I encourage each of you to read his column. I totally agree with Russell in that our jobs as operators go under appreciated in the world of professionals. We are all highly trained in our specialized field to obtain and maintain our current licenses. But do our customer’s hold this perception or are we just another “laborer” in the field? I would like to encourage each of you to look inwardly and outwardly to see what you can do to change this perception.
To help with our professional development, Sam Houston will continue to offer quality training. Please check out our newsletter and website for upcoming classes and training opportunities. We look forward to seeing you at each of the monthly meetings!
In addition, check out the TWUA Journal and website for state and regional training events. The Annual school will be held in San Antonio this year in March and the Southeast Regional School will be held in Beaumont in April; registration for both schools is already taking place.
On another note, we want to remind you that the 2007 dues will be $60. We have absorbed the TWUA increase in the years past; however due to rising costs, we can no longer afford to continue to do so and still maintain our current budget. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding this matter.
January 2007
As we welcome the New Year, I hope that we all welcome change. Some make new resolutions every year, and some choose not to even think about the possibility of doing such a thing. However, change can come in many different forms. In our personal lives, change can come in family, weight, or organization. In our professional lives, change can come in our place of work, our job assignments or duties, and even in the way that we handle ourselves while dealing with our customers or coworkers. I hope that we grow and mature with each change that 2007 gives us.
Sam Houston will strive to help you through some of these changes by continuing to offer quality training. Please check out our newsletter and website for upcoming classes and training opportunities. We look forward to seeing you at each of the monthly meetings!
In addition, check out the TWUA Journal and website for state and regional training events. The Annual school will be held in San Antonio this year in March; registration is already taking place. The Southeast Regional School will be held in Beaumont in April; registration will soon begin.
On another note, we want to remind you that the 2007 dues will be $60. We have absorbed the TWUA increase in the years past; however due to rising costs, we can no longer afford to continue to do so and still maintain our current budget. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding this matter.
August 2006
Now that’s more like it. Our July meeting in Katy saw attendance almost back to its normal levels. I would still like to see us get to our average of 120 people. But 105 is pretty good. I know we had some out-of-towners at the meeting. And it was great to see our scholarship recipients on hand to receive our congratulations. That is the reason we exist – for education.
It is the education of our members. A great many of us have TCEQ licenses that we must maintain. These monthly meetings are the best bang for the buck to get those renewal hours. And if you don’t have a license, then a little enlightenment on the topic of the evening certainly doesn’t hurt. I know that we have all learned a great many things over the course of our membership. Education is also the goal of our door prize drawings. We give away a $100 kitty at each meeting. But the remainder of the proceeds goes to our scholarship fund. We gave away $8,975 this year to a number of deserving students. College is certainly not an easy financial task these days, so every bit helps. And I am proud of Sam Houston for supporting these young, and not so young, people. We hope that after graduation, they will pursue careers in the health and environmental fields that are so important to all of us. Congratulations and best wishes to all of our honored scholarship recipients.
Our meeting this month will be at the Jimmy Burke Center in Deer Park. This is the same place that we have been meeting for a number of years now.
The Big Event of our year, and for the last 54 years is our All Day Conference and Exhibition. Yes, we have been putting on a great show for longer than some of the TWUA regional schools. I know the current Board of Directors, as well as all past officers, are extremely proud of this history. For the last few years, we have held this extravaganza at the Humble Civic Center. The facility is perfect for our purposes, and I would like to thank all of the folks at the City of Humble who make this come off so well. Please make plans to attend on Friday, September 8. We have some exciting speakers lined up. We have a great lunch planned. We have 8 hours of water & 8 hours of wastewater credit available. We hope to have 55 vendors on hand to answer all of your questions. And we expect to be honored with the presence of TWUA President Glenda Dunn and TWUA Executive Director Russell Hamilton. So come on out and help us make this a rousing success again this year. SEE YOU THERE!
June 2006
As I write this, our annual softball tournament was held 2 weeks ago. From everyone that I talked to, it was another resounding success. We had 12 teams entered. Some of them got to play after lunch before they were eliminated. My team even got booted before I got a chance to play. We had a couple of snags with the city at the beginning of the day, but it was all worked out with only a minor delay.
Congratulations to Alsay on winning the tournament this year. They played long and hard all day, and had to beat WDM, the eventual second place team, twice before it was all over. Alsay also had to beat 3rd place NTS for the privilege of playing WDM for the title. I know that it was a long day for the players, because I did not present the trophy until 7:30 PM. Sam Houston District appreciates everyone’s participation. We hope that everyone had a wonderful day and are already making plans to play again next year.
Special thanks goes out to Frank Garcia of Severn Trent Services. For the last couple of years, Frank has almost single-handedly done the lunch for our tournament. He has purchased the food, set up the picnic area, and cooked the meat for 425 persons. Because of his position with ST, he is not able to make any monthly meetings, nor does he play in the tournament. But unselfishly, he volunteers to assist with our yearly event. When you see Frank, give him a hearty “Thank you!”
I know that you do not need to tell me that summer is here and has been for about 2 months now. So much for spring. It can be dangerous working outside in the heat. Please make sure that you stay hydrated. (I will not make the same comment as last year.) And take care of your co-workers. Keep an eye on each other and watch for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Both of these conditions can be very serious. It takes everyone working together to make our industry as safe as it can possibly be.
Our meeting this month will be in Galena Park. This is a recurring location for us, so if you are making this meeting at this location for the first time, check the map below for location. Or call a board member at their number listed on the back of this newsletter for directions. I hope to see a large crowd in attendance.
May 2006
Wow, what a great meeting. Our sincere thanks to All-Pump and all of their folks for putting on a great show. As has become their custom, the meal was something out of the ordinary – lasagna, salad, & garlic bread. It was a great choice from Barry’s Pizza. The door prizes were quite well received by our members, especially those people that won up to $250 cash. Remember, at all of our meetings, you can’t win if you don’t play. So buy a fistful of raffle tickets. You increase your chance of winning and you contribute towards our scholarship fund. Thanks again to Ken Vollbrecht and everyone at All-Pump.
We are looking forward to a new location for the May meeting. It will be at the West University Place Recreation Center on Bellaire Boulevard. This is the former YMCA building adjacent to the railroad tracks. Look at the bottom right of this page for directions and information on the speaker and topic. Lets keep this years trend going by having another big crowd and show our appreciation to the City of West University Place. As I write this, we are looking forward to our annual softball tournament this coming weekend. We will have an update of how it went and announce the winning team. I can promise that it will not be a repeat of last years winner.
We will also have a recap of the Southeast Regional School. I know they offer some good classes and I hope that everyone made an attempt to attend. I anticipate that there will be a bigger turnout next year for those that can’t make it as far as San Antonio for the Annual School. But hey! Why not do both?
And we are well underway with our planning for our All Day Conference and Exposition on Friday, September 8, 2006 at the Humble Civic Center. We had a couple of unforeseen roadblocks last year, but it still turned out pretty we look for a bigger and more well-attended show this year. Make plans now to attend.
April 2006
Our first quarter of 2006 got the year off to a rousing start. We have seen some great attendance figures. Let’s keep it up and show our hosts how much we appreciate their support. I know Ken Vollbrecht and his bunch at All-Pump will put on a great show, just as they have done many April’s in the past.
Our speaker will be Brian Branch of Process Solutions, Inc. He will be speaking on Hydroxyl Ion Fog odor control. It sounds like a great topic of interest to everyone.
The members of the board sincerely hope that if you are not interested in the topic, please display some good manners and leave the room so as not to disturb the others. Arrangements can be made to adjust the hours credited when they are sent to the TWUA Central Office. We were extremely embarrassed at the March meeting by the behavior of a few disinterested members. Some of the officers who have experience as parents have volunteered to maintain order. And this will be the last time I take up space on this unfortunately necessary topic.
But, lets look at some positives. The softball tournament is coming up at the end of this month. Get your rosters ready. If you have a team and are not a corporate sponsor, get your checkbooks ready. And most important, get your once-a-year weekend warrior bodies ready. Look for information in this edition and get in touch with Sarah Guzman for more info and to register your team. This has always been a fun event for our members and we hope that even if you don’t play, come on out and enjoy the fellowship in the great outdoors.
Also, plans are underway for the All Day Conference and Exposition on Friday, September 8 at the Humble Civic Center. And don’t forget the Sam Houston Golf Tournament in the fall. Date to be determined. We hope to see many of you at these events as well as the monthly meetings.
February 2006
This New Year started out in grand style. Our meeting at NAPCO was well attended (121 people), the food was great, and I heard nothing but good things about Marv Lytle’s program on Chloramination. Many districts in the North and West areas of Harris County are switching over to surface water and Marv’s talk could not have been more topical. Thanks to Marv and the Hach Company for the excellent presentation.
I said that I have heard only compliments about the program. The only exception was nothing to do with the main speaker. It had everything to do with all of the other speakers. A small number of you still find it necessary to visit and socialize during the meetings. Please remember that you may come as early as you like and stay until you are chased off by the hosts. You are also provided a meal at each meeting. Please use that time to catch up with friends. The folks that put on the main program put forth a lot of effort to organize their presentation and, in some cases, come great distances to meet with us. Give them your professional and undivided attention. It is why we are here. It is a short 45 – 60 minutes that we are asking for your courtesy. I can assure you that the board members have no qualms about shushing the offenders or asking them to step outside so as not to disturb the others.
I would urge everyone to attend the February meeting. It will be hosted by NTS. I know that David Neil and his crew are looking forward to showing off their new facilities at 11304 Windfern. This is on the northwest corner of the beltway, almost right across from the horse track. Note the map on the front of the newsletter for details. Do not show up at the former location on Brittmoore. We will not save you a plate.
As always, there are a great many training opportunities in the Houston area. A new one that I heard about will take place on the 21st and 22nd of February. It is a 10-hour Customer Service Inspection class and will be taught from 4 – 9 PM at the Aqua Services offices at 11302 Tanner Road. Missy Steadman has details and is collecting names. Contact her at the number on the back of this newsletter for registration. Class size is limited, so make plans early.
It seems like attendance was down last year as a whole. I encourage everyone to make as many meetings as you can. And bring a co-worker. We have some great speakers lined up. The hosts are anxious to have us at their facilities. We always have a great meal. And, if you are very good, we will probably have more exciting adventures of our cavemen Mud, Grog, and (I can’t believe I am typing this, much less having read it in January) the illustrious Dirt Kuglass. Roast duck with mango salsa will not be served.
JANUARY 2006
Welcome to a new year at Sam Houston Water Utility Association. I am confident that we were able to serve your needs during 2005. Our monthly meetings went off without any problems. The only misstep was the scheduling of our All Day meeting in September. That had to be done well in advance of September 30, and obviously, no one could have predicted the devastation brought by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. These two ladies affected our attendance, but certainly not our enthusiasm for the event. Our thoughts and prayers were then, and still are, with those who suffered.
2006 promises to be another great year in our long history. We will have our usual 10 monthly meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month, with the exception of September and December. The 55th Annual All Day Conference and Exposition will be held at the Humble Civic Center on September 8th. If you make all of these meetings, you will earn 28 hours toward your license renewal. That is only 2 hours shy of what is needed during the term of your license. You are urged to not wait until the last minute. Get your hours completed early.
We have several new faces on the Executive Board this year. Let me list all of the people on the board so that you can approach the right people with any comments or concerns.
President Allen P Schreiber
President Elect Missy Steadman
1st Vice President Shelley Kirk
2ndVice President Rich Roberts
Director at Large Jerry Arnold
Director at Large Patrick Walters
Director at Large David Williams
Secretary Regina Koukoulakis
Treasurer Pat Gray
Past President Director Richard Steadman
Past President Director Ben Connelley
All of these people are volunteers working for you, to make this the top district in the Texas Water Utility Association. The current TWUA President, Tanny Busby, has publicly praised us as one of the best in the state. We are proud of that. But we do run on volunteer effort. Sarah Guzman is one of our unsung people. She is the newsletter editor and the coordinator for the annual spring softball tournament. We also have our fall golf tournament. We are asking for help organizing these two popular events. These are currently the payoff for just the one person putting together each event. They could use your assistance. Step up to the plate or tee off in helping with their efforts.
Don’t forget the 88th TWUA Annual School on the campus of Texas A&M University. It is coming up on March 5 – 9, 2006. Also, the Southeast Regional School will be held at the Holiday Inn Center in Beaumont on April 24 – 26, 2006. Please note that neither one of these is a ‘Short School’ and hasn’t been for at least 15 years. The folks at the Central Office in Austin cringe at the words short school.
The 1st meeting of 2006 will be held at NAPCO’s facility in Spring. It will be on January 19th. The folks at NAPCO hosted us for the first time last year and it was a great success. Let us show our support this year with a good turnout. The topic of the presentation by Hach’s Marv Lytle will be on Chloramination.
We will see you there!
October 2005
We are about to close out another year in Sam Houston Water Utilities Association history. All in all, it has been a good year for the organization. We found a new location to have our meetings – one that is centrally located. Thanks to Mayor Cindy Seigel and Public Works Director Joe Keene for allowing us to use the facilities of the fine city of Bellaire.
As always, we appreciate the sponsors that host our monthly meetings. This year we thank the folks at NTS (who have us scheduled to visit their new office and shop spaces in 2006), Pumps of Houston, All-Pump, NAPCO, and Alsay. These people put forth a lot of effort to serve as hosts. And on behalf of SHWUA, I would like to thank them. They make up a large part of the foundation of our existence.
We have many sponsors that make up the balance of that foundation. These people are always behind us and lend their support with out being asked. They are listed on the sponsor pages of this newsletter. Please look to them when you need help with your endeavors. Even if you don’t have a need for their assistance, call them up and let them know how much they are appreciated.
In spite of the circumstances, the All Day conference went off very well. Yes the attendance from both the vendors and students was lighter than we are used to seeing. But some of our friends had real problems during Hurricane Rita. I have spoken to some of the vendors and they were swamped with work and some of them were just plain ol’ swamped. It was just one of those things that would have been very difficult, if not impossible, to reschedule. Our thanks to all who were there. This just means that we will have a larger percentage increase in attendance next year.
We had a successful softball tournament last spring. The number of teams registered to compete was up and we had quite a few spectators. It was won by the Processors, led by tournament organizer Sarah Guzman. As always, she did a great job. She schedules and she swings a mean Tennessee Thumper. Let’s hope the weather is just as good next year.
As I write this, the fall golf tournament was held last Saturday. It was well attended by 84 duffers with Richard Steadman and myself as the gallery. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors. One golfer said it was so pretty that it was a shame to ruin it by playing golf. Our thanks to Jimmy Graves for organizing this popular event. The winners were the team of Jim Marro, John Thompson and Roger Dunnam. Congratulations to them.
September 2005
Our meeting in August in Galena Park has come and gone. It
was a good meeting with a good program and good food. I know that most of
you will have to take my word for it because you weren't there!! We had a
very small crowd, only about 75 people. Lots of leftover enchiladas.
The members of the Board of Directors, along with many others, work hard
throughout the year to put on a good show for the people in our industry.
We usually succeed. But we would like to see more of you enjoy our
successes. For a long time, we averaged about 120 members at the meetings.
That's not too bad for a group having 400 - 500 members over that time.
But this year, attendance has been low.
We would like to see more of you out on the 3rd Thursday of each month. I
receive phone calls every month asking when the meeting is going to be held. I
have been a member for 12 years and it has always been on the 3rd Thursday.
Nobody should have the excuse "I didn't know when the meeting was." Let's
raise the number of people who show up. As I have said before, it is the
best bang for your buck when it comes to training. Please make it out to
the All Day training session on September 30 at the Humble Civic Center.
Without your participation, we could lose all of the benefits of this 50+ year
old organization.
The TWUA mid-year meeting was held on August 19 in Austin. Some important
news came out of it. First of all, as promised, dues will go up to $50
next year. Do your financial planning now. The annual school will be
moving in the near future. A new date and time have not been determined.
A search committee is evaluating 11 potential locations. The possibility
exists to settle on one place or rotate it around the state, similar to the Sam
Houston meetings around Harris county. The word from operator licensing at
TCEQ includes online or telephone license renewal as well as online exam
results. Don't worry. They are not posting your exam grade of 42 or
70 on the net, just a P for pass and an F for fail. TCEQ is also
threatening to curtail operator renewal credit down to an hour earned for an
hour trainined. Changes are coming. You have been warned!
The last two monthly meetings are in October at Alsay, Inc. and in November at
the Humble Civic Center. There is no monthly in September because we will
have 400 people attending the All Day on the 30th. Right? There is
still the opportunity to earn 12 hours toward renewal of water and wastewater
licenses this year. That will cover the needed continuing education hours
for a year. Don't be left out.
August 2005
As we saw at the July meeting in Katy, there are an awful lot of us in this group that are licensed operators. Having the license is what puts the roof over our head and the food on our table. Each employer is different, with a different policy on personnel requirements for each job. Many of them hired us to be operators. If we don’t have a license, then we are not meeting the job requirements. It is up to each person to maintain the hours needed to keep that license current.
I have received a number of phone calls since I have been president concerning hours. Most of those calls deal with a license that is about to expire. Sam Houston provides the training necessary to obtain those hours and reports them to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Utilities Association. But the ultimate responsibility lies with the individual.
It is your responsibility to earn those hours in time to renew. Don’t wait until the last minute to take a class or go to a meeting. Plan to earn your license renewal hours early. It is a lot easier to rush to get the hours early than it is to get them late and run the risk of not getting them in on time.
I have also heard from people that do not know to sign the sheets at the end of the meetings. “Well, I made six meetings, but I did not know I needed to sign the sheets. How can I get credit?” It is too late now. You should help your coworkers at the meeting if they are new to Sam Houston. Make sure they know how the system works. Make sure they pick up a blue ticket. Make sure they buy $20 worth of raffle tickets. But most importantly, make sure they endorse the sign out sheets before they leave. Do them a favor and pick up your buddies.
Everybody should be gearing up for the All Day meeting. Remember, it is happening on Friday, September 20, 2005 at the Humble Civic Center. We hope to have a full house in the exhibit hall. Come out and talk to the vendors with whom you do business. If you are in a position where you do not deal with them, this is a good opportunity to meet them and discuss your operations and see if improvements can be made. It is always worth looking into new technology, or current equipment and finding out how it works. Please help us have the largest turnout yet.
Come on out to Galena Park on August 18 and help us polish off some good enchiladas. And get some good training. And see a good safety skit. No, really.
July 2005
By the time you read this, the Fourth of July holiday will have passed. I hope that everyone had a good time celebrating our independence and that it was a safe weekend. We should remember that holidays such as this one, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day are not just a day off from work, or an excuse to take advantage of a furniture or automobile sale. These are times to remember how we got to where we are today. At least, take a moment to acknowledge these times.
Ben and I have just returned from the TWUA regional conference in Austin. Some points of interest were brought up. First, be prepared for an increase in TWUA dues. An announcement will be made at the mid-year meeting in August. Second, within the next couple of years, the annual school will probably not be held at Texas A&M anymore. A task force is exploring other possibilities. The most important item is validation of training hours. I mentioned this a couple of months ago, but it was reinforced at this conference. The training session at the monthly meetings will need to be longer than what we have been experiencing. Sponsors – if you are a regular speaker, be aware of this when you are giving a presentation. Members – you will need to quietly give our presenters your undivided attention. If you want to earn the hours for your license renewal, this will also mean staying in the meeting hall and not wandering around outside. We never know when TCEQ will drop in for a spot check. They are serious about this. We will have to comply.
Everyone should be making plans to attend the Sam Houston All Day conference on Friday, September 30th. Get with your supervisors and reserve your time off so that you can be there. It is always important that we support this event with your presence. The more people we have there, the more the sponsors will get to meet you and introduce you to their services and supplies. The sponsors are the backbone of Sam Houston, so let us support them with our attendance. This is also an easy opportunity to get a quick few hours of credit for your renewals.
Take the time to enjoy the summer with friends and family. But be safe at work and at play. We really do not want to visit anyone in the hospital. I want to see as many of you in Katy for the July 21st meeting as the room will hold. A note to those who have family or themselves put in for Sam Houston scholarships, this will be the month we award them. Make plans to have your scholarship recipient at the meeting.
June 2005 I don’t care what the calendar shows summer is here. We had several days in May that reached new records. If this is any indication of what’s to come, look out for August. Even when it is not hot, the rain that we had during the last weekend in May made for an oppressively humid day at the National Cemetery for the Memorial Day remembrance.
A large number of us spent at least part of our day outdoors. I am waiting for the plant that is designed with an air conditioned dome over it. Until that happens, we will have to deal with the heat. We need to take all necessary precautions when working outdoors. Wear a longsleeved shirt and cover your ears and neck. In most cases, a ball cap does not cover as much as it should during the summer. At the least, use a high grade sun screen (SPF 30 at a minimum) when outdoors. Everyone should be alert to the early
signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion in yourself as well as your coworkers. Keep hydrated with plenty of fluids that help maintain your body chemistry in the proper balance. Usually, this is plain old water, or something like Gatorade or Powerade. Soft drinks, coffee, and certainly beer, do nothing to help accomplish this. A few years ago, when I was in my natural prime, I ran a couple of marathons here in Houston. During
the summer and fall training sessions of which I was a part, the key question that was asked was “What color is your urine?” If you are properly hydrated, it should be clear.
A yellow color indicates you need to drink more fluids more often. Keep an eye on your body. It’s the only one you will have. I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. There are individual circumstances for each of us. So do not take this as medical gospel -
only good advice that we have all heard before. In every thing you do, at work, at home, or anywhere - WORK SMART!
May 2005
I would like to thank everyone at
All-Pump and Electrical Field Services for their
sponsorship of the April meeting. I saw a lot of new faces. Many of
those faces won door prizes, so I know that we will see them this month at NAPCO
Chemical Company. This is the first time in my memory that NAPCO has
hosted us at their location. They have been a loyal sponsor of Sam
Houston, so lets turn out on May 19th to show our appreciation.
In spite of what the calendar says, it appears that summer is here. A
large portion of us work outdoors at least part of the day. Be safe.
Keep cool and stay hydrated. Wear a hat and longsleeve shirt to protect
from the sun or apply sunscreen. Or do both. Be alert to early signs
of sun stroke, heat stroke, and heat exhaustion. PROTECT YOURSELF!
We have lot to publish in this edition of the newsletter so I will keep my
comments short. let me leave you with a short piece of advice - Work
Smart. You, your employer, and your customers will be better for it.
April 2005 We have said goodbye to the 87th Texas Water Utilities Association Annual School. Next up is the Southeast Texas Regional School on April 25 - 27. I hope that everyone has looked into going to these excellent schools now, in the past and in the future. The annual school features all of the classes required for water and wastewater licensing, with the exception of the 40-hour Water Technology and 40-hour Wastewater Technology class. I also features over 100 exhibitors who are there to get acquainted with you and find out your needs. It is a great opportunity to find out who and what is available to help you with the day to day operation of your plants. Please look into attending the school in Beaumont this month. It has all of the fun and benefits of going to the event at Texas A&M, but with smaller crowds.
I am sure all of you who made it to the February meeting at NTS enjoyed hearing the TWUA Executive Director, George Patterson, give the presentation on plant security. George is a wonderful speaker and I know it opened a lot of eyes to potential problems. At the first board meeting of the year on Wednesday morning at the annual school, George announced that he had offered his resignation to the Executive Board and it was accepted. He will certainly be missed at the Central Office, but he will undoubtedly be involved in education in some form or fashion in our industry. All of us are sorry to see George Patterson go, and in the interim, the interim Training Director will fill the slot. That is Gene Chism. A search is underway for a replacement and the President of TWUA, Tanny Busby, has told me that a number of qualified candidates have applied. More details will be forthcoming as I receive them.
A comment that was made at the school by TCEQ concerned the hours earned during the monthly district meetings. Some unnamed districts throughout the state were padding their training hours. For instance, they were completing their whole meeting in an hour. Training programs had to be at a minimum. As a result, TCEQ will be watching everyone’s meeting documentation. Sam Houston has done pretty well with the length of our presentations, but in the future look for them to be somewhat longer. The speakers will have to do a lengthier program and some other adjustments will have to be made. I think we are doing good by getting 2 hours credit for our meetings, all things considered. But be prepared to give our presenters our quiet, undivided attention for a longer period of time in the future.
We hope to see a large crowd at the SPJST Hall on the 21st of this month for the meeting sponsored by Ken Vollbrecht and his good folks at All-Pump & Equipment.
‘Educational Excellence’ That is the motto, creed, and mission statement (call it what you will) of the Texas Water Utilities Association. It is also the purpose of our Sam Houston Water Utilities Association - to educate you as an operator, or as a sponsor, or as a manager, or as a Board member, or as a young college student.
As license holders, we need to have those continuing education hours in order to renew our professional certification. We know there are numerous providers out there who teach classes that enable us to achieve a better understanding of our jobs. Additionally, these classes are required to move upward in our license levels. These classes usually take up 20 hours of our time. There are a few coming on line that will last 24 hours. And of course, there are the 40 hour Water Technology and Wastewater Technology classes. By and large, these are being taught during the work day. According to the March TEEX schedule in the February Texas Water Utilities Journal, only one class is offered in the evening. And that one is one of the 24 hour Surface Water Production classes. I don’t know about you, but 8 hours of work and 6 hours of class a day can get real old real fast.
Obviously, classes are needed to upgrade. But hours are all that are required to meet the basic license renewal regulations. Understandably, employers are reluctant to let an operator go to classes during the day when the work is typically done. Particularly for renewal. That is where Sam Houston comes in.
For a mere $40 a year (usually reimbursed by employers), an operator can acquire, at most, 28 hours in that year. It is the most cost effective method of gaining those hours. You have the advantage of being fed, entertained by the Sam Houston Safety Players, participating in our scholarship-funding door prize drawings and enjoying a different educational topic by a different speaker each month. Everybody who attends these meetings receives a benefit. Operators get needed knowledge, sponsors learn about other aspects of this business, Board members learn what we do in the field, and scholarship recipients obtain much needed money to continue their studies.
At the February meeting, we had a lot of door prizes. In fact, the meeting ran a little long because of it. But I am sure the college students appreciate your supporting them by attending the meetings and purchasing tickets for the prizes. Don’t wait until the last minute when your license is up for renewal - attend the meetings, bring your friends, and however small your contribution, support our scholarship fund each month. EVERYBODY BENEFITS !!
Note: Scholarship applications are due at the close of the April 2005 meeting.
Happy 2005! We have just finished our 4th year of the new millennium. It’s time to turn over a new year, a new leaf, and make those New Years resolutions that usually last until Valentines Day. Resolutions are always good but they are even better when they are kept. They should be something that will show personal improvement or something for the common good. Quit smoking, quit drinking, get on a fitness program, spend more time with the kids. These are all noble quests but have you thought about the common good?
We don’t live on a throwaway planet. It will not last forever. We all work around the water and wastewater industry where we clean up our water supplies and protect the waters downstream from our treatment plants. But we can do more at work and at home. Where did you put your used Christmas tree? Did it go to the curb or to a recycling site? What about the wrapping paper and boxes from the gifts? Did your beverage bottles and cans from that bowl game afternoon also go in the curbside trash? Do the used lead washers from the chlorine cylinder change-out go into a cup for recycling or get pitched out the door onto the ground? What about all of the used copier paper from the office?
I cannot speak for other municipalities or organizations, but at my job location in Bellaire, the city Public Works department maintains a recycling center just across the street from the wastewater plant. Cardboard, tin cans, aluminum cans, computer paper, newspapers, magazines and phone books, and plastic bottles are all dropped off by a steady stream of people all day long. Perhaps your city or town could start a center for your residents. Look into it.
A recent issue of the Houston Chronicle included a pamphlet listing recycling sites around the county and which items each site will accept. Take advantage of these sites. Sometimes it may be a bit difficult to load up your tree or cans or newspapers and deliver for recycling, but often the right thing does takes a little effort. Make that effort and leave your neighborhood a better place for your kids than the one left for you.
I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at each meeting in the coming year, starting on January 20th at the City of Bellaire city hall auditorium. It is a new location so watch for your newsletter or check the website
I don’t know what possessed me to title the President’s Corner as such, but perhaps it is that my terms of being your president are winding down. With the presentation of the slate of officers in October, the gavel will be passed down to President-Elect Allen Schreiber upon approval of the slate for the November elections. There will still be time to add nominees from the floor, but unless a nomination is presented for the President-Elect slot, Mr. Schreiber will become President at that moment.
I must say I have really enjoyed the role of President, although it entailed a lot of work “behind the scenes”. We have a great organization here in the Sam Houston District and I’m happy to announce that we are finally getting some recognition around the state and at the Central Office. One of my goals had been to strengthen the bonds and widen communications between the Central Office and us. I feel we have accomplished that on several different plateaus. We reinforced our purpose for providing training and became involved in many projects beyond our geographical boundaries. We jumped at the chance to provide manuals when they went on sale at a bargain price. (We still have several sets left, so check it out at the meeting). We asked for and received training by TWUA in our area and I hope we can continue to provide facilities for these opportunities in the near future. We have continued to provide scholarships for our members and their immediate families and I feel we have brought a variety of speakers to our monthly and All-Day meetings.
I have seen some incredible attendance records at our monthly meetings and I believe the vendors who provided prizes, facilities and speakers can lay claim to part of that accomplishment. Please remember that this organization is for YOU the member. We are happy to provide and submit the training hours necessary for your license renewals and upgrades. The opportunity is there—take advantage of it and make some new friends along the way. I know I have and hope I will continue to do so at each and every meeting from here on. Thanks to all of you for your support during my tenure and please give President Schreiber your continued support.
Work safe and keep on coming back!
--Ben Connelley, Sam Houston President—2005