conference review 2012: r s ecipe ecipe for successmanagement issues. as a bonus, they took a copy...

CONFERENCE REVIEW –

2012: RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

34 THE KANSAS LIFELINE July 2012

Planning for 2013The annual conference and exhibition requires

approximately 900 motel room nights in Wichita. The entireHyatt was sold out by 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 29 for the2013 conference. Room blocks have been opened up at otherhotels and are posted on the KRWA Web site atwww.krwa.net under training and then “conference”. As ofMay 20, exhibitors had already requested 152 booth spacesfor the 2013 conference.

The contributions of exhibitors help KRWA to achieve thegoal of keeping the conference extremely affordable. TheKRWA conference is not a fund-raiser! Sponsors at thecarnival party help pay for a portion of those games as well associals. The hospitality with an unending supply of ala carte’items including soft drinks, coffee, freshly-baked coffeecakes, donuts, bagels, muffins, fruit dishes and more make forsmiling faces in EXPO Hall and in other break areas.

Exhibitors like the KRWA conference!

The 2012 conference EXPO Hall provided 304 exhibitspaces. The array of products and services representedvendors from as far as Pennsylvania and California. A totalof 199 different companies and agencies were present togreet cities and water and wastewater systems that came toshop, compare and in many cases, close some deals. Bigequipment, particularly the motorized units, entered the hallearly Monday, March 26. KRWA appreciates the work byHelgerson Company in setting up the exhibit hall with boothsand “pipe and drape”. It requires approximately 90,000square feet of carpet to cover the EXPO Hall. By Tuesdayafternoon, March 27, all displays were ready for the doors toopen at 4 p.m. Thanks to all the exhibitors who help make theconference good for those who attend and we hope aninvestment that is also beneficial to those who make theinvestment to set up their displays of products and services.

arm weather with clear skies greeted an attendanceof 2,108 people for the 2012 KRWA Conference &Exhibition held at Century II Performing Arts and

Convention Center March 27 – 29 in Wichita, KS. It’sundisputable. The KRWA conference continued to build onits long tradition of being among the best in the U.S. With 58training sessions making up the technical program, 304exhibit spaces filled with products and services, the Kansasconference is Mid-America’s largest. There was down-homefun too, good food and more than $13,600 in prizes.

A total of 301 cities and 184 rural water or publicwholesale districts were represented. Overall, registrantscame from 29 states. Those attending included 941 water andwastewater operators, 807 industry members, 162 board andcouncil members, 129 administrators, city managers or RWDoffice personnel and 69 agency personnel. The 2012 eventagain drew operators from neighboring states including staffmembers from the cities of Oklahoma City, Enid, Ponca Cityand beyond.

The 2012 conference marked the 21st consecutive year thatKRWA has held the conference at Wichita’s Century IIConvention Center. Conference-goers reserved rooms atfifteen Wichita hotels, purchasing nearly 900 room nights. A big show also requires a budget. The total conferenceregistration fees and meals totaled nearly $305,000.Exhibitors and sponsors contributed an additional $101,000.

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The 2012 KRWA conference featured ten pre-conferencesessions and 48 breakout sessions. This photo shows GregTaylor of the Southeast Kansas District KDHE office presen�ngon the topic of “Bacteriological And Chlorine Sampling”.

35THE KANSAS LIFELINE July 2012

Mike Tate, Director of the Bureau ofWater at the Kansas Department ofHealth and Environment, (at le� ofscreen) discussed the topic"Wastewater Regulatory Update:Nutrient Removal Strategy". Thesession was a�ended by 185 persons.

Kent Evans, Community Programs Director at USDA RuralDevelopment, facilitated a special session a�ended by 30engineers and grant administrators regarding aspects of USDAfunding applica�ons. Also presen�ng was Phil Fishburn ofMidwest Assistance Program.

Pre-conference sessions draw 887 attendees

Ten day-long preconference sessions were held onTuesday, March 27. In addition, the 11th annual “AttorneysForum” took place with 28 attorneys from cities and RWDsin attendance. USDA Rural Development also added aprogram targeting engineering firms and grantadministrators; 30 people attended that session to learnUSDA Rural Development’s expectations for preliminaryengineering reports and how the agency is expediting theloan application review process.

The ten, five-hour preconference sessions again allowedfor a more thorough presentation and discussion of topics thatare of importance and interest to water and wastewatersystems.

The pre-conference sessions in 2012 and summariesfollow.

Basic Water System Operation – The Essential Need To Know

There were 161 people in attendance at this 5-credit hourwater operator’s training session that included topics relevantto all public water supply systems. From distribution systemoperation and maintenance, recordkeeping and monitoringrequirements to a focus on the chlorination of drinking water,those attending left with better understandings of why someregulations are imposed and how water systems can treatwater to comply with regulatory requirements. Issuescovered included the basic chemistry of the chlorinationprocess, the difference between free and combined chlorineand the process of feeding ammonia to convert free chlorineto combined chlorine. The session also discussed chlorineresidual requirements in distribution systems and the freechlorine burnout process used to maintain residuals indistribution systems. Presenters were Zachary Phillips,Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Wichita, KSand Pat McCool, Kansas Rural Water Association,Lawrence, KS.

KanCap: Improving Management Of Kansas Water Systems

The aim of KanCap is to help cities and RWDs improvemanagement of their water systems. The managerial andfinancial modules of this board/council training programwere presented by KRWA Tech Assistance Rita Clary andRose Mary Saunders, Ranson Financial Consultants.

KanCap provided the opportunity for board and counciland staff members to learn about water utility finance andmanagement issues. As a bonus, they took a copy of thenationally acclaimed resource “KanCap” manual andinteractive CD home. KanCap is the nation’s “one of a kind”training program aimed at helping sustain and improvemanagement for better drinking water. All attendees wereable to take a copy of the 270-page training handbook and theinteractive CD back to their respective city or RWD. KanCaphas been attended by hundreds of city council and rural waterdistrict directors since its introduction several years ago. Thetraining provides the opportunity for board and council andstaff members to learn about water system technical andmanagement issues and finance. Attendance totaled 26people from cities and RWDs.


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Water Distribution Systems – Pipes, Valves and Hydrants

With a stage filled with parts andcomponents courtesy of Mueller Co., thispre-conference session was a hit with the167 who attended. This session was a realbenefit to new operators and it was a goodrefresher course for those who areexperienced. Topics included the safe operation,maintenance, and troubleshooting of fire hydrants. Restrainedfittings, gate valves, butterfly valves and check valves wereall covered. Other topics included pipe repair couplings,brass products such as corporation stops, curb stops, servicefittings, meter valves, yokes and settings. The trainingconcluded with information about the safe and properinstallation of service saddles, tapping sleeves and stainlesssteel repair clamps. The presenter was George Lacefield,Mueller Co., Decatur, IL.

Resolving Disputes In A Neighborly WayGary Flory and Ken Grotewiel from the Great Plains

Consensus Council in North Newton make learning how toresolve a dispute a day of interesting exchange. This programhelped many attendees learn how to turn conflicts intosolutions that people can agree on. Conflicts can be betweenstaff and system customers, people on the RWD board or citycouncil, or one system and other water suppliers overcontract or territorial issues. It should be everyone’s goal toresolve issues in the most civil and cost effective mannerpossible. How to get that done is often what is missing. Thispreconference session provided tools and approaches to bestresolve conflicts. This session was designed for public watersystem employees, RWD board and city council members,and anyone else working to find solutions to water problems.Attendees learned how to deal productively with customersto resolve disputes, conduct meetings that result in mutuallyacceptable decisions and to negotiate in a positive andbeneficial way. Previous participants have expressed howbeneficial this training has been for dealing with conflicts intheir home life, at church, in school, and within serviceorganizations. Certificates of Completion were presented atthe end of the session. Sixteen people attended.

Wastewater Collection And Treatment For Small Systems

A crowd of 142 persons attended this preconferencesession that included a review of the components of a smallwastewater system. It covered a variety of topics – from theexamination of typical collection system issues in themorning portion to an afternoon section that addressed themost common treatment system used by small systems –waste stabilization ponds. Discussions included topicsranging from evaluating collection systems to eliminatingsewage bypasses and basement backups to communicatingwith contractors and residents during construction. Theafternoon session discussed waste stabilization pondoperational theory and how to resolve problems. The focuswas on how physical, chemical and biological processeswork. Presenters were Samuel Johnson, P.E. of BGConsultants, Inc., Manhattan, KS and Jeff Lamfers, KansasRural Water Association, Mission, KS.

Chlorination: Operation, Maintenance And Safety

Presenter Ron Grage, (retired) formerly with ChlorinatorsIncorporated in Stuart, FL had a capacity filled room of 104in attendance at this session. Ron explained the operation ofgas chlorinators. The session familiarized attendees withchlorination systems including but not limited to directcylinder-mounted, all-vacuum gas chlorinators and chemicalfeed pumps injecting bleach and solutions of other forms ofchlorine. Training was provided on the characteristics of gaschlorine as well as the comparisons of the three forms ofchlorine (sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite andelemental chlorine). The presentation was in an easy-to-understand format and there was good class participation.From troubleshooting and routine maintenance to the “TenCommandments of Safety”, those working in the water andwastewater industry appreciated the training.

Updates on the Kansas Public Employees Re�rement System were discussed byMel Abbot. Mel’s presenta�on drew undivided a�en�on of the 49 clerks whoa�ended the 4th annual city clerks’ forum at the conference.

Thank You

to the 2012 Presenters


Mel Abbo� KS Public Employee Re�rement System

Debbi Beavers Kansas Department of Revenue

Carol Bonebrake Holbrook & Osborn, P.A.

Mike Brewer WaterOne

Pat Bush Westar Energy

Angela Buzard Environmental Finance Center

Mark Calvert TREKK Design Group, LLC

Marsha Carpenter Kansas Dept. of Health & Environment

Pa�y Clark USDA Rural Development

Rita Clary Kansas Rural Water Associa�on

Ray Connell Connell & Connell

Brandy DeArmond Kansas Dept. of Health & Environment

Dr. Jerry deNoyelles Kansas Biological Survey

Salih Doughramaji Kansas Department of Commerce

Dr. Andrew Dzialowski Oklahoma State University

Kent Evans USDA Rural Development

Margaret Fast Kansas Water Office

Gary Flory Great Plains Consensus Council

Louis Funk Bartle� & West, Inc

Greg Gaffney Severn Trent Services

Ron Grage Chlorinators Incorporated (re�red)

Burke Griggs Division of Water Resources

Ken Grotewiel Great Plains Consensus Council

Stanton Hazle� Office of the Disciplinary Administrator

Heath Horyna Kansas Dept. of Health & Environment

Don Iwanski PPG Industries

Robert Jackson Kansas Corpora�on Commission

Karin Jarman Federal Bureau of Inves�ga�on

Samuel Johnson, P.E. B G Consultants, Inc.

Allison Jones Internal Revenue Service

Jeff Kleber Process Marke�ng Group

Mary Knapp Dept. of Agronomy, KSU

Pete Koenig Kansas Rural Water Associa�on

Eileen Koutelas WaterOne

George Lacefield Mueller Co.

Jeff Lamfers Kansas Rural Water Associa�on

Chris�an Lehr Commerce Bank

Shane Lyle Kansas Geological Survey

Ned Marks Terrane Resources Company

Pat McCool Kansas Rural Water Associa�on

Carson McCord GovDeals, Inc.

Howard Mermis MSA

Ka�e Miller Kansas Rural Water Associa�on

Clifford Morris Kansas Department of Labor

Cory Na�on Cowley County Drug Task Force

Jeremy Newman Cowley County Drug Task Force

Dan Ostahowski Kansas Corpora�on Commission

Dorman O�e DAO Consul�ng

Marci Penner Kansas Sampler Founda�on

Zack Phillips Kansas Dept. of Health & Environment

Darrel Plummer Kansas Dept. of Health & Environment

Kris� Pyle Kansas Dept. of Transporta�on

Rose Mary Saunders Ranson Financial Consultants, L.L.C.

Jen Sharp JenSharp.com

Travis Sieve Kansas Dept. of Health & Environment

Richelle Stewart Kansas Division of Emergency Management

Dr. Randy Stotler Kansas Geological Survey

Linda Stumbaugh Kansas Department of Revenue

Michael Tate Kansas Dept. of Health & Environment

Bre� Tavener Kansas Dept. of Health & Environment

Greg Taylor Kansas Dept. of Health & Environment

Ron Thomann TREKK Design Group, LLC

Ka�e Tietsort Division of Water Resources

Don Van Veldhuizen USABlueBook

Rich Varalla TRIPAC

Ryan Weiser, P.G. Kansas Brownfields Program

Steve Williams Key Equipment & Supply Company

Carol Wollard GovDeals, Inc.

Tom Wyant Key Equipment & Supply Company

Delbert Zerr Kansas Rural Water Associa�on


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Mixing It Up With City Clerks There’s no doubt that city clerks are often regarded as the

“head chef” in most towns. And in most, they are the bottlewashers too. Clerks deal with a full plate on a day-to-daybasis with issues from water leaks to retirement. This year’sclerks’ forum was attended by 49 city clerks. Topics thatwere covered included the Clean Drinking Water Fee,Payment Options to the state; liquor licenses; ethics in theworkplace; W-9s and 1099’s, KPERS updates; dealing withcustomer complains; and, water and wastewater systembasics. Presenters were Linda Stumbaugh, Kansas Dept. ofRevenue, Topeka, KS; David Osborn, Payment Solutions,Emporia, KS; Debbi Beavers, Kansas Dept. of Revenue,Topeka, KS; Allison Jones, Internal Revenue Service,Wichita, KS; Mel Abbott, KS Public Employees RetirementSystem, Topeka, KS; Bert Zerr, KRWA, Manhattan, KS;Eileen Koutelas, WaterOne, Mission, KS. Facilitators wereKathy Barkley, City of Conway Springs; Patti Gilbert, Cityof Burlingame; Anita Goertzen, City of Goessel; BarbPolson, City of Nortonville and Janet Stice, City of Atwood.

Smooth Operations For RWD OfficesRural water district office staff have numerous roles to

complete – from customer services to meeting planner – andsometimes, even filling in for operators. The diversity is whathelped the 61 who attended this session have anotherenjoyable day of learning and exchange of ideas. This RuralWater Office Professional Forum provided opportunities tolearn about topics that are critical to every RWD in Kansas.Sessions in the morning included these topics and presenters:New Developments with GIS Mapping by Pete Koenig,

KRWA, Seneca, KS; New Online Training Program: E-Trainby Katie Miller, KRWA, Manhattan, KS; What KanCapTraining Can Do for Your Board by Cathy Tucker-Vogel,Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment, Topeka, KS.Panelists in the afternoon included Ray Connell, Attorney,Connell & Connell, El Dorado, KS; Heath Horyna, KS Dept.of Health and Environment, Wichita, KS; Christian Lehr,Commerce Bank, Wichita, KS; Edgar Peck, Anderson PeckAgency, Inc., Topeka, KS; Jen Sharp, jensharp.com, Ottawa,KS; Linda Stumbaugh, Kansas Dept. of Revenue, Topeka,KS. Facilitators were Sharon Dwyer, Douglas RWD 5;Shirley Hoch, Morris RWD 1; Lana Kettler, Miami RWD 2;and, Patricia Shaffer, Butler RWD 5.

Kendall Eichman of Anderson RWD 4 joined sixty othersin the Rural Water District Office Managers’ forum.

Jim Stone of Le�s Van Kirk & Associatespresented “Variable Frequency Drives –Applica�ons And Benefits” at a March 28a�ernoon breakout session.

Thomas Dismukes of StoriesThatTell.com, and conferencekeynoter, explains personality types in “Sailing ThroughPersonality Types – What’s Your Type?” at one of the fortyeight conference break-out sessions. The session wasa�ended by 114 people.


Activated Sludge – From Process To Troubleshooting

The process of activated sludge and why it is such aneffective method for treating large quantities of rawwastewater was the main topic of this session. How to controlboth the physical and biological components of the processand knowing the variables for controlling the activatedsludge process was helpful information provided to the 85

persons who attended. This sessionprovided helpful and time savingtechniques to optimize plantperformance. Those attending learnedabout the advantages and disadvantagesof calculating Food/Microbe ratios(F/Ms), Sludge Retention Times (SRTs),and Mean Cell Residence Times(MCRTs). Nutrients entering receivingstreams and the treatment technologiesavailable to reduce nutrients were othermain topics of discussion. The sessionsshowed the where, what, and how toproperly evaluate treatment processes foreffective nutrient removal. Don VanVeldhuizen, USA Bluebook, Gurnee, ILpresented the session.

Ron Grage, ChlorinatorsIncorporated (re�red),presented a five-hourworkshop “Chlorina�on:Opera�on, MaintenanceAnd Safety” on Tuesday,March 27. This sessionwas a�ended by 104people.

Conference registra�on desk was a�ended to by Janelle Froelich, Lee Kohls,Anne Sco�, Laurie Strathman, Kathleen Ronnebaum and Vicky McCallum.Those who registered early found their badges and �ckets in alpha order forfast processing.

Pat McCool, KRWA Consultant, busily takes notes during one ofthe pre-conference sessions on Tuesday, March 27. RichKarnowski from the city of Glade is seated to Pat’s right.

Apply Safe Work Practices In The Workplace

Everyone learns about and practices safety but accidentsstill happen and they are often safety-related. This sessionwas attended by 74 people who were reminded thatemployers should send their workers home in the samecondition as they came to work. The session providedinformation to Kansas communities to better address safetyissues. Major parts of the course includes presentations onhow cities and RWDs can be prepared for a safety and healthinspection by the Kansas Department of Labor to knowingabout anchor points to tie off to ensure worker safety.Another topic was the concern for air quality in confinedspaces. Presenters were: Clifford Morris, KS Department ofLabor, Topeka, KS; Kristi Pyle, Kansas Department ofTransportation, Topeka, KS; Pat Bush, Westar Energy,Topeka, KS; Mark Damon, Process Marketing Group, BlueSprings, MO and Howard Mermis, MSA, Overland Park, KS.


45TH ANNUAL KRWA

CONFERENCE OPENING SESSION

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oncert Hall at Century II ConventionCenter was again the location as a largeaudience gathered to the official kickoff

“Opening Session” of the 45th Annual KRWAConference. President Sam Atherton providedthe welcome. Roy Hovestadt of the City ofBurlingame gave the invocation. Dan Schemm,of “Go Wichita” Convention and VisitorsBureau, extended greetings on behalf of the city of Wichita. The Headlinersfrom Butler Community College filled the stage with a rousing musicalreview. They were a warm up for keynoter Thomas Dismukes.

George Washington Carver once said,“No one has the right to come into thisworld and then leave it, without first leavingbehind a distinct and legitimate reason forhaving passed through it.” It’s ourobligation; it’s our duty, to tell our story.

So many times in our life we are sofocused on other things such as a budget andwork tasks that we totally forget aboutfocusing on the relationships around us. Theessence of anything successful, is made upof successful relationships. You don’t haveto be a people person but you do have to bepeople centered. Steve Jobs, founder ofApple, was said to be a complete and totaljerk. He wasn’t a very friendly guy to bearound but his products were people

centered. All of his products were designed to make our lifeeasier and more fun.

Focus on relationships and be people centered. Help others,serve others, love others, care about others, help othersaccomplish what they want in life and you will get anythingand everything you want out of yours.

When I was a little kid, I loved going into the kitchen asmy mother cooked. I would pull out can goods and macaroniboxes and stack them all up in a tower. I loved to balancethings. I went from stacking cans on the floor to balancingbrooms on my finger to eventually balancing sailboats andladders on my chin. Of all the random, useless gifts I’ve beengiven in my life, I can balance anything on my chin. Asgrandpa always said, “Everything happens for a reason; justopen your heart, open your mind - you can learn somethingfrom it.” I determined a great barometer of someone’ssuccess is a good balance. Can you lead a group withenthusiasm, encouragement and motivation but also have the

Thomas Dismukes –Stories That Tell … a“Recipe for Success”

Thank you for allowing me to come tothis conference to share some stories.When I was a little kid, I loved going tomy grandparents’ house. My grandfatherwould tell us all about his crazyadventures. He lived through thedepression and served in WWII; he wasthe kind of guy who would play chickenon a power line and fish with dynamite.But every time my grandfather told astory, he’d close it out with a good, meatyprinciple. Something you could take homeand learn from. My grandfather always told us a silly poem.And it went something like this:

It all happened right here, far, far away.A long time ago, just yesterday.It was one bright day in the middle of the night; Two dead soldiers got up to fight.Back to back they faced each other.They drew their swords and shot each other.A deaf policeman heard the noise.And got up to arrest the two dead boys.Oh, if you don’t believe this story is true,Ask Charlie the blind man, he saw it too.We’d say, “Grandpa, why do you always want to tell us

that silly poem?” I was about eight or nine at the time. Mygrandpa said, “You know what’s crazy? You know what trulydoesn’t make sense? It’s someone living a life with goals anddreams, desires and passions, God-given abilities - and neverusing them! That’s what’s silly; that’s what’s crazy!”

Keynoter Thomas Dismukes

Sam AthertonPresident, KRWA

C

Dan Schemm“Go Wichita”


“The Headliners” from Butler Community College filledthe Concert Hall stage with a rousing musical revue tohelp kick off the 2012 Annual Conference. Under thedirec�on of Valerie Lippold-Mack, “The Headliners”have placed high in na�onal show choir compe��on.

balance to sit behind the stage and let someone else take thespotlight? How do you find that balance between ourpersonal and professional life? How do you do the things youlove to do and still support your family? How do you findthat good balance in life?

Let’s talk about focus: Thomas’ book, “A Leader’s F O C U S”

F stands for first things first. Keep the main thing themain things. How many times do we get our priorities out ofwhack? I’m a Christian. The first thing in my life is myrelationship with Christ, and then my relationship with mywife, then children, then my family and friends and then it’smy career. So many times we get our priorities out of orderand then everything falls apart. If you want to have a goodbalance in life, get your priorities straight.

O stands for others. Love others. Care about others. Dounto others as you would have them do unto you… but youdo it first. If you want to be first in the world, put yourselflast. If you want to be the greatest, make yourself a servant. Ifyou want to get, give. Treat other people the way you want tobe treated. If you want people to smile at you, smile at themfirst. If you want people to be kind to you, be kind to themfirst. Lead by example. If I get a rope and lay it down on thefloor, I can push this rope all day long and it’s not goinganywhere. But if I pull the rope it will follow me around theworld. Be intentional, in everything you do.

C stands for Character, Consumption andCommunication. Moral Integrity. If you have integrity,nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing elsematters. Chick-fil-A hires on character, competency andcompatibility. You may be compatible with the team,competent in education but if they don’t have moral integrityyou’ll not last long. A multi-billion dollar company hires oncharacter first. Consumption: Live under you means and actyour wage. Communication: Clarity is a rarity. Ninetypercent of every problem you will ever have can be boileddown to communication.

U stands for understanding. You are never too old tolearn something new. With new information comes newinspiration. However don’t let limitless information, limit you.In times of change, your experience can be your worst ally.

S – Go to the Source, Consider the Source, Smile andSelf. If you have a problem with someone, go to the source.Don’t just whine, gossip and complain. Go to the source!The great American philosopher, Deputy Barney Fife said itperfectly, “Nip it in the bud!” If you don’t confront theproblem, that’s just allowing weed seeds to grow and destroyeverything you’ve worked for. You are only as strong as yourworst employee. Criticize people in private and praise themin public. When you praise people always be specific,frequent and genuine.

Consider the source of criticism. The price you pay forstepping outside the bounds of mediocrity is criticism. Don’tlisten to people who tell you no, if they have no power to tellyou yes. Smile. You will never understand the power of agood hearty, genuine smile. Smile at everyone you know andwatch how much better you will feel and how people reactaround you. Self. Take time to recharge your batteries. Thebusiest chicken in the farm yard is the one running around withits head cut off. Be the real dealand genuine to yourself.

Thomas related numeroushilarious stories and antics, frombalancing two step ladders on hischin to telling about the time herode in an international barebackrodeo competition. ThomasDismukes proved that more thanever, we need to laugh, learn andhear words of encouragement!He inspired the large crowd inthe Concert Hall to do their bestand get the best out of life. Tofind more information aboutThomas, visit his Web site,StoriesThatTell.com and buy hisbook, “A Leader’s Focus.” That’sa “Recipe for Success”!

Going to the extreme of provingthat life is a balancing act, keynote

Thomas Dismukes balances an 8-foot and a 6-foot stepladder on

his chin. “Look mom! – no hands!”

EXPO HALL EXHIBITION –

THE LARGEST IN MID-AMERICA!


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aving all the ingredients is vital to creating asuccessful event. Associate Members, asexhibitors and presenters, are imperative to

achieving this. The 45th Annual KRWA conferencewas a huge success. Attendees networked withvendors of various products and services used in theirlocal operations. EXPO Hall provides funding andregulatory agencies the opportunity to interact with301 cities and 184 rural water and public wholesaledistricts. It’s the “meet and greet” of the midwest. In2012, exhibitors filled 304 booth spaces. Mark yourcalendars now for Mid-America’s largest show,March 26 - 28, 2013!

H

David Osbornewith Payment

Solu�ons,explains billing

processes.

EXPO Hall at Century II Conven�on Center covers 93,000 sq.feet. KRWA’s 2012 Conference included 304 exhibit spaces.Exhibits are an important aspect of the conference.

Ray Tauser with R H Tauser discusses restraints and spacerswith Timothy Hager and Frank Parker, operators with SedgwickRWD 3.

Mark Meineke, Leavenworth RWD 7, is handed a cup ofpopcorn from Lucky Chinn with Advanced ChemicalSolu�ons.

Peter Earles, Earles Engineering, visits with David Ratzlaff, City of Plains.


Just ge�ng the banners hung in EXPO Hall requiressome a�en�on to detail.

KRWA provides six computers for public use in theCyber Café. Vendors appreciate the wireless accessprovided in all of EXPO Hall.

Chris Withers, Coffey RWD 3, visits with Doug Allert of DACOin EXPO Hall.

Dave Pitman of Grasshopper Company asks DarwinSteinle of Ellsworth RWD 1 how the seat fits.

Brian Spanoand AshleyHapsterwith Wilson

& Companycheck a laptop

as Briancommunicates

with a client.

Rod Dixon of Sellers Equipment explains features of theJCB track hoe to Jeff Karsten of Cherokee RWD 3.

CARNIVAL ROUNDUP –

ONE OF A KIND INDOOR PARTY!


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eople come every year and leave with memories of fun fromthe Tuesday night kick-off party to KRWA’s AnnualConference & Exhibition. It’s a Midway inside Century II

complete with a barbecue meal and beverage stops for all tastes,and games including the popular Laser Sport which trades lasersfor lead shot in scoring hits on clay pigeons. If that's too busy,Popnoggins allowed people to lipsync to popular music whilebeing superimposed onto Hawaiian skirts or beach shorts. Therewere eighteen other events, including the Kentucky Derby, aMechanical Bullride, High Striker, Machine Gun Alley, BalloonDart and Basketball Toss, “Water Bingo” and for thrill seekers,there was an amusement ride – The Cliffhanger. Games werecontracted from Ottaway Amusements. And some of the bestbarbecue ever eaten was provided by Premier Catering. Thegames were played and the rides were ridden –and tickets were won and drawings wereheld. KRWA gave away a total of$10,000 in prizes. See these two pagesfilled with shots of 1,700 peoplehaving a good time.

P

The Cliff Hanger nearly scrapes the ceiling at 52 feet. Thisamusement ride and other midway games were providedthough O�away Amusement of Wichita. There was somethingfor everyone at KRWA’s Carnival Roundup.

It takes a short �me for 1,200 people to filltheir plates at the Carnival Roundup.

Laser skeet shoo�ng is always a popular draw at theKRWA Opening Nite Carnival Party.

Palm Reader Ernes�ne "Ernie"Russell from Fall River, KS has

made many appearances at theKRWA conference – and con�nues

to be a hit with a�endees.

Con�nuing on the “Roundup” theme, everyone wasprovided a straw hat for the Carnival Party. A stage filledwith prizes awaits the 9:45 p.m. call for �ckets.


Kenneth Swart, city of Haysville, gives abig “thumbs up” a�er winning the tripfor two to Disney World.

Caricaturists draw Ed and Linda Hepburn from ButlerRWD 5 and Penny and Ted Stoneking with Micro-Comm. There’s always fun and always a line to havethe caricaturists create the representa�ons.

One of the four Delano Dollsrides the mechanical bull. TheDelano Dolls spiced up the

evening; they normally greetguests to Wichita’s Cowtown.

Kara and Willa, two workers with Events'Planning Services (they prepare the coffeeand serve the hospitality food), take a breakat one of the carnival midway games.

Opening Nite Carnival Party Prize Winner System$500 Gift Card William Hall Butler RWD 8$500 Gift Card Suzann Shippy City of Attica$500 Gift Card Bob Black City of BazineRustic Welcome sign Dawn Schultz City of BrewsterCharGriller Gas/Smoker Grill & Cover Verne Plain City of Fort ScottGold Awning Bruce Swank City of Fort ScottConway Media Electric Fireplace Cory Ferrell City of Garden City$500 Gift Card Arlen Goertzen City of GoesselMetal Garden Bench John Hudson City of HamiltonDisney Trip Kenneth Swart City of HaysvilleMargaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker Kenneth Swart City of Haysville$500 Gift Card David Kahle City of Herington$500 Gift Card Linda Banker City of HugotonBostitch Air Compressor combo Jim Geisler City of LeonardvilleThermos Turkey Fryer Dawn Rose City of LurayMainstays 7-piece Patio Set Casey Tillman City of Lyons$500 Gift Card Melody Waggner City of Manter15.6 Dell Notebook Rance Kindred City of MulvaneFood Saver Dean Hermesch City of OlpeMaster Mechanic 116Pc Tool Set Kurt Cox City of OsagePowermate Generator 3000 Watt Jerry Swanson City of Scandia$500 Gift Card Rick Killion City of WichitaCraftsman 5-Drawer Toolchest Charles Gouvion Crawford RWD 6ShopVac "vac-v- vac" Brent Miller Data Access & Support Center$500 Gift Card Russell Stokes Franklin RWD 5Dewalt Impact Wrench Shane Hughes HD SupplySony Blu-Ray Player Bob Johnson Jefferson RWD 11Cuisinart Food Processor George Pogge Jefferson RWD 13Buffet Server George Mathews Jefferson RWD 9Toaster Oven George Mathews Jefferson RWD 9Mi-T-M Power Washer Mike Fulkerson Leavenworth Cons. RWD 1Vizio 32" LCD TV Kris Wright Leavenworth Water DepartmentKitchenAid Artisan Mixer Donald Stolz McConnell AFBZoo Keeper Children's Patio Set Donald Stolz McConnell AFBStihl Leafblower/Vac Robert Miller Montgomery RWD 2$500 Gift Card Larry Olberding Nemaha RWD 3Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream Maker Kerwin McKee Public Wholesale 18$500 Gift Card Mallet Hill Public Wholesale 23Nook-WiFi Sandy Benoit Rooks RWD 33-Piece Bistro Patio Set Keith Leddy Sumner RWD 5

Travel Cooler Ralph Ohl Sumner RWD 5Sentry Fire Safe Robbin Bell UPRR/City of Herington

Kris Wright of the Leavenworth Water Department was excited to be thewinner of a 32-inch flat screen TV.

WEDNESDAY LUNCHEON


arci Penner, Director of theKansas Sampler Foundationlocated at rural Inman, KS,

addressed the Wednesday noonluncheon. She began with Kansas’largest game show.

Everyone stand. If you have ever eatenribs at Guy & Mays in Williamsburg,remain standing. Have you ever been toCastle Rock in Gove County? Have youever seen the Davis Memorial inHiawatha? Have you ever eaten Italian atJosie’s’ in Scammon? Have you been inMullinville to see M.T. Leggett’swhirligigs? (The winner was Rose MarySaunders of Ranson Financial.)

My goal today is to talk about the valueof small towns and their importance inthe state of Kansas. The mission at theKansas Sampler Foundation is to sustainrural culture so that’s why I focus on“rural”. I really think that ruralcommunities are like a specialty productor value added.

There are 627 incorporated cities inKansas. The first thing I want to explainis that 72 percent of the cities are smallerthan the group that I am speaking totoday (1,150). I want to draw attention to

M

Marci Penner, Director of the Kansas SamplerFounda�on – Sustaining Rural Communi�es

this because in the graph aboutdepopulation and people and economy –all this is about is population and what ittells me is how communities are run.Seventy-five percent of the cities inKansas have less than 1,500 population.The reason I bring this up is that almostall the towns in that grouping arevolunteer-led. That means there’s nopaid city manager, no paid cityadministrator, and no paid chamberdirector. Maybe you have a countyeconomic development director – butprobably not for the city. The small towncity clerks are the people who get a lotof things dumped on them. Half of the

cities in the state have less than 400people. Some people will say, “Let’s justlet those communities die.” Some ofthem are certainly in the stage of dying.But many communities will survive inthat size in a definition of what they think“community” means to them. USDARural Development has financednumerous water projects in the smalltowns and we appreciate that. If you’regoing to make that kind of investment,we all need to try to sustain them. Thechallenge is to sustain communityinfrastructure, the economy – and thespirit.

Let’s review a few of these characters.All of these are in towns less than 200population. Bummie's in Elmdale – youhave to go there to see for yourself. Ihope you’ve had an Efie Burger in RushCenter.

Have you ever gone to the potluckcapital of Kansas in Windom? Thecomic book capital of Kansas inMorland? I hope you’ve gone to themicrobrewery in the town of Beaver;Moe’s Place in Barton County is aclassic. Maybe some of you have been tothe monthly motorcycle gathering in

Seventy-five percent ofthe ci�es in Kansas have

less than 1,500popula�on. The reason I

bring this up is thatalmost all the towns in

that grouping arevolunteer-led.

Marci PennerKansas Sampler Founda�on

This photo shows the noon lunch crowd of 1,150 on Wednesday, March 28.


For example, if you were just interested in going out tosee water towers, you could

go to Paradise to see theWPA tower. You can see the

brick water towers inCherokee and Weir.

Of the many unique objects in Kansas, thecity of Harper has a big red fish as a weathervane on the city’s elevated water tank.

The French-Canadian se�lement of Damar,Kansas did a restora�on project that not onlybrought the residents back to their roots, butmade the town into a more a�rac�vecommunity.

Cassoday. And who can tell me thename of the town that adopted themotto, “Too tough to die.” Yes, that isElgin, KS.

Rural Kansas communities are hometo famous people. Martina McBride isfrom Sharon. And there’s ClydeCessna. And the guy who illustratedthe “Porky the Pig” cartoon. Nobelpeace prize winners and astronauts.We’re home to regular people, likefirefighters – and all of you.

Determination andpersistence!

You’ll see that a lot in these ruralcommunities. For example, whenMorland, a town of 150, faced losingtheir grocery store, they called a townmeeting and more than 100 peopleattended. Do you know that for a ruralcommunity to keep a grocery store tostay open, they need to pay $10,000 aweek for the wholesale truck to evencome to the town? No wonder so manyof these small towns no longer havegrocery stores. I think we need to workon the system instead of just giving upand saying these small towns can nolonger have grocery stores. Post officesare in danger now. We heard that theyneed to bring in at least $27,000 tosurvive the cut. Well, I know of onetown where one customer brought in$56,000 a year and still they were onthe chopping block. One reason thishappens is that these small towns don’thave a voice to go to and collectivelymake their case.

Let’s discuss the explorer value ofsmall towns. As a place to explore,Kansas is the best there is. Forexample, if you were just interested ingoing out to see water towers, youcould go to Paradise to see the WPAtower. You can see the brick watertowers in Cherokee and Weir.

You could go to Liebethal to buyPat’s beef jerky. You would go toLongford to order bottles of Kiowata

Water. And just outside of town, youcan see the mammoth stone buffaloon Chester Smith’s pasture hilltop.

Marion, Kansas has done a greatjob with their city park, putting upsignage about their springs dating tothe 1860’s. They’ve done awonderful job focusing on thatspring.

Now I know this conference alsofocuses on waste management. Thisis what happened in Elk Falls. Theylooked around the state to see whatthey have more of per capita, withtheir population of 120. They foundthey had more outhouses stillstanding than any other town. Thecreated this unbelievable “OuthouseFestival”. People come and judge themany outhouses. Steve and Jane Frydid their green telephone booth, butthe bottom, under the lid, is a fishtank. The post office did the“collection drop”.

Here’s an event I want you all toknow about. It happens in Lucaswhich as you know has the mostbizarre site in the state – “TheGarden of Eden”. But because Lucashas become the grassroots art meccaof Kansas, lots of artists come in anddo crazy things. They decided theyneeded public restrooms. But theyweren’t going to do them anyregular way. They decided theyneeded a mosaic toilet bowl lid overthe front door.

Is anyone here from Harper? Thered fish was an “8 Wonders ofKansas Art” finalist. And when itwas announced, some people asked,“What fish?” That’s what happens insome towns when things become sofamiliar. Harland Schuster, who didthe photography for our “8 WondersGuidebook” said that fish would looka lot bigger if we could get someoneto go to the top of the tank. And sothat helped put it in perspective whenit was photographed.


WEDNESDAY LUNCHEON

Can you believe the swimming pool in GardenCity, bigger than a football field? It was built in1922, by hand with the help of mules. One timea boat pulled a water skier on it.

Buster Keaton’s parents were traveling withHoudini in southeast Kansas. Mrs. Keaton waspregnant and it just so happened that when theycame into Piqua, Mrs. Keaton had her sonBuster. And so Piqua, an unincorporated city inKansas, is home to Buster Keaton. But wherewould you have a museum and who could youget to run it? Well, they had a great idea. Theyasked Judy Westerman at the rural water districtoffice to have one room for the museum – and sowhen Judy is there, the museum is open. Andthat’s how it works in Piqua.

The goal is to show the value and determination. Forexample, look at Damar, with less than 200 people. Theirdowntown was looking barren. So a group of womendecided to start painting the buildings, even those thatwere abandoned in this French-Canadian community.There was so much energy that they opened a shop. Andthen the Happy Frog Pond Bar and Grill opened as well.They also have the beautiful 1917 St. Joseph’s Church.The city café serves chicken fired steak the explorer way –which means, fresh-made, hand-breaded and grilled orpan-fried. There are many reasons to go to Damar.

What we need to do in Kansas is to come together.Sometimes we don’t understand each other because wedon't get into each others’ world – but all of these towns –big and small, are needed to make Kansas the best it canbe. And sometimes, small towns are missed in theconversations.

Thank you for all you do to help provide leadership,education and training to sustain Kansas communities.

Townspeople in Damar, Kansas have painted buildings witha French mo�f. It looks so cheerful; sprucing up the townhelps sustain it. This example of hometown spirit was oneof many alluded to by Marci Penner in her presenta�on atthe noon luncheon on March 28.

AWARDS BANQUET


irst, let me say thank you to both Dennis and Elmer forthe invitation to be with you in Kansas. Wichita has notbeen what I expected. It has been a great surprise; I am

very impressed with the city and certainly I’ve beenimpressed with the Kansas Rural Water Association and thisconference. It’s my privilege of being here this evening. So

let’s just get everythingout of the way. Thismorning we had aspeaker from SouthCarolina; I’m from SouthCarolina and I have beeninformed many times ofwhat South Carolina didto Kansas this week. Andthe other thing we needto clear the air on is thatI’m not speaking aforeign language; this iscalled “Southern Drawl”.

On behalf of PresidentJoe Liles from the stateof Kentucky, and ourCEO Rob Johnson, I

bring you greetings from the National Rural WaterAssociation. Both Rob and Joe are actively involved infunding activities in Washington. This is the time of thebudget development in Congress. And it’s important that wehave a strong presence in D.C. right now to ensure thatNational Rural Water and the needs of our state affiliates aremet during this budget process.

Jobs well done!Your board of directors and the staff of your association

and certainly to you the members of the Kansas Rural WaterAssociation – congratulations for a job well done. As I lookout on this group of people, I realize that most of the peoplein Kansas have no idea of what you do. In most of the statesthat I go to, most of the people have no idea of what you dofor a living. The reason they have no idea of what you do fora living is because you do it so well. People take it forgranted. When they get up in the morning and go into thekitchen and turn on the faucet to make their coffee, the wateris going to be there. Likewise when they go to the restroomand mash the little handle, they expect it to go away. It’s

because of you that happens. So theynever say thank you for what you do.That’s the first thing that I want to do.Thank you for the role you play inkeeping your communities vibrant,keeping your communities placeswhere people desire to live, placesthat have an opportunity forbusinesses to grow, a place whereyour children want to stay and live.

And that’s important in America –that we recognize our rural roots, thatwe recognize our heritage, and that we recognize our lifestylethat we have in rural America. We’re different than the largemetropolitan areas. But people are beginning to realize thatthe work ethic and the things we do in the rural areas aredifferent. Today when a major industry is looking to relocate,they don’t go to the metropolitan areas. They come to ruralAmerica. They go to the areas where the land is lessexpensive, where there’s a much higher work ethic in thepeople, and they locate there. We see that in our district.Breezy Hill Water serves 5,500 customers. Part of whatwe’ve done is to develop an industrial park. Recently ourgovernor was in our water district and announced a $1.2billion – that a billion with a “B” – industrial expansion inour district. That’s rural America. We are different and wecan make things happen. And that’s very important becauseof the huge job losses that we’ve seen in South Carolina inthe textile belt. You people are doing the exact same things inyour communities.

Working to keep regulations reasonableBut yet the challenges we face are enormous. I’m not here

to discuss politics. But we all know that when Republicanscontrol Congress, our funding gets very difficult and ourregulations get easier. Likewise, when the Democrats controlCongress, funding becomes easier and regulations becometougher. Right now, no one knows what’s going to happen.The regulatory burden is increasing; funding is becomingincreasingly difficult. And for the fist time in a long time,we’re seeing hard times that we’ve never seen before. So it’simportant that you get involved in this process. And this iswhat National Rural Water does for you. We are veryinvolved in the political process, not only in the fundingarena but also in the regulatory arena.

Charles Hilton, Exec. Vice President of NRWA,Addresses Awards Banquet

F

Charles HiltonExecu�ve Vice-President, Na�onal Rural Water Associa�on


When I go to D.C., it’s an amazingexperience; I’m usually there once amonth or so. I have a strong workingrelationship with my local and statehealth departments. The people arevery reasonable; they work well withus. We go to our regional people atEPA; it’s the same. But when we getinside the beltway, all common senseseems lost. And all the regulations thatpeople there dream up of what weneed to be doing with our lives. Thereare new regulations coming out; I’mnot going to even try to predict whatthose are. We are going to see achange in the Total Coliform Rule; weare going to see groupings of VOCs.What does that mean? Also, organiccompounds. When I was in college, inchemistry we analyzed to three partsper million. That was consideredpretty good. Today we are analyzing at ahalf part per trillion level. So what wehaven’t found, we’re going to find – and aswe get better, we’re going to find evenmore. The question becomes are therehealth effects involved? Of course if youfind something in the water, it’s better for itto be gone. But if there are no healtheffects, is it okay for you to increased waterrates four or five times to remove it – andpenalize the senior citizens or low incomeratepayers? We are a voice of advocacy; putreasonableness in these regulations. That’s part of theprocess.

We are involved in security issues in D.C. I serve on theWater Security Council. We represent the eight majororganizations; there are sixteen of us on the Council. You canimagine when I first went into the room. There was NewYork City, Boston, Los Angeles, Portland, and the othermajor cities – and we have Breezy Hill Water. The guy fromNew York introduces himself and says, “I have 497 securityofficers who work for the water district.” He comes aroundand I said, “I had 297 customers when I started.” That is thedifference between us and the other associations. We standup and look to see what we can do to make those securityregulations bearable for our small systems.

I look out on this crowd and I see a lot of gray hair. I’m ababy boomer. I’ve been in this business for 38 years. In threeor four years, I’ll be retiring and in eight years, most of thebaby boomers will be out of this industry. Replacements forus are going to be difficult. Yes, I know you all make $40 per

hour and you all have wonderfulbenefits and a wonderful retirement –and you work eight to five and younever have any overtime. I knowwhat kind of job you have; I’ve beenthere, done that. No, I do know whatyou do. You’re on call 24/7, 365days a year. You’re the operator, youmay be the dogcatcher; you mayeven be the librarian and the policechief. I know what you do in ruralAmerica. Where are we going to find

replacements? NRWA is involved in that process too,through our online, Water University and certification forutility managers. So we’re involved in every aspect – thefunding that’s passed on to the state associations. And that’sthe role that National Rural Water plays in your life and yourstate association.

Mainly, I’m here to say “Thank You”. I look at thisAssociation. You are the biggest Association we have.Youhave the largest state conference. You’ve done a great job.And I thank you. I know some will be receiving awardstonight for excellence, for going above and beyond. Wethank you for that. But I leave you tonight with every one ofyou as a winner. What you do in serving the people backhome puts you on a higher plain than most people becauseyour life is about service. It’s about helping other people, andyou’re not thanked for it enough. So National Rural Watersalutes each one of you, thank you for what you’ve done andthank you for the privilege of being here and the hospitalitythat you’ve shown to me.

NRWA is involved in that process too,

through our online, WaterUniversity and

cer�fica�on for u�litymanagers.

The KRWA awards banquet is a highlight of the conference. Those who a�endget the bonus �cket to a great entertainment event that follows in Li�le Theatre.In 2012, the show was “One Voice” starring Cindy Summers. This photo showsthe head table of the Associa�on's directors and spouses and Mr. Charles Hiltonwho addressed the gathering.

ONE VOICE – CINDY SUMMERS

51THEKANSAS LIFELINE July 2012

hen the stagehands compliment an organization on theentertainment based on the rehearsal, you know thatthe real show is going to be a hit. And a hit it was.

After bringing Patsy Cline to life all over the country since1996 in "Always ... Patsy Cline," Cindy Summers branchedout to resurrect three beloved, but very different, singers inthe show she’s performed many times. The KRWA 2012

audience in Little Threatregave her and the band arousing, standing ovation.

Called "One Voice: ATribute to Patsy Cline, KarenCarpenter and Judy Garland,"the revue was written bySummers and has beenperformed from NorthCarolina to Connecticut overthe past seven years. Cindywas remembered by some ofthe KRWA crowd for herperformance of “Always ...Patsy Cline” produced byCabaret Oldtown in 1996.That show still holdsWichita's record for longest-running sold-out show. Andthe performance also won herthe local Mary Jane Teallbest actress award.

Summers brought Cline tolife through eleven of her

classic country hits, from "Walkin' After Midnight" to "I Fallto Pieces" to her iconic "Crazy." A quick change transformedSummers to being the mellow pop star Karen Carpenter,from "Close to You" to "Top of the World" to "Rainy Daysand Mondays." The show closedout with Summers taking on yet athird all-time great, Judy Garland.Summers re-created each of thesingers in looks as well as voicewith the help of costumes andwigs.

For Patsy and Karen, Summerssang in their voices but spokebetween songs in her own voiceto tell stories about thoseperformers’ careers. When sheplayed the role of Judy Garlandfor the finale, she spoke and sangas her directly to the audience tocapture the feel of her personalappearances.

Summers, a songwriter as well as a singer, first came toWichita as an actress in the 1980s and then took her career onthe road in the late 1990s, mostly with "Always ... PatsyCline." She returned to Wichita several years ago which shenow uses as her home base.

Several audience members also were surprised and thrilledto be involved. Steve Tharman of USDA Rural Developmentbrought the house down with his nervous response lineswhile being wooed by Patsy … and Charles Gouvion fromCrawford RWD 6 teamed with Judy Garland on stage. And atalent discovered was John Rodden from Butler RWD 4 as hedisplayed a wonderful baritone voice in several lines duringthe “Patsy” segment of the show.

Thank you, Cindy Summers! What a fabulous productionfor KRWA’s 2012 conference.

W

Cindy Summers wowed theaudience in Li�le Theatre in“One Voice” as she took onthe role and personali�es ofthree famous singers: PatsyCline, Karen Carpenter andJudy Garland.

Steve Tharman, USDA RuralDevelopment, was eye to eye withCindy Summers as she sang PatsyCline’s great hit, “I Fall To Pieces”.

Cindy gets between Lois and John Rodden from Butler RWD 4.John gained audience apprecia�on with his rich baritoneresponse lines.

Cindy, in the role of Judy Garland, hasCharles Gouvion from Crawford RWD 6 onstage and wearing her hat. They brought thehouse down.

THURSDAY LUNCHEON


efore I move to my formal remarks, I want to thank theKansas Rural Water Association for the award, “Friendof Rural Water” announced at the awards banquet

during the 2012 conference. Being a “friend of KRWA” is deeply humbling because I

hold the Association in high regard and I hold its members inhigh regard. I’ve never been about awards. I’ve always beenabout simply doing the right thing for the right reason withgood partners and KRWA is one of the best partners we can

have in the pursuit ofproviding quality water andquality water service in ourrural areas. Working withall of you is an honor.Thank you very much.

I also want to share anaccomplishment neverbefore reached by Kansas USDA RuralDevelopment. We are nowheading into the second halfof our federal fiscal year.Because our staffaggressively pursued thework in our fundingpipeline, Kansas RD rankssecond in the nation in loans

obligated and third in the nation in grants obligated for thisfiscal year. Our staff also hit several of our servicingbenchmarks such as sustainability and delinquency rate –both of which are indicators of the health of our loanportfolio. Those benchmarks are a credit to our staff workingin partnership with all of you.

USDA History – A Look BackI would like to offer a little USDA history lesson and then

convey a snapshot of the future landscape as I see it. First – alook back.

This year, USDA is celebrating its 150th anniversary. OurDepartment was created by Abraham Lincoln (in his words),“To advance a great and vital interest of our nation” – thatbeing agriculture. In 1862, President Lincoln created the U.S.Department of Agriculture to ensure our growing populationdid not suffer food deprivations that other nations hadendured. In 1862, he also created the Homestead Act in aneffort to settle the western territory of our growing nation. Inaddition to those acts, he created the Morrill Act whichestablished our land grant university system of education andextension. The land grant system has served the State ofKansas and other agricultural states well, and now not onlyhelps feed our nation but many other nations around theglobe.

All three pieces of legislation were only a couple pageseach in length, which is quite unusual by today’s standards.And all three pieces of legislation were created and passed inabout a three-month period of time. But what is trulynoteworthy is that they were passed in the middle of ournation’s bloody civil war. At a time when our nation wasripped apart, and citizens were at battle with each other,Abraham Lincoln had the vision to establish key acts thatenabled our westward expansion, helped feed our nation andestablished a system of higher education. That’s really aremarkable part of our Department’s story.

Another remarkable statistic I want to share is that USDARural Development has a current loan portfolio that exceeds$165 billion. That includes our home ownership loans, waterand wastewater loans and business loans. The size of our loan

B

Patty Clark, State Director, USDA Rural Development Gives Vision For Future Funding

Pa�y Clark

Because our staff aggressively pursued the work in our funding pipeline, Kansas RD ranks second

in the na�on in loans obligated and thirdin the na�on in grants obligated


portfolio puts us right up there withsome of our nation’s major banks andthose around the world. What’s moresignificant than the size of ourportfolio, is that we have less than atwo percent delinquency rate on theprincipal of those loans. In ourchallenging financial times, that isnoteworthy.

Since 2009, USDA RuralDevelopment has provided financingfor 5,100 water and sewer systems,serving 18 million rural residents nationwide. In Kansasduring that same timeframe, $126,785,478 in loans andgrants installed 433 miles of pipeline to provide service tomore than 71,000 rural residents.

That’s a look back. Now, let’s look ahead.

Looming challenges for financing government services

As you know, financial challenges at the federal and statelevel will eventually find their way back to the local units ofgovernment balance sheets. That’s already happening here inKansas and it has the potential to wreak some significanthavoc unless those of us involved in local governmentdecision-making come to grips with it.

In the last decade, state revenue transfersto local units of government have all butevaporated. Also in the past decade, grantdollars from state and federal resources areon a downward trend line.

Now it appears there is a movementtoward less reliance on income tax in ourstate tax mix.

Currently our tax mix in Kansas is 32.4percent property tax, 27.7 percent sales anduse tax, 23.8 percent income tax, and 16percent other. That’s about to change.According to an ag economist from K-Statethat I respect, if we hold state expendituressteady, do not change the sales tax, and wereduce income tax by 50 percent – propertytaxes are estimated to increase 37.5 percent.If we reduce the income tax completely tozero, hold expenditures steady and do notchange the sales tax rate, we could see a 75percent increase in property taxes.

The state is also debating changes to theschool finance formula including allowingincreases in the local option budget featureto help finance public education.

Simultaneously, ag land valuations(the use-value appraisal ofagricultural land for purposes oftaxation) in many of our ruralcounties, also have fallen 20 to 40percent in the last 10 years

So…we have less grant fundingavailable, shrinking state revenuetransfers to local units of government,a potential increase in local optionbudgets and a significant change inour state tax mix that places more

emphasis on property taxes at a time when ag land valuationsare shrinking. But we still have to provide governmentfinanced services such as utilities, streets and roads, healthand safety. This is a complex set of factors – but they are alllinked together. And the challenges appear to be landing inthe laps of local units of government to manage.

I was speaking to someone prior to the luncheon today andshe said, “Oh, that paints a horrible picture!” But I wouldcounter that there’s an opportunity here. Driving thosefunding and financing dilemmas and challenges back to thelocal level is not necessarily a bad thing. It creates lots oflocal control, lots of local input, and lots of local decision-making – which is all good as long as those localdecision-makers are prepared to make those very complexlocal financing decisions.

William Huss of Doniphan RWD 5, Brandon Bandy of the City of Anthony andGene Scheer of Truck Parts & Equipment are at the head of this buffet lineserved by Hya�.

In Kansas during that same�meframe, $126,785,478 in

loans and grants installed 433miles of pipeline to provideservice to more than 71,000

rural residents.

THURSDAY LUNCHEON


So my plea is - get on top of this, start thinking about it,start talking about it. If as a rural water district you are nottalking to your county units of government – your schoolboards, your hospital boards – you need to start doing so.You need to look to the future, five years, ten years down theroad. Are those entities bumping up to their debt ceiling rightnow? They could be. What are they going to be able toafford? What are the local taxpayers going to be able toafford? We must start strategically planning the financing ofgovernment functions at the local level. I continue to hearpeople in Topeka say there is going to be more reliance onproperty taxes at the local level. But then no one takes theconversation further. No one talks about what that means. Wemust work toward greater partnership, greater collaboration –there’s got to be more conversation with all taxing bodiestalking to each other.

In Kansas – Water Holds the KeyIn closing, I feel compelled to share my perspective

regarding financing one of those very important functions ofgovernment – water planning and management.

When we think of Kansas, especially the western two-thirdsof our state, water availability and water management is the –not one of the – but THE most impactive element of our state.

I’ve worked in the world of economic and rural developmentfor my entire professional career. I always hear about jobs andbusiness incentives when people speak of economicdevelopment. Those incentives are important, but our vitalityas a state is tied intimately with water availability and watermanagement.

I understand there was a bill introduced this session callingfor a one-cent sales tax to fully fund the Kansas Water Planand to fund water management. Upon hearing this, I thought to

myself…right, wrong or indifferentregarding how people feel abouttaxation - whether this is the right wayor wrong way to fund watermanagement in our state - the billintroduction gave the importance towater management that our state needsto have.

Kansas needs that kind of focus; itneeds that kind of attention to watersustainability, to water management, towater availability. I don’t think the billwent anywhere, but I thought to myselfthis was one time when water waselevated to the level of importance inour state that it deserves. And sohopefully in the way processes work inthe legislative arena and inpolicymaking, it will emerge again fordeliberation - maybe in a different formor fashion.

In closing, I want to again reiteratemy thanks to all of you. I am deeplygrateful for the work you do every daywith the most precious commodity thatwe have in Kansas – which is water. Iacknowledge and deeply appreciateyour service. Don’t ever think that itdoesn’t make a difference every singleday when people turn on their tap.Thank you for the longtime partnershipthat we share and will continue to sharebetween USDA Rural Developmentand KRWA.

Pancakes are flying! Kathy with Cris Cakes of Wichita has just filled the plate forRoger Bair of Cowley RWD 1 and is ready to load up the next plate at the Thursdaymorning breakfast. The food was great – and so was the Kathy’s entertainment.

30 gallons orange juice50 dozen glazed donuts20 dozen cake donuts45 dozen muffins25 dozen strudel1,680 pieces of coffee cake170 dozen cookies6 dozen bagels48 dozen danish

8 gallons peaches4 gallons pineapple4 gallons tropical fruit16 gallons frozen fruit4 gallons frozen strawberries 52 hands of bananas8 bags apples4 bags oranges2 dozen plums

Many gallons of coffee28 canisters of soda mix19 kegs of beer 1,200 cans of soda 4,000 bo�les of water

In addi�on to six full meal func�ons, conference-goers seem to appreciatethe ala carte’ items. So how much did they eat? Here's a lis�ng:

Thursday breakfast, pancakes were flying!


he WaterPAC Raffle is one way that the Kansas Rural WaterAssociation conference makes an opportunity forconference-goers to support the legislative efforts of the

National Rural Water Association (NRWA). In addition to raisingfunds for WaterPAC, the National Rural Water Association’spolitical action committee, the event also provides an opportunityfor the KRWA directors to visit with scores of attendees.

KRWA is an affiliate of the NRWA. Systems inKansas benefit from the legislative representation ofNRWA in Washington. NRWA works in support ofreasonableness in regulations dealing with water andwastewater utilities. Work by NRWA and other waterorganizations has helped impact in the development oflegislation or reauthorization of programs. In 2012, theWaterPAC raffle raised a record $7,193. Donationscame from 239 individuals. KRWA contributes theprizes for the raffle so 100 percent of the donations goto WaterPAC. KRWA and NRWA appreciate thesupport for WaterPAC by Kansans. Donations in prioryears have been as follows: 2005 - $3,001; 2006 -$3,000; 2007 - $4,324; 2008 - $4,692; 2009 - $6,110;2010 - $5,073; 2011 - $5,065.

T

WaterPAC Raffle WinnersPrize Winner System

"Rolling Prairie” Quilt Tina Townsend IET Consulting

Mi-T-M Power Washer 383 Kyla Schlabach Washington RWD 1

Stihl 250 Chainsaw Darwin Cavanaugh Water Products

Sanyo 32-inch TV/DVD Kyla Schlabach Washington RWD 1

Dewalt 4 piece combo Bruce Smith Douglas RWD 3

Dyson Multi Floor Vac Kathleen Ronnebaum Kansas Rural Water Association

Dewalt Impact Wrench Allen Markley Douglas RWD 2

Weber Grill Gene Scheer Truck Parts & Equipment

Stihl Trimmer FS55R Stephen Gillis City of Pittsburg

CONFERENCE-GOERS DONATE$7,193 TO WATERPAC

Quilt WinnersThe 2012 conference offered four more beautifully crafted, pieced

quilts as prizes, with one given as a WaterPAC Raffle prize. Thewinners were: Ron Grage, Stuart, FL; Ron selected the pattern“Labrynth”. KRWA staff member Mark Thomas’ name was drawnat the Thursday luncheon; he selected “Eventide”. And Larry Wray,Douglas RWD 5, chose “Thirties Stars” at the Wednesday eveningAwards Banquet. Tina Townsend of IET Consulting took home“Rolling Prairie” as her name was drawn in the WaterPAC raffle.

Tina Townsend, IET Consul�ng, won the “Rolling Prairie”quilt at WaterPAC Raffle.

Ron Grage, Stuart, FL, was the winner of the quiltat the Wednesday Awards Banquet. He chose thepa�ern “Labrynth”. Ron is re�red fromChlorinators Incorporated; he conducted trainingsessions at the conference.

Larry Wray, Douglas RWD 5, was drawn as the winnerof one of the two quilts at the Thursday luncheon. Hisprize was the design “Thir�es Stars”.

Mark Thomas, KRWA GPS Mapping Tech, was thelucky winner of “Even�de” at the Thursday luncheon.

2012 AWARD WINNERS

ECIPE

SUCCESS

Rural Water Manager– Mike Dawson,

Shawnee Cons. RWD 1

Mike Dawson began workingfor the Shawnee RWD 1 in1993. He began with the districtas a maintenance worker andwas promoted to the title ofManager several years later. Heholds Class I certification and is

working towards higher certification. The district assumedthe smaller Shawnee RWD 9 in 2006 to become known asShawnee Cons. RWD 1. The district purchases water; itservice more than 1,600 customers. Mike watches ever pennyspent and thinks ahead when making decisions. He treats thewater district as if it were his own property, giving of himselfway beyond the normal call of duty. His professionalism andattention to the overall well being of the district make him apleasure for others to work with as he treats them withrespect and dignity. Mike Dawson brings leadership andorganization to the job. Under Mike’s guidance, ShawneeCons. RWD 1 reduced the number of pressure zones from sixto three and eliminated four storage tanks. The district has140 fire hydrants in the system; 100 of these were fairlyrecently installed on larger diameter lines ranging from 6-inch to 12-inch. Mike’s biggest challenge is to help thedistrict replace some of the district’s AC transite pipe thatwas installed in the late 1950’s. So far about 50 miles ofpipeline have been replaced.

Rural Water Bookkeeper– Carol Retzer,

Osage RWD 3

Carol Retzer has beenworking with Osage RWD 3near Pomona since 2004. Whenshe began, she knew very littleabout computers and she is self-taught ... with some help fromKRWA. As a result she has

improved the efficiency of the office, getting more workdone in less time, using a new computer billing programsaving a lot of hours of labor. She keeps the board ofdirectors informed on all matters. What’s surprising, becausethings are so organized, the monthly board meetings arerequiring only an hour or less when they previously had goneon for many hours. The district has moved to make all itspayments online through their bank. Although Carol is onlypart-time for the water district, her efficiency shines. She e-mails all reports to board members several days before themonthly meetings. She handles customers and deals with anycomplaint in a professional manner. She has zeal to improvethe district’s business practices, create a more positiverapport between the staff and board and customers and toprovide the best service possible. Osage RWD 3 beganoperation in 1964 and operates its own treatment plant onPomona Reservoir. The district serves 438 customers onabout 140 miles of pipeline in an area only five miles byseven miles. The district added a 300,000 gallon elevatedtank in 2000 and in 2005, to achieve compliance with newsurface water rules, the district added two new filters (theynow have four), chlorine contact basin, carbon addition forTOC compliance and odor control, and ammonia feeding forTHM compliance.


SPECIAL GUESTS

City Administrator– Danny Mathews,

City of Council Grove

A life-long resident ofCouncil Grove, Danny Mathewsstarted working for the city assummer help while still in highschool. After high school, hebegan working full-time for thecity in the water department.

After he suffered a back injury several years later, he wasmoved into the city offices and was part-time with the streetdepartment. He later was moved into the city clerk’s positionwhen it became available and still later, after several cityadministrators came and went, he was asked to take thatposition and now holds the duel title of city administrator/cityclerk. Danny has a total of 30 years with the city, the last tenas city administrator. His experience with various departmentsprovided important insight to be confident when the city facedboth mandatory and needed upgrades to utilities and other cityfacilities. Danny holds a Class 4 Water Supply SystemOperator certificate and a Class 2 Wastewater Operatorcertificate from the Kansas Department of Health andEnvironment. He also holds a Class 4 Wastewater CollectionSystem Operator certificate from the Kansas WaterEnvironment Association. Danny was with the waterdepartment in 1985 when the water plant was upgraded withthe addition of a new upflow clarifier and sludge lagoons. In2002, he was involved as grant writer when another round ofwater plant improvements was undertaken. These included theaddition of ozone disinfection and filter upgrades. The latestimprovements to the water system were completed about fiveyears ago and consisted of converting 1,250 meters to remoteread. Other projects undertaken by the city during his tenureinclude the Neosho Riverwalk, a bicycle and pedestrian routelinking the river area to downtown area and the relocation ofthe city offices to an energy efficient modern building withample parking and easy access for the public.

Special Recogni�on Award– Lois Rodden,

Butler RWD 4

Lois Rodden is a long timeboard member and bookkeeperat Butler RWD 4, serving anarea in the vicinity of Augusta,KS. Lois and her husbandpurchased one of the very firstmeters on Water District 4 in

the early 1970’s. It was soon after that when Lois became avery active board member. She has been involved with theDistrict since 1972; she was instrumental in helping get RuralWater District 4 started. It was her signature that signed thefirst loan that the District obtained from the Farmers HomeAdministration. To this farm girl, the first loan was for anoutlandish sum of money and for which she personally feltobligated. Lois held the job of Secretary for many years andthen took on the task of being Treasurer and Bookkeeper forthe district. She performed that work with enthusiasm anddedication for more than 20 years. At one point, Lois evenhelped with the operator’s duties, including manually readingmeters and collecting samples. Lois decided to give up theBookkeeping when it was decided to change to acomputerized billing system but she has remained Treasurerand is a very active Board Member. She has become knownas Mrs. Water District. Her experiences and memories havefrequently helped solve different issues and problems. Ifquestions arise, Lois has been the “go to” person. Forexample, “the map says the line is here but we can’t find it” –Lois would recount, “Well that’s because we didn’t want totake those trees out and we went around them”. Lois Roddenhas lived the work of the RWD. Lois still has customerscoming by her house to make payments and just to visit.Lois’s wealth of knowledge of the district, past and present,is irreplaceable. She has devoted nearly 40 years of her life toworking for RWD 4. She is recognized and commended for ajob very well done.

Mark your calendars now – March 26-28, 2013!46th Annual Conference & Exhibi�on

Century II Conven�on Center, Wichita, KS


Rural Water Operator– David Rinaldi,

Leavenworth RWD 7

While the duties of a ruralwater operator vary by system;there are few who do manythings as well as David Rinaldiat Leavenworth RWD 7 basedin Bonner Springs. His dutiesinclude water main line

maintenance and repair, new service taps and inspection,installation, maintenance and repair of fire hydrants andmainline valves. He installs and maintains meters and operatesand maintains several wells and a pumping station. And he hascreated and maintains a GIS map of the water district includingall lines, meters, hydrants and valves. David helps create anannual budget and monitors spending to ensure the budget isfollowed. David is also very good working with computers andrepairs and upgrades them and helps train others who usecomputers at the office. His work as inspector on all water linereplacement projects has dramatically reduced costs for thewater district. David began work for the RWD in 2003. Waterloss has been reduced from 15 to between only four and sixpercent annually. David also, singularly, installed a new radio-read metering system that eliminated the need to hire anoutside contractor for the installation; the district servesapproximately 1000 customers. David has also designed andpatented a plastic ring that fits into the meter pit to keep thetransmission equipment dry and secure.

City Clerk– Kathy Barkley,

City of Conway Springs

Kathy Barkley beganemployment with the City ofConway springs in 2007. Thetown was having severefinancial problems up to thattime. Kathy, along with themayor and council, were

determined to “make this town work” – and to try to run itlike a business. With an accounting background, Kathy heldthe city council accountable. She survived some trying times,politically… as could be suspected. But persistence has paidoff. As city clerk, she is responsible for monthly billings,monthly and annual reports, preparing budgets as well asbeing the city’s “go-to person” for about anything cityresidents might want. She has a real dedication for her job andthe city. She is always helpful to the public when they comein or call. She acts as secretary and caretaker. Her approach isto be very thorough, she’s a perfectionist, she’s organized,she’s neat, she’s honest, she’s a hard worker and she expectseveryone around her to be the same. Her fellow workers andmembers of the city council all comment that she is a joy towork with, – a kind, caring and friendly person. She isconsidered not only to be a good work associate, but also agood friend.

Friend of Rural Water– Patricia Clark, State Director,

USDA Rural Development

Periodically, the Kansas Rural WaterAssociation honors someone who hasconsistently demonstrated leadership inthe development of or management ofprograms that provide significant helpin sustaining communities and ruralareas of Kansas. KRWA’s board ofdirectors selected Patricia Clark, StateDirector of USDA Rural Developmentas the “Friend of Rural Water” in 2012.Patricia “Patty” Clark was sworn in asState Director at USDA RuralDevelopment in August 2009. Prior tothe appointment, she was Director ofOperations at the Kansas LeadershipCenter and was also Deputy Secretary at the KansasDepartment of Commerce. When taking the oath of office atRural Development, Director Clark commented that her goal

at the agency would be toexpand on what is workingwell and to also aggressivelyembrace new strategies tomeet the ever changing needsof Kansas communities.USDA Rural Developmentadministers and managesmore than 40 housing,business, and communityinfrastructure and facilityprograms. USDA RuralDevelopment in Kansas hasaccomplished impressiveresults. These initiativesinclude basic infrastructureservices including water andwastewater systems,affordable housing

opportunities, support of essential community services such asrural health care, and an expansion of business developmentand entrepreneurship capacity.

Patricia Clark, State Director of USDA RuralDevelopment, was named 2012 "Friend of RuralWater" by Kansas Rural Water Associa�on. The awardwas presented by KRWA Board President SamAtherton during ceremonies at the 2012 KRWAconference at Century II Conven�on Center in Wichita.


SPECIAL GUESTS

Most Improved Water System– City of Riley

Riley, Kansas, located northwest of Manhattan, serves apopulation of about 1,000. The town historically had a highwater loss – in the thirty percent range for years. Despiterepeated attempts to locate leaks on the distribution system,the city was unable to reduce the amount of water loss. Thenin 2007, a major ice storm hit the area and city operators foundthemselves scrambling to locate generators and fuel to operatethe well pumps. Try to find fuel when power is out at the localservice station. As a result of the high water loss and theproblems associated with the ice storm, and after muchdeliberation, the city council made the decision to pursue amajor improvement project. Thanks to a $400,000 CommunityDevelopment Block Grant along with a $900,000 loan from theKansas Public Water Supply Loan Fund, the city replaced theentire the distribution system. The project included about 28,000linear feet of new mains, all new services and new state of theart auto-read meters. With the new metering technology, the cityis now able to determine water loss and also track water usageof customers. Using a laptop, one person can read all 433meters in one hour, a task that previously required one fullday. Additional improvements that make life easier for theoperators include the provision of propane fired generators and

Wastewater Operator– Stan Shafer,

City of Baxter Springs

Stan Shafer began workingfor the city of Baxter Springstwenty-three years ago. Hestarted out as a back-up driverfor the city trash truck. Heworked on trash hauling for oneand half years and then became

the city mechanic. After ten years of serving the mechanicposition, he went to work in the utility department. When hewas first shown the city wastewater lagoons, they couldn’t beseen because the weeds were six feet tall! Today under hisoperator’s care, the lagoons look like a park. A Class 1certified operator, Stan Shafer is capable of working on justabout anything – mechanical or electrical. He is one of a kind– going above and beyond his work duties. Others at the citysay no one ever has to ask him twice to do something. Everycity department calls on him for help. For twenty years, Stanhas also served on the police reserves; he has held aLieutenant position for numerous years.

Municipal Superintendent– Richard Kramer,

City of Atwood

Richard Kramer has workedfor Atwood just shy of thirtyyears. He has been throughmany projects with the city asboth city crewmember and citysuperintendent. In the 80’s and90’s the city was replacing

streets using city labor. A new city shop was constructed. Inthe mid-90’s the city rebuilt the wastewater lagoons andreplaced a lift station that was no longer in compliance.Richard was trained in manhole inspections and continues toupgrade the system as a part of the annual budget. Morerecently, the city replaced a failing ground storage tank. In aneffort to find better water to comply with drinking waterstandards, a new well field was developed fourteen milesoutside of the city. In addition to these major water andwastewater utility improvements, Richard was invaluable tothe development of an industrial park. Always eager to go the extra mile to make every project successful for thecommunity, he utilizes his resources to complete projects that most community hire contractors to complete.

the installation of variable frequency drives on all six of thecity’s wells. The new VFDs have reduced the water hammerproblems that quick startup of the wells had been causing.Transducers were installed on three of the wells so duringperiods when the elevated storage tank is out of service formaintenance, water will not have to be wasted; the VFDs willmaintain an adequate system pressure. Water loss is presentlyat only six percent and water production is down from 35MGY in 2010 to 29 MGY in 2011. As with all major waterprojects, water rates were affected. The cost for 5,000 gallonsof water before the project was $14.50; after the project, 5,000gallons costs $30.


City of Riley, KS


Emporia Wins Kansas’ Best Tasting Water Contest Emporia Wins Kansas’ Best Tasting Water Contest

oasting no color, no taste and no smell, the tap waterfrom the City of Emporia was judged the “Best TastingWater In Kansas” during the 45th Annual Conference

and Exhibition sponsored by the Kansas Rural WaterAssociation held at Century II Convention Center in Wichita,March 27 – 29. Next February, a water sample from Emporiawill be entered in the Great American Water Taste Test inWashington, D.C. Emporia will represent Kansas in thatcontest sponsored by the National Rural Water Association.

“Quality on Tap” is consistent with the water produced bythe city of Emporia! Emporia has won the award for “BestTasting Water in Kansas in six of the past twelve years of theKansas contest. Emporia was a finalist in the national contestin 2006. Other finalists for this year’s competition included:city of Augusta, and a tie between the city of Gardner and thecity of Olathe; each also was a prior winner.

Water samples from fourteencities and water districtscompeted the contest. Eachparticipating system submitted a sample of water in a one-gallon container. The test is a “blind taste” test with all of thesamples being numbered in unmarked containers so that thejudges are not aware of the system submitting the sample.Samples are judged primarily on taste, but color, odor andclarity are also taken into consideration. Judges narrowedtheir choices with several candidate samples being re-tasted.

The Emporia Water Treatment Plant supplies potable waterto 8,600 meters within the city of Emporia, and also sellswater wholesale to six rural water districts and two smallcities within Lyon County. In 2011, the average dailypumpage was 7,941,843 gallons.

BCity of Emporia Water Treatment Plant.

KRWA staff members Lonnie Boller and Jon Steele assistwith water taste tes�ng.

Taste Test judges, le� to right: Mike Hind, Water Superintendent, cityof Newton; Dan Froese, Layne Christensen; Chris Meyer, ChlorinatorsIncorporated; Tony Kimmi, KRWA Tech; Vicky McCallum, Vicky’sGraphic Design; Roger Engerman, Doniphan RWD 5.


The primary source of water for the city of Emporia is theNeosho River. The Neosho River system is quite extensive; itoriginates in the Kansas Flint Hills near the Geary and Morriscounty line northwest of Emporia and flows southeastthrough Kansas and Oklahoma before converging with theArkansas River in eastern Oklahoma. Emporia is fortunate tohave 16.5 billion gallons of reserve water in the CouncilGrove Reservoir to meet the ever-increasing needs of thecommunity.

The Emporia Water Treatment Plant uses several chemicalsto create that winning “Quality on Tap”: ■ Ammonia – used with chlorine to form chloramines;

■ Carbon Dioxide – used to adjust and stabilize the pH(hydrogen ion concentration);

■ Chlorine – used for distribution disinfectant residual;

■ Fluoride – used to help prevent tooth decay; 1.0milligram per liter dosage is maintained daily asrecommended by the Kansas Department of Health andEnvironment;

■ Aluminum Sulfate – used in the treatment process as acoagulant and settles out in the process and is removed;

■ Polymers – used in treatment process as a coagulant;settles out in the process and is removed;

■ Ozone – is as the primary disinfectant in the treatmentprocess also for taste and odor control;

■ Lime – used in the water softening process.

KRWA staff members Jon Steele and Lonnie Bollerfacilitated the water tasting test. A panel ofjudges assembled by KRWA represented adiverse cross-section of professionals from thepublic drinking water field. Theserepresentatives included: Tony Kimmi, KRWATechnical Assistant; Mike Hind, WaterSuperintendent, city of Newton; Dan Froese,Layne Christensen; Roger Engerman, DoniphanRWD 5; Chris Meyer, ChlorinatorsIncorporated; Vicky McCallum, Vicky’sGraphic Design.

City and rural water systems have theresponsibility of providing an efficient systemwith a quality water product to customers, forconvenience and enjoyment. Providing for theproper operation of the water process requiresboth routine improvements to the existingsystem and major capital improvement projectsto ensure that the provision of water willadequately meet the needs of future residential,commercial, and industrial development.Emporia Water Treatment Plant staff arecommended on all their hard work and attentionto detail while working with, and for the public.Congratulations, city of Emporia!

This photo shows one of three final sedimenta�on basins at theEmporia water treatment plant. These were installed in 2010.

This vessel is one of the ozone generators and equipment usedfor disenfec�on.

conference review 2012: r s ecipe ecipe for successmanagement issues. as a bonus, they took a copy...

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