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The TRWA Weekly Pipeline will be in your inbox every Friday with links to important Texas water updates and news. Do you have information worth sharing? Email potential content to editor@trwa.org! Read more below!
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Tip of the week:
Deadline Passes for Mandatory Eminent Domain Report Filing
February 1, 2021 was the deadline for utilities to submit their mandatory eminent domain reports to the Texas Comptroller for the 2020 compliance year. However, the Comptroller will continue accepting reports after this date, so if you have not filed you should do so immediately to avoid additional fines and penalties. All TRWA members with eminent domain authority, including water and wastewater supply corporations, water districts, and cities, are required by state law to submit this report or face penalties of up to $2,000 for noncompliance. TRWA will submit your report on your system’s behalf upon request, but we do not do this automatically. To take advantage of our filing service, you must fill out the form located here and return it to us as soon as possible.
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TRWA Member Gets Preliminary Win in CCN Decertification Dispute
TRWA Member Lindale Rural WSC scored a preliminary victory in one of the first federal CCN decertification cases since the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals changed the standard for determining whether a CCN holder is “providing service” this summer. As previously reported, in a case brought by TRWA member Green Valley SUD, the Fifth Circuit adopted a “physical ability” test proposed by TRWA in an amicus brief. This standard requires a utility to show that it has adequate facilities to provide service to the area within a reasonable time after a request for service is made in order for federal debt protection under 7 U.S.C. 1926(b) to attach. On Tuesday, Federal District Court Judge Lee Yeakel in Austin issued a temporary restraining order in Lindale Rural’s favor, enjoining the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) from proceeding on the decertification due to the system’s likelihood of success on the merits. We will keep you updated on this and other cases as federal courts continue to define the contours of the Fifth Circuit’s “physical ability” test. To view the temporary restraining order, click here. To read more about the Green Valley SUD case and the “physical ability” test, click here.
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TRWA Election Update
In early January, we sent out our annual notice of election for TRWA Board Director and Alternate Director positions, along with Qualification and Consent forms to certify candidates to run in the election. Districts 1, 4, 6 and 14 were to hold regular elections in 2021, with special elections possible in Districts 7 & 8 to fill vacant Alternate Director seats. The deadline to submit Qualification and Consent forms was January 29. We have reviewed all submitted forms and have verified there are no contested races for the seats up for election this year. Per our Board Policies (2.5), we will not print a ballot and an election will not be held in a district in which the races have single unopposed candidates. As such, we will not be issuing absentee ballots by mail or holding elections at the Annual Convention in March. If you have any questions, please contact info@trwa.org.
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Texas Rural Water Association | USDA Rural Development
Engineering Conference
Held in Conjunction with RuralWaterCon 2021
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 | 7:30 am - 4:30 p.m.
Registration Fee: $225
REGISTER HERE
Click Here for the Full Agenda
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March 24-26 | Renaissance Hotel Austin
Registration Fees:
*$399 for Utility Members
*$499 for Non-Member Utilities
$199 for Virtual Attendee Package
*A $30 fee applies to utility registrations received after the Early Bird Deadline
Early Bird Deadline: March 1, 2021
REGISTER HERE
Click here for a PDF of the brochure
Click here for inserts
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Deadline TODAY, February 5 for Student Scholarships and Awards of Excellence submissions!
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Scholarship applications must be submitted electronically or postmarked by today to be considered. The program was designed to help defray the costs of tuition, fees, books and/or room and board for individuals in their pursuit of higher education and a potential career in the water and/or wastewater industry.
Deadline: TODAY, February 5
Learn more and apply!
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Don’t miss this opportunity to nominate your system, staff or peers for one of our TRWA Awards of Excellence! Apply here.
Deadline TODAY, February 5
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The application window for the 2021-2022 Emerging Leaders Program is now open and will close on April 16, 2021. We are excited to bring together our third Emerging Leaders group to cultivate energetic and engaged individuals who are invested in the future of rural water.
Learn more and apply!
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The Wave Podcast
In January 2019, TCEQ released staff guidance on determining connections and population served for Public Water Systems. In this conversation with TRWA's Environmental Services Director Jason Knobloch, we breakdown how TCEQ recognizes water utility connections and answer some FAQs on how the rule is applied.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Availability
TRWA has been working to ensure that essential water utility workers, including water operators, receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, and now we need your help! Despite recommendations from the CDC that essential water and wastewater workers be included in the first phase of the vaccine rollout, current state guidelines only make the vaccine available to front-line healthcare workers and people who are 65 or older or who have underlying health conditions. Learn more.
The CDC will be hosting a webinar on COVID-19 vaccinations for the Water Sector on Wednesday, February 10 at 12 noon. The webinar will provide an overview of vaccine distribution and implementation and briefly cover safety and efficacy. Please note that Texas may adopt its own approach to vaccine distribution; this webinar will cover CDC recommendations and guidelines only. Click here to register.
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TRWA's Legal Department provides answers to your legal questions as part of your TRWA membership. Follow the links for answers to some of our most frequently asked questions:
Do you have a questions you need answered? Contact our legal team by emailing legal@trwa.org.
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TRWA is proud to present our new Water/Wastewater Risk Assessment and Planning Tool (WRAPT) to help member water and wastewater utilities develop their risk assessments and emergency response plans to comply with the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA). WRAPT is a free, cloud-based software available only to TRWA members!
TRWA will host the next WRAPT Information Session on
Thursday, February 25 at 11:00 a.m.
Register here
or visit our website or email wrapt@trwa.org to learn more!
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Upcoming Virtual Courses:
The following are available virtual classes through the first quarter of 2021.
These classes are filling up fast, so register now while we still have availability.
Upcoming In-Person Courses:
We will add in-person classes as they are requested. Check our event page regularly for updated class schedules! If you would like to host an in-person course at your system, click here.
Just Added:
Customer Service Inspections - Mabank - March 2-3, 2021
Basic Water Works Operations - Mt. Calm - March 16-18
Wastewater Treatment - Mabank - March 23-25, 2021
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TRWA's Information Security Awareness Training (online course) is now available for purchase in our online store!
This session satisfies the training requirement mandated by HB 3834 for districts and cities, and participants will obtain a certificate of completion documenting their attendance. Once you have taken the training, take the short quiz linked on the video to obtain your certificate of completion.
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- All licenses expiring after August 31, 2020 are expected to comply with the original 3-year renewal cycle. TCEQ suggests submitting applications 45-90 days before your expiration date. Email TCEQ directly with any special circumstances.
- Paper exams are suspended through February. Most exams are available by Computer-Based Testing (CBT). Make appointments for CBT exams directly with the testing center (your application must be pre-approved by TCEQ prior to scheduling). For CBT locations and information, please visit TCEQ’s Computer-Based Testing page.
- See TCEQ’s COVID Response page for more information and check back often, to keep abreast of changes. For any questions about TCEQ information, please email them directly.
For any questions or comments around TCEQ information not answered on their website pages listed above, please email TCEQ directly.
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Schedule a free remote tutoring session for operator certification exams! TRWA is here to help! If you're needing assistance in preparation for an upcoming exam, click here to reach out and schedule a session!
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The 2020 Salary Survey and Rate Study Reports are now available for purchase in TRWA's online store. The reports are summaries of 2020 survey data containing salary ranges, and averages for key personnel positions, benefits and demographic information, and water rate ranges and averages based on utility type, location, size, and water source. Please note: if you participated in the 2020 survey, details regarding your complimentary copy have been emailed to you directly.
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