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December 2017 Vol. 5

December 2017 Clarifier

This issue of “The Clarifier” ispublished by the Kansas Rural WaterAssociation and is provided to waterand wastewater utilities, associatemembers, agencies and otherfriends. Have a comment? Send it toKRWA at P.O. Box 226, Seneca, KS66538; ph. 785/336-3760; e-mail:krwa@krwa.net. This newsletter isin addition to KRWA’s regular newsmagazine, The Kansas Lifeline.

In thIs Issue...� KRWA to Conduct Lead and Copper

Materials Evaluation Workshops in 2018

� KDHE Proposes Numerous Changes

in Drinking Water Regulations

� Explanation Concerning Questions

About Compliance with MRDL Level

� Water Systems Get Good Help Through

KRWA/NRWA Wastewater Tech

Assistant Program

� Is Another Drought in the Making?

� 2018 Annual Conference & Exhibition

� Scholarship Opportunity

� Year-End Water Rights Deadlines and

Increased Water Use Report Fines

KRWA to Conduct Lead and Copper Materials Evaluation Workshops in 2018

ccording to a recent report from theKansas Department of Health and

Environment (KDHE), more than 200water systems in the state of Kansas havefailed to submit a lead and coppermaterials evaluation to KDHE. Thedeadline to submit the materialsevaluation was June 1, 2017.

What is a materials evaluation? Amaterials evaluation includes informationregarding sources of lead and/or copperin the public water system and in homesof customers' of that system. KDHEdeveloped specific worksheets that mustbe completed, along with a map by thewater system in order to fulfill thisrequirement that the agency made.

In 2018, KRWA will be hosting multipleworkshops, aimed at helping watersystems to complete the lead and coppermaterials evaluation. Systems will havethe opportunity to sit down one-on-onewith KRWA staff and receive assistance

with completing the materials evaluationpaperwork. KRWA will conduct theworkshops to also include information onother drinking water regulations andother presentations on nuts and boltstype issues concerning operation andmaintenance of a public water system.Operators who attend will receive credittowards certification renewal.

KRWA has mailed or emailed aninvitation letter with details regardingthese workshops to the 200+ watersystems that have not completed thematerials evaluation. The letter alsoincluded an example customer survey,which systems may choose to complete.KRWA recommends that systems not yetcompleting the paperwork required byKDHE to bring the survey responses to theworkshop they attend.

KRWA Tech Assistant Monica Wurtz isheading up the training sessions and theeight drinking water regulatory training

sessions with lead and copper workshops.If you have any questions regarding theLead and Copper Rule or KDHE’s materialsevaluation requirement, feel free tocontact Monica at 785-262-7301 or emailmonica@krwa.net. The dates andlocations of the workshops are shownbelow. Watch the KRWA training calendarat www.krwa.net also for additionalinformation and to register to attend. n January 24 – Phillipsburgn January 25 – Russelln February 15 – Garden Cityn April 25 – Hutchinsonn April 26 – Belle Plainen May 23 – Iolan May 24 – Independence

KDHE Proposes Numerous Changes inDrinking Water Regulations

A

he Kansas Department of Health andEnvironment is proposing numerous

changes to drinking water regulations inKansas. In some cases, the proposedregulations are in excess of thoserequired by the Safe Drinking Water Act.The changes can be found online and areopen for public comment until January11, 2018.

Recently, KDHE staff and KRWAdiscussed some of the proposedchanges. KRWA expressed concern thatthe proposal concerning daily chlorine

residuals would be problematic for manysystems if KDHE were to aggressivelyenforce the regulation as written. Whilethat proposed regulation (K.A.R. 28-15-19) proposes a regulation that is morestringent than required by the EPAregulations under the Safe DrinkingWater Act, informal discussions with theagency indicate that KDHE does notintend to become overly aggressive withenforcement. The new regulations createa violation if chlorine residuals average

Continued on Page 5

T

2 Clarifier December 2017

n early 2017, KDHE sent out letters toKansas public water supplies

concerning compliance with the drinkingwater regulation, “Maximum ChlorineResidual Disinfectant Level (MRDL). Asthere are many changes in personnelworking for public water systems inKansas, KRWA is taking this opportunityto provide further information about theregulation.

The KDHE letter from February 2017included the following statements:

“Beginning April 1, 2017 violations willbe issued for non-compliance with thissection of the Disinfection ByproductsRule (DBPR). According to 40 CFR 141.65,the MRDL for residual chlorine andchloramines is 4.0 mg/l.”

“Compliance for monitoring andreporting the chlorine residual can beeasily achieved by recording themeasured residual on the submissionform for the monthly total coliform

I samples, or on a separate log” (Anexample log was enclosed.)

“Failure to address non-compliancewith State and Federal drinking waterregulations may result in additionalenforcement action.”

“The MRDL will be calculated based ona Running Annual Average (RAA), andcompliance will be determined on aquarterly basis.”

The above statements in the letter andan enclosed form (supposedly to becompleted) resulted in some confusionand questions by water system personnelabout compliance.

Relevant factsIn the letter’s longest paragraph is the

statement of most importance to allKansas public water supplies. It is thefollowing:

“The log should be used by watersystems who do not currently report thechlorine residual with their total coliformsamples or who submit monthlybacteriological sample summaries fromprivate lab analyses.”

An important corollary to theunderlined part of the statement is thatany public water supply using the KDHElaboratory for bacteriological analysesand reporting the chlorine residualmeasured at the time of sampling on thesample submission form, does not haveto use the log form that was includedwith the February 17, 2017 letter or take

any additional actions to comply withMRDL levels, monitoring or reporting.

KDhe responseTo help clarify the matter, KDHE

emailed the following to a public watersupply concerning this issue. Here is thetext of that email:

“Since you are using the KDHE lab andyou ARE recording the chlorine residualson each submission form for each of yourmonthly total coliform samples, you doNOT need to submit the MRDL reportseparately to us. Continue recording theresiduals on the total coliform submissionforms, and the information that we needfor MRDL will be automatically migratedinto our system from the Lab’s database.Sorry for any confusion.” (Note: thecapitalization are emphasis by KDHE.)

Additional commentsMost public water supplies in Kansas

serving 50,000 or fewer population useKDHE’s laboratory for bacteriologicalanalyses. KDHE keeps track of thechlorine residuals reported on thebacteriological sample submission form inorder to determine compliance withMRDL and the safety of the water. Thesesupplies’ past chlorine residuals can befound at the KDHE website underDrinking Water Watch,http://165.201.142.59:8080/DWW/DWW_login.jsp

KRWA does not know of any city orRWD in Kansas that has exceeded therequired maximum 4.0 mg/l chlorineresidual that is based on the 52-weekrunning annual average of chlorineresiduals taken with the requiredbacteriological samples.

If you have any questions on thismatter, on chlorine residuals and testing,or on compliance, contact KRWA as KRWAstaff will be pleased to give assistance orinvestigate any concerns any systemmight have on operations, monitoring,and/or reporting.

Explanation Concerning Questions About Compliance withMaximum Chlorine Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL)

Facts about the Disinfection Byproducts Rule (DBPR)The Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts regulations are federal drinking water

regulations passed on December 16, 1998. These regulations are also known as the Stage1 Disinfection Byproducts Rule (DBPR)

MRDL stands for Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels. The levels are given in 40 CFR141.65 and are 4.0 mg/l for free chlorine, 4.0 mg/l for chloramines, and 0.8 mg/l forchlorine dioxide.

As required in 40 CFR 141.133 (c) (i), “Compliance must be based on a running annualarithmetic average, computed quarterly of monthly averages of all samples collected bythe system under 40 CFR 141.132 (c) (i). If violation of the MRDL occurs, then publicnotification is required “in addition to reporting to the State.”

“Failure to addressnon-compliance with

state and Federaldrinking water

regulations may resultin additional

enforcement action”

3December 2017 Clarifier

Kansas Rural Water Association

ansas Rural Water AssociationWastewater Tech Charlie

Schwindamann is busy. The position isfunded through a contract between theKansas Rural Water Association andNational Rural Water Association (NRWA)with funding by USDA RuralDevelopment. Each of the state affiliatesof the NRWA has at least one staff personworking with wastewater utilities. KRWAwas first contracted by NRWA in 1993 toprovide assistance to wastewatersystems. In 2009, the Kansas Departmentof Health and Environment established asimilar program and contracted withKRWA. KDHE recently awarded a newfive-year contract with KRWA for thatservice. The KRWA/NRWA programsupplements the KDHE-funded programon many of the referral projectsrequested by KDHE.

An example of the types of work thatSchwindamann encounters as KRWAWastewater Tech was his recent responseto requests for help from Keith Burger,Superintendent of the small town ofSummerfield, Kan. Summerfield serves 80 customers; the town is located innortheast Marshall County on the stateline.

Burger's request concerned theoperation of the city's only lift station.Wastewater Tech Schwindamann andSuperintendent Burger assessed the lift

K

unit provided a savings of $28,000 forSummerfield. Most small systemsunfortunately do not have cash for a newlift station but should have a reserveaccount for unexpected expenses.

Pumps and motors in lift stations can bereplaced without an engineering reviewso long as the equipment being replacedis like size motors and pump capacity.

station and determined that there was avacuum leak in the suction pipe of thewest pump. The pipe on the east pumpappeared to be equally deteriorated, butthat pump continued to function.Schwindamann provided the contactinformation for contractors who couldprovide an assessment and who also selllift station pumps.

This lift station was for a small area andserviced only six homes. Had this stationbeen a main lift station furtherconsideration would have been advised toopt for new lift station versus areconditioned unit.

The city asked Hickman Environmentalof Leon, KS to evaluate the system. Thecontractor agreed that vacuum leaks werecausing the pump failure; other issueswith valves and check valves were alsodiscovered. The city council decided toreplace the lift station with rebuilt pumpsand motors; Hickman Environmentalprovided the same guarantee as a new liftstation would have. The lift station pumpsand motors were replaced mid-November.

The cost for the replacement wasapproximately $22,000. A new lift stationwould have cost an estimated $50,000.Costs for lift stations vary widelydepending on the size of the pumps andmotors as well as the location andaccessibility. Purchasing a reconditioned

KRWA's Work With Wastewater systems under Contract with nRWA,funded by usDA Rural DevelopmentHere are some statistics concerning the KRWA Wastewater Tech Assistance Programn Systems assisted 12/1/2016 - 11/30/2017: 103 (includes 20 measurements of sludge in

lagoons and 9 smoke testing projects)n Miles Driven 12/1/2016 - 11/30/2017: 25,751n In addition KRWA used internal funds to provide 14 wastewater training sessions on lagoon

operation and maintenance, activated sludge and wastewater collection. An additional 43training sessions were conducted that award credit for wastewater operator certificationrenewal. Those sessions included training on electrical troubleshooting and maintenance,arc flash, competent person in trench and safety, confined space, math refresher coursesand sustainable management topics including emergency response.

n Excluding the annual KRWA conference, attendance at wastewater training sessions from1/1/2017 to 11/30/2017 totaled 1,439 people with 1,125 operators, 35 administrators, 41board/council members, 209 members of the public and 29 agency representatives.

A reconditioned lift station was installed atsummerfield, Kan. in mid-november.Because of limited use, no extra pumpingsuch as a septic type hauler was requiredwhile the installation was made.

Wastewater Systems Get Good Help Through KRWA/NRWAWastewater Tech Assistance Program

these old pumps and motors from the liftstation are ready for the scrap yard.summerfield salvaged some readily usableequipment from the old lift stationincluding the sonic starts, floats andvacuum pumps.

Charlie schwindamannhas been Wastewater

tech at KRWA sinceseptember 1999.

Charlie holds Class IIWater and Class I

Wastewater Operatorcertification. he has

also been a member ofthe Marysville, Kansas

City Council.

4 Clarifier December 2017

Is AnotherDrought In the

Making? t has been a wonderful year to get intothe fields to complete the fall harvest of

corn, soybeans and milo. Dry conditionshelp large pieces of harvest machineryget in and out of fields without wastingtime, avoiding the mud that slows orworse, stops equipment in their tracks.The absence of deep ruts is also welcomewhen planting season returns in thespring or summer.

Winter wheat farmers are lessenthused about the dry weather that hasbecome so common across Kansas (atleast at the time of this writing). Wheatthat was planted in September andOctober may be in want of some moistureright now.

I participate in the CommunityCollaborative Rain, Hail and SnowNetwork, often called CoCoRaHS(pronounced KO-ko-rozz), to contributesite-specific measurements andrecordings of rainfall and snow. I have nopersonal financial or planning reason todo this, except to occasionally have datato use in articles, etc. Mainly, I only hopeto contribute data to the scientists andmanagers who need it to make accurateassessments and forecasts.

My November 2017 data through 27days show that my small part of Kansashas received only 0.09 inches of

Looking forward 4½ months, the national Weather service’s Climate Prediction Centerforecasts that a large portion of Kansas has a 33 percent chance or better of being dryerthan normal for the three month period of April - June, 2018.

precipitation. That has me concernedabout a possible drought starting. Myreview of the November 2016 resultsshow 0.31 inches however, so maybe myconcern should be tempered a little. Thetotal precipitation I measured for the2017 Water Year was 41.51 inches, aboutfour inches greater than the calculated30-year average. So is my four percent ofnormal precipitation for November just adry stretch or is it the beginning ofsomething more sinister?

The National Weather Service’s ClimatePrediction Center uses a number of toolsto issue forecasts of conditions of climateover different time periods. Their recentforecasts do lean toward dryer conditionsduring any of the three month periodsbetween February and June, wheremainly the western two thirds of Kansas

may have a 33 percent greater probabilityof experiencing dryer than normalconditions. These forecasts don’t indicatehow dry these areas may be, if dryconditions do appear.

So the recent lack of moisture cannotbe considered a scientifically basedwarning sign. What it is, though, is areminder that drought preparedness is aserious goal to address. During thesecolder months, when daily water demandshould be lower than average, watersystem managers should take a look attheir Water Conservation Plan anddetermine if any updates are necessary.These updates could include neweducation and management practices.Are the water watch, water warning andwater emergency triggers still appropriateif the system’s storage quantity has

By Douglas Helmke, P.G.

I

Wheat that wasplanted in september

and October may be inwant of some

moisture right now.

5December 2017 Clarifier

less than 95 percent of the requiredminimum in two consecutive months.

KRWA will submit written commentson the package of regulations. Theproposed regulations can be accessedthrough this link on KDHE's Web site:http://www.kdheks.gov/pws/drinkingregulations.html

Anyone having comments on theproposed regulations should submitthem in writing or attend the hearingon January 11 as stated in the PublicHearing Notice.

Kansas Rural Water Association

KDHE Proposes . . . Continued from Page 1

March 27 – 29 Century IIConvention Center Wichita, KS

Mark yourcalendars!

Membership Supports KRWA From St. Francis to Baxter Springs and from Elkhart to Elwood, more than 470 cities

and 265 rural water districts across Kansas support KRWA with membership. Inaddition, 265 Associate Members help make KRWA be a recognized, respected andappreciated organization. Whether it's legislation in Washington or in Topeka, KRWAstands up for members in supporting reasonableness in regulations and for programsand policies that are in the best interests of water and wastewater utilities.

See Membership Listings at http://krwa.net/MEMBERSHIP/About-Membership.And check the KRWA Website for an up-to-date, only System Directory athttp://krwa.net/ONLINE-RESOURCES/Systems-Directory.

changed, if the average daily demand isup or number of customers hasincreased? If regional water levels havedropped, are the established water leveltriggers still appropriate? Is the watersystem meeting its Gallons per Capita per

During these coldermonths, when daily

water demand shouldbe lower than average,

water systemmanagers should takea look at their Water

Conservation Plan anddetermine if any

updates are necessary.

Day (GPCD) goal? Most of the adoptedwater conservation plans in Kansas statethat the plan will be reviewed annually inApril. If conditions have changed in thewater system or the aquifer or both, itmight be beneficial to start the reviewand to consider the possible revisionsbefore then.

The Source Water Protection Plan canalso be reviewed in light of the dryer thannormal conditions. While source waterprotection planning was originally a tooldesigned to prevent contamination ofdrinking water sources to avoid the needto construct expensive treatment plantsor the replacement of impacted wells, theadopted plans can also be tools toaddress any threat to the supply of waterto a water system. If drought or dryer-than-normal conditions occur during thewinter months, are fire prevention andhazardous fuels reduction recognizedgoals in the plan? Are the wells, intakesand other infrastructure, including

electrical power, at risk to wildfire? Arethere actions, such as mowing, removal ofdead vegetation, etc., that can be done toreduce the infrastructure’s exposure toprolonged burning? Do the local fire andemergency management departmentsknow the locations of the infrastructureand power lines which are critical for thewater supply to stay in operation?

Take an afternoon to review your plansand consider some operational andmanagement goals to adopt to make2018 a great year. If Kansas Rural WaterAssociation can be helpful in this regard,please let us know. Email me atdhelmke@krwa.net.

A period of low humidity and high winds made dead vegetation extremely combustible,leading to many large wildfires across Kansas in the Spring of 2017. This abandonedfarmstead near Dorrance did not escape a wildfire that jumped over I-70.

2018 Annual

Conference

& Exhibition

Preview

u Opening nite "Weathering theStorm - Meet & Greet" – with food,social, games and $10,000 in prizes

u Kansas' Premier Rock & RollBand – King Midas & TheMufflers

u Awards Banquet followed byentertainment ... "Pump Boys &Dinettes" – a rip-roaring good timethat will fill your entertainmenttank!

u Special keynote and guest speakers(to be announced soon)

u Food and fun galore – andhospitality that does not stop!

Who should attend? Board andcouncil members,operators, administrators,managers, city clerks –anyone interested inlearning more about waterand wastewater utilitymanagement, operationand maintenance. Attend,exchange ideas withothers, make new friendsand renew acquaintances.This conference is one ofthe best investments thatany community can make.

Pre-Conference sessions n Attorney’s Forum

n engineers’ Forum For Waterand Wastewater andCommunity Facilities

n Water Operator Forum –Preparing for Certificationexams

n Board/Council Leadership –Weathering all storms!

n Geology, Aquifers, and WaterWells – ensuring a Good Watersupply

n Fair and equitable Rates

n Microbiological Monitoring ofActivated sludge Processes

n Waste stabilization Ponds:Operational theory andtroubleshooting

n City Clerks’ Forum

n RWD Office Forum

March 27 - 29, 2018, Century II, Wichita, Kansas "Working Together, Weathering All

Storms" is the theme of the 2018 AnnualConference & Exhibition for public waterand wastewater systems. When andwhere? It’s March 27 - 29 at the CenturyII Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas.It's the largest water and wastewaterconference in Mid-America. Thisconference features:u 10 Preconference sessions on Tuesday,

March 27u 48 Breakout Sessions March 28 and

29u EXPO Hall, fully carpeted with 365

exhibit spaces showcasing productsand services

6 Clarifier December 2017

Airport Inn and Conference Center, 6815 W. Kellogg; Ph. 888/942-5666.Free breakfast; comp shuttle to Century II. $70.99 flat

Ambassador hotel, 104 S. Broadway, Ph. 316/239-7100; comp shuttleto Century II. $159 flat

Best Western Plus eastgate Inn & suites, 8300 E. Kellogg; Ph. 316/682-3000. Free breakfast; new hotel in 2009; Use Group ID F24RK9Q1;Single or Double $79

Best Western Governors Inn & suites, 4742 S. Emporia, Ph. 866/522-0775 or 316/522-0775; comp. Deluxe hot breakfast; Fully renovatedin 2015; $79.99 Flat

Best Western Plus West Wichita Airport, (Formerly Hampton Inn) 3800W. Kellogg; Ph. 316/945-4100; comp. airport shuttle and deluxe hotbreakfast bar; $89.99 flat.

Best Western Wichita north hotel & suites, 915 E. 53rd St. North; Ph.316/832-9387; Hot Breakfast Buffet; $82.99 Flat

Comfort suites, 7515 West Taft St.; Ph. 316/773-1700; comp. Breakfastbar; $109.99 flat

Courtyard by Marriott (in OldTown), 820 E. 2nd Street North; Ph. 866-522-8909; $154 Flat

Drury Plaza hotel Broadview, 400 W. Douglas; Ph. 316/262-5000;Newly renovated; Free hot comp. breakfast; free 5:30 Kickback; Usegroup #2280435; $8.00 daily parking fee; Single or Double $156

Fairfield Inn suites by Marriott, Wichita Downtown, 525 S. Main. Newin 2011. Comp. shuttle to Century II; expanded comp. breakfast. Ph.316-201-1400; $132 King or Queen

hampton Inn & suites Wichita/Mulvane, 785 Kansas Star Drive; Ph.316/524-3777; Group Code KRW/Association; $99 Flat

Holiday Inn Select, 549 S. Rock Road; Ph. 888/558-5113 or 316/686-7131, for king or double, (one to four persons); $95 flat

hotel at Waterwalk, 711 S. Main St., Downtown Wichita; Ph. 316/263-1061, within walking distance of the Event Center; ComplimentaryCook-to-Order Breakfast and Shuttle; $119 Kings; $129 Doubles andOne Bedrooms; $149 Loft Suites

hyatt Regency, attached to Century II, complimentary parking garage;Ph. 316/293-1234; $150 single; $150 double. Boom Block opensTuesday, October 3 at 8:00 a.m. CST. PLEASE NOTE: HYATT SOLD OUTON PASSKEY AT 9 A.M. ON Tuesday, 10/3. Call 316-293-1234 to beplaced on a wait list.

LaQuinta, 5500 W. Kellogg; Ph. 316/943-2181; complimentary deluxecontinental breakfast; newly renovated; $85 flat

Ramada Wichita Airport, (formerly Clarion Inn and Suites) 5805 W.Kellogg; Ph. 316/942-7911. Free hot breakfast buffet; $74.99 flat

Wichita east Fairfield Inn, by Marriott, 333 S. Webb Road; Ph.316/685-3777; comp. continental breakfast; scheduled shuttle toAirport and Century II; $84 flat

Wyndham Garden hotel (formerly Holiday Inn), 221 E. Kellogg; withinwalking distance to Century II, comp. shuttle to Century II and airport;Ph. 316/269-2090; $99 Single or Double

make your reservations now!

Conference Accommodations

Meet Jim, Eddie,Jackson and L.M. –the pump boys ofHighway 57. They’llfill up your tank byday and cut looseby night with acrowd-pleasingmix of southern-fried rock,rhythm and

blues! Just across the road you’llfind Double Cupp Diner where sisters Prudie andRhetta Cupp serve up the finest home cookin’ andsweetest manners this side of the Mississippi.Together, these six friends sing of joy andheartbreak while strumming and humming awayon guitar, piano, bass, fiddle, banjo, mandolin,harmonica and even a few kitchen utensils! It'sKRWA's 2018 conference entertainmentimmediately following the Awards Banquet.Thanks to The Forum Theatre for bringing thisshow to KRWA!

EntErtAinmEnt

7December 2017 Clarifier

KEynotE SPEAKEr

Meet Charles Marshall!The Keynote address at the 2018 KRWA

Conference will be presented by CharlesMarshall. He is one of the most popularhumorous motivational speakers today.Charles has more than 20 years ofexperience speaking to audiences acrossthe United States. Each year, Charles travels100,000 miles to perform in more than 100corporate and civic venues from New Yorkto California. His animated delivery andoriginal observations have captivatedmore than 1,000 audiences over the pasttwo decades, including many Fortune 500companies.

Charles is the author of several booksincluding The Seven Powers of Success

and I’m Not Crazy But I Might Be A Carrier.He also has produced and performed two full-length comedy videos,Fully Animated and I’m Just Sayin’!

Conference attendees may meet Charles up close and in person at hisbooth that will be located near the KRWA booths (103-104) in EXPO Hallbeginning Tuesday, March 27 at 4 p.m. and again after the keynoteaddress at the Opening Session Wednesday morning.

Arbor Day Foundation Works toImprove Water and Air

Arbor Day Foundation Works toImprove Water and Air

he Arbor Day Foundation is an effective resource that manyKansans and Kansas communities have joined to improve

their environment, property values and quality of living. TheFoundation office is located in extreme southeast Nebraska atNebraska City. It is here that they have also established theirresearch and demonstration facilities and the Lied Lodge andConference Center. Their mission is to inspire people to plant,celebrate and nurture trees. They have more than one millionmembers, donors and partners working to meet this goal.

On January 4, 1872, Julius Sterling Morton of Nebraska Cityproposed to the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture that a treeplanting day be established. Prizes were offered to counties andindividuals to participate, and the first Arbor Day in the UnitedStates occurred on April 10, 1872. It is estimated that more thanone million trees were planted that first day. Today, Arbor Day isa Nebraska state holiday, celebrated on Mr. Morton’s birthday ofApril 22.

The Arbor Day Foundation was founded in 1972, celebratingthe 100th anniversary of the first Arbor Day. Now, theFoundation distributes more than ten million trees every year. Ithas also helped preserve 48,000 acres of rain forest land inconjunction with The Nature Conservancy. On their farm inNebraska City, they preserve 180 antique apple treesrepresenting 165 varieties. They also have the second largesthazelnut research field, covering nine acres. Its Tree City USA

program recognizes and supports more than 3,400communities.

There are 92 participating Tree City USA communities inKansas, from as far west as Goodland to the UnifiedGovernment of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas onthe east. Beloit, Clay Center, Newton, Dodge City, Junction City,Manhattan and Waterville have been in the program for 40years or more! Congratulations to them. The city of Alta Vista isthe latest member of this group, now a two-year participant.

how to become involvedTree City USA recognition can be obtained through a simple

application process. To be approved, there are four componentsthat must be in place. The first one is the existence or creationof a local tree board or department. Allowing citizens andbusinesses to participate on a board help create awareness ofthe importance of trees and can promote diversity of thespecies planted in the community. The second component is theestablishment of a tree care ordinance. The purpose of anordinance is to allow for the control of destructive insects anddiseases to trees, and to avoid unnecessary costs and liabilitiesfrom trees deemed to be in an unsafe condition or location. Thethird component is a forestry program budget equal to or morethan $2 per capita. Most communities probably already meetthis requirement, and the benefits of healthy and attractivetrees likely outweighs the costs. The fourth and final componentis an annual proclamation and observance of Arbor Day.

The Kansas Forestry Service has a designated Tree City USACoordinator, who can assist any community with the Tree CityUSA application and requirements completion. Contact theCommunity Forestry Program at the Kansas Forest Service, 2610 Claflin Road, Manhattan, KS 66502-2743, by telephone at 785/532-3300, or on the web athttp://www.kansasforests.org/community_forestry. A guide, summary and application are available athttp://www.arborday.org/treecityusa. Designated communitieswill receive two road signs, a flag and a wall plaque for thecommunity office.

In addition to the environmental benefits of summertimecooling, shade, and noise reduction, trees have been shown toreduce storm water runoff intensity and increase runoff waterquality. Trees also help reduce soil erosion and stabilize streambanks. Consider joining the ranks of Kansas Tree City USAparticipants, especially if no community in your county isparticipating.

eudora tree City the city of eudora is a tree

City usA participant. thecity proudly proclaims thatand they let motorists knowby posting their tree CityusA signs. to celebrateArbor Day on April 20, 2017,the city invited the DouglasCounty Master Gardeners togive presentations ongardening and tree care. thefirst 40 who arrived at theeudora Community Centerreceived a free Red Oak tree.

T

8 Clarifier December 2017

sarabella Weidenhaft with Dennisschwartz. sarabella was the winner of theDennis schwartz scholarship at the 2016KRWA Conference & exhibition.

The application and rules can be found online at www.krwa.net (under "Online Resources"). Please contact the KRWA office at 785-336-3760 if you wish to have the application mailed

or emailed to you. If you are downloading this file, save it to your computer and then complete it, save it again, then print and mail to the address above.

Wilson ellis, norton, Kan. was namedthe recipient of the $1,000 Dennisschwartz scholarship at the 2017conference.

9December 2017 Clarifier

Kansas Rural Water Association

scholarship Opportunity

The Kansas Rural Water Association Scholarship Committee established

a college scholarship in the amount of $1,000 in 2016. This notice

announces the scholarship application process for the 2018-2019 school

term. The Scholarship will awarded to a graduating high school senior.

Applicants are limited to be children, stepchildren or under guardianship

of full-time employees of either an Active Member System of the Kansas

Rural Water Association or employees of the Association.

This Scholarship is designated as the Dennis Schwartz Scholarship in

honor of Dennis Schwartz who served on the Association Board of

Directors from 1977 to 2014 and who has served on a host of state and

national committees including the National Rural Water Association,

National Drinking Water Advisory Committee and the Kansas Water

Authority.The Scholarship will be paid in two installments: 2) half for the 2018 fall

semester; 2) half for the 2019 spring semester upon proof of enrollment

and continued study. The award will be issued directly to the applicant

and not to the college, university or institution of higher learning.

Applicants must include a copy of his/her transcript for the seven

semesters of high school with the application. Applicants must complete

the application form in its entirety by completing all blanks and signing

the application. The applicant must include one letter of reference by a

teacher or school counselor.

The recipient of the Dennis Schwartz Scholarship award will be

announced at the 2018 KRWA Annual Conference & Exhibition, March 28,

2018. Applications must be postmarked no later than February 1, 2018,

and mailed to:

Kansas Rural Water AssociationATTN: Scholarship Committee

PO Box 226Seneca, KS 66538

10 Clarifier December 2017

he window is quickly closing on thetime to complete diversion works or

perfect water rights, if your deadline todo so expires on December 31, 2017. Ifanyone falls into one of these twocategories, the water system should havereceived a certified reminder letter fromthe Kansas Department of Agriculture’sDivision of Water Resources (DWR) earlierthis fall. Completion and perfectionextension deadlines are set by Kansasstatute. Therefore, DWR’s Chief Engineerhas very little flexibility when it comes toconsidering late extension requests.

If you have received permission toconstruct new diversion works with a newpermit, the time to complete diversionworks will generally be the balance of theyear in which the permit was issued, plusone year. For an authorized change to anexisting water right, such as for areplacement well, the deadline willgenerally be the balance of the currentyear during which the change wasapproved. The specific deadline will beincluded in DWR’s approval documents.Completion of the diversion works meansthat all equipment is in place to bringwater under control for delivery to thedistribution system, including the well,pump, power unit, power source, dam (ifauthorized) and any other equipmentrequired as a condition of the permit,such as a check valve, water levelmeasurement tube and water flowmeter.If you are unable to complete thediversion works before the deadline, you

should file a request for an extension oftime to do so as soon as possible. Suchrequests are required to be filed byDecember 31.

If diversion works were constructed asauthorized, you must notify the ChiefEngineer of those actions by filing anotice of completion form, whichprovides DWR with details about thecompleted diversion works, such aswhere an authorized well was actuallyconstructed and what kind of flowmeterwas installed.

Perfection periods; water usereporting

Perfection periods for public watersuppliers are generally 20 years followingthe approval of a new application. SinceKansas water rights are based on actualuse, the perfection period is the time inwhich to fully develop the water right bydemonstrating that the maximum rateand quantity, place of use, and otheraspects of the approved permit, arereasonable as authorized. As withcompletion deadlines, perfection periodsmay also be extended, provided anextension request is received before theend of the authorized perfection period.The Chief Engineer generally allows suchextensions in five -year increments for“municipal” permits, but the total time toperfect generally cannot exceed 40 years.Once the perfection period expires, DWRstaff will issue a draft certificate forreview by the water right holder. It is very

important to review and understand theinformation contained in DWR’s draftcertificate to ensure that the water rightis represented correctly before DWRissues a final certificate.

DWR required water flowmeters mustbe read monthly and at the end of thecalendar year. That information must thenbe used to submit annual water use datato the office of the Chief Engineer. Wateruse report forms will be mailed by DWRshortly after January 1. Complete wateruse data is required to be submitted toDWR by March 1, 2018. Systems areencouraged to submit their annual wateruse data online, through DWR’s onlinewater use portal. Simply navigate your webbrowser to http://kswaterusereport.org.The paper forms you receive from DWR,will include your system’s unique Pin andPerson ID, which will be required to loginto the portal. The online system wasdesigned to look as much as possible likethe paper forms. While DWR will stillaccept the traditional paper water usereport forms, you should submit yourinformation either electronically or bypaper form, but not both. If there are anyunusual circumstances with regard to yourannual water use data, it is recommendedthat you send the report on paper bycertified mail, including a full writtendescription of any discrepancies orextenuating circumstances that may haveaffected your water use data during thecalendar year, so that informationbecomes a matter of record for DWR staffto consider. Failure to file complete wateruse information before March 1 will resultin a fine, which can vary based on the datewhen delinquent water use information isreceived by DWR and the number of filenumbers for which water use wasdelinquent. DWR rules and regulations, inK.A.R. 5-14-11, were updated this year,effective September 22, 2017, whichincreased the minimum delinquent wateruse report fine to $250, per file number.

T

Year-End Water Rights Deadlines andIncreased Delinquent Water Use Report Fines

If you have received permission to construct new diversion works with a new permit, the time

to complete diversion works will generally be the balance of the year in which the permit

was issued, plus one year.

11December 2017 Clarifier

The fine can be increased to $1000, perfile number, if not timely filed. DWR mayalso issue a steep fine for incomplete ormissing information, so it is veryimportant to provide all of the requesteddata.

As a reminder, water systems must alsonotify DWR immediately whenever theyreplace or repair a malfunctioning DWRrequired (master) water flowmeter. Thesystem will need to document the meter’smake and model, as well as the date theowner became aware of the metermalfunction, the date the meter was

removed, the meter’s register reading atthe time the meter was removed andinformation about the replaced orrepaired flowmeter and when it wasinstalled. The water system must also keepalternate records of the amount of water

diverted, while the meter was out ofcompliance. A detailed form for thispurpose is available on the DWR website.This information must be submitted toyour local DWR field office within 30 daysof replacement or repair of a requiredwater flowmeter.

KRWA’s water rights specialists, KenKopp and Doug Helmke will be glad to visitwith anyone regarding these DWRrequirements or form, and provideassistance with any water right issues.Email Doug at dhelmke@krwa.net or Kenat ken@krwa.net.

Complete water usedata is required to besubmitted to DWR by

March 1, 2018.

Kansas Rural Water Association

© Kansas Rural Water Association

PO Box 226Seneca, KS 66538

Non Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit no. 580

Manhattan, Ks 66502

Warmest wishes for a very Merry Christmas

and a Happy Holiday Season.

And, good health and prosperity in 2018.