The Wyoming Connection Spring 2016 2 A T Spring 2016– Issue 101 The Wyoming Connection is the official publication of The Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems. It is published quarterly for distribution to member systems, water and wastewater Operations Specialists, water related agencies and companies, legislators and government officials. Graphic Design/Layout – Donna Uribe, WARWS Articles, letters, and photos are welcome. Submit to: Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems, PO Box 1750, Glenrock WY 82637 “An equal opportunity provider” (307) 436-8636 TDD 1-800-877-9965 e-mail: warws@warws.com Web Site: http://www.warws.com WARWS Staff Office: Mark Pepper, Executive Director (307) 259-6903 markp@warws.com Jane Jeffs, Office Manager janejeffs@warws.com Donna Uribe, Administrative Coordinator (307) 258-3414 warws@warws.com Field: Ross Jorgensen, USDA Registered Circuit Rider, UMC (307) 251-2803 rossj@warws.com Michelle Christopher, USDA Circuit Rider (307) 259-8239 mchristopher@warws.com Kathy Weinsaft, USEPA Training Specialist, UMC (307) 262-3943 kweinsaft@warws.com Contents and Features Spring is here – bah humbug!!!, Mark Pepper.........................................................6 Spring Conference Wrap Up...................................................................................8 Requiem for a Water Rascal, Todd Jarvis.............................................................10 WYOWARN...........................................................................................................15 Revised Total Coliform Rule, Bre Bockstahler.......................................................14 Coming to a system near you, Michelle Christopher.............................................15 Injections remembered, Dan Chamberlain............................................................16 Characteristics of Wastewater (Part 3), Mark Court..............................................18 Mc. Schultheis goes to Washington, Aaren Schultheis.........................................22 we have a problem, Kathy Weinsaft......................................................................23 The only time we have is NOW, Miles Edwards....................................................24 Wyoming Community Profile – Point of Rocks, Mark Court..................................25 The Pony Express, Mark Court.............................................................................26 Our Western Heritage, Kathy Weinsaft.................................................................28 Mark Court, USDA Registered Wastewater Specialist, UMC (307) 262-3974 mcourt@warws.com Dan Chamberlain, State Small Systems Circuit Rider, UMC (307) 248-8021 dchamberlain@warws.com Miles Edwards, USDA Source Water Specialist (307) 554-0079 medwards@warws.com UMC - Utility Management Certification The Association Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems is a non-profit association that provides on-site, one-on-one technical assistance and training to small municipalities under 10,000 population and all water and wastewater systems throughout the state. Equal Opportunity Provider. Cover Photo – WARWS Board of Directors President Loren Crain, Antelope Valley I&SD (307) 680-5050 elc.warws@vcn.com Vice President Chuck McVey, Town of Saratoga (307) 329-5807 cmcvey_7@yahoo.com Secretary/Treasurer Erin Martin, Shoshone Utility Organization (307) 330-6144 shoshonewater@hotmail.com National Director Earl McKinney, Rural West, LLC (307) 250-2742 ruralwestwyo@yahoo.com Director Ron Overson, Grand Targhee Resort (208) 705-7899 roverson@grandtarghee.com WARWS’ Mission: To provide the assistance necessary to meet the needs of our membership and to ensure the protection of Wyoming’s water ~ our most precious resource. Bachelor’s in Range Ecology and Watershed Management from the University of Wyoming. She started on May 1 and promptly headed out into the issues of flooding and high turbidity, welcome to Rural Water! Spring is here – bah humbug!!! As I write this on May 11, 2016, I just drove through a couple SNOW flurries, 35+mph gusts and below 40 degree weather on my way from Casper to Cheyenne, Bah Humbug!!! The week after our “Spring” conference (yes, Mr. Anderton, you got out of town just in time!) we had three storms roll through the state dumping anywhere from 12” to 48” of very wet snow, even more in the mountains. And now this last weekend, parts of the state saw as much as 7” of hard rain in a single day. If it wasn’t for the very real desire to wear a golf shirt and no parka, or simply get baked by the sun, the last 3 weeks would be more than welcome moisture – and begrudgingly, it has been a GREAT WET SPRING SO FAR. We really did need it, as our snowpack during the winter was a little low. I think we have caught up to normal and maybe a little past it now. But, damn, daddy needs some sun!!! Maybe the longing for sun and my disposition has a lot to do with a tough few months for our Rural Water family and me. As many of you know, we lost one of our Circuit Riders to cancer in early March, I lost my father-in-law on December 31, so 2016 kinda sucks so far. But there is great hope! The sun may shine. This issue we introduce Michelle Christopher as our new Circuit Rider. She is a great addition! I continually ask the staff to be on the lookout for people who they think would be good replacements or additions (should we ever get additional programs or the need arises). Michelle was on a few lists as a potential target, including on Jim Van Dorn’s list. Those who knew Jim and his “gentle disposition” will know that while he readily admitted to “some issues” with Michelle at times (we all know Jim probably had issues with everyone, at times), he relented that she would be a good Circuit Rider. Michelle comes to us from the thriving Metropolis of Baggs, WY, Population about 300. Even though it is a tiny community, they are a surface system with all of the complexities associated with. Michelle was the Public Works Director for Baggs since 2007, after spending 1 year as one of the operations staff. Prior to joining Baggs, Michelle worked for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as a Crew Leader on a Habitat and Access Crew for about 3 years. She has her I was particularly proud of how our entire team came together in difficult times to put on one of our best Spring Training Conferences, our 25th anniversary conference! We had quite a few more moving parts to this conference for many reasons. We hosted a forum for engineers to receive funding updates from all of the federal and state funding agencies, as well as licensing updates from the state licensing boards. Our pre-conference day saw the largest First Responder training in the state. Wyoming Department of Homeland Security conducted the training session and testing. I like to think we helped them test their logistical preparedness as over 320 attended the training session, and over 180 took and passed the associated test. With the success, Wyoming now has 180 Water and Wastewater Operations Specialists who will receive their First Responder credentials. More sessions will be done throughout the year as we strive to have all 1,100 specialists receive the training and take the test. With this being an election year and coming on the heels of a difficult legislative budget session, we welcomed our Secretary of State, NRWA past President Doug Anderton and one of our State House leaders to give their perspective of funding challenges facing water and sewer systems due to decreased state and local revenues. We had more requests from USEPA HQ and USDA RUS for presentation sessions this year; hosted our ever popular Putt-Putt Golf Tournament and Meet ‘n’ Greet; had an “Evening of Memories of Jim” to allow people from around the state and country to come together and share stories, thoughts, tears and hugs. A rewarding but emotionally draining evening. We closed out the week with our Annual Association Business meeting and the spring board meeting. There was whiskey consumed Friday night!! (I coulda used a couple fish bowls!!!) And now, we race full bore into the coming summer (we hope we have a long summer, maybe all 3 days will come in a row!). We are already in planning for our upcoming Fall Expo. Emergency Response and Preparedness, lead and copper, RTCR just to name a few topics that will undoubtedly receive attention in training sessions this summer and during the fall. Hopefully getting some sun and some rest will help recharge my energy (the whiskey did help get me started). Thanks to all of the operations specialists in the state who welcome us into their systems and are so eager to educate all of us about their systems, issues they face and the solutions that they develop. Many thanks to the WARWS team for helping me and all of us through the last few months, to our board for jumping into the fray and helping. Spring has sprung, the waters are receding (for now), as a headwater state, we will be able to supply most of the country with sufficient water thanks to the snow pack and wet spring. Hey, maybe things are looking up! Mr. P. Spring Conference Wrap Up The 25th annual Spring Training Conference and Industry Trade Show was a resounding success. Starting with over 180 water and wastewater operations specialists achieving first responder credentialing during the pre conference session to Wyoming’s 21st Secretary of State Ed Murray opening the general session followed by Doug Anderton, General Manager of Dade County Georgia Water and Sewer Authority and Immediate Past President of the NRWA Board of Directors and ending with Wyoming House Representative Tim Stubson, the annual conference started with a bang. Doug Anderton from Georgia, Dade County Water and Sewer Authority General Manager and Immediate Past President of NRWA Board of Directors addressing the opening session. Wyoming’s 21st Secretary of State, Ed Murray addressed the opening session. “Even in tough times, we can’t forget infrastructure”. The largest first responder training session in Wyoming took place during pre conference. Over 300 registered and received the training with over 180 taking their first responder test and passing. ministrator, USDA RUS Water & Environmental Programs from Washington, DC joined us for a session as well as presented Earth Day awards to a couple worthy projects. Several state agencies presented on new items with WyDot, WDEQ, USEPA Region 8 and Head Quarters making presentations on rules updates, electronic reporting requirements and tools available to help our operations specialists maintain and provide “Quality on Tap” drinking water. Wyoming House Representative Tim Stubson (Natrona County) briefed the opening session on legislative issues and budget concerns. 42 training sessions over 2 ½ days attended by over 320 water and wastewater operations specialists, mayors, town council members, special district board members and 65 corporate partners who exhibited and also provided technical information to the attendees made this anniversary conference a memorable and successful one. Over 8,000 man hours of continuing education and training was provided during the pre conference and general conference. We were happy to have many distinguished guests this year in addition to the opening session speakers, Jackie Ponti-Lazaruk, Asst. Ad- The Best Tasting Water in Wyoming contest saw a repeat winner, Aspens Water and Sewer District from Teton County. We look forward to hosting them again this coming February at the Great American Taste Test in Washington, DC. Thursday night we said goodbye to one of our own as over 200 attended an “Evening of Memories of Jim” celebration. Many stories were shared and exchanged about our fallen Circuit Rider. I was especially grateful for Dave Lathlean from Atlantic States Rural Water Association (Connecticut and Rhode Island) as well as Deb Skelton from California Rural Water Association attending on behalf of the 117 Circuit Riders around the country. With the close of the conference we also said goodbye to one of our longest attending corporate partner representatives as Andy Andreatta completed his last “vendor show” and will be retiring in September. Mueller has been an exhibitor for all but 1 year at our Spring Conference. Andy is/was one of the best presenters I have ever seen. His knowledge and technical assistance on hydrant maintenance and operation was always one of the best attended and most requested sessions year after year. Thank you Andy, I will miss our conversations. We look forward to seeing everyone at our Fall Training Expo September 20-22 at the Radisson Hotel in Cheyenne. Aspens i&II Water and Sewer District repeated as winners of the Best Tasting Drinking Water in Wyoming contest. Judges were Clara Wool, EPA Water Laboratory Alliance Guest Researcher from Washington, DC; Matthew Seedorff, K2TV Evening Anchor; Winning system Water Operations Specialist Mike Hoeft; Jackie Ponti-Lazaruk, Asst. Administrator, USDA RUS Water & Environmental Programs from Washington, DC and Lynn Ritter, Executive Director of the State of Wyoming Water Well Drilling Contractors and Pump Installation Contractors Board. The Louise Cordova Award for special recognition in advancing operator certification was awarded to Jim Van Dorn posthumously with his “Bride” of 32 years Terry accepting on his behalf. It was an especially difficult evening MC’ing the event and grieving at the same time! As I said during the event, Jim was the first “employee” that I have lost in my 36+ year career, hope I don’t have many more. I miss his humor and his counsel. I am still awed by the number of phone calls we received on his passing from many foreign countries from engineers who had nothing but great memories of tidbits that Jim had given over the years that they had used in their careers to great advantage (several remarked about the “schooling” Jim had given them!). I also was glad to see John Gillis who was able to attend Jim’s evening and represented many old guard members. John was a long time Wyoming Team Lead for EPA Region 8 (and the beneficiary of the John Gillis Annual Putt Putt Tournament being named for him). WARWS Executive Director Mark Pepper; Terry Van Dorn and Kim Parker, DEQ Operator Certification Manager. During the “Evening of Memories of Jim”, a presentation of the commemorative plaque was given to Jim Van Dorn’s widow. The Louise Cordova Award is presented each year to a person who exhibits dedication to the operators and operator certification in the state of Wyoming. No one deserved the award more than Jim. Conceptual models were the bread and butter of every consulting hydrogeologist hired by BOPU to help develop or rehabilitate the wellfield, but all of them had to return to the drawing board after a new well was drilled. During the course of the 1990s wellfield rehabilitation, replacement well locations in northwestern area became problematic as past consulting hydrogeologists had not developed a conceptual model of this part of the wellfield due to a lack of geologic and geophysical data. Jim suggested “witching” a new location since we had nothing to lose. He broke out two bent welding rods and started his survey, making transects across the area, trying to replicate the readings and marking the areas of “positive” readings. The pattern of “positive” readings aligned in a manner similar to the fracture patterns we had observed elsewhere in the wellfield. The old well scheduled for replacement declined in production to less than 200 gallons per minute. The contractor drilled a test hole at the “witched” location, with the geologic logs indicating the possibility of increased fracturing of the well-cemented sediments in the area. Test pumping of the new well indicated over 600 gallons per minute, much to the chagrin of one of the wellsite geologists with a freshly minted Ph.D.! Requiem for a Water Rascal Jim “Fat Boy” Van Dorn died on March 11, 2016. The news of the cancer that killed him was not widespread. I first heard of it from his colleagues at the Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems on March 9. Jim’s wife Terri called me on March 10. That was the Jim Van Dorn way – a private person when it came to his own life, but a selfless champion for persons in need of just about anything from money to friendship. He was well known for good BBQ recipes, professional advice on anything water, and, of all things, his “bad” hair. I first met Jim in 1993 when I was a consulting hydrogeologist and he was the wellfield supervisor for the City of Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU). BOPU was in the process of rehabilitating 44 wells comprising the wellfield to supplement the extensive pipelines moving water from the Snowy Range over 100 miles to the west. The complex geology and hydrology of the wellfield was not well known beyond reconnaissance-level studies by the US Geological Survey. A little known historical fact about the wellfield was that one of the pioneers of modern groundwater hydrology, C.V. Theis, tested his mathematical equations on the Cheyenne wellfield in the 1940s. He noted that nearly every one of his limiting assumptions associated with the use of his analytical technique were violated in the Ogallala Aquifer tapped by BOPU’s wellfields. Theis’s assessment of the Ogallala Aquifer underlying the wellfields was that it was “mediocre”. Jim’s work as a professional communicator spanned the classroom to the courtroom. He was a skilled negotiator with an established track record ranging from acquiring access across private property to water sharing with longestablished ranch families, as well as the wealthy newcomers who were gentrifying the southeastern Wyoming ranchlands. Jim was instrumental in preserving BOPU’s groundwater rights as the race to the pumps near the wellfields ramped up with subdivision development. While hydrologists watched water move through well screens or across their computer screens, Jim worked with both the lawyers and geologists in the melodramas found on the movie screen – fightin’ over water. Jim’s encyclopedic knowledge of the wellfield was key to fighting off the spaghetti western water wars of the late 1990s and early 2000 in western Laramie County. Jim was a strong supporter of partnering with universities and training the next generation of water professionals. As one of the first public water systems to comply with the Wyoming Wellhead Protection Program, Jim used the BOPU wellfield as an opportunity for social learning. Jim developed the scope of work for BOPU to fund a graduate student in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming to delineate the wellhead protection areas (WHPAs) for the BOPU wellfield. One learns the difference between a friend and an acquaintance once you move. Jim always contacted me early to meet up at national groundwater conferences. One year he traveled to the end of the “Oregon Trail” to visit me while I was in graduate school; he even helped me teach a class on water systems during a summer session. He enjoyed driving his Lincoln Continental long distances. His love affair for travel served him well in his encore career. Jim left BOPU in 2006 to join Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems (WARWS) as a circuit rider. He asked that I write a letter of recommendation to accompany his application, which was an easy task for me to complete. His unique knowledge of well-based public water systems was of great value to WARWS since the vast majority of rural water systems in Wyoming are dependent on wells. I recall Executive Director Mark Pepper commenting at a conference that my letter read like Jim could jump tall buildings in a single bound. He later learned that Jim could, and did so frequently, while servicing Wyoming rural water systems. Obituary James M. “Jim” Van Dorn, 63, of Cheyenne passed away March 11 after a short bout with an aggressive cancer at Davis Hospice Center. He was born in White Plains, N.Y., to Edward and Jeanette Van Dorn on Nov. 14, 1952. Jim was a graduate of Central High School. He served in the Wyoming Air National Guard 153D TAC Alft Gp. Jim loved working for WARWS. He valued the collegiality of all that worked with him, both at WARWS, and all of his “customers” located across Wyoming. He was famous for his controversial articles on water history in the state (sometimes co-written with me) and the “Ask Hank” columns with Hank Baski. His regular “Fat Boy’s Kitchen” columns and commentary on cooking high energy and mega-calorie recipes were must reads in each issue of The Wyoming Connection. Jim worked more than 30 years in the field of water resource management. He currently worked for Wyoming Rural Water (WARWS). Returning to Jim’s “bad” hair days. Unlike me, Jim was famous for both having lots of hair and the audacity to wear it long as he did during his Harley Davidson days. Many folks just considered Jim’s hair as a symbol of his rebellious and independent nature. But a few of us knew the real reason – Jim regularly grew his hair long so it could be harvested and used for wigs for cancer patients. His love for animals was undeniable. He cared for lost, rescued or stray animals. His heart would respond with kindness, patience and love. Mark Twain once said, “There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded”. Most folks will agree, Jim was an accomplished son, brother, husband, father, water dowser, and friend. He will be missed by all of the waitpersons and motel staff he regularly encountered on his tours as a circuit rider. Water systems across Wyoming are all in better shape than before Jim visited. He might have appeared to be irascible to some, as he did not suffer fools gladly who claimed “accomplishments” in the water business. But in the end, Jim was a valued colleague and friend to all. He made the world a better place. He will be sorely missed. Todd Jarvis Todd Jarvis is the Director of the Institute for Water & Watersheds at Oregon State University and a frequent speaker at Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems conferences. Jim’s one great passion was serving the people of Wyoming as a USDA Registered Circuit Rider UMC, one of only 117 in the country. He was a remarkable bricklayer and master stone mason. He designed and built the home that he, Terry and their many pets have lived in for more than 20 years. Jim is survived by his “bride” of 32 years, Terry; two children, Amy Jo of California and Christopher of Sarasota, Fla.; mother, Jeanette; 10 brothers and sisters, Thomas, Raymond, Janice, Richard (Kathleen), Steven, Jennifer Tomasco (Dick), Jill Kline (Ron), Linda (Stan), Larry (Chrissy) and Jeff; two grandchildren, Michael and Natasha Van Dorn, both of Sarasota, Fla.; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, Edward Van Dorn. Jim wished to express his love to his family and friends who were part of his life. At his request, there will be no services. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Jim’s honor to Wounded Warrior Project or ASPCA. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Schrader, Aragon and Jacoby Funeral Home. Condolences may be made at www.schradercares.com. from Joe Hensel Joe Hensel, Water Operations Specialist from South Torrington and Jim’s friend, prepared this speech for “Memories of Jim” held at our Spring Conference: Jim, to me, was a mentor, friend, and brother, all wrapped up in a rough exterior with a gentle heart. I have been hooked since Jim told me he was an Air Force, Vietnam vet. My hats off to any of you that are serving or have served in the armed forces. Jim had a way of handling situations by being blunt while not being offensive. If he had to, in Jim’s own way, he could probably tell you to go to hell, and you’d probably look forward to the trip! and raise my glass to Jim. I will, someday, cross the line and once again be proud to hang with you on the other side. Those of you that saw Jim and me during recess, here at the conference, knew that one of us was always drawing an imaginary line in the sand, tempting the other to cross it. God Bless you Jim. Thank you for helping us make Wyoming water that much better. Joe There were times when I’d draw the line and Jim would stand right on it and say “now what?” I’d reply with something like “you’re just lucky that you’re bigger than me”. While we were doing our replacement project, I was talking to Jim one day and told him, “Jim, I don’t understant it. No matter how much barking I do, and try to grab the bull by by the horns, no one will listen to me or take me serious”. Jim had a simple solution, he said something to the effect of, “You need to follow your bark with a bite, leave the horns alone, get ‘em by the balls, I guarantee that you’ll get a different response.” Jim and I would often trade off buying lunch or dinner whenever we got together. When Jim was planning on visiting our district, he’d always call a day in advance to make sure I had a plan for lunch. One time, while eating at this coffee shop/pizzeria in Torrington, we were sitting towards the back of the diner, cattycorner from, what looked like, a birthday party of 8-10 people. After at least 10 minutes of waiting for drink refills, Jim turned to the birthday party and asked them if they were waiting on drinks as well. And they were. The two teenagers working at the time, were standing at the counter talking, and messing around on their phones. Jim looked at me and asked “can you read the phone number on the sign outside?” After I read the number to Jim, he dialed the number to the diner and when one of the two answered, Jim says, “Yeah, I’d like to order a round of drinks for the two tables behind you”. The poor kid turned around and looked at us to find Jim just smiling and waving at her. Her eyes were as big as saucers and they both came quickly and got us refills. Jim just smiled and winked. I’d like to thank and recognize the Rural Water staff: Mr. P, Jane, Donna, Ross, Kathy, Mark Court, Dan, Miles, Loren, Erin, Earl, Chuck & Ron for making me feel like we’re all family and us operators do make a difference. During my visit to Cheyenne, I had the pleasure ot meeting Jim’s wife, Terry, for the first time. Terry is a nice and genuine lady. I’d like to send a special thank you to Donna Uribe for keeping me informed on Jim’s condition and well being during the final struggle. Thank you, Donna, for being my friend as well. In closing, even though I believe that it’s Jim’s turn to buy dinner, he had drawn the final line in the sand and I hope that it’s quite a few years before I cross it. I take off my hat from Ross Jorgensen Jim, Thank you for being part of the past 9 years of my life. You kept me grounded and in line through those years and although I can’t pick up the phone and call, or should I say text you because you “don’t do voice mail”, I know that I will continue to hear your voice telling me “it doesn’t matter so don’t be stupid” (only you will know what this means between us). I’ve always been a loner and can count on one hand those who have truly been a friend, but I knew from day one that you would always be at the top of my list. Although you never said anything or I never had to ask, I know your help was there no matter the circumstance, time of day or what you would give up to be there for me. You will be dearly missed by this “grumpy old fart”, but never forgotten. One day I will be looking for you on the other side, but in the meantime if you see Levi and Garrett, give them a hug for me and tell them “Papa sends his love”. Your friend always - Ross from Mark Pepper Rest in Peace James (Jim) Van Dorn! It is with tremendous sorrow that I write those words. Jim passed away March 11 in Cheyenne. Jim had been hospitalized in Casper since February 26th, after several tests and procedures warranted. Many of you probably noticed that Jim had been feeling poorly for a few months. Over the next few days additional tests were done to try and determine a treatment plan to address Jim’s issues. I visited him several times over those next days and could not believe that he had been on his phone with operators answering questions or texting. We were able to talk a little, but mostly he would sleep. On about March 8, options were exhausted and on March 9, Jim was transported from Casper to the Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne. He arrived back in Cheyenne at about 4 pm on the 9th and passed away at about 2 pm on March 11. I have to tell all who read this that Jim was fighting for Rural Water and Water Operations Specialists until the end, literally! Our Association field staff meets annually with EPA Rules Managers to discuss issues that we see in the field and items that EPA needs to get out to the field. I attended the meeting, and, as always, all of the staff, Jim, Dan Chamberlain, Mark Court, Ross Jorgensen, Miles Edwards and Kathy Weinsaft gave full unfiltered (generally respectful) barrels to EPA staff. Jim was weak, and a little hoarse, but gave as good as usual, although he did get winded a couple times and had to rest. That meeting was all day on February 23rd. I think that final meeting says volumes about Jim, his dedication and his knowledge of regulations and rules was very evident. He should not have been at that meeting, but true to his character, he told me he had a few things he wanted to say. We will all miss the “mild mannered discussions” that we all have had with Jim at some point. His “calm demeanor” in talking about some of the inconsistencies between written regulations and rules application were always on point. I’m sure we all have massive amounts of stories about Jim from the road. I know that whenever he traveled, his ability to remember people and events was beyond belief. He was able to build a rapport with anyone and earn their respect and friendship. His ability to negotiate was unbelievable. At any hotel in the state there is a corporate rate, a government rate and the Van Dorn rate! Many hotels in the state should see an increase in income now that Jim will not be visiting. He truly cared for all he met and tried to help. The Association enjoys an extremely dedicated and talented staff. All the staff is the best and ideally suited to be road warriors, traveling the state providing technical assistance in any situation (and usually correct!!). After a stint in the Air Force and 23+ years with Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities, Jim joined us about 10 years ago, and I would like to think, he really found his calling. There are 117 Circuit Riders within the National Rural Water Association family in all 50 states. Judging by the phone calls we received from many of them, Jim was a stalwart among them. His passing proves that we are here a short time and should try to make the most of it. I don’t think any of us will be able to remember Jim and not say he made the most of his time. WYOWARN is a group of Wyoming water and wastewater utilities that cooperatively prepare for the next natural or man-made disaster by bridging political and jurisdictional boundaries through training, protocols and agreements so that utilities can respond to disasters by sharing personnel, tools and equipment. Why do we need WYOWARN? Water and wasteewater systems provide for public health, sanitation and safety. When water and wastewater systems fail, the well-being of communities quickly deteriorates. Without clean water and ways to remove and treat wastewater, communities become susceptible to disease and illness. The lack of water constrains emergency services such as medical response and fire fighting. In these conditions, people become frustrated and fearful. Restoring service restores hope and the ability of a community to respond to natural of man-made disasters. Neighboring utilities already have the trained staff familiar with Wyomiing Water Quality Rules and Regulations. They are familiar with western water systems and are already prepared for and accustomed to Wyoming weather. They already have the specialized equipment needed for testing, pumping, or repairs and may have backup supplies of pipe, valves, chemicals, generators, etc., readily available. While it is already the Wyoming way to lend a hand to our neighbors when they need it, having procedures and responsibilities spelled out ahead of time prepares us for the day when we need it. That is what WYOWARN is about – preparing utilities to help each other in the event of an emergency. Not a member yet? Join WYOWARN! 1. Visit the WYOWARN website at www.WYOWARN.org and click on “Become a WYOWARN member Today!”. 2. Download the Wyoming Mutual Aid and Assistance agreement. 3. Obtain necessary permissions to sign the Mutual Air Agreement 4. Sign and return the agreement to: Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems PO Box 1750 Glenrock, WY 82637 or e-mail a scanned copy to: markp@warws.com you the assessment. You must be able to access this online or contact our office if you need the form. The Revised Total Coliform Rule is here! – Bre Bockstahler Hopefully everyone is ready for the Revised Total Coliform Rule because it is here! Do you have everything in place? What should you know? Below are some steps that your system should have already completed or at least become familiar with: • Your system should have already submitted its updated Sample Siting Plan. If not- DO THIS NOW! This plan needs to be filled out in entirety which includes listing out all potential repeat locations and including a map with the locations listed. Please send the completed forms to Gary Benejam at benejam. gary@epa.gov. • Be taking monthly samples. This is not a change for most systems, but be aware that all sampling will now be monthly beginning in April. Three repeats are required for EACH TC+ routine sample. Your system will no longer have to take additional routines the month after a TC+ routine sample. Just go back to regular sampling. • There is no more monthly MCL violation. If you have multiple TC+’s in a month, this triggers a Level 1 assessment. • Get familiar with the Level 1 assessment. This has to be completed by the water system and sent to the EPA Region 8 office within 30 days of learning of the trigger. In other words, when the lab notifies you that a routine and subsequent repeat are TC+, you must complete this assessment (systems over 50,000 people only have to complete the Level 1 assessment when 5% of your samples are TC+). Our office will not always be able to notify you or send • If any combination of routine and repeat samples contain both TC+ and EC+ samples, this triggers a Level 2 assessment as well as an E coli MCL violation. In this case, EPA Region 8 will contact you to set up a time for a third party to conduct the Level 2 assessment. You must begin providing public notice immediately which would be a boil order in this case. • Be sure to take all routine and repeat samples. Failure to collect routines will trigger monitoring violations and failure to collect all required repeats will trigger a Level 1 or Level 2 assessment (depending if the original result is TC+ or EC+). If you still have questions, or need copies of the forms, visit our RTCR page on our Drinking Water Online website: http:// www.epa.gov/region8-waterops/revised-total-coliform-rule. On a personal note, this will be the last article I write for the WARWS quarterly newsletter. After almost 14 years in drinking water, I have taken a position in our Emergency Preparedness Unit. I hope this still would allow me to work alongside many of you in some aspect. I have truly enjoyed working with you all and I will greatly miss the Drinking Water Program. Best Wishes to you all! WARWSDOKU Coming to a system near you! Hi! I’m Michelle Christopher, the new Drinking Water Circuit Rider for WARWS. Unfortunately, I have some HUGE shoes to fill – Jim Van Dorn’s. He left a hole in the community that I’m afraid will never be completely filled. Prior to this adventure, I was the Director of Public Works in Baggs. We, like most small towns in Wyoming practiced Holistic Utility Management. This is a fancy way of saying we did it all. We ran the water plant, wastewater lagoons, fixed the water main breaks and unclogged the blocked sewer mains. All while mowing the park, spraying weeds and mosquitoes, grading and plowing snow from the streets, and keeping the town beautiful by watering the flower planters. We also took care of the water and wastewater systems for the town of Dixon, seven miles east of Baggs. I’ve survived floods, administrative orders, notices of violation, angry citizens, engineers, good contractors and bad contractors. I’ve even lived to tell the tale of how to survive a 5 hour council meeting. (Coffee. And lots of it.) I look forward to learning from the old hands in this business, and helping the new folks not repeat the same mistakes I did. When I’m not working in the water and wastewater business, I am the average Wyoming resident, who loves to backback, hunt and fish. I also garden and help on my family’s ranch. I blush at random things, and have grown accustomed to the stir it creates. My husband and I have the smartest dog in the world, Sherman. I’m so excited to see all of the systems in Wyoming, and meet their most valuable resource, the water operators. The objective is to fill in the empty squares so each row, each column, and each 3x3 block contains the numbers 1-9 with no repeats. Injections remembered I have a four-drawer file cabinet jammed full of job and project files from my twenty-four years as a pressure grouting contractor. After thirteen years out of the business, occasionally someone will find me through the internet. A few years ago I was contacted by a company working on the Bear Tooth Highway above Cooke City, Montana. I couldn’t help myself. I consulted with them, pointing out the limitations and possible methods of filling the voids in the backwall of a bridge abutment. I told them how to set it up, and a month later I was there for a half-day making the injections. It worked like a charm. I’ve kept all of those files thinking that someday someone may want to know what happened: pressures, materials, injection intervals and rates, etc. It has rarely happened. Many of the projects were hundreds of thousands of dollars, even thirty years ago. Many were less. Others were one-day wonders for which a file was never created. It seems it is those one-day wonders that I both remember, and for which people call wanting a record. I was reading the Water Well Minimum Construction Standards the other day and found myself in several walks down memory lane. Chapter 1 states the purpose of the standards is “… to protect the use of the state’s ground water resources.” And, “…protection measures against contamination for ground water resources.” Type II Well Drawing From Minimum Construction Standards I’m guessing no one would argue with that purpose, especially in the abstract. Once it becomes personal, difficult, inconvenient, and costly, people tend to find many arguments and strategies to avoid them. Chapter 3, Section 1, (h), (i) & (iii) among other things states: • Well casing shall be sealed to prevent vertical movement or leakage of fluid in the annular space between casing and borehole wall. • Plans for well construction shall include allowances for maximum effective emplacement of grout as a seal to protect the source aquifer and/or assure structural integrity of the entire cased well. • All wells shall have an annular surface seal of grout extending not less than 20 feet below ground surface or to useable water below ground surface. The surface seal must be placed in at least a 2-inch annular space. The completed surface seal must fully surround the outermost casing, be evenly distributed, and be free of voids. About 35 years ago, an acquaintance called and asked about having an annular seal placed in a pretty deep, bedrock, flowing well. It was sited in a McMansion’s yard on the bench of a mountain. The owner had hired a driller who had drilled to about 1500 feet and had hit little water. He said he could drill no deeper and pulled off. The acquaintance had moved onto the bore, drilled thirty feet and hit a 600 GPM flowing well. After everyone had a nice bath and the tools were extracted from the bore and the flow cut off, attention was turned to the annular seal and how to cash in on the bonanza. By the time I got the call, an injection pipe (tremie pipe) had been installed down the annular space several hundred feet. The problem was that the annulus was not 2 inches; it was closer to 1 inch. That limited the inside diameter of the tremie pipe to ½ inch. By the time you add the wall thickness and couplings, it measures a little over an inch. I’ve milled flats on couplings to get them down tight annuli. I wasn’t there when the tremie pipe was installed, but the chore wasn’t lost on me; and I knew that to lose that tube meant severe complications in getting a seal that would “fully surround the outermost casing, be evenly distributed, and be free of voids.” This was a long time before the above-quoted Wyoming Water Well Minimum Construction Standards were written. In fact, it wasn’t in Wyoming at all. The State Engineer’s Office required a Neat Cement Grout Slurry. Wyoming specifies 94 pounds of Portland cement (1 ft.3) to not more than six gallons of water. Five gallons of water produces a slurry about the consistency of cheap ketchup, but much heavier. Adding another gallon to six gallons improves its mobility considerably. The challenge is that it also increases the slurry’s propensity to “bleed” which is a settling of the solids out of suspension. Wyoming does not require a high-shear mixer that will produce a colloidal slurry. Colloidal slurries will bleed far less even at the same water/cement ratios. Another challenge is that Portland cement can only react with a finite amount of water. Neat cement slurries can feel rather slippery, but cement particles are angular and abrasive. Powdered cement is made by pulverizing clinkers in a rod or ball mill. Fly ash, which is the byproduct of coal combustion at power plants, looks much like cement powder to the eye but each particle is spherical. In pressure injections, this can make a huge difference. Grouting a well bore is a bottom-up process. The grout has to be introduced at the bottom of the interval and forced upward to insure a complete and intimate fill. It also displaces or floats any water above the grout as the grout is much heavier. One of the biggest challenges of a deep injection is losing the injection pipe by plugging. In a ½” pipe, it only takes two pea-sized lumps or contaminants in the slurry to get out of single file in the pipe to plug it (another argument for a colloidal mixer). This usually happens at a joint. Once the flow stops and the pump bears down (or simply the weight of the grout column above causes the water in the slurry to move beyond the obstruction leaving the solids behind), the pipe is plugged. In an instant, 1000 psi won’t move it. We used to call them “dry packs.” Often, 1000 psi will blow a joint apart and flow resumes, but you don’t know how much of the pipe column you have lost; and you are no longer filling in a bottom-up application. The deeper the injection the greater the precautions we would take to insure against “dry packs.” We would screen the batched slurry using a ½” screen into the hopper. We then used a 3/16” screen built into a reducer that was connected to the injection pipe. This would cause any plugging or dry pack to occur at the grout head and not down-hole. It was amazing what you would find caught in the screens: bolts and nuts (that we assumed came from the cement plant or packagers); grout chips and flaking broken off of valves, pipes, mixers, pumps or hoses; small, hardened cement clods, etc. We’d break apart the reducer, clean the screens and continue. It takes a long time to move 100-150 ft3 of grout at 5 gallons a minute, which is about all you can get through a ½” pipe. Without any delays it adds up to a 3-4 hour injection. All the while the slurry in the annulus is congealing; you have to keep it moving. It’s hard to put into words the anxiety you feel throughout the injection, especially when you have more hovering inspectors than workers. It’s pretty exhilarating when you see the grout return to the surface in one happy flow. As referenced above, the state requires a cemented seal for a variety of reasons. One of the most important things is to keep surface contaminants—and even below ground level contaminants—out of the aquifer and your well. This is especially important on the days that you draw a sample to take to the lab for your monthly TC sample. Of course, coliform is only an indicator of microbiology in your well, so maybe it’s important every day. Who knows what crowd of pathogens coliform is hanging out with? Characteristics of Wastewater (Part 3) Chemical Characteristics (Continued) In Part 2 of “Characteristics of Wastewater”, we discussed the different types of solids and what they mean as part of the wastewater stream. In this issue of the “Wyoming Connection” we will go further in depth on “Chemical Characteristics”. and will discuss Solids and Treatment. Solids and Treatment One of the most important efficiency measurements in wastewater is the reduction of total suspended solids (TSS) through the plant. This can only be accomplished by measuring a representative baseline sample from the influent and comparing it with representative effluent sample. The removal of TSS cannot be accomplished by a single treatment process as each process unit contributes to the overall reduction. If one processes is failing then chances are your end results will also fail to meet the requirements of your discharge permit. If you are struggling to meet your discharge permit requirements then it is time to re-evaluate each process of your treatment plant to see what issues you are facing. Preliminary and Primary Treatment Many types of debris will eventually end up coming into a wastewater treatment plant through the collection system. THE MORE THAT IS REMOVED PRIOR TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, THE MORE EFFICIENT YOUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT WILL WORK. Rocks, roots, rubber and plastic products, bottles, rags and even lumber has come through the collection system into treatment plants. These must be removed in order to protect plant equipment such as pumps and valves from damage. I have heard in the past from operators and elected officials that “My lagoon system is completely gravity fed so it is not necessary to remove these item prior to my lagoons. For those that have made that statement, you may not have pumps and valves that can be destroyed but your lagoons will become unsightly and all these solids that you did not remove prior to treatment are way more expensive to remove from the lagoon then they are from the collection system and the cost of dredging will continue to rise. Settleable solids and floatable materials removal is the first step in TSS reduction. Because of this, it is important to remove as much of this material as possible prior to the treatment plant. Secondary Treatment After the preliminary and primary treatment processes have removed the floatable and settleable solids, you still suspended and dissolved solids to remove from wastewater. Secondary treatment is also called the biological treatment process because this is where microbiology in the wastewater use the suspended and dissolved solids as a food source. Microorganisms convert suspended and dissolved solids into water, gases and settleable solids. While we measure the reduction of TSS as the efficiency of the treatment process, it is the dissolved solids that make up the majority of the food supply for the bacteria in the secondary treatment process Nutrients Impact on Biological Activity The proper nutrient balance to maintain for proper biological activity is defined as the Carbon:Nitrogen:Phosphorous Ratio. That is, for every 100 pounds of carbon (BOD) (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) entering the treatment plant, 5 pounds of nitrogen (ammonia nitrogen + nitrate + nitrite) and 1 pound of phosphorous (as orthophosphate) is required to be available to the bacteria. If these minimum requirement are not met, the bacteria that do survive will not perform as expected. In other words, a nutrient deficient wastewater treatment plant WILL NOT make a clear effluent or produce a sludge that will settle or smell very good. What Type of Dissolved Gasses? You will find oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane, and nitrogen as dissolved gases in wastewater. With the exception of oxygen, all of these gases are produced by the decomposition of organic materials. Oxygen and carbon dioxide are two dissolved gases that are important to wastewater operations. While some gases dissolve relatively easily there are others that do not. The Impact of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Dissolved oxygen (DO) is vital to most aquatic organisms and to secondary treatment plants. It is an essential parameter in determining water quality on lakes and streams. The volume of oxygen that can be dissolved in wastewater dependent on water temperature. The higher the wastewater temperature; the lower the oxygen saturation level. The lower the wastewater temperature; the higher the oxygen saturation level. Various wastewater treatment processes rely on mechanical addition of oxygen into the wastewater to stabilize organic matter before it is discharged into a stream or other water source. Results of Biological Action As previously mentioned, there are a multitude of gases other than oxygen that are found in wastewater, most of which are products of the biological decomposition process of organic materials. The production of these gases cannot be stopped but it is important for the operators working around them to understand their effects and possible hazards they pose. The Impact of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Since organic materials contain carbon, then the decomposition of organics will result in the production of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is released into wastewater by microorganisms. In a wastewater lagoon, some of the carbon dioxide will be consumed by algae and other aquatic plants. Carbon dioxide is slightly soluble in water while most of the carbon dioxide will react with the water to produce carbonic acid (H2CO3). CO2 + ( Carbon dioxide ) H2O ↔ H2CO3 (Water) (Carbonic acid) Carbonic acid as like any other acid will lower the pH of the wastewater column. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) When organic materials breakdown under anaerobic (without air) conditions, it will produce hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S). Hydrogen sulfide give off a “rotten egg” smell and is a very dangerous substance. Hydrogen sulfide is both an irritant and a chemical asphyxiant with effects on both oxygen utilization and the central nervous system. Its health effects can vary depending on the level and duration of exposure. Repeated exposure can result in health effects occurring at levels that were previously tolerated without any effect. At 100 parts per million, hydrogen sulfide is considered immediately dangerous to life and health. The lower explosive limit (LEL) of hydrogen sulfide is 4% by volume. In other words, it does not take a large concentration of H2S to cause an explosion so while working in areas where H2S is likely, it is important to take all necessary safety precautions before entering or creating a spark in a potentially dangerous atmosphere. Hydrogen sulfide, when mixed with water will create an extremely corrosive environment as well. When combined with water, sulfuric acid is creates. This acid will destroy all metal, electrical and concrete components in the wastewater treatment and collection systems. For these reasons, it is important to control the formation of H2S as much as possible. Methane (CH4) Another by-product as from the decomposition of organic materials under anaerobic conditions is methane (CH4). Even though methane is dangerous, it is not classified as toxic. Do NOT be fooled by this however. Methane is capable of suffocating a person and is also explosive. pH When you hear the term “pH”, the thing that should come to mind is how basic or how acidic a substance is. More technically, pH is the measure of hydrogen ion activity in a solution. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral. A pH value less than 7 is considered to be acidic while a pH value greater than 7 is considered to be basic or alkaline. Keeping wastewater at a pH as close to 7 is important because the most beneficial bacteria to wastewater thrive in a pH between 6.8 and 7.2. Another consideration, the pH range of wastewater at the time of discharge must be between 6.5 and 9.0 in accordance to most WYPDES discharge permits. It is important not to allow large pH variation because undesirable organisms such as fungus and filaments will take over the plant. These microorganisms will have negative impact to your treatment process and will thrive in low pH waters. Alkalinity Alkalinity is the measure of water’s ability to neutralize acids. It can also be defined as a buffer; a chemical system that tends to stabilize and prevent fluctuation in pH. It is important to have adequate alkalinity in wastewater to help buffer against quick changes in pH. Quick changes in pH will interfere with the common secondary treatment processes. Consider this, during nitrification, 7.14 pounds of alkalinity are consumed or every pound of Ammonia-N that is nitrified. During the denitrification process, 3.57 pounds of alkalinity is recovered for every pound of nitrate that has been denitrified. Maintaining an adequate alkalinity is also important factor for proper operations of an anaerobic digester. Alkalinity is the result of carbonate (CO3-2), bicarbonate (HCO3-1) and hydroxide (OH-) ions in wastewater. Do not confuse alkalinity with pH as wastewater with an acidic pH contains alkalinity. If necessary, quick lime (calcium oxide, CaO), hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) or soda ash (sodium carbonate, Na2CO3) can be used to increase alkalinity but also keep in mind that chemical additions will also increase the sludge production of your treatment facility. Summary In Part 3 of “Characteristics of Wastewater”, we discussed wastewater solids an treatment including preliminary, primary and secondary treatment. We also discussed the proper nutrient balance needed to treat wastewater. Finally, we discussed the many gases from the treatment processes along with the pH scale and alkalinity in the wastewater stream. In the next issue of the “Wyoming Connection” we will go further in depth on “Chemical Characteristics” and discuss the impact of heavy metals on treatment and explain what biochemical oxygen is and why it is important to understand. from the kitchen, so he went to a utility sink in the basement that had not been used in over 6 months and took the sample. Even though the problem was found and explained to EPA, you guessed it, additional sampling throughout the distribution system was required over the next year. O.K., enough of this one for now. What’s Next? When I first started with Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems, many years ago, the latest/greatest thing coming from USEPA was revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule. Then changes to the Sanitary Survey Rule, which by the way was originally set in place to be a “recommended” upgrade or repair needed in the water system. Next was Stage 1 Disinfection By-Product Rule followed by the Stage 2 to the Disinfection By-Product Rule. Right now, we are attempting to deal with the Revised Total Coliform Rule. More on this topic later in the article. The big change that hit Water Operation Specialists on the Lead & Copper Rule was that we, the trained Water Operations Specialists, could no longer take the samples ourselves (someone that knows the rules and how to take a sample) from an outside faucet. The change required that the sample has to come from inside the house, preferably from the kitchen faucet. This means that a person not knowing anything about the rule and what is required for detention time in the pipelines within the house has been taking this sample for testing and the water system has to take the home owner or renter at their word that it was done correctly, a minimum of 6 hours of no water use and catching the first water at preferably the kitchen faucet for a proper sample. Question – How many people that own houses that were built during the time period required by the rule don’t have to get up in the middle of the night and use the restroom? Or what about the person that installed a new, CHEAP kitchen faucet made in China (known for using lead in everything including Teddy Bears) in the last couple of months? Or the DIY home owner that re-plumbs and uses that old roll of lead solder sitting on the shelf that has put a system in violation of the rule? Water Operation Specialists and their systems have adjusted in order to survive and conform. Any of these events can result in higher lead or copper levels, resulting at a minimum, additional testing if not installing corrosion control by the water system that has absolutely no control over what a homeowner does. Years ago (10+) I had a homeowner that kept forgetting to take a proper first draw lead & copper sample and after several attempts he finally gave me a sample. I was shocked when the lab results showed that the copper levels exceeded the maximum contaminate level by 3X the allowable level when the last two test results from the same house were barely detectable levels. When I questioned the homeowner, he admitted to me that he had forgotten to take the first draw Then changes to Sanitary Survey Rule came along. Originally sanitary surveys were instituted as a “recommendation for improvements” which was a foot-in-the-door. Don’t get me wrong, I agreed with the change until recently (this is another article in and of itself). As an operator I would take these recommendations to my council and their first question was always “do we have to do it?” It wasn’t until the addition of the Significant Deficiency that I could get monies budgeted to clean and inspect my system’s storage tanks along with other operational needs. But eventually, I believe the good has slowly turned into national policy agenda items becoming “significant deficiencies”. I can understand the concept of “what can be measured can be regulated” mentality but a vital issue that USEPA HQ has not as yet taken into account is cost vs benefit on some of the items. The one size fits all rules promulgated, and constantly mentioned by congressional lawmakers, comes into play on many sanitary survey items now. I will say this now and probably a few more times but with limited resources in many rural water systems, the money could be much better spent repairing and replacing parts of systems rather than requiring vent heights or screen changes to prevent a gnat from getting into a tank while the big hole in the top of the tank allows a duck to fly into it! Cost vs benefit…… Again, this is future article after a little more research. Next was the Stage 2 Disinfection By-Product Rule. Under Stage 1, surface water and large water systems had to perform an IDSE (Initial Distribution System Evaluation) to locate probable locations within the distribution system where Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM’s) and Haloacedic Acids (HAA5’s) were at or most likely at their highest levels. Small and/or Very Small water systems were required to sample at the end of their systems every 3 years under Stage 1. Stage 2 required all systems to provide a sampling plan no matter how low the Stage 1 TTHM’s and HAA5’s results were and are required to continue testing at least every three years. Now it is common knowledge to your Operations Specialist and EPA that Disinfection. By-Products are formed when chlorine attacks organics in the water. The vast majority of groundwater wells not under the influence of surface water don’t have all the organics found in surface water and have consistently tested very low for Disinfection By-Products. The Maximum Contaminate Level for TTHM’s is 80 parts per billion and HAA5’s are 60 parts per billion with the vast majority of groundwater systems owned by small rural water systems are continually showed test results of 0.5 parts per billion or less (that’s ½ of one part per billion). With test results this low, why are these small systems required to continue to spend $300.00 to $400.00 dollars per test. My answer - EPA’s “One Size Fits All” way of rulemaking has created unnecessary testing costs. Again, cost vs benefit and wouldn’t it make more sense to allow for reduced sampling for consistently low results and allow the savings to be spent on much needed repairs, replacements or betterments. I believe this is an area where the various work groups that have been created by industry groups and the USEPA could make some common sense changes that would have beneficial results. Right now water systems are coming under a new change in the Total Coliform Rule. For the most part, I kind of like the changes like not having to take an additional 4 samples a month after having a TC+ (Total Coliform Positive) test and the reduction of 4 repeat samples to 3 repeat samples for most systems. That’s a savings of $20 to $25 per sample. I like that with a TC + on the routine monthly sample and then a TC+ on a repeat sample that an operator is required to inspect/assess their water system and sampling procedures and report to EPA on what their findings are to why the bacteriological sample failed. This is good stuff! BUT, as part of the Revised Rule (don’t you like how the wording tries to soften it) systems have to submit a “Site Sampling Plan” of where they will take their Routine Samples and Repeat Samples in the event of a TC+ result. Once again part of the rule is a “One Size Fits All”. With the exception of a very few, the vast majority of trained Water Operation Specialists know where they have to sample monthly and where the repeat samples have to be taken from, but this part of the requirement really appears to be set up to address problems EPA has had with Non-Transient Systems that have only been required to sample once every three months (when open for operations). Although this is where the majority of Total Coliform Rule violations seem to occur, the rest of us seem to be bearing the brunt of repeat sampling due to the issues with a few. The problem we have run into with assisting small systems with a sampling plan is that it seems to have become a moving target. In fairness to USEPA HQ, many issues are surfacing that are complicating testing protocols as a whole. Additional information has continued to be added since we started assisting systems over a year ago. This really has created some frustration and confusion for this Circuit Rider particularly. Our assistance is being called into question as the moving target and additional information is causing “accepted” plans from 6 months ago to now be returned for the additional requested information. WAIT, HOLD THE PRESSES! As soon as I sent this article off, I opened an e-mail from EPA and a change has been made to what is now required as part of the site map! To those systems that received assistance from us over the past three weeks with RTCR requirements, please take note of this and accept my apology. We are evaluating the new change and will attempt to get clarification and again, help assist with the “additional information” now requested. You can’t make this up. So once again, to those systems that received assistance from us over the past three weeks with RTCR requirements please take note of this and accept my apology for believing what I was told in a face to face meeting with the EPA Rule Manager. It appears that what I was told to resolve an issue with the sampling plan map apparently wasn’t resolved. We can only imagine what changes might be included in the new rule because of the recent news headlines of Flint, Michigan and how it will affect what we have to sample or test. Prior to Flint, Michigan, garnering justified headlines due to falsified test results and other issues that have resulted in criminal charges against various officials (and I am sure more to come), NRWA as part of the Lead and Copper rule work group was literally within a couple weeks of rolling out revisions that would have been very beneficial to the operations specialists and systems. Literally, the webinar scheduled in February to unveil the changes was cancelled probably as a result of Flint. As the investigation continues, the consequences of the lead poisoning and corrosion issues will probably result in strengthened and possibly onerous changes in the coming months. At the time I originally wrote this article it was almost 11 PM and I was in a motel room in Lander, WY pounding on my computer because I received an email from my boss that an article is past due. My day had been full of trying to assist systems, mostly with EPA regulations, while my mind was really on family and a co-worker whom I hold very dear to my heart. There are so much more important things in life than a required magazine article or some stupid rule, so please forgive me this one time. After a couple of weeks of letting this article sit, I finally reviewed and edit this article so as to “soften” it, but man you should have read what I really put down in the beginning! Jim would have loved it. God Bless – Ross tI was also able to hang out at the NRWA office building which was adjacent to Capitol Hill. Their national office shared a suite with the Harley Davidson executives and had an unbelievable view from a top floor patio of the Capitol Building and the National Mall – a great place to have a beer. The NRWA provided great food and refreshments at all its conference events. In addition, Earl was able to pull some strings one evening to get us into the historic Monocle restaurant on Capitol Hill for an excellent high end dinner. To top off the trip, Mark arranged to have one of Cynthia Lummis administrative aids give a private tour of the Capitol Building to my whole family. Mr. Schultheis Goes to Washington I can’t encourage everyone enough to submit a water sample from your system into the Rural Water’s - Water Taste Test every spring. This is a great opportunity to have someone from your water system travel to Washington DC and help support the National Rural Water Association’s (NRWA) effort to secure more funding from the government. This is a very unique opportunity and learning experience that very few people in the industry get to participate in. I was the lucky recipient of an expense paid trip to Washington DC in February after winning the best tasting water for the state of Wyoming in the spring of 2015. The Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems (WARWS) sponsored me to help represent Wyoming at the National Conference and Great American Water Taste Test. I took advantage of this opportunity and even brought my family along to visit and tour our nation’s capital. We were in Washington DC for three full days. I had a good day and a half to spend with my family touring the monument, memorials and museums. The other day and a half was spent with NRWA conference activities and with WARWS on Capitol Hill. Speaking of Capitol Hill, we sure were not in Wyoming anymore. Just to walk around admiring the huge stone architecture of all the federal buildings is one thing, but we were able to actually enter these buildings, travel through the underground tunnels which connect them, and mix in with the professionals that work there. This is a very busy place; luckily I had two great hosts: Mark Pepper and Earl McKinney with me to lead the way through the hustle and bustle of our nation’s capital. Mark and Earl have been to Capitol Hill multiple times through the years and have a great knowledge of the inner workings and history of our legislature. With them I had had the honor to meet and speak with our state senators and our house representative. All in all, it was a great trip and a great experience. I saw firsthand how much work and time is involved in securing government funding for important organizations such as NRWA. I was very impressed with the whole organization and everyone involved with it. As a manager of a small rural water/wastewater system, I feel very lucky to have been involved with such a large event and I am proud we are members of WARWS. Though Wyoming did not bring home the gold in the Great American Water Taste Test, I feel that it was a great accomplishment to make it into the top ten considering we were up against the top water systems in the nation. Every water system in WARWS has the opportunity to go to Washington DC; you only have the chance if you submit a water sample at spring conference. Every system should submit a sample; maybe someone from your system can experience Capitol Hill and bring the gold to Wyoming. Ahren Schultheis, Aspens W&SD, Wilson, WY We have a problem In the last connection we discussed Theory X managers in comparison to Theory Y managers. If you recall, Theory X managers believe that people need to be closely supervised and all sorts of systems of controls are developed. Theory Y managers see their role of supervision more like being a coach. They believe their job as a boss is to help their staff achieve their potential. They get the tools for you that you need to do a good job and then get out of the way and let you do it. In reality there is no 100% Theory X or Theory Y manager. It is often dependent on the circumstance and the individuals being managed. But what happens when you basically hold theory Y beliefs and you find yourself working for a Theory X manager. Houston we have a problem here! The first thing you must realize is you are not going to change your boss. Nothing you say or do is going to make him or her believe people are basically good and want to do a great job. Theory Xer’s believe the average human prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid responsibility, has little ambition and wants security. That is what they set out to do with their staff. If you want to make a Theory X manager happy, and thus make your own life less stressful, do the job at hand. Produce. If you can make your X manager look good to his own management consistently, the reigns that he or she holds ever so tightly will loosen. They are not relationship driven. They do not want to be your friend. They are your boss. Find out what your manager must produce to receive a great performance appraisal from his own management and let this guide you for prioritizing the work that is given you. This is not a simple task. Your boss is not going to share this information with you. Pay attention to what he or she thinks is important, and it will give you some clues. Do not make assumptions, and always inform your boss at the beginning of the week what you have on your plate and ask how he/she would like that prioritized. Stay on time and under budget. They are not going to blame the system or the work structure if something isn’t going successfully. They are going to blame you. It is always the workers fault not the process. Keep your boss informed about what is and isn’t working and let them make any midcourse corrections they see fit. Do not expect this to be a team exercise. Do not tell them what you think should be done. They don’t care! Find out what they want done, and then do it without complaint to them or coworkers. Spend your time at work working. That seems like an intuitively obvious statement, but in this day of social media and the relationship driven workplace nothing will drive a Theory X manager crazier, nor prove their world view more than to walk into your office and find you chatting or not on task. These are nose to the grindstone sort of managers and that is exactly where your nose needs to be if you desire not to have an unsettling incident. Lazy employees do in fact exist and are a drain on productivity and company resources. Don’t be one of these critters. Document everything. I know from experience that Theory X managers can and will give you direction and if it doesn’t work will actively deny ever instructing you to take such action. CYA! At the beginning of each project, write when it was given you, the instructions you were given, the expected outcome, and when it is supposed to be completed. This documentation will help you when you have to push back, and inevitably that time will come. It may surprise you to know these managers are often looking for someone to stand up to them. They want strong-willed workers, and won’t respect anyone who cowers from reproach. My advice is they are a bit like a shark – if they smell blood, they will move in for the kill. Never let anyone deny your basic humanity. You are not a lowly pet to be scorned. Remember, you teach people how they are allowed to treat you. I once stood up to an X manager, told him he didn’t scare me one twit and his attempts at bullying me was wasting productive time we could use to get the job done. From that day forward I never had a bit of trouble with him, and he even laughed at my jokes. It made the workplace a much more hospitable environment to get up and go to each morning. Try to not take it personally. Just because someone does not like your work doesn’t make them a toxic leader or a bad human being. You may not have the whole story of what is needed or the restraints that your manager is worker under. Get clear feedback about what needs to be changed and then do it. Don’t take up the “poor abused worker” argument until someone really begins attacking you as a person. When that happens see advice above! And finally there are times to call it quits. I know that is particularly difficult thing to do in these challenging economic times. No job is worth your health or the loss of your self-respect. Know when to leave. I have been blessed in my career. In the 30 years that I have done this work I have only worked for 3 organizations but I keep my resume updated at all times, try to live under my income so I can save for a time I might not have a steady paycheck coming in, and always keep my eye pealed for social networking opportunities that might lead to opportunities when one is needed. Theory X and Theory Y management styles each have their place. The key is finding a work environment that suit your worldview and makes work what you want it to be. As in most everything in life, we get out of any experience what we put into it. Give it your all, no matter who you may be working for, and good things will surely follow. All Time Is NOW: The Only Time We Have Is NOW First Americans arrived in Wyoming about 10,000 years ago, grew and flourished. On the European continent, the Stone Age ended about 4,000 years ago. In Wyoming the Stone Age ended about 200 years ago when Western Civilization arrived in Wyoming and silenced around 1 Million First Americans in less than 100 years. The First People saw the Earth, Water, Air, Plants, Animals and themselves as Human; all equally alive and equally a part of The Great Spirit. Western Civilization’s people just saw a big rock with consumable resources. Today, in Wyoming, we are still on the spear-point of consuming the Earth’s resources. Today we can see the end point of that spear. The planet’s weather patterns are changing; some say due to human activities, others say natural evolution. Either way we are seeing dramatically changing weather and water patterns around the globe and right here in Wyoming. In Memorial: for my friend, colleague and teacher, Jim Van Dorn Then a rescue helicopter comes by and they shout down to the person on the roof, grab the rope and we will save you. The person answers, no thank you, God will save me. And the flood gets worse and the person is swept off the roof and drowns. In heaven the person is angry with God, saying; “God, I called out to you for help and you abandoned me to the flood”. And God answers; “Well” he said; “I sent you a weather report predicting the flood, I sent you a person in a boat to save you and then I sent you a helicopter to save you, what more do you need?” “What more do you need?”; is a fair question. I wonder what the next folks will say, 200 years from now? WE, all of us, are the ones writing that story, right now. WE, all of us, are responsible for our own action, right now. We, all of us, right now, can make a decision to engage the problems and seek solutions. Ya, you say, easier said than done, change is hard. Yes, change is very hard, that is why it will take ALL of us working together, to both change what we are doing and to respond to what is happening around us, right now. Have you ever heard the parable of “The Frog and the Pot”? Take a pot half full of water and put a rock in it that is above the level of the water in the pot. Put a frog in that pot of water. Turn up the heat under the pot very slowly. The frog will just sit in that water, not getting on the rock,……. until he is ready for our dinner. And then there is the old religious parable of the person caught in a flood. That person saw the weather channel predicting the flood and calls out to God, God save me from this flood. The flood comes and the person gets on the roof of the house, and the flood continues. Then a man in a row boat comes by and says jump in the boat, I will save you. The person on the roof says, no thank you, I am waiting for God to save me, and the flood gets worse. Göbekli Tepe, Turkey 10,000 BC (oldest known, human built structure) Wyoming Community Profile By Mark Court Point of Rocks (Almond) The Oregon Trail was the primary means of travel for immigrants as they headed westward to Oregon, California and Utah. This was also the primary stagecoach route, but continued Indian attacks along the trail prompted the Stagecoach King Ben Holladay to move the route to a location that would be less likely to be attacked. This decision would put the stagecoach route further south along the Overland trail. In 1862, the Point of Rocks Stage Station was built along the banks of Bitter Creek. Since timber was scarce in this high desert location, the buildings were constructed from native sandstone with mud mortar cementing the rocks together. Joseph A. “Jack” Slade was fired by the Central Overland for drunkenness. The following year, Slade held up the stage near Point of Rocks, which resulted in the deaths of seven passengers. Ultimately, Slade’s belligerency caught up with him on March 10th of 1864 during a drunken spree in Virginia City, Montana where he was lynched. Over the years, the station endured at least one Indian attack, an attempted burning, a robbery and the murder of stagecoach passengers. The station was a terminal for stage and freight operations running north to South Pass City and the Sweetwater gold mines. The Holladay Overland Stage Company survived until 1868, when it was purchased by Wells Fargo and Company. In the summer of the same year, the Union Pacific made its presence known when it reached Point of Rocks and times began to rapidly change. In 1877, the Union Pacific section foreman Lawrence Taggert moved his family into the building. His wife used one of the rooms as a schoolroom where she served as a teacher for the community. On February 1884, the United Stated Postal Service established the “Almond” Post office, appointing Roman Moffitt as postmaster. The name Almond was short lived, however. Twenty four years later, on July 31, 1908, the Almond Post office was renamed Point of Rocks The Point of Rocks Station became the property of the State of Wyoming in 1947, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1970. Today Point of Rocks is the proud home of the coal fired Jim Bridger Power Plant. Point of Rocks is accessible year round. It is approximately 82 miles west of Rawlins and 21 miles east of Rock Springs on Interstate 80. To see the Point of Rocks State Station ruins take interstate 80 to exit 130 (Point of Rocks). Take Sweetwater County Road 84. Go south over the Union Pacific railroad crossing. The station is approximately one half mile past the tracks on the right side of the road. The trio believed by using mounted riders traveling short routes, rather than the traditional stage coach, they could get mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, CA in ten days. Many skeptics said it could never be accomplished. In January and February of 1860, Russell, Majors and Waddell organized and put together the Pony Express. This huge undertaking would assemble 120 riders, 184 stations and included 400 horses with several hundred additional personnel. That same year, California’s population grew to 380,000. The Civil War was fast approaching and the demand for speedy mail delivery and other communications became essential. Stories Along the Trails The Pony Express Mark Court It was the third day of April of 1860 when the first Pony Express mail would leave St. Joseph, Missouri and begin a ten day trek across the Great Plains, over the Rocky Mountains, through the alkali Great Basin and over the Sierra Nevada Range before arriving in Sacramento, California. The Pony Express was made up of a horse and rider team that would carry the mail to the first station, then a fresh horse would carry the mail to the next station. The entire route covered approximately 1966 miles and span across eight states with 184 stations along the trail. The westbound package arrived on April 13, 1860; two days before the eastbound package and would set precedence for the new speedy mail delivery. The Founding of the Pony Express On January 24, 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in California by James W. Marshall. People on the west coast were clamoring about getting rich, but the communication to the east coast was slow. This would delay the so called ‘49ers” gold rush from the east for another sixteen months. The population of California would rapidly grow, and on September 9, 1850, it would enter the Union as the 31st state. Citizens, businessmen and miners alike put mounting pressure on their newly elected U.S. Government officials for faster communication back to the east. William Russell was a prominent businessman, well respected by his peers as well as the Community. William Waddell was the co-owner of the firm Morehead, Waddell & Company. After Morehead was bought out, Waddell merged his company with William Russell, changing the name to Waddell & Russell. In 1855, Waddell & Russell became Russell Majors & Waddell when they joined forces with their new partner Alexander Majors. The three together held government contracts for delivering army supplies to the western frontier. Russell believed similar methods would work for faster mail delivery for the U.S. Government. By late 1850, Russell, Majors and Waddell founded the Pony Express. Alexander Majors was a religious man. He believed all difficulties and challenges could be overcome with help from God. Because of this, each rider was presented a special edition Bible. The riders were also required to sign an oath. The oath read as follows: “I, (name), do hereby swear before the Great and Living God, that during my engagement, and while I am an employee of Russell, Majors and Waddell, I will, under no circumstances, use profane language, that I will not drink intoxicating liquors, that I will not quarrel or fight with any other employee of the firm, and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, be faithful to my duties, and so direct all my acts as to win the confidence of my employers, so help me God.” -Oath sworn by Pony Express Riders The initial price was set at $5 per one-half ounce. That price was reduced to $2.per half ounce and by July 1861 the price was reduced to $1 per half ounce. The founders of the Pony Express were hoping to win an exclusive government mail contract. Unfortunately for Russell, Majors and Waddell, these contracts never came about. leaving Julesburg, the route begins in a northwest direction to the North Platte River and passes by landmarks such as Courthouse Rock near Bridgeport, Nebraska and Chimney Rock near Bayard, Nebraska. The trail continues past Scottsbluff, Nebraska through Torrington, Wyoming before arriving at Ft. Laramie. The Operation In Wyoming, riders would make stops along the way and eventually at Ft. Caspar, continually following the North Platte River until they met up with the Sweetwater River, following the river and landmarks such as Independence Rock, Devil’s Gate and Split Rock over South Pass to Ft. Bridger to Bear River Station, Wyoming and entering into Utah toward Salt Lake City. The first rider was to leave St. Joseph, Missouri at 5:00 PM on April, but because of train delays in Chicago, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri, the mail arrived late. Once the train finally arrived in St. Joseph at 7:00 PM, it was rushed to the Pony Express Station. By 7:15 PM a cannon was fired to alert everyone that Johnny Fry was on his way toward the Missouri River. The stations were spread out approximately 10 miles apart along the route because this was roughly the distance a horse could travel at a gallop before tiring. At each station stop the express rider would dismount, change to a fresh horse taking only the mail pouch with him. The employer stressed the importance of the pouch, so they often said, “If it came to be, the horse and rider should perish before the mochila (pouch) did.” The pouch was thrown over the saddle and held in place by the weight of the rider. Each corner of the pouch had pockets where the bundles of mail were held and were padlocked for safety. The pouch could hold 20 pounds of mail along with 20 pounds of material carried on the horse which included a water sack, a Bible and a horn for alerting the relay station master to prepare the next horse, and a revolver. Riders could not weigh more than 125 pounds. The rider was changed about every 75 to 100 miles and would ride day and night. In the event of an emergency, a rider would ride two stages back to back, over a 20 hour duration. A rider would receive $100 per month pay. On the same token, a comparable wage for other unskilled labor jobs at that time ranged from $.43 to $1 per day. During the winter months, the riders certainly crossed central Nevada. The Route Over the span of approximately 1966 miles, the Pony Express route roughly followed the Oregon and California Trails to Ft. Bridger, Wyoming. It then followed the Mormon trail known as the Hastings Cutoff to Salt Lake City, Utah. From there, the route followed the Central Nevada Route to Carson City, Nevada before crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains into Sacramento, California. The route began in St. Joseph, Missouri following the Missouri River. It then crossed the Missouri River to Marysville, Kansas where it turned in a northwest direction along the Little Blue River to Fort Kearny, Nebraska. After Ft Kearny, the route would follow the Platte River through Gothenburg, Nebraska. At the confluence were the North and South Platte Rivers join, the route turned southwest, just clipping the northeast corner of Colorado at Julesburg. After The route would continue to Camp Floyd, Utah near Fairfield to Simpson Springs in Tooele County Utah. Simpson Springs was the last good water source available before crossing the Great Basin. After crossing into Nevada, the route generally followed Central Nevada, along what is known today as US highway 50. The route then would then travel to Carson City past Lake Tahoe to Sacramento. Once the riders would arrive in Sacramento, much of the mail and packages were placed on a boat and shipped down the Sacramento River to San Francisco. The End of the Ride After all the miles that were ridden, eastbound and westbound, the Indian attacks, and the many names that went down in the history books as riders, the days of the Pony Express would soon come to an end. On June 16, 1860, Congress authorized a bill instructing the Secretary of Treasury to subsidize the building of the transcontinental telegraph line that would connect the west coast to the Missouri River. This decision became the beginning of the end for the Pony Express. For a little more than 18 months mail was sent across the vast wide open spaces between the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean so a faster means of communications could be met. In the beginning, mail was sent once a week. After June of 1860, it was carried twice a week. By the 26th of October of 1861, the Pony Express was virtually over with the exception of a few scattered runs that were made in November. Although the Pony Express is considered to be a financial failure, it did successfully fill the communication gap before the completion of the telegraph. The Pony Express demonstrated that a unified transcontinental system of communication could be established and operated year round. When replaced by the telegraph, the Pony Express was romanticized and became part of the lore of the American West. Although many Pony Express Stations no longer exist or are on private land, there are still several that can be seen across the route, as well as in Wyoming. If you get the chance, stop by some of the accessible stations along the trail. You might be surprised what you may see. Our Western Heritage So many adventures – so little time by Kathy Weinsaft Folks pay big bucks to visit and experience Wyoming. We are blessed beyond measure. All we have to do is open our door and we are here. It is the last day of April as I write this piece, and it is snowing like a son of a gun. It just reminds me how tragically short our summers are and how many things there are to do. Do you have your list yet? Here are a few destinations and activities you might want to add to yours. These are my “I have to be on my death bed” to miss list. Several of these things are in our surrounding states, but that is one of the beautiful things about living in Wyoming, you can’t go wrong no matter which direction you go. We are surrounded by Westerness and beauty no matter which way we point the car. My first adventure this year will be in May to southern Utah. It is a totally beautiful part of the state, but in my mind, has a very short window of opportunity for getting out and exploring its wonderfulness. It is either way too hot or way too cold. I have experienced both of those extremes, and have decided that early May is the best time for exploration of the National Parks, and the Colorado River, which are located adjacent to Moab, Utah. There will be an overnight stop in Midway, Utah at the Homestead Resort on the way to Moab. Staying here has been on my bucket list for some time. It has a hot spring in a crater, and it is large enough to give scuba lessons in the thing. The resort itself is iconic and has been serving delighted patrons since 1886. The lodge has been fully restored and combines that old western feel with a bit of eclecticism and modernity. I will let you guys and gals know if this place is as cool as I think it is going to be in a future article. From Midway we will travel to Moab and hike the National parks, raft the Colorado and enjoy the very inexpensive out of the way cabin I found to rent on Trip Advisor. Moab has so many things to do and see that it is worthy of an article all unto itself. Suffice it to say, if you haven’t made it there you need to. June brings the Annual Crazy Horse Volksmarch in South Dakota. This is the 31st fall Volksmarch. It covers 6.2 miles of meandering woodland up to the outstretch arm of the Crazy Horse monument. They have also begun having a Volksmarch in the fall, but the timing of it is usually in conflict with our Expo. Spring it is then. These are the only two times of the year that people are allowed up on the mountain, and really your life isn’t complete if you haven’t been able to look right up into the face of this gargantuan carving. It is the most popular organized walk in America and attracts about 15,000 hikers twice a year. I know that sounds like a lot, but I have never felt crowded or even really noticed the other hikers other than to give and receive encouragement. It costs nothing to get into the park but three cans of food which are collected and sent to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. No excuses. Just do it. You will never regret it. July is Longmire Days in Buffalo Wyoming. This is a relatively new event and totally worthy of your destination list. Buffalo is just a cool and beautiful town to start with, but add in all the Longmire events and it is over the top. In five years it has become the biggest event in the Buffalo summer season and they always have some mighty fine events even without this one. We can thank Craig Johnson, local author of the Longmire books and inspiration for the television series. Yes, even I know about the show so you know it must be something special. This year’s Longmire Days are scheduled for July 8th through the 10th and will be packed full with actors from the show, story telling, crafts and readings by Craig Johnson. Most events are free, but you must register for them on line at the Chamber because of limited seating. August brings us music festivals. The first weekend in August is Beartrap up on Casper Mountain. Started in 1994 by the Natrona Country Bridge and Parks department, it has grown into an event that has become a Wyoming tradition. This festival features a variety of regional and nationally known musicians. I have seen the likes of Ricky Scaggs, Earl Scruggs, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Taj Mahal headline the event. There is also a market place chocked full of local artisans and crafters and a food court with some very unique treats to guzzle and eat. Bring your sun umbrella, a comfy lawn chair and some money. This festival is no longer cheap, but usually worth the money. If you would like the music but with a few less people and a little less damage to your wallet, consider the “No Woodstock” music festival in Ten Sleep Wyoming. This year’s festival is August 12-14th in Vista Park. Ten Sleep native and banjo picker songwriter extraordinaire, Jalan Crossland, always gives a dynamite performance. It is non-stop music in a laid back and family friendly environment. There are also some really wonderful places to camp in the area, so grab your tent and head that way. One of the things I am trying to learn and convince myself of is that you can’t dance every dance but I sure can make it to these events, and I hope I see you folks at some of them as well. Get out and enjoy where we live this summer! It is, after all, part our western heritage We create solutions that build better communities Airports Ł Buildings Development ŁMining Natural Resources Ł Surveying Training Centers ŁTransportation Water/Wastewater engineers Ł surveyors Ł planners Ł scientists www.m-m.net GILLETTE: (307) 685-3780 | CODY: (307) 587-6281 WARWS PO Box 1750 Glenrock, WY 82637 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Presorted Standard Postage Paid Permit #11 Glenrock, WY 82637