You are receiving this email because you either attending a previous NAWMA meeting and you signed up at SmallWaterSupply.org. Newsletter #11 for Sept

       
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You are receiving this email because you either attending a previous NAWMA meeting and you signed up at SmallWaterSupply.org.

Newsletter #11 for September 2013

Operator of the Year | Donald Smith of Smith River Rancheria Receives Honor from ITCA

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The Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) selects one water/wastewater operator each year as Operator of the Year. The 2013 awardee is Donald James, operator of the Howonquet Community Water System at Smith River Rancheria. Here's what his nomination reads:

"In a few short years, in his position as Tribal Utility Operator III, Don has obtained a State of California Water Treatment Level 3 Certification, a State of California Distribution Level 2 Certification, an ITCA Tribal Wastewater Treatment Operator Level 2 Certification and an ITCA Tribal Wastewater Collections Operator Level 3 Certification. He will be taking the ITCA Level 3 WW Treatment Certification Course and Exam later this year. Don is the Tribe's Chief Plant Operator for both the Tribal Water System (surface water) and the Tribal Wastewater System (a 25,000 gpd MBR treatment facility). He is responsible for operation and maintenance of both facilities, and keeping the Tribe in compliance with all water and wastewater regulations, including testing and record keeping.

Don continues to go over and above his assigned job duties and is a very enthusiastic and dedicated employee. He responds not only to the daily operation of the facilities, but to countless alarms at all hours of the day and night without complaint. His drive and initiative are beyond most. He is also the Tribe's Water Resource Technician for the EPA Clean Water Act 106 Program and is presently seeking ITCA certification as a UST Inspector. Don is a Smith River Rancheria Tribal Member and also very involved with the Tribal Community as a voluntary Fire Fighter and in various Tribal Cultural Committees and activities."

Congrats from SmallWaterSupply.org!

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Events for Tribal Water Systems

USEPA 9 Annual Tribal/EPA Conference

October 22-24, 2013 | Lemoore, CA
Hosted by USEPA
The conference provides an opportunity for partnership and ongoing collaboration among Tribes, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal, state, and local agencies. General topics include air, water, land, grants/funding, emergency response, sustainable infrastructure, recycling, climate change, and renewable energy. The Regional Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) meeting will be held the day prior to the conference, on October 21, at the same facility

USDOE Tribal and Utility Partnership Opportunities

September 25 | online
Hosted by USDOE
Tribes and utilities can be a nexus of renewable energy project development. The future utility likely will have a resource portfolio that is a hybrid of centralized power plants, distributed generation, microgrids, and demand response programs that result in a more efficient system of both generation and consumption. This webinar focuses on the opportunities for a partnership between Tribes and utilities that improves the energy system and stimulates economic development on tribal lands.

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Search for Events

To find an event or training opportunity in your area, you can search SmallWaterSupply.org's event calendar. Search by Category = Tribal to find events open to tribal operators only. Need help? Start by watching our video on how to search the database.

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Utility Management for Tribes | Training Certificate Testing + New Certification Opportunity

TUG Overview (1).pdf

In order to receive the Principles of Utility Management certificate, you must complete all three training modules (including testing) by either attending the in-person meetings or watching the online recordings.

Module #1
Click here to take the pre-test.
Click here to watch the training.
Click here to take the post-test.

Module #2
Click here to take the pre-test.
Click here to watch the training.
Click here to take the post-test.

Module #3
Click here to take the pre-test.
Click here to watch the training.
Click here to take the post-test.

Note: The training session takes a minute to download and open. Be sure to Click on the security warning bar and the Download File command if they appear. Also when you get into the session you have to click on the Play icon at the bottom of the window.

Certification Testing Now Available

The purpose of the Tribal Utility Management Certification-Level 1 (TUMC-1) is to create a standardized pathway for Tribal water professionals to advance into and ascend through the field of water and wastewater utility management. The TUMC-1 is designed specifically for experienced Tribal water/wastewater utility professionals that are newly entering into utility program management.

The TUMC-1 professional certification is a voluntary mechanism that can be used to strengthen one’s career as well as the credibility and integrity of Tribal water utility programs. The TUMC-1 professional certification was developed under a sub-award agreement between ITCA and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) network as part of the Tribal Utility Governance (TUG) project that is funded by the U.S. EPA.

The TUMC-1 Open Enrollment Exam Session has an effective timeframe window of August 26, 2013, to October 12, 2013, and provides interested Tribal water and wastewater utility personnel the opportunity to apply and test for the TUMC-1 professional certification.

Click here to learn more.

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Free Private Well Training Available

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Some tribal communities have individuals served both by the public water system and by private wells. The team behind SmallWaterSupply.org has also developed a free online resource to educate private well owners about proper well care, water quality testing, and more.

The basis of PrivateWellClass.org is a free email class that shares bite-sized lessons one at a time over 10 weeks. More than 2300 private well owners, sanitarians and others who help well owners have signed up for the course.

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