First off, I would just like to say how ecstatic I was with the turnout for our annual conference. We had an overwhelming response from membership, vendors, and agencies as we transition from the Atlantic States Rural Water Association to the Connecticut Rural Water & Wastewater Association (CTRWWA). Thank you to all the staff members who helped make this event possible.

Moving ahead, we are looking forward to a stronger system under the new name, and hope to offer more trainings, increase our membership, and focus on social networking with each other. We are also in the process of creating a new logo and launching a new website for CTRWWA and will share that information to you as it becomes available. I am very excited about the next chapter as we become our own association and look forward to continuing to serve as president.

– Marty Cormier, Board President

On June 23, the Atlantic States Rural Water & Wastewater Association opened its 2022 Annual Conference & Trade Show at the New Life Church facility in Wallingford, Connecticut, after a three-year hiatus. The conference was full of enthusiasm and networking between operators, vendors, speakers and water and wastewater professionals. Speaking to a full room, President Marty Cormier welcomed everyone and introduced the new Board of Directors, which includes V.P. Peter Kasacek (Coventry Housing Trust), Shelby Jackson, Treasurer (Wallingford Water Department), Ted Donoghue, Secretary (Litchfield WPCA), and Robert Wittenzellner (Whitewater). Next, there were opening remarks by Lori Mathieu, Public Health Branch Chief at the Environmental Health & Drinking Water Branch of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH) and Craig Motasky from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP). Steve Harper, our master of ceremony and the Federal Programs Director for NRWA, also spoke.

Public Health Branch Chief Mathieu welcomed the attendees and encouraged all to attend the available water and wastewater sessions that included topics about funding sources for projects, regulations, pipe location and leak detection, trench safety and PFAS. She was excited about having a new Connecticut State Association, separate from the Rhode Island State Association, and looked forward to continued collaboration and new successes between the state agency and the revitalized association. She stressed that as there is much work and support needed for the over 200 private water systems in Connecticut, but she feels that we are more than up to the task.

In attendance were 23 exhibitors with a total of over 135 water and wastewater professionals that included speakers, exhibitors and most importantly, Connecticut water and wastewater operators who work daily to provide service to the residents of the Nutmeg State. We also had two Vac trucks parked outside on display at the front entrance for attendees to look at and ask questions to the exhibitors attending to them.

After a well-earned lunch for attendees, speakers and staff of pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans and freshly baked cookies, the annual meeting was held after lunch and “Connecticut Rural Water & Wastewater Association” was voted by our members, as the new name for the organization.

Next up was the annual, and quite competitive, drinking water tasting contest. This year, our judges were Bob Horn, Circuit Rider for ASRWWA, Bill Hester, Wastewater Superintendent for the Norfolk Sewer District and Patty Rimkoski from Synagro. There were three entries in the Disinfectant category and six entries in the Non-Disinfectant category. After a tie vote decided by the three judges, the winners declared were:  Joanne Hollis from Vernon Village won in the Non-Disinfectant category and Peter Kasacek from Coventry Housing Authority won in the Disinfectant category and was selected as overall winner. Kasacek will represent Connecticut in the national drinking water contest next spring at the NRWA Rally in Washington D.C.

There were generous raffle items, including a Yeti cooler, tool bags, gift baskets, gift cards and cash. All these great items we generously donated by Ford Meter Box, EastCom, Wright-Pierce, York Analytical, Statewide Aquastore and Ti-Sales.

We want to thank our talented and committed staff: Diane Johnson, Wastewater Technician; Bob Horn and Jigar Patel, Circuit Riders; Mike Hage, TAT; and Don Carver, Interim Executive Director; as well as NRWA, and the folks at the New Life Church for their collective efforts in helping to pull off our most successful conference in years.

We look forward to seeing you all in 2023!

Many thanks to all the vendors who participated, and our breakfast sponsors:
Outdoor Equipment

What can you do about PFAS in your system? Sign up for the NRWA PFAS Cost Recovery Program!

To better serve state associations and their member utilities negatively impacted or potentially negatively impacted by PFAS contamination and other water pollutants and related current and future state and federal regulations, NRWA agreed to undertake a campaign, the PFAS Cost Recovery Program, to work with state associations to actively educate their water and wastewater utilities about these PFAS contamination issues.

To sign up, for the NRWA PFAS Cost Recovery Program, please contact your state association. There is no cost your utility systems to register for the program. Registration makes your system eligible to recover current and future costs. Systems that register will be eligible to recover costs associated with PFAS testing, treatment and remediation if a settlement is reached.

Visit https://nrwa.org/issues/pfas/cost-recovery to learn more.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF, aka ARPA) which provided $350 billion to state and local governments across the nation for the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Of Connecticut’s $2.55 billion share, over $1.56 billion was allocated to municipalities. Legislative bodies have discretion over how to spend their local ARPA funds. ARPA funding includes individuals, schools, businesses, and areas suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to these areas, the funds can also be for projects for water and wastewater utilities and do not have to be COVID-19 related. Funding for towns and cities will be distributed in a modified CDBG formula with entitlement cities (those with a population over 50,000) receiving funding directly from the Treasury Department and non-entitlement towns (those with a population under 50,000) distributed by the State as a pass-through. The funds have to be incurred by December 31, 2024, and only require that receipts have obligated the funds by such date. The period of performance will run until December 31, 2026, which provides recipients time to plan and execute potential projects. Funds for FY 2022 have already been released and some towns have decided on allocations but not necessarily all of them. It is important you reach out to your elected officials to get a seat at the table in the decision-making process. The second payment from the Treasury Department will be issued after July for FY 2023. The approach for allocation will vary town-to-town, as this is based on the form of government for the community. With time left to still apply, it is imperative that you contact your municipal leadership today.

Visit the link below for more details and answers commonly asked questions for water and wastewater system interest in receiving ARPA funds.

https://www.nlc.org/article/2021/06/01/using-american-rescue-plan-act-funds-for-water-wastewater-and-stormwater-infrastructure-projects/

PHOTO: DIGITALISTA/BIGSTOCKPHOTO