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Challenges & Innovations in Water Resource Management
Christine Weigle, Executive Director
SRBC Public Water Supply Assistance Program November 9, 2016
Lycoming County Water & Sewer Authority 380 Old Cement Road
P. O. Box 186 Montoursville, PA 17754
(570) 546-8005
Lycoming County Water & Sewer Authority Creation
• Formed in April 1989 – By the Lycoming County Commissioners
• Independent Operating Authority • 9 Member Board
– Appointed by Lycoming County Commissioners – Serving 5 year terms
• To serve partners throughout Lycoming County
Board Members Critical to our Mission Focused on Solutions
• ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE – Different than smaller municipal systems in PA
• Small town politics – COMMUNITY/SYSTEM NEEDS – Regulatory/compliance driven – Complex & intense – Big picture thinking
• Critical Infrastructure – COST CONTROL • Asset Management – LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY
Lycoming County Water & Sewer Authority Mission • “undertake projects that are normal and incidental
to the planning, creation, operation, maintenance or financing including but not limited to water supplies, water supply works, water distribution systems, sewer systems, sewage collection systems and sewage treatment plants including facilities for treating industrial waste.”
• Added Stormwater in 2015
1989
ORIGINAL INCORPORATION
Serving Communities - without a municipal boundary
Serving Communities - without a municipal boundary
Began operations in 1998 With Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant
Growth corridor – Sewer & Water needs WATER PLANNING in early 2000’s 2008….Fast Forward
LCWSA Regional Water System Overview
Lycoming Mall Area
MIP Area
Grey Fox Plaza Area
rfield Rd Area
Planning – 20 year plan in 8 years! Prepared for growth - Window of Opportunity
2016 – LCWSA Regional Water Growth Corridor Portions of Fairfield, Muncy, Muncy Creek
• Past 10 years -Building in phases • Preparing for growth (economic development) • WATER CAPACITY – REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS • Costs for infrastructure and customers
• 2008 – Halls Station - PW1 – 86,000 Gallons per day - gpd (DEP only)
– 2010 – Neighboring interconnection • 20,000 gpd following 2013 80,000 gpd
– System <100,000 gpd • 2010 – Village Water donated to LCWSA
– 216,000 gpd PW2 (DEP only) – System <100,000 gpd
• Contiguous systems – develop more sources
2016 – LCWSA Regional Water Growth Corridor Portions of Fairfield, Muncy, Muncy Creek
• Contiguous systems – developing more sources – Consolidating systems – Adding customers – Sharing resources
• Systems combined >100,000 gpd • Individual sources permitted
– DEP and SRBC • River Allocation also pursued
• Customers pay for permitting/compliance
– Embedded in Rates
Water & Wastewater Industry
• It’s Technical & Complex • It’s a “Business”
– Planning & Managing – Business Strategy – Risk Management – Money Management
• It’s Expensive! – Cost Saving – Resource Sharing – Regional Solutions
Regional Authority – Shared Resources – Credibility “not the least expensive”
Limestone Township • WATER SYSTEM
– Oval Oriole Water Association – 1950’s – Compliance issues - mid 1980’s – Water Filtration Requirements 1990’s – Formed Authority
– Limestone Township Municipal Water Authority
• Community members assigned to Board • Built filtration system • Nigart Run Surface Water
– 100,000 gpd – Two wells
» 50 gpd » 20 gpd
• Ok – at first • Long term - problems
Limestone WATER
• LCWSA - Initially requested by Township Supervisors
– Failing equipment, unreliable service • Volunteers – decision making • Regulatory issues • Water losses – significant • No Water at customer taps!
– 238 customers • Primarily Residential - few agricultural • Daily water demands 2013
– 180,000 gallons per day (750 gpd per customer) – WATER LOSS
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
Limestone Township Municipal Water Authority - water system January 2010 thru March 2013 - 30 Day Average Flow (gallons per day)
Limestone WATER
• REGULATORY COMPLIANCE – Lack of Understanding
• Knowledge – Violations
• DEP- operations – Allocations
• Exceeded DEP permit • SRBC not involved
• Customer Service – suffers • Rates Increase
Limestone WATER
• 2012 - LCWSA Ops & Treatment Plant Only – O&M – filter plant operations only/DEP reporting
• Addressed equipment – recording – daily ops – Also providing guidance & education – Financial & project planning
• Distribution System/Customer Billing • Limestone Authority members
• 2013 - Full Management/O&M – Distribution – LEAK REPAIRS – primary focus
• Cut down on response time – emergencies – costs
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
LCWSA Limestone Water System Formerly Limestone Township Municipal Water Authority system
January 2010 thru March 2014 - 30 Day Average Flow (gallons per day)
50,000 gpd 238 customers 210 gpd vs 750 gpd
5 Service Line Connections Repaired Estimated at 80 GPM
Limestone WATER
• 2013 - Full Management/O&M – Distribution – LEAK REPAIRS – primary focus
• Cut down on response time – emergencies – costs – Customer Billing/Accounts Receivable – Financing and Accounts Payable – Management
• Reporting to Township and Limestone Authority – Capital planning
• Funding • Projects – compliance driven
• TOWNSHIP WAS INSISTING ON TRANSFER
Limestone WATER
• TOWNSHIP WAS INSISTING ON TRANSFER • 2013 – Planning, O&M, Mgmt…. • Capital – ~$300,000 (partnership with Twp, County – Act 13)
– Loan $250,000 – Rates increased under local authority • Customer Meter Replacement program • System Flow Meters • Turbidimeters • Control Valves • Chemical Feed Equipment • Filter Media • SCADA/Controls
– Leak Detection - priority – >100,000 gpd - SRBC implications – Communication – Documentation
TRUST, TRANSPARENCY,
& COMMUNICATION
DEP & SRBC – Open Communication
Limestone WATER
• LCWSA Owner – January 1, 2014
• Since then – No Rate Increases by LCWSA • Leak Detection continues to be a struggle
– (It is limestone township – water “disappears”) – Constant – Necessary – Controls costs
• Revenue versus
• Water produced
• Important Metric for LCWSA
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
LCWSA Limestone Water System Formerly Limestone Township Municipal Water Authority system
January 2010 thru Current - 30 Day Average Flow (gallons per day)
-
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
14,000,000
16,000,000
18,000,000
Production Metered - BILLED
Limestone Comparison Produced Water vs Metered Customer
Limestone WATER
• Partnership – LCWSA, Township, Local Authority • Regulatory Understanding • Cooperation with Regulatory Agencies
• Saved significant costs
– Avoiding regulatory implications – Proactive – NOT Reactive
• Holding user rates
• Planning/Management of System
CHALLENGES & INNOVATION
• Understanding the requirements of the system – Customers – Regulatory – Partners (Municipal/County)
• Know & Understand the REGULATIONS • Long Term Planning • Talk to Regulatory Agencies • Transparency
– Open Communication – Cooperation
Consider the future…..
Water System Goals - Reliability (water quality and quantity)
- Adequate Water Service Pressure - Adequate Finished Water Storage
- Reasonable Water User Rates
Challenges/Innovations
• Regulations – More complex
• Management – Costs/Customer Rates – Assets – Risk
• Long Term Sustainability • “Innovations”
– Not Complicated
Regional & Shared Solutions Regulatory Cooperation
• Listen – – What are the challenges
• Educate • Plan
– Willing to change – Fluid – dynamic - responsive – Patience & Persistence – Commitment
• Realistic – Does Cost Money
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Strategic Plan
• Develop cost effective solutions • Prepare and plan for the future
– Sustainability and accountability • BUILDING…
– PARTNERSHIPS…..and INFRASTRUCTURE
• Honor communities’ character, desires, requests
• Every community’s needs are different
“2014 Strategic Plan”
• “LCWSA offers innovative regional and shared services to achieve compliance with water, storm water, and wastewater regulations by providing practical, sustainable, cost effective solutions through education, operation, maintenance, technical support, and management services. LCWSA provides an array of services – offering a variety of alternatives - in response to requests for assistance.”
THANK YOU – Lycoming County and Our Partners
Serving 10 sewer and water systems in 12 municipalities throughout Lycoming County and reaching over 8,500 individual customers.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
– Henry Ford
Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority 380 Old Cement Road
P.O. Box 186 Montoursville, PA 17754
(570) 546-8005 website: lcwsa.net
Christine Weigle, Executive Director
LCWSA is a growing authority - serving its municipal partners in their sewer and water needs, promoting economic growth and
development, and sustaining the environment.