Program Members,
 
We informed you last fall that the IAMU Safety Group program earned a dividend of just over $2.8M for the 2022/23 policy term. Member checks and dividend calculation details are being mailed out to your local insurance agent for delivery. Thank you for your commitment to safety and continued support of the IAMU Safety Group Insurance Program!

The Lead Service Line Inventory due date is fast approaching. All Community Water Systems and Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems should have received a gold letter in the mail from the DNR as a reminder that the inventory is due by Oct. 16th, 2024. A copy of the letter is provided below. IAMU is here to help by providing technical assistance for the LSLI. If you have any questions or concerns, please call 515-289-5203 or email [email protected] .

The current edition of the MUTCD is the 11th Edition, dated December 2023. The official version of the 11th Edition of the MUTCD is the PDF version.

Here is the link to the site https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_11th_Edition.htm  The new version is 1,157 pages long, if you wish to purchase hard copies, they are available from various online sources, contained in a set of 3 books.   The state of Iowa has two years from the January 18, 2024 effective date to adopt the new version.
 
On the landing page of the provided link in this story, there is a 2009 MUTCD redline with the 11th edition changes.  This will help in reviewing what changes were made in the manual.

Natural Gas Utility Workers Day started nine years ago in 2015. The designation is meant to recognize employees who provide one of their most valuable assets—their natural gas utility. The date of March 18 was chosen because it was the date of the New London, Texas school explosion in 1937 that led to the widespread odorization of natural gas and an increased emphasis on safety.

Ways in which you can acknowledge Natural Gas Utility Workers:

• Share IAMU’s Facebook Graphic to announce the day, you can find that here: https://www.facebook.com/IAMUpage
• Issue a company email or press release using information in the above paragraph or information found on the American Public Gas Association (APGA) website and provide more information about the projects you have been involved with in your community: www.apga.org/events/naturalgasutilityworkersday. You can also find some great posting suggestions for your social media channels, along with graphics you can use. 
  
• Thank your workers! Send the message out to employees showing appreciation for their hard work. 
  

Article provided by IDNR.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is recommending to finish pruning oak trees immediately to prevent the spread of oak wilt.

“Typically, we suggest to stop pruning oaks around March 15,” said Tivon Feeley, forest health program leader with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “But the unseasonably warm February has moved up that date. Pruning oak trees should stop now out of an abundance of caution.”

Oak wilt, caused by a fungus, has been present in Iowa for many years. Iowa’s red, black, and pin oak are more susceptible to oak wilt, but it can also infect white and bur oak. Black, pin, or red oak usually die within the same summer they are infected. White oak and bur oak can often take a number of years before they succumb to this disease.

A healthy tree can be infected through open wounds during the growing season where the fungus is carried from a diseased tree to a healthy tree by a small beetle or through root grafts between oak trees of the same species.

Feeley says symptoms of oak wilt on infected trees are usually visible in June or July.  Look for leaves turning a bronzed brown along the outer margins of the leaves. These leaves can often still have some green on them as they fall from the tree. The defoliation tends to start at the top of the tree.

The best way to prevent the spread of oak wilt is to prevent any wounding to oak trees during the growing season. If a tree is wounded from storm damage or pruning is required during the growing season, treat the wounds immediately with a wound dressing such as acrylic paint.  Do not purchase pruning paints/sealants.  Those products slow the tree’s ability to seal over the wound.

Learn more about oak wilt prevention and control at www.iowadnr.gov/Conservation/Forestry/Forest-Health/Oak-Wilt.

If your utility is encouraging heat pump implementation or is concerned about reducing peak demand, you may be interested in sharing these free training opportunities with your local contractors. These trainings are organized by The Iowa Waste Reduction Center at UNI and the Midwest ASHP Collaborative. Flyers can be found below. Also, if your utility is interested in sponsoring one of these events, you’re welcome to check out the 3rd flyer.
 
Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

With NFPA 70E, safety is dependent on properly maintained overcurrent protective devices and electrical equipment. Improperly maintained equipment has a higher chance of failure, increasing incident energy, which could increase the risk of injury or death to workers. This is where NFPA 70B, Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, applies. With the 2023 update, NFPA 70B became a recognized standard instead of a recommended practice, meaning it is now enforceable.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) defines NFPA 70B as a standard that describes preventive maintenance procedures for electrical, electronic, and communication systems and equipment -- such as those used in industrial plants, institutional and commercial buildings, and large multi-family residential complexes -- to prevent equipment failures and worker injuries.

This workshop will cover the NFPA 70E 2024 updates and the 5 main elements of NFPA 70B:

• Maintenance scheduling
• Equipment condition assessment
• Electrical maintenance programs
• Preventive maintenance procedures
• System study intervals

If you are an electrical supervisor, foreman, safety and health personnel, electrical maintenance personnel, or responsible for maintaining equipment maintenance documentation, then you should attend this workshop.

Remember: License does not equal qualified

Registration is open and limited. CLICK HERE to see the full workshop brochure and secure your spot!

Questions? Message Margret Meade at [email protected] or call 515.210.6617

OSHA requires a competent person be on-site at every excavation. The competent person is required to evaluate site safety and resolve existing and potential hazards.  This workshop is an excellent opportunity to become qualified as a competent person (or stay current with the responsibilities).

*** 0.4 CEU's for WD & WW only ***

For additional information in regards to the workshop, including full agenda and registration, please click HERE.

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities is proud to present another year of its Advanced H2O Workshops

Registration is open! Click HERE to view the full agenda and get registered!

** Each workshop is 0.5 CEU's **

We are also offering display opportunities for vendors again. This is a great opportunity to meet with municipal water operators from around the state of Iowa

• Advanced Water Treatment Workshop - March 13, 2024
• Advanced Water Distribution Workshop - March 14, 2024 

Attend one... or both!

If you have any questions, please contact Steve Marsh at 515.210.8156 or by email at [email protected]