It has been brought to our attention that the Iowa Utilities Board is checking Grain Bin Notification versions during inspections. In September 2017, IAMU updated the Grain Bin Notification brochure. The diagrams have not changed, but the reference has been updated to reference the 2017 Edition of the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC). Please check your Grain Bin Notification brochures and ensure you are using the most updated version. If you need an updated version, you can find that on IAMU's website at http://members.iamu.org/?page=Electric_Calendar toward the bottom of the regulatory calendar. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Krista Wenzel, IAMU Regulatory Partner, at [email protected] or by phone at 402.441.1684.

Do you need help completing the Consumer Confidence Report? If so, this workshop is for you! The goal of the workshop is for each participant to leave with an understanding, or refresher, of what the CCR is and why it needs to be completed.

The CCR workshops will be held on the dates/locations below:

• April 17: Alta
  Community Building, 27 N. Lake St. (N. of Hwy. 7, W. of Buena Vista Raceway)
  
  
• April 18: Mason City
  Lime Creek Nature Center, 3501 Lime Creek Rd. (N. edge of Mason City off Hwy. 65)
  
  
• April 19: Independence
  Falcon Civic Center, 1305 5th Avenue NE
  
  
• April 20: North Liberty
  North Liberty Community Center, 520 W. Cherry St. (Exit 4 from I-380, right onto  250th St./W. Penn St., right onto IA-965, left onto W. Cherry)
  
  
• April 24: Ankeny
  IAMU Training & Office Complex, 1735 NE 70th Ave
  
  
• April 26: Atlantic
  Elks Lodge, 501 Poplar, 3rd Floor

Important! Please bring the following items to the workshop:

• IDNR Draft CCR mailed in March 2018
• If you operate a surface water system: You must bring your turbidity
  information. Highest single measurement and the lowest monthly
  percentage of samples meeting turbidity limits from 2017 calendar year
• If you add Fluoride, bring the highest and lowest lab results from 2017
• Jump (flash) drive for ease of saving

Hope to see you there!

Community leaders and activists seeking better broadband for their communities are invited to attend the 2018 Community Broadband Summit on March 20, 2018.  The Summit will be held at the Holiday Inn and Suites, 4800 Merle Hay Road in Urbandale, Iowa from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. There is no cost to attend.

Curtis Dean with SmartSource Consulting, one of the event’s organizers, says the Summit is a response to a growing interest among communities in bringing faster, more reliable internet access to citizens. “Across the nation, we’ve seen a growing trend toward community-based solutions for better broadband, especially in small towns and rural areas,” says Dean, who has been working with community-based broadband providers for twenty years. “In Iowa today, we have several communities that have invested in feasibility studies and are moving forward with community-based fiber networks to solve their broadband deficiencies”.

Dean points out a growing frustration – especially in rural areas and small communities - with the inability of large providers to close the gap between the broadband haves and have nots. Among the challenges that community leaders and activists are trying to overcome are the lack of broadband access, poor reliability, unresponsive customer service, and concerns over the repeal of net neutrality.
Summit attendees will learn how to advance community broadband from concept to reality and hear from people who've actually built and operated community networks. From referendum campaigns to feasibility to implementation, the Summit will help local efforts to take control of a community's technological future.

There is NO COST to attend the Community Broadband Summit, but pre-registration is required. The complete Summit agenda and registration are available at the website www.ourbroadbandfuture.com.  For more information, contact: Curtis Dean, SmartSource Consulting, [email protected] or (515) 650-0251.

Denison Municipal Utilities (DMU) selected RJN Group, Inc., to begin a wet-weather flow reduction program in Denison’s sanitary sewer system. This initial project will provide flow monitoring services that will determine the amount of rain and groundwater infiltration and inflow entering the utility’s sewer collection system and support the ongoing sewer rehabilitation efforts. RJN will evaluate inflow and infiltration (I/I) through flow monitoring with the use of 15 flow meters and three rain gauges.

I/I is a problem as it can cause basement sewage backups, sewer overflows, excess pumping, storage, and treatment issues for the wastewater treatment plant. Flow monitoring will identify areas within the city where excess flow is most prevalent, allowing DMU to address these areas proactively.

After processing the data collected, results will yield a comprehensive report, prioritizing where rehabilitation measures will improve the Denison collection system. Recommendations on implementing further studies, including SSES inspections or hydraulic modeling, will also be suggested. The flow monitoring program will help the utility prioritize areas for rehabilitation to ensure funds are spent in a cost-effective manner. Scheduled to begin this spring, the flow monitors will remain in place for 12 weeks.

The 2018 IAMU Broadband Conference is March 21 & 22, 2018 at the Holiday Inn and Suites on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, and registration for both exhibiting vendors and attendees is now open. To register, click here.

The Presenting Sponsor of the 2018 Broadband Conference is Power & Tel, an IAMU Associate Member company that provides supplies and solutions to telecommunications companies. Joining Power & Tel will be around 40 exhibiting vendors who will participate in a vendor show and reception on March 21st. During both days of the conference, both general sessions and concurrent sessions will be offered to participants. Concurrent tracks are organized around different functions of broadband providers. In addition to a marketing/customer service track and technical track, a leadership track is being developed to provide resources to utility leaders, including board members, general managers, and telecom department heads. 

Vendors are encouraged to register soon in order to secure a space on the exhibit hall. In addition to tabletop exhibits, vendors can also reserve a Gold or Silver Sponsorship for increased exposure. Details on the various sponsorships are included in the Vendor Flyer, also available here.

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).

The DNR has approved 0.6 CEUs for WD and WW only.

Who Should Attend:
This workshop is designed for city and utility employees and outside contractors employed by a city, or any working in a trenching and shoring situation.  The training received will cover the overall requirements of the law, including:

• Employee safety
• Dealing with traffic
  
• Soil identification
• Emergency equipment
• Determining if shoring is needed
• Proper methods of trenching and shoring

Contact the contractors that work for your city / utility and encourage them to register and attend. 
 
Location:
IAMU Training and Office Complex
1735 NE 70th Avenue
Ankeny, IA  50021

Click HERE for registration and brochure.

Registration is still open for the 2018 Gas Pipeline Welder Qualification Workshop.  This year's workshop will be held March 12th-15th in Emmetsburg, Iowa at the Iowa Lakes Community College.

Designed for beginning and advanced welding, these workshops are for gas distribution system welders who work for municipal utilities or welding contractors.  Included will be the opportunity to perform one or more of the pipeline welding procedures in the IAMU procedures manual. Instructions on current welding techniques will be given throughout both sessions.

For more information, and to register, please click here.