Do these warmer temperatures have you itching to get out on the golf course? Get in some practice now so you’ll be ready for the annual IAMU Golfin’ Fore Safety event on June 24. This year, the golf outing will take place at Bos Landen Golf Club in Pella, Iowa.
 
For more information or to register, click here.
 
Proceeds from the event go toward purchasing materials and equipment for the IAMU Training Field.
 
Don’t worry if you don’t have a foursome; we can pair you up with others.
 
If you’re an associate member and are interested in helping to sponsor the event, IAMU has several options available.

The two-day workshop will be held May 22 and May 23 at the IAMU Office and Training Complex in Ankeny, Iowa. Each day of the hands-on training is eligible for 0.6 CEUs for Water Distribution.

Day 1 rotating sessions include:

• Fire hydrant maintenance
• Water main tapping/HydraStop
• Water main installation/repair & fittings

Day 2 rotating sessions include:

• Water leak detection
• Line locating
• Trenching & shoring
• Fittings

For more information or to register, click here.

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:
(Please click the dates for more information & registration)

April 16: Alta
Community Building, 27 N. Lake St. (N. of Hwy. 7, W. of Buena Vista Raceway)

April 17: Mason City
Lime Creek Nature Center, 3501 Lime Creek Rd. (N. edge of Mason City off Hwy. 65)

April 18: Independence
Falcon Civic Center, 1305 5th Avenue NE

April 19: North Liberty
(*New Location) North Liberty Water Treatment Plant, 433 South Front St., North Liberty, IA 52317

April 24: Ankeny
IAMU Training & Office Complex, 1735 NE 70th Ave

May 3: Atlantic
(*New Location) Cass County Community Center, 805 West 10th St., Atlantic, IA 50022

 Important! Please bring the following items to the workshop:

• IDNR Draft CCR mailed in March 2019
• 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 2018 calendar year
• If you add Fluoride, bring the highest and lowest lab results from 2018
• Jump (flash) drive for ease of saving
  
  

Hope to see you there!

The latest edition of IAMU's Toolbox Talks - Sleep Deprivation is now available.  Click here to download it.

Other Toolbox Talk articles are available here.

If you have a Toolbox Talk idea, please send it to Margret Meade.

IAMU accomplished a lot in FY2019 (March 1, 2018 – February 28, 2019). To get a glimpse at some of the notable achievements in our various departments, check out “Year in Review.” The annual report is available as a PDF on our website. You must be logged in as a member to see the Annual Report option under the About IAMU section. IAMU will also have printed copies available at our office. If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to reach out to any of the IAMU staff. We look forward to serving and supporting you in FY2020.

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) has been awarded a $200,000, two-year grant by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), with funds from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). The funds will be used to conduct a high-level assessment of the energy resilience posture of Iowa’s municipal electric utilities and to develop a “Comprehensive Iowa Municipal Energy Utilities Hazard Mitigation Plan” to remediate any assessment findings.
 
“Energy generation, transmission, and delivery by Iowa’s municipal utilities require a strategic approach that addresses the diverse security, technical, and environmental risks of the 21st century,” said Russell Saffell, IAMU’s Director of Member Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection. “Emerging threats from both manmade and natural hazards present significant challenges to utilities that are often understaffed, limited in response capability, and have aging or inoperable infrastructure. This grant will allow IAMU to assist municipal utilities by assessing current potential risks and helping to fix any vulnerabilities.”
 
IAMU will also provide technical expertise in emergency management, risk and hazard mitigation, business and operational continuity, cyber and physical security, and disaster recovery. The goal is to enhance energy resilience programs at Iowa’s municipal utilities and their respective service territories through a shared program manager approach from IAMU.
 
“We are pleased to dedicate funding for projects that support IEDA’s efforts to implement the Iowa Energy Plan,” said IEDA Director Debi Durham. “Through support of this project, our goal is to foster innovation and enhance the reliability and safety of Iowa’s energy systems.”

More than 40 percent of American homeowners who plan to plant a tree, landscape a yard, or install a fence or mailbox this spring likely will not make a required 811 call to have their underground utilities located before digging begins, according to a survey conducted by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), a national association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines.
 
Iowa law requires that any resident or professional excavator contact 811, or Iowa One Call, a minimum of two business days before digging to prevent serious injuries, service disruptions, and costly repairs that could occur when buried gas, electric, communications, water or sewer lines are damaged.
 
The CGA survey also found that nearly half of all Americans who plan to dig have no experience with the 811 process. Placing an 811 call or submitting information online to IowaOneCall.com notifies operators with underground utility facilities of the intent to dig, and utility companies will respond within two business days by marking underground utilities with color-coded paint marks or flags that tell an excavator where utility lines are located.
 
In support of National Safe Digging Month throughout April, IAMU joins Common Ground Iowa and Iowa One Call in reminding Iowans to be safe and help protect underground utility lines by following these steps in advance of any digging projects:
 

• Always call 811 at least 48 hours before digging, regardless of the project depth or familiarity with the property. Plan ahead by calling on Monday or Tuesday for weekend projects, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.
• Confirm that all lines have been marked before beginning a project and consider relocating any project that is close to utility line markings.
• If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has called 811. Don’t allow work to begin if utility lines aren’t marked.

 
Iowa’s One Call center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Learn more by visiting the Call 811 website for complete information.

We all know drowsy driving is dangerous, but just how dangerous is it? 
 
According to the National Safety Council:

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), reports about 100,000 crashes each year involve drowsy driving, while the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates that there are actually many more, with up to 328,000 drowsy driving crashes annually 
• NHTSA estimates that fatigue-related crashes cost $109 billion each year, not including property damage
• Driving while drowsy is similar to driving after drinking; driving while not having slept for 20 or more hours has an impact similar to driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08%, which is the U.S. limit

To learn more, check out the article in the EMC Lost Control Insights.

The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) has extended the Winter Moratorium for Natural Gas and Electric Customers from April 1, 2019, to May 13, 2019.

The IUB order (DOCKET NO. SPU-2019-0005) comes in response to Governor Kim Reynolds’ proclamation of public health disaster emergency due to continued widespread flooding and flash flooding impacting large portions of Iowa.

Iowa Code § 476.20(2) establishes a moratorium from disconnection of natural gas and electric customers who are eligible for low-income home energy assistance or weatherization assistance programs between November 1 and April 1. The IUB adopted rules at 199 IAC 19.4(17) for natural gas service and at 20.4(17) for electric service that provide: “No disconnection may take place from November 1 through April 1 for a resident who is a head of household and who has been certified to the public utility by the local community action agency as being eligible for either the low-income home energy assistance program or weatherization assistance program.”

The extension to May 13, 2019, will apply to only those previously certified low-income individuals in counties that have been declared disaster areas who could be subject to possible disconnection on April 1, 2019.

The IUB order links the moratorium extension to STATE (Governor) disaster declarations and not to FEDERAL (Presidential) declarations. To read the order, go to:

https://efs.iowa.gov/cs/groups/external/documents/docket/mdax/odqz/~edisp/1843024.pdf

IAMU and the IUB understand that not all member utilities in the counties included in the state declaration have been impacted by the effects of the flooding, but all member utilities in those counties included in the state declaration must adhere to the order. The order accounts for potential future flooding that could occur over the next six weeks during the continued seasonal thawing and rain.

If you have any questions or concerns about this moratorium extension, please contact IAMU General Counsel Tim Whipple at twhipple@iamu.org or 515.289.1999.