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

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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

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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

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LCWSA Limestone Water System Formerly Limestone Township Municipal Water Authority system

January 2010 thru Current - 30 Day Average Flow (gallons per day)

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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.