The Benefits of Becoming a Minnesota AWWA Member

If you are looking to make a positive impact in your community, consider becoming a member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). The goals of the American Water Works Association are to promote public health, safety, and welfare with the effort of the entire water community. This is done through the dispersal of educational resources disseminated through the network of water professionals who include water quality specialists, operators, engineers, safety regulators, and managers. The American Water Works Association has over 50,000 members worldwide.

AWWA Member Benefits

By becoming a Minnesota AWWA member, you can enjoy special benefits. Among these include access to special member rates for workshops, national conferences, webinars, and publications. Members can also gain access to technical resources and training opportunities.

With the ability to connect with water professionals across the world, scientists and advocates of safe and clean water treatments can speak on how we can better serve our communities. From policy and legislature to implementation, see how your membership with the American Water Works Association could positively impact your community.

The best thing about being an AWWA member is the people. The people in the water industry are some of the best I have ever met from any other industry. They’re real, hard-working, inclusive people who want the best for their communities and customers. You can’t find that many other places.

– Minnesota AWWA member, Kara Fritze

Being an AWWA member allows me to feel connected to the water community on a large scale. I enjoy attending AWWA events to meet new people and learn what topics people in the industry are focused on.

– Minnesota AWWA member, Allison Wheeler

When you begin the American Water Works Association membership process, you have the option of becoming an individual, utility, or service provider member. This means your membership will be catered to your interests, skills, and the needs that you can provide to your community.

 

To learn about more experiences of real members, take a moment to watch the videos of American Water Works Association members from across the country.

Whether you have a burgeoning career in the water industry or are a veteran, these opportunities to learn and network with other water professionals are priceless. Everyone from business managers to field workers to students can benefit from these connections. Don’t miss out on these opportunities to become involved in local water issues and grow your leadership skills! Fill out this form, and become a member today. To stay on top of the latest news and events of the American Water Works Association, visit the Minnesota American Water Works Association today.

The Best Smartphone Apps for Conserving Water

We are well into 2017 and the high water (use) season is right around the corner. What can you do to keep a little money in your pocket? To get started, think about all the ways that you can conserve water and not let your hard earned money flow down the drain. In fact, with all the available phone apps out there, let your phone do all the work of conserving water! Take a look below at the best apps for conserving water.

Dropcountr

This app takes a look at your entire individual water usage either hourly, daily, or monthly, allowing you to more deeply understand how your resources are being used in comparison to homes near you. Dropcountr even sends you personalized tips on how to conserve money as well as water by sending you rebates. The greatest benefit of this free app is that it connects water utility services directly to the consumer!

Water Timer

This interactive app helps to cut down on those long leisurely winter showers. Water Timer calculates the water and money that you could save from shortening your showers.This app is only available on iOS devices.

Water1der

If you are looking to teach water conservation to kids and teens, the Water1der app is an excellent choice. This app includes easy-to-read information and games that range from word scramble to multiple choice to true or false questions. The content of the games covers everything from the water cycle and water usage to water pollution and conversation. This app is only available on iOS devices.

Rain Harvest

If you are looking to begin harvesting your own water, look to Rain Harvest. This app estimates how much rainwater you could potentially collect from a rain storm. This is done by formulating rainfall, efficiency, and the total area that could catch rainwater.

Apps allow us to do everything from keeping track of our fitness to streaming music to finding shops and restaurants while on the go. In addition to these water conservation apps, you can find apps on landscaping and irrigation tracking, water fountain locaters, water leak calculators, and more! Find the perfect app to help your household conserve water.

For more information on water conservation, visit the American Water Works Association of Minnesota.

How Much Water Is Used To Produce The Food We Eat

If you want to conserve water and lessen your environmental footprint, you might consider taking shorter showers or only washing clothes when they are really dirty. However, the most effective way you can reduce your water usage is by choosing more carefully what you eat. This is because the food we eat makes up more than 2/3 of our total water footprint. This might surprise you until we take a closer look at how much water is used to produce the food we eat every day.

The LA Times posted a website article during California's terrible drought in 2015 that included an intriguing tool. You can select various foods to put on your virtual plate and it will tell you how many gallons of water went into producing those items. Take, for instance, a plate consisting of a pork chop, pasta, an apple, and a glass of milk. This plate used 500 gallons of water to produce! The majority of the water came from the 330 gallons it takes to raise a pig and butcher it to get that pork chop on your plate. In fact, the majority of our water usage when it comes to producing food comes from meats. If you are looking for ways to lighten your water footprint, simply eat less meat in your diet. Instead, replace them with eggs or beans for protein.

If we are considering our meal items, why not choose the one that used significantly less water to produce? For instance, if you are choosing a starch for your meal, potatoes only use 34 gallons of water per pound versus corn which uses 146 gallons per pound. The difference between coffee versus tea? Tea only uses 108 gallons of water per gallon of brewed tea contrasting coffee which uses a whopping 1,056 gallons of water to produce one gallon of brewed coffee. These efforts can really add up!

This article can help you choose between common foods like beer vs wine or asparagus vs broccoli. The foods you choose to eat can be very mindful of the environment if you educate yourself.

While it may seem drastic to cut these foods out of your diet entirely, knowing the amounts of water it takes to produce them can make you more mindful of your choices. You can find more information on water preservation on the MN AWWA website.

Water Towers of Minnesota

Have you ever wondered about the intricacies of your local water tower? What does it actually do? Why is it shaped like that? Who does it serve? Water towers have a simple function but provide an integral purpose to the community in both use and identity. Learn more about them below.

The Function of a Water Tower

Water towers provide a reserve of water that functions due to height and pressure. A water tower must be of a certain height (and thus, deliver a certain pressure) in order to adequately supply water to nearby homes and businesses.

While water towers come in a variety of shapes and volumes, a typical tower holds a reserve of water large enough to supply a day’s worth of water to the community. In fact, your local water tower may hold well over one million gallons of water!

In addition to serving the important function of delivering clean and safe drinking water to the community, a water tower can showcase the identity of a community. Far from just being quirky and charming welcome signs to a town, a water tower can display town pride, serve as a testament to a community’s rich history, or as a celebration of what a town has to offer visitors.

Image by Tony Webster from via Wikimedia Commons

Unique Minnesota Water Towers

The Rochester water tower is built in the shape of a corn cob and has become a well-known landmark and symbol of the original Libby Foods plant in Rochester. The Lindstrom Teapot water tower in Lindstrom pays homage to the town’s sister city in Tingsryd, Sweden. The tea pot itself is painted with the words,” Valkommen till Lindstrom,” which is translated to mean, “Welcome to Lindstrom.”

Certain water towers, while no longer in use, still stand as reminders of a town’s rich history. The original water tower in Brainerd, which was put out of use in 1960, was the first all-concrete and elevated tank used in America. The architecture of the Prospect Park Water Tower in Minneapolis—locally known as the Witch’s Hat Water Tower—spurred the community to protect the tower from demolition in 1955. It has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been rumored to have been the inspiration for Bob Dylan’s song “All Along the Watchtower.”

Image by Jonathunder via Wikimedia Commons

Water towers are among the first things to greet you when you drive into a town. The small town of Waite Park distinguishes itself from the greater St. Cloud community with a vibrant yellow water tower featuring a smiling face. Pequot Lakes features a water tower in the form of a fishing bobber signaling that you are indeed in the Great North and surrounded by lakes, forests, and the great outdoors.

Water towers are also often iconic landmarks in their own right. Challenge yourself to find the history of your local water tower. For more information on water works, visit the Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association.

Water Conservation Tips for the Winter

While we typically think of water conservation during the hot and arid months of summer, water conservation is an important issue all year round. Take a glance below to see how you can conserve water at home in the colder months.

Be Careful with the flushes

Flushing toilets can use upwards of two gallons per flush, and even more with older toilet bowl models. Additionally, check your toilet for leaks. Leaking toilets can waste hundreds of gallons a day. Check for leaks by dropping food coloring into the toilet tank. You will be able to tell if a leak is present if you see coloring in the bowl after a few minutes. If it is in your budget, consider upgrading your toilet to a low-flush, higher efficiency toilet.

Turn the Faucet Off

Easier in theory than in practice, the small act of turning the faucet off when not in use will make a big impact. Turn the sink off as you brush your teeth. Keep the faucet off when you shave. Don’t leave the tap running while you wash the dishes. Use a dishwasher and washing machine that will recycle water and only use them when they are full. These simple adjustments will provide a big impact on your water bill.

Ready the Pipes

Cracked and burst pipes can cost a fortune. Winterize your pipes to prevent paying astronomical water and plumbing repair bills. Take some precaution to protect your pipes indoors and outdoors. For indoor pipes, insulate them so they stay warmer, heat more quickly, and are less likely to leak. Wrap outdoor pipes as well in order to protect them from unforgiving winter air. Additionally, ensure that you know what to do in the event of a water pipe burst. Locate the shut-off valve in your home in case your pipes do burst to prevent flooding.

Take a Second Look at Your Shower

Water used in the shower can account for a big portion of your water bill. Low-flow showerheads can make a big difference when it comes to water conservation. In fact, it can save you thousands of gallons of water and hundreds of dollars a year. While you shop for a new showerhead, consider decreasing the amount of time you spend in the shower. Long, languid showers will run up your monthly bills and dry out your skin.

Another trick you can do is to collect water while you run the shower and wait for it to heat up. Even if you take short showers, any water you use waiting for the temperature to be just right is clean water going right down the drain. A bucket of water collected from your shower can be used to water your plants, feed your pets, cook with, mop the floor, and much more. It’s clean and you pay for it, why not use it?

Water conservation isn’t a seasonal responsibility. You can easily implement good water habits year-round with a little extra effort. For more ways that you can conserve water throughout the year, visit the Minnesota section of the American Water Works Association today.

Recap of Minnesota AWWA 100th Annual Conference

The 100th Annual Minnesota AWWA Conference took place Sept. 20-23 at the Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center. Governor Mark Dayton declared September 22nd to be Minnesota Water Works Day.

The conference began with a day of charitable events (clay shooting, golfing, fishing) to raise funds for Water For People. Overall, 2016 MN AWWA events have raised $35,335 for Water For People and the Education Endowment. At the Convention alone, there was a record number of participants:

• 75 fishermen on 13 boats
• 50 clay shooters
• 104 golfers

Keynote speakers over the weekend included David LaFrance, CEO of the American Water Works Association, and Steve Maxwell, author of The Future of Water.

We are proud to announce that the City of St. Cloud was the 2016 Best In Glass taste test award winner for best tasting water in the state. St. Cloud’s drinking water also was selected as the 2016 People’s Choice at the Minnesota State Fair. The City of St. Cloud’s award winning water will represent Minnesota at the American Water Works Association national conference next June in Philadelphia.

New Section Positions

• Pete Moulton, the Director of Public Water Works for the City of St. Peter, was elected to the position of Section Director

• David Brown from the Metropolitan Council was elected as the Section Chair

Award Winners

• Carol Blommel Johnson - George Warren Fuller Award
• This award is presented annually by the American Water Works Association to the sections' respective selected members for their distinguished service to the water supply field in commemoration of the sound engineering skill, the brilliant diplomatic talent, and the constructive leadership which characterized the life of George Warren Fuller.

• Myron Volker - Leonard N. Thompson Award
• This award is presented annually to one member for their distinguished service to the water supply field in commemoration of Leonard N. Thompson, past General Manager of the St. Paul Water Utility for nearly 34 years.

• Uma Vempati - Andrew Sullivan Outstanding Leadership Award
• This award is presented to an individual or group for exceptional service that demonstrates initiative and dedication to the drinking water profession.

• Scott Fronek - Jon Eaton Excellence in Volunteering Award
• This award is to recognize and honor an individual AWWA member who has advanced AWWA through his/her volunteer time and efforts and has been a support to AWWA staff.

Thanks to all who participated and volunteered to make the first 100 years of Minnesota AWWA a success. Raise a glass of #drinktapwater in confident optimism that the next 100 years will be even better!

Eat Your Way to Better Hydration

As everybody knows, water is an essential part of life. It’s an important factor in keeping your body hydrated, regulating body temperature, transporting oxygen, flushing out waste and bacteria, and so much more. You are supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day, but that can be awfully hard to commit to. Did you know, however, that you can get some of that water from fruits and vegetables? Certain fruits and vegetables can help you towards your water intake goals and provide your body with minerals, fiber, protein, and more.

A Well-suited Workout

Do you buy expensive power bars and workout supplements? Your might be surprised to learn that fruits and vegetables make for an excellent post-workout snack as they can replenish your body with amino acids, vitamins, and electrolytes. And water and fruit are much better at hydrating your body post-workout compared to sports drinks and energy drinks.

Hydration “SuperFruits”

Fruits like strawberries and watermelon contain 92 percent water per volume. Grapefruits, cantaloupe, peaches, pineapples, cranberries, oranges, and raspberries each hold at least 85 percent water per volume. Eat these as snacks throughout the day, or incorporate them into recipes like fruit salads, fruit kebabs, smoothies, fruit pizzas, and more!

Aquatic Veggies

Vegetables are another excellent source of hydration. Cucumber, lettuce, zucchini, radish, celery, and tomatoes each contain at least 95 percent water. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, and spinach are also excellent sources of hydration and nutrients. Swap them into your favorite recipes, and challenge yourself to use these vegetables creatively when cooking for optimal hydration and taste variety.

Aim to eat four servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables a day to get the most nutrients you can and in order to reduce your risk of diseases and cancer.

Eating fruits and vegetables high in water content is an excellent way to stay on top of your health and fitness goals, keep you full throughout the day, and to stay hydrated! For more resources on water and hydration, visit the MN American Water Works Association.