New Mexico Water and Wastewater Association

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NMWWA President’s Memo

September 2022

 

To all New Mexico Water & Wastewater Association members:

 

Wow how the time flies, it is already fall, the leaves are starting to turn that beautiful yellow gold color. The days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting cooler. It is also that time when we nominate the best-looking facilities for the Good Housekeeping, and the Max Summerlot Awards. The categories for Good Housekeeping are.

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• Activated Sludge W/W Treatment (20 years & older)

• Activated Sludge W/W Treatment (20 years & under)

• Wastewater Treatment - Mechanical (20 years & older)

• Wastewater Treatment - Mechanical (20 years & under)

• Wastewater Treatment - Lagoons

• Water System - Ground

• Water System - Surface (20 yrs. & under)

• Water System - Surface (20 yrs. & older)

 

The Committee will be looking at the facilities for:

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• Compliance with EPA/NMED regulations

• Operation & maintenance of wastewater facilities

• Operator staffing, operator training, and professionalism

• Monitoring activities, records keeping, and reporting

• Safety

• Housekeeping

 

The Max Summerlot award will go to a Wastewater Treatment facility this year. The Facilities will be evaluated in the following areas:

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• Compliance with EPA and/or NMED regulations and operator certification regulations.

• Facility Operations and Maintenance.

• Monitoring, Record Keeping and Reporting.

• Operator’s Credentials and Professionalism.

• Safety.

• General Appearance of Facility and Housekeeping.

 

Nominations are due by September 30, 2022. So please take the time and submit a form to nominate your facility.

 

It is also the time you need to be looking at your fellow operators and submit the nominations for Operator and Lab Techs of the Year. Those are due in November however don’t wait submit now.

 

You have spoken and we have listened. Many operators have expressed that New Mexico Environment Department offer Face to Face testing as was done in the past. The NMWWA Executive Board has send a letter to NMED with this request. We have also sent out a petition to collect names to show this desire. All members of NMWWA have received an email from Rose Trujillo for you to cast your vote. If you did not receive it, please send an email to rtnmwwa@gmail.com. Please remember to only vote once as duplicates will be removed.

 

Now is also the perfect time to make sure NMWWA, and NMED have your updated information. Contact Rose and NMED staff to make sure your contact information is correct.

 

Remember our jobs are dangerous. Taking those few extra minutes to put on your safety gear and inspecting your work area take far less time than recovering from an injury. Keep an eye on your fellow operators and if you see someone that is not being safe say something. You could be saving their life.

 

Sincerely,

 

Craig Byers,

President

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