Standing in mud and weeds fixing a broken water line or in a conference
hall in Washington, D.C., Dennis Schwartz's influence in Shawnee County
is clear.Wet or dry, district's manager ready
By Jonna Lorenz
Topeka Capital-Journal
Standing in mud and weeds fixing a broken water line or in a conference
hall in Washington, D.C., Dennis Schwartz's influence in Shawnee County
is clear.
As general manager of Shawnee County Rural Water District No. 8, Schwartz is responsible for providing safe drinking water to about 3,000 residents in eastern Shawnee County.
In April, Schwartz was appointed to serve as a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Drinking Water Advisory Council. After taking an oath and a three-hour indoctrination, he became one of 14 members on the council who will provide information, advice and recommendations to the EPA as it develops drinking water regulations.
"It's the most important thing I've ever been appointed to," Schwartz said. "It's significant."
Sam Wade, deputy chief executive officer for the National Rural Water Association, said Schwartz will bring experience, knowledge and leadership to the advisory council.
"All of the people in our organization are experienced people who are dedicated to public health and a safe drinking water supply, and Dennis is a leader among them," Wade said.
He said Schwartz's dedication and involvement have earned him a reputation as an industry leader.
"He has served on just about every committee there is over the years," Wade said.
Schwartz has held leadership posts at local, state and national levels of the rural water supply industry. He serves as senior vice president of the National Rural Water Association, and is a member of the board of directors of the Kansas Rural Water Association, the American Water Works Association, the Water Industry Coordinating Council, the Water Utility Council and the Water Infrastructure Network.
He served eight terms as president of the Kansas Rural Water Association. He was appointed by the past four governors to the Kansas Water Authority. In his various positions, Schwartz has traveled to 10 states and been to Washington, D.C., three times this year, all the while managing the operation of RWD No. 8.
"This is a business not unlike any other business," Schwartz said. "We buy products and services to meet our objectives. We pay bills. We have about 3,000 customers."
Schwartz and the water district's other three employees are employed by a board of directors elected by their patrons. Schwartz was hired as general manager in 1976, after being recruited by Richard Atteberry, who was then on the board of directors. Schwartz was working for a commercial printing company, and Atteberry, who owned Atteberry Oil Co. and Atteberry Realty, was a client.
"He was just a top-notch young man," Atteberry said. "His biggest asset is he sells himself well, and he knows his business."
Since Schwartz became general manager, RWD No. 8 has tripled its customer base from about 1,000 to 3,000. Last year RWD No. 8 spent more than $300,000 to move sections of a water main to make way for the Oakland Expressway interchange. This year the water system is bracing for potential drought-related problems.
Schwartz said the greatest potential for problem is early in the summer when residents are trying to keep their lawns and gardens alive. If the drought persists, residents may find their lawns dying in spite of their efforts, at which point they will give up and stop watering, which will reduce the stress on the water supply, he said.
The water system is designed to allow about 3/4 of a gallon of water per minute to each customer.
"If enough people are trying to get enough water, it can start to stress your capabilities," Schwartz said.
When that happens, residents will begin to notice their water pressure decreases to reduce consumption so that production can keep up. During those times, rural water district employees are on pins and needles, because any further problems, like a break in a water main, could deplete their resources.
While RWD No. 8 is monitoring the potential for drought, Schwartz doesn't expect it to cause any problems with the water supply this year.
"Most likely it's probably not going to become an acute problem locally in a one-year drought. If it continues into a second year, the possibilities of it becoming a problem would increase," Schwartz said.
RWD No. 8 owns a surface water treatment facility that was built in 1984 at Clinton Lake. Half of the water comes from that facility and half is purchased from Topeka.
"We try to improve and maintain efficiency in any way we can, and technology does a lot for us in that respect," he said.
Meter readers carry hand-held computers. Readings are entered into those computers and then downloaded into a computer at the office where billing is handled. One person reads about 3,000 meters.
Schwartz also works to keep ahead of drinking water regulations. "The history is whatever regulation is good today gets screwed down tighter tomorrow, so we try to look one notch ahead if possible," he said.
For example, the maximum contamination level for trihalomethanes, a potentially carcinogenic bioproduct of the disinfection process, are 80 parts per billion. RWD No. 8 has been measuring at about 40 parts per billion.
Amendments made in 1996 to the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act require all water supply systems to release water quality reports, which disclose the the levels of all contaminants in the water supply and how those levels compare to the maximum contamination levels allowed by federal regulation. Those consumer confidence reports are filed with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and mailed to all the users of the system.
"We have not had a problem complying with regulations, but it's a day-to-day challenge," Schwartz said.
RWD No. 8 also hasn't had the problems with red water that the city of Topeka has been dealing with in recent years because of the kind of pipe they used. The city still has some cast iron water lines, which can rust and cause the water to turn a harmless red color. RWD No. 8 uses PVC pipes, which are plastic.
"I think we're one of the most under-valued public services there is," Schwartz said. "Who else touches the health of as many people on a daily basis as your public water supply system?"