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How to Contact Your Legislators
Grassroots efforts start at home. They can start today. If a quality supply of water would help your community grow, then pick up the phone, or email your local legislator while the topic is fresh in your mind. Start your participation in this grassroots effort to bring quality water to every community and citizen in our great state!
You may leave a message for any legislator by calling 888-635-3447. This is a toll free call. Email addresses for legislators are available from the ND Legislative Council by CLICKING HERE.
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Addressing Mail Correspondence
To a Senator:
Honorable (full name)
State Senator
600 E Boulevard Ave
Bismarck, ND 58505
Dear Senator (last name):
To a Representative:
Honorable (full name)
State Representative
600 E Boulevard Ave
Bismarck, ND 58505
Dear Representative (last name):
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Did You Know?
North Dakota has one of the most open legislatures in the nation? Every bill must have a public hearing before a legislative committee, must be publicly voted upon by the committee, and then must come before the full House or Senate for still another public vote. You have the right, as do all citizens, to testify before the North Dakota Legislative Assembly on ANY bill or resolution. Your opportunity to testify on a bill is at the committee hearing. If you prefer, you may submit written testimony instead of appearing before the committee.
We have a great citizen legislature in North Dakota - that fortunately seems to work quite well. EXERCISE your right to testify before the legislature. Legislators want to hear what you have to saw.
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Water Conservation
"Tip of the Week"
The California Urban Water Conservation Council, under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has developed a website that provides homeowners with information on how they can save water in and around their property. You can take a tour of rooms in a fabricated house and become acquainted with water conservation opportunities. You can determine how much water you are consuming in your home by use of the website's water budget calculator. Also information on how to create water efficient landscaping and gardens around your home is illustrated. |
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Weekly Legislative Liaison
The Legislative Liaison is sent most Fridays during the Legislative Session. It is now available on our Web site as well as via e-mail, fax, or regular mail service. E-mail is the most efficient way to stay up to date due to the time-sensitive nature of the information.
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LAWMAKERS RETURN
The Legislature continued its recess Tuesday while lawmakers in Fargo continued their standoff with a swollen Red River and lawmakers in Bismarck dug out of 17 inches of snow. Both chambers are back for business at 12:30 p.m. April 1. Click HERE to read more...
Attention flood-affected water and wastewater systems: Please contact our office at 800-349-6951 if you require any type of assistance. We are here to help!
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IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
Consumer Confidence Reports
Believe it or not, it is already that time of year again. Time for you to begin gathering information for your annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH) has already sent CCR packets to all public water systems.
Water systems that supply water to other systems should have provided them with all relevant information by April 1, 2009.
The 2008 CCR must be delivered or made available to customers and a copy forwarded to the NDDOH by July 1, 2009.
Would you like FREE assistance in completing your CCR? If so, contact ericvolk@ndrw.org or call 800-349-6951 as soon as possible.
Red Flag Rule
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is requiring any entity where there is a risk of identity theft, to develop and implement an Identity Theft Prevention Program. This so-called Red Flag Rule must include reasonable policies and procedures for detecting, preventing, and mitigating identity theft. The rule was issued by the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Trade Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Office of Thrift Supervision. The compliance date is May 1, 2009 and covers all utilities.
NDRWSA, in conjunction with the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), is offering any utility, municipality, or association a FREE and SIMPLE compliance tool to comply with the FTC's Red Flag Rule.
Ed Thomas, Environmental Engineer with NRWA said, "We are excited to offer the compliance tool for no charge to any entity that has to comply with this federal mandate. We estimate that most anyone can complete the compliance process in one hour. We have tried to make compliance as simple and clear as possible. We focused on compliance for water systems, but there is no reason a city, power utility, association, county, etc. could not use this tool for compliance. It is free, simple, and available to anyone."
Stage 2 DBPR MRDL Monitoring Began April 1st
Beginning April 1st water systems receiving water from one or more wholesale systems (consecutive systems) were required by the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (DBPR) to monitor disinfectant (chlorine, free or total) residuals and comply with the Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) requirements.
To meet these rule requirements consecutive systems need to monitor and record chlorine residuals at the same place and time as their monthly Total Coliform Rule (TCR) samples. TCR samples include routine, repeat, replacement and increased monitoring.
The MRDL for chlorine is 4.0 mg/l and compliance is based on a running annual average. Chlorine residual monitoring reports must be sent to the ND Department of Health no later than 10 days after the end of each quarter. If quarterly averages for any consecutive four-quarter period exceed the MRDL, the system is in violation. Failure to monitor will be treated as a monitoring violation.
For more information contact Lydia Fewless, ND Department of Health, at 701-328-5221.
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Celebrate Water May 3-9, 2009
National Drinking Water Week is May 3-9, 2009. Water Week 2009 is part of a national campaign to increase the public's awareness about the vital role water plays in our daily lives and to remind everyone of the importance of the work their local water professionals perform. We often forget what a valuable commodity water is and how much effort is required in keeping it clean, safe, and accessible. Water Week is an opportunity for communities to show their appreciation for the hard work and dedication of over 59,000 local water systems who supply America with safe clean water every day.
We invite you to join in celebrating this important event. To help, we are pleased to provide a list of educational materials for your use. Please contact our office if you would be interested in obtaining any of the educational materials. These are FREE of charge, but supplies are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
Please pass this information on to your local elementary schools. National Water Week is a great time to teach kids the value of water. Our professionally trained staff would be more than willing to speak on the importance of water.
We encourage your elementary school to contact our office at 800-349-6951 to schedule an appointment. |
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Upcoming Events
Please note the date change for our Utility EXPO:
Operator, Equipment and Utility EXPO June 3-4 - Jamestown, ND
Summer Board Meeting and Leadership Retreat, Minot Holiday Inn July 27-28
Training
The NDRWSA along with representatives from Rural Develpment, ND Dept. of Health, and the ND Dept. of Commerce will be conducting Small System Funding training sessions as follows:
April 28 - Wilton
April 29 - Bowman
April 30 - Watford City
May 5 - TBA
May 6 - Casselton
May 7 - Ashley
Watch your mail for more information. |
 GREAT WATER RATES!
Carl Brown's new book, How to Get Great Rates is now available. He is selling them for $40 plus shipping and handling. However, if ordered in bulk there is a substantial savings. Therefore, if you would like to order them through the association, we can place one order and pass the discount onto you, too. Some of you may have attended Carl's session during our February EXPO. Click book cover to go to web site. Please contact our office ( melkruck@ndrw.org) by April 15 if you would be interested in ordering How to Get Great Rates. |
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Hearing Schedule
There are no hearings next week for the bills we are tracking. | |
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Summary and status of select bills that may be of particular interest to the rural water community:
| HB 1020 |
State Water Commission appropriations |
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COMMITTEE HEARING 03/11 |
| HB 1220 |
Relating to the definition of a meeting |
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Filed with Secretary of State |
| HB 1235 |
Relating to oil extraction tax rates and exemptions; and to provide an effective date |
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Returned to House |
| HB 1278 |
Relating to the removal of the City of Mandan from the Southwest Water Authority |
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Amendment adopted, placed on calendar |
| HB 1286 |
Relating to a water permit exemption for small commercial gardens |
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COMMITTEE HEARING 03/05 |
| HB 1305 |
Appropriates $2.1 million from the Permanent Oil Tax Fund for R & T Water Supply Association |
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COMMITTEE HEARING 03/12 |
| HB 1369 |
Relating to the removal of appointed political subdivision officers |
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Filed with Secretary of State |
| HB 1487 |
Relating to the receipt of federal economic stiumulus or fiscal relief funding not being spent until appropriated by the legislative assembly |
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COMMITTEE HEARING 03/02 |
| HB 1554 |
Relating to extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction of cities; and to provide for application |
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COMMITTEE HEARING 03/12 |
| HCR3014 |
A concurrent resolution urging Congress not to replace "navigable water" with "waters of the United States" in any Clean Water Act-related legislation considered by Congress |
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Returned to House |
| SB 2027 |
Relating to extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction of cities |
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COMMITTEE HEARING 03/12 |
| SB 2051 |
Relating to elimination of the limits on the amount the oil impact fund and counties may receive under the oil and gas gross production tax; and to provide an effective date |
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Rereferred to Appropriations |
| SB 2063 |
Tobacco Control Advisory Committee appropriation |
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COMMITTEE HEARING 03/10 |
| SB 2136 |
Relating to lending and borrowing powers of the public finance authority |
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Filed with Secretary of State |
| SB 2193 |
Relating to the powers and duties and tax levy of the Southwest Water Authority |
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Filed with Secretary of State |
| SB 2251 |
Relating to compensation for water resource district managers |
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Returned to Senate |
| SB 2253 |
Relating to the appointment of water resource district managers |
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Signed by Speaker |
| SB 2254 |
Relating to maintenance of federal water management projects |
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Signed by Speaker |
| SB 2255 |
Relating to exercise of the power of eminent domain by water resource districts |
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Reported back, do pass, placed on calendar |
| SB 2298 |
Relating to authorizing revenue bonds for the Red River Valley Water Supply Project; relating to the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District |
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Signed by Speaker |
| SB 2316 |
A BILL for an Act to provide state cost-sharing for flood control projects. |
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Returned to Senate |
| SB 2317 |
Relating to the funding plan for the Red River Valley Water Supply Project |
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Returned to Senate |
| SB 2336 |
Conservancy District; relating to the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District; and to provide an effective date |
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Amendment adopted, placed on calendar |
| SB 2401 |
Relating to requirements for plans and specifications and bids for public improvements. |
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Returned to Senate |
| SB 2427 |
Relating to allowance of the income tax credit on the form ND-1 income tax return for installation of geothermal energy devices; relating to energy conservation standards in new building construction; to provide borrowing authority; to provide an appropriation; and to provide an effective date |
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Second reading, failed to pass , yeas 018 nays 065 |
| SB 2440 |
Relating to chemigation site permits; and to provide for a legislative council report |
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Failed to Pass |
| SCR 4020 |
Urges Congress to preserve exemption for Hydraulic fracturing from Safe Drinking Water Act |
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Second reading, adopted |
| SCR 4030 |
Relating to establishment and use of a legacy fund; and to provide an effective date. |
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COMMITTEE HEARING 03/23 | |
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