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From Laurie Sharp, Operator Certification Program, 2/26/2019
Starting March 11, 2019, the Drinking Water Treatment, Drinking Water Distribution, and Wastewater Treatment Operator Certification Online Exams will no longer be given at the Wallace Building on the Capitol Complex in Des Moines. Instead, the exams will be offered at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Southridge Testing Center located at 1111 East Army Post Road, Des Moines.
Exams will still be offered by appointment at Field Office 1 in Manchester, Field Office 2 in Mason City, Field Office 3 in Spencer, Field Office 4 in Atlantic, and Field Office 6 in Washington.
If you wish to take your exam at the DMACC Southridge Testing Center, after you receive your exam eligibility letter, you will need to call Elizabeth Feilmeier at 515/725-0463 and she will set you up with DMACC.
The advantages of DMACC Southridge Testing Center include extended hours of availability, convenient location and parking, and a quiet testing center environment. Plus, once you indicate you want to utilize the DMACC Southridge Testing Center, you will be given a four-week window in which you can take the exam. There will be no specific appointment date or time; you can just walk in with your eligibility letter and valid ID and you may take the exam. Although there are multiple workstations available in the computer lab, DMACC does ask that you call before you come in to test at 515-287-8720 to ensure there will be an available testing station.
DMACC Southridge Testing Center, 1111 East Army Post Road, in Des Moines
Southridge Testing Center Hours:
- Monday, 7:30AM to 4:00PM
- Tuesday, 7:30AM to 9:00PM
- Wednesday, 7:30AM to 4:00PM
- Thursday, 7:30AM to 9:00PM
- Friday, 7:30AM to 4:00PM
- Saturday, 8:00AM to 12:00 Noon. All tests must be started by 9:30AM.
Please call the DMACC Southridge Testing Center up to 24 hours in advance to make sure spots are available; their contact number is 515-287-8720.
Please call Elizabeth at the IDNR at 515-725-0463 with any questions.
Amy Seffyer has recently been hired in the Water Supply Operations Section as an Administrative Assistant 1 in the State Revolving Loan Fund Team, and fills a vacancy due to retirement.
Heidi Cline is the newest member of the Water Supply Engineering Section, where she’s working as an Environmental Specialist in the Water Use and Allocation program and the Private Well Program. Heidi is a graduate of ISU, and fills a vacancy due to retirement.
Jon Tack has resigned as Water Quality Bureau Chief and is now working at the Iowa Utilities Board. Alex Moon is the Acting WQB Chief, in addition to his regular duties as the Land Quality Bureau Chief.
Aaron Pickens, Senior Environmental Specialist, Field Office 6, Washington
Your water distribution system… most of it is out of sight and often out of mind. However, operators should be aware that cold windy weather conditions such as Iowa has experienced in recent weeks can cause problems in a distribution system; specifically freeze-up of all or portions of water in elevated storage tanks. Ice buildup can cause damage to the interior tank coating, the piping and tank structure, and prevent the flow of water into and out of a tank.
Hills, a community in eastern Iowa with a population of approximately 800 residents, recently experienced such an issue. On the morning of January 31st, the operator received a high level alarm at the treatment plant and quickly discovered that the city’s only elevated storage tank was no longer able to be filled. The city immediately implemented a water conservation notice as they worked to diagnose the issue. The problem was discovered to be a water line dedicated to fill the tank that had frozen. After several hours, city employees were able to modify some piping and valve positions at the treatment plant and resume filling of the tank using the tank’s discharge line. Fortunately, this situation ended rather well all things considered; the problem was able to be diagnosed and a work around implemented before the town ran out of water! Often times, tank freeze-up situations do not end this way and can cause a community to be out of water for several hours to days until the tank or line can be unthawed and any needed repairs made.
Tanks can be prone to freezing for a number of reasons including static water conditions (lack of sufficient water turnover), tank overflow, and various design issues. The good news is that there are steps that can be taken both operationally and related to tank design to prevent freezing.
Below are links to two excellent in-depth articles on the subject written by E. Crone Knoy that appeared in the January and February 1991 editions of the Opflow publication of the American Water Works Association. The articles are publicly available on the author’s website.
The first article discusses why storage tanks freeze and what can be done to thaw them and repair the damage.
The second article discusses specific causes of freezing and design elements to discourage freezing.
If your tank does freeze and you are in doubt what to do, it is good practice to get the advice of a tank company to prevent further damage. As with any potential water emergency, you should also notify your local DNR Field Office.
Disclaimer: Links to websites outside the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) or the use of trade, firm, or corporation names are being provided for the convenience of the user. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the DNR of any private sector website, product, or service. DNR is not responsible for the availability or content of these external sites.
Iowa DNR staff in the water supply program areas are scheduled to speak at the following events. The date, sponsor and event, location, subject, and contact for more information are listed. CEUs must be earned by March 31, 2019!
- March 6-7, 2019. IAMU Advanced Water Workshops, Ankeny. “IDNR WS Update.” Brochure and registration.
- March 6, 2019. IA-AWWA Region 1 Water Works Operators’ Meeting, Pavilion Meeting Hall at Delaware County Fairgrounds, Manchester. “DNR Update including nitrite exceedance.” Brochure and registration.
- March 13, 2019. IA-AWWA Region 5 Water Operator Conference, DMACC Auditorium, Newton. “IDNR WS Update; Chloramines for Small Systems.” Brochure and registration.
- March 20, 2019. IA-AWWA Region 6 Water Operator Conference, KC Hall, Washington. “IDNR WS Update, Required Sampling Plans.” Brochure and registration.
- March 27, 2019. IA-AWWA Region 4 Water Operator Conference, Cass County Community Center, Atlantic. “IDNR WS Update; Creston Membrane Failure.” Brochure and registration.
- April 15-16, 2019. IA-AWWA Spring Short Course, DMACC FFA Center, Ankeny. “Main Break Response: System and DNR Perspectives; IDNR WS Update.” Registration (not yet open).
For other professional development opportunities, see the “Training Calendar” at programs.iowadnr.gov/opcertweb/.
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