Free drought response and water loss workshop for water utility officials, Wed. Sept. 13

David Murray
Great Falls Tribune
Dry, cracked earth in a mustard stubble field near Loma.

All Montana water utility and drought coordinating officials are encouraged to attend a free drought and water loss workshop in Lewistown on Wednesday, Sept. 13.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Montana Rural Water Systems (MRWS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are jointly sponsoring the event.

This workshop is an opportunity for Montana water utilities and drought coordinators to share strategies, lessons learned and success stories regarding drought preparedness and response.

It will include overviews of the current drought situation in Montana and financial assistance programs for Montana water utilities, case study presentations illustrating drought preparedness and response strategies implemented by Montana communities, an introduction to the EPA’s drought response and recovery guide for water utilities, and will be followed by a facilitated discussion on drought response, water loss management and water audit strategies.

All interested water utility operators, public works directors, city managers and drought coordinators, technical assistance providers, and local, state, and federal government officials are encouraged to attend.

Continuing Education Credits (CECs) are available for attendance. An optional AWWA Water Audit Software Session will be presented at the end of the regular workshop. Please bring a laptop or tablet that has Microsoft Excel to participate in the optional AWWA session.

The workshop will begin at 9 a.m. in Sapphire Room A of the Yogo Inn, located at 211 East Main Street in Lewistown.

Those who plan to attend should register in advance online at: mtdroughtworkshop.eventbrite.com or by contacting Alex Liguori (U.S. EPA) at 202-564-8324 or liguori.alex@epa.gov.