John Hardwick, Valparaiso Water, 219-462-8412
Phil Smith, Smith Group Consulting, LLC, 317-788-8534
Beth Millett, Borshoff, 317-631-6400
John Stancati, South Bend Water Works, 574-235-5646
Angie Dye, Veolia Water of Indianapolis, 317-263-6517
Jerry Webb, IURC, 317-232-2765
Commissioner Larry Landis, IURC
Commissioner Jeff Golc, IURC
Vince Griffin, State Chamber, 317-264-6881
Jim Williams, Peerless-Midwest, Inc,. 574-254-9050
Odetta Cadwell, IRWA, 317-402-7349
Pat Carroll, IDEM, 317-308-3281
Terry Atherton, Indiana American Water, 219-880-2367
Mark Basch, IDNR, 317-232-0154
Stan Diamond, Greenley & Hansen, 317-924-3380
Darrel Heisler, Indiana American Water, 812-853-3356
Bruno Trimboli, Mishawaka Utilities Water, 574-258-1652
Nick Stanley, Water Solutions Unlimited, 317-36-6868
Doug Perry, City of Goshen Utilities, 574-534-5701
Art Umble, Greeley & Hansen, 317-924-3380
David Pippen, Policy Director for Environment and Natural Resources, State of Indiana, 317-233-9204

Meeting called to order and the minutes from the last meeting were approved.

Commissioner Jeff Golc, IURC

•  Joined IURC in January 2007, having served on City-County Council and worked for Kroger in government regulatory affairs
•  Reviewed water/wastewater portion of the IURC Regulatory Flexibility Report
• The whole report
• The water/wastewater portion of report
•  Handed out an IURC Water Facts sheet.

David Pippen, State of Indiana

• Introduced by Commissioner Larry Landis (IURC), as the new policy director for environment and natural resources (replacing Kari Evans).
•  IDEM and DNR fall under his watch.
•  He is an attorney with more of a focus on solid waste but is learning more about water issues every day.
• He has an open door policy and welcomes information and assistance so he can provide the governor with counsel and advice.
•  dpippen@gov.in.us; 317-233-9204

John Hardwick, Environmental Quality Service Council

•  Last meeting was October 30 (minutes)
•  Final report to be issued soon (now available: final report)
•  Both John and Art Umble’s terms are expiring this year. The WUC nominated Art; local government (Valparaiso) nominated John Hardwick.

Mark Basch, Water Shortage Task Force update

• Visit the DNR Water Shortage Web page for the most up-to-date information.
•  At last meeting, task force discussed the Great Lakes Compact and the implementing language being developed for Indiana. Visit the DNR Great Lakes Water Management Agreement information page for more information.
•  Meetings have been set (go to Water Shortage Web page) set for the third Friday of each month, through June. The November meeting will include an overview of the Kankakee River Basin, giving task force sense of what data is available for evaluation.
•  Future meetings/goals include look at the drought trigger mechanisms, consumptive use issue, water management planning areas; withdrawal information for water shortage concerns, and recommending some base flow policy issues and priority uses.
•  Priority of use will be large component of task force. Now is the time to make recommendations to the task force if you have concerns or suggestions.

Vince Griffin, Chamber of Commerce

• 2008 Legislative Preview
•  Big issue of entire session is going to be property taxes
• Some of the proposed IDEM legislature would open up the entire environmental code, a scary thing for a short session.
•  Water Resources Study Committee final report (nothing actually happened in interim session.)

•  The water meter rulemaking is at the commission; once we sign off, it takes 6 to 9 months to go through. Main emphasis of the rule is that the state will go to AWWA standards for various aspects. One problematic area left – some of the water standards are inconsistent with electric and gas and we need to make this similar. Hoping to have that reviewed by Indiana Energy Commission by end of year so commissions would see the rule in January/February, so that the 6 to 9 months would begin about that. Might be fully effective by end of 2008.

•  IDEM proposed change to arsenic standard for groundwater – shift quality standard; did get a lot of objections – it is beyond federal requirement in that there are no federal requirements at all. IDEM will put together policy document that will explain what IDEM would do if they found that water exceeded the arsenic level. From 50 ppb to 10 ppb.
•  Working on the emergency permits process to determine what we need from the utility in order to make that happen
•  Considering alternative to technical standards regarding placement of water mains to contaminant sources.
•  Appealing a court case on a system that was a large number of complexes where they put in separate wells for each building to stay below the threshold for a public system.

Odetta Cadwell, IRWA

• Annual conference is December 3-5
•  They are moving forward with utility board book
•  This is the last year for the joint contract with IDEM and AWWA to provide grandparented water operator trainings. There are 48 workshops left.

•  Network was kicked off August 29
•  Received significant media coverage at Statehouse announcement
•  Now have eight network members, but additional members have been slow to join, since Web site is not yet ready.
•  Steering committee is continuing to facilitate communications as best as possible.
•  An emergency response education program in the works

 
Meeting adjourned.