This week The Times continues a series highlighting the four candidates for the Fountain Hills Sanitary District Board of Directors.

This election is an all-mail ballot process. Ballots will be mailed to registered voters on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The registration deadline for this election is Monday, Oct. 7. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The candidates are responding to a series of questions posed by The Times. Question #4 asks: How does the Sanitary District need to adapt to keep up with current technology and best practices in utility management?

Bob Thomson – “The commitment of the Sanitary District to continuously adapt to the latest in ‘best practices’ for wastewater treatment and collection cannot be questioned. Visitors to our facilities are always amazed at the complexity of the district’s operation. This underscores the need to keep abreast of the latest developments.

“The dedication to best practices starts at the board level with a commitment to having a district that strives to utilize cutting edge, fiscally prudent technical developments in its operations.

“Annually in the budget process the board evidences its commitment to best practices by providing financial support for the staff’s continuous involvement in ongoing training and development.

“It might surprise our users to learn that out of a current staff of 43 there are 37 licensed technical specialists. Each of those specialists must complete 30 hours of professional training each year. This keeps them in touch with the latest developments in their areas of specialization. They bring that information back to the District so it can be incorporated in our operations.

“In addition, our outstanding District Manager, Dana Trompke, belongs to several major state and national industry organizations. Chief among them is the Water Environment Federation, the leading national organization for wastewater treatment and collection, and its local chapter, the AZ Water Association.

“In the time I have been on the board, I have observed the changes in the industry and have been proud and honored to be a part of the districts ongoing commitment to best practices.”

Jerry Butler – “The District’s management produces A+ quality effluent and is constantly up-to-date with new technology. Because many parts of the system are now 50 years old, sustaining existing investments (aka, asset management) is of utmost importance.

“Over the years the district has had to adapt to how it gets rid of ‘reclaimed water.’ In the early 2000s a new technology was chosen that today is known as its ASR system (Aquifer Storage Recovery). This is a well-system that stores environmentally safe effluent water underground and eventually withdraws it to irrigate town parks and three golf courses. When the ASR system was initiated it was thought the wells would have a life of about 10 years, but using careful management practices and high-quality effluent, all five wells are still in service today.

“Another successful management practice has been that of slip-lining buried sewer lines, rather than resorting to costly replacement. In the last two years, over 8,600 feet of sewers have been rehabilitated using this proven technology.

“Credit goes to the district’s dedicated staff for keeping up with changing technology. Currently the district has 37 technical specialists on its staff of 43, including two professional engineers, 12 licensed collection system operators, 15 licensed treatment plant operators, and two laboratory specialists with education and training in environmental chemistry and biology/microscope sciences.

“Best practices in utility management continue to center on finding ways to reduce costs, extending the life of existing investments, and improving personnel safety.”

Michael Maroon – “Just like all of your home appliances, all of our assets have a ‘shelf life’ that we try to extend and optimize regularly through the use of technology. Without getting into the technical weeds too much, we’ve had great success extending the life of our sewer systems and our well vaults through the use of technology, saving the district and tax payers significant dollars.

“Moving forward, I think changes to the regulatory environment at the state level could warrant changes in our district. There is a possibility in the future, given the state of water in Arizona, that we may find ourselves with the option of utilizing reclaimed water for direct potable uses out of necessity. To do so with our water would require additional technology that is already available and in use within other districts (like Scottsdale) but would require significant multi-year planning and funding, along with a lot of input and dialogue within the community.

“Another future consideration revolves around whether the State Trust Land is developed, giving the town more population growth (and more reclaimed water). This opportunity could allow for creativity just as we’ve been creative in the past. Fountain Lake is one such example of past technological creativity and it’s been a wonderful economic driver for the town. As opportunities arrive, I’m prepared to partner with the town and its citizens to open up a dialogue about how the district can continue to be technologically creative with our water to drive more economic output.”

Bob Shelstrom – “It’s necessary to understand that there are two primary purposes for upgrading technology; meeting regulatory requirements and using technology as a productivity, efficiency and quality enhancement tool. Responsible organizations must resist the temptation to just buy technology as a ‘new toy’ which may actually increase costs and decrease productivity if the proper technology isn’t selected.

“Back in the 1990s I worked designing equipment and systems using BAT (Best Available Technology) to meet requirements of the Clean Air Act signed by President George Bush in 1990. We designed and installed sulfur oxide and particulate removal systems on coal fired plants that dramatically cut power plant acidic emissions and substantially mitigated pollutant effects causing ‘acid rain.’ It worked, exceeding expectations.

“The EPA also has similar requirements enacted through the Clean Water Act for wastewater. It describes what pollutants are to be controlled and the level of control (BPT, BAT, BCT, NSPS, PSNS, PSES) required to control effluent pollutant concentrations. Upgrading technology to meet these requirements is mandatory.

“Technology can save cost and increase productivity, but it doesn’t always do so. Careful cost return on investment assessment needs to be performed before investing in such technology, as well as tracking cost savings after implementation. The key is establishing needs in operations that can be addressed by technology first, then choosing the appropriate technology to address those needs most cost effectively.

“Upgrading technology has made our lives healthier, safer, and less costly. As directors it’s our responsibility to implement the safest, most cost-effective technology available.”