Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2008 - (Page 22)

Retirement Will Have to Wait Northeast Missouri Man Ensures Adeqate Water supply for Local Communities BY KATHY DETERS PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, MODNR Thanks to Fretwell’s commitment and vision, the CCWWC ultimately helped negotiate and secure water rights to Mark Twain Lake. Af ter learning that the soon-tobe-constructed Mark Twain Lake was designed to serve as a drinking water supply, Fretwell worked to make it a regional water supply source. He pushed for t he for mat ion of t he Cla rence Cannon Wholesale Water Commission (CCW WC) in 1983, even pushing for legislative changes to allow formation of this commission. As chair of the CCWWC, Fretwell coordinated efforts among the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. A r my Cor ps of Engineers, the EPA, USDA Rural Development and the 22 member cities and water districts that belong to the CCW WC. He also participated in four years of intense negotiation with the Corps of Engineers and sold revenue bonds on the private market to fund the project. Thanks to Fretwell’s commitment and vision, the CCWWC ultimately helped negotiate and secure water rights to Mark Twain Lake. This organization also was responsible for the construction and startup of water delivery from the new water treatment plant. “Though it was a significant and lengthy undertaking, the communities in northeast Missouri will enjoy the benefits for many generations to come,” said Elizabeth Grove, general manager of the CCWWC. “By securing a stable water source for northeast Missouri, Cecil helped promote the region’s economic development.” Fretwell’s efforts also helped create a roadmap for other regions facing similar challenges. The CCW WC was the first strictly wholesale water commission in Missouri formed for the purpose of serving treated water to its member cities and water districts. It now serves as a model for other wholesale commissions in Missouri. “A visitor to the area was talking to her host as they were driving around the area,” Grove said. “Her host pointed out the water towers they passed and pump stations and explained how water was delivered to households and that Cecil was the ‘CEO’ of the group that did that. The visitor replied, ‘He has changed the course of history for this area, hasn’t he?’ How true that is!” Fretwell served as the first chairman of the CCWWC in 1983 and continued to serve in this position until he retired—for a second time—in March 2007 at the age of 96. m MOST PEOPLE DREAM of a retirement filled with tee times or perhaps crosscountry road trips. When Cecil Fretwell retired from the trucking industry in the early 1980s, he pursued a different kind of dream. Fretwell returned home to northeast Missouri, where he had spent his childhood, and soon noticed a growing need for a stable, long-term water supply for communities in the region. Fretwell took a job as a part-time manager for Monroe County PWSD #2, which quickly grew into a full-time job. 22 • First Quarter 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2008

Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2008 Contents From the President Afterburn: Nexters' Impact in the Workplace Retirement Will Have to Wait From Sewage, Added Water for Drinking Rural Water and the Farm Bill Fiduciary Responsibility: It's All About Trust Water Industry Supports International Rural Water Association Regulatory Update The Rural Water Washington Rally in April Throwing My Loop A Precious Thing Called Water Index to Advertisers Advertisers.com From the CEO

Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2008

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