Rural Water - Quarter 3, 2008 - (Page 48)

will continue into the future. The EPA regulates some 91 drinking water contaminates and more regulations are pending — regulations that do not rely on what I consider sound science. And these regulations definitely do not rely on a cost-benefit ratio. Complying with these federal regulations is disproportionately expensive for smaller water systems. Connecting with neighboring water systems is not just as simple as welding two pipes together or using PVC pipe and a little glue so the water can f low. Water being transported for many miles presents unique challenges, especially when the terrain is not cooperative. Regional systems can have great benefits as well, but they are difficult to build. That is why I believe it is important for the state and federal government to assist small communities that are not often able to comply with the costs of the regulations. Another problem I deal with in Washington is the mentality of a onesize-fits-all regulation. Some think that is the best solution for a problem. But as you know, a rural water district is unique; it’s not the same as what we have in Harlem or in Los Angeles. We need manageable laws and regulations that are applicable to the communities that will be following them. We need to recognize that not all communities are capable of complying with costly regulations in the same timeframe that better financed cities are able to do. I am working in Washington to help agencies like the EPA take a more cooperative approach to helping local communities and businesses address their problems, because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing: a safe, clean environment for our children and safe, clean drinking water for our children. The choice is how we cooperate with each other to get to those common shared goals. I started a group called The Economic Competitiveness Caucus in Washington, D.C., and I have about 75 other members of Congress who have joined. We are working together to point out the barriers created by the federal government which keep American workers and businesses from being successful. Barriers such as our tax system get buried in the cost of our products and punish success. Litigation and liability costs drive up everything we purchase. Our energy policy is something that needs to be changed because personally, I am tired of paying $3+ for a gallon of gasoline. I want to make sure our education system meets the needs of our future as well as today. Research and development tax credits are needed to help our companies meet new technology needs. We currently have a health care system with costs governed by bad policies that contribute to rates rising faster than we can match. For those of you managing the budgets of your rural water district, you know how difficult it is to give health care to your employees. And of course there are federal regulations. My role as ranking member on the Interior Subcommittee is to point out that these are barriers created by our federal government, but which our cities and rural water districts cannot P rotect Your Source Water Protecting source water means keeping untreated wastewater from entering it. Protecting bearings and packing in plug valves is no different and no less important if you want to minimize maintenance. That’s why every Val-Matic CamCentric® Plug Valve includes Grit Guard seals. Grit Guard seals protect packing and bearings by preventing media from entering the upper and lower bearing journals. Grit Guards coupled with our packing overload protection (POP™) system helps assure that every Cam-Centric® will provide long term, trouble free service with minimal maintenance. 905 Riverside Dr., Elmhurst, IL 60126 • P: 630-941-7600 F: 630-941-8042 www.valmatic.com • valves@valmatic.com 48 • Third Quarter12008 387843_ValMatic.indd 6/18/08 1:34:26 PM http://www.valmatic.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Rural Water - Quarter 3, 2008

Rural Water - Quarter 3, 2008 Contents From the President From Hypo to Gas - A Forward Leap If You Lose All Your Data Today... Would You Still Be in Business Tomorrow? Weaving the Wireless Web Rural Water and the Farm Bill Ensuring Your Water System's Security Guarding Against Becoming a Victim of Fraud 10 Ways to Improve Utility Efficiency New Technology Making a Difference By Being Involved Regulatory Update Source Water Protection Corner Throwing My Loop Cub Scouts Visit Alliance of Indiana Rural Water's Spring Conference Advertisers.com Index to Advertisers From the CEO

Rural Water - Quarter 3, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.