Archive for October, 2020



Agenda & Registration for AEA’s Annual Conference are now available

Posted on: October 26th, 2020 by eric

AEA is going virtual because of the pandemic.  We will be online to provide ESSENTIAL information providers of ESSENTIAL service need to navigate challenges and continue great service.

AEA Annual Meeting & Conference
November 12
and 13, 2020


Thursday
2.5 w tchs / 3 ww tchs
Friday 1.5 w tchs / 2 ww tchs
(Attendance for the entire day required in order to receive credit)

Topics include:

  • William Senft, EJ Water Trust, Inc. will give an Introduction to the Water Coop: a Non-profit Model of Water and Wastewater Service Delivery
  • John Gray, NJDEP will talk about Current Topics in Water Resources Management at the NJDEP
  • Rob Newby, NJDEP Division of Science and Research will present an Old Tool, New Use: Using Wastewater Epidemiology as a Strategy to Fight SARS-CoV-2
  • David A. Smith, Princeton Public Affairs Group, Inc. will wrap up with Policies, Politics and Pandemics

TCH credits for operators will be offered both days at a fee of $99 for the first 2 registrants and $50 for each additional registrant from the same organization. Introduce More of Your Folks to AEA! Our low, $25 non-TCH rate is a great way to introduce commissioners, administrative staff, operations professionals, and consultants to AEA. 

You will not be able to access the Zoom meeting without first registering. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Agenda
On-line Registration
Registration Form
Sponsor Form

 

Governor Bans Shutoffs of Drinking Water Due to Nonpayment Until March 15

Posted on: October 20th, 2020 by eric

Last week Governor Murphy announced an Executive Order prohibiting water systems from shutting off the water service to residential customers for non-payment through March 15. The order covers accounts that primarily serve residential customers. The EO will also require reconnection of any service shut off for non-payment since March 16, 2020, except in the cases of public health and safety. The EO does not cover sewer utilities. 


            About half of AEA drinking water members, that provide water to about one million people in New Jersey, do not  shut off the supply of drinking water to a home in the event of non-payment as a matter of policy


            As a matter of public health, our members that have shut off policies suspended this activity voluntarily at the outset of the pandemic. Our private/corporate purveyor drinking water colleagues also suspended shut offs voluntarily until Oct. 15.  


            There has been scant indication that anyone was continuing to do shutoffs, or leaving people without water, during the pandemic. Staff from DEP and BPU have indicated they have not received complaints of drinking water service shut offs for non-payment during the pandemic. Nor have cases like this come up at weekly cross-sector online pandemic-response meetings involving utilities and relevant State agencies. 


            AEA members are hometown utilities, accessible to customers. This gives them the ability to respond directly to individual financial hardships of customers by waiving interest charges on overdue bills and refraining from lien enforcement. While the Governor’s announcement said, “customers who are able to do so will be urged to continue to make payments,” some members have expressed worry that mandatory no-shutoffs give cover to people who are able to pay their bills but choose not to. The financial implications of no-shutoff policies become more severe as the pandemic and its economic impacts continue. 


            The Governor’s EO suggested that those in need of financial assistance reach out to their utility directly. 

AEA’s Virtual Annual Meeting & Conference is Coming Nov. 12-13

Posted on: October 6th, 2020 by eric

Thursday & Friday, Nov. 12 – 13, 2020

Agenda, TCH Credits & Registration Fee Detail Forthcoming!

Like many other associations, AEA is going virtual because of the pandemic. On Nov. 12 and 13, we’ll be online, but we will still be on top of the ESSENTIAL information you, providers of such an ESSENTIAL service, need to navigate challenges and provide great service.

We will be sharing more details leading up to our Inaugural Virtual Conference.

Below are just some of the highlights we are looking forward to:

Alan Karnovitz, Hazen Sawyer, will share selected initiatives that utilities can implement to bolster their financial health and resilience in the face of highly disruptive and unpredictable events such as COVID19.

Robert Newby, NJ DEP Division of Science and Research, will present in a two-part discussion on Wastewater Detection of SARS-CoV-2

The Value of Networking in the Water Sector Government. A dynamic panel will discuss how utilities routinely help one another, trading many different types of information. This may be one of the most under-valued aspects of their work. This panel will explore the value of networking and mutual support as well as two programs that leverage and nurture that aspect of water sector culture.