Page 20 - Texas811

Support From Water
Associations for 811
Membership is the
New Norm
More and more 811 Centers across the country are reporting legislative changes now including membership in the 811 system
a requirement for all owner/operators of underground utilities. And what is making that possible in many of the states is that both rural water associations and municipality associations are supporters of the change.
As an old water guy, I can certainly remember the reluctance from both water and wastewater systems to be required to be a member of the one call system. There were a lot of reasons for that. We believed it would cost too much
to be a member, even though most of us didn’t know what it actually cost. We weren’t really keen on mapping requirements. We knew where our lines were, for the most part. If folks wanted them marked, we were glad to mark them. We didn’t have time to fool with mapping or marking on someone else’s schedule; and perhaps our biggest reason for opposing the idea was that we just didn’t want someone telling us what to do.
As I think back over the years, I’m reminded that most of the water operators I knew considered themselves pretty good operators. They made sure water was at the tap and
that it was the highest quality possible. They understood the value of making sure the water meters were accurate because they knew they were the cash register of the system. They uncovered and mapped valves in case of emergencies. Yeah, they were good operators but didn’t always embrace change or new technology outside the water system.
That is not so much the case today. Take
a minute to sit down with water operators today and they will show you with pride how they can control their pump stations, tank levels and entire operations from laptops
and smartphones. Many have already begun mapping their entire territory with digital maps and in many cases are ahead of much larger utility companies as it relates to technology in general.
Embracing such technology and change
has improved the reliability and expense of operating water systems across the country. Many of these same operators and water associations are also now embracing the benefits that a one call system provides to all members. And while the water and wastewater companies have embraced the benefits of technology, so have the 811 Centers. And more importantly to you who operate in Texas,
none have brought greater benefits to its membership than Texas811.
With the crowded utility rights of way, all stakeholders have finally reached the
18 • Texas811
2024, Issue 2
By Roger Cox President ACTS Now, Inc