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conclusion that the only way to make significant gains in protecting our underground infrastructure is to work together.
A few years ago, while speaking to a group about rural water associations’ support of membership, Dennis Sternberg, Executive Director of Arkansas Rural Water, stated that
in the past, the association had been opposed to requiring membership in the state’s one call system, but that the Rural Water Association Board of Directors was now in full support of the initiative going forward. He stated, “We consider being a member of the One-Call system as affordable insurance. The cost of membership is minimal as compared to the cost of repairs to our members’ lines. And the health concerns of damaged lines requiring boil orders are such that it doesn’t make sense to oppose membership to One-Call any longer.” Dennis went on to say that as new insurance policies are written, there is a greater emphasis being placed on best practices such as “are you a member of the 811 system?” At some point, failing to become a member of 811 will create the path forward to higher premiums, as has been proven in case studies.
Keith Lee, General Manager of Lower Water Users Association and past board member of New Mexico 811, says, “One of the primary reasons for being a member of New Mexico 811 is
so that a utility will be notified of someone’s intention to dig around their underground facilities.” He continued, “Even the smallest system is interested in protecting its lines. State law requires us to do that, but just being required to do it is not good enough. We need to educate folks. I mean, we need to educate folks to call before they dig and about the importance of locating. We are making progress, but we still have a lot to do.”
Kirby Mayfield, Executive Director of Mississippi Rural
Water Association, stated, “It really didn’t make sense for our members to continue to resist membership in Mississippi
811. The cost is small, and the benefits are large. We now
have someone who can help us deal with the unreasonable excavator, and we are notified in advance of the work starting. For a rural water system, that is huge, because we may have to drive 50 miles one way to locate a line. Learning that we must go locate a line in a couple of hours before the work starts creates cost and frustration. Being a member of the one call system has allowed us to better manage our days. If you are a one-man system like many of our smaller systems are, that is an important benefit.”
The list of water and municipal associations across the
nation that now actively support membership in 811 continues to grow. For the same reasons we no longer consider smartphones a luxury but a necessity, being a member of 811 is accepted as smart business. You’ll appreciate the many benefits afforded to members of Texas811 and your customers will appreciate your forward-thinking approach to minimizing disruptions to their daily lives.
Give Texas811 a call today and learn about the benefits of membership. I’m confident that you’ll agree with me that the advantages of active membership in Texas811 far outweigh the perceived disadvantages of not being a member.
You’ll be glad you did!
Roger Cox, with ACTS, was a water and wastewater operator for 15 years in the state of Arkansas. He can be reached at roger@aligningchange.com.
2024, Issue 2
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