Ellinger Sewer and Water Corporation Receives EPA Award

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented Ellinger Sewer and Water Corporation with an award for excellence and innovation.

Officials from Ellinger Sewer and Water Corporation (ESWC) traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to receive the award. ESWC’s recentlycompleted water plant improvement project won the EPA’s Excellence in Creative Solutions award for solving the town’s long-standing arsenic problem.

The ESWC project was among just 38 from across the nation to receive such an award, and it was the only award issued for the State of Texas.

Here’s what the EPA said about Ellinger’s water system: “For years, the Ellinger Sewer and Water Supply Corporation struggled with high arsenic in its water. The water system faced challenges with financing the necessary infrastructure improvements without increasing water rates, which would have been burdensome for many of the residents living in a low-income community. In 2017, EPA issued an Administrative Order on the Ellinger Sewer and Water Supply Corporation to bring its water system into compliance with the arsenic maximum contaminant limit (MCL) of 10 parts per billion.

“As a result, Ellinger Sewer and Water Supply Corporation secured a $863,000 loan from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to drill a new well for an alternate water supply source. After multiple attempts, the Corporation was unable to find a local groundwater source with arsenic levels low enough to meet drinking water standards. The Corporation then applied for $1.4 million of additional funding through DWSRF with approximately 45 percent principal forgiveness under the Urgent Need-Securing Safe Water Initiative. This allowed them to install an arsenic treatment system and replace a standpipe with a new 50,000-gallon ground storage tank to ensure a reliable water supply.

“The Ellinger Sewer and Water Supply Corporation addressed multiple challenges under one project by leveraging co-funding from USDA and DWSRF to assist a very small water system in addressing high arsenic levels in its source water by installing treatment, in addition to providing water storage and replacing existing infrastructure. The Ellinger Sewer and Water Supply Corporation now provides to its rural service area reliable drinking water that meets Safe Drinking Water Act arsenic standards.”

ESWC President Greg Hunger, Secretary Michael Schlabach and Director Paula Urban met with EPA officials on April 23 in Washington, D.C. Also in attendance were James and Barbara Weishuhn of Weishuhn Engineering, the firm that designed Ellinger’s water plant improvements. They spoke personally with Jessica Kramer, who is President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the EPA’s Office of Water.

“A few years ago, the Ellinger Sewer and Water Corporation became very cognitive of the fact they had to go in a new direction,” Schlabach said. “They set up more inperson meetings with the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, building a strong relationship with them and making as many trips to Austin as needed.”

Schlabach stated that good communication with other board members, which include Jeff James, Bradley Dunk, Kevin Coufal and Ronnie Minar played a major role.

“ESWC operator Wayne Kocian and engineer Ross Weishuhn also helped gather information as needed and helped with the design of the project,” Schlabach said.

Schlabach also thanked the City of Ellinger and Mayor Matt Mikulenka for assisting ESWC with securing the necessary funding.

“Although the City Of Ellinger and Ellinger Sewer and Water are two totally separate entities, the mayor made many meetings and trips to Austin to help with this project,” Schlabach said. “His dealings with state government from his position as mayor helped the water board navigate through many bumps along the way.

“The team work made Dream Work and this award from the EPA shows what can happen when small communities such as Ellinger work together,” Schlabach added.

Schlabach said he and the rest of the Ellinger delegation were able to visit a few sights during their visit to D.C., including the Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Hill and the White House. They returned to Texas last Thursday.