What a year this has been!  Hurricane Ike created turbulence and disaster for most of us.  The Polk County Fresh Water Supply District No. 2 (District) was extremely fortunate to have limited damage.  The employees who kept working throughout this time period need to be commended.  We were able to maintain service throughout the power outages.  We need to thank the other utilities, both local and out of state, the local police departments, fire department and all others that helped during this crisis.  This community showed that it can really pull together when needed.  We should be proud to live in the Onalaska area!

The financial markets and recession have hit everyone.   The District has made every effort possible to keep expenses as low as possible.  The District has managed to keep rate increases very low for the past 10 years.  By careful planning, budgeting and minimizing expenses, the District has been able to held the rate increase to 3.5%, compared to other districts 20-25% increase for 2009.

It is imperative our customers pay their monthly or annual bills in a timely manner.  Collection costs have risen dramatically in the past few months due to the recession and Hurricane Ike.  If you are having a problem paying your sewer bill, please contact Sue Norris, General Manager.  We would much rather work with you to make payment arrangements than to have your water disconnected for non-payment of sewer.  We have ACH Bank Drafting available for your convenience, along with the drop box, if you find our hours inconvenient.  Please verify your account number if you send your payments online. If mailing or using the drop box, return the small payment stub with your check.  There are times when “guesswork” has to be used to apply a payment due to insufficient account information. 

Continuing with our plan to become more efficient, the District is in the process of purchasing the necessary equipment to install taps, do road bores and sewer main repairs that are in excess of 5’ in depth.  This will eliminate the necessity of the District using outside contractors on many of the repairs.  It should save our customers money on new installations, as the District will be able to perform these tasks at our approximate cost.

Many of our customers find out they have a sewer stoppage early in the day, but for one reason or another, they do not contact the District until late evening.  If you know you have a sewer backup or other problems, please call during regular working hours of 8AM-4:30 PM to avoid overtime charges.  This can affect both the District and your costs.  Whenever you call, we will respond, but if it is after hours and the problem is on your side of the sewer main, you will be charged the normal amount, plus overtime.

The District now has a website available for your convenience.  All future newsletters will be posted on the website.  Postage continues to increase, therefore this is another area the District can cut costs.  You can go to www.polkcountyfreshwater.com to download forms, rates, regulations, and have many of your questions answered.  To further assist the District, please use e-mail to inquire about your account, have questions answered, etc.  Our staff will be able to do the necessary research and provide you with a prompt answer or resolution.  If your requests are not promptly and/or correctly replied to, please contact Sue Norris, General Manager.  She is always open to suggestions, ideas, etc. for the betterment of the District.

The Federal Government has adopted new rules and regulations in regards to Identity Theft Prevention.  Effective November 1, 2008, picture identification must be presented and matched with the applicant to have wastewater service provided to all new residents.  There will be no exceptions to this as per Federal Law as Identity Theft is such a problem worldwide.  Please remember to get your free credit check annually.  It can be obtained at www.freecreditcheck.com at no charge.

If you have not seen our FOG (Fats, Oils and Grease) video program, please make arrangements to do so now.  This can save you money if you should have a sewer problem. Being more aware of FOG can save possible back-ups of sewer into your home.  These backups are your responsibility and can cost thousands of dollars.  For those of you that have seen the program, TCEQ has reported they will have a new program out in February 2009.  Please schedule to see this program, watch for further information on your monthly bill.  It is shown at the office each Friday at 3:00 P.M. or Sue Norris, General Manager, will show it at any civic organization or homeowners’ association meeting with the proper scheduling.  

Many of us do not know how to dispose of unwanted or expired medications.  These and over-the-counter medications from households should never be disposed of by flushing them down the toilet or a drain.  Although this method of disposal prevents accidental ingestion, it can cause contamination to Lake Livingston’s aquatic environment because wastewater treatment systems are not designed to remove many of these medications.  Please use these practical guidelines when disposing of prescriptions and over-the-counter medications:

• Keep the medicines in the original container.  This will help identify the contents if they are accidentally ingested.
• Mark out your name and prescription number for safety.
• For pills:  add some water or soda to start dissolving them.  For liquids:  add something inedible like cat litter, dirt or cayenne pepper.
• Close lid and secure with duct or packing tape.
• Place the bottle(s) inside an opaque (non see-through) container, like a coffee can or plastic laundry bottle.
• Tape the container closed.
• Hide the container in the trash.  Do not put in the recycle bin.

DO NOT put drugs in the trash without disguising them – human or animal scavengers may find them and misuse them.  DO NOT flush drugs down the toilet.  DO NOT give drugs to anyone else.

Happy Holidays to each of you.  We look forward to serving you in the coming year.

Fred Alderman, President; Ron Stephenson, Vice President; JR Jones, Secretary-Treasurer; Robert Mize, Director and Bobby Williams, Director, Sue Norris, General Manager; Kim Baker, Office Manager; Shannon Goins, Operations Manager; Wayman, Vicki, Lorne, David, Shara, Loveearl, Rick and Dawn.