Edmonson Water's New General Manager Daniel Brown Brings Comprehensive Experience to Table

Kevin Shaw Retires, Says District is in Good Hands

Daniel Brown was named the new general manager of Edmonson Water in February of this year.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Changes are still coming at Edmonson Water, but those in charge are very confident that past issues have been addressed and they say the local utility is working to ensure safe and quality service for years to come.

One of those changes is with a new general manager, Mr. Daniel Brown, who came on board in early February after the retirement of Kevin Shaw, who spent 40 years in utilities.

Shaw, who finished his official role a couple weeks ago, will remain as a consultant while Brown gets his feet "wet" in his new role. Shaw sat down with the Edmonson Voice to discuss the current state of affairs at Edmonson Water.

In January, we announced an additional $9.25M appropriated of funding that is headed to Edmonson County for water improvements. A total of nearly $30M in funding will be used to improve county water system intake, treatment plant, and updated technology of equipment and monitoring. Shaw began by reminding the public how big this actually was.

"These earmarks are incredibly generous by our state and federal legislators," he said. "While all the improvements can't be made immediately, we've already made great strides in improvements around here. Our water is in a great place now and our treatment plant is in incredible shape."

Shaw said he came out of retirement to take the Edmonson job and told them he would stay two years to help get things back on track. By all accounts, he's has put the water district in a new direction. The treatment plant is operating more efficiently and with the reduction of customers in Hart and Grayson Counties that were a burden on the already-stressed Wax treatment plant, he said the district is moving in the right direction.

"We've also been able to secure a connection with Warren County Water in case of an emergency and you don't often get that in a water system the size of ours. In addition, aside from the potential problems that could arise with low water levels, (which he said was in good shape even in low levels) our source of water is one of the easiest to treat. With its constant flushing and moving, it has less organics."

Shaw said over the years, Edmonson Water failed to make necessary updates and maintenance as they focused mainly on low rates. He said after the dams were removed, lower water levels compounded issues that have been adding up for decades.

"Right now, we have the plant treating water as good as any facility out there, but that's where it should be. There has to be higher expectations than there have been. Edmonson Water users got let down and they deserve better," he said.

Shaw said the new funding is going to allow continued improvements.

"We're confident that it's better than it was. I wanted to do more while I was here, but the current board is unbiased and committed. The new management is more than capable of continuing on the path to where it needs to be."

Board members consist of Chairman Darren Dennison, Josh Brooks, Bruce Lindsey, and legal counsel Thomas Goff.

So who's the new guy, Daniel Brown?

When it comes to water and utilities, Brown has just about seen it all. From contracting, putting pipe in the ditch, software, technology, gadgets, and management, he brings a tool box full of items that can be used at Edmonson Water. 

Brown said he holds a degree in architecture from WKU and went to work for Warren County Water more than 20 years ago. With additional experience in Franklin Water and also East Logan Water, Brown's past has focused on contracting, water loss, problem identifying, and problem solving, and that's why he wanted to come to Edmonson County.

"When you look back at what caused the main issues here, you go back over 20 years ago," Brown said. "Some of this stuff just simply wasn't maintained. Some people don't want to hear that, but it's like I heard Kevin say, 'it's not personal, it's personnel.'"

Brown said Shaw brought electronic monitoring to all tanks in the county. He pulled up his phone and showed how flow, chlorine, and other categories could be viewed in real time. He said Edmonson County water is sampled hundreds of times per day. 

"We're responsible for all the county's drinking water and we will succeed," he said. "We have to."

He also credited the staff of Edmonson Water and the job they all collectively do.

"I understand why customers have been unhappy in the past. There have been a lot of issues, but we're asking for a chance to fix that. We already have made huge improvements. We're not afraid of the challenges and we're in good shape. Our plant guys are great and do a great job. If you think you have issues, we can come to your house and pull samples. Call us and we'll come see you."

"I will ride or die with anyone on this staff," he said confidently.

"Let us prove what we can do. Some of the stuff you see on Facebook and problems that are thought to be out there aren't really there. With the changes we've made over the last couple of years, we hope people can see them as we continue to move forward. Our staff here and our board is all on the same page and we're happy to share with the public."

Shaw, now headed back to retirement, said he hoped he made an impact here as general manager and also said he'd made a lot of new friends in the county.

"It was a good experience and I always wanted to be honest with the people," he said. "Your water is going to be alright. When all is said and done, the county is going to stay happy with their water, Shaw added."

Brown said it's still not known exactly when all the funding will come to Edmonson Water because it's not as simple as someone just handing them a check.

"But we can still make plans for those improvements and be ready when that funding gets here," Brown added. "We're already working as hard as we can. Right now, we're looking at finding that deepest spot in the river for a new permanent intake. We'll put it wherever it needs to go. Other projects can continue to move forward. Our plant treats some really good water."