NUCA President Testifies
National Utility Contractors Association President Terry Dillon testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, encouraging the committee to restore State Revolving Fund (SRF) appropriations to at least $1.35 billion, the amount allocated before 2004. In his statement, he addressed the cuts in federal appropriations for the EPA’s Clean Water program, which finances water treatment projects across the country. Dillon explained that combined and sanitary sewer overflows dump 950 billion gallons of raw sewage into lakes, rivers and streams each year. He related a story about an emergency repair job his company did involving four feet of standing sewage in an Indiana neighborhood. Following the hearing, the committee asked Dillon to provide a plastic-encased slice of tuberculated water pipeline like the one he brought with him.
Maximizing Infrastructure
The International Pipelines Conference is July 22-25 at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. Its theme, Pipeline Asset Management: Maximizing Performance of Our Pipeline Infrastructure, reflects a trend among infrastructure owners to recognize the value of their underground assets and better manage them. Professional development hours can be earned at these workshops:
• Maximizing the Performance of Steel Pipe Assets
• Pipeline Risk Management: A Compendium for Pipeline System Managers
• Sewer-Pipeline Condition Assessment
• Pipeline Asset Management Practices
• Maximizing the Performance of Iron Pipeline Assets
• Locating and Depicting Underground Utilities
• Trenchless Technology Applications for Urban Gas & Water Mains Rehabilitation
• Maximizing the Performance of Concrete Pressure Pipe Assets
• Water-Pipeline Condition Assessment (PCA)
Call 800/548-2723 or visit http://content.asce.org/conferences/ pipelines2008/index.html.
Lightning Safety Campaign
The National Weather Service (NWS) has designated June 22-28 as Lightning Safety Week. Lightning kills an average of 62 people a year. In 2006, lightning caused 47 deaths and 246 injuries. To increase awareness, the NWS has a special web site with handouts, indoor safety and outdoor risk reduction tips, medical facts, history, survivor stories, streaming videos, and photos. Go to www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.
Treatment Process Wins Award
The Royal Society in Great Britain presented the Brian Mercer Award for Innovation to a self-sustainable wastewater treatment process designed to alleviate water scarcity. The process, which uses submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors, treats dilute effluents at ambient temperatures.
Physical Security
The American Society of Civil Engineers’ Environmental & Water Resources Institute is taking a public comment on its new standard, Guidelines for the Physical Security of Water Utilities, until Aug. 20. The standard applies to the physical security of raw water facilities, wells and pumping stations, water treatment plants, finished water storage facilities, distribution systems, and water system support facilities. To comment, contact Phillip Mariscal at pmariscal@asce.org or 703/295-6338. For more information on the standard, contact Karen Albers at kalbers@asce.org or 703/295-6404.
Water Prize Winner
Andrew Benedek, a member of American Water Works Association, is the first recipient of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, which recognizes contributions to world water problems through innovative technologies or programs. Benedek founded Zenon Environmental to develop cost-effective membrane solutions for water treatment. The $217,500 award was presented during the Singapore International Water Week in June.
?LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Business of Water
Published by the American Water Works Association, The Business of Water: A Concise Overview of Challenges and Opportunities in the Water Market introduces the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. More than 35 full-length articles address investment trends, conservation practices, regulatory trends, strategic planning, financing topics, water pricing and value issues, and more. The book is available at www. awwa.org/bookstore.
Infrastructure Report
The broadcast release date of Penn State Public Broadcasting’s Liquid Assets -- The Story of Our Water Infrastructure to national public television is Oct. 1. The 90-minute documentary covers the history, engineering challenges, and political and economic realities of water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructures. Municipalities can download an outreach toolkit and graphics at www.liquidassets.psu.edu.
UW-Madison Engineering Course
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Engineering Professional Development is offering the following CEU, LU, PDH classes at the Madison campus.
• June 2-3 – Fundamentals of Drinking Water (K015)
• June 9-10 – Understanding Water Chemistry for Practical Application (J795)
• June 11-13 – Designing Wastewater Pumping Systems and Lift Stations (J796)
Call 608/262-2061 or visit http://epdweb.engr.wisc.edu.
American Public Works Association
APWA has these courses as classroom workshops or audio/Web-based broadcasts:
• June 12 – Developing a Successful Fleet Replacement Program (Web).
• June 26 – Municipal Stormwater Self-Audit: A How-To Guide (Web).
Call Carrie Merker at 816/472-6100, ext. 5213 or visit www.apwa.net.
American Water Works Association
The organization is offering a CEU/PDH webcast on Pump Station Maintenance on Aug. 6. Call 800/926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.
North Carolina
The state university at Raleigh is offering these courses:
• June 18 – Location, Navigation and Data Collection Using Global Positioning
• June 25 – Soil Survey in the 21st Century
Call Joni Tanner at 919/515-1678 or visit www.soil.ncsu.edu, then Training, Short Courses, and Workshops.
New England
The New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) Training has the following courses.
• June 3 – Focus on Flow for Wastewater and Collection Operators, Haverhill, Mass.
• June 4 – Sampling Procedures for WWTP Operators, Millbury, Mass.
• June 11 – Care of Emergency Generators, Millbury, Mass.
• June 11-12 – Laboratory Procedures and Review, South Kingstown, R.I.
• June 11-13 – Preparing for Your Grade 1 & 2 Operator Certification Exam (with math), Hartford, Conn.
• June 12 – Operation and Maintenance of Centrifugal Pumps, Millbury, Mass.
• June 17 – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Wastewater Collection Systems, Hanover, N.H.
• June 24-26 – O&M of Wastewater Collection Systems, Buffalo, N.Y.
• June 25 – Safety in Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Attleboro, Mass.
For more information, call 866/824-9656 or visit www.neiwpcc.org/ training/schedule.asp.
Water Environment Federation
The WEF has the following seminars:
• June 1-3 – Wastewater Treatment Modeling Seminar, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Québec
• June 10-11 – NPDES Permits Program Overview Course for Permittees – Including New and Emerging Issues, Milwaukee, Wis.
• June 18-19 – Asset Management for Water and Wastewater Utilities, New Orleans, La.
• June 24-25 – Fats, Oils, and Grease Management Training, Phoenix, Ariz.
Call 703/684-2441 or visit www.wef.org.
CALENDAR
June 1-3
International Water Association-Water Environment Federation Wastewater Treatment Modeling Seminar, Château Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec. Call Bruce Johnson at 720/286-5373 or visit www.modeleau.org/WWTmod2008.
June 1-4
PennTec Annual Conference, Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, Pa. Call 717/642-9500 or visit www.pwea.org.
June 8-12
American Water Works Association Annual Conference and Exhibition, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta. Call 800/926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.
June 22-25
National Environmental Health Association Educational Conference and Exhibition, Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa, Tucson, Ariz. Call 303/756-9090 or visit www.neha.org.
July 15-18
National Association of Clean Water Agencies Summer Conference and Meeting, Hilton Hotel, Anchorage, Alaska. Call 202/833-2672 or visit www.nacwa.org.
July 22-25
International Pipelines Conference, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 800/548-2723 or visit www.asce.org.
Aug. 3-7
StormCon North American Surface Water Quality Conference and Exposition, Orlando World Center Marriott, Fla. Call 805/682-1300, ext. 129 or visit www.stormcon.com.
Aug. 17-20
American Public Works Association Congress: The Best Show in Public Works, Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, La. Call 800/848-2792 or visit www.apwa.net.
Sept. 7-10
WateReuse Symposium, Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Texas. Call 703/548-0880 or visit www.watereuse.org.
Sept. 21-24
Distribution Systems Symposium and Exposition for Distribution, Engineering and Plant Operations Professionals, Austin, Texas. Call Tricia Loughead at 800/926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.
Sept. 30 -Oct. 3
Wisconsin Wastewater Operators Association Conference, Holiday Inn, Stevens Point. Call Richard McKee at 608/795-0024 or visit www.wwoa.org.
Oct. 5-8
National Rural Water Association Convention, Reno, Nev. Call 508/252-0629 or visit www.nrwa.org.
