Association News, Learning Opportunities, and Calendar of Events

A comprehensive collection of industry happenings.

Association News

Collection Systems Conference

The Water Environment Federation is sponsoring Collection Systems: Regional Planning for Compliance — The Future with Multi-Jurisdictional Organizations on May 18-21 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. Topics include regional system management, flow monitoring and sewer system analysis, sanitary and combined sewer overflow control, private property I/I, green systems solutions, computer modeling of wet weather conditions, and collection systems in the Pittsburgh area.

Besides 12 technical sessions, participants can attend a workshop on Satellite Utilities and the Regional POTW: Developing 21st Century Relationships, and tour the Nine Mile Run Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration and Allegheny County Sanitary Authority treatment facility, while earning up to six continuing education units, 12.75 professional development hours, and 6.75 contact hours. An evening cruise sails the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers. Call 800/666-0206 or visit www.wef.org.

Contractors raise concerns on budget

According to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the proposed $3.1 trillion budget for fiscal year 2009 would shrink domestic spending and reduce infrastructure funding by 2.9 percent below 2007 levels.

Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer of AGC, notes that over the last year, nonresidential construction employment has declined 2.1 percent, translating into 21,000 lost jobs. Nationwide, however, the Labor Department reports that 1.25 million non-farm payroll jobs were created in 2007.

Based on 2008 enacted levels, the 2009 budget proposes $39.4 billion ($1.8 billion less) for the Federal Aid Highways Program (FAHP), $175 million ($200 million less) for the Transit Security Grant Program, and $2.8 billion ($750 million less) for the Airport Improvement Program capital grants, says AGC.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, however, reports that the administration’s budget includes an obligation limitation of $39.4 billion for the FAHP. It is the final installment of the $286.4 billion in highway, transit, and safety program funding agreed upon in the last surface transportation re-authorization act.

The administration proposes $4.4 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works program, $800 million less than in 2008. The AGC says that the budget proposes a $134 million reduction in the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund.

However, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson says, “The EPA’s proposed 2009 budget meets the president’s commitment for funding State Revolving Fund grants with a request of $555.5 million for clean water grants and $842.2 million for drinking water grants.”

National Water Quality Monitoring Conference

The National Water Quality Monitoring Council Conference, “Monitoring: Key to Understanding Our Waters,” is May 18-22 at the Atlantic City (N.J.) Convention Center. The conference will feature successes from an array of river basins and coastal waters, including overviews of the three pilot studies selected for the National Water Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Water and their Tributaries, and plans for the network’s future. Conference themes are:

• Connecting and Integrating Data About Hydrologic Resources

• Collecting, Assessing and Interpreting Data: New Technologies and Analytical Methods

• Describing the Sustainability and Condition of Water Resources

• Understanding Water Quality Stressors

• Exploring Federal, State, and Local Monitoring Needs

• Enhancing State, Regional, and Local Monitoring Programs

• Addressing Multi-Jurisdictional and International Monitoring Issues

• Improving Communication through Innovative Outreach

E-mail Lara Hughes at Monitoring2008@wef.org or visit http://acwi. gov/monitoring.

Learning Opportunities

Sewage Biohazards

The National Utility Contractors Association has a Toolbox Talk on Health Hazards of Working with Sewage for employees involved in sewer inspection and maintenance work. It covers basic hygiene and what personal protective equipment to wear to avoid contracting serious illnesses. The handout is available to members at www.nuca.com or call 800/662-6822.

Trenchless Technology Courses

The North American Society for Trenchless Technology has the following classes:

• April 27-May 2 – No-Dig Conference & Exhibition, Grapevine

• April 27 – An Introduction to Trenchless Technology, Grapevine

• April 30-May 1 – New Installation Methods Good Practices, Grapevine

• April 30-May 1 – HDD Good Practices Guidelines, Grapevine

Visit www.nastt.org.

UW-Madison Engineering Course

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Engineering Professional Development is offering the following CEU, LU, PDH classes. They are at the Madison campus unless indicated otherwise:

• March 31-April 4 – Cross-Connection Control and Backflow Prevention (J117)

• April 7-8 – Municipal Engineering Fundamentals for Non-Engineers (J491)

• April 14-15 – Mastering the Fundamentals of Culvert Hydraulic Design (J759)

• April 17-18 – Drainage Engineering Fundamentals for Non-Engineers (J762)

• April 24-25 – Soil Engineering for Non-Soils Engineers and Technicians (J718), Philadelphia, Pa.

• April 28-29 – Pumping Equipment and Systems: Selecting, Operating, Maintaining, and Troubleshooting (J660)

• April 30-May 2 – Preventing Deficiencies in Design and Construction of Water and Wastewater Projects (J797)

• April 30-May 2 – Watershed Modeling Using the New HEC-HMS (J490)

• May 8-9 – Preparing an Effective Municipal Capital Improvements Plan (J488)

• June 11-13 – Designing Wastewater Pumping Systems and Lift Stations (J796)

Call 608/262-2061 or visit http://epdweb.engr.wisc.edu/course_ categories.lasso.

American Public Works Association

APWA has these courses as classroom workshops or as audio/Web-based broadcasts:

• April 9-10 – Symposium on Climate Change: Public Works Role, Strategy, and Impact, Tempe, Ariz.

• April 17 – Innovative Funding – Getting to the End of the Rainbow (Web).

• May 7-9 – Public Fleet Management Workshop, Grimsby, Ont.

• May 15 – Delta Force Readiness! Developing Tomorrow’s Elite Corps of Public Works Leaders (Web).

• 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 has a “Financial Management: Cost of Service Rate-Making” CEU/PDH seminar on April 16-18 in Boston, Mass. Call 800/926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.

North Carolina

The state university at Raleigh is offering these courses:

• April 2 – Sediment & Erosion Control: Latest Information with Hands-On Demonstrations

• April 22-24 – Land Application/Residuals Operators Training

• May 5-8 – Spray Irrigation Systems Operators Training

• June 25 – Soil Survey in the 21st Century

• June 18 – Location, Navigation and Data Collection Using Global Positioning

Call Joni Tanner at 919/515-1678 or visit www.soil.ncsu.edu, then Training, Short Courses and Workshops.

Joint Environmental Training Coordinating Committee (JETCC)

Programs are approved by Maine DEP for Wastewater Operator certification renewal credits. Some are approved by ME DHS for Drinking Water Operator (DWO) certification.

• May 8 – PVC Valves, Connections & Joining, Boothbay (DWO)

• May 20 – Pump Station Retrofits & Troubleshooting, Bangor (DWO)

Call 207/253-8020 or visit www.jetcc.org.

Calendar

April 6-8

Water Security Congress, sponsored by the American Water Works Association, Cincinnati, Ohio. Call Dana Trujillo at 303/347-6240 or visit www.awwa.org.

April 27-May 2

North American Society for Trenchless Technology No-Dig Show, Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, Dallas, Texas. Call 330/467-7588 or visit www.nodigshow.org.

May 4-7

National Clean Water Policy Forum, Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D. C. Call 202/833-2672 or visit www.nacwa.org.

May 18-21

Collection Systems, sponsored by the Water Environment Federation, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. Call 800/666-0206 or visit www.wef.org.

May 18-22

National Water Quality Monitoring Conference, sponsored by the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, Atlantic City Convention Center, N.J. E-mail Monitoring2008@wef.org or visit www.wef.org.

May 19-21

New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference, Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa, Groton, Conn. Call Laura Chan at 978/323-7929 or visit www.neiwpcc.org.

May 31-June 5

American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo for Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minn. Call 703/849-8888 or visit www.aiha.org.

June 1-3

International Water Association-Water Environment Federation Wastewater Treatment Modelling Seminar, Château Mont-Sainte-Anne, Qué. Call Bruce Johnson at 720/286-5373 or visit www.modeleau.org/WWTmod2008.

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, 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.

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. 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.



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