Association News, Learning Opportunities and Calendar of Events

Learn about everything happening in the industry.

Stormwater Pollution Prevention Conference

StormCon, the North American Surface Water Quality Conference and Exposition, is Aug. 3-7 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Florida. Pre-conference one- and two-day workshops will address advanced BMP design, post-construction stormwater inspection, and the integration of stormwater programs with TMDLs into the watershed management plan. Call 805/682-1300 or visit www.stormcon.com.

APWA Call for Presentations

Public works professionals may submit proposals to speak at the 2009 American Public Works Association International Congress and Exposition on Sept. 13-16 in Columbus, Ohio. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, strategies for addressing public works response to emerging trends, practical tactics for dealing with critical issues, and lessons-learned and how-we-did-it case studies. Proposals must be submitted by Sept. 30. Visit www.apwa.net.

AWWA Call for Papers

The theme of the Jan. 25-27, 2009, American Water Works Association Water Resources Symposium in Portland, Ore., is Managing in Times of Change and Uncertainty. The organization invites proposals for papers highlighting the use of adaptive management and inter-disciplinary approaches to water resources issues. Proposals also are invited for the Water Conservation Workshop featuring basic tools, new technologies, trends, and practices to meet diverse demands for water. Contact Linda Moody at lmoody@awwa.org.

$406 Billion Spent on Infrastructure

The American Society of Civil Engineers Federal Capital Budgeting policy statement called for Congress to enact legislation to establish a multi-year federal capital budget for all infrastructure after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its report in May. The report said federal, state, and local spending on infrastructure totaled $406 billion in 2004. The federal government spent $62 billion. The private sector spent another $173.5 billion on infrastructure.

Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, noted that the current budget structure doesn’t segregate infrastructure spending from operating programs. He urged Congress to consider adopting a federal capital budget, releasing infrastructure money from competing with other priorities.

Research Shows Ponds Trap CO2

Iowa State University limnologist John Downing has discovered that constructed ponds and lakes on farmland take up carbon at a much higher rate than expected; as much as 20 to 50 times the rate at which trees trap carbon, and at a higher rate than larger lakes. The combined effect is that farm ponds, 90 percent of which are 2.5 acres or less, could be burying as much carbon as the world’s oceans each year.

If farm ponds can do it, so can stormwater retention ponds, because both have algae and plants that take carbon dioxide out of the air. Carbon remains in the ponds when plants die. In addition, water runoff brings in carbon from surrounding soil.

Downing’s research team published its paper, “Sediment Organic Carbon Burial in Agriculturally Eutrophic Impoundments Over the Last Century,” in the Feb. 15 issue of Global Biogeochemical Cycles. The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources sponsored the work. Downing’s ongoing research will investigate the role of small Iowa lakes in the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other important gases such as methane.

APWA Conference

The American Public Work Association Congress and Exposition is Aug. 17-20 at the New Orleans Convention Center. Besides more than 120 technical and professional development sessions, attendees can earn CEUs and PDHs in classroom, interactive, and live learning labs. The more than 100,000-square-foot exhibit floor will display the latest products, services, and technologies. Special non-compete hours allow attendees to visit the floor uninterrupted. For more information, visit www.apwa.net.

Maine Award Recipient

George Dugovic received the Maine Water Utilities Association Sid Anthony Award of Merit for coming out of retirement and using his engineering and business experience to rescue the Alfred Water District. The utility was experiencing serious problems that included the need to upgrade its distribution and transmission mains, and replace the system’s only storage tank. Before retiring, Dugovic was an engineer at the Rochester, N.Y., Gas and Electric Co.

Subcommittee OKs Sewage Right to Know Bill

The Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved bipartisan legislation requiring the public to be notified of combined sewage overflows.

The Sewage Overflow Community Right to Know Act was introduced by Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) and Rep. Timothy Bishop (D-N.Y.) almost one year ago. It has wide support on both sides of the aisle with 55 co-sponsors and more than 150 support groups and individuals including the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.

Learning Opportunities

American Public Works Association

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

• July 17 – Single- vs. Dual-Stream Recycling: One Size Doesn’t Fit All, Web

• July 31 – Self Assessment Using the Management Practices Manual. St. Paul, Minn.

Call Carrie Merker at (816) 472-6100, ext. 5213 or visit www.apwa.net.

American Water Works Association

The AWWA is offering the following CEU/PDH seminars or Webcasts:

• Aug. 6 – Pump Station Maintenance, Web

• Sept. 3 – Simultaneous Compliance, Web

• Sept. 17 – PVC Pipe in the Field, Web

• Sept. 18-19 – Business Continuity Planning for Water & Wastewater Utilities: How to Keep Your Utility in Business, Long Beach, Calif.

• Sept. 27 – PVC Pipe in the Field, Web

Call 800/926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.

Calendar

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 22-23

Trenchless Road Show, Holiday Inn, Strongsville, Ohio. Call Michelle Magyar at 330/467-7588 or visit www.trenchlessroadshow.com.

July 22-27

International Pipelines Conference, Omni Hotel, 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. 17-18

Trenchless Road Show, Hilton Concord Hotel, Sacramento, Calif. Call Michelle Magyar at 330/467-7588 or visit www.trenchlessroadshow.com.

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. 1-2

3 Rivers Wet Weather Sewer Conference, Four Points by Sheraton, Pittsburgh, Pa. Call 412/578-8375 or visit www.3riverswetweather.org.

Oct. 5-8

National Rural Water Association Convention, Reno, Nev. Call 508/252-0629 or visit www.nrwa.org.

Oct. 18-22

WEFTEC 08, McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. Call 800/666-0206 or visit www.weftec.org.

Nov. 11-12

Trenchless Road Show, Baltimore, Md. Call Michelle Magyar at 330/467-7588 or visit www.trenchlessroadshow.com.

Nov. 16-19

International Low Impact Development Conference, Westin Seattle, Wash. Call 800/548-2723 or visit http://content.asce.org/conferences/lid08/index.html.

Nov. 16-20

American Water Works Association Water Quality Technology Conference and Exposition, Cincinnati Convention Center, Ohio. Call 800/926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.

Jan. 25-27

American Water Works Association Water Resources Symposium: “Managing in Times of Change and Uncertainty,” Portland, Ore. Call 800/926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.

March 4-6

Utility Construction Heavy Equipment Expo, Phoenix Convention Center, Ariz. Call 703/358-9300 or visit www.nuca.com.



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