Association News
Controversial Water Plan
Escondido, Calif., is considering reclaiming wastewater to use as drinking water to augment its water supply. Utilities director Lori Vereker says that plan will avoid upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant and an ocean outfall pipe, saving the city hundreds of millions of dollars.
The three-step reclamation process would clean the water to irrigation standards, pass it through reverse osmosis to remove salt, and disinfect it with ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide. Pumped into a basin, the water percolates through the soil for six months before being used by the water utility. Tests at the Groundwater Replenishment System of the Orange County Water District show that the product is cleaner than drinking water drawn from the Colorado River.
Go Green, Save Money
A report, Clean Water, Green Jobs, released last month by a group of Ontario municipal water management experts and environmentalists including the Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW), states that its $4.5 billion plan to repair aging water infrastructure with energy-efficient facilities could create at least 50,000 jobs.
The authors note that municipalities could save millions of dollars by improving water efficiency and reducing demand on treatment facilities. Municipalities have estimated they need about $31 billion to return water and wastewater infrastructure to acceptable levels. In Ontario, the report estimates that increasing water efficiency by 20 percent would save enough electricity to power 95 percent of homes in Toronto for a year. Visit www. waterdsm.org/pdf/Fed%20water%20stimulus%20Dec%2008_final.pdf.
A Grade of “D”
The American Society for Civil Engineers assigned the nation’s infrastruc-ture a grade of D in the 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. It is the same overall grade as in 2005, but the report showed a significant increase in the funds needed to restore the infrastructure. It concludes that $2.2 trillion in repairs and upgrades is needed over the next five years. Visit www.asce.org.
Revitalize, Reinvest, Renew
National Public Works Week is May 17-23, and the theme is “Revitalize, Reinvest, Renew.” The event seeks to enhance the prestige of public works professionals. The American Public Works Association encourages public works agencies and staffs to make their stories known through parades, displays of public works equipment, high school essay contests, open houses, programs for civic organizations, and media events. Visit www.apwa.net.
Only Tap Water Delivers
Drinking Water Week is May 3-9. Its “Only Tap Water Delivers” campaign helps utilities and officials communicate the value of tap water service and the need to reinvest in water infrastructure. Anyone can download handouts, children’s activities, artwork, and logos from the American Water Works Association Web site. Visitors also will find suggestions on how to promote the campaign. Visit www.awwa.org.
Mantua AWWA President-Elect
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) Board of Directors named Joe Mantua, project manager at Black & Veatch Corp., its president-elect. Mantua, a 24-year veteran of the water industry, was in charge of development services for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.
The board also selected Charlie Anderson and Debra Kaye as vice presidents and Marie Pearthree as director-at-large. Anderson, who retired as the director of utilities and deputy city manager of Arlington, Texas, now works for Camp Dresser & McKee. Kaye owns Kayepability Consulting in La Quinta, Calif., and Pearthree works for CH2M Hill.
Calendar
May 4-6
American Water Resources Association Spring Conference, Marriott, Anchorage, Alaska. Call Michael Lilly at 907/479-8891 or visit www.awra.org.
May 5-7
Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC). Anchorage, Alaska. Call 800/666-0206 or visit www.weftec.org.
June 7-10
PennTec Annual Conference, Lancaster Host Conference Center, Lancaster, Pa. Call Cindy Rock at 570/549-2204 or visit www.pwea.org.
June 14-18
American Water Works Association Conference and Exposition, San Diego (Calif.) Convention Center. Call 800/926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.
June 17-19
Florida Stormwater Association Conference and Exhibits, Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa. Call 888/221-3124 or visit www.florida-stormwater.org.
June 21-24
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International Meeting, Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, Reno, Nev. Call Sharon McKnight at 269/428-6333 or visit www.asabe.org.
June 29-July 1
American Water Resources Association Summer Specialty Conference, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Snowbird, Utah. Call 540/687-8390 or visit www.awra.org.
Aug. 16-20
StormCon, the North American Surface Water Quality Conference and Exposition, Anaheim (Calif.) Marriott. Call Steve Di Giorgi at 805/682-1300, ext. 129, or visit www.StormCon.com.
Learning Opportunities
Household Sewage Study
Contributions of Household Chemicals to Sewage and Their Relevance to Municipal Wastewater Systems and the Environment identifies organic compounds that may be present in municipal wastewater. Published by the Water Environ-ment Research Foundation, the study selects compounds by examining volume production, consumption pattern, and physicochemical properties.
Researchers developed quantitative structure activity and property relationships that can model the behavior of compounds through treatment processes. The report has a database of HPV chemicals and organic compounds found in household commodities. Visit www.werf.org.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Courses
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Engineering Professional Development is offering these CEU, LU, PDH classes at the Madison campus unless indicated otherwise:
• April 2-3 – Drainage Engineering Fundamentals for Non-Engineers (K347), Las Vegas, Nev.
• April 20-21 – Mastering the Fundamentals of Culvert Hydraulic Design (J966)
• April 22-23 – Implementing Effective Culvert Maintenance (J967)
• April 27-28 – Pumping Equipment and Systems: Selecting, Operating, Maintaining, and Troubleshooting (K273)
• April. 29-30 – Fleet Management (K326)
• May 7-8 – Preparing an Effective Municipal Capital Improvements Plan (K327)
Call 608/262-2061 or visit http://epdweb.engr.wisc.edu.
Green stormwater management practices
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Botanic Garden produced an online video, Reduce Runoff: Slow It Down, Spread It Out, Soak It In, that highlights rain gardens, green roofs, and rain barrels to help manage stormwater runoff. Watch the video online at www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/video.html.
American Public Works Association
APWA has these courses as classroom workshops or Web-based broadcasts:
• April 9 – Continuity of Operations – How to Stay on Top, Web
• May 5-7 – Public Fleet Management, Boston, Mass.
• May 6 – Public Infrastructure Inspector, Part 1, Web
• May 13 – Public Infrastructure Inspector, Part 2, Web
• June 3 – Public Fleet Manager, Part 1, Web
• June 10 – Public Fleet Manager, Part 2, Web
• June 17 – Public Fleet Manager, Part 3, Web
Call Carrie Merker at 800/848-2792 ext. 5213 or visit www.apwa.net.
American Water Works Association
The organization is offering these CEU/PDH seminars or Webcasts:
• May 6-7 – Water Demand and Conservation Management: Planning, Policy and Rates, Orlando, Fla.
• May 20-21 – Distribution System Assessment and Rehabilitation, Charlotte, N.C.
Call 800/926-7337 or visit www.awwa.org.
