WEF WaterBlog

Last week I was part of a delegation visiting the University of South Florida with Nancy Stoner, U.S. EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water, who was touring university laboratories where researchers are developing new technologies in water sustainability and energy. Stoner was visiting USF as part of EPA's focus on innovative, technology-based water initiatives, and it was inspiring to see some of the latest water research in action

Although Congress has not passed any significant amendments to the Clean Water Act since 1987, there is a bit of good news: Integrated Planning offers municipalities an opportunity to request approval for a site-specific adaptive management approach as part of their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit or in an enforcement order. 

Posted by Richard KuchenritherMarch 1, 2013    The water profession is facing four significant challenges. These challenges include water renovation, infrastructure (pipelines and treatment plants), sustainable and renewable technologies, and the need for new water professionals. These four challenges are

 Posted by Richard Kuchenrither, WEF President Richard Kuchenrither is the Program Director for the Water Engineering and Management Graduate Certificate in the Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Colorado Boulder

Our sector is experiencing a massive changeover in personnel as the workforce ages. And with so many existing employees retiring, a crisis in the near future is possible.

Posted by Cordell Samuels, WEF President  Cordell W. Samuels is the 2012 2013 President of the Water Environment Federation (WEF). He is the Plant Superintendent for the Duffin Creek WPCP in the Regional Municipality of

Young professionals should consider involvement with the Water Environment Federation and the Students and Young Professionals Committee because of the networking and leadership opportunities they provide.

I was honored to speak on behalf of the public water sector in the Water Leaders session at the WEFTEC® 2012 conference. The following excerpts from my comments appear in the January issue of WE&T and cover the ‘lucky seven’ principles that I believe should guide the future of the water sector.  

George S. Hawkins, General Manager, DC Water  George S. Hawkins is general manager of DC Water, which provides drinking water delivery and wastewater collection and treatment for a population of more than 600,000 in the

Now is an amazing time to be a water environment professional, since there are a plethora of huge challenges facing us. The part we will play in developing and implementing solutions will be critical to 7 billion people around the

Clean Water Is Always in Season Posted by Cordell Samuels, WEF PresidentPosted Dec. 11, 2012  As we think about finding the perfect gift this holiday season, let's not forget about water. According to WHO UNICEF, 37 percent of the developing

Posted by Cordell Samuels, WEF President  Cordell W. Samuels is the 2012 2013 President of the Water Environment Federation (WEF). He is the Plant Superintendent for the Duffin Creek WPCP in the Regional Municipality of

The Obama administration will face a number of economic challenges over the next four years — one of which is the urgent need to modernize and replace the country’s aging water infrastructure. Such investment will help put Americans back to work and better prepare the country for dealing with extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy.

Posted June 8, 2011

I have seen the future, and it is good.  Recently, I had the pleasure of being a judge at National Engineers Week Future City® Competition. This national educational program promotes an interest in technology and engineering in middle school students. The Water Environment Federation in conjunction with ITT sponsors the competition’s special award, “Innovative Solutions for Water and Wastewater Utilities to Reduce Costly Reinvestment in America’s Aging Infrastructure.”

Posted Oct. 19, 2012 

I was proud to represent the Water Environment Federation at an event we sponsored with the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and the Association of Clean Water Administrators to celebrate the Clean Water Act’s 40th anniversary at the National Press Club in Washington. WEF members were at the forefront of CWA implementation, when innovative thinking was essential to providing the clean and safe water we enjoy today, and they’ll be instrumental in building on CWA success over the next 40 years.

Posted October 2, 2012
 

Looking out over 17^th Street in downtown Washington, D.C. from the fourth floor window of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (which is part of the White House campus), it occurred to me just how impressive it was that the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) was sponsoring an event on green infrastructure. 

Posted September 20, 2012

To many, it could seem that the phrase "Water is the oil of the 21st century" is one of the most common phrases in use today. After all, there does seem to be a widespread recognition both in industrialized countries and emerging economies that going forward into the future, water is certainly going to be one of our most important resources.

 

Posted Sept. 5, 2012 

Our rivers, streams, and estuaries are cleaner, and much has been accomplished since the Clean Water Act was passed 40 years ago. But have we solved the problem regarding our availability of clean water in the years ahead? Our technology has been largely focused on ways to keep water clean, but we need technology that moves past cleaning our water bodies to new methods of water management—methods resulting in reuse, resource recovery, and energy independence.

Posted August 15, 2012
 

This week I had the pleasure to serve on a panel of distinguished Clean Water Act experts at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA) to discuss “The CWA’s Next 40 Years: Achieving the Statute’s Goals -- and Results for All Americans.”

Posted July 26, 2012

WEF members, along with other key stakeholders, firmly believe that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must stop treating local governments like polluters and instead should embrace them as partners.  EPA's Clean Water Act (CWA) Integrated Planning & Permitting Framework  is a symbol of this collaborative spirit

Posted February 1, 2012

The WEF Board of Trustees and staff worked throughout 2011 to evaluate all facets of WEF; give every WEF member the opportunity to provide input through surveys, focus groups, and interviews; and develop a future direction that responds to the needs of the water sector and WEF members. Our planning was extremely successful due to an enthusiastic, willing, and able Board of Trustees; excellent WEF staff leadership, especially our new Executive Director Jeff Eger; and great data from our consultant-assisted process. The result of our efforts is a new, bold strategic direction for WEF.

Posted June 13, 2012
 

Following are excerpts from a talk given by Alexandria Sanitation Authority General Manager and WEF Board of Trustees member Karen Pallansch at a May 24 scholarship awards lunch hosted by the Federal Water Quality Association in Washington, D.C. 

According to the Center for Disease Control, one of the greatest achievements of the 20^th century was the understanding of the importance of excellent water sanitation in our world. Starting in the early 1900’s and continuing over the next several decades, engineers and scientific professionals, with nothing more than a #2 pencil, graph paper and slide rule, developed methods to clean the water made dirty by each and every one of us, and they found ways faster and more efficient than nature alone could accomplish. 

Posted May 1, 2012 

Yesterday, we were fortunate to host some guests from Germany including the Lord Mayor of Bottrop, a town in North-Rhine Westphalia who joined us for lunch and to talk about energy-positive wastewater systems.   These kinds of international exchanges of experience and aspirations can be both enlightening and even inspirational as we try to understand how to increase the pace of innovation in the water sector.

Posted September 20, 2011

Karen Pallansch, General Manager, Alexandria Sanitation Authority, WEF President Jeanette Brown, Frances Lucraft of the International Water Association, and U.S. EPA’s Dr. Ellen Gilinsky were featured speakers at the September 19 World Water Monitoring Day celebration in Washington D.C. , where some 200 students gathered to monitor the Potomac River for core water quality parameters. Following are excerpts from Karen’s remarks.

Posted August 17, 2011

Have you ever thought about your water quality? If not, perhaps you should because every living organism on Earth is depending on it! Whether it’s for physical hydration, cooking meals, washing clothes, growing crops and much more--water is the liquid life-line we all depend on. 

Posted July 14, 2011

I was excited and encouraged last month to see the effort put forward by WEF staff and the participation by stormwater professionals from around the country to contemplate The Future of Stormwater. The June 21-22 facilitated conversation in Alexandria came at a critical juncture of anticipated increased regulations, difficult economic climate, and a couple of decades of stormwater experience among regulated communities.

Posted May 17, 2011

When it comes to infrastructure rehabilitation and replacement, collection system professionals have a wide range of options and solutions to consider. Solutions range from the traditional methods to the implantation of new technologies and construction techniques. That's why we must be sure to think through each solution carefully to evaluate the best option available… rehabilitation or replacement…before jumping to implementation. Experts from across the country will be getting together in Raleigh, N.C. June 12-15 for Collection Systems 2011.

Posted on May 2, 2011

Many of the Country’s most progressive residuals and biosolids programs will be in the spotlight at Residuals and Biosolids 2011--Adapting Residuals Management to a Changing Climate in Sacramento from May 22rd-25th, where you can participate in a number of workshops and sessions that take advantage of experience and in-depth knowledge on topics including energy recovery from residuals and biosolids, gasification, co-digestion of residuals and nutrient recovery.

Posted April 21, 2011

April showers can bring polluted stormwater runoff that’s harmful to May flowers, not to mention other vegetation and aquatic life in your community. When there are wet weather events like rain, thunderstorms, or floods, pollutants left on the ground or swept into storm drains will make their way into local water bodies and wreak environmental havoc. Although the weather is beyond control, everyone can reduce or eliminate the amount of pollution they personally add to our precious and limited water resources, and Earth Day is a great time to start.

Posted April 15, 2011

What an exciting time to be on Capitol Hill - with the cherry blossoms blooming and the government narrowly escaping the first shutdown in 15 years, there is a buzz here in Washington. With much of this buzz is focusing on budget issues, what better time to be discussing the significant return on investment that comes from funding for water infrastructure projects. This is one of the issues covered in the over 400 visits made to the offices of members of Congress over the last two days by the 160-plus attendees of the first WEF/AWWA joint Washington Fly-in Event - and note this event coincided with the New England Water Environment Association’s (NEWEA) Congressional Visit and Legislative Breakfast, which brought out over 60 members alone to the event.

Posted March 28, 2011

This link is to a very rough draft of mine focusing on the possibility of an information-based approach to making progress toward more reductions of Nutrient and Phosphorus loadings from point sources, specifically POTWs. It could be completely voluntary if the wastewater sector was game for this. I have had the opportunity to discuss these general ideas, but I thought it might be worthwhile to reduce them to writing.

This initial thought piece is the result. Essentially, it counsels an effort to begin (voluntarily?) reporting N and P discharges in the monthly DMRs of all POTWs with a view toward establishing a baseline for further pollution prevention efforts.  

Posted March 23, 2011
This is my second time as a judge of North American entries in the World Water Monitoring Day Awards Program, and it was really very exciting to have geographically diverse entries representing events from all over the U.S.

Posted March 14, 2011  

As chair of Disinfection 2011, I’ll admit some bias toward the importance of this meeting, but public health is something we water quality experts take very seriously. Many parts of the world suffer from the inability to disinfect their water, and although they could be eradicated, serious, preventable outbreaks of waterborne disease (like what we’ve seen in Haiti recently) continue to crop up.

Posted March 3, 2011

On March 1, 2011, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Legislative Breakfast sponsored by the New England Water Environment Association in conjunction with the Connecticut Water Pollution Control Association and co-sponsored by a consortium of CT environmental groups. The program was entitled 2001 Legislative Priorities: Creating Jobs and Improving the Environment.

Posted February 28, 2011

I’ll use my inaugural blog for this truly outstanding organization to share some thoughts about excellence. That’s excellence as I see it--among our dedicated and passionate volunteers, through continued strong partnerships with MA’s and other important water groups, and at WEF, where the professional staff is a treasure chest of talent and knowledge.

Posted February 15, 2011

WEF has long worked to ensure that sound science from water quality experts is reflected in U.S. environmental legislation and regulation. I’ve seen some pretty effective programs, such as briefings on Capitol Hill that WEF has been involved in focusing on water sector topics and face-to-face meetings with the EPA officials who have a direct hand in shaping the nation’s water regulatory framework.

Posted January 31, 2011

As WEF co-chair for the program committee and long-time supporter of Effective Utility Management Collaborative Effort, I’m seriously looking forward to The Utility Management Conference™ 2011 in Denver next week. It’s the place to be for water and wastewater utility managers who want to improve the way they operate, and as usual, the program includes a series of high-quality presentations and the latest information about the attributes of effective utility management and how to be a successful manager.

Posted January 18, 2011

The WEF Water Science and Engineering Center (WSEC) is a new group strategically designed to keep WEF in the forefront of knowledge delivery, and our goals are to manage the development of technical content through coordination across all programs, initiatives, and committee activities; keep leadership abreast of emerging topics such as...

Posted January 3, 2011

Happy New Year water quality professionals! As a leading source of water quality expertise, WEF is committed to bringing you the field’s best science, engineering, and technical practices through meetings, webcasts, online resources and publications, and more.

Posted December 17, 2010

It’s been a tough year in this country, that’s for sure, but thankfully at least most or all Americans were blessed with pretty immediate access to safe drinking water plus effective wastewater treatment. Not so for the some 2.6 billion men, women, and children around the world who were without clean and safe water this year.

Posted November 30, 2010

The year is drawing to a close along with Executive Director Bill Bertera's tenure at the Water Environment Federation. As a WEF officer, member and water quality professional, I’d like to express some special gratitude to Bill for all that he has contributed to WEF and our profession.

Posted November 22, 2010
It was great to be at a recent informal lunch at WEF headquarters, where former EPA assistant administrator for the Office of Water and respected WEF member Tracy Mehan shared his top water priorities with Federation staff.

Posted November 8, 2010  

It’s no secret that the WEF building is crawling with animal lovers.  Look in on any office and you’re bound to see framed photos of our beloved Dannys, Owens, Thors, and Makis.  They’re a big part of our lives, so why should we exclude them from our effort to clean up the environment?

Posted October 25, 2010

By Dr. Chris Crockett, Director of Planning and Research at the Philadelphia Water Department Looking back at all WEFTEC 2010 activities, the newly formed Stormwater Coordinating Council’s first meeting was a major event for me.

Posted October 12, 2010
I’m assuming the presidency of WEF at a very pivotal time in history for WEF and for all of us as water professionals. We have to think differently now than we did three years ago before the recession. We need to be even more creative with financial resources that at times are not sufficient, and we are all faced with doing more with less. 
 

Posted October 3, 2010 

During my years as a WEF officer, I’ve traveled across North America and around the globe, meeting and talking with water professionals. Often, I am asked what these experiences have taught me, so I thought I should share a few reflections for my final blog and last Highlights column.

Posted September 27, 2010　

I just finished moderating a briefing here in Washington, D.C. that WEF sponsored in cooperation with USGS and the Energy and Environment Study Institute (EESI) on the topic of nutrients impacting streams and groundwater across the country.

Posted September 9, 2010 

Congratulations to Canadians Alexandre Allard and Danny Luong, the just-announced winners of the international Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition here in Stockholm! I can’t tell you how awesome it is to be associated with this wonderful program, but I’m going to try…

Posted September 1, 2010
I can’t believe that another WEFTEC is around the corner! This year is especially exciting with WEF’s third annual service project, “Bioswales in the Bayou,” which will be completed Saturday, Oct. 2 in New Orleans.

Posted August 5, 2010

For more than 30 years, utilities have been using purple pipe to designate high-quality municipally or privately treated domestic reclaimed water. Reclaimed water might be of different quality from one community or state to another, but uniformly, a utility oversees and provides control of the quality of reclaimed water that meets regulatory standards for the intended use.

August 2, 2010
We had 1539 scouts and visitors today. A good day. We need some more of these. There is not a lot new to report today, other than I hope my voice holds out for another day.

Posted August 1, 2010

Thanks, Carl, for the break. Great job. Since I can type only slightly faster than snails crawl, the break is appreciated. Carl was the electrician in charge of correction of a problem with our communications system. Remember the switch that you put on hold when scouts come into the exhibit and send when they leave? Our treatment plant 2 had a problem and Carl got the problem corrected with a new switch.

July 31, 2010 Update
What a great day at the Scout Jamboree… as expected the traffic to the Jamboree this morning was unbelievable and it took us over an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the site.  Once there, I was called upon to fix a defective on/off switch going from one of the exhibit areas to the entrance. 

Posted July 31, 2010
The hot weather finally broke today and temperatures were in the 80’s with a slight breeze and much lower humidity.  All of the exhibit volunteers were kept very busy with about 1870 scouts, adults and visitors coming through our exhibit. 

July 30, 2010 
Well…it’s my turn to provide the Blog for the Jamboree at Fort AP Hill, VA.  Thank you Jim for your previous Blogs.   I arrived last night at about 6:30 PM here at our overnight accommodations in Fredericksburg, VA after battling the heavy traffic down I-95 and through DC from Philadelphia. 

July 28, 2010

I thought today would be easy. We didn’t have to be in to start the exhibit until 11:00 or was it 12:00 or was it 1:00. It finally was 1:00. Great, have a late breakfast, maybe catch up on some email. Cool.

We arrived on site about 12:30 got ready to go and then someone wanted to take a picture at 1:00. That happened to be the same time about a 100 scouts entered the area. We didn’t get the picture done.

July 27, 2010
Today was the first full day of the Jamboree. The get-together this morning to head to the exhibit was much smoother. We were actually on the road by about 7:40. We are now starting to perform like a well oiled machine. We got to the site and set everything up and were ready to go by about 8:45. We had great help today. There were 19 volunteers on site to help out. It seems the communications are getting better. Remember when the scouts come in you switch to hold. When the Scouts leave you switch to send. 

Posted July 27, 2010

Day 1, Saturday: Setup Day. On Saturday there were several volunteers on site to start doing the hard work of setting up the exhibit area. There was a lot of pitchforking, wheelborrowing, and spreading of mulch. For those of you who have not worked with this mulch it can make everything it touches dirty in a heartbeat. A lot of dirty clothes this day. Because of the heat (+107 heat index) the work was stopped at noon.

Posted July 26, 2010
By Tim Madhanagopal Held every four years, the exciting and inspiring National Scout Jamboree is running today through August 4 in Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, where WEF members from all over the country will staff a super hands-on exhibit to teach scouts about water.

Posted July 19, 2010
Here we are in the middle of July, when thousands of families like to sit outside and enjoy those warm dusky summer evenings.  Kids are playing on the grass, the grills are fired up, and smells of barbecue and bug spray are wafting on the breeze.  And that’s about all that should be wafting from a wastewater treatment perspective. 

Posted July 6, 2010  
Here in Alexandria, VA, just outside of the nation’s capital, you can see tourists everywhere.  And the same thing is happening in popular destination spots around the country, where travelers are converging to explore or relax, and from our perspective, hopefully taking care to travel lean and green.

Posted June 21, 2010

My first reflection is that the location of the recent WEF Membrane Applications 2010 conference in Anaheim was ideal. California is home to some of this country’s earliest and most varied Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) operations.

Posted June 7, 2010 

Just recently I attended my son’s college graduation ceremony; I am very proud and excited about his plans to attend med school, but have to say I am a just bit disappointed he did not pursue a career in the water quality field. I ask you, how many of your children, nieces and nephews and friends are entering our field?

Posted June 2, 2010

At the WEF-sponsored seminar titled: Weathering the Storm, Is this the Right Time for You to Form a Stormwater Utility?, it was clear that regulatory drivers such as MS4 permit requirements, CSOs and Consent Decrees, as well as storm events, can provide the impetus for creating a stormwater utility and/or a formal funding source.

Posted May 26, 2010

I was very pleased to be able to participate in the May 21, 2010 congressional briefing entitled Contaminants in Sources of Drinking Water from Public Supply Wells. The briefing was cosponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey along with the Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Water Environment Federation.

Posted May 10, 2010

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to WEF’s upcoming Residuals and Biosolids 2010 specialty conference in Savannah, Ga. from May 23-26. The May 23 pre-conference workshop on "Assessing and Communicating Risks for Land-Applied Biosolids" is particularly interesting. As one involved in the field of biosolids program management for many years, I’ve always depended on good communications based on sound science to provide answers for our local communities--and this workshop seems right on target. It’s just one of many exciting sessions that will take place during the conference.

Posted April 28, 2010 

EPA’s Clean Water Summit on tax day, April 15, attracted a diverse and articulate group of attendees. I participated by invitation as WEF’s representative. Overall, it was a good meeting with heavy engagement by EPA— they were soliciting input and ideas for action and policy formation.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson gave a speech lauding the progress in the 40 years since the CWA and encouraging us to demand another big leap in progress over the next 40 years.

Posted April 21, 2010

In the spirit of Earth Day on April 22, the WEF Eco team would like to share some tips on how to green your lifestyle. WEF has been working to reduce its impact on the environment through the WEF Eco program since 2007. Our headquarters now include a green roof and terrace, and overall WEF has reduced its electricity consumption by 50%--just two examples of how citizens and businesses can make a difference in the environment.

Posted April 12, 2010

Dr. William Wesley Eckenfelder passed away on Sunday March 28, 2010.  Wes was a pioneer and living legend in the profession and also a great friend and colleague. I had the distinct priviledge to work with him on many projects and workshops over the last ten years.  What a great tribute to Wes last week at the service in Nashville on April 1, 2010.

Posted March 29, 2010

This August will mark an important anniversary for WEF public education programs and thousands of men and boys around the world, including me.  The big event is the National Scout Jamboree held every four years, and the next one takes place July 26 through August 4, 2010, at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia.  That’s where WEF will be doing some really cool things to show kids just how wastewater is treated and what that means for a cleaner global water environment.

Posted March 16, 2010

Once in a while I attend a conference where absolutely everything seems to click and the confluence of place, people, and ideas creates a feeling that something truly special is occurring.  There’s a buzz in the air and the participants know it.  Conversations everywhere extend for hours after Q&As have ended and the last sessions have wrapped up.

Posted March 2, 2010

Tomorrow’s cities will be conceived, designed, developed, managed and governed by those who recognize that interdisciplinary approaches best address the complex challenges of the 21st century. Although population growth, social inequity, economic turmoil, climate change, water shortages and environmental degradation place unprecedented stress on our infrastructure and ecosystems, innovation in management, technological advances and volunteerism offer promise for the future.

Posted February 17, 2010 

According to this week’s World Water Monitoring Day report, some 122,000 people from all over the world were personally involved in monitoring their local water quality and reporting the results. That’s 67% over the number of last year’s participants--a great example of growing public awareness that the average bear can actively (and easily) help safeguard our water.

Posted February 1, 2010

There was a time when large urban cities, like Boston, saw their waterfront locations as assets in transporting wastes away from the city and supporting navigation, commerce, and manufacturing. These urban cities still see the waterfront asset today, but in a different light. Today’s cities want to integrate their waters into urban life as part of building greener, cleaner places for living, recreation, and supporting business and commerce.

Posted January 15, 2010

Once again, a new year has started and folks everywhere are reviewing goals for personal growth and setting new ones. On the professional side, water quality leaders have the Water Environment Federation’s vast and varied resources to help them grow and become even better at protecting the world’s water. Utility managers (and I was one for some 23 years) have a special resource to support their goal-setting and desire for top operational efficiency--the Effective Utility Management Primer for Water and Wastewater Utilities.

Posted January 4, 2010

Welcome to 2010 at the Water Environment Federation, where this year’s Specialty Conference series looks to be better than ever before. As a participant in the 2009 Nutrient Conference, I gained so much both professionally and personally because of the technical content and the ability to network with experts in the field. I have participated in and attended other specialty conferences this past year where the experience was just as rewarding.

Posted December 14, 2009

It’s the season when families and friends gather to share gifts and holiday cheer, and festive music, decorations, and lights are everywhere. Some say it’s the most magical time of the year, and I’d agree, although I’d also point out that water is pretty magical too, and that’s all year round.

Posted November 30, 2009

Not long ago, when utility managers heard ‘stormwater management,’ they probably thought about drainage and flooding , I know I did. But managing stormwater today involves so much more, especially given its impacts on water quality and local streams. Trends related to climate change, urban sprawl, and fertilizer/pesticide use all affect stormwater management, which will play an increasing complex role in preserving and enhancing the water environment, WEF is focusing resources to meet this growing challenge.

Posted November 16, 2009

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC WASA) Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washington, DC, recycles 1,200 tons per day of biosolids to agriculture, restoration projects, and composting production in Virginia and Maryland. Rather than sending biosolids to a landfill, recycling the nutrient-rich material to land in need of nutrients aids the environment.

Posted November 2, 2009

Many individuals who follow industry developments are aware of revisions to the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) (see my 12.08 blog for background) that now require use of purple pipe on private property plumbing to convey any non-potable water. The International Plumbing Code (IPC) distributed by the International Code Council (ICC) has similar requirements. WEF’s primary objection to use of purple pipe for onsite non-potable water is the risk to the public through exposure to untreated water.

Posted October 19, 2009

Almost 4 decades ago I decided to become a water quality professional, inspired by my personal experiences growing up in Cleveland. There the Cuyahoga River often caught fire and Lake Erie was truly eerie, not blue as you would expect of a Great Lake but rather turbid brown, with green swirls and dead floating fish. In 1972 the Clean Water Act was passed to address the main cause--pollution from poorly treated wastewater.

Posted October 12, 2009

As I conclude my last year as chair of the WEFTEC Program Committee, I am—-as always—-truly excited by the meeting’s technical program. Here at WEFTEC.09, our comprehensive program highlights new and innovative research as well as featuring fresh approaches to proven programs and operations. And this year’s high-quality workshops are in a class by themselves--it’s really exciting to see how everything has come together!

Posted September 28, 2009

Posted September 18, 2009

Posted August 31, 2009

As WEFTEC.09 and the WateReuse conferences approach, reclaimed water and water utility professionals can celebrate the unique relationship enjoyed between the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the WateReuse Association (WRA). Why celebrate? Because this special relationship directly and positively impacts the planet’s sustainable water resources.

Posted August 26, 2009

A number of innovations were highlighted at the Stockholm World Water Week event, some of them the result of corporate prizes. But I’ll talk about the prize closest to my heart - the Stockholm Junior Water Prize  (full disclosure: the global sponsor is ITT).

Posted August 17, 2009

The upcoming August 29 anniversary of Hurricane Katrina seems to always gets people thinking and talking (or in my case, blogging). Among the many things it’s come to symbolize, like failure of government emergency response, Katrina will always be a tragic reminder to me of the vulnerability of our water resources and the critical nature of the work we do as water quality professionals.

Posted August 3, 2009

The raging national dialogue on TMDLs moves into high gear next week in Minneapolis during TMDL 2009: Combining Science and Management to Restore Impaired Waters in Minneapolis. If you’re not a water quality junkie, stop here. If you are, you’ll be thrilled to hear that the comprehensive program includes scientists talking about new research like model development and advancements in water quality monitoring and evolving tools to implement effective TMDLs.

Posted July 20, 2009

When it comes to defining, managing, and decreasing the impact of microconstituents on human health and the environment, the jury is most definitely out.  And beyond the need to learn so much more about microconstituents--the term we use to describe the natural and manmade substances ranging from drugs to personal care products that end up in water and must be assessed for potential impact on human health and the environment—-there’s a host of related issues to address.

Posted July 7, 2009  

Last week WEF convened their second Nutrient Removal Conference Sustainable Treatment Solutions. As chair, I had the challenging task of following up on a very successful 2007 event, but I had the assistance of great conference steering and planning committees as well as WEF staff to help with the program development.

Posted June 22, 2009

This week, nearly 50 students and many of their teachers are travelling to Anchorage, Alaska, for the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) Competition hosted by the Alaska Water Wastewater Management Association (AWWMA) and WEF. As the only major high school science competition focusing on the water environment, the SJWP offers its participants an opportunity to meet role models and peers who understand their projects and their passion for water quality issues. It’s also a different kind of competition...one that emphasizes collaboration, networking, and fun over “lone wolf” research.

Posted June 8, 2009

As water quality experts know, many treatment plants throughout the United States are required to remove nitrogen, phosphorus or both. And if you manage or work at a utility like mine, in a region where nutrient removal is required, you know there are significant related costs, both capital and operating, as well as increased process monitoring requirements. As stewards of the environment, we take great pride not only meeting permit requirements but also in trying to achieve much greater removal of pollutants.

Posted May 26, 2009

New EPA administrators bring new opportunities to address environmental challenges, like improving our regulatory approach to the nation’s water resources. It was a big theme at the WEF/NACWA Clean Water Policy Forum earlier this month, where utility executives discussed our nation’s out-of-date water regulations. We talk about limited Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts that do not connect water needs and resources at the state and local levels and folks generally agree that watershed management is the best approach to managing water. Water—supply and quality—is interconnected and should clearly be regulated that way, and it’s not under our current system.

Posted May 11, 2009

At the residual and biosolids meeting in Portland last week, sustainability through effective residuals management could be described as a shared vision…or the major buzz. Topics like benefits of land application where appropriate and increased plant efficiency were discussed everywhere. And presentations on green energy and energy renewal were especially popular among older and younger attendees alike. That’s actually why I’m blogging.

Posted April 27, 2009

WEF is in the best financial shape of its long history...still, we expect our operations--and our members--to be significantly affected by the recession. Like utilities and companies across the country, and indeed, around the world, we will be doing business differently to meet tough economic challenges. For the record, one thing won’t change, and that’s our focus on delivering top quality training and education for water quality professionals.

Posted April 13, 2009

The other day I was having a discussion about the current stimulus bill and potential set asides for green practices, when a thought hit me: are we as a profession and as individuals really walking the talk, or merely looking for handouts? Put another way, have we fully embraced a new mentality about adopting green practices or are we just being politically correct to win federal money?

Posted March 31, 2009

During the World Water Forum V, held in Istanbul, Turkey, March 16-22, 2009, I was one of more than 25,000 participants who discussed themes including the following: Global Change and Risk Management; Advancing the Human Development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG); and much more.

Posted March 16, 2009

Recently joining the WEF staff a few years removed from my former EPA life, I was cheered by the new Administration’s focus on sound science, clearly stated by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson:

“Science must be the backbone for EPA programs. The public health and environmental laws that Congress has enacted depend on rigorous adherence to the best available science.”

Posted March 2, 2009

During this very recent bitter cold spell my water pipes froze, and I was without water. Albeit a short time, still this helped me really appreciate the importance of having adequate, clean and safe water. Yet, we know that here in the US, and globally, the sustainability of our water supplies is continually threatened by pollution, excessive demands, and now climate change. So, as an organization of water professionals, we at WEF asked, “what can we do to help mitigate these threats?”

Posted February 17, 2009

I am very excited to have the opportunity to blog about the success that the Students and Young Professionals Committee (SYPC) has had regarding our first service project as well as plans for WEFTEC.09. It was at WEFTEC.07 in San Diego when the SYPC first discussed participating in a service project, and at the time, the group wanted something that would engage the young (and seasoned) WEF SYPC members as well as give our group something we could put our name on and be proud of.

Posted February 4, 2009

As WEF vice president, I testified before the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee this morning about protecting water quality and public health more economically and efficiently. It was extremely rewarding and an experience I will certainly never forget.

It was really inspiring to be able to place our shared goal for sustainable water infrastructure squarely on the new administration’s radar screen.

Posted January 21, 2009

I recently attended the First National Expert and Stakeholder Workshop on Water Infrastructure Sustainability and Adaptation to Climate Change, joining over 130 other EPA and other federal agency water and climate experts; academics; NGO and association representatives; and consultants. The two-day workshop was sponsored by the US EPA Office of Water and Office of Research and Development, and results and input from participants will be used to help direct EPA’s water-related climate research and other initiatives.

Posted January 14, 2009

A new Congress has arrived in D.C., and the nation’s first African American president has taken the Oath of Office. Barack Obama, who faces challenges unprecedented in modern American history, promises significant change in the way the U.S. operates at home and abroad. The whole world will be watching, including WEF members.

Posted January 5, 2009

Happy New Year Waterbloggers! I was going to blog about all my priorities for this year as WEF president, (yes, it’s true), but in the interests of space (and keeping your attention), I’ll cut right to the chase on what’s the biggest deal to me and maybe you, too. That priority is a focus on water reuse and how we maximize its effectiveness to relieve stressed global water supplies and underscore the connection to public health.

Posted December 15, 2008

Hello WEF members and other waterbloggers.  I just got back from a trip to Kenya (traveling for personal business, not as a WEF representative), where every day was a reminder that although access to water is an absolute necessity, it’s not a given in many places. For example, due to the lack of or intermittent rainfall, many people and communities had to locate the closest available water and go get it for daily living.

Posted December 1, 2008

I’ll start at the beginning of this important issue, which is ultimately about organizations working together to protect public health and sustainable water supplies. Purple is the standard color for pipe adopted by the international utility industry to distribute municipally treated reclaimed water.  In late June 2008, a question was raised alerting water reuse professionals to a proposed plumbing code that would require use of purple pipe for all graywater systems.

Posted Wednesday, November 19, 2008

You’ve probably heard it said that when the market’s down, it’s time to invest. Although I can’t speak to personal financial decisions (that’s someone else’s blog), public investment in the nation’s aging infrastructure--especially our drinking water and wastewater systems--makes a lot of sense and seems to be gaining some traction as one way to address our current economic woes through job creation and so forth.

Posted Monday, October 27, 2008 

I'm honored to post the very first blog for the Water Environment Federation, and we hope it’s the beginning of many conversations that will get folks thinking and talking about water. Water was definitely all the buzz last week at WEFTEC.08™ in Chicago, where 2008 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate Professor John Anthony Allan, of King’s College London, was the keynote speaker who inspired so many with his comments on virtual water, including yours truly.