The National Biosolids Partnership (NBP; Alexandria, Va.) announced July 27 that 13 new agencies have been accepted for training and assistance in NBP’s rigorous biosolids management system certification program. The agencies will work toward developing and instituting an environmental management system in accordance with NBP guidelines ahead of an independent third-party audit and full program certification next year.

The new class is a mix of public and private sector organizations from the United States and one public agency from Canada. Upon completion of the program in August 2012, the following agencies will join a select group of international organizations that have been certified by NBP:

• Atlantic County Utilities Authority (Pleasantville, N.J.)
• Bowling Green (Ky.) Municipal Utilities
• City of Houston (Texas)
• City of Moorhead (Minn.) Wastewater Treatment Facility
• City of Springfield (Mo.)
• City of St. Cloud (Minn.)
• Harford County Department of Public Works (Bel Air, Md.)
• Littleton/Englewood (Colo.) Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Metro Vancouver (Burnaby, British Columbia)
• NEFCO — Greater Lawrence Sanitation District Facility (North Andover, Mass.)
• Synagro — South Kern Compost Manufacturing Facility (Taft, Calif.)
• Upper Montgomery Joint Authority (Pennsburg, Pa.)
• Waco (Texas) Metropolitan Area Regional Sewerage System

NBP’s management program is based on internationally recognized standards for an Environmental Management System (EMS)/International Organization of Standardization (ISO 14001). The NBP program serves as a model for continuous improvement in the areas of environmental performance, regulatory compliance, quality management practices, and relations with interested parties and other stakeholders.

Operated by the Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.), in collaboration with the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (Washington, D.C) and with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NBP provides training and support to help biosolids management organizations go beyond regulatory requirements to ensure that their programs are environmentally sound and protect public health.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) has announced the winners of the 2011 WEF Excellence Awards. The awards recognize excellence and achievement in the water environment profession. The awards will be presented during WEFTEC 2011 in Los Angeles.

2011 WEF Excellence Award Recipients

Camp Applied Research Award
Henryk Melcer

Collection Systems Award
Joan Hawley

Eddy Wastewater Principles and Processes Medal
Chakkrid Sattayatewa, Krishna Pagilla, Robert Sharp, and Paul Pitt

Emerson Distinguished Service Medal
Charles A. Sorber

Fair Distinguished Engineering Educator Medal
Nancy Love

Gascoigne Wastewater Treatment Plant Operational Improvement Medal
Amanda McInnis, Herb Bartle, Tom Adams, and Coralynn Revis 

Industrial Water Quality Achievement Award
Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals Inc. (Petersburg, Va.) and consulting engineer, Malcolm Pirnie, the Water Division of ARCADIS (White Plains, N.Y.)

Innovative Technology Award

• Collection Systems Category: Adaptive N-Impeller™, ITT Water and Wastewater USA (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Instrumentation Category: BNR IntelliPro^®, Aqua-Aerobics Systems Inc. (Rockford, Ill.)
• Process Equipment Category: AdvanTex Treatment System, Orenco Systems Inc. (Sutherlin, Ore.) 
• Solids Handling/Disposal Category: Smart Conveying Technology, seepex Inc. (Huntsville, Ala.)

• Individual: Jeffrey Kalmes 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) has received two national AZBEE awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). Presented Aug. 4 at the ASBPE National Editorial Conference in Chicago, ASBPE’s annual Awards of Excellence recognize the best in editorial, design, and online achievement.

WEF’s flagship magazine, Water Environment & Technology (WE&T), received a Bronze Award for its September 2010 redesign in the Publication Redesign category and a Gold Award for its “Sewer Sociology” column in the Humorous/Fun Department category.

“As the premier magazine for the water quality field, WE&T has been a trusted resource for our members and the profession for many years,” said WEF Executive Director Jeff Eger. “We are very pleased that the publication and the outstanding work of our WEF staff team is receiving such high-profile recognition.”

So far this year, WE&T has been honored with a total of four awards. In addition to the two AZBEE awards, the previous 2010 awards include a Bronze TABBIE award from Trade Association Business Publications International for News Coverage and a Gold Magnum Opus Award for Best Engineering/Construction Publication. WEF also received a Silver Excel Award from Association Media & Publishing for Digital/Online Media Kit this year.

Click here for more information about WE&T and the full range of WEF’s award-winning publications. For more information about ASBPE and its award program, visit www.asbpe.org. 

In July, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) hosted a delegation of Eurasian water managers and executives as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Special American Business Internship Training (SABIT) program. A group of 16 water professionals from five countries of the former Soviet Union including Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, attended the interactive information session. This session, organized by WEF, was designed to communicate the latest advances in the water and wastewater industry.

“As specialists in the field of water, we found it extremely useful to learn about the opportunities offered by the Water Environment Federation,” said Natalia Vavelschi, a delegate from Apa-Canal in Chisinau, Moldova. “We were glad to learn about the potential for participation in WEF’s educational programs, seminars, and conferences. Learning about the activities of WEF provides us with a new perspective on developments within the field of water treatment as well as training for water treatment staff.”

Read more about the visit here, or see information about the SABIT program. 

Leaders from the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.), Association of Boards of Certification (ABC; Ankeny, Iowa), and American Water Works Association (AWWA; Denver) showed a commitment to working together by recently renewing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that defines the organizations’ partnership, and pledges support for each organization’s initiatives.

“The professional training and certification accomplished through ABC, AWWA, and WEF advances public health protection and the good stewardship of water resources,” said David LaFrance, AWWA executive director.

Jeff Eger, WEF executive director, emphasizes the significance of the MOU. “Our industry is facing a number of critical issues, and our partnership with ABC and AWWA can serve to help meet those needs,” he said. 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) magazine, WE&T, is looking for a few good treatment facilities. Plant Profile provides an up-close look at water and wastewater treatment plants, collection systems, and outstanding operations and maintenance personnel.

WE&T currently seeks new entries, so here is your chance to brag about the technologies, processes, and people that make your facility exceptional.

Read the archive of past Plant Profiles. For more information or to request a questionnaire, contact Steve Spicer, WE&T managing editor, at (703) 684-2463 or sspicer@wef.org. 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) is revising Manual of Practice No. 31, which will be titled Process Modeling for Designers (formerly Introduction to Process Modeling for Designers). Process modeling rapidly is becoming the default tool of choice for process design. The intention of this publication is to expand MOP 31 to contain more practical guidance on using process models for design and to use this material as the basis for future training courses.

Publication for the manual is set for May 2013. The project, being led by Andy Shaw and Bruce Johnson, will officially launch in August 2011, and the first draft will be ready for review in January 2012. If you are interested in participating as a reviewer, and able to work closely with WEF staff and to dedicate your expertise and time to ensuring the development of a high-quality manual according to the publication schedule, contact Britt Sheinbaum at bsheinbaum@wef.org.  

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) in July met with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Stormwater Team to discuss the status of the proposed stormwater rule.

The proposed rule is expected to include performance standards for post-construction discharges from new and redevelopment projects; revisions to municipal separate storm sewer system boundaries; extensions of the permitting program to currently unregulated dischargers; retrofit programs for targeted urban areas; a transportation-specific permit program; and inclusion of combined sewer systems in stormwater regulations.

WEF is forming a workgroup to draft and review the extensive comments expected on this major rule. WEF members interested in joining this workgroup can contact Seth Brown at sbrown@wef.org. Click here to see a memo providing more information on the current understanding of the rule, as well as related activities in which WEF plans to engage. 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.), National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA; Washington, D.C.), and American Rivers (Washington, D.C.) wrote letters to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Appropriations committees and subcommittees to urge continued support for funding sustainable water infrastructure through the Green Project Reserve, which is a mechanism within the State Revolving Fund program. The letters, written in response to a Government Accountability Office report that was critical of the program, highlight the effectiveness of the program and encourage Congress to support continued funding for the program as part of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations process.  

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) joined 15 water and environmental organizations in submitting a letter of support for the Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act of 2011 (H.R. 2738). The proposed legislation would assist water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities in adapting to the various hydrological and other effects caused by climate change. The intent of the bill matches WEF’s position on Protecting Water Resources and Infrastructure From the Impacts of Climate Change. 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) webcast, Green Infrastructure: Economic, Social, Technical, and Policy Overview From the Regulatory, Academic, and Consulting Viewpoint, which was held June 29, is now available for purchase online.

The audio recording for the National Biosolids Partnership (NBP; Alexandria) and Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF; Alexandria) webcast, Terminal Island Renewable Energy — L.A.’s Biosolids Slurry & Brine Injection Project, held July 27, is available free online. Download the webcast PowerPoint presentation here and find previous NBP webcast information here. 

Take part in a Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) webcast.

The Perspectives on Collection Systems Rehabilitation and Replacement webcast series provides viewpoints from engineers, consultants, manufacturers, contractors, owners, and operators; case studies and lessons learned; and effective quality assurance and control strategies through four webcasts. Buy three of the webcasts and receive the fourth free:

• Perspectives on Pump/Lift Station Rehabilitation, scheduled for Nov. 16;
• Perspectives on Service Lateral Rehabilitation, held June 1— recording available;
• Perspectives on Manhole Rehabilitation, held Feb. 9 — recording available; and
• Perspectives on Pipeline Replacement, held Nov. 10, 2010 — recording available.  

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) International Pavilions provide companies with a cost-effective, direct-marketing opportunity to introduce and distribute products and services into the global market. WEF International Pavilions give businesses with development plans in the Middle East, China, Singapore, and Europe an opportunity to exhibit under the WEF banner in a prime location and reach out to thousands of new potential customers.

Aquatech Amsterdam 2011
During the next 10 years, the Netherlands will have to invest at least $6.2 billion to live up to the safety and environmental standards set both by the Dutch and European governments. There are growing pressures on European countries to reverse years of environmental damage and to find more integrated pollution control techniques. This event provides a unique exhibiting venue and a single access point to the European environmental market.

Nov. 1–4, Amsterdam RAI (Rijwiel en Automobiel Industrie)

WATEC Israel 2011
Water reuse rates in Israel stand at 70%, and the government plans to move it to 90% by 2012. To accomplish this challenging initiative, innovative products and technologies will be in great demand. WATEC 2011 will be a premier water and environmental show in Israel.

Nov. 15–17, Tel Aviv (Israel) Exhibition Center

The 2012 WEF Pavilion shows will be held in India, Dubai, China, and Germany. For more information, click here, or contact Cari Zimmerman at (703) 535-5266 or (703) 795-2518, or czimmerman@wef.org. 

On Aug. 2, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) joined 29 national, state, and regional organizations to send a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson, addressing nutrients and developing numeric nutrient criteria. The letter, developed by NACWA working with the co-signing organizations, affirms the municipal clean water community’s dedication to addressing nutrient-related effects, but highlights key concerns with EPA’s current approach for developing water quality criteria for nitrogen and phosphorus.  

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.), American Rivers, the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and the Natural Resources Defense Council sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection (EPA) agency offering perspectives on stormwater management policies, including anticipated revisions to the nation’s Clean Water Act stormwater regulations.

The letter outlined several areas for EPA’s consideration to improve stormwater practices, including

• performance standards for post-construction discharges from new development and redevelopment projects,
• revisions to MS4 boundaries and extensions of the permitting program to currently unregulated dischargers,
• retrofitting of programs to reduce the degree of imperviousness in already developed areas, and
• application of stormwater regulations to combined sewersheds. 

On July 31, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) submitted comments on the Draft Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act. This guidance was jointly released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on May 2, with the intent to clarify jurisdictional determination. WEF supports the intent of the guidance to provide clarity while understanding that EPA has committed to a formal rulemaking on this matter. WEF comments focused on such man-made structures as ditches, swales, reservoirs, and ponds to ensure that the existing exemptions on these elements would be protected in the guidance. 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the proposed regulatory update to the 2008 Construction General Permit. WEF submitted these comments on behalf of the Stormwater Coordinating Council and the Government Affairs Stormwater Workgroup.

The proposed permit outlines required controls and processes for the protection of construction sites to minimize soil erosion and the delivery of sediment offsite to downstream areas and waters. EPA received stakeholder comments through July 11 on the permit update.