In the current economic climate, are you trying to maximize your budget for your utility employees to attend educational events? WEFTEC has a program specifically designed to enable the maximum employee participation from utilities. 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) is continuing its Utility Partnership Program, which enables utilities to send the maximum number of employees to WEFTEC through discounted pricing packages. WEF recognizes the significance of utility participation and the value that their knowledge and experience contribute to the water quality event. 

WEFTEC.09 will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 10 to 14. This year’s program includes 122 technical sessions, 31 workshops, and nine facility tours, each structured to meet different educational requirements. In addition, the exhibit floor at WEFTEC includes more than 1000 exhibiting companies with the latest water quality technologies, services, and equipment. Attendees can receive continuing education units, professional development hours, and contact hours for participating in the conference.
 
For more information on the Utility Partnership Program, contact Cari Zimmerman at (703) 684-2400, ext. 7500, or utilitypartnership@wef.org.

In May, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) co-published with McGraw–Hill (New York) a new Manual of Practice (MOP) addressing incineration guidance for biosolids and wastewater applications. Wastewater Solids Incineration Systems—MOP 30 replaces the previous manuals, Incineration—MOP OM-11 (1988) and Sludge Incineration: Thermal Destruction of Residues—MOP FD-19 (1992), and presents updated information on combustion theory andtechnology, heat recovery and reuse, emission control and monitoring, ash handling and recycling, regulation and permitting requirements, economics and environmental sustainability of combustion, and more. Click here for more information or to order the MOP. 

Nutrient Removal

When: June 28–July 1.

Where: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.

What: Interactive workshops, technical sessions, exhibition, and facility tours.

Topics: Research issues, such as practical limits of technology; biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal developments; operational issues, such as analytical procedures and process control and optimization; and design issues, such as process modeling, pilot testing, and sustainable practices.

Registration Deadlines: June 3 (online–fax); onsite registration available.

Microconstituents and Industrial Water Quality

When: July 26–29.

Where: Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel, Baltimore.

What: Workshop on process design of industrial and municipal wastewater treatment systems, 16 technical sessions highlighting practical experience.

Topics: Real-world applications of the latest microconstituents research, insights on energy efficiencies for treatment processes, and potential solutions for issues in the manufacturing and municipal sectors.

Registration Deadlines: June 10 (advance discount); July 1 (online–fax); onsite registration available.

TMDL

When: Aug. 9–12.

Where: Hilton Minneapolis.

What: Presentations, panel discussions, and workshops.

Topics: Pollutant-specific total maximum daily loads (TMDLs); water quality standards, modeling, stormwater and nonpoint source issues; stakeholder involvement and public participation; and regulatory, policy, and implementation issues.

Registration Deadlines: June 24 (advance discount); July 15 (online–fax); onsite registration available.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) will hold the webcast “Gravity and Pressure Pipeline: Inspection and Assessment” on June 17 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The webcast will examine strategic pipeline identification, innovative and cost-effective approaches to pipeline inspection, proactive pipeline risk management systems, and integration with computer maintenance management systems.

Speakers include Alan McCloskey, Amtec Surveying Inc. (Atlanta); Michael S. Higgins and Chris Carroll, Pure Technologies (Calgary, Alberta); and Rich Cunningham, City of Albany, Calif. The registration fee is $155 for WEF members and $195 for nonmembers. The deadline to register is June 10. The webcast was organized with the support of the WEF Collection Systems Committee.

Those registered for this Webcast will receive a 20% discount on the new edition of Existing Sewer Evaluation and Rehabilitation—MOP FD-6, Third Edition. Details will be provided during the webcast.

For a full list of past and future webcasts, see the WEF Webcast Schedule. If you missed a recent webcast, you can catch up on the discussion by purchasing CD copies. For more information, send e-mail to registration@wef.org. 

Liquid Assets: The Story of Our Water Infrastructure documentary received the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES; Elkridge, Md.) 2008 Journalism Award for “outstanding reporting about aging infrastructure in the United States.”

The award was presented to Penn State Public Broadcasting (University Park, Pa.) producers at the AAES 30th Annual Awards Banquet and Ceremony at the National Academy of Engineering in Washington, D.C. Previous winners include Fortune magazine, Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post.

The $1 million dollar documentary project recently became available to government cable stations for broadcast without charge. Water and wastewater utilities may want to work with their local noncommercial cable stations to develop complementary programming or interviews that point out the local relevancy of the water infrastructure issues. Several Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) Member Associations are mobilizing to engage cable stations in their states to air the program. The rights for cablecast of Liquid Assets will be available through April 30, 2010.

To organize a cablecast of Liquid Assets in your community, contact Lorraine Loken at (703) 684-2487 or lloken@wef.org.

Several Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) staff members volunteered to represent WEF’s Public Communications programs at environmental events occurring around Earth Day 2009.

Earth Day in Washington, D.C.
On April 19, Public Communications program manager Lorien Walsh, marketing coordinator Brittany Burch, and Conferences assistant manager Deana Gissendanner worked the WEF booth at Earth Day on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Staff adhered to the event coordinators’ requests to “keep it green” by limiting handout materials. Participants were able to browse materials at the booth, try out the World Water Monitoring Day™ test kit, and sign up for more information. One of the event’s coordinators, Earth Day Network (Washington, D.C.), estimates that 100,000 people were in attendance at the Mall.

Earth Day in Alexandria, Va.
Public Communications manager Stephanie Costello, Gissendanner, and Public Communications manager Stevi Hunt–Cottrell represented WEF at the April 25 Earth Day event sponsored by the City of Alexandria, Va. The theme for this year’s event was “Take the Green Route,” and youth attending were encouraged to complete a series of theme-based questions posed by exhibitors. WEF’s question — “What can you do to reduce energy use at your town’s water treatment plant?” — attempted to boost the public’s awareness of conservation issues and the challenges facing many utilities, including the flushing of fats, pharmaceuticals, and sanitary products down the drain.

Eco Expo
Walsh, Technical Programs coordinator Laura Herman, and Production assistant Jessica Rozek hosted a hands-on display for World Water Monitoring Day at the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital Eco Expo on Sunday, April 26. Area girl scouts were able to conduct testing of water collected from three different waterbodies and discuss results with staff. The girls were encouraged to participate in World Water Monitoring Day with their troops. As part of the program’s partnership with Girl Scouts, participating scouts earn credit toward either a “Get with the Land” or “Water Drop” patch. 

The New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA: Syracuse, N.Y.) recently established a scholarship in memory of Lucy Grassano. She was an active supporter of the association and an employee of the City of New York since 1973. The scholarship will be used to further the careers of secretaries, administrative assistants, and operators in the water quality field.

Grassano joined the City of New York in 1973 as a typist, becoming a principal administrative assistant for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and retiring from that position in 2002.

More than $10,000 has been raised to establish a scholarship in her name. An NYWEA committee has been formed to establish criteria, accept applications, and award a scholarship at the association’s 2010 annual meeting. Contributions may be sent to NYWEA—Lucy Grassano Account, Executive Office, 525 Plum St., Suite 102, Syracuse, NY 13204. For more information, see www.nywea.org or contact Robert Adamski at (718) 833-7579. 

Peter Cook, executive director of the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC; Washington, D.C.) died April 28.

Cook served as executive director of NAWC for 13 years. “He brought a deep institutional knowledge of the industry [and] the inner workings of Washington, and a passion for success that will remain with NAWC for a very long time,” according to a statement by Donald L. Correll, president of the NAWC board of directors. “Peter’s work was dedicated to better our industry and making sure that the work we do is understood and valued.”

Before working at NAWC, Cook served as deputy director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water. He also spent 6 years helping to oversee the construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, a $30 billion gas-pipeline project.