The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) continues to set an example for green practices. On Feb. 1 the construction of a green roof and green terrace at the WEF headquarters was completed.

 

Landscapers from Chapel Valley Landscape Co. (Woodbine, Md.) put down the base for WEF's green roof. Click for larger image

 The project was accomplished through a collaboration among KGS Construction Services Inc. (Haymarket, Va.) for the roofing structure replacement, Construction Systems Engineering Inc. for the engineering and design, Pelican Services (Rockville, Md.) for the installation of a generator, and Chapel Valley Landscape Co. (Woodbine, Md.) for the planting and green roof installation. 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) continues to set an example for green practices. On Feb. 1 the construction of a green roof and green terrace at the WEF headquarters was completed.

Landscapers from Chapel Valley Landscape Co. (Woodbine, Md.) put down the base layer for WEF's green roof. Click for larger image.

The project was accomplished through a collaboration among KGS Construction Services Inc. (Haymarket, Va.) for the roofing structure replacement, Construction Systems Engineering Inc. for the engineering and design, Pelican Services (Rockville, Md.) for the installation of a generator, and Chapel Valley Landscape Co. (Woodbine, Md.) for the planting and green roof installation.

WEF’s green roof measures approximately 204 m² (2200 ft²) and its green terrace is approximately 46 m² (500 ft²), according to David Lundberg, commercial sales executive of Chapel Valley Landscape Co. The green terrace has essentially the same design as a green roof but is an area designated for recreational purposes, Lundberg explained. WEF’s terrace is an outdoor area for staff to enjoy the fresh air, take a break, and eat lunch.

 The idea for constructing the second-floor terrace began after analyzing the roofing structure during the spring 2007, according to WEF Director of Facilities Management Nancy Cornwell. The analysis found that it was time to replace the 20-year-old structure. Because of WEF’s commitment to the “establishment of a culture of sustainability,” the Federation decided to create a greenroof structure on the terrace, she said.

“For long-term savings, we combined the second-floor project with the main upper roof,” Cornwell said. “Although the main roof was not due for repair or replacement, we have extended the life of the roof by another 40 years with this process.” Making a roof green can extend its lifetime by protecting it from solar radiation, extreme temperatures, and other weather elements, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Green Roof Project document.

Planning for greening the WEF terrace and roof began in October 2007. During August and September 2008, WEF began meeting with the four companies chosen for the project. The initial meeting involved more than 15 contractors “in the room at the same time,” Cornwell said. “The generator [on the roof] created a challenge because we needed to do a load assessment and build a support structure in the midst of the greening.”

The landscaping company, Chapel Valley Landscape, has been installing green roofs for 7 years, Lundberg said. For the WEF installation, the company planted four varieties of sedum including spurium, sexangulare, kamtschaticu“ m, and album. “Sedums are a succulent chosen specifically for green roof designs, due to their ability to withstand long periods without precipitation,” Lundberg said. “They do not require the fertilization and maintenance needs as do other perennials and shrubs.”

WEF's green terrace is planted with four varieties of sedum and includes tables with chairs for staff enjoyment. Click for larger image.

 Chapel Valley has been contracted to maintain WEF’s green roof for the next 5 years. “This consists of periodic watering during dry periods and installing any additional plant material in areas that may not perform as well as others,” Lundberg said. “With most roofs, being a microclimate, some plants may perform better than others, and the plants used can be adjusted to the specific conditions on the rooftop.”

Any plant installed over a concrete deck has been called a “green roof,” but the modern green roof design uses a low-profile, lightweight soil mixture composed of expanded shale and planted with sedum, Lundberg said.

The primary components of a green roof include the growing medium, a filter membrane that allows excess water to flow out while preventing particles from washing away, a drainage layer that helps excess water flow to the roof drain and possibly retains some additional water, a waterproofing membrane to protect the building from water penetration, and a root barrier to protect the roof from encroaching plant roots, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Green Roofschapter of the Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies document.                                                                                                                                                     

 Green roofs provide many benefits for the surrounding environment and population. “A mature green roof can retain approximately 50% of rainfall during a typical rain event,” Lundberg explained. “Once the plants have taken up what they can, the additional precipitation runs into the roof drains.” A typical rainfall is approximately 25 mm (1 in.) over a 24-hour period, he added. This harbor for rainfall slows and reduces stormwater runoff and filters pollutants from rainfall, according to the EPA Green Roofs Web site.

In addition, green roofs reduce the temperature of the roof surface, according to the EPA Web site. On warm summer days a green roof can be cooler than the surrounding air while a conventional roof can be up to 50°C (90°F) warmer than the surrounding air, the EPA Web site says. A green roof also can provide insulation for buildings, reducing energy costs and pollution from heating and cooling. In addition, the vegetation removes pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ground-level ozone from the air. These roofs also provide aesthetic value and habitat for wildlife.

While there are not many detailed, full-life-cycle analyses for green roofs, most hypothetical scenarios result in net benefits when incorporating public benefits, according to the EPA, Green Roofs chapter of Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies. Building owners “can directly benefit from reduced energy use, reduced stormwater management fees, and increased roof life,” the EPA document says.

"We take our mission to ‘preserve and enhance the global water environment’ very seriously at WEF,” said Bill Bertera, WEF executive director. “And we realized early on that we could lead change among our members, volunteers, and partner organizations by incorporating environmental sustainability into our own practices.”

 The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) has been working to reduce its impact on the environment through the WEFeco program, culminating with the launch of the Low Carb(on) Diet initiative in mid-2007. WEF is now in the third phase of its WEFeco program aimed at reducing the organization’s carbon footprint through individual and organizational actions and ultimately helping other organizations in the water sector with similar efforts.  

 The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Member Association Water Environment Association of Ontario (WEAO) has experienced great success with its student chapter programs. With seven active chapters and four additional ones in formation, WEAO offers opportunities for interschool dialogue and information exchange. To reinforce this exchange and build strong links among schools, 25 students from nine chapters across Ontario met last August at Ryerson University in Toronto for the 2008 WEAO Student Chapter Leadership Forum.

Students from nine chapters across Ontario participated in the 2008 WEAO Student Chapter Leadership Forum. Photo courtesy of WEAO New Professionals Committee. Click for larger image.

WEAO’s student membership program builds community early and identifies bright, young practitioners who will be future leaders in the water environment profession. The forum provides a model for encouraging professional development of these young leaders.

 The WEAO New Professionals Committee created its student chapter program in 2006. Today, there are established student chapters at five universities and two community colleges, with additional chapters in formation at four additional schools.

The committee held the 2008 WEAO Student Chapter Leadership Forum to help student chapter leaders run better programs for their membership and develop student chapter contacts across the province. The forum concept offered a chance to help established chapters build stronger student-led programs and student membership.

   The most important goal of the day was getting the students to share ideas with each other and provide feedback regarding the support required to run better programs.

The forum also featured two workshop sessions on programming and several mixer events. In addition, student chapter presentations highlighted the University of Toronto’s recruiting strategies, University of Waterloo’s tour of the Galt Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Sheridan College’s (Brampton, Ontario) planned stormwater pond remediation program.

 The program concluded with a roundtable discussion on the WEAO student chapter program. One takeaway from this. discussion was that new avenues of communication would be needed to continue the momentum of the forum. In response, the University of Toronto student chapter created a WEAO group on Facebook to help executive members exchange ideas remotely.

 WEAO is compiling the student feedback from the forum. Another student chapter leadership forum is planned for the summer 2009. Still expanding its program, WEAO plans to make presentations to several more prospective chapters throughout the year.

A liaison from the New Professionals Committee, assigned to each student chapter, works with student leadership at a school to recruit a faculty advisor and launch a WEF membership drive. After generating sufficient interest, the committee makes a presentation to the students, highlighting career opportunities in the government, consulting, and equipment manufacturing and supply sectors. In addition, WEAO has an extensive student chapter startup package including FAQ sheets, step-by-step guides, promotional materials, and a template constitution, which can be found at www.weao.org/Students/StudentChapters.html.

A broad representation of the WEAO student membership attended the forum, including undergraduates and graduates in a variety of engineering and environmental programs from universities and community colleges across 900 km (560 mi) of southern Ontario. Despite the long distances traveled, student feedback was positive.

The WEAO Student Chapter Leadership Forum provides a model for introducing the next generation of water environment practitioners to their profession early — with enthusiastic young leaders working together even before they leave school.  

Bill White is an associate engineer in the Barrie, Ontario, office of CH2M Hill (Englewood, Colo.).  He is also the student chapter program manager for the WEAO New Professionals Committee. For more information about the 2009 WEAO Student Chapter Leadership Forum, planned for July or August 2009 Sheridan College in Ontario, see www.weao.orgor contact White at william.white@ch2m.com.

 Adding new meaning to the term “distance learning,” an international research team led by University of Delaware (UD; Newark) marine scientist Craig Cary spent 21 days on the deep-sea expedition, “Extreme 2008: A Deep-Sea Adventure.”

The research team included scientists and graduate students from UD, University of Southern California (Los Angeles), J. Craig Venter Institute (Rockville, Md.), University of Colorado (Boulder), University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico City), and University of Waikato (Hamilton, New Zealand).

The Extreme 2008 research team included sceintists and students from various Universities. For more information about each member, "Meet the Scientists" here. Photo courtesy of Dr. Craig Cary, chief scientist and professor, University of Delaware (Newark) and University of Waikato (Hamilton, New Zealand). Click for larger image.

The expedition departed from Manzanillo, Mexico, on Nov. 10, 2008, to explore deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés, according to the Extreme 2008 Web site. The 22-member research team and 31-member crew spent the expedition on the 83-m (274-ft) vessel Atlantis. Researchers took the submersible vessel, Alvin, down to observe life and collect samples at the hydrothermal vents for analysis. Both vessels used are owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Woods Hole, Mass.), the Web site says.

Research focused on marine viruses and other protists living around the vents and their roles in the food chain. “Most of the work conducted on the trip involved collecting of samples for genetic analysis,” Cary said. “So we collected unique samples to be analyzed back in our home laboratories.” Eric Wommack, UD associate professor and principal investigator on the expedition, collected viruses for genetic analysis, and David Caron, a Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies professor of biological sciences, collected protozoa to study their role in the food chain, the Web site says. “For years, the vents have been explored with little to no attention to viruses and protists,” Cary said. “Yet because these organisms eat bacteria, they have the most dramatic effect on the bacterial communities that support the vent system. Our research programs are among the first to focus on these remarkable scavengers.”

The vessels Atlantic and Alvin, shown above, were used to conduct “Extreme 2008: A Deep-Sea Adventure.” Photo courtesy of Dr. Craig Cary. Click for larger image.

Paul Freedman, president-elect of the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) and a water professional with more than 30 years experience, was the featured speaker at a luncheon held by the Federal Water Quality Association (FWQA; Washington, D.C.) on Feb. 19.  FWQA, a WEF member association, held the luncheon at the Channel Inn in Washington, D.C.

In his speech, “Top Ten Challenges for the Water Professional in the 21st Century,” Freedman discussed the fact that the public is largely unaware of what water professionals do. Even though water professionals contribute to controlling point sources and reducing pollutant loads, they have not effectively communicated these benefits to the public, and therefore, continue to have a poor public image, he said.

 Freedman then discussed the following as challenges that water professionals face during the 21st century:

• “Think green, then gray,” he said. Water professionals can lead the effort in redesigning cities with a focus on green infrastructure.
• Focus on sustainability. Professionals now must focus on the “triple bottom line” of environment, economics, and social impacts of everything that they do.
• Achieve funding for clean water equal to its value to society and spend these funds wisely.
• “Think global, and act local,” he said. Water professionals must follow this mantra because many local effects are generated from global causes such as acidification or local water sources going dry from changing weather patterns.
• Face the big challenges head on. The largest uses of water are for irrigation and thermoelectric power and these users must be included in the discussion of water use and pollution.
• Stop running from the issues that need to be solved.
• Institute new regulatory tools to deal with the current challenges in the industry.
• Create one coherent voice that advocates for water issues.
• Solve the labor gap and knowledge gap that is looming as large numbers of water professionals approach retirement age.
• Get the word out about the importance of the job water professionals do. This is the responsibility of each person in the industry, he explained.

“The water professional today is in a unique position, where water issues are central to growing concerns on climate change and pollution control,” Freedman said. “We have an opportunity to reclaim our leadership role in developing water solutions that are not only sustainable but change for the better how we use our water resources effectively to support the environment, protect public health, and contribute to the  economy and societal well being.”

Paul Freedman, 2008–2009 WEF President-Elect. Click for larger image.

 On March 23 the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) presented its second webcast on economic stimulus funding to help members learn how to secure economic stimulus funding for wastewater projects. A panel of experts presented an overview of the issue and answered questions from participants listening from 362 sites across the country.

The webcast, organized with support from WEF’s Government Affairs Committee, highlighted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act guidance materials, oversight and accountability requirements for use of funds, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture rural water and waste grants and loans. Click  here  to download materials from this webcast. A recording of the webcast will soon be available free to WEF members and at a cost of $195 to non-members.

The first stimulus webcast, held in January, provided information about the mechanics of the stimulus funding package, application requirements, timing, and requirements to be eligible for funds. For more information or to find materials from previous webcasts see the  WEF Webcast Schedule .  

 The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Residuals and Biosolids 2009: Sustainable Biosolids Management Conference will be held May 3–6 in Portland, Ore. Held in cooperation with the Northwest Biosolids Management Association (Seattle), the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (Caldwell, Idaho), and the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies (Portland), the conference offers in-depth learning opportunities with 18 sessions and three workshops.

 

Technical session topics include public outreach, operational case histories, sustainability planning, land application, microconstituents, and anaerobic digestion. Workshop topics include renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable solutions; the National Biosolids Partnership (Alexandria, Va.); and land application. The opening general session will examine how the profession fits within the environmental issues of our day.

The deadline to register online is April 8, and the hotel registration deadline is April 10. For more information see  www.wef.org/ResidualsBiosolids  or contact Biosolids2009@wef.org.

 The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Collection Systems Committee in association with the Kentucky/Tennessee Water Environment Association will hold the 2009 Collection Systems Specialty Conference, April 19–22 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Ky.

The conference is designed for anyone involved in the program management, planning, design, or operation and maintenance of collection systems and wet weather facilities. It will include an interactive workshop, technical sessions, facility tour, exhibits, and networking opportunities.  

Topics discussed at the conference will include challenges of collection system rehabilitation, infrastructure risk management, private property programs, improving operations and maintenance of collection systems, and options for collection system modeling. Register onsite at the WEF conference registration desk in the Kentucky International Convention Center. For more information see  www.wef.org/CollectionSystems

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) will hold the webcast “Pumping 101 — Basic and Advanced Wastewater Pump Station Design and Operation,” on April 22 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. This webcast will examine pumping station design and operation, submersible pump station application and operation and maintenance, and troubleshooting gauges.

This webcast offers design engineers and municipal professionals access to an evolving body of national consensus standards and accepted good practices. The goal is to help practitioners avoid inappropriate designs, reduce capital and maintenance costs, and improve reliability. Speakers include Joseph Popeck from Greeley and Hansen LLC (Chicago), Mark Jaminet from ITT Flygt (Sundbyberg, Sweden), and Dean Kastran from The Gorman-Rupp Co. (Mansfield, Ohio). The registration fee is $155 for WEF members and $195 for nonmembers. The deadline to register is April 15. For more information or to register, click  here .

WEF’s educational webcasts are designed to help save time and money on travel. For one registration fee, individuals or a group can listen to audio over a phone and view presentations on the Web. Participants are encouraged to submit live questions via e-mail during the webcast.

WEF held three webcasts in March focusing on collection systems cleaning, infrastructure stimulus funding, and stormwater permitting. Future potential webcast topics include energy and the climate, membrane operations, and pressure pipes. 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 an e-mail to registration@wef.org.

On April 23, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) will be hosting the 2009 Young Professionals (YP) Summit. Young Professionals in the water and wastewater industry are invited to attend the single-day session entitled “Developing Leaders of Tomorrow.”

The session offers leadership development tools on the importance of communication in working with staff, management, and clients. The YP Summit will be held at South Point Hotel Casino Spa in Las Vegas. An evening of networking will follow the leadership sessions.

 The registration fee is $65, and attendees are responsible for their own hotel and travel arrangements. Click  here  for more information.