The old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” In the case of wastewater, what a city flushes is an entire treasure trove of resources: nutrients, water, and energy. The key is developing the infrastructure and a culture, internally and externally, that supports recovering these resources through wastewater treatment facilities.

“Start by showing people that we can make something beautiful with what is flushed down the toilet,” said Coert Petri, senior advisor for wastewater treatment at Waterschap Rijn en Ijssel in Doetinchem, Netherlands.

March 28 and 29 in Raleigh, N.C., Petri and three other experts discussed the drivers, first actions, aspirations, and challenges they faced in implementing wastewater energy programs.

World Vision (Federal Way, Wash.) speakers at a luncheon hosted by the Federal Water Quality Association (Washington, D.C.) on April 12 challenged attending water industry professionals to use their background and knowledge to help countries in need.

“Your work, your knowledge can help transform the life [of those] in poorer countries,” said speaker Issa Bitang A Tiati, a World Vision country program manager for Haiti. Attendees gathered to learn about World Vision’s efforts to improve access to clean water and adequate sanitation and hygiene in Haiti. Bitang A Tiati asked attendees to think of ways their knowledge can serve those without basic necessities.

On April 19, veteran U.S. Operations Challenge competitors joined to compete against 20 teams in the 6th Olimpiadas Sanitarias in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Team members attended the event not only as competitors but also as ambassadors.

“Operations Challenge allows us to reach out to other countries and build relationships and introduce them to the wonderful products and services that WEF offers,” said Jeanette Brown, Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) immediate past president. “We have really forged a wonderful bond with the folks in Argentina, and I look forward to seeing several of them at WEFTEC^®.”  

I continue to be amazed by the excitement generated by the new Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) strategic direction. WEF leadership and staff are working to implement the ambitious objectives in the strategic direction, and none is more exciting than our objective to “Drive Innovation in the Water Sector.”

With this objective, we aim to “provide bold leadership for water sector efforts to help communities address challenges and benefit from the value of their renewable resources.” Specifically, we will

• champion sectorwide initiatives to improve water services through innovative practices;
• facilitate the identification and implementation of breakthrough concepts to support resource recovery;
• apply holistic water management approaches to infrastructure development and renewal;
• inspire and support a movement toward an energy-positive water sector; and
• link leading research to the practical implementation of innovative technologies and practices.

The staff of the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) have been busy this spring getting the word out about how much WATER’S WORTH IT™ and backing up the message with action.  

On May 4, 20 staff members made a green imprint on the Alexandria, Va., waterfront. WEF staff volunteers participated in the Spring for Alexandria Community Service Day event organized by Volunteer Alexandria in partnership with the City of Alexandria. Dressed in matching event shirts and equipped with gloves, trash bags, wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, and various other cleaning tools, the volunteers picked up litter and wood debris along the Potomac River waterfront.

Many organizations contribute funds to improve water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). To optimize the donation process, the Foundation Center (New York) launched a custom Web portal to provide information and resources on who is funding what project and where, according to a Foundation Center news release.

The website, www.WASHfunders.org, was created so the “community of funders can more effectively and collectively meet global challenges,” the release says. It features a mapping tool that provides interactive data on international aid flows, foundation funding, and key development indicators. The website also features profiles documenting WASH strategies, case studies detailing successes and challenges of WASH projects around the world, tools and resources for assessing project outcomes, a blog, and a searchable archive of research reports, the news release says. 

Sharing knowledge and forming partnerships provides the key to the real-world implementation of innovation. That was the consensus at an April 30 meeting between German and Washington, D.C.-area wastewater sector leaders.

“The exchange between towns and the exchange with industry and science, in my opinion, that is the only way to realize innovative techniques in as many towns as possible,” said Bernd Tischler, lord mayor of Bottrop, Germany.   

Tischler was one of three German leaders who presented wastewater industry innovations and cutting-edge energy management techniques being applied in the country. Ekkehard Pfeiffer, head of the River Basin Management and European Cooperation Projects Department at Emschergenossenschaft (Essen, Germany)/Lippeverband (Dortmund, Germany) and Klaus Hermann, scientific consultant for the Lingen Wastewater Treatment Plant and professor emeritus at Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.), were the other two visiting experts. 

Twenty-two global water industry leaders and City of Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille attended the meeting at Water Environment Federation headquarters in Alexandria, Va. 

“You must be part of a regional cooperative, getting other nearby cities and towns to join in with you,” said Euille, explaining this is a lesson he learned during a tour of Germany focusing on energy sustainability, climate control, and ecosystem management strategies 4 years ago. “We can learn more from our partners across the ocean in terms of sharing their experiences and best practices with us.”  

Transforming one city at a time
Bottrop is a mining town with an active coal mine that employs 5000 people, but the mine will close in 2018. With an 8.2% unemployment rate, the government began looking to the ‘green energy’ industry to compensate for the future job loss, Tischler said.

InnovationCity Ruhr, a project of the Initiativkreis Ruhr (Essen) and the state of North Rhine–Westphalia, was launched in 2010. Bottrop was chosen for the project and will be rebuilt into a low-energy city. It will receive incentives and private investments through 2020 with the goal of cutting energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions in half. Many companies, scientific organizations, and political groups have pledged to collaborate on and invest in the project, Tischler said. 

The government has decided to retrofit existing buildings with energy-efficient technologies, such as more-efficient insulation, geothermal energy systems, and energy-recovery ventilation systems, Tischler said. This requires an investment of €78,000, or about $97,640, which can be financed for €2660 ($3330) per year. But already, the investment has shown a reduction of €2880 ($3605) per year in energy costs, he said.

Other initiatives include equipping public buildings with centralized electronic heating-control systems, creating a zero-emission industrial park, and using a mobile technology that collects waste heat from industrial processes to heat nearby public areas, such as schools, Tischler explained. So far, a total of about €46 million ($58 million) has been invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate adaption projects. About €30 million ($38 million) has come from private investments, Tischler said.

“InnovationCity is an open project. Every company, every institution can collaborate with us,” Tischler said.

Redeveloping the Emscher River and Bottrop’s wastewater system 
Bottrop’s water systems also are being transformed. Because of the mining industry, the city had to create an open sewer system, Pfeiffer said. The construction of normal sewer systems was not possible due to the mining activities,” he said.

But now, the government will phase out open sewers “and give back the river to the region’s inhabitants,” Pfeiffer said. “The region is aiming to become the greenest industry region in the world.” The project includes constructing four new wastewater treatment plants and 400 km of new underground sewers by 2017, as well as naturalizing the Emscher river system by 2020. The total budget for this work is €4.5 billion ($5.6 billion), Pfeiffer explained.

"[The project is] converting the former open wastewater creeks into lively and ecologically high-quality waterbodies,” Pfeiffer said. “This is the biggest water infrastructure project in Europe now. This is an ambitious goal to have 400 km of underground sewers ready by 2017.” But progress is being made with 225 km of these sewers completed and 90 km out of a total 350 km of waterways ecologically improved, he said.

Generating energy at wastewater treatment plants 
But with increasing energy costs and the German government’s decision to stop generating nuclear energy, the government has had to rethink and realign energy supply, Pfeiffer said. So, the Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband water board has decided to “use its own resources to produce the energy,” he added.

The water board manages 56 wastewater treatment plants, so “the sustainable handling of resources is an important goal,” Pfeiffer said. To do this, Pfeiffer had to work on two fronts: optimizing energy use and using renewable energy at plants. Currently, energy demand has been reduced by 14%. And, more than 60% of the demand is met by renewable energy. The goal is to be energy neutral or even to produce energy at wastewater treatment plants, he said. Plans include generating energy through solids incineration, combined heat and power generation, gas generation and use, wind power, hydrogen generation through electrolysis, and reducing energy needs by using solar drying of solids.

While wastewater treatment plants require a great deal of energy, “they offer enormous potential to produce energy using all organic sources,” Pfeiffer said. The need to revitalize the Bottrop Wastewater Treatment Plant provided the opportunity to optimize its operation and develop it into a hybrid power plant.

“In the future, the wastewater treatment plant will not only be a facility for wastewater treatment and disposal but also a place where energy is produced and used in an ecofriendly way,” Pfeiffer said. “The project is not only trend-setting for water management, it is also a … model for future cities.”

The investment in Bottrop’s redevelopment as a low-energy city has secured more than 4000 jobs, Pfeiffer said.
 

Lingen creates organic coal from wastewater 
The city of Lingen also is contributing to Germany’s energy innovations.

The Lingen Wastewater Treatment Plant heats dried solids to extract and collect methane, producing 8 million kWh/year, which is roughly 70% of the electricity used by the treatment plant. It is the first medium-size plant to use the lysotherm process, which heats excess solids to 145°C in a tube system to extract methane, Hermann said.

In addition, a hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process pressurizes solids and transforms them into coal. Burning HTC coal closes the carbon cycle; the carbon dioxide in solids was recently taken from the air and is released when the plant burns it rather than brown coal, Hermann said.  

While HTC is not a new process, Hermann’s research discovered that using wastewater solids as a source is commercially viable. He explained that the process takes only 6 to 7 hours, and the product has a heating value slightly higher than brown coal “This will be the future of our plant,” Hermann said.

The old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” In the case of wastewater, what a city flushes is an entire treasure trove of resources: nutrients, water, and energy. The key is developing the infrastructure and a culture, internally and externally, that supports recovering these resources through wastewater treatment facilities.

“Start by showing people that we can make something beautiful with what is flushed down the toilet,” said Coert Petri, senior advisor for wastewater treatment at Waterschap Rijn en Ijssel in Doetinchem, Netherlands.  

March 28 and 29 in Raleigh, N.C., Petri and three other experts discussed the drivers, first actions, aspirations, and challenges they faced in implementing wastewater energy programs. These presentations were part of the Roadmap to Energy Sustainability, a meeting hosted by the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.).

This meeting brought together nearly 40 water professionals with experience in generating renewable energy at wastewater treatment plants. The goal of the meeting was to create a “road map” to help plants reduce energy consumption, reach energy neutrality, and eventually become energy positive — generating enough to supply others. 
 

Saving money and gaining support drive energy generation
East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD; Oakland, Calif.) is a forerunner in energy generation. EBMUD produces more than 100% of its energy through renewable technologies. EBMUD’s energy portfolio includes biogas production of more than 55,000 MWh/year.

Saving money drove energy generation, many presenters said. “Energy prices were increasing in the early 2000s, and we needed to control rates to customers,” said Ed McCormick, EBMUD manager of wastewater engineering. “The other piece was process optimization, looking for opportunities to reduce our energy use while producing process benefits, such as reducing aeration demand.”

The Sheboygan (Wis.) Wastewater Treatment Plant began by becoming energy-efficient first, reducing its energy use by 20% of its 2003 baseline. The plant accomplished this by combining energy-saving changes with regular maintenance and equipment replacement. New motors and variable-speed drives helped the plant reduce energy use by 157,000 kWh/year, an annual savings of $5300. Replacing blowers saved the plant another $63,889 in 2009.

“We started by developing an energy survey report that identified a number of opportunities for energy efficiency,” said Joe Cantwell, energy advisor at Science Applications International Corp. (McLean, Va.), who worked with the Sheboygan Wastewater Treatment Plant. Now, the plant produces 70% to 90% of its own energy.

Support from associations is another a key driving factor, Petri said. The Dutch Association of Regional Water Authorities (Den Haag, Netherlands) held an innovation challenge in 2008. The winning concept was the energy factory, which brands wastewater treatment plants as resource recovery facilities. These facilities produce not only renewable energy, but also nutrients and cellulose, which is used in bioplastics and paper. This concept generated a positive public response and government support.

“You have to start by communicating in a different way,” said Petri, whose water board, along with 12 others, developed a colorful, straightforward marketing campaign. Now, the Netherlands is planning to open 12 energy factories by 2015. One is scheduled to be operating by the end of the year.

Barriers and challenges
The participants at the Roadmap to Energy Sustainability meeting also discussed barriers and challenges that would have to be overcome.

According to the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF; Alexandria, Va.), wastewater and biosolids contain 10 times more energy than is required for treatment. Yet, roadblocks remain to capturing this energy and becoming energy-neutral.

First is funding. “A 7-year payback is easy, 8 to 10 [years] is harder,” said Rob Ostapczuk, principal engineer at Malcolm Pirnie, the water division of ARCADIS (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) “So, seed money is critical.” Selling something that is not codified or required also is difficult, Cantwell added. 

Producing energy also imposes new operation and maintenance challenges. To produce more biogas, EBMUD expanded its organic-waste acceptance program to supplement its municipal wastewater. Some of the organic material came from dairies, olive waste, and even poultry farms. Operators were pulling chicken heads out of pumps, McCormick said. “Every day, there was a new crisis.”

Another challenge is developing organizational commitment, Ostapczuk said. Energy programs require the support of all departments. He recommends developing an interdepartmental energy implementation team to build support at all levels.

Ostapczuk pointed to that strategy in discussing the success of the Gloversville–Johnstown (N.Y.) Joint Wastewater Treatment Facility. In 2003, the plant began accepting 90,850 to 113,560 L (24,000 to 30,000 gal) of dairy whey per week for codigestion. Since then, dairy feedstocks have increased. The utility now generates more than 90% of its own energy through a combined heat and power process. Reduced electrical costs saved the utility about $500,000 per year in 2009 and 2010, and accepting dairy wastes resulted in additional revenue of $750,000 annually.

Utilities also have to confront economic and regulatory barriers. For example, not all states include biosolids in their renewable-energy portfolios. And navigating metering laws and accepting low prices for wastewater-generated energy can discourage utilities from feeding energy back into the grid.  

Meeting participants also cited size as a challenge. For now, it is most feasible at large treatment plants because small to medium utilities may find it difficult or impractical to reach energy neutrality, participants explained.

Yet, while large facilities represent a small percentage of total wastewater treatment plants, they could capture the majority of energy in domestic wastewater by becoming energy-positive, according to the WERF fact sheet Energy Production and Efficiency Research — The Roadmap to Net-Zero Energy.  

WEF provides the road map
WEF’s Road Map to Energy Sustainability will be a series of steps to help wastewater utilities plan and implement a wastewater energy production program. The road map will be applicable whether plants choose simply to increase energy efficiency or to build a full-scale cogeneration system. The steps will be arranged under various domains, from technical needs to managerial aspects, and will be applicable to small, medium, and large facilities.

WEF will release the draft road map and a technical summary this summer. A guidance document will follow at WEFTEC^® 2012.

Read details about WEF President Matt Bond’s experience participating in the meeting in “From the President: Driving Innovation in the Water Sector."

How does biogas work?

Food wastes help feed hungry bacteria that reduce and stabilize biosolids while producing a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide known as biogas. This gas can be burned to heat digesters, boilers, and plant buildings. Steam produced in boilers also can be used to generate electricity or dry biosolids. Often, biogas is used to fuel engines that drive electric generators while capturing heat for additional uses. Finally, biogas can be cleaned, compressed, and used to power vehicles.

“[The organization] takes a holistic view of a child, and a family, and a community and then invests in them over a long period of time,” Hasse said. It works to build trust in communities, “helping them identify what their needs are,” he said. Then it helps local governments and citizens implement solutions that communities can sustain without additional help.

Many solutions start with ensuring a source of clean and accessible water, because health and security rely on water, Hasse explained. The organization also builds latrines and sanitary wash stations, and educates locals on how to use them and their importance, Hasse said.  

Operations in Haiti go back to the basics
Even though the organization has worked in Haiti for more than 30 years, the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in January 2010 caused a major setback in restoration efforts. World Vision had to switch to emergency response and recovery.

When cholera began spreading in October 2010, the organization installed hand-washing stations; distributed soap, water purification tablets, and water filtration systems; disinfected houses with cholera; and educated people on cholera prevention.

Now, the organization has begun to implement long-term solutions to ensure adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene. “We want to see the government of Haiti really be able to take ownership of meeting the needs of their own constituents,” Hasse said. “We work with the government, contribute to their own capacity, and act as a resource to them.” 

“In some contexts, we need to go back to the basics,” Bitang A Tiati said. Haiti faces a 16% child mortality rate because of waterborne diseases, environmental degradation, and a barrage of natural disasters. Nearly half of the Haitian population lacks access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. A majority of the population lives on less than $1 a day, making food a priority over clean water and proper sanitation, he said.

As citizens search for jobs and services, they move into cities. This increases urban populations and the stress on already overburdened systems. “Water and sanitation pose a lot of difficulty in urban centers,” Bitang A Tiati said. 

And funding needs are increasing. In 2008, Haiti needed $6.5 million for water and wastewater infrastructure, but after the earthquake, Haiti now needs $238 million for infrastructure, he said.

Bitang A Tiati explained that technical solutions responsive to the physical, social, and cultural needs of Haitian people will provide long-term success. These solutions must come from a partnership in which others provide knowledge and innovative ideas to Haiti, so that the citizens can take over and work to support and provide for themselves, he said. 

On April 19, veteran U.S. Operations Challenge competitors joined to compete against 20 teams in the 6th Olimpiadas Sanitarias in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Team members attended the event not only as competitors but also as ambassadors.

“Operations Challenge allows us to reach out to other countries and build relationships and introduce them to the wonderful products and services that WEF offers,” said Jeanette Brown, Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) immediate past president. “We have really forged a wonderful bond with the folks in Argentina, and I look forward to seeing several of them at WEFTEC^®.” 

The WEF Equipo KSB–Hydro team in Buenos Aires included Dale Burrow of TRA CreWSers, Rey Davila of Dallas Aquatechs, and Paul Johnson and Jeffrey Valdes of LA Wrecking Crew. Also attending the event were Brown, WEF Board of Trustees member John Hart, and WEF staff member Steve Harrison. The team was able to travel to the competition because of support by KSB Inc. (Richmond, Va.) and Hydro International (Hillsboro, Ore.).

The team placed sixth overall after having only a couple of hours to practice events that were different from those in the United States, Brown said.

“I was really impressed with the competition,” Brown added. “It was well organized, and the judges were all very good.”  

“There is great excitement in South America for Operations Challenge,” Brown said. She explained that many working in the field of wastewater treatment in South America only know WEF because of the competition. “Operations Challenge is one of our core programs,” Brown said. “When I think of the quality of the U.S. teams and the opportunity for professional growth that Operations Challenge provides, I can see why it is so important to other countries.”

The WEF 2012 Operations Challenge competition will be held at WEFTEC 2012 in New Orleans. 

I continue to be amazed by the excitement generated by the new Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) strategic direction. WEF leadership and staff are working to implement the ambitious objectives in the strategic direction, and none is more exciting than our objective to “Drive Innovation in the Water Sector.”

With this objective, we aim to “provide bold leadership for water sector efforts to help communities address challenges and benefit from the value of their renewable resources.” Specifically, we will

• champion sectorwide initiatives to improve water services through innovative practices;
• facilitate the identification and implementation of breakthrough concepts to support resource recovery;
• apply holistic water management approaches to infrastructure development and renewal;
• inspire and support a movement toward an energy-positive water sector; and
• link leading research to the practical implementation of innovative technologies and practices. 

What great verbs: champion, improve, facilitate, apply, inspire, support, and link! These words describe what WEF does best, which is to bring together the leaders of our industry to solve water problems and capitalize on innovation opportunities. WEF accomplishes this through contributions from an amazing network of volunteers who are experts in the industry. And these accomplishments are facilitated by an awesome and talented staff, and are supported by partnerships with like-minded organizations.  

Developing a model energy framework for the water sector 

In March, I had the humbling opportunity to participate in a workshop held in conjunction with the Residuals and Biosolids conference in Raleigh, N.C., where nearly 40 international experts discussed how we could advance an energy-positive water sector. Participants discussed best practices in energy conservation and generation around the world and then identified how these practices could be applied at our members’ organizations.

During the workshop, we examined how the Dutch developed a road map to transition the Netherlands’ wastewater treatment plants to water, energy, and nutrient factories by 2030. WEF members from East Bay Municipal Utility District (Oakland, Calif.); Gloversville and Johnstown, N.Y.; and Sheboygan, Wis., presented their success stories. We also evaluated a maturity model developed to map progress for improving the North American power distribution grid. We determined that the model would be an effective framework to develop a sustainable energy road map plan for the water sector. 
 

Participants worked to determine the important elements and metrics for this road map and committed to developing a draft for discussion at WEFTEC^®2012, being held Sept. 29–Oct. 3 in New Orleans. We believe this model framework can be applied to other sector innovation areas, such as nutrient recovery. Look for the outcome of this exciting effort to transform our sector’s focus from waste treatment to resource recovery.

Developing innovation
WEF already has taken steps to develop and support innovation. WEF technical committees are tasked with identifying ways to support the new strategic direction and help drive innovation in the water sector. WEF also is working with strategic partners, such as the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF; Alexandria), to identify research needs for innovation. And a utility industry research and development forum has been created to advise WEF and WERF on best practices for utility research, raise the profile of research and development, and better connect with academia.

Watch for an exciting focus on innovation at WEFTEC. At the WEF annual technical conference and exhibition, you will see an innovation pavilion on the exhibition floor featuring interactive space for networking, a theater for presentations from innovation award winners, and an operator ingenuity contest. You also will have the ability to interact with water entrepreneurs and investors, and take advantage of services that match your interests with relevant exhibiting companies. This, coupled with WEF committee meetings at WEFTEC, is the best way for members to connect with the innovators and researchers in our industry.

“Innovation is one of those things that society looks at and says, ‘If we make this part of the way we live and work, it will change the way we live and work,’” said Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway.

Our goal is to change the way we live and work by driving innovation, enabling best practices, and eliminating barriers that exist in our risk-averse water sector. Join us in this exciting endeavor by joining one of WEF’s committees or work groups, or by participating in “communities” within WEFCOM, the new Web communications platform for WEF members. For more information on how to connect with your fellow WEF professionals, contact WEFPresident@wef.org.  

The staff of the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) have been busy this spring getting the word out about how much WATER’S WORTH IT™ and backing up the message with action.

On May 4, 20 staff members made a green imprint on the Alexandria, Va., waterfront. WEF staff volunteers joined together to participate in the Spring for Alexandria Community Service Day event organized by Volunteer Alexandria in partnership with the City of Alexandria. Dressed in matching event shirts and equipped with gloves, trash bags, wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, and various other cleaning tools, the volunteers picked up litter and wood debris along the Potomac River waterfront.

And throughout April, 13 WEF staff members rose to the commuter challenge by tracking their use of “green” transportation. For the 1st Annual City of Alexandria Commuter Challenge, participants were encouraged to walk, bike, carpool, bus, or take the train to work, or even telecommute. Participants registered through their companies and were asked to log their commutes each week.

“Every company did amazing throughout the competition,” said Andrea Ostrander, City of Alexandria business development manager. WEF staff were able to reduce about 2 days a week of driving through alternative modes of transportation “and reduced the vehicle miles traveled by 1157 miles [1862 km],” Ostrander said.   

Many organizations contribute funds to improve water access, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). To optimize the donation process, the Foundation Center (New York) launched a custom Web portal to provide information and resources on who is funding what project and where, according to a Foundation Center news release.
 

Register now to take advantage of the Super Saver Rate for WEFTEC^® 2012, the 85th annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference. WEFTEC 2012 will feature more than 140 technical sessions, 24 workshops, and more than 1000 presentations and posters. The Super Saver Rate expires July 13.

The Work for Water exhibit featured “Sewer Science,” a hands-on lab that demonstrates how municipal wastewater treatment works. Visitors to the lab had the opportunity to test the pH of various liquids and synchronously learned about the importance of keeping our waters healthy.

Water experts from WEF, CH2M Hill (Englewood, Colo.), AECOM (Los Angeles), the Upper Occoquan Service Authority (Centreville, Va.), and Fairfax County, Va., volunteered for the festival. 

Everyone knows that Florida is full of alligators. Sometimes they even visit wastewater treatment plants. In May, operators at the Main Street Water Reclamation Facility in Gainesville, Fla., found a 9.5-ft-long scaly visitor lurking in one of the clarifiers.

Get the rest of the story in the July issue of Water Environment & Technology.  

A growing number of utilities, Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Member Associations, and other water organizations are using the WATER’S WORTH IT™ public messaging campaign with their constituencies.

“Feedback since the March 22 campaign launch has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Lori Harrison, WEF director of public information.  “We’re hearing from both large and small organizations how WATER’S WORTH IT is making a big difference in their outreach efforts.”
 

The campaign website, WatersWorthIt.org, is a one-stop-shop for free, customizable materials such as fact sheets and brochures, as well as preprinted merchandise such as buttons, stickers, and T-shirts. WEF regularly updates the WATER’S WORTH IT website with new materials.

New opportunities
Last month, WEF had the opportunity to deliver the WATER'S WORTH IT™ message to the hundreds of thousands of race fans attending the Indianapolis 500, the world’s largest single-day spectator sporting event. The 30-second public service announcement (PSA), which was shown on a large screen at the entrance of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, can be viewed at www.WatersWorthIt.org. In addition, five new fact sheets — highlighting the campaign’s core focus areas of respect, effort, passion, health, and future — have been added to the General Public section of the WATER’S WORTH IT website.

To encourage utilities and Member Associations to visit www.WatersWorthIt.org and take advantage of the available campaign materials, WEF is holding a WATER’S WORTH IT video contest. Anyone who is part of a WEF Member Association, including Students and Young Professionals chapters, or water or wastewater treatment utility is invited to enter the contest. Upload a 1- to 2-minute video to YouTube showing how you are using the WATER’S WORTH IT campaign in your community, then fill out the brief contest-entry form.

Judges will be looking for an engaging video that incorporates the WATER’S WORTH IT message. Videos will be scored on creativity and originality. The top videos showing how WATER’S WORTH IT is being used in local communities will be showcased at WEFTEC^® in New Orleans. Click here for more information and easy entry details. Entry deadline is July 1.

For more information, contact watersworthitvideocontest@wef.org.

The state winners in the 2012 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) competition have been announced by the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.). By winning their state competitions, these 49 finalists qualify for the national competition in Boston, June 14–16.

WEFTEC^® 2011 has been ranked by Trade Show News Network (Brookfield, Wis.) as 73rd in its Top 250 Trade Show list. The list ranks trade shows held in the United States by net square footage of exhibits.

A total of 16,961 water professionals attended the 84th annual technical exhibition and conference, which was held in Los Angeles. With 923 companies exhibiting on more than 26,000 m² (280,000 ft²) of floor space, the event was the second largest in Los Angeles in 2011.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) welcomes Amanda J. Waters to the new position of government affairs counsel. In this role, Waters will monitor, analyze, and report on federal water quality legislation and regulations and their potential effect on WEF members.

Waters’ responsibilities include managing grassroots member involvement, working with WEF Member Associations to develop effective state legislative programs, and supporting outreach on public policy matters to external audiences, such as elected officials, water utilities, manufacturers, and consulting firms. She also will be developing strategies to help build support for WEF’s strategic priorities and programs.  

Waters holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond), as well as a J.D. and an environmental law certificate from Pace University School of Law (White Plains, N.Y.). She most recently served as deputy executive director and general counsel at Sanitation District No. 1 in Fort Wright, Ky. She also was policy advisor and, later, deputy general counsel to the Kentucky Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, as well as visiting professor at Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.).

“Amanda brings a wealth of outside-the-beltway knowledge and experience that will be very valuable to growing our advocacy efforts,” said Tim Williams, senior director of government affairs at WEF. “She’ll be helping WEF to shape legislation and regulation that’s in the best interests of clean water and public health. We're looking forward to working with her.” 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) has released Manual of Practice (MOP) 23, Design of Urban Stormwater Controls. The manual is being published jointly with the American Society of Civil Engineers (Reston, Va.) and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (Reston, Va.).

Fully updated to address the paradigm shift in how stormwater is viewed and managed, Design of Urban Stormwater Controls focuses on consolidating technologies to foster a convergence between traditional stormwater controls and ‘green’ infrastructure. Another development was the recognition that both quantity and quality are inextricably linked.  

Chapter subjects include the effects of stormwater on receiving waters; performance goals for stormwater controls; unit processes and operations for stormwater control; swales and strips; filters; gross pollutant traps and mechanical operations; maintenance of stormwater controls; whole-life cost of stormwater controls; performance assessment; and analytical tools for simulation of stormwater controls.  

• John L. Latsha, member since Jan. 1, 1971, Pennsylvania Water Environment Association. 

• Dennis P. Lingenfelter, member since Jan. 1, 1975, Pennsylvania Water Environment Association.

• Pio Lombardo, member since Jan. 1, 1972, New England Water Environment Association.

• Jettie Montgomery, member since Jan. 1, 1977, Virginia Water Environment Association.

• Lynn Osborn, member since Jan. 1, 1975, Kansas Water Environment Association.

• Daniel Davis, member since Jan. 1, 1970, New York Water Environment Association.

• Thomas M. Furlow, member since Jan. 1, 1977, Georgia Association of Water Professionals.

• James McIndoe, member since Jan. 1, 1977, Alabama’s Water Environment Association.  

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) has released its Year in Review 2011.The 16-page report provides an overview of WEF’s most notable activities, accomplishments, events, leaders, and award recipients. It is available online in a flipbook format.