UK Debuts First Wastewater-Powered Car

 

When children of the 1960s see a Volkswagen (VW) Beetle, they think “Flower Power.” When children of the 2010s see the iconic car, they may someday think “sewer power.” At least that’s the hope of a group in England that converted a second-hand VW to operate on methane gas from a virtually inexhaustible source: human waste. Dubbed the Bio-Bug, the sewage-powered car is the brainchild of GENeco (Bristol, England), a sustainable-energy company owned by Wessex Water (Bath, England), a water and wastewater company serving much of southwestern England.

The Bio-Bug, a modified VW Beetle, runs on both conventional fuel and compressed methane gas. Photo courtesy of GENeco (Bristol, England). Click for larger image.

 

From the President: Plans For a New Year

 

As I begin my year with the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.), I realize that it is truly an honor to be president of this great organization. But along with that honor comes responsibility and challenge. I am assuming the presidency of WEF at a very pivotal time in history for both the organization and us as water professionals. We have to think differently from how we did before the recession. We need to be creative with financial resources that, at times, are not sufficient. We all are faced with doing more with less. Utilities throughout the United States have sustained severe budget cuts, yet we must operate and maintain our treatment plants, repair and rehabilitate our infrastructure, face work-force issues, deal with increasingly stringent permit requirements, manage stormwater, prepare for climate change, and ensure sustainable practices to have the resources needed for future generations.

Jeanette Brown, 2010–2011 WEF President.

 

World Water Monitoring Day Reaches Around the World

 

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) continues to reach more people around the world every year. Participants in the international education and outreach program coordinated by the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) and the International Water Association (IWA; London) span the globe, including Vietnam, Pakistan, Bulgaria, India, and the United States.   The program encourages people to test their local waterways for a core set of water quality parameters — including temperature, acidity, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen — with the WWMD water testing kit between March 22 and Dec. 31. Participants submit their results to be shared through the WWMD Web site, www.worldwatermonitoringday.org. Every year, the official WWMD observation is Sept. 18, and many have come out to celebrate.

Students visit an exhibit at the 2010 World Water Monitoring Day celebration held Sept. 16 in Washington, D.C. See more photos in the WWMD 2010 gallery. Photo courtesy of Allison O’Brien. Click for larger image.

 

In Memoriam: Joseph L. Abbott Jr., Godwin Pumps National Sales Manager 

 

Joseph L. Abbott Jr., national sales manager of Godwin Pumps (Bridgeport, N.J.) and a Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) member, died Sept. 12. Abbott, a resident of Radnor, Pa., received his bachelor of science degree in accounting from Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia). He was a member of the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (Owings Mill, Md.) for more than 20 years. In addition to being a member of WEF, he belonged to the North American Society of Trenchless Technology (Liverpool, N.Y.), National Utility Contractors Association (Arlington, Va.), National Mining Association (Washington, D.C.), and American Rental Association (Moline, Ill.).

Photo courtesy of Godwin Pumps (Bridgeport, N.J.).

 

Luxury Albuquerque, N.M., Hotel Saving Millions of Gallons of Water

Historic Hotel Andaluz focuses on water efficiency, as well as posh appointments

 

When Goodman Realty Group (Albuquerque, N.M.) set out to revitalize Hotel Andaluz (Albuquerque) in 2005, the company had visions of environmental sustainability, as well as luxury designed with a nod to the modern Andalucía Region of Spain. Originally built in 1939 by Conrad Hilton as Hotel La Posada de Albuquerque, the city’s oldest and only historic hotel was purchased by Goodman in 2005. The company immediately closed the hotel and invested $30 million in upgrades that it says make Hotel Andaluz the “greenest” boutique hotel in the U.S. Southwest. In September, the hotel received the Boutique and Lifestyle Lodging Association (West Hills, Calif.) and Hospitality Design magazine’s “Lifestyle Hotel of the Year” award.

The entrance to Hotel Andaluz (Albuquerque), a historic hotel remodeled with sustainable features. Photo courtesy of Ramona Willis d'Viola/ilumus photography. Click for larger image.

Several key water conservation features at the hotel save upwards of 13,200 m³ (3.5 million gal) of water per year. The company is seeking the U.S. Green Business Council (Washington, D.C.) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold status for the hotel. Located in a water-strapped region, this water savings is an impressive figure that commands attention.  

“Our owner, Gary Goodman, has always been passionate about sustainability,” said Darin Sand, LEED Accredited Professional coordinator, noting that Goodman has considered the environmental impacts of its projects since the 2001 installation of an underground closed-loop thermal cooling system at its headquarters. “We also are keenly aware of the need to conserve water in the high-desert Southwest,” he said. “As such, water conservation is always on our mind.”

Going for LEED Gold

Water conservation measures at Hotel Andaluz go beyond polite cards suggesting that guests minimize towel use and forgo having linens changed daily. Each guest room features 7.6-L/min (2-gal/min) oxygen-assisted low-flow shower heads that mix oxygen with water for a fuller shower feel and dual-flush toilets, which reduce water use by more than 45% annually, according to Sand. Sand said that first, obvious water-saving fixtures were installed — guest showers, faucets fitted with 5.7-L/min (1.5-gal/min) low-flow aerators, and toilets — and then the company added a sustainable solar–thermal system that heats the hotel’s guest rooms, public restrooms, kitchens, and laundry facilities. For the upgrades, Goodman received a $200 rebate per toilet and an $8 rebate per showerhead, totaling a $23,000 credit on the hotel’s water bill. New Mexico also offers corporate tax credits for solar energy.
		A solar–thermal system and water-saving features including dual-flush toilets are key “green” features in Hotel Andaluz. Photo courtesy of Ramona Willis d'Viola/ilumus photography. Click for larger images.

Since the 107-room hotel reopened in November 2009, it has used an average of 1049 m³/mo (277,092 gal/mo). Compare that to the 3508 m³/mo (926,730 gal/mo) used by the same property before its renovation, and Hotel Andaluz appears to be a water steward.

However, Brent White, water conservation analyst for Southwest Florida Water Management District, considered Hotel Andaluz’s key features and said some of the savings are average, compared to the benchmarks he uses for hotels ranging in size from 6 to 900 rooms. He concluded that while Hotel Andaluz’s “savings are achievable with the application of water-conserving best management practices and careful management and monitoring of all major uses,” the real savings are due to the dual-flush toilets.

“The toilets have contributed a great deal to the savings,” Sand said. “They use [3 L] 0.8 gal of water for a half flush and [6 L] 1.6 gal for a full flush. There have not been any complaints about toilet clogs or problems.”

Block Steward
Further adding to the list of sustainable features, the hotel manages a comprehensive recycling program, which has carried over to other businesses on the block. “We are the ones leading the program; no other city block is doing this,” Sand said. 

Additionally, the hotel has a full set of brand-new dual-pane, low emissivity, energy-efficient windows that conform to historic preservation requirements. And instead of plastic water bottles, the hotel provides a tap-water filter system for its restaurant, Lucia, and rooftop club, Ibiza. Coordinating Irrigation and Cistern Space Goodman installed a drip irrigation system for its landscape, which, in downtown Albuquerque, is limited to six trees lining its street front and indoor potted plants. But the company has other ideas, such as installing cisterns to take the hotel’s water conservation program even farther. To capture runoff from Hotel Andaluz’s 576-m2 (6200-ft2) roof, Goodman is installing three 9460-L (2500-gal) cisterns in the adjacent city-owned garage and creating a new irrigation source.

A view of the lobby of Hotel Andaluz, the self-proclaimed “greenest” boutique hotel in the U.S. Southwest. Photo courtesy of Ramona Willis d'Viola/ilumus photography. Click for larger image.

At first, adding cisterns seemed like an easy way to acquire LEED points, Sand said. However, “the rainwater capture is a challenge, because we are located on an established downtown city block,” he said. “Finding a location for the [cisterns] required some thinking. … It has taken coordination with the City of Albuquerque.”

This latest step is worth following through, Sand added. It represents “how far we can go with our downtown property” in achieving one of LEED’s highest standards, he said. The cistern system is expected to be operating before the end of the year.

 

Andrea Fox, WEF Highlights

UK Debuts First Wastewater-Powered Car

When children of the 1960s see a Volkswagen (VW) Beetle, they think “Flower Power.” When children of the 2010s see the iconic car, they may someday think “sewer power.”

At least that’s the hope of a group in England that converted a second-hand VW to operate on methane gas from a virtually inexhaustible source: human waste. Dubbed the Bio-Bug, the sewage-powered car is the brainchild of GENeco (Bristol, England), a sustainable-energy company owned by Wessex Water (Bath, England), a water and wastewater company serving much of southwestern England.   The prototype vehicle was conceived as a way to use excess biogas produced at a local wastewater treatment plant while publicly showcasing the viability of using human waste as a sustainable and clean fuel alternative, according to Ben Powis, environmental business development manager for South West Regional Development Agency (Devon, England), which also collaborated on the project.

The Bio-Bug, a modified VW Beetle, runs on both conventional fuel and compressed methane gas. Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of GENeco (Bristol, England). Click for larger image.

How It Works

		The Bio-Bug is a conventional 2-L, four-cylinder VW Beetle convertible modified by Greenfuel Co. (Bath) to run on both conventional fuel and compressed methane gas. Compressed-gas fuel cylinders were added to the car to store methane, as well as simple mechanisms for filling the cylinders and connecting them to the car’s engine. The car’s existing fuel system remains intact. The total conversion cost amounts to about $2350 (£1500).   Like many dual-fuel vehicles, the Bio-Bug starts using regular unleaded gas. When the engine reaches full operating temperature, it automatically switches over to methane fuel. If the methane tank runs empty, the Bio-Bug automatically reverts to gasoline power. Thanks to special refining of the methane gas, the Bio-Bug’s performance is comparable to that of a similar car filled with traditional fuel, said Mohammed Saddiq, GENeco general manager. “If you were to drive the car, you wouldn’t know it was powered by biogas, as it performs just like any conventional car,” Saddiq said. “Drivers won’t know the difference.”
The Bio-Bug runs on regular gas until it reaches full operating temperature and switches back to gas when the methane tank runs empty. Photo courtesy of GENeco. Click for larger images.

Fill ‘Er Up?
Currently, the Bio-Bug’s methane fuel tank only can be filled in one place: the wastewater treatment plant at Avonmouth in England.

There, anaerobic digestion has been used for years to convert wastewater and organic wastes into biogas, which traditionally has been used to power the site, with the excess exported to the National Grid (London), Saddiq said. National Grid is an international electricity and gas company that owns the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales.

While suitable for generating electricity, the biogas needs further processing to improve its performance as a vehicle fuel, Powis said.

Straight from the digesters, the biogas is approximately 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide, Powis explained. After putting the biogas through a siloxane plant for initial cleaning, GENeco uses a pressure swing absorption unit to pressurize the gas and filter out the carbon dioxide. Then, the resulting product — now 99.9% methane — is compressed into cylinder packs and ready to use.

Win–Win for Drivers and the Environment
GENeco claims that waste flushed down the toilets of only 70 homes in Bristol produces enough methane to power the Bio-Bug for a year, assuming it travels 16,000 km (10,000 mi) annually.

What kind of mileage does the Bio-Bug get? Powis said it can be difficult to compare the performance of gasoline to that of methane gas. “The generally accepted belief is that the Bio-Bug uses about one-third more fuel [than an ordinary VW Beetle],” he said. “But because the fuel is less expensive to produce, it is still about one-third cheaper to operate overall.” 

The methane fuel that powers the Bio-Bug offers another bonus, Powis said. It’s virtually pollutant-free. “The exhaust consists of carbon dioxide and water,” Powis explained. “There is no soot or tar.” Perceptible odor also is absent from the exhaust.

Currently, only one high-visibility Bio-Bug can be found cruising the streets of Bristol. But if the trial proves successful, GENeco said it will consider converting some of the company’s fleet of vehicles to run on biogas.

Before anyone else can jump on the Bio-Bug bandwagon, however, the company and its partners will have to develop a way to sell and distribute “refined” methane gas.

In the long-term, that could also mean increasing methane production. Wessex Water currently produces approximately 18 million m3 (635 million ft3) of biogas at its Avonmouth plant every year. So, the waste of the region’s 1 million inhabitants currently produces enough biogas to power about 6000 cars a year, according to Powis. It’s an amount that could conceivably grow, even if the population does not. Saddiq explained that GENeco is making plans to recycle food waste at Avonmouth, which could substantially increase biogas production. “It will mean that both human waste and food waste will be put to good use in a sustainable way that diverts waste from going to landfill,” he said.  Powis thinks even bigger. Anaerobic digestion technology generates considerable interest in British agriculture, wastewater, and waste management organizations, he said. This trial could help potential investors decide if it is appropriate for their use. In other words, he hopes people will be bitten by the Bio-Bug.

The flow diagram shows the cycle of biogas energy production for the Bio-Bug. Figure courtesy of GENeco. Click for larger image.

 

Mary Bufe, WEF Highlights

From the President: Plans For a New Year

 

Jeanette Brown, 2010–2011 WEF President.

As I begin my year with the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.), I realize that it is truly an honor to be president of this great organization.

But along with that honor comes responsibility and challenge. I am assuming the presidency of WEF at a very pivotal time in history for both the organization and us as water professionals. We have to think differently from how we did before the recession. We need to be creative with financial resources that, at times, are not sufficient. We all are faced with doing more with less. Utilities throughout the United States have sustained severe budget cuts, yet we must operate and maintain our treatment plants, repair and rehabilitate our infrastructure, face work-force issues, deal with increasingly stringent permit requirements, manage stormwater, prepare for climate change, and ensure sustainable practices to have the resources needed for future generations.

We are stewards of the environment, but we also must be humanitarians and understand what we can do as individuals and organizations to truly protect and enhance the global water environment. We need to work hard to bring clean water and sanitation to everyone. Throughout the world, there are at least 2.6 billion people who do not have access to basic sanitation and clean drinking water that results in 2 million to 5 million people, including more than 1.5 million children, dying each year from waterborne diseases and poor sanitation. This is not acceptable.

Goals for the Upcoming Year

 

• As I look to my year as president, I plan to continue placing WEF and our members in a leadership role in solving the water challenges of this century.
• I plan to work hard so WEF and our members can be heard and can be the leaders who decide on the course of action needed to ensure sustainable high-quality water for all uses.
• I plan to work hard to continue to make WEF and WEFTEC^® a center of global excellence, a portal for essential access to water knowledge, and a key source of important new ideas, technologies, and policies.
• I plan to support the creation of a venue at WEFTEC that allows us to learn about technology and innovated processes being employed outside of North America. Unless we share ideas and learn from one another, we will not solve our problems.
• I plan to enhance our role in public policy leadership. WEF has a reputation for excellence, objectivity, and expertise, as well as for being a source of new ideas, expert knowledge, and solutions. We are consulted for credible, objective, and highly valued input by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, environmental nongovernmental organizations, and the U.S. Congress. I plan to leverage this reputation and partner with other organizations to promote better policies.

Operators are the lifeblood of our efforts to protect the environment, and we must do everything we can to educate and train them. During this next year, we will be promoting our Distance Learning Initiative. This program will enable our excellent training programs to be used by anyone with Internet access no matter where they are located and allow operators to develop their skills and achieve higher levels of certification in a cost-effective way. They will have access to renowned experts in the field without ever having to leave their location.

We as WEF members must be recognized by public and regulatory agencies as leaders in science, technology, and policy areas regarding water. I pledge to work hard to make this happen and continue to expand our influence, reputation as experts, and leadership in all matters related to water.

We also need to change the public’s view of water. WEF and our members can be leaders in educating the public on how to use water, the value of water, and the importance of full-cost pricing for the use, treatment, and disposal of water to ensure the protection of public health and the environment. Water has no substitute, and if not managed properly, water will become the limiting resource in developed, as well as developing, regions.

Jeanette Brown, 2010–2011 WEF President

World Water Monitoring Day Reaches Around the World

 

Students visit an exhibit at the 2010 World Water Monitoring Day celebration held Sept. 16 in Washington, D.C. See more photos in the WWMD 2010 gallery. Photo courtesy of Allison O’Brien. Click for larger image.

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) continues to reach more people around the world every year. Participants in the international education and outreach program coordinated by the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) and the International Water Association (IWA; London) span the globe, including Vietnam, Pakistan, Bulgaria, India, and the United States.

The program encourages people to test their local waterways for a core set of water quality parameters — including temperature, acidity, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen — with the WWMD water testing kit between March 22 and Dec. 31. Participants submit their results to be shared through the WWMD Web site, www.worldwatermonitoringday.org. Every year, the official WWMD observation is Sept. 18, and many have come out to celebrate.

WEF and IWA hosted the D.C. celebration of WWMD on Thursday, Sept. 16 at Hains Point. For the event, nearly 300 students from schools in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia participated in hands-on monitoring of the Potomac River and were able to visit the 21 exhibits hosted by local groups involved in water protection. Another notable event comes out of Vietnam, with the first WWMD activity in the country occurring as more than 500 students spent the beginning of the year sampling, testing, and reporting findings in 14 waterbodies in the Nhue-Day River basin. More WWMD stories can be found on the program’s Web site.

The extensive reach of WWMD can be seen with the new data map, designed as a volunteer effort by the New Zealand-based firm Outpost Central. Pinpoints on the Google map describe monitoring results and any additional information, such as species, photos, videos, comments, and history of monitoring results for different locations around the world. This platform facilitates navigation of the data collected and provides the opportunity for participants to connect with each other and collaborate in the future. “The map will allow groups to record more qualitative information about their sites, such as greater detail about how the land around the site is used,” said WEF assistant director of communications Lorien Walsh.

WEF and IWA received financial and in-kind support for WWMD from the program’s primary sponsors, including the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PerkinElmer Inc. (Waltham, Mass.), ITT Corp. (White Plains, N.Y.), Sinclair Knight Merz Group (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), and Smithfield Foods (Smithfield, Va.).

To host your own event, purchase materials at the online store, or have free materials shipped directly to you for your event by submitting the materials request form. Also, see the WWMD 2010 photo gallery. 

 

 

In Memoriam: Joseph L. Abbott Jr., Godwin Pumps National Sales Manager

 

Photo courtesy of Godwin Pumps (Bridgeport, N.J.).

Joseph L. Abbott Jr., national sales manager of Godwin Pumps (Bridgeport, N.J.) and a Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) member, died Sept. 12.

Abbott, a resident of Radnor, Pa., received his bachelor of science degree in accounting from Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia). He was a member of the National Association of Sewer Service Companies (Owings Mill, Md.) for more than 20 years. In addition to being a member of WEF, he belonged to the North American Society of Trenchless Technology (Liverpool, N.Y.), National Utility Contractors Association (Arlington, Va.), National Mining Association (Washington, D.C.), and American Rental Association (Moline, Ill.).

Abbott provided sales and manufacturing expertise from the sewer rehabilitation industry to Godwin Pumps. Since joining the company in 1989, he became the primary sales contact with consulting engineers and worked on hundreds of large and small bypass operations, pumping process sewers, and municipal treatment plants, pump stations, and sewer systems, according to a Godwin Pumps news release. He helped build the company’s distribution network throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to managing product pricing and overseeing bids, he had speaking engagements at trade functions throughout North America. 

 

 

WEF Names Editor-in-Chief for Water Environment Research

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) named Michael K. Stenstrom editor-in-chief of its international research journal Water Environment Research (WER). Stenstrom, a distinguished professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), will be responsible for the overall editorial direction of the journal and implementing enhancements to attract high-quality water research from around the world.

“I am very pleased to become chief editor,” Stenstrom said. “I will do my best to guide WER to become the premier journal in water and wastewater treatment, with greater impact and more rapid publication.”

Stenstrom, after earning B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in environmental systems engineering from Clemson University (Clemson, S.C.), spent the majority of his 35-year career as a researcher and professor at UCLA. His editorial background includes having authored or co-authored 160 papers in peer-reviewed journals, of which 37 appeared in WER, and 50 technical reports; presented or co-authored 279 papers at field-related conferences and seminars; developed 70 research grants and contracts; and served as WER editor since 2001 and chair of the WER Board of Editorial Review since 2006. In addition, he is a WEF member, holds five patents, has been a registered professional civil engineer in California since 1982, and has been a board-certified environmental engineer of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (Annapolis, Md.) since 1989.  

WEF Makes Impressive Showing at IFAT 2010

 

The WEF International Pavilion at the IFAT ENTSORGA 2010 show in Munich. Click for larger image.

The international presence of the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) continues to grow in size and influence. The WEF International Pavilion was the second largest continuous stand among 2730 exhibitors from 49 countries at the IFAT ENTSORGA 2010 show in Munich Sept. 13 to 17.

WEF’s 252-m² pavilion included 20 individual company exhibits. This presence enabled exhibiting companies to reach out to the 110,000 trade visitors from 185 countries who attended the event.

“[Our] decision to exhibit in the WEF Pavilion at IFAT ENTSORGA 2010 proved to be a valuable, cost-effective option for our company,” said Chris Mitchell, international sales manager for Red Valve Co./Tideflex Technologies (Carnegie, Pa.). “The logistical support given to our company prior to and during the show allowed us to focus on preshow marketing efforts, maximize our time onsite visiting current clients and prospecting for new ones. We would recommend this program to any company looking to grow their market share overseas without reservation.”

For more information about the 2010–2011 WEF International Pavilion Program, contact Laila Sukkariyyah at lsukkariyyah@wef.org, or see www.wef.org/internationalpavilion.  

 

 

Water Environment Federation Announces Fellows Program

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) has announced the WEF Fellows Program to recognize the professional achievements, impact, and stature of members in the practice areas served by WEF, including — but not limited to — design, education, operations, regulation, research, and utility management and leadership.

WEF Fellows applicants and nominees will be considered by a selection committee and approved by the WEF Board of Trustees. If you or another member deserves recognition for professional achievements and have a minimum of 5 consecutive years of WEF membership and a minimum of 10 years of professional experience in a practice area served by WEF, submit an application or nomination today.

The deadline to submit applications and nominations is Feb. 1, 2011. For more information, see http://www.wef.org/weffellowsprogram, or contact Theresa Mixon at tmixon@wef.org. 

Don’t Miss This Chance To Participate in WEFTEC 2011

 

Don’t miss your chance to participate in WEFTEC® 2011, to be held Oct. 15–19 in Los Angeles. Submit your abstract and session proposal today.

Call for Abstracts
Be a part of the technical program at WEFTEC by submitting an abstract for consideration to present in Los Angeles at WEFTEC 2011. Abstract proposals are accepted online and are due by Dec. 2. Authors of accepted papers will be notified in April 2011. For more information, see the detailed list of topics.

Session Proposals
Propose a whole or half session for the WEFTEC 2011 technical program. Submit session proposals on the Session Proposal Form to Susan Merther at smerther@wef.org by Dec. 2.

 

Submit Abstracts and Proposals for Energy and Water 2011

Take the opportunity to submit an abstract, session proposal, and workshop proposal for the upcoming conference, Energy and Water 2011 — Efficiency, Generation, Management, and Climate Impacts, scheduled for July 31 to Aug. 3 in Chicago.

The call for abstracts seeks submissions under the topics of energy efficiency and generation, utility management, climate impacts, zero net energy facilities and beyond, manufacturers’ forum, and academic forum. Abstracts are accepted online and are due by Dec. 10, as are session proposals and/or workshop proposals. If you are interested in becoming even more involved, join the conference planning committee by contacting Renee Kayal at rkayal@wef.org.  

WEF Membership Committee Seeks Members

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Board of Trustees recently approved a modification to the Membership Committee mission, to focus on programs and services that add value to WEF membership, and WEF needs your help. 

 

Membership Committee Charge: Advise the Board of Trustees on strategies, programs, and services to enhance the value of WEF membership; work with Member Associations to develop programs to promote and enhance WEF membership; and work with staff to develop and implement approved membership value programs.

 

With the new focus, it is essential that the Membership Committee include representatives from all segments of WEF’s membership to ensure an inclusive and balanced perspective as WEF considers its programs and services and assignments that may be given to the committee by the Board of Trustees.

WEF encourages members to join and help with its important work and is soliciting members for the Membership Committee from all of these segments:

• operations
• engineering
• utility
• young professionals
• academia
• representatives from Member Associations that require WEF membership
• representatives from Member Associations that provide a non-WEF membership option
• representatives from the House of Delegates.

Interested WEF members can join committees, a list of which can be found in the committee section at www.wef.org/members. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chair Howard Kimbrell at howard.kimbrell@jacobs.com or Vice Chair Joe Bonaccorso at jbonaccorso@jmeuc.com.  

Register Now for Nutrient Recovery and Management Conference

Nutrient Recovery and Management

Jan. 9–12, 2011, Hilton Miami Downtown

The conference will discuss recent developments in nutrient management practices in industrial and municipal wastewater treatment systems and solutions, from conventional biological nutrient removal treatment to enhanced nutrient reduction.  

Attend the Impaired Waters Symposium 2011

Impaired Waters Symposium 2011: Spanning the Water Quality Continuum — From Standards to TMDLs
Jan. 12–13, 2011, Hilton Miami Downtown

The symposium will bring together water practitioners to exchange information on the challenges and opportunities from new and more-stringent numeric water quality standards for parameters, as well as the increased precision and scale of pollutant and source detection. 

Participate in WEF’s Upcoming Webcasts

Be sure to participate in the following upcoming Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) webcasts:

• Collection Systems Webcast Series, available for purchase at a special bundled price for the purchase of all four webcasts, including Perspectives on Pipeline Replacement, Nov. 10; Perspectives on Manhole Rehabilitation, Feb. 9; Perspectives on Service Lateral Rehabilitation, June 1; and Perspectives on Pump/Lift Station Rehabilitation, Nov. 16.
• Gaining Regulatory Acceptance for Green Infrastructure in Wet Weather Programs, Dec. 1.

Meet WEF’s Newest Life Members

 

James A. Merideth, member since Jan. 1, 1972, Iowa Water Environment Association.
	Photo courtesy of James A. Merideth.
Robert A. Corbitt, member since Jan. 1, 1968, Georgia Association of Water Professionals.
Dave Newkirk, member since Jan. 1, 1972, Arizona Water Association.
James H. Reynolds, member since Jan. 1, 1970, Iowa Water Environment Association.
Murli Tolaney, member since Jan. 1, 1970, California Water Environment Association.

 

WERF Hosts Virtual Research Forum

 

The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF; Alexandria, Va.) will once again bring its Annual Research Forum to desktops across the world Dec. 7 beginning at 11 a.m. (EST).  The online forum addresses wastewater, stormwater, and asset management challenges through educational sessions in the areas of operations and technology, and water quality. Participants can move from one session to another and view presentations again for 90 days following the forum.

Other features include live chat in the virtual networking lounge with all presenters, live interaction with other participants, audio and video presentations, vendor booths, and tool demonstrations. The event sponsors, American Cleaning Institute (Washington, D.C.); Black & Veatch (Overland Park, Kan.); CDM (Cambridge, Mass.); EMA (St. Paul, Minn.); Freese and Nichols (Fort Worth, Texas); Greeley and Hansen (Chicago); HDR (Omaha, Neb.); InSinkErator (Racine, Wis.); Malcolm Pirnie (White Plains, N.Y.); PBS&J (Tampa, Fla.); and TrojanUV (London, Ontario), will have their own virtual trade show pavilion, where they will be able to share information on their products and services. Companies interested in sponsorships should contact Jane Knecht at jknecht@werf.org or (571) 384-2096.

Participation is free to all employees of WERF’s subscriber organizations. Nonsubscribers and members of educational institutions can register for a small fee and are eligible for a group registration license for multiple viewers in a single location. Register at www.werf.org/registration. 

 

WEF Announces Water-Sector Interdependencies Training

Safe drinking water and wastewater treatment and service are essential to the public health and economic vitality of any society. Preparing to promote drinking water and wastewater services during and following an incident will reduce hardships. 

To help utilities prepare, the Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, will hold a series of general awareness trainings on water-sector interdependencies:

 

• Nov. 30–Dec. 1 in Austin, Texas
• Jan. 18–19, 2011, in New Haven, Conn.
• Feb. 2–3, 2011, in Sacramento, Calif.
• Feb. 15–16, 2011, in Covington, Ky.

Receive a Discount To Attend the American Water Summit 2010

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) collaborated with Global Water Intelligence for its water and investment conference, American Water Summit 2010, scheduled for Nov. 3–4 in Washington, D.C. Featured speakers will include WEF President Jeanette Brown, members of WEF’s Global Water Strategies Council, and WEF Executive Director Bill Bertera. WEF members receive a $100 discount on registration; use “WEF” as the discount code.  

WEF Collaborates on the Charting New Water Document

 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) joined a diverse coalition of businesses, farmers, environmental not-for-profits, and government agencies to issue Charting New Waters: A Call to Action To Address U.S. Freshwater Challenges. The document is the culmination of a 2-year collaboration exploring solutions to freshwater challenges in the United States and calls for action to head off a national crisis in water quality and supply. The comprehensive cross-sector examination of freshwater challenges — such as pollution, scarcity, and competing water needs — and solutions — such as streamlining and better coordination of fragmented governance — represents diverse interests convened by The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread in Racine, Wis. In addition to signing onto the Call to Action, WEF and other participants made commitments as individual organizations to take action to address freshwater challenges in the Commitments to Action document.

 

Reviewers Needed for Basic Laboratory Procedures Special Publication 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) is updating its special publication Basic Laboratory Procedures for Wastewater Process Control and Permit Reporting so it includes current method references, up-to-date preservation methods, information on representative sampling and completing the Discharge Monitoring Report, and process control information to answer the questions of how and why to run a particular test. To ensure high-quality data, each method in the book will include appropriate quality assurance and quality control information.

The publication, designed to be used in the field by wastewater treatment plant operators, will focus on applicability to wastewater operations and include practice and study questions for operator training. Operators will learn to interpret the test results to better troubleshoot process control problems. The book will include photocopy-ready procedures and bench sheets.

Publication of the manual is set for January 2012. The project, being led by Sidney Innerebner, has officially launched, and the first draft will be ready for review in December. If you are interested in participating as a reviewer, would be able to work closely with WEF staff, and can dedicate the expertise and time to ensuring the development of a high-quality manual according to the publication schedule, contact Britt Sheinbaum at bsheinbaum@wef.org.  

WEF Announces the International Pavilion Program for 2010–2011

WEF Pavilion — Convención de ANEAS 2010
Mexico’s National Infrastructure Program includes increasing wastewater treatment to 60% of water collected. This will come at an estimated cost of more than $14 billion and massive overhauls of current infrastructure. The convention will be held Nov. 9–13, and the exposition will be held Nov. 10–13 in Mexico City.

2011 WEF International Pavilion Shows
EverythingAboutWater Expo 2011
Jan. 6–8, 2011, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India

WETEX 2011
March 8–10, Dubai Convention and Exhibition Centre, United Arab Emirates

IFAT China + China Water Show 2011
May (dates to be determined), Shanghai New International Expo Centre, China

Aquatech Amsterdam 2011
Nov. 1–4, Amsterdam RAI

WATEC Israel 2011
Nov. 15–17, Tel Aviv Exhibition Centre, Israel

For more information, click here, or contact Laila Sukkariyyah at lsukkariyyah@wef.org. 

Prepare For These 2011 Conferences

The Utility Management Conference

Feb. 8–11, 2011, Denver

Water and wastewater managers and professionals will gather to hear the latest approaches, practices, processes, techniques, case studies, and research in all aspects of utility management.

Disinfection 2011

April 10–13, 2011, Cincinnati

Attend a forum for professionals concerned with disinfection needs and technologies, with a focus on the disinfection and treatment of water and wastewater in small communities and households. The conference will present information on various applications and the status and future directions of disinfection with respect to water, wastewater, and biosolids worldwide.

Residuals and Biosolids 2011 — Adapting Residuals Management to a Changing Climate

May 22–25, 2011, Sacramento, Calif.

Collection Systems 2011 — Rehab or Roulette: Is Our Environment at Risk?

June 12–15, 2011, Raleigh, N.C. 

Plan on Attending Industrial Wastewater Seminar 2011

Industrial Wastewater Seminar 2011

May 9–10, 2011, Atlantic City, N.J.

This workshop examines water and wastewater management approaches being applied to improve overall environmental performance and challenging issues, and to address difficult-to-treat constituents.

WEF Introduces a New Resource for Wastewater Treatment Personnel

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) now offers an online resource center for wastewater treatment personnel, including plant operators, laboratory analysts, and collection systems employees, at WEF’s Access Water Knowledge page www.wef.org/OperationsResources. This new center includes information on

• certification, such as state and provincial certifying agency contacts and certification preparation materials;
• training and continuing education, such as local and online training opportunities;
• technical resources, such as useful reference materials and publications, including math, safety, and laboratory topics; and
• networking opportunities, such as ways to connect with other treatment personnel.