Calling all current and future water leaders! WEF/AWWA Utility Management Conference 2023 March 28 – 31 The 2023 AWWA/WEF Utility Management Conference will be held at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento, California. Together, the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation are once again partnering to offer this prestigious gathering...

With the enactment of the Clean Water Act in 1972, Congress provided billions of dollars in grants to local communities to construct or upgrade wastewater treatment facilities to meet secondary treatment standards. This investment allowed communities to reverse the impacts created by discharge of untreated wastewater, responding to what was then a significant threat to...

The San Luis Obispo Water Resource Recovery Facility (SLO WRRF), with research partners from the State University of New York and the SURE! program of California Polytechnic State University, recently accepted the California Association of Sanitary Agencies’ (CASA) award for Excellence in Innovation & Resiliency. The award was given to the SLO WRRF and partners for...

Kevin Schuler is OC San’s new Maintenance Manager for the Operations and Maintenance Department. He has been part of the OC San family for the last 11 years and has more than 25 years of experience in the wastewater industry. In his former role of Maintenance Superintendent, Kevin played a significant role in enhancing Operations...

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board announced in June the appointment of CWEA member Eileen White as its executive officer, succeeding Michael Montgomery. Her first day is July 11. White most recently served as director of East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Wastewater Department, where she recently led the development of EBMUD’s Integrated...

A history-making Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners is diligently building a sustainable future for one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. The City of Los Angeles set a milestone in 2020 with the appointment of its fifth female commissioner, making it the only all-female Board in the city and the first-ever for...

With no prior experience, Jennifer Rojas’ entry into the wastewater industry may have seemed a little unconventional. Today, after more than 10 years in her chosen field, she looks back on how adapting the managerial kills she already possessed and being surrounded by her knowledgeable team helped Rojas build a solid career. “I had just...

When Joone Kim-Lopez escaped South Korea under the threat of an invasion by North Korea, she was eight years old and didn’t speak English. Although she was happy to be in a country where women have more freedom and rights, she still felt isolated. With a great deal of effort, Kim-Lopez transformed that isolation into...

Today, the first operating advanced water purification facility in San Diego County was officially dedicated in the City of Oceanside. Elected officials and water leaders throughout southern California commemorated the milestone aptly celebrated on “World Water Day.” Pure Water Oceanside purifies recycled water to create a new local source of high-quality drinking water that is...

Governor Gavin Newsom visited a Metropolitan Water District of Southern California water recycling facility to discuss the administration’s response to the ongoing megadrought affecting the western United States. January through March were the driest first three months in the state’s recorded history, the state’s largest reservoirs are currently at half of their historical averages, and...

The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (Sanitation Districts) protect public health and the environment by providing wastewater management for 5.5 million people. The agency operates and maintains a regional wastewater collection system, which includes approximately 1,400 miles of sewers, 48 pumping plants and 11 wastewater treatment plants that convey and treat about half the wastewater...

Today, Congresswoman Lisa McClain (R-MI) and Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) introduced the Protecting Infrastructure and Promoting Environmental Stewardship (PIPES) Act, which would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish standards for the flushability of disposable wipes and would impose civil penalties on companies who are knowingly incompliant with these standards. “The PIPES Act would...

I am looking forward to working with you over the next two years to improve U.S. stormwater programs as well as overall stormwater quality. The U.S. Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) program is currently at a crossroads. On the regulatory side, it faces needs to implement numeric standards through total maximum daily loads (TMDLs)...

Calling all WEF Members – It’s time to nominate candidates for the WEF Awards! Canham Scholarship Now Open! Open to WEF members currently enrolled in a graduate-level education program. For consideration, applications must be received by March 1, 2022. Learn More Additional WEF Awards Now Open! WEF offers a number of professional recognition awards to...

Anaergia (TSX: ANRG) announced today that its subsidiary SoCal Biomethane will officially commission operations at the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) facility in Victorville, California. The facility is the first wastewater treatment plant in California to inject renewable natural gas made from both wastewater solids and food waste into a utility pipeline. The Anaergia subsidiary...

Ms. Morgan is Guest Editor of the Clean Water magazine’s special edition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. View the online edition here. When the Clean Water Act was passed, rivers were catching on fire and there was little in the way of Federal regulations in place to protect the environment for...

Perhaps more than anyone else in the clean water profession, Dan Cortinovis, P.E., has been directly affected by the passage of the Clean Water Act. His tenure in our industry dates back to 1967 when he was trained by the U.S. Air Force to operate the treatment plant at the air base in Merced where...

The mission of the US Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment. An excellent example of an EPA program that achieves this goal is the Clean Water Act’s National Pretreatment Program. Established in the 1980s, Federal Pretreatment Requirements were established to prevent harmful industrial pollutants from being discharged into municipal wastewater...

It’s no coincidence that the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Office of Water Programs (OWP) are both celebrating 50th anniversaries in 2022. The CWA set the stage for the development of OWP’s robust training and research programs that serve many disciplines and communities in the water sector. OWP continues to expand and adapt to...

In 2010, the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) faced a daunting task—upgrading its wastewater treatment process to tertiary to meet new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements. That meant removing nearly all ammonia and nitrates from more than 100 millions of gallons of wastewater received every day. To meet the requirements,...

When an ad for San Diego tourism comes on, you’re guaranteed to see clips of people running on one of their world-famous beaches. Clips of people riding surfboards, paddling around in the Bay or a slow camera pan of sun-kissed water and a sandy beach. San Diego is a water wonderland, with “70 miles of...

On October 5, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills prohibiting PFAS in juvenile products (AB 652) and disposable food packaging (AB 1200). The two new laws are a part of a trend in PFAS regulation in both California and national food law compliance. The persistence, ubiquity, and uncertainty of the health effects of PFAS have...

As part of its continued commitment to empowering future, diverse generations of industry leaders with financial aid, global design firm Stantec has launched the Stantec Equity & Diversity Scholarship Program. Designed to positively impact to historically underrepresented groups while fostering a more balanced workforce in the architecture, engineering, and consulting services industry; the program is...

Ten new valves are allowing Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility staff to more effectively operate the site’s five aeration basins, a critical step in the wastewater treatment process. The aeration basins (208 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 15 feet deep) are part of secondary wastewater treatment. They provide oxygen for the millions of beneficial microscopic...

On October 3 the Harris & Associates Board of Directors officially welcomed Steve Winchester as the firm’s new CEO in concurrence with the retirement of former CEO Lisa Larrabee. The Board selected Steve from a strong pool of internal candidates after a thoughtful and rigorous succession planning process. Since joining the firm in 2016, Steve has...

A long-running local program that benefits the San Luis Obispo community and Cal Poly science and engineering students received international recognition on Oct. 19. San Luis Obispo’s Sustainable Utilities Research and Education (SURE!) program, which is a partnership between City of San Luis Obispo’s Water Resource Recovery Facility and California Polytechnic State University, was awarded the Ralph Fuhrman Medal for Outstanding Water Quality Academic-Practice Collaboration at...

With many changes coming to CWEA, one of the biggest was our move to a new office space within our Oakland building. We decided to brighten up the office by having the wonderfully talented illustrator and muralist Nigel Sussman create a mural for CWEA. For those unfamiliar with Nigel’s work, he’s created art for many...

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board is proposing an agreement with the City and County of San Francisco that would require a $600 million investment to expand the capacity of sewer systems in three low-lying neighborhoods. Sewer overflows in these areas occur frequently after heavy rainstorms, posing risks to human health and...

When I was a child, my image of a hero was largely influenced by my surroundings, rural Pennsylvania.  A hero was someone who could protect us from disasters.  Heroes could chase a bear, ford a stream, and summit a peak. As urban dwellers, our opportunities to brave the forces of nature are limited. But what’s...

  Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan joined Silicon Valley Clean Water Commission Chair Alicia Aguirre, Oro Loma Board President Rita Duncan, and other local officials to announce Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans totaling $168 million for water system upgrades in Redwood City and Alameda County, California. “Investing...

Utility Management Conference 2022 February 21 – 24, 2022 Orlando, Florida, USA ABSTRACT SUBMITTAL DEADLINE: August 23, 2021 We are excited to announce that the 2022 Utility Management Conference will be in Orlando, Florida, and we are calling the water sector’s thought-leaders and experts to share their knowledge with the rest of the industry. The...

ASAE announced today the winners of the 2021 Gold Circle Awards, which denote excellence, innovation and achievement in association/nonprofit marketing, membership and communications programs. CWEA has won first place in the “Rebranding” category. This is our first ever ASAE first place award. “CWEA’s rebranding was a huge effort that affected all aspects of our association,”...

Join the Students and Young Professionals Committee Brownbag Luncheon on Mentoring with speaker Kerrie Greenfelder, Kansas City Municipal Water Division Department Manager for Burns & McDonnell and inaugural winner of the 2020 WEF Mentorship Award on June 9 at 12:00 p.m. Students can register for free. Members get a $130 discount before April 23. Cecilia...

Having diversity, equity, and inclusion in all levels of the workforce is vital to innovation and growth in the water sector. WEF’s Board of Trustees has established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee to provide guidance on programs, communications, and membership as the next step in the journey toward becoming as a fully diverse, inclusive,...

Don’t miss the AC21 information session discussing the informal staff draft Statewide Sanitary Sewer System General order on Tuesday, June 8 In March, the State Water Board released an informal staff draft Statewide Sanitary Sewer System General Order, sometimes referred to as the Update to the Waste Discharge Requirements or “WDR Update.” The purpose of...

Don’t miss the AC21 session, Improving your Utility’s Cybersecurity, Moving Past the Oldsmar Hack on Thursday, June 10. Register before April 23 to receive a $130 discount. What are a few important lessons of the Florida cyberattack and was there a similar TeamViewer attack at a California water facility? There are a few important lessons...

Objectives SB 1383, signed into law in September 2016, requires a 40% reduction in methane emissions in California by 2030 below the levels emitted in 2013. In order to achieve the methane emission reductions, the legislation further requires a 75% diversion of organics (including biosolids) from landfills by 2025, using 2014 levels as the baseline....

Many wastewater plants in California are being besieged with issues which have put stresses on a once traditional industry sector. The days of treating water with proven methods in a fairly stable and static environment are long gone and may never return again. The economic crises of the last decade caused a shuttering of businesses...

Read our second story, a Q&A with HDR experts on QACs. Last September, nitrification came to a sudden halt at the Water Resource Recovery Facility in San Luis Obispo. While plant staff has come up with a couple of potential solutions, and the plant is nitrifying again, the real cause and cure remain somewhat of...

Charles Gilman Hyde was born in Yantic, Connecticut on May 7, 1874. He was the youngest of Rodney and Kate Rhode Hyde’s nine children, five of whom died in one of North America’s last cholera epidemics. It has been speculated that it was this tragedy that drew Professor Hyde to the field of Sanitary Engineering.[1] Hyde...

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has selected the Water Environment Federation to develop, manage, and provide training for a nationwide network of water utilities, public health agencies, and laboratories participating in wastewater-based disease surveillance. Wastewater-based disease surveillance involves the testing of wastewater to evaluate the presence of pathogens among a population....

Costa Mesa Sanitary District’s Board of Directors announced today that it has successfully defended itself in a federal lawsuit filed by a group that accused CMSD of violating the Clean Water Act. On May 11, 2020, California River Watch (CRW), a non-profit organization located in Sebastopol, California, served CMSD with a 60-day. Notice of Violations...

On Tuesday February 2nd, Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) and California Coastkeeper Alliance introduced the California Clean Water Act, Assembly Bill 377, legislation that will put California back on track to eliminate impaired waterways and make all waters statewide suitable for conversion to drinking water, swimming, and fishing by...

Workforce development remains one of WEF’s top priorities, and as we continue to deliver on our commitment to water professionals, we are also working to make sure that the water workforce of the future is one that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. As the conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion magnified after...

The Water Leadership Institute would like to invite you to apply to the 2021 WLI program for the chance to join the next class.  Submit your application to this competitive program for the opportunity to engage in this blended learning program to develop your management training and leadership skills. Here is a snapshot of some...

View all coronavirus articles here > Testing mixed liquor sludge can better detect COVID viral infection in communities Accurately identifying changes in community COVID-19 infections through wastewater surveillance is moving closer to reality. A new study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, identifies a method that not only detects the virus in wastewater samples but also...

AquaVitas, an HHS contractor, will be conducting SARS-CoV-2 testing in wastewater treatment plants, and requests assistance in identifying utilities interested in participating.  This opportunity is open to all wastewater treatment plants, whether they are currently submitting wastewater samples or not. Priority will be given to treatment plants that serve large populations. AquaVitas plans to begin...

From the State Water Board… The City of Mount Shasta has agreed to pay $1.3 million to settle an Administrative Civil Liability complaint for multiple sanitary sewer overflows from its collection system and for violating effluent limitations at its wastewater treatment plant. The overflows, which occurred between October 2014 and April 2017, primarily were caused...

In recent years, PFAS has become a topic of public concern, particularly when found in water supplies. We in the water sector are also concerned about PFAS because protecting public health and the environment and increasing sustainability in our communities is our daily mission. The Water Environment Federation (WEF) and its members always prioritize science,...

Today, at the virtual 2020 WEFTEC conference, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the next step in EPA’s effort to help address workforce challenges that are facing America’s drinking water and wastewater utilities. The new America’s Water Sector Workforce Initiative outlines actions that the public and private sector are committing to that...

In Los Angeles County, few resources are as precious to and connected with residents as water. In addition to being necessary to civil success in a desert, the contents of the county’s water tell the story of every life that touches it. The Los Angeles County Sanitation District (LACSD) works to protect and monitor Los...

Utilities have recognized the value of peracetic acid (PAA) as a wastewater and stormwater disinfectant for years, but limited education and design guidance have impeded its implementation. Aiming to bridge the PAA knowledge gap, Peracetic Acid Disinfection: Implementation Considerations for Water Resource Recovery Facilities, a special publication from the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Virginia),...

After four years of work, the Advanced Water Treatment Operator® (AWTO®) certification program is now complete and launched by the California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association (CA-NV AWWA) and the California Water Environment Association (CWEA). The exam for the highest-grade level, known as AWT5™, launched on July 15th, completing the planned roll-out of...

We would like to inform you that  LACity’s LASAN and the environment applied for the MyLA2050 grant and has been selected as one of the 25 finalists this year! The application is titled “LA Industry: Circular Textiles” and is focused on creating a HUB and online platform to increase reuse rates, create green markets, resource conservation...

Last week to pay it forward!!  Virtual Food Drive last day to contribute – Friday, July 17  CWEA San Diego Section, in partnership with local San Diego chapters of American Public Works Association (APWA) and Maintenance Superintendents Association (MSA) are showing our gratitude to our community of essential workers and soliciting donations to benefit those most in...

Collaboration between WEF and Xylem aims to ensure consistent guidance for water operators. To ensure protection of the health and safety of wastewater workers during the coronavirus pandemic and into the future, Dr. Andrew Sanderson, MD, MPH of Howard University, has been named Chief Medical Officer for the Water Environment Federation. As Chief Medical Officer,...

WEF/AWWA Utility Management Conference 2021 #UMC21 Call for Abstracts Close Friday, June 26 The planning committee is now accepting abstracts, special topic sessions, and pre-conference workshop submissions. Check out the call for abstract topics to be a speaker at this prestigious management conference.  Speaking at UMC 2021 will offer increased networking opportunities, additional company exposure,...

This Manual of Practice serves as an injury-reduction tool to all those working in the wastewater field. Safety, Health and Security in Wastewater Systems, MOP 1, 6th Edition, Chapter 8 There are guidelines for creating written programs and procedures as well as guidelines that describe how to perform a confined space entry, lockout/tagout, and chemical...