Business Office: 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive, Clermont, FL 34711
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General Manager: Michael Delaney
Editor: Rick Harmon
Graphic Design Manager: Patrick Delaney
Mailing Coordinator: Buena Vista Publishing
Published by BUENA VISTA PUBLISHING for Florida Water Resources Journal, Inc.
President: Richard Anderson (FSAWWA) Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority
Vice President: Joe Paterniti (FWEA) Clay County Utility Authority
Treasurer: Rim Bishop (FWPCOA) Seacoast Utility Authority
Secretary: Mish Clark Mish Agency
Moving?
The Post Office will not forward your magazine. Do not count on getting the Journal unless you notify us directly of address changes by the 15th of the month preceding the month of issue. Please do not telephone address changes. Email changes to changes@fwrj.com or mail to Florida Water Resources Journal, 1402 Emerald Lakes Drive, Clermont, FL 34711
Membership Questions
FSAWWA: Casey Cumiskey – 407-979-4806 or fsawwa.casey@gmail.com
Case Study at the City of Ft. Lauderdale Prospect Lake Clean Water Center—Megan Ross
Water Treatment for Potable Reuse—Zakir Hirani, Colin Devitt, Sussette Irizarry, and Manuel Moncholi
Education
Training
National Ground Water Association Announces 2024 Industry Award Recipients
The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) has announced the recipients of its 2024 Awards of Excellence and Sectional Awards, which will be presented during Groundwater Week, to be held December 10-12, 2024, in Las Vegas.
The NGWA is a not-for-profit professional society and trade association for the global groundwater industry. Its members around the world include leading public- and privatesector groundwater scientists, engineers, water well system professionals, manufacturers, and suppliers of groundwater-related products and services. The association’s vision is to be the leading groundwater association advocating for responsible development, management, and use of groundwater.
Awards
The 2024 NGWA award recipients are listed here.
Ross L. Oliver Award
Longtime NGWA member Jeffrey Williams is the recipient of NGWA’s most
prestigious award, the Ross L. Oliver Award, for outstanding contributions to the groundwater industry. Williams is president of Spafford and Sons Water Wells in Jericho, Vt.
Awards of Excellence
M. King Hubbert Award - Stavros Papadopulos, Ph.D., S. S. Papadopulos & Associates, Rockville, Md.
Robert Storm Intersectional Cooperation Award
- W. Richard Laton, Ph.D., PG, CPG, CHG, EG, Earth Forensics Inc., Santa Ana, Calif.
Life Member Award
S Tom Braziel (posthumous), Statewide Drilling Inc., La Luz, N.M.
S Robert Sterett, Ph.D., RJS Consulting Inc., Golden, Colo.
S Andrew Stone (retired), American Ground Water Trust, Concord, N.H.
Technology Award - Randy St. Germain, Dakota Technologies Inc., Fargo, N.D.
Special Recognition Award
S Tucker Green, Georgia Association of Groundwater Professionals, Jasper, Ga.
S Kent Madison, 3R Valve LLC, Echo, Ore.
Groundwater Protector Award - David Rouzer, U.S. House of Representatives, North Carolina 7th District
Standard Bearer Award - Meritt Partridge, Partridge Well Drilling Company Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.
Sectional Awards
John Hem Award for Excellence in Science and Engineering - David Major, Ph.D., Geosyntec Consultants, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Keith E. Anderson Award
S Jonathan Kim, Ph.D., Vermont Geological Survey, Montpelier, Vt.
S Taryn McKnight, Eurofins Environment Testing America, West Sacramento, Calif.
Manufacturers Special Recognition Award
- Dan Painter, CSP, Flint & Walling Inc., Kendallville, Ind.
Supplier of the Year Award - Gulf Coast Pump and Supply, Houston, Texas
Fellow Designations
bhakar Clement, Ph.D., University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
ichard Laton, Ph.D., PG, CPG, CHG, EG, Earth Forensics Inc., Santa Ana, Calif. hn McCray, Ph.D., Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo.
Read more about NGWA awards, which onor the best of the best in the groundwater industry, at ngwa.org/awards. S
Florida Construction Career Days Inspires Future Builders
The Florida Construction Career Days is a cornerstone event in the state’s efforts to cultivate a skilled workforce for the construction industry. This year it celebrated its 25th anniversary. Established in 1999, the program has grown significantly since its inception, attracting thousands of high school students from around the state.
Originally conceived to address the industry’s workforce shortages, the Construction Career Days events have evolved into a dynamic platform for introducing young people to the diverse and rewarding opportunities available within the construction sector. The event’s direct approach allows students to experience firsthand the excitement and challenges of a career in construction. Students have the opportunity to operate heavy machinery and
participate in hands-on laboratory activities.
The event’s interactive nature allowed participants to discover the wide range of opportunities available, whether they were interested in immediate employment or pursuing further education.
Over the years, the program has expanded to include a variety of partner organizations, including Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Transportation Builders Association, Suncoast Utility Contractors Association, National Association of Women in Construction, and Federal Highway Administration. These collaborative efforts have been instrumental in ensuring the event’s continued success and relevance.
Today, Construction Career Days events are held in multiple locations across Florida,
including Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa Bay. This expansion has enabled more students to benefit from the program and explore the wide range of career paths available within the construction industry.
The Florida Construction Career Days in March 2024 provided local high school students with an invaluable opportunity to explore the diverse world of architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) careers. Hosted at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, the event featured over 25 employers showcasing various roles within the industry.
One of the highlights of the event was the opportunity for students to interact with industry professionals. Representatives from various construction companies were on hand to discuss career paths, answer questions, and provide insights into the dayto-day operations of the industry.
“It’s amazing to see the students’ faces light up as they explore the different equipment and activities,” said Dixie Hammer, a representative from PCL Construction. “This event is a great way to introduce young people to the exciting world of construction and inspire them to pursue careers in this field.”
The Florida Construction Career Days was again a resounding success, providing students with a valuable glimpse into the AEC industry. The many professionals that participated in the event will foster a new generation of skilled workers and innovators. If you or your company would like to get involved in next year’s event, please go to www.ftba.com/construction-career-days to learn more. S
Grow your septage, FOG, and sludge receiving business with a Raptor Septage Acceptance or Complete Plant.
Speak to one of our experts at 630.837.5640, email us at sales@lakeside-equipment.com, or visit www.lakeside-equipment.com for more product information.
NOT YOUR ORDINARY RECEIVING SYSTEM
Raptor Septage Acceptance Plant
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Raptor Septage Complete Plant
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C FACTOR
Operator Training: For You, Your Company, and the Industr y
Athena Tipaldos President, FWPCOA
The FWPCOA is an organization of members who are engaged in the production, treatment, and distribution of drinking water; the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater; and/or the collection and treatment of stormwater.
The purpose of FWPCOA is to protect the health of Florida’s citizens and preserve the state’s natural resources. We accomplish this by advancing the professional status of water and wastewater operators, providing a licensing system, and arranging training programs. The association works in cooperation with the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA), Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Florida Department of Health, and the Florida educational system.
The FWPCOA has been advancing the professional status of water and wastewater operators for 80 years. We cover all disciplines that are involved in the One Water realm (water distribution, wastewater collection, stormwater, reclaimed water, backflow repair and testing, management, customer relations, and, most recently, utilities maintenance), and we’re still growing our course list. Besides being the least expensive association to be a member of, we
provide diverse training, fantastic networking, and professional development opportunities.
Training Courses
The FWPCOA training courses are open to both members and nonmembers, and most of them will earn you a voluntary systems operator certification. In addition, plant operators who attend and complete courses can receive continuing education unit (CEU) credits toward renewing their license.
At the association’s website you can learn more about CEU requirements or check your CEUs that are recorded at FDEP. The FDEP Operator Certification Handbook and Distribution Operator Handbook can be downloaded to learn about obtaining a plant operator or distribution operator certification.
You can also earn CEUs through the FWPCOA Online Institute, which is a great resource for your CEU needs. Please visit the site at at http://go.flextraining.com/FLC8518/.
Course Schedule
Here’s a schedule of upcoming classes.
November
S November 4-7 - Bonita Springs Backflow Repair Course
S November 7 - Bonita Springs Backflow Tester Recertification
S November 18-21 - Deltona Backflow Tester Course
S November 21 - Deltona Backflow Tester Recertification
December
S December 3-6 - Region IX Water Distribution Level 2
S December 9-12 - Region IX Wastewater Collections B Course
March 2025
S March 17-21 – Spring Short School
Check the FWPCOA calendar at www. fwpcoa.org for more information.
Join us in the betterment of your career, he association’s growth, and the protection and
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Over Two Million Acres of Floodplain Development Occurred in US in Last Two Decades, Study Finds
Roughly half of all residential floodplain development was in Florida
A analysis of community-level floodplain development across the United States found that over two million acres of floodplain were developed over the past two decades, with roughly half of all new floodplain housing built in Florida.
These findings, from scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, provide new information on patterns of floodplain development that pose a potential risk to people and communities in regions like the southeastern U.S., which are especially prone to flooding.
Study Specifics
In the new study, researchers combined geospatial land use, impervious surface, and housing data with information from digitized regulatory floodplain maps to measure new floodplain development for communities across the U.S. The analysis, published in
Earth’s Future, a transdisciplinary, openaccess science publication, found that over 840,000 new residential properties were built in floodplains, with about 398,000 of those built in Florida, which represents 21 percent of all new housing built in the state and the highest total of any state in the U.S.
“Given the size of floodplains and the amount of new overall housing growth, these figures are actually much less than we
would expect,” said the study’s lead author Armen Agopian, a Ph.D. student in the Abess graduate program at the Rosenstiel School.
The researchers note that if new housing was distributed proportionally to the share of floodplain land in Florida, they would expect to see 40 percent of new housing built in the floodplain. They also found that 74 percent of communities across the U.S. have limited new development in floodplains, and 87 percent have limited new housing in floodplains through local government regulations and practices. The analysis also found that coastal communities are more likely to concentrate new development and housing in floodplains when compared to inland communities.
Floodplain Program
The study revealed that communities that participate in the Federal Emergency
Management Agency community rating system, a voluntary incentive program that rewards communities that adopt certain practices with discounted flood insurance rates, were found to have a higher likelihood of floodplain development.
“Communities with a flood problem enroll in the program, but participation alone isn’t enough to support safer development patterns. Instead, communities need to also improve their floodplain management practices—those are the ones that start to limit floodplain development,” said Agopian.
Development in flood-prone areas is a major driver of increases in flood-related damage, increasing both the likelihood that a flood will impact people and infrastructure— and the severity of harm when it does.
This study is the first comprehensive dataset measuring floodplain development outcomes, community by community, in the U.S.. To date, most research on flood damage and actions has focused on the places that have experienced big floods, with homes destroyed or lives lost.
“What we found is that many communities around the nation have taken smart action early on, avoiding development in their floodplains from the start. There’s a lot we can learn from these communities that are often, with little fanfare, avoiding flood problems,” said senior author of the study Katharine Mach, professor and chair of the Rosenstiel School Department of Environmental Science and Policy.
The study was also supported by National Science Foundation grants and the Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy.
About the University of Miami and Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private research university and academic health system with a distinct geographic capacity to connect institutions, individuals, and ideas across the hemisphere and around the world. The university’s academic community comprises 12 schools and colleges serving more than 19,000 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 180 majors and programs. Located within one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the world, the university is building new bridges across geographic, cultural, and intellectual borders, bringing a passion for
scholarly excellence, a spirit of innovation, and a commitment to tackling the challenges facing the world. With more than $413 million in research expenditures annually, the university is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.
Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
Founded in 1943, the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science is one of the world’s premier research institutions in the continental U.S. The school’s basic and applied research programs seek to improve understanding and prediction of Earth’s geological, oceanic, and atmospheric systems by focusing on four key pillars:
S Saving lives through better forecasting of extreme weather and seismic events.
S Feeding the world by developing sustainable wild fisheries and aquaculture programs.
S Unlocking ocean secrets through research on climate, weather, energy, and medicine.
S Preserving marine species, including endangered sharks and other fish, as well as protecting and restoring threatened coral reefs. S
Salute to Veterans in the Water and Wastewater Industry
Happy Veterans Day!
Welcome to the magazine’s seventh annual celebration of military service in the United States and the veterans who work in the water and wastewater industry.
’re proud to salute these courageous men and women who have served—and continue to serve—their country, both here and abroad. They are again serving their fellow citizens by
ng with medical personnel, police officers, and firefighters, those who work in the water industry are also first responders, providing a vital service to help protect the health and well-being of the community. They are especially vital in times of disaster and crisis, and they provide expertise and support for the recovery efforts that follow—often for weeks and
l life needs water, and the workers in our industry play an important part in ensuring that everyone has the clean, safe water they need. ear’s section includes:
A/WEF Veterans Workforce Initiative erans Work for Water Flyer ader Profile: Veterans Edition—Bradley Hayes ate of Florida Veterans Memorials
he brave veterans who are and will soon be our colleagues, we appreciate you and salute you!
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Water Environment Federation (WEF) Veterans Workforce Initiative was created to help connect military veterans with jobs in the water and wastewater sector. The initiative provides veterans interested in a waterrelated career with helpful information and the opportunity to network with a state-specific liaison.
The organizations believe military members are a good fit for the water sector because of their technical expertise and experience working nontraditional hours in a regulated environment.
The Veterans Workforce Initiative has developed toolkits for employers looking to hire veterans and flyers for veterans interested in the water sector.
A Great Career for a Great Cause
Why should veterans consider a career in water? Here are some very good reasons.
Water Environment
The Need for Clean Water is Universal and Constant
Every day, water professionals work together to provide clean water and essential services for their communities while adapting to and finding solutions to challenging issues such as the impacts of climate change, aging infrastructure, a retiring workforce, and the global water crisis.
Clean Water—and Its Sustainable Management—are Essential
To meet these challenges and ensure that one day everyone will have reliable access to clean water and sanitation, the water sector has adopted a more holistic and integrated approach to water management that includes all water— drinking water, wastewater, recycled water, and stormwater.
One Water, One Unified Profession
By choosing to work in water you become a part of this “one” approach. A global team works together to accelerate water innovation
with creative approaches and technologies, which leads to healthier drinking water sources, cleaner waterways, restored vital wetlands, and protected natural habitats. You will be a part of a movement toward a water sector that is a wholly sustainable and positive influence on the environment.
Water Professionals are Essential to Every Community
There is no quality of life without clean water. Providing clean water is a constant commitment that rewards employees while also benefiting the community. Water professionals are public servants and first responders who work to protect public health, the environment, and the economy. The water sector recovers, recycles, and reuses limited fresh water supplies while creating new resources like clean energy, fuel, and fertilizer. The future and sustainable management of water is built over time. To achieve it, the water sector needs a steady stream of talented and dedicated individuals who have made a choice to work in water.
Salute to Veterans in the Water and Wastewater Industry
Great Careers for Veterans
The water industry is a great fit for veterans, and here’s why.
Jobs With a Mission
With a career in the water sector, you can continue your public service by working to provide safe, sanitary water for your community. You can go to work each day knowing that you are making a positive impact through serving others and ensuring public health.
Good Pay and Benefits, High Job Security
Careers in water are stable, with good salaries and benefits, and are found all over the United States. Due to retirements in the industry, many positions are now available for newly trained people. Water and wastewater professionals serve the smallest and largest communities in the country.
Build on Your Skills
The water sector prizes the skills that veterans can bring to their new career, whether they are working in personnel and utility management, or as a water/wastewater operator or engineer. Former service members have initiative, are excellent at teamwork, are natural leaders and communicators, work well under stress, and will make sure they fulfill their mission of providing safe water to the public.
Careers in Water and Wastewater
The skills developed in the military make an idea fit for a career in water. A veteran’s training directly relates to the water industry and there are plenty of positions for former military personnel.
Here is a sampling of some of the careers available, with general education and training requirements.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
S Operation and maintenance of water treatment plants; methods and practices, including safety regulations pertaining to the work; water treatment and related equipment servicing, calibrating, and repair; mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic principles; principles and practices of standardized water quality tests; state and federal regulations governing the operation of a water treatment plant.
S Uses and principles of computerized electronic equipment in the collection, storage, and interpretation of operational data related to water treatment and distribution; operation and maintenance of water distribution systems; inventory control of water treatment chemicals, fuel, and supplies; routine operating report generation; current technological developments in water treatment, distribution, and water quality.
S Operate water treatment system equipment, including automatic control devices and plant equipment; maintain safe and reliable water supply to customers; service, repair, and calibration of plant equipment; operate without immediate or detailed supervision.
S Establish and maintain effective working relationships; communicate effectively, verbally and in writing; prepare clear and concise reports; recognize unusual, inefficient, or dangerous operating conditions and take appropriate action; accurately read, interpret, and record data from gauges, meters, and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system; read and interpret schematic drawings showing plant piping, alarms, mechanical and electrical controls, valves, and related instrumentation; observe, inspect, and analyze system equipment and facilities; compile, evaluate, and analyze operational data and information and recommend or take appropriate actions; learn advanced SCADA system techniques and complex analyses of water treatment system requirements; operate and maintain the distribution system on an emergency or as-needed basis.
Drinking Water Treatment Operator
Under general supervision, operate, maintain, and repair a wide variety of complex machinery and equipment in a water treatment plant and/or pumping station or related facility. Perform related duties as assigned.
Education and Training
Requirements for operator certification are specified by the state. Each state has the authority to develop its own requirements for operator certification. The guidelines that states must require for an operator to become certified include:
S Take and pass an exam that demonstrates
that the operator has the necessary skills, knowledge, ability, and judgment as appropriate for the classification.
S Have a high school diploma or equivalent. States may allow experience and/or relevant training to be substituted.
S Have the defined minimum amount of onthe-job experience for each appropriate level of certification. The amount of experience required increases with each classification level. Post-high-school education may be substituted for experience. Credit may be given for experience in a related field (e.g., wastewater).
S Training requirements for renewal based on the level of certification held by the operator. States must require all operators, including grandparented operators, to acquire the necessary amounts and types of stateapproved training. States may determine other requirements as deemed necessary. States must have a fixed cycle of renewal not to exceed three years.
Water Resource Recovery (Wastewater Treatment) Operator
Water resource recovery (wastewater treatment) operators work with a variety of water resource recovery facility (wastewater treatment plant) equipment to ensure the continuous operation of facilities. They also direct lower-level operators and perform related work as needed.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
S Operate, maintain, and clean resource recovery equipment and facilities
S Treatment principles, methods, and practices
S Basic arithmetic
S Safety rules and regulations
S Basic first aid
S Safe handling of chlorine and other hazardous chemicals
S Wastewater sampling and routine process control tests
Continued on page 14
Salute to Veterans in the Water and Wastewater Industry
Continued from page 13
S Operate and adjust facility equipment such as automatic control devices, maintenance, cleaning, and painting
S Recognize unusual, inefficient, or dangerous operating conditions and take action
S Accurately record data from gauges and meters
S Direct lower-level employees
S Interpret facility, piping, and distribution programs
S Keep records and make written reports of work performed
S Keep effective working relationships
Education and Training
This job typically requires a high school diploma or equivalent. Employers may prefer applicants who have completed a certificate or degree program in a related field such as environmental science or wastewater treatment technology. Water resource recovery is a complex process and operators in this field need long-term on-the-job training to become fully qualified. Trainees may learn on the job from an experienced operator by observing and doing routine tasks. They also learn about industrial safety and how to use personal protective equipment (PPE). Larger treatment facilities often combine on-the-job training with formal classroom programs or selfpaced study. As facilities get larger and more complicated, operators need more skills before they can work without supervision.
are met), monitor contaminants, and help inform operational staff to make internal decisions.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
S Analytical methods
S Mathematics and environmental science
S Laboratory safety
S Maintenance and repair of analytical equipment
S Professional ethics
S Laboratory techniques (may range from proper pipetting to gas chromatographymass spectrometry)
S Problem solving
S Time management
S Work precisely, with steady hands
S Communicate clearly, verbally and in writing
S Keep detailed records
S Keep organized
Education and Training
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
S Standard terms and procedures common to the electrical and mechanical trade as practiced in utility plant processes
S Shop mathematics and basic shop theory
S Operation of measuring and testing devices
S Hand tools and equipment of the trade
S The National Electrical Code and the industry standard electrical safety requirements specified by the National Fire Protection Association
S Principles of electrical and mechanical installation, maintenance, operation, and testing
S Maintenance and operation of hydroelectric and diesel power generation and related equipment
S Programmable logic controllers and relay ladder logic, and hydraulically and pneumatically operated machinery
S Familiarity with basic composition, characteristics, and uses of commonly used machine shop metals and materials
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory technicians conduct necessary quality testing to ensure water meets high standards to protect public health. They provide data that determine how well treatment processes are working and analyze water and biosolids on a physical and biological level. They also support toxicity testing and are considered the first professional level of the analytical team in many water laboratories. They usually focus on compliance testing (making sure regulations
Different laboratories have different requirements, but a college degree in a scientific field is usually preferred. Fields such as chemistry, biology, environmental science, or toxicology are especially relevant. Interest or experience in environmental work is considered a plus. Employers may prefer to hire those with relevant analyst certifications from organizations such as the Association of Boards of Certification, American Water Works Association, or American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. To become a supervisor, additional education or experience may be required.
Electrician/Mechanic
Mechanics and electricians preserve and create the machinery necessary to treat water and recover resources. They work with the electrical, power, and mechanical systems involved in the water industry. They are responsible for wiring, installing, maintaining, and controlling mechanical and electrical equipment.
S Plan and execute mechanical and electrical work in a safe manner
S Install, maintain, trouble-shoot, and repair a wide variety of equipment used in power transfer and industrial process control for water treatment and hydroelectric power plant operation
S Read and interpret wiring diagrams, mechanical blueprints, and specifications
S Make cost estimates of labor/materials
S Operate a motor vehicle safely
S Keep records and make reports including preparing as-built and shop drawings
S Learn to skillfully maintain, repair, and operate hydroelectric generating equipment
S Direct the work of lower-level employees
S Coordinate the work of assigned team members as required on larger projects
S Establish and maintain effective working relationships
Education and Training
This job typically requires a high school diploma or equivalent. Employers may prefer applicants who have completed a twoyear associates degree in a related field. An apprenticeship of four years or longer is usually required, which combines on-the-job training with classroom study.
Salute to Veterans in the Water and Wastewater Industry
Green Infrastructure Worker
Green infrastructure (GI) refers to stormwater management practices that protect, restore, or mimic the natural water cycle. Some examples of GI include bioretention (e.g., rain gardens, curb cuts/curb extension, and stormwater planters), permeable pavements (e.g., porous asphalt), rainwater harvesting (rain barrels and cisterns), rooftop detention practices (e.g., green roofs) dry wells, stormwater wetlands, and more. Regular maintenance, caring for plantings, and ensuring proper function of GI technology is essential and involves a variety of occupations and industries, such as landscaping, plumbing, horticulture, construction, engineering, and paving. Landscaping is one of the most represented industries in GI.
Thes a world of sustainable infrastructure. A GI worker can perform a variety of roles such as installer, maintainer, maintenance inspector, or construction inspector.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
S High-school-level reading, writing, and math skills
S Strong communication and other general skills
S Perform GI landscaping tasks that include lifting, bending, shoveling, raking, spreading mulch/soil, and other physical tasks
S Record inspection or test data and work for conformance to specifications
S Keep records and write reports of work performed and maintain effective working relationships
Education and Training
This job typically requires a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. Employers may prefer applicants who have completed a GI training or certificate program, or have prior GI experience. A GI worker needs longterm on-the-job training to become fully qualified. Trainees may learn on the job from an experienced worker by observing and doing routine tasks. They also learn about safety and how to use PPE. Some utilities may combine on-the-job training with formal classroom/ training programs such as through a workforce development program.
S Chemical safety
S Water treatment processes
S Environmental and other regulations
S Obtain and maintain correct permits
S Cost-saving techniques
S Environmental sustainability
S Design and fabricate equipment or processes to suit the needs of treatment facilities
S Provide support to technicians and operators
S Mitigate pollution
S Arrange for safe disposal of hazardous materials (lead, chlorine, and asbestos)
S Inspect facilities to ensure compliance with regulations
S Implement proper safety procedures and design safe products
S Provide hands-on assistance as needed
S Supervise or support teams of operators and technicians
S Communicate efficiently with others
S Build and maintain good working relationships
S Maintain materials and tools/equipment related to GI
S Identify safe and unsafe conditions
S Read and interpret engineering and planting plans
S Basic concepts of hydrology and drainage
S Purpose of GI types and functions and their corresponding components
S Adjacent infrastructure systems related to GI (e.g., overhead power, sewer lines, gas lines)
S Identify signs of improper GI infrastructure component performance such as sediment buildup
S Observe plant health
S Distinguish between well-functioning and failing GI components and/or installation
S Work outdoors and be exposed to very hot or cold temperatures
S Wear common PPE such as hard hats and glasses
Engineer
Engineers design the processes that make water treatment and resource recovery possible. They play a critical role in providing clean, safe water to sustain life and a growing economy. They are a broad category of workers who design and implement the industrial processes that make water treatment possible. They may work on a large or small scale and may work individually or with sizeable teams. Engineers often assume varied duties on their jobs. Sometimes, they estimate costs or develop specifications; other times, they prepare drawings and schematics, design large-scale operation systems, or do in-depth research on topics such as environmental impact.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
S Computer-aided design software
S Evaluate preconstruction field conditions
S Analyze scientific data and do quality control checks
S Engineering principles and terminology
Education and Training
This job typically requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Most engineering programs involve a concentration of study in an engineering specialty, along with courses in design, mathematics, physical and life sciences, and hands-on laboratory classes. Advanced computer skills are also vital.
Many companies and public agencies offer entry-level engineering positions for college graduates. After four years of experience, many engineers go on to obtain a professional engineering license in order to advance within their organization. There may be additional on-the-job training, but this isn’t always the case and often depends on how “hands-on” the specific position is.
The Water Industry is Ready for You!
The opportunities in water are virtually unlimited and the chance to make a difference is unmatched. The water industry is waiting for your knowledge, expertise, dedication, and commitment!
For more water and wastewater industry jobs and their qualifications, and to learn more about the Veterans Workforce Initiative and its state liaisons, go to www.awwa.org and www. wef.org. S
Salute to Veterans in the Water and Wastewater Industry
WORK FOR WATER VETERANS
Salute to Veterans in the Water and Wastewater Industry
Bradley Hayes Woodard & Curran, Tampa Office
Work title and years of service.
I’m a senior consultant with Woodard & Curran and have 42 years of service to the industry.
Give some details about your service in the U.S. Army.
I served between May 1971 and May 1973. I was with the 594th Maintenance Company and we were assigned to support the 10th Special Forces. They had just returned from another tour of Vietnam and stateside was their next assignment when I reported for duty. I spent 13 months on the Canadian border at Camp Drum in Watertown, N.Y.
What does your job entail?
My present position as part of the business development team is workforce development. In the operation and maintenance division of the
FWRJ READER PROFILE
overall engineering and consulting group, my role is to develop a national program for future water and wastewater operators. I’m presently working with the start-up of a new class in southern Massachusetts. I’m also a member of a few veterans groups to help find ways to bring their skills and abilities to our industry.
What education and training have you had?
I have two bachelor of science degrees from the University of Massachusetts. I hold water and wastewater state certifications in Massachusetts and Florida. As a former utility director there is a lot of training and education that happens on a daily basis.
What do you like best about your job?
After my long career, with the majority of it in operations, it’s a pleasure to be back in operations. I’m doing what I always strived to do in my career, which is giving back to my industry what was given to me: a fantastic career and great opportunities. I am preparing future operators to have a career and not just a job. I could have never seen this as a chapter in my career. I was in awe the day that the president of operations and maintenance called me and asked me to take this role on for the company.
What professional organizations do you belong to?
I’m on the board of directors for FWEA and oversee the Operations Challenge, and I’m also a member of the Collection Committee. I’m a member of FSAWWA and FWPCOA, where I serve as the stormwater chairperson and teach Stormwater B at short schools. I’m
also a member of the New England Water Environment Association and its Collection System Committee.
How have the organizations helped your career?
I have been a member of FWPCOA since 1981. I attended a short school for my collection certification, which they said would be “grandfathered in” when the state created a state licensee. Well, we are all still waiting! I have remained a member even when working around the United States. Being a longtime board member with FWEA has enhanced my organizational skills and provided me the opportunity to oversee Operations Challenge, the greatest operator competition in the world. The FSAWWA has help provide training on many current water issues.
What do you like best about the industry?
I like networking and the daily challenges of trying to take care of Mother Earth. Every day has been different. Oh, there are days, when dealing with the public can be difficult, but it’s all part of doing the job.
How did your time in the Army affect your career in the industry?
It taught me discipline and integrity! My Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training in mechanics helped me with understanding the equipment, how it operates, and how to repair it.
What do you do when you’re not working?
I am a motorcycle enthusiast and enjoy traveling the backroads of our country, sitting down to eat in some small little town in a momand-pop shop, and talking with the locals. S
Brad and bones.
Brad at the White House.
Brad on his bike.
Salute to Veterans in the Water and Wastewater Industry
State of Florida Veterans Memorials
Florida has three official memorials dedicated to veterans located in the capital city of Tallahassee. The sites are maintained by the Florida Department of Management Services.
World War II Memorial
Florida’s World War II Memorial was dedicated on June 6, 2005, by Gov. Jeb Bush. More than 248,000 Florida veterans served in the war. The Sunshine State is currently home to nearly 10,700 World War II veterans.
Florida contributed $248,000 to the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., one dollar for each service member who entered the military from the state during the war.
The monument is comprised of 67 plaques, each honoring veterans from one Florida county, and a central pillar, which is a replica of the Florida Pillar at the National Monument in Washington, D.C.
It’s located in front of the R. A. Gray Building.
Vietnam War Memorial
Florida’s Vietnam War Memorial was dedicated on Nov. 12, 1985, by Gov. Bob Graham. The memorial, with its twenty-eight-by-fifteen-foot U.S. flag, contains the names of all known Floridians killed in the war and reported missing in action. The state is currently home to more than 462,000 Vietnam veterans.
An inscription on the monument reads: “The American soldier does not pick his war, but when war has come, he has always done his duty, with honor and for the love of his country.”
The memorial is located across Monroe Street from the Old Capitol Building in downtown Tallahassee.
Korean War Memorial
Florida’s Korean War Memorial was dedicated on Dec. 11, 1999, by Gov. Jeb Bush. More than 294,000 Florida veterans served in the Armed Forces during the war. The state is currently home to more than 75,000 Korean War veterans.
The focal point of the memorial plaza is a large vertical circle that represents the purity of life through perfect geometry. The top of the circle is broken, signaling an interruption in this purity. A broken fragment that would complete the circle is lying adjacent to the large circle and has become embedded in the ground. The names of those killed in action are etched on the inside of the broken fragment.
A large map of Korea is located on the ground of the memorial. It’s divided into two parts by the circle element. The demilitarized zone shown on the map is what guided the placement of the circle.
The memorial is located in Cascades Park in downtown Tallahassee. S
Public-Private Partnerships Emerge as a Viable Solution for Florida to Meet Growing Demands for Water Treatment: Case Study at the City of Ft. Lauderdale Prospect Lake Clean Water Center
Megan Ross
Florida’s rapid population growth has placed immense pressure on its water treatment and supply systems. The state’s warm climate, attractive lifestyle, and low tax rates have drawn millions of residents in recent years, leading to a significant increase in the demands for drinking water supply and treatment. Compounding this challenge is the recent implementation of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for drinking water, which require water systems to meet extremely low levels of 4 parts per tril (ppt) by 2029.
To meet these growing needs, the publicprivate partnership (P3) has emerged as a potential solution, enabling local governments and water agencies to leverage private sector expertise, innovation, and funding to develop and maintain critical water infrastructure.
What is a Public-Private Partnership?
The difference in a P3 from traditional government contracting involves private entities in multiple stages of infrastructure projects such as design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance. This approach shifts certain risks—cost overruns or project delays—to the private partner, creating incentives for efficiency.
When private financing is involved in a P3, the private partner is usually repaid in one of two ways: government payments tied to specific performance criteria, or revenues generated by user fees such as tolls in the case of transportation or water rates in the case of water treatment facilities. The private partner’s profit is tied to the project’s success, enhancing
the motivation to deliver quality results at a lower cost compared to traditional contracts. By giving the private partner responsibility for multiple stages of a project, a P3 encourages more upfront investments that ensure long-term performance. This approach can save money, but it requires a well-crafted contract that allocates some risk to the private partner.
The Use of Public-Private Partnerships in the Water and Transportation Sector
Relatively rare in the United States, according to the Congressional Budget Office, P3s only account for 1 to 3 percent of transportation and water infrastructure projects since the 1990s implemented the P3 model. The use of P3s has grown slightly in highway projects since the late 2000s and has been applied occasionally in other transportation sectors, like airports and rail. In the water sector, P3s became more common in the late 1990s after the Internal Revenue Service relaxed rules on private operation and maintenance contracts. Their use has since stabilized, with hesitation around the public embracing private operations of public water infrastructure.
Comparison of Traditional Methods Versus Public-Private Partnerships
Ultimately, whether or not a P3 is a good fit for a particular project depends on the amount of risk the public and private sector are willing to accept for the project. A variety of risk factors exist, including environmental, political, labor, and financial, which are likely to be case-specific, depending on geography, water scarcity, political will, and fiscal health.
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Megan Ross, P.E., MPA, ENV SP, is business development manager with Kiewit in Tampa.
Table 1. Key Differences Between Traditional Procurement and Public-Private Partnership Models
Traditional Approach
In traditional infrastructure projects, often referred to as the design-bid-build method, state or local governments manage the process in five key stages:
S Design
S Build
S Finance
S Operate
S Maintain
The government typically funds these projects using a mix of its own funds, federal funds, and borrowed money, often through taxexempt bonds. The public sector either designs the project itself or contracts a private firm for the design. A different private contractor, chosen based on the lowest bid, builds the project. After construction the public agency handles the operation and maintenance, although it might contract some of these tasks to private firms.
Under this approach, the private firms involved take on limited risk, as most of the risk remains with the government. For instance, if there are cost increases due to changes in project scope, the private contractor can pass these costs on to the public agency. This setup often leads to the government facing higher costs than initially estimated and dealing with potential issues like cost overruns, delays, and revenue shortfalls.
Public-Private Partnerships
In a P3, more stages of the project, such as design, build, finance, operate, and maintain, which were mentioned earlier, are consolidated under the private partner’s responsibility, transferring more risk from the public sector to the private sector. This arrangement often
involves private financing, but can include public funds through construction milestone payments or low-interest programs such as the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. Private sector’s borrowing costs are higher than those available to the public sector, but the gap is decreasing.
Unlike traditional methods, a P3 temporarily assigns control of the infrastructure to the private partners, essentially giving them temporary ownership. This differs from full privatization, where the public facility is sold to a private entity.
Table 1 outlines the key differences between traditional infrastructure project methods and, highlights the advantages and drawbacks of each approach.
Transfer of Risk With Different Procurement Models
When moving from the traditional model of procurement and toward elements of the P3 model, the risk is shifted away from the utility to the private partner. In the design-bid-build model, the owner retains most risks, including design, construction, and lifecycle operations, which can lead to higher management and oversight requirements. The design-build model shifts design and construction risks to the designbuilder (private entity), streamlining the process and reducing the owner’s direct involvement in these phases while leaving the owner with financing and lifecycle responsibilities. In the design-build-finance-operate-maintain model, a significant portion of risk is transferred to the private entity, including design, construction, financing, and long-term operations and maintenance. This comprehensive risk transfer can lead to better cost and schedule certainty for the owner, but requires careful structuring of
agreements to align incentives and manage any shared risks, such as scope changes.
Table 2 outlines key categories, along with ownership of risk for the different procurement models
An Emerging Model: Progressive Public-Private Partnerships
The COVID-19 pandemic, much like the 2008 recession, prompted public entities and universities to seek innovative approaches to advance projects, thereby stimulating job creation, revitalizing local economies, and accessing stimulus funds. With shrinking public budgets, however, the costly and resource-intensive nature of traditional capital project procurement became less appealing. Simultaneously, the private sector grew reluctant to invest heavily in long, expensive procurements.
The P3 procurement model offers a solution by enabling faster project initiation, reduced resource expenditure, and greater influence over early design stages. The common goal of all progressive P3s is to mitigate risk at the front end of the project development process. Unlike the traditional fixed price, a committed-financing P3 model, where teams invest significantly upfront with no guarantee of success, the progressive P3 allows for a more collaborative and transparent process. The procuring authority selects a partner based on qualifications and concept design, then works closely with the partner to refine design, estimate costs, and allocate risks transparently.
In a progressive P3, the design and financial structuring evolve concurrently, with contracts finalized only after the design reaches 30 to 60 percent completion. This model addresses the challenges of traditional procurement by reducing contingency costs, providing more control over design, and fostering more-competitive pricing from subcontractors and lenders. As a result, progressive P3 procurements are faster, less costly, and better suited for projects that require detailed scope definition, environmental permitting, or significant stakeholder input.
Progressive P3s differ from regular P3s in several other ways, including:
S When a private partner is brought in. In a progressive P3, a private partner is brought in earlier in the process.
S How the private partner is selected. In a progressive P3, the selection process is based on qualifications, conceptual designs, and other factors.
S How the project is developed. In a progressive P3, the public and private sectors work together to define the project’s requirements, design, pricing, and risk.
S How the procuring authority is involved. In
Table 2. Risk Transfers With Different Procurement Models
a progressive P3, the procuring authority has more influence on the early conceptual design.
S How the project is financed. In a regular P3, bidders submit prices before the design is complete, and their prices typically include significant contingency.
The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Florida’s Water Sector
A P3 offers a collaborative framework where public entities, such as state and local governments, work with private companies to design, finance, construct, and operate infrastructure projects. In the context of Florida’s water treatment and supply needs, P3s can provide several benefits:
Access to Capital and Expertise
A P3 allows public agencies to tap into private-sector capital to help close a funding gap between long-term funding sources and shortterm construction needs. The involvement of private companies also brings specialized expertise and advanced technologies that might not be readily available within the public sector.
Risk Management
One of the key advantages of a P3 is the ability to share risks between public and private partners. For example, in water treatment projects, the private partner may assume the risks associated with design, construction, and operation, while the public entity retains control over regulatory compliance standards.
Efficiency and Innovation
The competitive nature of the private sector can drive efficiency and innovation in project delivery. A P3 often results in faster project completion and cost savings, as private companies are incentivized to optimize design and construction processes to maximize returns on their investment.
Long-Term Sustainability
A P3 often involve long-term contracts that ensure ongoing operation and maintenance of the infrastructure. This long-term perspective can lead to better asset management and sustainability, as private partners are motivated to maintain the quality and functionality of the infrastructure throughout the contract period.
Addressing Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Contamination Through Public-Private Partnerships
The recent EPA limits on PFAS have added a new layer of complexity to water treatment. The PFAS are persistent in the environment and have been linked to adverse health effects, making their removal from drinking water a top priority for water utilities. The advanced treatment technologies required for PFAS removal, such as granular activated carbon, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis, can be costly and technically challenging to implement.
Adding to the complexity is the rapid timeline for implementation. According to EPA’s final rule, public water systems must complete initial PFAS monitoring by 2027, followed by ongoing compliance monitoring and public reporting. If PFAS levels exceed maximum contaminants levels (MCLs), systems have until 2029 to implement solutions. Starting in 2029, systems must take corrective action and notify the public if MCLs are violated.
A P3 can play a critical role in addressing PFAS contamination by not only facilitating
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the development and deployment of these advanced treatment technologies, but also expediting the timeline for implementation by compressing the traditional schedule of the design-bid-build process. By partnering with private companies that specialize in water treatment, public utilities can gain access to the latest innovations to ensure that their facilities meet the stringent new standards set by EPA in the allotted timeline, while also reducing risks for the utility. Additionally, the shared financial responsibility inherent in P3s can make these technologies more affordable for public agencies, allowing them to protect public health without overburdening their budgets.
Case Study: Fort Lauderdale’s Prospect Lake Clean Water Center
A prime example of a successful P3 in Florida’s water sector is the Prospect Lake Clean Water Center in the City Fort Lauderdale (city). This project illustrates how a P3 can be leveraged to meet the water treatment needs of growing communities while addressing emerging challenges like PFAS contamination.
The city, facing the need to replace its aging Fiveash Regional Water Treatment Plant, opted for a P3 approach to develop the new Prospect Lake Clean Water Center. The partnership involves the city, IDE Technologies, LTD, and Ridgewood Infrastructure, with Kiewit Water Facilities Florida Co. selected to design and build the facility. The new plant, which is expected to be completed by 2026, will produce 50 mil gal of water per day (mgd) using state-of-theart nanofiltration membrane and ion exchange technologies, specifically designed to address PFAS removal.
The project is not only a response to the city’s growing water demands, but also a strategic initiative to enhance the resilience of its water infrastructure. The facility is being designed to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds, ensuring a reliable water supply even in the face of extreme weather events. The P3 structure allowed the city to manage risks effectively, with the private partners taking on responsibilities related to the plant’s design, construction, and operation, while the city ensured compliance with regulatory standards and provided necessary resources like electricity and chemicals.
Moreover, the Prospect Lake Clean Water Center has already gained recognition, winning the Best P3 Utility Project of the Year Award from P3 Bulletin, a publication solely dedicated to wholesale coverage of the P3 market in the U.S. This accolade underscores the project’s success in fostering collaboration between public and private entities to deliver critical infrastructure. The innovative approach to financing, including a $543 million bond issuance—the largest in the city’s history—further highlights the benefits of P3s in addressing complex infrastructure challenges.
Figure 1 is a 3D conceptual plan of the Prospect Lake Clean Water Center.
Conclusion
As Florida continues to grow and face new environmental challenges, the use of P3s in the water sector will become increasingly important. A P3 offer a proven model for delivering the advanced treatment facilities needed to meet the state’s water demands while ensuring compliance with new regulations like PFAS limits from EPA. This, however, will require changing the
way most utilities have approached projects in the past and opening ourselves up to different possibilities.
The Prospect Lake Clean Water Center in Fort Lauderdale serves as a compelling example of how P3s can successfully address both current and future water treatment needs, providing a blueprint for other communities facing similar challenges.
References
• Dugan, B. (July 24, 2020). Improving P3 procurement through a progressive model. P3 Higher Ed Resource Center. Retrieved from: https://p3resourcecenter.com/2020/07/ improving-p3-procurement-through-aprogressive-model/.
• Fort Lauderdale’s Prospect Lake Water Treatment Plant project wins best P3 utility project of the year. (2023, November 2). City of Fort Lauderdale City News. Retrieved from: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Home/ Components/News/News/6964/16.
• Greer, R. and Pressler, L. (2021). Publicprivate partnerships in the water sector. The Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy. 12(2). Retrieved from: https:// bush.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ V12-2_PPP_Water_Sector_Takeaway.pdf.
• Kiewit selected as design-builder for Prospect Lake Clean Water Center. (March 6, 2023.
• Landers, J. (April 20, 2023). Public-private partnership to expedite Florida water plant. Civil Engineering Source (ASCE). Retrieved from: https://www.asce.org/publicationsand-news/civil-engineering-source/civilengineering-magazine/article/2023/04/ public-private-partnership-to-expediteflorida-water-plant.
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (pfas). final pfas national primary drinking water regulation. (July 12, 2024). Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from: https:// www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkylsubstances-pfas.
• Progressive P3s. (n.d.). Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure. Retrieved from: https://aiai-infra.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024/05/AIAI_PDA_DIG_ FINAL_07_27.pdf.
• Public-private partnerships for transportation and water infrastructure. (January 2020). Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved from: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56044.
• Risk Transfer. (n.d.). Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure. Retrieved from: https://aiai-infra.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024/09/Sample-Risk-Matrix. pdf. S
Figure 1. A 3D conceptual plan of the Prospect Lake Clean Water Center.
Operators: Take the CEU Challenge!
Members of the Florida Water and Pollution Control Operators Association (FWPCOA) may earn continuing education units through the CEU Challenge! Answer the questions published on this page, based on articles in this month’s issue. Circle the letter of each correct answer. There is only one correct answer to each question! Answer 80 percent of the questions on any article correctly to earn 0.1 CEU for your license. Retests are available.
This month’s editorial theme is Water Treatment. Look above each set of questions to see if it is for water operators (DW), distribution system operators (DS), or wastewater operators (WW). Mail the completed page (or a photocopy) to: Florida Environmental Professionals Training, P.O. Box 33119, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 33420-3119, or scan and email a copy to memfwpcoa@gmail.com. Enclose $15 for each set of questions you choose to answer (make checks payable to FWPCOA). You MUST be an FWPCOA member before you can submit your answers!
Advanced Water Treatment for Potable Reuse
Zakir Hirani, Colin Devitt, Sussette Irizarry, and Manuel Moncholi (Article 1: CEU = 0.1 DW/DS02015442)
1. What is the pathogen log removal requirement for viruses in California for indirect potable reuse (IPR)?
a. 10-log removals
b. 12-log removals
c. 15-log removals
d. 20-log removals
2. Which treatment processes are mandated by California for potable reuse?
a. Reverse osmosis (RO) and ultraviolet/advanced oxidation process (UV/AOP)
b. Filtration and chlorination
c. Sedimentation and coagulation
d. Distillation and ion exchange
3. What is a major challenge for inland utilities when using RO for potable reuse?
a. High energy consumption
b. Brine disposal cost
c. Limited water supply
d. High chemical usage
4. What is the purpose of a demonstration facility in potable reuse projects?
a. To generate data for regulatory approval
b. To optimize the design for a full-scale advanced water treatment (AWT) facility
c. To serve as a tool for public outreach and operator training
d. All of the above
5. Which states are likely to follow Arizona in adapting direct potable reuse (DPR) regulations?
a. Florida, Utah, Idaho, and New Mexico
b. Texas, California, and Colorado
c. Nevada, Oregon, and Washington
d. New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
Resilience Amid the Storms: Supporting Florida Communities and Water Systems Through Storm and Hurricane Season
AMarjorie Guillory Craig, P.E. Chair, FSAWWA
s I write this, Hurricane Milton is making its way toward Florida, the third major storm to impact the state this season. My heart goes out to everyone in its path and those affected by recent storms Debby and Helene. It’s been a relentless season, one that has impacted countless families and communities across the state.
My own family has not been untouched. We evacuated my saint of a mother-in-law, who has lived in the same home in south Tampa since the 1960s, along with her beloved dog, Suri, a surprise gift (and a cherished story for another day). They are with us on the east coast, where we now live, for the storm’s duration. My husband, Karl, is a Tampa native, and we spent many years on Davis Islands before relocating. Had we stayed, our home would have been flooded during Hurricane Helene—like so many of my friends’ homes in Tampa and the surrounding areas. The Big Bend region and Tallahassee have also been hit hard this year, enduring both storm surges and flooding.
Through it all, one organization stands out for its vital support and rapid response for utilities: Florida Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN). It was created in 2005 in response to the devastating impact of hurricanes Charlie, Frances, Jeanne, and Ivan during the 2004 hurricane season.
Back then, utilities struggled to receive the mutual aid they needed after severe storms. Today, FlaWARN provides an essential network of support, helping ensure that water and wastewater utilities have the resources and aid they require—whether during hurricane season or other emergencies.
If your utility does not yet have a mutual aid agreement in place, I strongly encourage you to visit FlaWARN’s website (www.flawarn.pwd.aa.ufl. edu) to learn more about becoming a member. There you’ll find a standardized mutual aid agreement form and comprehensive information about how the process works. It’s a resource that can make all the difference in times of crisis. The organization is partially funded by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water protection grant and is led by a steering committee representing five major state water and wastewater organizations: FSAWWA, FWEA, FWPCOA, Florida Rural Water Association, and Southeast Desalting Association.
The steering committee, chaired by Kevin Carter of Broward County, with
Alicia Keeter as vice-chair, has been instrumental in coordinating FlaWARN’s efforts this storm season. Their leadership, along with the support of the University of Florida’s Center for Training, Research, and Education for Environmental Occupations (UF/TREEO), which implements the program, has made a significant impact. Whether the need is for emergency equipment, personnel, or expertise, FlaWARN’s network provides a lifeline to affected utilities.
Thank you to all who serve on the steering committee and who have helped or will help your sister utilities—through this organization and beyond. I have sent teams over the years to assist in emergencies, and they have returned and told me that it has changed them beyond what they ever thought.
Upcoming FSAWWA Events: Get Involved and Support the Industry
The FSAWWA has several events coming up, and I encourage anyone in the industry to participate. It’s a great way to connect, contribute, and learn from others dedicated to maintaining and improving Florida’s water infrastructure.
Here are some key dates to note: S November 9 – Region VI Model Water Tower Competition, Boca Raton
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JEA H2.O Water Plant
Aerial photo of the JEA H2.O water plant construction. Rendering of the JEA H2.O water plant.
DEFYING CONVENTIONAL.
Breakthrough Water Technology Of The Decade
AEROBIC GRANULAR SLUDGE TECHNOLOGY
Following its introduction to North America in 2016, AquaNereda® Aerobic Granular Sludge Technology is quickly becoming the most sought-after wastewater treatment system in the U.S. and Canada with many plants in design and several plants currently under construction.
Consultants and end-users have realized the process and cost saving benefits associated with AquaNereda technology through on-site pilot testing, installation visits and technical seminars. The result is complete confidence in a progressive technology that ensures full plant compliance and peace of mind. Florida is no exception with plants currently pre-selected, under construction, or operational in 2024.
• Exceptional effluent without chemical addition
• Designed to meet or exceed nutrient removal demands
• Small footprint that easily retrofits into existing basins
Represented by:
Chuck Hlavach Sarasota, FL C (941) 915-4861
chuck@envirosalesofflorida.com
• Reduced cost due to minimal civil site construction
• Low total cost of ownership
Greg Slohoda Orlando, FL C (239) 963-4467
greg@envirosalesofflorida.com
Jon Fernald St. Petersburg, FL C (813) 541-6127
jon@envirosalesofflorida.com
Pre-selected/Submittals
S November 15
o Laws, Rules, and Ethics Training (P.E. Requirement), Gainesville
o Region X Best Tasting Drinking Water Contest, Arcadia
o Region III Sponsor Appreciation and Networking Event, Orlando
S November 16 – Region VIII Model Water Tower Competition, Fort Pierce
S December 8-11 – FSAWWA Fall Conference, Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate
S January 18 – Region VI 2025 Beer for Us/ Water For People Fundraiser, West Palm Beach
I’ve added some pictures from recent events, including:
S Region VI Best Tasting Drinking Water Contest (Seacoast Utilities won first place and Boynton Beach won second place)
S CIP Night
S Region III Octoberfest fundraiser (I couldn’t resist putting a picture of Greg and Ben in lederhosen!)
S 2024 AWWA Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE)
Beyond these events, FSAWWA continues to focus on strengthening the water industry through various initiatives. We need you!
JEA: Pioneering Innovative Water Treatment Solutions
As we all know, Florida’s continued rapid growth, coupled with its spacial and seasonal variations, makes it critical for utilities to ensure sustainable and resilient water supplies and optimize existing resources where possible with a One Water type approach. While many utilities rely on groundwater as their primary source, an increasing number already have
developed or are developing other sources to diversify their supply. This strategic shift will be crucial as Florida continues to expand its population.
The recent EPA rule on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) presents additional challenges for utilities, as those that do not meet the new limits will need to consider options for compliance, including treatment upgrades, source changes, or other strategies. Maintaining a resilient supply meeting regulatory standards will require innovation, collaboration, and support.
To meet the need for additional sources, some utilities are piloting and implementing projects with state-of-the-art technology to purify reuse water from water reclamation facilities to meet drinking water standards and blend it with other sources. There are several across the state, including the award-winning Altamonte Springs’ pureAlta pilot project,
Region III Oktoberfest Fundraiser
Region VI Best Tasting Drinking Water Contest
Greg Taylor (left) and Ben Yoakum at Region III Oktoberfest Beer for Us fundraiser.
Region III Oktoberfest Beer for Us fundraiser.
Fundraiser basket winners from Pembroke Pines—waffles for breakfast!
Utilities that submitted samples for the Region VI Best Tasting Drinking Water Contest display their certificates.
Region VI Best Tasting Drinking Water Contest judges are (left to right) Dr. Fred Bloetscher, Florida Atlantic University; Robert Wanvestraut, South Florida Water Management District; and Claudia Singkornrat, Teacher of the Year from Broward County.
championed when Ed Torres was there before he became utilities director at Orange County.
Key components of such projects, which should be used for all projects, is communication and public outreach. Although PFAS was not a driver for the JEA (formerly Jacksonville Electric Authority) H2.O project, I’d like to highlight this utility that is leading the way in water treatment innovation.
The pilot project results were used by JEA to create an implementation plan, including communication and outreach as a critical component. Hai X. Vu, P.E., vice president of water and wastewater systems at JEA, shared with me the information that follows (along with a few photos) on this well-researched project and its implementation plan.
CIP Night
The entire water supply for JEA is currently sourced from the Floridan aquifer, a vast groundwater source that has served the region well. As northeast Florida’s economy and population continue to grow, the aquifer will eventually reach its sustainable withdrawal limit. While JEA’s conservation efforts and reclaimed water systems have helped manage demand, they alone will not be sufficient to meet future potable water needs. As Mr. Vu explained to me, they knew they needed to develop an alternative water supply and they’ve put in place a plan to make that happen.
The JEA water purification program began in 2017, first evaluating potable reuse as a means of diversifying the future water supply portfolio. From 2017 to 2019, JEA conducted the research and development (R&D) phase, which included pilot testing of two industryleading water purification treatment processes: membrane-based (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and advanced oxidation) versus chemistry- and biology-based (coagulation, ozone, biologically active filtration, and advanced oxidation). The testing was performed at two different water reclamation facilities. As a result of the R&D phase, JEA selected the membrane-based train for demonstration and implementation due to several factors, including treatment reliability, purified water quality, and costs.
will use innovative technology, including state-ofthe-art controls and instrumentation.
The scope of work for this project includes design, construction, integration and interface, test and checkout, and start-up of a 1-milliongallon-per-day (mgd) demonstration-scale water purification facility based around membranebased treatment. It will be fully expandable to full-scale commercial implementation, currently estimated to be 20 mgd from three plants. The demonstration phase also includes a pilot-scale system separate from the demonstration-scale capacity for additional testing. The treated water must meet applicable water quality standards, including primary and secondary drinking water standards, potable reuse regulations, and removal of currently unregulated compounds. The facility
A key component to the demonstration facility will be the visitor experience/education center and execution of the public communication plan. It is anticipated that the demonstration facility will have thousands of visitors each year. The center will be accessible for tours for JEA employees, elected officials, community leaders, grade school students, university students, regulatory agency employees, engineers, and plant operators from other utilities. The center will incorporate a training area that is suitable for at least 100 professionals or students at one time.
This project will be highlighted in detail in this magazine next month where you can learn even more about it. I was struck by the importance of having the demonstration facility with a visitor experience/education center and how important it can be to the success of a project.
As an industry, we are working on increasing communication with the public, and more importantly, connecting with our customers and
and prayers remain with everyone in the path of these storms. Together, through mutual aid, strong partnerships, and a shared commitment to protecting our resources, we will weather whatever challenges come our way.
Please check out the resources and events I’ve mentioned, and if you’d like to get involved or learn more, reach out to FSAWWA (www.fsawwa. org) or FlaWARN directly. Your participation and support can make a difference—sometimes, all the difference in the world! S
CIP Night speakers include (left to right) Christopher Bennett, Fort Lauderdale; Randy Brown, City of Pompano Beach; and Joshua Niemann, Deerfield Beach.
2024 AWWA ACE
Above: Water Equation photo booth at the AWWA Annual Conference and Exposition in June, with Florida (mostly!) attendees.
At left: the AWWA mascot, Eddy, in the front of the cart, and his dad (left) in the exhibit hall at the AWWA Annual Conference and Exposition.
LET’S TALK SAFETY
This column addresses safety issues of interest to water and wastewater personnel, and will appear monthly in the magazine. The Journal is also interested in receiving any articles on the subject of safety that it can share with readers in the “Spotlight on Safety” column.
Powerful Protection From Personal Protective Equipment
You wouldn’t think of wearing a parka to waterski or a tuxedo to install a sump pump. If you think these are examples of extreme fashion gaffes, think again. A far more serious misstep is tackling a job without wearing the right personal protective equipment (PPE).
All PPE is clothing or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by PPE include physical, electrical, heat, chemicals, biohazards, and airborne particulate matter. "Protective clothing" is applied to traditional categories of clothing, and "protective gear" applies to items such as pads, guards, shields, or masks, and others.
What Personal Protective Equipment Does— and Doesn’t—Do
The purpose of PPE in the workplace is to reduce employee exposure to hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or effective to reduce these risks to acceptable levels. The PPE is needed when there are hazards present, but it has serious limitations in that it does not eliminate the hazard at the source and may result in
employees being exposed to the hazard if the equipment fails.
Any item of PPE imposes a barrier between the wearer/user and the working environment, but this can create additional strains on the wearer by impairing the ability to carry out the work and create significant levels of discomfort. These can discourage employees from wearing or using PPE correctly, placing them at risk of injury, ill health or, under extreme circumstances, death. Good ergonomic design can help to minimize these barriers and ensure safe and healthy working conditions through the correct use of PPE.
Practices of occupational safety and health can include hazard controls and interventions to mitigate workplace hazards
that pose a threat to the safety and quality of life of workers. The hierarchy of hazard controls provides a policy framework that ranks the types of hazard controls in terms of absolute risk reduction. At the top of the hierarchy are elimination and substitution, which remove the hazard entirely or replace the hazard with a safer alternative. If elimination or substitution measures are not feasible, management should seek to design safer mechanisms and encourage safer human behavior. The PPE ranks last on the hierarchy of controls, as the workers are still exposed to the hazard, but with a barrier of protection. The hierarchy of controls is important in acknowledging that, while PPE has tremendous utility, it is not the optimum mechanism of control in terms of worker safety.
The Equipment is Only the First Step: Training is Crucial
Making the workplace safe includes not only providing the PPE, but offering instructions, procedures, training, and supervision to encourage people to use the equipment and work safely and responsibly. Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work have been applied, some
hazards might remain. These include injuries to:
S The lungs, from breathing in contaminated air
S The head, feet, and hands, from falling materials
S The eyes, from flying particles or splashes of corrosive liquids
S The skin, from contact with corrosive materials
S The body, from extremes of heat or cold
The PPE is designed to protect the eyes, face, head, respiratory tract, skin, and body extremities from potentially hazardous conditions. It includes such items as goggles, face shields, hard hats, respirators, dust masks, gloves, protective clothing, welding aprons, and safety shoes.
Assessment of Equipment Use
The workplace (or jobsite) must be assessed to determine if hazards are, or may be, present that will require PPE use. Listed are some of the most common PPE.
Remember: PPE must fit the hazard!
Eye and Face Protection
Eye and face protection is necessary when there is potential exposure to flying particles (wood, glass, metal) and dust, molten metal (welding spatter), potentially injurious light radiation (welding glare), or chemicals in any form (liquid, vapor, or gas).
Eye and face PPE can include safety glasses with side shields, chemical goggles, or a fullface respirator. All devices must comply with strict federal standards.
Not all eye or face protection will protect from all hazards. Protective glasses with side shields are fine for particulates, but provide no protection from hazardous chemical vapors.
Respiratory Protection
The first step in controlling potentially hazardous dusts, mists, fumes, smoke, or gases in the workplace is the installation of engineering controls, such as mechanical ventilation systems. If such measures are not fully effective (or infeasible, such as at a field worksite), respiratory PPE must be used.
The two basic categories of respirators are air-purifying and atmosphere-supplying. The first device simply filters the ambient air by using an air-purifying filter, cartridge, or canister; the second type actually provides breathing air to the user from an independent source. The category of respirator, whether half- or full-face, and type of filter or canister, must be carefully selected. Employees must be properly fitted for PPE and trained in when and how to use it. A medical evaluation of a person’s ability to effectively wear and use a respirator must also be conducted.
Head Protection
When working in an area where the potential exists for head injuries resulting from falling objects or impact hazards, employees must wear head protection, which usually comes in the form of hard hats. As with other forms of PPE, hard hats must be manufactured to federal standards and worn properly to afford proper head protection.
Foot Protection
Just as with the head, when there are potential hazards to the feet from falling or rolling materials, sharp objects that can pierce the sole, or electrical shock, employees must wear appropriate protective footwear. This footwear commonly takes the form of steel-toe safety shoes, often equipped with steel shanks and heavy-duty soles.
Body Protection
Workers should protect their full arms, legs, and torso with thick, flexible work pants and shirts. They should fit closely and never be
baggy, and allow for maximum movement and flexibility.
Hearing Protection
Hearing is a precious gift. Continual exposure to elevated noise levels can seriously damage hearing. If noise levels are too high, employees must be supplied with hearing protection, which can be provided by simple disposable earplugs or high-tech earmuffs. The protection needed depends on the nature of the hazard and job.
High-Visibility Protection
Brightly colored and reflective jackets, vests, or other upper-body clothing improves worker visibility. It’s advisable to wear them on all jobsites, but it’s especially crucial along active roadways, in low lighting, and for dusk and nighttime work.
Other Worker Equipment
Other PPE can take the form of gloves, welding aprons, chemical protective suits, coveralls, and back-support braces. All are designed to protect a very important person— you—from potential hazards that might be encountered on the job.
Remember, however, that no PPE will protect your vision, your lungs, your head, or any other part of your body unless you wear it and use it correctly. You may not be fashionable—but you’ll be safe!
For additional information on PPE go to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website at www.osha.gov/SLTC/ personalprotectiveequipment. S
Advanced Water Treatment for Potable Reuse
Zakir Hirani, Colin Devitt, Sussette Irizarry, and Manuel Moncholi
Why Potable Reuse?
Increasing population and changes in weather patterns have increased the need for water reuse to augment the water supply for many cities across the United States. Some regional drivers for water reuse include stringent ocean discharge regulations for treated wastewater and saltwater intrusion into groundwater aquifers due to heavy reliance on groundwater. Water reuse has traditionally occurred in the form on nonpotable reuse (NPR), which includes applications such as irrigation, landscaping, and toilet flushing. Although NPR requires much lower water quality (lower treatment cost), it has limited applications and requires a dedicated distribution system (higher conveyance cost), referred to as a purple pipe system in many states, including California. Introduction of indirect potable reuse (IPR) regulations in California and a few other states has resulted in a gradual shift from NPR to IPR, since IPR allows the use of an existing distribution system (lower conveyance cost), even though it requires
treating water to a higher level (higher treatment cost). More recently, California and several other states have adapted regulations for direct potable reuse (DPR), which allows adding treated recycled water directly into the distribution system.
Over the coming years, more utilities will adapt to the use of DPR, which essentially eliminates the need to have a separate drinking water treatment facility and allows use of an existing distribution system. Figure 1 shows the type of potable reuse as classified in California, with the first two types (groundwater augmentation and reservoir water augmentation) being considered IPR and the other two types (raw water augmentation and treated water augmentation) considered DPR.
Status of Direct Potable Reuse Regulations in Different States
Texas already has a DPR facility; with the lack of statewide regulations, approval of such projects is on case-by-case basis. California and Colorado have now adapted
Zakir Hirani, P.E., BCEE, is vice president, water reuse practice leader with Stantec in Pasadena, Calif. Sussette Irizarry, PSM, WEDG, is resilience project manager; Manuel Moncholi, Ph.D., P.E., is senior process engineer; and Colin Devitt, P.E., is senior project manager with Stantec in Coral Gables.
DPR regulations, paving the way for utilities to implement DPR projects. A few large programs, such as the City of San Diego’s Pure Water San Diego, City of Los Angeles’ Pure Water Los Angeles, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Pure Water Southern California, are likely to include DPR along with IPR. With IPR and DPR project capacities combined, California plans to add more than 600 mil gal per day (mgd) of potable water supply over the next two decades.
Arizona is expected to adapt DPR regulations by the end of 2024, with City of Phoenix considering a large potable reuse project, and Florida, Utah, Idaho, and New Mexico are likely to follow. Figure 2 shows the status of potable reuse regulations for different states within the U.S.
Most potable reuse regulations include provisions for pathogen and chemical control; pathogens pose acute risk, whereas most target chemicals pose chronic risk. Pathogen control requirements vary by state, but require certain log removals for viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. For example, California requires 12, 10, 10-log removals for viruses Cryptosporidium and Giardia, respectively for IPR; these log removal requirements increase to 20, 15, and 14 for DPR. Other states, such as Texas and Arizona, have slightly lower pathogen removal requirements. Removal of certain chemical constituents, such as nitrosodimethylamine and 1,4-Dioxane is required in California and likely to be required in other states when implementing potable reuse. Other chemicals, such as sulfamethaxazole, acetone, and carbamazepine, have been included in DPR regulations in California.
Apart from water quality requirements for potable reuse, California also mandates use of certain treatment processes, such as
(source: California Water Environment Association) Continued on page 34
Figure 1. Types of potable reuse per California regulations.
reverse osmosis (RO) and the ultraviolet/ advanced oxidation process. Regulations in other states are less prescriptive with respect to stipulating treatment process requirements. Use of RO is challenging for inland utilities since brine disposal cost could be as much as three times the cost of an RO process itself, but many inland states, such as Colorado and Arizona, have not or do not plan to mandate use of RO for potable reuse. Although most potable reuse projects are near the coast in California, several inland utilities in the state, including Palmdale Water District and Inland Empire Utilities Agency, are planning to implement potable reuse and therefore face similar challenges.
Another aspect that may impact implementation of potable reuse projects by smaller utilities is requirements related to financial and managerial abilities. Since potable reuse typically requires advanced water treatment (AWT), process control and
monitoring are complex, requiring certain skills and experience levels that are typically achieved only after several years of work as an operator at a wastewater or drinking water facility, as well as training in AWT processes. Finding a sufficient number of such operators can be challenging for smaller, remote agencies. Extensive water quality monitoring requirements for potable reuse could also pose a financial burden on small agencies.
As more DPR facilities come online and more water quality data is available, regulators may feel more confident in relaxing some of the existing regulatory requirements that may pave the way for smaller agencies to adapt potable reuse.
Key Steps in Implementing a Potable Reuse Project
Potable reuse involves providing additional treatment to treated wastewater to prepare it for human consumption, and
therefore, there are several key steps required to implement a successful potable reuse project.
Public Outreach
The very first and key step in successful implementation of a potable reuse project is to gain public acceptance. A couple of decades ago, when there were only a few operating potable reuse facilities, gaining public acceptance was the biggest challenge. With several operating potable reuse facilities in California and beyond, this step has become less challenging for public agencies; however, it’s still an important and essential step. Many agencies have deployed specialized consultants to support them in their public outreach and the levels of success have been high.
Funding
Once public acceptance is achieved, the next major hurdle is to find funding for potable reuse projects. The treatment and conveyance requirements for these projects make the treated water more expensive than available surface water sources. The cost of water produced from potable reuse projects in Southern California has ranged from $1,000 to $2,500/acre-ft, with most projects being on the high end of this spectrum. When comparing this to the cost of available surface water supply (~$1,100/ acre-ft in Southern California), it may become challenging for a public agency to justify implementing a potable reuse project without state and/or federal funding. Fortunately, several state and federal agencies have provided funding for these projects, with the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency being the two most prominent funding sources.
Demonstration Testing and Regulatory Approval
In the states where regulations are already in place, implementing a potable reuse project is easier and could be done without demonstration testing; for others, such testing becomes crucial to generate data for regulatory approval and optimize the design for the full-scale AWT facility. The cost to construct a demonstration facility could range from $10 million to $40 million, depending on the scale and complexity of the process train. Operating such a facility and collecting necessary operations and water quality data could require another few million dollars a year.
For agencies that plan to implement a large AWT facility (>10 mgd), these costs are
Figure 2. Status of potable reuse regulations in the United States. (Source: California Water Environment Association)
Figure 3. Advanced water treatment demonstration facility for Pure Water San Diego. (courtesy: City of San Diego)
typically justifiable because demonstration facilities can be used to optimize the full-scale design, resulting in savings on capital, as well as operations and maintenance costs. They also serve as a tool for public outreach and operator training. Figure 3 shows the City of San Diego’s AWT demonstration facility for Pure Water San Diego.
Enhanced Source Control Plan
Most wastewater facilities are required to deploy a source control plan if they are discharging water to a surface water body. These requirements, however, are more stringent when providing source water to a downstream AWT facility. Typically, wastewater agencies are expected to develop an enhanced source control plan that documents provisions to control entry of target chemical constituents in the wastewater.
Operator Training
Finally, operating an AWT facility requires specific skills and experience. Many states have mandated minimum experience requirements for drinking water and wastewater operators before they can apply for AWT certification. As mentioned previously, as more AWT facilities are brought online, hiring and retaining these AWTtrained operators may become challenging, especially for smaller and remote agencies.
Future of Potable Reuse
With increasing population, impacts of climate change, and more-stringent regulations, implementation of potable reuse is expected to increase across the U.S. Most potable reuse facilities to date have been coastal and in large population centers, but this is likely to change as regulators gain more confidence; with additional water quality and public health data available from potable reuse facilities, they can consider relaxing some of the current requirements. Such change may increase the adaptation of potable reuse by smaller and remote agencies, especially the ones in inland states.
Outside of coastal communities in California, Florida, and Texas, potable reuse is expected to become more prominent in inland states, such as Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, in the coming years. This will help close the deficit in water supply in the southwestern U.S. by creating a One Water cycle, where every drop of wastewater is reused. S
Charlie Lee Martin Jr., Ph.D.
1. Alkalinity is a measure of how much acid is added to water to drop its pH to
a. 5.5.
b. 5.
c. 4.5
d. none of the above.
2. The pH of water at which the P (phenolphthalein) alkalinity is determined is
a. 8.3.
b. 7.5.
c. 4.5.
d. 5.
3. Carbon dioxide is no longer present when the pH is above
a. 4.5.
b. 8.3.
c. 5.
d. none of the above.
4. When the pH is less than 8.3 all the alkalinity is in the
a. carbonate form.
b. hydroxide form.
c. bicarbonate form.
d. none of the above.
5. The chemical that lowers alkalinity when added to water is
a. caustic soda.
b. hydrated lime.
c. soda ash.
d. aluminum sulfate.
6. The chemical that increases alkalinity when added to water is
a. sodium aluminate.
b. aluminum sulfate.
c. chlorine gas.
d. ferric chloride.
7. Total alkalinity is the sum of the
a. bicarbonate, carbonate, and hydroxide alkalinity.
b. bicarbonate, sulfate, and sodium aluminate alkalinity.
c. bicarbonate, carbonate, and ferric chloride alkalinity.
d. none of the above.
8. The values of the alkalinity constituents are determined by measuring the
a. F alkalinity and P alkalinity
b. A alkalinity and T alkalinity.
c. O alkalinity and T alkalinity.
d. P alkalinity and T alkalinity.
9. When the pH is above 8.3 the alkalinity may consist of
a. carbon dioxide.
b. sulfate.
c. bicarbonate.
d. sodium aluminate.
10. As the pH increases above 8.3 the alkalinity shifts to
a. carbon dioxide.
b. sulfate.
c. ferric chloride.
d. hydroxide.
Answers on page 62
References used for this quiz:
• CSUS Water Treatment Plant Operation Volume 2, Seventh Edition
In a heartwarming display of community spirit and generosity, the 14th annual FSAWWA Region III Wine for Water fundraiser surpassed expectations, raising over $67,000 to benefit the Water For People and Water Equation nonprofit organizations. This brings the three-year total to well over $150,000! The FSAWWA Region III Wine for Water is not only one of the largest water industry fundraisers in Florida, but is also the second largest Water For People fundraiser in the United States.
Wine For Water Fundraiser Supports Industry Nonprofits
This gala-style event was held at the Orlando Science Center on July 25 and attracted over 300 attendees who enjoyed endless wine, beer, and food. The festivities also included a silent auction with over 40 unique items, a live jazz band, and a game room full of fun activities to keep everyone entertained!
The FSAWWA Region III Wine for Water, a collaborative effort between local businesses and dedicated volunteers, combines a passion for progressing the
local water industry with a drive to tackle the global water crisis. The funds raised will support Water For People’s mission to provide sustainable water and sanitation solutions to international communities in need, and Water Equation’s initiatives aimed at advancing water technology, research, and training.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the team of over 35 volunteers whose tireless efforts and dedication made the event possible. Their hard work, from organizing the logistics to ensuring a smooth experience for attendees, was instrumental in the evening’s success. We also extend our deepest gratitude to the 45 generous sponsors whose support made the fundraiser a reality. Their commitment to the cause was evident throughout the event and played a crucial role in achieving such a remarkable result. We want to especially thank the title sponsor of this year’s event, Orlando Utility Commission (OUC), for its gracious sponsorship of $10,000!
Leadership Transition
This year marks a transition in the event’s leadership. Martin Coleman, with Hazen and Sawyer, has led the last three years as cochair (2022) and chair (2023 and 2024). He is proud of the committee’s accomplishments since the event’s successful resurgence after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“ Leading the last three years of Wine for Water has been a great honor. The entire planning committee has pushed through many obstacles to get the event back on its feet since the pandemic and I am thrilled it has peaked as the second-largest Water For People
Martin Coleman
fundraiser in the U.S. I am extremely grateful for all the wisdom passed down from previous event chairs and volunteers,” said Coleman. “Without their guidance I would have been lost. Especially over the last two years, I have met face to face with Water For People representatives from across the country. I’ve heard their amazing success stories and have a great sense of pride knowing that our hard work has a direct impact on bringing sanitation services and safe drinking water to struggling regions of the world. I hope you can all attend next year’s event and continue to support this amazing cause.”
Coleman will continue to be in event leadership, but is passing the reigns of the event chair in 2025 to Victoria Steinnecker, with Carollo, who served as assistant chair in 2024.
“Water For People and Water Equation bring clean drinking water and safe sanitation to millions of people,” noted Steinnecker. “Being a part of this is the dream that drove me to this industry. Wine for Water is such a fun way to support these organizations. I am as thrilled as I am humbled to chair this event next year alongside an extraordinary team of volunteers.”
Andrea Netcher, with Black & Veatch, is the FSAWWA Region III chair and is a previous chair for the event.
“What does it take to raise the largest charitable contribution in the state for Water For People? It takes the passion, heart, and dedication personified by each member of the Wine for Water volunteer team. I am deeply proud and grateful for our outstanding volunteers who continue to break records to help Water For People achieve its mission of empowering developing communities to secure clean water and sanitation. As a past chair, it has been an honor sharing our commitment throughout the years, and I am excited for what’s sure to be an exceptional event next year.”
2025 Event and Involvement Opportunities
As we celebrate this year’s accomplishments, we look forward to next year and being able to set new records. “Save the Date” information will go out in early 2025 via FSAWWA email. We hope you can join us once again to enjoy an evening of fun festivities and the chance to make a lasting impact.
We also welcome new volunteers to join our team; your enthusiasm and support are vital in making this event a continued success. For those interested in volunteering or becoming a sponsor, please contact Victoria Steinnecker at vsteinnecker@carollo.com for more details. S
Andrea Netcher
2023 Was a Record Year for Violence Over Water Resources Around the World
New study shows rapid growth in water as a trigger, weapon, and casualty of violence
Violence over water resources increased dramatically in 2023, continuing a steep growth trend of such incidents over the past decade. These events include attacks on water systems, unrest and disputes over the control of and access to water, and the use of water as a weapon of war. The number of events has risen rapidly in recent years, with 150 percent as many incidents in 2023 as those recorded in 2022 (347 events versus 231). In 2000, there were only 22 such incidents recorded.
The Pacific Institute, a global water think tank, has released a major update to its Water Conflict Chronology, the world’s most comprehensive open-source database on water-related violence. More than 300 new instances of violent conflicts associated with water resources and water systems have been added to the record. Incidents are identified from news reports, eyewitness accounts, and other conflict databases. The new entries capture all water-related incidents of violence through the end of 2023. The updated data and analysis were released in advance of the world’s largest international conference on water, Stockholm’s World Water Week, where the 2024 theme is “Bridging Borders: Water for a Peaceful and Sustainable Future.”
“The significant upswing in violence over water resources reflects continuing disputes over control and access to scarce water resources, the importance of water for modern society, growing pressures on water due to population growth and extreme climate change, and ongoing attacks on water systems where war and violence are widespread, especially in the Middle East and Ukraine,” said Dr. Peter Gleick, senior fellow and cofounder of the Pacific Institute.
“The large increase in these events signals that too little is being done to ensure equitable access to safe and sufficient water and highlights the devastation that war and violence wreak on
civilian populations and essential water infrastructure,” said Morgan Shimabuku, senior researcher with the Pacific Institute. “The newly updated data and analysis exposes the increasing risk that climate change adds to already fragile political situations by making access to clean water less reliable in areas of conflict around the world.”
Regional Analysis
Water conflicts were reported in all major regions around the world in 2023. Violence over water in the Middle East (coded as Western Asia in the report and database), southern Asia, and SubSaharan Africa continue to dominate the database, consistent with trends in recent years. Last year saw increases in all three categories of conflicts: trigger, casualty, and weapon. Attacks on water and water infrastructure accounted for half of the incidents in 2023, violence triggered by disputes over access and control of water accounted for 39 percent, and water was used as a weapon of war 11 percent of the time. Subnational conflicts between farmers and pastoralists in Africa, urban and rural water users, religious groups, and family clans in 2023 (62 percent of the events) continue to far outnumber transboundary events where two or more nations were involved (38 percent of the events).
The new analysis indicates several regions of special concern in 2023. A fact sheet from the Pacific Institute includes selected examples of incidents that took place in 2023.
Policy and Practice Solutions Available
In addition to collecting and sharing data on water conflicts, the Pacific Institute’s work is focused on identifying and understanding
Number of Water Conflict Events, 2000 to 2023
Trends in Water Conflicts by Type, 2000 to 2023
strategies to reduce the risks of water-related violence. The rise in water-related conflict has diverse drivers and causes; therefore, it requires diverse approaches and strategies that build water resilience and address underlying causes.
In places where drought and climate change are contributing to tensions over water, policies can be enacted to more equitably distribute and share water among stakeholders, and technology can help to more efficiently use what water is available. Agreements over water sharing and joint management of water can be negotiated to resolve transboundary conflicts, such as those along the Tigris/ Euphrates rivers, the Helmand River, and elsewhere. When enforced, international laws of war that protect civilian infrastructure, like dams, pipelines, and water treatment plants, can provide essential protections that uphold the basic human right to water. Improving cybersecurity practices can reduce the threat of cyberattacks that try to weaponize access to water for communities.
“It’s urgent that we work to reduce the threat of water-related violence. The best ways to do this are to move to more resilient and effective water policies that guarantee safe water and sanitation for everyone, strengthen and enforce international agreements and laws over shared water resources, and address the growing threats posed by extreme droughts and floods worsened by climate change,” said Gleick. “Solutions are available, but to date they have been insufficiently applied.”
About the Pacific Institute
Founded in 1987, the Pacific Institute is a global water think tank that combines science-based thought leadership with active
Interstate Versus Intrastate Water Conflicts Events per Year from 2000 to 2023
outreach to influence local, national, and international efforts in developing sustainable water policies. From working with Fortune 500 companies to frontline communities, its mission is to create and advance solutions to the world’s most pressing water challenges. Since 2009, the Pacific Institute has worked with the CEO Water Mandate, a global commitment platform that mobilizes a critical mass of business leaders to address global water challenges through corporate water stewardship.
For more information about the study go to www.pacinst.org. S
The FSAWWA Fall Conference brings together utilities, consultants, manufacturers, regulators, and students. Register and learn from the industry's best through technical sessions, workshops, and exhibits. Network with water industry professionals. Over 180 exhibitors will give you first-hand information on the latest developments to help your utility take actions to implement Florida's future.
>> Attendee Registration
Deadline: November 15, 2024
Investing in the Water Workforce
Technical Sessions
■ Lead/Copper Implementation to Ensure Water Quality
■ Solutions for Your PFAS Problem
■ Maintaining Water Quality in the Pipes
■ Ensuring Quality in the Sewer System
■ Potable Reuse in Our Future
■ Quality Leadership/Management/ Communications
■ Maintaining Quality Staff
■ Improving Water Treatment for Future Water Quality Needs
■ Water Source Protection
■ Water Conservation
■ Cybersecurity
■ Membrane Technology
Onsite Registration Opens: December 8, 2024 @1:00 pm fsawwa.org/2024fallconference
For more information: fsawwa.org/2024fallconference
Benefits: The Roy Likins Scholarship, Water Equation, and Water For People Events:
Conference Highlights:
■ BBQ Challenge & Incoming Chair's Reception
■ Operator Events: Backhoe Rodeo
Tapping Competition
Meter Challenge
Hydrant Hysteria
■ Young Professionals Events: Luncheon
Water Bowl
Fresh Ideas Poster Session
■ Opening General Session: Keynote Speaker: Dr. Tracy Fanara
Scientist & Program Manager, NOAA
Understanding Water Treatment: A Primer
This article walks you through what water treatment is, its importance, the overall process, and the common problems encountered.
What is Water Treatment?
Water treatment refers to the process of improving the quality of water with the purpose of serving end users. The most common end uses include drinking water, industrial water supply, agriculture, irrigation, water recreation, and replenishing environmental sources, such as rivers and lakes.
Why is Water Treatment Important?
Clean water is a basic necessity for humans. While the human population grows, the demand for water grows as well. Since water is a finite resource, used water must be treated to continuously serve end users. This is where the importance of water treatment systems comes in.
Water treatment helps in removing contaminants and hazardous substances from the water, making it clean and safe to drink and useable for other purposes. Unfortunately, almost 2 billion people in the world use either
untreated drinking water or get water from unsafe or contaminated sources. Having systems in place to improve water quality helps intervene in these situations and prevent unsafe water-caused incidents, such as waterborne diseases and even fatalities.
Water treatment is also helpful in ensuring that water gets reintroduced back to nature’s cycle. One of the end uses of this process is to safely return water to environmental sources, like rivers, lakes, and oceans. Of course, water treatment facilities must ensure that water is free from harmful substances before doing so to avoid contamination and other environmentally disastrous issues such as water pollution.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets forth guidelines for organizations for protecting the environment and human health. One of the violations that an EPA report helps keep in check regarding an organization’s compliance with environmental safety is the illegal discharge of pollutants that could end up in bodies of water. An example of this is dumping untreated and contaminated wastewater directly into the sewer system, which is a violation of the Clean Water Act.
Water Treatment Processes
In most cases, water treatment plants are responsible for collecting, treating, and distributing supplies of water, whether for residential, commercial, or industrial uses. Globally, these facilities may follow slightly different processes in their water treatment systems; however, their methods are all based on similar stages, depending on the end use they aim to achieve.
What Are the Five Steps of Water Treatment?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the overall water treatment process, especially for public water systems, consists of five major steps:
Coagulation
The first step of getting water treated is through coagulation. This involves adding chemicals with a positive charge to the water, which should neutralize the negative charge of dirt and other dissolved substances. Such chemicals include iron and specific types of salt.
Flocculation
This step refers to the process of gently
mixing the water to create larger, heavier particles known as flocs. In most cases, additional chemicals are being added to the water to allow the flocs to form easily.
Sedimentation
Once flocs form, they settle to the bottom of the water because they are heavier. This is called sedimentation in water treatment, which is one of the processes that water treatment plants use in separating the solids, such as flocs, from the water before going to the next step.
Filtration
The water again goes through another process of solids separation through filtration. The separated, clear water on top now passes through filters with various pore sizes, made from different materials such as sand and gravel. Ultimately, these filters are in place to
help remove dissolved particles and unwanted substances from the water.
Disinfection
During this step, any remaining parasites, bacteria, and viruses must be eliminated. This can be done by adding one or more chemical disinfectants to water such as chlorine or chlorine dioxide. Water treatment plants do this to keep water safe when traveling from the water treatment plant to homes and businesses because chemical disinfectants help eliminate the remaining unwanted microorganisms before the water reaches the intended end users.
Different Types and Uses
Generally, water treatment systems differ in serving specific end users. The three most common types are the following:
Household Water Treatment
According to the National Sanitation Foundation, the general kinds of systems that are used as water treatment solutions include the following:
S Point-of-use (POU) systems – These include water pitchers, faucet filters, and reverse osmosis (RO) systems, etc.
S Whole-house/point-of-entry (POE) systems – These include municipal systems, pressurized storage tanks, ultraviolet (UV) microbiological systems, water softeners, etc.
Also, home water treatment systems either use advanced water treatment or conventional septic tank systems to treat water from households.
Industrial Water Treatment
This process refers to the treatment that is performed before and after industrial use. Since businesses from various industries use water differently, water treatment processes can be done before or after business activities to serve the intended user of water. For example, water treatment in the food and beverage sector industry is crucial for ingredient water used in processing food. On the other hand, manufacturing plants, such as in the automotive industry, need to reuse or dispose of wastewater, and water treatment can help in that process.
Wastewater Treatment
Wastewater refers to any used or polluted form of water, generated after different types of uses and applications. Its sources include rainwater runoff and human activities. Wastewater treatment is key to removing any contaminants and being able to convert the quality of wastewater into an effluent that can be safe to return to the water cycle. These days, with the proper treatment, it can even be turned into potable drinking water.
Common Problems in Water Treatment
Communities, states, and countries know the importance of safe water for public use, but major problems in the way plants and facilities treat water can often be overlooked. Here are four of the most common issues encountered in the overall system of quality water treatment and in water treatment plants:
Maintenance Issues
Water treatment technology, facilities, and systems must always be kept in check, inspected, and maintained; otherwise,
Common problems in water treatment.
neglect of these protocols may cause serious implications for the overall quality and safety of water treatment processes. Failing to perform regular maintenance on equipment and other assets used can result in costly repairs, grave damage to systems, and compromised human safety.
Inefficient Bacterial Control
While some bacteria are essential to water treatment operations, failing to monitor and manage bacterial growth can endanger the quality of water. Hence, having a tested and proven system of bacterial control helps avoid such a risk and hamper the cycle of water treatment.
Inadequate Training
Those working in water treatment plants or facilities, such as operators and other specialists, deal with complex, highly technological processes. As such, there’s a need to prevent any misunderstanding of certain aspects of work due to poor training. Compromised quality of training can affect not just the safety of workers, but also the quality of the overall treatment cycle.
Poor Monitoring and Recordkeeping
Monitoring and good recordkeeping must be maintained to ensure that protocols are being followed. Common problems encountered in these situations are best resolved through corrective and preventive actions that help address any gaps discovered in monitoring and recordkeeping processes. Without these protocols in place, water treatment plants may suffer from a lack of traceable data and patterns in order to benchmark their processes and discover improvement opportunities.
Ensuring Safe Water Treatment
Water treatment facilities, factories that use their own water treatment systems, and manufacturers that treat water can ensure the safety and effectiveness of their processes by doing the following:
S Conduct efficient inspections and audits on an organization’s systems and equipment to ensure all processes and tools used in water treatment are still effective and that they strictly follow safety and quality standards.
S Use and connect sensors to effectively monitor water and surface temperature,
NEW PRODUCTS
The Hydro International line of grit removal brings all the advantages of advanced grit management within reach of even the smallest wastewater treatment facilities. Grit King’s proven performance is now available in a new configuration tailored to meet the flows, footprints, and budgets of smaller treatment plants in the Grit King Compact.
The product has a very small footprint and is customizable to fit within an existing facility. With customizable inlet and outlet locations and no need for a long approach channel, the system significantly reduces construction costs or costs to modify the existing infrastructure or piping when installing the system.
The SpiraSnail grit dewatering classifier has also been redesigned to meet the specific needs of smaller wastewater treatment plants. The result is the SpiraSnail Compact, which retains many of the maintenancefriendly benefits of the SpiraSnail, but within a smaller footprint and height. The system features a shafted screw design and requires no water.
Grit King Compact can be paired with either a SpiraSnail Compact or a Decanter dewatering system for a complete grit removal system that is the ideal fit for small treatment plants. Both types of grit systems require very low maintenance, making them an excellent choice for remote or satellite plants that are not staffed continuously. (hydro-int.com)
R
The Lovibond TB 350 WL portable turbidimeter offers simplistic operation, combined with intelligent instrument engineering, to provide an unparalleled level of accuracy in turbidity measurement. Ideal for field and environmental testing, this instrument delivers the most reliable measurements for low- to high-range samples without sacrificing accuracy. Featuring the patent-pending Multipath 90-degree BLAC sensor technology, the optical system is engineered with dual detectors
detect issues in real time, and perform corrective actions immediately.
S Download, use, and customize free water treatment templates and checklists from sources, such as government agencies, water-related associations, and the public library, to help abide by industry standards, especially when securing permits and acquiring a water treatment certification related to the overall water treatment system.
S Generate and maximize data-rich reports when benchmarking an organization’s historical insights in inspecting water treatment systems toward continuously improving the overall processes.
S Organize all insights, data, and reports in one secure cloud storage for easier access and recordkeeping.
S Train all workers and managers in water treatment safety and quality.
The importance of water treatment spans across all countries, industries, and households. All end users deserve an adequate supply of water, without the fear of contamination, to ensure public health and economic growth. S
to deliver a ratio reading that mitigates common measurement stability issues. The intuitive touchscreen interface makes it easy to perform procedures, interpret results, eliminate common frustrations, and prevent errors.
The data logging capabilities allow recording at the testing location, operator’s identification, time, and date, along with the measurement. Stored data can be transferred to a computer via USB. It’s EPA-compliant for reporting purposes, and all units are supplied ready to use with sample cells, silicone oil, and calibration standards in the carrying case. (lovibond.com)
Proco Products has patented the ProFlex 710TT, and with its torsional flow design, the valve provides a unique spinning motion that has never been offered before and is a stand-alone feature. Its operational values require less head pressure and less pump energy, thus saving the client money, as well as needing less time to mix.
To back up the claim of this new system, Proco worked with a large globally recognized test facility and studied the effects of different sizes of valves and their relationship to flow capability versus time to mix. Most potable water mix times are important as the draw of water can be determined by the demand called out by municipalities or even a sudden demand from an emergency, such as a residential fire. The ProFlex 710TT has been engineered and designed to re-energize a tank to the EPA standards for safe drinking water.
The designs of the ProFlex 710TT are complete, with both horizontal and vertical studies achieved, and the ability to provide smaller-diameter valves with strategically installed locations and the documentation to prove these studies, which show savings of tax dollars and costly maintenance costs for municipalities. (procoproducts.com)
Continued on page 51
FWEA FOCUS
Servant Leadership: Why it’s Essential
RJoe Paterniti, P.E. President, FWEA
obert K. Greenleaf first promoted servant leadership in the 1970s. I believe he took the concept from the Bible in Matthew 20: 26-28. He worked in management at AT&T for many years and realized that the organizations that thrived had able leadership, where leaders acted more as supportive coaches and served the needs of both employees and the organization. He later became a writer, consultant, and teacher and founded the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, a nonprofit organization with the mission to “advance the awareness, understanding, and practice of servant leadership.”
Recently, the term servant leader has gained popularity, where ethics, human rights, and sustainability are topics of conversation.
Servant Leadership Defined
So, what exactly is servant leadership? It means choosing to lead with the explicit intention
of fueling social good. The servant leader is called to serve first, ensuring that other people’s highestpriority needs are met. This mindset applies to all aspects of life, but it’s particularly relevant in our world, given organizational leaders’ focus on driving positive, impactful outcomes.
FWEA Vision and Mission
The FWEA vision and mission statements capture this concept through service to our members and Florida’s water resources industry.
Vision
A clean and sustainable water environment for Florida’s future generations.
Mission
The Florida Water Environment Association is dedicated to promoting a clean and sustainable water environment by supporting and uniting our members with the public through public awareness and outreach, providing professional development and networking opportunities for our members, and creating alliances to promote sound science-based public policy.
Servant Leadership in Action
At FWEA, servant leadership is
implemented daily by the multitude of volunteers on our board and within our nine state chapters, 16 committees, and Utility Council. The chapter and committee volunteers freely give their time and talent to fulfill FWEA’s vision and mission year round. Our chapters and committees are structured so that each position in the organizational structure allows individuals to progress at various levels of leadership.
Our servant leaders prioritize their teams, careers, and social growth as they provide meaningful and relevant services to our members and Florida’s water resources industry. They remove barriers, allowing everyone’s contributions to be shared and valued.
When leaders shift their mindset and serve first, they benefit (as well as those they serve) in that they acquire personal growth, while the organization grows due to the volunteers’ increasing commitment and engagement.
Acting as an organization’s servant leader takes time, dedication, and practice; however, students and young professionals can start by implementing simple principles in their daily lives.
Over time, aspiring servant leaders will learn to effectively apply the following principles to personal and professional growth that uplifts everyone around them.
Be a Good Listener
When volunteers, coworkers, and clients feel genuinely heard, they’re more likely to take action that drives a positive societal outcome. Listening to individuals’ concerns and ideas is a crucial element of servant leadership; all it takes is an interest to understand.
Stay Self-Aware
Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses—and servant leaders are no exception. The more they can honestly selfreflect about their competencies, the better they can share the workload and collaborate with coworkers.
Focus on the Community
Every servant leader emphasizes inclusion. When an organization comes together with shared ethics, interests, and goals, it fosters a sense of belonging—thus helping volunteers discover a sense of purpose in their work.
Communicate Honestly
Open and honest communication across all levels of an organization is the fastest way for the servant leader to build trust. At times, this means having difficult conversations, but transparency is essential to organizational morale in the long run.
Show Appreciation
When people feel recognized and valued, they’re much more likely to strive for improved performance. Recognizing someone for something they did well—big or small—can go a long way.
I am genuinely thankful for all our servant leaders in FWEA and our water resources industry. Our selfless efforts to promote a clean and sustainable water environment for Florida’s future generations continue to make a difference in the lives of all Floridians.
As we enter the holiday season, it’s an excellent time to reflect on the servant leaders who helped you in your career path and what you are doing to become a more effective servant leader. S (source: www.cdn.sketchbubble.com)
New Products
Continued from page 49
The AquaPrime cloth media filtration system is designed as an economical and efficient solution for the treatment of primary wastewater and wet weather applications. This system utilizes a disk configuration and the exclusive OptiFiber PF-14 pile cloth filtration media to effectively filter high-solids waste streams without the use of chemicals. This system is ideal for primary wastewater treatment and wet weather applications due to its proven removal efficiencies and high-quality effluent, even under varying influent conditions.
The system is designed to handle a wide range of flows in a fraction of the space when compared to conventional primary clarifiers. The system’s high-solids removal, in comparison to conventional treatment, puts the technology in the advanced primary treatment category. AquaPrime provides reduced carbon loads to downstream secondary treatment process, resulting in:
• Aeration energy savings (by approximately 20 to 30 percent)
• And/or increased capacity in existing secondary treatment processes
• And/or reduced basin size for the secondary process (footprint savings)
• Increased primary solids for anaerobic digestion for increase biogas production (by up to 30 to 40 percent) to be used for energy production or heating within the facility
• Dramatically reduced footprint (75 to 90 percent less) in comparison to conventional sedimentation
Download the brochure to learn more about the features and advantages of the AquaPrime system. (aquaprime.com) S
May 4-7, 2025
West Palm Beach Convention Center
BOOTHS ARE AVAILABLE TO RESERVE
2025 Booths are officially available to reserve.
Corner booths: $1,800 each
Inside booths: $1,500 each
Active Members of FWEA, FSAWWA, FWPCOA receive a 5% discount.
CHECK OUT 2025 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Sponsorships are now available. The WPB convention center offers new opportunities too! Don’t miss out - they go quick!
ATTENDEE TICKETS GO ON SALE
12.16.24
Make sure to buy your Attendee tickets, including Booth Staff tickets, starting December 16, 2024. Hurry before prices go up on April 1, 2025!
CHECK OUT THE NEW WEBSITE
FWRC invested in a new website, fwrc.org, to make it more user friendly for everyone. For example, content is now easier to find, key dates are clearer and new how-to-videos provide simple instructions.
FWEA COMMITTEE CORNER
Welcome to the FWEA Committee Corner! The Member Relations Committee of the Florida Water Environment Association hosts this article to celebrate the success of recent association committee activities and inform members of upcoming events. To have information included from your committee, send details to Melody Gonzalez at gonzalezm@bv.com.
Debbie Sponsler
The FWEA Public Communications and Outreach Committee (PCOC) wrapped up another successful and expanded video contest this school year! For the first time, the contest included a middle school category. Students in grades 6 through 12 were challenged to submit an entertaining family-friendly video, which did not exceed 45 seconds in length, to explain what can and cannot be safely flushed.
Thanks to the support of teachers across the state, the contest judges ranked their top choices among 43 high school entries and six middle school submissions. It was challenging to narrow it down, but eventually the 2024 winners with the most creative and educational entries were selected.
The PCOC was able to recognize the winning students and their teachers and schools with prize money ranging from $200 to $700.
Category Winners
Congratulations to the first- and second-place high school winners from New World School of the Arts in Miami-Dade County. The thirdplace high school winner was an Osceola Fundamental High School student in Pinellas County. Both honorable mention winners were from Cypress Bay High School in Broward County.
In the middle school category, the first- and third-place winners were students from Silver Trail Middle School in Broward County, and the second-place winner was a student at Fernandina Beach Middle School in Nassau County.
To view the creative winning entries, visit the FWEA contest website at https://fwea.org/video_contest.php.
2024-2025 Contest
The 2024-2025 video contest has kicked off and details are on the contest website. The deadline for entries is Feb. 12, 2025, so spread the word!
FWEA Announces High School and Middle School Video Contest Winners
Anyone interested in this outreach opportunity should contact Debbie Sponsler at Debbie.Sponsler@ocfl.net or Samar Al Mashrafi at samar.almashrafi@arcadis.com.
Debbie Sponsler is section manager in the communications group at Orange County Utilities in Orlando. S
Melody Gonzalez
IQ SensorNet
Designed
Measure
Water System Upgrades Could Require More Than $1 Trillion Over Next 20 Years
EPA studies show how aging infrastructure and climate change are driving increasing financial needs
Mollie Mills and Aleena Oberthur
Mollie Mills Aleena Oberthur
Water quality projects needed to meet the goals of the Clean Water Act will cost the United States an estimated $630.1 billion over the next 20 years, according to the most recent Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The survey was completed in 2022 and published in a report to Congress in April.
The analysis comes on the heels of a second study that was recently conducted, the Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment. This analysis, finalized in September, found that water utilities in the U.S. will need to spend $625 billion to fix, maintain, and improve the country’s water infrastructure.
The two surveys together—one focused on wastewater and stormwater and the other on drinking water systems—indicate a total infrastructure funding deficit greater than $1.2 trillion over the next two decades.
The CWNS indicates that clean water infrastructure needs have risen 73 percent since the last survey was completed in 2012. The survey, which EPA is required to conduct periodically under the Clean Water Act (initially enacted in 1972) evaluates the capital investments needed to meet water quality regulations and address water quality issues that affect public health. California, New York, Florida, Virginia, Louisiana,
and Georgia reported the highest needs and collectively accounted for 42 percent of the national total.
Survey Topics
The survey covers four areas:
S Public Water and Wastewater
S Stormwater
S Nonpoint Source Control
S Decentralized Wastewater Treatment
Public water and wastewater treatment involves publicly owned treatment works that treat, store, and recycle drinking water and wastewater. Stormwater management involves controlling
water runoff from rain or snow. Nonpoint source control is the management of water pollution from sources such as runoff, drainage, or precipitation. Finally, decentralized wastewater treatment refers to individual or community wastewater treatment systems.
The EPA added the nonpoint source control and decentralized wastewater treatment categories to the total needs in the 2022 survey in response to a 2014 law. That change increased the number of projects eligible for Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) financing from EPA. These new categories proved a significant reason for the notable increase in needs between the 2012 and 2022 surveys.
Funding Shortfalls
The unfunded clean water needs in the U.S. are numerous and still growing. Although the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provided nearly $12 billion to the CWSRF and $1 billion for projects that address emerging contaminants,
that the needs that communities will face over the next two decades far outweigh the federal funds.
On top of this already daunting deficit, the EPA report estimates that the total national need is likely underestimated because of data and reporting challenges, lack of long-term planning by utilities and municipalities, and the exclusion of tribal water needs. Additionally, there may be a lack of incentive for states to complete this survey; unlike the drinking water survey—used to distribute state revolving funds for related projects, including allocations under the IIJA—the CWNS results do not change the formula used to distribute federal funds to the CWSRF.
Aging infrastructure is likely to blame for at least part of the increase in need reflected in both surveys, a conclusion supported by evidence of failing water systems throughout the U.S. For example, in January of this year, a flash flood in San Diego destroyed homes, flooded cars, and created a sinkhole, all because of its failing stormwater infrastructure, which has a deferred maintenance backlog of at least $2 billion. In Prichard, Ala.—where the water infrastructure has been neglected for decades, resulting in water loss, flooding, and unreliable service— the total cost to repair pipes, sewage treatment, water treatment plants, pump stations, and other essential components could exceed $400 million.
Although these repairs are expensive, continued neglect will eventually lead to negative consequences. In April, EPA issued an order to Hawaii County to address sewer discharge resulting from its failing wastewater treatment facilities.
Importantly, the CWNS also says that climate change will take a toll on aging infrastructure. Short-term risks (hurricanes, floods, tornados, and wildfires) and longer-term ones (rising temperatures and droughts, increasing precipitation, and sea level rise) can cause broken pipes, overwhelmed stormwater systems, loss of power, and poor water quality, all of which prevent water
systems from operating effectively and can have devastating effects on communities. For example, heavy rainfall in January overwhelmed wastewater facilities across three states in the Chesapeake Bay region, causing nearly 300 million gallons of contaminated stormwater to be dumped in local waterways in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Many cities and states have noted these risks in planning documents and reports. A report from San Francisco predicted that, compared with historical levels, the city could receive nearly 40 percent more precipitation by 2100. Such an increase would devastate its existing infrastructure and cause widespread flooding. Also, according to New York City’s water resiliency plan, all 14 of the city’s treatment plants and 60 percent of its pumping stations were at risk of flooding as of 2013.
Water infrastructure funding has been one of the priorities of federal legislation, such as the IIJA and the American Rescue Plan Act, but EPA’s latest drinking water and clean water infrastructure surveys point to rapidly growing financial needs that far exceed the influx of funding. While aging infrastructure is already presenting huge obstacles for cities, water utilities, and consumers throughout the U.S., climate change will only increase costs over the next several decades, underlining the importance of addressing critical water infrastructure projects in the near term.
The Pew Charitable Trusts is an independent nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, founded in 1948. Pew’s stated mission is to serve the public interest by “improving public policy, informing the public, and invigorating civic life.”
Mollie Mills is a principal associate and Aleena Oberthur is a project director with The Pew Charitable Trust state fiscal policy project. S
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES - Classified ads are $22 per line for a 60 character line (including spaces and punctuation), $60 minimum. The price includes publication in both the magazine and our Web site. Short positions wanted ads are run one time for no charge and are subject to editing. ads@fwrj.com
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Utilities Electrician
$61,234 - $86,163/yr.
Utilities Plans Examiner Coordinator
$68,199 - $105,558/yr.
Utilities Treatment Plant Operator I or Trainee
$55,542 - $78,152/yr. or $50,378 - $70,885/yr.
Utilities System Operator Foreman
$55,542 - $78,152/yr.
Utilities Lift Station Operator I
$47,979 - $67,511
Utilities Lift Station Operator II
$55,542 - $78,152
Utilities System Trainee or Operators I
$41,446, $43,517
Apply Online At: http://pompanobeachfl.gov Open until filled.
Water Treatment Plant Operators
The Water Treatment Plant at the Village of Wellington is currently accepting applications for a full-time WATER OPERATOR and an INSTRUMENT TECH/OPERATOR positions. Apply online. Job postings and applications are available on our website: https:// wellingtonfl.munisselfservice.com/employees/Employment Opportunities/
We are located in Palm Beach County, Florida. The Village of Wellington offers great benefits. For further information, call Human Resources at (561) 753-2585.
City of St. Petersburg Plant Maintenance Technician II (IRC63361) This is advanced, specialized, and skilled technical work in the maintenance and repair of treatment and pumping instrumentation and equipment used in water and wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations, with an emphasis on advanced electronics and electrical systems, including equipment calibration from component level to system loop calibrations at water and wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations located in the City of St. Petersburg. Close Date: 11-18-2024; $27.49 - $40.15; See details at www.stpete.org/jobs EEO-AA-Employer-Vet-Disabled-DFWPVets’ Pref
Engineer I, II, III - Utilities: $82,670.38 - $110,045.08
Annually, based upon the candidate’s highest level of education/experience/licensing.
Performs professional engineering work coordinating, planning, developing, drafting, reviewing, inspecting, and managing assigned water, wastewater, and reclaimed water projects.
REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor ’s or Master’s degree in, Environmental Engineering or Civil Engineering from an Accredited Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited college or university.
Engineer III: Five (5) years of professional experience in engineering related to water and wastewater and which includes two (2) years of post-registration experience; Must possess a valid active State of Florida Professional Engineer (PE) License in accordance with the requirements of Florida Statute 471.
Engineer II: Five (5) years of experience in engineering related to water and wastewater. A valid active State of Florida Professional Engineer (PE) license, in accordance with the requirements of Florida Statute 471, is preferred.
Engineer I: A Board of Professional Engineers (BPE) Certification as an Engineer Intern (EI) or Engineer in Training (EIT) is preferred.
JEA is hiring dedicated professionals to operate a state-of-the art membrane purification facility as part of JEA’s H2.O Purification Program.
Be a part of Florida’s operational history by joining our team today.
Please visit www.jea.com/careers and look for Advanced Treatment Water Facility (ATWF) positions for more details.
WHY Choose US
• Top-tier Operator Pay Scale
• Excellent Benefits
• Advancement Opportunities
• Award-winning Facilities and Operations Team
THE Center
JEA is constructing a 1.0 MGD membrane-based Advanced Treatment Water facility as part of the H2.O Purification Program. “The Center” is designed to exceed water quality goals needed for aquifer replenishment. Operational processes include membrane filtration, reverse osmosis and UV advanced oxidation.
Continued from page 35
Editorial Calendar
January
February
March
April
May
June
July .............. Stormwater Management; Emerging Technologies
August
September... Emerging Issues; Water Resources Management
October
November....
December
Facilities, Expansions, and Upgrades
Technical articles are usually scheduled several months in advance and are due 60 days before the issue month (for example, January 1 for the March issue).
The closing date for display ad and directory card reservations, notices, announcements, upcoming events, and everything else including classified ads, is 30 days before the issue month (for example, September 1 for the October issue).
For further information on submittal requirements, guidelines for writers, advertising rates and conditions, and ad dimensions, as well as the most recent notices, announcements, and classified advertisements, go to www.fwrj.com or call 352-241-6006.
1. C) 4.5
Alkalinity is a measure of how much acid is added to water to drop its pH to 4.5.
2. A) 8.3.
The pH at which the P (phenolphthalein) alkalinity is determined is 8.3.
3. A) 8.3.
Carbon dioxide is no longer present when the pH is above 8.3.
4. C) bicarbonate form. When the pH is less than 8.3 all the alkalinity is in the bicarbonate form.
5. D) aluminum Sulfate. The chemical that lowers alkalinity when added to water is aluminum sulfate.
6. A) sodium aluminate. The chemical that increases alkalinity when added to water is sodium aluminate.
7. A) bicarbonate, carbonate, and hydroxide alkalinity. Total alkalinity is the sum of the bicarbonate, carbonate, and hydroxide alkalinity.
8. D) P alkalinity and T alkalinity. The values of the alkalinity constituents are determined by measuring the P alkalinity and T alkalinity.
9. C) bicarbonate. When the pH is above 8.3 the alkalinity may consist of bicarbonate.
10. D) hydroxide.
As the pH increases above 8.3 the alkalinity shifts to hydroxide.
