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Project Manager Jessica Johnson is passionate about securing and protecting public water supplies in Colorado for generations to come. And, with the backing of a nationwide firm with over 100 years of service, she’s well equipped to meet the toughest challenges facing utilities and communities and protect this vital resource.
Rocky Mountain Water Magazine Group
The following volunteers support RMSAWWA and RMWEA with content collection, management, editing, and reviewing the magazine.
BLAIR CORNING bcorning@englewoodco.gov
ANDREW DUGAN andrew.dugan@waterwrites.co
KARI LARESE klarese@highlandsranch.org
RMSAWWA Communications Committee
KARI LARESE, Chair klarese@highlandsranch.org
ERIN RIDOLFO, eNewsletter Editor eridolfo@rmsawwa.org
RMWEA Communications Committee
ELIZABETH DEWAARD, Chair edewaard@englewoodco.gov
JORI NELSON, eNewsletter Editor jnelson@waterrf.org
NATALIE COOK, eNewsletter Reviewer ncook@auroragov.org
ANDREW DUGAN, eNewsletter Reviewer andrew.dugan@waterwrites.co
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HDR Colorado | Denver, Englewood, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Durango, Grand Junction
PRESIDENT
Clay Rahn, RMWEA President, Principal Engineer, City of Westminster
It is hard for me to believe, but the time has finally arrived! A time I have been thinking about for many years: the amazing opportunity you all have afforded me to serve as the 2024-2025 President of RMWEA. I cannot adequately describe the honor I feel and how truly excited I am to partner with you all on furthering the nearly 90 years of great causes that RMWEA holds so dear.
Before I introduce myself, I must first extend a very heart-filled thank you to Bill Peretti. Last year, with little time to prepare, Bill unselfishly stepped in to fill the role of RMWEA President… for a second time! This is yet another example that shows how deep Bill’s passion and dedication run for RMWEA. During his tenure, Bill has played key roles in the production of the Rocky Mountain Water Conference (RMWC), our operator schools, numerous RMWEA social and sporting events, and his 10+ years on the executive board, to name a few. I hope to continue some of that passion and dedication to RMWEA over this coming year. Thank you again Bill for your devotion to elevating water professionals.
My water story began as a child, just beginning competitive swimming and water polo in Southern California. Water sports quickly became my passion and helped me to understand that access to clean water was imperative for every part of my life, from the physical health of the ones I love; to participating in my favorite sports. As a high school freshman and following my older brother’s example with advice from one of his friends, I was fortunate to already know that I wanted to study engineering
once I got to college. With great help from my high school guidance counselor, I was able to get into the engineering program at Penn State University. Four very fun (and yet at times soul-crushing) years later, I graduated with a bachelor of science in engineering focused on water and then began a career in… welding.
Wait, what? Welding? Yes! I chose to begin my career at Lincoln Electric being a vendor focused on welded structures and metallurgical projects throughout Oklahoma and Louisiana. The job gave me an opportunity to immediately work with clients while still maintaining a science and engineering focus – exactly what I wanted coming out of college. I enjoyed my career at Lincoln but decided to make a change since my passion truly lived in the water
design engineering world. So, from 2004 to 2015 I changed careers and worked in consulting as a water/wastewater engineer, project manager, and manager in Oklahoma and Texas.
Then in 2015, with an offer from HDR, I decided to move to Colorado. My main motivation for moving was focused on a non-career passion: IRONMAN triathlon. I have enjoyed IRONMAN since 2001 and have always dreamed of training in the limitless beauty of Colorado. I am forever grateful to HDR which helped make this dream a reality.
In 2023 I accepted an opportunity to work for one of my favorite clients: The City of Westminster. For years I had been curious about what it would be like to work for a utility and had goals of
using my experience to help a community more directly. I am grateful to the city for offering this opportunity and have learned a tremendous amount thus far, and look forward to learning more.
We concluded the 2023-2024 year with one of the best Rocky Mountain Water Conferences I have ever attended. Over 1,400 water professionals traveled to Keystone from all over, including WEF’s Immediate Past President, Ifetayo Venner (from Florida), and RMWEA’s Co-Immediate Past President, Hannah Fodor (from Alaska)! The RMWC always furthers my passion for water since it affords opportunities to network with an incredibly diverse and talented group of professionals; absorb lessons from fascinating, relevant presentations; and enjoy an array of fun social and sporting activities. If you haven’t been to the RMWC it’s a game changer. Huge thank you to Stephanie Elliott (RMSAWWA Chair) and Joe Tamburini
AECOM’s objective is to provide water clients with access to globally sustainable technologies, delivered locally. AECOM continues to remain committed to the world’s need for safe, reliable water while protecting this critical natural resource for the future.
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(RMWEA’s Senior WEF Delegate) for leading the incredibly complex coordination details. I am also excited to partner with RMSAWWA and its chair, Stephanie Elliott. RMSAWWA brings such wonderful leaders to the industry with fresh perspectives and creative ideas. RMWEA and RMSAWWA have worked together for decades, and I look forward to continuing our storied partnership. Thank you again for this amazing opportunity. I am excited to experience all the great things we will accomplish during our year together!
Clay Rahn is the 2024-2025 President of RMWEA. He is a Professional Engineer licensed in Colorado, Texas, and Oklahoma and works for the City of Westminster as a Principal Engineer. He has served RMWEA since 2015 in various roles including Executive Board Member since 2019.
Stephanie Elliott, RMSAWWA Chair, Senior Project Manager, Stantec
Greetings everyone!
My name is Stephanie Elliott, and I am honored and eager to serve as your 2024-2025 RMSAWWA chair. I began my term at the conclusion of a record-setting Rocky Mountain Water Conference in Keystone, Colorado. If you had the opportunity to attend, you know what an incredible event it was, with close to 1,400 attendees, 200 technical presentations, 126 exhibitors, and numerous networking opportunities for both new and seasoned water professionals.
I want to extend my gratitude to Charlie Leder for his dedication as the past chair of RMSAWWA. Under his leadership, the Board, staff, and committees had another successful year, training more than 1,300 members, hosting several networking events, and continuing the implementation of key objectives in our Section’s Strategic Plan.
I also want to thank all the previous RMSAWWA chairs, mentors, and fellow volunteers who have inspired me to get involved. My journey with RMSAWWA began when I attended my first Rocky Mountain Water Conference (formerly the Joint Annual Conference) in 2009 in Albuquerque, NM. It was at that conference that I was motivated to volunteer with the Section, starting with the RMSAWWA Membership Committee. Not long after, I became the Membership Committee chair, and after three years, I was elected to the Board as secretary in 2013. Since then, I have been privileged to serve in various roles on the Board.
Looking ahead, I have identified four focus areas for the coming year: Connection, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity. These areas are essential for personal and professional growth, engagement, and contributions to our Section and profession. Enhancing our skills in these areas sets the stage for continued progress and success.
1. Connection
Connection is the foundation of meaningful relationships and networks. It involves forging new bonds while deepening existing ones. As a former Membership Committee chair who thrives on building relationships, I believe fostering connections should be a priority for us this year. By connecting with fellow water industry professionals, you enrich your own experience and contribute to the growth and success of the industry.
2. Collaboration
Collaboration is the art of working together toward common goals. It is more critical than ever in our fast-paced world, where time, volunteer hours, and resources are limited. By leveraging our collective strengths and existing partnerships, we can achieve more and address the diverse needs of our membership and the water industry.
3. Communication
Communication is the bridge that connects our ideas with others. Effective communication remains a cornerstone of our success. As water professionals, we understand the importance of water, but communicating and engaging with the public is becoming increasingly vital as resources become scarce. We will continue to support our utilities and members by providing communication resources and training. I look forward to enhancing the Section’s communication strategies to meet the evolving needs of our members and the water industry.
4. Creativity
Creativity fuels innovation and problem-solving. It involves exploring new ideas, developing relevant skills, and embracing diverse perspectives. Embracing innovative approaches is essential for expanding our programs, attracting new members, and enhancing our existing initiatives. This year, we aim to explore creative avenues in key areas, such as developing new sponsorship
opportunities, expanding our program offerings, and reimagining how we engage with current and potential members.
This issue features a recap of the 2024 Rocky Mountain Water Conference, held in Keystone, Colorado, from August 25-28. This event was a perfect demonstration of our four focus areas –connection, collaboration, communication and creativity. I hope those who attended left feeling energized and inspired to connect, collaborate, communicate or create with your fellow water
professionals, contributing to the ongoing growth and success of our community.
I am truly eager to collaborate with my fellow Board members, our dedicated Section staff, our RMWEA partners led by Clay Rahn as president, other organizations, and all our members. By working together, we can share resources, knowledge, and support, ultimately creating more value for everyone involved. Together, we will continue to advance our mission of providing innovative solutions to manage water – our planet’s most vital resource. Our commitment to “building a better world through better water” guides everything we do and inspires us to strive for excellence. With connection, collaboration, communication, and creativity as our guiding principles, we are well-positioned to achieve great things this year. If you would like to learn more about getting involved with RMSAWWA, please visit our website at www.rmsawwa.org or email me at stephanie.elliott@stantec.com
Stephanie Elliott is the 2024-2025 chair of the Rocky Mountain Section of AWWA. She is the Regional Drinking Water Sector and Senior Project Manager for Stantec Consulting Services Inc. She can be reached at stephanie.elliott@stantec.com or 720-418-0321.
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Various grit pumping options — from flooded suction to topmounted self-priming — are available to meet your design requirements. We also offer a range of grit classifiers for grit dewatering and grit washers when additional organic removal for cleaner drier grit is required.
Communications play a vital role in any organization, serving as the bridge between the organization and its stakeholders, including employees, customers, and the public. The Communications Committees for RMWWEA and RMSAWWA are no different. They help enhance transparency, educate and inform members, and foster trust across the water and wastewater sectors.
The committee partner throughout the year to produce the Rocky Mountain Water magazine, the member publication of both organizations. The committees build the editorial calendar, set deadlines, write content, edit articles, review proofs, and work closely with our publisher, Craig Kelman & Associates, to put out an outstanding, informative, and valuable magazine six times each year.
The committees also rely on you, our members, to submit content ideas, write articles, and help identify items of interest to those across the water and wastewater sectors.
Does your organization have an outstanding outreach program that others are envious of? Have you discovered the secret to recruitment and retention? Or are you mastering lead service line replacements? Chances are we all want to hear about it. If you have a story to tell, news to report on, or an exciting project to brag about, tell us!
The Communications Committees updated the themes for the 2025 issues of Rocky Mountain Water. The themes align with key initiatives and priorities that are central to our industry.
If you have a topic that aligns with one of the themes, email us at communications@rmwea.org and communications@rmsawwa.org. We will accept articles you supply, or if you have a topic but aren’t an author, we can help.
If you would like to learn more about either the RMWEA or RMSAWAA Communications Committees, please reach out to us. Both committees are looking for new members. We would love to hear from you and talk to you more about the work we each do for our sections.
RMWEA communications@rmwea.org
The committee meets virtually on the third Tuesday of each month.
RMSAWWA communications@rmsawwa.org
The committee meets virtually on the second Wednesday of each month.
Communications, Education, and Outreach
November 13, 2024 Climate Resiliency – Sustainability
March/April
January 15, 2025 Effective Utility Management May/June
Innovation and Technology
March 12, 2025
September/October
July 16, 2025 Process and Treatment
November/December
September 17, 2025
Izaiah Kruenegel, Deputy Director, Operations and Maintenance at South Platte Renew
In the current job market, employee turnover is a reality that leaders must face. Workplace retirement parties celebrating decades of service are becoming less common. Today’s workforce is characterized by frequent job changes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average worker will hold approximately 12 different jobs by the time they retire. This trend is likely to accelerate for Millennials and Gen Z, potentially reaching 15-20 jobs over their careers.
Leading in this dynamic environment presents its own set of challenges and opportunities. Effective leadership now demands more than traditional management skills; it requires expertise in coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and adapting to change. Receiving a resignation letter, while challenging, can be managed constructively with the right approach.
If one of your high performers just gave a two-week notice –here’s how to turn it into a positive.
When an employee decides to leave, especially a high performer, it can initially feel like a setback. However, it is crucial to reframe this situation positively. Consider that this departure may represent a significant step forward in the employee’s career – whether it’s for growth, better compensation, or other benefits. As leaders, we invest time and resources into developing our team members, and their advancement is a testament to our efforts. Their new role may have been made possible by the skills and experiences gained at your organization, which contributes to their growth and benefits the industry as a whole.
Moreover, the water and wastewater industry is a relatively close-knit community. How an organization handles employee departures can influence its reputation and future relationships within the industry. Leaving on good terms can foster positive connections that benefit both the departing employee and the organization.
Exit interviews, though often seen as a retrospective tool, can provide valuable insights into employee engagement and organizational culture. When faced with multiple departures in a short period, it is essential to analyze common themes and feedback to identify areas for improvement. If employees are leaving for reasons such as better compensation or opportunities, consider implementing retention bonuses or enhancing career development programs.
To make matters more difficult, many of the systems and metrics we have around training, succession planning, and employee development are based on the outdated assumption that people are going to stick around to help train their successors. This is especially true in the public sector, where we can sometimes be slow to react and hesitant to embrace change. Retention is still an important part of the equation; organizations should absolutely dedicate time and resources to keeping their employees. We should also be spending time figuring out how to create resilience within our organizations to become better at absorbing losses when they do occur.
People leave organizations for several reasons and under varying circumstances. For the purposes of this article, we’re examining employees who are voluntarily leaving to pursue a job elsewhere.
Additionally, if feedback highlights issues with communication, advancement opportunities, or work conditions, address these areas proactively. Making improvements based on exit feedback can help retain current employees and attract new talent.
Instead of viewing employee departures solely as a loss, use them as a catalyst for organizational enhancement. The concept of the “Brain Drain” or the loss of institutional knowledge is often discussed, but rather than trying to transfer all of an employee’s knowledge to a single successor, focus on optimizing your processes and systems.
Start by evaluating the job description and responsibilities of the departing employee. Assess whether their role could be redefined to better align with the organization’s current needs. Look for opportunities to reorganize or realign tasks to improve
efficiency and effectiveness. Consider creating or updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure that critical knowledge is documented and accessible.
Develop systems that reduce dependency on individual employees by distributing tasks and responsibilities across the team. This approach fosters cross-training and enhances organizational resilience. Any role or process that falls apart in the absence of a specific individual indicates a vulnerability that needs addressing. By creating robust systems and distributing knowledge, you mitigate risks and strengthen the organization.
Accepting the reality of frequent employee turnover allows for a more strategic approach to recruitment and retention. Focus on building a resilient organization that can absorb and adapt to change. Develop contingency plans and invest in training programs that prepare employees to step into new roles or take on additional responsibilities when needed.
Implementing these strategies not only helps manage the impact of employee departures but also supports a healthier work-life balance for the remaining staff. By planning for and addressing potential risks and vulnerabilities, you enhance your organization’s ability to thrive amidst change.
While losing valuable employees is never ideal, approaching departures with the right mindset can turn them into opportunities for growth and improvement. By celebrating the positive aspects of an employee’s new role, gathering and acting on feedback, and using departures as a chance to refine processes and systems, organizations in the water and wastewater industry can navigate these challenges effectively. Embracing these strategies not only strengthens your organization but also contributes to a more resilient and dynamic industry overall.
Izaiah Kruenegel is a dedicated water professional with a deep-rooted passion for the outdoors, innovation, and empowering those around him. With 19 years of diverse experience in the water and wastewater industry, he has honed his skills in operations, maintenance, collections, project management, and leadership. He currently serves as the Deputy Director –Operations and Maintenance at South Platte Renew and can be reached at 303-762-2632 or ikruenegel@englewoodco.gov.
My first lesson in cost-effective groundwater treatment plants came from a client, the water utility director at Clark Public Utilities in 1992. I had been working at a small engineering firm in the Pacific Northwest for three years and was sent to pilot test a well in Vancouver, WA. It was a large well with manganese concentrations of 0.6 mg/L, more than 10 times the secondary MCL of 0.05 for manganese. I set up a pilot test using greensand media and a new membrane technology that was supposed to prevent fouling of the membrane via a vibrating membrane housing. It took a while to figure out how to effectively treat the water using both systems. Manganese was removed by adding both chlorine and permanganate, adjusting the pH, and adding a 30-minute contact tank to fully precipitate the manganese before running it through the membrane or the greensand filter with a filter loading rate of 3 gpm/sq ft. When I presented the results and the cost estimates to the client,
Lee Odell, PE, Water Treatment Technology Lead, Consor Engineer
Clark Public Utilities’ Carol Curtis WTP, a 10 MGD iron and manganese WTP that was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $11 million. It is remotely operated and has an operating cost of less than $100,000 per year.
he asked why he should spend $1,000,000 on a treatment plant for manganese when he could drill a new well in a different location for about $400,000? He said to come back and talk when I came up with a more cost-effective treatment approach.
Two years later, he got a call from an equipment supplier who had a treatment system installed on a 400 gpm well at a nearby industry. The supplier said the system costs $60,000, and the utility director called me to go have a look at it
with him. We took some water from the inlet and outlet of this little treatment system and tested them right there on the spot with a little Hach DR-900 colorimeter. The system was removing manganese from about 0.4 mg/L to non-detect at a filter rate of
The utility director asked me if the system would work on their well. I said, let’s pilot-test it. We collaborated with the supplier to make sure the underdrain, filter media, and coatings were all appropriate for municipal water treatment and submitted a project report to the state.
over 14 gpm/sq ft. The only chemical being added was chlorine, and there was essentially no contact time between the chlorine injection and the filter. The filter media was manganese dioxide ore, pyrolusite.
We installed the system first on a smaller well, with a capacity of 325 gpm using four 36-inch filters, and placed them outside on a concrete pad. The equipment supplier agreed that if it didn’t work, they would come pick it up after the summer was over. 28 years later, the system is still in place. They built a second one the same year and they have added another 10 similar treatment systems, including a 10-milliongallon per day and a 15-million-gallon per day facility. The cost of the treatment system has gone up a bit in the years since that first installation, but so has the cost of well drilling.
This treatment system was the first application of manganese adsorption using a high filter rate in a municipal system. Since then, hundreds of systems have been installed around the U.S., in Canada, and as far away as Sri Lanka. This technology has cut the cost of iron and manganese removal in half from the traditional method where a precipitate is formed and filtered out.
The fun of helping my clients find costeffective solutions never gets old. I have been designing groundwater treatment plants for 35 years and have worked in more than 300 different plants treating many different contaminants including iron, manganese, ammonia, nitrate, arsenic, chromium, uranium, radium, radon, perchlorate, PFAS, PCE, TCE, hydrogen sulfide, and other natural and manmade water quality issues. I’ve used dozens of water treatment processes and worked with hundreds of different equipment suppliers over the years. Cost-effective treatment applications have included:
• Adapting the manganese removal process to remove arsenic
• Implementing a process developed by one of my old Professors, Dr. Rich Valentine at the University of Iowa –
hydrous manganese dioxide to remove radium
• Developing a simplified reduction/ coagulation-flocculation process to remove hexavalent chromium
• Installing the first granular ferric hydroxide plant in the U.S. for arsenic removal in 2000
• Using ion exchange resins as adsorptive media to remove uranium And many other applications as well. Communicating about costs is a necessary part of the process. On a small wellhead treatment project, a client wanted to know the cost of adding a variable frequency drive (VFD) to the well so they could automatically adjust the flow rate as the reservoir level varied. The initial communication was that the VFD cost was less than $40,000. The real cost was over $200,000 and included a harmonics filter, a larger motor control center (MCC) panel that had to be
air-conditioned, new chemical feed pumps that could pump at variable speeds, online analyzers, a programable logic controller, and programming for all the equipment.
That additional cost may be acceptable to the client but communicating that cost difference is the consultant’s responsibility during the decision-making about, in this case, whether to add a VFD.
Water industry operators, managers, engineers, and contractors all recognize we are spending the utility’s customers’ money when we develop new infrastructure. When we consider the treatment challenges of a client’s water system, one of the objectives will always be cost-effective design, build, and operation. When we consider treatment options, relationships with our clients are as important as new technologies. Making sure we do our best to build cost-effective facilities is critical to all of our combined success.
Lee Odell is a registered professional engineer in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, and Georgia. He is the past chair of the ASCE/EWRI Water Supply Treatment and Engineering Committee and the ASCE Oversight Committee chair for AWWA/ASCE Water Treatment Plant Design Sixth Edition. Lee developed the ASCE Water Treatment Certificate Program and provides training on a variety of water treatment topics. He is the author of “Treatment Technologies for Groundwater” published by AWWA. Lee is the founder of the Drinking Water Trust and has been the recipient of the Neil B. Fisher Fellowship Award University of Iowa, the Powell Lindsay Award PNWS AWWA, and the John Lechner Award PNWS AWWA.
Kelsey Bicknell
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (Water Authority) provides safe, affordable drinking water to more than half a million residents in Albuquerque and surrounding communities in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. To ensure it can sustainably provide drinking water to its communities, the Water Authority developed a 100-year management plan called Water 2120. One key strategy identified in Water 2120 to safeguard supply sources is source water protection, which ensures threats to source water are understood and managed to prevent the loss of supply. The Water Authority is committed to incorporating the best information and science to ensure its program is as protective as possible, and it received an AWWA Exemplary Source Water Protection Award for a large system.
Source water protection was reported as the top challenge facing the water sector for the first time in the 2024 American
Water Works Association’s State of the Water Industry, however, it has been an important management strategy for the Water Authority in recognition that water quality impacts water quantity, limiting available supply if impacts occur. For many decades, groundwater was the sole community drinking water source. Due to decades of pumping, the groundwater resource was found to be significantly depleted in the early 1990s. Legacy contamination from industrial activities within the service area threatened supply further. In response, the Water Authority started its source water protection program in the late 1990s and codified groundwater protection measures with its agency counterparts in the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County to prevent further contamination of the groundwater resource.
The source water protection program was expanded in 2008 when the Water Authority brought its surface water treatment plant online after receiving authorization to utilize Colorado River water allocated to
New Mexico through the San Juan-Chama Project. The addition of this new supply eased the stress on the aquifer and fostered conditions in which groundwater began to rapidly recover. While the benefits of incorporating surface water into the Water Authority’s supply portfolio cannot be overstated, the new source did bring with it new source water protection challenges. For one, the Water Authority does not own its surface watershed as it expands through northern New Mexico into southern Colorado, representing millions of acres of publicly and privately owned land. To implement impactful protection measures, the Water Authority relies on partnerships formed between the state, federal, and private land stewards. Additionally, the city-wide rises in water levels created new opportunities for groundwater to interact with historic contamination.
In 2018, the Water Authority amended its source water protection program to include comprehensive assessments of each
source’s susceptibility to contamination following guidance developed by the EPA and the New Mexico Environment Department. To complete the assessments, source water protection areas are first defined. For its surface water intake, a 15-mile stretch upstream was defined as the highest priority protection area while the larger watershed was established as a secondary protection area. For groundwater, the protection areas were defined as concentric circles resembling bullseyes around each supply well until a half-mile buffer radius was reached. While consistent with how groundwater supply well source water protection areas were defined through New Mexico, this approach does not account for hydrogeology and the influence of aquifer properties on pumping radii for supply wells. The Water Authority decided to re-evaluate this “bullseye method” and determined it was likely underestimating well susceptibility by not capturing the influence of the regional hydrogeology.
In response, the Water Authority invested in a groundwater modeling approach to estimate the capture areas for each of its wells to establish hydrogeologically representative source water protection areas. The groundwater model used for this analysis is an open-source model for the Middle Rio Grande Basin developed by the USGS in their MODFLOW program (Bexfield, et al. 2011). High and low pumping scenarios described in Water 2120 were run in the model to estimate future water levels. The Water Authority then selected three time periods representing the lowest, intermediate, and highest predicted water level conditions from across the model outputs to conduct a reverse particle tracking analysis. This method was selected to determine well “capture zones” and recharge areas based on particle paths and their endpoints as well as travel time from the recharge area to its well for each water level condition. The highest water level condition was found to have the shortest
travel times from the recharge areas, making it the most conservative scenario to inform the source water protection areas. Travel times from recharge areas greater than 25 years were determined to be inherently protective and were not included in the source water protection area development. The remaining recharge areas had protective buffers placed around them and were further prioritized according to ranges of travel time. The final result is hydrogeological informed protection areas that reflect the unique capture mechanics of each well.
After defining the source water protection areas, the next phase of the source water assessment is to conduct an extensive review of the types of potential sources of contamination within each protection area so its susceptibility to contamination can be quantified. Determining susceptibility is inherently a straightforward process –potential sources of contamination are identified within a protection area, counted, and then summarized based on their
potential contamination risk. This process becomes difficult when extrapolating it by hand across many potential sources of contamination types for many protection areas. Historically, source susceptibility analysis was completed by hand for each of the Water Authority’s 80-plus supply wells and its surface water protection areas spanning more than 15,000 acres. The Water Authority saw an opportunity to reassess its methodology for determining source susceptibility and identified a way to optimize it using Python, a powerful and well-documented open-source programming software (Python Software Foundation, https://www.python.org/).
Using a programming-based method to quantify susceptibility eliminates the need to invest significant resources each time an update is made, increases the repeatability of the analysis, and eliminates the errors introduced when conducting the assessment by hand. The benefit of using the Python program is no matter
the number of inputs, the process to determine susceptibility is the same and follows the simple framework of identifying what potential sources of contamination are present in the source water protection area and summarizing the potential contamination risk present.
“The Water Authority is always striving to incorporate the best technologies into its operations to provide the best drinking water to its customers.”
The Water Authority has developed a method that completes the assessment in only a few minutes as opposed to the hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars in consultant labor to do it by hand. This optimization has freed up valuable time that can now be spent developing effective protection measures based on the information gained by the assessments. Additionally, the Water Authority prioritized completing this analysis using open-source code that can easily be shared with any utility interested in completing its source water assessment.
The Water Authority is always striving to incorporate the best technologies into its operations to provide the best drinking water to its customers. Doing the same for its source water protection program not only ensures high-quality source water, but also preserves the amount of supply the Water Authority has available.
Kelsey Bicknell is the environmental manager for the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority. Kelsey holds a master’s degree from the University of New Mexico and specializes in hydrology. She uses her diverse experience as an environmental scientist and engineer to develop data-driven source water protection strategies.
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+ Ease of Maintenance (MIP ® )
The City of Green River is located in Sweetwater County in southwestern Wyoming and has a current population of around 11,800. Founded in the late 1860s, Green River was home to a Union Pacific railyard that remains in operation today, although the last passenger train departed in 1983. The Green River Basin is home to the world’s largest trona supply, providing up to 90% of the United States’ soda ash which is used in manufacturing lithium batteries, glass, and baking soda, among other uses. The basin is also home to an abundance of wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts. The City of Green River is currently constructing a new oxidation ditch wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to replace its existing lagoon treatment system.
The existing wastewater treatment facility in Green River was built in 1962 and is built partially within the Bureau of Land Management property and a 100-year flood plain within the Green River Basin. The treatment facility is made up of 34 acres of an aerated and non-aerated lagoon system that includes screening and grit removal, aeration basins, aerated lagoons, polishing ponds, and sand filters. Lagoon systems are common in rural or smaller communities due to their reliability and minimal maintenance and energy costs. There are currently no solids handling processes or disinfection requirements under the current operating National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) permit, although the solids removed by screening and grit equipment are periodically removed from the basins are sent to the landfill. The WWTP also experiences algal blooms within their aerated lagoons during the summer months. Due to the facility and equipment age, as well as future treatment requirements set by regulatory agencies that will require phosphorus removal and E. Coli reduction, the 2015 City of Green River master plan identified potential site improvements and recommended the lagoon system be replaced with mechanical
treatment processes to address changes in discharge limits. With the addition of mechanical treatment processes to the facility, a new NDPES permit with more stringent secondary treatment regulations will be required. Rather than performing upgrades to existing WWTP infrastructure, which was forecasted to cost nearly 70% of the estimated $52 million for an entirely new wastewater treatment plant, the master plan included recommendations to build a new treatment facility. Other drivers in the decision to build a new wastewater treatment facility included operator ease
of maintenance and the need for system resiliency and redundancy within the treatment processes.
Total Phosphorus (May-Sept)
monthly effluent sampling required
Temperature, ºC monthly effluent sampling required monthly effluent sampling required
Fecal Coliform
In 2017, Burns & McDonnell Engineering was contracted by the City of Green River to design a new wastewater treatment plant. The plant was designed around an average daily flow of 1.25 million gallons per day (MGD) and included influent screening and grit removal, anaerobic selector basins, oxidation ditches, secondary clarifiers, and ultraviolet disinfection before surface water discharge to the Green River, which will be a fraction of the footprint of the existing WWTP. Oxidation ditch technology, which is a modified activated sludge secondary treatment process that utilizes extended solids retention times, was chosen for biological treatment and nutrient reduction through the phased isolation approach to activated sludge treatment by creating aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic zones. Some of the mixed liquor leaving the oxidation ditches is recycled back to the anaerobic selector basins to aid in phosphorus removal and extend the solids retention time, which is typically around 11 days. Current monthly phosphorus concentrations in the wastewater treatment facility effluent are around 5 mg/L, with proposed limits being as low as 1 mg/L.
To facilitate the biological removal of phosphorus, wastewater passes through anaerobic selector basins before entering the oxidation ditches which provide 1.5 hours of hydraulic residence time at max month flows (MMF) within an anaerobic environment. A solids handling system was also included in the design and involves aerobic digestion and dewatering before solids are hauled offsite to a landfill.
In addition to handling more strict effluent discharge limits, the new WWTP will provide redundancy and resiliency to accommodate swings in flow due to heavy rain events and infiltration and inflow (I/I). Beginning at the headworks, a bypass channel equipped with a manual bar screen provides screening redundancy when the perforated drum screen gets taken out of service for maintenance activities. Following screening, three self-priming centrifugal pumps operating on variable frequency drives (VFDs) meet the peak hourly flow (PHF) with one pump out of service. In the secondary
treatment process, each oxidation ditch includes two aeration rotors that provide oxygen to the wastewater. Each process train can operate with at least one rotor out of service, meaning each train has built-in redundancy. Further, with the ability to split flow upstream of the oxidation ditches, the plant can take an entire ditch offline while treating the entire plant flow. Following clarification of the mixed liquor, secondary effluent is disinfected via UV disinfection equipment, which was designed to treat the PHF using only one of the two channels. In addition to the built-in redundancy, the plant was designed using applicable design standards such as the International Building Code (IBC), National Electrical Code (NEC), etc. One of the largest inspirations behind the design of the plant was the mechanical WWTP built-in Boxelder, CO in 2021, which also utilizes oxidation ditch technology and has been cited as having some of the lowest nutrient discharge levels in Colorado. Helpful insights and lessons learned have been
shared between the wastewater operators at both Boxelder and Green River, providing invaluable perspective and input into the layout of the new Green River WWTP.
To finance the project, the City of Green River obtained over $6 million in state grants and a $41 million State Revolving Fund loan for new construction. The new wastewater treatment plant is under construction and is anticipated to be completed in late 2025.
Jason Palmer is the Environmental Systems Superintendent for the City of Green River, overseeing the Wastewater Treatment, Wastewater Collections, Water Distribution, and Storm Water Management. He is also the Master Electrician for the City. He can be contacted at jpalmer@grwyo.org
NEW TANKS (270) 826-9000 ext. 2601 EXISTING TANKS (270) 826-9000 ext. 4601
Hannah Fodor, PE,
ver 1,420 water and wastewater professionals converged in beautiful Keystone, Colorado starting August 25 for four days of networking, professional development, and fun. Although the timing of the Rocky Mountain Water Conference changed in tune with this year’s theme, Changing of the Times, one thing that didn’t change was the success of this year’s conference.
Per tradition, the conference opened with the sold-out Golf Tournament where 37 teams, armed with clubs and sharp wooden objects, spent all day trying to force a tiny ball into a hole far away. Different this year, however, was that the Colorado sunshine held out long enough for the final team to finish. Finishing first place was the Hach team (Justin Williams, Kyle Tylor, Loren Mendenahall, and Mike Elliot), second place was the PCL team (Mike Schatschneider, Sean Hewlett, Drennan Waller, and Justin Chang), and third was an individual team consisting of Jim Ginley (Jim Ginley Consulting), Roger Nakagawa (Interstates), and Sarah Choyke (EuroFins).
Returning to the Sunday events lineup after several years was the Water Wheels Mountain Bike Ride, organized by the Young Professionals (YPs) of RMSAWWA and RMWEA. About 20 brave, or misinformed, bikers rode the Powerline Trails at Keystone and they look forward to holding this successful event next year.
about the opportunities the week was bound to bring them.
Later in the afternoon 34 runners and several cheerleaders met along the Snake River to set personal records while enjoying a high-altitude cardio session at the eighth annual Is Your Toilet Running? 5K Fun Run/Walk. Although the Denver Water Running Toilet and WEF’s Niles the Crocodile certainly did not make appearances this year (they must have had publicity conflicts), race participants and observers were
unanimously unsure whether the mythical Kristin Johansen competed since nobody actually saw her zooming by them on the course. The proceeds from this event will be contributed to the RMWEA Public Education Committee in support of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize. Congratulations to all the runners and walkers and their fans! The top three racers were:
• #28 Kristin Johansen – 19:30
• #18 Lauren Riedle – 21:39
• #42 Thomas Morse – 23:27
The pre-conference events concluded on Sunday with the Meet and Greet where over 100 attendees networked with appetizers and drinks, certainly excited
Monday’s full day of conference programming started with networking and full stomachs for those who attended the New Member/First Time Conference Attendee Breakfast. After learning about both organizations and the exciting conference activities, everyone met in the Opening General Session where RMSAWWA chair Charlie Leder and RMWEA President Bill Peretti welcomed conference attendees and officially opened the conference with awards and recognitions (see awards summary at the end of this article for details). From there, the outgoing leaders introduced visiting officers from our respective parent organizations – AWWA President-Elect Heather Collins and WEF Immediate Past President Ifetayo Venner –who each provided opening remarks. The keynote speaker was Colorado
Department of Agriculture Ag Water Policy Advisor Robert Sakata who explained how his experience growing up on and running a farm in Brighton, Colorado has polished him to recognize and help inform others of the value of water and its significance on the sustainability of the agricultural industry. Some of us might still be trying to get the blah-blah-blah song out of our heads.
Monday’s activities concluded with a happy hour in the Exhibit Hall, the hub for over 70 vendor and company booths as well as the famous Toilet Bowl Trivia, hosted by the even more famous, or infamous, Sewer Dude. This year, eight teams demonstrated their technical water and wastewater skills as well as acumen in useless trivia topics in hopes of bringing home the coveted Golden Toilet Bowl trophy. Moving up the ranks from last
year’s second-place achievement and demonstrating you should never give up, this year’s winning team was Turd Ferguson and the Stains consisting of Melissa Mimna, Brad Janoka, Erin Neil, and Brandon Wright all from the City and County of Boulder. They triumphed over second-place winners, the BOD-acious Babes. Look for next year’s rematch as all teams brush up on their knowledge base.
Tuesday saw a continuation of the Technical Program, and this year’s was stronger than ever. Volunteers reviewed 352 abstracts in order to develop 211 individual technical program sessions. There were 10 special sessions which included Workforce Pipeline, Female Leadership, Regulatory Panels, YP Panel, Unconscious Bias Panel, Turf Conversion, and a Utility Leadership Panel. Additionally, new session topics this year were offered for Communications and Conservation.
The full-room YP Panel included conversations with YPs representing a wide variety of backgrounds, industry, experience, and geography. There was a thoughtful and engaged conversation where the audience was able to submit
presentation. The RMWEA Innovative Water Technology Committee also had standing Industry Shark Tank for more on this exciting event! The $4,500 prize was sponsored by HDR, Brown & Caldwell, and Core & Main. Operator Training Session
was even more popular this year, leading to exciting changes next year that will continue to maximize operator engagement at the conference. In addition to collecting valuable training units in the operator training session, operators were able to demonstrate excellence in performance through the various Water Competitions and Operations Demonstrations. Section semifinals were held for Pipe Tapping, Hydrant Hysteria, and Meter Challenge and the results are listed below.
PIPE TAPPING WOMEN:
1st Place: Denver Water –
3 minutes, 15.47 seconds
No other teams competed.
PIPE TAPPING MEN:
1st Place: Denver Water –
2 minutes, 7.26 seconds
2nd Place: City of Westminster –2 minutes, 12.09 seconds
No other teams competed.
HYDRANT HYSTERIA MEN:
1st Place: Westminster D&R – 1 minute, 29.81 seconds – NEW SECTION RECORD!
2nd Place: Westminster C&I –
1 minute, 47.44 seconds
3rd Place: Aurora Water Team Two –2 minutes, 17.69 seconds
4th Place: Aurora Water Team One –2 minutes, 21.53 seconds
No other teams competed.
METER CHALLENGE MEN:
1st Place: Westminster’s Corey Baca –40.81 seconds – NEW SECTION RECORD!
2nd Place: Denver Water’s Felix –1 minute, 16.61 seconds
No other teams competed.
After the physical competitions wrapped up, the test for real operator performance started with the annual Water Taste Test Judges tasted tap water samples from eight Rocky Mountain water utilities and, after a three-way tie in the first round, ultimately determined Denver Water’s sample tasted the finest! Louisville took second place with Broomfield taking third.
The annual YP Happy Hour at Lakeside Suite with well over 100 attendees was a great way to start Tuesday’s evening. From there, attendees shuttled over to The Ranch for an evening of drinks, appetizers, and karaoke entertainment. Starting the night, however, was the Corn Hole Tournament where 24 teams raised a total of $2,200 for the Water Equation and Water for People. The top three teams were:
• 1st: Ben Wise and Greg Steed (Merrick)
• 2nd: Louis Morrisa and Cody Henry (City of Brighton)
• 3rd: Damian Higham and Calvin Schutt (Denver Water) Thank you to Conference Committee co-chairs Stephanie Elliott and Joe Tamburini and all the volunteers who supported them. If you are interested in helping plan next year’s conference, August 24-27 in Keystone, reach out to Jeff Berlin (jberlin@carollo.com) and Natalia Hoogesteijn (nhoogesteijn@ hazenandsawyer.com). We hope to see you next year!
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SECTION AWWA & ROCKY MOUNTAIN WATER ENVIRONMENT AWARDS
• YP of the Year: Makenzie Chesak
• Volunteer Excellence: Brett Pugh
• Walt Weers: Hannah Fodor
• Water Heroes Award: Jacobs –Farmington Water Operations Team
ROCKY MOUNTAIN WATER ENVIRONMENT AWARDS
• Outstanding Service: Steve Polson
• Plant Maintenance: Matthew (Beau) Botruff
• Plant Operations: Joe Elliott
• Thomas Crapper: Apogee Publications
• Volunteer Excellence: Mark Valentine
• Friends of RMWEA – Consultant: Black & Veatch
• Friends of RMWEA – Municipality: City of Westminster
• Friends of RMWEA – Vendor/ Contractor: Denver Film Company
WEF AWARDS
• WEF Arthur Sidney Bedell: Hannah Fodor
• WEF Hatfield: Orren West
• WEF Laboratory Analyst: Lindie Aragon
• WEF Fellow: José Velazquez
• WEF Fellow: Dave Oerke
• WEF Delegate Service Award: Bill Peretti
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SECTION AWWA AWARDS
• George Warren Fuller Award: Cindy Goodburn
• Ralph M. Leidholdt WTP Operator: Jeff Owens
• Outstanding Water Treatment Plant Maintenance Award: Nicholas Yarish
• Alice Darilek Water Conservation Award: Diane Block
• Outstanding Water Treatment Plant (Large): San Juan Chama Water Treatment Plant, Albuquerque, NM
• Outstanding Water Laboratory: City of Aurora, Water Quality Lab
• James B. Warner Water Studies Scholarship: Emma Wilder
• State Membership Award: Wyoming
AWWA AWARDS
Silver Water Drop – 25 years of membership
Jackie Atkins Mark Hines
Tzahi Cath John McGinn
Cary Chapman Jason Mumm
Steve Daldegan Mark Shamley
JoAnn Galindo Andrea Song
Courtney Hemenway David Takeda
Robert Huehmer Kevin Tone
AWWA Life Member – 30 cumulative years of membership and at least 65 years age
Robert Allen Kirk Medina
Craig Barsness David Rau
Jeffrey Drager J. Russell Snow
Martin Garcia Scott Trusler
William Landin James Van Harn
Eddie Livingston Kirk Watson
John McEncroe
Gold Water Drop – 50 years of membership
Gary Roberts
Robert Renner
Wendell Ladue Utility Safety Award –City of Louisville
AWWA Awards Presented at ACE 24 in Anaheim
• AWWA One: Andrew Appel
• One AWWA Operator Scholarship: Nicolle Dunn
• Stantec Scholarship: Seyed Khademi
Conference attendees visited and learned from over 70 vendors in the Exhibit Hall throughout the week.
demonstrate the conference theme at the Opening General Session.
Robert Sakata, Keynote Speaker, Colorado Department of Agriculture Water Policy Advisor
For those of you that downhill ski, have you ever tried to ski with your skis on backward with the tips behind you? Have you ever tried to walk looking down into a mirror that is reflecting the image of the ceiling, or do you remember the first time you tried to use chopsticks to eat peas? Well, I kind of felt that way attending the 2024 Rocky Mountain Water Conference! Thanks to Kevin Bergschneider for inviting me to be the keynote but even more for allowing me to attend the rest of the conference. I struggled to choose which technical sessions to attend because they all sounded so interesting. Each of the ones I attended I was never disappointed and longed to hear more. In the world of water, most people don’t realize what it takes to get water to their taps or where it goes when it goes down the drain. It is just there, and they always expect it to be there. Thanks to all of you who are so dedicated to this important task.
I challenge each of us to step out of our comfort zone and explore an area that we don’t have any knowledge of because that could be where tomorrow’s solutions can be found.
Sitting and listening to some of the technical sessions was a wonderful reminder for me about the most important lesson I learned when I was a ski instructor in Steamboat after college. No, it wasn’t how to put my skis on the right way, but what I learned from a three-year-old, and that was how important it is to ask questions and equally important how important it is to welcome all questions. Our world is becoming so complex that we have even created a term to describe these challenges… we now refer to them as “Wicked” because I think we are concluding that traditional approaches may not be the best solution. Recently, I had the opportunity to provide a lecture at the Interdisciplinary Water Resources Seminar at Colorado State University and as a simple farmer, I kept wondering what insight I could provide these upper-graduate students. I could have just asked ChatGPT, Studybay, or another form of AGI to write a presentation for me but it would have reflected only what it had
access to in public domains and not what was in my mind. What is in each of our minds is important and learning how to share that and to understand each other’s perspective in some ways has become a lost art. So, the approach I am going to take is just to be me, to present my point of view, and to be open to theirs.
But back to AI, a subject that really intrigues me. Somebody once told me that they felt like AI wasn’t going to take jobs away from people but the people that knew how to use AI are the people that will be working. It kind of goes back to the “Wicked” problem idea. In the past, we have all become so specialized in our areas of expertise to solve problems. I saw this in the genome lab that I had the opportunity to work in. To succeed, your focus had to be totally on the “chemistry”, but to solve the “Wicked” problems we are facing today with increasing population demands, climate change, and CEC should we think like AI? Should we broaden our horizons like a farmer attending a water professionals conference? I challenge each of us to step out of our comfort zone and explore an area that we don’t have any knowledge of because that could be where tomorrow’s solutions can be found.
The ECO SMART STATION™ is housed in the innovative, multiple compartment ARC ARMOR™ Enclosure, reducing the risk of injury resulting from electric shock and exposure to arc flash.
Danger Zone: This zone contains dangerous arc flash potential and the risk of electrical shock. Workers may require Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when entering. “Lockout/Tagout” is supported.
Danger Zone: When zone 1 is energized, workers cannot gain access to zone 2, thereby reducing accidental exposure to arc flash. “Tagout/Lockout” is also supported.
Operator Safety Zone: Contains only low voltage circuits (120VAC or lower only),therefore minimal PPE is required.
Gas Isolation Zone: Provides gas isolation from wet well in wastewater lift station applications.
Carolyn Coffee, Chair, Innovative Water Technology Committee, Wastewater Process Engineer, Black & Veatch
The water industry’s brightest minds took the plunge at the annual industry Shark Tank Event, hosted by the Innovative Water Technology (IWT) Committee at the Rocky Mountain Water Conference. The room was packed with utility professionals, consultants, academics, regulators, and vendors, to help judge the industry’s hottest innovation proposals. This year, the prize money of $4,500 was sponsored by HDR, Brown & Caldwell, and Core & Main. The event showcased utility-driven solutions to industry challenges. Three contestants gave five-minute “flash-talk” presentations, before facing questions from a tough panel of sharks (i.e. industry experts) and the audience. This year’s shark panel included Scott Burns from Core & Main, Matt Gough from HDR Inc., Bill Peretti from Coombs Hopkins, Tanja Rauch-Williams from Metro Water Recovery, and last year’s Shark Tank contestant Brad Janoka from the City of Boulder.
The first competitor was a team from Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District (RMWSD, David Schneider), Powell Water Systems (Scott Powell), and GMS Engineering (Mark Morton). The team is planning to construct modifications to RMWSD’s lagoon treatment system in Westcliffe, CO, and add post-treatment in the form of a novel electro-coagulation process. The innovative process is expected to help RMWSD achieve regulatory compliance for nutrients and arsenic while providing an affordable alternative to expensive mechanical plant upgrades. The team requested the Shark Tank prize money to support special sample collection and analyses. The technology was just recently piloted at Red Rocks College campus which the IWT Committee previously toured in April 2024.
The next contender was PhD candidate Alex Schwiebert from Colorado School of Mines with an automated membrane scaling detection system for closed-circuit desalination. The turbidity-based sensor provides a real-time alert to membrane scaling, which is particularly valuable in treating highly variable agricultural runoff or mining waters. Automated scaling detection is key to extending membrane life and reducing chemical and anti-scalant use, which all significantly reduce the cost of inland desalination. There is also
an opportunity for gypsum recovery and reuse. Alex is currently running a pilot in Colorado and proposed using the Shark Tank prize money to support a pilot at a Peruvian mine and construct an RO well operated by New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins to “keep the beer flowing”.
The final contestant was South Platte Renew, represented by Chloe Lopez-Jauffret and Caleb Vannice. The SPR team proposed a Facility Asset Renewal Marketplace (FARM). The FARM concept is a
Learn more about our local and global projects.
marketplace for unused utility equipment that allows utilities, universities, and others to unlock value from their unused assets and save big on pre-loved equipment. The web-based platform would offer a specialized, user-friendly marketplace tailored to the water and wastewater industry within the Rocky Mountain region or beyond. The concise and inspiring presentation tackled a utility-driven problem with an efficient, collaborative, and sustainable solution. For this reason, the South Platte Renew team was selected to receive the 2024 Shark Tank reward to apply toward developing the FARM.
On behalf of one of the event’s sponsors, Core & Main, Davis Wolf concluded the event with an inspiring discussion on the importance of innovation within our industry, emphasizing the driving purpose behind the Innovative Water Technology Group.
Core & Main and IWT congratulate all contestants and this year’s winners!
Are you ready to swim with the sharks in 2025? Do you have what it takes to compete next year? Look out for the Call for Abstracts next spring, or reach out to IWT chairs, Carolyn Coffey and Anna Scopp, for additional information.
Carolyn Coffey serves as Chair of the Innovative Water Technology committee and is a wastewater process engineer at Black & Veatch. This article was supported by IWT committee members Anna Scopp (Committee Chair), Tanja Rauch-Williams, and Stephanie Fevig. coffeycl@bv.com 303-256-4095.
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THEME/DUE DATES
THEME
Communications, Education, and Outreach
Climate Resiliency – Sustainability
The Rocky Mountain Section of the American Water Works Association (RMSAWWA) and the Rocky Mountain Environment Association (RMWEA) are pleased to announce the addition of Committee Corner to Rocky Mountain Water Magazine in 2025. We want to hear about the cool things your committee is up to!
Committee Corner is aimed to highlight people, projects, and facilities in the Rocky Mountain Section. Articles should be on theme for the given magazine issue, of interest to the general audience, informational, and free from any promotional language. Specific product information should be made generic unless its inclusion is essential for the reader’s understanding.
MAGAZINE ISSUE
January/February
March/April
Effective Utility Management May/June
Regulatory Landscape
Innovation and Technology
Process and Treatment
July/August
September/October
November/December
Articles and images can be submitted to Mathias Leiendecker at mathias@kelman.ca
DUE DATE FOR ARTICLES
November 13, 2024
January 15, 2025
March 12, 2025
May 14, 2025
July 16, 2025
September 17, 2025
Find out more information on Committee Corner submission guidelines at www.rmsawwa.org/page/RMWater and www.rmwea.org/rocky_mountain_water_magazine.php.
When nature calls, you want open stalls.
Most of us never think about what happens to the water we flush. Luckily, we don’t have to. Pumps, treatment plants, and pipes remove and clean wastewater so it can be returned to the environment or safely reused.
Clean water systems are one of the greatest public health achievements in history, but they’re aging. They need investment to continue delivering life’s most essential resource. All day, every day.
Water—Essential. Reliable. Invaluable. #ValueWater
Learn how water works for you. Visit TheValueofWater.org.
Presented in cooperation with the Value of Water coalition
As Lakeside Equipment Corporation (established 1928) approaches its centenary, a total of just 12 of its employees have completed a combined service record of more than 300 years.
Renowned manufacturers of long-lasting water treatment equipment, including screens, screw pumps and grit collectors, Lakeside continues to engineer, develop, and provide top-quality water purification systems to municipalities and businesses throughout North America.
The company’s President, Karen Wolk, has been with the Illinois-based firm for 39 years, but top of the tree for long service at Lakeside is Draftsman Supervisor James Snyder, who has worked for the business for 42 years.
Pete Kasch (Shipping and Receiving) has served with Lakeside for 31 years, while Linda Zimmerman (Engineering Assistant) has recorded a full three decades. The long-serving team also includes National Sales Manager, Jim McKee (25 years), Regional Sales Manager, Jim Aitkenhead (11 years), Inside Sales Manager, Keith Humphrey (17 years) and Tim Lim, Project Engineer, 20 years.
Completing the mammoth 310-year milestone presents an average of 22.8 years for each of the 12 long-serving members of the team.
Vice President of employee-owned Lakeside Equipment Corporation, Dan Widdel, has 24 years of service, as does Mary Ann Bell (Receptionist) and Severo Sosa (Senior Draftsman); closely followed by George Fridrich (Draftsman/Parts Associate) with 23 years.
Lakeside’s Contract Administrator, Marian Widdel, commented: “Time flies by here, which is always a good sign. It was only just recently when we noticed that a combined figure for such a small number might be in the region of 200 or 250 years’ service, but to see that is actually a total of 310 years clocked up by just 12 people is a truly great achievement. We very much back any move to attract new people to our industry, but you have to say that for our customers, there are many times when you simply can’t beat calling upon all that experience from such very knowledgeable, hard-working and enthusiastic professionals.”
By Dena Egenhoff
Greeley, Colorado, with its rich agricultural history and expanding industries, has become a hub for immigrant and refugee workers. As the 11th most populous city in Colorado and one of the fastest-growing, Greeley’s community is dynamically evolving, adding diversity to its vibrant landscape.
Greeley’s water conservation team is committed to delivering exceptional customer service and meeting the evolving needs of its diverse population. A thorough gap analysis has brought to light a notable disparity, indicating that specific demographic groups within the water customer base are not taking advantage of available free water conservation services and water rebates. These underserved populations are likely the ones who stand to benefit the most from these valuable water-saving offerings.
In a bold move toward cultivating inclusivity, the water conservation team has taken a groundbreaking step – the first of its kind in Colorado – by introducing a water conservation efficiency coordinator.
Leading this pioneering initiative is Margarita Padilla, whose role is crafted to navigate and engage with the unique needs of the community, ensuring underserved populations receive the support they require.
Padilla’s rich background in customer service and billing, coupled with her experience in the planning department, has brought a wealth of knowledge
to bolster water conservation efforts. What sets her apart even further is her proficiency in both Spanish and English. This invaluable skill is poised to forge deeper connections and open new doors within our Greeley community. The vision is clear – to meet customers where they are, to speak their language, to listen attentively, and to respond promptly and accurately, fostering inclusivity and a customer-focused approach.
“I am thrilled to embrace the challenge of uplifting underserved communities. My foundation in customer service becomes a guiding force in connecting with and supporting the needs of the community. I am excited to see the community engage with our programs,” said Padilla.
The establishment of Padilla’s position marks the beginning of innovative water
conservation programs aimed at uplifting the underserved communities in Greeley. From transformative landscape projects to direct fixture installations, future programs will be transformed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, ultimately enhancing community pride. The goal is not just to save water but also to create a more equitable and interconnected community for the future.
Dena Egenhoff is the water conservation manager with the city of Greeley. She is also the co-chair of the RMSAWWA Conservation Committee. She can be reached at dena.egenhoff@greeleygov.com or 970-350-9846.
he leader of the largest wastewater treatment facility in the Rocky Mountain West has been elected Vice President of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies for 2024-2025.
New NACWA Vice President Mickey Conway is the chief executive officer for Metro Water Recovery in Denver.
Conway looks forward to his continued work with NACWA, an organization recognized as a national leader in legislative, regulatory, and legal clean water advocacy to help build a resilient and sustainable clean water future. NACWA serves as an advocacy voice on behalf of the clean water sector.
“NACWA is the only organization whose sole purpose is to represent all public clean water utilities,” Conway said. “I am honored to serve as NACWA’s Vice President as we continue to elevate clean water as a top national priority.”
Before being elected as Vice President of NACWA, Conway served as treasurer for the association. He has been on the NACWA board for more than six years and has testified before Congress on behalf of NACWA concerning water topics such as the Clean Water Act and PFAS.
As a leader in the water recovery industry, Metro is in a unique position to evaluate and invest in water quantity and quality initiatives. Metro plays a vital role in many emerging areas of water cycle management. With environmental concerns increasing, telling the story of who Metro is as a guardian of the environment has never been more important.
As CEO, Conway has prioritized elevating Metro as a thought leader and educator on the important work of the organization.
Conway has been Metro’s CEO since 2018. Prior to that, he served as Metro’s general counsel for four years, but Conway’s experience in the wastewater field extends far beyond Metro. He represented wastewater and public entities for nearly 20 years as an attorney on the East Coast. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Southern Methodist University and a juris doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
In addition to his work with NACWA, Conway has been on the Board of Directors for the Water Research Foundation for nearly three years.
Metro Water Recovery was formed under Colorado law in 1961. Metro is the largest water and resource recovery agency in the Rocky Mountain West, serving approximately 2.2 million people in an 817-square-mile area.
In partnership with 65 local governments, comprised of municipalities and special districts, Metro cleans millions of gallons of water every day to be suitable for agriculture, aquatic life, recreation, and water supply.
Metro operates three facilities including two wastewater treatment plants and the METROGRO Farm to meet the needs of the northern Denver metro area, including the Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility in Denver with a treatment capacity of 220 million gallons a day and the Northern Treatment Plant in Brighton with a treatment capacity of 28.8 MGD. The METROGRO Farm in Deer Trail is a 52,000-acre farm where Metro applies approximately 85 dry tons of Class B biosolids per day.
Metro’s service area includes Denver and parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Douglas, and Weld counties.
Over the past three decades, members of AWWA and WEF have established The Utility Management Conference as one of the leading, most informative, and most prestigious management conferences available. This gathering offers forward-thinking leadership, creative strategic planning, efficiency processes, and holistic approaches to ongoing improvement efforts.
Three reasons why utility leaders should attend this prestigious event:
• Gain insight from leadership peers. This conference attracts top executives and managers across all water utility departments. Get the view from the top of what is really working.
• Prepare for the future. Learn how utilities can adapt to climate change, fix aging infrastructure, achieve digital transformation, leverage funding options, and address other evolving considerations.
• Develop the next generation of utility leaders. UMC is co-located with the Young Professionals Summit and features some joint events. Do not miss this opportunity to inspire and guide future utility leaders.
WHO ATTENDS UMC?
• Utility Managers and Executives
• CFOs and Finance Directors
• Public Works Directors
• Engineers and Project Managers
• Human Resource Professionals
• Public Officials
• Public Relations Specialists
• Regulatory
• Board Members
Early bird registration ends January 9, 2025. If you require a registration form, please email service@awwa.org.
More information on accommodations, speaker resources, conference schedule and registration at www.awwa.org/event/awwa-wef-utility-management-conference
Rocky Mountain Water is made possible by the companies below who convey their important messages on our pages. We thank them for their support of RMSAWWA and RMWEA and its publication and encourage you to contact them when making your purchasing decisions. To make it easier to contact these companies, we have included the page number of their advertisement, their phone number, and, where applicable, their website.
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COLLABORATIVE DELIVERY
Through Haskell’s in-house craft labor team, we build water treatment facilities with integrity, excellence, and a commitment to exceeding expectations. The key to our self-perform resources is strategic deployment across the U.S. with ample capacity to get the job done anywhere at any time. Let’s create something extraordinary together.
Design-Build | CM/GC | CMAR | Progressive Design-Build | Preconstruction Services
Scan to learn more about our commitment to you. We Create Things That Matter.
At our very core, AE2S is all about people. Beyond engineering, we are committed to empowering our clients, employee-owners, and all those around us to develop a vision for a better tomorrow.
