February 2008 APWA Reporter

Waterthe key to life

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February 2008 APWA Reporter 3

Vol. 75, No. 2

The APWA Reporter, the official magazine of the American Public Works Association, covers all facets of public works for APWA members including industry news, legislative actions, management issues and emerging technologies.

February2008

I N S I D E A P W A

WorkZone: Your Connection to Public Works Careers

Education Calendar

World of Public Works Calendar

Index of Advertisers

C O L U M N S

M A R K E T P L A C E

C A L E N D A R

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10

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17

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51

WATER RESOURCES ISSUEPresident’s Message

Call for nominations to APWA Board issued

Positive people and positive responses: the heart and soul of any team

Technical Committee News

Leading by example: the importance of diversity

APWA Book Review

Washington Insight

Recipes for Success

International Idea Exchange

Ask Ann

W O R K Z O N E

Professional Directory

Products in the News

66

68

Balancing CSO affordability while maintaining existing water and sewer

infrastructure

From rooftops to rivers: green infrastructure yields economic and

environmental benefits

Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to waste…

Bringing water to the people and people to the water in Singapore

Implementation of a Membrane Biological Reactor at Schofield Barracks

Planning for future water needs of small rural communities in the west

Drought of 2007: Drastic times cause for drastic measures

Water security update

Regional Public Works Emergency Management Cooperative: a case report

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F E A T U R E S

Cover photo: The Columbia Heights Membrane Filtration Plant received APWA’s Project of the Year Award in 2007 in the Environment $10-$100 Million category. Pictured are (from left) Shahin Rezania, Ph.D., P.E., Director of Water Treatment and Distribution Services, City of Minneapolis, Minn., and Chad Hill, P.E., Project Director, Black & Veatch Corporation (photo courtesy of Black & Veatch Corporation).

4 APWA Reporter February 2008

Official Magazine of theAmerican Public Works Association

PUBLISHERAmerican Public Works Association2345 Grand Blvd., Suite #700Kansas City, MO 64108-2625(800) 848-APWA (Member Services Hotline)(816) 472-6100 (Kansas City metro area)FAX (816) 472-1610e-mail: [email protected]: www.apwa.net

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORPeter B. King

EDITORR. Kevin Clark

GRAPHIC DESIGNERJulie Smith

ADVERTISING SALESAmanda Daniel R. Kevin ClarkErin Ladd Kansas City LiaisonJennifer Wirz (800) 848-APWA(800) 800-0341

APWA WASHINGTON OFFICE1401 K. Street NW, 11th floorWashington, D.C. 20005(202) 408-9541 FAX (202) 408-9542

Disclaimer: The American Public Works Association assumes no responsibility for statements and/or opinions advanced by either editorial or advertising contributors to this issue. APWA reserves the right to refuse to publish and to edit manuscripts to conform to the APWA Reporter standards.

Publisher’s Notice: The APWA Reporter, February 2008, Vol. 75, No. 2 (ISSN 0092-4873; Publications Agreement No. 40040340). The APWA Reporter is published monthly by the American Public Works Association, 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 700, Kansas City, MO 64108-2625. Subscription rate is $155 for nonmembers and $25 for chapter-spon-sored students. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, MO and additional mailing offices. POSTMAS-TER: Send address changes to the APWA Reporter, 2345 Grand Boulevard, #700, Kansas City, MO 64108-2625. Canada returns to: Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5.

Reprints and Permissions: Information is available at www.apwa.net/Publications/Reporter/guidelines.asp.

© 2008 by American Public Works Association

Address Change?To alert us of a change to your membership record, contact an APWA Membership Specialist at (800) 848-APWA or [email protected].

The APWA Reporter is printed by Harmony Printing & Development Co., Liberty, MO.

Larry W. Frevert, P.E.APWA President

Water: Our greatest challenge and passion

ater is the key to life. Fully two-thirds of the earth is covered with water but only 1% of it

is fresh. Because 40% of the world’s population is affected by water scar-city today and it is estimated that within 30 years the majority of the earth’s population will not have enough water to drink, I believe that providing safe drinking water and properly caring for our waste-water and stormwater are the great-est challenges we as public works professionals face.

Protecting and managing our water resources has become increasingly complex in recent decades. Chang-ing weather patterns, changing regulations and laws, aging infra-structure, rising costs, and rate in-creases affect all of us. How we, as public works professionals, manage through this maze of complexities, maintain our perspective and focus on our goals, is critical to complet-ing our missions. We need to work together to address the future chal-lenges by providing leadership in the protection and use of our most precious resource.

A significant issue in managing wa-ter and all natural resources is Envi-ronmental Yield. The question that should be asked continuously by both the public works official and environmental regulator is, “If this project is developed and construct-ed, and the program is implement-ed, what will be the meaningful benefits to the environment?” If the question cannot be answered with a positive environmental result or the

potential benefits are negligible, it is probably not a good investment of public dollars. Too many projects in the past have taken on lives of their own without defining the Environ-mental Yield. These oversights can lead to water shortages, pollution cleanup, failing systems and other environmental and health hazards.

Much of what public agencies can do depends on funding, and an eye on long-term costs and benefits is essential. Balance is needed be-tween the level of spending and the environmental benefit that will be achieved. Projects with little or no Environmental Yield cannot be un-dertaken at the expense of all other necessary sewer, wastewater and water infrastructure improvements. A community cannot continue to spend money beyond the point of diminishing returns, simply to meet absolute regulatory compliance. There should be a viable, continuous reevaluation of where to best spend the limited resources to realize the best environmental benefit for our citizens. By continuously asking the Environmental Yield question, the prudent investment of public funds and improvements to environmen-tal protection will be optimized and the benefits tremendous. Some of the rules require substantial sums of money to enact and in the end, provide marginal benefit. In addi-tion, utilities are spending money to comply with rules that are in conflict with other rules.

In the future, utilities must con-duct intelligent ongoing discussions with regulators to define where lim-


ited resources can best be used for the public benefit. Projects and programs should follow a prioritization process that includes a cost/benefit analysis, takes into account the overall needs of the community and calculates the En-vironmental Yield of the project. Pub-lic funds must be used for meaningful purposes and have measurable public benefits consistent with the amount of funds expended.

Both public works officials and environ-mental regulators have a tremendous stake in improving the environment and water quality for the next gen-eration. The challenge is to meet these goals because there is competition with other state and national programs for the same dollars. A new paradigm is re-quired for the public works and regula-tory communities to work together as a team which will provide a strong foun-dation for water quality improvements across the nation that noticeably pro-gresses in the coming decades.

Much has been said and written in recent years about “Climate Change” and its impact on the environment. I understand that just raising the tem-

perature of ocean water a few degrees will have a devastating and fatal effect on some forms of sea animal and plant life. Further, rising ocean temperatures and melting of the polar ice caps will cause the ocean water level to rise, in-undating more land and turning ex-isting freshwater supplies brackish or worse. When our earth’s population, now exceeding 6.5 billion people and expected to reach 9.1 billion by the year 2050, is coupled with diminished freshwater supplies and land area, we are on a collision course with disaster. I believe it is incumbent on us, the pub-lic works community—the people who best understand these types of crises and best equipped to address them—to act now to help prepare for the future.

APWA will host its first-ever “Climate Change Symposium” April 9-10, in Tempe, AZ. I look forward to that event as an opportunity to learn more about this “collision course” and what we must do to prevent it. Please consider joining us or sending key members of your staff as we brainstorm needed solutions across the environmental gamut, including water, wastewater

and stormwater issues. I fully expect that recommendations from this sym-posium will come forward that will help direct APWA’s future legislative priorities and our position and policy statements recommended to our mem-ber agencies. To learn more about this symposium, see the ad on page 45 of this issue or go online to: http://www.apwa.net/SuperPush/index.asp?ID=99.

Navigating the world of water resourc-es management means addressing funding, regulation and environmen-tal issues in such a way that this one precious resource is available to every community and every citizen now and in the years to come. Can you imag-ine a greater impact on human life by public works? It’s no wonder that water is becoming our greatest challenge and passion.

Thank you for all you do for APWA and for your service daily to the public works profession.

AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION Mission Statement: The American Public Works Association serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADVISORY COUNCIL

PRESIDENTLarry W. Frevert, P.E.National Program Director/Public Works

HDR Engineering, Inc.Kansas City, MO

PRESIDENT-ELECTNoel C. ThompsonConsultantThompson ResourcesLouisville, KY

PAST PRESIDENTWilliam A. Verkest, P.E.Texas Municipal Program Manager

HDR Engineering, Inc.Arlington, TX

DIRECTOR, REGION IJean-Guy CourtemancheBusiness DevelopmentLumec, Inc.Boisbriand, QC

DIRECTOR, REGION IIEd Gottko, P.E.Town Administrator (retired)Town of Westfield, NJ

DIRECTOR, REGION IIIElizabeth TreadwayVice PresidentAMEC Earth & EnvironmentalGreensboro, NC

DIRECTOR, REGION IVShelby P. LaSalle, Jr.Chairman and CEOKrebs, LaSalle, LeMieux Consultants, Inc.

Metairie, LA

DIRECTOR, REGION VLarry T. Koehle, P.Eng.PresidentL&N ConsultingBrampton, ON

DIRECTOR, REGION VILarry Stevens, P.E.SUDAS DirectorIowa State UniversityAmes, IA

DIRECTOR, REGION VIIR. LeRoy Givens, P.E.Vice President & Senior Project Manager

Bohannan Huston, Inc.Corrales, NM

DIRECTOR, REGION VIIIAnn Burnett-TroisiGovernmental Liaison for Pacific Bell (retired)

San Diego, CA

DIRECTOR, REGION IXDoug DreverManager of Strategic ServicesCity of Saskatoon, SK

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE,ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGYPatty Hilderbrand, P.E.Program Management & Development Manager

City of Kansas City, MO

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE,ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTGeorge CrombieSecretary of Natural ResourcesState of VermontWaterbury, VT

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE,FLEET & FACILITIESMANAGEMENTKen A. NerlandDirector, General Services Dept.City of Fresno, CA

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE,PUBLIC WORKSMGMT./LEADERSHIPDiane Linderman, P.E.Director, Urban Infrastructure and Development

VHB, Inc. Richmond, VA

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE,TRANSPORTATIONJohn OkamotoChief Administrative OfficerPort of SeattleSeattle, WA

Robert Albee

Roger K. Brown

Myron D. Calkins

Joseph F. Casazza

Nick W. Diakiw

Robert C. Esterbrooks

Jerry M. Fay

Bob Freudenthal

Herbert A. Goetsch

J. Geoffrey Greenough

Ken Haag

Erwin F. Hensch

Robert S. Hopson

Ronald W. Jensen

Dwayne Kalynchuk

Martin J. Manning

James L. Martin

James J. McDonough

Robert Miller

Lambert C. Mims

Judith M. Mueller

Ronald L. Norris

Michael R. Pender

Richard L. Ridings

John J. Roark

Harold E. Smith

June Rosentreter Spence

Tom Trice

Win Westfall

Carl D. Wills

(Past APWA Presidents)

William A. Verkest, Chair

Executive DirectorPeter B. King

Executive Director EmeritusRobert D. Bugher

Myron D. Calkins

Gordon R. Garner

Neil S. Grigg

Susan M. Hann

Stephen J. ONeill

Kyle E. Schilling

Editorial Advisory Board


Willdan Administrative Office: 800/424-9144 www.willdan.comMuniFinancial: 800/755-MUNI (6864) www.muni.com

Arroyo Geotechnical: 714/634-3318 www.arroyogeotechnical.comAmerican Homeland Solutions: 877/818-5621 www.americanhomelandsolutions.com

Engineering, Planning, Code Enforcement, Landscape Architecture, Building andSafety, Construction Management, Financial and Economic Consulting, GeotechnicalEngineering, Material Testing and Inspection, Homeland Security and Public Safety.

Distinctive Strengths.United Goals.Distinctive Strengths.United Goals.

007 marked the 35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Since 1972, tremendous progress has been made, and today, our rivers, lakes and streams are far cleaner than they were three decades ago. The act has

leveraged billions of dollars for state and local governments to improve water quality and address water infrastructure needs and the CWA has been one of our most successful environmental statutes to date. But there is still more work to be done. Forty percent of the nation’s tested waters cur-rently fail to meet quality standards. Congress and the fed-eral agencies responsible for water resources have spent the past year working on solving these remaining problems and the APWA Water Resources Management Committee has been actively engaged in ensuring that the interests of pub-lic works professionals are considered and addressed.

If you are interested in more information on any of these top-ics, please contact Julia Anastasio at [email protected].

Legislative HighlightsH.R. 720: Water Quality Financing Act of 2007The Water Quality Financing Act of 2007 authorizes $14 bil-lion over four years to the clean water state revolving fund and reauthorizes the federal commitment to clean water infrastructure and begins to address the estimated $350 to $500 billion funding gap between current expenditures and identified needs. The legislation also includes a provision requiring the Government Accountability Office to under-take a study of potential funding mechanisms to support such a trust fund. H.R. 720 was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in March on a 303-108 vote. The Senate Environment & Public Works Committee held a hearing to address the need for more federal clean water funding. Sena-tors at the hearing promised swift action on the SRF autho-rization bill. Senate action is expected early in 2008. APWA submitted letters of support on each of these bills and has continued to work with the Water Infrastructure Network in advocating for a sustainable long-term funding solution to the current water and wastewater infrastructure crisis.

H.R. 700, S. 836: Water Quality Investment Act of 2007The Water Quality Investment Act of 2007 will provide $1.8 billion in grants to local communities for sewer overflow control projects. The House passed its version of this bill in March 2007.

H. Res. 725: Recognizing the 35th Anniversary of the Clean Water ActThis bipartisan resolution calls for a “sustainable long-term solution to address the Nation’s decaying water infrastruc-ture.” The resolution acknowledges the multi-billion-dollar water infrastructure funding gap and supports the creation of a federal clean water trust fund.

H.R. 1747: Safe Drinking Water for Healthy Com-munities Act of 2007This piece of legislation would require EPA to propose a stan-dard for perchlorate within 18 months of enactment and fi-nalized within 30 months. The House Energy & Commerce Committee passed this bill but movement to the floor for a vote by the full House is not expected in the near future.

Clean Water Act: Progress has been made, but more work to be doneJulia Anastasio, Esq.Senior Manager of Government AffairsAmerican Public Works AssociationWashington, D.C.


H.R. 2452, S. 2080: Raw Sewage Overflow Right to Know Act of 2007The Raw Sewage Overflow Right to Know Act of 2007 would re-quire wastewater utilities to develop monitoring systems to detect any overflows and also require utilities to report over-flows to the public within 24 hours. Additionally, the bills contain reporting requirements for overflows to local pub-lic health authorities, state regulators, and the EPA. APWA submitted comments on the legislation that recognized the importance of public notification but there is a concern that the bills as currently drafted do not adequately take into ac-count existing reporting requirements and technological requirements.

H.R. 1495, S. 1248: Water Resources Development Act of 2007The Water Resources Development Act of 2007 authorizes more than $23 billion for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete more than 900 projects related to flood con-trol, navigation, water supply, environmental restoration and infrastructure projects. WRDA also includes more than 100 projects totaling $794 million earmarked for wastewa-ter and drinking water projects and significant funding for projects related to hurricane damage along the Gulf Coast. The Act also includes new independent review requirements for projects more than $45 million and outlines the process for deauthorizing unbuilt projects which are obsolete or no longer necessary. President Bush vetoed WRDA because he claimed that the legislation contained unnecessary projects and was unnecessarily expensive. The Senate overrode the President’s veto by a vote of 74 to 14 and two days later the House did the same in a 361-54 vote. Legislative leaders in both houses of Congress have pledged to take up WRDA in 2008 in an effort to get the reauthorization process back on a two-year reauthorization schedule. APWA members were actively engaged in advocating for WRDA by sending letters and making phone calls to their congressional representa-tives discussing the importance of this piece of legislation.

H.R. 2419, S. 2302: Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007The Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007 reauthorizes a five-year $280 billion farm bill that would increase conservation funding and addresses the water and wastewater rural utili-ties program project backlog. The Conservation Title reau-thorizes several important conservation programs including EQIP, Conservation Stewardship Program, and Wetland Re-serve Programs. The title also includes a new program, the Regional Water Enhancement Program (RWEP), which lays out a framework for funding conservation projects involv-ing multiple stakeholders including water utilities. Eligible projects under the RWEP will include water quality, quantity or conservation programs; groundwater recharge; stormwater capture; and other water quality-related activities. The Rural Development Title provides significant funding for rural wa-ter and wastewater projects, programs for community facility development, and regional economic development initia-tives, among others. The House passed its version of the Farm

Bill in July and the Senate finally reached agreement on the bill early in December 2007. The two bills will need to be reconciled in conference before the legislation is sent to the President for his signature. The President has threatened to veto the bill. Action on the conference report is unlikely until February or March 2008. APWA members were actively en-gaged in advocating for passage of robust Conservation and Rural Development Titles. The next battle on this front will be working to ensure that congressional appropriators pro-vide enough funding for these vital programs.

H.R. 2421, S. 1870: Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007The Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007 seeks to clarify that certain isolated non-navigable waters should fall under the CWA jurisdiction and ensure broad protection for isolated, non-navigable waters by removing all references in the CWA to “navigable waters” and replacing them with the term “waters of the United States.” The bills were followed closely by the release of a joint EPA USACE guidance direct-ing field staff on the process for making jurisdictional deter-minations. Initial reaction to the guidance has been mixed and there is some anecdotal evidence that confusion over implementing the guidance is resulting in permitting delays of approximately three months or more. APWA has been ac-tively engaged in working with congressional staff to craft a workable solution to the confusion created by last year’s Rapanos Supreme Court decision that muddied section 404 jurisdictional determinations.

S. 1429: Small System Safe Drinking Water Act of 2007This legislation would prevent EPA from levying fines on communities with sub-par drinking water systems if the federal government has not provided them with sufficient funding to make upgrades. Under the bill, enforcement of certain national drinking water regulations would be pro-hibited if eligible municipalities have not received enough funds to pay the federal share of upgrades. The legislation applies to water systems serving fewer than 10,000 individu-als. The bill recommends allocating $15 million per year for each of the fiscal years from 2008 to 2012. The bill mandates that EPA ensure that small public water systems not cost us-ers more per-capita basis than large water systems. It also requires that EPA to the maximum extent practicable ensure that small public system workers receive the technical assis-tance and training needed to comply with national public drinking water standards. Finally, the bill would establish a panel of experts to review the health effects of arsenic and disinfection byproducts and to report these findings to the Senate EPW Committee and the House Energy and Com-merce Committee 180 days after the bill is enacted.

Regulatory HighlightsPreliminary Effluent Guidelines PlanThe Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Plan provides informa-tion and seeks comments on EPA’s 2007 annual reviews of effluent limitation guidelines and pretreatment standards for both existing and non-regulated categories, as well as


its preliminary plan for 2008. The Preliminary Plan contains updates on the current detailed studies of four existing cat-egories: Steam Electric Power Generating; Coal Mining; Oil and Gas Extraction; and Hospitals. The Hospitals category is included in a broader, more detailed study on the Health Services Industry, which is a proposed new category that also includes dental clinics, long-term care facilities, veteri-nary clinics, and medical laboratories and diagnostic cen-ters. This category change could bring about 475,000 new dischargers into the pre-treatment program.

Green InfrastructureEPA issued a memorandum to clarify how green infrastruc-ture can be incorporated into existing regulatory programs in an effort to improve water quality. The Water Permits Division and the Water Enforcement Division of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance (OECA) issued the memo to regional EPA Water Division Directors and Enforcement Coordinators, as well as all state NPDES pro-gram directors. The memo states that “in developing permit requirements, permitting authorities may structure their permits, as well as guidance or criteria for stormwater plans and CSO long-term control plans, to encourage permittees to utilize green infrastructure approaches, where appropri-ate, in lieu of or in addition to more traditional controls.” For enforcement activities, EPA will consider the feasibility of using green infrastructure as a pollution control option and encourages states to do this as well. APWA joined with a group of stakeholders including the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Low Impact Development Center and the Natural Resources Defense Council in supporting this initiative.

Watershed Permitting GuidanceEPA published a new technical guidance on integrating NPDES permits into watershed management plans. The Watershed-Based NPDES Permitting Technical Guidance is a follow-up to the 2003 watershed permitting implementation guidance and it leads interested parties through an analysis of watershed data and the development of a framework for implementing the NPDES program. The guidance also in-cludes case studies describing how watershed approaches involving NPDES permitting have been implemented across the country.

Water Sector Specific PlanEPA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the final Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Sector Specific Plan for the Water Sector as an input to the Nation-al Infrastructure Protection Plan. The Water Sector Specific Plan outlines security and emergency response objectives for water and wastewater utilities and identifies four water sec-tor security goals: (1) sustain protection of the public health and the environment; (2) recognize and reduce risks in the water sector; (3) maintain a resilient infrastructure; and (4) increase communication, outreach and public confidence. A copy of the plan can be found at http://www.dhs.gov (search for Water Sector Plan).

Water Related Climate Change EffectsThe EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) releases three draft reports that examine the effects of climate change on watersheds and aquatic ecosystems. Climate & Land-Use Change Effects on Ecological Resources in Three Watersheds: A Synthesis Report provides watershed planners and managers with improved capabilities to con-sider climate and land-use change and provides summaries and comparisons from case studies of various watersheds. Climate Change Effects on Stream and Biological Indicators: A Preliminary Analysis describes how biological indicators of ecosystem health may respond to climate change and con-cludes that data from current sampling methods may be used to detect climate change impacts. Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Invasive Species and Implications for Management examines state-level invasive species management plans and their capability to incorporate changing environmental conditions, particularly climate change, and concludes that more research and data collection are needed for optimal in-vasive species management considering climate change. The three reports are available at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea.

Underground Carbon Dioxide StorageEPA announced its intention to develop regulations for un-derground injection of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into deep rock formations for long-term storage. The regula-tions will aim to ensure that there is a consistent and effec-tive permit system under the Safe Drinking Water Act for commercial scale geologic sequestration programs to help reduce the effects of climate change. EPA plans to propose regulatory changes to its underground injection control pro-gram in the summer of 2008.

Effective Utility Management CollaborationLast year APWA joined with the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, American Water Works Association, Nation-al Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Association of Water Companies, the Water Environment Federation and EPA in a historic agreement to promote effective utility management across the water sector. Based on recommen-dations from a group of utility leaders, the Collaborating Organizations identified ten Attributes and several Keys to Management Success that provide a succinct indication of where effectively managed utilities should focus and what they should strive to achieve. The Partners recommended that the water utility sector adopt and utilize these Attri-butes as a basis for promoting improved management within the sector. The Attributes can be viewed as a set of building blocks for management improvement opportunities. The Attributes and Keys to Management Success provide the sec-tor with a common framework to manage and sustain water infrastructure and ensure sustainable utility operations. As 2008 proceeds the Collaboration intends to provide several key products, including an implementation guide, an online resources toolbox tied to the Attributes, and sample utility performance measures linked to the Attributes to help utili-ties gauge their progress and manage more effectively under this framework.

August 17–20, 2008 l New Orleans, LA | New Orleans Convention Center


PWA’s National and Regional Nominating Com-mittees are currently issuing a call for nominations for Board positions.

President-elect and at-large director seatsThe National Nominating Committee is currently accepting nominations of candidates to three positions: president-elect and two at-large seats in the functional areas of fleet and fa-cilities and transportation. The president-elect serves a three-year term as president-elect, president, and past president.

In 2007, the APWA membership voted on a change to the regional and at-large directors’ terms of office. All new direc-tors on the Board will be eligible for three two-year terms of office for a total of six years. All current directors complet-ing their first term of three years will be eligible for a second term of three years for a total of six years. All terms for in-dividuals on the ballot will begin at the start of Congress in August 2008.

Ken A. Nerland from Fresno, CA, currently holds the at-large fleet and facilities seat. Nerland will complete his first term in August 2008 and is eligible for nomination to this direc-tor position for one additional term of three years.

John Okamoto from Seattle, WA, currently holds the at-large transportation seat. Okamoto will complete his first term in August 2008 and is eligible for nomination to this director position for one additional term of three years.

All nominations must be in the committee’s hands no later than the close of business April 1, 2008. The National Nomi-nating Committee will then meet in early May to make deci-sions on the ballot for the president-elect position and the two at-large positions, based on nominations received and issues such as diversity and leadership. Candidate nomina-tions may be self-nominations or may be submitted by any APWA member or by a chapter.

The Board of Directors has issued a policy that the nomina-tions process utilized by the National Nominating Commit-tee for the president-elect and at-large positions will be a “selection” process by the committee, not a “campaign” for office. The Board strongly discourages “campaign” activity and expenditure of funds in support of a candidacy.

Regional director seatsThere are also three regional director seats open for nomina-tion this year. Regional Nominating Committees will nomi-nate regional directors in Regions I, III and VII. Seats are cur-rently held by Jean-Guy Courtemanche, Boisbriand, Québec; Elizabeth Treadway, Greensboro, NC; and R. LeRoy Givens, P.E., Corrales, NM, respectively. Courtemanche, Treadway, and Givens are all three completing their first terms of of-fice and are therefore eligible for a second three-year term in their regional director position. All terms will begin at the start of Congress in August 2008.

APWA members wishing to put names before their respec-tive Regional Nominating Committee should send a letter of recommendation for each suggested candidate to the Region I, III or VII Nominating Committee in care of the national office of APWA by close of business April 1, 2008. All nomi-nations will then be forwarded to the respective Regional Nominating Committees.

Candidate nominations may be self-nominations or may be submitted by any APWA member or by a chapter.

How to nominate an individual for national and regional offices A package of information (electronic format is preferred) must be submitted on each nominee to contain the following:

A letter of nomination addressed to the Region I, III or 1. VII Nominating Committee or to the National Nomi-nating Committee (whichever is appropriate). The letter must affirm the nominee has expressed a willingness to serve in the office for which they are being nominated, the office designation for which he/she is being nomi-nated, and a brief statement to indicate the person’s ap-propriateness for the office.

A current picture of the nominee and a letter from the 2. nominee’s employer stating acceptance of the time commitment involved with the position. Questions re-lated to time commitment for Board positions should be directed to Kaye Sullivan who will put you in contact with a current Board member.

Individuals may make unlimited nominations, but each must be in a separate letter. All nominations must reach APWA headquarters no later than close of business April 1,

Call for nominations to APWA Board issued


2008. Electronic submissions are preferred. All nominations and questions should be directed to:

Kaye SullivanAPWA Deputy Executive Director2345 Grand Blvd, Suite 700Kansas City, MO 64108-2625Phone: (816) 595-5233FAX: (816) 595-5333E-mail: [email protected]

Profile of an ideal candidateRequired for all offices:

APWA member in good standing (all dues and services • fees paid).

Desired for all offices:Knowledgeable and articulate on matters associated • with public works and willing to serve as a spokesper-son for APWA.

Highly respected in community; solid professional ethi-• cal character.

Active in chapter, committee, House of Delegates activi-• ties.

Committed to APWA and its values, and growth of the • Association.

Willing to devote the time necessary to the fulfillment • of the duties.

Desired for president-elect:Service in a leadership or officership role in an APWA • chapter.

APWA national service; experience on the APWA Board • of Directors is highly desirable.

Continuous membership in APWA for the last five years • in a voting-eligible classification.

Employed in the field of public works for five years • within the last ten years, in a middle or higher manage-ment capacity.

High ethical and moral standards.•

Demonstrated leadership ability.•

Personal commitment to public works.•

Broad understanding of public works elements, issues • and disciplines.

Exhibits qualities of national stature.•

Reputation of professionalism.•

YOUR VOTE IN APWA DOES COUNTAs an APWA member, you will have the opportunity to vote for members of the APWA Board of Directors between June 27 and July 25, 2008:

APWA President-Elect;•

Two at-large directors in the functional areas of • fleet and facilities and transportation; and

Regions I, III and VII Regional Directors (by APWA • members in those respective regions).

The ballot will be available for online voting between June 27 and July 25 on the “Members Only” section of the APWA website. There will also be a voting icon on the home page of our website. If you do not have access to a computer at home or work, you should be able to access the APWA website online at your local public library. You may request a paper ballot from Kaye Sullivan at (800) 848-APWA (2792) if you cannot vote online. Additional reminders of the voting process will be sent through the infoNOW Communities; through an e-mail to every member for whom we have an e-mail address; and in future issues of the APWA Reporter.

If you have questions, please contact Kaye Sullivan, APWA Deputy Executive Director, at [email protected] or (800) 848-APWA (2792).

NOMINATIONS FOR NATIONAL APWA APPOINTMENT“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” – Kahlil Gibran

APWA is soliciting nominations for appointments to national offices for the August 2008–September 2009 year. Step forward and offer your expertise to your pro-fession. Contact your local chapter to let them know you have an interest in serving at the national level. Information on appointments may be obtained on the APWA website at www.apwa.net/membersonly/nomi-nations or from Kaye Sullivan at National Headquarters at [email protected] or at (800) 848-APWA, ext. 5233. A brief bio must be completed online or through hard copy. Nominations must arrive at headquarters by close of business March 3, 2008.


Editor’s Note: John Cassis is the Opening General Session Speaker at the 2008 APWA North American Snow Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. His session is called “Catching a Second Wind” and takes place at 3:45 p.m. Sunday, April 13 at the Ken-tucky International Convention Center. For more information on the Snow Conference see pages 13-16 or visit our website at www.apwa.net/snow.

The great historian Arnold Toynbee was once asked if he could condense all of history into a few sentences. He re-plied he could do it in two words: “challenge and response.” So it is with our lives. It is filled with everyday challenges and our responses to them.

I was traveling to Toronto going through Customs. There was a delay and the Customs officer decided to tell me a funny story. One day a man came through with his small son. He asked the man if he had anything to declare. The man said “no” with a suspicious look on his face. So the of-ficer followed with, “Do you have any cigarettes to declare?” The man said “no.” The officer asked, “Any alcohol?” Again, the man said, “no.” At that point, the man’s son shouted enthusiastically, “But he’s getting warmer, huh Daddy!”

Some responses are better than others!

A man had successfully run a neighborhood grocery store for many years. But then one day progress arrived. Two new—and much larger—stores would open on the same block. They would offer bigger selections...specials...sales. “You had better sell!” his friends and family cautioned. Oth-ers were less kind: “Don’t you know anything about busi-ness at all? Get out now, before you lose everything.” The man did not believe in giving in to competition or criticism. So, when the big day came and the larger stores opened, the small-time merchant made the best of this situation. Each of the larger stores posted huge banners—one at the front of the block and one right behind the man’s store. The banners trumpeted: “Grand Opening Today!” The merchant posted his own banner sandwiched between the signs of the two large stores. His simply read: “Main Entrance!”

Positive responses and positive people often cope better with the grit and grind of everyday living.

In Stuart Crainer’s book The 75 Greatest Management Deci-sions Ever Made he tells the story of Malden Mills, which is the perfect example of excellence of character. In an age of diminishing loyalty and relentless downsizing, it stood for traditional corporate values. Loyal employees worked alongside trusting management. Customer retention and employee retention both registered a staggering 95 percent. The company, based in Lawrence, Massachusetts, had re-mained steadfastly—some said foolishly—loyal to its home

base. Then on December 11, 1995, a fire ripped through the company’s factories, leaving more than a dozen people hos-pitalized and the company, it seemed, in ruins.

Malden Mills chief Aaron Feuerstein, the grandson of the company’s founder, immediately announced that even with no production capacity and no immediate hope of produc-ing anything, he would continue to pay the company’s 2,400 employees and pay their health insurance. It was esti-mated that paying the company’s employees for 90 days and their health care for 180 days cost Feuerstein $10 million. His decision appeared to be bad business at the time, even though it was highly moral.

In the end, Malden Mills was back to virtually full capacity within 90 days. A total of $15 million was invested in a new infrastructure. The committed and grateful workforce per-formed so well that productivity and quality shot up. Before the fire, 6 to 7 percent of the company’s production was “off quality”; that number was reduced to 2 percent after the fire. Feuerstein said the company’s employees paid him back nearly tenfold. Feuerstein’s act was one of loyalty, honesty and morality—old-school thoughts that are still relevant in today’s world.

Positive responses and positive people with moral integrity are the heart and soul of any team. Ohio State University did a study and found 50 reasons why people lose their job. The first 15 reasons had nothing to do with job skills or exper-tise…but they all had to do with attitudes and our ability to get along with other people.

In the 1980s I worked for a hunger agency called World Re-lief. I visited a hospital in Calcutta, India which was run by an extraordinary leader, Mother Teresa. She was humble, but had a powerful presence. The two most important require-ments she demanded from her staff were a joyful attitude and a loving commitment to those they served.

Today more than ever we need to produce an environment driven by positive people with inspiration, commitment, loyalty, integrity and joy-filled passion. Albert Schweitzer once said, “Sometimes your light goes out, and sometimes your light is blown into flame again by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light.”

The challenge we each face every day: Do we light up peo-ple’s lives or do we blow out their light?

See you in Louisville. Hopefully, there will be no snow!

John Cassis can be reached at [email protected].

Positive people and positive responses: the heart and soul of any teamJohn CassisPresident, The Cassis GroupOrlando, FloridaSpeaker, 2008 APWA Snow Conference

American Public Works Association Presents:

April 13 - 16, 2008

Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, KentuckyHosted by the Kentucky Chapter of APWA

2008 APWA North American Snow Conference 2008 APWA North American Snow Conference 2008 APWA North American Snow Conference

Join more than 1,000 public works professionals from streets, roads, and transportation departments from all across the Snow Belt of the U.S. and Canada. It’s the only place you’ll find this much experience and knowledge of snow fighting and winter road maintenance under one roof.

The American Public Works Association is the public works community’s top resource for information and expertise on winter operations. APWA’s Snow Conference combines four days of quality education programs and technical tours with opportunities to network with manufacturers, distributors, consultants and other public works professionals.

The Snow Conference exhibit floor just keeps getting better! More than 120 companies will showcase everything you need in equipment, technology, products and services for snow & ice removal and winter operations. Visit www.apwa.net/snow for a current list of this year’s exhibitors.

Not only does the Snow Conference have the best variety of vendors, it also features the best technical and educational program out there with dynamic keynote speakers and more than 40 education sessions, roundtables, and technical tours to choose from. This education program will help you stay abreast of the latest state-of-the-art practices and procedures in snow & ice control and winter road maintenance. You’ll come away with specific ideas to fine-tune your winter operations program.

Come get informed, inspired, and motivated at the48th annual North American Snow Conference!

Online Registration Now Open!

Sunday, April 13

Opening General Session

Catching a Second Wind Speaker: John Cassis

Motivation, management and building a winning team often become simple steps when the situation is viewed with an accurate perspective. John shares humorous stories and ideas on how to sit back, take a deep breath and “Catch a Second Wind” while turning life’s challenges into

opportunities. Attendees will gain a renewed sense of passion and purpose for their work, which is crucial in building an effective team environment.

With his diverse background, John is a modern-day renaissance man. He played baseball for the California Angels organization, was the inspirational speaker for the Chicago Bears from 1983-95, served as minister to a small church in Colorado, addressed issues of world hunger as director of special projects for World Relief and became a professional golfer in 2002.

Monday, April 14

General Session “Talk Show”

Weathering the Storm – Don’t Go Out UnpreparedTalk Show Host: Allison Martin, Mayor’s Office, Louisville, KYTalk Show Guests: Diana Clonch, Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, OH; Greg Hicks, Metro Louisville Public Works and Assets, Louisville, KY; Jonathon Gano, City of Springfield, MO; Bruce McPhail, City of Winnipeg, MB; Larry Schneider, City of Ft. Collins, CO

This year’s “talk show” features panelists who have seen their share of extreme winter weather storms as well as crossed paths with the media during or after the storms. Attend this interactive session to find out about cutting-edge communication with citizens and media during winter weather. Find out what actions were taken in these major storm events and the lessons learned. Hear strategies and realistic expectations of snow removal. Come armed with questions for the panelists.

Tuesday, April 15

Closing General Session

How to Succeed, Stay Sane, and Have Fun at Work: A Survival Guide for the Road WearySpeaker: David Rabiner

Too much work? Testy constituents? Office politics? Nasty commute? In his most popular program, the closing speaker, David Rabiner, shows how small shifts in attitude can make big differences in our success, emotional well-being, and the amount of fun we have at work.

Men and women in the public sector, whether department heads or front-line supervisors, have all raved that this program is not only great fun, it gives them tools they can use immediately to get along better with just about everyone.

David Rabiner is a speaker and trainer based in Portland, Oregon. Since 1993, he has worked with more than 1,600 groups in 44 states and 12 countries. His client list includes more than 300 city, county, and other government agencies and the associations that represent them. As a former city and county employee in Oregon, he knows firsthand the challenges of navigating public politics, maintaining goodwill with demanding citizens, and leading and managing public sector employees.

Exhibit Dates & HoursSunday, April 13 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Monday, April 149:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 158:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Gen

eral

Ses

sion

s &

Key

note

Spe

aker

s

www.apwa.net/snow

Sunday, April 13

Opening General Session

Catching a Second Wind Speaker: John Cassis

Motivation, management and building a winning team often become simple steps when the situation is viewed with an accurate perspective. John shares humorous stories and ideas on how to sit back, take a deep breath and “Catch a Second Wind” while turning life’s challenges into

opportunities. Attendees will gain a renewed sense of passion and purpose for their work, which is crucial in building an effective team environment.

With his diverse background, John is a modern-day renaissance man. He played baseball for the California Angels organization, was the inspirational speaker for the Chicago Bears from 1983-95, served as minister to a small church in Colorado, addressed issues of world hunger as director of special projects for World Relief and became a professional golfer in 2002.

Monday, April 14

General Session “Talk Show”

Weathering the Storm – Don’t Go Out UnpreparedTalk Show Host: Allison Martin, Mayor’s Office, Louisville, KYTalk Show Guests: Diana Clonch, Ohio Department of Transportation, Columbus, OH; Greg Hicks, Metro Louisville Public Works and Assets, Louisville, KY; Jonathon Gano, City of Springfield, MO; Bruce McPhail, City of Winnipeg, MB; Larry Schneider, City of Ft. Collins, CO

This year’s “talk show” features panelists who have seen their share of extreme winter weather storms as well as crossed paths with the media during or after the storms. Attend this interactive session to find out about cutting-edge communication with citizens and media during winter weather. Find out what actions were taken in these major storm events and the lessons learned. Hear strategies and realistic expectations of snow removal. Come armed with questions for the panelists.

Tuesday, April 15

Closing General Session

How to Succeed, Stay Sane, and Have Fun at Work: A Survival Guide for the Road WearySpeaker: David Rabiner

Too much work? Testy constituents? Office politics? Nasty commute? In his most popular program, the closing speaker, David Rabiner, shows how small shifts in attitude can make big differences in our success, emotional well-being, and the amount of fun we have at work.

Men and women in the public sector, whether department heads or front-line supervisors, have all raved that this program is not only great fun, it gives them tools they can use immediately to get along better with just about everyone.

David Rabiner is a speaker and trainer based in Portland, Oregon. Since 1993, he has worked with more than 1,600 groups in 44 states and 12 countries. His client list includes more than 300 city, county, and other government agencies and the associations that represent them. As a former city and county employee in Oregon, he knows firsthand the challenges of navigating public politics, maintaining goodwill with demanding citizens, and leading and managing public sector employees.

Exhibit Dates & HoursSunday, April 13 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Monday, April 149:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 158:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Gen

eral

Ses

sion

s &

Key

note

Spe

aker

s

www.apwa.net/snow

April 13

2:30 − 3:30 p.m.

Education Sessions

Cold, Hard Facts: Count the Costs of Deicing Materials

RWIS Development in Kentucky

ODOT District 4 MPT – The Ultimate Snow & Ice Fighting Machine

3:45 – 5:00 p.m.

Opening General SessionCatching a Second Wind

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Exhibit Opening & Welcome Reception

April 14

Exhibit Hours:9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

7:30 – 9:00 a.m.

General Session “Talk Show”Weathering the Storm – Don’t Go Out Unprepared

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Coffee Break on theExhibit Floor

10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Education Sessions

10:00 – 11:15 a.m.

Education Sessions

11:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Non-compete Exhibit Time

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Lunch on the Exhibit Floor

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Roundtable Discussions

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Education Sessions

3:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Refreshment Break on the Exhibit Floor

3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Education Sessions

April 15

Tuesday Exhibit Hours:8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

Donuts & DialogueStart your day with a selection of great education sessions accompanied by donuts and coffee.

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

Coffee Break on theExhibit Floor

9:30 – 10:30 a.m.

Education Sessions

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Non-compete Exhibit Time

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Lunch on the Exhibit Floor

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Education Sessions

1:45 – 2:45 p.m.

Education Sessions

3:00 – 4:15 p.m.

Closing General SessionHow to Succeed, Stay Sane, and Have Fun at Work: A Survival Guide for the Road Weary

5:30 p.m.

Buses depart for Kentucky Derby Night at Churchill Downs

April 16

8:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Technical Tours

Tour 1Airport Snow Removal Equipment

Tour 2Louisville Underground

Snow

Con

fere

nce

at a

Gla

nce


Full Registration includes entrance into the exhibit hall, all education sessions and roundtables, Sunday reception on the exhibit floor, Monday and Tuesday lunch on the exhibit floor, refreshment breaks, the Tuesday evening Kentucky Derby Night event at Churchill Downs, and the Wednesday morning technical tour program.

One-Day Registrations are available for Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. Sunday includes the reception on the exhibit floor. Monday and Tuesday include lunch. Tuesday does not include the Kentucky Derby Night event, but you may purchase a ticket with your registration.You must have a full registration to participate in the Wednesday technical tour program.

Exhibit floor passes are available for Monday and Tuesday only and do not include lunch.

Guest/Spouse Registrations are available at a special rate, and include entrance into the exhibit hall and education sessions, plus the Tuesday evening Kentucky Derby Night event.

See the registration form for individual categories and rates. If your city has an APWA agency membership, please note that individuals must be listed on your agency roster to receive the member registration rates.

Gen

eral

info

rmat

ion


Conference Locationand Hotels

Exhibits, education sessions, and onsite registration will be located at the Kentucky International Convention Center.

Special APWA room rates are available at the official Snow Conference hotels – the Marriott Louisville Downtown and the Galt House Hotel & Suites, both located within walking distance of the convention center and connected by pedway. APWA will not be providing shuttle service.

Make your hotel reservations early! Special APWA room rates are offered on a space available basis until March 14, 2008. Rates do not include tax, currently 15%.

Marriott Louisville Downtown(across the street from convention center, connected by pedway) 280 West Jefferson StreetLouisville, KY 40202APWA Room Rate: $139 Cutoff Date: March 14, 2008 Toll Free: 800-533-0127 Hotel Direct: 502-627-5045 Online: www.marriott.com/SDFLMGroup Code: apwapwa

Galt House Hotel & Suites(four blocks from convention center, connected by pedway) 140 North 4th AvenueLouisville, KY 40202APWA Room Rate: $122 standard room or $132 executive suite Cutoff Date: March 14, 2008 Toll Free: 800-843-4258 Hotel Direct: 502-589-5200 Online: www.galthouse.comGroup Number: 215794

Note: There are a limited number of rooms available in the APWA group block for the night of Saturday, April 12 due to the Thunder Over Louisville event.Once the block sells out, your rate may be much higher for Saturday night.

If you will be arriving in Louisville on Saturday, plan to arrive in the morning or as early in the afternoon as possible. Traffic will be heavy all day, with street closings near the riverfront beginning early afternoon and highway closings before the fireworks begin.

Register before March 15 and save $50 on a full registration!

Online registration is available at www.apwa.net/snow.


he Water Resources Management Committee made some big plans for Congress last year. They put to-gether a little thing they called the Stormwater Sum-mit. They wanted Congress attendees to have the

chance to share ideas on all aspects of stormwater manage-ment: regulations, program administration and public edu-cation, as well as the technical aspects of system design and construction.

The one-day event took place on Workshop Wednesday. With so many great workshops going on, the committee had hopes of attracting at least 75 attendees to the Storm-water Summit. More than 200 came. Their pride in an event well done quickly turned into “now what?” as planning for Congress 2008 began hot on the heels of the Congress 2007 wrap-up.

When the credits rolled for Stormwater Summit ’07, the name at the top read Bill Spearman. Bill is closing in on the end of his third term on the Water Resources Management Committee and he’s a past member of the Congress Program Review Committee. He took the lead on the Summit and definitely deserves top billing.

As for 2008, sequels are always a challenge. Who will write the screenplay? Will there be a new director or cast changes? There will definitely be a new location. Will the audience return or have they had their fill of the story? And, there’s always a chance that a blockbuster could spawn a whole franchise that continues for years to come.

After much discussion, the committee decided to cover green infrastructure and flood control issues at the next Summit. They also decided that it was important to make sure that the sessions are information exchanges and not just presen-tations. Attendees need an opportunity to share their expe-riences and ask questions. When everyone is participating and involved, everyone benefits.

Speaking of participation and involvement, would you like to be considered for membership on the Water Resources Management Committee or another committee? Members of APWA’s Technical Committees are appointed by the Presi-dent-Elect and serve two-year terms. Appointments are made from a list of nominees. Nominations are made online, usu-ally by the individual but sometimes by a chapter or Board member. Nominations are open each year for approximately

three months (generally, December through February). This year’s deadline is March 3.

These people got involved! They are the members of the Wa-ter Resources Management Committee:

Joe Superneau, Chair, Springfield, MA• Keith Duncan, Norman, OK• Mary Meloy, Bend, OR• Matt Singleton, Grapevine, TX• Bill Spearman, Columbia, SC• Tom Trice, Bloomfield Hills, MI•

The At-Large Director acting as Board Liaison to the com-mittee is George Crombie. The staff liaison is Colene Vogel.

The committee is always looking for input from APWA members and chapters. If you’d like more information on what the committee’s up to or how to reach them, just go to apwa.net and select “Technical Committees.”

Colene Vogel is also the staff liaison to the Solid Waste Management and Facilities & Grounds Committees. She can be reached at (816) 595-5221 or [email protected].

Water’s Number One at the Box Office

Colene VogelTechnical Services Program ManagerAmerican Public Works AssociationKansas City, Missouri

During the week of December 10, APWA President Larry Frevert and his wife, Carol, along with Region VIII Director Ann Burnett-Troisi and her husband, Bob, attended the San Diego/Imperial Counties and Northern California Chapters’ holiday luncheons. Both President Frevert and Board member Burnett-Troisi spoke at the luncheons. In the photo at left, Northern California Chapter President Lauren Warren presents a recognition to outgoing Chapter President Phil Harrington.


Leading by example: the importance of diversity

Jelynne LeBlanc Burley, Deputy City Manager, City of San Antonio, Texas; Jason E. Cosby, Assistant Director, and Alyssa M. Lopez, Senior Management Analyst, Department of Public Works, City of San Antonio, Texas

n September 11, 2007, Jelynne LeBlanc Burley, Depu-ty City Manager for the City of San Antonio, provided an inspiring speech at the Congress Diversity Brunch speaking of her achievements throughout her career.

From the great state of Louisiana, Ms. Burley began her career with the City of San Antonio in 1984 and has served such departments as Budget and Research, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Development Services, International Affairs and the Office of Military Transformation. While serving as Special Projects Manager in the Office of Dome Development she was responsible for project management and design coor-dination, sports franchise negotiation, and administration of the Small, Minority, and Woman-Owned Business Advocacy Program for the Alamodome.

During her tenure with the City, Ms. Burley has delivered more than $550M in capital projects in the past 23 years. While obviously facing many different challenges during this time, she mentioned that when she reflects back on her career she did not see them as challenges but rather as opportunities to improve herself into what she has become today.

Ms. Burley realizes the importance and value of education. She has a B.A. from Southern University and an M.A. from Trinity University. She is also a 1999 graduate of the Con-struction Executive Program at Texas A&M University as well as a part-time instructor at Trinity University.

Working for the public sector, Ms. Burley understands the importance of both work experience and civic participation. She expressed the importance of having high-quality expe-riences in work that allow you to build competence, cred-ibility and confidence, and elaborated on the importance of participating in community functions and organizations.

For example, she is in the Rotary Club of San Antonio, San Antonio Area Girl Scouts Nominating Committee, Texas City Management Association, Urban Management Assis-tants of South Texas and is on her third term on the Na-tional Forum for Black Public Administrators Board of Di-rectors. Ms. Burley also finds time to participate in various volunteer community events throughout the city. These ac-tivities and associations have allowed her the opportunity to understand her work and see the benefits it has on the city. She is blessed and humbled to work for the greater good of the community.

A speech by Jelynne LeBlanc Burley

Jelynne LeBlanc Burley speaks with Kenneth Emezium, Supervising Civil Engineer, City of Berkeley, Calif., following the Diversity Brunch at the San Antonio Congress.

Diversity Awareness Corner

“The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.”

− Ann Landers, syndicated columnist 1918-2002


Being successful in her career is the product of being able to get the career and social support that mentors, sponsors and special peers provide. Being active in the community and professional organizations also provides a great opportunity for networking. By partaking in such activities and meeting new people, she has been able to experience new cultures and different thought processes and has provided an excel-lent opportunity to learn a new way of doing things and enhancing what she has already learned.

Her advice is to stay engaged in new methods of learning. Read books and journal articles to discover new tech-nologies that might assist you in your work. This Congress was a perfect ex-ample of how you and your employees can network and learn the latest and greatest public works has to offer.

Amidst getting an education, gaining new work experiences, joining new organizations and volunteering in the community, it is also important for you to take a step back and look at the big-ger picture. Ask yourself if you are do-ing everything you can to add value. Are there areas that allow room for im-provement? Do not sit back and make excuses for not accomplishing your goals. This is the time to figure out how you can make it happen. If you are an employee looking to advance in your career, ask yourself what you need to do to move up. Do you need additional certifications or different work experi-ences? If you are in management, ask yourself what opportunities are avail-able for your staff to achieve their in-dividual goals. How can you assist in ensuring that they have the tools neces-sary to grow within the organization?

Ms. Burley closed her speech by ex-pressing the importance of com-mitment to yourself and your organization. Among all of her ac-complishments, she has two more—she has raised two very proud and in-dependent children. This is proof that it can be done and you can have it all. Take charge of your own career as this is your responsibility.

Jelynne LeBlanc Burley can be reached at (210) 207-6543 or [email protected]; Jason E. Cosby, a member of APWA’s Road Safety Subcommittee and former member of the Diversity and Membership Committees and National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, can be reached at (210) 207-7785 or [email protected]; and Alyssa M. Lopez can be reached at (210) 207-5862 or [email protected].

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APWA Book Review

Preparing Sewer Overflow Response Plans: A Guidebook for Local Governments55 pp • 1998 • APWA • CD-ROM included

This publication offers APWA members and other wastewater collection system owners and operators response plans to address sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). APWA believes that following

a thorough and effective response plan to minimize any health risks or damage to private property or the environ-ment from SSOs is an important part of the overall manage-ment of a sanitary sewer system. This Guidebook is designed to assist communities to do just that.

In practice, addressing SSOs within a watershed context will mean applying management strategies such as assessing all environmental problems within a watershed comprehen-sively, both point and non-point sources, and prioritizing management efforts based on fixing the worst problems first in a cost-effective manner.

The Guidebook is designed to help local system owners and operators plan for effective SSO response. In the best man-aged systems, SSO management does not end with the im-mediate response. The flow chart (above right) illustrates a systematic approach in which operation and maintenance and capital improvement planning are applied to the man-agement of SSOs.

This publication covers:

Objectives; organization of plan; sewer overflow tracking•

Overflow response procedure•

Public advisory procedure•

Regulatory agency notification plan•

Media notification procedure•

Distribution and maintenance of SORP•

The publication also contains several appendices and ta-bles, suggested reading material, information on calculat-ing overflow rates and volumes, example response plans, flow charts, scripted news releases, and other valuable and useful information.

APWA encourages its members and other wastewater col-lection system owners and operators to develop and imple-ment SSO response plans using this document as a guide, and to use the referenced SSO management flow chart and the watershed management concept as long-term tools to improve their systems and the quality of their communities’ water resources.

To obtain your copy, please call the APWA Bookstore at (800) 848-APWA, ext. 5254. Or, for more information on purchas-ing this publication and other American Public Works As-sociation books, please visit the APWA Bookstore online at www.apwa.net/bookstore.


2008

February

7 The Black and White of Pavement #3: Construction of Quality Flexible and Rigid Pavements

7-8 PSMJ’s Public Works Project Management Bootcamp – Phoenix, AZ

20-22 Public Fleet Management Workshop – San Jose, CA

21 Water—A Precious Resource in Diminished Supply

28-29 PSMJ’s Public Works Project Management Bootcamp – Orlando, FL

March

6 Mastering the Media—Telling the Public Works Story Your Way!

6-7 PSMJ’s Public Works Project Management Bootcamp – San Francisco, CA

10-12 Construction Inspection: A Review Workshop – Atlanta, GA

13-14 PSMJ’s Public Works Project Management Bootcamp – Washington, DC

14 Self Assessment Using the Management Practices Manual – Encinitas, CA

20 TARGET Emergency Preparedness #3: AFTER the Disaster – Reimbursement

20-21 PSMJ’s Public Works Project Management Bootcamp – Los Angeles, CA

27-28 PSMJ’s Public Works Project Management Bootcamp – Dallas, TX

April

3 Work Zones—Safety First

3-4 PSMJ’s Public Works Project Management Bootcamp – Seattle, WA

9-10 Symposium on Climate Change – Tempe, AZ

10-11 PSMJ’s Public Works Project Management Bootcamp – Las Vegas, NV

13-16 North American Snow Conference – Louisville, KY

17 Innovative Funding—Getting to the End of the Rainbow

or more information about these programs or to register online, visit www.apwa.net/Education. Program information will be updated as it becomes available. Questions? Call the Education Department at 1-800-848-APWA.

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In November 2007, the APWA Leader-ship and Management Committee con-cluded its series of articles on public works leadership and management issues entitled “The Baker’s Potluck.” This was the third series of articles (the first being “The Baker’s Dozen,” the second being “The Baker’s Menu”) that discuss various leadership and management topics of in-terest to APWA members. The committee’s new series is entitled “Recipes for Success” and touches on a variety of leadership and management topics. Along with each arti-cle is an actual recipe for a favorite public works dish submitted by a member. Each recipe is a favorite from the members in their department. Give them a try.

Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. – Plato

When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion. – Abraham Lincoln

When the topic of ethics is mentioned in the media, it is usually in connection with someone getting caught breaking a law. Recent examples include use of performance-enhancing drugs by ath-letes, insider trading by corporate ex-ecutives and various moral lapses by prominent politicians. To categorize these as ethical issues is somewhat misleading, since ethics isn’t so much about what we have to do (obey the law!) but more about what we ought to do when presented with alternative courses of action, all of which may be legal, but have varying consequences to ourselves and to others.

As a guideline for what we ought to do, we may refer to a set of values that are

generally accepted in our society, such as courage, compassion, tolerance, honesty, loyalty, trustworthiness, fair-ness, responsibility, civility, profession-alism and respect.

We may also rely on the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Applying these val-ues to a given set of circumstances can help us decide what we ought to do, but finding that answer can be chal-lenging when several different values are in conflict, and we need to choose between them.

Circumstances that present us with several possible outcomes that we must choose from based on our system of values are called ethical dilemmas. As public works practitioners we encoun-ter ethical dilemmas on a daily basis. Here are some examples:

Loyalty. Within our organization, one might ask “Loyalty to whom?” Faced with the decision whether or not to re-port a rule infraction that we witness, our loyalty to our fellow employees may come into conflict with our loy-alty to our supervisor. If our supervisor is more concerned with meeting the ends and not the means, and the su-pervisor’s methods of achieving orga-nizational goals involve circumventing rules and procedures, then our loyalty to our supervisor may conflict with or-ganizational loyalty. Our loyalty to our organization may be in conflict with our loyalty to the public if the organi-zation’s policies are not consistent with our view of what’s right (the “Whistle-blower’s dilemma”). The risk we take in doing the right thing in these situ-ations can result in consequences to us that range from loss of friendship to loss of employment.

Outside our organization, when we interact with other public agencies on a regional basis, we may face the dilemma of staying loyal to the inter-ests and policies of our agency while recognizing that some of those may be in conflict with the greater good of the region. If you are on a regional com-mittee or board, one way to resolve this dilemma is to advocate for your local interest, but vote on the basis of what’s best for the region.

How many people have to get killed before you do something???? – the Traffic Engineer’s dilemma. How do you respond to citizens’ concerns about safety that result in requests for (stop sign, speed bump, speed limits, signal, traffic calming…you name it) and do so in a professional manner, balancing a variety of interests? Add the political pressure from councils and commis-sions that are trying to satisfy a vocal minority, and the job becomes more complex, adding a personal dimension to the decision-making process. Often a traffic engineer must take a stand that represents sound engineering principles and safety for the majority of the traveling public without having the tangible support of that majority. It’s a stand that requires a certain de-gree of personal courage balanced with compassion for the emotional stake of the vocal minority. The old adage “It takes two fatalities, one injury and three dead cats to warrant a signal…” isn’t the answer, but neither is the in-stallation of unwarranted traffic con-trol devices that ultimately defeat the purpose they are intended for by breed-ing contempt for the law.

No good deed goes unpunished

John LisenkoRetired Public Works DirectorCity of Foster City, California

Doing the right thing when confronted with ethical dilemmas


Doing unto others: customer ser-vice and the use of public funds. Lending a helping hand to a citizen in the course of our job is part of customer service. How far you extend that hand is not always clearly defined. We have to strike a balance between individual service (which can be highly time-consuming) and service to the public in general, which tends to represent a more efficient use of public resources. Requests for individual service are usu-ally accompanied by emotional appeals to our compassion and desire to apply the Golden Rule, while our primary mandate to do proactive asset manage-ment is predicated on rational and logi-cal decisions that are oriented to long-term goals and objectives, as opposed to more immediate gratification. Agencies with limited resources (and in today’s environment, that’s most public agen-cies) that fail to address this dilemma end up devoting inordinate time to “reactive” maintenance in response to individual needs and not enough time to systematic and proactive asset pres-ervation.

Environmental ethics…and the use of public funds. Environmental ethics is a complex subject, that, in ad-dition to other values, asks us to con-sider man’s place in the universe and how that fits within the balance of na-ture. From a public works perspective, the ethical dilemma is precipitated by the fact that environmental impacts are associated with most, if not all, public works projects and activities (which are primarily for man’s benefit). Because funds are limited, only so much can be spent on environmental mitigation before an activity or a project is ren-dered unfeasible. At times, this makes public works professionals appear to be insensitive to the environment while trying to fulfill their fiduciary and project management responsibil-ity. Unfortunately, the general public is seldom aware of, or is asked to resolve this dilemma involving the use of their tax dollars. That leaves it up to what is often an acrimonious “environmen-tal process” which often places public works managers in the unenviable po-

sition of devil’s advocate, demanding of them a high degree of professional-ism, patience, courage and integrity.

Who’s your buddy? Public con-tracts, public funds and the per-ception of misuse. Much of what we do in public works is predicated on developing good working relation-ships with our vendors—consultants, contractors, sales people, and the like. Good relationships achieve a number of desired outcomes, including timely conflict resolution, clear and open communication and, most important-ly, efficient use of public funds. Know-ing how to maintain objectivity and be fiscally responsible, while at the same time trying to maintain good personal relationships with your contractual partners, is not always an easy task and can involve resolving ethical conflicts between values such as friendship, fair-ness, responsibility and loyalty. While we may believe that our relationships are on sound ethical grounds, in the public sector perception is as impor-

tant if not more so than reality. If the same vendor seems to be getting the work over and over again, even if there is a seemingly objective procurement process, then it is highly likely that someone will think there is something fishy going on. At that point, you are guilty until proven innocent, a no-win position to be in. For this reason, and also because familiarity can breed con-tempt, it is a good idea to periodically reevaluate long-term contractual rela-tionships.

Ethics is doing the right thing when no one is looking. While many of our actions receive public re-view and scrutiny, a goodly portion of our daily activities are monitored by no one but us. Most public works activi-ties are geared to long-term benefits, and the consequences associated with whether we do the right thing or not may not surface for a long time. Since public works is a mostly monopolistic activity, not even the market can deter-mine whether we’ve done a good job or

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not—we’re the only game in town! This puts an added burden and responsibil-ity on the public works professional to set both the standard for performance and also be the judge of it.

Ethics codes and courses, mission statements rules, and regulations. Many public agencies and profession-al organizations have codified ethi-cal standards, sometimes as a formal “Code of Ethics,” sometimes embedded in a Mission Statement or in a State-ment of Professional Conduct. There are also numerous ethics courses that are offered (mandatory in California for all elected and appointed officials). For the person whose upbringing has included a grounding in basic morals and values, these codes and standards are a confirmation of those values, but not very helpful in resolving ethical di-lemmas that require us to select from options that all appear to be consistent with the basic value system.

Ethics courses tend to emphasize how to avoid doing the wrong thing rather than how to select the right course of action from several acceptable alterna-tives. Learning what constitutes conflict of interest and what type of gifts should be reported does not provide us with guidance on how to deal with the more subtle pressures and behaviors that may influence our decisions on important matters such as selecting consultants or dealing with contractors.

Organizational culture. A more important influence than mission statements or ethics codes on how em-ployees will resolve ethical dilemmas is organizational culture. Organizations that profess their virtues through eth-ics codes and mission statements but do not “walk the talk” send mixed mes-sages to their employees. Whom the organization perceives as “the Enemy” will often determine staff attitudes and how the organization interacts with its external environment much more

than any expressed intent to give good customer service. The “Enemy” may be “those greedy developers” or “those outsiders—the commuters who irre-sponsibly drive through our town,” or it may even be the public—“those un-grateful whiners who want the service but don’t want to pay for it.” These blanket generalizations, sometimes ut-tered out of a legitimate feeling of frus-tration, influence attitudes and beliefs and translate into actions by employ-ees who, in the course of doing their job, are trying to do their best to re-solve ethical dilemmas under the pres-sure of time and limited resources.

Neither customer service training, team building or process “reengineer-ing” can alter an organizational culture until all levels of the organization ad-mit to and are willing to openly con-front the biases and prejudices that are embedded within.

So what can we do?First, we need to recognize that the situation is an ethical dilemma. This recognition is usually characterized by an uneasiness in the pit of our stom-ach, a vague feeling of discomfort or anxiety, or perhaps even annoyance and anger. These feelings are like the yellow light at the intersection. They are a warning to us that the decisions that follow need to be made carefully, and not based solely on our emotional response to the situation.

Next we need to identify what category the dilemma falls in:

Is it a “personal cost” ethical di-• lemma wherein your job, reputa-tion, friendship, etc. may be on the line? Or, is it a:

Right vs. Right dilemma, where • one or more positive values are in conflict?

Following is a checklist that can be used to help arrive at an outcome that will leave you feeling good about yourself:

See which values apply to your di-• lemma.

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Don’t lose sight of the facts.•

Recognize that in the public sector • perception can be as or sometimes more important than reality. Vi-sualize the impact of seeing your decision on the front page of next day’s paper, and how comfortable you will be in defending it.

Sort out the options and look for • the option that has the greatest potential for overall benefit with the least harm. Visualize explain-ing to a child why you did what you did.

Step “outside yourself” and try to • analyze the situation dispassion-ately. One way to do this is to talk to someone who doesn’t have the same personal stake in the out-come that you do. Seek out the advice of “ethical barometers”—people in your organization who are respected because they “walk the talk.”

If you’re a “can do” energetic go-• getter, prone to focus more on ends rather than means, pay atten-tion to those who ask seemingly “dumb” questions and work at a more deliberate pace.

Listen to your perennial critics and • council “Gadflies.” Although they may be annoying, irritating and of-ten irrational, like the “Village Idiot” of olden days, these folks sometimes have an uncanny knack for piercing through the veneer of good inten-tions and rationalization and iden-tifying the hypocrisy inherent in some organizational cultures.

It helps to remember that it is the • public’s money we are dealing with, while at the same time treat-ing it as if it were our own hard-earned dollars, and not parting with it too readily in the interest of resolving disputes, satisfying individual constituent demands or otherwise easing the burden of having to prioritize and make dif-ficult decisions and choices.

SummaryIt has often occurred to me that how one reacts to a traffic signal provides a good model for defining ethical behav-ior. When we approach a signalized in-tersection, it is clear to most of us that the red light means stop, a green light means go. If we go through a red light we knowingly break the law and risk suffering the consequences if we get caught. A green light means we have unrestricted permission to go (unless there’s a fire truck heading our way!). Approaching a yellow light, however, we have several options—slow down, speed up, or continue at the same speed. While many will automatically slow down (these are the truly ethical people who invite road rage and rear-end collisions), a fair number of us will decide what to do based on the situa-tion. Our choice will be influenced by our personality, our frame of mind at the time, our preoccupation with where we are going, how late we are, etc. Only by stepping outside of ourselves can we appreciate what the yellow light is re-ally there for—not to be interpreted in terms of our personal needs and wants, but in terms of our concern for the safety of others. It is there to alert us that we need to proceed with caution, because our actions could have serious consequences not just to us, but to oth-er users of the roadway. Recognition of this fact puts us on the path to behav-ing ethically.

The reward for doing the right thing is not always immediate, nor does it always come to us from the external environment. On the contrary, behav-ing ethically can have negative con-sequences, such as loss of friendships, public criticism, negative impacts to certain members of the public and/or the environment, and can lead to a lot of personal agonizing over the alterna-tives we discarded when we picked the one we thought best. Sometimes doing nothing seems like the safest course. However, doing nothing is seldom an acceptable alternative, and does not absolve us of responsibility for the con-sequences of our inaction. If we want

to make a difference and to contribute in a meaningful way to our profession, our families and our community, we have to wrestle with the ethical dilem-mas that confront us daily, and make the best choice we can from those that are available.

“The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” – Hannah Arendt

John Lisenko is a retired Public Works Di-rector with the City of Foster City, Califor-nia. He occasionally consults and is also one of the organizers and instructors of the APWA Northern California Chapter’s Public Works Institute. He can be reached at [email protected].

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What’s happened to Czechoslovakia?Paul A. Hindman, P.E.Manager, Design, Construction and Maintenance ProgramUrban Drainage and Flood Control DistrictDenver, Colorado

Editor’s Note: Paul Hindman was the recipient of a 2007 Jennings Randolph Fellowship for an exchange program with the Slovak and Czech Republics. During his visit to the Slovak Public Works Asso-ciation and Czech Republic Public Works Association Joint Conference in October 2007, he investigated how the Slovak and Czech public works professionals have managed floods and how they have pro-tected their citizens and property. He has submitted the following article reflecting his experiences and will make a presenta-tion on his findings at the 2008 APWA Congress in New Orleans.

This is probably the most frequently asked question I receive from people when they hear I went to the Czech and Slovak Republics: “What’s hap-pened to Czechoslovakia?” The answer is Czechoslovakia no longer exists. In 1989 Czechoslovakia saw the fall of communism. This is commonly re-ferred to as the Velvet Revolution. In 1993 the country was split into two countries, the Czech and Slovak Re-publics, which existed prior to the 1918 merger that followed WWI. Since 1989, both countries have adopted a capital-istic economy along with a democratic government. Both countries have fully embraced democracy and are striving under the new regime.

The purpose of my trip to the Czech and Slovak Republics was to investigate their drainage and flood control facili-ties and to compare and contrast them to the ones in my own organization. The Czech and Slovak region has ex-perienced flooding since the area was inhabited in the 3rd century B.C. when the Celtic migrations occurred. As re-cently as 2002, a major flood occurred that caused “…flood damage totaling

73 billion koruna (2.6 billion dollars),” according to Deutsche Presse Agentur. It was reported as the “…worst flooding in Prague’s 800-year history” by CNN. Following the flood, as has happened throughout their history, rebuilding occurred and “For the most part ‘life is back to normal’ said Terezin spokes-man Roman Cervenka.”

What I discovered on my travels was both expected and unexpected.

The ExpectedWater flows downhill just like it does in the United States. Public works pro-fessionals have managed the flow of stormwater by installing drop struc-tures and bank protection in devel-oped areas following sound engineer-ing principles. Along waterways where development exists, the grade of the channel, river or stream has to be flat-tened to control the degradation of the waterway. The banks have been stabi-lized using rock (riprap), man-made structures made out of concrete, or a combination of both.

The UnexpectedThe first thing that surprised me upon arrival to the Slovak Republic was how every car was new. I didn’t observe any

of the old vehicles that were sold in the country while under communistic rule. However, most of the new vehi-cles are compact in size, unlike in the U.S. where you find the opposite. The public works facilities are either old or new. For example, in Nové Mestro Vad Náhom, Slovak Republic, we visited the public works facility for the city. As shown in the photo, the administrative offices are typical of other buildings built in the communistic era, function over aesthetics. However, in the yard of the facility is a brand new asphalt plant that was recently purchased from a German manufacturer. It rivals any-thing I have seen in the U.S.

Another surprising part of the trip was learning that all the towns and cities are run by private industry. An elected town or city council selects a private firm to provide all the public works ser-vices which, by contrast, in the U.S. are performed by public works employees. In the Slovak and Czech Republics they have completely embraced privatiza-tion. Each firm is hired for five years and their contract is extended if the council views their service as being satisfactory. A service that is not the responsibility of the local public works company is major drainage. They are required to

Drop Structure on Vltava River, Prague, Czech Republic

Public Works administrative building, Nové Mestro Vad Náhom, Slovakia


maintain and improve the storm sewer system, but at the point that the outfall discharges into a waterway, no matter how small, the responsibility lies with the federal government. Where the lo-cal public works company has jurisdic-tion they take great pride in their re-sponsibility. This was very evident by observing the manhole lids which were personalized for each town or city. One was even comical and provided a pho-to opportunity for tourists.

As stated earlier, the purpose of my trip to the Czech and Slovak Republics was to investigate their drainage and flood

control facilities. I was not able to dis-cuss major drainage with a represen-tative of the federal government but I was able to observe a few examples of their work. In Trenčínské Teplice, Slovakia, the main waterway histori-cally traveled through the middle of town. During communistic rule in the 1950s, a workforce was mobilized that constructed a rock-walled channel cir-cumventing the town on the north side. According to the current public works director, the channel has nev-er overtopped and flooded the town. Each rock was hand placed and mor-tared in place.

In Prague and Bratislava, they have gone state-of-the-art and constructed a flood wall system produced by a German company. The flood wall is constructed of aluminum panels and is stored in nearby warehouses. As the Vltava and Danube Rivers rise, public works work-ers remove the panels from storage and install them along the river walk.

Return TripThe trip was very enlightening and I made many new friends. Our fellow public works professionals in the Slo-vak and Czech Republics are working very hard to make their communities the best they can be. This is a theme that came through strongly every-where I traveled. Also, their hospital-ity and zest for life is far and above anything I have experienced in the United States. Therefore, I am already planning on returning to both coun-tries to further investigate their public works improvements and experience again their rich history.

Paul Hindman is the APWA Colorado Chapter Delegate and a past president of the chapter. He is a past member of the national Awards Review and Congress Site Selection Committees. He can be reached at (303) 455-6277 or [email protected].

Manhole cover, Bratislava, Slovakia


Editor’s Note: Bill Bruce was the recipient of a 2007 Jennings Randolph Fellowship for an exchange program with the Slovak and Czech Republics. During his visit to the Slovak Public Works Association and Czech Republic Public Works Association Joint Conference in October 2007, he studied waste management and waste disposal legislation, regulation, and practices in both coun-tries. He has submitted the following article reflecting his experi-ences and will make a presentation on his findings at the 2008 APWA Congress in New Orleans.

Three APWA representatives and I started our tour of the Czech and Slovak Republics by attending the annual joint Czech and Slovak Public Works Associations conference, held this year in Slovakia. We had an opportunity at the conference to inspect equipment and vehicles on display by European vendors. One immediate difference was the

percentage of vehicles and equipment that were of a very small size by American standards. However, many European streets and public places are very old with narrow streets and sidewalks, often hand-laid with small blocks of stone in decorative patterns.

Landfilling is still the final disposal option for most waste. We saw the landfill outside the town of Trenčínské Teplice where we attended the conference, and later the landfill for Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. Both republics are still heavily dependent on landfills. However, the per capita vol-ume of waste generation in Europe is only half of what it is in the U.S. Also, based on European Union (EU) regu-lations, all member states have to reduce the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste, with reduction targets for 2009 and 2016. During our tour of Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, we were advised that they operate a waste-to-energy facility, built just a year and a half ago. Waste-to-energy plants in Europe are subject to stringent design and operating standards, and are now more accepted by the public and less controversial than here in the U.S.—especially because waste is now identified as a renewable, locally-produced energy source, in a Europe very conscious of energy security issues as well as its dependence on for-eign energy. Other new technologies such as mechanical/biological waste treatment, which we have not yet seen here in the U.S., are now operational in Europe.

Waste management and public policy in the Czech and Slovak RepublicsBill BruceCommissioner, Department of General ServicesCity of Albany, New York2007 Jennings Randolph Fellow

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In general, public policy on waste management in the EU and member states seems more advanced than here in the U.S. We are much more likely to rely on free market capi-talism. Long-haul, out-of-state landfill disposal is becoming more common here in the eastern U.S. In Europe, waste management is seen more as a critical resource management issue, and regulated more like an essential service, as we typ-

ically regulate the delivery of water or electricity. Most waste management is provided by what we would call authorities, operating under rigorous state regulation. These authori-ties all enjoy flow control and can plan and manage their systems more effectively because of this fact. As a result of EU legislation, major appliances, including computers and electronics, have a disposal cost included in the purchase price. These funds are used by the federal governments to subsidize redemption centers for appliances and electronics, operated at the local or regional level, ensuring maximum recycling and keeping unwanted items out of landfills.

There is much we can learn from the more environmentally protective legislation, regulation and practices being applied in the European Union and its member states, whether your responsibilities involve fleet management, fuel efficiency and alternative fuels, green building design, recycling and waste management, pump efficiency in water and wastewa-ter systems, urban forestry, energy efficiency of public build-ings and facilities, or “smart” transportation projects. With the increasing emphasis on climate change, public works officials will play a critical role as environmental protection increasingly becomes a focus in public policy at the federal, state and local levels.

Bill Bruce can be reached at (518) 432-1144 or [email protected].

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IntroductionThe Springfield Water and Sewer Commission (Commission) is committed to improving the quality of life throughout the Pioneer Valley by providing critical water and wastewa-ter services in support of public health protection, environ-mental stewardship and sustainable economic development. Currently, about one-third of the sewer system in the City of Springfield flows to a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) system. The Commission is under its third Administrative Consent Order (ACO) from the U.S. Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA) to abate wet weather discharges from the CSOs. This article summarizes the Commission’s significant efforts to meet ACO requirements while maintaining ser-vices, addressing the rate burdens of unfunded federal and state regulatory initiatives, and the resulting economic im-pacts to a struggling community in western Massachusetts. More importantly, it supports the necessity of achieving a balance between regulatory compliance, CSO affordability and sustainable infrastructure improvements for both water and wastewater systems. This balance can and must be at-tained through a partnership approach between regulatory agencies and local water and wastewater utilities.

BackgroundThe Commission owns and maintains watershed land, dams, reservoirs, transmission mains, storage tanks, water and wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations, and more than 1,200 miles of water and sewer mains. The Com-mission recently completed a five-year $70 million capital improvement program that focused on redundancy and reli-ability through the replacement and repair of its aging infra-structure while concurrently meeting the ACOs. What lies ahead is hundreds of millions of dollars in capital improve-ments to repair and maintain acceptable water and wastewa-ter service as well as meet CSO regulations.

Drinking WaterIn Massachusetts, the Commission supplies drinking water to a population of approximately 250,000 in the commu-nities of Springfield, Ludlow, Agawam, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Southwick and Westfield. The annual average water use is about 36 million gallons per day (MGD). The pri-mary water sources are the Borden Brook and Cobble Moun-tain Reservoirs. The Borden Brook Reservoir, portions of the West Parish Filters Treatment Plant and many miles of large

transmission main were constructed in 1908. The Cobble Mountain Dam and Reservoir were completed circa 1930.

Water flows from the treatment plant to the Provin Mountain storage facility where there are four 15-million-gallon con-crete underground storage reservoirs. Tanks were constructed in 1909 and 1930, and two in the 1960s. Thirty-six miles of large transmission main carry water to the City of Springfield. These transmission mains vary in age from 60 years to 100 years old. The distribution system consists of 580 miles of piping dating back to the 1880s, with the majority of the pipe installed from the 1930s to the 1960s. In this system, there are hundreds of miles of unlined cast iron water pipe, which needs to be cleaned and lined or replaced.

WastewaterThe wastewater collection system in Springfield serves a population of about 260,000 and consists of approximate-ly 600 miles of sanitary, combined and interceptor sewers; 12,000 manholes; and 30 sewage pumping stations (includ-ing seven flood control stations). Wastewater is conveyed to the Springfield Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (SRWTF). The SRWTF treats wastewater from the house-holds, businesses, and industries within Springfield and surrounding six member communities, including Agawam, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Wilbraham, and West Springfield. The SRWTF is one of the largest facilities in New England and provides treatment at an annual average of 40 MGD.

The Commission owns and is responsible for the 70-year-old flood control infrastructure that is directly connected to the combined wastewater collection system along the Con-necticut River. The flood control system includes seven large flood control pumping stations, associated piping, valves, gates and appurtenances.

The Long Term Control Plan (LTCP)In March 2000 the Commission completed a draft CSO Long Term Control Plan and Environmental Impact Report (LTCP). Projects delineated in the LTCP were evaluated based on effectiveness of CSO reduction vs. cost. The goal was to identify projects that were at the “knee of the CSO reduction vs. cost curve.” At the conceptual level of planning, these projects would provide the Commission with the most cost-effective CSO control.

Balancing CSO affordability while maintaining existing water and sewer infrastructureJoseph Superneau, P.E., Executive Director, Springfield, MA Water and Sewer Commission, and Chair, APWA Water Resources Management Committee; Robert Stoops, P.E., Chief Engineer, and Joshua Schimmel, Project Engineer, Springfield, MA Water and Sewer Commission


CSO control technologies were evaluated for each of three rivers that receive CSO discharge—the Mill River, the Chi-copee River, and the Connecticut River. This effort resulted in a massing of CSO-related information under one umbrella. Each of the CSOs could now be assessed in terms of how they functioned as a system vs. individually. Based on the exist-ing sewer system information and the skeletal flow metering data gathered, a simple hydraulic model was developed to aid in analyzing the effectiveness of the various CSO abatement strategies. The end result was an overall recommended plan for CSO abatement that resided at the “knee of the curve,” with an estimated total cost of $140 million. In accordance with EPA requirements, the LTCP also included a chapter on affordability. The affordability analysis results showed that Springfield ratepayers could only afford approximately 1/10 of the proposed CSO program cost.

CSO AbatementIn November 2000, the Commission entered into negotia-tions with EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Envi-ronmental Protection (DEP) to develop an affordable phased CSO program. An ACO would define the initial phase of work. The information provided in the LTCP was used as the basis for the specific projects associated with the ACO. The initial ACO identified Interceptor Relief and Storage for

the abatement of the Mill River CSOs. The Commission pro-ceeded to comply with the ACO schedule by rapidly mov-ing through the project design and bidding process. From the perspective of the regulators, the pace of the response to the ACO was good. Projects designed to abate CSOs were progressing. The Commission was content because the ACO included a specific project that was affordable (at $5.2 mil-lion) and capable of being implemented.

Aggressive deadlines specified in the ACO required a com-pressed design schedule. Additional information was gath-ered through the design phase; however, because of the short schedule, the recommendations from the LTCP were the guiding principles for design and construction. As the proj-ect moved through construction the Commission realized that although compliance with the ACO was maintained, there were some fundamental flaws with the approach. Evi-dence indicated that the LTCP was more of a planning tool than a guide for final design. Lack of time to thoroughly investigate existing infrastructure resulted in a litany of changed conditions and utility conflicts in the field.

Lessons LearnedGiven the condensed project schedule, Commission staff and the consulting engineers worked together throughout

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construction to produce a functional CSO project. Schedule drove the Mill River Project to the detriment of proper plan-ning and design. Field changes during construction were the norm and not the exception. Upon completion, the project was considered a success by the regulators and the Commis-sion because deadlines were met, the costs contained and the annual CSOs to the Mill River were reduced to meet the regulatory requirements.

The project team performed a post-project review to look at how to reduce change orders and address other contract changes. The outstanding factor was scheduling adequate time for the engineer to completely field verify and evaluate all critical pipe and CSO regulators, and to perform detailed flow monitoring to validate the design criteria. To rush forth to meet an artificial schedule was counterproductive and re-sulted in multiple change orders.

Moving ForwardThe next focus was the Chicopee River CSO project and Commission staff negotiated an ACO with the regulatory agencies. The ACO included specific projects from the LTCP and provided sufficient time for adequate field investiga-tion, flow monitoring and design. The final ACO specified the design and construction of a series of three CSO storage

tanks or an equivalent project. The storage project was origi-nally selected because the LTCP estimated optimum CSO discharge reduction in relation to the capital cost.

In moving from the conceptual plan of a LTCP to the reality of final design, the engineer needs to provide a more in-volved study and investigation of existing conditions, in ad-dition to analyses of various control strategies and options, prior to final design. It is a serious mistake for regulators and utilities to apply the conceptual information provided in a LTCP as the basis for a final design without proper field veri-fication. To do so potentially results in spending millions of dollars on a project that may not perform or accomplish what was intended.

The preliminary design for the Chicopee River CSO Project included 21 new flow monitoring locations for this storm-water basin, inspection and measurement of every regulator, and the inspection and assessment of all sewer pipes. Be-cause of this level of effort, it became evident that the flow requirements significantly changed from the minimal flow monitoring performed at the planning stage (13 flow meters citywide) to the new monitoring program.

The new hydraulic model indicated that the predicted stor-age tanks, based on the preliminary data from the LTCP, were incorrect in number and undersized. Due to the in-crease in size and number of storage tanks predicted by the updated model, additional knowledge of subsurface condi-tions, and identification of many utility conflicts, the esti-mated construction cost jumped from $14 million to almost $50 million. This cost did not include the annual operating and maintenance cost for the storage tanks, which would have been substantial.

Several alternative approaches were quickly identified that served the dual purpose of improvements to the existing in-frastructure while controlling CSOs. A hybrid project was developed that included targeted separation, new sanitary sewer, limited storage, and pumping station improvements. The new project also addressed infrastructure upgrades; such as replacement of deteriorated sewer and drain pipes, ap-purtenances, creating added pipe capacity and pump station improvements that the Commission would have ultimately completed regardless of an ACO.

The alternative approach would clearly provide a tremen-dous benefit to our ratepayers. The remaining hurdle was to demonstrate to EPA and DEP that this approach achieved the original goals for CSO control set forth in the ACO. The Commission used the design level hydraulic model to dem-onstrate project equality with respect to the estimated an-nual CSO overflows. With the model results in hand, dem-onstrating the proposed change went smoothly because the Commission had continually maintained contact with the local regulatory staff throughout the process.

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The goal should be to negotiate an ACO that did not identi-fy specific projects, but rather identified achievable goals for CSO control based on overall system needs. The flexibility to consider cost benefit and affordability should be factored into this process.

EPA Affordability Guidance DefinitionEPA has established affordability guidance to assess the eco-nomic burden of CSO abatement in terms of annual cost and the long-term impacts upon resi-dents and businesses. EPA acknowledg-es that the determination of substan-tial impact on the wider community depends on both the cost of pollution control and the general financial and economic health of the community.

One of the most critical indicators of economic health is measured by the median household income. The me-dian household income for Springfield residents has hovered around $30,000 per year (2005 dollars). This is almost half of the state median of $57,000 (2005 dollars). The EPA substantial im-pact preliminary screener looks at the project cost to achieve policy compli-ance as a percent of median household income. For the City of Springfield, this value has been estimated to be ap-proximately 1.5% through the updated Preliminary CSO Controls. This value indicates that the economic burden for Springfield is already excessive. And, the Commission’s water and wastewa-ter systems still require hundreds of millions of dollars for capital improve-ments over the next twenty years.

During the preparation of the LTCP, costs for the Mill River, Chicopee River and Connecticut River CSO abatement programs were estimated at $6.1 mil-lion, $15.9 million and $117.6 mil-lion, respectively. At that time, the LTCP affordability analysis prepared by Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. concluded that, “Springfield will incur widespread so-cial and economic impact as the re-sult of implementing preliminary CSO controls.” The preliminary CSO costs for the Mill River, Chicopee River and the Phase I Connecticut River Projects were estimated at $35 million through the year 2011.

Since that estimate was prepared, the Mill River Project has been completed within budget. The Chicopee River Project is under construction with an estimated project cost of $30 million. The Washburn Street CSO Project, which resulted from structural failure of a CSO regulator, was completed for approximately $8 million and the Clinton Street Project was replaced with a sewer separation project due to escalat-ing costs. The Connecticut River Phase I Project cost is now estimated at $15 million.

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What was estimated to cost $35 million in year 2000 and was determined to exceed the affordability thresholds and cause widespread social and economic impact, will actually cost approximately $60 million. And it does not end there. The balance of the proposed CSO work is now estimated at more than $180 million. Since 2000, Springfield’s actual me-dian household income has decreased to less than $30,000 per year. Given the tenuous economic plight of Springfield residents and businesses, the increased burden of the Up-dated Preliminary CSO Control projects alone presents an unreasonable impact to the community.

What does affordability really mean to our customers?In 2005 Springfield’s median household annual income was $29,922, down 1.6% from 2000. A household with a gross income of $30,000, after payroll deductions of federal and state taxes, health insurance, retirement and other manda-tory deductions, brings home a net income of about $20,000. To the median-income family, this means budgeting about $10,000 for mortgage or rent payments; $5,000 must be budgeted for heat, electricity and telephone payments, and the remaining $5,000 for food. There is no money for other expenses such as clothing, transportation, cable television, pets, entertainment, medical care co-payments, or water and sewer bills.

How do we justify asking people to make real-life choices be-tween heat, food, medicine, and reducing CSOs to a river they cannot swim in? Springfield is a poor city where the crime rate has escalated, public education needs have increased, and medical issues have worsened. Springfield ranked sixth worst in the nation for the percentage of its children living in poverty in 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. This climate further hinders support for rate increases and funding of CSO projects with little or no benefit to the community.

Cost/BenefitMoney is a critical factor when developing and implement-ing any environmental project and lines must be drawn somewhere. If a project costs $10 million to reach a 95% solution and $20 million to reach a 99% solution, with min-imum environmental benefit gained, is this sound public investment? It should be the obligation of both the envi-ronmental regulator and the public works official to work together and find this line. For every dollar spent on limited environmental gain there is one less dollar to invest in other projects that provide greater environmental benefits.

What does affordability mean for the Commission?The Commission is required to meet various laws and regu-lations promulgated by the state and federal governments. All of these laws and regulations have costs associated with compliance. Realistically looking at fiscal projections, there

are many factors to consider when prioritizing the financial needs of an organization, including:

The costs of essential services and functions within the • organization and the inflation related to those costs.

The capital replacement/improvement costs needed to • provide sustainable infrastructure into the future.

The added costs of regulatory compliance.•

The future needs to meet population changes or chang-• es in demand.

The ability and willingness of the users to pay for the • services.

Financial Reality for a Water and Sewer SystemBy 2010 the Commission will have borrowed $150 million in the previous decade: $70 million for much-needed wa-ter and sewer infrastructure repairs and $80 million for CSO work. There remains a looming amount of $180 million needed to complete the identified CSO projects in the Draft LTCP. Also on the radar screen is another $100 million for sewer repairs, based on a detailed assessment of the sewers in one section of the city. The 70-year-old flood control pump-ing stations require upgrades to the tune of an estimated $10-15 million.

On the drinking water side, major replacement of a 100-year-old water storage tank and repairs and replacement of miles of large transmission pipe are being evaluated. These wa-ter projects could easily reach $50 million over the next 10 years. And, the Commission is considering a new water treatment plant at Ludlow Reservoir to meet future water demands at a cost of $25 million.

The Commission’s FY 2008 annual operating budget is ap-proximately $50 million, of which about 9% is for debt ser-vice. In 2010 the annual budget is expected to increase to $57 million, with an estimated debt service rate equaling about 16% of the total. If the Commission proceeds down the road to borrow another $400 million over the next 10 years, the annual debt service would increase about $32 mil-lion with an additional debt service reserve of $72 million required to satisfy bond covenants. The debt service would account for approximately 50% of the operating budget. Such numbers would be staggering to the City and would cause financial and political chaos resulting in rigor mortis for the Commission.

In the last four years, four unexpected projects have devel-oped which cost over $12 million to repair. The largest proj-ect was an 8-foot-diameter brick sewer collapse (circa 1880) which resulted in an $8 million repair. While writing this article, another sinkhole problem developed around a ma-jor water transmission main gate chamber and the prelimi-nary estimate is $4 million to repair. This major transmis-


sion main may need to be removed from service pending the repair. These types of unexpected emergency repairs will continue to plague the Commission considering the age of the system.

Springfield’s case is not unusual. It represents a community that has an aging infrastructure, which has seen continual underinvestment in maintenance and upgrades to the water and sewer systems. The systems now require major capital repairs and improvements. When considering the rate im-pacts over the next 10 to 20 years, meeting the repair and re-placement needs must be a top priority and the Commission must always have sufficient funds to repair the unforeseen.

Environmental YieldAnother significant issue that cannot be overlooked is Envi-ronmental Yield. The question that should be asked contin-uously by both the public works official and environmental regulator is, “If this project is developed and constructed, and the program is implemented, what will be the mean-ingful benefits to the environment?” If the question can-not be answered with a positive environmental result or the potential benefits are negligible, it is probably not a good investment of public dollars. Too many projects in the past have taken on lives of their own without defining the Envi-ronmental Yield.

The Commission recognized the importance and regional nature of Environmental Yield for the Connecticut River. In conjunction with the Cities of Holyoke, Chicopee, and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, a study was prepared to develop a regional water quality model of the Connecti-cut River. The model simulated approximately 50 CSOs, stormwater discharges and upstream river conditions from Holyoke to the Connecticut border. A brief synopsis of mod-el results includes:

Fecal loading from the upstream non-point source • runoff and stormwater significantly exceed those from CSOs.

After Phase I CSO controls are implemented, water qual-• ity swimming criteria exceedences during wet weather would reduce only by less than four hours following a three-month storm.

Reducing CSO loads would have relatively small effect • on overall river quality.

If all CSOs were eliminated, water quality goals would • not be achieved during the one-year storm event.

If the Commission were to spend $800 million to eliminate all CSOs, the river would still not meet water quality stan-dards because of other point and non-point source contri-butions and upstream pollutant loadings. Common sense indicates the need to reduce and eventually eliminate sew-age from entering the river. However, it is important to bal-ance the level of spending as it relates to the environmental benefit that will be achieved. Projects with little or no Envi-ronmental Yield cannot be undertaken at the expense of all other necessary sewer, wastewater and water infrastructure improvements. A community cannot continue to spend money beyond the point of diminishing returns, simply to meet absolute regulatory compliance. There should be a vi-able, continuous reevaluation of where to best spend the limited resources to realize the best environmental benefit for our citizens. By continuously asking the Environmen-tal Yield question, the prudent investment of public funds and improvements to environmental protection will be op-timized and the benefits tremendous.

An example would be whether to invest in the replacement or repair of a critical pump station or force main or to con-trol a CSO. If the pump station or force main failed, raw sew-age would flow into the river 24 hours per day for months on end. If the CSO was not controlled, discharges of diluted sewage would come and go in wet weather. It is clear that failure of the critical infrastructure would have greater envi-ronmental consequences and a higher Environmental Yield. Environmental regulators must recognize this point as they work to advance CSO controls.

ConclusionsTo quote Winston Churchill, “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time—a tremendous whack.” The point to be driven home is simple—utilities cannot possibly com-ply with all the existing regulations together with those being promulgated and maintain existing water and sewer infrastructure. Some of the rules require substantial sums of money to enact and in the end, provide marginal benefit.

Collapse of an 8-foot-diameter brick sewer, circa 1880, resulted in the reconstruction of the street, all underground utilities and the CSO regulating chambers at a cost of $8 million.


In addition, utilities are spending money to comply with rules that are in conflict with other rules. In some cases, one regulator may be applying pressure for compliance, which is in conflict with another regulator’s requirements.

The best solutions for local environmental problems are site-specific. Several lessons learned during Springfield’s CSO abatement program include:

Conceptual information collected as part of the devel-• opment of a LTCP is limited and cannot be used directly for design and implementation of specific projects.

The best solutions to environmental problems require • significant research, detailed evaluations, modeling and in-depth investigation prior to implementation.

Regulatory compliance and ACOs should allow for flexi-• bility in implementation. After the research, evaluations and modeling are conducted, the engineering solutions inevitably change for the better.

The quality of the river will not significantly improve • if all CSOs are eliminated. Environmental Yield should be the focus. There is a limited pool of funds available for competing needs and water and wastewater services must be maintained through the regulatory implemen-tation process.

Infrastructure repairs and improvements must be imple-• mented regardless of the process of meeting or imple-menting new regulations.

In the future, to implement the lessons learned, utilities must conduct intelligent, ongoing discussions with regula-

tors to define where limited resources can best be used for the public benefit. Projects and programs should follow a prioritization process that includes a cost/benefit analysis and takes into account the overall needs of the Commis-sion. Public funds must be used for meaningful purposes and have measurable public benefits consistent with the amount of funds expended.

The Commission cannot continue to borrow money for capital projects to meet regulatory requirements and ignore the needed repairs to the infrastructure. That is a formula for system-wide failure and is irresponsible to our ratepayers. Infrastructure system failures result in significant negative impacts to the community and individuals. The existing in-frastructure system needs to be maintained in balance with meeting regulations.

Both public works officials and environmental regulators have a tremendous stake in improving the environment and water quality for the next generation. The challenge is to meet these goals because there is competition with other state and national programs for the same dollars. One way to meet the challenge and reach the goal is working together. Just think of a coalition of public works officials and environmental regulators jointly addressing Congress in support of new funding mechanisms and regulations that make sense while protecting the environment. If this sounds far-fetched, think it through. The foundation of the public works profession is to build infrastructure that pro-tects the public and the environment. The foundation of an environmental regulator is to ensure that laws and regula-tions adopted by elected officials are carried out to protect the environment. There is not a conflict between these two

agendas. A new paradigm is re-quired by both parties to realize that working together as a team provides a foundation for water quality improvements across the nation that noticeably pro-gresses in the coming decades.

Joseph Superneau is the Chair of APWA’s Water Resources Man-agement Committee; he can be reached at (413) 787-6256 x-152 or [email protected]; Robert Stoops can be reached at (413) 787-6256 x-188 or [email protected]; and Joshua Schimmel can be reached at (413) 787-6256 x-139 or [email protected].


ost urban and suburban waterways in the United States are polluted, and wet weather impacts are a huge part of the problem. While boating or other non-contact recreation may be possible, many ur-

ban and suburban streams, lakes or coastal waters are often unsafe for swimming or other direct contact after it rains. Rainfall carries trash, toxins and bacteria into waterways, in-creasing the risk of illness for swimmers and making these waters unhealthy for fish, amphibians and birds. If these same urban rivers, lakes and coastal waters are clean, they can become a tremendous community resource, providing fishing, swimming and other recreational opportunities as well as a higher quality source of drinking water for cities and suburbs. However, if polluted, they can be a potential health hazard as well as an eyesore, lowering property values and detracting from community revitalization efforts.

As rain comes into contact with streets, parking lots and rooftops, an environmental chain reaction occurs. This rain picks up oil, grease and toxins, as well as pathogens, nu-trients and other pollutants, and deposits them into lakes, streams and coastal waters. The high-volume, high-velocity flows cause additional adverse environmental consequenc-es, including flooding, streambank scouring, riparian habi-tat loss, flashy streams, increased stream temperatures, and, because the rainwater cannot soak into the ground, depleted groundwater resources. These problems will only continue to grow as our nation’s population increases and, even more importantly, as development continues to spread across the landscape—at twice the rate of population growth.

These problematic impacts are exacerbated in the over 770 cities in the United States served by combined wastewater and stormwater pipes, as these peak wet weather flows cause Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). The United States Envi-ronmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2004 Report to Con-gress on sewer overflows estimated the volume of CSO dis-charged nationwide at 850 billion gallons per year.1 Despite diligent efforts by cities to mitigate the impacts of CSOs, these efforts can be hindered overall by the failing condi-tion of the nation’s wastewater infrastructure. This critical system of underground pipes and conveyances is in dire

need, as evidenced by its recent D- grade assessed by the American Society of Civil Engineers.2 As miles and miles of underground pipes age they become more likely to fail,3 at the same time that they are taxed further due to increasing population and development. For example, at our current rate of investment, EPA has projected that sewage pollution will be as high in 2025 as it was in 1968—before the passage of the Clean Water Act—that is, when Lake Erie was declared dead and the Cuyahoga River was on fire.4

Add to this mix the projected impacts of global warming on water resources and shorelines. Global warming is anticipat-ed to have adverse effects on available freshwater resourc-es. For example, the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC’s) recent report, In Hot Water, projects that global warming will decrease snowpack in the American West, re-duce water supplies, increase the magnitude and frequency of floods and droughts, and degrade aquatic habitat by re-ducing stream flows and increasing the temperature of wa-terways.5 EPA reports that while data are inconclusive, some models predict that global warming will increase the fre-quency of Combined Sewer Overflows by up to 12 percent, as well as the volume and velocity of stormwater flows.6 EPA also notes that the costs of adapting existing CSO mitigation plans to manage the long-term risks associated with climate change could significantly increase funding requirements, exacerbating what is known as the “infrastructure gap”—the difference between available funding and the actually needed funding.7

From rooftops to rivers: green infrastructure yields economic and environmental benefitsNancy Stoner, Director, Clean Water Project, Natural Resources Defense Council, Washing-ton, D.C.; Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, Esq., Assistant Dean of Environmental Law Programs, Pace University School of Law, White Plains, New York

1 Report to Congress, Impacts of CSOs and SSOs, August 2004, EPA 833-R-04-001 at ES-5; Report available at http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/cso/cpolicy_report2004.cfm.

2 http://www.asce.org/reportcard/2005/page.cfm?id=103

3 U.S. EPA, The Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis, EPA-816-R-02-020 (Sept. 2002) (projects that 47% of sewer pipes will be in poor, very poor, or life-elapsed condition by 2020, up from 10% in 1980 and 23% in 2000).

4 U.S. EPA, The Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis, EPA-816-R-02-020 (Sept. 2002).

5 In Hot Water, pp. 4-16.

6 “A Screening Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Mitigation in the Great Lakes and New England Regions’’ (EPA/600/R-07/033A); available at http://www.epa.gov/ncea.

7 Id. at 26.


With global warming, failing infrastructure and a land de-velopment rate of twice that of population growth, our na-tion faces a water quality problem that is literally begging for attention, investment and innovation. Continuing to use the approaches of the past to deal with these pollution sources is likely to be both costly and largely unsuccessful. Public works managers are challenged to change tradition-al ways of thinking. It is time to revisit the long-embraced philosophy that the best course is to move stormwater as rapidly as possible into pipes—recognizing that in many cases this volume goes untreated into waterways or worse, causing sewage pipes to exceed capacity and overflow. Fortu-nately there are alternatives, and one is catching on in pro-gressive cities and towns across the United States. It is called green infrastructure, which does not just mean “green” as in environmentally sound, but instead green as the color of the vegetation that it relies upon as its principal wastewater treatment mechanism. The term “green infrastructure” has many definitions because it is used on a variety of scales—watershed or subwatershed, neighborhood, or site. In this article it applies to natural systems or designed or engineered systems that use soil and vegetation to mimic natural pro-cesses to protect and enhance environmental quality and provide utility services.

Green infrastructure in cities, where stormwater-induced pollution is most severe, includes green roofs, trees and tree boxes, rain gardens, vegetated swales, pocket wetlands, in-filtration planters and vegetated median strips—really any-where where soil and vegetation can be worked into the ur-ban landscape. Green infrastructure is often accompanied by other decentralized storage and infiltration approaches, including the use of permeable pavement and rain barrels and cisterns to capture and reuse rainfall for watering plants or flushing toilets. All of these have the benefit of keep-ing rainwater out of the combined system so that it does not cause sewage overflows, allowing it to be absorbed and cleansed by soil and vegetation, and then reused or allowed to flow back into groundwater or surface water resources.

Green infrastructure benefits include improved water qual-ity, expanded wildlife habitat, enhanced drinking water supplies, protected open space and parks, energy savings, smog reduction, decreased flooding, improved aesthetics and higher property values. Green infrastructure often saves taxpayers money as well by not only reducing sewage and stormwater pollution, but also by minimizing the amount of water that needs to be conveyed to centralized treatment facilities, thereby making those facilities more cost-effective to operate. Use of green infrastructure approaches in addi-tion to modernization of aging, decaying treatment plants, collection systems and distribution systems can forestall the need for even more costly approaches and investments in the future.

NRDC’s 2006 report, Rooftops to Rivers, reported on the green infrastructure strategies already employed by forward-thinking communities that are stretching wastewater infra-structure investments to achieve more by focusing on multi-benefit approaches, by leveraging private as well as public investment, and by weaving green infrastructure controls into a broad range of ongoing municipal activities, such as repair and rehabilitation of roads. And both the clean wa-terways themselves and the green infrastructure that keeps them clean increase property values, revitalize blighted neighborhoods, enhance street life and community aesthet-ics, and provide free recreation.8

In 2007, NRDC, EPA, the Low Impact Development Cen-ter, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, and a whole host of other organizations, in-cluding the American Public Works Association, joined to-gether to promote use of green infrastructure in stormwater and sewer overflow control programs. Since that time, EPA has compiled and developed a number of green infrastruc-ture resources that offer information and guidance to com-munities nationwide.9 EPA also has named a green infra-structure coordinator at EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and in each of the ten Regions, making it even easier for cities to gain information and guidance about green in-frastructure projects.10

Active green infrastructure programs in several U.S. cities, including Chicago, Portland and Seattle, have yielded early and significant success. Green infrastructure offers the ad-vantage of managing rain where it falls, often preventing it from reaching the sewer system. Less water in the sewer sys-tem means less pollution discharged from CSOs or separate stormwater sewers and lower treatment costs at wastewater treatment plants. Cost savings have also been gained from either avoiding the addition of new infrastructure or dimin-ishing the size and scope of capacity improvements.

An $8 million subsidized downspout disconnection pro-gram in Portland has saved $250 million in infrastructure improvements by diverting one billion gallons of rain annu-ally from the combined sewer system and allowing the rain to soak into the ground. Seattle’s first Street Edge Alternative (SEA) pilot project has retained 99 percent of the rain that has fallen during the five years of monitoring and prevented it from being discharged to sensitive receiving waters that are home to salmon.

8 NRDC, Rooftops to Rivers: Green Strategies for Controlling Stormwater and Combined Sewer Overflows (June 2006).

9 http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=298

10 http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure/gicontacts.cfm#region


The benefits of introducing green infrastructure are not con-fined to water quality. Green infrastructure filters airborne pollutants, helps to offset urban heat island effects, and can reduce the heating and cooling demands of buildings. Temperatures above Chicago’s City Hall green roof average 10-15°F lower than a nearby black tar roof, with the differ-ence being as much as 50°F in August. The associated energy savings for the building are estimated to be $3,600 annually. And one benefit of green infrastructure is often a critical fac-tor for thriving and sustainable communities: the aesthetic benefits gained from trees and vegetation.

A further good example of green infrastructure practices is the restoration of highly urbanized areas by using existing wetlands for stormwater management, as well as creating new wetlands for the same purpose. In the Rouge River area of Michigan, the Inkster Wetlands demonstration project uses 14 acres of wetlands (approximately nine of which are constructed) adjacent to the river to naturally treat storm-water before it enters the river. Prior to the project, “hard infrastructure” discharge pipes routed stormwater past the existing wetlands and directly to the river; however, the dem-onstration project rerouted stormwater through the existing wetlands which were supplemented with new, constructed wetlands. The project was completed in 1997 at a cost of $465,000. The results of a subsequent five-year monitoring study evaluated the effectiveness of the project at improv-ing the quality of the stormwater runoff and found that in addition to dampening stormwater flows, the wetlands also reduced concentrations of total suspended solids by 80 per-cent, total phosphorus by 70 percent, and both oxygen de-pleting substances (BOD) and heavy metals by 60 percent.

These cities that have shown innovation adopting green practices have also been at the forefront of the policy and institutional changes necessary to encourage new programs. Public funding has been critical to the adoption and ac-ceptance of green infrastructure. Public financing has been used directly to install pilot projects and subsidize commu-nity programs and provide grant money for private efforts. Chicago’s Department of the Environment announced that it would provide twenty $5,000 grants in 2006 for small-scale commercial and residential green roofs and received 123 applications. Policy changes have required that green infrastructure be the first option for new development and offered financial incentives for green infrastructure retrofits. Several cities have revised their stormwater regulations to place an emphasis on onsite retention and treatment and state a preference for green infrastructure approaches. Cities have also structured their utility fees to provide a fee dis-count when green controls are installed.

Another emerging advantage of green infrastructure is its link with the green jobs movement. Where it is being ap-plied, green infrastructure creates jobs for architects, design-

ers, engineers, construction workers, maintenance workers and a variety of small businesses engaged in designing and building green roofs, rain gardens, tree boxes and other types of green infrastructure.11 Green infrastructure approaches can achieve cleaner bodies of water, a greener environment and better quality of life.

The cities that have shown innovation adopting green practices are at the forefront of the policy and institutional changes necessary to encourage new green programs. In many cities, however, green infrastructure remains a garnish, not the meal. So, what can we do to eliminate obstacles—real or perceived—to green infrastructure solutions?

First, we need to refine and make readily accessible user-friendly models to quantify effectiveness of green infrastruc-ture solutions and its life-cycle cost, and tools for measuring economic and environmental benefits realized from the use of green infrastructure. Measurement of small-scale projects can be done with general ease. For example, to address lo-calized flooding caused by runoff from one alley, the City of Chicago removed the asphalt from the 630-foot-long, 16-foot-wide area and replaced it with a permeable paving system. The City then measured that, instead of generating stormwater runoff, the alley will infiltrate and retain the vol-ume of a three-inch, one-hour rain event. The permeable pavement requires little maintenance and has a life expec-tancy of 25 to 35 years. In other areas of the country, studies in Maryland and Illinois show that new residential develop-ments using conservation design approaches saved $3,500 to $4,500 per lot (quarter- to half-acre lots) when compared to new developments with conventional stormwater con-trols. These developments were conceived and designed to reduce and manage stormwater runoff by preserving natural vegetation and landscaping, reducing overall site impervi-ousness and installing green stormwater controls. Cost sav-ings for these developments resulted from less conventional stormwater infrastructure and paving and lower site prepa-ration costs. Importantly, in addition to lowering costs, each of the sites discharges less stormwater than conventional de-velopments. Adding to the cost savings, developments uti-lizing green infrastructure normally yield more lots for sale by eliminating land-consuming conventional stormwater controls, and lots in green developments generally have a higher sale price because of the premium that buyers place on vegetation and conservation development. Methods for predicting the effectiveness of large-scale or large-area green infrastructure projects prove more challenging and are still evolving, but absolutely exist today. For example, researchers at the University of California at Davis have estimated that for every 1,000 deciduous trees in California’s Central Valley, stormwater runoff is reduced nearly one million gallons—a

11 http://www.treepeople.org/trees/default.htm (projects creation of 50,000 new jobs from green infrastructure initiative)


value of almost $7,000. EPA, in fact, now has gathered in a single location a variety of accepted predictive models and calculators for green infrastructure, putting these tools in the hands of city managers and planners nationwide and helping to debunk the myth that the effectiveness of green solutions cannot be measured.12

Second, we need to identify—and take proactive steps to create—sources of federal, state and local funding for green infrastructure projects. The billions of dollars necessary to mitigate water pollution simply and absolutely cannot be found at the local level alone. Experience shows that when public financing is on the table, entities will pick up the green infrastructure ball and run with it. As an example (and as previously mentioned), in 2006 Chicago’s Depart-ment of the Environment announced that it would provide twenty $5,000 grants for small-scale commercial and resi-dential green roofs—and received 123 applications. EPA re-cently cataloged a variety of federal programs where fund-ing for green infrastructure projects may be available.13 Meaningful funding for such projects at the state and local levels remains generally elusive, but is starting to become more common.14

There are a variety of other ways to create funding for green solutions. These include the creation of stormwater utili-ties, similar in function to water and wastewater utilities, which then allow for the assessment and collection of user fees dedicated to a stormwater management program. The dedicated funds can then be applied in part to green infra-structure solutions or they can include incentives to encour-age voluntary use of green infrastructure. For example, Port-land’s River Rewards program provides a credit of up to 35 percent of the standard stormwater fee for properties that retain stormwater onsite. Another option is dedicating a cer-tain portion of collected local tax revenues to a stormwa-ter fund, thereby removing stormwater management from volatile and competitive general revenue funding at the lo-cal level. These dedicated stormwater funding sources could identify a preference for green infrastructure or establish a funding scale based upon the relative use of green manage-ment techniques. Frankly, the organizational structures and possibilities are many—but they have to be entertained and seriously considered, and existing revenue collection mech-anisms may need to be abolished or changed. And while change can be hard, it is far from impossible—especially when the environment stands to benefit.

Third, the role of regulatory requirements must be ex-plored—both in terms of how they facilitate and also hinder the use of green infrastructure. In the category of facilitation, research shows that a common driver among many cities us-ing green infrastructure is, in fact, the need to assure compli-ance with regulatory requirements. For example, a catalyst for Portland, Oregon’s active green infrastructure program is a need to satisfy a number of environmental regulatory requirements, including limitations on Combined Sewer Overflows, discharges into groundwaters used as drinking water supplies, and total maximum daily load (TMDL) al-locations.

However, these same regulatory requirements have shown themselves to hinder opportunities for creativity and will-ingness on the part of municipal decision makers to actively promote and introduce green infrastructure. For example, models have shown that trees with mature canopies can ab-sorb the first half-inch of rainfall—but trees can’t be planted with mature canopies. In contrast, a pipe can capture water as soon as it is installed and online. Because our regulatory and enforcement system revolves around compliance and immediate results, and because green solutions can take time to come into their own, green infrastructure can be snubbed in favor of a tried-and-true hard infrastructure solution that can produce measurable results to regulators. For example, many cities are reluctant to use green infrastructure as part of their CSO remediation programs because enforcement of-ficials generally prefer to see water quality benefit realized expressed in traditional terms, such as percent capture. Per-cent capture through green solutions is seen as unreliable—and thus, possibly less enforceable. We need to ensure that green infrastructure projects become an acceptable alterna-tive to hard infrastructure solutions in federal, state and lo-cal permitting and enforcement contexts—even if they may take more time to become fully effective. For example, a tree can take 20 years or more to develop a full canopy that will maximize its stormwater retention and other environmental benefits, which makes regulators reluctant to include them in long-term control plans for Combined Sewer Overflows; but it can take almost as long to design and build underground storage tunnels to retain wet weather flows, and those tun-nels provide no benefits until they are completed. At least trees provide some stormwater retention, shade, property enhancement, air quality benefits and aesthetics while they are growing. Regulatory and enforcement officials should focus on the big picture and ensure that the remedies they seek are the most beneficial over the long haul.

Many stormwater regulations focus on peak flow rate con-trol and flood control, and not on retention of stormwater and recharge of groundwater resources. Revision of these regulations to require minimizing and reducing impervi-ous surfaces, protecting existing vegetation, maintaining

12 http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure/modelsandcalculators.cfm

13 http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/greeninfrastructure/fundingopportunities.cfm

14 http://www.serconline.org/grInfrastructure/stateactivity.html


pre-development runoff volume and infiltration rates, and providing water quality improvements can encourage green infrastructure because it can meet these objectives. New Jer-sey’s stormwater management standards require 300-foot riparian buffers and stipulate a preference for non-structural best management practices (BMPs). These standards also in-stitute water quantity as well as quality regulations. The wa-ter quantity standards require no change in groundwater re-charge volume following construction and that infiltration be used to maintain pre-development runoff volumes and peak flow rates. Any increase in runoff volume must be off-set by a decrease in post-construction peak flow rate. Water quality standards require a reduction in stormwater nutrient loads to the “maximum extent feasible” and total suspended solids reductions of 80 percent. If the receiving water body is a high-quality water, the required total suspended solids reduction is 95 percent.

Further, existing local zoning requirements and building codes often inadvertently discourage the use of green infra-structure. Provisions requiring downspouts to be connected to the stormwater collection system prohibit disconnection programs and the use of green space for treatment of rooftop runoff. Mandatory street widths and building setbacks can unnecessarily increase imperviousness. Stormwater treat-ment requirements that favor centralized collection and treatment and prescribe treatment options offer little oppor-tunity or incentive to use green infrastructure. Jurisdictions should review their applicable stormwater and wastewater ordinances and revise them to remove barriers to green infrastructure use and encourage more environmentally friendly regulations. Those looking to see what other juris-dictions have done can consult a variety of resources, such as the comprehensive, publicly available compilation of ordinances maintained by Pace University School of Law’s Land Use Law Center in its Gaining Ground database. This resource contains local ordinances on all subjects, including low impact development and stormwater management, and groups them by state, EPA region, and topic.15

It is also critically important to recognize that some of the most significant barriers to incorporating green infrastruc-ture into existing urban areas are the costs and challenges associated with retrofitting these systems into built-out and space-constrained urban areas. For example, green in-frastructure solutions may be more appealing to developers and cities when they are part of a large investment of capital for new projects that are projected to substantially overhaul and upgrade existing infrastructure. For example, it is of-ten less expensive to install a green roof when an existing roof needs to be replaced, and rain gardens or trees in road median strips are often installed along with other street im-

provements when a street is already likely to be torn up and construction crews are onsite.

Fourth, we need to increase the public’s and policy makers’ awareness and acceptance of green infrastructure options. Although green infrastructure is in many cases less costly than traditional methods of stormwater and sewer overflow control, it often is easier to continue the habit of investing in existing conventional controls rather than trying an alter-native approach. It is incumbent on local decision makers, leaders and citizens to promote and publicize cleaner, more environmentally attractive methods of reducing the water pollution that reaches their communities. Green infrastruc-ture presents an opportunity for community outreach and education. Downspout disconnections, rain barrels, rain gardens and green roofs may individually manage a rela-tively small volume of stormwater, but collectively can have a significant impact. Green infrastructure can be introduced into a community one lot or one neighborhood at a time.

A commonality among cities that have incorporated green infrastructure is a commitment from city personnel. Whether elected officials or professional staff, these city leaders have recognized the benefits of green infrastructure and have suc-cessfully communicated its value to the public. These cities have also been innovative with their regulations and envi-ronmental policies, looking for existing and alternative av-enues to encourage adoption of new stormwater and CSO control strategies. These efforts are often popular because of the public’s positive response to the “greenscaping” that ac-companies the programs. As many local leaders have found, using green infrastructure in place of or in combination with less effective conventional methods of managing water pollution and stormwater runoff can have benefits beyond just economic cost savings and reduced pollution.

Finding an effective approach to achieve urban water quality has been elusive. However, it should be clear now that many cities are developing a track record of success in the green in-frastructure arena. They are demonstrating convincingly that green infrastructure is an economically and environmentally viable approach for water management and natural resource protection in urban areas. So with that, let’s do what it takes, city by city, to start enjoying the environmental and quality-of-life benefits green infrastructure delivers.

Nancy Stoner is the Director of the Clean Water Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an organization that uses law, science and the support of 1.2 million members to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things; she can be reached at (202) 289-2394 or [email protected]. Alexandra Dapolito Dunn is the Assistant Dean of Environmental Law Pro-grams at Pace University School of Law, which is nationally rec-ognized for its environmental law program; she can be reached at (914) 422-4209 or [email protected] See http://www.landuse.law.pace.edu/; look under “browse resources,”

no password needed.


he availability of water is vastly becoming a top prior-ity of municipal planners and utility administrators. With an increasing population and the subsequent demand for water resources, a new focus on waste-

water reuse is emerging—and not just in the arid climates of the deep Southwest. A shrinking freshwater supply and increasingly stringent discharge criteria have many utility providers seeing the millions of gallons discharged by their wastewater treatment facilities as a supplemental supply and potential revenue.

In June of 2006, the National Drought Mitigation Cen-ter at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln reported that more than 60 percent of the United States is experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions. More recently, the

southeastern part of the United States has reported extreme drought conditions, specifically in north and western Geor-gia. State climatologists and University of Georgia officials predict little hope of major recovery and say that there is a good probability that by the spring of 2008 southeastern Georgia may also experience severe drought conditions.

Water scarcity and expanding metropolitan populations are encouraging potable water providers to identify and de-velop additional surface and groundwater supply sources. Officials are planning billion-dollar projects to move un-allocated raw water hundreds and thousands of miles for treatment and distribution to major population centers. In some instances water utilities are competing for water rights in neighboring states in an effort to quench their thirst for water supply reserves.

This quest for more water, and increasing regulatory stan-dards on sewage plant effluents, has driven municipalities to consider wastewater reuse as a viable long-term solution to reduce potable water demand. Reclaimed wastewater has long been an acceptable product for agriculture and golf course irrigation, industrial processes and aquifer recharge. Polished wastewater effluents are also being utilized for in-direct reuse or discharge to a surface water supply. In order to realize sustainability in these and other wastewater reuse alternatives a utility must have confidence in its ability to reliably produce high-quality wastewater effluent.

Advancing Water Reuse TechnologyOver the past 10 years treatment of wastewater with mem-brane filters has grown. Membrane filtration delivers superi-or water quality, and with a growing number of installations, capital and operational costs are more closely resembling those associated with traditional wastewater treatment pro-cesses. In addition to the production of reuse quality waste-water, membranes offer unique advantages during wastewa-ter facility expansions as a result of their reduced treatment process unit footprint and operational simplicity.

Membranes are a man-made filter material that provide a physical barrier. The membrane’s pore size is designed to capture target pollutants. Table 1 indicates the range of pol-lutant capture as compared to membrane pore size. Mem-brane manufacturers offer a number of physical configura-tions ranging from a flat sheet of membrane material to a spiral-wound tube or even a hollow core fiber.

Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to waste…Michael J. GravesProject Manager and Wastewater Operations SpecialistGarver EngineersNorman, Oklahoma

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Table 1: Spectrum of Membrane Pollutant CaptureDescription Pore size (microns) Pollutant Capture

Microfiltration 0.1 – 1.0 Bacteria

Ultrafiltration 0.01 – 0.1 Viruses

Nanofiltration 0.001 – 0.01 Pesticides

Reverse Osmosis < 0.001 Desalination

Most of today’s wastewater treatment facilities employ a bio-logical process in which the facility itself is an engineered environment. They are designed to optimize the biodegra-dation of organic waste and the separation of suspended solids from the incoming wastewater. If a utility desires to produce a reuse quality product, or if a discharge water quality target cannot be met with conventional treatment, membrane treatment of wastewater effluents is a practical application to consider. Membrane treatment can also oc-cur in a combined process with the conventional biological treatment plant.

This is the concept behind the Membrane Biological Reac-tor. MBR treatment plants are unique in that the membranes are integral to the biological process, and in some cases, sub-merged within the existing biological process tanks. The MBR scenario offers the previously mentioned capital cost benefits by eliminating the solids settling (clarifiers) compo-nent of a traditional wastewater treatment plant. However, there are also many added operational considerations of the MBR. Because the membranes take the place of the second-ary clarification step, operators are no longer burdened with sludge bulking and the negative impacts of filamentous or Nocardia bacteria. Operational issues are further enhanced by the MBR’s ability to operate at higher suspended solids concentrations, thus reducing sludge yields and the estab-lishment of a more stable biomass that is potentially resis-tant to variable organic and toxic loads.

Table 2: Relative comparison of treatment alternativesParameter Conventional

ClarificationGranularFiltration

ConventionalClarificationMembrane Filtration

MBR

Land use required

3X 3X 1X

Effluent Quality

Very Good Excellent Excellent

Pathogen Removal

Very Good Excellent Excellent

Capital Cost 0.8X 1X 0.9X

Processes to Operate

3 3 1

Operator Attention

High High Low

Operator Familiarity

High Medium Low

Table 2 represents a comparison of three different wastewa-ter treatment trains consisting of the following:

Conventional biological process followed by clarifica-1. tion and granular gravity filtrationConventional biological process followed by clarifica-2. tion and membrane filtration MBR 3.

Water Reuse Case StudyMBR applications have dramatically increased and, with more installations, more confidence has been established in the MBR’s ability to produce reliable high-quality effluent. A recent Midwest case study evaluated two pilot-scale MBR plants that were targeting extremely low-level effluent phos-phorus concentrations. The pilot project verified that the target effluent concentrations can be met and effluent water quality is sufficient for reuse applications.

The proposed treatment process to meet the effluent phos-phorus goal of 0.037-mg/L was an MBR that integrated bio-logical, chemical and membrane processes for nutrient re-moval into an activated sludge treatment process. Further, the proposed treatment process targeted an effluent nitrate level of less than 10 mg/L. There are inherent limitations to minimum effluent phosphorus concentrations that can be achieved through biological means. As such, the biologi-cal process was enhanced with a chemical nutrient removal process prior to membrane filtration. Tertiary phosphorus removal was achieved by chemical precipitation with a metal coagulant (alum). The membrane system could then provide superior solids and precipitate removal and replace conventional secondary clarifiers and granular filters. The general schematic of the proposed process treatment train is provided in Figure 1.

The pilot study was conducted in four phases over a six-month period. The four phases included:

Phase 1 – Startup:• This phase provided the develop-ment of a microorganism population to establish bio-logical treatment.

Figure 1: Pilot Plant Process Schematic


Phase 2 – Optimization:• The optimization phase provided operational time for biological and chemical phosphorus removal and to allow the membrane pro-cess to be optimized and finalized prior to entering the demonstration period.

Phase 3 – Demonstration:• This phase aimed to dem-onstrate that the proposed process treatment train can meet all water quality requirements over the full dem-onstration period. It also demonstrated the proposed full-scale design parameters.

Phase 4 – Recovery• : This phase aimed to determine if a recovery clean will restore the membranes to original condition, as well as test for irreversible fouling of the membranes.

A detailed monitoring, sam-pling, and analysis plan was developed for each phase of the pilot study to en-sure proper data collection and similarity of results. In general, analytical data was collected from 24-hour composite samplers, and an independent certified test-ing laboratory performed necessary testing. Opera-tional data was collected via online electronic in-

strumentation, and access to the data was provided to project team members through a secure Internet connection. The data was evaluated for the ability to reliably maintain target effluent phosphorus and nitrate concentrations. Also, the data was analyzed for am-monia, COD, TSS, turbidity and total coliform.

Both MBR pilot plants proved to be an effective barrier to particulate matter, including unhydrolyzed solids, suspend-ed solids and chemical precipitants. Given the effectiveness of the membranes, the pilot units operated at an elevated suspended solids concentration (9,000 to 11,000 mg/L), thus providing the operational benefits anticipated from a higher solids concentration.

During the demonstration phase, both pilot units achieved significant phosphorus reduction. Overall, the pilot units achieved 99.49% phosphorus removal when comparing pilot unit influent to the pilot unit’s effluent (membrane perme-ate). As shown in Table 3, the pilot units comfortably provid-ed effluent below the extremely stringent phosphorus limit of 0.037 mg/L. Similar to the total phosphorus, the piloted treat-ment processes achieved nitrate levels well below the target set for the pilot study. As demonstrated, the pilot units pro-duced an effluent with less than 7 mg/L nitrate. Table 3 sum-marizes the effluent water quality from the pilot units during the demonstration phase as a 30-day running average.

Table 3: Summary of Pilot Plant Effluent Water QualityParameter 30-day Running Average

(mg/L)

Total Phosphorus < 0.03

Nitrate < 7.0

Ammonia-N < 0.1

COD < 18

TSS < 2

Turbidity < 0.05

Total Coliform < 10 cfu/100mL

Given the water quality achieved by the pilot units, MBR technology, combined with biological and chemical nutri-ent removal, should be considered where nutrient require-ments of NPDES permits are very stringent and/or for reuse programs. For instance, the Safe Drinking Water Act targets a drinking water finished turbidity value of <0.1 ntu. From Table 3, the piloted MBR processes produced an effluent tur-bidity value an order of magnitude less than the drinking water standard.

Water Reuse ScenarioWith discharge restrictions driving municipalities to pro-duce near drinking water quality from their wastewater ef-fluents, a new paradigm may be in order. For most cities, it seems a shame to expend the effort required to produce a high-quality effluent only to throw it away. The reality is that the effluent produced by an MBR plant will have sig-nificant value. Many municipalities in the arid Southwest and along both coasts already consider treated wastewater as a valuable resource and practice reuse in one or more of the following ways:

Irrigation (golf courses, ball fields, agricultural crops, etc.)•

Industrial (boiler water, air scrubbers, etc.)•

Commercial (car washes, facility/product washdown, etc.)•

Municipal (firefighting, WWTP washdown, etc.)•

Indirect potable (blending with other raw water resourc-• es prior to WTP)

When assigning a value to this new resource, it is important to consider at least two key points:

Every gallon reused in place of potable water translates 1. into an additional gallon of finished water capacity gained (typical Midwestern finished water rate = $2 per thousand). This is particularly valuable during the high-demand summer months.

Direct sale of effluent equates to raw water purchase by 2. industrial and commercial non-potable water users (as-sume raw water rate = 85 cents per thousand).

Hollow Fiber Membrane Module


For illustration purposes, consider the MBR equipment payback period if a mid-sized municipality were to practice non-potable reuse of 1.0 mgd of WWTP effluent:

Municipal Reuse = 0.6 mgd for all municipal non-pota-• ble needs (irrigation of golf courses, city parks and mu-nicipal complexes, WWTP washdown, etc.)

Effluent Sale = 0.4 mgd for industrial and commercial • users

Value = [(2.00/1000)0.6M + • (0.85/1000 + 2.00/1000)0.4M]365 = $854,000/yr

MBR Equipment Package Cost = • ($1.50/gal)(1mg) = $1.5M

Interest Rate = 3 percent•

MBR Equipment Payback Approxi-• mately 2 years

Under this scenario it is evident that the capital costs associated with ad-vanced reuse technology can offer a rapid return on the city’s investment.

Water Reuse ImplementationBefore implementation of wastewater reuse, municipalities should consider preparation of a Water Reuse Plan and the associated economic analy-ses. Such a plan can help educate the public, develop target users, establish a rate structure, determine investment return and identify the necessary dis-tribution infrastructure.

Although typically a tougher sale to the public, the greatest economic po-tential would be development of the plant effluent as a source of raw water supply. As most utility professionals have experienced, when it comes to in-direct potable reuse of wastewater the general public is not convinced that today’s water supply shortage warrants promotion of wastewater discharges into water supply reservoirs.

As source water supplies continue to diminish and wastewater effluent re-quirements become more stringent, wastewater reuse will become more paramount. MBR technology has proven a viable option for production of reliable reuse quality water. As utili-ties consider ways to offset the stresses on water supplies, it appears a priority

shift to reuse of one of their most valuable commodities—wastewater effluents—is on the horizon.

AcknowledgmentsThe author thanks the Water Business Line staff at Garver Engi-neers for their input to this article.

Michael J. Graves can be reached at (405) 329-2555 or [email protected].

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ecessity has been described as the mother of invention—which may explain why the city-state of Singapore has

long been a leader in water resources management. More than 4.5 million people reside within a geographic area one-fourth the size of Rhode Island. Optimization of water resources is es-sential for a highly urbanized island nation surrounded by ocean water, and PUB Singapore has adopted an ef-fective multifaceted approach to wa-ter resources management by adding new sources of supply while striving to make the most of existing supplies.

As the national water agency, PUB has a mission to secure an adequate supply of water at an affordable cost to Singa-poreans. Its strategy—“Water for All: Conserve, Value, Enjoy”—captures the board’s intent to ensure a sustainable water supply by diversifying supply sources and managing demand. The board obtains water from four sources and has implemented a public educa-tion program to bring Singaporeans closer to water so they will fully realize its value and embrace conservation.

Four National TapsAs a result of a concerted effort to diver-sify supply options, PUB now has four sources of supply. The first “National Tap” is stormwater. Catchments span half of Singapore, and total catchment area will be increased to two-thirds of the land area with three new reservoir schemes. The second water source is imported water from neighboring Jo-hore, Malaysia.

NEWater is the third National Tap. PUB’s NEWater program provides a sustainable solution to Singapore’s water supply. Advanced treatment of

used water with microfiltration/ulta-filtration, reverse osmosis, and ultra-violet filtration provides multi-barrier, dual-membrane treatment for direct non-potable use and indirect potable use (mixed and blended with reservoir water). A continuous public education and acceptance program is an impor-tant aspect of NEWater.

Fourthly, Singapore is tapping into desalination of seawater. The Singa-pore-Tuas Seawater Desalination Plant earned distinction in the Desalination Plant of the Year category at the 2006 Global Water Awards. The 36 million-gallon-per-day (136,380 cubic-meter-per-day) seawater reverse-osmosis (SWRO) plant is the largest of its kind in Asia and one of the largest in the world. The plant, designed by Black & Veatch in collaboration with EPC con-tractor Hydrochem (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hyflux), is one of the most energy-efficient SWRO plants in the world.

Singapore’s ABC Waters ProgrammeSingapore’s Active, Beautiful, and Clean (ABC) Waters Programme spans the na-tion’s water resources and extends be-yond the functional use of reservoirs and collection channels. Simply stated, the ABCs are:

Active• – Introduce new recreation-al and community spaces for all to enjoy; bring people closer to our waters

Beautiful• – Transform utilitarian canals and drains into naturalized rivers and streams

Clean• – Treat water close to source; build people-water relationships to instill sense of ownership of our

water; public education in keeping our waters clean

Through its ABC Waters Programme, PUB seeks to:

Develop these water bodies into • vibrant, clean and aesthetically pleasing lifestyle attractions for all to enjoy;

Tap ideas, expertise and resources • from watershed managers to de-velop and manage catchments and water bodies as new commu-nity spaces, while protecting water quality and public safety; and

Get the community closer to the • water so that they will learn to treasure it more.

An Education and Community En-gagement Plan provides the framework for developing a systematic strategy for reaching key audiences with spe-cific key messages critical to the suc-cess of the ABC Waters Programme. It is essential for gaining the support and involvement of the 3P (People, Public and Private) sectors. Its ultimate pur-pose is to increase public stewardship of the water bodies and waterways, as well as to inform people about the ABC Waters Programme.

Physical aspects of the plan promote personal bonding with the local waters and associated land. They can include such tangible activities as erecting signs that indicate the names of waterways, canals, and major drains; designing and installing storyboards with interpretive displays to convey key messages (e.g., history, the water cycle); providing ed-ucation sites at selected locations; and creating a center to highlight the im-portance of water for Singapore as well as PUB’s achievements in addressing

Bringing water to the people and people to the water in SingaporeGerry Miller, Deputy Director of Water Resources, Black & Veatch, Kansas City, Missouri; Nguan Sen Tan, Director of Catchment & Waterways Department, PUB Singapore; William Lim Chuan Hoe, Deputy Director of Catchment & Waterways Department, PUB Singapore; James Currie, Managing Director, Black & Veatch, Singapore; Kin Joe Cheng, Project Manager, Black & Veatch, Singapore


the need for an approach to managing and conserving water resources.

Western Catchment Master PlanIn the summer of 2006, PUB engaged Black & Veatch to serve as watershed manager for the Western Catchment. Other companies were engaged to serve in that capacity for the other two catchments. The role of each wa-tershed manager is to prepare a master plan for its respective catchment and then implement selected projects over a three-year period as an initial stage of the ABC Waters Programme. Selected projects from the plan completed by Black & Veatch in June 2007 have been identified for implementation.

Development of the Western Catch-ment Master Plan included research and analysis of many factors, including:

Principles for successfully integrat-• ing water bodies and activities;

Principles for sustainable urban • drainage for clean water;

Natural resources, including ter-• rain, surface geology and soils, cli-mate, and vegetation;

Existing water quantity and quality;•

Demographics and urban patterns • as well as historical, cultural, and heritage factors; and

Existing water-based and water-• related recreation.

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Western Catchment area in Singapore (Courtesy of Black & Veatch)


Singapore has a tropical urban hy-drology strongly influenced by short-duration, high-intensity rainfall and generally urbanized catchments with extensive impervious paved areas that are drained by a hydraulically efficient stormwater collection and conveyance system. The original natural streams in the Western Catchment, as elsewhere in Singapore, have been largely re-placed by straightened, concrete-lined channels to enlarge their hydraulic ca-pacities. Most of the waterways are in-termittent streams, and the waterways not separated from the open seas by tidal gates are subjected to tidal influ-ence. PUB’s assets in the Western Catch-ment include seven major water bodies or reservoirs, four rivers, and numerous smaller rivers and major drains.

It is recognized that waterways will not be used unless they are attractive, ac-cessible, and continuous. For example, improvements largely focus on making waterways more interesting, pleasant, enjoyable, satisfying, and fulfilling to attract people. The waterways must be easily accessible and offer visitors the opportunity to follow through to a de-sired destination. The waterways must also contain water beyond their dry weather flow channels.

Two of the six projects in the Western Catchment Master Plan that have been selected for immediate development are briefly described below.

Jurong Lake. Presently surrounding the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, Jurong Lake Park has been selected for transformation. Highlights of the pro-posals are providing wetlands and a geyser fountain within the north part of the lake to improve water quality; fishing areas; paths and pavilions ring-ing the lake; visitor facilities including shelters and a refreshment center; fam-ily water-based activities in the form of pedal boats and a children’s fish pond; significantly increased access from the eastern and northern sides; and a historical and science-based focus on water through storyboards and other means. The lake and park will become more active through the addition of ar-eas for fishing and kayaking and mini-

dragon boating as well as a dock for water play. It will become more beau-tiful through the addition of a geyser with boardwalks, a promenade, and wetlands to soften the edges. And it will become cleaner through the instal-lation of gross pollutant traps upstream of the lake to reduce litter entering the lake, the use of interpretive storyboards to instruct the public about the history of the lake and the importance of keep-ing the water clean, aeration via the new geyser, and water quality improve-

ments using wetlands.

Pandan Reservoir. The man-made Pandan Reservoir is currently a com-petitive water sports area that was formed through the construction of a 3.85-mile-long (6.2-kilometer-long) earthen dike that is approximately 4.4 yards (4 meters) higher than the road level. As is, the reservoir is not highly visible to the public. Pandan Reservoir provides some wonderful opportuni-ties for development as a major water-

One of the improvements planned for Pandan Reservoir is the addition of rowing and kayak-ing lanes to facilitate more interaction with and appreciation of the water. (Courtesy of Black & Veatch)

Wetlands are being added to the northern part of Jurong Lake to improve water quality, and visitors will be able to enjoy the improvements by strolling an adjacent boardwalk. (Courtesy of Black & Veatch)


based recreation center in the western part of Singapore, full of vibrancy and activity. It can be the place to learn or improve water sports skills, fish, in-dulge in remote control model boat-ing, learn about mangrove habitats, or simply enjoy a waterside picnic.

In the future, it will become more ac-tive through enhancements that will include a viewing deck, car parks, pub-lic toilets, and changing rooms; the ad-dition of rowing and kayaking lanes for training and competition; and facilities for fishing, sailing and remote-control boating. Improvements to make the reservoir more beautiful include the addition of a floating island to serve as a landmark and 455 yard (500 meter) racing lanes for the rowers; softscap-ing the harsh rock embankments; and landscaping and shelters. The reservoir will become cleaner through the addi-tion of rock pools along the Ulu Pan-dan canal that will serve as a place for fish to hide and breed and will provide a safe wading area for the public.

Jurong Lake and Pandan Reservoir are but two elements of the Western Catch-ment Master Plan, which, in turn, is but only one piece of a bigger picture. In many ways and on many levels, Sin-gapore is moving ahead with a holistic, integrated approach to water manage-

ment that can serve as an example for communities worldwide.

Gerry Miller can be reached at (913) 458-3678 or [email protected]; James Currie can be reached at [email protected]; and Kin Joe Cheng can be reached at [email protected].

Pandan Reservoir, located in Singapore’s Western Catchment and shown here in existing form, is being transformed into a more active, beautiful, and clean water body. (Courtesy of Black & Veatch)

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he island of Oahu has a population approaching one million people. The primary source of drinking water for the population is groundwater. The groundwater on Oahu is a natural freshwater resource but this re-

source is limited. Planners have projected that by the year 2020 groundwater sources on Oahu will be fully developed. Our island water supply is a precious resource that needs special attention and protection. To extend the life of this precious resource, we need new creative and innovative ideas for water conservation.

The large presence of the U.S. Army on Oahu makes them a major player in the role of conserving our water resourc-es. One method the Army is using to achieve sustainabil-ity is upgrading the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)

at Schofield Barracks to increase the versatility of the reuse of the wastewater. Successful design and implementation of the new technological upgrades at the WWTP resulted in the improved quality of the treated water from R2 quality to R1 quality. While the R2 quality was constrained to agricul-tural use, the R1 quality water can be used for irrigation of golf courses and other large grassy areas in the vicinity. The increased use of the wastewater alleviates the demand on the groundwater sources.

The rapid population growth experienced at Schofield Bar-racks not only requires increased conservation but increased capacity of the WWTP. The challenge the Army was faced with was limited space and a limited budget to implement new technological upgrades of the WWTP. Due to the Ar-

Implementation of a Membrane Biological Reactor at Schofield BarracksTrey Maddox, Engineer Intern, and Karl Santa, Mechanical Engineer, Utilities Division, Directorate of Public Works, USAG-HI, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

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my’s goals and constraints, a Membrane Biological Reactor system (MBR) was chosen as the ideal solution.

The operation of the MBR technology involves the use of hollow strands of porous plastic fiber with billions of micro-scopic pores on the surface. The pores form a physical barri-er to impurities while allowing pure water molecules to pass through and be collected inside the hollow fiber. Implemen-tation of an MBR would meet stringent reuse water quality standards while increasing capacity, achieve a cost-effective and reliable solution, maximize reuse of the existing infra-structure, and minimize the plant footprint. The new plant design will increase the flow capacity from 2.3 million gal-lons per day (MGD) to 4.2 MGD. The increased capacity is essential for the rapid population growth experienced at Schofield Barracks. The new MBR system is ideal for the new stringent discharge and reuse limits, tight budgets, and lim-ited space the Army is faced with at Schofield Barracks.

Construction of the MBR began in March 2006 and was completed in November 2006. In the MBR system, the fi-bers are submerged in an aerated biological reactor. Before the wastewater reaches the MBR it first goes through a fine screen that removes larger particles that could damage the fibers. Following the anoxic zone, the wastewater enters an

aeration zone where the bacteria consume the organic com-pounds before the wastewater reaches the membrane. After passing through the membrane the water has been stripped of contaminants such as bacteria and viruses, suspended sol-ids, parasites, and some organic macro molecules. This puts the MBR in the ultrafiltration range. Once the water goes through the membrane it is sent through UV disinfection which is the final stage of the process before the water is considered R1 quality.

The membrane bioreactor has several distinct advantages over the previous existing conventional activated sludge system. The benefits of the implementation of the MBR re-sulted in the following improvements:

Higher quality effluent (R1) with numerous possible ap-• plications for reuseHigher capacity without increasing the plant footprint• Elimination of secondary clarifiers• Increased automation• Modular expandability• Built-in redundancy• Higher mixed liquor concentrations (8-10,000 mg/L • compared to 1200 mg/L)

Due to the limited space and the limited supply of groundwater in Hawaii, the membrane bioreactor was an ideal solution for the Schofield Barracks wastewater treatment plant. The MBR is also in line with the Army’s emphasis on sustainability.

On June 5, 2007, Aqua Engineers and the U.S. Army as a partnership were awarded a 2007 Global Ecomagination Leadership Award. This was awarded by General Electric as a result of the successful design and implementation of the new technological upgrades at the Wastewater Treatment Plant at Schofield Barracks.

Trey Maddox can be reached at (808) 656-1410 ext. 1104 [email protected]; Karl Santa can be reached at (808) 656-2682 ext. 1226 or [email protected]. Aqua Engineers, a firm specializing in water and wastewater projects in Hawaii, can be reached at [email protected].

Installation of MBR


ater in the western United States is a precious commodity. Many states such as Utah are con-sidered to be desert climates and providing the quality and quantity of water to support the

inevitable growth is an ongoing battle. Finding, develop-ing and sustaining water supplies provides a challenge that most rural communities struggle to overcome. To maintain service to development, communities must be constantly planning ahead.

Planning for the future can be a daunting task. Smaller com-munities generally do not have the resources needed for proper planning, and they may become overwhelmed with the task. Planning is generally triggered after an accounting of the existing system supplies has been done or an event has occurred which drives the need for more source, storage or distribution. The timeframe used for planning is typically 10-20 years for distribution lines, 20-30 years for transmis-sion lines and 50+ years for supply sources. The following steps outline the planning process that rural communities can follow.

Funding the Plan: Most rural communities do not have the staff or qualified resources required to develop a plan for their future water needs. This task generally is contracted out to a consultant who can guide them through the de-velopment of the plan, but consultants cost money. Fund-ing can be obtained for small communities through state and federal programs which are set up specifically for the rural cities and towns. A few examples are the State Revolv-ing Fund (SRF) Program and the USDA Rural Development Utility Funding Program for Rural Communities. These pro-grams offer loan/grant combinations that are attractive to small communities. In addition, the Rural Water Association has state chapters set up that can assist rural communities with applying for funding at little or no cost. The funding agencies encourage small and rural communities to devel-op these plans by providing planning fund options. Most construction project funding requires rural communities to have plans in place to qualify for the funds. The consultant fees for developing the plan for small communities can be up to $50,000 depending on their complexity. Larger water systems may spend up to $150,000 for a plan.

Demand Forecast: Once funding is secured and resources are in place, the planning process can begin. First, a com-munity must first understand what their current and future needs will be. Some speculation of future growth is necessary

to set the goal for the plan. The Census can help to provide forecasting numbers. Also, state-operated departments like the Utah Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget can pro-vide some assistance with projections. Typical information used for demand forecasting is water billing data, weather data, demographic data and economic data. This informa-tion is used to develop per capita and land use projections.

Evaluate Need for Additional Sources: Once the de-mand is forecasted, the need for additional supplies can be evaluated. This involves looking at existing sources and de-termining their long-term yield. This would include evalu-ating the annual production, peak production and seasonal availability of each source. It also includes managing the de-mand on the existing sources allowing them to last longer. Management of demand can delay the requirement for de-veloping new sources by maximizing the existing supplies.

Identify Water Supply Options: After comparing the existing supplies to the projected demands, the supply defi-cit can be determined. The community then needs to ex-amine all possibilities for new sources of supply. These may include groundwater supplies, new or expanded surface sup-plies, purchased water from other suppliers, importation of water through wholesale suppliers, and reuse water. Each of the available options should be considered and all issues as-sociated with each option should be evaluated. These issues may include:

Regulatory requirements for the source such as cross-• ing state boundaries with supply, development of the source, and monitoring and reporting.

Water quality of the source. Determining if partial or • full treatment be required, and if the source be worth the investment to develop if the water quality is ques-tionable.

Proper protection of the new source and any existing • sources in the same area should be considered.

Public perception and acceptance can play an important • role in getting approval to construct, operate, maintain and protect the new source.

Adequate water rights should be available for the source • before considering its development. In the western United States, the appropriation doctrine of water rights is used.

Planning for future water needs of small rural communities in the westTena Campbell, P.E.Project ManagerBowen, Collins & AssociatesBoard Member, APWA Utah Chapter


The life of the new source should be evaluated. If it will • only be available seasonally or for a limited number of years, it may not meet the projected demands.

The yield of the new source and the potential impacts • on adjacent existing sources must be considered. For ex-ample, if a groundwater well may influence other exist-ing wells in the same aquifer, it may not be permitted for construction.

The environmental impacts of the • new source can rule it out before it can be constructed. All potential im-pacts should be evaluated such as en-dangered species, wetlands, cultural resources, contaminated soils, visual impacts, streams and lakes.

The financial issues and economic • feasibility must be evaluated. If a source is too expensive to con-struct based on its ultimate pro-duction, then it may be ruled out as an option.

Identify the Preferred Plan: Af-ter extensive evaluation of all options and impacts, the preferred alternative should be selected. The selection should be based on which option was the most cost effective, had the least amount of environmental impact, was most widely accepted by the public, and was finan-cially feasible to construct. The selec-tion team for the preferred alternative should be made up of representatives from all interest groups. These may in-clude staff from the community’s util-ity and administrative departments, elected officials, regulators, the public and/or public interest groups, and en-vironmental groups. All potential stake-holders should participate in the deci-sion process to facilitate acceptance and a smooth transition through the plan. An effective way to include the stake-holders is to develop a committee with representatives from each group which will participate from start to finish in the planning process. The committee should meet regularly reviewing infor-mation at each scheduled milestone so they are well informed when the selec-tion of the preferred alternative is to be completed.

Once the plan is complete and the preferred alternative selected, the rural community will be tasked with imple-

menting the plan. A capital improvements program, which is generally phased, should be part of the plan. It may take from 10 to 15 years to get the plan funded, studied, designed and constructed. The plan will be instrumental in applying for and acquiring funding for the project(s).

Tena Campbell can be reached at (801) 495-2224 or [email protected]. This article was brought to you by the APWA Small Cities/Rural Communities Forum. For more information e-mail [email protected].

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s was the case in most of the south-eastern United States throughout

the summer of 2007, Elmore County, Alabama experi-enced record lows when it came to the amount of rain-fall it received. This lack of rainfall severely affected water levels in a number of lakes in Alabama, including Lake Martin, which is the main water supply for the Central Elmore Water and Sewer Authority (CEWSA). After several meetings with the Alabama Power Compa-ny, who controls the release of water from Lake Martin for power generation, CEWSA realized that if this situation was ignored and the drought continued, they were going to run out of water.

“To ensure a continuous and uninterrupted supply of water to more than 66,000 people, we worked in partnership with water services engineers from Gresham, Smith and Partners (GS&P) to develop a quick, strategic and effective way to solve this problem,” commented Robert L. Prince, Jr., gen-eral manager of CEWSA.

CEWSA and GS&P started by assessing the situation and looking at the raw water pump station to determine at what water level elevation in Lake Martin, the area’s main water supply, the raw water pumps would begin to cavitate. The pump’s raw water intake is fed by two intake lines in Lake Martin. The “upper intake” was dry and the lake level was continuing to fall to record lows for this time of year, mean-ing the same fate was possible for the “lower” intake. After much consideration, it was agreed that CEWSA must go for-ward with the Emergency Drought Intake Plan.

Emergency Drought Intake PlanGS&P considered various pump types, layouts, piping schemes and pump feasibilities due to existing site condi-

tions. CEWSA elected to work with a local supplier, Hydra-Service out of Warrior, Ala., who would provide all equip-ment and some labor to install the system. After a meeting with GS&P, CEWSA and Hydra-Service, a floating barge sys-tem was conceptually laid out along with required controls and connections. Understanding the urgency of the prob-lem, Hydra-Service began fabricating barges the next day.

The system was designed to be able to deliver 6,000 gal-lons per minute (gpm) to the raw water pump station. The unconventional part was that the static head condition, typically a fixed quantity in hydraulics, was going to vary from the initial condition to an assumed “doomsday” lake level when the drought had hit its peak—a level taken to be approximately 18 feet lower than current levels. This was achieved by sizing the pumps for the worst case and utiliz-ing variable frequency drives to reduce pump speed and flow as required.

The Floating Barge ConceptThe barge consists of four separate floats, three of which

Drought of 2007: Drastic times cause for drastic measuresLayton MengPR ManagerGresham, Smith and PartnersNashville, Tennessee

The emergency pumps are designed to deliver raw water at a rate of 6,000 gallons per minute. This floating barge will rise and fall with the lake level, ensuring reliable operation.


each house a 95 HP submersible pump and the fourth sup-porting the necessary pipe header. Each pump can handle approximately 4600 gpm. This means two pumps together achieve the flow required, leaving the third pump as a back-up. The associated control panels are set up on shore. Power is supplied from the existing motor control center with the existing 1000 kW genset providing backup power. Eighteen-inch HDPE pipe is suspended just below the water surface by floats and serves as the raw water line between the barge and the connection point.

The modifications to existing infrastructure were twofold. The first required an approximately 10-foot-deep excavation to get to the upper intake line. It was cut and a 24” tee with a 24” plug valve was installed. The valve was closed and the pump discharge was hooked up to the tee. This valve al-lowed the intake screen to be closed off and isolated from the emergency pumping system. All joints on the upper in-take line were dug up and restrained to ensure the pipeline could handle the operating pressures it would see.

The second modification was necessary because of the need to hydraulically connect the existing wet well, which was split into two separate wet wells by an internal partition wall, while isolating the lower intake screen from the system. Dif-fering water levels in this wet well were not desirable and would also make the control system very complex. The solu-tion was to install a 24” plug valve in the lower intake line. This modification required an excavation approximately 30’ x 40’ and 25’ deep. The excavation required one six-inch pump to provide the necessary dewatering during the instal-lation of the plug valve. Nylon covers were custom-made and placed on the lower intake screen by divers. The line was cut and the valve was, after much effort, installed and closed. Mission accomplished.

Success“The success of this project boiled down to the coopera-tion of environmental professionals all working together

to develop an innovative and non-traditional solution to a unique problem,” stated Bo Linder, project manager from GS&P.

After five weeks of efficient teamwork, the conceptual de-sign, fabrication, delivery and construction were complete and the system was up and running. CEWSA did not experi-ence any interruption in their ability to provide water ser-vice to their customers. Furthermore, this emergency pump concept, as well as the modifications to the existing infra-structure, allows CEWSA to operate their existing raw water pump station in the same manner as prior to the drought. It also provides easy connections in the future should extreme drought conditions strike again.

Andy Yarbrough, project engineer from GS&P added, “This project posed a unique challenge in that we were operat-ing against a very serious deadline being imposed by nature. Ultimately, success was a direct result of the collaboration among all parties involved. Equal input from CEWSA, GS&P and Hydra-Service led to a reliable solution that maintained the quality of life for the citizens of Elmore County.”

Layton Meng can be reached at (615) 770-8463 or [email protected].

Approximately 550 feet of 18-inch high-density polyethylene pipe were fused together to provide a discharge line for the floating pump station. A track hoe is moving the line into place for connec-tion to the existing 24-inch raw water intake line.


n the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon many security initiatives were enacted—none more critical than the initiatives that af-fect the 160,000 public drinking water utilities and the

more than 16,000 wastewater utilities in the United States.

Drinking water and wastewater facilities are vulnerable to a variety of attacks, including contamination with deadly agents and physical and cyber attacks. In the event these attacks were to occur large numbers of illnesses or casual-ties or denial of service would be the result. Critical services such as firefighting, health care and other dependent and interdependent sectors such as energy, transportation, and food and agriculture would suffer negative impacts from a denial of this service.

For decades, water sector utilities have been protecting hu-man health and the environment. EPA has been working with public and private water sector utilities to secure criti-cal infrastructure across the nation. This work began prior to 9/11; many of EPA’s ongoing programs support security-re-lated activities and were carried out under the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. All water sector utility partners continue to col-laborate to be better prepared to prevent, detect and respond to and recover from terrorist attacks and other intentional acts, natural disasters and other hazards.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was estab-lished immediately following 9/11. The mission is to lead the unified national effort to secure America. DHS is to pre-vent and deter terrorist attacks and protect against and re-spond to threats and hazards to the nation. DHS is to ensure safe and secure borders, welcome lawful immigrants and visitors, and promote the free-flow of commerce.

Several programs were promulgated to enhance security for drinking water facilities. Each facility was to develop a Vul-nerability Assessment that identified potential areas of ex-posure to hazards. Then each facility was to develop a Risk Management Plan which outlined tools to mitigate the haz-ards. EPA is the lead agency, under the DHS, to ensure these programs were implemented. EPA (at least Region 6) has be-gun monitoring facility compliance with the Risk Manage-ment Plan and, in the event of a deficiency, issuing a Notice of Violation and a fine.

President Bush issued a directive that has taken water and wastewater utility security to a new level. President Bush issued the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HSPD-7). This directive charges certain federal agencies with identifying and prioritizing critical national infrastruc-ture and resources for protection from terrorist acts that could cause catastrophic health impacts or mass casualties; undermine public confidence; or disrupt essential govern-ment functions, essential services or the economy. In rec-ognition of the distinctive characteristics of different infra-structure assets, HSPD-7 divides the national infrastructure into 17 sectors and assigned protection responsibilities for them to selected federal agencies. EPA has been designated as the federal agency for the water sector.

A key requirement of HSPD-7 is that DHS and EPA develop a strategy to protect all critical infrastructure. That strategy is called the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). It provides the unifying structure for integration of current and future infrastructure protection efforts into a single national program to achieve the goal of a safer, more se-cure nation. The plan can be found at http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/programs/editorial_0827.shtm. Wastewater facili-ties are now considered a critical asset. Up to now security efforts concentrated on drinking water systems.

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) published Protecting Water Infrastructure Assets…Legal Issues in a Time of Crisis Checklist in the wake of Sep-tember 11, 2001. Since that time terrorist attacks have con-tinued around the world and NACWA has partnered with the American Public Works Association, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and the Water Environment Federation to expand, revise and update the issues covered in the original Checklist. This revision is still in draft form but will soon be released. The original document can be found in the NACWA bookstore.

We all rely on clean and safe water. As professionals in the water and wastewater utility industry it is paramount that we protect these critical assets. All of the sector’s public health, environmental and security-related efforts rely on a multi-barrier approach. Every community water system must provide an annual “Consumer Confidence Report” to its customers. We must utilize every tool available to ensure the most up-to-date and effective security systems.

Matt Singleton can be reached at (817) 410-3328 or [email protected].

Water security update

Matt SingletonDirector of Public WorksCity of Grapevine, TexasMember, APWA Water Resources Management Committee


akland County is located in southeast Michigan and consists of 61 cities, villages and townships (CVTs). The population density of the county varies from several larger cities that border Detroit in the south-

east portion of the county, to a very rural environment in the northwest. The Oakland County Drain Commissioner (OCDC) oversees water, wastewater, and stormwater activi-ties within the county and the Road Commission of Oakland County (RCOC) oversees the maintenance and operation of the county’s roads and bridges. Although the larger cit-ies and townships often have an independent public works staff, the rural communities are more likely to rely on the County for public works support. In addition, the Southeast Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) provides engi-neering support for water public works in 11 of the county’s larger communities.

Oakland County is providing oversight and coordination of County and CVT activities in the areas of emergency, as-set, and information management. The County recognizes that these three management systems overlap in the areas of data collection, storage, and distribution, and that CVTs will need to be able to access a common Information Technol-ogy (IT) system or network to achieve real-time data moni-toring across the county. Thus, the County has developed a common systems approach, requiring that datasets and operational procedures be standardized across local juris-dictional lines to provide consistency and efficiency with newly implemented practices and acquired technologies.

With initial funding by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, OCDC selected a steering committee to enhance public works communication, data sharing, and response capabilities in the event of a disaster or catastrophic event. The steering committee includes representatives of OCDC, the County’s CVTs, SOCWA, and OCIT, the County’s Infor-mation Technology department. In looking at preparedness enhancements, the committee relies on an all-hazards per-spective, recognizing the need to address both natural di-sasters (e.g., floods, storms, pandemics) and acts of sabotage (e.g., domestic or international terrorism). Finally, realizing that emergency preparedness tools and programs are more likely to be adopted when integrated into everyday work ac-tivities, the committee’s recommended programs and tools focus on the more traditional, non-catastrophic events as well (e.g., water main breaks, debris clearing).

Perceived Needs and BenefitsWith climate change and an apparent increase in activism and political extremism, the number and types of hazards confronting the public works infrastructure appear to be on the rise. Although no major acts of international terrorism have occurred in the U.S. since September 11, 2001, there continues to be concerns regarding domestic terrorism, ex-tremist elements within more moderate activist organiza-tions, and more likely, a devious act being committed by a disgruntled employee or citizen. In addition, although hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires are more frequently associated with the southern and/or western parts of the U.S., the Great Lakes and eastern regions of the country are becoming concerned with the perceived increased risk of flooding, droughts, and possible water shortages.

Three independent events suggest that the role public works personnel are to play in response to a catastrophic event is about to change. With the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001 it became apparent that public works personnel could be found working with local law enforcement and firefighting officials to clear away rubble and search for survivors. During the power outage of 2003 that impacted the northeastern U.S., we found public works personnel with hand-held lamps guiding motorists out of the downtown areas of New York City. Operations were curtailed due to insufficient emergency power backup at water and wastewater facilities. As the public contacted public works personnel, law enforcement, or their elected officials regarding the resumption of services, they often re-ceived different answers making it apparent that data shar-ing and communications in times of an emergency lacked consistency and timeliness. Finally, with Hurricane Katrina, we experienced such a vast extent of damage that it was clear public works personnel were going to be engaged in disaster recovery efforts long after local law enforcement and fire of-ficials returned to their daily job assignments.

Faced with these challenges, public works personnel clearly exceeded the call of duty. Risking life and limb, they up-held America’s longstanding tradition of helping people in need. Perhaps the real lesson learned from these events is that we need to invest in the emergency response capabili-ties of public works personnel just as we are doing for law enforcement officers and firefighters who currently receive the majority of security funds. Everyone benefits if public works personnel have the right equipment, training, and

Regional Public Works Emergency Management Cooperative: a case reportTim Prince, Chief Engineer, Oakland County Drain Commissioner’s office, Oakland County, Michigan; Tom Trice, Director of Public Works, Bloomfield Township, Michigan, and APWA Past President; and Michael Kenel, Senior Management Consultant, CDM, Ann Arbor, Michigan


real-time information enabling them to respond in a timely and sustained manner.

Smaller communities, having limited or no public works staff to rely on in an emergency, are perhaps in greatest need of a regional emergency cooperative that can supplement their existing capabilities. As local governments experience less federal and state funding, it becomes even more impera-tive that communities take full advantage of programs and tools that can provide optimal emergency preparedness at the lowest possible cost.

Vision and Strategic PlanThrough facilitated meetings, the steering committee devel-oped a long-term vision of where it wanted the County and CVT public works community to be in regards to emergency preparedness within the next five to eight years. The vision is for public works to work in concert with the other emer-gency response agencies within the county, and for the indi-vidual public works organizations to share resources, skills, and information so the County can prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from any disaster as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

Four strategic goals were developed to support the public works community in reaching its long-term vision. The goals focus on having a sustainable governance structure that would oversee: the development of technologies and procedures in a consistent manner across the various CVT jurisdictions; the development of standardized emergency operating procedures that would service as the basis of train-ing and exercises; the enhancement of emergency notifica-tion and interoperable communication systems; and the providing of public works personnel with the technology and real-time data to best manage an emergency.

The steering committee identified deliverables and/or activi-ties that would need to be performed for the public works community to reach their strategic goals. Some 74 deliver-ables and/or activities were identified. These activities were grouped into 10 project initiatives which now serve as the basis of the steering committee’s Strategic Plan for Emergen-cy Preparedness.

Project InitiativesThe timing and degree to which the 10 project initiatives are implemented will depend on the availability of resources and the specific needs of the public works community as the program matures over the next four to five years. The proj-ects were designed and described in such a fashion so that communities would clearly recognize that, by joining the regional cooperative, they could achieve an optimal level of preparedness with far less expense than if they were to try to achieve the same results on their own. The following project initiatives were identified:

1. Governance: Representatives of the various CVTs would be selected by the steering committee to oversee the activities of the cooperative. Specifically the governance board would:

Develop policy statements related to the direction and • operation of the program.

Set short- and long-term goals and objectives.•

Be responsible for securing funding.•

Approve and monitor performance metrics.•

Approve the scope, schedule, and budget for the 10 • project initiatives.

Assign roles and responsibilities within the coopera-• tive.

A second administrative body, the Technical Council, is needed to support the identification and adoption of new technologies in a consistent and efficient manner across the region. Technical Council members could consist of repre-sentatives from the County and CVTs recognized for their knowledge and expertise in specific disciplines including, at a minimum:

Geographical Information Systems (GIS)• Information Technology and System Networks• Emergency Management and Response• Online Water Quality Monitoring• Security System Design and Implementation• Communication Systems•

The Technical Council would guide the governance board on the adoption of new technologies as they become com-mercially available, and would develop standards and pro-tocols enabling the local communities to adopt acquired technologies for seamless integration across jurisdictional lines. The Technical Council also would act as a resource to local communities regarding the selection of specific ven-dor products and provide cost savings by recommending the consolidation of purchases.

2. Standardized Supporting Data Sets: The data man-agement needs of GIS, Asset Management, Emergency Man-agement, and Computer Maintenance Management Systems often overlap. For example, geographically locating critical infrastructure assets on a GIS system can support an emer-gency management program by enabling emergency person-nel to arrive promptly at the scene. The physical condition and repair history for water mains as stored in an asset man-agement database might be accessed to support a decision to replace the water main instead of repairing it again. As in-dividual public works communities obtain and accumulate this data, it would be prudent to have a standardized data format and common terminology allowing data sharing and analysis in a similar fashion across the region.

3. Standardized Operating Procedures: Public works personnel need to know their specific roles and responsibili-ties in responding to an emergency. Often these responsi-bilities differ depending on the nature of the incident (e.g., tornado versus water contamination). Incident-specific


emergency operating procedures adopted uniformly by all participants within the cooperative can enhance under-standing and expectations during an emergency and serve as the basis for joint training and exercises. A formalized method of issuing additional operational procedures when new technologies are acquired should be implemented. This ensures the regular communication of what is needed to achieve optimal performance. It is particularly impor-tant that such procedures reflect the Incident Command structure as defined in the National Incident Management System and that the incident-specific emergency operating procedures address all hazards that might be expected to confront public works personnel.

4. Joint Training Program: Joint training can reduce overall costs, build relationships, promote communication across jurisdictional lines, and be structured to make maxi-mum and practical use of standardized operating procedures. In addition to training on adopted procedures, training is also needed on the Incident Command System as it applies to public works operations, and on the deployment of new technologies as they are adopted across the region. Training, and possible credentialing of response team members, may remove the concern often expressed about the preparedness of personnel providing assistance. The overall training pro-gram can consist of courses provided by federal and state agencies, third-party vendors, or members of the Technical Council and local communities.

5. Communication and Alert Notification: Consider-able investment has been made to provide local law enforce-ment and first responders with interoperable communica-tions and automated alert notification systems. Such systems are equally important to public works personnel because of their expanded role in response and recovery operations. Typically, during the early phases of an emergency, there is a heightened need for law enforcement and firefighters to communicate quickly and effectively. Consequently, pro-tocols may need to assign a lower priority to routine public works announcements to ensure that emergency communi-cations are uninterrupted and that the entire system is not overloaded.

Given the large number of CVTs within Oakland County, and that multiple points of contact may be needed for some communities, an automated alert notification system can reduce call and response times significantly. Commercially available software packages can systematically send text and voice messages over an array of communication devices (e.g., land lines, cell phones, pagers, e-mails) until the tar-geted recipient acknowledges receipt of the message. Such systems can automatically translate voice and text messages into foreign languages. In addition, they often can over-come the obstacles that occur when individual communi-ties use incompatible communication devices from different manufacturers.

6. Drills and Exercises: Building on the standardized emergency operating procedures and training defined earlier, drills and exercises complete the cycle. The lessons learned during the drills and exercises can be used to further refine the response procedures and training content. A strategy for conducting drills and exercises is needed if public works per-sonnel are going to gain the maximum benefit. Experience suggests that public works personnel receive prior training in the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command organizational structure. Staff should understand the role and responsibilities of the Incident Commander, the various section chiefs (e.g., logistics, operations), and the supporting role team members need to play. By conducting sequentially more complex table-top exercises, the activities take on real meaning, especially if they are based on some of the more common disasters likely to be encountered (e.g., major water main breaks, inclement weather, power outages) by public works personnel. Similarly, live exercises are best received if they start with public works personnel and then expand to include local law enforcement and first respond-ers, culminating with more complex incident scenarios in-volving multiple agencies (e.g., public health, hospitals, and state government agencies).

7. Mutual Aid Agreement and Response Teams: WARN (Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network) is a mutual aid initiative being promoted by the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) and individual state emer-gency management agencies. WARN proposes that a mutual aid agreement is signed by the utilities to share resources in response to an emergency or catastrophic event. A number of states are expanding the initial concept beyond wastewater and water utilities to include transportation and other parts of the broader public works community. Contact names and equipment lists are provided to facilitate the exchange of resources. The Oakland County Mutual Aid (OCMA) agree-ment, developed as part of the Public Works Emergency Management Cooperative, goes well beyond WARN. OCMA provides a governance structure that oversees emergency management practices across jurisdictional lines. In addi-tion to equipment and resource lists, OCMA looks at issues related to interoperable communications, alert notification, sharing of real-time information, and optimizing response capabilities through the creation of Rapid Response Teams. Rapid Response Teams are intended to optimize response ca-pabilities by having a select and limited number of highly efficient, trained, and equipped response teams dedicated to specific emergency tasks such as road clearing, underground pipe installation, and emergency power generation. With a finite number of teams strategically placed throughout the county or region, the need for each community or jurisdic-tion to develop the sole ability to address a catastrophic event is avoided. Cost savings come from the consolidation of training, equipment, and exercise requirements.

8. SCADA and Security System Integration: Super-visory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Access


Control/Video Surveillance Security Systems allow public works personnel to control and monitor operations at their individual facilities. In the event of an emergency, person-nel may need to abandon their work locations and seek shel-ter at a distant location. The ability to control and monitor these systems at a remote location provides an added mar-gin of safety and redundancy. The operation of such systems on a common regional network allows, with appropriate ac-cess restrictions, personnel to access real-time data and con-trol devices at any point along the network. This may prove valuable in those circumstances (e.g., airborne release of a toxic agent) where public works personnel are unable to ac-cess their normal work locations.

9. Contamination Warning Systems: Early warning detec-tion of contaminated drinking water can sig-nificantly reduce the negative consequences related to a contami-nation. The EPA has developed a strategy for the early detection of water contaminants that couples five sur-veillance systems with a “Consequence Man-agement Plan.” Each of the following surveillance systems is to have clearly defined “triggering criteria” that will signal an increased level of threat and action:

Online Water Quality Monitoring (Figure 1)• Routine Sampling and Analysis• Public Health Disease Outbreak Surveillance• Citizen or Customer Complaint Call Centers• Security Breach Notification System•

With each increasing threat level (possible, credible, or con-firmed contamination event) the Consequence Management Plan details the appropriate additional investigation and emergency response measures that are to be implemented.

10. Web-based Emergency Information Portal: A criti-cal factor in the long-term sustainability of any public works organization is the ability to retain and build on its existing knowledge base. This historical problem is further complicat-ed by the Baby Boomer generation reaching retirement age. Formal succession plans are needed to avoid “brain drain.” Hard copies of training materials and operational procedures that are not used on a routine basis are often stored out of sight, only to be retrieved in an emergency. With the advent of computer technology and the Internet, training materials and operational procedures can be retrieved online during non-emergency times. A secure and password-protected in-formation Web portal that contains the following types of

information can enable public works personnel to review ma-terials when their workloads are at a minimum:

Facility-Specific Critical Infrastructure Protection Plans• Standardized Routine Operational Procedures• Standardized Incident-Specific Emergency Operating • ProceduresTraining Announcements and Individual Training Records• Emergency Evacuation and Shelter Plans• Location of Emergency Equipment, Spare Parts, and Key • Personnel

In summary, the training and knowledge needed by public works personnel to respond to relatively infrequent emer-gency events can be significantly improved by providing a user-friendly information management system.

Critical Success FactorsFour critical success factors are identified in implementing the Public Works Emergency Management Cooperative: the need for top-down commitment, strong leadership, empow-erment of local public works personnel, and funding.

As with any new initiative, strong senior management and organizational commitment are needed to promote signifi-cant change. This is particularly challenging for a regional cooperative where reporting and organizational structures are fractionated. It requires that the top managers in each participating public works community know, accept, and communicate the contributing roles and responsibilities of individual public works personnel dedicated within their or-ganization. Without an ongoing commitment, any attempt to heighten preparedness will be short-lived.

Equally important is strong leadership from those oversee-ing the governance of the program. This is particularly diffi-cult given the often challenging workloads of public service personnel. In many cases, this problem has been exacerbat-ed by recent and frequent cutbacks in funding. This concern can be partially addressed if the cooperative’s governing board establishes a management system approach, allowing board members to set policies, goals, objectives, and perfor-mance metrics demonstrating progress toward the intended goals. Such metrics must be easily measurable and are most relevant when directly related to an outcome. For example, a valid performance metric for the cooperative would be the amount of time it takes a Rapid Response Team to collec-tively assemble, fully equipped and ready to respond in a proficient manner, at a mock disaster site.

Empowering and holding public works personnel account-able are key ingredients. Frontline personnel often have the knowledge and practical experience to know what works well. Their views need to be considered as part of the design of any particular project or initiative and/or in the setting of reasonable performance metrics. Provided with the neces-sary tools, training, and data, their overarching goal is to implement any project or initiative in a manner that has a

Figure 1: A field monitor station measuring ammonia, conductivity, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, UV, and total chlorine


positive impact on the relative performance metrics. Given the often uncertainty regarding the impact of a project or initiative on a specific metric, it is often better to adopt a “continuous improvement” philosophy and acknowledge the benefit of incremental improvements.

Finally, funding is problematic. Federal grants, the primary means for funding such initiatives, is often sporadic and spe-cific to a particular project or need. Ongoing funding may be needed from the benefiting local governments to address at least the administrative costs of running the cooperative. This can be in the form of actual dollars or donated time and equipment. In addition to providing oversight of the coop-erative’s activities, the administrative costs also support the application for federal grants. The solution to the funding dilemma is most likely to consist of several factors. For ex-ample, funds from local governments are likely needed for the administrative costs of the cooperative while more costly projects should be targeted for federal grants (of which there are a number of sources). The use of a risk-based approach could be utilized to prioritize all projects. As funds become available, projects offering the greatest risk reduction would be funded first. Finally, it should be accepted that the time of project completion will be related to the rate that funding is achieved.

Concluding RemarksThe need for a regional Public Works Emergency Manage-ment Cooperative is driven by the belief that the pooling

of resources and skills can better attain an optimal state of readiness at the lowest cost. Getting local governments to accept this most general premise has not been difficult. By the same token, it is not difficult to gain acceptance of the belief that optimal preparedness can save lives and reduce property damage in the event of a catastrophe. The great-est contention seems to lie in how such programs are to be funded and in developing consensus on the optimal state of preparedness needed. An ongoing funding stream, even if minimal, is needed to sustain the cooperative over time. Otherwise, as in the past, we are likely to be confronted with a program that falls to the wayside, only to be regenerated after some new tragedy occurs.

Striving for consensus on some optimal state of prepared-ness might be a moot point. We all have perceptions on what needs to be done. But lack of time and resources often limits our ability to implement what is needed. Neverthe-less, taking the time to agree on a vision and list of support-ing projects will contribute to a sense of unity and direction. This is particularly important when dealing with a diverse and broad number of local communities that want to do the right thing, but are in need of some semblance of structure and organization.

Tim Prince can be reached at (248) 858-0958 or [email protected]; Tom Trice, APWA Past President, can be reached at (248) 433-7732 or [email protected]; and Michael Kenel can be reached at (313) 919-2685 or [email protected].

When you contact an advertiser regarding a product, please tell them you saw their ad in the APWA Reporter. Thanks! – The Editor

Legend: IFC = Inside Front Cover; IBC = Inside Back Cover; BC = Back Cover

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Buchart-Horn, Inc., p. 66www.bh-ba.com

Burns & McDonnell, p. 67www.burnsmcd.com

Cemen Tech, p. 23www.cementech.com

Central Parts Warehouse, p. 66www.centralparts.com

CIPPlanner, p. 51www.cipplanner.com

Cretex Specialty Products, p. 53www.cretexseals.com

Dannenbaum Engineering Company, p. 66

www.dannenbaum.com

Designovations, Inc., p. 67www.designovations.com

East Jordan Iron Works, p. 32www.ejiw.com

ESRI, p. 2www.esri.com/surveyanalyst

Filterra, p. 19www.filterra.com

Gee Asphalt Systems, Inc., p. 66www.geeasphalt.net

Historical Bricks, p. 66www.historicalbricks.com

Holt Technologies, p. 67www.holttechnologies.com

Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc., p. 66www.hrc-engr.com

The Kelly Group Inc., p. 42www.thekellygroupinc.com

LyCox Enterprises, Inc., p. 49www.walknrollpackers.com

Magswitch, p. 27www.magswitch.com.au

Manhole Adjustible Riser Co., p. 67www.manholeriser.com

Mattern & Craig, p. 36www.matternandcraig.com

MCP Industries, p. 67www.mcpind.com

Metal Forms Corporation, p. 67www.metalforms.com/ar

M.J. Harden Associates, Inc., p. 66www.mjharden.com

National Society of Professional Engi-neers, p. 1

www.nspe.org/EJCDC

Neenah Foundry Company, p. 28www.nfco.com

NTech Industries, Inc., p. 66www.ntechindustries.com

O.R. Colan Associates, p. 67www.orcolan.com

PacifiCAD, p. 66www.pacificad.com

Paragon Partners Ltd., p. 66www.paragon-partners.com

Pulltarps Manufacturing, p. 66www.pulltarps.com

Soil Retention Systems, p. 63www.soilretentionsystems.com

Upper Iowa University, p. IFCwww.uiu.edu/apb

USABlueBook, p. 31www.usabluebook.com

WEST Consultants, Inc., p. 67www.westconsultants.com

The Willdan Group of Companies, pp. 6, 67

www.willdan.com


Kyle Clark, a student in Kansas City, MO, asks “Do any public works departments ever allow advertising on their snow-plows or street sweepers like you see on city buses?”

Thanks, Kyle. To my knowledge most public agencies that are supported by general revenue tax dollars are not allowed to place paid advertis-ing on their equipment. City bus services actual-ly operate with their own revenue stream so they

can set their own guidelines for generating funds. If public agencies were allowed to do so, the money generated would go back into the big “city pot” of money and could not be dedicated specifically to public works.

Public works agencies have been creative in decorating their snowplows. Several have contests for their residents or school classes or art groups to paint the snowplow blades. As you can imagine they are pretty creative. The blades are then usually put on display prior to the heavy snow removal season. The paint wears off by the end of the winter, the plow blades or cleaned and prepared, and another contest takes place the next fall.

“We are interested in developing mutual aid agreements for our public works de-partment, similar to those that police and fire departments have. Does APWA have any samples available or anyone we

could talk to about it?”

Yes on both counts. The APWA website Resource Center (www.apwa.net/resourcecenter then emer-gency management) has several plans for various agencies that could give you a good jumping off point to begin working on yours. Another great

resource would be the public works folks in Gainesville, FL. They just completed their Accreditation Site Visit, becom-ing the 48th agency, and the entire Chapter 8, Emergency Management, was documented as a Model Chapter. This means they have many great things to share in the art of public works emergency management. Feel free to contact Teresa Scott, Public Works Director, at [email protected].

“The City of Hayward, CA is looking into ways to control illegal dumping within the city limits. Among the options we are exploring is the use of wireless “flash-cams” which photograph violators and

warn them that they have been detected. We would like to know if you have any information you could share with us about this equipment.” Randall Smith, Hayward, CA

The equipment is being used for several purposes in many locations around the country. Phoenix is using it to record graffiti artists in the act. Oth-er locations are using it for the purpose you men-tion, recording illegal dumping as well as surveil-

lance of high crime or indecent exposure areas. Since the cameras are battery operated and equipped with a flash to allow for taking photos after dark, it sounds like it would be ideal for your purposes. The units cost approximately $5,500 each. If you are using the Flashcam and could provide ad-ditional information, you can contact Randall directly at [email protected].

“Guess the pandemic flu excitement is over. Haven’t heard anything about it re-cently. Do we need to worry about it any longer?”

Not sure I’d agree that it’s “over” because I don’t think it’s even started in this country yet. Pan-demic drills have been scheduled in several ma-jor cities across the country to enable local gov-ernments and businesses to work through mock

drills to see how well-prepared they would be with commu-nications and precautions should the flu pandemic actual-ly occur. Chicago was the first to test their capabilities with the aid of a computer simulation. About 100 employees of five city agencies and private businesses watched on pro-jection screens as the officials decided how to respond to power outages, staffing shortages at police and fire depart-ments and a lack of basic supplies at supermarkets. Sorry to say, the public works department was not one of the city agencies invited to participate in the drill. Guess basic services like water, wastewater, operation of traffic signals, etc. won’t be impacted!

Program organizers did note that they had not made some major deci-sions such as what would happen if the schools were to close. Who would take care of the kids? Would parents have to stay home from work? There are definitely some serious concerns to be addressed and public works players should be in on the discussions. Future tests of the simulation are scheduled for 2008 in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. If you have the oppor-tunity, step up and insist that public works be part of the drills!

“I know we’ve joked about reusing treated wastewater for years but with the severe drought in many

areas, is that getting closer to happening?”

Yes. I’m not aware of actual treated wastewater being used for drinking water pur-poses, but that may be hap-pening already. However,

several areas are working on plans to put highly treated water filtered from sewer lines back into the ground to boost drinking water supplies. The City of Huntington Beach, CA is finalizing a procedure that would put the treated water, already filtered extremely well through a reverse osmosis process so that it takes out even minuscule viruses, through a sterilizing process of heavy ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide, meant to break down anything left into harmless elements like carbon and hy-drogen. The agency believes putting the water back into the ground will boost the amount of usable water from city wells which supply about three-quarters of the city’s water.

Ann DanielsDirector of Technical ServicesAPWA, 2345 Grand Blvd., Suite 700Kansas City, MO 64108-2625

Fax questions to: (816) 472-1610

E-mail: [email protected]

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Operations EngineerCape Girardeau, MOExperience in civil engineering or closely-related discipline, in traffic signal operations/maintenance and street mainte-nance/construction is required. Preference may be given for B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and a Missouri Professional Engineer registration or the ability to obtain within one year. Starting salary range $45,487.10 to $55,432.00 plus benefits DOQ. See www.cityofcapegirardeau.org for details. Send résumé to Human Resources, 401 Independence, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703. Résumés will be accepted until the position is filled. EOE/ADA/M/F/V

Director of Public WorksWaukesha, WI (pop. 70,000)Growing, historic, full-service community located in SE Wisconsin seeks experienced public works professional to lead its full-service Public Works Department consisting of 119 full-time employees and $8.9 million operating budget plus $10.5 million wastewater treatment facility budget and $5 million annual capital budget. Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or related field required plus seven to ten years increasingly responsible public works management experi-ence. Professional engineering designation preferred. Ap-pointed by Mayor and City Administrator with consent of the Common Council. Residency preferred. Salary range: $91,000–$119,000 DOQ. Position open until filled. Submit résumé with salary history and five references to Heidi Voor-hees, President, The PAR Group, 100 N. Waukegan Road, Suite 211, Lake Bluff, IL 60044. TEL: (847) 234-0005; FAX: (847) 234-8309; E-Mail: [email protected].

Public Works DirectorEdmond, OklahomaComplete position profile available at www.edmondok.com/careers. Send résumé to Human Resources, PO Box 2970, Edmond, OK 73083 or fax to (405) 359-4688.

Assistant City EngineerColumbus, NEDescription: Professional Engineering position which could reasonably lead to becoming the City Engineer for the City of Columbus, Nebraska. Will initially be assigned to develop the Surface Water Management Program and perform de-sign work under the direction of the City Engineer. Require-ments: Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or related field. Must have passed the Fundamentals Exam, possess at least two years of civil engineering experience and have the abil-ity to become Nebraska licensed as a Professional Engineer within two years. The City of Columbus was recognized by

the Nebraska Department of Economic Development as the “Community of the Century.” Our clean Midwestern com-munity of 22,000 has more industry per capita than any other city in Nebraska. The current City Engineer has been with us for over 30 years and will retire in about a year. Build on your career experience by coming to Columbus, Nebraska. Salary $38,424 to $51,876. Apply to City of Co-lumbus H.R., 2424 14th St., Columbus, NE 68601. Fax (402) 563-1380, e-mail [email protected].

Assistant Fleet ManagerCounty of Sonoma, Fleet OperationsSanta Rosa, CAGrow your career with the County of Sonoma General Ser-vices Department! In this management-level position, you will manage staff, operations and related projects of the Fleet Operations Division. We are seeking an individual with academic course work in automotive or equipment maintenance, engineering, public administration, business administration, and two years of supervisory experience in automotive or equipment maintenance, including experi-ence with computerized maintenance systems; and excel-lent interpersonal, supervising and communication skills. The salary range is $75,950–$92,334 annually with excellent benefits, including 3% at 60 retirement package. For a de-tailed job description, required application packet and to ap-ply online, please visit www.sonoma-county.org/hr or contact Sonoma County Human Resources, (707) 565-2331, 575 Administration Dr., 116B, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Appli-cation deadline February 10, 2008. EOE/AA

Director of Public WorksEvanston, IL (pop. 75,000)Beautiful lakefront community north of Chicago seeks expe-rienced candidates to lead its Public Works Department. 196 FTEs and $100 million budget. Home to Northwestern Uni-versity, Evanston is an ethnically, racially and economically diverse community. Position is appointed by City Manager. Qualified individuals expected to have a strong background in strategic planning, organizing and directing the adminis-trative, management and operational functions of an urban public works department. Must have five to ten years in-creasingly responsible experience in an upper management position in a community of comparable size and complex-ity. Requires bachelor’s degree in engineering, public admin-istration or related field. Master’s degree or P.E. strongly de-sired. Additional information regarding the position can be found at the Consultant’s website: www.pargroupltd.com. Starting salary $115,000–$120,000 DOQ. Residency not re-quired. Open until filled. Inquire/apply in confidence: The


PAR Group, Heidi Voorhees, President, 100 N. Waukegan Road, Suite 211, Lake Bluff, IL 60044. TEL: (847) 234-0005; FAX: (847) 234-8309; Email: [email protected].

Assistant Director, Operations & MaintenanceBellevue, WAThe City of Bellevue, WA is seeking candidates for the As-sistant Director of Operations and Maintenance for the Utilities Department. This position leads 110 professionals in the operations and maintenance of regional water, waste-water, and surface water systems and the performance of street and walkway/bikeway maintenance activities. Candi-date should have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, MS or MPA preferred, and 8+ years of managerial experience in public utilities or an equivalent combination. Salary range is $83,357–$115,059 DOE. For more information or to submit your résumé, go to www.bellevuewa.gov/jobs/. Please sub-mit résumé by February 15, 2008.

Engineering Division ManagerTravis County, TXTravis County (Austin, TX) is seeking qualified candidates to manage the development and implementation of complex engineering project scopes, schedules, budgets and programs; direct and supervise technical and professional staff involved with the maintenance and construction of road and bridge inventory; and coordinate and work closely with officials, department heads and outside agencies. Requires experience and education equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in civil en-gineering or closely-related field plus five years professional engineering design and/or analysis experience to include three years in a management or supervisory role. Registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Texas or proof of eligibility for reciprocity at the time of hire. If licensed in an-other state, Texas license must be obtained within six months of hire. $5,923.70–$7,700.82 Monthly CWE + comprehen-sive benefit package. Open Until Filled. To apply, download the Travis County Employment Application at www.Trav-isCountyJobs.org and submit with résumé to [email protected] or direct mail to: Travis County HRMD, 1010 Lavaca Street, Austin, TX 78701. EOE/ADA

Storm Water (MS4) ManagerDallas, TXThe City of Dallas is seeking a Senior Program Manager for the Storm Water (MS4) Program. Primary responsibilities include compliance with the MS4 permit, managing the storm water utility, and coordinating with other agencies and City departments. The program has a staff of 52 with an operating budget of approx. $4.5M and utility fund of approx. $29M annually. Qualifications: BS in civil or environmental engineering, water resources, or closely-related field (advance degree is preferred) and minimum of six years experience (a minimum of two at a management level). Experience managing one or more Phase I NPDES and or TPDES storm water programs is preferred. Hiring range: $5,717–$7,576 monthly. Send a résumé and cover letter to [email protected].

Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent, $67,371–$90,709/yr.Lansing, MIThis career position requires a bachelor’s degree in civil, chemical, environmental engineering or a related field and six (6) years of experience in either a Class A or B Wastewater Plant of which three (3) years of experience must have been in a supervisory capacity in a Class A Plant (or an equiva-lency). Must be certified as a Class A Plant Operator by the State of Michigan, and possess a valid driver’s license. Inter-ested applicants must complete and return a City of Lansing Employment Application by February 18, 2008. View our website at www.cityoflansingmi.com for more details or call (517) 483-4004.

Director of Public WorksFairfield, OHThe City of Fairfield, Ohio seeks a Director of Public Works. Fairfield is a full-service, progressive city, located just north of Cincinnati. It has a vibrant economic base, exceptional quality of life and encompasses 20 square miles, with a pop-ulation approaching 45,000. The Director of Public Works is responsible for overseeing the Divisions of Construction Ser-vices, Streets and Drainage, Engineering and Fleet Manage-ment. The City also operates a utility enterprise comprised of water and wastewater treatment, collection and distribu-tion. The Director of Public Works reports directly to the City Manager and is responsible for a total annual budget of $5.2 million which includes 41 full-time employees. The five-year capital improvement plan is $47.6 million. Fair-field holds the distinction of being one of only 45 Public Works Departments in the nation to earn full departmental accreditation from APWA. The successful candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in engi-neering, public administration or a related field. A master’s degree is preferred. Relevant experience in a city of com-parable size and complexity may be substituted as appro-priate. Ohio Engineering licensure or ability to obtain same a plus. This assignment requires substantial background in the following: construction management, infrastructure de-velopment, maintenance of facilities, streets and drainage systems, engineering design and fleet operation. Must have excellent leadership, communication and managerial skills and valid driver’s license. Position offers a highly competi-tive salary and benefits package. For information about the City of Fairfield, visit www.fairfield-city.org. To apply, send résumé and salary history to: H.R. Manager, City of Fairfield, 5350 Pleasant Ave, Fairfield, OH 45014 or e-mail to [email protected]. Résumé submittals preferred by 2/29/08. EOE/ADA

Storm Water SuperintendentAurora, COThe City of Aurora is accepting applications for the position of Storm Water Superintendent. This position coordinates and directs the storm drainage maintenance section of the Water Department under the direction of the Manager of Wastewater & Storm Drain. For a complete job description and to apply online go to www.auroragov.org. EOE


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1-800-848-APWA

Symposium on Climate ChangeApril 9-10, 2008 • Tempe, AZ

Join us to explore mitigation and adaptation concepts impacting today’s public works departments, highlighting how local governments can impact the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

1-800-848-APWA

North American Snow Conference

April 13-16, 2008

Hydrologic & Hydraulic Studies

Wastewater Treatment Facilities

Water Supply Systems

F t Worth 817.763.8883Austin 512.345.8505Houston 713.520.9570

Dallas 972.239.2002

McAllen 956.682.3677

www.dannenbaum.com

Engineers

Planners Surveyors

DANNENBAUM


YOUR ONE SOURCE FOR BREAKAWAYSIGN POST SAFETY COUPLERS

SNAP’n SAFE™ Square & Round PostAnchor & Surface Mount Couplers

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• Roads Are Safer

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No ConcreteBoringNo ConcreteBoring

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Manhole adjustment problems?

Need Help?We Have Solutions!

www.manholeriser.com

ADJUSTABLERISER CO. INC.

641-672-2356•1-800-785-2526Fax: 641-672-1038Oskaloosa, Iowa

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Metal Forms Corporation • www.metalforms.comPhone: 414-964-4550 • Fax: 414-964-4503

Cut concrete forming time in half with Poly Meta Forms®. This

revolutionary system out performs wood hands

down. Ask about our “Sidewalk Construction Kit” designed for Public Works Crews.

MCP Industries Career OpportunitiesMfg. co. having locations in sev-eral states seeking qualified can-didates for Sales/Engineer for No. TX, AR, OK, No. LA. Qualifica-tions incl. bachelor’s degree (civil engineering or related field desir-able). Sales exp. in construction/infrastructure industries, i.e., underground utility contractors, dept. of sanitation. Desirable to have experience but willing to train into position. E-mail résumé to [email protected].

Mfg. co. having locations in sev-eral states seeking qualified can-didates for Civil Engineer/Pro-motional Rep/Sales Engineer for Arizona. Qualifications incl. bach-elor’s degree (civil engineering or related field desirable). Sales exp. in construction/infrastructure in-dustries, i.e., underground utility contractors, dept. of sanitation. Desirable to have exp. but will-ing to train into position. E-mail résumé to [email protected].

(816) 333-9400 • [email protected]


UPCOMING APWA EVENTSInternational Public Works Congress & Exposition2008 Aug. 17-20 New Orleans, LA2009 Sept. 13-16 Columbus, OH2010 Aug. 15-18 Boston, MA2011 Sept. 18-21 Denver, CO2012 Aug. 26-29 Indianapolis, IN2013 Aug. 25-28 Chicago, IL

For more information, contact Dana Priddy at (800) 848-APWA or send e-mail to [email protected].

North American Snow Conference2008 Apr. 13-16 Louisville, KY2009 Apr. 26-29 Des Moines, IA

For more information, contact Brenda Shaver at (800) 848-APWA or send e-mail to [email protected].

National Public Works Week: May 18-24, 2008Always the third full week in May. For more information, contact Jon Dilley at (800) 848-APWA or send e-mail to [email protected].

Magnetic Manhole Lifters from MagswitchMagswitch Technol-ogy Inc. has uncovered a better way to lift man-hole covers without the strain and injury associ-

ated with the standard manhole hook or shovel. Fingers are broken, back muscles are twisted and pulled, and cities lose hundreds of man-hours and pay thousands of dollars each year specifically related to manhole cover injury. The Mag-switch Manhole Lifters virtually eliminate the chance of injury by keeping your employees in control of the manhole cover, and its lightweight design and ease of use will keep your employees productive and safe. Would you spend one minute to save thousands of dollars per year? Contact Mag-switch today for more information, visit www.magswitch.com.au, or call (303) 242-7010.

CIPPlanner provides fully integrated CPM solutionCIPPlanner Corporation introduces CIPAce 5.3 with enhanced project management features. CIPAce™ Software provides a single software platform solution for Capital Program Management (CPM) on a real-time basis across the organization. The entire life cycle of the capital program and each capital project under the program, from initialization, evaluation to completion, is managed under the CIPAce™ Software solution. All the historical capital planning and analysis information, capital budget, actual and encumbrance expenditures, project schedules and resources are managed by one single solution. As more cities and counties employ what has been termed a “continuous planning process” capable of addressing the changes and resultant impacts to the overall strategic and master plans, there is a greater need for the new project management features of CIPAce 5.3 and its fully integrated CPM solution. For more information call (866) 364-8054 or send e-mail to [email protected].

Elegant new Shorewood fixture designed for historic districts, civic renovationsSun Valley Lighting introduces Shorewood, a classically-styled lantern designed to enhance historic restorations and new commercial projects. Shorewood can be wall- or pole-mounted and features an integral, self-contained ballast compartment with “quick disconnect” capability. This allows the electrical module to be unplugged and replaced in seconds

during routine servicing or maintenance. The luminaire is UL-listed for damp or wet locations and houses lamps up to 250 watts. Shorewood features a rounded dome and curved base with vintage detailing. The wall-mounted model is 31” high and has a 22”-tall scrolled arm that extends 25” from the wall. The matching pole-mounted Shorewood is 44” high. For more information about the Shorewood, or a free copy of the new Cityscapes product catalog, contact Sun Valley Lighting at (800) 877-6537 or email: [email protected]. Visit the website at www.sunvalleylighting.com.

Versatile Walk ‘n’ Roll packer/rollerSee the all-new Series 3 Walk ‘n’ Roll packer/roller, the most versatile motor grader attached compactor on the market

today. The Series 3 is available in two sizes: the WR75 has a 75” packing width and five independent walking beams, and the WR90 has a 90” packing width and six independent walking beams. A 36” hydraulic side-shift module is available as an option. The Walk ‘n’ Roll packer/roller attaches to the grader’s rear ripper. No Ripper! No Problem! We offer a Heavy Duty Lift Assembly if your grader doesn’t have a rear ripper. For more information visit us on the Web at www.walknrollpackers.com. The Walk ‘n’ Roll packer/roller is Built with Pride in the USA. And distributed exclusively by LyCox Enterprises, Inc. – Billings, MT.

Products in the News

“We wouldn’t consider buying equipment without using govbidspec.com.”Danny Davis, road superintendent for Curry County, New Mexico, visits www.govbidspec.com when soliciting bidsfor heavy equipment. “We use it to spec the equipment that will best serve our county,” he says. “We won’t buyanything without it.” The site includes bid specifications for hundreds of machines, generator sets and work tools,plus Life Cycle Cost forms and Scheduled Maintenance Calculation forms that can be edited, printed and attached toRFP documents.

“We expect bidders to fill out Life Cycle Costs to the point that we understand what it will cost to own that machinewhether it’s eight, 10 or 12 years,” explains Davis. With a more complete picture of total ownership costs, the countycan budget accurately, manage expenditures wisely and reduce risk. “Life Cycle Cost is the way to go for us becausewe get the best piece of equipment for the taxpayer,” concludes Davis. “That’s why we always go with Caterpillar.”

www.cat.com www.govbidspec.com

I BUDGET WITH CONFIDENCE

The National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) and National Association of Fleet Administrators(NAFA) endorse the use of Life Cycle Costing as a preferred procurement method.

CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow” and the POWER EDGE trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

© 2007 CaterpillarAll Rights Reserved

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You can search or post jobs directly from the APWA WorkZone homepage.

Now more than ever, WorkZone is the exclusive gateway to the most qualified candidates for public works positions. Posting is quicker and easier than ever, and your job openings will go online immediately--still giving you that competitive edge.

For an additional $250 and a simple click of a button, gain additional exposure for your position when you include your job opening in APWA’s Reporter magazine. APWA’s Reporter reaches more than 30,000 professionals monthly!

FOR EMPLOYERS:

APWA has launched WorkZone withNEW features to make your job offinding or posting a job more powerful.The enhanced site features include bulkpricing, mapping function, tailored job searchagents, free internship postings… and more. WorkZone is the exclusive site for employers to connect with job seekers in a more personal way. Check out the major upgrades and benefit from the morepowerful, more personal service.

Get the latest jobs & internships delivered toyour e-mail. Or find helpful tips and otherinformation to enhance career marketability allwith the click of the mouse. Bulk Pricing PlanEmployers can save by using the bulk pricing plan. Savings are based on the quantity of prepaid postings.

InternshipsAt no cost, APWA provides employers with a new recruitment vehicle and students with a new path to careers in public works.

Job searching on WorkZone is still free and you can still conduct targeted searches using keywords, job titles, and locations. You can even get a map of public works positions near you with our new map feature powered by Google®.

FOR JOB SEEKERS:

Log on to the website atapwa.net/workzone.

Waterthe key to life

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