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Our vision: The Virginia Water Environment Association (VWEA) will preserve and enhance Virginia’s water environment, now and for future generations.
Fall 2011
Over the past year several members of the VWEA have been working diligently to come up with ways to
facilitate better communication among the membership. This effort has culminated into a list of actionable tasks summarized in the VWEA 2011-2012 Communications Plan (more on this on page 15). One of the tasks in the plan is the modernization of The Conduit in terms of format, content, and delivery. This effort is well under way and its fruits will be showcased in the Winter 2012 issue of The Conduit. A summary of the exciting new changes coming next year are presented below.
FormatThe most dramatic change to The Conduit will be in its format. Visually, the traditional blue and white cover will be retired in exchange for a new full color version. The Masthead will be refreshed and the tactility of the pages will be changed – in short the new version will be similar in look and feel to a magazine. Though less dramatic, internal format changes will be very noticeable as photos and ads will be available in color for the first time.
ContentThe Conduit will continue to serve as a vehicle for conveying the happenings of the VWEA through the publication of current content such as the President’s Corner, committee reports and event and contest
“Communication works for those who work at it”– John Powell
announcements. That being said we would also like to open submissions up to things like research articles, lessons learned, and stories on innovative water-related projects and/or technologies. The goal of this effort is not to become a peer reviewed journal but to better inform and educate the membership on what is going on across the state. Additionally we would like to provide another vehicle for member involvement. If you have an idea for an article submission that “breaks the mold” of what you’ve traditionally seen on our pages we’d love to hear from you.
DeliveryAlthough not available at the time of this Fall publication, Conduit delivery options are scheduled to be expanded
INSIDE...President’s Corner ....................................................... 3WaterJAM 2011 .......................................................4-8Public and Government Communications
Committee Session at WaterJAM 2011 ................ 9VA AWWA/VWEA Student Activities
Committee – Overview of JAM 2011 ........... 11-12VWEA Committee Chairs ......................................... 12WaterJAM 2011 Clay Shoot ..................................... 14VWEA Communication Plan .................................... 15Creating a Safety Culture .......................................... 17Water For People, Annual March Campaign ............ 17Northern Virginia Young Professionals
Committee .......................................................... 19
VWEA Sustainable Utilities Committee ................... 21VWEA/VA AWWA Joint Laboratory
Practices Committee ......................................22-24The Fundamentals of Asset Management:
A Hands-On Approach ....................................... 2617th Annual Good Laboratory Practices
Conference .....................................................27-29Department of Labor Job Corps Pilot for
Water and Wastewater Operators........................ 30Request for Nominations: 2012 Industrial Waste
and Pretreatment Environmental Excellence Awards .............................................. 32
2011 VWEA Facility Safety Award Application ....... 33VWEA 2011 Corporate Sponsors ............................. 36
continued on page 12
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Our vision: The Virginia Water Environment Association (VWEA) will preserve and enhance Virginia’s water environment, now and for future generations.
Fall 2011
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VWEA 2011-2012OfficErs And dirEctOrs
President GRACE LEROSECity of Richmond DPU804-646-0033 • Fax 804-646-0081 [email protected]
President-Elect CLARkE WALLCRAFTPFRWTA540-639-3947 • Fax 540-633-0215 [email protected]
Vice President STACIE METzLERHRSD [email protected]
secretary / treasurer STEVE JOHNSON Alfa Laval 804-236-1322 • Fax 804-545-2115 [email protected]
WEf delegateMARk PRENTICEAECOM(804) 290-2478(804) 515-8308 (FAX)[email protected]
WEf delegate JIM CHASTAINHeyward Incorporated 804-965-0086 • Fax 804-270-7863 [email protected]
Professional Wastewater Operator representative
SCOTT SHIRLEYWVWA 804-853-1283 • Fax 540-853-1307 [email protected]
Young Professional representative MARTIN MALONE CDM757-318-9807 • Fax 757-318-9807 [email protected]
Past President CHRIS TAbORHazen and Sawyer 804-445-3286 [email protected]
VWEA AdministratorkATHY RAbALAISP.O. box 2324Glen Allen, VA 23058804-332-5286 • Fax 804-545-0849 [email protected]
The Conduit communication committeeFELICIA GLAPION, ChairSONIA OTON, Vice Chair
Mail correspondence to:FELICIA GLAPIONHazen & [email protected]
The Conduit is published by the Virginia Water Environment Association, Inc. (VWEA) as a service to its members. The VWEA expressly disclaims any responsibility arising from the selection of topics on presentation of information, materials or opinions contained within The Conduit. Each reader of The Conduit shall be solely responsible for determining the adequacy, accuracy and reliability of any information, materials and opinions presented. The information, materials and opinions presented in The Conduit represent the knowledge and views on selected topics by the particular individuals and do not necessarily reflect the position of the VWEA.
President’s Corner
Greetings from the corner office! As this last issue of the “old” Conduit goes to press I am reminded yet again of the renewal
and forward progress of our industry and VWEA. As professionals we have to navigate our way through demanding regulatory, political and financial environments. Adapting to change as it comes is a mark of flexibility and resourcefulness. We too, here at VWEA have to adapt to our changing circumstances. We have seen a multitude of change this year – a new Administrator, a new website and soon a new Conduit. We have reconfigured our
roster of committees to better reflect our mission and activities. We have implemented new technology for online registration and communications. We revised our bylaws to stay in tune with our business practices. A busy year indeed!
While I enjoy history and reliving past accomplishments (ask me about the most recent Rose bowl the University of Wisconsin won sometime) I am a person that almost always looks forward. Next year VWEA will mark its 65th anniversary. VWEA began operating as the Virginia Industrial Waste and Sewage Works Association in March 1947, becoming the Virginia Water Pollution Control Federation in 1961 and finally VWEA in 1992. We are planning several commemorative events for next year – maybe even a birthday cake!
Two other initiatives we will be focusing on next year involve two issues near and dear to me – education and recruitment. VWEA has had several years of financial stability (thanks to support from YOU our members and our many corporate sponsors) due to many successful events and collaboration with AWWA on several joint activities and committees. Jim Chastain, Mark Haley (and several others) have mentioned to me their desire to see VWEA go “all in” and really have a robust and effective scholarship program. I couldn’t agree more. We will be looking at ways to increase both the number and amount of scholarships we award.
The other initiative I would like to put some muscle behind is recruitment. We have already begun some work here with kathy reaching out to new members of VWEA, adding more frequent emails to the membership about news and upcoming events and other enhanced communication (a big shout out to the Communication Plan Committee for a great plan!). but we can do more – we have a very successful Laboratory Practices committee that does a fantastic job of reaching new members, I would like to copy their success to other areas of VWEA.
The biologists tell us “change or die”, the poets tell us “change is inevitable – except from a vending machine”. Next year will be busy, fun and rewarding. Plus there will be cake.
Grace LerosePresident
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On behalf of the WaterJAM 2011 conference planning committee,
we would like to thank all of the sponsors, speakers, exhibitors and attendees of the WaterJAM 2011 annual conference for your active participation and contributions to making this year’s conference a record breaking event! We hope you felt, like us, that it was the best one yet.
We are very proud to announce that there were 1193 attendees for WaterJAM 2011, which was the highest attended conference to-date. There were also a record breaking number of exhibitors this year, 148. It should have been an indicator of how successful WaterJAM was going to be when the Golf Tournament and Plant Tours filled up fast and went on to have a waiting list. At the conference, there were technical sessions that
were standing room only, indicative of excellent quality topics and exceptional attendee participation.
There were several new additions to the conference this year and they included the Communications bootcamp, the first time the Communications committee has hosted a workshop. New to the social scene were beach bingo, a Young Professional (YP) and Student Reception and the YP Volleyball tournament. In addition to new social events, the usual enjoyable networking events were as successful as ever. Monday started with a very successful gold tournament and clay shoot and ended with the Meet and Greet featuring a beach theme. Wednesday ended with a well attended awards banquet and casino night where the prizes awarded included in iPAD 2.
WaterJAM 2011 – A Record Breaking Success!
Record number of Exhibitors came to JAM to promote their products and services.
Water JAM 2011 Co-Chairs Kim Clements (VAAWWA) and Stacie Metzler (VWEA).
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LAC committee members Karen Ebert, Barbara Jackson and Lora Reed welcoming attendees to the Meet and Greet.
Keynote Speaker Bob Deens, signing copies of his book “The River Where American Began: A Journey Along the James.”
Lara Autry, USEPA Keynote Speaker.
continued on page 7
All in attendance had a great time and were able to make new contacts and catch up others not seen in a while.
We hope you learned much from the excellent workshops, technical programs, exchange of information and networking during breaks/lunch/dinner, enjoyed the food, had fun and got connected to old and new friends alike.
Please mark your calendar and get ready to visit Virginia beach again for WaterJAM 2012. The conference will be a little earlier in September, running September 10th – 13th at the Virginia beach Convention Center. A call for Papers will be issued in November with a January 13, 2012 deadline.
Lora reed ([email protected] ) and Jim Ewing ([email protected]) will be next year’s JAM co-chairs. Please don’t hesitate to contact either Lora or Jim if you are interested in lending a helping hand in order to make it another great conference next year back in Virginia beach!
stacie Metzler and Kim clementsWaterJAM 2011 Conference
Co-Chairs
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Attendees had many opportunities to obtain continuing educational credits throughout Water JAM.
WaterJAM 2011continued from page 5
2011 JAM committee enjoying the Meet and Greet!
continued on page 8
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WaterJAM 2011continued from page 7
Casino Night offered attendees opportunities to test their game skills and win chances for prizes!
Meet and Greet casual fun and conversation.
Technical sessions were well attended and very informative.
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The Government Affairs Committee and the Public Relations Committee have been merged into the
Public and Government Communications Committee. This was the first year that the combined committee developed a joint presentation at WaterJAM. From all feedback received and by headcount, the Wednesday September 28 afternoon session was quite successful.
James Golden, Deputy Director with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) started the session with an overview of strategic planning efforts at DEQ. While many of us, especially those in the public sector, have faced the challenge to do more with less, DEQ’s efforts have been forced by staff and budgets cuts. How DEQ sets priorities in the coming year will directly affect many of us. Since January 2008, DEQ’s actual number of classified employees has decreased from approximately 850 to just over 720. This has forced DEQ to carefully consider their workloads and priorities. To date, their strategic planning has been a top down drill, though they intend to turn to bottom up planning in the coming years. One note of particular interest: DEQ will place less emphasis on absolute numbers of permits that need to be re-issued, letting some that are not subject to major revision be administratively continued while focusing on permits facing new Water Quality Standards or TMDLs.
J. Douglas Fritz, Stormwater Permits Manager with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) followed with a discussion of the finalized Stormwater Regulations. The effective date of the new regulations was September 13, 2011 and the implementation date is scheduled for July 1, 2014. between those dates, DCR has an ambitious schedule to develop guidance, a bMP Clearinghouse and Enterprise website. DCR also must develop methods to work with localities both in the Chesapeake bay watershed and beyond. Localities with MS4 permits and those located within the bay area must implement the regulations. Those without MS4 permits or outside the bay area may opt-in to implement the stormwater management program or allow DCR to run the program in their area. Of course, with resource limitations similar to DEQ’s issues, DCR is struggling to figure out how they can meet the challenge by mid-2014.
Cynthia Finley, Ph.D., Director of Regulatory Affairs for the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) took the final slot before the break. Her presentation covered two main areas of concern: the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule and the proposed Sewage Sludge Incinerator rules. First she spoke on the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule and emphasized
Public and Government Communications Committee Session at WaterJAM 2011
the potential reporting requirements for treatment facilities. She also discussed that the GHG Tailoring Rule is expected to cast a wider net that may include a much broader range of wastewater treatment facilities. Her second main area of concern covered the proposed Sewage Sludge Incinerator rules. These could have severe financial impacts on facilities using incinerators and may force some into the already crowded, and also controversial, land application arena. NACWA is employing a multifaceted approach of administrative, legislative and judicial efforts to try to avert substantial and adverse changes to the regulation of sewage sludge incinerators.
After the break, we returned to a familiar topic, nutrients issues, presented by an old friend, Alan Pollock. Unfortunately, that was the last time Alan will address us, at least as a representative of the DEQ Office of Water Quality Programs. He retired two days after the session. Alan described the status of nutrient criteria in three categories. Under the first category, criteria have been adopted for the Chesapeake bay and for lakes and reservoirs. Unique in the lake and reservoir criteria is a process to confirm actual impairment instead of relying solely on numeric nutrient levels. Alan’s second classification revisited the nutrient and chlorophyll criteria for the James River. This effort is technically difficult due to the variations in apparent impairment between the tidal fresh areas of the James and the Mesohaline and Polyhaline sectors of the lower James. Lastly, Alan reviewed DEQ’s efforts to develop sensible criteria for rivers and streams. DEQ has been working closely with an Academic Advisory Committee over the last several years. Like the lake and reservoir criteria, they are struggling to define impairment assessments in the grey area between low nutrient values with no observed effect and much higher nutrient values with readily observed impairments.
Russ baxter of DEQ finished the session with a discussion of the efforts to expand trading under the Chesapeake bay TMDL, Phase II Watershed Implementation Plans (WIP). Virginia has one of the most robust point to point trading programs in the nation. As part of the TMDL/WIP effort, the legislature directed DEQ to study the potential to expand trading to cover non-point sources of nutrients including agriculture, urban stormwater and septic systems. Just defining terms such as market participant, banks, credit generation and baseline requirements has proved a daunting task. Nevertheless, DEQ, working with DCR and a committee of stakeholders will finish their meetings by the end of November and have a report ready for the start of the 2012 legislative session.
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VA AWWA/VWEA Student Activities CommitteeOverview of JAM 2011
Student Water Challenge
The Eighth Annual Student Water Challenge was organized on Wednesday, Sept 28, at Water JAM 2011. This year we had two teams compete to solve a problem about meeting future water demand with a choice between two alternatives. The teams were given the problem in the morning on the day of the competition and had approximately 6 hours to put together their response and present it to a panel of judges. Thank you so much to the judges who volunteered their time at JAM to support the students. They are –
• Dean Perry with Chesapeake Public Utilities
• Daniel Horne with VDH and Past Chair of VA AWWA
• Paul Delphos with black and Veatch
• Matt Stolte with Town of blacksburg
• Jongmin kim with Infilco Degremont Inc.
• Scott Dewhirst with Newport News Waterworks
• James Pimblett) with Malcolm Pirnie
It was a very close competition and the judges kept going back and forth to decide the final winner. Old Dominion University (ODU) received the first place award which included a cash award of $1200, plaque, and a travelling trophy. Virginia Tech (VT) received the second place award which included a cash award of $500 and a plaque. Congratulations to both the teams.
Team ODU - Jen Otis, kevin Smith, Laarni Cooper, becky Holgate, Roberto Campos.
Team VT – Abhinav Gupta, Pallavi bishnoi, Sudhir Pathak, Nashita Naureen
Special thanks goes to Jessica Hou, Rob Martz and Priyanka Mohandoss of the Student Activities Committee for their help in organizing this competition.
Best Paper Awards:
The Student Activities Committee judges all the papers presented by students at Water JAM, and presents the best paper awards to two wastewater themed papers and two water themed papers. A special thanks to Rob Martz and Farah Foster for sitting in and scoring the papers. This year, we attended several good papers and we are proud to award the following:
Water
For his presentation Effectiveness of Free Chlorine Burns for Controlling Biological Regrowth in Chloraminated Distribution Systems, Erik Rosenfedt received the AWWA best Student Paper Award (Water) which includes a cash prize of $750.
Wastewater
For his presentation Evaluation of Nitrification Inhibition Using Sequencing Batch reactors and Biowin Modeling and the Use of Aqueous Fire Fighting Foam to Inhibit Denitrification, Daniel Hingley from Virginia Tech received the VWEA best Student Paper Award (Wastewater) – First Place which includes a cash prize of $500.
For his presentation Characterization and Performance of Multi-Phased Anaerobic Digestion for Minimization of Issues Associated with the production of Siloxanes and Hydrogen Sulfide, Evan C. bowles from Virginia Tech received the VWEA best Student Paper Award (Wastewater) – Second Place which includes a cash prize of $250.
VWEA Sonny Roden Scholarship:
Mr. Pusker Regmi from Old Dominion University has been selected as the 2011 first place awardee of the Sonny Roden Scholarship. He was presented the scholarship check of $1500 at the Awards banquet during VWEA/VA AWWA Water JAM.
In addition, Mr. benyamin Marks from George Mason University is the 2011 second place awardee with a check for $750. And for third place, Mr. John Petrie from Virginia Tech receives a check for $250.
The Student Activities Committee sincerely thanks the judges on the review panel for their time:
• Rachael Lumpkin, Chesterfield County
• Rob Martz, Hampton Roads Sanitation District
• Dan Villhauer, Dewberry and Davis
• Stephanie Spalding, Malcolm Pirnie/ARCADIS
• Jennifer Whitaker, Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority
• Priyanka Mohandoss, CDM
Teams, Judges, and Student Activities Committee Members at Student Water Challenge 2011.
continued on page 12
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VWEA Committee ChairsJAMStacie Metzler, Co [email protected]
AwardsChris Tabor, ChairHazen & [email protected]
Bioenergy Sub CommitteeLori Stone, ChairBlack & [email protected]
Central Virginia Regional ActivitiesLauren Zuravnsky, ChairGreeley & [email protected]
Collections & Stormwater SubCommitteeTim Slaydon, [email protected]
CommunicationsFelicia Glapion, ChairHazen & [email protected]
Continuing Education & DevelopmentJohn McGettigan, [email protected]
Eastern Virginia Regional ActivitiesMark Swilley, ChairYork [email protected]
EducationJeff McInnis, ChairAECOM540-857-3374640-857-3296 [email protected]
5 - SChris Tabor, ChairHazen & [email protected]
Industrial Waste & PretreatmentJames H. Johnston, ChairSCS [email protected]
Lab PracticesMala Burton, ChairHopewell804-541-2214 ext. [email protected]
Manufacturing and RepsGreg Everhart, Chair 804-559-4259804-559-4482 [email protected]
MembershipFarah Foster, Chair Chase, O'Brien & [email protected]
NominatingChris Tabor, ChairHazen & [email protected]
Northern Virginia Regional ActivitiesThom Lipinski, ChairLoudoun [email protected]
OperationsAndy Nelson, ChairHRSD 757- [email protected]
Ops Challenge Dave Beck, ChairSpotsylvania County540-507-7363703-830-0163 [email protected]
Public & Government CommunicationsPat Bradley, [email protected]
Safety and Security CommitteeGeneva Hudgins, ChairCity of Lynchburg434-455-4282434-845-7353 [email protected]
Southwestern Virginia RegionalActivitiesVACANT
Strategic PlanningRyan Nagel, ChairMalcolm [email protected]
Student Activities Farah Foster, ChairO'Brien & [email protected]
Sustainable UtilitiesNina Andgren, [email protected]
Utility ManagementBruce Husselbee, [email protected]
WARNTimothy Mitchell, ChairCity of [email protected]
Water ReachHeather Huddle, [email protected]
Water for PeopleTim MacVittie, [email protected]
Water ReuseLeita Bennett, [email protected]
Young ProfessionalsAditya Ramamurthy, ChairMalcolm Pirnie757-232-7291 [email protected]
VA AWWA Operators’ Scholarship
This year, we did not receive any applications for this scholarship. Dr Gregory boardman from Virginia Tech helped us identify operators’ who needed financial support to attend Virginia Tech Water Short School. The committee sponsored the following operators’ for the short school:
• Drew bibb – b’burg/C’burg/VPI Water Authority
• beauregard Mabe – City of Virginia beach
• Toni Randolph – Western Virginia Water Authority
This years’ operators scholarship money includes a contribution of $500 from Craig kelman & Associates (our gracious editor’s for the VA AWWA Tap into Virginia).
Thank you all for your participation and we hope to see you again at next year’s Water JAM 2012 in Virginia beach! We hope that next year we get even more applications, students, and universities involved in the challenges!
farah fosterChair, Student Activities Committee
Loveenia GulatiVice-Chair, Student Activities Committee
in the next year to include an electronic email-only delivery option in lieu of a printed US mail version. More information on this item will be made available once the implementation of this option has been finalized.
Online Edition A new Online Edition of the Conduit will also be introduced next year. It will be drastically different from the electronic pdf version currently available for download from the WVEA website. The new electronic version will appear in the form of an online magazine (similar in style to the new printed edition) with pages that “turn” and links that allow for navigation to content both within and external to each issue.
In the words of John Powell “Communication works for those who work at it” and we here on the Communications Committee are working hard to improve communications within the VWEA membership by helping to implement the 2011-2012 Communication Plan. “Please join us in this effort by continuing to send in your article submissions. Deadlines for upcoming issues can be found on the Communications Committee Page on the VWEA Website. I look forward to hearing from you in the upcoming year.”
felicia GlapionCommunications Committee Chair
Communicationscontinued from page 1
Student Activities Committeecontinued from page 11
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WaterJAM 2011 Clay Shoot
Thirty-five VWEA and VA AWWA members participated in the Water JAM 2011 Clay Shoot held
at Old Forge Sporting Clays in Providence Forge on September 26. This is the finest sporting clays facility in Virginia and we were treated to a beautiful day and challenging targets.
Dave Lowry was the Shoot Champion with an outstanding score of 85. Todd Williams and John Seaman were close behind with scores of 81, tying for 2nd and 3rd place. bill kreye and Greg Everhart rounded out the top 5 with scores of 79 and 75, respectively.
Team honors were grabbed this year by Heyward Incorporated (John Seaman, Tom Delbridge, and Pam kincheloe). The kreye blankenship, Inc. team (bill kreye, butch blanton, Greg Everhart, and Dave Lowry) claimed 2nd place honors in a very close team race.
Everyone enjoyed a fine lunch of sandwiches and shrimp creole followed by the awards ceremony. As always, each shooter went home with a door prize for participating.
Special thanks to Roger Cronin and George Guhse of Greeley and Hansen for bringing 10 shooters to the event.
We are already making plans for next year at WaterJAM 2012 and hope you can join us for another great day of shooting.
Congratulations to Todd Williams, 2nd / 3rd Place winner; Dave Lowery, Champion; and John Seaman, 2nd / 3rd Place winner.
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With VWEA membership 1,200 strong and people spread across the commonwealth (and beyond),
association communications is a challenge indeed, but it is a challenge that reaps many rewards.
Last year at this time, we started a process to improve how VWEA communicates with its members and to improve communications among leaders of VWEA.
To provide excellent service to our members, information must be accessible – whether through e-mail, the website, newsletters or social media. We hope you agree that VWEA is in a better position today than it was 1 year ago. Some highlights are:
• New-look website, with quicker access to information you want
• On-line registration and payment for all VWEA events
• Facebook page setup by YPs in Hampton Roads: “like” us at http://www.facebook.com/VWEAHamptonRoadsYPs
• Frequent e-mail announcements being sent by kathy Rabalais, our new Association Administrator.
These improvements came together through the work of many, namely the ad hoc Communication Plan committee. Through numerous meetings and discussions with current and past leaders, members, and committee leaders, a list of 40+ “improvement
NEW! VWEA Communication Planareas” were identified. These are now worked into action items that have become the 2011-2012 VWEA communication Plan.
Implementation of the specific actions items is ongoing and is expected to last into 2012.
We are seeking champions, people that are willing to take the lead in implementing the action items.
Updating VWEA’s communication methods is not a small task, but we are headed in the right direction! And, the plan is not complete; it will continue to be revised and updated. If you have ideas or want to help, we are recruiting additional members for the Communications Committee. As always, contact kathy at [email protected] with your comments.
Thanks to the Communication Plan Committee!
Marty Malone [email protected]
Rob Martz [email protected]
Ryan Radspinner [email protected]
Aditya Ramamurthy [email protected]
Mindy Wood [email protected]
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Unfortunately, creating a workplace that values safety is not a commodity that can be simply procured via power
point presentation or by sending staff to a safety seminar. Instead a caring atmosphere which encourages individuals to think and act safely must be established and bought into by upper management and everyone else in a given organization.
Upper management must recognize that implementing an effective safety culture is difficult. Supervisors must develop relationships that extend beyond their direct staff and to the environment; health and safety officials within their department, utility, or company; and to outside experts (such as regulators and safety manufacturer representatives). Supervisors must also help every individual understand how machines, vehicles, tools and processes are used to get the day’s work accomplished. And they should help every individual understand how work can be done either in a safe way or with risks that can produce very unfortunate consequences. If an individual is told and understands the correct way to do something and chooses not to, it should not be called an “accident” when an injury occurs.
There are four critical components needed in an organization to establish a safety culture – credibility, commitment, accountability and rigor. If employees don’t believe a safety program is credible (i.e., if they believe it’s a ploy or simply nice words) the program will surely fail. What builds credibility is the continual commitment of senior management to have the plan driven and adopted throughout the organization. An organization must go beyond management’s verbal commitment in a safety policy, and must support it through tangible actions and funding. Without these, a safety program cannot survive. Create a line item in your budget to fund safety initiatives, whether it is awards programs or PPE.
A safety program also won’t survive without accountability and ownership within the organization. In a successful safety culture, everyone is a stakeholder. One way to accomplish this is to create a safety committee which meets monthly. Meetings should be conducted with an agenda and a review of the previous meeting minutes. You can also network with peers on the topic of safety through professional associations such as VA-AWWA or VWEA. Additionally management can actively track safety talks given by first line supervisors to their subordinates and actively seek updates on status safety issues.
Lastly, rigor is key because it reinforces the credibility of the program, meaning it becomes more “real” because it has a well-defined structure (i.e., documentation, training, milestones in the process, key success metrics). Continually ask: Are goals of holding scheduled safety meetings, conducting safety talks, reviewing near accident incident
reviews and creating safety related work orders being met? Finally, be sure to track work related injuries.
If a department, utility, or company has all four components along with buy-in throughout the organization, then safety becomes a core value. Without buy-in throughout the organization, it is difficult to sustain a safety culture and to view employees as critical assets in the organization. Organizational buy-in is the best asset management system to have.
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Creating a Safety Culture
SAVE THE DATE!Annual March Campaign
Water For People Workplace Giving Fundraiser
March 1 – March 31, 2012
The Problem:
Every 15 seconds, a child under the age of five dies needlessly from a water-related illness. In an era of high-tech superiority, more than half of the people in the developing world are sick from the same cause – water-related diseases.
How We Can Help:
The VAAWWA/VWEA Water For People Committee has established a Fundraising Activity for March 2012 to assist Water For People in their efforts to provide safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education to save these children and people throughout the world.
You will soon be given the opportunity to join more than 100 companies and utilities that have launched Workplace Giving campaigns to benefit Water For People and its mission to help people in developing countries improve their quality of life.
Further information will be forthcoming. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Jerry Peaks at (757)229-1776 or [email protected].
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The Young Professionals Committee of the VWEA provides opportunities for young professionals to
become actively involved with VWEA. We organize events that provide a platform for young professionals to network and improve their interpersonal skills. We also help shape the leaders of tomorrow by encouraging committee members to organize events and by fostering member involvement in the local community.
Highlights of 2011 included:
Involvement in social networking events like: The ‘Young Professionals (YP) Committee and Northern Virginia Regional Activities Committee (NVRAC) Joint Social Hour.’
Involvement in Professional development events like:
• Young professionals and Students Reception at JAM
• Fresh Ideas Poster Contest at JAM
Involvement in Community outreach events like:
• Stream Cleanup 2011 which was well attended by kids, parents and engineering professionals.
• World Water Monitoring Day 2011 where we hosted a booth which provided information about aquifers and landfills to nearly 300 students.
Northern Virginia (NOVA) Young Professionals Committee
• The Northern Virginia Science and Engineering Fair where our members judged and awarded the prestigious VWEA Stockholm Junior Water Prize to worthy science fair entrants. (The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is the world’s most prestigious youth award for a water-related science project).
We are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join our committee and welcome all interested young professionals. We had a fun filled 2011, and look forward to ending it with more events and participation from new members. If you or anyone you know is interested in joining the NOVA YP committee please send an email to Sonali at [email protected] are always on the lookout for sponsors for our events, so if you are interested in sponsoring any event let us know that too.
nOVA YP committeeCurrent Members – Sonali Ambre (CDM), Pavani Silaparasetty (CH2M Hill), Subodh Dalvi (AECOM), Dave Riedel (HDR), Phill Yi (Hazen and Sawyer)
Stream Cleanup 2011
World Water Monitoring Day 2011
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On Monday September 13th the VWEA Sustainable Utilities Committee hosted the second annual
WaterJAM Sustainability Workshop. Like the first year we had a sell-out crowd and filled the room at the Virginia beach Convention Center. This year’s workshop focused on practicing what we preach- our goal was to have practitioners throughout the state share their efforts to be more sustainable as well as valuable lessons learned along the way.
The workshop was hosted by Nina Andgren of the Upper Ocoquan Service Authority (UOSA). It kicked off with a panel discussion on holistic perspectives to sustainability planning. Up first was a presentation by Rebecca Jablon, of CDM, on the City of Asheville, North Carolina’s sustainable planning program. This presentation was followed by Lauren Hildebrand from the City of Charlottesville who gave an overview of how Charlottesville incorporates sustainability into the planning process. Next up was Christina Williams of Loudoun Water who presented a unique approach on making the staffing process more sustainable. Finally, Jeff DuVal of the Alexandria Sanitation Authority (ASA) wrapped up the presentations by sharing how ASA has incorporated sustainability into the construction contract requirements. Following the four presentations, kathi Mestayer of kMA Consulting lead a group discussion on challenges and opportunities for sustainability planning across the state.
After a brief networking lunch, participants had the pleasure of touring the LEED Gold certified Virginia beach Convention Center. The tour began with an overview presented by kimberlee Dobbins of the City of Virginia beach. She presented the details of the process the convention center went through to achieve the certification, as well as some of the drivers and challenges along the way. Following the presentation, participants were given a behind-the-scenes walking tour of the facility that included a focus on the HVAC system as well the green housekeeping program in place.
Wrapping up the workshop there were two presentations on reclaimed water projects in operation around the state. The first was presented by Andrew Porter of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, focused on a partnership with HRSD to provide reclaimed water to the Dam Neck Annex. The second was presented by Liz Sitter of Loudoun Water and focused on their program to supply data centers with reclaimed water for cooling needs.
VWEA Sustainable Utilities Committee
All in all, the workshop was well attended and provided participants with real life experiences and lessons learned from fellow colleagues across the state.
After the workshop, the Sustainable Utilities Committee met to discuss the upcoming year. The first order of business was the “passing of the torch” from the committee chair Nina Andgren, to the vice- chair Jeff DuVal. Will Schafer of CDM will serve as the new vice chair for the upcoming year. Lori Stone will continue to serve as the chair of the bioenergy Subcommittee.
For the next year, the committee will continue to focus on cultivating the sharing of sustainability knowledge and experience across the state. This will be accomplished by continuing our series of free webinars as well as hosting a one-day sustainability summit sometime in the late spring. More information on these will be coming soon!
Finally the committee would like to thank Nina Andgren for her two years of dedicated service as the founding chair of the committee. Without her we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all we have done so far!
For more information on the Sustainable Utilities Committee, check out the VWEA website or contact Jeff DuVal, [email protected] or Will Schafer, [email protected].
Behind the scenes at the Convention Center.
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VWEA/VA AWWA Joint Laboratory Practices Committee
The VWEA – VA AWWA Joint Laboratory Practices Committee
was proud to present the 2011 JAM workshop: Micro to Macro: Lab Managers Charting a Precise Course. The twenty-five attendees included laboratory managers, chemists, scientists, quality assurance officers, and operators, from the public and private sectors.
The workshop consisted of the following four presentations by some of our industry’s best minds:
• Laboratory Qc testing – How to use Qc test results to evaluate and qualify lab data presented by Gary Yakub, Environmental Lab Solutions.
Gary has been involved in environmental laboratory work for over twenty years. He has performed all phases of routine wastewater laboratory analyses, including wet chemistry, metals, volatile and extractable organics, PCbs and pesticides, and microbiology. As a microbiologist for the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority in Pittsburgh, he has worked with many unique organizations on a variety of projects related to such topics as parasitology, wastewater methodology, activated sludge microbiology, and urban environmental concerns. He has published original scientific research in peer-reviewed journals and has written chapters for several scientific textbooks. He has also served as the Quality Assurance Officer for the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, tending to such concerns as data validation, laboratory documentation, ethics, and laboratory accreditation. In 2005, Gary left the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority and started Environmental Laboratory Solutions, LLC to assist environmental laboratories. He has spent a good deal of time helping wastewater laboratories meet state accreditation standards and obtain continuing education credit hours.
• Building a Quality system presented by kim Turner, Laboratory Quality Assurance Officer, Commonwealth of Virginia, Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, Richmond VA.
kim holds a bachelor of Science in Medical Technology, a Master of Science in Quality Assurance, and is a certified Auditor by American Society for
Quality. She has 23 years of laboratory experience with the last 15 years being in Quality Assurance. kim came to the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services in 2001 as the Quality Services Coordinator in Newborn Screening and took her current position as Laboratory Quality Assurance Officer in 2004. In her current position, kim is responsible for establishing and implementing a Quality Management System for DCLS and for providing Quality Assurance guidance to all groups (Environmental and Clinical) within DCLS. kim recently led the implementation team for NELAC Accreditation. DCLS was NELAC (National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference) accredited June 2011.
• Laboratory records & External Assessments presented by Joe Slayton, Senior Scientist, Office of Analytical Services and Quality Assurance, USEPA Region 3, Maryland.
Joe is currently the Senior Scientist for the USEPA Region III Regional Laboratory in Fort Meade, Maryland (Office of Analytical Services and Quality Assurance, OASQA). He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biological Sciences from the University of Maryland in 1972 and has taken graduate courses in molecular biology and chemistry. He has been with the EPA for over 38 years as a: biologist, microbiologist, physical scientist, inorganic chemist, organic chemist, quality assurance officer, Technical Director and Senior Scientist. Joe has performed many thousands of analyses for the NPDES, SDWA, RCRA, and Superfund programs. Also, he has
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“Micro to Macro” JAM workshop attendees.
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been a laboratory inspector since 1979 for NPDES, Superfund, ambient monitoring, and SDWA. This has included the inspection of many hundreds of permittee, commercial, state and federal laboratories and the review of Region III State accreditation and certification programs. Joe has served on many national Agency workgroups in such areas as: Superfund SOW, RCRA Organic Methods, NELAC/NELAP Quality Systems Committee and board of Directors, SDWA Lab Certification Manual, Detection Limit Policy, 304H Committee for NPDES and the PbMS committee. He has written numerous technical articles and guidance documents and has testified as an expert witness in a number of civil and criminal cases.
• succession Planning & Assuring a continuing of resources presented by kathi Mestayer, kMA Consulting in Williamsburg, VA.
kathi is a management consultant for public-sector environmental organizations. Her areas of
Joint Laboratory Practices Committeecontinued from page 22
expertise include organizational process consulting, generational dynamics, succession management, knowledge capture, and organizational assessments. She has published, spoken, and taught widely on the management challenges facing water and wastewater utilities, including several articles in WEF’s Utility Executive and AWWA’s Opflow. She is currently Chair of the Virginia Water Environment Association’s Strategic Planning Committee, and a member of the AWWA Committee for developing Treatment Plant Operations, and VWEA’s Sustainability Committee.
The LPC is already planning an exciting, cutting-edge workshop for JAM 2012 as well as preparing for their 18th Annual Good Laboratory Practices Conference. A call for Papers will be listed in the newsletters as well as online. We look forward to providing an educational and enjoyable experience.
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The VWEA – VA AWWA Joint Laboratory Practices Committee (LPC) hosted its 17th Annual Good
Laboratory Practices Conference at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 1st and 2nd, 2011. The conference was a huge success with attendance of over 200 professionals from all over the country, not including the fifty vendors and booth representatives which exhibited the latest in water and wastewater technology and methodology.
The first day of the event had 112 attendees and consisted of six half-day workshops, three in the morning and three in the afternoon.
The morning workshops on Monday consisted of the following topics:
• introduction to Access / Excel Qc charting presented by chris Lapallo of Epsilon and Lola Guerra of Henrico Water reclamation facility. This was a two part hands-on workshop where the students utilized their own laptop computers. The first half was an introduction to Access and how to utilize it your laboratory operations. The second half focused on how to use Excel for creating Quality Control Charts.
• isE Maintenance, Operation and troubleshooting of Ammonia, fluoride and pH Probes by Kelly sweazea of thermo scientific. This was a hands-on workshop that covered the maintenance, operation, and troubleshooting of specific ISE probes.
• Laboratory internal Audits and corrective Action by Marlene Moore of Advanced systems, inc. This workshop covered how to perform a laboratory internal audit and how to approach corrective action.
17th Annual Good Laboratory Practices ConferenceThe afternoon sessions on Tuesday consisted of the following topics:
• Qualifying data and interpreting control charts by Marlene Moore of Advanced systems, inc. This Quality Assurance workshop covered how to qualify laboratory data and interpret control chart data.
• Verification & calibration of thermometers / calibration of Pipettors and dispensers by Paul stinson of thermco Products inc. and Jim Wilkey of Wilkem scientific. This was a two part hands-on workshop that focused on the verification and calibration of thermometers and pipettors / chemical dispensers.
• An Overview and Analysis of chloramination by chris Griffin of HAcH. This workshop was designed with three main objectives. First, it gave a
continued on page 28
Standing room only at the morning session!
LPC Chair Mala Burton, presenter Marlene Moore, and Vice-Chair Greg Hudson.
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is recognized as one of the foremost leading authorities regarding lab accreditation.
The second morning presentation was given by John D. Dyson of Infilco Degremont Inc. on Water for People – Activities and Efforts to Help People in need. John Dyson is a graduate of Longwood University with a b.S. Degree in Chemistry and has been in the water and wastewater industry for over 20 years. He has been with Infilco Degremont, Inc. located in Richmond, Virginia for 20 years, holding a variety of positions throughout his term of employment.
The third morning presentation was given by Cathy Westerman of DCLS on VELAP certification: Overview of Lab inspections, deficiencies and corrective Actions Based on common issues. Cathy has a bS in Medical Technology and has bench experience in clinical, forensic, and environmental laboratory analyses, as well as laboratory quality assurance. She currently is an Environmental QA Senior with the Division of Consolidated Laboratories in Richmond and manages the Laboratory Certification Group within Virginia’s Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services. The Laboratory Certification Group is responsible for Virginia’s Safe
general understanding of basic water analysis including sampling protocol, procedures, and the use of standards and instrument verification. Second, a basic overview of water disinfection using chlorine and the conversion to monochloramine as the primary disinfectant was presented. Last, participants were allowed to gain hands-on experience in running colorimetric methods relevant to the chloramination disinfection scheme. The lab portion focused on analyses of total chlorine, monochloramine, and nitrite.
After the workshops there was a Mexican Fiesta reception, which included a ticket bar, in the Vendor Exhibit Area. Attendees were able to enjoy wonderful food, relax with a refreshing beverage, and talk with the exhibitors about their products.
The second day of the event had 130 attendees and consisted of a morning session with three presentations and an afternoon technical program consisting of twelve presentations.
After the opening remarks and introductions from yours truly, the recipient of the 2011 Lab Analyst Award winner, John DeRosa of the Prince William County Service Authority, was announced and recognized, along with a few conference details and a little bit of history about the Lab Practices Committee.
The first morning presentation was given by Marlene Moore of Advanced Systems, Inc. on interpreting X-r control charts. Marlene founded Advanced Systems, Inc. in February 1992 as an environmental consulting company specializing in management systems for environmental operations. She has been in the environmental laboratory field for over twenty years and
17th Annual Good Laboratory Practices Conferencecontinued from page 27
Thank you Grand Prize and Reception sponsors!
William Telliard, EPA, Retired – Presenter.
Cathy Westerman, DCLS – Presenter. Susan Miller of Fairfax Water – Presenter.
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• Advantages of the EPA-approved Modified Colitag TM Method for Presence / Absence Testing, presented by Chris Griffin of HACH.
• Today’s TOC, Tomorrow’s DbPs, presented by Erin England, Municipal Applications Specialist of GE Analytical Instruments.
• Sensitive Determination of Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water, presented by Richard Jack of Dionex Corporation.
• Stage 2 DbP Rule: Compliance Monitoring begins in 2012 – Is Your Lab Ready?, presented by Sherry Williams of Newport News Waterworks.
The GLP Conference is always an excellent opportunity to meet and network with fellow professionals from all over the country, have some fun, and fulfill any educational / training requirements by earning CPEs (for wastewater and water operators) and CECs. There is always something for everyone to take back with them to share with their colleagues. However, none of this would have been possible without the support of our sponsors and the hard work and dedication of our committee members. A very special thank-you goes out to the following people for all their time and effort in helping put this conference together – Sherry Williams (Registration), Robin Parnell and kim Stubbs (Programs), Alicia Connelly and Regina Cuthbert (Workshops), Chris Griffin (Exhibits), Stuart Wilson (Local Arrangements), Greg Hudson (LPC Vice Chair), and Wendy Harding (former LPC Chair).
We are already working on plans for the next conference, and we hope that if you couldn’t attend this time, you will be able to join us next year.
by Mala BurtonLPC Chair
ThermoScientific – Sponsor.
Drinking Water Act and tuning fork certification programs as well as the administration of the environmental laboratory certification programs for noncommercial and commercial laboratories.
The Tuesday afternoon technical program consisted of the following:
• An Overview of Total Phosphorus: Screening for a Wastewater Treatment Facility, presented by Miles E. Magnum Jr. of the City of Richmond DPU.
• A Novel Integrated Solution to Nutrient Monitoring: the Next Generation in water Quality Monitoring and Watershed Management Tools, presented by William Telliard, formerly with EPA and now a professional consultant.
• Developing Flexible Water Monitoring Programs to Address Local Needs, presented by Chris French, Virginia Director of the Alliance for the Chesapeake bay.
• How Green is Your Lab? Environmentally-Friendly Developments in pH and Ion Analysis, presented by kelly Sweazea of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
• Traceability in the Lab (Reagents, Standards and the Friendly barcode), presented by Greg Hudson of Envirocompliance Laboratories.
• Changes to the NELAC Proficiency Testing Program, presented by Shawn kassner of Environmental Resource Associates.
• Lab Staff as Customer Service Reps: How to Respond to Customer Questions, Complaints and Compliments, presented by Susan Miller of Fairfax Water.
• Determination of Selected Persistent Organic Polluting Pesticides in Water Using Automated SPE and GC/ECD, presented by Michael Ebitson of Horizon Technology Inc.
Michael Ebitson of Horizon Technology – Presenter.
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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Virginia
Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) are seeking waterworks and wastewater works interested in participating in a pilot water and wastewater operator training program.
Water and wastewater operators are vital to protecting public health and the environment, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of water and wastewater works. For this reason, predicted losses to the water and wastewater workforce due to baby boomer retirements raise concern. The report, Succession Planning for a Vital Workforce in the Information Age (2005), published by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the AWWA Research Foundation, projected that 37 percent of water utility workers and 32 percent of wastewater utility workers will be eligible to retire in the next 10 years1. In addition, DOL estimates that the need for water and wastewater operators will increase by 20 percent from 2008-20182.
Department of Labor Job Corps Pilot for Water and Wastewater Operators
In order to ensure that there are qualified professionals to meet current and future needs, a stakeholder group met to begin developing a DOL Job Corps pilot program in Virginia. The stakeholder group consisted of state and federal regulators, utility staff, and technical assistance providers.
Job Corps is a no-cost education and vocational training program administered by DOL that helps at-risk young people improve the quality of their lives through vocational and academic training. Students participating in the operator pilot program will complete studies towards obtaining a Class IV water or wastewater operator license by the end of a two-year training period. The program will include the six-month operator-in-training experience required for licensure.
Other features of the pilot program include:
• Job Corps recruits eligible students and provides training at no cost to utilities.
• A utility hosting a Jobs Corps student as an operator-in-training does not have to pay the student a salary.
• Job Corps provides medical insurance to students who are actively enrolled in the program.
If you would like more information or are interested in participating in this program, please contact Allison Watanabe (watanabe. [email protected]), Mark Anderson (markc. [email protected]), Wayne Staples ([email protected]) or Thomas McDermott ([email protected]).
For more information about DOL’s Job Corps programs: http://www.jobcorps.gov/ Home.aspx
Endnotes: 1. These reports are based on statistical analysis at a national level. 2. U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, “Water and Liquid Waste Treatment Plant and System Operators”; Estimates are based on national statistics.
by Allison WatanabeEnvironmental Protection Specialist U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Office of Ground Water & Drinking Water
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Fall 2011communications committee
Felicia Glapion, Chair
Sonia Oton, Vice Chair
Mail correspondence to:
Felicia Glapion
Hazen and Sawyer
4035 Ridge Top Road, Suite 400
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 218-2034
FAX (703) 218-2040
email: [email protected]
The Conduit is published by the Virginia Water Environment Association, Inc. (VWEA) as a service to its members. The VWEA expressly disclaims any responsibility arising from the selection of topics on presentation of information, materials or opinions contained within The Conduit. Each reader of The Conduit shall be solely responsible for determining the adequacy, accuracy and reliability of any information, materials and opinions presented. The information, materials and opinions presented in The Conduit represent the knowledge and views on selected topics by the particular individuals and do not necessarily reflect the position of the VWEA.
Look for the exciting new changes to
The Conduit Winter 2012 issue.
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Meet the New VWEA Administrator
KAtHY rABALAisP.O. box 2324
Glen Allen, VA 23058804-332-5286
Fax 804-545-0849 [email protected]
SAVE THE DATE!VWEA Education
Committee Seminar May 16-17, 2012
Westin Hotel and conference center richmond, VA
The VWEA Education Committee is proud to announce our annual conference to be held at the Westin Hotel and Conference Center, which is conveniently located of I-64 just 4 miles west of I-95. This exciting seminar will focus on operations and control as related to recent bNR upgrades as well as cutting edge research and technology for emerging issues of the future. We plan to have an excellent array of distinguished speakers and exhibitors who will make this an event not to be missed!
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Virginia Water Environment Association, Inc.Kathy RabalaisVWEA AdministratorP.O. Box 2324Glen Allen, VA 23058
Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDRichmond, VA
Permit No. 1211
Virginia Water Environment Association2011 CORPORATE SPONSORS
AEcOM - WaterAquaLaw PLc
Austin Brockenbrough & Associates, LLPBlack & Veatch
Bowman consulting GroupBrown and caldwell
c. Allan Bamforth, Jr. Engineer-surveryor, Ltd.cdM
cH2M HiLLcombs & Associates
dewberrydraper Aden Associates
EssGreeley and Hansen
Hazen and sawyer, P.c.Hdr Engineering inc.Heyward incorporated
infilco degremont
Johnson Mirmiram & thompsonJohnston, inc
K L shane, inc.KMA consulting
Malcolm Pirnie, the Water division of ArcAdisMcGuireWoods LLP
Michael Baker Jr., incnsi solutions, inc.nutri-Blend, inc.O’Brien & Gere
reid Engineering co., inc.rK & K
savin Engineerssherwood-Logan & Assoc.
Whitman, requardt & Associates, LLPWiley|Wilson
WW Associates
