Are you, your colleagues or your staff looking to improve their leadership skills? The WEF Water Leadership Institute (WLI) is now accepting applications for the 2019 program.

WEF is looking for a diverse group representing all aspects of jobs in water sector (operators, engineers, scientists, communications staff, etc.) to join the 237 alumni active around the world.  WEF membership is not required.  The WLI was started 2012, and this will be our 8^th intake for the WLI.  This six month blended learning program is aimed at educating, training, and providing opportunities that enable developing and emerging leaders to build strong lasting relationships within the water industry.

The PNCWA Annual Member Survey has been designed to provide feedback to the Board of Directors and Committees on how effective our organization has been at meeting the professional needs of our membership. The information contained in the surveys submitted will be used to determine PNCWA success in meeting it's strategic plan goals, adjust the plan if necessary, and provide feedback to the board and committee chairs to help identify what the organization is doing well as well as proactive suggestions for areas that may need a little more attention or improvement.

It only take a few minutes: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PNCWAmemberSurvey2018.

The webinar is no cost for PNCWA members, PNCWA section members, and WEF-UPP organization employees, and $50 for nonmembers.

Flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes and scores of other hazards can wreak system-wide and regional havoc on lifeline utilities that serve critical health, safety, and environmental roles in our everyday life. Recognizing the role that functioning infrastructure plays in the near- and long-term recovery of communities following a devastating event, utilities across the country are taking a serious look at their resiliency. This webinar delves into the efforts many utilities are making to understand their risks by identifying vulnerabilities, modeling natural hazard scenarios, and defining the critical elements of their systems. The presentations will include project examples from the Pacific Northwest, with insights on building organizational awareness about the need for resiliency in the face of ever increasing demands on limited funds, getting efforts off the ground, and how mitigation recommendations are being implemented.

Proposed changes to PNCWA Constitution and Bylaws

(See the changes in red in the context of the complete documents)

8:00-8:30: Registration

From WEF: (Alexandria, VA) - Scholarships are available for utility personnel to visit other utilities with innovations of interest. The exchange, supported by WRF, WEF, and NACWA, provides an effective way for utilities to learn about, gain confidence in, and adopt new technologies and approaches more quickly.

As water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) are transforming themselves into utilities of the future and becoming drivers of resource recovery, economic growth, and improved environmental performance, the implementation of innovative technologies, processes, and approaches is essential. These scholarships enable staff to visit and see innovations in action at peer facilities.

Outstanding Member Association Award: Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association
The Member Association (MA) Awards were established to recognize outstanding Member Associations and MAs that excel in areas of membership retention, financial strength, new memberships, scholarship programs, student achievement and support, technology transfers, and/or award programs. The Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (PNCWA) has shown outstanding growth in conference attendance and membership and is a creative, forward-looking WEF Member Association. Their onboarding programs to drive new membership and new member involvement have resulted in steady increases in both membership and annual conference attendance. This MA has developed several new programs for students and young professionals in recent years, including a popular summit, an adopt-a-school program to support water science education, and a strong and growing scholarship fund. PNCWA is actively working to increase the diversity of its membership and leadership, and has also developed a strong financial position. WEF is honored to recognize the PNCWA Member Association for its achievements in developing a growing, energized and diverse membership of clean water professionals in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Financial Strength

PNCWA has grown over the past several years to a position of financial strength (23% increase in end of year balance since 2008). Total assets at the beginning of 2018 are over $250,000. The association budgets an increase in reserve (5% increase per year) which has allowed for increased growth in the reserves to $134,010. In 2013, PNCWA initiated the purchase of event insurance for its annual conference ensuring protection of the main revenue source for the association. At the same time, a site selection committee began to secure future conference locations. The Site Selection Committee completed a thorough investigation of conference venues in the Northwest, especially focusing on exhibitor space. New contracts for venues allow for adequate growth, protecting the future financial success of the annual conference. And in 2016, PNCWA developed a financial modelling tool to assist with budgeting and rate setting, allowing for thoughtful rate setting discussions.

Topic: PNCWA Webinar: Energy Efficiency and Recovery Opportunities and Successful Examples in Pacific Northwest

When: Sep 26, 2018 11:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VsUZdSt5SU6KD2wKHjoOBA

Adopt-A-School Grant Applications Being Accepted

The Adopt-A-School program was established to support water science education, involvement and restoration activities by 4th-12th grade students in Oregon, Washington and Idaho who are working toward clean water education goals. The average project funding level is $500 per application/applicant, and will vary depending on the number of applicants and funding level request.Who should apply? Teachers, Schools, School Districts!

Register now for the 2018 Pacific Northwest Student and Young Professionals Summit.

We are excited to announce a phenomenal line-up of speakers covering topics on technical material and professional development as it relates to this year’s theme: Innovation.

Please write your Members of Congress today in support of the National Priorities Water Research Grant Program in FY 2019!  The Senate has given the program a slight boost to $5 million in FY 2019 in Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, while the House gave the program level funding of $4.1 million in their bill!  Please write your Members today in support of the Senate number!

Click here to learn more and reach out to your Members through our Water Advocates website today!

Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment, Control and Optimization for the Operations Professional – 2.8 CEUs

Yes, WasteWater Technology Trainers’ principal instructor Eric Wahlberg has a Ph.D. and a P.E., but he also worked as a certified treatment plant operator in Colorado and Wyoming, and his heart and soul are in operations. Eric’s energy in front of a classroom is inspiring and highly motivational. His training material springs from the fact that what he had to know for certification exams was very different, even contrary, to what he had to know for his Ph.D. in environmental system engineering. His quests in life: (1) to dispel the myths by clarifying and simplifying the obscure and confusing information that is currently passed onto operators as knowledge, and (2) to distill the science of wastewater treatment into a framework from which systematic, consistent process-control strategies can be developed and continuously refined to improve and stabilize WWTP performance. If you see yourself as an operations professional and not a plant attendant, this class is for you; if you are tired of old school ideas, worn out rules of thumb, and a that’s-the-way-we’ve-always- done-it mentality, this class is for you.

Mark your calendars!

On July 16, the House passed HR 3906, the Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2017, a bill introduced by Rep. Denny Heck (R-WA), by voice vote.  This is legislative language that the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the National Municipal Stormwater Association (NMSA), as part of their partnership in the WEF Stormwater Institute, supported and advocated for, which would create a task force that would look for ways to fund our nation’s stormwater infrastructure needs.  Read more.

These are looking pretty good...we need your entries too!

Nominations are open through Aug 3, 2018.

Be one of the volunteer Board of Directors who lead and govern PNCWA.
PNCWA Vice President
PNCWA Secretary