ANNOUNCING: Joint Utility Seminar, April 20, Lowell, MA

Join us on Tuesday, April 20 in Lowell, MA for a one-day specialty seminar for Utility Operators.

Saving Money and Improving Performance at Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities will cover topics such as: infrastructure stability, energy management, building stakeholder understanding and support, financial viability and much more.

Agenda and Online Registration Now Available.  Registration deadline is April 9.  Space is limited - Register early!

2010 Student Scholarship Now Available

Do you know an undergraduate or graduate student studying wastewater or an environmental field?  If so, they may qualify for a NEWEA Student Scholarship. 

Find out more and download the application form.  Scholarship deadline is Friday, May 28.

Call for Abstracts - Joint 2010 Energy & Sustainability Seminar & Exhibit

The NEWEA Energy and Sustainability Commitees are currently accepting the submission of abstracts for their upcoming joint event on October 19-20, 2010 in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

Abstract topics should cover: energy efficiency, renewable energy production, greenhouse gas emissions and general sustainability.  Abstracts addressing specific projects and case studies are also welcome.

Abstract Deadline is Friday, April 30, 2010.  Please refer the Call For Abstracts for more topics and submittal details.

NEWEA Raises Awareness for Water For People

The NEWEA Water For People Committee will be co-sponsoring the 2010 New England Gala to raise money and awareness for Water For People's new Dominican Republic program.

The 2010 Gala will take place on Saturday, May 1 at Fenway Park and will benefit those who do not have access to safe drinking water and/or adequate sanitation facilities.

Please join us as we try to eclipse the 300 attendees and $60K raised in 2008.

Sponsored by: NEWWA, Signature Events, CDM, Malcolm Pirnie, AECOM

NEWEA Seeks Humanitarian Grant Proposals

The newly formed Humanitarian Assistance Committee would like your assistance in identifying worthy causes that assist NEWEA in supporting our mission "to perserve, protect and manage the water environment of New England".

Grant applications may be submitted on behalf of groups, individuals and or organizations and will be awarded based on the projected project costs and not to exceed $1500 per application.

Water Reuse is a Viable Solution to a Growing Problem

Join us on May 6 as NEWEA's Water Reuse Committee hosts a specialty seminar & exhibit to look at "Water Reuse Technologies & Applications in New England & Beyond". 

This one-day seminar & exhibit will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Worcester, MA on Thursday, May 6, 2010 and will focus on advances in water reuse technology, regulatory overview, project politics and case studies.  Over 100 wastewater, water resource and public health professionals are expected to attend.

Exhibitor Opportunities are now available.

New Changes Embraced at the NEWEA 2010 Annual Conference

The NEWEA 2010 Annual conference was held January 24th – 27th at the Boston MA, Marriott Copley.  As always, the Annual Conference was the year’s biggest and best wastewater forum in New England.  This year’s conference was attended by 1736 wastewater professionals.  This year’s technical program featured 30 technical sessions, 19 Poster Board Displays, and one facility tour highlighting the newest trends in the industry. Over 180 exhibit booths were displayed the latest services and products in the industry in the new two floor exhibit area (view complete list of exhibitors).

There were a number of conference changes this year to improve upon conferences from years past and to take advantage of the Marriott’s renovations over the past year. Some of these changes included:

• Moving the registration booth to the 4th floor
• The improved two floor exhibit area interconnected via an internal stairwell, increased networking opportunities with exhibit area receptions on both Monday and Tuesday night
• Improved Wednesday format with an Exhibit Hall lunch, earlier Awards Ceremony and condensed schedule.

This year’s opening session was highlighted by addresses from President Erin Mosley (outgoing), WEF President Elect Jeanette Brown, the newly appointed EPA Regional Administrator Curtis Spalding (Region 1) and Water Quality Advocate Chris Swain.  Each highlighted the status and focus of their respective organizations and their individual perspectives on the industry.

Other conference highlights included the Mr. & Mrs. Fish public education programs to NEWEA family and friends on Sunday as well as 412 elementary school children on Monday, the Young Professionals Outreach/Mentoring Program, and both the NEWEA Business Meeting and NEWEA Awards Ceremony.

Plans are already in the works for the 2011 Annual Conference to gain on the success of this year’s conference. The 2011 Annual conference has been scheduled to be held at the Marriott Copley on January 23rd – 26th, 2011.  Be on the lookout for the 2011 Annual Conference Call for Abstracts in late spring 2010.

A special thanks goes out to the conference sponsors (view complete list), exhibitors, speakers and attendees!

SLIP SLIDIN’ AWAY

By Chris Hipkiss 

WEF to Present Cities of Future 2010 and Urban River Restoration 2010 in Cooporation with NEWEA

Conferences aim to be at the peak of the sustainability learning curve Alexandria, Va. –

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) will present Cities of the Future 2010 and Urban River Restoration 2010 from March 7 − 10, 2010 at the Boston Marriott Cambridge in Boston, Massachusetts. The two conferences will be co-located to allow unprecedented opportunities for interdisciplinary networking and discussion on urban and sustainable technologies. 

As environmental awareness grows, so does the need for innovative engineering, economics, infrastructure, and legislation that protects our habitats. Cities of the Future 2010 and Urban River Restoration 2010 are designed to initiate dialogue on these topics, and to discuss realistic and affordable community projects. Taking place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, nestled among some of the top institutions and minds in the United States, both conferences aim to be at the peak of the sustainability learning curve.

Cities of the Future 2010 will bring together a diverse group of practitioners, researchers and policymakers who share a vision of an improved urban landscape for future generations. The conference will host interdisciplinary discussion required to create sustainable urban infrastructure that will meet the challenges of the 21st century and the interdependent engineered and natural systems that will characterize Cities of the Future.

Urban River Restoration 2010 will focus on the role of revitalized urban rivers and waterfronts within the context of two major trends: an increased focus on sustainable practices to benefit the environment, and a population shift back to cities, which leads to a renewed emphasis on a livable urban environment.

Those encouraged to attend include urban planners and developers, public works directors, architects, city managers, public officials, economists, political scientists, transportation engineers, urban ecologists, scientists, sociologists, and landscape engineers.

Both conferences are held in cooperation with the New England Water Environment Association, the Water Environment Research Foundation, the Environmental & Water Resources Institute, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, and the American Planning Association − Massachusetts Chapter. Cities of the Future 2010 is organized jointly with the International Water Association, and is also supported by the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association. Urban River Restoration 2010 is also supported by American Rivers.

Educational credits will be available for participation in the workshops, Opening General Session, and technical sessions. Attendees may earn up to a maximum total of 0.6 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), 15 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) as well as 3.5 Contact Hours. In addition, the American Institute of Certified Planners has also approved certain sessions and workshops for Certification Maintenance (CM) Credits.

Attendees will pay one registration fee for both conferences. The Super Saver registration deadline for the conferences is February 10, 2010. For more details and registration information, visit the Conferences and Events section of www.wef.org.

Gov't Affairs Session - Maximize Your Congressional Visit

This year’s Annual Conference Government Affairs Session focuses on preparing for your next visit to your Congressional Delegation in Washington. The session to be held on Wednesday the 27th of January from 8:30 am to 11:00 am (Boston Copley Marriott) will provide you with advice on maximizing your visit. Members of Congress are often on very tight schedules giving you very little time for formal presentations. Our message continues to include the need for additional SRF funding, regulatory relief, and overall awareness of the declining condition of our wastewater infrastructure. An hour would not be enough time to present this message. We are often allotted 10 minutes. Utility directors , elected officials as well as congressional staffers will share their thoughts on the best way to deliver this message with very limited time.

At last year’s Congressional Breakfast, Congressman Mike Capuano (D, MA 8th Dist) stressed the importance of getting to Washington and delivering your message. As a former Mayor, he understands the need to be heard. Our visits make a difference. We hope this session will enhance any meetings you may have with your delegation.

Join us at this year’s conference and plan to attend the Gov’t Affairs Session on the 27th.

We are preparing for the upcoming NEWEA Congressional Breakfast scheduled in conjunction with the WEF Congressional Briefing March 14th and 15th, so mark your calendars!

Opening Session & Keynote Speaker Not to be Missed

Come listen to the keynote speaker, Chris Swain’ inspirational story and current adventures as a water quality advocate.  Chris is currently swimming from Marblehead, MA to Washington, DC to raise awareness for water quality.  He hopes to stop at 2,000 schools during his extended campaign, called Swim for a Healthy Work.  At each stop, he will not only share his compelling story but also challenge students to design their own projects that address environmental concerns with real action.

In addition to the keynote, we are pleased to announce that the newly appointed EPA Region I Administrator, H. Curtis Spalding will address our organization as part of our opening session and discuss his key water priorities for New England including Green Jobs, Water and Wastewater Infrastructure and needs for Sustainable Infrastructure. 

H. Curtis "Curt" Spalding has extensive experience in the environmental protection field as an advocate, policy analyst and administrator.  For almost 20 years, he served as Executive Director of Save the Bay in Rhode Island, a national recognized, 20,000-member environment advocacy and education organization.  Spalding was also an Environmental Protection Specialist and Presidential Management Intern at EPA's offices in Boston and Washington, D.C.  Spalding received his bachelor's degree from Hobart College and M.P.A. from SUNY at Albany in Albany, NY.

The Opening Session and Keynote Address will take place at the 2010 NEWEA Annual Conference on Monday, January 25 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston, MA. 

Planning on driving to the conference?  Consider RideShare!

We will pay you to carpool to the NEWEA Annual Conference!  That's right! The NEWEA Sustainability Committee is offering a $10 gas card* to the first 10 carpools set up through our official rideshare service, PickupPal.  

A free online service with over 100,000 subscribers, PickupPal is like Ebay for carpooling. You can offer a ride or bid to share someone else's ride. PickupPal also estimates the pounds of carbon dioxide emissions avoided by each carpool.

What are you waiting for? Please join PickupPal today and see how easy carpooling can be. NEWEA's group is located at http://www.pickuppal.com/pup/group/New-England-Water-Environment

*Please stop by the NEWEA Sustainability Committee booth (while one of us is there) to claim your gas card. Otherwise, we will mail it to you after the conference.

If you have any questions or problems with PickupPal, please contact Robin Johnson and I will happily assist.
 

NEWEA 2010 Annual Conference & Exhibit

Join us on January 24-27, 2010 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts for the Annual Conference & Exhibit.  Join 1800+ water professionals for a three day technical conference featuring 30 water quality technical sessions, 180+ exhibitors, networking opportunites and much, much more.  Check out the preliminary program to see a complete list of conference activities.  Online registration is now available!  Register before January 8 and Save $$$.

Proposed Changes to NEWEA Bylaws

At the request of the NEWEA Executive Committee, the NEWEA Bylaws Committee has helped to draft some necessary changes to the NEWEA Constitution and Bylaws. Over the past few years, several changes were needed based on changes made at the Water Environment Federation level. When the WEF made its governance change from a large Board of Directors to a streamlined Board of Trustees, the position formerly known as “Director,” changed to a position of “WEF Delegate.” That change resulted in a number of changes in the NEWEA bylaws language. In the meantime, during the 2008 NEWEA Spring Planning Session, NEWEA decided to make some governance changes of its own, including the addition of three new Director-at-large officer positions, and the formalization of the “Senior Management Team,” a group of senior officers who are given authority to make certain administrative business decisions at the behest of the Executive Committee. When these numerous changes were presented to the WEF Constitution and Bylaws Committee for review, as required by the WEF Bylaws, the WEF Committee recommended several further changes to the NEWEA Bylaws in order to enhance agreement between the constitutions of the two organizations.

At the 2009 NEWEA Planning Session, another change was proposed that affected the NEWEA Bylaws. The recommendation was made to create a position of Communications Director to pull together the disparate communications functions of NEWEA – the Journal, the Newsletter, the Web Page and other web functions, Media Relations activities, etc. are all handled by separate committees. The new Communications Director will harness and coordinate the resources of these committees in a concerted communications program. The new office will take the Executive Committee position now held by the Publications Director (who is also the Journal Editor), so that the Journal editor can concentrate full effort on the important Journal publication duties. The NEWEA Executive Committee approved this new change at their September 9, 2009 meeting.

Now that the NEWEA and WEF language agreement changes have been made, and the latest changes to the NEWEA officer corps have been approved by the NEWEA Executive Committee, it’s the job of the NEWEA Bylaws Committee to pull this all into a package for you, the NEWEA membership, to consider for a ratification vote. The ribbon-wrapped, formal proposal is as follows:

1. That the officer position entitled Publications Director be replaced by an officer position entitled Communications Director. The Communications Director will be in charge of Journal, Newsletter, Media Relations, Website communications, and other functions, while those committees will retain their own working chairpersons who will work cooperatively and coordinate through the Communications Director, who shall serve as their ex-officio member on the Executive Committee. Details and duties of the new position will be outlined in the Organizational Manual.

2. That numerous syntax and vocabulary changes be made, none of which materially affect any portions of the Bylaws, and that have been agreed upon during exchanges with the Water Environment Federation Constitution and Bylaws Committee. The intended effect of these changes is to ensure harmony with the WEF C&B, and to assure reasonable clarity and consistency within the NEWEA Bylaws. Included are modification of the Executive Committee Proxy Appointment and Terms of Office sections to include all eligible officer titles, and several clarifications regarding the management of dues, membership requirements, and bylaw changes, all of which reflect current standard NEWEA practices.

In order to be sure that everyone who wishes to has a chance to review the details, the proposed NEWEA Bylaws text, as well as a version showing the changes in “mark-up” form are available for viewing or they can be made available in electronic or printed form upon a member’s request from the NEWEA office.

As required in Article 18 of the Bylaws, these proposed changes will be subject to a ratification vote of the eligible members in attendance at the Annual Business Meeting that will be held on Monday Morning the 25th of January, 2010 at the Boston Marriott Copley Plaza Hotel, during the NEWEA Annual Conference there. All eligible NEWEA members are invited to attend this important business meeting

As Chair of the NEWEA Bylaws Committee, I’d like to express my appreciation for the work of the committee. Committee members Jane Brooks, Bob Cutone, Andy Fish, Randy Homan, Ed Nazaretian, Jim Pappas, and Phyllis Rand are some of the greatest people to deal with that one can imagine. Their support and encouragement have lent interest and humor to a potentially very dry and insipid task.

On behalf of that committee, and at the behest of the NEWEA Executive Committee, I urge you all to take a look at the Bylaws, if only to be a bit more familiar with how the organization works. Any questions can be addressed to me through the NEWEA office. I hope to see you all at the Annual Conference in Boston!

Most respectfully submitted,

Charlie Tyler, Chair
NEWEA Bylaws Committee
 

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
2010 Collection Systems Specialty Conference & Exhibit

Westford Regency, Westford, Massachusetts
September 9, 2010

Abstract Submission Deadline: Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Collection Systems Committee of the New England Water Environment  Association is pleased to announce that the 2010 Collection Systems Specialty Conference & Exhibit will be held in Westford, MA at the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center. The committee is requesting abstracts covering the topics of design; construction; and rehabilitation of collection systems. Abstracts addressing system operations and maintenance, specific project experiences and case studies are also desired.

The Committee welcomes all abstracts pertaining to the following topics:

To be considered, please complete the on-line abstract submittal form for the 2010 Collection Systems Specialty Conference. Abstract deadline is Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

Questions may be directed to Neil Raymond, Collection Systems Committee or the NEWEA office.

H2O Film Exhibit Moves On

There were over 100 people attending the exhibit opening event on August 9th in Newport, NH at Newport Mills.  The exhibit ran through November 7th at four locations in NH and VT.  The exhibit consisted of some pretty fascinating visual arts.  The gallery space itself was also quite impressive: a massive loft style space that was at one time a mill right on the Connecticut River.  One entire floor was renovated and finished with brand new hardwood floors.  When you walk in you literally feel as if you've stepped into a chic gallery in a large warehouse in Brooklyn.  The art itself was all focused on water.  The pieces including looping videos showing flooded rooms and large ocean ice waves; fabrics transformed into scrolls with the word "water" written in hundreds of different languages; and a favorite, countless strands of different colored thread hanging from the ceiling that when viewed from different angles looks like fog, or a shimmering stream.  Water For People (WFP) is the non-profit sponsor of the exhibit and will receive 20% of donations made at the door.

The exhibit will continue with an opening in New York City with a gallery reception hosted by NYC Water For People, December 3rd.  This is a great opportunity for WFP to get exposure to the greater community.  There is the possibility of the exhibit going on a national tour next year and hopefully additional events with other WFP committees.

NEWEA Goes Online

You can now follow NEWEA on your favorite social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.  The latest news and upcoming events will be posted on these sites.  Become a fan or just follow us!

Check us out!

Should You Track Near Misses?

Should you track near misses at your place of employment? That is a good question, and if you don’t track near misses why not? A near miss is a warning sign that something is wrong and should be investigated with a corrective action taken. So your boss may not like the term “near miss;” well one large company I read about, Alcoa, uses the term “Injury-free events (IFEs),” but no matter what it is called it is an advance warning that an accident is waiting to happen. According to the National Safety Council seventy five percent of all accidents are preceded by one or more near misses; in other words a near miss should be a wake-up call.

Some workers may not want to admit to a near miss for fear that it may reflect in their performance evaluation. That is why a good management environment must be developed to encourage the reporting and tracking of near misses and to avoid laying blame. It should be the responsibility of everyone in the workplace to recognize and take action to prevent that “close call” from reoccurring and becoming a harmful accident.

The following is a list of question taken from a publication “Construction Business Owner” that you should ask when a near miss occurs.

How do you handle these incidents in your workplace?
What is your attitude toward a near miss?
Do you feel momentarily relieved that what happened wasn’t any worse?
Do you just return to your routine after a near miss occurs?
Do you simply tell yourself that you should be more careful next time?
Do you have a plan for preventing a repeat performance?

In closing, the danger in ignoring near misses that do not hurt, harm or damage is that they are a sign that something is wrong and needs to be corrected.

Do you have a near miss to share? What did you do to eliminate the potential for this to occur again? We’d love to here your stories; contact us at newea.org

On the Safe Side is provided by the NEWEA Safety Committee to help increase safety awareness in everyday activities. Thank you to Chris Hipkiss of NHWPCA Safety Committee and Winnipesaukee River Basin Program WWTF in Franklin, NH for sharing this article with us.
 

Weather Holds Out for Softball Tournament

The NEWEA Water for People Committee hosted its 4th annual softball tournament on Saturday October 17th at Danehy Park in Cambridge, MA. After nervously checking the forecast during the week as the temperature plummeted and the raindrops loomed large, the participants were happy to have a sunny, albeit cool, morning to put their skills on display. Nine teams participated this year, with bats, gloves and in some cases, team uniforms in tow. Everyone started to gather almost an hour before game time to enjoy breakfast with donuts provided by Donna’s Donuts of Tewkesbury and fruit, juice and granola bars donated by Stearns & Wheler GHD.

The morning session saw round-robin play for the three divisions; Africa, South America and India. After two games each, the teams had started to separate themselves and three division winners were crowned, with VHB, Wells Fargo and CDM “Hardball Made Easy” rising to the head of the pack. They were joined in the semifinals by wildcard Team Rizzo as everyone broke for lunch.

After refueling with burritos kindly donated by Chipotle, the teams resumed play in the afternoon with the semi-finals. The outcomes of these games propelled Wells Fargo and VHB to the finals, where VHB ultimately claimed the title against a, by then, undermanned Wells Fargo team. Overall, the tournament raised approximately $2,600 for Water for People and brought together water and environmental professionals, along with their friends and families, for a day of fun to help raise awareness of and funds for developing world water and sanitation issues.

A special thanks to Charlie Tyler for taking photos, Chipotle for donating lunch, Encore Images for their generous donation to Water for People, Stearns & Wheler GHD and Donna’s Donuts for donating snacks and breakfast, and everyone who helped make the event a success. We also want to thank all of our team sponsors and participants and look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

On a more serious note, Bob Otoski of CDM “Hardball Made Easy” was struck above the eye with a line drive during the 3rd place game. An ambulance came and took him to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary where he was monitored overnight. He was released the following day and will continue to have regular check-ups to ensure that he is healing properly. The Water for People Committee, NEWEA, and all of the teams wish Bob a full and fast recovery.
 

Seacoast Sewer Snakes Take 3rd

The New Hampshire Operations Challenge team, the “Seacoast Sewer Snakes”, received third place over all in Division II at the WEFTEC Operations Challenge competition in Orlando, FL last week.

Congratulations for a job well done!

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game..."

Bring the family to Danehy Park to watch the 4th Annual Water For People Softball Tournament this Saturday.  Games start at 9:30am.

Come and support the teams!  It's a free to watch and there is plenty of parking nearby. Danehy Park is located in Cambridge, MA.  Proceeds benefit Water For People.

See you there!

NEWEA Annual WEFTEC Luncheon Meeting

Save $$ by registering before Friday, Oct. 2 for the NEWEA Luncheon Meeting on October 12th in Orlando, Florida during WEFTEC '09.

Join fellow New Englanders at Cuba Libre Restaurant which is located inside Pointe Oralndo.  The restaurant is dedicated to a continued exploration of Cuban heritage, art, music and traditions.  The open-air setting, tropical ambiance, vintage decor, and delectable menu of tradition make this a must-see Orlando destination.

Hope to see you there!

FORE!  Golf Tournament Set For Tuesday, September 29.

The 16th Annual Golf Tournament will be held at the Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton, MA rain or shine.  Come out and support NEWEA's Operations Challenge Activities and play a round.

Six Simple Steps to Blogging

Simply put, a blog is a conversation with the reader. Talk TO the reader and not at them. This, of course, is easier said than done. But if you’ve done your job well, the readers will be engaged in the conversation and begin a discussion with you by posting comments.

What to Write

Here’s a quick exercise. Write down anything that comes to your mind when you think of the water quality industry. Spend only a few minutes doing this. Ready? Now look back at your list and pick an idea.Ask yourself:

• Can I expand on that idea?
• Do I know a lot about the subject?
• Am I passionate about it?

With your topic in mind, think about how you’re going to start off your article, the points you’re going to convey, and how you’re going to wrap everything up.

Create an Snazzy Title

Titles are important. You, as the writer need to create an awesome title to draw readers into your article. Check out a few of these title comparisons:

Bad: “American Politics”
Good: “My Life in Politics”

Bad: “How to Dress Fashionably”
Good: “10 Ways to Blend Hipster Chic With Classic Pieces!”

So, do you write the article first and then develop the title or create the snazzy title first and then go from there. Honestly, I think either way works. I’ll leave that decision up to you. Just remember if your title stinks, most people won’t read the article and you’ve wasted your precious time.

Check out this blog on 5 Strategies for Creating Killer Blog Titles from ScribeFire.

Hook your Audience

Simply put - If you can’t grab the reader’s attention within the first few sentences, you’ve lost them.

More Details, Please

Your blog needs content and not just any content. It needs details. The most popular blogs provide detailed content that keeps the reader entertained and thinking. Don’t gloss over your subject matter - add depth.

The End

When ending your blog, it’s best to keep your conclusion short and to the point. Add your final thoughts on the topic but don’t try to summarize the entire article. A blog is not an essay. Remember it’s a conversation with the reader.

The Last Word

You’re done! Congratulations. Now, don’t forget…

1. Reread your article. It should flow and make sense.
2. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes

Lastly, add cool photos, graphs, etc. to get your point across and liven up the reader’s experience.

Good luck!
 

The Puzzler:  Fu-Fu Juice

And yet another salesman stopped in unannounced this week to see the Chief of Maintenance.  This time he was offering to sell to the WTP his miracle-working Fu-Fu Juice.  Guarenteed, he claimed, to take care of all grease problems in our pump stations.  He had two formulations to choose from: the five-dollar per gallon "gentle action" type and the ten-dollar per gallon "fast action" type.

The Chief of Maintenance, not being one to cut unsolicited salesmen any slack, bent the truth a little (really a lot) and said a saleswoman called yesterday selling her version of a degreaser that was gentle AND fast action for only eight-dollars per gallon.

"Er, well," the salesman mumbled, "I can provide that, too."

"If you can get me that product today, I'll give you an order."  the Chief of Maintenance said and chuckled at how much fun it was to play with salesmen.

Sweat started to form on the salesman's brwo as he wondered just how he was actually going to obtain such a product on short notice.  Then he thought, why couldn't I just mix the five-dollar per gallon "gentle action" Juice and the ten-dollar per gallon "fast action" Juice together?  I just need to figure out the correct mixing ration so that the final price comes out to be eight-dollars per gallon.  After a little bit of thought, he said with confidence, "I can sell this to you in five-gallon containers for forty-dollars (which is eight-dollars per gallon)."

"Good enough for me," the Chief of Maintenance responded, somewhat surprised that a Fu-Fu Juice salesman outsmarted him.

"I'll be back in a few minutes with your order," said the Salesman as a smile crept onto his face.

What was the mixing ration of the "gentle action" Juice and the "fast action" Juice so that the salesman could make up a five-gallon container and not have any partial gallon containers left over?

ANSWER BELOW: 

The Salesman mixed 2 gallons of the "gentle action" Juice (at $5.00/gallon) with 3 gallons of the "fast action" Juice (at $10.00/gallon) for a total of five-gallons.  The resulting cost is a product that costs $8.00/gallon.

Since only whole-gallon unites are mixed to produce five-gallons of final product, you can set up a chart of all possible mixtures, calculate the cost, and see which one gives a price of $8.00/gallon.  There is only one solution.

Come learn the latest treatment technology advancements and the levels to which nutrients can reliable and cost-effectively be removed from municipal WWTP.

Marlborough, MA
September 22–23, 2009
Wastewater Treatment Plant Site Tour, September 24, 2009

This seminar will provide updated, state-of-the-technology design guidance on nitrogen and phosphorus control at municipal wastewater treatment plants for wastewater utilities, state and EPA permit writers, and environmental engineering professionals. There is no registration fee to attend these seminars.

Registration Now Open! 

Learn how to use effective utility management approaches to meet your utility goals.

Water-sector utilities across the country are facing the same challenges of rising costs, aging infrastructure, increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, population changes, and a rapidly changing workforce.  While many utility managers find themselves turning from one urgent priority to the next, others have used effective utility management as a comprehensive planning approach to meeting utility goals.  This means looking beyond the usual financial and operational goals to other aspects of utility functions.  Effective management and the ongoing identification and prioritization of improvement needs at your utility can be useful to all water-sector utilities, with benefits like:

As a result, six major water and wastewater associations and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed an agreement to support effective utility management collectively and individually throughout the water sector.  Together, they have developed a joint strategy to identify, encourage, and recognize excellence in water and wastewater utility management.  One result of these efforts, Effective Utility Management: A Primer for Water and Wastewater Utilities, identifies five keys to maximizing resources and improving performance:

• leadership
• strategic business planning
• organizational approaches
• measurement
• a continual improvement management framework

They also identify and give example for ten attributes of effectively-managed utilities:

An honest assessment of current performance is often a useful first step in identifying options for improvement.  It also defines the starting point from which your utility can measure progress.  Therefore, the document also outlines five steps for assessing your own utility’s current performance against internal goals or specific needs to determine where to focus improvement efforts:

• Step 1: Assess current conditions
• Step 2: Rank the importance of each Attribute for your utility
• Step 3: Chart the results
• Step 4: Choose one or more Attributes to focus on
• Step 5: Develop and implement an improvement plan 

(adapted from Effective Utility Management: A Primer for Water and Wastewater Utilities) 
 

NEWEA's Water Reuse Committee is solicting abstracts for their upcoming conference in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The May 6th specialty conference will cover: water reuse, water quality, innovation technology/applications, design considerations, operational considerations, regulations, sustainable watershed management and emerging contaminants. Conference participants will exchange information on current state-of-the-art wastewater treatment, beneficial resue and regulatory practices.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
2010 Water Reclamation & Reuse Conference
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Worcester, Massachusetts

The Committee welcomes all abstracts pertaining to the beneficial reuse of treated wastewater such as:

To be considered, please complete the on-line abstract submittal form.  Abstract deadline is Friday, November 6, 2009.

Join fellow New Englanders for a Luncheon Meeting on October 12th in Orlando, Florida during WEFTEC '09.

Cuba Libre Restaurant is located inside Pointe Oralndo and is dedicated to a continued exploration of Cuban heritage, art, music and traditions.  The open-air setting, tropical ambiance, vintage decor, and delectable menu of tradition make this a must-see Orlando destination.

Cost-effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of NEWEA meetings.

NEWEA formed the Sustainability Advisory Committee in June 2008 to address the environmental impact of NEWEA’s operations. Because NEWEA hosts several meetings every year, the focus of the committee has been to improve the sustainability of NEWEA conferences. Other initiatives have included examination of day-to-day operations at NEWEA headquarters and a potential joint session at the 2010 Annual Conference.

The committee has met frequently to brainstorm about cost-effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of NEWEA meetings. Thus far, the committee has generated a questionnaire for potential meeting sites to be included in meeting RFQ (Request for Quotes). NEWEA will use this information to evaluate the green performance of meeting sites and to encourage venues to adopt more green practices. Marriott Copley, the site of the January 2009 Annual Conference in Boston, has already implemented the following green policies:

• Replacement of bottled water with tap water
• Use of environmentally friendly cleaning supplies
• Linen reuse policy
• Low flow showerheads
• Various energy conservation practices, including motion sensors, compact fluorescent bulbs, and an Energy Management Committee
• Battery and cardboard recycling

Look for further changes as the committee works with NEWEA staff and future hosting sites to streamline the process and make sure our practices uphold the environmental goals discussed there. These are small steps, but over time they can have a significant impact.

Future initiatives will include promotion of public transportation within Boston for the 2010 Annual Conference, and promoting ride sharing for the Spring Meeting. Look for the Sustainability Committee to put on a technical session at an upcoming conference, where we’ll showcase how our industry is approaching sustainability. If anyone in the NEWEA community has any input about sustainable practices, the Sustainability Committee would love to hear from you. We look forward to making NEWEA a greener organization now and into the future. Please contact Robin Johnson for more information.

Written by: Andrew Ochs, Sustainability Advisory Committee

NFPA 70E 2004 Edition has several significant changes.  The major change is an emphasis on safe work practices.  It establishes thresholds for worker protective apparel based on exposure to arc hazard risk and is designed to protect workers that install, maintain or repair electrical systems.  In Table 1.30.7 (C) (9)(a) from NFPA 70E, classifies Hazard/Risk category from 0 thru 4, which determines required protective clothing (PPE) type and specifies V-Rated gloves and V-Rated tools for the tasks.

A requirement of 70E is that switchborads, panel boards, MCC's etc. shall be field marked to warn qualified persons of potential electric arc flash hazards.  This requirement will determine type of clothing needed to work on equipment.  Compliance with this aspect of the standard is expected by January 2009.

Once the Hazard/Risk Category is identified and assigned to a task.  Table 130.7 (C) (10) is a Protective Clothing and equipment matrix that lists the requirements for protective clothing and other protective equipment based on Hazard/Risk Category numbers 9 thru 4.

A summary of NFPA 70E's PPE Characteristics is as follows: Table 130.7 (C) (11) Protective Clothing Characteristics.

Why should industries comply with 70E?  NFPA 70E is not a law and it has not been incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations.  OSHA has cited it in cases where lack of compliance has resulted in a workplace accident.

How can an industry be cited?  OSHA might cite non-compliance with 29CFR 1910.335 (a) (1) (i) which requires the use of protective equipment when working where a potential electrical hazard exists; 29CFR 1910.132 (d)(1), which requires employer assessment of workplace hazards and the use of personal protective equipment; or the "general duty clause" sectopm 5 (a)(1) and states "...each employee shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment where are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to casue death or serious physical harm to his employees".

On the Safe Side is provided by the NEWEA Safety Committee to help increase safety awareness in everyday activities.

In matters of chemical concentration in water, just how much is one part per million (ppm)?  How does that compare to parts per billion (ppb) or to parts per trillion (ppt)?  To many people, especially non-technical people who read the test results of their drinking water or see references to environmental results in their local newspaper,  the ppm, ppb, and ppt units of measurement may not be understood at all.  Not only may the math not be understood, but the concepts of these measurements may not be grasped either.  This became especially evident to me years ago when somone took the oil from his truck's backyard oil change and dumped it out in the woods.  "How much harm can such a small amount of oil do?"  I was asked.  A lot, actually.

In the right circumstances, a small amount of oil can contaminate a drinking well from years to almost forvever.  This is just one example; there are thousands of others.  It doesn't take much of a pollutant to create health or environmental problems, and the levels of concern are usually in a concentration range of ppm or less.

Parts per million, ppb, and ppt can easily be visualized when compared to amount of time.

Parts per million (ppm) is often written as milligrams per liter (mg/L).  While these two terms are not absolutely the same by definition, they are frequently used interchangeable in the water and wastewater fields.

One million seconds is about eleven and a half days.  Pick one second out of 11 1/2 days and that will be 1 ppm.  Drinking water limits for copper are usually measured in the ppm range.  In Massachusetts, the coper limit for drinking water is 1/3 ppm.  If a liter of tap water were 11 1/2 days long, and 1.3 seconds of it was copper, then your public water drinking supply would be in violation of a health limit.

Most NPDES permit limites are also measured in ppm.  The most common parameters are total suspended solids (TSS), BOD, ammonia-nitrogen, and phosphorus.

Parts per billion (ppb) is often written as micrograms per liter (ug/L).  Likewise, ppb and ug/L are often used interchangeable in the water and wastewater fields.

About 32 years contains a billion seconds.  Pick one second out of 32 years and that will be 1 ppb.  Organic pollutants like MTBE (used years ago as a gasoline additive), trychloroethylene (once widely used as a degreaser), and pesticides residues, are usually measured in the ppb range.  Some NPDES permits are starting to get toal residual chlorine and metal discharge limites in the ppb range too.

Parts per trillion (ppt), or naograms per lter (ng/L), is the equivalent of one second out of about thirty-two thousand years.  This is the level at which mercury is measured to in some environmental samples.

At levels such as these, it isn't hard to exceed environemtnal or health-related limits.  Whether it is from pipes, a leaking underground gas tank, or a pesticide that is washed off bolts of cloth in a textile mill, it doesn't take much of a pollutant to create a problem.

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, contact Tim Loftus.

Written by: Tim Loftus, Laboratory Practice Committee

Your support is needed for the upcoming Operations Challenge Golf Tournament scheduled for Tuesday, September 29th at the Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton, MA.

Proceeds from this event will be used to offset the cost of the Operations Challenge activities as well as to send our three teams to the National Competition at WEF's Annual Conference this October.

Register as a foursome or become a tournament sponsor!

Do you know of a water related community project that would benefit from a grant?

The newly formed Humanitarian Assistance Committee is seeking grant proposals from NEWEA members for humanitarian and community type projects throughout New England. Grant applications may be submitted on behalf of groups, individuals and or organizations. Deadline for application submittal is September 1, 2009.

Written by: John C. Dold, Chairman, Humanitarian Assistance Committee

Come see a visual arts show about water brought to you by the Great River Arts Institute and NEWEA's Water For People (WFP) Committee.

H2O: Film on Water will open with a reception at the Newport Mill on August 8, 2009 and will run through November 7, 2009. Forty works will be shown simultaneously across four venues encouraging viewers to travel to each destination along the Connecticut River Valley and its watershed. Throughout the run of the exhibition, ther will be regular onsite events, tours, and lectures on art-making, water issues, and the regional environment.

Written by: Elaine Sistare, Newsletter Chair

Starting with this issue, the NEWEA newsletter has a new name and a new look. Instead of the past-practice of a stand-alone PDF document that is attached to an email announcement, the new newsletter format will consist of an email with article titles and headings that are clickable. This format is similar to what many other organizations use, and we hope will work out great for NEWEA.

As always, the newsletter is best used as a means of communication between NEWEA members and is especially helpful to communicate committee and organizational events. Issues of the Newsletter will typically include articles announcing upcoming meetings and seminars, recapping past meetings, notifying of awards and other opportunities, updating individual members’ career positions or promotions, and communicating other common-interest articles such as laboratory practices and safety.

We are looking for feedback on ways to best share information, and how this new format can be used to enhance communications and increase member awareness. We are still in the brainstorming mode, so feel free to pass along ideas. Some future updates may include options to add photos and/comments to individual articles.

This new format coincides well with the recent big changes to NEWEA’s website (www.newea.org) Please continue to send articles and photos to me at sistareec@cdm.com and again, forward any comments or ideas.

The Asset Management Webinar Series will offer a webinar entitled, "Delivering the Best Value for Money: Business Case Fundamentals".  Presenter, Tim Skeel from Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), Seattle, Washington will give his presentation on August 18th.

This informative webinar will provide an overview of the business case tools, analysis and decision making structures that help SPU to provide the most value for money to its customers and community; including the triple bottom line of financial, social and environmental impacts.

Written by: Dan Bisson, Meeting Management Director

The meeting management team is pleased to announce several changes to the NEWEA Annual Conference at the Boston Marriott Copley Place Hotel on January 24 - 27, 2010. The Hotel has been undergoing major renovations to the first and second floors which will provide a new and improved look and feel to the conference. 

The NEWEA Meeting Management team has been meeting with the hotel management to review and discuss the impending changes as well as explore enhancements and opportunities for our conference. We were successful in strategically negotiating additional modifications to third and fourth floor facilities that allows us to maximize the available conference space at the hotel and expand our exhibit floor offerings which will allow for continued growth of the conference.

• The changes will allow for two interconnected exhibit halls with increased traffic flow for the exhibitors.
• The registration desks will now be located on the 4th floor.
• Other changes include Monday and Tuesday evening events
• and Wednesday lunch in the Exhibit Halls.
• Lastly, based on numerous feedback from conference goers, we have retired the “Gala”. Although still in the planning stages, this year we are also discussing the possibility setting up a “NEWEA Bar & Grill” to provide a casual atmosphere for members to congregate.

Come check it out!! Also, Exhibitors take note that the 2010 Annual Conference Exhibitor packets should be arriving in the mail at the end of July.

Friday, July 17th is the deadline for all abstract submittals for the upcoming 2010 NEWEA Annual Conference to be held in Boston, MA.

The NEWEA Annual Conference is considered to be the largest water quality conference in New England.  Over 1600+ attendees and over 180 exhibit displays participate in the three-day event. 

Written by: Erin Mosley, NEWEA President

I've been talking with several officers and committee chairs and want to share some great opportunities for NEWEA members to get involved.

Bylaws Committee Vice Chair.  I know, it sounds a bit dry, right?  But this is actually an amazing opportunity to work closely with Charlie Tyler, man of myth and legend.  Charlie is tireless in his involvement with WEF and NEWEA and one of the best mentors I've had in my career.  This would be no less than NEWEA boot camp and would place you in an important leadership position.  Charlie has just one year left as chair, so we're looking for someone to train with him and take over in 2010.

Assessment and Development Committee Vice Chair.  This is a similarly fantastic opportunity to get right into the thick of things.  This committee was formerly the duty of the Past President, but we've recently opened it up to all members.  In this position, you would network with every other NEWEA committee and would work under the Past President for one year before taking over as chair.  The goal of this committee is to evaluate NEWEA's technical committees and recommend/facilitate improvements as may be needed.

The newly organized Humanitarian Assistance Committee members.  The mission of the committee is to research, review and recommend humanitarian causes, projects, organizations, individuals and/or other issues for support and/or financial assistance from NEWEA through the Executive Committee.  The committee shall also plan and promote fund raising activities to support its recommendations.  The committee endeavors to have member representation from all six New England states.  For more information, contact John Dold, Humanitarian Committee Chair.

And while all committees are seeking new members and new ideas, I'd like to highlight a few of our smaller committees that would realy benefit from your involvement: Committee Member Appreciation, Industrial Waste, Media Relations, Scholarship Committee, Watershed Management and Wetlands.

So if you are interested in any of these committees, you can contact me or the NEWEA office or the current committee chairs.  Or you can fill out the committee member application.  Don't be shy!

A new article, "NEWEA's Global Involvement" has been posted to the NEWEA blog.  The blog can be accessed under the HOT SPOTS menu tab.  The article, written by Water For People's committtee chair David VanHoven, given a brief look at NEWEA's global involvement in Malawi, NEWEA's adopted country.

Longtime NEWEA member, John Hart, City of Saco, ME was honored recently as a WEF Water Hero.  

Deadline extended till July 24th - NEWEA is proud to offer two $1,000 scholarship awards each year to an Undergraduate and Graduate student. The awards are based on understanding of the issues, written communication ability, demonstrated interest and activities in environmental protection, and academic performance.

NEWEA’s objective is to encourage and to provide incentive for capable and motivated individuals to continue their studies in the advancement of their water environment protection skills, and to enhance and promote the quality of their performance as environmental professionals.

Submit an application for consideration.

Now is your chance - every three years, the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) Safety Committee holds a contest to raise awareness about safety in the workplace and in our daily lives. The contest calls for the design of a new logo, to be printed on a line of popularly-styled shirts which are displayed and sold throughout New England.

This year's winning entry will receive some great prizes! Including:

• A one-night stay at the 2010 NEWEA Annual Conference
• A ticket for personal recognition at the 2010 Awards Luncheon at the Annual Conference
• His/her logo idea printed on our popular Safety Committee shirts for three years
• One free winning-logo shirt of his/her choice of styles.

It's easy - it's fun - and you can enter as often as you wish!

Rules for contest entries are simple:

1. Logo size must be 8½"x11"
2. Logo must be single-color
3. Logo must promote safety
4. Logo must depict an original idea
5. Extra consideration given for creativity and humor
6. Computer graphics are acceptable, but must be original (cannot be copyrighted)
7. Entry must include name, address and phone number of the contestant

The deadline for 2010 Logo Contest entries is October 15th, 2009. Submit entries to: Lenny Young, Chairman; NEWEA Safety Committee; c/o MWRA, 2 Griffin Way, Chelsea MA 02150 or leonard.young@mwra.state.ma.us

Any questions? Call Lenny at (617) 305-5908. Note: members of the NEWEA Safety Committee and their direct relatives are not eligible.

Help us keep the message of Safety, front and center - send in your entry today!

NEWEA's Residuals Management Committee is proud to annouce a joint conference with NEWEA's Energy Committee, the North East Biosolids and Residuals Association (NEBRA) and the New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA).  The joint conference will take place in New Haven, Connecticut in Novermber 2009.

This is a great forum to learn the latest trends in the management of biosolids and residuals with a focus on energy.  It is a MUST for all those involved in the challenge of managing, energy, biosolids and residuals in the Northeast.  Attending the conference is also a wonderful opportunity to mingle and network while viewing the latest residuals management products and services in the exhibit area during breaks and the social hour.  Training contact hours (TCHs) will be awarded for operator recertification in participating states.  Visit the Residuals Seminar page for further information.

NEWEA is currently seeking nominations for future leaders.  If you or someone you know would be a good candidate to serve in NEWEA, please nominate them.  Deadline is June 3rd.

A special training session will be held on EPA's new Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool for Wastewater Treatment Facilities in New Haven, CT on Tuesday, June 16th.

The instructor, Jason Turgeon, U.S. EPA will demonstrate and teach attendees to use this free online software tool so that facility managers can manage and track their WWTF's energy use.

Download the registration form (PDF) for more information and to register.  Registration deadline is June 11th.

For convienence and ease, meeting attendees may now fill out the spring meeting registration form including online credit card processing. 

Showcase your company's products and services to over 200 water quality professionals at the '09 NEWEA Spring Meeting.  Come and support NEWEA.

NEWEA invites the submission of Abstracts for professional papers or presentations at its 2010 Annual Conference and Exhibition.  This prestigious conference, which consistently attracts over 1,800 engineers, consultants, scientists, operators, and students features a variety of technical sessions and over 180 exhibitor displays.  To be considered for participation, please complete the on-line abstract submittal form.  Deadline for abstract submission is July 17th. 

On Monday, May 4, 2009, NEWEA Launched its new web site.  This new web site offers visitors and members a newly organized layout with improved navigation and up-to-date content.  Members and visitors may also enjoy the new Blog and online registration capabilities to name a few new features.