Sustainability Committee

The Sustainability Committee has two main goals, we:

Review technical practices conducted by wastewater treatment and collection facilities in New England
Disseminate information regarding sustainable planning, design, construction, and operation of wastewater treatment and collection systems

The NEWEA Sustainability Committee is a medium size committee, with a diverse collection of typically 15-30 members. We liaison closely with other NEWEA committees and we are part of the Collection System & Water Resource Council.

Join us today! Apply online >>

Contact Info

Maeve Carlson, Chair
Phone: 207-319-1511

Carmela Antonellis, Vice Chair

What does the Sustainability Committee do?

Researches, reviews and recommends sustainable solutions for wastewater treatment and collection systems
Encourages the transformation of wastewater collection and treatment systems into “resource recovery systems” that use less water, chemicals, energy, manpower, construction and O&M materials, capital costs and footprint, as well as reuse more water, produce more energy and recover more nutrients/biosolids/fertilizer in a way that achieves high economic value, is operator friendly, regulatory compliant, technically reliable and flexible, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable
Educates other NEWEA committees on triple bottom line plus (TBL+), a framework for evaluating the sustainability of wastewater collection and treatment systems based on their environmental, economic, social and technical performance
Collaborates with other NEWEA committees to increase sustainability of Association activities
Sponsors the annual Green Steps Award, which recognizes a project that demonstrates initiative and leadership in implementing innovative, sustainable practices.
Write Green Steps articles to spread awareness about the latest in sustainability news and trends and share updates about the Sustainability Committee
Developed a 3-part series for the NEWEA Journal to educate on sustainable concepts and practices in the wastewater industry

How often do we meet?

At the Annual Conference
At other committee’s speciality conferences (1-2 per year)
Prep meetings for our own speciality conference (every 2-3 years)
Quarterly conference calls

Why should you join us?

Expand upon your professional skill set – we look for technical, communication, and/or management experts, as well as anyone willing to learn new skills
Leverage your expertise – we need people who are experts to write policy and educate others
Committee is forward-thinking and integrates with most other committees
For anyone wanting to combine their passion for sustainable thinking with practical applications for wastewater infrastructure – We would love to work with you!!