Marc Oliver Quijano moved from lizards to water, and the results have been very impressive. “I studied Biology in college,” he says, “and conducted research on lizard population genetics, determining how human overpopulation affects the environment. An internship at West Basin Municipal Water District’s water recycling facilities and good mentors sparked a new career. I...

When the “One Water” plant of the future finally arrives, Amanda Bird will feel right at home. A Grade V Operator at the Santa Cruz wastewater treatment plant, she’s excited about the future of the profession. She foresees the day when wastewater, drinking water, water recycle, biosolids management and energy generation will be combined into a single, efficient public...

“We managed to eliminate the requirement that all certified labs be managed by someone with a bachelor’s degree, and got the addition of CWEA certification to count,” she says. “And we reduced the number of times per year that labs will be required to conduct and file a blind sample study from two to one.”  Not only does Mindy Boele successfully manage the wastewater and...

Twenty-five water utilities have been selected for recognition of their leadership in community engagement, watershed stewardship, and recovery of resources such as water, energy, and nutrients. Utility of the Future Today recognition celebrates the achievements of forward-thinking, innovative water utilities that are providing resilient value-added service to communities. The Utility of the Future framework provides...

From State Water Resources Control Board Former Federal Official Eileen Sobeck Brings 40 Years of Government Experience The State Water Resources Control Board has named Eileen Sobeck as its next Executive Director. She replaces Tom Howard, who retired in May 2017. After reviewing a wealth of qualified applicants, the State Water Board selected Sobeck due...

WE&RF released a new research report on pretreatment standards for agencies interested in adding or expanding their water reuse facilities. The report features three California agencies: City of Los Angeles; City of San Diego and the Orange County Sanitation District. The project was funded by SoCal based Metropolitan Water District. The research project consisted of...

Do you know an industrial user that should be recognized for their efforts and performance in process wastewater pretreatment technology, material recycling, waste minimization, pollution prevention practices or stormwater runoff control programs? Here is your chance to provide them the recognition they deserve. Currently, the CWEA Pretreatment, Pollution Prevention, and Stormwater Committee is in the...

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) and six other associations in the water sector issued a guide that assesses the feasibility of rate-funded customer assistance programs (CAPs) in each state to assist low-income households in the U.S. with rising water and wastewater rates. Water and wastewater rates in the United States are increasing sharply as utilities...

  National Green Infrastructure Certification Program celebrates a first year of successes By Pallavi Raviprakash The National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP) has two main purposes: to encourage water quality improvements via green infrastructure (GI) projects and to create jobs for those who know how to build them. NGICP took several major steps in the...

100 Years of Activated Sludge in California 1917-2017 This article describes some of the research process into the history and development of the activated sludge process in California.  This research will be used for a paper that discusses the history of the activated sludge process in California from 1917 to 2017.  If you have additional...