CASA Connects Newsletter for April 25, 2016

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  • by BPC Staff
  • on April 26, 2016
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April 25, 2016

CASA & Coalition Oppose Bill that Would Put Mandates on Ocean Dischargers

CASA and a coalition of water and wastewater organizations recently submitted a formal opposition letter on its high priority legislation for the year, SB 163 (Hertzberg).
This bill would impose a mandate on each wastewater treatment facility that discharges through an ocean outfall, mandating 100 percent reuse of the facility’s actual annual flow by 2036. Read more…

Trial to Begin in Kern County Biosolids Ban Case

After years of litigation, a full trial on the legality of Kern County Measure E is set to begin April 26.
CASA’s Director of Renewable Resources, Greg Kester, is a key expert witness for the plaintiffs, regarded for his expertise and national recognition as an expert on biosolids regulation, management and beneficial reuse. Read more…

OCSD General Manager Calls on House to Approve Water Recycling Legislation

OCSC General Manager Jim Herberg testifies before House Committee
Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) General Manager Jim Herberg testified before congress last week on the importance of supporting the accelerated construction of water recycling projects. Addressing the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans, Herberg called for the passage of Representative Doris Matsui’s Water Recycling Acceleration Act (H.R. 2993), which would allow the secretary of the interior to award grants to water and wastewater agencies that have demonstrated a feasible recycling project under Title XVI.  Read more…
Also check out this video footage of the proceedings.

Utility of the Future Today Recognition Program

NACWA, along with the Water Environment Federation, the Water Environment Research Foundation, and WateReuse, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has announced a new Utility of the Future (UOTF) Today recognition program. The program will celebrate the progress and exceptional performance of our nation’s wastewater utilities while supporting the widespread adoption of the innovative UOTF business model.
A complimentary webinar is planned for May 4. Wastewater utilities of all sizes are encouraged to apply by June 17, 2016. Read more…

Check Out Our Latest Blog

Alex Johnson Blogs About Watershed Management

Alex Johnson, Senior Freshwater Solutions Director at The Freshwater Trust, suggests a natural alternative to infrastructure upgrades. Check out his viewpoint and leave a comment with your thoughts.

“Many wastewater agencies in California find themselves facing stricter limits in upcoming NPDES permits for nontoxic pollutants like phosphorus, nitrogen, salinity and temperature. Instead of costly infrastructure upgrades, managing your watershed via tools such as water quality trading or an offsets program may now be a cost-effective solution for meeting Clean Water Act compliance obligations.” Read the blog…

Tips for Explaining the Value of CASA Conferences

We know the immense value our conferences hold for our members. But the benefits of participation may not always be clear to the public you serve.  To help you communicate this value to others, we’ve prepared The Value of CASA Conferences FAQs.
Combine the key points in this document with your own ideas and be prepared to help others realize the importance of these valuable meetings.

Attorney’s Meeting Set for May 20

The CASA 2016 Attorneys’ Spring Meeting is set for Friday, May 20.
The CASA’s Attorneys’ Committee meets a few times a year to discuss legal topics of interest, recent case law, and important legislation. Attorneys and counsel for member agencies as well as attorneys from associate member law firms are encouraged to attend. This meeting will also feature special presentations from lawyers working on key litigation impacting the wastewater industry, including:
  • Kern County Measure E biosolids litigation
  • Hawaii Wildlife Fund v. County of Maui, dealing with the “conduit theory” of Clean Water Act liability
  • Recent developments in the California River Watch v. Eastern Municipal Water District citizen suit action
Attendees will receive MCLE credit.
The meeting will run from 10:00-2:00 at Meyers Nave, 555 12th Street, Suite 1500, Oakland.

Agency News

Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (“Central San”) is turning 70! To celebrate, they’re hosting an open house on Saturday, July 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s a family-friendly event that will showcase their services and offer tours of the treatment plant and other facilities, and include interactive games, student educational exhibits, equipment and truck displays, free food, and live entertainment. The open house will be located at Central San’s headquarters and treatment plant facilities, 5019 Imhoff Place, Martinez. If you plan to take a tour of the treatment plant, please sign-up by June 30.
Central San has also received First Place in the California Water Environment Association’s (CWEA) 2016 Photo Contest. The photo, entitled “CCCSD furnace repair,” features from left to right, Maintenance Tech III Don “Bo” Botelli, Mechanical Supervisor Tom Brown, and Maintenance Tech I Jon Nicolaus. CWEA’s 2016 Conference Co-Chair Greg Chung stated the photo won because it “showed teamwork and a lot of action and muscle.” Media Production Technician Joseph Zumbo took the photo.
Photo by Joseph Zumbo, courtesy Central San
The Bay Area Biosolids to Energy Coalition announced that legislation they are sponsoring has cleared its first legislative committee hurdle.  SB 1213 (Wieckowski) would create the Biosolids to Clean Energy Grant Program to provide 50% matching funds to local wastewater agencies for biosolids to clean energy capital projects. CASA has a support position on the bill.

Check out this video that West County Wastewater District produced to help educate their publics.

Mixed Bag

The US Water Alliance announced that three organizations have been named as winners of the 2016 US Water Prize: DC Water, for its Walter F. Bailey Bioenergy Facility; Dow, for its Minimal Liquid Discharge technology; and, Emory University, for its WaterHub campus-scale water reclamation project. Learn more…
Applications for a CASA Award of Excellence

must be received by Friday, April 29. If you haven’t already, get your application in today!
The deadline for students to apply for a CASA Education Foundation scholarship is Friday, April 29. Please help spread the word about this valuable program. We’ve created a flier and press release template to help you communicate the opportunity. Learn more…
Now Hiring!

Events

Date
Organization
Event
Location
April 26-29, 2016 CWEA Santa Clara
May 17-18, 2016 Special Districts Sacramento
June 21, 2016
CASA
Biosolids & Renewable Energy Workshop (details coming soon)
Martinez
June 22, 2016 CASA Biosolids & Renewable Energy Workshop (details coming soon) Los Angeles
Aug. 10-12, 2016 CASA Annual Conference  Monterey

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