CASA Connects for April 3, 2017

Please forward this newsletter to anyone who may be interested.                             April 3, 2017

Water Infrastructure Takes Center Stage at Senate Committee Hearing

On March 28, a subcommittee of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works heard testimony on three water infrastructure bills pending before Congress, including legislation to provide clean water technical assistance to small and rural communities (S. 518) and a bill to provide for integrated planning and permitting (S. 692). Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) stated the purpose of the hearing was to assess how these bills would address the need for affordable water infrastructure investments and recognize the shortfalls rural states and localities deal with when trying to meet the Clean Water Act’s requirements. Both Rep. Barrasso and Ranking Democrat, Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), emphasized that infrastructure, [more…]

CASA Reaches Out to Senator Harris on Permit Terms

In late March, CASA sent a letter to Senator Kamala Harris seeking her support to extend NPDES permit terms from five years to ten.  As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, California’s junior Senator is uniquely positioned to propose this amendment during mark up of legislation to address infrastructure and affordability under the Clean Water Act.  Extending permit terms is one of CASA’s priority federal issues. Wastewater agencies face increasingly restrictive requirements in their permits that push the limits of technology and local agency budgets. The current Clean Water Act mandate to renew complex permits every five years represents a perpetual “moving target” that achieves very little in the way of water quality benefits.

Input Needed for CASA Salary Survey-Deadline Extended

We are seeking your help to complete the annual CASA Agency Salary and Benefits Survey, which provides valuable information for our members. The more responses we receive, the more accurate the statistical summary. Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency has again graciously volunteered to coordinate and produce the survey report.

Please forward your completed questionnaires either by email, fax to 831-648-3322, or hard copy to MRWPCA, 5 Harris Court, Building D, Monterey, CA, 93940 by Friday, April 14, 2017.

Thank you for your participation in the development of this important member resource.

Honoring the Best

Our Award of Excellence annually honors our members’ community outreach, education, innovation, sustainability, organizational strategies and capital projects. Your organization works hard to do what’s right for California, and we want to recognize your hard work and accomplishments statewide. The award symbolizes the persistence personified by water professionals, while strengthening the drive for innovation, creativity and ingenuity. And it positions you as a leader with the media and other influential people in your community. Be sure to apply by April 14, 2017. Winners will be announced at the annual conference in San Diego in August.

Let Your Community Know About College Scholarships

2016 Scholarship Recipient Trenton Saunders.
The CASA Education Foundation offers at least two $5,000 scholarships annually to students pursuing higher education in engineering, environmental science, public administration, wastewater operations, or other fields connected to the clean water industry, which includes wastewater treatment, water recycling, and resource recovery. The application deadline is April 28, 2017.
Applicants must be California residents and attending an accredited college or university located in California. Visit the Foundation webpage for additional information.

We’re Saving a Seat for You in Sacramento

The upcoming April 19 CASA/WateReuse Public Policy Forum is a great opportunity to get directly involved in state advocacy on behalf of your agency.  Participants in the one day Sacramento event will spend the morning hearing presentations from featured speakers and panels, and go to the State Capitol in the afternoon for pre-arranged visits with their local legislators to advocate on key bills.  Register today!

Mixed Bag

  • USEPA is releasing the Route to Resilience tool that will help small and medium sized drinking water and wastewater utilities learn more about becoming resilient to all-hazards such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and contamination incidents.  The interactive desktop application guides utilities through 5 stops along the Route to Resilience — Assess, Plan, Train, Respond, and Recover. Download the tool.
  • The ambitious effort to manage salinity in the Central Valley was featured in the March issue of Environmental Health News. CASA is a member of the Central Valley Salinity Coalition, which supports the regional water board effort to develop appropriate plans, policies and regulations to address salts and nitrates. Read the full article. 
  • Last week, the Value of Water Campaign released an economic impact analysis it commissioned to understand how investments in the nation’s water infrastructure affects economic growth and employment. The report, “The Economic Benefits of Investing in Water Infrastructure” was shared for the first time on World Water Day. The analysis found that in addition to the upside of investment, there is a severe economic cost of inaction. 
Now Hiring!
CASA members have numerous opportunities available. Visit our Job Board for details.

Member News

CASA congratulates our member agencies that were recently honored for their water recycling leadership by WateReuse California.  Well done!
  • Recycled Water Agency of the Year: Eastern Municipal Water District
  • Recycled Water Community Outreach and Public Education Program of the Year: Pure Water Monterey
  • Recycled Water Staff Persons of the Year: Brent Eidson, City of San Diego Public Utilities Department and Roshanak Aflaki, City of Los Angeles, LA Sanitation

Events

 
2017 Dates
Organization
Event
Location
April 19 CASA/WateReuse
 Public Policy Forum
Sacramento
April 25-28 CWEA  Annual Conference Palm Springs
     
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