July 2015 Digest

July 31, 2015

Featured

Other News

Revamped Water Treatment Facility Improves System Reliability in San Francisco Region

As part of ongoing efforts to ensure system reliability in case of a major earthquake, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) recently completed a $278 million upgrade to its water treatment facility, the Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant. The project enables SFPUC to continue to deliver clean drinking water to its customers if a seismic event disrupts deliveries from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the primary source of water for 2.6 million people in the Bay Area.

Step Out of the Conference Room To Participate in Unique WEFTEC^® 2015 Events

Opportunities to learn abound at WEFTEC^® 2015. But even veteran attendees may not know all of the exciting, unique opportunities available during the annual event. WEFTEC 2015 goes beyond workshops, technical sessions, facility tours, and the exhibition. Attendees also can build gardens as part of the 8th annual community service project, attend or participate in an open-mic performance benefiting water sector groups, and join organized bicycle and motorcycle rides or a “poker run” to raise money for water charities.

Great Water Cities Panelist Tony Parrott Provides Insight into the Water Sector

Listen as water leaders discuss the changes occurring in different cities during the WEFTEC^® 2015 session, “The Impact of Leadership: Culture, Communication, and Community in Great Water Cities.” On Sept. 28, 10 a.m. to noon, James A. “Tony” Parrott, executive director of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC), will be one panelist.

Parrott gives a preview of the panel by answering questions about challenges the water sector and MSDGC facing as well as how MSDGC is responding to these challenges.

Collection Systems Sessions Set To Draw Large Crowds at WEFTEC^© 2015

Collection systems topics are no stranger to the list of top 10 attended sessions for all of WEFTEC. This year, two technical sessions — Session 313, “Collection System Basics” and Session 512, “A Fresh Perspective on Front Line Operations” — are targeting new members of the collection systems community, those who will be experts of the future.

Great Water Cities Panelist Susan Story Discusses Need for Infrastructure and Water Supply

At WEFTEC^® 2015, Susan Story, president and chief executive officer of American Water Works Company, Inc. (Voorhees, N.J.), will share her perspective on the challenges facing the water sector. On Sept. 28, Story will participate in a panel discussion with water sector leaders about changes in cities throughout the U.S.

“The Impact of Leadership: Culture, Communication, and Community in Great Water Cities,” is part of a series of Great Water Cities conversations hosted by the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.). In these conversations leaders share lessons learned about managing water to improve resilience, livability, and economic vitality.

Story provide an overview of challenges the water sector faces as well as American Water’s values and efforts to respond to challenges in this sneak peak into the panel discussion.

Texas Student Wins 2015 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize for Removing Heavy Metals from Water

Highlights-July6b On June 20, Perry Alagappan from Houston, Texas, stepped onto a stage to receive the 2015 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP). Alagappan earned the prestigious water-research prize, which includes $10,000 and a trip to Stockholm to represent the U.S. at the international SJWP competition in August, for his project, “Novel Renewable Filter for Heavy Metal Removal: A Practical Application of Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.”