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WERF 2010 Web Seminars

WERF's web seminar series features scientific experts who discuss research topics and answer your questions. No special equipment or software is needed to participate—just a web browser and phone.

January: Strategic Asset Management

Public Communications Perceptions & Early Communication Tools:
How to Engage the Public on the Issue of Infrastructure Sustainability

View Presentation (Recorded January 20, 2010)

This web seminar discusses the initial results of WERF's SAM research program to understand elected and appointed officials’ perspectives on asset management and infrastructure sustainability. The authors use results of a survey, focus groups, interviews, and case studies to understand how public support for infrastructure sustainability can be attained. Relevant and readily usable tools that focus on the infrastructure sustainability issue are identified. The research identifies messages that elected, appointed, and salaried public officials can use to “tell their story” to stakeholders: That is, how the directed use of scarce resources leads to improved value per dollar and that their service is delivered in a competent, if not excellent, manner.

Speaker
Linda Blankenship, EMA, Inc.

March: Climate Change

The Sustainable Path for a Climate Ready Utility

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Utilities can learn how to integrate climate change considerations in planning for the future. This web seminar will help managers learn how to follow basic climatic, hydrologic, and ecologic principles to analyze climate change and the potential impacts on their facilities and operations. John Cromwell from Stratus Consulting will use a risk identification process modified for the climate change field, referred to as “vulnerability and adaptation analysis” to illustrate the steps on a sustainable path that will help utilities become climate ready. Paul Flemming from Seattle Public Utilities will showcase one public utility and how it is following the path to become climate ready.

Speakers
John Cromwell, Stratus Consulting
Paul Flemming, Seattle Public Utilities

April: Nutrients

Nutrient Removal: How to Protect Water Quality – How Low can you Go?

Two research teams working under WERF's Nutrients Challenge come together with one common goal – to share the findings from their extensive studies over the past two years and determine what’s working -- and what’s not. One team completed a study of the real-world performance of 23 full-scale wastewater treatment facilities operating for more than three years to remove nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) down to very low levels (3 mg N/L or 0.5 mg P/L). The other team looked at the key nutrient management and criteria issues that confront point source wastewater dischargers nationwide. This web seminar will provide a better understanding of the challenges that utilities and regulators face setting and meeting low nutrient effluent limits, help expand understanding of the practical capabilities of treatment technology, and present solutions to better protect water quality.

Speakers
Dave Clark, P.E., HDR Engineering, Inc.
Charles Bott, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, VA

May: Trace Organics

How to Prioritize Trace Organic Compounds in Aquatic Populations

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

With thousands of trace organic compounds (TOrC) in use in deodorizers, fragrances, flame retardants, industrial chemicals, natural hormones/steroids, personal care products, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and surfactants, it's important to know which are considered high priority for research? Dr. Jerry Diamond and his investigative team will provide a prioritization scheme for TOrC research based on the likelihood of contributing to effects on aquatic populations. This prioritization scheme will be used to identify case studies and candidate TOrCs for field study. Information presented will identify under what site conditions the presence of TOrCs pose a risk to aquatic populations. The research team will also discuss whether TOrCs measured or predicted in either effluent or surface water pose a risk as well. This information will help water quality managers learn about what can and should be monitored to protect environment health.

Speakers
Jerry Diamond, Tetra Tech

June: Nanotechnology

WERF’s Nanotechnology Research: A Primer

Coming Soon!

Practices at the Forefront of Energy Efficiency and Recovery for the Wastewater Sector in North America

Coming Soon!

September: Decentralized Systems

New Opportunities for Managing Wastewater: Lessons Learned from Decentralized Research

Coming Soon!

November: Pathogens

Recreational Water Quality Criteria: Pathogen and Indicator Sources, Methods, and Risk Assessment Research for Beach Act Revision

Coming Soon!