All posts by WasteWater Education

This site has been created by WasteWaterEducation.org a 501(c)3 not for profit. This is a resource site for anyone interested in learning more about how to use and maximize use of conventional, advanced and community integrated wastewater systems
Decentralized Systems, Drinking Water, Integrated Water Resources, Sustainable Water Management

WWETT Sponsored two new webcasts in June 2020

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Innovation in potable reuse in Sweden. REGISTER HERE
From 2014 to 2019 Peter Asteberg was the project manager for the planning, design and construction of three new drinking water plants on Öland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea with extensive water shortage. In 2016 he was assigned to manage the development of a combined desalination and water reuse plant in Mörbylånga on the southeast coast of Öland. The Mörbylånga Drinking Water Plant, which was partly commissioned in 2019, is the first full-scale facility ever in Sweden for direct potable reuse of water. Therefore, the plant has received both national and international attention.
Co-Presenter is Tommy Lindström, BSc Construction Engineering and Energy. As a former island energy strategist, he has collaborated with islands across Europe and have great knowledge and experience on the island perspective. After being the regional energy coordinator for the county administrative board he is now back in international projects as project manager for the regional energy agency for southeast of Sweden. Working with resilience, sustainable tourism, renewable energy, energy efficiency and smart transports. As a volunteer he supports the Swedish Eco-municipality Association with international collaboration with South America and is also the Energy and Waste management coordinator at Engineers without borders- Sweden.

Irrigation of Agricultural crops with Recycled Water: Regulations that Protect the Public Health – REGISTER HERE

Bahman Sheikh has over 30 years of domestic and international experience in research, planning, and design of water resources projects, specializing in water conservation, reclamation, reuse, and recycling. Dr. Sheikh’s career began as a university professor. His academic career was followed by consulting, technical investigations, master planning, and design of water resources facilities. Sheikh’s water recycling experience includes service in both the public and private sectors. For the City of Los Angeles, he developed long-term water reuse goals, planned water recycling projects to the year 2090, and advanced public outreach.

This webinar focuses on the experience gained in the field in California and other regions over the past several decades regarding use of recycled water for irrigation of agricultural crops. Regulations governing use of recycled water for agriculture will be discussed comparing their stringency and effectiveness with special emphasis on microbial risks. Chemical risks from use of recycled water for irrigation will also be discussed summarizing research findings of recent years, particularly with regard to constituents of emerging concerns, also called microconstituents.

The main conclusion of the webinar is that existing regulations are adequately protective of the health and safety of farm workers and consumers of agricultural crops grown with recycled water. The extremely low concentrations of microconstituents detected in recycled water are placed in perspective with calculated numbers of years of exposure necessary to accrue one safe daily dose of each of the constituents of concern.

The main audience for this presentation includes professional engineers, utility managers, farm managers, irrigation experts, and others interested in the safety of agricultural products grown with recycled water irrigation.

Education

June 8, 1909: Leal and Fuller Papers Presented at AWWA Conference — This Day in Water History

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June 8, 1909: John L. Leal, George W. Fuller and George A. Johnson present papers at the AWWA annual conference on this day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on the chloride of lime treatment system at Boonton Reservoir, New Jersey. Unlike previous presentations on the addition of disinfection chemicals to water, the three papers were received enthusiastically […]

June 8, 1909: Leal and Fuller Papers Presented at AWWA Conference — This Day in Water History
Australia, Decentralized Systems, Environmental Health, Innovation In Sanitation, Septic System, Urban & Suburban

In time of need – WWETT steps up!

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Stay strong. Stay safe. Be well.

WasteWater Education online events are underwritten by the WWETT Show – (Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport) as a public service and thank you to all the hard working professionals affected by the current Covid 19 emergency.

There is no fee to attend but all US based donations to https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1727628 will help us continue to provide this service.
For international supporters, please use this link 

Small on-site domestic wastewater treatment systems – an Australian perspective .

Monday, June 1, 2020 7:00:00 PM EDT – 8:30:00 PM EDT
(June 2: 8.30 AM Australia)

REGISTER HERE

While much of the developed world has high rates of population connectedness to centralised sewerage and wastewater treatment, the need to deliver effective on-site sanitation via small domestic wastewater treatment systems remains essential for public and environmental health protection. 

This webinar will begin with an introduction to decentralised wastewater treatment, followed by a survey of the landscape of standards/regulations governing on-site wastewater systems performance certification internationally, with a focus on the relevant Australian context. It will then provide an overview of an Australian on-site wastewater treatment systems performance accreditation testing facility currently operating in South Australia, including an account of the facility’s operation, a description of some of the treatment systems being tested and their performance, and will give some stories of problems encountered and lessons learnt along the way.

Dr Michael Short, University of South Australia, is an environmental scientist with research expertise in urban water systems (water quality, wastewater treatment and water recycling), environmental microbiology and microbial ecology, sustainability and life cycle assessment. He has a keen interest in how environmental science can be applied to inform the development of better environmental management policy.

Presented by Ben Kele, Arris Water, and WasteWater Education 501(c)3. 

See: https://www.arris.com.au/water/ This is the fourth in a series of events from Australia we are hosting in May.

To view recordings of the previous events click on the images below:

Lake Gkula

Dr. Jake O’Brien
Professor Ted Gardner
Earth Day, Environmental Justice

50 years of Earth Month: 50 years of environmental justice

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This marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day – and who could have imagined what kind of world we are experiencing now?

In April we have partnered with some amazing people and organizations who have given generously of their time and expertise to provide the following events at no cost to attendees. Bookmark our page as we are adding new events all the time. Our live attendance space is limited to 195 but we will be posting recordings here and in our WasteWater Education YouTube Channel

Tuesday April 14 at 2 PM ET – Register HERE

Catherine Flowers, a past WasteWater Education Board member, is a Franklin Center for the Humanities Practitioner in Residence.Based in Montgomery, Alabama, she is a fierce advocate for the under served and largely ignored working poor.
In this lecture, as part of our Earth Month series of public outreach events, Catherine will reflect on the disparity of progress made in the past 50 years of the environmental movement – a disparity still in evidence today.

Catherine is also an internationally recognized advocate for the human right to water and sanitation as expressed in the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.
In 2019 she testified before the US House Committee.
She is a Professor of Practice at Duke University.
Image courtesy of Pixabay la Fundación Hugo Zárate

Education

Be safe! Be Well! Stay home!

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2018wateriswater

Look forward ….
In this time of fear and real pain for so many individuals and communities we have one simple message.
Be kind to each other and we will get through this – together.
We will not, as too many others seem to be doing, use this dire situation to beat our own drum.
Just know that if you need help using or setting up an online event give us a call. We have opened our Adobe Connect platform to any non commercial entity that needs it at no charge.
This is not the time to be taking advantage of this tragedy and if you see price gauging or outright fraud – report it!
Education

April 5, 1827: Birth of Joseph Lister — This Day in Water History

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April 5, 1827: Birth of Joseph Lister. He was born in Upton House, Essex, England on April 5, 1827 and died on February 10, 1912. His life covered the entire span of the harshest debates over the germ theory of disease and its general acceptance. Lister completed his medical education including attendance at the Royal […]

via April 5, 1827: Birth of Joseph Lister — This Day in Water History

Michigan State Code

If a successful outcome is the goal? Then take the time to do it right!

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Oliver Grievson – Board Chair:On behalf of WasteWater Education 501(c)3, I am inviting, and would welcome, your participation in this consensus building process.
In 2019, Board of Directors of WasteWater Education 501(c)3, a national and international water resources education organization, applied for a 3 year $540,000 grant to enable a comprehensive, consensus based, rule making process for what to now has been a highly contentious and politically fraught subject – a statewide Code governing onsite wastewater in Michigan.
Even though that particular application was unsuccessful the Board has made a commitment to proceed using the resources we already have in hand.
Previous attempts, at enacting a ‘statewide septic code’, became bogged down in politics, turf battles, and exclusionary tactics. By holding all planning meetings in one location many of those who wanted to were unable to participate either due to distance, time or financial travel budget constraints – leading, inevitably, to suspicion and opposition.
Taking a leaf out of the State of Ohio playbook, WasteWater Education will make available their online meeting platform. Acting as the host and facilitator, this online, live sessions, consensus building meeting space will allow anyone who wants to participate – regardless of location or travel budget.
WasteWater Education has pulled together an impressive collaboration of partnerships to move forward of which I am honored to be included.
The purpose is to allow an equal playing field to resolve conflict and achieve consensus.
Attendees will be asked to set aside any pre-conceived positions and turf protection and agree to be civil and respectful – even if you don’t personally agree with the consensus position.
Using the Ohio Admin Rules as a starting point, the final goal is to draft a comprehensive Michigan Public Health Code governing all aspects of non municipal wastewater systems _ and then present it as a precursor to eventual enabling legislation.
Using 2015 Ohio Administrative Code for Sewage Treatment Systems as a template, participants will address:
Regulation:
  1. Training, Licensing, Certification
  • a. Designers
  • b. Installers
  • c. Service personnel
  • d. Inspectors
  1. System Components
  • a. Certification
  • b. ASTM standards
  • c. NSF/ANSI Certification
  • d. Maintenance Contracts
  • e. Warranty
  1. Treatment Facilities
  • a. Residential
  • b. Community Systems
  • c. Treatment plants
  • d. Land application
  • e. Commercial Waste
Enforcement:
  1. Regional/Local oversight
  • a. License to operate for practitioners
  • b. Installation review
  • c. Service Permit to Operate
  • d. Inspector certification
  • e. Regional Control Board
  1. System Components
  • a. Definition of ‘performance’
  • b. Order to remedy or prosecution
  • c. Collection of fines and fees
  • d. License revocation
Administrative Actions:
  1. Appeals
  2. Variances
  3. Permit Revocation
  4. Injunctive Relief
Funding:
  1. Statewide Budget appropriation
  • a. Department of Health and Human Services
  • b. Revolving loan/grant fund for repair or replacement
  1. Regional Components
  • a. Collection of fees for permits, inspections and licenses
  • b. Collection of fines and fees
  • c. Responsible Management Utilities
This an open and transparent process designed to allow anyone to participate live or via online resources. If you have a mobile device or a computer or a conference room you can be part of this Rule making process.
The essence of consensus is that those who participate create a workable, sustainable and fundable program. There will be ground rules for civility and we are asking for a once a month commitment of your time.
The inaugural meeting will take place via the web in  March  at 10 AM. We anticipate meetings will run no longer than 90 minutes. However sub groups who may wish to meet more frequently and for longer can be accommodated. Also for specialist topics attendance at all meetings is not required – but we do ask each participant to review each section as it is drafted.
To accept this invitation, and participate in what may finally achieve a sensible onsite wastewater administration format for Michigan, please respond by email or telephone to:
Executive Director Dendra Best. 231 233 1806. info [at]wastewatereducation.org
Do you agree that a disciplined approach to a comprehensive drafting of proposed administrative rules should come before moving on to introduction of enabling legislation?
Education

March 13, 1914: Death of John L. Leal — This Day in Water History

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March 13, 1914: Death (in Paterson, NJ) of John L. Leal, physician and water treatment expert who pioneered chlorine disinfection in the U.S. There are many unsung heroes who contributed significantly to public health at the turn of the 20thcentury. John L. Leal is one of them and after reading this, I think you will […]

via March 13, 1914: Death of John L. Leal — This Day in Water History