A Statement from the NC AWWA-WEA Board of Trustees

On behalf of our members, committees, and staff, the NC AWWA-WEA Board of Trustees want to acknowledge the recent tragedies and events in our country. These events, coupled with the effects of COVID-19, have highlighted the systemic racism and inequality that continues to exist in our society.  We also recognize that the protests in local communities and across the country are a part of the expression of pain and frustration that is felt by Black Americans daily. NC AWWA-WEA stands with those protesting peacefully for change and want to make a commitment.

As industry leaders, we are committed to continue doing all that we can to identify, challenge, and change systems of inequity that perpetuate racism and bias as we advance our mission. We also reaffirm our commitment to leading this transformation by becoming a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive water sector through our organization’s membership and activities. We will promote principles and practices that ensure our organization reflects the diversity and inclusion of our membership, industry professionals and those we serve. In addition, we are committed to building and strengthening relationships with local leaders and our parent organizations to support and implement programs that ensure all representative segments of our industry are valued and have a voice and role in this envisioned future.

We encourage our members, their families and friends to be aware of their own biases (conscious and unconscious), examine how they create barriers between us and work together to redefine and reshape how you view and treat your fellow human beings.

We look forward to your continued support and personal commitment to work with us as we continue to learn, grow, and strive towards a more equitable society.

2019-2020 Board of Trustees

Jeff Coggins, Chair

Kenneth Waldroup, Chair-Elect

Brian Tripp, Vice Chair

David Saunders, Past Chair

Ben Kearns, Secretary

Greg Morgan, Treasurer

Tom Bach, Trustee

Kevin Irby, Trustee

Jordan Taylor, Trustee

Kristine Williams, Trustee

Ron Hargrove, AWWA Director

Betsy Drake, WEF Director

Chris Belk, WEF Director

Ken Vogt, WEF Director-Elect

Tony Mencome, Professional Wastewater Operators Representative

Mike Borchers, Professional Water Operators Representative

Catrice R. Jones, Executive Director

• Our Members at Work
• Environment
• Structures
• Critters Around Us

Entries due by July 2!

Visit here to find out more!

especially in the water industry!

2018 Overall Winner

“Working in Darkness”

Members at Work Category

Photo by Dylan Desimone

The NC AWWA-WEA Communication Committee is pleased to announce their Annual Photo Contest.  Through this contest, we are soliciting photos to use in our publications, advertisements, website, and social media.

Enter the contest online at: www.ncsafewater.org/PhotoContest

All submissions must be received on or before July 2, 2019. Winners in each of the four main categories will be notified in October and invited to attend the Annual Conference in Raleigh November 3-6, 2019 where winning photos will be recognized. The winners in each category will receive a $50 gift card.

The top photos in each category will also appear in a Members’ Choice Contest during the Annual Conference, where attendees will be able to vote for their favorite photo using the Annual Conference Mobile App. The winner of the Member’s Choice Contest will be announced during the conference, and will receive an additional $50 gift card.

Photo Categories

• Our Members at Work
• Environment
• Structures
• Critters Around Us

For questions please contact Kyrie McKinney at kmckinney@ncsafewater.org or (919) 784-9030 x1001.

Contest Rules & Guidelines

• Photos must be submitted by: July 2, 2019
• Photos from professional photographers will not be accepted. Professional is defined as anyone that regularly accepts payment for their photos or is contracted by anyone other than family members or close friends to take portraits or event photos.
• You may submit up to 3 photos in each category.
• A single photo may only be submitted in to one category.
• Photos that are not print quality (at least 300 dpi) will be disqualified.
• Person submitting photos is responsible for ensuring that photos represent activities compliant with safety and environmental regulations.
• The Communication Committee will select judges for the contest.

More information on the NCSEF and winners can be found here.

#NCSEF19

Click here for details!

The NC AWWA-WEA has established a Reception Committee to help coordinate this special event. To help the costs, the committee has developed "The Wavemaker" Presidential Sponsorship Program. This program, designed to embody Jackie's spanning influence in the Water industry, will consist of three tiers of sponsorship levels, as well as have options to donate on an individual level.

Help us honor this outstanding "wavemaker" by becoming a sponsor today!

SPECIAL NOTE: We are now offering additional Silver Level Sponsorships for the Jackie Jarrell Wavemaker Presidential Sponsorship Program. All funds collected will go to honor Jackie’s pending induction as WEF President. A portion of the funds will be used for the WEFTEC Presidential Reception to be held in September 2019 in Chicago during WEFTEC. Any remaining monies will be used for a special Wavemaker Social honoring Jackie during the 99th Annual NC AWWA-WEA Annual Conference. The social is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, November 3.

Click here for more information about the sponsorship tiers.

Click here to purchase your sponsorship.

Click here to donate as an individual.

Click here for more information on WEFTEC 2019.

Now accepting nominations for our 2019-20 Board of Trustees!

Click here to learn more about our Board!

Click here to nominate someone today!

Special thank you goes out to the Spring Symposium Committee for a job well done!

Mark your calendars for next year's in Asheville!

2841 Plaza Place, Suite 130, Raleigh, NC 27612

Scholarships are available for community college and university students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as for educators at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Scholarships are listed here along with a very brief qualification statement. To view a scholarship's complete qualifications and application criteria refer to the Scholarship Description PDF listed under each scholarship heading.

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 28, 2019

By Catrice R. Jones, CAE, Executive Director of NC AWWA-WEA

According to the Collins Dictionary, a ripple effect refers to "the spreading effects experienced as the result of a single event." As Executive Director of NC AWWA-WEA, I am privileged to see the daily “ripple effect” the actions of our volunteers, leaders, and staff have on our organization and its members. I first experienced this effect 18 years ago, when I walked into the NC AWWA-WEA office one week before the Annual Conference.

As with any new job, my first days were spent completing paperwork and learning my way around. Since it was the week before the Annual Conference, I happily jumped in to help the Executive Director Pam Moss, with the last minute details. She did a wonderful job of explaining what I could expect when I got onsite at the event and what my duties would be. Now anyone who knows Pam knows that she gives VERY detailed descriptions. Despite her thorough explanation, I was still very nervous thinking about what to expect at
this large event where I didn’t know anyone. When I got onsite, I was a little overwhelmed by the size of the event, but all of that melted away when I started meeting all of the people. I can honestly say that this is when my love for this organization began to grow.

Everywhere I turned, I was greeted by a friendly face. Even though they were all busy fulfilling their assigned roles, they took time to welcome me and help the “new girl” not make a mess of things. The way the volunteers unselfishly gave their time and energy to this industry and to this organization was inspiring. On top of that, they had fun and genuinely enjoyed what they were doing. For me this was the beginning of my “ripple” with NC AWWAWEA. At the time, I am sure they were not thinking about the long-term effect they had on my life and career path.

As you are reading this article, I hope you are reflecting upon those people who started a ripple in your life. Who was it? What did they say or do to impact you? Do they know how they affected you? Where are they now? Did you thank them? During this moment of reflection, I hope that you are also thinking of ways that you have started a ripple effect with your impact
on someone else’s life. This impact can be as informal as giving an encouraging word
when a coworker has a rough day or a word of congratulations when someone completes a job successfully. Your impact could also be made in a more formal way through taking time to teach someone a new skill, or inviting them to attend an industry event and introducing them to new colleagues. When you started your ripple, were you aware that it was happening? What was your motivation for helping someone else? How did that make you feel? Have they ever thanked you for your actions? In this fast paced and demanding world, it is easy to forget that we leave impressions with everyone we meet, and that we have the ability to impact their lives in positive and negative ways.

We often feel that we are just one person and cannot possibly have a major impact on the world. I am here to remind you that no contribution or act of kindness is too small. Just as those volunteers inspired me, I challenge you to seek out ways to start or continue a ripple.

Let the people that have impacted your life know, and say thank you by sharing your ripple moments on social media using #RippleEffect #ThankYou #WaterIndustryPro. If all of us who are a part of NC AWWA-WEA – Board of Trustees, staff, committee leaders, members, and supporters – join together, we can turn our ripples into a tidal wave!

The AWWA American/Canadian/Mexican Water Landmarks Award recognizes and preserves an American, Canadian, or Mexican Water Landmark at least 50 years old that has had a direct and significant relationship with water supply, treatment, distribution, or technological development. In 2016, the High Point City Lake Dam aka Arnold J. Koonce, Jr., City Lake Dam in Jamestown, NC was recognized with this honor.

The AWWA Courageous Service Award recognizes one or more individuals who's actions are deserving of recognition. These individuals may be credited with risking their own life by "staying at their post" in an effort to save their water supply. While they may not have saved someone else, they certainly went "above and beyond" the call of duty.

If you know of a location in North Carolina, or of an employee that fits either of these descriptions, please contact Awards Committee Chair, Tom Bach at (704) 920-5344 or bacht@concordnc.gov.

Organizers would like to visit different plants and want to avoid sites they have visited within the past three years. A list of past meeting locations is included below, and a map of the regions is available online at http://www.ncsafewater.org/group/PWWOCmte.

Hosting a PWOC meeting requires a room that will hold 50 people for a continuing education presentation, and leading a tour of the facility. PWOC committee members can assist with securing a lunch and the presentation speaker. If you don’t want to host, please nominate a facility that you would like to visit and a PWOC representative will contact the facility.

One of the four facilities we visit each year is eligible for the “WWTP Operations & Maintenance Excellence Award” given at the NC AWWA-WEA Annual Conference in November. 

Contact Jimmy Pridgen, Eastern Region Chair of the Professional Wastewater Operators Committee at jpridgen@wilsonnc.org to suggest a facility.

2017:
Belville WWTP, Leland NC
Town of Williamston
Town of Vanceboro
Smithfield Foods, Tarheel, NC

2016:
Hoke County
Mt. Olive
Ahoskie
Grifton

2015:
Clarkton
CFPUA City of Wilmington
Kenly
Greenville

2014:
Raeford
Kinston
Johnston County
Beulaville

Originally published in the Fall 2017 issue of NC Currents magazine.

Annual Conference Planning Committees

Even before one NC AWWA-WEA fall conference ends, planning is underway for the next annual event. During the Annual Conference, feedback is collected from participants and reviewed by the organizing committee in a debriefing meeting at the conclusion of the conference. Much of the feedback comes from the committee members themselves and is used to make changes and improvements to the next fall conference.  

Paul Jackson, the chair of the Conference Coordinating Council, explains that the next step involved with organizing the Annual Conference is to secure a location. In the past, the event has traditionally moved among cities in the north, southwest, and central part of the state, but due to logistical challenges, it has been held in Raleigh for the past two years and will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center once again in fall of 2017.  

During his 20 years of involvement with the NC AWWA-WEA, including a stint as Exhibit Committee chair, Jackson has seen the number of exhibitors at the conference double. “We’ve outgrown some of the spaces we used to go to,” he notes.  

Activity to plan the conference really starts to ramp up after the NC AWWAWEA Spring Symposium. The Local Arrangements Committee conducts the bulk of the work organizing the fall event, including ensuring that signs are produced, the plant tour is organized, and the many onsite volunteers are ready for duty during the event. “Because you have a lot of new volunteers or volunteers with new responsibilities, you spend a lot of time training volunteers,” explains Jackson, adding that the NC AWWA-WEA conducts much of the legwork necessary to put on the conference, such as negotiating the contracts for the facility, as well as the services provided at the site.  

Jackson is also in charge of coordinating the work of the Sponsorship, Awards, Program, and Operations Challenge committees. Along with the three or four dozen members of these committees, hundreds of volunteers are involved during the conference in activities that range from monitoring sessions to handing out materials to working various booths and tables. “There are a lot of people who want to help but can’t set aside time throughout the year,” says Jackson. “Those are the people we call on for the event. Since they are going to be at the conference anyway, they are happy to set aside some time to volunteer an hour here and there.”  

There has been a lot of work over the years to streamline the event and keep the format of the Annual Conference current and relevant. “Technology allows us to do some new things,” notes Jackson. Last year, a mobile app made it easy to access up-to-the-minute conference information anywhere, anytime, at the touch of a button. At the same time, the committees involved in planning the conference are always looking for ways to make the event more fun and engaging.  

Jackson adds that this year’s Annual Conference will have a theme, meant to facilitate flow through the Exhibit Hall and encourage more people to visit this part of the conference. “One of the challenges with the Raleigh Convention Center is that the Exhibit Hall is downstairs while all the sessions are upstairs,” he explains. “We are trying to get people to visit the exhibitors by making the Exhibit Hall more exciting.”  

This year, the space will be laid out like a baseball diamond, with refreshments at first and third base and lunch served at second base. The plan is to have pitching booths and mascots from local teams.  

More events will be held in the exhibit hall, including some award presentations and announcements from a stage at home plate. Once again, exhibitors will be conducting periodic prize drawings, and, of course, the Operations Challenge and Pipe Tapping contests – always entertaining events – are sure to attract crowds.  

There will be a few changes to the Operations Challenge this year. One of the changes to the Collections event is that the repair to a damaged 8-inch PVC pipe will be replaced with an Inserta-T instead of a 4-inch service saddle secured by clamps, as was the case in previous years. “It’s a new product that has a groove that’s designed to fit around the PVC pipe once the hole is cut,” explains Operations Challenge Committee Co- Chair Billy Allen. “You insert the rubber sleeve in the service hole, then take a tapered PVC adapter and drive it into the rubber seal to create a compression fit.” He adds, “It’s a small change, but in such a fast-paced event, it is challenging to work in a new routine when the whole event takes just 80 to 90 seconds to complete. It’s something that takes a lot of practice.”  

A small change has also been made to the Laboratory Event to decrease the possibility of errors in the ammonia or alkalinity test results. Bad readings have made it challenging for teams to make the appropriate calculations during the event.  

The committee is committed to the continuous improvement of the Operations Challenge. “We have built the Operations Challenge from doing one event each year to doing all five events each year, closely mirroring what they do at WEFTEC,” says Allen. The committee starts making preparations for the conference in March or April, after WEF releases preliminary rules for the national Operations Challenge. In the early part of the summer, the committee holds a scrimmage event, a mock competition to help the teams prepare for the Annual Conference. Leading up to the fall event, the members of the Operations Challenge Committee meet about four times.  

The committee has one coordinator for each event. Working closely with their national counterparts, all NC AWWA-WEA Operations Challenge event coordinators ensure they have the current rules for their event, including the judging sheets that indicate the time value associated with each penalty. All coordinators are also responsible for ensuring that the NC AWWA-WEA has the necessary supplies and special equipment for each event. “We work with NC AWWA-WEA to negotiate contracts for equipment and talk to sponsors about donating equipment,” says Allen. “We try to ensure the NC AWWA-WEA recoups the cost of renting equipment and helping pay the winning team’s registration fees and travel expenses involved in representing North Carolina at WEFTEC. We talk to sponsors to help us out.”  

The close relationship between the Operations Challenge and Sponsorship committees is typical of the coordinated efforts between the various committees under the umbrella of the Conference Coordinating Council. Likewise, the Program Committee works closely with the Local Arrangements Committee to fill each slot in the technical program with an appropriate session for each program stream.  

The Program Committee is also responsible for securing the keynote speaker and organizing the public forum. “That can involve significant time,” says Chair Marco Menendez.  

This year, Menendez took a slightly different approach to finding a keynote speaker. “I saw an individual present a session at the Spring Conference,” he says. “I was so impressed by her that I thought she would be perfect for the keynote at our fall event. She is not very well known but I think people will be pleasantly surprised.”  

The Program Committee has a core group of approximately 23 active members with varying levels of responsibility. The committee identifies chairs for each individual track, who in turn identify a group of individuals to organize the sessions for that track. The staff at the NC AWWA-WEA puts out a call for abstracts, via email, NC Currents, and the website.  

This year, the NC AWWA-WEA received 189 abstracts. Within each track, four individuals grade the relevant abstracts using Precis software. The volunteers download the abstracts, grade them according to various categories of criteria, and upload the information into the system.

“Once the reviews are done, it is easy to see the top-scoring presentations that will be selected for the conference,” says Menendez. “We then identify two abstracts within each track as alternates. Inevitably, certain speakers drop out. Even on the day of the presentation, someone can become ill and fail to show up, so it’s important that we have those alternates in our back pocket, ready to present at a moment’s notice.” Because the alternates are part of the same track, the replacement session is still relevant to those who signed up to hear a speaker on that particular topic. Precis automatically sends out three letters, based on the committee’s decision: an acceptance letter, a denial letter, and a request to be an alternate. Then it’s up to the committee to confirm that selected individuals are still available to give a presentation.  

Throughout the more than dozen years that Menendez has been involved on the committee, he has seen many improvements. “There is always something you can improve on,” he notes. “You want to make sure that the valuable time that people spend coming to this conference is ultimately fulfilling. I am very proud of the quality of the technical program.” The Program Committee meets every two to three months throughout the year to share ideas and come to a consensus on how the conference program will take shape. Preparations for the Annual Conference kick off early in the year – this year it was in March – with an in-person/ teleconference meeting of all members. “We like to have a video-conference so that people in Raleigh, Charlotte, and anywhere else, can see the materials,” says Menendez, adding that this initial meeting is followed by a meeting where he, the vice-chair, and all the track chairs start the more detailed planning process.

After the abstract review process, this group reconvenes to finalize the first draft of the technical program. “We don’t just look at the abstract score,” notes Menendez. “If we find that one company has more representation than others, we try to balance things out to ensure a wide range of ideas are represented.” Volunteers recuse themselves from reviewing submissions by members of their own companies to make sure the process is fair for everyone.”

The next step is to slot the presentations into the conference program. “There may be a group of presentations that work very well with one another,” notes Menendez. “We try to put those presentations in a consecutive timeframe.” At the same time, the committee tries to avoid scheduling presentations by one company in the same time slot because individuals in the company may want to attend both presentations. Once the schedule is solidified, the NC AWWA-WEA publishes and distributes the program.  

“But our job doesn’t stop there,” says Menendez, adding the committee then has to find moderators for each of the sessions. “It can be challenging to get other individuals to take time they were going to spend at the conference to volunteer as a moderator. That’s why it’s very important to start that process in the summer, rather than closer to the conference. It’s an interesting and rewarding process.”  

This year, there will be slightly fewer presentations at the Annual Conference in response to feedback from exhibitors that the previous years’ schedule has not allowed enough time for networking. Unlike in past years, there will be very few technical presentations going on during the lunch period. Instead, the Program Committee will be offering a pre-conference and post-conference webinar on subjects selected from submitted abstracts. “One of the questions we asked those who submitted their abstracts was whether the topic was suitable for a longer presentation,” notes Menendez. “I think having fewer presentations during the lunch period will have a positive impact on networking.” The webinars, which will take place one week prior and post conference, will allow those who were looking to obtain all their continuing education credits from the conference to still meet their targets.  

Like Menendez and Allen, Jackson is looking forward to witnessing the unfolding of another successful conference. He emphasizes that this ongoing success is due in large part to the work of countless volunteers. Many larger municipalities and consulting firms encourage their employees to get involved because they know that participating in the event as volunteers is a rewarding experience that provides an opportunity for networking as well as growth and development. Says Jackson: “We encourage people to go to the website to check out all the committees and the opportunities they offer for getting involved with the Annual Conference either ahead of time or during the event.”

To update the types of mail that you receive from NC AWWA-WEA, login to www.ncsafewater.org, go to "Profile Home" and scroll down to "Additional Information" and locate "Mail Preferences". Click "Edit" to check the types of mail that you would like to receive.

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This spring, the Water Resources Committee was busy pulling together speakers on the importance of land management to the protection of water quality for an upcoming Committee meeting. The connection between land and water is one of many linkages members explore during seminars, face-to-face meetings, and conference calls throughout the year. “We’re interested in the relationship between the various sectors of the water industry,” explains Water Resources Committee Chair Ruth Rouse. “Ours is a more holistic look at water resources.”

The water resources industry is very diverse, broaching subjects ranging from conservation, flood control and stormwater management to drinking water, wastewater treatment, and water reuse. The committee explores these topics against a backdrop of tightening budgets, limited resources, expanding regulatory requirements, and ever-changing environmental conditions due to climate change.

In fact, climate change was the focus of a four-part session organized by the committee for the NC AWWA-WEA Annual Conference last fall. The first part featured a presentation from the State Climate Office on the state of climate research and available data from their office. The second part featured a speaker from the University of North Carolina’s Water Resources Research Institute, linking the latest research on climate change with utility-specific insights. In the third segment, a graduate student working with the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) discussed the potential implications of climate change for water supply planning. The presentation was followed by a talk that focused on climate resiliency planning for coastal communities in North Carolina.

“We all need to be proactively preparing for the future,” notes Rouse, adding that the committee is interested in organizing a similar forward-looking session on a different topic for the 2017 NC AWWA-WEA Annual Conference this November.

As a forum for bringing experts together to share knowledge and ideas on how best to address North Carolina's water resource challenges, the Water Resources Committee has attracted a wide variety of water industry professionals. About half of the committee's 30 members are utility employees while the other half comes from the private sector.  

Rouse, who works at OWASA, considers herself a water resource generalist. “I have expertise with water quality and water resources and I’ve dabbled in other related topics,” she says.

“Being involved with the committee has been a way for me to get connected with specialists in other areas. It’s a way for me to keep my knowledge and ideas fresh.”

This is her second time on the Water Resources Committee, which was revived in 2016 by Leila Goodwin after several years of inactivity. Rouse recalls that the committee formerly played an active role in developing the agenda for the Confluence Conference, jointly organized by North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia sections of the AWWA. This year, the Water Resources Committee will again be playing an active role in shaping the topics and finding speakers. “We share many of the same issues,” says Rouse. “This is an opportunity to expand connections and engage in networking.”

The goals of the committee also include networking with other organizations, such as the North Carolina Water Resources Association (NCWRA), North Carolina American Public Works Association (NCAPWA), North Carolina Water Quality Association (NCWQA), North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR)/Division of Water Resources (DWR) and the Stormwater Association of North Carolina (SWANC) as well as other committees of the NC AWWA-WEA. “We are a good bridge between other committees,” says Rouse, adding that members offer a valuable perspective that combines science and policy.

The Seminars Committee recently reached out to the Water Resources Committee for assistance in putting together June’s day-long seminar on emerging issues in the wastewater sector, including an afternoon panel discussion on reclaimed water. The committee identified university researchers with expertise in water reclamation and public health for the panel discussion. An attorney was also invited to provide insight on legal constraints.

Throughout the year, the Water Resources Committee also hopes to hold at least two of its own panel discussions as part of its committee meeting agendas, to be held in various locations throughout the state. “There’s an opportunity for someone to take ownership of those particular meetings,” notes Rouse. She points out that the events will be linked by webinar for those who cannot attend in person.

The goal is to meet at least four to six times a year either in person or by conference call. New members are welcome to join at any time. “I would like to encourage people to check us out on the NC AWWA-WEA website and attend our session at the conference to see what we’re all about,” says Rouse. “Please feel free to contact me to reach out.”

Ruth Rouse can be reached at

(919) 537-4214 or rrouse@owasa.org

Water Environment & Reuse Foundation Research Provides both Information and Examples of Successful Energy Recovery

Kelsey Beveridge

Many in the water sector are striving to make water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) be energy self-sufficient. Achieving this goal will reduce both waste and costs. To help foster this, the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF; Alexandria, Va.) has conducted many research projects that examine ways utilities can recover energy and reach energy neutrality. Combining waste treatment with renewable energy recovery provides benefits that such conventional practices as fossil fuel utilization and landfilling cannot offer.

This collection of WE&RF research highlights programs at WRRFs that support energy recovered from wastewater as a renewable energy source. The projects highlighted below are intended for facilities practicing (or planning to practice) several different processes, including co-digestion; incineration; and energy recovery and food waste management through anaerobic digestion (co-digestion). The WRRFs and oth