IN THIS ISSUE...
EWRI/ASCE News
»Infrastructure Security Training Program Assists Water/Wastewater Utilities
»Environmental & Water Resources Section & Branch Award - Nominations Due By February 1, 2005
Industry News
Committee News
»Mark Your Calendars! Council Weekend 2006
»EWRI Institute/Council Awards - Nominations Due Now
Publications
»Climate Variations, Climate Change, and Water Resources Engineering
Continuing Education Workshops &
| EWRI/ASCE NEWS | December 2005 |
Infrastructure Security Training Program Assists Water/Wastewater Utilities
Training program based on interim voluntary guidelines to help water utilities
protect against terrorist attacks
Drinking water and wastewater utilities now have a comprehensive training program to incorporate enhanced security measures into facility design, operation and management. This modular-format program is based on three recently-released interim voluntary security guidance documents. Both the training program and guidance documents were funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The training program provides managers, operations personnel, design professionals and regulatory officials involved in drinking water, wastewater and stormwater utilities with detailed practical assistance for implementing improved security measures in new and existing facilities of all sizes.
The three training programs and guidance documents were developed by the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Interim Voluntary Security Guidance for Water Utilities Training Module (developed by AWWA), Interim Voluntary Security Guidance for Wastewater/Stormwater Utilities Training Module (developed by WEF) and Interim Voluntary Guidelines for Designing an Online Contaminant Monitoring System Training Module (developed by ASCE) are provided in MS Word, MS PowerPoint and PDF formats on a CD-ROM, available through each organization's Web site: www.awwa.org, www.wef.org and www.asce.org.
The training program’s modular design allows instructors to easily tailor the material to suit utilities’ individual needs and target audiences, including management, operations personnel, facility designers, and regulatory and elected officials. The program includes full sets of MS PowerPoint presentations, instructor guidelines, quizzes and exams.
The guidance documents and related training materials, along with feedback from industry professionals and additional research, will be the basis for the development of voluntary consensus standards, to be published in late 2006.
Environmental & Water Resources Section & Branch Award - Nominations Due by February 1, 2005
Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) recognizes and celebrates the activities of Section and Branches and the local Environmental and/or Water Resources Technical Groups.
The recognition ceremony will be held at the EWRI Omaha Conference in May 2006.
The merit award is given to an Environmental and Water Resources Technical Group based on local technical community involvement, community activities and joint activities with non-civil engineering groups. Accommodations are made for geographic size and population density. The awards information and criteria is available from Karen C. Kabbes at kckabbes@kabbesengineering.com.
A short (two to three page) written summary of your activities and information should be submitted to kckabbes@kabbesengineering.com prior to February 8, 2005.
Use your section’s or group’s reporting information from the 'end of the ASCE year' to write down your group's technical activities and submit them now.
Landfill Stability --A Live ASCE Web/Teleconference Seminar Series
| Time: Noon - 2 PM, ET Promo. Code: 6069WBN |
Pay a single site registration fee and an unlimited number of people in your organization can attend at that site.
| Webinar Date | Webinar Title |
|---|---|
| Thur., Jan. 19, 2006 | Fundamentals of Landfill Stability |
| Thur., Jan. 26, 2006 | Waste Industry and Regulatory Perspectives |
| Thur., Feb. 2, 2006 | Geotechnical stability analysis for landfills |
| Thur., Feb. 9, 2006 | Case Histories and Lessons Learned |
Register Early, Space is Limited!
http://www.asce.org/conted/distancelearning/online_webseminars.cfm#Landfill
Frequently Asked Questions About Genesys Conferencing
http://www.asce.org/faq/?faqcat=CONTED
For a complete list of webinars, please go to
http://www.asce.org/conted/distancelearning/online_webseminars.cfm
In response to evolving methods for landfilling of municipal solid waste (MSW), ASCE’s Solid Waste Engineering Committee has assembled a team of industry and academic experts to discuss the most current technical, regulatory and research trends in evaluating the biological and physical stability of modern MSW landfills. Each two-hour session in this four-part program will allow participants to interact directly with these industry experts. This seminar is a "don’t miss" opportunity for regulators, owners/operators, researchers, and engineers engaged in the solid waste industry.
$299 M/$349 NM for each individual webinar
$939 M/$1,099 NM for the complete series
| Seminar Benefits: |
- Learn about key elements of physical and biological stability
- Examine stability from both the waste industry and regulatory perspectives
- See how traditional and state-of-the-art computer analyses are applied to physical stability evaluations
- Discuss lessons learned through case histories of actual projects
- Participants can interact directly with industry experts
| Seminar Instructors: |
| January 19, 2005, Introduction to landfill stability - Biological, Geotechnical, Functional |
|
January 26, 2005, Waste industry and Regulatory Perspectives |
|
| February 2, 2006, Geotechnical Stability Analysis for Landfills |
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| February 9, 2005, Case histories and lessons learned |
|
White Papers Sought for Proposed Research on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Impact in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM)
This announcement solicits White Papers of not more than five (5) pages in length, for specific areas of interest to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Technology Assessment and Research (TA&R) Program on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. However, the last topic of this announcement will be provided to the MMS Environmental Studies Program (ESP) for review. This initiative is entitled "White Papers Sought for Proposed Research on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita -- Impact in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GOM)". The MMS web sites for TAR and ESP have descriptions of past hurricane projects. When appropriate, the research shall be conducted consistently with prior hurricane research. The web site addresses are http://www.mms.gov/tarsafety/ for TAR and http://www.mms.gov/offshore/EnvironmentalResearch.htm for ESP.
BACKGROUND: During the hurricane season of 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita moved through the GOM with extreme winds and large waves exceeding or matching the 100-year design criteria of the facilities in its path. MMS plans to analyze and assess the consequential damage to structures and pipelines from these storms. As a result of the White Papers submitted in accordance with the terms of this announcement, selected proposals shall be requested. Projects selected for eventual funding by MMS shall receive funding from FY 2006 supplemental funding. THE MMS ANTICIPATES THAT $1,000,000 - $1,500,000 MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR THE INITIATION OF NEW RESEARCH PROPOSALS ADDRESSING HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA TOPICS WITH PROJECTS BEING IDENTIFIED THROUGH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. SOME PROJECTS TO ADDRESS THE TOPICS SET FORTH BELOW MAY REQUIRE UP TO $250,000 PER PROJECT TO COMPLETE WITH ESTIMATES FOR TOPIC 6 TO REQUIRE UP TO $500,000 and prospective offerors shall bear this in mind when responding to this request.
NOTICE: The MMS may share the White Papers with other organizations for review. Potential contractors shall notify the MMS if they do not want their white papers/proposals shared.
OBJECTIVES: The proposed topics for hurricanes Katrina and Rita activities should be limited to the following:
- Assess and evaluate pipeline movement/damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In areas where similar conditions exist, compare instances of movement/damage against non-movement/damage to determine whether lessons for pipeline design, installation, and maintenance may be learned.
- Assess and evaluate platform damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The results will then be used in validating the adequacy of current design methodology and standards.
- Provide hurricane hindcast data for hurricanes Katrina and Rita that will be used by the other MMS contractors doing hurricane assessments. Include site specific met ocean data (i.e., wind, wave, and current) for determining conditions during hurricane force winds in order to compare structures and pipelines incurring little-to-no damage verses major damage or destruction.
- Evaluate and assess the performance of jack-up rigs that were subjected to hurricanes Katrina or Rita. Evaluate items such as how high they were jacked up and the soil conditions.
- Assess methods to eliminate hydrates in pipelines and risers during startups after a hurricane.
- Model Waves and Currents Produced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita-- Assess the response of waves and currents throughout the water column in the Northern GOM slope and shelf in conjunction with available meteorological and physical oceanographic data; including surface wind forces, river runoff, and surface heat flux. The study shall define wind characteristics and wind strength zones and produce a simulation of circulation which includes the response and persistence of currents and waves.
HOW TO RESPOND: White Papers, of not more than five (5) pages in length, an ORGINAL PLUS three (3) copies and one (1) electronic copy in .PDF format, on a CD, shall be submitted to the U.S. Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden St., Herndon, VA 20170-4817, not later than December 30, 2005 at 04:00 PM, EDT. WHITE PAPERS SENT THROUGH EMAIL AND FAXES SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED. White Papers shall define the proposed research scope and include the level of effort. NOTE THAT COST ESTIMATES ARE NOT TO BE INCLUDED. The White Papers shall be evaluated only on technical merits. IF YOUR WHITE PAPER IS SELECTED FOR FURTHER EVALUATION, A TECHNICAL AND COST/BUSINESS PROPOSAL SHALL BE REQUESTED FROM YOUR COMPANY. Projects shall be selected from all or part of the technical issues listed depending on the interest and scope of White Papers received. The MMS shall evaluate the responses, and those deemed to have merit shall be furnished information to assist in the preparation of the technical and cost/business proposal. This announcement constitutes a Request for Proposal (RFP), but does not obligate the Government to consummate award. Respondents SHALL NOT be notified of the results of the evaluation on the information submitted.
WHITE PAPERS SHALL BE EVALUATED USING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: (1) feasibility of the approach or solution; (2) the offerors understanding of the technical issues; (3) the offerors ability to implement the proposed approach; (4) innovative or creative approaches or solutions including the participation and/or funding by the oil and gas industry or other groups in the research industry where interest exists, where appropriate; (5) past performance. QUESTIONS shall be E-mailed to Olivia.Adrian@mms.gov. The RFP or Solicitation number MUST be in the subject line of the E-mail. All questions shall include the RFP or Solicitation number, your full name and title, your organization, complete address, and telephone and fax numbers. TELEPHONE INQUIRES SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED. A separate White Paper shall be submitted for each study on which the offeror wishes to propose. The White Paper shall identify clearly the offeror's company/organization, point of contact, address, telephone and facsimile numbers. Responses shall be accepted ONLY until December 30, 2005, 04:00 p.m., EDT. If offerors desire to hand deliver their White Papers, they are advised the MMS facility is a secure office complex and offerors MUST NOT enter the building beyond the lobby. There is a courtesy telephone near the elevators to which you must call extension 1151 for a procurement official to receive your submittal.
POINT OF CONTACT: Olivia Adrian, Contracting Officer at 703-787-1151and email at Olivia.Adrian@mms.gov; Email your questions to Point of Contact above.
Cupful by cupful, the people of Bangladesh and other developing countries are being poisoned by their drinking water from tube-wells. Tens of millions of Bangladeshis—as much as a quarter of the total population—use tube wells that provide water containing 10 to 50 times the amount of arsenic considered safe. It is unclear how many tube-wells there are in Bangladesh, but since 1998, an additional four million have been installed.
To help solve this massive public health problem, the National Academy of Engineering with the generous support of the Grainger Foundation, is offering Grainger Challenge Prizes of $1,000,000, $200,000, and $100,000 for first, second, and third place for the design and creation of a workable, sustainable, economical, point-of-use water treatment system for arsenic-contaminated groundwater in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and other developing countries. Entries can be submitted by individuals or teams from for-profit, nonprofit, government, or private institutions.
The first Grainger Challenge Prize, will be awarded in February, 2007. We are now at the proposal stage of the contest. If you wish to compete, please complete a proposal using the template below, and submit it no later than December 31, 2005. The contest is open to U.S. citizens at U.S. organizations.
»Grainger Challenge Proposal Template
Visit the following website for more information: http://www.nae.edu/nae/grainger.nsf/weblinks/NAEW-68PLN8?OpenDocument
Mark Your Calendars! Council Weekend 2006
EWRI’s 4th Annual Council Weekend has been scheduled for February 25-26, 2005 in Dallas, Texas. Invitations were sent to appropriate Councils, Committee Chairs and EXCOMS in November via mail and email. If you received an invitation, please remember to RSVP by January 6, 2006. Full details will follow, to confirmed attendees, after the winter holidays.
EWRI Institute/Council Awards - Nominations Due Now
Those intending to nominate someone for an award to be presented in 2006 and have not submitted an EWRI Institute/Council 2006 Nomination Form to their Council Awards Committee please do so quickly. Council Awards Committees are charged with sending their selections to the EWRI Awards Committee for final approval by January 1, 2006. If you do not submit a nomination to your Council Awards Committee soon, there is a risk that it may not be awarded at the upcoming Congress (or in 2006).
Ordering Information: Visit http://www.pubs.asce.org or call 1-800-548-2723 (U.S.) / 1-703-295-6300 (Int’l.) / 1-703-295-6278 (Fax)
Standard Guidelines for the Design, Installation, Maintenance, and Operation of Urban Subsurface Drainage, ASCE/EWRI 12-, 13-, 14-05
ASCE/EWRI 12-05 provides guidelines for the design of urban subsurface drainage systems, covering topics such as site analysis, system configuration, filters and envelopes, hydraulics and hydrology, structural considerations, and materials. ASCE/EWRI 13-05 presents guidelines for installation of urban subsurface drainage and discusses subjects such as site inspection, soil erosion, excavation, foundation preparation, and inspection of materials, equipment, and construction. ASCE/EWRI 14-05 provides guidelines for operation and maintenance of urban subsurface drainage, topics include: design criteria, maintenance procedures, safety, water quality, inspection, and rehabilitation. The Standards presented in this volume, which have been completely revised and updated, were developed by the Urban Drainage Standards Committee, which is responsible to the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of ASCE. These standards are intended to compliment ASCE Manuals and Reports of Engineering Practice No. 95, Urban Surface Drainage.
Climate Variations, Climate Change, and Water Resources Engineering
Complex water resource systems have been developed to ensure a continued safe and reliable water supply, however, due to climate variations these systems can be stressed and lead to water shortages and other problems. While many aspects of climate variations and their impact on water resources have been presented and published, the information is greatly dispersed and lacks a general overview. This report, Climate Variations, Climate Change and Water Resources Engineering, provides a broad overview of this important topic. It highlights the current knowledge about climate variations and change, discusses the impact on water resources systems, characterizes its predictability, and provides examples of its use in water resources management, planning, and design. This information is supplied through ten detailed case applications that examine the value and potential of climate information in water resources investigations. The first book to address climate issues from the water resources engineering perspective, this report will be beneficial to water resources planners and managers, flood and drought preparedness agencies, irrigation district managers, and any others that rely on water resources budgeting, planning, and systems operations.
The organizing committees for two upcoming conferences are currently seeking abstract submissions.
2006 Operations Management Conference
August 14-16, 2006
Sacramento, California
Abstracts due: January 15, 2006
Visit the conference website at
http://www.asce.org/conferences/om06
for more information.
December 18-20, 2006
New Delhi, India
Abstracts due: March 20, 2006
Visit the conference website at http://www.asce.org/conferences/india06
for more information.
Joint 8th Federal Interagency Sedimentation and 3rd Hydrologic Modeling Conferences*
April 2-6, 2006, Reno, NV
http://water.usgs.gov/wicp/acwi/hydrology/mtsconfwkshops/ann-4-2-2006.html
2006 World Water & Environmental Resources Congress
May21-25, 2006, Omaha, NE
http://www.asce.org/conferences/ewri2006/
2006 Operations Management Conference
August 14-16, 2006, Sacramento, California
http://www.asce.org/conferences/om06/
7th International Conference on HydroScience & Engineering*
September 10-13, 2006, Philadelphia, PA
http://thor.cae.drexel.edu/ICHE2006/
2006 India Conference
December 18-20, 2006, New Delhi, India
http://www.asce.org/conferences/india06/
Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge*
October 28 - November 2, 2007, Phoenix, AZ
Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Symposium Co-Chairman Doug Bartlett.
* EWRI Co-sponsored Events
CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS
Pumping Systems Design for Civil Engineers
Jan. 4 - 6, 2006
Las Vegas, NV
http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=4#abc121abc
Dam Safety and Rehabilitation
Jan. 12-13, 2006
Miami, FL
http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=5#abc131abc
HEC-HMS Computer Workshop
Jan. 12 - 13, 2006
Atlanta, GA
http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=4#abc112abc
Improving Governance in Watershed Management - New Seminar!
Jan. 12 - 13, 2006
San Antonio, TX
http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=2#abc288abc
HEC-RAS Computer Workshop for Unsteady Flow Applications
Jan 18 - 20, 2006
Orlando, FL
http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=4#abc114abc
Enhancing Riparian Restoration Projects to Provide Improved Physical and Ecological Functions - New Seminar!
Jan 19 - 20, 2006
Phoenix, AZ
http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=4#abc291abc
NPDES Stormwater Permit Compliance
Jan 19 - 20, 2006
Las Vegas, NV
http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=2#abc30abc
Advanced Detention Routing: Improving the Operation and Effectiveness of Detention Facilities - New Seminar!
Jan 26 - 27, 2006
Colorado Springs, CO
http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=4#abc290abc
ASCE/EWRI HOLIDAY SCHEDULES
ASCE/EWRI Holiday Schedule
The ASCE/EWRI Office will be closed on the following dates:
Friday, December 23, 2005
Monday, December 26, 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
Monday, January 2, 2006
EWRI Staff and the Holiday Season
’Tis the time of year when members and staff are out and about visiting family members and friends. During the winter holiday season, there will be at least one EWRI staff person in the office except on the scheduled office closure (dates listed above). EWRI Staff who are taking leave in addition to the dates ASCE is closed are shown below:
Katie Gorscak, EWRI Special Projects Coordinator, December 27-29, 2005
Brian Parsons, EWRI Director, December 27-29, 2005
Autumn Richter, EWRI Administrator, December 22-29, 2005
Wayne Davis, EWRI Program Coordinator, will be onsite. If you have a question or concern that cannot wait for a particular staff person to return to the office, please feel free to contact Wayne Davis.
>> View holiday card from EWRI Staff
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Please forward this message to your friends and colleagues who share an interest in environmental and water-related issues and would like to hear from the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Encourage your friends and colleagues to JOIN EWRI and receive all the benefits of being and EWRI Member.
