March 2007 NEWS

May 2007: Water Quality Standards Academy

The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water will hold the Water Quality Standards Academy Basic Course on May 7-11 in Arlington, Virginia. This is a comprehensive, highly-structured introduction to all program aspects including interpretation and application of water quality standards regulation, policies, and program guidance and development of water quality criteria.

The 5-day course is designed for those with fewer than six months experience with water quality standards and criteria programs, but it is also a valuable refresher course for veterans of water quality management programs. You can pre-apply online at: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/training.htm.

You may pre-apply online here by Monday, March 26, 2007.

EPA Releases New Manuals to Help Small Public Water Systems Comply with Drinking Water Regulations

As part of its Simple Tools for Effective Performance (STEP) series, EPA has developed new manuals to help small public water systems understand the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (Stage 2 DBP) and Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment (LT2) Rules. "EPA is committed to helping small and rural communities continue to provide safe and affordable drinking water (for their citizens)," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water. 

In addition to providing an overview of the rules, the manuals provide step-by-step guidance on how small systems (those serving fewer than 10,000 people) can comply with the rule.  The manuals also provide helpful worksheets and examples of actions systems might take to comply with the rules. The documents serve as EPA's official compliance guide for small public water systems, as required by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) of 1996. 

The Stage 2 DBP manual is available on the EPA website at: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/stage2/compliance.html. 

The LT2 manual is available at: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/lt2/compliance.html. 

Both documents and other STEP guides are also available on EPA's small water systems at: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys/ssinfo.htm.

State Onsite Wastewater Management Programs Receive EPA Recognition

On February 28, 2007, state onsite wastewater program managers from AL, AZ, FL, IA, NC, NJ, OK, and RI were recognized by the EPA for their role in improving management of onsite systems in their states by adopting EPA's Voluntary National Guidelines for Management of Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems.  OWM's Deputy Director, Judy Davis, presented each state manager with a plaque and appreciation letter signed by Assistant Administrator Ben Grumbles at the annual State Onsite Regulators Alliance (SORA) Conference in Reno, Nevada. 

For more information about EPA?s Decentralized Wastewater Program, go to http://cfpub.epa.gov/owm/septic/index.cfm or contact Joyce Hudson at

(202) 564-0657 or hudson.joyce@epa.gov.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Executive Director Sought at Rivers Institute at Hanover College

An outstanding professional opportunity exists with the Rivers Institute at Hanover College, located in Hanover, Indiana. The Institute is seeking an experienced and motivated individual to be its Executive Director.

An announcement that includes a brief description of the position and the Institute can be found at http://www.rpainc.org/post/RiversPosting.pdf for you to review and share with your colleagues. If you would like additional information about this opportunity, or if you would like to make a nomination, please contact the Rivers Institute directly at 812-866-7097.

Interested individuals should address questions or submit their letter of application and resume electronically to Tammy Poole, Personnel Services Manager, Hanover College, using Executive Director Search in the subject line, or by ground mail at P.O. Box 108, Hanover, IN 47243.  Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

ASCE/EWRI News

Authors/Reviewers Sought for Update of Joint WEF/ASCE/EWRI Urban Runoff Quality Management Manual

The Water Environment Federation’s Technical Practice Committee is looking for individuals willing to serve as authors and reviewers in the effort to update Urban Runoff Quality Management. Originally co-published with the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1998, the manual is now slated for revision. The effort to update the manual is being led by Dan Medina and Christine Rohrer. If you are interested in participating as an author or reviewer and will be able to work closely with other WEF volunteers, the Task Force Chair, and WEF staff and dedicate the expertise and time to ensure that a high-quality manual is developed according to the 20-month publication development schedule, please contact Technical Publications Manager, Lorna Ernst, with a brief resume. Please indicate whether you are interested in serving as an author or reviewer.

2007 Alfred Noble Prize

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2007 Alfred Noble Prize. This prize was established in 1929 and consists of an award from the income of a fund contributed by engineers and others. The award is in honor of Alfred Noble, Past President of the American Society of Civil Engineers and of the Western Society of Engineers, for the purpose of perpetuating his name and achievements.

The prize is awarded to the author of a published technical paper, being of exceptional merit. Other criteria for this award include:

• Having been written by no more than two authors
• The lead author being 35 years old, or younger
• The paper must have been published between July 2005 and June 2006

To submit a nomination, please include the following content: a cover letter signed by the nominator, an Official Award Nomination form (found here), one copy of the paper or a clear citation, and a brief synopsis of the paper's purpose and a concise statement of its conclusions. The award nomination form is available here. A complete set of rules is also available to be viewed.

Nominations are due to ASCE's Honors and Awards Department by May 1, 2007, and may be submitted electronically to awards@asce.org.

Volunteers Needed for Outreach at 2007 Congress

While environmental and water engineers and folks from all over the World who work in environmental and water-related fields will be in Tampa for the 2007 EWRI World Congress - taking part in local tours and technical tracks - a special event of the Congress will be happening at the nearby Florida Aquarium.  About 100 students, grades 3-12 will be participating in the first ever Outreach program planned to correspond with an EWRI World Water Congress. 

Students will arrive at the Florida Aquarium around 9 a.m.  Activities at the Aquarium will be tailored to the students’ grade levels and will include:

• Opening speaker and breakfast snack
• Mentoring match up
• Hands on activity
• Behind-the-Scenes tour of the Aquarium
• Lunch
• Tour of Exhibit Hall at the Congress
• Takeaway gifts to remember their field trip.

The Mentoring match up will pair middle and high school students with Professionals in the environmental and water fields.  ASCE Student Chapter members from several Florida Universities have volunteered and will be mentors for grade school students.

You can make a difference.  Be a Mentor.

If you would like to be a mentor at this event (9 a.m.-2 p.m. on

Wednesday, May 16, 2007), please contact:

Sheila Carpenter-van Dijk, Congress Local Arrangements Chair, at Chastain-Skillman, Inc., (813) 621-9229 or email at scarpenter@chastainskillman.com

Technical Region Director's Report Available

The latest Technical Region Director's Report is now available, having been completed as of February 14, 2007. This report is authored by both of the regional directors, Stan R. Caldwell and Tom M. Rachford. The report addresses information on topics such as the January 2007 ASCE Board of Direction Meeting,

the Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation (CEFI), and Regional Leadership Conferences.

Click here to view the full report.

Governing Documents Committee Seeks Input for Operations Handbook

The Governing Documents Committee met at the 2007 EWRI Council Weekend in Atlanta Georgia. This Governing Board committee is actively pursuing a plan to develop an updated EWRI Operations Handbook which will be web-based.  There have been several organizational changes since EWRI was founded in 1999 and then reorganized in 2005. This handbook will provide accurate information for our EWRI members.  The committee is chaired by Philip Burgi and also includes Rollin Hotchkiss, Mark Killgore and Tom Rachford.  If you have any suggestions for improvement or ideas you would like included in the handbook please contact Philip Burgi.

Hydraulic Measurements & Experimental Methods 2007 Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the Hydraulic Measurements & Experimental Methods Conference (HMEM 2007) jointly sponsored by the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of ASCE and the and the International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IAHR). This conference will be held in Lake   Placid, New York, September 10-12, 2007, and will offer participants an exciting technical program focusing on five   topical areas:

   - Advances in Measurement Technology

   - Measurements for Fundamentals of Flow Processes

   - Measurements of BioGeoPhysical Integrated Parameters

   - Experimental Methods and Data Analyses

   - Commercial Measurement Equipment

Join researchers, practitioners, and students of the field who will be coming together in a common single-themed forum to exchange ideas and share discussions on current issues, applications, new technologies and the future of Hydraulic Measurements & Experimental Methods

For more information, please visit here.

World Environmental & Water Resources Congress 2007 Registration

Registration is now open for the World Environmental & Water Resources Congress 2007, hosted by the Environmental & Water Resources Institute of ASCE. This year’s Congress will take place at the Tampa Marriott on May 14-20, 2007. The program will focus on Habitat Restoration with nearly two dozen technical tracks covering issues from coast to coast and around the globe. Registration for the Congress is available at http://content.asce.org/conferences/ewri2007/registraition.html. The form can be completed online or faxed to EWRI at (703) 295-6371.

An Advance Registration Discount is still available until March 31, 2007!

The Role of Water in the Palestinian Peace Process

ASCE Annual Civil Engineering Conference

Orlando, Florida

October 31 - November 3, 2007

For more information, please contact

Director of International Activities, Mike Sanio.

Joint Symposium - ASCE International Activities Committee and the Environment and Water Resources Institute ASCE IAC/EWRI - Wednesday October 31, 2007

Mark you calendar and plan to attend two sessions on the Role of Water in the Palestinian Peace Process:

• (Key Issues on the Ground - Discussion of key water issues between the Palestinians and Israelis, and
• Reflection; Suggestions for Possible Paths Forward

The sessions will feature presentations of water issues that have been part of the discussions between Palestinians and Israelis in the context of the Middle East peace process.  Water experts from both Palestine and Israel will meet to present the issues and reflect on possible path forward.

The sessions will be moderated by the Secretary General of the General Union of Palestinian Engineers, Mr. Marwan Abdul Hameed.  The presenters include :

• Dr. Fadle Said Kawash - Head of Palestinian Water Authority, Ramallah, West Bank
• Dr. Ihab Barghothi - Director, Palestinian Water Authority, Ramallah, West Bank
• Mr. Yaacov Keidar - Director, Multilateral Peace Talks, Coordination and Water Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem
• Dr. Uri Shamir - Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stephen and Nancy Grand Water Research Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa

AAWRE Ethics Sessions and Diplomate Ceremony/Reception at Congress 2007

Please plan on attending this year's EWRI 2007 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress in Tampa, FL. You may fulfill your ethics requirement by attending AAWRE's Ethics sessions at the Congress in Tampa. There will be two 2-hour sessions held at the Congress, with a possibility of a 3rd session added. Please use this opportunity to fulfill your ethics PDH requirements. For additional information, please contact Steve Starrett, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, from Kansas State University by email: steveks@kstate.edu.

All EWRI Congress attendees and AAWRE Diplomates are welcomed to attend the AAWRE Diplomate Ceremony & Reception, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, May 16, at the Tampa Marriott Waterside at 6 P.M. The new AAWRE Diplomates that have been awarded this prestigious achievement and credential in fall 2006 and awarded this spring 2007, will be recognized. Please come and join in to congratulate all the new Diplomates and to see Diplomates that were previously recognized at prior EWRI Congresses.
For more information on the program at EWRI's 2007 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress in Tampa, FL: http://content.asce.org/conferences/ewri2007/index.html
For more information on AAWRE program: http://www.aawre.org/index.cfm

2007 Member-Get-A-Member Campaign

Recruit Members & Win Prizes!

ASCE counts on its members to help us grow by participating in the Member-Get-A-Member Drive.  The 2007 campaign presents new opportunities to recruit and new prizes to win.  The next drawing will be held March 31 when ten members will win a $50 Bank of America Visa gift card.  Each recruit who joins earns their sponsor an entry in the quarterly drawing.  Help colleagues discover why ASCE has become the professional home for more than 140,000 civil engineers.  Visit www.ascedrive.org to start recruiting today!

PUBLICATIONS

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)

Waste Containment Facilities, Second Edition

• covers all types of waste containment facilities, including hazardous waste landfills and impoundments, municipal solid-waste landfills, non- hazardous-waste liquid impoundments, and final covers for new facilities and site remediation projects
• updates and expands the previous edition to reflect recent developments in test methods, specifications, and field practice
• essential reading for engineers and managers involved in the design, construction, permitting, and operation of waste containment facilities and in the fabrication of geosynthetic material
  
  View Table of Contents
  
  ASCE Press, Hardcover, 2007, 368 pages, Stock # 40859, List Price $110 / ASCE Member $82.50

CONFERENCES

The 5th International Conference on Urban Watershed Management and Mountain River Protection and Development

April 3-5, 2007

Chengdu, China

http://www.hydraulics.org.cn

World Environmental & Water Resources

Congress 2007

May 15-19, 2007

Tampa, FL

http://content.asce.org/conferences/ewri2007/

XXXII IAHR Congress*
July 1-6, 2007

Venice, Italy

http://www.iahr2007.corila.it/

2007 Hydraulic Measurements & Experimental Methods Conference (EWRI Event)

September 10-12, 2007 (Technical Sessions)

September 13, 2007 (Technical Tours)

Lake Placid, NY

http://content.asce.org/conferences/HMEM07/

International Symposium on Managed

Aquifer Recharge*

October 28 - November 2, 2007

Phoenix, AZ

www.ismar2007.org

World Environmental & Water Resources

Congress 2008

May 13-16, 2007

Honolulu, HI

* EWRI  Co-sponsored Events

CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS

Low Impact Development Applications for Water Resource Management

March 29-30, 2007

New Orleans, LA

http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=2#abc29abc

HEC-RAS Computer Workshop

April 25-27, 2007

Little Rock, AR

http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=4#abc113abc

HEC-HMS Computer Workshop

May 3-4, 2007

Cincinnati, OH

http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=4#abc112abc

HEC-RAS Computer Workshop

May 23-25, 2007

New York, NY

http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=4#abc113abc

Introduction to Detention Pond Design: Parking Lots and Urban Drainage

May 31-June 1

Kansas City, MO

http://www.asce.org/conted/seminars/seminar.cfm?cat=4#abc126abc

SPREAD THE WORD

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 an EWRI Member.