Dr. Shahram Kharaghani (credit: LA City)
Dr. Kharaghani is head of the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation Watershed Protection Division and oversees stormwater projects, flood control and regulatory compliance.
The American Society of Civil Engineers, Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch honored Dr. Kharaghani at their Oct. 8th meeting in Downtown Los Angeles.
Nominations for 2009 LABS Awards must be mailed by Monday, November 23rd.
Visit our Awards Page to download a nomination form today!
Ofelia Rubio, P.E. Civil Engineer, Los Angeles
From the City Department of Public Works…
Department of Public Works, Bureau of Engineering Civil Engineer, Ofelia Rubio, P.E., received a “Professional Achievement” award from the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference (HENAAC). The organization has given awards in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) awards category for the last 21 years to the best and brightest in the Hispanic community.
“We are not surprised by this honor. Ofelia has distinguished herself as a top performer within the Bureau of Engineering and is very deserving of this award. In her many leadership roles, including serving as Liaison to the Board of Public Works and Los Angeles City Council and working on our Proposition K Program: LA for Kids, she has always gone above and beyond. We are very proud of her achievements,” said Gary Lee Moore, City Engineer.
Award winners will be honored at the HENAAC Awards Show Gala on October 9, 2009 at the Long Beach Terrace Theatre at 7:00 p.m.
Rubio has enjoyed a stellar career with the City of Los Angeles for 10 years. She is currently managing the effort to restore thousands of miles of the City’s secondary sewer system (pipes smaller than 16-inches in diameter) to prevent spills and protect natural resources. She and her staff of seven engineering associates oversee construction crews renewing sewers across the city.
James H. Clark, Vice President, Black & Veatch (credit: CWEA)
The Water Environment Federation earlier this month announced Jim Clark, Black & Veatch Vice President and LABS’ President in 1991, as this year’s winner of the Engelbrecht International Achievement Award. The award will be given next month during a ceremony at WEFTEC in Orlando.
According to WEF “the Engelbrecht International Achievement Award is named in memory of Richard S. Engelbrecht, WEF President from 1977-1978. The award recognizes sustained and significant contributions to the furtherance and improvement of WEF’s international activities.”
Jim is Past-President of WEF and active in many of the Federation’s activities, including supporting the expansion of student and young professional outreach and activities.
Black & Veatch is a LABS’ sponsor.
Read Jim’s complete profile on the WEF website.
The CWEA Ops Challenge winners - LA Wrecking Crew (l-r): Mario Gomez, Alternate; Jesus Garibay; Paul Johnson, Captain; Jeff Valdes; Dale Dollins
Local members and agencies were big winners at the Annual Conference in Palm Springs earlier this year. LABS member and CWEA Past-President Dave Greenwood (LACSD) hosted the awards luncheon – handing out awards to dozens of agencies and individuals.
LABS very own newsletter, Sewer Leaks, was honored as Large Circulation Newsletter of the Year and Editor Wendy Wert (LACSD) received the award. Wendy, a LABS Director, TCC Chair and professional engineer, served as editor over the last three years – never once missing an issue. The editing reigns have now passed to Alice Kuo, also an LACSD engineer.
Thanks to member and sponsor support LABS was able to donate $1,000 to the Kirt Brooks scholarship fund. Past-President Patrick Griffith and former Treasurer Dan Gary presented the oversized check to CWEA during the awards luncheon.
More stories and photos after the jump…
The EPA released an updated list of the top 20 on-site power producers in the U.S. – paper company Kimberly Clark was number one producing 192,730,000 kW.
Second, and top public agency, is the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts producing 171,144,000 kW – providing for 50% of the agency’s power needs at its multiple facilities.
Now that’s some powerful energy recycling!
There’s a nice summary of LACSD power generating systems on the SCAP website.
LACSD is once again recognizing local businesses that have dedicated themselves to meeting their wastewater discharge compliance. The 408 businesses cover a range of industries and many local cities. Seventy-one of the companies have received the award five years in a row or longer.
“The Sanitation Districts have always worked closely with industry, and recognizing industry for conscientious compliance is a further step to encourage companies to meet regulations, protect the environment, and save water and energy,” said Sam Bell, VP of Metal Surfaces Inc. of Bell Gardens and chair of the Industry Advisory Council.
List of companies after the jump…
Newly inducted 5S members at the Palm Springs conference
An outstanding list of CWEA members joined the Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers as the Class of 2009 at the 5S Induction Ceremony that was conducted at the end of the Opening General Session at the Annual Conference on April 29, 2009. Co-Chairs Chuck Weirand Mike Hogan thanked the nominators and the selection panel. Similar to previous years the presentation included a PowerPoint with pictures of the new Shovelers, a few highlights of their CWEA activities, and some humorous information about them. Chuck and Mike ended their 5-year term chairing the 5S Selection Committee and welcomed new Co-Chairs, Steven Agor and Maura Bonnarens. The audience enjoyed the show and the new Shovelers proudly displayed their shovels for the rest of the Conference. Listed below is the 5S Class of 2009.
Newly minted 5S LABS members include: Patrick Griffith (LACSD), Philip Lo (LACSD) and Pei-Chin Low (MWH) – the 3Ps are now 5Sers…
Jon Ganz (LACSD) accepts the CWEA Engineering Achievement of the Year award at this year's Annual Conference in Palm Springs.
CWEA has awarded the statewide Engineering Achievement Award to the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts (LACSD) for their Advancing Water Reuse in the Antelope Valley, a Basin-Wide Approach.
LACSD adopted a comprehensive approach to advance water reuse, protect local water resources, promote sustainability, limit greenhouse gas production and provide flexibility for future growth.
Sewer Leaks editor Wendy Wert (LACSD) accepts the award for best large ciruclation newsletter.
Each year at the Annual Conference members are recognized for their outstanding performance and skills. This year was no different. During the Friday Awards lunch over 20 awards were given out to CWEA members and their agencies for their outstanding accomplishments in their vocation. This year two new awards were presented in the categories of Newsletter of the Year, and Public Education Person of the Year.
The awards program will get in full swing again this summer, so look for the 2009 Awards Forms after July 1st and watch your local section newsletters your section’s deadlines. Have a suggestion for a new award or have a question about an award category? Contact us at awards@cwea.org. Local section awards are the first step to getting on stage next year in Sacramento at AC10! – CWEA
Way to go Wendy!
LACSD Wins AAEE Grand Prize for Research
By Wendy Wert
LABS Director
On May 6, 2009, the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) continued to recognition of contributions to the field at their annual awards luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington DC. Kicking off this year’s event was a champagne reception featuring displays of the winning projects in the 2009 Excellence in Environmental Engineering® competition. At the Luncheon which followed the reception, individual awards were presented to: Thomas E. Wilson (Gordon Maskew Fair Award), Stephen P. Graef (Stanley E. Kappe Award), Walter J. Bishop (Edward J. Cleary Award), Perry McCarty and Michael J. Rouse (Honorary Members).
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak is the inventor of several simple latrine set-ups which are improving sanitation for millions of people in India.
He’s also the driving force behind India’s famed World Toilet Museum – an odd museum with a vary serious mission – to further improve the living standards and health of millions of people.
”The results of Dr. Pathak’s endeavors constitute one of the most amazing examples of how one person can impact the well being of millions,” noted the Stockholm Water Prize committee.
Grist has a story on Dr. Pathak.
Water and wastewater.com has a story on winning the Stockholm Water Prize.
- City of Los Angeles Terminal Island Recovered Energy demonstration project near the Port of LA (credit: City of LA).
The LA Times Greenspace blog reports the City of Los Angeles’ innovative Terminal Island Renewable Energy project is up for a major award – the biosolids injection system is located at the City’s Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant in the harbor.
The project is one of 50 up for the Innovation in American Government Award from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Mr. Enrique C. Zaldivar, Director BOS, is LABS featured speaker in April
Keep your fingers crossed for the City!
It just so happens LABS’ April dinner meeting is a special presentation about T.I.R.E. by Enrique C. Zaldivar PE the Director of the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. Come join LABS at 6:00pm, Thursday April 23!
Click here to RSVP for Mr. Zaldivar’s presentation.
Click here to read the Greenspace post.
By Wendy Wert
LABS Director
The art-deco splendor of the Queen Mary’s opulent Royal Salon played host to the 2009 LABS Awards Banquet. This annual event honors exceptional achievements by local talent in the water and wastewater industry. This celebration on January 10th began with the class befitting its venue with an energized social gathering of nearly 70 LABS and CWEA leaders, members, award winners and friends.
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LABS Past-President Pei-Chin Low (MWH) presented the awards on Saturday night.
The annual LABS Awards Banquet was held on Saturday January 10th on board the Queen Mary with nearly 70 industry professionals in attendance. A wide range of people and projects were honored in nine different categories – highlighting the professionalism and innovation that occurs within the Los Angeles wastewater treatment community.
The City of Los Angeles was honored with four awards and Enrique C. Zaldivar, Director of the City’s Bureau of Sanitation, commented, “These awards underscore the City’s commitment to the delivery of wastewater conveyance and treatment that protects public health and the environment as well as the city’s dedication to public engagement that involves the next generation of residents in environmental stewardship. The City has invested nearly $2 billion in its wastewater collection infrastructure in the last 20 years and will invest an additional $2.3 billion in the next ten. We are proud to serve the residents of the City of Los Angeles and express our appreciation to the LABS for its recognitions and awards.”
Winners advance to the state level where CWEA committees will choose outstanding people and projects to recognize during the April Annual Conference; in addition, winners might also advance to the national level where WEF will choose winners for the October conference.
Photo by Julie Turnbaugh (JWC). For details on all nine winners, click more…
From the National Water Research Institute in Orange County…
NWRI has launched a campaign to raise an endowment for the Ronald B. Linsky Fellowship for Outstanding Water Research, which supports graduate students who share Ron Linsky’s vision of innovative, multi-disciplinary research within the water sciences.
NWRI established this fellowship to honor Ron’s long-time service as Executive Director of NWRI and his many contributions to the water community. Under Ron’s 15 years of leadership, NWRI grew from an idea among local Southern California utilities supporting and promoting water research to become a nationally recognized water research organization.
The annual LABS awards banquet will be held in the beautiful Art Deco style main dining room of the Queen Mary.
6:30pm – Reception
7:00pm – Dinner
7:30pm – Awards presentation
After the jump view a Press-Telegram video about the Queen Mary’s overhaul…
The Southern California chapter of American Public Works Association presented two awards to the City of Los Angeles at their annual awards luncheon on December 4th. The City’s Lower North Outfall sewer relining project and the nitrogen removal project at the Tillman and Glendale Wastewater Reclamation Facilities.
“We are extremely pleased to receive the APWA awards for excellence for the Lower North Outfall Sewer project and the Nitrogen Removal Program,” said City Engineer Gary Lee Moore. “Both of these environmental projects are outstanding achievements and have improved vital public works infrastructure in Los Angeles.”
LABS held a dinner meeting presentation about the City’s nitrogen removal projects in April 2007. The consulting engineer on the project was MWH.
Submit your favorite project / team / person of the year and help them earn the recognition they greatly deserve! The deadline has been extended until Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. There are new categories this year and you can submit the forms via email to Pei-Chin Low.
Awards will be presented at a Banquet in January held at the Queen Mary. LABS award winners will move on to qualify to win CWEA and WEF awards as well!
CARSON, CA – The Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) is a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility serving over 3.5 million residents and thousands of businesses and industries in Los Angeles County. The facility was recently honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the National Clean Water Act Recognition Award for Outstanding Operations and Maintenance at the Water Environment Federation’s Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference in Chicago.
The treatment facility, located in Carson, California, and owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, was given the first place award in the Large Secondary Plant category for “demonstrating outstanding and innovative operations and maintenance practices.” The plant was selected because of its achievements in process control, biosolids management, and pollution prevention.
“One of the key achievements of the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant is its energy self-sufficiency,” said Steve Maguin, the Sanitation Districts Chief Engineer and General Manager. “The plant uses biogas created during the wastewater treatment process to generate 22 MW of electricity, making the plant energy self-sufficient and saving $18 million per year.”
