LEARN HOW YOU CAN SERVE ON THE LABS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

LABS of CWEA is now accepting nominations for openings on the 2012/2013 Board of Directors.  Volunteers help make LABS and CWEA important contributors to the California wastewater industry, while also providing opportunities for training, networking and development.

Please feel free to contact LABS Vice-President Alec Mackie to discuss oppotunities and how to make a difference at CWEA!

This is a great chance to get involved. Last call for nominations is at the March 16th LABS meeting.

Contact: Alec Mackie
Phone: 714-428-4614
Email: alecm@jwce.com

 

By Wendy Wert, LABS President

On January 21, 2012, the Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) of California Water Environment Association (CWEA) hosted the 2011 annual LABS awards from the Queen Elizabeth room aboard the Queen Mary.  The event was a celebration of the contributions to the field of Environmental Engineering from the Past, Present, and Future.

The celebration began with an energized 1920’s themed social gathering of CWEA leaders, members, and award winners.  LABS Outreach Coordinator Erika DeHollan provided a photo montage highlighting sponsors whose dedicated support during this economic recovery cycle has allowed LABS to provide training that enhances the education and effectiveness of California’s wastewater professionals.

In keeping with the historical theme, CWEA LABS Directors Basil Hewitt and Wendy Wert welcomed attendees with an interactive narrative on historical contributions from the era before sanitation through the 1920’s.  Not only water professionals believe the advent of basic wastewater collection and treatment in the twentieth century resulted in direct benefits to public health in the United States and other developed countries.  For example, in 2007, thousands of readers of the prestigious British Medical Journal picked sanitation as “the most important medical advance since 1840.”  A reoccurring theme was that the most significant advances are always the result of collaborations involving engineers from multiple disciplines, scientists from multiple fields, academics from multiple global regions, and practitioners from multiple areas of expertise.

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Caltch Professor Michael Hoffmann will discuss his team’s cutting-edge, solar powered processing system designed to bring toilets and sanitation to the 2.6 billion people who need it.

In 2011 the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded Dr Hoffman $400,000 to design and build a prototype. The system cleans wastewater and turns residuals into reusable energy. The design also needs to be easy and affordable to install and maintain.

$35 members, $40 non-members, $20 students

When:
Thursday, April 26, 2012
6PM Mixer | 7PM Dinner

Where:
El Portal, Pasadena
695 East Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 795-8553

RSVP by 4/20:
https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e5ie00hw95698b79&oseq=
alecm@jwce.com
Or call 714-428-4614

See flyer for more information

The presentation by David Haug, LACSD Senior Engineer, will provide an overview on the progression of the Districts’ Clearwater Program and focus on the technical aspects of the four tunnel alternatives being evaluated in the EIR/EIS.
$40 members, $45 non-members, $20 students

When:
Thursday, February 23, 2012
6PM Mixer | 7PM Dinner
Where:
Proud Bird
11022 Aviation Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 670-3093

RSVP by 2/16 with
meal choice to:
alecm@jwce.com
Or call 714-428-4614

See flyer for more information

(photos by Nicole You, E2 Consulting Engineers Inc.)

(Photos by Kent McKintosh, LACSD)

On Nov 10th 45 members of LABS participated in a unique, behind the scenes tour of the rapidly expanding Space X manufacturing facility in Hawthorne. The event was LABS’ annual Industrial Waste tour and arranged by members of the Los Angeles County Sanitations Districts’ Industrial Waste Section.

Founded just a few years ago by Elon Musk, the entrepeanuer behind PayPal and Tesla electric cars, Space X is working on designing and building the next generation of rockets that will take people and supplies to the international space station, whicle also cutting the cost of building, launching and recovering the rockets. The company is building new rockets in response to competitions created by NASA to fund the next generate of private rocket launching companies.

Read more

Please join us for a roaring 1920s themed awards banquet aboard the Queen Mary on Saturday Jan 21st, where we will honor our industry’s best and have a lot of fun too!

When:
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Drinks: 6 p.m.
Dinner: 7 p.m.

Where:
Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth Dining Room
1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach

Pay at the door cash/check: $50 CWEA members or $60 non-members
Parking $12

RSVP by Jan 13

See flyer for more information

CWEA One Day Specialty Workshop

Biosolids: Energing Your Gas Production. FOG and Food Waste Co-Digestion Workshop

When: January 18, 2012 – Southern California
City of Los Angeles Hyperion WTP
12000 Vista Del Mar
Los Angeles, CA

View flyer for more information!
For additional information/questions contact Serena Miller at 510-382-7800 x 115 or visit: www.cwea.org/conferences

 

 

***Sorry, this event is SOLD OUT..***

 Established in 2002 by Elon Musk , the founder of PayPal and the Zip2 Corporation, SpaceX has already developed two brand new launch vehicles, established an impressive launch manifest, and been awarded COTS funding by NASA to demonstrate delivery and return of cargo to the Space Station.

SpaceX is privately developing the Dragon crew and cargo capsule and the Falcon family of rockets from the ground up, including main and upper stage engines, the cryogenic tank structure, avionics, guidance & control software and ground support equipment. Sign-up to tour this amazing new facility in Hawthorne and learn more about the next generation of space travel.

$30 CWEA members; $35 non-members; $15 students

Notes: ITAR Security regulations allow only US citizens to take the tour; please bring ID; closed toe shoes. RSVP today – tour limited to 40 people.

Dinner
Buffet dinner at Nat’s Airport Ballroom next door, including choice of chicken, beef, veggies and carrot cake for dessert.

RSVP
RSVP by 11/8 please:
alecm@jwce.com
or call Alec Mackie
(714) 428-4614

See flyer for more information

New for the 2010/2011 LABS program year, Cortech Engineering has stepped up to cover LABS’ expenses for our website, email outreach and a possible new event registration system. This support is critical in helping move LABS forward in the digital age. Thank you Cortech Engineering!

The municipal sales contacts are Marc Sanchez or Gabriel Zink.

A bit about Cortech:

Cortech Engineering offers a broad range of pumps, process equipment products and services for industrial applications in chemical processing, food and beverage, electric utilities, pulp and paper, Oil and Gas, Refining, OEM, and general industry.

Cortech Engineering also has three separate business divisions; Industrial Pumps, Engineered Skids with Pumps and Controls and Municipal Pumps and Process Equipment.

Serving the California and Nevada for 20 years, Cortech Engineering has the knowledge, products, and expertise to help solve your pump and process equipment applications.

Cortech Engineering brings added value to our customers with expert product knowledge and implementation. You can count on Cortech Engineering to assist you in:

  • Product selection
  • Basic design support
  • Training (on and off site)
  • Installation support
  • Turn-key support
  • Hot and cold alignment
  • Troubleshooting
  • Spare parts
  • Full service capabilities for most product lines
  • Modular Process Systems including metering pump skids

Their website is www.CortechPumps.com

Interested in supporting LABS as a regular sponsor, contact LABS Corporate Director Alec Mackie at alecm@jwce.com or by calling 714-428-4614.

Photographs by Miluska Propersi, RMC

Photographs by Miluska Propersi, RMC.

Pat McDaniel, LABS President and long-time CWEA volunteer, passed away on November 8th. He will be greatly missed. View the photos below and leave a remembrance in the comments.

From his Obituary in The Boise City News:

Pat Duane McDaniel, aged 68 of Round Rock, Texas, passed away at his family’s home on N0vember 8, 2010 of cancer. Pat was born in Felt, Oklahoma to Russell and Pattie McDaniel. A Dedicated athlete and follower of sports, Pat played basketball for Amarillo College’s National Junior College Champions team in 1963, Panhandle A&M College (later Oklahoma Panhandle State University), and several adult town teams. After he graduated from Panhandle A&M College in 1966, Pat married Mary Carolyn McDonald of Optima, Oklahoma.

Pat and his brother, Gary, started BioCOPE, Inc. in 1988 and built it into a successful national company. In 1991, BioCOPE was selected to participate in the University of Arkansas’ Genesis Incubator program. Pat was later invited to the United Kingdom to present a paper at the East Anglican Water Authority conference held at Cambridge University. Pat was also honored to hold several offices with the Los Angeles Basin Section of the California Water Environment Association. In 2010, he was elected President of the Los Angeles Section, and in October, he received a commendation from them for his years of service.

Pat is survived by his friend and former wife, Mary Carolyn McDaniel. He is survived by six children: Sarah (Kim) McDallen, Cineca (James) Lane, Shawn McDaniel, Rick McDaniel, Derek (Brenda) McDaniel, and Maria McDaniel. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Cady, CiAnna, Chandler, Christian, Jessica, Jimmy, Tyler, and Tkeyah. He is survived by his eight siblings: Neill, Lavaunghn, Kathleen, Ruth, Gary, Bruce, Bobby, Hal and numerous nephews and nieces.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, November 11, 2010 at the Cimarron Mortuan of Boise City, Oklahoma between the hours of 5-7 p.m. The funeral service will be held on Friday, November 12, 2010 at 1 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Felt, Oklahoma followed by burial at the Bertram Cemetery near Felt. The service will be officiated by Reverend Beverly Titus of EI Paso, Texas and Reverend Bill Titus of Ropesville, Texas.

Forbes ran the numbers and calculated the Top 10 Thirstiest Cities in America. And the metropolitan of Los Angeles-Long Beach-Inland Empire is #1 – the thirstiest.

Wrote Forbes “The Golden State is in desperate need of solutions–it has the unfortunate distinction of holding four spots on Forbes’ list of the Top 10 Thirstiest Cities, the American cities most likely to face dire water shortages in the next decade. Among these cities (of 750,000 population or more), the greater Los Angeles metroplex takes first place, followed by San Diego. Bakersfield comes in fifth, while Sacramento, despite being on a river, ranks eighth.”

No. 1: Los Angeles, California

Population: 18 million*

Water usage: 175 gallons per person per day

Annual rainfall: 15 inches

Drought score: 121

*Population includes nearby Long Beach, Santa Ana, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario. The component cities of the greater Los Angeles metroplex would have taken three of the top four slots on this top 10, so we simply consolidated them.

Link to full story

The Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City presents an exhibit examining the precarious state of the world’s fresh water.  Coinciding with National Geographic’s special issue “Water: Our Thirsty World,” this exhibit features the work of award-winning photographers looking at our most precious resource from environmental, social, political and cultural perspectives.

The Annenberg staff has sent LABS a personal invitation encouraging members to take a tour of the Water photo exhibition. Parking and entry are free for everyone.
 
Explore the causes and consider the ramifications of the world’s impending fresh water crisis through stunning images and larger-than-life video – HD in a gallery like you’ve never seen.

When:     The exhibit will be open to the public from March 27 through June 13, 2010.
Where:    2000 Avenue of the Stars, #10
                  Los Angeles, CA 90067

Click for more info.

Read the full story on the CWEA E-Bulletin blog >

Treatment Plant of the Year - Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant

Picture 1 of 18

City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation, Terminal Island

(click next to browse through award winners)

By Wendy Wert
LABS Director

On January 23, 2010, the Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) of California Water Environment Association (CWEA) hosted the 2009 annual LABS awards from the Royal Salon of the Queen Mary. The celebration began with an energized social gathering of CWEA leaders, members, and award winners.

The featured speaker, CWEA Past President Dave Greenwood highlighted specific steps CWEA has taken in 2009 and those planned for 2010 to reach the organizational training objectives in light of current economic conditions. Greenwood reported that CWEA has remained strong during this economic cycle. Although conference attendance was slightly lower than expected, the organization remains energized and plans to roll out stellar training opportunities in 2010. He urged the organizations present to continue to partner with CWEA to support training opportunities for their staff and emphasized the value of workforce engagement.

Read more

Water for People LA-OC

Hikers helped raise thousands for Water for People efforts around the world. (Photos by: Alicia Muir and Reynaldo Reed)

By Rick Shpall
MWD

On Saturday, December 5th, 2009, the Los Angeles and Orange County Chapters of Water For People (WFP) teamed up for a morning of exercise, education, and goodwill at the WFP Hike-A-Thon held at the scenic Upper Newport Bay. The successful charity event drew 55 hikers and raised $3,200 donated by hikers, corporate sponsors and supporters. This was the LA chapters second annual hike a thon.

Water For People combats water-related illness by helping communities in developing countries construct safe drinking water supplies and clean sanitation facilities, and through education outreach. Read more

The Santa Monica Bay’s dry-weather water quality record has improved and some habitats have rebounded since the release of a report five years ago on the bay’s environmental health.

But the latest analysis of the waters off the South Bay coastline points to some lingering problems, including contaminated seafood, threatened fish populations and pollution caused by wet weather discharges.

Link to full article

Link to 2010 State of the Bay Report published by the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission

Join LABS young professionals on the Los Angeles-Glendale Water Reclamation Plant tour, followed by lunch, on January 26th.

Click here for more information!