Presentation: JPL’s Contributions to Environmental Sustainability
Presenter: Mr. Steve Slaten is the Remedial Project Manager for NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. As Project Manager, Steve is responsible for the cleanup resulting from past waste disposal practices at the JPL site which have impacted the area’s drinking water aquifer. He has dedicated his career to cleanup issues and used his skills in developing cooperative partnerships with regulatory agencies, local governments and public stakeholders. His extensive background in environmental cleanup activities includes experience at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. At this LABS Past President Event, Steve will present JPL’s new Flight Projects Building project, Groundwater Cleanup project and overall sustainability and water consumption reduction efforts.
Saturday June 9th at 11:30 a.m.
Los Gringos Locos Restaurant
464 Foothill Blvd, La Canada, CA 91011
Event Dining Room - Fajita Bar
Member: $20, Non-Member: $25, Students: $10
RSVP to Alec Mackie at alecm@JWCE.com
See Flyer for more info.
The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts have been generating renewable power from digester gas for over 70 years. This presentation will discuss the Districts’ energy program including power generation, energy efficiency, and minimizing energy expenditures. An overview of generation technologies and an update on current power sales options will be included.
Thursday May 24, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.
Swiss Park Banquet Center
1905 Workman Mill Rd. Whittier, CA 90601
Buffet
Members $35; Non-Members $40; $20 Students
RSVP to labsofcwea@gmail.com
By Alec Mackie
LABS of CWEA
The LA Basin’s water situation is looking grim – aging infrastructure, tighter regulations, rising energy costs, falling municipal budgets, pumping restrictions in the Sacramento Delta and a drought along the Colorado River. It all adds up less water for LA.
Despite all the challenges there are glimmers of hope, according to speakers at LABS’ World Water Day LA Seminar held March 22 at the LA Chamber of Commerce. LA’s water future actually looks pretty bright if we recycle more water, capture more rainwater and rethink how cities work with water.
LABS’ Past President Hala Titus of Black & Veatch started the seminar by listing cities and the amount they import – from 50% for Long Beach to 60% for Pasadena and 85% for the City of Los Angeles. Ms. Titus then shared an inspiring story about the City of Santa Monica. The City and Black & Veatch recently finished a groundwater filtration plant to remove MTBE and purify the drinking water, and the City cut its water supply needs to only 22% imported. The City wants to get to 100% local supplies by 2020.
The average American uses 90 gallons of water each day, of which only about two gallons go toward drinking and cooking. In fact, we use twice as much water – four gallons – washing dishes than we do in preparing and eatings out meals. Laundry uses, on average, 8.5 gallons of water a day per person, while 25 gallons of water a day per person go toward lawn watering and pools.
For full article click here.
Microbial fuel cells can be used to create electricity from wastewater. To understand how they work, think about The Matrix, Bruce Logan suggests. “The premise of the movie was that humans were in these pods, and they were supplying electricity to the machines,” he says. “You and I eat food and generate energy,” and bacteria do the same thing. In aerobic conditions, the electrons they generate latch onto oxygen. But in a microbial fuel cell, the wastewater-dwelling bacteria are deprived of oxygen. Those electrons have to go somewhere, and in the fuel cell, they travel to an electrode. From there, they flow to the other side of the cell, creating an electrical current. On the other side, those electrons find oxygen and protons, with which they can combine. The end results: electricity and water.
Pretty pipes - but what's the purpose? Do you know? (credit: Paul Cockrell)
- Where does LA’s water come from? And why are those supplies under pressure?
- How can pretty purple pipes (pictured above) save LA water and money?
- What’s a bioswale? And how does it meet EPA rules and supply drinking water?
- Why have Andy Lipkis, Founder of TreePeople, actor Ed Bagley Jr. and thousands of Angelenos installed large rainwater harvesting tanks at their homes and businesses?
- What’s the most affordable source of water for the LA Basin?
- Finally, where will LA’s water come from in the future?
We’ll post answers after our March 22, World Water Day seminar at the LA Chamber of Commerce. Join LABS of CWEA and Townhall LA to participate in a lively discussion about what’s happening with the LA Basin’s water supply and where some pioneering folks propose we get new supplies of water for a clean, green and healthy future.
Please help spread the word – everyone is invited!
Seminar sponsors include – Contech Engineered Solutions / Haaker Equipment Co. / LA Area Chamber of Commerce
March 22
La Chamber
8am to 1:30pm
$25pp includes lunch / $6parking.
Click here for details and to register
The burden of addressing stormwater pollution is a challenge every city is facing. Engineer Russ Bryden with the LA County Dept. of Public Works will explain the Water Quality Funding Initiative – a ballot initiative that, if approved by the voters, will provide an on-going stable funding source to enhance water quality through implementation of clean water projects and programs while reducing pollution in stormwater and urban runoff. If the voters do not approve the Water Quality Funding Initiative, cities will have to continue funding water quality improvement needs from general funds or other less reliable sources.
Thursday March 29th
6 pm Mixer, 7 pm Dinner
Monterey Hill Steakhouse
3700 W Ramona Blvd
Monterey Park 91754
(323) 264-8426
RSVP by March 23rd
alecm@jwce.com
or call Alec Mackie
(714) 428-4614
See flyer for more info
CWEA One-Day Specialty Workshop
Biosolids: Energizing Your Gas Production.
FOG and Food Waste Co-Digestion Workshop
Get the latest information you need to know about
co-digesting FOG and food waste from suppliers to
operators. This workshop will provide information
about the state of the regulations, availability and
competition for FOG and food waste, operational
experiences, and considerations that can be
incorporated into new designs.
Who Should Attend:
Operators, practitioners, and managers practicing in
the wastewater, and resource recovery industries
throughout California.
Approved for CWEA Contact Hours:
- Environmental Compliance Inspector (ECI)
- Laboratory Analyst (LAB)
- Operator (OP)
- Biosolids Land Application Management (BLAM)
Earn up to 8.9 CWEA Contact Hours
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
City of LA Hyperion WTP
12000 Vista Del Mar
Playa del Rey, CA 90293
See flyer for more information
FOG clogs sewers and costs sewer customers additional money. Every day, large amounts are illegally washed into sewers mainly from food preparation establishments (usually through kitchen sinks and floor drains) that do not have adequate grease control measures in place. FOG attaches to the inner lining of the private plumbing system on your property, as well as the public sewer system in city streets.
Tons of trash normally swept to the ocean by the Los Angeles River should be captured by thousands of trash screens that have been installed beneath nearly every storm drain in the lower reaches of the river. The project is believed to be the largest debris-capturing effort in the nation and marks the most aggressive attack yet on river trash in the Los Angeles region. The project spans 16 cities and is expected to keep 840,000 pounds of debris — the equivalent of about 450 Volkswagen Beetles — from reaching the ocean each year, according to the Gateway Authority, a coalition of cities and public water agencies in southeastern L.A. County.
The biggest winner from the project is Long Beach, where workers routinely have to scoop floating islands of plastic bottles, grocery bags and other debris flowing from dozens of communities upstream before it litters the city’s coastline. In August 2010, crews began installing the stainless-steel, full-capture trash devices inside nearly 12,000 catch basins. The simple mesh contraptions sit just below the drains where water from city streets flows into the storm-water system and can catch debris as small as a cigarette butt.
Another 5,400 drains in the most-littered areas also were outfitted with street-level retractable screens as a second layer of defense.
The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) invites new test sites for the research project Transforming our Cities: High Performance Green Infrastructure.
Recent advances in information technology infrastructure as well as hardware systems and software solutions are providing the foundation for a future of ubiquitous, digitally-connected, green infrastructure. Intelligent management of such infrastructure will change the way we understand and control our urban environments and impact natural systems.
The availability of a new breed of robust, extremely low cost, highly functional, internet accessible, programmable logic controller systems coupled with the ease of wired and wireless communications are making onsite real-time and dynamic controls viable options for both new construction as well as retrofits with green infrastructure based stormwater systems.
The total costs for design, equipment, and installation of the active components for demonstrations will be partially subsidized with in-kind contributions from WERF and the project team. Typical costs for an installation are $20-25K. However, under this research project the costs for participating test sites will be in the range of $10-15K resulting in significant savings to participants. Actual costs will depend on site specific conditions. The costs do not include the cost of implementing the BMP itself (e.g. cistern, green roof, bioretention, etc.).
In many cases, retrofitting an existing BMP may be the most effective approach. In addition to the improving the effectiveness of the BMP and saving cost on implementation, other benefits to test site participants include gaining experience with high performance green infrastructure, learning efficient ways to meet stormwater regulations and requirements, identifying new approaches for stormwater reuse, and taking part in a significant research study to help transform the infrastructure of cities and towns.
To learn more about or to express interest in participating as a test site in this targeted collaborative research (TCR) project, contact Senior Program Director Jeff Moeller at jmoeller@werf.org or 571-384-2104 by Oct 31, 2011.
When: Sunday, October 16, 2011
Time: 8:30 am to Noon
Location: Bikes and Hikes
8743 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90046
Cost: $75 for riders with bike & helmet
$100 for riders renting a bike & helmet
Join your WEFTEC friends as we pedal to raise awareness and funds to support Water For People. In the three years, we have raised over $10,000. We are able to raise money by the generosity of our sponsors who pay to have their logo printed on the back of our event T-Shirt.
A great ride is planned for 2011. We will start at Bikes and Hikes in West Hollywood and pedal through Bel Aire and Beverly Hills. We’ll ride 10 miles through jaw dropping neighborhood as we pass many celebrity homes, take in the sights and scents of world class gardens, and ride along the infamous Sunset Boulevard. During the ride, we’ll park our bikes and take a foot tour of Rodeo Drive and Greystone Mansion. For the serious cyclists, a hammerhead option along Mulholland Drive in the Santa Monica Mountains will be offered. All rides will be guided by professional tour guides from Bikes and Hikes LA (www.bikesandhikesla.com).
All participants will be provided with a multi-speed, fully suspended hybrid bicycle, vest, helmet and fluids. We will receive a colorful T-Shirt with the logo of our sponsors on the back of the T-Shirt. Registration will close on September 30 or when we reach 75 riders.
Participants should wear comfortable shirts and pants. Closed-toed shoes are required. Remember to bring sunscreen. Depending upon the weather, a light wind breaker may be needed. We will be arranging transportation from downtown LA to the bicycle shop and return. We will provide details of the transportation later.
After you have registered, George Patrick will contact you by email to obtain your T-Shirt size, your bike preference and other specific information. If you have questions, please contact George Patrick by email (georgepatrickatl@bellsouth.net) or 404/434-2149. If your company is interested in sponsoring the ride, please contact George Patrick.
See flyer for more information.
LONG BEACH — Laundry day has taken on a whole new meaning in Long Beach as the city unveiled its latest water conservation project Tuesday – Laundry to Landscape.
According to city officials, the program will allow residents to conserve resources by using water from their washing machines, also known as graywater, for backyard irrigation systems for trees, shrubs and gardens.
In March, the City Council approved the program, which was co-sponsored by council members James Johnson, Patrick O’Donnell and Suja Lowenthal.
“Today, Long Beach leads the way by being one of the first cities to test this innovative way to conserve scarce water,” said Johnson. “By reusing water on site, graywater has the potential to both save water and money for Long Beach residents.
Brent Haddad studies water in a place where water is often in short supply: California.
Haddad is a professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. About 14 years ago, he became very interested in the issue of water reuse.
At the time, a number of California’s local water agencies were proposing a different approach to the state’s perennial water problems. They wanted to build plants that would clean local wastewater — aka sewage water — and after that cleaning, make it available as drinking water. But, says Haddad, these proposals were consistently shot down by an unwilling public.
“The public wasn’t really examining the science involved,” Haddad says. “They were just saying no.” This infuriated the water engineers, who thought the public’s response was fundamentally irrational, Haddad says.
“That’s what I would hear at these water agency meetings,” Haddad says, “these very frustrated water engineers saying, ‘My public is irrational! They are irrational! They simply won’t listen!’ ”
***POSTPONED TO 2012***
Sustainable Infrastructure is the foundation for creating a strong and prosperous economy in communities around the world. The Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) of California Water Environment Association is organizing a Sept. 8th specialty conference to promote sustainable practices that help ensure we continue to enjoy the benefits of clean and safe water.
We will hear from industry leaders about projects and practices that will help us realize and maintain sustainable communities.
• Jim Clark, Senior Vice President, Black & Veatch
• Mark Gold, President, Heal the Bay
• Adel Hagekhalil, Asst. Director, Watershed Protection, City of Los Angeles, Dept. of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation
• Nancy Steele, President, Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council
• Deborah Weinstein, TreePeople
• Jim Yannotta, Asst Director of Water Resources, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
See flyer for more information
***Due to popular demand, this event is Sold Out***
It’s an environmental learning experience for children of all ages. It’s home to five coastal habitats and SoCal’s only coastal prairie. It’s an oasis. It’s an environmental cleaning machine for the ocean.
It’s the heart of Malibu. It’s one smart park. The Legacy Park Project, the centerpiece of the City of Malibu’s $50 million dollar commitment to clean water, is a cutting-edge concept with far-reaching civic, educational, and environmental benefits for residents, visitors, and the generations to come.
Employing state-of-the-art technology, it is a central park that will work as an environmental cleaning machine, reducing pollution impacts in Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon, and the world famous Surfrider Beach, and will provide a
living learning center for five coastal habitats.
Featured Dinner Speakers:
Bob Brager, Public Works Director, City of Malibu
Elizabeth Shavelson, Public Works Analyst, City of Malibu
Steve Clary, Principal, RMC Water & Environment
When:
Thursday, July 29, 2011
5:00 p.m. Tour
6:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. Presentation
Where:
Tour: Stormwater Treatment Facility
(salmon colored building):
Legacy Park
23500 Civic Center Way
Malibu 90265
Dinner: Guido’s Malibu (walk next door)
3874 Cross Creek Road, Malibu
RSVP:
By July 22nd with meal choice to:
alecm@jwce.com or call Alec Mackie
at (714) 428-4614.
See flyer for more information
New BMP Database Results for Four Pollutant Categories and Volume Control Too!
Date: Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Time: 02:00 to 03:00 PM EDT
Duration: 60 Minutes
Price: FREE TO WERF SUBSCRIBERS
What level of treatment is typical for various BMPs and green infrastructure practices? What pollutant removal mechanisms do they employ? How can I use this information to help select and design effective stormwater controls?
Representatives from the International Stormwater BMP Database will answer these questions and more, as they provide stormwater managers, consultants, and others with the latest BMP performance evaluation results for four pollutant categories – bacteria, nutrients, sediment, and metals – as well as volume reduction.
This evaluation is based on analysis of the data contained in the International Stormwater BMP Database and is summarized in a new series of technical memos. To learn more, visit www.bmpdatabase.org.
LOS ANGELES, CA— What do Heal the Bay Founder Dorothy Green, Southern California Public Radio, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Carpet Manufacturer Bentley Prince Street, Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz and Temple City Councilman Carl Blum all have in common? The answer: they’ve all worked to end Southern California’s dependence on imported sources of water.
On July 14, to celebrate its 15th Anniversary, the Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council will present awards to those who have worked to ensure a sustainable future for the Los Angeles region, home to almost one-third of all Californians. The Watershed Council will also make a major announcement at the event, marking a positive strategic move forward for the organization. Policy makers, environmentalist and citizens concerned with sustainability won’t want to miss this fun event that will feature great food, special guests, music, unique auction items and actors portraying pioneers of California’s water past. LA City Councilman Ed Reyes has confirmed his attendance and several other local elected officials are tentatively scheduled to attend.
About the Honorees:
Southern California Public Radio/89.3 KPCC is being honored for its consistent and comprehensive coverage of local environmental issues by journalists such as Molly Peterson, Patt Morrison, Ilsa Setziol, and Larry Mantle. In addition to consistent high quality reporting on stormwater management and other water issues, the station’s commitment to becoming the “greenest radio station in the nation” has taken an important first step in the building of its new LEED certified studio and office headquarters in Pasadena.
Zev Yaroslavsky is in his fourth term on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Since first being elected in 1994, Zev has been a leader in environmental issues. His major priorities and accomplishments include leading efforts to conserve public lands and save open space especially in the Santa Monica Mountains, ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores, and implementing the County’s Low Impact Development ordinance to capture stormwater. The Supervisor championed the Sun Valley Watershed Project, which has been a boon to local environmental efforts while also helping residents solve very serious flooding issues. Zev authored Proposition A, which provided funding to preserve open space lands and triggered the development of urban parks throughout Los Angeles County and coauthored the North Area Plan in 2000, which reined in development in the Santa Monica Mountains. Thanks to his efforts, he was able to save significant mountain ridgelines and notable parcels of land, such as Ahmanson Ranch, King Gillette Ranch and others.
Bentley Prince Street is committed to sustainable commerce and innovations to integrate style and function with environmental practices through its Mission Zero goal of eliminating any negative impact it has on the environment by the year 2020. For 30 years the company has manufactured and marketed award-winning broadloom and carpet tile products for commercial interiors across the globe. With the industry’s most comprehensive vertical carpet manufacturing facility, the company maintains third-party certification to the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System and the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System. Statistics back up the company’s commitment to sustainability – over the past 15 years water use per unit has been reduced by 52 percent, waste sent to landfills has been reduced by 97 percent, absolute greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 48 percent, and energy use per unit has been reduced by 40%. Today, renewable sources provide 100 percent of electrical energy requirements.
Mary Ann Lutz was elected as Mayor of the City of Monrovia in 2009 and re-elected in 2011 having served on the City Council since 2003. Prior to elected office, Mary Ann led a successful campaign to have the City of Monrovia purchase and create a wilderness preserve in the foothills. In her current role, Mary Ann has been a champion of water independence and was appointed the Vice Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2003. She is the Founding Chair and current Vice Chair of the Environmental, Energy, and Natural Resources Committee for the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, Chair of the Water Resources Working Group for SGVCOG, and a member of the Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Management Task Force.
Carl Blum was an early board member of the Los Angeles & San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, and served as Vice- President from 2000-2002. Over his 36-year career working for the Los Angeles County Flood Control District and Department of Public Works, Carl led a shift in thinking toward a broader watershed management perspective including the creation in 2000 of the Watershed Management Division at the Department of Public Works. Notable accomplishments include the development of the Los Angeles River Master Plan and the formation of a steering committee for the development of a master plan on the San Gabriel River. Carl was influential in the formation of the Mountains and Rivers Conservancy, a state agency, and the formation of the Sun Valley Watershed Project. Since retiring from the District, Carl has remained active in leadership positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 2010, Carl was appointed to the Temple City Council and was elected for a four year term in 2011.
About the Watershed Council
The Watershed Council supports a healthy watershed for the region by serving as a robust center for the generation of objective research and analysis. The Council has established a platform for meaningful collaboration between governmental organizations, academic institutions, businesses and other nonprofit organizations with a vested interest in preserving the watershed.
Founded in 1996 by leading environmental activist Dorothy Green and others, the Watershed Council produces continuing research programs that examine water usage and quality as well as create and enhance preservation and conservation tactics. The trustworthy expertise and analysis that comes from the Watershed Council’s ongoing programs connects a diverse set of groups with overlapping missions in an effort to drive polices that will continually improve watershed quality.
Tickets are only $50 and can be purchased by visiting the Watershed Council’s website at www.lasgrwc.org
Tickets are tax-deducible to the amount allowed under the law.
The 2011 Water Quality Symposium, 21st Century Science and Technology, promises to enlighten. Research projects that have taken many years and thousands of hours of analysis are ready for presentation. Subjects range from water quality source identification to the economics of sea level rise. This event will provide a unique opportunity to interact with recognized experts and researchers who have studied our rich coastal habitats.
Please join us for a day of learning, exploration, and discussion.
See event flyer for more information
http://www.malibucity.org/news/index.cfm/fuseaction/story/ID/1182/
Please join us for our next collection systems luncheon to be held on June 23, 2011 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
AQMD Fleet Rules (15 min)
Dean Saito, AQMD
An explanation of AQMD’s Clean Natural Gas vehicle requirements for new municipal equipment operating within the LA Basin as well as recent examples of the waiver process.
Equipment Options and Capabilities (15 min)
Dave Thomas, Haaker
The options available for purchasing CNG vehicles and equipment specifications and capabilities.
Clean Fleet Success Story (30 min panel discussion)
Barry Berggren, City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation
The panel includes Mr. Berggren and members of the BOS field crew and fleet staff. They’ll describe the challenges CNG equipment poses in the field and for fleet management, along with ways the City of Los Angeles is addressing those challenges.
Please RSVP by June 22nd to:
Cathy Macklin,
RMC Water & Environment
cmacklin@rmcwater.com
(310) 566-6460
Location:
City of Los Angeles
Bureau of Sanitation
Media Center
2714 Media Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90065
