The 2011 WEF Wastewater Challenge is a national competition that’s both
challenging and fun. This hands-on competition requires teams of students to
build a wastewater treatment system from an assortment of household products
in an effort to protect a sensitive wetland ecosystem from being
contaminated. This event offers students an opportunity to compete and
problem solve with fellow students from schools throughout North America.
Please help share the news of this event to your student chapters.
The competition will take place in Sacramento, California, at the 2011 WEF
Residuals and Biosolids Conference on May 25, 2011, at the Sacramento
Convention Center. To be eligible to compete, your team must submit a Design
Report to the WEF Students and Young Professionals Wastewater Challenge
Sub-Committee, and the top 12 teams will be selected to compete. The
deadline to submit reports for entry is April 1, 2011, at 5 PM PST. There
is a limit of one team per student chapter. The WEF Wastewater Challenge
Guidelines provide complete details on how to participate in this event.
Information is also posted on wef.org under the Public Information/College
Students. A monetary award will be presented to the top two teams. The
Case Scenario below provides a brief look at the challenge at hand.
A. Case Scenario
A 200 acre Biosolids Compost Facility that has 100,000 cubic yards of
composting, curing, and finished compost on site sits next to an earthen
levee and just up-gradient from a sensitive wetland type ecosystem. The
levee is expected to breach and for several hours 5,000 CFS of agricultural
runoff and snow melt will run through the site with the normal runoff
controls getting overloaded. It is expected that most of this now further
contaminated water will reach the site fence line and if not stopped or
successfully treated will devastate the wetland. The Army Corps of Engineers
will be repairing the breach within 12 hours and therefore the solution to
the problem should be considered temporary. The natural slope of the
facility would channel the flow to an area of no more than 100 yards wide at
the fence line.
Your team has been asked to design a system to control and treat the runoff
for solids, nutrients and bacteria before releasing it to the wetland, if
necessary. You are asked to design a system to control and mitigate the
nutrient rich water, and you and your team will be asked to construct and
run the emergency water treatment system component of the overall design at
the competition to demonstrate the system’s removal efficiencies. The
overall design will have to demonstrate the control strategies and removal
efficiencies of your system, in addition to the emergency water treatment
system.
Questions: WEFWastewaterChallenge@wef.org
WEF Staff: Dcrilley@wef.org
LABS of CWEA regretfully reports that the Coca-Cola Bottling Company has postponed its plant tour. LABS will inform you of the tour status when more information is available.
On August 19, the LABS Young Professionals Committee hosted a tour of the San Jose Creek Water Reclamation Plant (SJC-WRP), owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County.
July 27, 2010
By Daniel Strain and Mark Shwartz
Within the sludge of wastewater treatment plants is an invisible world teeming with microbes. Here, diverse species of bacteria convert solid and liquid wastes into gases, some of which contribute to global warming.
Now two Stanford University engineers are developing a new sewage treatment process that would actually increase the production of two greenhouse gases – nitrous oxide (aka, “laughing gas”) and methane – and use the gases to power the treatment plant.
Join the YPs as they tour San Jose Creek WRP on Thursday, August 19 at 5pm!
The San Jose Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) began operation in June 1971 and provides primary, secondary and tertiary treatment for 100 million gallons of wastewater per day.
View flyer and more information!
The Students & Young Professionals Committee (SYPC) of the Santa Ana River Basin Section (SARBS) of the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) would like to introduce the first of many seminars/webinars on water/wastewater related topics geared towards students and young professionals (YPs).
TARGET AUDIENCE: Students and YPs in the water and wastewater industry. YPs are described as individuals under the age of 35 with less than 10 years experience in the water industry. As with any of the events hosted by the SARBS SYPC, our events are open to anyone and everyone who is interested in participating.
SEMINAR LOCATION
HDR Irvine
3230 El Camino Real, Suite 200
Irvine, CA 92602
WEBINAR LOCATION
At Your Computer!
MONTHLY HAPPY HOUR NETWORKING EVENT LOCATIONTacoRosa
13792 Jamboree Road
Irvine, CA 92602
See flyer for registration information
Questions? Contact Megan Yoo 949-278-5761 or meganyoo@gmail.com
Bixby Marshlands, a 17-acre wetland, located in Carson, Ca, was formerly part of a large fresh water marshland called Bixby Slough. History of the marshlands goes way back as far to the early 1900’s, to where it had stretched out as far from 223rd to the LA Harbor. In the 1970s, after the 110 freeway was built (1960s), when construction of the Wilmington Drain (built to protect flooding), 95% of the marshlands were destroyed by development.
Since then, in 1995, the Sanitation Districts completed the Joint Outfall Systems (JOS) 2010 Master Facilities Plan (certified to restore wetlands). In 2000, the marshlands were filled, & digesters were infiltrated.
According to the March 2009 biological survey, the marshlands is home to 43% of the federal-listed endangered & threatened species & a total of 135 native, non-native plants, 65 species of birds, as well as fish, such as the Western Mosquito Fish, animals; the Desert Cottontails, amphibians; the Pacific Tree Frogs, & reptiles; the Western Fence Lizards, trees such as willows & sycamores.
Why the marshlands are so important, besides providing habitat (homes), its part of the “Pacific Flyway” where birds that are traveling a place to rest. Wetlands are sometimes called “the kidneys of the marshlands” because they receive water the rushes off during storms. In wetlands, water is cleansed of sediments & pollutants before it slowly enters the ocean or underground aquifers.
Today, it is helped run from volunteers from the Audubon Society & it is open to the public of the 1st Saturdays of every month from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. If you are interested in becoming a docent and would like to become an active service crew, you can contact Rupam Soni at (562) 908-4288 ext 2303.
Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to tour *MWD’s Robert B. Diemer Treatment Plant on Wednesday, June 30, 2010*! Come and see one of Orange County’s most impressive treatment plants while it is *undergoing construction*. Only the first 40 people to sign up will be provided the opportunity to tour this dynamic treatment plant, and a few years down the road when all this construction is complete, we will be able to return and see what the finished product looks like!
Please note: Because this plant is undergoing construction and has limited parking availability, we will be *meeting at Graziano’s and carpooling to the Diemer Plant.*
If you are interested in our SARBS June tour, please send in the completed form to Megan Yoo <meganyoo@gmail.com>
Please join us for the Cal Poly Pomona Civil Engineering Senior Symposium on May 28, 2010 at the Cal Poly Pomona Campus.
Guest should register at http://www.csupomona.edu/~engineering/locators/dataweb/symposium/index.htm for free parking.
Attendance to all events is free.
See Flyer for more information.
Young Professionals Event
Tuesday May 25th 5:00 PM
Bixby Marshland is a 17 acre wetland recently restored by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County.
Tour participants will have the opportunity to visit and learn more about the marsh, understand the role of the marsh in protecting our water quality, enjoy native plants and marsh wildlife, and discuss the importance of restoring wetlands.
After the tour, join us at El Paso Cantina banquet room for appetizers. Located at 2404 W. Sepulveda Blvd. Torrance, CA, 3 miles from Bixby Marshland following Sepulveda Blvd westward.
RSVP by Friday May 21th by emailing Nicole You – (323)-342-6265 OR nicole.you@lacity.org
Urban Water Research Center at the University of California, Irvine
Spring Seminar 2010: 3rd Annual Dorothy Green Memorial Lecture Series
presents:
WOMEN IN WATER
“A New Water Ethic for the 21st Century”
Featuring Keynote Speaker
Celeste Cantú General Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority
Followed by a panel discussion with professional women in water‐related fields
When: Tuesday, May 4, 2010 5:30‐7:00 pm; light reception follows
Where: Beckman Center, 100 Academy, Irvine (adjacent to UCI campus)
There is no charge for this program but reservations are encouraged.
See flyer for more information.
Inspired by the WEF YP Summit on Leadership in April 2009, the Students and Young Professionals Committee (SYPC) is proud to announce that the first SYPC Specialty Conference ever will be held Wednesday, March 24, 2010. This SYPC Specialty Conference is titled, “Planting a Successful Future: Cultivating Leaders,” and the goal of this event is to do just that.
In an effort to create a program that promotes and fosters growth and development of our leaders from the younger generation, we have gathered an energetic and engaging group of fearless leaders from CWEA to share their ideas and experiences with our future CWEA leaders.
Below is a quick look at the topics that will be offered at this inspirational event:
The Students and Young Professionals Committee (SYPC) of the Santa Ana River Basin Section (SARBS) is proud to offer a tour of IEUA RP-5 and Chino Desalter as the second of many more quarterly events to come. This event is open to all those who are interested, and students and young professionals (YPs) are especially encouraged to attend. The purpose of these events will be to meet quarterly, network with other students and YPs in the water and wastewater
industry, and learn more about job advancement, leadership skills, and other SYPC programs and events.
Date: Friday, February 19, 2010
Time: 1 pm to 4 pm; Happy Hour Networking 4 pm to end
Location:
IEUA Headquarters
6075 Kimball Avenue
Chino CA, 91708
Cost:
$20.00 Non-Members
$15.00 CWEA Members
$5.00 Students
Deadline: February 17, 2010
Additional Info: Megan Yoo meganyoo@gmail.com
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
Join LABS young professionals on the Los Angeles-Glendale Water Reclamation Plant tour, followed by lunch, on January 26th.
Click here for more information!
Enrollment is now open for UCLA Extension Engineering PE Review classes. To enroll, go to www.uclaextension.edu. Select the “Quick Enroll” tab and enter the Reg#. For more information, call 310-825-4100.
2009 CWEA Young Professionals Conference
Effective Leadership (PDF)
Adapting a Successful Formula for a Younger Adapting a Successful Formula for a Younger Profession
James H. Clark, P.E., Vice President of Black & Veatch and Past-President of CWEA
LABS Young Professionals view Hyperion's secondary clarifiers. (photo credit: Miluska Propersi)
Over 35 people attended the first LABS Young Professionals event of the year. The tour of the City of Los Angeles’ Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant was held on February 19. The tour was hosted by Nancy Carr and consisted of a description of the plant’s history, overview of each treatment process, and tour of the headworks, secondary clarifiers, and underground pipe corridors. - Amanda Schmidt, Young Professionals Committee Co-Chair
More photos after the jump… Read more
CWEA is putting together an email group for Young Professionals in order to provide updates on events and meetings. Send an email to:
cwea-sypc@googlegroups.com with either “Student” or “Young Professional” next to your name in the subject line.
CWEA mailing list organizer:
Jennifer Lee Ku
Wastewater Planning
East Bay Municipal Utility District
Every year CWEA provides $500 – $5,000 for college students pursuing a career in our industry. The Program provides annual scholarships for individuals attending, or planning on attending, a college, university, community college or technical trade school and pursuing a course of study related to the Water Environment Field. It is awarded to applicants selected by the Scholarship Committee.
Qualified applicants must be:
- a member of CWEA or be sponsored by a member of CWEA.
- employed, or pursuing a career, in the water environment industry.
- attending, or planning on attending, a college, university, community college or technical trade school and pursuing a course of study related to the Water Environment Field.
Learn more at www.cwea.org/scholarship. The deadline is January 15th!
