TheEffluent Line · 1/4 Page $320.00 3.5” x 4.6” ... Call for papers for Great Plains 21...

page 4 Presidents Letter

page 8 Executive Board

page 10 Fall Conference Overview

pages 12-14 Awards

WEF Dignitary, Kelsey Hurst, awards the 2018 Hatfield award to Jim Condon. It was received by his wife

Shirley and Daughter Micki.

2018 President Tom Miller hands the gavel to incoming President Aaron Dressel.

Volume 49 | Number 4

highlights

TheEffluentLine

2 | EffluentLine Volume 49–Number 4 www.nebwea.org | 3

Conference Dates

Snowball Conference January 23-24

NWEA Retreat Omaha April 16

Great Plains Conference April 17-18

Heartland Conference July 18-19

Annual Conference Nov 6-8

Board Meetings Dates

January 23, Kearney

April 17, Embassy Suites, Papillion

July 18, Kearney

November 6, Kearney

Table of Contents Board, Chairpersons & Staff

Contributing Photographer Daryl Kottwitz Photography

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For contacts or further information on advertising, please send to or call: Jon Harger Nebraska Water Environment Association 414 South 17th Street, Suite 101, Ames, IA 50010 Phone (515) 233-8599 Fax (515) 233-8602 Cell (612) 805-6383

The Effluent Line is an official publication of the Nebraska Water Environment Association, published by the Publications Committee. The Association is a non-profit corporation in the State of Nebraska dedicated to the improvement of water quality in the State of Nebraska. Editorials, Articles, Web Page content and Publications Committee opinions are not necessarily official positions or endorsements of the Association, its officers, or committee member employers.

Submit news articles, organization-related correspondence, or letters to the Effluent Line:

Marc Rosso ([email protected]) or Jim Mahony ([email protected])

The Nebraska Water Environment Association (NWEA) is a member association of the Water Environment Federation, a not-for-profit technical and educational organization that was founded in 1928. Its mission is to preserve and enhance the global water environment. Federation members are 41,000 water quality specialists from around the world, including environmental, civil and chemical engineers, biologists, government officials, treatment plant managers and operators, laboratory technicians, college professors, students, and equipment manufacturers and distributors.

2019 Executive Board

President Aaron Dressel (402) 363-2680

President Elect David Sykora (402) 444-3922

Vice President Lucas Billesbach (402) 934-3680

Federation Delegate Michael Milius (402) 444-3910

Secretary Brittany Travers (402) 880-0321

Treasurer George Hunt (402) 554-4842

NWOD Delegate Doug Glaze (308) 324-3902

Director-at-Large Amit Shrivastava (402) 926-7122

Director-at-Large Marc Rosso (531) 207-3244

Past President Tom Miller (515) 265-2222

2019 Committee Chairpersons

Arthur Sidney Bedell Award Daryl Kottwitz (402) 290-5484

Audit Roger Protzman (402) 371-5109

Awards Daryl Kottwitz (402) 290-5484

Collection System Vince Genco (402) 742-2934

Constitution & Bylaws Brittany Travers (402) 880-0321

Governmental Affairs Gary Brandt Derek Gardels

(402) 858-8856 (402) 926-7121

Great Plains Waste Management Blake Birkel (402) 934-3680

Industrial/Hazardous Waste Dillon Devitt (402)-926-7109

Life Member/Quarter Century Brittany Travers (402) 880-0321

Membership Kylie Wilmes (402) 399-1280

Nominating Todd Sukup (308) 254-6185

NWOD Advisory/Training Doug Glaze (308) 324-3902

Program David Sykora (402) 444-3922

Public Education Brittany Travers (402) 880-0321

Communications and Outreach Brittni Stephens-Yates (402) 938-2463

AdHoc Resource Recovery David Sykora (402) 444-3922

Safety Jeremy Walker (402) 458-5657

Scholarship Xu Li (402) 472-6042

Scott Wilber Award Zach Schulz (402) 392-9926

Student Activities Xu Li (402) 472-6042

Training Ryan Hurst (308) 832-1820

Young Professionals Steve Hanna (402) 399-1329

William D. Hatfield Award Keith Kontor (402) 727-2670

Staff

Co-Chair - Marc Rosso (531) 207-3244

Co-Chair - Jim Mahony (515) 306-6000

Roger Protzman (402) 371-6416

David Sykora (402) 444-3922

Tom Miller (515) 265-2222

Kathleen Alexander (402) 630-4161

HDR Graphics (402) 399-4814

Daryl Kottwitz (402) 290-5484

Jason Gilbert (402) 399-1389

Mike Arends (402) 444-3915

Todd Boling (402) 844-2220

Jon Harger (515) 233-8599

Lyle Christensen (402) 680-0142

Scott Bundy (402) 399-1357

Shawn Ovenden (402) 399-4896

Directory

Letter from the President 4

Federation Delegate Report 5-6

Executive Board 8

New Operators 8

2018 Fall Conference Overview 10

Banquet and Award Winners 12-14

NWEA Scholarship Recipients 16

Student Paper Awards 17

Poker Tournament 18

4-State Governmental Affairs Meeting 19-20

Call for papers for Great Plains 21

Honesty and Total P 23-24

Wastewater Certification Training Sessions 25

NWEA Social Media 27

2019 Snowball Conference 29-30

WEF/NWEA Membership 31


Dear Members,

Let me start by introducing myself to those who may not know me. I am Aaron Dressel, your newly elected president of the NWEA. I am originally from Rochester MN and have lived in York, Nebraska now for the past 17 years. I am married to my wonderful wife Lisa and have two boys Christian (15) and Jace (13). I started out at York wastewater about 13 years ago and have been the superintendent for the last 10 or so years. My wife gave me a quiz recently to see if I’m a true Nebraskan yet, well I’m only about 90% I guess I’m still holding on to some of my MN roots, but since our last president was from Iowa I hope that will be alright.

It is truly an honor to be given this opportunity to serve as your next president, I have learned so much by listening and learning from all of the very knowledgeable people in this organization. The NWEA has a long history of excellence in its leadership and I only hope I can be a small part of that to keep it moving forward.

I would like to thank all the people who were involved in the planning and organization of the 2018 Fall Conference. It is wonderful to have so many people that have the experience and knowledge to make these conferences happen and make it look easy. It was also great to see interest from some new and current members at the Committee Chair workshop with new ideas and energy to keep things fresh. One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about our conferences is the time we get to network and meet new people in our industry. When I was a new operator some of the first people I got to know were Keith Kontor and Todd Boling who both have been great mentors and people I still call on to learn from.

As we head into 2019 let’s remember to continually educate the public about what we do and why we do it. This year the NWEA will be kicking off our social media platform with some new and exciting ways to show off what we do, stay tuned!

Aaron Dressel, Nebraska Water Environment Association President

Letter from the President Federation Delegate Report

December 2018 Federation Delegate Report

Before I get into my report, there are a couple of items that I want to address. First is to thank Mike Arends for his great work as the outgoing delegate for NWEA and for the work he did to get me prepared to assume my role as the new delegate. THANK YOU MIKE. Second, I want to thank the NWEA for the opportunity to serve as the Nebraska Delegate to WEF. I was able to start my new role at WEFTEC 2018.

For me I was very proud that NWEA had 4 Delegates at the meetings. These include Mike Arends as the outgoing delegate for Nebraska, Todd Boling as an outing Delegate at Large, Scott Aurit as a current Delegate at Large and me.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES MEETINGThe Water Environment Federation House of Delegates Meeting took place at the Hilton Riverside Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 29, 2018. Roundtable discussions focused on information needed and potential directives for the House of Delegates Workgroups for 2018-2019. Topics included Member Association greatest needs, strengths of individual member associations, and goals for member associations over the next five years. Discussions were facilitated by Trustees from the WEF Board of Trustees and notes were taken by WEF staff members.

There was a number of business items that occurred. These included approval of the agenda and minutes from the 2017 House of Delegates Meeting. nominations for WEF Vice President and two Trustee positions on the WEF Board of Trustees. The 2018 nominations process yielded a field of strong candidates for WEF governance leadership positions and presented the subcommittee with the challenge of selecting among the excellent candidates to fill a limited number of positions.

The new WEF Board of Trustees are:

• Vice President, Lynn Broaddus

• Trustee, Aimeé Killeen

• Trustee, Rajendra Bhattarai

Todd Boling then updated the House of Delegates on the HOD Nominating Committee appointments including Delegate-at-Large positions and new assignments to the House of Delegates Budget Committee, HOD Nominating Committee, HOD Steering Committee, WEFMAX Committee, HOD Outreach Committee, WEFTEC Advisory Committee, WEF Audit Committee, and WEF Nominations Sub Committee. It was announced that Dean Miller was nominated as Speaker-Elect of the House of Delegates. New Delegates-at-Large were Susan Sullivan, Daniel, Riney, Robert Fischer, and Rob Coleman.

Speaker-Elect Keith Hobson then discussed the work of the three workgroups from 2017-2018. The work groups included Membership Relations Workgroup, Student Chapter Workgroup and Operator’s Initiative Workgroup

Doug Pike then reported on attendance at WEFMAX Meetings in 2018 and the future WEFMAX locations for 2019. Overall, 237 people attended WEFMAX meetings from 41 Member Associations. Additionally, 15 WEF Staff and 42 guests attended some of the events in Indianapolis, Indiana, Girdwood, Alaska, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. WEFMAX Meetings in 2019 will be in Arizona, Alabama, Kentucky, and British Columbia.

The House of Delegates meeting was then adjourned.

WEF BUSINESS MEETINGWEF President Jenny Hartfelder welcomed the members to the Annual Business Meeting and presented her State of the Federation address. She reported that WEF currently has 35,031 members which is up 2% from last year. WEF also has an excellent retention rate of 87%. Utility Partnership Program members increased from 303 utilities to 322 utilities in 2018.

Jenny reiterated the goals in the recently revised strategic plan of connecting water professionals, enriching the expertise of water professionals, increasing the awareness of the value of water, and creating a platform for innovation. She also reported on developments in the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP), the Water’s Worth It Campaign, and the Water Resources Utility of the Future Program. She reported that WEF is also “walking the talk” by setting sustainability goals for all contracts with business partners including event venues, hotels, vendors, and suppliers. It was also announced that WEF will be providing a MA Grants program to assist local MA’s to attract new


Federation Director’s Report (continued)

members. A total of $100,000 will be provided. The grant program will be available starting November 1st.

WEF Treasurer, Jaime Eichenberger gave his final WEF Financial Report as Treasurer highlighting the WEF Board of Trustees fiduciary role for the organization. He reported that operating reserves goals have been met and the reserves have increased from 47% in 2016 to 55% in the 2018 pre-audit expenses and 2019 budget. These increases have allowed WEF to adjust budgets for the addition of programs including a Member Association grants program, the NGICP, and investments in Association Management System software and WEF headquarters building repairs and upgrades. He also relayed preliminary study information which indicates that 68.9% of members are engaged in some level of transaction with WEF other than just paying membership dues. Those transactions can include publication purchases, conference attendance, committee meeting attendance, etc.

WEF Executive Director Eileen O’Neill gave highlights of the Upcoming Year’s WEF Business Plan. She reviewed the WEF Planning Pyramid which is used to review progress of strategic goals and objectives and modifications to the 25 business strategies and over 5p business plan elements. She announced a partnership with Wiley Publishing which will greatly enhance the research to journal process for papers at WEF conferences and in WEF publications. She reviewed WEF’s commitment to storm water professionals including the Stormwater Institute and National Green Infrastructure Certification Program. She also discussed the commitment to Operators and workforce development with the ongoing improvements to the Online Waste Water Library (OWWL) and the recent release of the Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals publication.

Eileen reviewed public awareness activities like the Value of Water Campaign, the Water’s Worth It Program, Imagine a Day Without Water (October 10) and the new “Brave Blue Work” video project. She also discussed WEF’s data management issues and the process to switch to the next generation of data systems for membership records management. WEF has also been working to retain its employees and address succession planning within the WEF staff. WEF has begun upgrades to portions of the headquarters building at 601 Wythe Street in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Business Meeting was then adjourned.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES MEETINGAimeé Killeen called the meeting to order and asked WEF President Jenny Hatfelder to confirm House Speaker Keith Hobson.

Keith Hobson asked for approval of the agenda for the meeting and asked for brief presentations on Work Group plans and goals for 2018-2019.

There was a number of work groups established. These include HOD Membership Work Group,

HOD Operator Initiatives Work Group and HOD MA Resources Work Group. I will be serving on the HOD Operators Initiatives Work Group.

WEF President-Elect Tom Kunetz then presented his Vision for 2018-2019. He discussed the upcoming shortage of workers for science, technology, engineering, and math related jobs. It is estimated that there will be 3 million more STEM jobs that people to fill them in the future. He related survey results that showed young people may have a negative view of the jobs available in our industry based on false perceptions about those jobs as nerdy and computer bound desk jobs. Tom discussed the “INFLOW” Program which is an acronym for Introducing Future Leaders to Opportunities in Water.

The meeting was then adjourned to allow members to attend the House of Delegates Recognition Luncheon which included the award of service recognition pins and a presentation on Water for People.

The remainder of the House of Delegates activities included participation in introductory meeting for the three HOD Work Groups. House of Delegates members then boarded buses to participate in the volunteer service project at the Treme Community Center in New Orleans. including construction of a bioswale and planter beds and painting of a mural at the site.


Executive Board

Dear Members,

As the newly elected president of the NWEA for the upcoming year this fall was probably one of the busiest times in my life. As many of you probably know York has relocated and built a new treatment plant and I’ve had the privilege to be involved in this project from the start, but it was just prior to our 2018 Fall Conference that we put the plant online shutting the old plant down and starting it back up again to take care of a few minor issues. Along with work and trying to keep up with family consisting of two teenage boys always keeps things interesting so I’m very thankful for all the help and support from the committee and board members that have helped me along the way so far.

The executive Board was pleased to have Kelsey Hurst (WEF Dignitary) in attendance for not only our fall Conference activities, but also as an outside observant to our board activities during our meetings. It was great to have Kelsey’s input and knowledge on board activities, service projects and Constitution and Bylaws.

This year the NWEA Annual retreat will be held on April 16th 2019 at the office of Olssons Eng. 2111 S. 67th St. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68106 from 9am-3pm. The invitation to attend is extended to all members who wish to participate, but there is an expectation for committee chairs to attend if at all possible. Please RSVP to myself, [email protected] so we can make sure we have enough room for all who want to attend.

If you are willing to participate in our association please talk to a committee chair or board member as we would never turn any willing member down to assist and help where it is needed.


Opt Class Applicant Name NumberL Barnes, Timothy J 3261L Brewer, Thomas J 3189L Clark, Riley W 3199II Coatney, Kiefer 3243

IND-2 Connelly, Todd B 3267IV Dodson, Joshua 3268I Eaton, Gary T 3274

IND-1 Ellis, Scott M 3266I Faris, Kristen L 3255II Fischer, Darin L 3241I Hawk, Richard N 3246

IND-1 Jensen, Christopher C 3265II Kamrath, Brent D 3257

IND-3 Lemke, Aaron 2908II Mogus, Raymond M 3098I Nissen, Benjamin T 3226I Quiroz, Arnulfo 3245I Rabanales, Joel 3219I Riecken, Dylan 3252II Roberts, Benjamin D 3256II Robertson, Keith A 3240II Roebuck, James S 3055I Scheef, Kallon G 3282II Schmidt, Evan P 3249

IND-1 Sharp, Jerrad V 3251I Stengle, Scott D 3224

IV Stramel, Rachel A 3232II Twombly, Bridger L 3223II Vodehnal, Nicholas J 3141II Vollmann, Michael J 3259II Weismann, Michael E 3095

New Operators


Providing a value based, total solution, for all Water Treatment, Wastewater Treatment, and Chemical feed Equipment.Jon Harger 612.805.6383Cory Sonner 515.509.0470Office: 515.233.8599Ames, IA | Chanhassen MN

Dear Members,

The 2018 Annual Fall Conference is a combined conference that includes the Nebraska Chapter of the American Water Works, the Nebraska Chapter of the American Public Works Association and the Nebraska Chapter of the Nebraska Water Environment Association. With the combined efforts by all of the participating groups, it affords the attendees and the vendors a unique opportunity to compress not only training time for CEU’s but also cover their procurement needs with their preferred vendors.

The Fall Conference continues to be a success with strong numbers in attendance and vendor representation.

HERE ARE SOME ATTENDANCE NUMBERS:• NWEA only attendees: 93

• Full conference attendees: 120

• AWWA: 86

• APWA: 32

• Vendors: 62

As always there are a lot of individuals to thank for their assistance in making the conference a success. Each organizations program committee’s stepped up to bring us some great topics to educate the attendee’s. And I could not have done this without the help from Scott Aurit to keep pointing me in the right direction and again Kathleen for all her coordination tasks and details.

This year we held the second annual Vendor Showcase activities and again it was a success with a great turn out. Tony Bilek did a wonderful job organizing the event and the social hour was full of people hoping for their number to be drawn for a prize.

As always we would love to hear from attendees and vendors about their conference experience and new ideas. Please feel free to e-mail me your thoughts or ideas, [email protected] and we will be sure to consider the changes at our first meeting at the Great Plains Conference.


2018 Fall Conference

(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax

Location:4428 South 108th StreetOmaha, NE 68137

4403 1st Ave SE, Suite 411DCedar Rapids, Iowa 52402

Chris Johnson Lee DunnMatt Moul

(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax



Chris JohnsonLee DunnMatt Moul

(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax




(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax




(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax




(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax



Chris JohnsonLee Dunn Matt Moul

(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax




(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax




(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax




(402) 551-7995(402) 553-5879 Fax

(319) 550-6697(319) 550-6919 Fax




Attendees had a dog gone good time


Banquet and Awards WinnersBanquet and Awards Winners

2018 NWEA SAFETY AWARDS

1- 4 OPERATORS INDUSTRIAL

10+

GOLD Scottsbluff Water

Reclamation Facility

GOLD Tyson Fresh Meats -

Lexington

BRONZE Grand Island Wastewater

Treatment Plant

5-9 OPERATORS

GOLD City of Columbus,

Wastewater Treatment Facility

SILVER Fremont WWTP

BRONZE North Platte Wastewater

Facility

SILVER City of Minden

GOLD City of Norfolk WPC

SILVER City of Chadron

BURKE AWARDThis award was established in 1982 in honor of George W. Burke, Jr., for his many years of service to both the water environment field and WEF as staff manager of technical services. Mr. Burke was instrumental in developing WEF’s annual safety survey and assisting in the production of several safety training aids and promotional packets. The award recognizes a municipal or industrial wastewater facility for establishing and maintaining an active and effective safety program.

This year’s recipient has an excellent safety program backed by a record of no accidents since 2005. This year’s Burke Award Winner is the City of Norfolk WPC.

HOW TO APPLYSafety award applications are available at nebwea.org. Applicants who have submitted safety award applications 3 consecutive years are automatically eligible for the Burke Award.

2018 BEDELL AWARD The Bedell Award was established to acknowledge extraordinary personal service to a Water Environment Federation (WEF) Member Association. The award is named for Arthur Sidney Bedell, WEF’s second president for his long devotion and service to the New York Sewage and Industrial Wastes Association, now the New York Water Environment Association. He was Chief of the Bureau of Sewage and Waste Disposal of the New York State Department of Health.

The award was given to Keith Kontor this year. Keith graduated from Wilber-Clatonia High in 1981 and married his wife Judy in September of 1982. They have enjoyed 36 years of marriage and raised two sons, Brandon and Colby. Keith and Judy have 2 granddaughters Kennedy and Audrey.

Keith’s work career began as a laborer with the Nebraska Department of Roads. Fortunately, he got tired of road work and decided to begin his wastewater career 30 years ago with a job at the City of Wilber as a wastewater operator and then Farmland Foods in Crete, Nebraska. There he worked as an operator of their high strength wastewater treatment system.

In 2001, the City of Fremont hired Keith as an Assistant Wastewater Superintendent, intending that he “learn the ropes” from Superintendent, Don Hillrichs, prior to his planned retirement. Unfortunately, that plan was upended with Don’s untimely death. Out of necessity, Keith stepped up to take over plant management and operations demonstrating his ability to

adapt and just “get it done”. Keith has served as “Superintendent of the Fremont Wastewater Treatment Facility” for over 17 years. Recently, he doubled-up his responsibilities by also taking on the City’s water system as “Water and Sewer System Superintendent”. He is a Nebraska Class 4 Wastewater Operator and a Class 1 Water Operator.

Keith is a long-standing member of WEF and NWEA. He has been a major contributor to NWEA, a major reason for his receiving this award this evening. Among his accomplishments:

• He served on the NWEA Executive Board for multiple years, starting out as a Director-at-Large and then serving as Vice President and President

• He helped spearhead WEF’s Operator Initiative program

• He received the Hatfield Award in 2014

• He has Chaired the NWOD Advisory and Training committee

• He is, and has been, active on other committees including the Program Committee and Resource Recovery Committee.

2017 SCOTT WILBER AWARDS

City of FremontCity of Columbus City of Lincoln, Northeast

City of North Platte City of Scottsbluff

City of Grand Island

City of Lincoln, Theresa St

City of Norfolk

SELECT SOCIETY OF SANITARY SLUDGE SHOVELERS AWARDS

Lucas Billesbach

Ryan Hurst

Photo not available

Photo not available

Photo not available


2018 HATFIELD AWARD Jim Condon was posthumously awarded the William D. Hatfield Award at the NWEA Awards Banquet with his wife and daughter present to witness the honor. The Hatfield Award is a prestigious Federation award recognizing wastewater treatment plant operators who have demonstrated outstanding performance and professionalism.

Jim was born in 1947 to Hazel and John in Aurora, Nebraska. Jim graduated from high school in 1965 and started college at UNL, also joining the ROTC. He met Shirley Olsen in the hallway of his apartment building. Shirley says that Jim finally got up the nerve to introduce himself and he became like a

brother because he was “so easy to talk to”. Jim being too shy, a friend finally had to alert Shirley that Jim had much more than a “brotherly” interest in her.

In 1970, Jim earned his degree in Chemical Engineering from UNL and married Shirley. They moved out of state and started work at Proctor & Gamble. He received his orders for service in the Army to fulfill his ROTC commitment. After 4 years active duty, he returned to Nebraska to work a short time at the NDEQ, followed by more than 40 years with Olsson Associates.

Jim’s personal life was blessed with a 47-year marriage to Shirley from which they were blessed with daughter, Micki, son, Michael, and two adorable grandchildren. Jim loved family, friends and colleagues. Also, he never shied away from adventure, including golfing, fishing, boating, shuffleboard,

karaoke, story-telling (especially with Steve Crisler, who Shirley affectionately refers to as Jim’s second wife) and consumption of beer and even wastewater effluent.

Jim’s life was always centered around selfless service to others, from:

• dressing up a town-pride-inducing float, to

• serving in the US Army, retiring as Lieutenant Colonel, to

• encouraging our youth in environmental stewardship, as exemplified by his leadership with the US Stockholm Junior Water Prize, WEF’s Boy Scout Jamboree, and WEF/NWEA Public Education Committees, to

• training and helping fellow wastewater professionals in doing their job better, to

• developing educational materials, to

• supporting WEF through chairing and participation on many committees and task forces, to

• serving NWEA for many years on its Executive Committee, including serving as President.

Jim was also a Nebraska certified Class IV Wastewater Operator, first receiving his certification in 1988. In that capacity, he was involved with operations or operational assistance at over 25 facilities in Nebraska. In the late ‘80s when the operators group split from the Nebraska Association, Jim worked for several years to help the operators see the benefits of NWEA and helped organize the return of the operators group to NWEA. He was always committed to making sure the operator’s voice was heard. Furthermore, Jim was a contributing author of WEF’s most recent edition of MOP 8, “Operation of Water Resource Recovery Facilities”, one of the premier reference books aiding wastewater treatment facility operators.

Banquet and Awards Winners (continued)


NWEA Scholarship Recipients Student Paper Awards

RENYS BARRIOS

Renys’s hometown is Barranquilla in Colombia. He is seeking a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering with specialization in Environmental Engineering. His research project is about evaluating the impact of climate and land use changes on the loading rates of trace organic compounds to groundwater. After graduation, Renys plans to pursue a faculty position back in his home country Colombia.

MARIA CECILIA HALL

Maria is from Linkoping, Sweden. She is pursuing her master’s degree in Environmental Engineering with a research project looking at the effectiveness of best management practices on mitigating antibiotic resistance during the storage and application of swine manure slurry. She plans to graduate in December and wants to find a position to work in the water/wastewater field or water resource engineering.

SHAHAB KARIMIFARD

Shahab was born in the city of “Borujerd” (pronounced easily as: Bo-Roo-Jerd) in western Iran. He is a Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Water Resources Engineering. His research project is about the hydrodynamics of bioclogged porous media. His future career plan is to become a university professor with a long term vision of working with the United Nations (UN) to mitigate the water issues around the world and making the world a more sustainable and peaceful place!

CHUYANG LIU

Chuyang is a first-year Ph.D. student specialized in Water Resources Engineering at UNL. His career interests is applying numerical simulations to evaluate and to predict complex lab and/or field situations. He works on two Ph.D. projects. One is to predict contaminant concentrations under the future climate scenarios. One is to use GIS to simulate nationwide potential environmental pollution index. After those two projects, he would like to utilize artificial intelligence to predict contaminant concentration. With the experiences of handling big data and the challenge of drinking water safety, he plans to track potential contamination sources, to design contamination treatment plan, and to predict water quality and quantity under the future scenarios.

MICHELLE STOLINSKI

Michelle was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She is seeking to complete her BS in Civil Engineering in Spring 2020. Her career goal is to focus on projects in the water industry that have positive outcomes for communities. She would also like to be an environmental advocate, promoting healthy practices on the natural world and sustainability.

Once again, thea student program at the Fall Conference demonstrated the quality of students as well as the quality of education being provided by the University of Nebraska (UNL) system. This year, three University of Nebraska College of Engineering Students, a, gave research presentations at the 2018 Annual Fall Conference in Kearney.

The first of the three students to present, and winner of the 2018 Student Presentation Award was Matt Thompson. Matt received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from UNL. He also has a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from UNL as well. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering at UNL studying the sustainability of wastewater systems under his advisor Dr. Bruce Dvorak (Department of Civil Engineering). Matt’s presentation was entitled “Evaluating Opportunities and Barriers to Improving the Energy Efficiency of Small Nebraska Wastewater Treatment Plants”.

The second presentation was made by Sara Mullamuhamada. Sara received her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Sharif University. She also has a Master of Science degree

in Environmental Engineering from UNL. Sara is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Civil Engineering at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Her advisors are Dr. Ashraf Aly Hassan (Department of Civil Engineering) and Dr. Mohamed Dahab (Department of Civil Engineering). Sara gave a presentation entitled “Nitrate Removal from Groundwater Using Immobilized Algae”.

The third presenter was Cecilia Hall. Cecellia has a B.S. degree in Biochemistry from UNL. Her research is being conducted under the advisement of Dr. Shannon Bartelt-Hunt (Department of Civil Engineering) and Dr. Xu Li Hunt (Department of Civil Engineering) and is planning on a December 2018 graduation with a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from UNL. Her presentation was titled “Influence of Setback Distance on Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Soil and Runoff Following the Land Application of Swine Manure Slurry”.

Thanks to the students and professors involved in making this a successful program! We know that it takes significant time and effort and greatly appreciate your involvement.


Know When to Hold’em and Know When to Fold’em

The 8th Annual Young Professional’s Texas Hold’em Tournament held at the Joint NWEA/NSAWWA/APWA Fall Conference in Kearney was another great success. Attendance was as strong as ever and all had a good time. The Young Professional’s once again put on the tournament, but it’s the tournament sponsors, volunteer dealers, and participants that make this such a great event. Great thanks go to Vessco and Gurney for sponsoring the Poker Emcee and drinks for the event. Proceeds from this year’s tournament went to Water For People. With the help of sponsor and participant donations, the event raised over $3,500 for Water For People. The YP Committee hopes to have another successful event for next year’s Fall Conference and hopes to see you there!

WINNERS

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

Fourth Place

Fifth Place

Jon Harger

Scott Seelhoff

Joel Jirak

Jack Baker

Milo Rust

8TH ANNUAL TEXAS HOLD’EM TOURNAMENT SPONSORS

The big winners (Jon Harger and Scott Seelhoff) and final table dealer (Joshua Frank).

The final table: (Sitting from left to right) Vince Genco, Joshua Frank, Jack Baker, Joel Jirak, and Milo Rust. (Standing from left to right) Scott Seelhoff, Ted Mcintyre, Steve Moffitt, Jon Harger, and Amit Shirvastava.

4-State Governmental Affairs Meeting

12th Annual 4-State Governmental Affairs Meeting Summary Drafted by Derek Gardels (Lorrie Hill, KWEA GA Chair also contributed to this article)

The 12th Annual 4-state Governmental Affairs Meeting was held on October 30, 2018 at the EPA Region 7 office at 11201 Renner Blvd, Lenexa, KS. As in the past, the meeting promoted open sharing of regulatory program implementation strategies, lessons learned, forecasts of emerging priorities, and excellent discussion. There were 45 people in attendance this year, including:

• EPA Region 7 Staff, including the new EPA Region 7 Director, Jeff Robichaud

• Representatives from each of the four states regulatory agencies of Nebraska (NDEQ), Kansas (KDHE), Iowa (IDNR), and Missouri (MDNR)

• Governmental Affairs Committees from NWEA, IAWEA, KWEA, and MWEA

• Public utilities representatives

Kansas was the lead Governmental Affairs Committee for the 12th annual meeting. Under Lorrie Hill’s leadership, great topics were presented and discussed from each state. EPA Region 7 proved again to be a great host despite our meeting room location being moved due to the EPA Administrator being there the same week. It was noted that the goal of the day is to come together as a region and discuss issues impacting clean water.

KANSAS KDHE started presentation from started the meeting with a discussion of nutrients, E-reporting rule, PFAS, Private Water Wells, Section 404 Program, HAB Impacts and Pilot, Milford Lake RCPP, and EPA HQ Blending Roundtable Update.

KDHE noted that nutrients are a top priority for them. TDML program has been vigorous to try to determine phosphorus levels. Implementation is currently underway for mass-based limits for point sources. The new limits will require biological nutrient removal (i.e. capital investments). They are implementing an integrated planning approach in several areas across the state.

KDHE discussed Section 404 permitting, of which the US Army Corps of Engineers is encouraging the transfer of permitting authority to the states. The state agencies discussed their viewpoints on this shift and their level of preparedness for assuming this program. All states agreed that funding, which is not being provided by the Federal Government, is an issue and

they will need more staff to administer the program. EPA noted that other states may want to keep an eye on how the program is implemented in Florida for lessons learned.

Matt Unruh of the Kansas Water office presented information regarding the Milford Lake Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The program is funded in part through a National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) technical assistance grant and in part through partnerships with stakeholders surrounding the lake and along the downstream Kansas River. The program focuses on agricultural best management practices to reduce nutrients and subsequent harmful algal blooms in the lake.

Jim Fitzpatrick, KWEA Government Affairs Committee member, gave a summary of the roundtable discussing peak wet weather flow management held at EPA in Washington, DC on October 15th. He noted that EPA seemed mostly positive and has the goal of establishing clarify, consistency, and transparency with this rulemaking. A draft rule is expected in 2019 with a final rule in 2020.

MISSOURI MDNR and MWEA presented next on cooperative federalism, red tape reduction, water quality standard revisions and integrated planning. Jay Hoskins with St. Louis MSD presented on cooperative federalism. He noted that they developed a set of guiding principles on the topic. The MWEA supports a delegated authority and cooperate on a variety of topics.

MDNR discussed the principle of cooperative federalism, an idea which promotes working collaboratively at all levels

www.nebwea.org | 2120 | EffluentLine Volume 49–Number 4

C A L L F O R P A P E R S

63ND GREAT PLAINS WASTE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCEA P R I L 1 7 & 1 8 , 2 0 1 9 | E M B A S S Y S U I T E S , L A V I S T A N E B R A S K A

NAME: TITLE:

ORGANIZATION:

ADDRESS: CITY:

STATE: ZIP: PHONE: FAX:

EMAIL ADDRESS:

Return by January 25th, 2019 by email to Blake Birkel at [email protected]

1. S P E A K E R I N F O R M AT I O N :

2. T I T L E O F P R E S E N TAT I O N :

3. L E N G T H O F P R E S E N TAT I O N D E S I R E D (typically 30 or 45 minutes slots are provided):

5. OT H E R CO M M E N T S O R N OT E S :

4. P L E A S E P R O V I D E A S H O R T D E S C R I P T I O N ( A B S T R AC T ) O F PA P E R TO B E P R E S E N T E D : (Attach additional sheets as necessary)

Industrial and Hazardous Waste

Wastewater Collection Systems

Regulatory Compliance

Water Quality

Technology Innovation

Wastewater Treatment Facilities

CSO

Wet Weather

Stormwater Collection and Treatment

Young Professionals

The Great Plain Waste Management Conference committee on behalf of the Nebraska Water Environment Association (NWEA) is conducting a Call for Papers. Proposed presentations should conform to at least one of the following topics:

GREAT PLAINS WASTE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE CONTACT INFORMATION:Blake Birkel, Committee Chair

JEO Consulting Group, 11717 Burt Street Suite 210, Omaha, NE 68154 | PHONE NO. (402)392-9930 | FAX NO. (402)934-3681 | E-MAIL: [email protected]

of government and what it means in their state. They have requested that EPA maintain an oversight role and step back from routine inspection and enforcement to allow the state to administer these functions where appropriate. They are still working with EPA to finalize their lake nutrient criteria.

MDNR noted that it will not be the same for Missouri as other states. Missouri will be the owner for permits now. MDNR noted there were a number enforcement actions that they wanted to take back to the state level. EPA Region 7 noted that cooperative federalism can be interpreted in different ways, and stressed the importance of keeping “cooperative” in cooperative out of the conversation.

MWEA also presented on their experience with the integrated planning process. The presented a couple of case studies where the focus was not only on the regulatory side, but also things like stormwater infrastructure, collection system, asset management, and the handling of biosolids. The ultimate goal is to develop a long term capital plan.

NEBRASKA Jim Theiler and I (NWEA Committee members) presented a case study of the City of Omaha’s experience in applying for a loan through EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. It was noted that EPA’s WIFIA Program provides long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects. The City of Omaha applied for a loan last year for a $100 million high rate treatment facility (Saddle Creek Retention Treatment Basin project) planned as part of their combined sewer overflow long-term control plan. The project will have a bid opening in December 2018, with a planned start of construction in early 2019. Omaha closed on the loan in June 2018. . The City of Omaha was the second entity in the nation to close on a WIFIA loan. EPA has estimated the City of Omaha will save $20 million by utilizing a low-interest loan through the WIFIA program. I also noted that another Region 7 municipality (City of Wichita) could accelerate their project by as much as 7 years if successful in obtaining a WIFIA loan. A representative from MWEA noted that they also had a successful WIFIA application in their state for a $40 million project.

NDEQ then presented on revised selenium standards and revisions to their Title 131 program (SRF). In addition, the Nebraska Governor issued an executive order for red tape reduction. There will be some small changes in the Drinking

Water SRF to align with the Clean Water SRF program. They received a technical assistance grant from EPA and are using that in a contract with Northbridge. The NDEQ is using this contract to hold sessions where they have received feedback (in areas where they have some flexibility) from across the state on how to improve the SRF program.

EPA EPA Region 7 staff also presented on topics of interest to the attendees. Jeff Robichaud, who was officially promoted to director of the Water, Wetlands, and Pesticides Division of EPA Region 7 in May of this year, was on hand to discuss EPA Headquarters and Region 7 issues.

• Region 7, like other regional EPA offices, is realigning their structure to match the structure of the headquarters office. They expect to be finished restructuring by the end of this year. The goal of the realignment is to increase coordination between EPA National Programs and their regional counterparts; improve consistent implementation of regulations and policies; and allow for better resource allocation.

• Region 7 is a pilot region for the Kaizen lean production method, which focuses on process improvement measures and eliminating waste in order to improve productivity.

• Their goal is to move permits forward faster – within 6 months – to provide certainty to permitees.

In addition, Gustavo Queiroz (EPA Region 7) presented an inside look at the WIFIA application evaluation process and Mike Tate presented preliminary information on a sustainability tool they are developing with the Wichita State University Environmental Finance Center, which predicts future wastewater rate impacts based on population, income, inflation, and other past data.

IOWA IDNR discussed nutrient reduction within their state. Approximately 90% of point source dischargers have been issued a permit with nutrient limits. They are working on a rulemaking for a nutrient trading program, for which some cities have started “banking” points for non-point source reductions in anticipation of a future program.

MWEA will host the next Four-States Government Affairs meeting in 2019.

4-State Governmental Affairs Meeting (continued)


Honesty and Total P Honesty and Total P

Mike McBride, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality

Be honest, do you struggle when it comes to making conversation with strangers at the conference luncheon or banquet table? For some, the gift of gab comes as natural as a mallard’s quack, but not so for the rest of us. Meeting and greeting can be a chore, especially over the dining table. However, strike something in common and the conversation will flow like an Omaha CSO lift station in springtime. Fishing, weather and high school sports are safe starting points (just do not mention flushable wipes or Bill Riley’s compensation package). Nutrient monitoring and reporting is another great conversation primer. Why, the mere mention of phosphorus and nitrogen reporting will make those at the banquet table forget about your table manners and join the conversation. Whether it is permit requirements or the cost of nutrient removal, you will be sure to draw an attentive ear. While concerns over phosphorus and nitrogen are of equal importance, this article focuses on phosphates and NPDES permit requirements for total phosphorus monitoring and reporting.

NUTRIENTS & WASTEWATER Concern over phosphorus and nitrogen is nothing new in The Good Life State. What is new, however, is the increasing attention these two elements continue to garner in the wastewater treatment arena. This is especially true for phosphorus. Known as Number 15 in the Periodic Table, this simple element is responsible (along with nitrogen) for the current concern over nutrients entering the nation’s waterways. The importance of phosphorus in surface water management now drives, in part, the need to know total phosphorus concentrations discharged from wastewater facilities. Eventually all of Nebraska’s 400+ NPDES permitted facilities will be

required to monitor and report total phosphorus (and total nitrogen). The EPA Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force (https://www.epa.gov/ms-htf) currently tracks POTW nutrient data for calculating load reductions and future permit limits, where needed. In time, this may affect permitted dischargers in Nebraska. In 2017, the EPA reported nine wastewater treatment facilities in EPA Region VII (Iowa (1) and Missouri (8) had numerical effluent limits for Total Phosphorus (https://www.epa.gov/npdes/npdes-nutrient-data-tables). In 2015, a Des Moines area water utility filed a lawsuit

against three drainage districts in the Raccoon River Basin. The lawsuit claimed high nitrate levels originating from the upstream districts negatively affected their ability to provide safe drinking water to approximately 500,000 citizens in central Iowa. The lawsuit was dropped in April 2017, but notable nonetheless. Proper collection and reporting methods ensures the nutrient data reported for your facility is scientifically valid and representative of actual conditions.

In the natural environment, including untreated sewage, phosphorus manifests itself in the stable Phosphate molecule as shown in Figure 1. Phosphates in wastewater occur in dissolved molecular form (also called orthophosphate or soluble reactive phosphorus) as well as in a variety of organic compounds. Sources of phosphate compounds in wastewater include human/animal excrement, organic matter, cleaning products (including detergents), food waste, and industrial chemicals. The parameter Total Phosphorus (Total P) is the total concentration of all types of phosphates present in a given sample (see Figures 2 & 3).

NPDES COMPLIANCEWhile reading your NPDES permit sounds as enjoyable as changing a dirty diaper, both get easier over time. In fact, you will say “holy sheet” when you peel back the cover and discover what is packed inside! Seriously, successful nutrient monitoring and reporting begins with knowing your facility’s NPDES Permit and accompanying Fact Sheet. Becoming familiar with the permit and fact sheet is the first step in achieving compliance. An NPDES permit is, in part, a license for a facility to discharge a specified amount of a pollutant into a receiving water (under certain conditions). Permit components include, in part: cover page, discharge limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, special conditions and standard conditions (see Figure 5). Monitoring requirements include both influent and effluent wastestreams. Pay special attention to monitoring location, frequency, and collection method for each permit parameter. Reporting due dates are conveniently included in the Standard Conditions section of each permit. Do not forget the annual influent monitoring. Influent wastewater data is critical in calculating a facility’s effluent limits. Missing influent data may result in more stringent discharge limits than necessary. A NPDES Fact Sheet consists of general facility information and explanation of permit conditions including changes in monitoring and reporting requirements. Applicable regulatory citations and effluent limit calculations are also included.

P

O -

O -

O - O

Figure 1. Structure of the Phosphate Molecule

bacteria, protozoa & viruses

organic matter

chemical compounds

inorganic orthophosphate molecules

Figure 2. Sources of phosphates in wastewater.

Figure 2. Sources of phosphates in wastewater

Figure 3. Total Phosphorus diagram

INORGANIC• Orthophosphate:

soluble reactive phosphorus (srp)

• polyphosphates (chained PO4 molecules).

element: PHOSPHORUS

molecule: PHOSPHATE

ORGANICOrganophosphates

Organic compounds: living cells, plant & animal byproducts e.g. fats, oils, grease, volatile solids TP

Total Phosphorus

Figure 4. Collection, preservation and handling considerations for Total Phosphorus and Total Nitrogen.

• Correct Container

• Representative Sample

• Sulfuric Acid Ph < 2

• Cool 39 F °

• 28 Day Holding Time

• Shipping Preparation

• Carrier

• Chain Of Custody

• Contract Laboratory

• Analysis

• Data Management

• Reporting

Sample collection

Delivery

Analysis

Data management & reporting

EPA database - public record(https://echo.epa.gov/)

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Figure 4. Collection, preservation and handling considerations for Total Phosphorus and Total Nitrogen

Figure 5. NPDES Permit & Fact Sheet General Components

PERMIT

• Cover page

• Facility information

• Permit Term

• Table of contents

• Discharge Limits

• Monitoring requirements

• Standard Conditions

• Special Conditions

FACT

SHEET

• general facility information

• Table of contents

• proposed action

• facility location

• receiving stream information

• Discharge/pollutant description

• existing permit limits

• summary of proposed changes

• basis for requirements

supporting documentation

Figure 5. NPDES Permit & Fact Sheet General Components.

Review all sections for: receiving stream impairments, new additions/changes, description of treatment processes & other important information.

Individual permits may are facility specific and may vary in content and format


800-383-PUMPwww.electricpump.com • www.mc2h2o.com

You can count on us for all your fluid handling and process solutions!

Total phosphorus samples collected and analyzed for NPDES reporting purposes must follow the standard methods identified in the facility’s discharge permit. Pre-planning helps ensure the collection and reporting of scientifically valid data for your facility. Figure 4 summarizes sample collection and reporting logistics. Prior arrangements with your contact laboratory should be made and include shipping, sample receiving, method of analysis, detection limits and data reporting. Make sure to request the correct analysis for the correct parameter (Total Phosphorus in this case). Water quality data reported as part of the NPDES program is stored and managed in The Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) national database (https://echo.epa.gov). The ECHO database serves a variety of users including federal, state and local agencies as well as the public. Permittees are required to retain laboratory records for at least five years. Documents should be well organized and neatly kept (this will make you look smart and prepared for your next compliance inspection). In conclusion, read your facility’s discharge permit and fact

sheet; know your contract laboratory’s representative on a first name basis and make the necessary arrangements prior to sampling; follow approved methods and protocols for sample collection, preservation, holding and analysis; submit electronic discharge monitoring reports on time as required; and, keep laboratory records organized and accessible. Doing so will not only keep your facility in compliance, but will also make you the talk of the banquet table – honestly!

Questions & comments on this article can be directed to [email protected].

Phosphorus Q & AQuestion: What do you get when you combine one phosphorus atom + four oxygen atoms?

Answer: a negatively charged molecule known as the phosphate ion. This simple ion, as shown in Figure 1, plays a complex role in everyday life (see Effluent Line Vol. 45: 3 for basic phosphorus review).

Wastewater Certification Training Sessions

February 4-6, 2019Hastings Utilities 1228 N Denver Ave Hastings, NE

July 18-19, 2019Kearney Holiday Inn with Heartland Conference registration, Kearney, NE

August 19-21, 2019 Theresa Street Wastewater Facility 2400 Theresa St, Lincoln, NE

October 14-16, 2019NECC Lifelong Learning Center801 East Benjamin AvenueNorfolk, NE

CONTACT HOURSNDEQ: 24 (pending approval) (July - 10 (pending approval))

AGENDA7:30a-8a: Registration & Welcome 5:00p: Adjourn

This course covers wastewater sources and characteristics, math, hydraulics, lift stations, flow measurement, preliminary

treatment, primary treatment, secondary treatment, disinfection, digestion, solids handling and disposal, sampling & laboratory, safety, laws and regulations. Hands on application of math and many practical exercises designed to help prepare you for your certification exams are included.

Wastewater One Day Training Sessions

May 9, 2019 Chamber of Commerce 753 33rd Ave., Columbus, NE

September 12, 2019 Omaha Papillion Creek WWTP 15705 Harlan Lewis Road, Omaha, NE

CONTACT HOURSNDEQ: 6.5 (pending approval)

Agenda, Instructor and additional information to be posted online and in The Effluent Line when available.

CONTACT Ryan Hurst, NWEA Training Chairman [email protected] 308.830.3824

NEBWEA.ORGInformation sources for training, conferences, job listings and more. (Events and NWOD tabs)

REGISTRATION Pre-Registration AND Pre-Payment is required for Certification Training.

CERTIFICATION EXAM Separate Registration!!

Submit to NDEQ a Minimum of 30 days before the exam date

The wastewater certification test will follow the last day of training & will be administered and paid for separately to the NDEQ. You can obtain the registration form from the NDEQ website deq.state.ne.us or posted on our websites.

NDEQ Exam Application Deadlines:Hastings –January 3, 2019Kearney – June 14, 2019Lincoln – July 18, 2019Norfolk – September 12, 2019

RETURN COMPLETED FORM WITH PAYMENT (PAYABLE TO NWEA) TO: Scott Bundy, HDR Engineering, Inc., 8404 Indian Hills Drive, Omaha, NE 68114 | [email protected], 402.399.1357, fax: 402.399.4918

2018 WASTEWATER TRAINING REGISTRATION FORM$350 CERTIFICATION TRAINING

Feb. 4-6, 2019 | HASTINGS, NE Aug. 19-21, 2019 | LINCOLN, NE Oct. 14-16, 2019 | NORFOLK, NE

$75 ONE-DAY TRAINING ($85 ON-SITE REGISTRATION) May 9, 2019 | COLUMBUS, NE Sept. 12, 2019 | OMAHA, NE

Name Organization

Address

City State Zip

Phone Email

Wastewater Certification Training SessionsHonesty and Total P (continued)


Social Media Kickoff

By Justin Redlinger & Britni Stephens-Yates

NWEA would like to increase our community engagement and improve our social outreach efforts. We, as the Communications and Outreach Committee, intend to increase our brand recognition, provide more opportunities for member interaction, create buzz about our events, and most of all, increase membership. Our primary resource and tools are the use of popular social media platforms, specifically LinkedIn and Facebook!

Social media is not always an online distraction or a procrastination platform. While some may be addicted to their social media networks, it is one of the best ways to stay informed and deliver messages to the masses. The social media initiative is beneficial to not only we as members, but also to our community, our clients, or end users of the services we all provide. In fact, approximately 80% of American internet users have a social media account on various platforms – it’s a great avenue to connect to a majority of folks and generations. Other benefits include network building, bringing attention to important upcoming dates, and broadcasting for industry awareness.

To build our online presence, we need your help! Get started by first creating a Facebook and LinkedIn account! Search for NWEA, follow or “LIKE” our page and then join in the fun by getting involved - post pictures of events, comment on topics of interest to our community, and connect with others for the greater good or common cause. The number one rule for this initiative is consistent involvement! Posts will be made periodically, usually 1-2x per week, and the topic will range from safety, humor, case studies, and various industry or committee relevant topics. We can gain insight from those in our community, at the core or spread out about the state, in real time for how to build our brand to the best it can possibly be.

Using LinkedIn and Facebook, we can create more buzz about our events and encourage more participant interactions. People are at conferences talking to vendors, who they haven’t seen in a while, all while other people are rather very interested in their phones. We intend to blend these differences and potentially begin social media vendor sponsorships or more so have developed virtual scavenger hunts, where people post pictures or come up with a funny caption for a particular picture. This kind of engagement makes events more fun for people and can have a reach

outside of the event. It can even grow to the point where the event has its own app and can keep people engaged as they get surveyed on relevant topics as we started at the Fall Conference with the Water Legacy videos (to be posted soon after video editing!).

OUR MAIN GOALS FOR 2019• Invite all existing members to NWEA Facebook and

LinkedIn Page

• Submit Effluent Line articles to message Social Media 101 Tips and Tricks

• Develop NWEA Social Media Strategy/Policy

• Encourage “Followers” on social media platforms because “Followers” means “Members” or at minimum, supporters of our industry

• Post 1-2 relevant topics per week in alignment with Social Media Strategy/Policy and with content supported by NWEA Board and Committees

• Actively participate at each event and conferences

The ultimate goal in this initiative is to grow the group. The more members we have, the stronger we are. As we move towards reaching out to new members, the next immediate goal for successful integration is to get them engaged! This gives everyone a chance to interact and experience from wherever they are physically, in real time. The success of this initiative will depend on everyone buying in, downloading an app or two, and giving real feedback going forward.

#NWEA #mywaterlegacy #watersworthit #socialmedia101


2019 “ S N O W B A L L” CO N F E R E N C E

s p o n s o r e d b y NWEA/NWOD AND THE LEAGUE OF NEBRASKA MUNICIPALITIES-UTILITIES SECTION

LOCATION: Holiday Inn, 110 2nd Ave., Kearney, NE

DATE: January 23-24, 2019

REGISTRATION: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. on January 23, 2019

PARTICIPANT: Registration fee (includes lunch and breakfast) Members (NWEA/NWOD or Utilities Section) $85, Non-Members $125

VENDOR: Please see next page for Exhibitor Registration

TOPICS INCLUDE: Collection and Treatment Systems, Operation/Maintenance Practices, Biosolids Land Applications, Facility Upgrade Projects, Engineering Projects, Infrastructure

Improvements, Regulatory Updates, Safety and much more.

FOR SLEEPING ROOM RESERVATIONS: Call 1-308-237-5971 or 855-444-5769 option “0” and tell them you are attending the Snowball Conference to receive the special rate of $100.95.

This room rate will be guaranteed only up to December 26, 2018.

2019 “SNOWBALL” CONFERENCE | JANUARY 23-24, 2019MUNICIPALITY/ORGANIZATION: PHONE:

NAME(S):

REGISTRATION: Number of Participants:

Check # (Payable to Utilities Section) for $ enclosed

BILL ME LATER AT THIS ADDRESS:

ADDRESS:

CITY: STATE: ZIP:

SEND REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT TO: Utilities Section, League of Nebraska Municipalities, 1335 L Street, Lincoln, NE 68508 | Call (402)476-2829 | Fax (402)476-7052

or email: [email protected] | register online with credit card: lonm.org/education-events/calendar/2019/1

P L E A S E P R E - R E G I S T E R U S I N G T H E F O R M B E L O W !


WEF/NWEA Membership

The Membership Committee would like to welcome the following new members that joined WEF/NWEA this past year. In addition, we would like to recognize those members who have celebrated a WEF/NWEA membership anniversary/milestone this past year:

NEW MEMBERS:

Mike Linder

Shahab Karimifard

Maria Hall

Sara Mollamohammada

Scott Humphrey

David Smith

Rick Dey

Nate O’Keefe

Jian Li

Mitch Klein

Rachael Stramel

Alex Winking

Madeline Kane

Cole Woodward

Mike Paukert

Noma Borde

Lash Chaffin

John Zwingman

Ervin Kramer

Jane Caldwell

Leann Sato

Michelle Stolinski

Matthew Magee

Chin Lim

Renys Barrios

Nasrin Naderi Beni

Mitham Al-Fakiti

Sussan Moussavi

Zach Schulz

Christopher Bianchini

Fatma Al-Shargi

5-YEARS OF MEMBERSHIP

Cory Sonner

Leanne Ziettlow

Darshan Baral

Joshua Frank

Tara Bevard

Wendy Robinson

Robert Simon


David Sykora

Tony Grant

Jason Simpson

Justin Stine

Eric Obert

Lucas Billesbach

Dane Simonsen

Clinton Carr

Jennifer Morales

Jeffrey Ray

Derek Gardels

Aaron Dressel

James Wathen

Gary Christensen

John Rundle

Douglas Whitt

James McGowen


James Simonson

Delmer Adam

Mark Carnes


Roger Protzman

John Kinter

Robert Mercer


Christopher Miller

Timothy Crockett

Tian Zhang

Bradley Lensch

Michael Milius

Chris Koenig


Jose Labrador

Todd Boling

Richard Marshall

Brian Gorman

Gary Hellwig


David Olsen

Curtis Kizzire


Thomas Heinemann

Erwin Kirkvold

Debra Leigh

Christopher Burns


Gary Brandt

Lyle Christensen

2 8 T H A N N U A L“SNOWBALL” WASTEWATER OPERATOR CONFERENCE

J A N U A R Y 2 3 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 | H O L I D A Y I N N , K E A R N E Y, N E B R A S K As p o n s o r e d b y

UTILITIES SECTION – LEAGUE OF NEBRASKA MUNICIPALITIES AND NWEA/NWOD

MAIL REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT TO: Utilities Section, League of Nebraska Municipalities, 1335 L Street, Lincoln, NE 68508 | Call (402)476-2829 | Fax (402)476-7052

Email: [email protected] | Register online with credit card: lonm.org/education-events/calendar/2019/1

FIRM NAME (as you want it to appear on program):

FIRM ADDRESS: CITY:

STATE: ZIP: PHONE: FAX:

EMAIL ADDRESS: WEBSITE:

E X H I B I TO R R E G I S T R AT I O N

R E P R E S E N TAT I V E AT T E N D I N G :

A D D I T I O N A L R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S ( $50 P E R P E R S O N ) :

NAME: TITLE:

NAME: TITLE:

NAME: TITLE:

NAME: TITLE:

DOES YOUR DISPLAY TABLE REQUIRE ELECTRICITY? YES NO

DISPLAY BACKDROP (CHECK ONE): FREE STANDING DISPLAY BOARD TABLETOP DISPLAY BOARD TABLE FOR LITERATURE ONLY

For exhibitor set up times, please contact the Holiday Inn at 1-308-237-5971. There are a limited amount of display spaces available; therefore, tables will be assigned on a first-reserved basis. Associate members will receive first priority of the registrations received by January 11, 2019. Thank you for your participation! We look forward to seeing you at the 2019 NWEA/NWOD/League of Nebraska Municipalities Annual Snowball Conference.

PLEASE COMPLETE A PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND ANY CONFERENCE SESSIONS.

Contribute to Conference Sponsor Fund $60

Reserve a Display Table* (one lunch included with table) $140

Reserve a Display Table* (one lunch included with table) AND Contribute to Conference Sponsor Fund $200

Each additional representative (+$50) = $

Grand Total: $

(Check One)

IF RESERVING A DISPLAY TABLE, PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING:

32 | EffluentLine Volume 49–Number 4

The EffluentLineNebraska Water Environment AssociationOffice of the SecretaryLucas Billesbach, PEc/o JEO Consulting Group, Inc.11717 Burt Street, Suite 210Omaha, NE 68154www.nebwea.org

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit #1055

Omaha, NE

State-of-the-art: Any computer you can’t afford.

Obsolete: Any computer you own.

Microsecond: The time it takes for

your state-of-the-art computer to become

obsolete.

Joke

The Effluent Line January 2019

Dr. Dahab retires this year.

Keith Kontor accepts the Bedell award.

Date post:	09-Jun-2020
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