Volume 9 Issue 2 February 2022
By Kris Polly In our cover story this month, we speak with Andrea Doyle, the director of Washington State’s Office of Chehalis Basin. The office runs the Chehalis Basin Strategy, which has brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to undertake projects to tackle two of the basin’s biggest challenges: the periodic catastrophic flooding of settled areas and the loss of habitat for salmon and other aquatic species. We also speak with professionals from two agencies that were recently honored by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA). Jim Lochhead, the CEO and manager of Denver Water, tells us about the conservation achievements, energy innovations, and long-term planning that have…
An Update on the EPA’s New PFAS Testing Method
In September 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), published a draft of Method 1633, the first EPA-validated laboratory analytical method to test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in eight different environmental media. PFAS are a group of so-called forever chemicals used in firefighting foam, nonstick pans, food packaging, and other products whose effects on human health and the environment are under increasing scrutiny. Method 1633 can be used for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and other applications. In this interview, Robert Wood, the director of the Engineering and Analysis Division of the Office of Science and Technology…
How Subeca’s Water Management Platform Goes Beyond Advanced Metering Infrastructure
Technology company Subeca offers a total water management platform for water utilities that goes beyond the capabilities of a conventional advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solution. It uses meters, sensors, and valves to provide utilities and customers with intelligence about water operations and potential problems like leaks and to enable them to react remotely. Further, its customer-facing portal, Engage, not only provides information about water consumption to end users but can also be set up to enable them to control shutoff valves, monitor irrigation systems and consumption, and operate other elements of their home systems. In this interview, Chief Strategy Officer Hank McCarrick provides insight into Subeca’s solution and how it…
Outgoing General Manager Glenn Page on the Award-Winning Cobb County–Marietta Water Authority
The Cobb County–Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA) provides wholesale water to cities, counties, and water authorities across a five-county region in northwestern metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. It recently won the Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA). In this interview, outgoing General Manager Glenn Page talks with Municipal Water Leader about how CCMWA delivers efficient water supply, maintains infrastructure, and meets water quality challenges.
Denver Water Conserves and Plans for the Long Term
Impressive conservation achievements—along with innovations in energy use and long-term planning for future disruptions—have made Denver Water a two-time winner of the Sustainable Water Utility Management Award from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA). In this interview, Denver Water CEO and Manager Jim Lochhead talks with us about how the agency seeks sustainability while providing water to the Denver metro region.
Andrea Doyle: Combining Flood Control and Habitat Restoration in Washington’s Chehalis Basin
In the Chehalis Basin Strategy, launched in 2010, community leaders and a diverse group of stakeholders have come together to tackle two of the Washington State region’s biggest challenges: the periodic catastrophic flooding of settled areas and the loss of habitat for salmon and other aquatic species, both of which are exacerbated by climate change. In this interview, Andrea Doyle, the director of Washington State's Office of Chehalis Basin, which runs the strategy, tells us about the history of the strategy, the many activities that have been undertaken as part of it, and the results that it has achieved.
New Zealand Considering Largest Three Waters Reforms in Decades By Elizabeth Soal
The New Zealand government is pushing ahead with significant and controversial changes to the way three waters services (drinking water, wastewater, and storm water) are managed and delivered across the country. Three waters services are currently owned, managed, and delivered by 67 local authorities—either city councils or, in provincial areas, district councils. The proposed reforms would see the services being amalgamated into large service delivery organizations based on population. At this stage, four such organizations are proposed. Originally, the government had stipulated that the reforms were not compulsory and that councils could opt out of the reforms and retain their three waters functions independent of the new delivery agencies. As…
How the DuPage County Stormwater Management Department Harnessed a Former Quarry to Control Flooding
The Chicagoland-area DuPage County Stormwater Management Department has an unusual flood-control tool in its arsenal: a converted quarry. The Elmhurst Quarry flood control facility was completed in 1996 and has a total capacity of 2.7 billion gallons. In this interview, Director Sarah Hunn and Deputy Director Chris Vonnahme speak with Municipal Water Leader about how the facility works and about the challenges of controlling storm water.
The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust: Providing Reliable, Award-Winning Water Service to Central Oklahoma
The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust (OCWUT) is Oklahoma’s largest provider of drinking water, treating and delivering an average of 100 million gallons a day (MGD) of water to more than 1.4 million residents through retail and wholesale service connections. The trust also provides wastewater and trash collection services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across central Oklahoma. In this interview, Oklahoma City Utilities Director Chris Browning tells us more about the OCWUT and its mission.
Your Water Is Our Promise: How Coachella Valley Water District Launched Its New Public Relations Campaign
Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) provides domestic water, sanitation, recycled water, agricultural water, storm water protection, groundwater replenishment, and water quality conservation services to 300,000 people across a 1,000‑square-mile service area in Southern California. Several years ago, CVWD decided to revamp its communications strategy, which had previously focused primarily on water conservation, to try to meaningfully improve public perceptions of the agency and to emphasize its close connections with the local community. In this interview, CVWD Director of Communications and Conservation Katie Evans tells us about the ideas behind the strategy, how it has been implemented, and its results.
