By Kris Polly

While we often feature water professionals from the American West, this month we start out with a top water leader from the East Coast: DC Water’s David Gadis. He tells us about several significant projects the agency has underway, including the $3 billion Clean Rivers Project, which involves a system of deep tunnels that will nearly eliminate combined sewer overflows, and the $2 billion Lead Free DC lead pipe removal program.

Then, we swing back to the West Coast with stories from two Southern California utilities. First, we have an Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) double feature: We speak with General Manager Joe Mouawad about EMWD’s success in securing grant funding for its forward-looking projects, which include water recycling, water replenishment, and desalination, and then we speak with Amanda Fine, the agency’s director of strategic communications and public affairs, about the agency’s array of educational programming. After that, we get a detailed look at top issues and current projects at West Valley Water District in our conversation with General Manager John Thiel.

We also speak with Rich Mielke, the senior director of engineering at Northwest Pipe Company, about the new InfraShield Joint System. Designed to stretch, compress, or fold at a predetermined point rather than to leak or break, it allows pipe to withstand ground settlement and geohazard events.

Next, we have a fascinating conversation with Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon, who currently serves as the 55th chief of engineers and the commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We discuss the recent increase in the Army Corps’ workload, its focus on safety, the importance of R&D, and more.

Last, we check in with Key Account Manager Bob Bergsgaard of AqueoUS Vets about the company’s solutions to remediate contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, or PFAS, with a special focus on a recent project in Cottage Grove, Minnesota.

On the East Coast, on the West Coast, and everywhere in between, water utilities, government agencies, and innovative private companies are providing examples of excellence and progress for our industry.

Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader magazine and the president and CEO of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He can be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.