Communicating Biosolids
Thursday, March 7, 8 AM - 12 PM

Hosted by PNCWA Sustainability and Biosolids Committee and
Northwest Biosolids

Biosolids are a complex topic that is often misunderstood by the public – which makes it important for wastewater professionals to understand and effectively communicate about biosolids. This workshop will begin with two hours of presentations covering PFAS in biosolids, risks of biosolids, end uses, incorporating biosolids into local systems, and some communication techniques. Presentations by Todd Williams, Cameron Clark, Dr. Sally Brown, and Catherine Gowan.

During the second half of the workshop, the audience will be split into small groups and each group will be given a biosolids scenario. These scenarios will be designed to allow participants to apply the information from the presentations in the first half of the workshop. Groups will discuss their scenarios, potential solutions/actions, and how to effectively communicate that information to the public. Each group will then present their ideas to the rest of the participants and a panel of biosolid specialists. After each presentation, the panel will offer feedback, additional solutions/actions, and examples of similar real-life scenarios. Panelists include Rich Dickerson and Cameron Clark.

Unlocking Your Potential: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Strengths
Thursday, March 7, 8 AM - 12 PM

Hosted by PNCWA Leadership Development Committee
Presented by Stephanie White from HDR, a certified Gallup CliftonStrengths Coach

One key to success is to fully understand how to apply one’s greatest talents and strengths in everyday life. A person’s talents – those thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that come naturally – are the source of your true potential and power.  

This energetic and highly interactive Gallup CliftonStrengths workshop will foster a greater opportunity gain greater understanding of people’s talents and how they can use them them in your everyday life.  

There are three discussion blocks during the workshop, each with its own set of activities.  The blocks include:

1. CliftonStrengths Orientation and connecting strengths identification to the individual
2. Identifying the strengths in others and using that knowledge to successfully build and work within teams.
3. Understanding how to effectively use strengths in the individual’s role and professional aspirations.   

As part of your registration, individuals will receive a CliftonStrengths assessment code to complete the assessment prior to the workshop.  The assessment code will pay for the Top 5 strengths.  Individuals can make the choice to unlock the full 34 strengths, at an additional cost to them, should they wish to do so.  

During our time we will explore how to develop talents into strengths and uncover how to aim talents at career goals. Ultimately the activities, discussion and discovery, will allow individuals to develop Strengths-based goals.

Building Equity into Water Infrastructure
Thursday, March 7, 1 - 5 PM

Hosted by PNCWA Racial Social Justice Committee

Attendees will:

• Provide participants with helpful tools for building a stronger culture of equity within their organizations
• Explore how restorative practices can be applied to address conflicts, build relationships, and promote inclusivity.
• Understand how to engage Indigenous community in ways that create reciprocal benefits for utilities and Indigenous community members.
• Be able to describe examples of positive partnerships between utilities and Indigenous communities.
• Understand best practices for engaging underrepresented communities.
• Describe lessons learned from past utility engagement with underrepresented communities.

From Policy to Practice: Addressing Challenges of Emerging Contaminants
Thursday, March 7, 1 - 5 PM

Hosted by PNCWA Science and Regulation Community of Practice

Clean water utilities are increasingly tasked with management of new and previously unknown contaminants in our built and natural environments. This workshop aims to provide attendees with a broad understanding of how emerging contaminants are impacting utilities and how utilities can better equipment themselves to manage these contaminants. We will hear a roundup of the “state of the science,” to include ongoing research efforts and emerging trends, provide education regarding practical management methods (monitoring, treatment, etc.), provide updates from WEF regarding national policy positions, offer insights from state level policy insiders, and touch on best practices related to communicating risks to the public. Under this umbrella, we expect to discuss current contaminants of emerging concern such as PFAS and 6PPD-q and also translate how we can take what we’ve learned from these issues to be better prepared for emerging contaminants of the future. The workshop will include interactive components such as audience polling to gauge their understanding, experience, and questions related to the topic at hand. We will also keep the topic light by engaging our audience in PFAS and emerging contaminants trivia to see what they really know!

Expelling Gas: Practical Approaches to Reducing Greenhouse Gases
Friday, March 8,  8 AM - 12 PM

Hosted by US Water Alliance and PNCWA Sustainability and Biosolids Committee

For over 400 years, our energy use and infrastructure has centered mainly on burning the remains of living things that died a few hundred million years ago. In the next 50 years, there will be a profound shift towards energy derived from sources that don't involve combustion. It is imperative that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are reduced globally. What is the water sector's role in GHG emissions and what can the typical wastewater treatment plant in the US do to reduce emissions, save energy, and reduce their operating costs?

This workshop will explain the big picture of the energy transition and the magnitude of the issue, both regionally, nationally, and internationally. 

Based on the collective experience with greenhouse gas inventories for wastewater treatment facilities, we will describe how the inventory protocols align with the steps in the treatment process, as well as describe the relative magnitudes of GHG emissions within a plant and within an organization overall. 

Participants will work with the experienced team in small groups to evaluate different measures within the plant process to reduce greenhouse gases. We will focus on aeration, nutrient removal, and solids.

Back in a large group setting, we will explore where changes and upgrades can have the biggest impact on GHG emissions.

We'll then discuss how water and wastewater facilities and organizations can play an active role in helping the massive transformation to reducing greenhouse gases starting with low- and no-cost changes that can be implemented in facilities to reduce energy use. This helps guide operators deploy renewables more rapidly (and we'll explain how) while lowering the plant's monthly costs. We will discuss how longer-term investments, including optimization upgrades, can help lower emissions while improving operations. We will discuss how major upgrades, replacements, and expansions can be ranked for GHG impact as well as positioned to take advantage of the funding available through our friends IRA and BIL.

Wastewater facilities and collection systems can also be active players in the load-shifting and load-shedding space, and we'll share ideas and practices from facilities that have participated in demand management programs. Again, this helps the grid by reducing localized congestion, and it usually provides revenue, too. On a more capital-intensive note, facilities that utilize anaerobic digestion have a window in time now where renewable gas projects can be incredibly cost-effective – and may be one of the last places where we will see combustion continue. Throughout the presentation, we will share some of the more interesting and diverse projects that have been initiated across the country. We will also discuss some "coming attractions" in the energy and greenhouse gas space that could have impact on your bottom line.

We will have fun along the way.

Aeration Control for Practitioners: Optimization of Aeration, Process, and Energy
Friday, March 8, 8 AM - 12 PM

Hosted by PNCWA Emerging Technologies Committee, WEF Municipal Resource and Recovery Design Community, and I&C Workgroup

Aeration control is a complex process control system in Water Resource Recovery Facilities. Proper aeration control drives nitrification reliability, nutrient removal performance, sludge settleability, and energy costs. Many facilities operate inefficient aeration control systems that lack accuracy. Proper design, programming, tuning, and set point selection requires a knowledge of treatment process dynamics, mechanical system components, control programming options, instrumentation, and set points as well as how all of these components interact and communicate with each other. 

This workshop is based on a similar successful workshop provided at WEFTEC 2023 and is tailored to wastewater operators, EI&C, design, mechanical, SCADA, and process engineers, and equipment suppliers to practice identifying causes for common aeration control inefficiencies and systematic methods for tuning and optimizing control accuracy to improve process performance and lower energy costs. While many aeration control systems could be improved through capital replacements (smaller blowers, better control valves and actuators, etc.) this workshop will emphasize opportunities facility staff has to maximize aeration control performance through no or low-cost improvements, such as system tuning, setpoint selections, programming, or operational changes and instrumentation placement. 

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will be able to analyze aeration control systems for inefficiencies, identify the contributing factors for inefficiencies and apply formulaic approaches to optimize aeration control performance challenges in the field or in their designs.