Conference Agenda:
VirtualH₂O February 21, 2012 (8:00AM - 6:00PM ET)
Please check back for any additions / updates.

LIVE Webcast Sessions
Join us for these LIVE roundtable discussions featuring interactive Q&A.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 11:00 AM ET (10:00 AM CT)
Recognizing Excellence in Urban Water Management
Ben Grumbles, President, Clean Water America Alliance
The Clean Water America Alliance will announce the 2012 winner(s) of the U.S. Water Prize as a special feature during the Virtual H20 conference on February 21. President Ben Grumbles will introduce this year's winners and feature their award winning nominations during the webcast. Last year, there were five winners recognized for their ability to integrate and innovate for water sustainability, The City of Los Angeles, Milwaukee Water Council, National Great Rivers Research & Education Center, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Pacific Institute. Grumbles will also discuss the One Water Management meeting recently convened by the Alliance and plans to form a network.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 1:00 PM ET (12:00 PM CT)
Infrastructure Spending in the North American Water Industry
Eric Meliton, Analyst, Frost & Sullivan
Join Frost & Sullivan industry analyst Eric Meliton for a discussion of the infrastructure spending trends taking place within the North American water and wastewater industry. He will explore the current and future industry challenges pertaining to changes to regulations, reductions in infrastructure budgets, and limitations related to capital and operational expenditures. He will also provide insights into what solutions can be implemented and what treatment technologies will be impacted in the short-term and long-term. Regional case study examples will showcase the short-term and long-term market impact of infrastructure spending trends.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 3:00 PM ET (2:00 PM CT)
Water Utility Public Relations: Strategies for Facing the Toughest Communication Challenges
One of the most important aspects of managing a water or wastewater utility is also one of the most frequently overlooked: building and maintaining a strong relationship with your customers. Beyond their billing statements, average consumers have little insight into what goes on at the water utility. But when it comes to justifying a rate increase or defending against negative publicity, having a good relationship with your constituency is key to achieving your goals. The presenters in this session will share tips and tools for navigating these complex situations.

Consistency and planning can give your agency authority on water quality
Ashley Hudgens, CV Strategies
In today's world of activist groups, sensational media and fast-paced web reporting water agencies need to be proactive and consistent with messaging about their agency and the water they provide. No agency wants to open their local newspaper (or web browser) to see a headline disparaging or questioning the quality of their water. Being prepared to deploy a positive campaign, consistent with your routine outreach, will ensure that reaction to negative press is not panicked, rushed or emotionally driven. This presentation will discuss the techniques that water agencies can employ to manage public perception of water quality. Attendees will walk away with tools and resources to prepare for negative press and tips on how to navigate these complex situations.

Communicating the Value of Water: Making the Case for Rate Increases
Alex Altman, CV Strategies
Water and sewer service providers face serious fiscal challenges in the years ahead. Water supply and energy costs, regulatory requirements, operation and maintenance expenses are all on the rise, while conservation efforts mean less water sold and lower revenues. In the face of these realities, water rates must rise in order to ensure financial stability. Communicating challenges and highlighting the value of water are at the heart of defending water rate increases. Unfortunately, these very points are where many water agencies fall short in their communication efforts. The result: their ratepayers have very little engagement in district affairs, and very little knowledge of district operations, other than their monthly bills and annual reports. The presentation will cover strategies, tools and tactics to close this information gap, arming attendees with new approaches to make communicating rate increases less stressful and more successful.

Case History: Western Municipal Water District
Michele McKinney Underwood, Community Affairs Manager, Western Municipal Water District
Western Municipal Water District's outreach and communications authority will share her real-life experiences with some of the utility's more daunting communication challenges.

ON-DEMAND Conference Presentations
Access these pre-recorded presentations as they become available throughout the day.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 10 AM ET (9:00 AM CT)
Wastewater Reuse & Recycling

WaterMatch: Goodwill Initiative Seeks to Leverage Social Networking to Promote Water Reuse
Jan Dell, CH2M HILL
WaterMatch is a web site that promotes the beneficial reuse of municipal effluent for industrial and agricultural use at the local level by using social networking and geospatial mapping to connect water generators with water users. It is a grassroots, goodwill initiative to help municipalities, industries and agriculture find each other and collaborate to conserve fresh water and promote community and economic development. WaterMatch will be presented in this session with the goal of increasing global awareness and participation of municipalities and companies to promote water reuse.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 10:30 AM ET (9:30 AM CT)
Drinking Water: Disinfection

Reducing Trihalomethane Levels in Distribution Systems Using Solar-Powered Circulation with Shallow-Set Diffused Aeration
Dr. H Kenneth Hudnell, SolarBee, Inc. & UNC-Chapel Hill
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 80 ppb for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in drinking water due to health risks. Stage-2 of the Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (DDBR) requires MCL compliance throughout distribution systems using locational running-annual averages. The Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) teamed with SolarBee to assess solar-powered circulation with shallow-set, diffused aeration (SPC-SDA) for TTHM reduction. This presentation will review the test procedures as well as the results.

Use of water quality models for control of residual and DBPs
Ian Fisher, Watervale Systems
George Kastl, MWH
Water quality modeling in drinking water distribution systems usually includes tracing of disinfectant (most frequently chlorine) and disinfection by products (DBPs) through the network, as their concentration is continuously changing. While chlorine and DBP models can be used for design of the network and processes at the water treatment plant, this presentation will focus on use of models for control of chlorine and DBP concentrations throughout the system. It will be demonstrated that using a simple example of a hypothetical drinking water distribution system, chlorine and DBP control can be improved with application of a chlorine decay model.

Optimizing Organic Removal while Complying with the Stage 2 DBP Rule
Erin England, GE Analytical Instruments
The U.S. EPA uses the term "enhanced coagulation" to define the process of obtaining improved removal of TOC by conventional treatment in order to limit DBP formation. Utilities often associate enhanced coagulation and improved TOC removal with increased spending. This is not always the case if a plant fully understands its TOC levels and how each process parameter change affects TOC. This presentation will focus on how a water treatment plant tested an on-line TOC analyzer in 2009 to optimize TOC removal. Data will be presented which shows how this water treatment plant was able to achieve over $13,000 in alum, caustic, and polymer savings in just 8 weeks while still meeting all DBP regulations.

Pressurized Ultrafiltration for Pathogen Reduction
Daryl Gisch, Dow Water & Process Solutions
Today, more than 1.1 billion people globally do not have access to clean, drinkable water. As the demand for water increases, many municipalities draw water from lower quality water sources like surface water. These lower quality sources can present a higher risk of microbial contamination. The scope of this presentation is to compare and validate the log removal values for pressurized ultrafiltration (pUF), as measured in the lab and in the field. It will compare the various levels of pathogen reduction from installed field skids over multiple months of installed operations and compare the values from extensive third party challenge testing conducted under the Environmental Technology Verification program secured through NSF International.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 12:00 PM ET (11:00 AM CT)
Water Utility Management: Education and Resources

New Innovative Local Water Tool Enables Companies to Assess and Manage Risks and Impacts
Karl Fennessey, ConocoPhillips
The Local Water Tool (LWT) is a free tool for companies and organizations to evaluate the external impacts, business risks, opportunities and management plans related to water use and discharge at a specific site or operation. A group of over 40 companies worked through the Global Environmental Management Initiative and with engineering company CH2M HILL to develop the Local Water Tool. The LWT was produced in cooperation with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to link to the WBCSD Global Water Tool (GWT) and provide the full suite of tools that companies need to sustainably manage water in their operations from the global portfolio to local site perspective. This presentation will provide an overview of the Local Water Tool's development and functions, basic directions on use of the tool, details on how to access the tool and a brief case study.

Water Business Education: Building the Water Generation
Dr. Robert Gruber, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Dr. Linda Reid, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Dr. Jeff Vanevenhoven, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Elizabeth Thelen, The Milwaukee Water Council
As global population growth and economic development drive accelerated demand for water in all sectors of the economy, the full value of water is becoming increasingly apparent. Organizations in all sectors and sizes are adding water to their strategic decision-making processes. Universities need to be in a position to provide students with the tools to gather and synthesize information from several disciplines, to formulate socially, ecologically and economically rational alternatives to water quality, quantity and availability issues, and to implement effectively a wide variety of water-based programs and initiatives. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater finds itself strategically positioned to serve the water sector by educating business students in preparation for careers in the water space. With the hope of encouraging audience discourse and feedback, we briefly detail our experience in creating and promoting a water business program that includes an integrated science business major with a water resources emphasis, a water business minor, and various other co-curricular components.

Water and Environmental Hub
Alex Joseph, Water and Environmental Hub
Spencer Cox, Tesera Systems Inc.
Mike Scarth, Tesera Systems Inc.
Steve Liang, University of Calgary
The Water and Environmental Hub (WEHUB) project is an open source web platform that aggregates, federates, and connects water data. It enables users from across the water community to access, mashup, analyze, model and interpret water data, information, issues and opportunities. By combining water expertise with an open web development approach, the project spurs economic diversification and benefits both public users and the private sector by improving access to water data, information, and tools for academia, government, industry, NGOs, and the general public. In partnership with other open data repositories around water, the WEHUB has developed a web-based platform that not only provides a water- related data catalogue, but delivers an innovative aggregator service that is linked with a unified output service (API). This allows organizations and users to develop customized applications on top of the WEHUB web platform and gain access to all of the WEHUB's aggregated data. The project extends across Western Canada and is expanding across North America, with scalability a key design thrust.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 12:30 PM ET (11:30 AM CT)
Industrial Water Treatment

Online Total Selenium Analyzer for Environmental Water Monitoring and Industrial Process Control
Dr. Vladimir Dozortsev, TraceDetect Inc
William Dietze, TraceDetect Inc
Contamination of water sources by selenium is a known worldwide phenomenon and is associated with a broad spectrum of human activities, ranging from the most basic agricultural practices to the most high-tech industrial processes. To meet strict selenium discharge regulation limits and provide proper treatment system operation, reliable and rapid control of all critical process parameters is required. This presentation will discuss a recently developed online total inorganic selenium analyzer developed specifically for unattended industrial process control and environmental monitoring.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 2:00 PM ET (1:00 PM CT)
Wastewater: Nutrient Removal

In Situ Enhancement of Wastewater Lagoons with Submerged Bio-Reactors, for Effective Year Round Treatment Regardless of Water Temperature
Taylor Reynolds, Wastewater Compliance Systems, Inc.
The use of fixed film bio-reactors in wastewater lagoons can enhance the treatment capacity of the lagoons and allow communities and companies to continue using their wastewater lagoons in today's ever increasing regulatory climate. This presentation will cover the underlying principles of design and operation of fixed film bio-reactors. Case studies showing the improved removal of BOD, TSS, and ammonia as a result of the use of bio-reactors will be shared. Additionally a life cycle cost analysis comparison of submerged bio-reactors and typical surface aerators will demonstrate the cost efficiency of bio-reactors in spite of the higher up front capital cost. The final portion of the presentation will address operations and maintenance concerns and identify the key issues that should be evaluated when comparing lagoon enhancement technologies.

Deammonification of Municipal Wastewater
Chandler Johnson, World Water Works
Production of centrate whether on a continuous or intermittent basis creates a very high ammonia load to the WWTP, which may be unable to maintain constantly low effluent ammonia or Total Nitrogen limits. Standard methods of treating this centrate often require additional alkalinity and supplemental carbon, increasing costs to the WWTP. Deammonification of centrate, however, provides the WWTP the ability to significantly lower overall operational costs in treating the centrate stream with respect to aeration and carbon source requirements and allows the WWTP to meet its low Total Nitrogen limits.

Putting the Squeeze on Nutrient Removal and Wet Weather Treatment
Ryan Spanton, WesTech Engineering
Mark Boner, WWETCO
Two major mandates impacting environmental infrastructure include nutrient removal and wet weather treatment. Tighter limits on nutrients necessitate additional biological treatment and/or chemical precipitation and filtration. But, highly variable wet weather flows such as CSOs/SSOs play havoc with biological treatment processes and are not necessarily solved with more tankage. A passive high rate filtration technology from WWETCO can serve multiple purposes at the POTW, and literally "puts the squeeze" on solving both the nutrient and wet weather issues with one technology at one location in the process train.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 2:30 PM ET (1:30 PM CT)
Water Utility Management: Operations

Pipeline Replacement: Tools for Capital Investment Planning
Neil Grigg, Colorado State University
During 2011, water main breaks occurred frequently due to multiple causes, including extreme weather. Main breaks occur daily across the U.S., and to minimize them requires ongoing planning and investment by utilities that face many other calls on their capital. Investment should be based on a well-planned renewal program that inventories the system, assesses condition and risk, and allocates funding to reduce risk, especially of high-consequence break. This presentation will explain how utility boards can invest in pipeline renewal and customers can understand why it is needed. The discussion will present results from a Water Research Foundation project that included statistics on main failures; use of asset management; cost-based risk analysis; new software for screening of pipes-at-risk; and a procedure to prepare business cases. The focus of the presentation will be on an overview of the tools available and how they can be assembled to support a utility's overall asset management program.

Stronger Than Firewalls: Unidirectional Gateways at Detroit Water
Biren Saparia, Process Control System Manager, Detroit Water
Andrew Ginter, Waterfall Security Solutions
As long as eight years ago, Detroit Water and many other water and wastewater facilities, started implementing cost-saving and reliability-improving measures which relied on sharing operations data with applications and users on the utility's business network. Detroit Water contracted a large, well-known communications supplier to manage a pair of firewalls which connected the operations network to the business network. The firewalls were configured to allow applications on the operations network to connect to servers on the business network, but not vice-versa. In early 2011 though, Detroit Water carried out a risk assessment and started questioning their confidence in the security of the firewalls. Detroit Water eventually decided to replace them with Unidirectional Security Gateways, a hardware-based solution which permits information to flow out of the operations network, without allowing any attacks, messages or any information whatsoever back into the operations network. This presentation will detail Detroit Water's experience with installing and using this hardware-based network security system.

Rugged HMIs for Wastewater Plants
Jeffrey Hayes, Beijer Electronics
There have been many advances in human machine interfaces (HMIs) over the past few years. As a result, what has become the normal user interface experience on smartphones and tablets is now becoming mainstream with modern HMIs. Touch panels from as small as 4" to as large as 24" are now providing a whole new way of performing critical tasks This presentation will describe the advantages of using smart terminals to monitor and control certain aspects of water/wastewater plants. Focusing on the issues and solutions, not specific manufacturers or solution providers, the author will explore the criteria that must be considered when deploying HMIs outside, in the elements, and how having the right controls at the right place can now be accomplished with the right technologies.

Powering a Smarter Water Utility Smart Grid
Sol Jacobs, Tadiran Batteries
In an effort to boost productivity and operational efficiency, water utilities are increasingly utilizing state-of-the-art AMR/AMI network infrastructure to automate the meter reading-to-billing process. The vast majority of AMR/AMI water meter reading devices are powered with lithium thionyl chloride batteries, which offer critical performance advantages such as high capacity, high energy density, and low self-discharge. This presentation will focus on the performance advantages of hybrid lithium battery technology from both a theoretical and practical perspective utilizing real-life examples from leading AMR/AMI meter manufacturer(s). It will address the concerns of utility managers who are seeking to boost bottom line performance by reducing meter reading as well improving management reporting and customer communications. The content will also cover a proprietary battery technology that permits meters to measure and interpret data associated with battery-end-of-life, enabling advanced systems to send low battery status alerts.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 4:00 PM ET (3:00 PM CT)
Wastewater: Odor Control

Odor and Corrosion Control in Wastewater Collection Systems Utilizing Sustainable Treatment Gases: Oxygen and Ozone
Jay Boyd, Anue Water Technologies
Paul Hatten, Anue Water Technologies
Danton Brown, Anue Water Technologies
Sewage collection systems have long been subject to issues with odor and corrosion, which is understandable given the nature of what they convey. Sewage odor is a localized and political issue and is really the driving force behind implementing controls in sewage collection systems. Corrosion, however, is the issue with the greatest potential for environmental harm and real systemic and economic damage. A truly effective treatment must consider both of these issues. One new methodology, involving the on-site generation of oxygen and ozone, addresses the source of odor and corrosion in a sustainable manner without harmful side effects.

Controlling Malodors and Air Pollution in Wastewater with Non-Active Biocatalysts
Walter Dittel, ORTEC, Ltd. Co.
Non-active biocatalysts have been shown through over a decade of research and experience to be an effective way of controlling unwanted malodors and air pollutants such as H2S and ammonia. This presentation will cover many of the benefits of this type of technology, including ease of application, handling and environmental safety, and effectiveness. Experimental and laboratory analyses will be presented.

Feb. 21, 2012 | 4:30 PM ET (3:30 PM CT)
Water Utility Management: Laboratory & Sampling

A New Method for Increasing Lab Efficiency
Derek Walker, Hach Company
Heather L. Grove, Laboratory Supervisor
Budgetary pressure on water utilities is growing due to factors such as declining revenue, new infrastructure demands, and increasing regulatory compliance requirements. The utility in this case study is responding in part by finding ways to run their lab more efficiently, specifically by utilizing a new cadmium reduction method for measuring nitrate in drinking water.


Feb. 21, 2012 | 5:00 PM ET (4:00 PM CT)
Wastewater Treatment

Using Algal Bioremediation for the Treatment of Lagoon-Based Wastewater
Karen Stash, BioVantage Resources
Increasing population growth and industrial needs, higher costs, tighter regulations, and a limited fresh water supply compels municipal and industrial wastewater treatment specialists to economically improve their treatment processes. This presentation will provide an option for municipalities and industries that have open lagoon systems to improve overall water quality without excessive investment in infrastructure through the use of an algal-based biological treatment system that augments existing systems. Algal-based remediation accelerates the natural process of organic material degradation by inoculating lagoons with selected strains of microalgae, which improves the biological breakdown in the lagoon, accelerates the reduction of nutrients, and assists in disinfecting pathogens. In this presentation, the author will discuss the process for setting up algal-based bioremediation and will share data gathered from several projects.

Spirally Wound Membrane Biofilm Reactors
Ely Cohen, Emefcy
Membrane biofilm reactors present lower aeration energy potential because oxygen from air merely diffuses through a barrier; it does not need to be injected into the liquid. Studies on the subject mostly deal with fibrous membranes, configured to pass air through membranal passages immersed in a reactor. This work, however, presents the development of an inverse membrane biofilm reactor, wherein wastewater flows inside a membranal passageway exposed to air on the outside.

NYSERDA Funded Project: Energy Reduction and Nitrogen Removal at Two Suffolk County, NY, Wastewater Treatment Plants Employing Bioaugmentation
Rich Schici, In-Pipe Technology
Bulbul Ahmed, In-Pipe Technology
In this study, the effectiveness of In-Pipe Technology (IPT) for improving wastewater influent characteristics, wastewater effluent quality and reducing treatment plant costs was demonstrated at two small sewer districts, one municipal and one industrial. During the demonstration, IPT improved the raw wastewater characteristics, reduced influent loads to the treatment plant, improved effluent quality, reduced electrical energy usage, and reduced sludge production without additional energy input and capital expansion.