Newsletter
Looking Back and Moving Ahead
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2018 has come to a close and 2019 is fast advancing. COWA looks back to see a year of fresh starts and expanded vision and looks forward to breaking new ground on multiple fronts. Here is a summary of the activity and initiatives we are moving forward.
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Providing industry leadership by identifying scientifically sound, best management practices has always been a pillar of COWA’s purpose.
After a stint of dormancy in 2017, COWA brought a marked increase in professional training opportunities in 2018. We provided a total of nine courses presented at four locations across the state on a variety of topics. Participants logged over 3,700 contact hours of continuing education. Despite this, we strained to keep up with the high training demand. We are working to bring more training sessions on more topics to more practitioners across the state.
These trainings bring together designers, installers and maintenance professionals as well as state and municipal regulators. These are great forums for communicating and disseminating information, collaborating and troubleshooting.
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Localizing California Waters Conference 2018
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COWA has continued its support and facilitation of this annual conference. LCW has an ever-growing impact in advocacy and messaging for the onsite water industry offering visionary pathways toward mitigating California’s water resource challenge. This confluence of diverse, industry leading speakers and participants takes on a life of its own. The ideas and vision communicated here resonate far and wide and influence funding, legislation and opportunity. The Conference is a ballast, keeping our voices unified and relevant. Thank you to all who helped make this year’s conference a success.
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Expanded Board – New Directors
COWA’s board and staff have recognized the growing work needed to move forward current and emerging priorities. In response, the Board moved in January to increase the number of active Directors to Six. As such, new partners will be stepping up to a leadership post. Three new directors have accepted this position. If you are interested in serving on COWA boards or committees, please communicate your area of interest and expertise. Below is a list and short Biography of the new Board.
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Nick Weigel
Nick is the acting President of COWA. He has over 15 years of experience in civil engineering, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California State University, Chico. Nick is the President of NorthStar Engineering, where he specializes in the design of decentralized wastewater collection, treatment, and dispersal systems.
Nick is active in the wastewater community and has taught at the California Wastewater Training and Research Center at CSU Chico. He is a certified National Association of Wastewater Technicians instructor for the Onsite Wastewater Systems Inspector certification and Operation and Maintenance certification courses and teaches multiple courses for the California Onsite Wastewater Association. Nick is also on the Professional Advisory Board for the Department of Civil Engineering, CSU Chico, and is chair of the Butte County Wastewater Advisory Committee.
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Laura Allen
Laura is a founding member of Greywater Action and has spent the past 15 years exploring low-tech, urban, sustainable water solutions. She is the lead author of the
San Francisco Graywater Design Guidelines for Outdoor Irrigation
and authored
The Water-Wise Home: How to Conserve and Reuse Water in Your Home and Landscape
(Storey Press, 2015). She has a B.A. in Environmental Science and a Master’s degree in Education. Laura leads classes and workshops on rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, and composting toilets. Laura has presented widely on greywater reuse at conferences and professional meetings. She has participated in greywater code developments in California and Washington State. Laura was the 2014 recipient of the Silicon Valley Water Conservation Award of Water Champion.
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Tony Madrone
Tony is a sustainable landscape designer who specializes in irrigation and water management, and is the Principal at Indra Designs. Tony is dedicated to creating beautiful, functional and unique native-scapes utilizing drought tolerant plants, high efficiency irrigation and locally sourced materials when feasible. Tony applies his extensive knowledge of irrigation systems and residential stormwater management to designing and installing rainwater collection and graywater systems. Tony has 17 years of experience in landscape and irrigation design and is an ARCSA Accredited Professional, Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL), EPA Certified Water Auditor, EPA Water Sense Partner and Licensed Landscape Contractor.
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Regina Hirsch
Regina is the Founder and Executive Director of Watershed Progressive, an onsite water design-build, consultation and education firm. Watershed Progressive serves clients from the residential scale, to large institutional multi-phase projects such as the CCC/National Guard Stormwater Low Impact Development (LID) Plan; Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Stormwater Catchment and Reuse Project; Evergreen and, Rush Creek Lodges Greywater and Stormwater Harvesting Projects - all totaling several million gallons per year.
Regina sits as executive director for multiple organizations and as a consultant for state and regional government policy bodies. Regina is a developer and co-organizer of the annual Localizing California Water Conference. She is also co-owner of Mountain Sage Nursery. Regina is dedicated to bringing appropriate best management solutions to the public. She is an ardent advocate for the natural and community benefits of watershed hydration.
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