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News & Updates

NEWEA Member David Bedoya Joins Dewberry as Senior Associate

NEWEA Member Eugene Forbes Becomes Senior Technical Leader with Underwood Engineers

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Save the Date

Small Communities Conference

September 9, 2019

Providence, RI

Northeast Biosolids and Residuals Conference

October 16-18, 2019 Springfield, MA

Information Technology & Asset Management Fair

November 5, 2019

Holliston, MA

Two Fridays ago was the Summer Solstice, which means it's finally summer! We hope you've been able to enjoy the change in season by getting outside.

Right before summer got started, we hosted our Spring Meeting at Wentworth by the Sea in New Castle, NH, which was attended by approximately 300 water professionals. During this four-day event, we hosted nine technical sessions, the golf outing, the Operations Challenge, and the 5S induction, among other events. Photos from the event are available on our Flickr account .

Now that the Spring Meeting has concluded, NEWEA has a more relaxed summer with just a few events. The Youth Education Committee is hosting a Teacher Training Workshop on August 20 in Providence, RI. Additionally, our Young Professionals Committee will host a couple Poo and Brews. Look out for more information about their upcoming events in Rhode Island and Maine.

This fall, we'll get busier again with Small Communities, Residuals and Biosolids, Information Technology/Asset Management, and Utility Management conferences. We'll have registration, exhibit, and sponsorship information on those events in the coming months.

Check out the rest of the newsletter for more on committee news and upcoming events. Until next newsletter, have a great month and we hope to see you at some of our upcoming events.

As always, we invite you to contact Jordan Gosselin at jgosselin@newea.org with committee news and updates you would like to share in future editions.

Registration Now Open for Teacher Training Workshop

Join NEWEA's Youth Education Committee on August 20 for a Teacher Training (K-12) at the Narragansett Bay Commission in Providence, RI. Participate in a treatment plant tour; join in on a laboratory demonstration; learn about NEWEA’s available educational resources; and engage in a variety of hands-on workshops that you can repeat with your students.

Utility Management Abstract Deadline Extended

There's still time to submit abstracts for our upcoming Utility Management Conference! This fall, the committee is hosting a one-day specialty conference on workforce sustainability. The committee is requesting abstracts on workforce experiences; programs developed/implemented for workers; career paths; and increasing diversity in the workforce.

Submit an abstract by July 12.

Support the Student Design Competition

The Student Activities Committee is looking for supporter for its 2020 Student Design Competition. This program aims to provide real-world design experience to undergraduate and graduate students interested in pursuing a career in water engineering or sciences. Interested entities can get involved as a mentor by providing a problem statement or sponsoring the winning team.

Visit NEWEA's site or contact the Student Activities Committee Chair to learn more and get involved.

2018 Stormy Award Winners

The New England Stormwater Collaborative, a joint committee co-created by NEWEA, NEWWA, and the New England chapter of APWA, honored the winners of the 2018 Stormy Awards as part of our recent Spring Meeting. This collaborative was created with the intention of engaging the stormwater community, promoting the exchange of information and education, and advocating for effective stormwater management practices. Each year, the collaborative distributes three New England Stormy Awards, which honor the best ideas in stormwater management.

Ideas are awarded in one of three categories: stormwater management/green infrastructure; political support/funding/outreach; and program efficiency/technology. This year, the collaborative presented their awards to the following projects:

Franklin Tree Wells

– Brutus Cantoreggi, Town of Franklin, MA

Think Blue Massachusetts—A Statewide Education Campaign to Build Awareness of Stormwater

– Robin Leal Craver, Town of Charlton, MA & MA Statewide Municipal Stormwater Coalition

Climate Resilient Design Standards and Guidelines for Protection of Public Rights of Way

– Katie Choe, City of Boston, MA DPW

Rhode Island Team Wins Top Spot at Operations Challenge

Each year, the New England regional Operations Challenge takes place as part of NEWEA's Spring Meeting. The top three teams from this competition move on to the national competition at WEFTEC. This year, teams from five New England states, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, competed in the five Operations Challenge events: operations, maintenance, laboratory, safety, and collection systems.

Ultimately, Rhode Island earned first place, Connecticut took second place, and Maine finished in third. All three teams will travel to Chicago in September to compete at WEFTEC.

Maine Passes Bill to Fund Water/Wastewater Infrastructure

On June 20, the office of Governor Janet Mills announced that she had signed LD 347 - “An Act To Provide Sustainable Funding for Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure” into law. Starting in 2024, this new law will allocate part of the proceeds from Maine's state liquor tax to fund water and wastewater infrastructure projects. With more than $1 billion needed for upgrades and repairs to wastewater infrastructure, this law will provide stable funding towards these vital projects.

The passage of this bill into law comes in the wake of the National Water Policy Fly-In, which took place in April. As part of this annual event, members of NEWEA joined other water organizations in Washington, DC to discuss water issues in meetings with elected officials. One of the main focuses of this event is advocating for water infrastructure funding. This new law is a great success and example for securing funding for the aging infrastructure in our New England states.