News & Updates







Save the Date

Collection Systems Conference & Exhibit
September 10, 2020
Boxboro, MA

Plant Operations Facility Tour & Technical Session
October 21, 2020
Uxbridge, MA

Northeast Residuals & Biosolids Conference, Exhibit, and Tour
October 19-20, 2020
Southern NH

Resiliency Conference & Exhibit
November 19-20, 2020
Worcester, MA
We hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy as we complete one month of social distancing and quarantining and begin another.

With a prohibition on group gatherings and continued social distancing measures, NEWEA has had to make decisions to cancel, rework, or reschedule events. Since our last newsletter, we have announced the cancellation of our Spring Meeting, but we are doing our best to remain on track with other events.

Our Student Design Competition has moved to a digital format, and we are currently accepting abstracts for multiple fall specialty conferences. We hope to have the opportunity to host our upcoming fall specialty conferences in person, but we are considering alternative options if continued social distancing regulations do not allow large in-person gatherings this fall.

We continue to update our COVID-19 page on our website with useful resources, emerging information, and updates on the status of each New England state's stay at home order and state of emergency. We encourage members to check in with this page often and to contact the NEWEA office to share any relevant information to add to the page.

Check out the rest of the newsletter for more on committee news and details on upcoming events, as well as news and resources related to COVID-19. Until next newsletter, we hope everyone has a great month and stays healthy.

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.
Nominate a NEWEA Officer
The Nominating Committee is now accepting nominations for vacant Officer positions! Officer are voting members of the Executive Committee and will use their time and talents along with those of their colleagues to help direct and guide NEWEA into the future. Please complete the nomination form by June 12, 2020.

Nominate a Deserving Water Professional
Nominations for NEWEA/WEF awards are now being accepted! Our awards recognize deserving water professionals for their outstanding contributions to the industry. Awards are given in a variety of categories, including safety, engineering, operations, public education, public relations, management, collection systems, laboratory expertise, and service to the organization. All nominations are due May 24, 2020 unless otherwise noted.

Attend our Digital Student Design Competition
The Student Activities Committee invites you to attend its digital Student Design Competition! Due to social distancing regulations, the committee is unable to host the competition in person, but NEWEA members are invited to attend the Zoom call as audience members to watch the presentations. Each team will have half an hour to present their project and answer judges' questions.

Join the call on Monday, May 4 at 4:00PM to see some great work from the next generation of water professionals. Call-in information is listed below:


Meeting ID: 946 2300 7466

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+13126266799,,94623007466# US (Chicago)
+16468769923,,94623007466# US (New York)
Submit an Abstract for our Collection Systems Conference
The Collection Systems Committee invites the submission of abstracts for its upcoming one-day specialty conference! The committee is requesting abstracts regarding non-dispersibles and preventive maintenance/technology. Topics covering planning; design; construction; and rehabilitation of collection systems will also be accepted. Abstracts are due May 8, 2020.

Submit an Abstract for our Residuals and Biosolids Conference
NEWEA's Residuals Management Committee and NEBRA are co-hosting the Northeast Residuals & Biosolids Conference October 19-20, 2020. This conference will look forward at where solids management may be headed given the need to define and create sustainability within the local context of social, political, and regulatory uncertainties (e.g. PFAS, disinfection, molybdenum, Class B v. Class A) and the recent COVID-19 pandemic impacting residuals management operations. Abstracts are due June 19, 2020.

Complete the Safety Committee's Survey
NEWEA's Safety Committee is looking for responses from water utility employees for its annual Wastewater Safety Survey. This survey aims to increase safety awareness and minimize accidents/injuries. All responses will be kept confidential and only used for the purpose of gathering statistical information. Responses are due by May 15, 2020.

It is with great sadness that we inform the membership that we recently lost two dear members of our New England water community, Kate Biedron and Frank Woodard.

Kate Biedron passed away on April 23. Kate spent her entire 15-year professional career with CDM Smith and was an involved member and leader within NEWEA. Professionally and personally, Kate contributed so much to CDM Smith, NEWEA, and the New England water community, and she will be so missed.

Frank Woodard passed away in March. Throughout his career, Frank taught and mentored a generation of water professionals at the University of Maine School of Engineering, co-founded Woodard & Curran, and wrote Industrial Waste Treatment Handbook, an industry-leading guide to waste treatment. Our industry is grateful for all of his contributions, and we honor his memory.
Green Steps – From the Sustainability Committee
NEWEA's Sustainability Committee is back with their latest edition of Green Steps, their regular column on sustainable initiatives in New England.

This month, they're highlighting the winner of the inaugural “Green Steps” Award for Innovation and Sustainability, which was presented at NEWEA's 2020 Annual Conference. This award was developed to recognize projects or processes within utilities and businesses that are innovative and promote sustainable concepts or practices.

Utility Workforce Diversity Programs: Creating the Water Workforce of the Future Webinar Series
Developing a resilient, diverse, and sustainable water workforce is a very important priority for EPA and their Association partners. With this in mind, EPA invites you to Utility Workforce Diversity Programs, the 3rd in a series of webinars to highlight extraordinary work being done every day by utilities, both large and small. This free webinar is taking place June 23, 2020 from 1:30-3:00PM.

Utility leaders across the country are embracing the opportunity to develop a more diverse workforce that is representative of the communities they serve. The benefits of a more diverse workforce are can be realized by both large and smaller utilities alike. Please join EPA and our partners to learn about the benefits two utilities are seeing every day as a result of their commitment to diversity in the workforce.

Jennifer Zuchowski from Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) in St.Paul, Minnesota will describe various diversity programs underway to train and hire women electricians. Howard Carter and Stacy Thompson from the Saco Maine Wastewater Treatment Plant in Saco, Maine will describe how focusing on employee development has enabled their organization to attract and retain a diverse workforce.

NEWEA's Charitable Giving Task Force is looking for your feedback!

This Task Force, which was created at the 2020 Annual Conference, works on initiatives related to raising funds to support NEWEA's mission. This includes direct donations online, making a Qualified Charitable Distribution, and leaving a legacy fund.

At this time, the Task Force is looking to hear stories from NEWEA members about how the organization has positively affected your education, career, and/or community. Did you receive a NEWEA-sponsored scholarship that helped to support the completion of your degree in engineering or environmental studies? Have you been mentored by an experienced professional who provided valuable advice about navigating your career? Did networking at a NEWEA event lead to a new job? We want to hear about it!

You can also support NEWEA and Charitable Giving Task Force initiatives by making an online donation!

Donations support a variety of established and new programs and initiatives, including student scholarships, our Veterans Workforce Development program, and public outreach and education. As a 100% independently funded nonprofit, our continued success comes in part from supporters like you.

Click the button to donate today!
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