NEWEA's November Update

Even though winter doesn't technically begin for another month and a half, the first snow of the season and the shorter days following Daylight Saving Time certainly feels like we've entered winter.

Before fall officially ends, however, we still have a full calendar of specialty conferences, including the Information Technology/Asset Management Fair, the Resiliency Conference, and the Plants Ops Facility Tour and Technical Session, as well as two remaining webinars in the Contaminants of Emerging Concern series and three Reverse Pitch Webinars.

We're also approaching our 2021 Annual Conference & Exhibit. After much planning and discussion from NEWEA's Staff and Meeting Management Council, the decision has been made to host the conference entirely virtually. The conference will take place from approximately 11:45 am - 3:00 pm on January 26 and 28 and February 2 and 4, 2021. More information, including the preliminary program and sponsor/exhibit program, will be released later this month.

Additionally, the most important event of this fall, the US General Election, is just one day away. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens can opt to vote early, via absentee ballot, or in-person on election day. Each state has different deadlines and guidelines for each of the options listed above. Check out Vote.org, a nonpartisan nonprofit site, to find your polling place, information about early voting, and deadlines for returning your absentee ballot.

Check out the rest of the newsletter for more on committee news and details on upcoming events. 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.

Resiliency Conference Registration is Now Open

NEWEA’s Watershed Management, Stormwater and Sustainability Committees invite you to attend the ReACT: Resilient Infrastructure in Action Conference. This conference will take place virtually on November 20, December 4, and December 11, 2020 and will address effective and sustainable strategies being used to plan, design and implement resilient projects and infrastructure in areas susceptible to a changing climate.

The fifth installment in the Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) webinar series, Communicating with stakeholders about CECs, will take place Thursday, November 12 from noon -1:00PM. All six New England states will award 1.0 TCH for this webinar.

The Information Technology & Asset Management Fair will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 and Thursday, November 5, 2020, virtually. This event is a unique interactive learning forum targeted to share the latest technological tools available for use as identified by drinking water and wastewater operations professionals who use, or plan to use, information technology in their daily work.

Non-NEWEA/NEWWA members can register online, and NEWEA/NEWWA members should email Mary Keating to get the member rate.

Innovation Council to Host Monthly Reverse Pitch Webinar

The monthly Reverse Pitch Webinar Sessions will feature interactive panels that will bring leading representatives across the water industry together to discuss challenges, innovative strategies, and solutions. The second session, Distributed Nitrogen Removing, Innovative/Alternative (I/A) Septic Systems, will take place on Tuesday, November 17 from 12:00-1:30 PM.

Check out Bruce Walton's article on this topic prior to the session, and save your spot for this free webinar.

Scholarship Committee Now Accepting Applications

NEWEA's Scholarship Committee is pleased to offer scholarships for both environmental field majors and non-environmental related majors. Two $1,200 scholarships will be awarded to qualifying Undergraduate and Graduate applicants majoring in the field of civil/environmental engineering or related sciences, and one $600 scholarship will be awarded to an Undergraduate student in a non-environmental related major. All applications are due by 3:00 PM on December 4, 2020.

Submit an application.

Student Poster Competition Submissions Now Open

Graduate and Undergraduate Students are encouraged to submit abstracts to compete in NEWEA's Poster Competition. The 2021 Student Poster Competition will take place on February 2, 2021, as part of NEWEA’s Annual Conference. The 2021 Annual Conference is happening virtually, so selected students should be available on February 2 to present their poster and answer live Q&A.

Submit an abstract.

NEWEA's Online Auction is Now Open

NEWEA's second annual Online Holiday Auction is now open for bidding!

This auction, which will be live for the entire month of November, features a variety of gift cards and passes to hotels, restaurants, and entertainment around New England. The auction will be open to NEWEA members and non-members. This auction aims to raise funds for continued and expanded programming to support New England water professionals and protect our region's water environment.

NEWEA members and non-members are invited to bid on any and all items. Bids will be recorded throughout November, and winning bids will be determined when the auction closes at 11:59 pm on November 30. Each item will be sold to the highest bidder, and winning bidders will receive their purchased item(s) via mail or email during the month of December.

Check out our auction site to start bidding!

Brave Blue World Premiers on Netflix

The new Brave Blue World documentary, which paints an optimistic picture of how humanity is adopting new technologies and innovations for a sustainable water future, premiered on Netflix on October 21.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a production partner for the film, which will now be available to an audience of 193 million worldwide Netflix subscribers and subtitled in 29 languages.

Narrated by Liam Neeson, the documentary includes interviews with a variety of water experts, as well as activists Matt Damon and Jaden Smith. It features compelling stories, beautiful scenery, and examples of novel ways of tackling water problems from across five continents. The film explores developments in areas such as water reuse, nutrient recovery, energy generation, decentralized treatment, and the digitalization of water. Brave Blue World also includes a segment and interview with Tom Kunetz, a WEF Past President, at the world’s largest nutrient recovery facility, the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant in Illinois.

Brave Blue World was produced by the Brave Blue World Foundation, in association with its production partners that in addition to WEF include SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions, DuPont Water Solutions, Xylem, L’Oreal, Aqualia, and the Dutch Water Alliance.

If you're not a Netflix subscriber but you're interested in viewing the film, Xylem will be hosting a virtual screening on November 12 at 3:00 PM EST.

More information and the film trailer can be at www.braveblue.world/

Building Resilience to Extreme Weather Events - Introductory Session Webinar

To reach out to utilities in the Northeast region, EPA, along with the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and NEIWPCC, is hosting a free webinar to learn about resilience planning and adapting to current and future extreme weather threats to wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater utility infrastructure and resources.

The Introductory Session Webinar will take place on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET.

2020 has been a year of exceptional challenges, with essential workers playing vital, often life-saving, roles in our daily lives. One group of essential workers – water professionals, who preserve, protect and manage our precious regional water environment – often goes overlooked. NEWEA is the organization that supports New England’s water professionals and the essential work that they do. Please take a minute to watch the video we created to thank them.

As we come to the end of 2020, we hope you will include NEWEA among your end-of-year charitable contributions. As a 100% independently funded, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, NEWEA’s success comes from members and generous supporters like you. Your donation will help fund our industry-leading educational and training programs, which support current, and future, water professionals. We hope you will support the organization that supports their essential work.

Ways to give

Make a donation today or on Giving Tuesday (December 1)
When you shop online, use Amazon Smile and choose New England Water Environment Assoc as your charitable organization.
Take a moment to share how NEWEA has impacted your career, education, and/or community
Establish a legacy gift or memorial fund, or include NEWEA in your will.
Designate NEWEA for a Qualified Charitable Distribution. (If you have to take a Required Minimum Distribution from your retirement funds in 2021, you may be able to offset the tax impacts. Contact your financial advisor/IRA custodian for more information.)

New England Water Environment Association newea.org