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Get to Know the CASA Team: Eric Sapirstein, President, ENS Resources, Inc.
Eric Sapirstein serves as CASA’s Federal Legislative Advocate and has been a cornerstone of CASA’s team for decades. After holding leadership positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Washington-based consulting firms, Eric founded ENS Resources, Inc., in 1986. For more than 35 years, his firm has focused on legislative and regulatory advocacy, and strategic planning, supporting the policy interests of local and regional governments and national organizations that serve the public’s interests. In this role, he leads a team of professionals schooled in water supply, water quality, infrastructure financing, transportation, alternative energy production, and ecosystem protection and restoration, and forestry health issues.
Eric beyond the office:
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Do you have a favorite travel destination or a place you've always wanted to visit? Favorite destination is Africa where you can experience nature as it is meant to be. And the place that I want (and will) visit is Ireland with its natural beauty, literary history and storied history.
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If you could meet one historical figure, who would it be and why? The Beatles because it would be amazing to learn how four guys were able to be as creative as they were and produce music that continues to withstand the test of time without being auto tuned.
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Do you have a favorite piece of art or artist? Monet. You can stare at any of his work and become entranced by his use of color.
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If you could master any musical instrument overnight, which one would you choose? Saxophone. John Coltrain, Stanley Turrentine, Clarence Clemmons, and Grace Kelly. They vividly demonstrate the instrument's broad range of sounds.
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Last Call! Join Your Peers at CASA’s Annual Conference
Wrap up summer with your colleagues in Monterey at CASA’s Annual Conference, July 31 – August 2, 2024. Set to take place at the Monterey Marriott, this year’s conference program offers an array of speakers and panels geared towards providing our agencies with the necessary tools and information to foster collaboration and achieve our common goals. Check out our program to see all the great speakers, panels, and presentations available during CASA’s 2024 Annual Conference. In addition to all the great sessions, we have some excellent networking opportunities this year! Check them out here.
Trust us, you won’t want to miss out on what we have in store. Our hotel block is sold out already, but we can assist with finding alternative hotels nearby, and it’s not too late to register! We hope to see you there.
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Join the CASA Mentorship Program for the 2024-25 Session
We are excited to continue the CASA Mentoring Program through 2024-25 after another successful year. Join us as a mentor or mentee to inspire others, share knowledge, and drive change!
This 11-month comprehensive program, kicking off in October and concluding in August 2025, connects clean water professionals from across California. Partnering with Core Consulting, renowned for their experience in developing mentoring and training programs for public agencies, CASA will match mentor/mentee pairs based on their professional goals, preferences, and experience. The program is open to both associates and agency members. Interested in learning more? Join our virtual information sessions on:
Be sure to visit the CASA LEAD webpage! If you're already interested in participating in this program for the upcoming year, please email Alyssa Downs so we can add you to our interest list.
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CASA Annual Business Meeting and Election of Directors
CASA will hold its annual business meeting August 1-2 during the Annual Conference at the Monterey Marriott. During the meeting, members will be asked to elect a slate of four director positions to the CASA board of directors and approve the annual dues resolution. The nominees for the CASA Board are as follows:
- Rita Duncan, Oro Loma Sanitary District
- Georgean Vonheeder-Leopold, Dublin San Ramon Services District
- Roland Williams, Castro Valley Sanitary District
- Fauzia Rizvi, Western Municipal Water District
In addition, CASA is proposing a dues increase of approximately 3% for both agency
members and associate members. Each year the CASA Board and staff work hard to try and make sure member dues remain reasonable while ensuring CASA has sufficient resources to continue to provide so many of the member services you all value. This increase will allow CASA to continue to deliver and expand services and advocacy on behalf of our members.
Emails to each agency’s designated representative were sent out with the President’s memorandum, dues resolution, and consent to electronic transmission forms. Representatives attending the conference may cast their votes up until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1. Please contact Cheryl MacKelvie if you have any questions about this item, and thank you in advance for your participation!
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CASA Annual Salary Survey Results
Thank you, CASA members, for responding to the Agency Salary and Benefits Survey Questionnaire. The survey provides valuable information for our members when conducting a salary classification and review. And thank you once again to Monterey One Water for coordinating and producing the survey report. Please find the summaries of the data from 28 participating agencies, here. Some important notes about the survey itself:
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If you have questions related to state legislative updates, please contact Jessica Gauger. | |
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State Legislative Update: Legislature Passes Bond Measures, Departs on Summer Recess
In the days leading up to the Fourth of July holiday the California Legislature was working furiously to pass two Bond measures before adjourning for their month-long summer recess commencing on July 5th. They were ultimately successful in negotiating and passing an education bond and a climate bond that will both appear on the November General Election ballot. The climate bond, which will appear on the ballot as Prop 4, includes around $3.8 billion in funding for water infrastructure, and the remainder is dedicated to other Climate program categories such as wildfire, coastal adaptation, energy, extreme heat and other related programs. For more detail about categories of interest funded in the climate bond, read here:
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Sign up for CASA’s State Legislative Updates
CASA’s State Legislative Committee routinely puts together a comprehensive e-newsletter to share all updates on key issues and initiatives with the CASA membership. If you are interested in receiving these legislative updates, please contact Spencer Saks. The latest edition is available here.
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Cyberattack: Communication Planning is Essential for Water and Wastewater Agencies
By Sheri Benninghoven, APR, and Scott Summerfield, Principals, SAE Communications and
Maurice Chaney, Public Information Officer, Roseville Environmental Utilities
Cyberattacks on utilities (and public agencies of all types) are occurring with alarming frequency, and agencies must have a communications strategy when the inevitable happens. In May, the United States Environmental Protection Agency warned that cyberattacks targeting water utilities across the country have increased in frequency and severity, most often involving threats from Iran and China. Almost 75% of water systems inspected by the EPA don’t fully comply with security requirements in the Safe Water Drinking Act, such as default passwords that haven’t been updated and single logins that can easily be compromised.
In recent years, cybersecurity threats and physical infiltration of water and wastewater infrastructure have significantly increased, especially targeting smaller utilities with outdated operational technology (SCADA and other industrial control systems) that lack proper controls and safeguards and are heavily exposed to the internet. According to Security magazine, more than 2,000 attacks occur daily on public and private organizations. Are you next?
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Partnering For Impact: Materials Now Available
Partnering for Impact (PFI) is a one-day, highly focused, interactive meeting of thought-leaders, practitioners, academics, and regulators from throughout the wastewater industry. These industry leaders strive daily to advance technology and innovation through various local and regional partnerships. In California, PFI is organized annually by CASA and the California Water Environment Association (CWEA), and sponsored by the firms and individuals who are active in CASA’s Engineering and Research Committee. PFI 2024 focused on innovation and collaboration as it applies to recycled water as a future potable water resource and new advancements in PFAS management. You can watch the event and access the speaker presentations for more detail on the CASA webpage.
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Central San Flips Switch on New Solar Array
At a special event on June 20, Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San) flipped the switch on a new 2.16-megawatt solar array. By generating clean, renewable energy, the array will offset most of the annual grid demand of Central San’s wastewater treatment plant and major pumping stations. “This project is a win-win,” said Central San’s Resource Recovery Program Manager Melody LaBella, the project manager. “It will achieve substantial savings for our ratepayers, while also reducing our climate footprint and furthering our mission to protect the environment.” The array is estimated to generate nearly $6 million in net electricity bill savings for Central San and its customers over the next 25 years. It also will help Central San eliminate 1,865 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually-equivalent to removing 444 gasoline-powered vehicles from the roads.
The “flip the switch” celebration was attended by Central San staff and Board members, as well as state, county, and local officials and representatives from sister agencies. Central San contracted with REC Solar to design and construct the ground-mount array on a 48-acre buffer property near its Martinez treatment plant. Throughout the planning and construction process, Central San and REC worked closely with the surrounding community to ensure the project caused minimal disruption to the land and was not visible to neighboring residents. The project was financed through a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), allowing Central San to shift the project from a costly capital expense to a predictable monthly fixed cost of just over 9 cents per kilowatt-hour. As part of the agreement, REC Solar will operate and maintain the solar array over the life of the PPA. “It’s exciting to flip the switch on a project that will provide ongoing benefit for Central San, our customers, and the environment,” said Ms. LaBella.
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Sign up for CASA’s Regulatory Updates
CASA’s Regulatory Workgroup regularly puts together a comprehensive e-newsletter to share all regulatory updates on key issues and workgroup initiatives with the CASA membership. If you are interested in receiving these regulatory updates, please contact Jared Voskuhl.
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Flush Smart MONTH – Toolkit Part 2
We are halfway through Flush Smart Month and the Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) has just released the #FlushSmartMonth Toolkit (part 2) to assist in spreading the word! This comprehensive toolkit has been created to help you celebrate #FlushSmartMonth. They have included messaging as well as downloadable videos, animations, still images, and b-roll footage for media. Visit www.flushsmart.org/toilet-crimes where you'll find all of the assets.
Did you misplace the first toolkit? No worries! That's also available in the RFA Action Center (bottom of the page): www.flushsmart.org/action-center.
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Innovative Technology Seminars
The 2024 Innovative Technology Seminars, co-hosted by CASA and CWEA, are happening on October 29th at the Hyperion Water Resource Recovery Facility in Los Angeles and October 30th at the Southeast Community Center in San Francisco. We are very excited to bring these popular seminars back again this year with a tremendous lineup of speakers. Keep an eye out for registration and please reach out to Greg Kester with any questions or comments.
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CASA represents more than 135 local public agencies engaged in the collection, treatment and recycling of Wastewater and biosolids to protect public health and the environment. Our mission is to provide trusted information and advocacy on behalf of California clean water agencies, and to be a leader in sustainability and utilization of renewable resources. | | | | |
