Member Spotlight
Craig Elitharp, Keeping an Open Mind is the Key to Success in Wastewater
Craig Elitharp has worked in water for over three decades. In addition to serving on CASA’s Board of Directors, he has been a member of the Vallecitos Water District’s Board of Directors since 2014.  Craig is a Registered Civil Engineer in the State of California and holds California State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water certifications as a Grade 5 Water Distribution Operator and Grade 3 Water Treatment Operator. 

Over his 30 year career, Craig has seen a marked shift in mindset within the wastewater industry. The traditional view that wastewater agencies exist simply to dispose of undesirable waste products, he says, has transitioned toward a more positive and proactive attitude around maximizing resource recovery wherever feasible, including areas like energy, biosolids and water recycling for potable and non-potable uses.

One of his favorite projects took place when he was an operations manager for a large retail water and wastewater agency. He fondly recalls his role as project manager for the implementation of a state of the art Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System, or SCADA system. His hard work paid off, as the system was named an Energy Efficiency Showcase by the California Energy Commission. 
CASA News
Join us in Indian Wells for the 2020 Winter Conference!
Registration is open for our 2020 Winter Conference in Indian Wells, January 21-23. Attending the winter conference is a great way to hear poignant presentations and take advantage of enhanced opportunities to engage with peers and grow professionally. Featuring interactive panel discussions and roundtables to facilitate the open sharing of ideas, don’t miss your chance to discover insights on complex challenges facing the wastewater community.
 
Get ready to network and hear from keynote speaker Maggie Frye of Core Consulting as well as presentations on cutting edge technologies and research partnerships. Wednesday afternoon will feature a future workforce development panel as well as a panel focused on tailoring solutions to medium and small agencies. Tuesday afternoon features the ever-popular roundtables on topics from climate resiliency to PFAS to branding. View the preliminary program .

Have questions about registering? Please contact Cheryl MacKelvie or register here .
CASA Washington DC Policy Forum Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for the Washington DC Policy Forum. The Forum will take place February 24 - 26, 2020 at the St. Regis Washington, D.C. Make your reservation soon!
Legislative News
CASA Member Testifies on the Effects of the Public Safety Power Shutoffs
The Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee recently held a special hearing to discuss the impacts public safety power shutoffs have on California residents, businesses and governments. During the hearing, the Senate heard testimony from a variety of witnesses, including representatives from PG&E, Southern California Edison, community service providers and local governments. Dave Pedersen, General Manager of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, testified about the impacts of shutoff events on water and wastewater utilities.
 
Pedersen testified about the importance of communications, operational impacts, and financial impacts to agencies during public safety shutoff events and offered several detailed recommendations for the Committee to consider for action in the upcoming 2020 legislative session. His testimony drew on LVMWD's extensive experience with managing water and wastewater service during multiple shutoff events. The District gained crucial experience dealing with catastrophic wildfire conditions during the 2018 Woolsey Fire.
CASA Members Assist DWR in Assessing Appropriate Indoor Water Use Standards
The California Department of Water Resources has reached out to CASA to learn about the impacts of recent drought on wastewater conveyance and treatment as part of a statutorily required study of the indoor residential water use standards set in 2018’s water conservation legislation, AB 1668 and SB 606. A summary of the study is available here .
 
To assist DWR in accurately assessing how changing standards and lower flows impact wastewater infrastructure, operations, and recycled water systems, CASA has engaged several of our members with experience assisting in similar research. DWR is now working directly with Central Marin Sanitation Agency, City of Roseville, City of Fresno, Orange County Sanitation District, Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, SOCWA & Moulton Niguel Water District, Union Sanitary District and West Bay Sanitary District.
 
Please contact Jared Voskuhl if your agency is interested in sharing its perspective with DWR as it develops long-term indoor water conservation standards.
Member News
Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority Welcomes New GM
CASA welcomes new VVWRA general manager Darron Poulsen, who joined VVWRA on December 5. Poulsen has 33 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry. Most recently, he held the position of Water Resources Director for the City of Pomona. Please review the announcement for more information.
Western MWD Honored for Government Information Technology
Western Municipal Water District was recently presented with the Municipal Information Systems Association of California Excellence in Information Technology Practices Awards. This is the ninth MISAC award for WMWD since 2008.
 
The award recognizes outstanding governance and operational practices and is the highest honor awarded by MISAC. Applicants undergo a comprehensive evaluation process and each winner must exhibit excellence over 12 critical information technology service areas, as well as meeting over 100 unique criteria. Congratulations to WMWD for continued excellence in information and communication technologies.
Calendar
Jan. 21-23, 2020
Feb. 24-26, 2020