By Rebecca West, 2008-2009 President of the Water Environment Federation
New EPA administrators bring new opportunities to address environmental challenges, like improving our regulatory approach to the nation’s water resources. It was a big theme at the WEF/NACWA Clean Water Policy Forum earlier this month, where utility executives discussed our nation’s out-of-date water regulations. We talk about limited Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts that do not connect water needs and resources at the state and local levels and folks generally agree that watershed management is the best approach to managing water. Water—supply and quality—is interconnected and should clearly be regulated that way, and it’s not under our current system.
Don’t get me wrong, both Acts were based on the best science and thinking at the time they were created and are very, very good. They’ve made tremendous progress, but they’ve run the course of a useful life, and we also know so much more today. Nonpoint source pollution, impacts from urbanization, you name it, there’s a whole new dimension in water management not reflected (no pun intended) in our current water regulations. Not to mention how climate change impacts water quality and supply through impact over time.
And unlike anything we have now, any revised legislation should emphasize a conservation ethic to address growing water scarcity and the importance of water reuse. People are undervaluing and over consuming water, and unfortunately we have not mustered the political will to begin asking them to use less!
Bottom line: let’s start with a blank sheet of paper and reinvent regulation from a watershed perspective, including every aspect of water resource management. Why not start by combining the SDWA and the CWA to create a single Water Act, and down the road from a global sustainability standpoint, the International Water Act? Just some thoughts from the recent Clean Water Policy Forum, what do you think?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sharing the Sustainability Buzz
By Peter T. Brady, B.E., Residuals and Biosolids Committee Chair
At the residual and biosolids meeting in Portland last week, sustainability through effective residuals management could be described as a shared vision…or the major buzz. Topics like benefits of land application where appropriate and increased plant efficiency were discussed everywhere. And presentations on green energy and energy renewal were especially popular among older and younger attendees alike. That’s actually why I’m blogging.
In addition to creating leading-edge optimization solutions and tools for today’s residuals managers, our field must continue to attract and cultivate a new generation of young professionals (YPs). The Residuals and Biosolids Committee (RBC) is addressing sustainability from both perspectives because to make sustainability work, we need a sustainable workplace.
Green energy savers like the incinerator Cleveland upgraded to generate electricity or the report on carbon emissions presented last week are great for at least two reasons…they contribute to our profession’s knowledge base and they attract the
YPs who want to fix the environment. While we build on a solid range of best practices and operations to sustain the environment through smart residuals management, we must communicate the very real opportunities to protect public health and the environment. And we should do that through venues where YPs seek information (like blogs)-- and encourage their involvement. The time to reach out has never been better.
As we saw in Portland, big things are happening in residuals management, a field bursting with innovative and practical ways to improve our environment. WEF and the RBC continue to work toward developing the best possible technical information and resources, making them available in formats that work for experienced residuals professionals as well as YPs who may be exploring the field for the first time. (Visit the Residuals and Biosolids Conference Proceedings page to see materials from recent RBC meetings.) And the RBC has challenged each of its subcommittees to increase their number of active YPs, through social media, old-fashioned networking or whatever else works, and we’ll review our progress at WEFTEC. We need YP involvement, and so does a sustainable planet.
At the residual and biosolids meeting in Portland last week, sustainability through effective residuals management could be described as a shared vision…or the major buzz. Topics like benefits of land application where appropriate and increased plant efficiency were discussed everywhere. And presentations on green energy and energy renewal were especially popular among older and younger attendees alike. That’s actually why I’m blogging. In addition to creating leading-edge optimization solutions and tools for today’s residuals managers, our field must continue to attract and cultivate a new generation of young professionals (YPs). The Residuals and Biosolids Committee (RBC) is addressing sustainability from both perspectives because to make sustainability work, we need a sustainable workplace.
Green energy savers like the incinerator Cleveland upgraded to generate electricity or the report on carbon emissions presented last week are great for at least two reasons…they contribute to our profession’s knowledge base and they attract the
YPs who want to fix the environment. While we build on a solid range of best practices and operations to sustain the environment through smart residuals management, we must communicate the very real opportunities to protect public health and the environment. And we should do that through venues where YPs seek information (like blogs)-- and encourage their involvement. The time to reach out has never been better.As we saw in Portland, big things are happening in residuals management, a field bursting with innovative and practical ways to improve our environment. WEF and the RBC continue to work toward developing the best possible technical information and resources, making them available in formats that work for experienced residuals professionals as well as YPs who may be exploring the field for the first time. (Visit the Residuals and Biosolids Conference Proceedings page to see materials from recent RBC meetings.) And the RBC has challenged each of its subcommittees to increase their number of active YPs, through social media, old-fashioned networking or whatever else works, and we’ll review our progress at WEFTEC. We need YP involvement, and so does a sustainable planet.
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