Alexandria, Va., April 23, 2001— "2001, a Collections Systems Odyssey: Integrating O&M and Wet Weather Solutions," a Water Environment Federation (WEF) Specialty Conference, will be held July 8-11 in Bellevue, Wash.
The conference will help water quality professionals balance new demands of wet weather conditions and additional regulatory requirements with standard operation and maintenance of sewer collection systems. The conference will be held in cooperation with the Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association.
"This is the first Collection Systems Conference that combines operation and maintenance with wet weather issues," says WEF Conference Co-Chair Jeff Sharon (Brown & Caldwell). "By combining the two areas we can offer a compelling program that should appeal to a wide audience and tie in nicely with all the interest in the CMOM program." Bette Robbins (City of Seattle Public Utilities), the other conference co-chair, adds that the conference "will benefit both agencies just getting started and those wanting to fine tune their CMOM programs."
"CMOM" refers to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed revisions to the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit regulations to improve "Capacity and Management of Operations and Maintenance" — which is the title of the pre-conference workshop on July 8. Workshop attendees will learn about what CMOM compliance entails and what will be required to implement their own CMOM program before the final rule goes into effect.
The Opening General Session, "Doing More with Less: Improving Utility Performance with Existing Resources," will cover how utilities adjust to implement the requirements of a constantly changing regulatory landscape without the benefit of additional resources. Tim Dwyer, EPA Office of Wastewater Management Permits Division, will discuss the Agency's goals for the NPDES program. In addition, speakers from local utilities will discuss changes in their structure and operations in response to specific regulatory requirements.
The conference will offer twelve technical sessions, and the hot topics include "Integrating Endangered Species Act Requirements into Collection Systems Operations and Maintenance" and "Wet Weather Programs."
Two facility tours - one to the Street Edge Alternatives and Carkeek Park CSO/Treatment Facilities, and the other to the Renton Wastewater Treatment Plant Waterworks Gardens and Boeing Longacres Wetland - round out the program.
To register, call 1(800)666-0206 or 1(703) 684-2452 ; e-mail [email protected]; or visit WEF's Web site at http://www.wef.org/conferences/index.jhtml.
