September 2007
September 26th, 2007
This week I was pleased to attend the 2007 UBCM (Union of BC Municipalities) conference in Vancouver. What was very clear, right from the start, is that there are common concerns and common challenges shared by municipalities from across the province. Something referred to as the sustainability gap came up on a regular basis. The infrastructure challenge of dealing with aging systems and growing populations is not limited to one area. And all municipalities are grappling with the funding challenges that come along with additional needs.
Everyone is in favour of clean drinking water and appropriate sewage treatment. The question is how to achieve these important objectives. BCWWA does not have the answers, but we do have people who will ask the questions that need attention and look into the potential remedies to various situations. Members make BCWWA the largest water and wastewater industry related group in the province. Members are the people who bring their knowledge and their passion to the front – they are our brain trust.
BCWWA also has the desire and the means to share the information that we gain with the industry, with the decision-makers and with the public. The sustainability gap is something BCWWA wants to bridge and we are counting on all of our members to help build that bridge.
September 19th, 2007
BCWWA operates to recognize and deal with issues of interest and concern to the water and wastewater industry. After all, BCWWA members are professionals in the field and they are the best people to identify areas needing attention. Some groups (committees) have been around for a long time - others come to the stage when there is a new need or a change in circumstances.
A sample ‘new’ committee is the one dealing with governance changes which has been around for almost four years. As a result of the work of this committee there have been significant changes to the way BCWWA looks and operates – possibly not directly related to the industry but set to help meet industry needs better.
Another new group is the BCWWA Collections System Committee (CSC). BC wastewater and stormwater collection systems face ongoing challenges of service levels, capacity, treatment issues and environmental impacts. This requires coordination between the provincial, federal, regional and municipal governments, private water suppliers, consultants, research organizations, educational institutions, manufacturers and suppliers.
BCWWA CSC will cover all areas of interest in wastewater collection, ranging from planning and hydraulic analysis and construction and operational issues to environmental impact issues. One of the advantages to a BCWWA committee is that communication amongst the different stakeholders is ensured by regular meetings.
If this committee is one that appeals, call the office at 604.433.4389 to get involved. If there is something else you think needs attention call to find out if something already exists, or if there is a way that something might be formed. BCWWA speaks for its members – we count on you to speak to us.
September 12th, 2007
BCWWA is affiliated with both the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF). Through these affiliations we have the opportunity to interact with various others – AWWA Sections, WEF Member associations and other organizations where we can hear and learn about what is being done other places.
Each year AWWA holds a number of meetings and the Regional Meeting of Section Officers (RMSO) that took place last weekend is one of these meetings. I was pleased to be able to attend this year’s event in Anchorage, Alaska and hear from people in sections throughout our region about common concerns. We also had a chance to learn about some of the new and exciting offerings coming from AWWA headquarters.
A prime topic this year was the challenges of dealing with generational differences and planning for succession in the organizations that support our water and wastewater systems. This is something that we can all relate to as our populations are aging, the approaches to issues is different in different generations and leadership in our organizations is a necessary and teachable skill. These are not new ideas, or new concerns, but they clearly require our attention and AWWA is working to help us provide that attention. An upcoming AWWA seminar in Vancouver next spring will deal specifically with the issue of succession planning and BCWWA is pleased to be involved in the delivery of this important material. Look for more news about this in our publications and on our web site.
AWWA is also very involved with training. A Learning Management System (LMS) that deals with how education programs are prepared and delivered is one of the new offerings that was discussed. Our future educational planning will definitely take this information into account.
The learning achieved in this type of event is of benefit to all BCWWA members and I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to take part.
September 5th, 2007
Water and oil don’t mix. And we don’t want them to. The recent oil burst of 232,000 litres of oil into the area around the Burrard Inlet has caused lots of concern, and led to a certain amount of blame-laying. But in the end, we are most interested in protecting our water resources, be they marine or freshwater. So are we doing all that we should?
Oil is a visible contaminant, but certainly not the only contaminant that we face. Currently we are hearing more and more about some of the less visible, but equally dangerous, contaminants that are entering our water systems – not through a broken pipe but by way of human activity and waste. Our wastewater treatment systems deal only with a portion of the contaminants in our wastewater. Others, like hormones and nano particles, move through our human systems and are excreted into the wastewater where current technology doesn’t address them at all. Pharmaceuticals and hygiene products are leaving components in our water systems that have dangerous impacts. One example that we are starting to hear about as a result of this contamination is feminized fish.
How do we deal with contaminants that we can’t see? When we know that a contaminant is there, what can we do? A lot of specialized research is needed to develop systems that answer these questions. A number of people are looking at ways to address some of these challenges and BCWWA looks forward to learning more about their plans. After all, safeguarding public health and the environment relies on acquiring the knowledge that needs to be shared.
