Overspray = Overpay: What Your Customers Need to Know about Efficient Irrigation

At a loss as to what to tell your customers about how to irrigate efficiently and save water?  Then you need to attend this webinar on March 13, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. Central.  This webinar will provide you with some basic technical information so that you can discuss irrigation management with your residential as well as your commercial customers, and will be taught by experts in the irrigation field:  Juan Garcia from Waterwise Consulting, Warren Gorowitz from Ewing Irrigation, and Robert Pfeil from Rain Bird Services.

In this webinar you will get answers to the following:

• Why is more efficient landscape irrigation needed?
• What are the latest efficient technologies?
• What are some best management practices?
• What additional resources can we provide to you?

In addition to the information presented in the webinar, all webinar attendees will be provided with a resource guide with helpful links and places to go for further information. This 1.5-hour webinar is free to AWE members and $50.00 USD for non-members.  Complete the below form to start the registration process.  Thanks in advance.  *Paperwork has been submitted to the Irrigation Association’s Continuing Education Units Program.  Application Status is PENDING.

All of us in the “Water Community” hold these truths to be self-evident:

1) reclaiming and reusing wastewater makes environmental and economic sense when done safely,
2) such resource recovery efforts fall flat without sufficient public support,and
3) the “yuck factor” has to be tackled with good science, strategy, and patience.

An important new study will help boost the wastewater reuse movement and weaken the Yuck! Not-In-My-Water syndrome.  In January 2012, the National Academy of Sciences’ Water Science and Technology Board issued “Water Reuse: Potential for Expanding the Nation’s Water Supply Through Reuse of Municipal Wastewater” www.nas.edu  (Note: I serve on the Board but was not involved in writing or reviewing the report, although I offered EPA support for the study several years ago when it was first under consideration and I was EPA Assistant Administrator for Water.)

The NAS study analyzes the scientific, technical, legal, cultural, and psychological barriers and risks. It builds the case for more reuse, analyzing real versus perceived health risks, and growing problems with water scarcity in some regions. It claims advanced treatment and reuse of wastewater can boost water supplies of coastal cities by as much as 27%. Along the way, it interjects some phrases worth noting and understanding– such as “sewage farming” (which still occurs abundantly in Mexico City) and “de facto” or unplanned reuse.

As one might expect, and hope, it’s getting significant attention from the media world. Not all of the 125-plus “hits” are as comprehensive and thoughtful as the Felicity Barringer story in the New York Times (2-10-12), but most are getting the basic gist correctly and that’s a good thing. Citizens will learn more about some of the great feats occurring around the country, such as in Orange County California (with its world-renown ground water replenishment system that currently treats 70 million gallons of wastewater per day but will grow to 100 mgd); the West Basin Municipal Water District, L.A. County; Southern California’s Water Replenishment District; San Diego; El Paso, Texas; Scottsdale, Arizona; and beyond.

Readers of the report will also get a clearer picture about other types of recycling and beneficial uses, existing efforts, future trends, and major players. For example, the WateReuse Association, www.wateruse.org, has been around since 2000, successfully promoting the effort on a national scale.  States like California, Florida, Texas, and Arizona have done some of the most recycling work but others are gaining steam, which is all good news at a time when population, climate, and other stressors put a squeeze on existing supplies.

According to the California Recycled Water Task Force and California’s Local Government Commission, the state has the potential to recycle enough to meet 30-50% of household water needs of the state’s projected growth. California has more than 300 water recycling plants operating, with 4,800 sites using recycled water as of 2004. 46% of the water is used for agricultural irrigation, 21% for landscape irrigation, 14% for groundwater recharge, and 19%for all other uses. www.lgc.org

One aspect of the NAS report that hasn’t received much attention yet, but is destined to prompt lively debate: Should EPA issue national regulatory standards for wastewater reuse given the lack of consistency or attention among most states? The report lays out a range of thoughtful pro’s and con’s for and against such federal action. It points out various gaps in the current federal regulatory and statutory framework, such as the reuse gap between the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act. It mentions the potential for uniform standards that could propel the movement in states and better protect public health in the future but also the costs and unintended consequences of federal actions that compromise or complicate existing state efforts.

It’s a discussion worth having. If done well, Federal leadership on practices, strategies, and health-based guidelines can help states, tribes, cities, academia, and the private sector launch more innovative technologies and management measures. Even if the decision is not to legislate in the zone between the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act anytime soon or to have EPA issue regulations on wastewater reuse, there are a lot of actions Federal agencies, such as EPA, Interior, and Agriculture can take to keep making scientific and environmental progress. One obvious step, which EPA supports, is to update its useful, and entirely voluntary, 2004 guidelines on best practices for beneficial reuse.

The road to recovery is paved with good inventions… and supportive public attitudes. Innovative technologies are making reuse of wastewater (as well as desalination of marine and inland brackish water) more affordable and attainable. The key is to probe the science and communicate the risks and benefits so that a squeamish or skeptical public can make informed choices as water scarcity and economic stress loom larger.  When they do, I’m betting the public will increasingly choose to drink the purified water that was once the waste stream of communities and the pee of dinosaurs.

The new website repackages and expands upon the previous website to showcase EPA’s research on green infrastructure and to serve as a gateway to the wealth of resources developed by governmental agencies, academia, non-profits, and the private sector.  Stakeholders will be able to consult our website for up-to-date information on green
infrastructure publications, tools, and opportunities.

The first opportunity announced through the website is the availability of direct assistance from EPA to facilitate the use of green infrastructure to protect water quality.  Technical assistance will be provided through EPA contract support, and will be directed to
watersheds/sewersheds with significant water quality degradation associated with urban stormwater.  The total EPA assistance available is approximately $950,000, and will be distributed among 10-20 projects. The value of the assistance available to each project will be approximately $50,000 – $100,000. Letters of interest must be received
by April 6, 2012.

http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/index.cfm#tabs-1
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/gi_support.cfm#CommunityPartnerships

EPA is pleased to announce that the application period for the 11th annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement is now open. This competition is open to public- and private-sector entities that have successfully used smart growth principles to improve communities environmentally, socially, and economically. Winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, DC, in December 2012.

• There is only one application form for all three categories listed below.
  • Programs and Policies
  • Equitable Development
  • Main Street or Corridor Revitalization

The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency invite you to attend the 2012 TRI Webinar on January 26, 2012, from 2-4 pm ET. This Webinar titled “The 25th Anniversary of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986″ will celebrate the 25th anniversary of EPCRA, and more specifically, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). The TRI was created in large part to increase the public’s knowledge and access to information on toxic chemicals at individual facilities and releases of the chemicals into the environment.

In addition, the review panel will choose an Overall Excellence winner from those that apply in these three categories.

• Application deadline: April 6, 2012.
• Public-sector winners will receive one complementary registration to the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in 2013.
• EPA will film short videos of the winning projects, which will be shown at the awards ceremony in 2012 and the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in 2013 and posted on the EPA smart growth website.
• All entries must be submitted using the application form.
• The application can be submitted by either a public-sector or private-sector entity, but all applications must include a public-sector partner.

The official award guidelines and entry form can be found here: http://epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm Note that an updated entry form will be posted here by March 2012 with information on where to send the applications.

Jefferson Tap & Grill
325 N Jefferson St
2nd Floor
Chicago IL, 60661
Event Website

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is  systemically important to Chicago’s pursuit of a more vibrant future. With a primary election for Commissioners of MWRD on March 20, it has never been more important for sustainability-engaged citizens to get to know the environmental platforms of the candidates.

Come to this special “Commissioner Candidate Forum” at Green Drinks to learn how they will address Chicago’s most pressing water-related issues, communicate your own priorities and questions, and leave empowered to vote for who will best secure a bright future for Chicago’s water.

All of the candidates have been invited to participate. Stella Black, Patricia Horton, Karen Roothaan, Debra Shore, Kari Steele, Patrick Thompson, andPatricia Young are schedule to participate. Don’t miss this opportunity to actively shape Chicago’s water future. Register now!

Learn More About MWRD & Chicago Water Issues:
Making the River Fit to Paddle
MWRD Settlement with EPA Signals New Focus on Stormwater Management
Report Reveals How River Reversal Could Protect Great Lakes
Taking Asian Carp to the Supreme Court

Schedule
5:30-8:30pm – Socializing/Networking
5:45-6:15pm – Power Networking (optional)
6:45-7:45pm – Candidate Forum
7:45-8:30pm – Socializing/Networking

In July and August 2011, the Johnson Foundation, along with American Rivers and Ceres, convened a series of meetings of experts from utilities, nonprofits, consulting groups, investment banks, research organizations, professional associations, unions, and foundations, to attempt to address the problem of water infrastructure financing in the 21^st century. This meeting, called Charting New Waters, focused on finding new techniques that communities could use to pay for integrated and sustainable infrastructure approaches, as well as ways to direct private capital toward more sustainable water management projects. The Johnson Foundation released a report of their findings, Financing Sustainable Water Infrastructure, last month.

The report finds that water system financing is often inflexible, expensive and siloed. That, along with the scarce money available for repairs, is disconcerting because of the poor state of most existing water systems—the American Society of Civil Engineers gives the nation’s water infrastructure a D- grade, the lowest of any infrastructure. Methods used to fund water systems include municipal bonds (often available only for the largest cities), cash, state revolving loan funds, or other low-interest loan programs through state or federal government. The separate management of different aspects of water systems (drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, greywater, and rainwater) makes them even more difficult to adequately finance and manage. Additionally, when temporary federal subsidies help pay for infrastructure, there is major concern about the ability of rate-payers and local officials to come up with enough money to maintain systems once subsidies run out.

The report suggests several ways to progress towards more sustainable, resilient and cost-effective water systems, including:

• thinking locally, like green infrastructure and recycling, but also for financing models that can eventually be scaled up;
• giving customers choices, like access to non-potable water for other household uses
• changing the way water financing works by including methods like full-cost pricing, performance efficiency, system consolidation, and value-added services;
• pursuing innovative financing models, like including non-traditional  partners and implementing green infrastructure and low-impact development; and,
• considering alternative market-based solutions, like pricing ecosystem services, creating securities for aggregating customer-financed projects, and creating private investment opportunities.

Though the report is written at a broad scale, it does a good job of making the arguments for why water resource planning needs to be thought of in more integrated and innovative ways. It provides compelling evidence for why water utilities, local governments, potential investors, and regular citizens should be concerned about the sustainability of water infrastructure financing. It also lays out arguments for a slew of opportunities to begin to work toward sustainable systems, including, but not limited to, full-cost pricing, closed-loop water systems, consolidation of water operations within or between municipalities, ecosystem service pricing, low-impact development, securitization of green infrastructure funding, and encouraging increased partnerships. Though it does not give specifics on implementation, the report concludes with specific commitments from each of its high-level participants to continue to develop tools, engage stakeholders, and disseminate information, which may lead to more opportunities for innovation in the future.

Peter Testa is the president of Testa Produce, Inc.

As Testa Produce, Inc., a family-run, Chicago-based wholesale food distributer, celebrates its centennial, President Peter Testa and company are equally proud of the company’s latest accomplishment: receiving the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum certification for Testa’s new facility built in 2011. Demonstrating an unprecedented level of energy efficiency and water conservation in any green building of its kind, Testa Produce’s facility has also earned distinction as the nation’s first LEED Platinum Refrigerated Food Distribution Facility.

To build on Testa’s successful, 100-year track record in the produce business, Peter set out to build a state-of-the-art green facility that would sustainably meet the company’s needs well into the future.  The company had outgrown two smaller spaces, so Peter thought big, in more ways than one: The new, 91,300 square foot building will allow Testa to further expand its business operations – receiving and delivering quality food products in the Chicagoland area — while  becoming an industry leader in energy and resource efficiency by employing the most advanced green and blue technologies, including rainwater and wind harvesting, solar generation, and 100 percent LED lighting.

Peter went to great lengths to make Testa’s new space the greenest food distribution facility in the U.S. “On numerous occasions my project advisors told me that it couldn’t be done,” he said. “But I said, ‘We’re doing it.’ And we did.”

Often that meant developing innovative sustainable design solutions. For instance, Peter’s engineering consultant designed a first-of-its-kind barreled green roof that is 45,650 square foot — over one acre– and slopes over the façade of Testa’s building, to maximize the amount of vegetated green space soaking up rainwater. The barreled slope also allows the green roof to be visible from ground, bolstering the facility’s green identity. It was an engineering feat: Because wet soil is three times heavier than dry soil, careful attention was paid to the integrity of the steel-based roof to ensure it can support the weight of the roof when fully saturated.

Peter gave equal attention to the building and the area surrounding it, which has a total footprint of 13 acres. He was concerned about managing Testa’s stormwater runoff to prevent flooding his neighbors in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, located in the Chicago Industrial Stockyards Corridor. Green infrastructure landscape solutions include:

• a 764,085-gallon water retention pond;
• a 140,132-gallon bio-swales system bordering the facility;
• the green roof; and
• recycled granite permeable pavers.

“Roughly 3.5 million gallons of rainwater falls on the property each year, and the green infrastructure can hold about 85 percent of it on site,” said Peter. This significant amount of captured rainwater prevents flooding and also substantially reduces Testa’s demand on the public sewer system, thereby reducing costs for municipal water treatment.

However, Peter didn’t just want to retain stormwater – he also wanted to put this free resource to good use. After all, rainwater is the only water delivered to our homes and businesses free of charge, and most of the time we simply funnel it away down our sewer pipes. Instead, Peter and his team designed the landscaping so that most rainwater that falls onto the property drains into bioswales, and from there either filters into the ground or channels into the retention pond. The pond, which is connected to the building through a system of pipes, stores the surplus rainwater until it is needed for non-potable uses, such as flushing toilets in the building.

Likewise, rainwater collected by the green roof filters down through pipes into a 5,000-gallon cistern, located inside the facility on the ground-level. Peter recalls that installing the rainwater harvesting system marked another phase in the construction process when he received some push-back. After getting a variance from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health to build the rainwater harvesting system, he had to consult with the City of Chicago’s health department to make sure the system adhered to all required plumbing codes and standards. Although the city has de facto guidelines for rainwater harvesting systems, they are technically outside the purview of Illinois’ Plumbing Code. Despite some unanticipated hassles, Testa was able to install the rainwater harvesting system by engineering a special plumbing schematic.

5,000-gallon cistern that is used to collect rainwater at the facility.

“If I had my way, the cistern would have been at least twice as big so we could use it for other things beside flushing toilets,” said Peter. “That would have allowed us to further reduce the amount of drinking water we have to use for non-drinking uses, like power-hosing our large fleet of delivery trucks.”

In total, Testa’s water efficiency measures reduce the building’s water demand by 40 percent — which also means energy savings and reduced carbon emissions reductions. The connection between water and energy is not obvious to many people, but there is no doubt Peter gets it. A prime example is Testa’s solar hot water tubular system. It heats 100 percent of the building’s water and is the first commercial solar evacuated (referring to its outer glass seal) tube collector system anywhere in the world that uses only water for heating purposes.

Saving all that water and energy is not just a good thing for the environment – it also benefits Testa’s bottom line. Although the facility has been in operation less than one year, Testa is tracking performance measures to illustrate how these investments are saving energy, water and money over the long term. Water savings alone tally nearly $200 per month; but the big story is that by saving water, Testa has reduced its energy consumption by 57 percent (1,925,844 kw/hrs per year) – the equivalent demand of approximately 175 typical U.S. homes – equaling a savings of $173,000 a year.

While Testa’s facility is the first certified LEED Platinum refrigerated food distribution facility in the country, Peter believes other businesses will follow suit.

“Companies like mine will want to upgrade their facilities, if only to keep up with our competitive advantage,” he said. Indeed, Testa’s market share in the Chicago area already has grown thanks to its appealing and unique green (and blue) identity and increased marketability. Even if other companies do not see the value in making water efficiency retrofits now, as water resources become scarcer or more expensive, companies will look to Testa as a model for how they can meet their company’s future needs in the context of new environmental challenges. But, only Testa Produce will remain the true innovator and the  first of its kind.

Conservation tips

• Learn how to be green.  Visit the Chicago Center for Green Technology and learn many different ways to make your home more “green.” Click here for more information.
• Harvest your rainwater.  By collecting your rainwater, you not only can lessen the strain on your sewer system, but it’s also free water to use.
• Harness the power of the sun.  Consider installing a solar water heating system, which can reduce or eliminate the need to use natural gas or electricity to heat water.

The WOWW factor

100%

Testa’s solar hot water tubular system uses the Sun’s rays to heat 100% of the building’s water.

$173,000

Through green infrastructure that saves water and energy, Testa shaves this much money off its energy bills each year.

5,000 gallons

The size of the cistern Testa uses to collect rainwater, which it reuses to flush toilets in the building.

Please register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/824306794 and use the following call-in information:

Call-in Number: 1-888-346-3659

Passcode: 45444

Please direct any questions regarding this webinar to the WaterSense Helpline at (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) or e-mail watersense@epa.gov.

National Environmental Education Foundation- Be Water Wise

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) will present Be Water Wise, a water conservation education program that engages teachers, facilities staff and students from public schools in classroom learning and hands-on projects that address local water issues (e.g. conservation or stormwater management). After pilots in Miami, Atlanta, and Washington, DC (currently underway), NEEF is collaborating with Discovery Communications on a model for national replication.

University of Arizona- Conserve to Enhance

Conserve to Enhance is an innovative program designed to provide a direct link between water conservation by water users and environmental enhancement in their community.

Wyland Foundation- National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation

The Wyland Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit public charity that encourages environmental awareness about our ocean, waterways, and marine life, will be discussing non-traditional incentives to encourage smart water stewardship including their upcoming National Mayors Challenge for Water Conservation.

OneChange.org- This Blue Dot

One Change is a charitable organization based in Ottawa, Canada that encourages people to believe that simple actions matter and to make smart choices to protect the environment. “This Blue Dot” is a water conservation program encouraging people to detect and repair toilet leaks using a non-toxic, vegetable-based blue dye tablet.

Customizing Your Stormwater BMP Design for Specific Pollutants 
Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 11-1pm Central

Stormwater design requires specializing and customizing. This is due in part to
TMDLs that specify a particular pollutant of concern (e.g., bacteria, nutrients,
sediment) or parts of the country or world that have unique considerations (e.g.,
coastal waters, cold-water fisheries). This webcast will describe how stormwater
BMP designs are being adapted to remove particular pollutants. We will review
the research on pollutant-specific removal pathways and provide case studies and
resources for designing pollutant-targeting BMPs.

1CEC/2PDH per webcast

• Registration cost: $149
• Early bird registration cost: $139
• Full series registration cost: $894
• In person through LCSMC cost: $5

Because this event is sponsored by Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, attendance can be in person for only $5 including lunch. Payment at the door is cash only. Space is limited, so pre-registration is required. No walk-ins will be accepted. Email Darcy Hertel at dhertel@lakecountyil.gov to pre-register. Location: Lake County Central Permit Facility, 500 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville.

Leaving You Out in the Rain – Design & Implementation of Monitoring Project

Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 11-1pm Central

How would you answer questions such as: Are your stormwater practices working? Has your community met its pollutant reduction goals? How do we know if the water is clean? Monitoring may be the red pill to help you answer these sometimes very fundamental questions. However, monitoring costs a lot of money, and the data generated sometimes fall short of expectations. So how can we turn this lemon into lemonade? This webcast will focus on the different types of monitoring and the “must haves” for a successful monitoring project that will yield valid results and, most importantly, answer your critical research or regulatory questions. What type of equipment is needed? How many samples should be collected? How should the data be analyzed? These and many other questions will be explored in this monitoring-numental webcast. And, if you’re not left out in the rain, then you’re probably not getting the right data!

1CEC/2PDH per webcast

• Registration cost: $149
• Early bird registration cost: $139
• Full series registration cost: $894
• In person through LCSMC cost: $5

Because this event is sponsored by Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, attendance can be in person for only $5 including lunch. Payment at the door is cash only. Space is limited, so pre-registration is required. No walk-ins will be accepted. Email Darcy Hertel at dhertel@lakecountyil.gov to pre-register. Location: Lake County Division of Transportation, 600 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville.