Pacific Northwest Pollution Control Association

PNCWA IS DEDICATED TO PRESERVING AND ENHANCING WATER RESOURCES IN THE STATES OF IDAHO, OREGON, AND WASHINGTON.

CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS: --ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOPS PROVIDE WATER/WASTEWATER AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH, MUNICIPAL, AND REGULATORY PROFESSIONALS WITH WATER POLLUTION CONTROL EDUCATION INCLUDING THE LATEST ISSUES, TECHNOLOGY, AND RESEARCH PERTAINING TO MANAGEMENT OF WASTEWATER FACILITIES, ENERGY CONSERVATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. WASTEWATER PROFESSIONALS ARE TASKED WITH HUGE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MAINTAINING SERVICE, SAFETY, AND COST EFFICIENCY WHILE PROTECTING THE PUBLIC FROM POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARDS FROM INADEQUATELY TREATED WASTEWATER. PNCWA TRAINING PROVIDES THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO REDUCE BOTH RISKS AND EXPENDITURES. 2021 CONTINUED TO LEAVE US WITH UNCERTAINTY ON HOW TO BEST PLAN FOR A CONFERENCE WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC STILL PRESENT. IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR, WE DECIDED TO PLAN FOR A HYBRID-STYLE CONFERENCE. THIS ALLOWED THOSE WHO WERE UNABLE TO TRAVEL ACCESS TO THE HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER EDUCATIONAL CONTENT AND EDUCATIONAL / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDITS (CEUS AND PDHS). IN ADDITION, IT PROVIDED A BACKUP PLAN IF THE EVENT COULD NOT BE HELD IN PERSON. THE HYBRID APPROACH TAKEN INCLUDED SIX IN-PERSON SIMULTANEOUS SESSION, AN AWARDS CEREMONY, AN OPENING SESSION ADDRESS WITH TWO KEYNOTE SPEAKERS. THREE OF THE SIX SESSIONS WERE LIVESTREAMED THROUGH A PLATFORM CALLED PHEEDLOOP WHICH ALLOWS FOR TRACKING OF ATTENDANCE AND AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CHAT WINDOWS. PRESENTERS WERE ENCOURAGED TO BE IN-PERSON FOR A LIVE AUDIENCE EVEN WHEN THEIR PRESENTATIONS WERE BEING STREAMED VIRTUALLY. THE OPENING SESSION, COMMITTEE MEETINGS, TWO BOARD MEETINGS, A POST CONFERENCE MEETING, AND THE AWARDS CEREMONY WERE ALL AVAILABLE AS WELL FOR VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION. REGISTRATION FOR THE CONFERENCE WAS PRICED AS FOLLOWS: --440 MEMBER TECHNICAL PASS --599 MEMBER COMPLETE PASS --540 NON-MEMBER TECHNICAL PASS --725 NON-MEMBER COMPLETE PASS --299 VIRTUAL MEMBER --399 VIRTUAL NON-MEMBER --150 TO ADD THE VIRTUAL PASS TO THE IN-PERSON PASS MEMBER/250 VIRTUAL ADD-ON NON-MEMBER --ONE DAY PASS 275 MEMBER/ 375 NON-MEMBER --VIRTUAL PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP 70 MEMBER / 85 NON MEMBER TRACK TOPICS FOR THE CONFERENCE INCLUDED: --SUSTAINABILITY --LEADERSHIP --SOCIAL EQUITY --WASTEWATER PROCESS --RESOURCE AND RECOVERY --STORMWATER --FACILITY OPERATIONS --WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT --REGULATORY CHALLENGES --UTILITY PLANNING --PLANNING --CONSTRUCTION AND ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY --COLLECTION AND CONVEYANCE --INDUSTRIAL PRE-TREATMENT --INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY --RISK ASSESSMENT --UTILITY AND ASSET MANAGEMENT --A PARTNERSHIP WITH WATER REUSE WE HAD 394 IN-PERSON CONFERENCE ATTENDEES AND 217 VIRTUAL ATTENDEES. HISTORICALLY, MULTIPLE PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS WERE HELD, BUT IN 2021, THERE WAS LESS INTEREST IN THE WORKSHOPS AND ONLY ONE WAS HELD. IN FUTURE YEARS, WE LOOK TO HOST THE WORKSHOPS POST-CONFERENCE AS FEEDBACK INDICATED THAT PEOPLE NO LONGER ARE INTERESTED IN SPENDING TIME ON A SUNDAY TO TAKE WORKSHOPS. --SUMMIT SERIES IN 2020, DUE TO COVID-19 RELATED UNCERTAINTIES, PNCWA HOSTED A VIRTUAL OFFERING OF HALF-DAY LEARNING SESSIONS THAT PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR MEMBERSHIP TO SUPPORT CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THE FIRST FOUR SUMMITS WERE HELD IN 2020; THE LAST TWO WERE HELD IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF 2021 ON THE TOPICS OF CONSTRUCTION AND WOMEN OF WATER. MEMBER PRICING WAS 85/SUMMIT AND NON- MEMBER PRICING WAS 105/SUMMIT. --LUNCH AND LEARNS IN RESPONSE TO THE HIGH DEMAND FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEUS), PNCWA LAUNCHED A SEMI-MONTHLY CONTINUING EDUCATION SERIES, WHICH BEGAN IN FEBRUARY 2021 AND CONCLUDED JUNE 23, 2022. THESE LUNCH-AND-LEARN STYLE SEMINARS OFFER THE PNCWA COMMUNITY ACCESS TO EARN CEUS / PDHS THROUGH ONE- HOUR TECHNICAL PRESENTATIONS HOSTED BY WATER INDUSTRY MANUFACTURERS AND VENDORS. PRESENTATIONS WERE FREE FOR PNCWA MEMBERS AND 25 FOR NON- MEMBERS.

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES: --IN ADDITION TO THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED TO ITS APPROXIMATELY 1,500 MEMBERS THAT HELP BUILD PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR ESTABLISHED PROFESSIONALS, PNCWA FOCUSES ON THE ISSUE OF WORKFORCE SUSTAINABILITY (HAVING A TRAINED WORKFORCE TO TAKE THE LEAD AS RETIREMENTS INCREASE IN THE FIELD). LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND DIFFERENT AREAS OF SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ARE PART OF THIS EFFORT AS WELL AS A SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO ENCOURAGE EDUCATION IN THE WATER QUALITY FIELD. --IN 2021, A TOTAL OF 7,500 WAS AWARDED IN SCHOLARSHIPS WITH 5 RECIPIENTS RECEIVING 1,500 EACH TO HELP COVER COSTS IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL PURSUITS REGARDING WATER QUALITY. THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE RAISED A TOTAL OF 9,425 IN YEAR-ROUND CONTRIBUTIONS IN 2021 THROUGH FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES. --PNCWA SUPPORTED INFLOW (INTRODUCING FUTURE LEADERS TO OPPORTUNITIES IN WATER), AN INITIATIVE THAT STRIVES TO IDENTIFY PROMISING STUDENTS AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN CAREERS IN THE WATER INDUSTRY BY SUPPORTING ATTENDANCE AND HOUSING FOR FIVE AT THE PNCWA 2021 CONFERENCE IN BOISE, IDAHO, WHERE THEY WERE ALSO RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS. --TYPICALLY, TWO PNCWA YOUNG PROFESSIONALS (YPS) ARE SUPPORTED IN ATTENDING THE WEF/AWWA (WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION/AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION) YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SUMMIT. PNCWA ALSO PROVIDES PARTIAL SUPPORT TO PNCWA YPS TO ATTEND WEFTEC, THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION'S ANNUAL TECHNICAL EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE, THAT ANNUALLY DRAWS ABOUT 25,000 WATER PROFESSIONALS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE; HOWEVER, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THIS DIDN'T TAKE PLACE. --THE PNCWA STUDENTS AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS COMMITTEE WERE NOT ABLE TO SUPPORT THE PNCWA STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION WINNING TEAM TO ATTEND AND PRESENT AT THE WEF STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION NATIONAL EVENT AT WEFTEC DUE TO THE COMPLICATIONS CAUSED BY COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS. THE WEF STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION PROMOTES "REAL WORLD" DESIGN EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN PURSUING AN EDUCATION AND/OR CAREER IN WATER/WASTEWATER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCES. IT TASKS INDIVIDUALS OR TEAMS OF STUDENTS WITHIN A UNIVERSITY SETTING TO PREPARE A DESIGN TO HELP SOLVE A LOCAL WATER QUALITY ISSUE. TEAMS EVALUATE ALTERNATIVE IDEAS, PERFORM CALCULATIONS, AND RECOMMEND THE BEST SOLUTION BASED ON EXPERIENCE, ECONOMICS, AND FEASIBILITY IN THE FORM OF AN ENGINEERING REPORT AND FINAL PRESENTATION TO INDUSTRY. THE PNCWA TEAM THAT COMPETED IN WEFTEC IS ALSO ORDINARILY SUPPORTED IN ATTENDING AND PRESENTING AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THIS DID NOT OCCUR IN 2021 DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19; HOWEVER, WE HOPE TO RE-ENGAGE IN 2022.

PUBLIC EDUCATION: --PROVIDE JUDGING VOLUNTEERS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIRS (ISEF) IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON USED FOR STOCKHOLM JUNIOR WATER PRIZE (SJWP) SELECTIONS. PRESENT 100 AWARD TO EACH STATE WINNER IN OUR THREE- STATE REGION THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE CERTIFIED ISEF PROGRAM. SELECT AND SUPPORT STATE WINNERS TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL STOCKHOLM JUNIOR WATER PRIZE (SJWP) COMPETITION. DUE TO THE CONSTRAINTS PUT UPON US BY THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ENGAGE IN DOING THIS IN 2021. WE HOPE TO HAVE MORE INVOLVEMENT IN THIS IN 2022. --ADOPT-A-SCHOOL GRANTS: FUND 4TH-12TH GRADE SCIENCE-BASED WASTEWATER/STORMWATER CURRICULUMS / PROJECTS IN EXCHANGE FOR PROVIDING A CLASSROOM PRESENTATION FROM A WATER PROFESSIONAL AND/OR TREATMENT FACILITY TOUR. THE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WINNERS WITH WATER SOURCE BOOK ACTIVITIES AND WASTEWATER UTILITY PARTNERS AND ENCOURAGE AWARENESS OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON THE WEF (WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION) WEBSITE. THESE WATER RESOURCE MATERIALS ARE TARGETED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC (WATER SERVICE CONSUMERS), EDUCATORS, AND K-12 STUDENTS, COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND WATER QUALITY PROFESSIONALS. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO PANDEMIC-RELATED COMPLICATIONS WITH SCHOOLS, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE AS MANY OF THE SCHOOLS WITH RESOURCES IN 2021. WE DID PROVIDE 251 TO FIVE OAKS MIDDLE SCHOOL IN BEAVERTON, OREGON IN APRIL OF 2021 TO HELP SUPPORT THESE MATERIALS. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TO ENSURE WE CAN PROVIDE MORE GRANTS IN 2022.