Fall 2019 Currents

EWRI CURRENTS VOLUME 21, NUMBER 4 Fall 2019

Featured Articles Aging Water Infrastructure & Effects on Water Quality Simulating Radionuclide Transport in the Environment American Society of Civil Engineers to Grade Stormwater for First Time in 2021 Infrastructure Report Card Future World Vision Floating City Excites With Possibilities at ASCE 2019 Convention

It is my honor to take the EWRI baton from Kevin Nielson. I am grateful for his service as president and look forward to hearing his sage advice as past president. He has done a great job leading the Institute over this past year. I am also pleased to welcome Holly Piza as the Scott Struck, incoming Vice President. Holly EWRI President will bring a great perspective as a community leader with the Mile High Flood District.

I am excited and looking forward to being your representative over the next 12 months. I am also encouraged by the direction of EWRI including our upcoming efforts to renew our strategic plan. While considering the recent ASCE strategic plan (2018), we propose to adopt a similar format, tailoring our plan to EWRI strategic goals and metrics, developed by our membership leaders, to create a tactical vision for EWRI’s next decade. In a time when many other volunteer organizations struggle to engage with their members, I am delighted that EWRI is faring better.

With the need to maintain existing successful products whilst also considering new and innovative directions and knowledge dissemination, there has never been more of a necessity to highlight the innovative science, education, technologies, and engineering approaches that come from our committees and collaboration of our membership. At the same time, we must continue to effectively inform our members, as well as the community at large. Some of our recent accomplishments includes celebrating our 20th Anniversary in Pittsburgh, PA at the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress; a successful Operation and Maintenance of Stormwater Control Measures Conference in Minneapolis, MN; and getting stormwater included as a topic on the National ASCE Infrastructure Report card which raises the visibility of existing and needed drainage and flood control infrastructure and approaches.

Much anticipated upcoming events that I look forward to includes The International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure, in Los Angeles, CA; the legislative fly-in in March of 2020, and the Watershed Management Conference that will be co-located with our World Environmental and Water Resources Congress in Henderson, NV, which emphasizes the importance of establishing a “Clear Vision of Watershed Management” in our changing climate. Over the next 12 months, it is evident that our leadership in advancing water resources and environmental solutions must continue to be a priority for each of us.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE EWRI relies on its members for active engagement to develop noteworthy and acclaimed technical products and guidance, continue productive and respected journals, celebrate our history and heritage, establish industry standards, and recognize our achievements through awards. I encourage every member that has a desire to participate in areas of their knowledge and passion.

As we are faced with multi-objective, “multi-dimensional,” and increasingly complex problems that consider hydrologic, ecologic, and social outcomes, we must also develop more integrated, holistic solutions. With this challenge in complexity, there is an ever more pressing need for our project teams to include multi-disciplinary members to tackle multi-faceted problems and achieve integrated and sustainable outcomes.

Established research has generally shown that diverse teams’ and companies’ problem-solve, develop more creative solutions, and generally are more profitable than less diverse ones. A 2018 study by McKinsey and Co of 1000 companies across 12 countries found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability, while ethnic and cultural diversity resulted in a 33% increase in performance.

The interesting part of this research is that it’s not just diversity in gender, race, ethnicity and cultural background. Studies have also shown that employees from companies which are diverse in both inherent and acquired diversity (experience gained in life and other work experiences) are 45 percent more likely to report a growth in market share over the previous year and 70 percent more likely to report the firm captured a new market. While this example may come from data analyzing the private sector, can we conclude that a similar makeup of our committees, councils, and boards can achieve similar success? I would like to think so. To continue to deliver the quality products that EWRI is recognized for, it is important to consider how we can encourage diversity in thinking and leverage all of our fellow students and professionals to grow an inclusive EWRI community.

I also believe that to remain relevant and successful, EWRI must continue to partner with national and international organizations. We must continue to provide public policy input to governmental decision-makers to improve understanding of relevant and up-to-date science and

www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019

engineering to better enable informed policies and sound decisions. We must engage with our fellow organizations, such as Engineers without Borders, that supply on-the-ground functional technologies and products to improve personal lives of our world communities and make tangible connections to people in need. We must get involved in ASCE’s Future World Vision, to help shape the environment and infrastructure to improve the lives of our children and grandchildren.

I am excited to see where the next 12 months takes all of us.

But even more so, I am eager to see how each one of our members can help our EWRI community grow and prosper. I will certainly try to do my part. Please let me know how I can help you do yours.

As a part of this introduction, I was asked to answer a few “fun” questions. I was given a list of 20 from which to choose.

Here are four responses that I believe are the most interesting.

At the end of a long workday, how do you relax?

After walking the dog, I like to settle into conversation with my wife on the day’s or week’s happenings while sipping on a Manhattan or craft brew.

What was your first car?

What I could afford as a senior was a decade-old Toyota Corolla. It was this dark brown color with flecks of glitter in it. While not a sought after teen ride, with my limited budget, I was willing to take what I could get to have reliable transportation, even sparkly brown.

Do you play any musical instruments?

The guitar. If you have been to any of the International Low Impact Development Conferences or the Stormwater Operations and Maintenance Conferences, you may have seen me play. While my guitar talent is pretty limited, I really enjoy getting on stage with my band mates and singing the parodies that forever after are stuck in my head and tarnish the real songs.

EDITOR’S CORNER It is an exciting time for civil engineers, as their role in society is increasingly changing. Historically, the role of civil engineers has primarily been to provide services and infrastructure to society.

Currently, civil engineers are also tasked with protecting society from a variety of threats, such as aging infrastructure, changing climate conditions, and environmental contamination. Addressing these threats requires an understanding not only of the technical issues and underlying social issues, but also creativity and persistence.

The articles in this edition of Currents discuss civil engineers’ efforts to address the aforementioned threats, including: • Efforts to rehabilitate our deteriorating water infrastructure, and the need for increased funding to protect our water quality; • The upcoming addition of stormwater to the ASCE infrastructure report card, in order to increase the visibility of increasing pressures on our stormwater infrastructure; • A virtual reality tool which inspires the user to develop creative solutions to threats, such as sealevel rise; and • Tools for modeling radionuclide transport in the environment, in order to prevent the public from being exposed to harmful levels of radiation.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

I have SCUBA dived in the Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, Mexico, Bonaire, and Zanzibar (I lived in Tanzania, East Africa for a couple of years). But I have always wanted to dive the Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Malaysia, Micronesia, Indonesia, and Palau. I may make it to Australia next year to check one of those off of my list.

If you have an article you would like to contribute for a future edition of Currents, please reach out to me (cpolityk@yahoo.com) or Jennifer Jacyna, Manager of Members Services for EWRI (jjacyna@asce.org). Please enjoy this edition of Currents!

To a wonderfully productive year, Scott D. Struck, Ph.D., ENV SP, F.EWRI

Catherine Soistman cpolityk@yahoo.com

3

ASCE Government Relations Update Natalie Mamerow, Senior Manager, Federal Government Relations, ASCE Apply to Attend ASCE’s 2020 Legislative Fly-In! Interested in walking the halls of Capitol Hill and learning firsthand how policy is crafted? Every spring, ASCE holds its Legislative Fly-In in Washington, DC, an intensive two-day program that provides Key Contacts with an inside look at the public policy process. In 2019, over 250 Key Contacts visited over 360 Congressional offices, advocating for full funding of key infrastructure programs and ASCE’s Principals for Investment. This is a competitive program - apply today! Deadline is November 21, 2019. $6.6 Billion in Projects Apply for WIFIA Grants The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received 51 letters of interest for $6.6 billion for Water Infrastructure Finance & Innovation Act (WIFIA) funding, exceeding the $6 billion the EPA is offering this round. WIFIA offers a financing mechanism for large water infrastructure projects to leverage limited federal resources, stimulate additional investment in our nation’s infrastructure, and encourage greater private sector participation in meeting clean and drinking water needs. ASCE supports the WIFIA program to help raise wastewater and drinking water infrastructure grades.

2018 DWSRF Report Highlights Investments In July, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 2018 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Report. The DWSRF program provides support in the form of low-interest loans for investments in state and local drinking water infrastructure. Over the last 30 years, the DWSRF has provided more than $38.2 billion in loans across the nation. ASCE, a long-time advocate of the DWSRF program, recommends tripling funding to raise our nation’s “D” drinking water grade.

WaterSMART Funds $21 Million in Conservation Projects The Bureau of Reclamation made two recent announcements related to the use of federal funds for water conservation. Through the WaterSMART Program, they awarded five communities in CA, HI, and TX a total of $16.98 million for improvements in water conservation, reuse, and recycling. WaterSMART also selected 63 projects to receive a total of $4.1 million for small-scale water efficiency grants. ASCE supports water conservation and water reuse efficiency measures as essential elements of sound water resources management.

Committee Advances Resilience Revolving Loan Fund The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee marked-up the Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act, and ASCE submitted a Statement for the Record in support of the bill. These loans would finance projects to minimize the risk of earthquakes, floods, storm surge, and other events FEMA deems catastrophic. The bill now awaits a full House vote. In a St. Louis Post-Dispatch op-ed published that week, ASCE Region 7 Director Marsia Geldert-Murphey, P.E. stressed the importance of this piece of legislation. Join our Key Contact webinar on Thursday, November 7 at 2:00 pm ET to learn more about this bill from Natalie Martinez, Legislative Assistant to Representative Angie Craig (DMN).

www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019

EPA and Army Corp Repeal 2015 WOTUS Rule The 2015 Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule was repealed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ASCE previously submitted comments in response to the agencies’ proposed rule altering definitions under the existing WOTUS rule. ASCE supports WOTUS rulemaking that better defines federal water jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, does not support the proposed rule in its current form, and urges review of the proposed rule’s definition of ditches, wetlands, and ephemeral streams. The two agencies plan to release a new final rule before the end of the year.

ASCE Board Member Urges Action on Infrastructure ASCE Board of Direction Member and Director of Houston Public Works Carol Haddock, P.E., M.ASCE, testified before the House Committee on the Budget on the economic benefits of infrastructure investment. Haddock commented, “It has been clear to the engineering community and is now becoming clear to the greater public that the U.S. has only been paying about half of its infrastructure bill.” Haddock acknowledged state and local governments have stepped up their investment, but the federal government is a critical partner. Read more here.

Congress Returns to Finish FY2020 Federal Budget At the end of September, the President signed a stopgap budget measure to keep the government funded through November 21, 2019. Congress will need to move quickly to pass an FY2020 budget or a government shutdown will occur. Find out how this impacts surface transportation, water infrastructure, and other key programs. Read more here.

ASCE to Review Proposed Lead & Copper Rule Last updated in 1991, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just released it’s proposed “Lead & Copper Rule.” The EPA has been working to revamp this rule since 2005. The proposed rule creates a lower “trigger level” of 10 parts per billion (ppb) to require utilities to review the chemicals they use to prevent lead pipes from corroding. The current lead action level is 15 ppb. ASCE supports funding for water quality improvements for the removal of lead in water systems, targeting systems with the highest concentration exceedances of lead and copper and will submit public comments in the coming weeks.

5

Aging Water Infrastructure & Effects on Water Quality Lauren Redfern, Florida Gulf Coast University Phong Tran, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona During the early twentieth century, the appearances of new towns and cities across the nation grew as the population of the United States began to expand.

City planners designed the urban infrastructure for these booming cities to ensure that the residences had access to clean water and sewage disposal. To this day, the majority of those systems built almost a century ago are still in use. Unfortunately, the water and sewer mains that were used as the initial infrastructure for towns that have evolved into urbanized cities have reached their life expectancies and, in some cases, their capacities. As a result, aging subsurface infrastructure has become a dilemma amongst cities throughout the nation, where the aging systems may have negative effects on distribution performance and on the environment. In the latest American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Infrastructure Report Card (2017), the grade given Figure 1: Construction crew work to repair a broken water main in for America’s drinking water infrastructure was D. New York City. Source: Metropolitan Transportation Authority of The American Water Works Association (AWWA) the State of New York states that the current industry is entering a new era called the Replacement Era, which involves rebuilding the nation’s aging water systems (AWWA, 2012). These increasingly deteriorating water systems have resulted in costly negative effects on water quality and human health, making rehabilitation crucial.

Densely populated cities such as Los Angeles, California, have active water mains that were built as early as 1900.

Similarly, in New York City, over 1,000 miles of pipeline are over 100 years old (NYC Emergency Management).

These urbanized cities still utilize pipelines that were designed during times when the cities were smaller and had much lower infrastructure demands. In addition to potential capacity issues, pipe materials such as cast iron, lead, and asbestos cement were widely used for water mains as they were considered stable and available. Over time, these materials are known to deteriorate (e.g., corrosion), permit entry of microbial contaminants through cracks and holes, and/or release toxic chemicals. Today, most of those materials are considered obsolete and/or are banned based on current standards and regulations, including heath regulations such as those associated with lead and asbestos. Municipalities and water purveyors prefer water main materials to be either ductile iron or polyvinyl chloride due to durability and anti-corrosive characteristics. Currently, there is a large amount of existing pipeline that needs to be upgraded due to its material and age. Miles of these pipelines are still active, and many have reached or are reaching the end of useful life; Many water agencies have taken proactive steps to avoid failures within their systems. For instance, between 2012 and 2018, the rate of water main breaks in old pipes within the United States and Canada increased by 27 percent. The majority of these pipelines were made of old materials (e.g., cast iron, lead, etc) (Folkman, 2018).

One crucial point of concern with aging pipelines is the effect on water quality. Leaks and breaks within these mains are common due to pipe deterioration. Environmental factors such as soil characteristics, water properties, and stray electric currents from underground electrical cables can also play a role in pipe deterioration. For example, cast iron www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019

pipes have a 20 percent increased risk of breaks when exposed to highly corrosive soils (Folkman, 2018). In addition, specific water characteristics, such as pH, alkalinity, salt content, and presence of other additives used in the water treatment process can also lead to corrosion. As a result, the deterioration of these pipe materials negatively affects water quality and the integrity of the distribution system. Leaking water pipes also have the potential to introduce contaminants into the water supply. Studies have shown that negative pressures caused by water main leaks can result in the seepage of external contaminants into the water supply (Fox, et al.

2014). Aging water systems can negatively affect the environment and the public health in a wide range of Figure 2: Vehicle submerged in a sinkhole caused by a ways, thus making the rehabilitation of these systems water main break. Source: Los Angeles Times crucial.

Aging water infrastructure is becoming one of the nation’s largest problems, especially since it can be very difficult to access, lacks redundant/backup systems, and is expensive to replace. A majority of cities identify these critical pipelines through their water master plans that detail the city’s infrastructure and analyze areas of improvement based on demand and pipe age. However, rehabilitation is costly and local, regional, and federal funding is limited. Additionally, allocating costs in systems that span geopolitical boundaries may be contentious or slow moving. This represents one of the biggest obstacles towards improving the pipeline infrastructure. Civil engineers (educators, designers and developers), operators, managers, and regulators across United States should emphasize the need to create and execute maintenance and operation plans for water and wastewater infrastructure to prevent future water crises from occurring and to improve public confidence.

References American Society of Civil Engineer's 2017 Infrastructure Report Card: https://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/ American Water Works Association, Buried No Longer: Confronting Americas Water Infrastructure Challenge, February 2012 City of Flint. (2018.). FAST Start Pipe Replacement Program. Retrieved from https://www.cityofflint.com/fast-start/ Denchak, M. (2018, November 16). Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flintwater-crisis-everything-you-need-know#sec-summary Folkman, Steven. (2018). Water Main Break Rates in the USA and Canada: A Comprehensive Study. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications. Paper 174.

Fox, Shepherd, Collins, & Boxall. (2014). Experimental Proof of Contaminant Ingress into a Leaking Pipe During a Transient Event. Procedia Engineering, 70(C), 668-677.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. (2018). Under New Management. Retrieved from https://www.sativawd.com/about.php NYC Emergency Management. “NYC’s Risk Landscape: A Guide to Hazard Mitigation.” November 2014.

7

Simulating Radionuclide Transport in the Environment Ryan Hupfer, P.G., and Olivia Warren, Drummond Carpenter, PLLC., Orlando, FL In modern society, humans are exposed to low levels of radiation every day from natural and man-made materials and processes (sunlight, radon in rocks, medical and industrial applications, electronics). Generally, human health is not affected by daily radiation due to the shielding that soil and buildings provide and strict regulation of medical and industrial machinery that uses radiation; however, when humans receive elevated doses of radiation over a long period of time, they can experience adverse health effects (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2012). Since the mid-20th century, radioactive materials have been extracted for use in medical and industrial applications and power generation, among other things. These processes have produced waste (mine tailings, spent radioactive material, contaminated buildings, etc.) that can have high concentrations of radionuclides. Additionally, excavation of native materials for commercial and residential development in areas with naturally occurring radioactive materials could concentrate radionuclides in debris and tailings. Proper management of these types of waste is important, as release of radionuclides to the environment from these sources can be detrimental to human health.

To help protect the public from exposure to high levels of radiation, both proprietary and publicly available computer codes have been developed to simulate radionuclide transport and evaluate the dose received from accumulation in the environment. The current industry standard for performing these evaluations is the RESRAD family of codes developed by Argonne National laboratory (available for free at: http://resrad.evs.anl.gov/), which have been used for dose evaluations across the globe including at the well-known Fukushima Figure 1. Depiction of the radionuclide transport and exposure pathways simulated in RESRAD-OFFSITE, from User’s Manual for RESRAD-OFFSITE Version 2, Yu et al. 2007 and Chernobyl sites. RESRAD-OFFSITE, a member of the RESRAD family, was developed for scientists and engineers to predict environmental concentrations and radioactive dose to an individual exposed while within or outside of an area contaminated with radioactive materials (Yu et al. 2007). The code calculates radionuclide release from a source area to the atmosphere (as contaminated dust), surface runoff, and groundwater and computes accumulation in hypothetical receptors (agricultural areas, pastures, a dwelling, a groundwater well, and a surface water body). Radionuclide accumulation in the hypothetical receptors is used to calculate the dose to an individual from nine different internal and external exposure pathways, which include: direct exposure from contaminated soil, inhalation of particulates, inhalation of radon, ingestion of plant food (fruits, grains, and vegetables), ingestion of meat, ingestion of milk, ingestion of aquatic foods (fish and crustacea), ingestion of water, and incidental ingestion of soil (Yu et al. 2007). A depiction of the release and exposure pathways simulated in RESRAD-OFFSITE is provided in Figure 1.

www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019

In RESRAD-OFFSITE, the contaminants are assumed to be uniformly distributed throughout a soil layer, with an option to have a clean cover layer overlying the contamination. Release of radionuclides from the waste to underlying groundwater by infiltrating water can be modeled as either a first order, rate-controlled process or an equilibrium desorption process. The first-order release model assumes that radionuclide leaching is proportional to the radionuclide concentration remaining in the waste, while the equilibrium desorption release model assumes that radionuclide leaching is controlled by the linear equilibrium partitioning between the solid and aqueous phases. The release options represent release from different types of waste (i.e. ion exchange resin, dewatered sludge, laboratory equipment) (Yu et al. 2013). Degradation of a liner or engineered barrier can be simulated by specifying the delay time for the release and the duration over which material becomes available for release.

Up to five homogeneous, partially saturated zones and one unconfined saturated zone can be simulated (Yu et al.

2007). In the partially saturated zones, the code models one-dimensional flow in the vertical (downward) direction directly below the waste and considers phenomena such as longitudinal dispersion and radiological transformations (Yu et al.

2007). When radionuclides enter the saturated zone, the groundwater transport model simulates horizontal downgradient flow and considers advective transport through the mobile Figure 2. Plot of Carbon-14 concentration in a hypothetical groundwater well over the simulation period from a RESRAD-OFFSITE simulation (note: release delayed by 200 years) pores in the soil, dispersive transport in the soil moisture, equilibrium (linear) adsorption and desorption of nuclides on soil surfaces, diffusion of radionuclides into and out of the immobile pores, and decay and ingrowth due to radiological transformations (Yu et al. 2007).

Contaminant release to the atmosphere and via surface runoff may occur from a surface soil layer above the waste.

It is assumed that this layer is uniformly mixed by either anthropomorphic or natural processes. Release of radionuclides to the atmosphere is determined by the concentration in the surface soil and the rate at which dust is release from the contaminated area. Downwind transport of contaminants is modeled using a Gaussian plume atmospheric dispersion model that accounts for dry and wet deposition (Yu et al, 2007). Release of radionuclides as surface runoff is determined by the concentration in the surface soil and the erosion rate. Upon erosion, surface runoff may be transported to the surface water body by surface processes, and its accumulation is dependent on the sediment delivery ratio to the surface water body (Yu et al. 2007).

RESRAD-OFFSITE uses the release to the atmosphere, surface runoff, and groundwater to compute accumulation at hypothetical receptor areas (agricultural areas, one dwelling area, a groundwater well, and a surface water body) and calculates the dose received by an individual from nine internal and external exposure pathways. Calculation of deterministic dose from the exposure pathways consider human occupancy within or outside of the contaminated area, biological accumulation of radionuclides in food goods, inhalation rate, and food and water ingestion rates (Yu et al. 2007). In addition to deterministic predictions of dose and risk, single parameter sensitivity analyses and multi-parameter uncertainty analyses can be conducted on many of the input parameters.

9

RESRAD-OFFSITE outputs text reports detailing dose from parent radionuclides, dose from progeny radionuclides, and risk for each simulation performed. Deterministic dose, concentration, and risk data for each radionuclide and each pathway and medium over the simulation duration can be viewed within the program and exported as text.

Example plots showing concentration in a well and the dose from each of the component pathways over the simulation period from a hypothetical RESRAD-OFFSITE simulation are shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Dose evaluation models that evaluate radionuclide transport and accumulation can provide valuable insights when making decisions concerning waste management. The information from these models helps ensure the public is not exposed to harmful levels of radiation now and in the future.

Figure 3. Plot of hypothetical total dose from all radionuclides from each simulated pathway over the simulation period from a RESRAD-OFFSITE simulation (note: release delayed by 200 years)

References U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012 Radiation: Facts, Risks, Realities EPA-402-K-10-008, Office of Air and Radiation, Washington, D.C. Yu, C., E. Gnanapragasam, B.M. Biwer, S. Kaboj, J.-J. Cheng, T. Klett, D. LePoire, A.J. Zielen, S.Y. Chen, W.A. Williams, A. Wallo, S. Domotor, T. Mo, and A. Schwartzman, 2007, User’s Manual for RESRAD-OFFSITE Version 2 ANL/EVS/TM/07-1, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois.

Yu, C., E. Gnanapragasam, J. J. Cheng, S. Kamboj, and S.Y. Chen, 2013. New Source Term Model for the RESRAD-OFFSITE Code Version 3. NUREG/CR-7127, ANL/EVS/TM/11-5, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Washington, D.C.

www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019

IRECCEE – International Research Experiences in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering In collaboration with Arizona State University with funding from the National Science Foundation, ASCE is pleased to inform you of an opportunity for a short-term research experience abroad through the International Research Experiences in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (IRECCE) program.

Any ASCE student member who is a graduate student at a U.S. institution of higher education pursuing a degree in civil, construction, or environmental engineering may apply. Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2020 semester for IRECCE fellowships – please visit their page for additional details.

Learn More & Apply Today!

The deadline for Spring 2020 applications is November 30, 2019.

Are you a graduate or undergraduate EWRI Student?

Have you submitted an abstract to the EWRI Congress?

Save the Date

WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL & WATER RESOURCES CONGRESS Henderson, NV | May 17-21, 2020 EWRICongress.org •

Receive free technical training from subject matter experts

•

Participate in policy dialogue on water resource and environmental issues affecting the profession

•

Earn up to 32.5 Professional Development Hours

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE co-located with the World Environmental & Water Resources Congress

May 20-21, 2020 WatershedManagementConference.org

#EWRI2020

#Watershed2020

Do you have a team interested in competing in the WSP Design Competition?

Good news! There’s still time to opt into the EWRI Student Competitions. Simply fill out this form and opt in to the competition of your choice!

Contact Jenn Jacyna with any questions about your eligibility to compete.

11

American Society of Civil Engineers to Grade Stormwater for First Time in 2021 Infrastructure Report Card Washington – The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and its Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI), National Municipal Stormwater Alliance (NMSA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) today announced that stormwater infrastructure will be evaluated and graded in the next ASCE 2021 Infrastructure Report Card. This marks the first inclusion of a national stormwater infrastructure grade.

As the only growing source of water pollution in many waterways across the country, stormwater is water that runs off the land and hard surfaces from rain and snowmelt events. With urban populations growth and development, in addition to more frequent and intense storms nationwide, there is mounting pressure on stormwater infrastructure.

“Effective stormwater management in our cities and along our highways affects nearly every person every day,” said Eric Loucks, P.E., EWRI Governing Board. “With more frequent, intense storms on top of flooding events, we’re seeing more stormwater runoff, risking flooding of our communities, erosion of our streams and pollution of our water. We need effective stormwater management that can treat stormwater as a beneficial resource, putting the water to work where it’s needed most. Including stormwater infrastructure as a Report Card category will help policymakers get a better handle on the magnitude of the problem across the United States and how we can move forward in taking advantage of this valuable resource.”

"Efficient and effective stormwater management is one of the nation's most pressing environmental challenges. Undoubtedly, ASCE's appropriate and timely acknowledgement of this issue in its Infrastructure Report will catalyze solution-oriented initiatives that will positively impact generations to come."

Dwane Jones, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE

ASCE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card rated the overall condition of the nation’s infrastructure a cumulative grade of “D+,” with an investment gap of $2 trillion. ASCE’s inclusion of a stormwater chapter reflects increased interest in stormwater infrastructure by decision-makers to provide for the public sustainable solutions to the problems of flooding and water pollution. ASCE’s state report card committees have periodically graded stormwater infrastructure – most recently, in California, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Washington. The stormwater chapters in these states have recommendations to modernize stormwater infrastructure to better prepare for the future and ultimately raise the grades.

“Stormwater infrastructure protects our communities from flooding and our waterways from pollution,” said NMSA Chair Scott Taylor.

“Grading the nation’s stormwater infrastructure increases its visibility and helps communities get the resources needed to improve their stormwater programs. We applaud ASCE’s foresight in making this important addition to the Infrastructure Report Card.”

In addition, the WEF Stormwater Institute led an effort, supported by NMSA, to gather the first-ever analysis of the U.S. stormwater sector needs, which revealed an estimated $7.5 billion annual funding gap and identified top priorities and challenges across the country. This inaugural survey, the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Needs Assessment Survey, reflects an effort to learn more about the nature and needs of the MS4 sector at a scale that has never been attempted and will assist analysis for the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card.

“The inclusion of stormwater infrastructure in the ASCE’s report card will provide a much-deserved boost in visibility for infrastructure that is vital to communities across the country,” said WEF Executive Director Eileen O’Neill. “We hope that adding stormwater to the report card will result in more resources and focus being directed to this essential part of our infrastructure, and subsequent improvements to water quality.”

The ASCE Infrastructure Report Card is issued once every four years and the next one will be released in March 2021.

www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019

ABOUT THE ASCE INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT CARD Using a simple A to F school report card format, ASCE’s Infrastructure Report Card provides a comprehensive assessment of current infrastructure conditions and needs and assigning grades and making recommendations to raise them. The ASCE Committee on America’s Infrastructure, made up of expert civil engineers from across the country, assigns grades using the following criteria: capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience and innovation. Additional information regarding the Infrastructure Report Card and state report card program may be found on www.infrastructurereportcard.org.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable "In a changing climate, communities and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and everywhere are facing increasing improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or challenges to ensure the health and safety of their residents. While much infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel. of the health and safety focus around water resources has historically been on potable water distribution and wastewater treatment, stormwater management has risen in priority in response to more frequent, more intense storms causing more persistent – often severe – flooding exacerbated by undersized, poorly maintained stormwater infrastructure and a growing recognition that water, in all its forms, is a commodity in short supply in many areas. Adding stormwater infra-structure to the Report Card will help demonstrate the extent to which these systems are in disrepair or obsolete, further raise this integral piece of the water cycle to higher priority, and spur innovation and funding to address this challenge in a wholistic, sustainable manner."

Ruth Hocker, P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE

ASCE’s Environmental & Water Resources Institute (ASCE‐EWRI) is the recognized leader within ASCE for the integration of technical expertise and public policy in the planning, design, construction and operation of environmentally sound and sustainable infrastructure impacting air, land and water resources. @ASCE_EWRI ABOUT THE NATIONAL MUNICIPAL STORMWATER ALLIANCE The National Municipal Stormwater Alliance (NMSA) is a 501(c)(3) devoted to supporting Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permittees. The organization is an alliance of state and regional groups made up of MS4 permittees and focused specifically on MS4 issues.

NMSA’s vision is to help communities tackle stormwater challenges to provide clean water for the nation. For more information, visit nationalstormwateralliance.org and follow us on Twitter, @ Natl_MS4_Allnce.

ABOUT THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 35,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world. Since 1928, WEF and its members have protected public health and the environment. As a global water sector leader, our mission is to connect water professionals; enrich the expertise of water professionals; increase the awareness of the impact and value of water; and provide a platform for water sector innovation.

"Historically, stormwater infrastructure has been included in the Report Card with wastewater infrastructure and, thus, has not been as visible to the policy makers and public at the federal and many state levels. Many communities are having to reactively respond to the challenges exposed by their older stormwater system, whether due to insufficient capacity, collapsed piping, clogging with debris, or other concerns. The increase in flash-flooding events around the U.S. and in high-tide flooding in our coastal cities require that we shine a light on the state of our stormwater infrastructure as a stand-alone system. Incorporating Stormwater as a separate category and working with our partner institutions to perform these vital assessments will highlight the need for investment to both the public and policy makers."

Shirley Clark, Ph.D., P.E. D.WRE, F.EWRI, M.ASCE, EWRI Board Member FY20

13

Future World Vision Floating City Excites With Possibilities at ASCE 2019 Convention Ben Walpole, Editor, ASCE News What if? Why not?

Four short words; one entirely new mindset.

It’s the essence of ASCE’s Future World Vision project, simultaneously open to and questioning of the civil engineering possibilities that will shape the way infrastructure works and society lives decades into the future.

“We’ve got to have more people thinking this way,” said Lenor Bromberg, P.E., F.ASCE, deputy director of community development for the City of Roswell, Georgia. “We’re civil engineers, and we are creative people. We really need to use the intelligence and the problem-solving skills we have to create these solutions. It’s up to us to do it.”

Convention attendees had the chance to experience the Future World Vision Floating City via virtual reality.

PHOTO: Jason Dixson Photography

Bromberg was one of hundreds of ASCE members who experienced the Future World Vision Floating City, debuted this week at the ASCE 2019 Convention in Miami.

The mix of virtual reality experience and interactive desktop interface gave users the chance to explore the future infrastructure possibilities of a Floating City, an immersive world constructed in a real-time 4D computer simulation model.

“Honestly, I’m blown away. I thrive on this kind of thing, because I love studying social and environmental impacts,” said Garrett Wilhelm, S.M.ASCE, a senior at the University of South Florida.

“It really lends itself to asking yourself, ‘OK, what kind of infrastructure will be needed by society?

And how is society affected by that infrastructure?’ Really looking at it as a holistic model.”

The Floating City debuted at the ASCE 2019 Convention in Miami.

It was fitting that the Floating City future world’s first PHOTO: Jason Dixson Photography showing was in Miami, a city that already faces significant challenges to its status quo due to sea-level rise and flooding. James Murley, chief resilience officer for Dade County in Florida, was impressed.

www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019

“I think the underlying issues and drivers are things that our county deals with all the time – climate change and sea-level rise,” he said.

“What will our community look like in 50 years?

What scenarios are probable and possible, and how do we adapt over time? To have this visualization strikes me as something very, very valuable. I want to learn more.”

The Convention kicked off with a keynote address from Alex McDowell, creative director and co-founder of Experimental, the Los Angeles– based company developing the Future World Vision immersive experience. McDowell, with more than 30 years of experience doing Alex McDowell gave the Convention keynote address, introducing attendees to production design for major motion pictures, the methodology and exciting possibilities behind Future World Vision. brings a unique blend of data-driven research PHOTO: Jason Dixson Photography and storytelling.

The idea isn’t necessarily to accurately predict the future as much as fundamentally reshape the way civil engineers approach potential challenges. And as a scenario-planning tool, Future World Vision’s appeal transcends engineering.

“From a non-engineering perspective but as a real-world citizen, it inspired me,” said David Clark, a program manager in the office of the chief financial officer for Washington, D.C., at the ASCE Convention to give a presentation about his team’s asset management program.

“I’m not sure we’re all going to live in shipping containers in the future, but I’m not sure we’re not either. In our profession, we’re more tacticians than strategists. So if someone can give us some direction and some inspiration like this, I think it’s easy to get on the bandwagon. With a vision in mind like this, it’s a lot easier to get where somebody wants to go.”

The Floating City is still in the proof-of-concept phase, and the Experimental team conducted two workshops at the Convention to gather input and ideas from attendees for continued enhancements.

Some of the ideas sounded outlandish. Some sounded brilliant. Some probably are a bit of both. What’s clear, though, is the passion civil engineers feel for this kind of big-picture, long-range leadership.

“I’m a millennial, and I think most of the millennial or Gen-Z engineers that I talk to have these ideas as a major focus,” Wilhelm said. “I don’t know if everyone I talk to has an idea of how they want to deal with it, but it’s something that’s ever present. Like we know we’re going to have to deal with these rising sea levels. We know we have to cut back on carbon emissions. We’re all looking for these solutions.”

Find out where you can experience the Future World Vision Floating City for yourself at upcoming ASCE events.

15

Congress on Charting a New Course for the Mississippi River Watershed Hosted by the Renewable and Natural Resources Foundation (ASCE is a Member Organization), on December 3, 2019 at the headquarters of the American Geophysical Union RNRF will host a one-day conference on the Mississippi river watershed. https://www.rnrf.org/2019cong/ The Mississippi River watershed routinely experiences severe flooding events, causing damage to infrastructure, agriculture, the economy, and the environment. Now, climate is exacerbating this flooding, guaranteeing that the situation will only get worse. A new, radical course needs to be charted.

2019 Congress speakers and delegates will discuss impacts of the new climate normal, reimagine management for different sectors of the watershed, and examine the stubborn and long-standing impediments to sustainably managing resources within the watershed.

New Professionals Council: Invitation for New Members The New Professionals Council is seeking new members and participants to help in organizing council initiatives and participate in the New Professional activities.

The mission of the New Professionals Council is to be a resource to new professionals transitioning from school to professional practice. This includes facilitating new professionals to participate in the technical committees of EWRI and grow into leadership roles in ASCE and/or EWRI. Contact Jennifer Jacyna for participation and more information. We hope to have you join us!

Save the Date

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE co-located with the World Environmental & Water Resources Congress

Henderson, NV | May 20-21, 2020 WatershedManagementConference.org •

Earn up to 14.0 Professional Development Hours

•

Take advantage of free technical workshops

•

Participate in policy dialogue on water resource and environmental issues affecting the profession

WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL & WATER RESOURCES CONGRESS May 17-21, 2020 EWRICongress.org

#EWRI2020

www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019

#Watershed2020

James L. Fous, PhD, P.S., M.ASCE Receives the 2019 Royce J. Tipton Award James Fouss is recognized as a world leader in agricultural drainage. From 1962 to 1972, he conducted original and pioneering research and development on 4-inch diameter polyethylene (PE) plastic corrugated wall drainage tubing, and the laser beam automatically controlled plow type equipment for rapid and accurate subsurface drainage installation. From 1976 to 1982 as Vice President for Research and Development for Hancor, he administered and technically directed all phases of research and new product development and /or improvement in drainage, agricultural water management and residential on-site waste disposal. He was lead inventor on 13 U.S. and foreign patents, and co-inventor on five additional patents for the products developed that included new types of plastic drain pipes, enhanced plow type drain installation equipment, and a rotomolded plastic septic tank.

Fouss has been active in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE.) During his career, he served on several committees of the old ASCE Irrigation and Drainage Division. He was co-chair of the ASABE Third International Drainage Symposium and general chair of the Sixth International Drainage Symposium and has served on numerous ASABE drainage committees.

Fouss has authored more than 160 technical journal articles, bulletins, conference proceedings, 10 book chapters, 16 U.S. and foreign patents (while in industry), and many technical reports and private engineering consulting reports on corrugated plastic pipe design. He retired from USDA-ARS in 2011 after a 41 year distinguished career as an agricultural engineer and research leader.

EWRI Fellow Applications EWRI is Now Accepting Fellow Applications!

An EWRI Fellow is someone who is recognized by the field, and their peers, as a leader in water resources and/or environmental engineering. To be eligible for advancement to the grade of Fellow, an EWRI member must: • Have been a dues paying member of EWRI for 10 or more years • Have demonstrated accomplishments that have contributed significantly to the advancement or application of water resources or environmental engineering, science, and technology • Have mentored or provided other service to students or junior engineers/scientists, or provided significant public outreach to advance the education, understanding, and advancement of engineering and science related to the EWRI mission • Have been actively involved with EWRI through committee participation, conferences, or journals EWRI is now accepting applications for the 2020 Class of EWRI Fellows until January 17, 2020.

17

Udai Singh Elected Secretary General of ACECC Dr. Udai P. Singh of USA was unanimously elected Secretary General of the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council (ACECC) in Goa, India at the Executive Committee Meeting celebrating the 20th anniversary of ACECC on 25-27 September, 2019. He will assume this position for 6 years following a one-year transition from the current Secretary General, Dr. Kenichi Horikoshi of Japan. ACECC’s secretariat will accordingly move from Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) headquarters in Tokyo to American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) headquarters in Reston, Virginia.

ACECC was established on September 27, 1999 in Tokyo with five member societies representing civil engineers from their countries (Japan, Philippines, S. Korea, Taiwan, and USA). Currently there are 14 countries represented in ACECC (Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, S. Korea, Taiwan, USA, and Vietnam).

ACECC’s mission is to promote the acquisition and transfer of civil engineering knowledge for advancing the design and construction practices that ultimately improve the quality of life of all citizens from member countries.

“This is an exciting time for civil engineers, especially in Asia, due to the infrastructure challenges that need to be addressed. ACECC is doing its part and as Secretary General I hope to increase its efforts to improve the quality of life of citizens from all member countries”, says Dr. Singh. Ms. Meggan Maughan-Brown of ASCE will act as Administrator in the new secretariat and support the new Secretary General.

Dr. Singh completed his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and graduate degrees in water resources and environmental engineering from Clemson University and University of Florida. He worked for the global engineering firm CH2M HILL in USA for 40 years before retiring as Vice President.

He is currently an independent environmental consultant. Dr. Singh has authored/co-authored 5 books, edited/ co-edited 8 books, and published over 60 technical papers, mostly in environmental engineering. He has served in various leadership roles in ASCE, Water Environment Federation (WEF), and ASCE Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI), and has received prestigious awards and recognitions from American Academy of Environmental Engineers, ASCE, WEF, and EWRI, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kanpur.

Dr. Singh resides in Moraga, California (near San Francisco). He has been associated with ACECC in various roles and has traveled to and worked with most ACECC countries since 2012.

ASCE Distinguished Members ASCE announced its newest class of Distinguished members, a status reserved for the most eminent civil engineers in the Society. Only 220 of ASCE’s more than 150,000 current members can call themselves Distinguished Members.

This year’s recipients included several EWRI members: • Jeanette A. Brown, an authority on biological nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment • Dr. David A. Dzombak, a globally prominent engineer in the area of water-quality engineering.

• Dr. Rao S. Govindaraju, a scholar recognized internationally for his work in statistical hydrology.

• Dr. M.Levent Kavvas, renowned for contributions to the development of a methodology for estimation of maximum precipitation, as well as the development of a new scaling theory of hydrologic processes.

• Dr. Uri Shamir, a preeminent water resources systems analyst and engineer.

www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019

Guided Online Courses Fundamentals of Water Treatment Processes: Physical, Chemical, and Biological January 27–April 17, 2020 • Identify and understand the twelve most important chemical, physical, and biological processes used in water treatment.

• Describe the four most important chemical reaction types for water treatment.

• Recognize the five most important physical treatment processes in water treatment.

Development of GIS Models for Asset Management January 27–April 17, 2020 • Discuss steps and methodologies used to evaluate the existing condition of asset management programs.

• Develop a planning framework that will guide the development of a new GIS asset management program.

• Discuss key technical and management theories for the development of a new GIS Asset Management Program.

Live Seminars Two-Dimensional Modeling Using HEC-RAS November 13–15, 2019 | Cincinnati, OH • Learn how to use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers HEC-RAS (River Analysis System) computer program to model two-dimensional unsteady flow hydraulics.

• Get an overview of two-dimensional flow theory and the differences between one-dimensional modeling.

• Gain hands-on HEC-RAS experience by participating in practical computer workshops.

Water Hammer in Transmission and Distribution Systems November 14–15, 2019 | Sacramento, CA • Understand water hammer phenomena in pipelines and hydraulic systems.

• Use simplified calculations to assess the likely severity of potential events.

• Identify causes of harmful transients.

19

Thank you to the EWRI Communications Council: EDITOR Catherine Soistman NEWS CORRESPONDENTS Irrigation and Drainage Council Robert Evans Watershed Council Jeff Rieker Hydraulics & Waterways Council Kit Ng Sustainability Task Committee Rick Johnson WR Planning & Management Tim Feather Environmental Council Wendy Cohen Standards Development Council Conrad Keyes Urban Water Resources Research Council Shirley Clark Urban Stormwater Committee Christine Pomeroy Emerging & Innovative Technology Council Sean McKenna

www.asce.org/ewri • EWRI Currents • Volume 21, Number 4 • Fall 2019