Florida Water Resources Journal - September 2025

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Published by BUENA VISTA PUBLISHING for Florida Water Resources Journal Inc.

President: Richard Anderson (FSAWWA) Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority

Vice President: Joe Paterniti (FWEA) Clay County Utility Authority

Treasurer: Rim Bishop (FWPCOA) Seacoast Utility Authority

Secretary: Rim Bishop (FWPCOA) Seacoast Utility Authority

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Membership Questions

FSAWWA: Casey Cumiskey – 407-979-4806 or Casey@fsawwa.org

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FWPCOA: Darin Bishop – 561-840-0340

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FWPCOA: Shirley Reaves – 321-383-9690

For Other Information

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Florida Water Resources Conference: www.fwrc.org

News and Features

4 Study Reveals Impact of Artificial Intelligence Data Center Boom on Water Consumption

6 Healthy H2O Act Reintroduced in Congress

16 In Memoriam: David Wayne Pickard

21 EPA Grants to Protect Drinking Water from Natural Hazards and Cybersecurity Threats

22 Utilities Helping Utilities: A FlaWARN Story—Steve Soltau

28 Drop Savers Poster Contest Winners Announced—Melissa Velez

42 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements Compliance Tool Available to Assist With Lead Service Line Replacement

53 News Beat

Technical Articles

8 Building a More Accurate Artificial Intelligence Chatbot for Engineering Problem Solving in the Water Industry—Michael Demko, Rob Sinclair, and Kevin Hou

18 Driving Employee Engagement in the New Work Environment—Jennifer Stokke Nyfennegger

38 Enhancing Water Treatment in South Florida by Leveraging Two Different Aquifer Systems and Membranes at City of Riviera Beach—Suzanne Mechler, Layla L. Llewelyn, and Michael Hoisington

Education and Training

13 CEU Challenge

14 Florida Water Resources Conference

32 FSAWWA Fall Conference Overview

33 FSAWWA Fall Conference Registration

34 FSAWWA Fall Conference Poker Night, Happy Hour, and Topgolf

35 FSAWWA Fall Conference BBQ, Incoming Chair’s Reception, and Sponsorships

51 FWPCOA Training Calendar

Columns

21 Reader Profile—Ann Lee

36 Speaking Out—Lisa Wilson-Davis

44 FWEA Focus—Joan Fernandez

46 Let’s Talk Safety: Cutting Water Pipe Safely With Power Saws

48 Test Yourself—Charles Lee Martin Jr.

50 C Factor Kevin G. Shropshire

Departments

47 New Products

52 Classifieds

54 Display Advertiser Index

Study Reveals Impact of Artificial Intelligence Data Center Boom on Water Consumption

New research from Global Water Intelligence (GWI), a leading market intelligence and events company serving the international water industry, has found that onsite water consumption for data center cooling is forecast to increase by just over 50 percent by 2030, despite data center capacity doubling over the same period.

The findings reflect significant efficiency gains in water use, with a shift to water-efficient cooling technologies instead of traditional air cooling. These technologies require higher-quality water, and GWI predicts that these strides in responsible water use will be supported by unprecedented double-digit annual growth in water-related technology and infrastructure spending for data centers.

Liquids, particularly water, have a higher heat capacity than air, allowing them to absorb and transfer heat more effectively. This means liquid cooling systems can remove heat more quickly and efficiently. By directly cooling components, liquid cooling can significantly reduce the energy needed for cooling fans and chillers, which are essential in air-cooled systems. Some studies indicate potential energy savings of 10 to 30 percent. Liquid cooling also allows for closer component packing, enabling higher density server setups and more computing power within the same physical space.

Hybrid air-water cooling, as well as systems designed for artificial intelligence (AI) workloads where chips are in direct contact with a water-based coolant, are increasingly the norm for data centers. Additionally, there is a shift to lower-quality recycled water as the sector cuts its freshwater use.

The extent of these efficiency gains, however, is not globally balanced and not always related to concerns of water stress. In India, for example, data center water use is set to more than double by 2030, posing major risks in a country already facing extreme water stress.

Data centers can reduce their onsite water footprint by switching to dry cooling, but this drives up energy use, leading to greater indirect water consumption from power generation. As power demand continues to surge through 2030 and beyond, water-efficient cooling will be essential to the sustainable growth of data centers.

Access the full report at www.gwiwaterdata. com.

Healthy H2O Act Reintroduced in Congress

Legislation developed from volunteer task force

The Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act, known as the Health H2O Act and backed by the Water Quality Association (WQA) and other water-related groups, was recently reintroduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and in the House by Reps. David Rouzer (R-NC) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME). The bill offers federal grants for water quality testing and certified treatment technology in rural and underserved communities, including those that rely on private wells.

“We applaud this bipartisan group of congressional champions for reintroducing the Healthy H2O Act, which will increase access to water treatment technology for rural communities that are uncertain about how to treat emerging health contaminants,” said Pauli Undesser, MWS, chief executive officer of WQA. “Consulting qualified professionals and using certified point-of-use and point-ofentry filtration systems can play a crucial role in providing proven solutions.”

The act would help rural and underserved communities by authorizing a new U.S. Department of Agriculture grant program to cover the costs of water quality testing and the purchase, installation, and maintenance of point-of-use and point-ofentry water filtration systems certified to

address health-based contaminants found in drinking water. Funding would go directly to individuals, licensed childcare facilities, and nonprofits that are equipped to help people go through the process of testing, and then finding and installing a water treatment product to address their situation.

The same four lawmakers previously introduced the bill in the 118th Congress, where it received the support of 50 bipartisan cosponsors, including several key members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. The bill was included in Democratic and Republicanled frameworks for the Senate Farm Bill, and a version of the legislation was included in the House Farm Bill text that was favorably advanced out of the Agriculture Committee.

More than 35 organizations have publicly supporting the bill, including the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, National Ground Water Association, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, International Code Council, Water Systems Council, NSF International, and DigDeep.

More information on the bill, including the full text of the legislation and a one-page explainer sheet, is available at wqa.org/healthyh2O. S

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Building a More Accurate Artificial Intelligence Chatbot for Engineering Problem Solving in the Water Industry

Michael Demko, Rob Sinclair, and Kevin Hou

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI), exemplified by ChatGPT, in engineering is already impacting communications within the water sector—but how has it affected accuracy? ChatGPT, as a language model, demonstrates the capability to generate human-like responses and assist with engineering questions; however, its accuracy is contingent upon learned patterns from training data, lacking true understanding or real-time information.

In 2023 this team demonstrated that three leading chatbots proved to be extremely inaccurate (<10 percent) when prompted with 100 water industry engineering problems. The team decided to design its own chatbot to respond to the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam-style questions with greater accuracy. Two main challenges for a large language model (LLM) in engineering problem solving are the need for complex mathematical reasoning and the ability to work with text and image inputs. As a result, the team built the chatbot on GPT-4o, one of OpenAI’s latest multimodal foundational models.

Experiments were performed on a practice exam consisting of 76 multiple-choice questions and results were analyzed, both quantitatively and qualitatively, to assess the chatbot’s overall performance and its specific skill sets. The baseline experiment took each question and its figure simultaneously to generate an answer. The team then implemented other techniques to improve the chatbot’s performance depending on its observed deficiencies. This chatbot has reached an initial mean accuracy of 72.4 percent (a passing score) across three trials on the full practice exam.

Advancements in the Field of Language Models

One of the latest advancements in the field of LLMs is the emergence of multimodal LLMs. While the traditional transformer architecture was designed to process text, multimodal LLMs take inputs in several forms, such as texts and images. This invention represents a huge step forward in deep learning as it blurs the boundary between vision models and language models, enabling neural networks to gain insights from higher dimensional data. Such a capability has a

wide range of applications, from visual question answering to content creation, and it has been applied in many fields, such as healthcare and marketing, where processing complex data across multiple modalities is essential.

Engineering issues, however, bring their own challenges for these new models in two respects. First, engineering problem solving requires complex reasoning across modalities. For example, a typical problem in the water industry can involve a question and a drawing where the question refers to specific elements in the drawing. To solve such a problem, an engineer must draw insights across two modalities—text and image—and perform complex reasoning to arrive at the correct conclusion. To be a useful AI assistant in the water industry, a multimodal LLM must be able to do the same. Second, engineers in the water industry make safety-critical decisions all the time. An AI assistant’s limitations must be thoroughly and objectively tested, otherwise its advice cannot be relied on. Since multimodal LLM is still a novel tool, its capabilities in engineering problem solving are largely untested.

In 2023 the team tested three popular chatbots with 100 engineering exam-style questions; that test did not provide the multiple-choice responses. The intent was to determine how accurate the chatbots were in real-world scenarios that are not multiple choice. Answers were considered correct if they were within 5 percent of the correct answer; GPT-4 performed the best at 11 percent.

Literature

Language models have been around for a long time. They are formally defined as probabilistic models that predict the likelihood of a sequence of words or tokens, and these models can be readily used for generative tasks through sampling. Rule-based models, such as n-grams (Shannon, 1948), which are sequences of items (usually words) from a given text or speech, had dominated the field for decades until models based on neural networks appeared. Variants of recurrent neural networks became the preferred architecture for language models since they were able to capture long-range dependencies to some extent (Hochreiter, 1997; Rumelhart, Hinton, and

Michael Demko, P.E., is senior project manager at Wade Trim in Palm Bay. Rob Sinclair is an advanced design technology practice lead at Wade Trim in Beaver, Penn. Kevin Hou is an AI engineer at Wade Trim in Pittsburgh.

Williams, 1986). These models, however, relied on a set of hidden states that were iteratively updated over time. Inevitably, they struggled to handle very-long-range dependencies in natural language and did not support parallelized computations at training time.

In 2017, the transformer architecture emerged and quickly dominated the field of natural language processing (Vaswani, 2017). This architecture replaced sequential computations with the attention mechanism, making parallel computation possible at training time. Two years later Lu, Batra, Parikh, and Lee (2019) introduced ViLBERT, the world’s first multimodal model that took visual and text input simultaneously to draw insights across both modalities.

Since then, many works have investigated the performance of multimodal models (Achiam et al., 2023). Beyond their ability to process text, researchers have also evaluated their capabilities to see (Yang et al., 2023), to reason (Ahn et al., 2024), and to retrieve relevant information with techniques such as retrieval augment generation, or RAG (Lewis et al., 2020). In the context of engineering problem solving, Pursnani et al. (2023) investigated the performance of GPT-4 on the U.S. Fundamentals of Engineering exam with textural input and the model ultimately scored 75.37 percent on four-option multiple-choice questions; however, the model was tested with unimodal input where figures were described with text. This work extends Pursnani et al. (2023) to evaluate the ability of state-of-the-art multimodal models to solve engineering problems from bimodal inputs consisting of image and text.

Methods

All experiments (Table 1) are performed

Continued on page 10

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on GPT-4o (OpenAI, 2024). Except for experiment 5, the model’s input exclusively consists of three components:

S The original question

S The figure that comes with the question (if any)

S A short prompt that instructs the model to solve the problem

Zero-shot prompting is used everywhere. The data set is a PE exam where each question is passed into the model in an individual call. In total, five experiments are performed, where experiment 1 serves as the baseline. These

Experiment

Experiment 1 (baseline)

Experiment 2

Experiment 3

Experiment 4

Experiment 5

Experiment

Experiment 1 (baseline)

Experiment 2

Experiment 3

Experiment 4

Experiment 5

experiments are designed to test the impact of the RAG and a variety of prompting techniques on performance.

Specifically, the prompts used in the five experiments are shown in Table 2. In this table, text enclosed in double quotes is a string, while italic text in parenthesis is a variable. A Python script, a file that generally contains a short selfcontained set of instructions, i.e., lines of code, that performs a specific task, automates all steps in the experiments, from importing data to parsing results.

Experiment 5 implements RAG with the PE Civil Handbook and the PE Environmental

Table 1. Experiments and Prompting Techniques

Prompting Technique

Include reasoning steps

Handle figure description in a separate LLM call

Suppress reasoning steps

Include reasoning steps and describe figures

Retrieval augmented generation with PE Civil Handbook and PE Environmental Handbook

Table 2. Experiments and Prompts

Prompt

“Your job is to answer multiple-choice questions from the PE exam, civil - water resources, and environmental discipline. First reason through the question step by step, and then provide your choice as A, B, C, or D in the format 'Answer: [LETTER]' at the end. The following is the question: (exam question).” + (drawing/table) if applicable

“Your job is to answer multiple-choice questions from the PE exam, civil - water resources, and environmental discipline. First reason through the question step by step, and then provide your choice as A, B, C, or D in the format 'Answer: [LETTER]' at the end. The following is the question: (exam question) ” + (textural description of drawing/table from the API call below) if applicable

Figure Description Prompt (separate application programming interface (API) call that precedes the standard call): “Please describe this figure in detail. Note that the description will be used in a downstream task to solve a related engineering problem.” + (drawing/table)

“Your job is to answer multiple-choice questions from the PE exam, civil - water resources, and environmental discipline. Only provide your choice as A, B, C, or D in the format 'Answer: [LETTER]'. Do not include any explanation. The following is the question: (exam question).” + (drawing/table) if applicable

“Your job is to answer multiple choice questions from the PE exam, civil - water resources, and environmental discipline. First, reason through the question step by step. Second, if there is a figure, describe its key elements and their respective positions. Finally, provide your choice as A, B, C, or D in the format 'Answer: [LETTER]' at the end. The following is the question: (exam question).” + (drawing/table) if applicable

“Consider the following context if you find it relevant and useful: (context retrieved through RAG). Your job is to answer multiplechoice questions from the PE exam, civil - water resources, and environmental discipline. First reason through the question step by step, and then provide your choice as A, B, C, or D in the format 'Answer: [LETTER]' at the end. The following is the question: (exam question).” + (drawing/table) if applicable

Handbook (NCEES, n.d.). This corpus is divided into chunks based on the following separators in order:

S Double new lines

S New line

S Spaces

S Characters

These splits are done recursively until each chunk falls below a chunk size of 300 characters; adjacent chunks overlap by 30 characters. A unimodal vector database with an embedding size of 1536 is constructed with text-embedding3-small (OpenAI, n.d.), the smallest embedding model provided by OpenAI. At query time, a semantic search is performed on this embedding space with L2 loss, which is used to measure model performance by calculating the deviation of a model’s predictions from the correct predictions to identify the five most relevant chunks to use as the context out of 4545 chunks stored in the vector database. There are 80 problems in the data set, out of which 76 are four-option multiple-choice questions. Accuracy is used as the quantitative metric for performance evaluation, so the four nonmultiple-choice questions are removed from the data set. For each question, the chatbot’s solution is marked as correct if it provides a single choice in the specified format and the choice is correct. Since transformerbased language models are inherently stochastic (randomly determined) at inference time (Bender et al., 2021), each experiment is repeated three times. This approach allows observation of the variance in accuracy across three trials to ensure the data set’s size is sufficiently large to reflect the chatbot’s steady performance at the model’s default temperature setting.

Experiment Results

Results from all experiments are shown in Table 3.

As a point of comparison to the 2023 results, the original questions, again without the multiple-choice options, were re-run with the understanding the chatbots are improving in accuracy and GPT-4o was now multimodal. With the improved chatbot, the accuracy improved to 48 percent correct within a 5 percent margin of error.

Conclusion

This GPT-4o-based chatbot demonstrates strong performance in solving engineering problems in the water industry. With proper

prompt engineering, it achieves a steady accuracy of 74.1 percent. A comparison between experiments 1 and 2 illustrates the model’s capability to simultaneously draw insights across modalities and perform complex mathematical reasoning. In experiment 2, the textural description of a question’s figure is generated in a separate model call so the model solves the problem itself from unimodal input. This setup is proved redundant since it underperforms the baseline setup in experiment 1. These results suggest that the model is entirely capable of integrating inputs across modalities and performing complex mathematical reasoning at inference time.

In terms of prompt engineering techniques in the context of multimodal inputs, the model benefits from instructions to describe visual input and reason through the question before attempting to answer it; the results from experiments 1, 3, and 4 support this observation. The model performs the worst under the setup of experiment 3, where the prompt suppresses the reasoning step and instructs the model to directly output the final answer. On the other hand, the prompt in experiment 4 instructs the model to describe key elements in the figure and reason through the question before providing the final answer. Under this setup, the model outperforms

the baseline and achieves the highest accuracy of 74.1 percent, with the lowest standard deviation of 1.23 percent across three trials.

As the capabilities of the latest multimodal models in engineering problem solving are explored, it is crucial to identify its limitations. Experimental results indicate that the lack of low-level understanding of an image’s content is the primary bottleneck. In a complex drawing, the model often struggles to associate specific annotations to the elements they refer to; it also has difficulties interpreting the spatial relationships among drawing elements. On the other hand, the lack of knowledge is not a limiting factor of the GPT-4o zero-shot performance since implementing RAG with PE Civil Handbook and PE Environmental Handbook in experiment 5 does not help the model outperform the baseline.

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to acknowledge Ripley Raubenolt for her contributions to the original 2023 project.

Works Consulted

1. Achiam, J., Adler, S., Agarwal, S., Ahmad,

Table 3. Results and Summary

Experiment

L., Akkaya, I., Aleman, F. L., ... and McGrew, B. (2023). Gpt-4 technical report. arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.08774.

2. Ahn, J., Verma, R., Lou, R., Liu, D., Zhang, R., and Yin, W. (2024). Large language models for mathematical reasoning: progresses and challenges. arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.00157.

3. Bender, E. M., Gebru, T., McMillan-Major, A., and Shmitchell, S. (2021, March). On the dangers of stochastic parrots: Can language models be too big?. In proceedings of the 2021 ACM conference on fairness, accountability, and transparency (pp. 610623).

4. Hochreiter, S. (1997). Long Short-Term Memory. Neural Computation MIT-Press.

5. Lewis, P., Perez, E., Piktus, A., Petroni, F., Karpukhin, V., Goyal, N., ... and Kiela, D. (2020). Retrieval-augmented generation for knowledge-intensive nlp tasks. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems. 33, 9459-9474.

6. Lu, J., Batra, D., Parikh, D., and Lee, S. (2019). Vilbert: Pretraining task-agnostic visiolinguistic representations for visionand-language tasks. Advances in neural information processing systems, 32.

7. NCEES. Civil. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2024. https://ncees.org/exams/pe-exam/ civil/.

8. OpenAI. (n.d.). New Embedding Models and API Updates. Retrieved September 23, 2024. https://openai.com/index/newembedding-models-and-api-updates/.

9. OpenAI. Hello GPT-4o. May 13, 2024. Retrieved Sept. 23, 2024. https://openai. com/index/hello-gpt-4o/.

10. Pursnani, V., Sermet, Y., Kurt, M., and Demir, I. (2023). Performance of ChatGPT on the U.S. fundamentals of engineering exam: comprehensive assessment of proficiency and potential implications for professional environmental engineering practice. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 5, 100183.

11. Shannon, C. E. (1948). A mathematical theory of communication. The Bell System technical journal, 27(3), 379-423.

12. Rumelhart, D. E., Hinton, G. E., and Williams, R. J. (1986). Learning representations by back-propagating errors. nature, 323(6088), 533-536.

13. Vaswani, A. (2017). Attention is all you need. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems.

14. Yang, Z., Li, L., Lin, K., Wang, J., Lin, C. C., Liu, Z., and Wang, L. (2023). The dawn of lmms: Preliminary explorations with gpt4V(ision). arXiv preprint arXiv:2309.17421, 9(1), 1. S

Operators: Take the CEU Challenge!

Members of the Florida Water and Pollution Control Operators Association (FWPCOA) may earn continuing education units through the CEU Challenge! Answer the questions published on this page, based on articles in this month’s issue. Circle the letter of each correct answer. There is only one correct answer to each question! Answer 80 percent of the questions on any article correctly to earn 0.1 CEU for your license. Retests are available.

This month’s editorial theme is Emerging Issues. Look above each set of questions to see if it is for water operators (DW), distribution system operators (DS), or wastewater operators (WW). Mail the completed page (or a photocopy) to: Florida Environmental Professionals Training, P.O. Box 33119, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 33420-3119, or scan and email a copy to memfwpcoa@gmail.com. Enclose $15 for each set of questions you choose to answer (make checks payable to FWPCOA). You MUST be an FWPCOA member before you can submit your answers!

EARN CEUS BY ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM PREVIOUS JOURNAL ISSUES! Contact FWPCOA at membership@fwpcoa.org or at 561-840-0340. Articles from past issues can be viewed on the Journal website, www.fwrj.com.

Driving Employee Engagement in the New Work Environment

Jennifer Stokke Nyfennegger (Article 1: CEU = 0.1DS/DW/WW02015457)

1. According to Gallup polls, which group of employees saw the most pronounced drops in engagement?

a) Employees over 50

b) Employees under 35

c) Employees who work part time

d) Employees who work in the office

2. What are the three psychological conditions proposed by Kahn (1990) that influence employee engagement?

a) Psychological meaningfulness, psychological safety, psychological availability

b) Job satisfaction, job performance, organizational commitment

c) Workload, control, rewards and recognition

d) Community and social support, perceived fairness, values

3. What is the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model?

a) A model that links job resources and job demands to engagement and burnout

b) A model that measures job satisfaction

c) A model that evaluates employee performance

d) A model that assesses organizational commitment

4. Which of the following is not one of the six critical areas of organizational life that can lead to job burnout, according to Maslach et al. (2001)?

a) Workload b) Control

c) Psychological availability d) Values

5. What was one of the practical strategies proposed by Stein et al. (2021) to improve employee engagement after the pandemic?

a) Increasing employee salaries

b) Connecting what employees do to what they care about

c) Reducing employee working hours

d) Implementing new technology

Enhancing Water Treatment in South Florida by

Leveraging

Two Different Aquifer Systems and Membranes at the City of Riviera Beach

Suzanne Mechler, Layla L. Llewelyn, and Michael Hoisington (Article 2: CEU = 0.1DS/DW02015458)

1. Which two technologies are being used in the new water treatment facility?

a) Nanofiltration (NF) and ultrafiltration (UF)

b) NF and low-pressure reverse osmosis (LPRO)

c) UF and high-pressure reverse osmosis (HPRO)

d) Microfiltration (MF) and HPRO

2. What is the purpose of the well rehabilitation program?

a) To improve the existing raw water quality

b) To reduce membrane fouling

c) To ensure stable membrane operation

d) All of the above.

3. What is the main challenge with the Floridan Aquifer System (FAS)?

a) High levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

b) Uncertainty in total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations

c) Low water yield

d) High operational costs

4. What is the main advantage of using a hybrid membrane configuration for PFAS removal?

a) Higher rejection of PFAS

b) Lower post-treatment chemical requirements

c) Higher water yield

d) Lower operational costs

5. What is the purpose of the silt density index (SDI) analyzers mentioned in the document?

a) To monitor the feed water quality

b) To measure the membrane fouling rate

c) To optimize the pretreatment system

d) To control the suspended solids entering the membranes

April 26-29, 2026

Daytona Beach Ocean Center

CALLING ALL SPEAKERS

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PAPERS DUE BY OCTOBER 3, 2025 SAVE THE DATE FOR 2026 FWRC

Seize the opportunity to share your knowledge and solutions with the water industry. We are currently accepting papers/abstracts for consideration as a part of the 2026 Technical Program. Visit fwrc.org/learn to begin your submission today!

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Visit fwrc.org to keep informed of all key dates!

David Pickard was born on June 3, 1948. He was a proud Texan—born in San Diego, but raised in Grand Prairie, Texas, where he moved at just two weeks old. As a Navy brat and the beloved son of Ken and Grace (affectionately known as “Om”), Dave learned early the values of family, resilience, and loyalty. These would define the way he lived and loved. Over the years, Dave became the keystone of his own family—the calm, steady force who held everyone together. His wisdom guided those around him, and his love created the foundation on which generations stood.

Dave’s strong work ethic was rooted in a

In Memoriam David Wayne Pickard 1948 – 2025

solid educational foundation. He graduated from Grand Prairie High School, then earned a bachelor of science degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of Texas at Arlington. His academic journey sparked a lifelong passion for science and the environment. He dedicated more than 35 years to public service at the City of Tampa Wastewater Department. After retirement, he continued that work for another 20 years as a consultant with Premier Magnesia, focusing on wastewater collection systems. Dave played a vital role in protecting Tampa Bay’s health for future generations and was a respected expert in his field.

Dave was a member of the Florida Water Environment Association and served as its president from 1992 to 1993. He served on the Air Quality Committee for 15 years as a devoted contributing committee member and was promoted to member emeritus last February.

He was inducted into the Florida Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers in 1993 and was the recipient of numerous professional honors.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Dave lived life with curiosity, creativity, and a spirit of adventure. He and his beloved wife of 50 years traveled the world together, visiting all seven continents. He found joy in many hobbies: sailing, stamp collecting, woodworking, and his lifelong love of Ford Mustangs. A proud Wood Badge Owl, he served as a Cubmaster and Scoutmaster, mentoring countless scouts, including his two sons and grandson, whom he proudly helped become Eagle Scouts.

Dave was a gifted handyman who could fix just about anything. In recent years, one of his greatest joys was cooking alongside his grandson—passing down not only recipes but memories, stories, and love.

The family warmly invites those who wish to honor Dave’s memory to do so in one of the following meaningful ways:

S Donate blood: www.oneblood.org

S Join the National Marrow Donor Program: www.my.nmdp.org

S Support Shriners Children’s Hospital, where Dave was treated for polio as a child: www. donate.lovetotherescue.org

S Consider becoming an organ donor

He will be dearly missed, but his memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him. In the quiet moments, we will hear his laughter, feel his presence, and remember the deep, steady love he gave so freely. S

Driving Employee Engagement in the New Work Environment

Jennifer Stokke Nyfennegger

Employee engagement is more than just employee happiness or job satisfaction; it is the degree to which employees feel committed to and identify with an organization and feel energized at work. This engagement is mutually beneficial for the employee and the employer. Engaged employees are motivated to perform beyond expectations, set an example for others to follow, suffer less burnout, stay in organizations longer, and produce better business outcomes.

In the current era of hybrid work environments, work from home, and quiet quitting, employee engagement in the United States has not recovered to its prepandemic highs. Only 31 percent of U.S. employees are highly engaged in their jobs. According to Gallup polls conducted over the last two years, the most pronounced drops were observed in younger employees (under 35), employees who could do their jobs remotely but work exclusively onsite, and employees who work exclusively from home (Gallup 2024, Gallup 2025).

What does employee engagement really mean? And how can an organization’s leaders improve it? This article will visit those questions based on academic research, as well as share a case study of an engineering company’s efforts to continually improve employee engagement over the past decade. This topic is especially important in light of the challenges with recruiting, training, and retaining water industry workers, as evidenced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recent Water Sector Workforce Initiative to ensure a workforce that is strong, diverse, resilient, and attracts talented individuals.

Theories of Engagement

The concept of employee engagement was proposed by Kahn in 1990. It was rarely discussed again until 2010, when researchers and practitioners found renewed interest in the topic. Kahn’s original definition (1990), which is deeply personal and psychological, says that engagement is the “simultaneous employment and expression of a person’s ‘preferred self’ in task behaviors that promote

connections to work and to others, personal presence (physical, cognitive, and emotional), and active, full-role performance.”

In contrast, disengagement is defined as “the uncoupling of selves from work roles; in disengagement, people withdraw and defend themselves physically, cognitively, or emotionally during role performances.” Later, Maslach et al. (2001) defined engagement in the context of organizations (“an energetic state of involvement with personally fulfilling activities that enhance one’s sense of professional efficacy”) as the opposite of burnout (exhaustion, cynicism, and erosion of engagement with one’s job).

Similarly, theories of engagement align with the psychological and organizational definitions of engagement. Kahn (1990) argued that an individual’s degree of engagement was a function of three psychological conditions:

1. Psychological meaningfulness - The extent to which people derive meaning from their work (in the performance of their role) and feel that they are receiving a return on investment.

2. Psychological safety - Being able to employ and express one’s true self without fear of negative consequences to one’s self-image, status, or career.

3. Psychological availability - The belief that one has the physical energy, emotional energy, and psychological resources required to invest oneself in performing their job role.

From these three psychological conditions, Kahn (1990) interpreted that employees ask themselves three questions in each situation. From the answers, they make decisions about the extent to which they engage or disengage themselves in a workrelated role.

The questions are:

S How meaningful is it for me to bring myself into this performance?

S How safe is it do so?

S How available am I to do so?

A second theory of engagement centers around the concept of job burnout. Maslach et al. (2001, reported by Saks and Gruman

Jennifer Stokke Nyfennegger, Ph.D., P.E., is principal technologist/vice president at Carollo Engineers Inc. in Sarasota.

[2014]) argued that job burnout is the result of mismatches in six critical areas of organizational life (Figure 1):

S Workload

S Control

S Rewards and recognition

S Community and social support

S Perceived fairness

S Values

The likelihood of burnout grows with an increasing gap or mismatch between an employee and these six areas. Conversely, better engagement is associated with a sustainable workload, feelings of choice and control, appropriate recognition, a supportive work environment, fairness and justice in the workplace, and meaningful and valued work.

A third theory of engagement, which also stems from the burnout literature, is the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007). The premise of the JD-R model is that job resources and job demands influence engagement and burnout. For example, disengagement can be caused by high job demands leading to psychological and/or physical exhaustion, or a lack of job resources (e.g., organizational resources, such as pay, career opportunities, and job security; interpersonal resources, such as supervisor and coworker support, and climate; or task-related resources, such as skill variety, significance, autonomy, and performance feedback). Although job resources and demands are important for employee engagement, this model has been viewed by some as a rather narrow and limited view of employee engagement.

Besides working conditions, individual differences are also believed to predict employee engagement. There is some evidence that core self-evaluations, conscientiousness, positive affect, and proactive personality are positively related to engagement. Personal resources (self-efficacy, organization-based

1. Job burnout results from mismatches in six critical areas of organizational life, with the likelihood increasing as the gap between an employee and these areas widens.

self-esteem, and optimism) have been found to predict engagement and to mediate the relationship between job resources and engagement (Saks and Gruman, 2014).

An integrative theory of engagement that reconciles and integrates the Kahn (1990) psychological theory and the JD-R model (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007) has been proposed by Saks and Gruman (2014). This model includes several types of employee engagement, such as task, work, team, and organization engagement. In this model, leadership, job resources and demands, and psychological conditions are linked to the various types of employee engagement.

Outcomes

Employee engagement has been associated with employee and organizational outcomes (Figure 2). For employees, engagement has been positively related to job satisfaction, job performance, organizational commitment and citizenship behavior, health and wellness outcomes, and retention. As the antithesis of burnout, engagement is subjectively considered to be a positive state for the health and well-being of employees, although research has not reported significant relationships between engagement and more objective or physiological indicators of health. For organizations, employee engagement has been related to business-unit outcomes (e.g., customer satisfaction, productivity, profitability, turnover, and safety) in a large sample of business units (Saks and Gruman 2014).

Employee Engagement

After COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the U.S. labor market through record rates of job quitting in 2021 to 2022 in what is now known as the Great Resignation (Amanor-Boadu, 2022). Causes of these high job quitting rates included return-to-office mandates, more-

attractive job offers from other employers, and desire for a better work-life balance. After the great resignation, the labor market has gone through the great reshuffling. Some workers exited the labor market entirely, others quit and eventually rejoined the labor force, and others changed employers with little or no break in employment (Janicki, 2024).

Gallup surveys found that employees seek more clarity about what is expected of them at work, strong relationships (feeling someone at work cares about them as a person), and opportunities for professional development (Gallup, 2025).

Some argue that to counteract the wave of employee turnover, organizations need to focus more than ever on cultivating employee engagement. The work culture was revamped by COVID-19 through hybrid working solutions and faster adoption of technology. Hybrid work has been a blessing in disguise for some, but for others it has been challenging to balance working from home and personal

commitments. This has led to a change in employee-employer dynamics, creating new trends in employee engagement. For instance, implementing a “coaching approach” instead of a managerial approach helped improve engagement and performance, creating a sense of ownership without feeling controlled (DiGiSPICE Technologies, 2022).

Stein et al. (2021) proposed the following practical strategies for employers to improve employee engagement after the pandemic:

S Connecting what employees do to what they care about (e.g., revising a company mission statement to connect with employee values, showing how an employee’s work is related to the organization’s purpose).

S Making the work itself less stressful and more enjoyable (e.g., granting employees more autonomy, offering work task flexibility where appropriate, and boosting confidence through a mentorship program).

Continued on page 20

Figure 2. Employee engagement is linked to positive outcomes.

Figure

Continued from page 19

S Creating time affluence (e.g., rewarding employees with time in addition to money; implementing tools that discourage after-hours emails).

Measuring and Improving Engagement: A Case Study

For over a decade, Carollo Engineers, a national consulting firm focused exclusively on water, has prioritized employee engagement as part of its continuous improvement efforts. The company employs over 1,600 staff members across 53 offices in North America. To guide engagement initiatives, Carollo formed an employee engagement group composed of representatives from a broad cross section of roles and locations within the company. This group focuses on strengthening professional and emotional connections among employees.

Since 2014, the group has partnered with an external vendor, CustomInsight, to administer an employee engagement survey every three years. Participation is voluntary and anonymous, and most employees have responded in each cycle. The surveys include approximately 40 questions and take 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

Survey questions focused on the following areas:

S Culture of Engagement - Measures whether the organization has a culture that motivates, empowers, challenges, and respects employees.

S Strategic Alignment - Measures how well employees understand the company’s direction and their role in achieving it.

S Motivating and Relating - Measures how managers inspire employees, build strong teams, and foster positive interpersonal relationships.

S Managing Execution - Measures how well managers define expectations, ensure accountability, and drive results.

S Barriers to Success - Areas that are not statistically linked to the four factors of engagement, but that can impede an organization’s ability to successfully execute its strategy.

The group oversees the survey process, evaluates results, and develops recommendations for improvement. Responses are aggregated within the survey platform to maintain anonymity, benchmarked against other organizations, and evaluated at both companywide and demographic levels. Consistency in survey

content has allowed for trend analysis over time. Actionable insights from analytics have been used to transform employee feedback into concrete, data-backed solutions.

Improvement areas were identified at both the local and organizational level. Because employee engagement is often driven by an employee’s relationship with their direct supervisor, local results and recommendations were shared with each office. Direct supervisors and managers have the opportunity to coach employees, empower them, create a sense of purpose and direction, and influence employee understanding of how their work relates to the bigger picture within the organization.

Companywide recommendations from the surveys were reviewed and supported by senior leadership, whose backing was essential for overcoming roadblocks and ensuring that employee feedback led to meaningful change. Implementation leads were identified to carry out these initiatives and make them operational. Actions taken included enhancements to communication, career development, leadership training, mentoring, project management, and resource planning. Progress updates were shared with staff along the way to maintain transparency and momentum.

Survey data from 2023 showed that Carollo’s flexible approach to hybrid work likely mitigated many of the challenges seen in other organizations. Since the first survey, the overall engagement score has increased by 36 percent, with the share of highly engaged employees now more than double the national average. While methods for measuring engagement remain debated (Saks and Gruman, 2014), Carollo has observed tangible benefits from its continued focus on employee engagement.

Conclusions

A high level of employee engagement is beneficial—both for the employee and the organization. The case study shared here highlights how an active mindset toward employee engagement and implementation of thoughtful changes within the organization resulted in measurable improvements.

As the water sector continues to face challenges with recruitment and retention of skilled workers, organizations in the industry should consider the potential benefits of programs and practices that drive employee engagement.

Acknowledgment

Thank you to Carollo’s Melina Bautista for her help with the literature review.

References

• Amanor-Boadu, V. November 2022. “Empirical Evidence for the ‘Great Resignation.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ mlr/2022/article/empirical-evidence-forthe-great-resignation.htm#:~:text=The%20 article%20empirically%20confirms%20 the,thereby%20increasing%20 employees’%20switching%20costs.

• Bakker, A. B., and E. Demerouti. April 3, 2007. “The Job Demands-Resources Model: State of the Art.” Journal of Managerial Psychology 22, no. 3: 309-328.

• DiGiSPICE Technologies. 2022. “Employee engagement post Covid.” LinkedIn.

• Gallup. Jan. 10, 2024. “Employee engagement in U.S. sinks to an 11-year low.” https:// www.gallup.com/workplace/643286/ engagement-hits-11-year-low.aspx.

• Gallup. June 11, 2025. “Employee Engagement Sinks to New 10-year Low.” https://www. gallup.com/workplace/654911/employeeengagement-sinks-year-low.aspx.

• Janicki, H. May 13, 2024. “How the COVID-19 Pandemic Prompted More People to Change Jobs.” United States Census Bureau. https:// www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/05/ great-reshuffling.html?utm_ campaign=20240513msacos1ccstors&utm_ medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

• Kahn, W. A. December 1990. “Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work.” Academy of Management Journal 33, no. 4: 692-724.

• Maslach, C., and M. P. Leiter. May 2008. “Early Predictors of Job Burnout and Engagement.” Journal of Applied Psychology 93, no. 3: 498-512.

• Maslach, C., W. B. Schaufeli, and M. P. Leiter. February 2001. “Job Burnout.” Annual Review of Psychology 52: 397-422.

• Saks, A., and J. Gruman. June 17, 2014. “What Do We Really Know About Employee Engagement?” Human Resource Development Quarterly 25, no. 2. DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.21187.

• Stein, D., N. Hobson, J. M. Jachimowicz, and A. Whillans. Oct. 13, 2021. “How Companies Can Improve Employee Engagement Right Now.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/10/ how-companies-can-improve-employeeengagement-right-now. S

Ann Lee

Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority, Lakewood Ranch

Work title and years of service.

I have been in the accounting and finance field for over 20 years and with the authority serving its head of finance and budget for the last 10 and a half years. Prior to moving to the public sector, I held various accounting and financial management positions in the private sector of both domestic and international manufacturing and technology entities.

FWRJ READER PROFILE

What does your job entail?

I am responsible for overseeing all accounting, finance, grant, budget, procurement, and risk management for the authority.

What education and training have you had?

I have a bachelor of arts degree from the University of South Florida and a master’s of business administration from the University of Phoenix. I also hold a designation as a Certified Government Finance Officer.

What do you like best about your job?

I really enjoy being part of an organization where the focus is on providing a service and the amazing people I get to work with on a daily basis. I also enjoy the diversity of my tasks—from contractual reviews and planning to highly technical governmental accounting standard implementation and reporting.

What professional organizations do you belong to?

I am an active member of the Florida Government Finance Officers Association (FGFOA), Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), American Water Works Association (AWWA), and Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA).

How have the organizations helped your career?

As my career has primarily focused on finance, accounting, and business management, FSAWWA has helped me learn and understand the specific challenges in the water industry. I appreciate the leadership positions I have held at FSAWWA, both on a regional basis as well as leading the Rates and Finance Committee, as it has allowed me to develop my leadership skills and bring a different perspective to discussions—often bridging the communication gap between utilities and finance groups.

What do you like best about the industry?

The people in this industry are incredible. Prior to joining the authority, I had no idea how much work went into ensuring the public has high-quality drinking water. I am still amazed by the silent heroes who continue to provide this essential service to the public and am honored that I get to help the mission in a small way.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I enjoy spending time with my family and our two basset hounds. We are avid sports fans, particularly hockey (Go Bolts!) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (due to my martial arts background). I also enjoy gardening, being outdoors and staying active, and love to bake tasty treats to share. S

EPA Grants to Protect Drinking Water from Natural Hazards and Cybersecurity Threats

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced over $9 million in grant funding for midsize and large water systems to help protect drinking water from cybersecurity threats and improve resiliency for extreme weather events. The agency is also publishing a report highlighting recommendations to strengthen resiliency to cyberattacks in the water sector.

The Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program is authorized by Congress through the Safe Drinking Water Act, and EPA is seeking grant applications from public water systems serving 10,000 people or more. This funding opportunity will remain open for 60 days on www.grants.gov.

The EPA report, “Securing the Future of Water: Addressing Cyber Threats Today,”

includes recommendations calling for a holistic approach to strengthen cybersecurity in the water sector by enhancing coordination and collaboration across government agencies, associations, and water utilities. Systems are being encouraged to address unique needs, normalize and promote cybersecurity measures, and improve access to technical assistance. These recommendations were produced by an EPA Water Sector Cybersecurity Task Force, formed by members of the Water Sector Government Coordinating Council and Sector Coordinating Council, groups that connect EPA with partners from national associations, state primacy agencies, water utilities, and other related representatives. There are several priority actions that accompany the recommendations, including

the development of water-sector-focused cybersecurity leadership training, increasing direct cybersecurity technical assistance, providing webinars and curated resources for utilities, integration of cybersecurity into operator certification and continuing education, and coordination with state chief information offices for cybersecurity support. S

Steve Soltau

Utilities Helping Utilities: A FlaWARN Story

I have three questions for you:

S Have you heard of FlaWARN or WaterTracker?

S Have you heard of a mutual aid agreement?

S Do you think your utility is fully prepared to take care of itself after an emergency?

If you answered in the negative to any of these, I have a short story to share with you.

A New Life

Kurt and Maggie Johnston and their 6-year-old twins, Ashley and Taylor, were new transplants to central Florida from southern Illinois. Kurt was a handsome young man, blonde, strong and broad-shouldered, his hands calloused and scarred from years of manhandling heavy equipment.

Kurt had recently accepted a high-paying promotion to manager of the largest John Deere farm equipment repair business in rural Florida, and soon after Kurt got settled in the job and found a good place to live, Maggie and the twins moved down to join him at the Grand Pines Mobile Home Park.

Since leaving the cold and cloudy Midwest, the young couple had come to love the peace and quiet of the steamy Florida landscape. They learned to depend on each

other to carry them through the times of uncertainty and were happy with the outcomes of their choices. Weekends were spent fishing with the twins, watching silver sunrises glisten off the ripples of the river while Ashley squealed at catching the first three-pound bass of the day. In the afternoon, they would retreat into their air-conditioned home, do some housecleaning, or just take a nap.

Most nights would find them sitting at their custom-made picnic table, built as a family project over a long holiday weekend. Teaching Taylor and Ashley about carpentry: how to cut and measure boards, how to use a hammer and nails, and how to use a wood burning tool to trace their handprints and names on the bench seats, created cherished memories. Usually, at the end of the day, smoke was snatched up by the evening breeze as that morning’s fresh catch sizzled on the grill.

But not this night. This night was different.

A Storm Changes Everything

Pounding rain slammed against the thin aluminum trailer. Dark swirling winds blew

through the rattling window frames, whistling like a sharp blade, threatening to cut a hole right through the walls. The lights had cut off 30 minutes earlier, the toilet was making a gurgling sound, and the mobile home was shaking. Water levels in the river that flowed behind the park had risen a full 12 inches, just a few inches below the back door, and showed no sign of slowing down.

This night, the family was huddled in the bathtub and covered by a mattress. Fear gripped them like never before. Lightning flashed, winds howled, and violent bursts of thunder shook the cinderblock foundations of their three-bedroom mobile home.

The family of four embraced tightly and prayed. As if in a dream, the continuous drumming of rain on the roof lulled them into a false sense that time had slowed. Later, when talking with the authorities, Maggie could’ve sworn they were in that bathtub for only an hour, but Kurt had set the timer on his watch when he pulled the mattress over their heads. Taking a moment now to glance at his first Father’s Day gift from the twins, tightly attached to his wrist with a Mickey Mouse strap, the digital display glowed in the darkness, showing four hours and 25 minutes.

Cautiously, as the wind slowed, the rain softened, and complete darkness closed in, Kurt was the first to step out from the bathtub. Stooping to pull the mattress back over the heads of his loved ones, he kissed them each once, told them to stay in the bathtub, keep their heads down, and promised he would be right back.

As he stepped into the hallway, the darkness was overwhelming, surrounding him and choking him with fear. As he stopped and steadied himself against the wall, the only sounds were of his heart thumping and blood rushing in his ears. Taking several slow, deep breaths, Kurt was able to gather his thoughts. He remembered the small penlight in the vanity drawer. Stepping back into the bathroom, he could hear Maggie comforting the children, her soft, angelic voice reassuring them and quieting their tears.

The sound of her whispering carried his thoughts back through the years to the day they first met; her olive skin and shoulder length golden-brown hair glowing in the summer sunshine. He remembered a smiling round face and a mischievous glint in her dark eyes as she reached for his hand. She stole his heart that day and has owned it ever since.

His mind shifted six years ahead to the day in May when the twins were born—the coldest day in May on record! He will never forget driving home from the hospital that morning, dew frozen to the windshield, the old Volkswagen’s heater still broken. Pulling into the driveway of their small duplex, Kurt cried out loudly, “Maggie, we’re moving to Florida!”

Well, here they now were, six years later, sitting in a bathtub riding out the biggest storm of their lives.

Jolted by a burst of purpose, energy, and self-confidence, Kurt yanked open the drawer, grabbed the penlight, switched it on, and silently promised to thank Maggie for insisting he replace the batteries last week.

The LED light cut through the darkness like a knife, revealing a sight too surreal for Kurt to comprehend. Everything was still there: no broken windows, no holes in the roof, no water on the floor. He flipped the wall switch on and off, but nothing happened. He tried again and again with the same result: no power.

Kurt took another breath and slowly moved through the living room toward the front door. He turned the handle and pushed; the door was stuck. Pocketing the penlight, he pushed harder, then stepping back, slammed into the door with his shoulder. It still would not budge. With frustration building, he made several desperate kicks with his size 11 steeltoed Red Wing work boots aiming about four

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Mutual aid agreement partial screenshot.

FlaWARN homepage.

Crews on the ground restoring service.

Continued from page 23

inches below the doorknob, remembering he read somewhere a door frame is the weakest just below the lock. Sweat dripping down his forehead and burning into his eyes, he wiped his face with both hands and his vision cleared. He saw the door frame was bent and pushed out almost two inches, but the door was still stuck. Flicking the penlight back on, he pointed the beacon of light through the gap in the frame, splitting the darkness outside.

An oak tree almost 12 inches around was wedged tight up against the door. The tree was snapped on one end and jammed into the screened porch, long splinters of wood projecting out like sharpened spears from a hidden booby trap in an old Indiana Jones movie. The other end of the tree was lost in the darkness of the front yard revealing only darker, flittering shadows that looked like ghostly leaves and scattered debris.

Holding the penlight in his mouth, Kurt turned and made his way to the back door. Pointing the penlight through the cracked window, Kurt could not believe what he was seeing: electrical power lines dangled from the trees, while white sparks bounced and skittered across the backyard like frenzied fireflies. A glint of light caught his attention. Something moved in the darkness. The family picnic table was floating away.

Carefully making his way back to the bathroom, Kurt could have laughed at the scene. Maggie, Taylor, and Ashley were sitting on the edge of the tub like it was a normal Saturday bathtime! They were covered in towels, clothes rumpled and sweaty. The thin mattress was strewn between the toilet and the sink, sagging to the floor like an old saddleback horse.

All humor vanished when he saw their eyes, red and swollen from the tears. There was a large purple bump in the center of Maggie’s forehead and Ashley’s right hand was bleeding. They looked up at him with a mix of hope and fear; he could not tell which. Ashley had a deep cut on her right thumb; from what, they never found out. Kurt told Taylor to go to the kitchen and get a tray of ice cubes from the freezer. He put Ashley’s hand under the faucet to wash off the blood, but when he turned the handle nothing came out. He turned the other handle; again, no water. He grabbed a towel and cleaned the cut as best he could, stretching a butterfly closure across the cut and covering it with a Disney Princess Band-Aid. Taylor returned from the kitchen with a half-melted tray of ice cubes, reporting the refrigerator light wasn’t working and everything in the freezer was melting. Kurt wrapped what little ice they had

Continued on page 26

Unloading large generators.

Crews on the ground restoring service.

a hurricane.

in a small wash cloth and gave it to Maggie. She held it to her head and let out a deep sigh, a sigh that broke Kurt’s heart.

The worst of the storm had passed. It was well past midnight and they were exhausted. Following the small beam from the penlight that seemed to dissolve into the darkness, they shuffled to the bedroom, where the twins snuggled between them on the bed. A light rain continued to patter on the roof. The darkness overtook them and they slept.

Visions danced in Kurt’s swirling dreams. Fireflies sparked around his head while enormous trees marched across flooded fields like the ancient Ents of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

Kurt was startled awake by sounds he didn’t recognize—maybe buzzing—the irritating sounds getting louder and louder. The he heard: “Dad!”

Kurt’s eyes popped open; it was Taylor calling to him. Last night’s memories roared back, seeming to overwhelm him. As Maggie’s hand slipped under the covers and took a firm hold of his fingers, his nightmarish fears calmed. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, bare feet landing hard on the dry linoleum floor. Wet with sweat because of his dreams, he stood up, took a deep satisfying breath, and walked down the hall. Looking out the same cracked kitchen window, he squinted as his eyes adjusted to the bright morning light reflected off of the slow-moving water now covering their back yard like a smooth sheet of ice. But this wasn’t Illinois. The rivers don’t freeze in Florida, do they?

Aid Arrives

Before his mind could comprehend what

he was seeing, those dang fireflies returned, buzzing and pounding at his front door. Kurt ran to the living room, pulled back the front window curtains and saw three people, two men and a woman, dressed in goggles, heavy clothes, and leather gloves. Each was holding a bright orange chain saw.

Piece by piece, these strangers cut away the tree that was jammed against the front door and it slowly swung open. As the last spindled branches were cleared from the opening, Maggie stepped out from the hallway holding the damp cloth to her head, the ice long melted. Taylor was standing next to her, holding hands with Ashley, wrapping another towel around her bloody thumb. Kurt fell to his knees, pulled them close and held them tight.

They were safe. Unhurt. Together.

The storm started at 8:00 p.m. the previous night and ended about 2:00 a.m. the next morning. The entire mobile home park was without power; toilets would not flush, and there was no running water. Two of the 30 homes were damaged by trees, but still livable. One vacant home had a roof torn back like a sardine can. Broken tree branches pulled down major power lines, tree roots pulled up water pipes. Battery-power radios were tuned to local news stations and children gathered wood for a bonfire planned for that night. Chain saws whined and small generators growled as volunteers took turns cutting though windblown trees blocking the only road in and out of the community.

Fortunately, two years ago, the owner of Grand Pines Utilities signed a FlaWARN mutual aid agreement (MAA), which codifies how utilities and other agencies share resources, and by 4:00 p.m. that afternoon, a response team arrived with several trailer-

mounted generators, a couple of portable toilets, blankets, extension cords, water, and blue plastic roof tarps.

Large generators were wired up to the local treatment plants and the broken pipes repaired. By nightfall drinking water was flowing in to the homes and wastewater was flowing out. Small generators were shared and extension cords snaked across front yards providing power to lights, fans, and coffee pots.

Early the next morning, well before sunrise, Kurt stepped outside and surveyed the landscape, reflecting on yesterday’s events. Scanning the area left to right, his mind struggled to absorb the unbelievable view lit by the glow of the full moon: fallen oak tree roots reaching into the sky, power poles snapped in half, and big black electric wires strewn around like scattered spaghetti noodles.

Checking on Maggie and the twins, he found them still asleep, so Kurt wandered down to fire pit. He saw several of the first responders gathered around, the firelight dancing across their faces. Some of his neighbors were spooning out large portions of sizzling bacon, hot scrambled eggs, and sliced fried potatoes from large black-iron pans. Surprised that several of the team had stayed overnight by sleeping in their trucks, the community was eager to accept their offers for help again today.

Stepping into the circle, he introduced himself. Off to his left, a short, handsome woman with thin wire glasses and a huge smile stood up to greet him, extending a firm handshake. She introduced the team one by one, bragging on their willingness to help and expecting nothing in return. She had a certain authority in her voice, the team visibly respected her, looking like they were waiting the next set of orders for the day. Kurt thought to himself: Obviously, this is the leader of their group.

Kurt learned a lot that morning about the work that goes on before, during, and after an emergency. Impressed with the rapid response and efficiency of the team, he decided to ask more about who they were, where they came from, and how did they know about their little mobile home park out in the wilds of rural Florida.

Kurt learned about the free FlaWARN MAA that the Grand Pines Utilities owner had signed two years ago. He learned about WATERTracker, the online resource for utilities to ask for help after an emergency. He learned about the hundreds of people in the background who made all that happen. Intrigued, Kurt wondered: What does it take to be such a person? What kind of skills

Crews on the ground providing assistance.

and education are needed to lead a team of FlaWARN first responders?

During that campfire breakfast, sharing a meal with a bunch of strangers who came out of nowhere to help, he made the decision to talk to Maggie about looking into a career change: maybe an engineer, maintenance supervisor, electrician, or water treatment plant shift lead. So many choices! Later that evening, Kurt Googled FlaWARN and made a few phone calls, thus putting in motion a change in career leading him to higher education, unexpected prosperity, lifelong friendships, and a strong feeling of self-worth by serving his community.

About a week later, Kurt was working with a group of neighbors stacking up the last large branches along the roadside. Just as they were about to stop for lunch, a noisy faded red pickup truck sped around the corner, Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band blasting out of the speakers. Startled by the noise, Kurt jumped back, falling on his rear end in a muddy puddle of rainwater. The truck swerved, missed him by six inches, and skidded to a stop about 100 feet away.

A scruffy older man, with white unkempt hair, Bermuda shorts, and a loose black t-shirt that read “Still Lookin’ for my Lost Shaker of Salt” opened the passenger door, leapt out of the truck and yelled into the crowd, “Is ‘dere a Ash’ly or a Tay’lr ‘round here? Ah found sometin’ down river and Ah thinks it belongs ta ‘dem!”

All heads turned to look at this peculiar man who reached into the back of his shabby truck and struggled with something. As the liftgate slowly dropped, a battered, but solid, custom-made picnic table spilled out onto the road. Grabbing a rag, the guy wiped away some of the mud. Burnt deep into the wooden seats, the tracings of four handprints with the names Ashley, Taylor, Maggie, and Kurt were revealed.

Assistance After a Catastrophe

Scenes like this take place across the Sunshine State every year. Hurricanes and gray-sky events bring record rainfalls, damaging winds and tornadoes, rivers that crest at flood levels not recorded in recent history, and storm surges that completely wash away coastal homes and leave nothing behind but a concrete pad, pipes, wires, and a few broken boards.

After an emergency, many water and wastewater utilities find themselves without commercial power and lacking the equipment or people with the skill sets to return their systems back to fully operational status after

the storm passes. Most of those utilities find it difficult and frustratingly cumbersome to get any assistance without some kind of agreement for the responding utility to get reimbursed for their efforts.

Restoring drinking water and basic sanitary services to communities after an emergency is a vital human safety need. Without these critical services, the Department of Health will not allow people back into their homes; firefighters cannot put out fires; and unsanitary mixtures of sewage, sand, and storm runoff invade homes and streets, leaving communities uninhabitable.

The 2004 hurricane season in Florida was unprecedented for the time. There were a total of four hurricanes similar to the one in this story that rampaged across the state in just six weeks. In fact, two of the four, Frances and Jeanne, made landfall just two miles apart, with only three weeks between them.

It became very apparent that there was a need to expand emergency aid and communication efforts to a statewide system. After much discussion and input from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Florida Division of Emergency Management, Florida Rural Water Association, and several utilities from across Florida, it was decided that the best solution was to create a “one source” for all water and wastewater facilities to report event-related status and request help (resources) if necessary. FlaWARN was born in April of 2005.

Coordinating Emergency Response

FlaWARN is a formalized mutual aid response network/consortium of “Utilities Helping Utilities” to provide critical resources during manmade or natural disasters. It facilitates the free flow of information during a crisis utilizing the Water Assistance Tracking and Emergency Response system (WATERTracker).

WATERTracker has become the major internet-based platform designed specifically for utilities to notify FDEP of post-storm status, request resource needs (I need help!) and offer post-storm assistance (I can help!) Similar to a shared drive, this onesource online system cleverly combines the former FDEP StormTracker website with the FlaWARN event tracker website, becoming the primary means of communication across the mutual aid network. Coordination and consultation among the requesting utility, FlaWARN, and WATERTracker facilitates confirmation by the responding utility to send the appropriate crews, tools, and equipment necessary to help the damaged utility.

This system is designed for all hazard types. By coordinating with FDEP, county and state departments of emergency management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency the system is able to provide additional resources as they become available.

The MAA is a free legal covenant, a promise between neighbors, a community’s pledge to another that says, “We will be there for you.” The MAAs establish the terms under which one party provides resources, such as work crews, equipment, or supplies to another party. They also determine, in advance, how one party will be reimbursed for the help supplied to another party.

Having a signed MAA on file before an emergency occurs allows for rapid, uninterrupted response and resolution following an emergency. Signing an MAA on the hood of a work truck in the pouring rain is not advised.

So, I ask you again:

S Have you heard of FlaWARN or WATERTracker?

S Have you heard of a mutual aid agreement?

S Do you think your utility is fully prepared to take care of itself after an emergency?

How You Can Help

Do you think your utility is fully equipped to provide mutual aid to a damaged utility? If so, I invite you to give us a call or send an email to learn more about FlaWARN and “Friends Helping Friends” before an emergency event has rendered your system not fully operational.

Resources

S FlaWARN website: www.flawarn.pwd. aa.ufl.edu

S Mutual aid agreements: www.flawarn.pwd. aa.ufl.edu/maa

S WATERTracker: www.flwatertracker.com

Steve Soltau is owner of H2O-KnowledgePro providing workforce coaching and process control solutions. He retired from Pinellas County Utilities as operations division director in 2021 after 40 years of professional service to the drinking water and wastewater industry. Steve continues to give back by working as the FlaWARN coordinator and as an instructor for the Florida Rural Water Association’s apprenticeship program. He can be reached at ssoltau55@gmail.com, steve.soltau@frwa.net, and (727) 272-0374. S

2025 Drop Savers Contest

Drop Savers Poster Contest Winners Announced

Melissa Velez

Every year the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA) sponsors the “Drop Savers” Water Conservation Poster Contest. Students from Kindergarten to 12th grade are encouraged to create a poster depicting a water conservation idea in slogan form, drawing form, or both. The contest allows students to promote water awareness and the importance of water conservation in their daily routines.

Posters are designated under one of the following categories:

S Division 1 - Kindergarten and First Grade

S Division 2 - Second and Third Grade

S Division 3 - Fourth and Fifth Grade

S Division 4 - Middle School: Grades Six, Seven, and Eight

S Division 5 - High School: Grades Nine, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve

Rules for the contest include:

S Posters are drawn on 8 ½-inch x 11-inch white paper (horizontally or vertically).

S Each poster must portray a water conservation idea in a slogan, drawing, or both. Students may use crayons, paint, color pencils, or markers. No highlighters, photos, or computer graphics are permitted.

S Students must work on posters individually, otherwise posters will be disqualified.

S Only original artwork will be accepted (i.e., no trademarked or copyrighted materials).

The responsibility of the Drop Savers Committee is to invite and provide each water utility in Florida with the guidelines for running their own poster contest. Once water utilities select their winners, they send the firstplace winner’s poster to the committee, where they participate in the state competition. This year, there were over 100 posters from 29 water utilities that participated in the contest.

DIVISION 1

The prizes for this year included:

S First-Place Winners:

• $100 Amazon gift card

• Plaque displaying the poster

• Calendar displaying the poster

• Water conservation kit

• Certificate

S Second-Place Winners:

• $75 Amazon gift card

• Calendar displaying the poster

• Water conservation kit

• Certificate

S Third-Place Winners:

• $50 Amazon gift card

• Calendar displaying the poster

• Water conservation kit

• Certificate

The winning Drop Savers posters are pictured here.

Melissa Velez, P.E., LEED AP, is an engineering manager at Black & Veatch in Coral Springs. S

2025 Drop Savers Contest

DIVISION

2

DIVISION

3

DIVISION 4

DIVISION 2 – FIRST PLACE Rider Leib

Miami-Dade Water and Sewer

DIVISION 2 – SECOND PLACE

Celestia Lee Orange County

DIVISION 2 – THIRD PLACE

Selene Butler Hillsborough County

DIVISION

Aaliyah Barwick Miami-Dade Water and Sewer

DIVISION

Lya Garcia Abreu Hillsborough County

DIVISION 3 – THIRD PLACE

Celeste Derrico City of Boca Raton DIVISION

Ariana Solis Clermont DIVISION

Giulia Giorsetti GRU

DIVISION 4 – THIRD PLACE

Varvara Cheremushkina Orange County

2025 Drop Savers Contest

DIVISION 5

DIVISION 5 – FIRST PLACE

Milena Masters GRU

DIVISION 5 – SECOND PLACE

Breanna Long JEA

DIVISION 5 – THIRD PLACE

Adaliz P Palm Bay

»Online Registration Opens: August 11, 2025 »Online Registration Deadline: November 7, 2025 fsawwa.org/2025fallregistration

First Name: _____________________ Last Name:

Name to Appear on Badge: AWWA Member No: __________

Organization:

Address: _________________________________________

City: State: Zip:

Phone:C ) ______ Fax: C-->

Email:

CEUIPDH Registration: We offer 0.1 CEU and 1 PDH per hour of participation in Technical Sessions, Symposiums, and Workshops. Fall Conference Course# 05100155

D I am a Florida Professional Engineer, No: D I am a Florida Licensed Operator, No: Please select one: D Plant D Distribution D Collection

Full Registration {3 days):

Includes: Monday Workshops, Opening General Session, BBQ, Technlcal Sessions, Exhibits, Meet & Greet (Does not Include Utility Systems Symposium, and Business & Awards Luncheon)

Daily Registration: Workshops, Technical Sessions and Exhibits

Please select a day: (LUNCH NOT INCLUDED

D Monday (Includes all Monday events, except Utility Systems Symposium)

D Students - Complimentary (Registration Required! No CEU/PDH)

D Speaker (One-day only)* Select day:

Free with lull or one-day registration

Register online is strongly recommended at: www.fsawwa.org/2025

Questions: Kim Kowalski I kim@fsawwa.org

Note: A 30% service fee will be retained on any cancellation by Nov. 1. No refunds after Nov. 2, 2025.

Hotel Accommodations

Host hotel is Rosen Shingle Creek. For more information, visit fsawwa.org/2025hotel

November 30 - December 3, 2025

Rising Voices, Expanding Impact: FSAWWA Regions X, XI, and XII Lead With Purpose

SLisa Wilson-Davis Chair, FSAWWA

tretching across Florida’s northern and central landscapes, Regions X, XI, and XII of the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FSAWWA) are gaining momentum— and inspiring others along the way. Each of these regions offers a distinct reflection of Florida’s water story, from coastal resilience and smart growth to educational outreach and rural innovation.

As I conclude my regional spotlight series, it’s clear the strength of FSAWWA lies both within our diverse geography, and, most importantly, in the passion of our members.

Region X: Creativity, Collaboration, and Coastal Charm

Overview

Covering Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee, and Sarasota counties, Region X is as dynamic as the estuaries that wind through its landscape. Known for its natural beauty, from quartz beaches to the wetlands of the Celery Fields, this region’s magic is matched only by the energy of its volunteers.

Signature Programs and Partnerships

Heather Manganiello has led the region’s flourishing Model Water Tower Competition, inspiring local students to explore water engineering. Region X also excels in partnership: collaborating with Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA), Florida Engineering Society, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and

local utilities to host joint luncheons, a celebrated Joint Holiday Party, and the highly anticipated annual CIP Night, where select utilities share capital improvement plans with peers, vendors, and consultants.

Event Highlights

At the Hydro Hunt Fundraiser for Water Equation held in March, teams raced through Celery Fields solving puzzles, building spaghetti towers, and mastering FSAWWA trivia—proof that engineering and fun go hand in hand.

Recognition

S Brooke Bailey: 2024 Region X Volunteer of the Year

S Michael Acosta: Florida Section Service Award for leadership as Region Chair (2021–2024)

Upcoming

Events

S Sept. 11, 2025 – Region X/FWEA Luncheon at Sarasota County BOB Center

S Nov. 30 – Dec. 3, 2025 – FSAWWA Fall Conference, Orlando

Fun Facts

Region X is water-rich, with the Gulf of Mexico, Peace River, Myakka River, and Charlotte Harbor in its boundaries. Region X is also home to fast-growing cities like Sarasota and North Port, which are leading the way in green infrastructure and smart water use. This region is also a biodiversity haven and a birding hotspot, particularly around Celery Fields.

Whether you’re kayaking a mangrove tunnel or solving puzzles at Hydro Hunt, Region X proves that water professionals know how to work hard, play hard, and lead with purpose.

Region XI: Innovation Rooted in Education

Overview

Region XI encompasses a broad swath of north central Florida—home to midsize utilities, natural springs, and one of the state’s leading research institutions. Region XI includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levey, Marion, Suwannee, and Union counties.

Region X Model Water Tower Competition volunteers. Region X model water towers.

The counties in this region are famous for their pristine freshwater springs, perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and diving. Gilchrist County is particularly notable for having the highest concentration of firstmagnitude springs in the state in such a compact area.

In addition, the Suwannee River, a federally designated wild river, flows through several of these counties, including Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, and Suwannee. The river offers scenic paddling, fishing, and wildlife viewing opportunities. The Santa Fe River also provides numerous springs and paddling options in Alachua, Columbia, Gilchrist, and Levy counties.

Alachua County features Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park, a fascinating deep sinkhole formed by the collapse of an underground cave, offering a glimpse into the region’s geological history.

Education and Outreach

This region thrives on knowledge sharing. Andrea Ditto, past chair, has been instrumental in forging connections between utilities and academia, particularly through collaborations with the University of Florida (UF).

Signature Events

S Monthly Lunch and Learns with ASCE

S Best Tasting Drinking Water Competition

S Introduction to Environmental Engineering Roundtable at UF

S Young Professionals (YP) Summer Seminar (Aug. 27, 2025): “From Source to Solution: Transforming Water Systems Through Innovation”

Recognition

S Andrea Ditto: Florida Section Service Award for her leadership as Region XI chair (2022–2024)

Unique Strengths

With Gainesville as a research hub and a strong pipeline of future water professionals, Region XI is a model for how education, innovation, and volunteerism can drive industry progress.

Region XII: Building Momentum in the Panhandle

Overview

Region XII serves northwest Florida, including Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties. Historically served by the Florida Rural Water Association, the region is now experiencing an FSAWWA

resurgence, fueled by development, leadership, and enthusiasm.

Here, Bay County is named for the abundance of bays, boasting 27 miles of beaches along the Emerald Coast. Its waters contain sunken shipwrecks, coral communities, and tropical fish, making it popular for snorkeling and diving. Calhoun County is home to 45 of Florida’s 62 native habitats and 127 rare species of plants and animals, making it an ecotourism magnet. Washington County is home to Falling Waters State Park, which features Florida’s tallest waterfall and a 73-foot-deep sinkhole.

New Leadership

New officers for the region include:

S Chair: Jeff Brittain

S Vice Chair: Hayden Brown

S Treasurer: Elizabeth Moore (new member!)

S Secretary: Will Swearington (new member!)

Former chairs Don Hamm and Sean Lathrop remain active contributors. Sean received the Florida Section Service Award for his leadership from 2017 to 2024.

New Energy

Two recent social events brought together utilities, consultants, and vendors, igniting connections and momentum for future growth. The mix of rural and coastal challenges in Region XII creates opportunities for tailored programming and regional problem solving.

Fun Facts

Two counties, Washington and Jackson, are both named after United States presidents. Region XII boasts one of the few counties in the U.S., Gulf County, that spans two time zones; imagine the challenges this poses in coordinating events!

Also, with some of the most stunning beaches in the world, Region XII reminds us just how critical it is to protect Florida’s waters—both for today and for generations to come.

Closing Thoughts: The Power of Volunteers

As I wrap up my regional spotlight series, one truth stands out: the Florida Section of AWWA runs on volunteer power. It is the individuals throughout our industry who give their time, talent, and passion to keep our section vibrant and forward-moving.

From model tower competitions to student roundtables, and from the Panhandle to the Peace River, FSAWWA’s volunteers are shaping their local regions while building a better water future for all of Florida.

So, whether you’re new to the water industry or a seasoned professional, there’s a place for you in FSAWWA.

Join us. Serve with us. Grow with us. Because when volunteers lead, our industry— and our future—thrives. S

Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park. University of Florida.

Falling Waters State Park.

Beautiful Panama City Beach.

Enhancing Water Treatment in South Florida by Leveraging Two Different Aquifer Systems and Membranes at City of Riviera Beach

Suzanne Mechler, Layla L. Llewelyn, and Michael Hoisington

As the population grows and redevelopment upticks in coastal cities, sustainable water availability and water quality is critical. In south Florida, where water scarcity and saltwater intrusion are a challenge, combined with the new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulations, a holistic approach is essential. The City of Riviera Beach (city) is looking to replace its 65-year-old lime softening facility with a state-of-the-art membrane facility. As a result, the city is facing many similar challenges to other utilities in southeast Florida: compliance with new PFAS regulations, long-term sustainable supply, aging “outside the fence” infrastructure, and affordability.

The city selected The Haskell Company and CDM Smith Inc. Joint Venture (JV) to replace its existing conventional lime softening treatment plant with a new 14-mil-gal-per-day (mgd) membrane-based water treatment facility (MWTF). Upon completion of the MWTF, the existing conventional lime softening treatment plant will be demolished and the property will be sold to a private party.

This article explores the synergistic use of two key technologies: nanofiltration (NF) with surficial aquifer water and lowpressure reverse osmosis (LPRO) utilizing

Floridan Aquifer System (FAS) water. The combination of these two technologies provides many advantages:

S Proven technologies for PFAS compounds removal, as well as other emerging contaminants.

S Reliable, long-term, and expandable source with the FAS with the lower cost and consistent water quality of the surficial aquifer.

S Ability to fine-tune finished water quality with complementing technologies.

This project is part of an overall capital improvement program, “Reimagine Riviera Beach,” which includes revitalizing aged, outdated, and distressed facilities throughout the city to propel it into economic growth.

The project consists of:

S Design and construction of a completely new raw water supply system.

S Six new FAS production wells to provide water supply to the new LPRO treatment train.

S Leveraging the city’s current 27-well surficial aquifer system (SAS) with two new SAS production wells to provide water supply to the NF treatment train.

S Greenfield MWTF, where the LPRO and the NF will be located.

Suzanne Mechler, P.E., is vice president at CDM Smith in Boca Raton. Layla L. Llewelyn, P.E., PMP, is project technical lead with CDM Smith in Coral Gables. Michael Hoisington, is project director–water at The Haskell Company in Jacksonville.

Transition of Lime Softening Plants to Nanofiltration in South Florida

A common concern for transition of lime softening plants to NF plants in south Florida is the silt density index (SDI) and the potential impacts on the membranes. Ideally the composite feedwater for membrane treatment should be less than 3, which will result in less blockage (i.e., fouling) of the prefiltration and nanofiltration systems and a prolonged membrane life. The city is currently undergoing a well rehabilitation program to improve the system in parallel with the design. During the pilot testing, the design team was unable to achieve stabilized operation on the existing composite raw water system due to the consistent fouling of the membranes.

Figure 1. Lead

Figure 2. First-stage membrane autopsy. (Image: Avista)

Membrane autopsy results revealed the following:

February 2024: American Water Chemical (AWC)

Heavy debris was found at the feed end of the first-stage lead element. An initial performance test revealed permeability to be 12 percent below and differential pressure was one and a half times higher than the nominal specifications. The membrane leaves and feed spacer were fouled with a layer of brown slimy foulant, consisting of 77 percent organic and 23 percent inorganic content, identified as mainly biological matter. Silts/clays, quartz, limestone, and iron oxide/hydroxide also were found embedded in the organic layer. For the second-stage tail element, brown stains were observed on both ends of the element and the membrane leaves were covered in a layer of dense brown foulant. Cleaning did not improve permeability.

May 2024: Harn R/O Systems/Avista Technologies Inc. (Avista)

During the wet test, the element from the first stage was producing normal flow, but lower-than-normal rejection of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) at 95.2 percent. The element from the second stage was producing 96 percent of the normal flow, but normal rejection at 98.1 percent of MgSO4. The external components of both elements were in good condition; however, the lead element presented brown foulant and black particles, while the tail element presented a small amount of brown foulant. The exposed membranes of both elements presented a brown foulant, but the remaining internal components of both elements were in good conditions.

As seen in figures 1 and 2, the elements consistently showed silts/clays, iron oxide/ hydroxide, and most importantly, organicbased matter with moderate aerobic bacterial activity, bioslime, some carbon rich particles, and a lesser amount of calcium-rich clay. It was recommended by AWC to control the suspended solids entering the membranes and assess the feed piping. Avista recommended improving the pretreatment to avoid carbon-based material and clay reaching the membranes. The design team was only able to achieve stable operation of the pilot with a dedicated well (Well No. 4) under a fully controlled arrangement, including new dedicated feed piping to the pilot unit, air release valving, and continuous well operation. The pilot operations and the autopsy report, as noted

previously, created two different parallel paths for design and construction of the new water treatment plant:

S The city, separately from the JV water treatment plant project, is aggressively ramping up a wellfield and raw water line rehabilitation program.

S The JV is designing a pretreatment system (low-pressure membranes) for the NF that can treat the existing, composite raw water supply quality, as seen in Figure 3.

The design will consider the anticipated improvements after the wellfield rehabilitation program is conducted to reassess pretreatment system requirements. In addition, SDI analyzers will also be installed after the cartridge filters of each of the SAS and FAS treatment trains to monitor the SDI of the feed water to the membranes.

Meeting Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl

Substances Regulations With the Nanoflitration Membrane System

Other parameters of concern, such as PFAS compounds, showed removal to nondetect with “tight” NF membranes. The design team is currently working with the city to optimize the NF membrane selection for PFAS compounds removal and posttreatment chemicals required to restabilize the water.

In evaluating membrane performance, a high rejection of PFAS was desired, while only a partial removal of calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity is preferred to minimize posttreatment. Since these two overall goals (PFAS and hardness/alkalinity) are opposed to each other, the membrane type with the better balance of the two would be the preferred one. The membranes performed as expected, with the tighter membranes removing most of the dissolved solids compared with the looser membranes. The hybrid configuration

Continued on page 40

Figure 3. Potential microfiltration/ultrafiltration pretreatment system.

Table 1. Pilot Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Results Summary

allowed more calcium and alkalinity to pass to the permeate when compared to the tighter membrane configuration. Table 1 shows the concentrations and rejections for the looser, tighter, and hybrid membrane configurations.

When using the composite raw water from all the wells, the loose NF membranes would still produce permeate with perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level (MCL). The use of a hybrid configuration would produce finished water that meets all drinking water regulations, including the MCL of PFOS when the test membranes are relatively new, but may not do so after some years in operation. The permeate produced using a hybrid configuration would contain more calcium and alkalinity than the tight membrane permeate and require less stabilization chemicals, reducing posttreatment costs. At the full-scale facility, the permeate from the NF membrane skids will be blended with reverse osmosis (RO) permeate. The water source for the RO system will be the FAS, which is not believed to be impacted with PFAS (FAS is a deep confined aquifer).

Uncertainty of Utilizing the Floridan Aquifer System for Raw Water Supply

Currently, all water demands within the city are being supplied from the SAS. To meet its increased water supply needs, the city is planning to develop the FAS as an alternative water supply to supplement its existing supply from the SAS, consistent with the regional water supply planning goals to reduce reliance on surficial sources and to minimize ecological impacts. The new South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) water use permit allowed the city to obtain up to 4.95 mgd of total maximum annual allocation for the FAS.

as a result of withdrawals. As expected from the predictive and calibrated ECFM, the TDS concentrations increased in all wells, with the maximum increase to 6,870 mg/L, assuming all wells pumping continuously for 24 years. The city and the design team are developing a test well program in which data can be obtained to validate the predictions. Once the model is updated with site-specific data, the simulations can be re-run to determine more-accurate increases in TDS concentrations due to pumping.

To deal with the uncertainty in expected TDS concentrations, FAS water quality data were obtained from existing FAS wells owned and operated by the neighboring Seacoast Utility Authority. These wells are the closest public FAS water supply wells, located approximately 6 mi northwest of the proposed membrane-based water treatment plant (MWTP). The TDS concentration in the wells fluctuates over time, but no significant increasing trends are observed. The average TDS concentration of 6,365 mg/L measured at wells F-5, F-6, and F-9 is significantly higher than the average concentration of 3,772 mg/L measured at wells F-1, F-2, and F-3. These two sets of wells are located within 2.5 mi of each other, and all of the wells have similar depths. This indicates a highly variable subsurface hydrogeology and water quality in this area, as TDS concentrations usually increase with depth.

The city has submitted a permit for a new concentrate injection well to serve both the NF and LPRO operations. To avoid construction of a second injection well solely to operate during the mechanical integrity testing, the city has held discussions with the regional water reclamation facility regarding the possibility of sending the NF concentrate from the proposed new treatment plant to its wastewater reclamation facility during the quinquennial mechanical integrity testing of the injection well.

Optimization of Nanofiltration and Low-Pressure Reverse Osmosis Systems

a combined finished water flow of 14.1 mgd on a maximum-day basis.

Lime softening water and membranetreated water exhibit different water chemistries. Understanding differences in water chemistry between these treatments is important for forecasting water quality impacts, such as increased corrosion and the potential for pipe-scale destabilization in the city’s distribution system. These treatment changes could potentially have a corrosive effect on customer service lines and increase the possibility of lead and copper release. Knowing the condition of the distribution system can provide insight into the impacts of changing water treatment. It can also identify if additional treatment is needed and if physical-scale removal through unidirectional flushing prior to the introduction of the new treatment will provide added benefit.

Conclusion

To develop a new water treatment plant, the LPRO and NF systems need to be considered separately and together. It is important to understand that these systems have a different water supply source. In the city’s case, each source presents its own challenges. The SAS wellfield transmission main system is older and requires rehabilitation to prepare for the new water treatment. The FAS system is unknown in its performance and its design relies on calibrated models, nearby operating systems, and a test program. Combining the LPRO and NF systems, however, optimizes treatment efficiency and allows for synergistic future considerations. The city is committed to improving its water quality and ensuring a long-term safe drinking water supply as it grows. With this approach, the quantity needs are met sustainably. In summary, integrated RO and NF is essential for south Florida’s water security.

As Florida’s population continues to increase, so will its need for safe and sustainable water supplies. Innovative water projects, such as the city’s MWTP, will mark an important step in defining Florida’s water future. S Continued from page

The major uncertainty associated with a new FAS wellfield is total dissolved solids (TDS). The concentrations of TDS at the locations of the proposed wells were obtained from the East Coast Floridan Model (ECFM) developed by SFWMD. The calibrated TDS concentration at the well locations is approximately 5,555 mg/L. The TDS concentration in raw water is a determining factor on the design operation pressure and recovery rate of the new LPRO system. The ECFM was used to simulate changes in TDS concentration in the FAS

The design team considered several combinations of the number of NF and LPRO skids needed to produce 14 mgd of finished water on a maximum-day basis. Assuming skid sizes of 2.13 mgd for the NF and 1.87 mgd for the LPRO, four NF skids and three LPRO skids will be needed. The NF skids and LPRO skids will produce 8.5 mgd and 5.6 mgd, respectively, to produce

Lead and Copper Rule Improvements Compliance Tool Available to Assist With Lead Service Line Replacement

Tool supports safer drinking water through accurate cost estimates, data-driven planning, and lead exposure reduction

Environmental and Public Health International (EPHI) has announced that its innovative Lead Service Line Replacement Cost Calculator™ (LSLRCC) is now available. It was developed under the leadership of Anthony Ross, former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emergency coordinator and founder of EPHI.

The calculator has been officially featured on the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) website, a leading authority dedicated to advancing housing health across the United States. It’s fully accessible online and continues to gain traction among policymakers and stakeholders as the U.S. accelerates efforts to replace lead service lines (LSLs).

Benefits—and Costs

Removing and replacing all LSLs will deliver major public health benefits, but it also comes with significant costs—potentially exceeding $100 billion, according to the American Water Works Association.

To support the nationwide effort to replace 9.2 million LSLs and protect public health, the LSLRCC was developed to provide municipalities, utilities, tribal governments, and other government agencies with precise, data-driven project cost modeling that supports

compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).

The LSLRCC empowers users to take control of their service line replacement strategies by enabling more-efficient planning, reducing inefficiencies, and lowering exposure to lead in drinking water—potentially saving billions of dollars and improving public health outcomes nationwide.

Tool Supported by Many Organizations

The listing with NCHH aligns the LSLRCC with key public health organizations, including EPA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Public Health Association-sponsored National Environmental Health Partnership Council, and the Lead Innovation Hub developed by the Environmental Defense Fund and Environmental Policy Innovation Center.

The NCHH’s inclusion of the LSLRCC within its comprehensive safe drinking water resources reflects a further broad coalition of partners, including the Environmental Defense Fund, Public Health and Water Utility Matchmaking Survey, Eco-Healthy Child Care® (a national program of the Children’s Environmental Health Network), National

Association for Family Child Care, and Children’s Environmental Health Network.

This collective effort highlights the shared commitment to equitable and effective solutions that protect vulnerable populations from lead contamination.

“We’re deeply honored to be featured by the National Center for Healthy Housing, as its mission mirrors our commitment to ensuring every home has safe, lead-free water,” said Ross. “Our goal is to empower decision makers with data-driven tools that drive impactful investments, advance public health, and foster environmental equity for all communities.”

Calculator Features

Key features of the calculator include:

S Completely free—no download or login required.

S Customizable inputs for number of service lines, material, excavation, labor, administrative, contingency, and postreplacement costs.

S Instant calculations of total costs and average costs.

S Multilingual—available in both English and Spanish.

S Interactive tooltips to guide data entry.

S Built-in error detection for invalid or missing inputs.

S Mobile-friendly, responsive design for use on any device.

S Ideal for planners, grant writers, funding applicants, program administrators involved in budgeting and proposal development, and other stakeholders.

S Officially listed and citable on the Open

Science Framework (OSF) with permanent DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/YX3PB, ensuring transparency and providing credible scientific acknowledgment.

S Features are designed to empower water systems and agencies to comply efficiently with EPA’s LCRI while optimizing replacement costs.

Government and cities planning to replace a substantial number of lead service lines can use the LSLRCC to precisely model project costs. By inputting local data—material costs, labor rates, and project size—planners can uncover cost-effective strategies.

The tool helps model different scenarios, identifying opportunities to bundle projects, optimize resources, and select the most efficient replacement methods. This datadriven planning helps prevent costly overruns and accelerates pipe replacement progress to better protect public health.

How to Use the Tool

Steps to using the tool include:

S Decide the scope. Calculate costs for one project or multiple projects, using the

inputs to model different scenarios as needed. For example, various cost scenarios for full or partial replacements can be run.

S Enter whole numbers. For counts and costs (e.g., 105 — not 105.15).

S Customize inputs. Include local data, such as the number of service lines, material costs, excavation costs, labor costs, administrative costs, contingency costs, and postreplacement costs.

S Use tool tip. Hover over or tap each input for guidance on what to enter and why.

S Review results. See total and average costs immediately to help plan budgets or proposals.

S Run multiple scenarios. Adjust inputs to compare different approaches, funding options, or project sizes.

The calculator can be accessed at ephillc.com/ lead-service-line-replacement-cost-calculator. S

FWEA Springs Into Fall With New Projects, Programs, and Events

AJoan Fernandez President, FWEA

s summer winds down and we transition into the busy fall season, I’m reminded of the incredible dedication and passion that drive Florida’s water professionals. Across our state, FWEA members continue to tackle complex challenges, from safeguarding our water resources to advancing innovative solutions for our communities. September is a time of renewed focus, planning for the year ahead, preparing for conferences and workshops, and strengthening the connections that make

our association thrive. Together, we continue to demonstrate that our work is not just about infrastructure—it’s about people, progress, and protecting Florida’s future.

Emerging Challenges and Progress in Florida’s Water and Wastewater Sector

It’s essential to highlight several developing issues currently shaping Florida’s water and wastewater landscape. A recent industrywide survey conducted between April and June 2025 by SediVision revealed widespread concern among stakeholders about the state’s readiness. Only about 10 percent of respondents felt fully prepared to meet long-term water needs. Key issues include aging infrastructure, funding and staffing gaps, and rising worry over contaminants such as microplastics, per- and

polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nutrients, and pathogens. Complete results from the survey will be published in the October issue of FWRJ.

One of the most urgent challenges is Florida’s systemic failure of infrastructure. Recent coverage shows that sewage spills statewide are increasing, exacerbated by storm events and insufficient investment. For example, Fort Lauderdale’s 2020 spill remains the worst in the state’s history, with over 126 million gallons released into streets and waterways—and similar episodes continue in the face of storm-related infrastructure failures.

Emerging public health and ecological threats from PFAS contamination in biosolids and effluent applications are also drawing growing scrutiny. Advocacy groups, like the St. Johns Riverkeeper, are urging Florida to mandate testing of biosolids downstream of biosolid-applied lands.

In contrast, some innovative projects show promise for addressing these challenges. The City of Orlando has launched a 90-day pilot deploying supercritical water oxidation technology at its water reclamation facility. Funded by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean Water State Revolving Fund grant, this trial aims to evaluate a next-generation method for breaking down persistent contaminants into harmless substances.

On the environmental restoration front, progress continues under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Recent federal and state initiatives have enabled work on large-scale stormwater treatment areas, canal removals to restore natural sheetflow, and increased water deliveries—despite continuing barriers like budget overruns and climate-driven salinity pressures. Restoration progress includes wildlife rebounds and invasive species reductions, though rising demands and sea level threats persist.

Water Resource Management: Strategy, Policy, and Progress

Florida’s five water management districts remain central to ensuring sustainable water supplies, ecosystem health, flood protection, and water quality across the state. Each district develops a Regional Water Supply Plan

(RWSP) that looks ahead 20 years to project future demands and build strategies, such as aquifer storage-recovery, reclaimed water use, and saline groundwater treatment, to meet needs in fast-growing communities. The South Florida Water Management District updates its RWSP every five years and partners with local utilities and stakeholders to implement cost-sharing projects and manage permitting to safeguard both resources and environment.

In recent months, the Southwest Florida Water Management District released its 2025-2045 RWSP, structured across four subregions, and hosted virtual public workshops to gather feedback on the plan’s priorities and proposed water supply infrastructure projects. At the same time, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) awarded $25 million in pilot grant funding to support 13 local water supply infrastructure improvements in northwest Florida upgrading aging mains, boosting fire flow capacity, and reducing water loss in coastal communities.

Science-based resource management remains a top priority. The St. Johns River Water Management District is advancing

updates to its minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for springs and rivers, especially around Wekiva and central Florida’s Outstanding Florida Springs to prevent ecological harm from excessive withdrawals. Simultaneously, FDEP is actively rulemaking on groundwater contamination zones (Chapter 62-524, F.A.C.), water quality credit trading programs for water quality enhancement areas (Chapter 62-330), and new permitting criteria for wells and treatment facilities. These regulatory changes aim to strengthen protections for water resources and adapt to evolving threats like PFAS and stormwater runoff.

FWEA Events

Looking forward, we’re excited to welcome everyone to the 2025 Fall Biosolids Seminar, scheduled for September 18-19 in Orlando. This year’s seminar will spotlight cutting-edge topics, from thermal processing and biochar to land application and sustainability, with a call for abstracts already completed in June. Complementary activities include the Central Florida Chapter’s 25th

Annual Golf Tournament on September 19 and the Treasure Coast Technical Luncheon on September 25, offering opportunities for continued education, professional development hour credits, and community connection across the state.

In addition, our chapters and committees have planned a vibrant slate of events through the end of summer and into the fall. These events, alongside networking socials, trivia nights, and technical luncheons, offer countless ways for members to connect, learn, and celebrate our shared mission across Florida. Check out the event calendar at our website, www.fwea.org, for additional event information.

As always, I welcome your questions, ideas, and collaboration on any initiatives you’re passionate about. Whether you want to discuss a column or article topic, get involved with FWEA activities, or simply connect, feel free to reach out. You can contact me anytime at fernandezji@cdmsmith.com or at 954.882.9566.

I look forward to hearing from you and continuing to grow our FWEA community together! S

This column addresses safety issues of interest to water and wastewater personnel, and will appear monthly in the magazine. The Journal is also interested in receiving any articles on the subject of safety that it can share with readers in the “Spotlight on Safety” column.

GCutting Water Pipe Safely With Power Saws

as, hydraulic, and pneumatic saws are all used to cut utility water pipes. The main difference is the type of blade used. Depending on the situation and type of pipe, a specific blade may be required; some blades, such as diamond blades, will cut a variety of materials.

Be sure to choose the proper saw and blade for the material being cut and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the type of finish that is needed. Using a saw or blade not designed to efficiently cut through a material can damage the tool and create a safety hazard for its operator and those nearby. Forcing a saw that is not big enough for the job can cause a kickback, which could be another safety hazard.

Employees should be provided with specific tool training and read the entire operating manual and manufacturer’s guide for the specific saw used on the job.

Before Each Use

Carefully examine the cutting equipment and look for the following:

S Worn bearings

S Damaged power cords

S Faulty on/off switches

S Loose bolts or nuts

S Lubricant leakage

S Evidence of excessive rust

S Broken or damaged housing or casing

Inspect the cutting blade or chain to ensure that it is:

S Sharp

S Not crooked, bent, cracked, or split

S Rotates in the proper direction

S Securely fastened or bolted into place and does not wiggle loosely if tapped or vibrated gently by hand.

In addition, check the safety guards to make sure that they are in place and secure and that the machine warning placards and labels are in place and legible. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on blade replacement and preventive maintenance.

If the saw is damaged or if it needs servicing, put a tag on it indicating it should not be used. Mark on the tag what is wrong with the unit and arrange to have the unit repaired, serviced, or disposed of.

Before Cutting

When starting a job, do the following:

S Make sure the saw is in the off position prior to plugging it in.

S Wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including:

• Head protection with safety glasses and/or a face shield

• Hearing protection

• Respiratory protection if necessary

• Steel-toed safety shoes

• Close-fitting clothing and long trousers or, for chainsaws, special ballistic nylon reinforced chaps, pants, gloves, and boots

S Properly support and chock the pipe to be cut so it won’t move or flex during the cut.

S Fuel the saw, as appropriate, with the proper oil/gas mixture. Never gas, lubricate, or service a running machine.

S Clear the immediate area of people, tools, debris, and other obstacles.

S If work is taking place near traffic areas, wear high-visibility clothing and ensure that appropriate traffic management procedures are in place.

While Cutting

To ensure safety throughout the job, adopt the following procedures:

S Maintain good footing, with your feet shoulder-width apart.

S Keep the saw close to your body.

S Position your body as close to the pipe as possible.

S Don’t reach with the cutting tool.

S Work with slow, controlled movements.

S Bend your knees if necessary.

S Don’t rock the saw back and forth; allow the weight of the saw to help pace the cut.

S Never twist or turn the blade while cutting; make a straight, even cut.

S Work at a steady pace; never force the blade through the material.

S Stay concentrated on the task of cutting.

Other Safety Measures

These tips are also important:

S Always allow the saw to turn off, power down, and stop moving before you take your attention away from it. Never leave the machine unattended while running.

S Keep in mind that cutting and grinding is considered hot work. Never cut in the

vicinity of flammable materials or in areas without proper ventilation.

S Have first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and emergency call numbers in close proximity at all times.

S Don’t exceed the maximum operating speed recommended by the manufacturer and never cut material not listed by the manufacturer of that saw and blade.

S The use of gas-powered pipe saws within excavations requires the use of ventilation equipment to prevent carbon monoxide accumulation.

S If a blade or saw appears to overheat, turn the tool off immediately and allow it to cool down. After it has cooled, check it carefully to make sure neither the saw nor blade has been damaged.

Maintaining a safe environment in the entire work area vicinity is another important safety factor. Keep other people at least 100 feet away and make sure other workers who are close by have proper PPE.

Saws are dangerous and maintaining control of the situation and focusing on the work both go a long way toward safe operation and a safe workplace. S

NEW PRODUCTS

The FLEXFLO M5 peristaltic metering pump from Blue-White Industries delivers high-volume, precise fluid metering with up to 80 percent less pulsation, thanks to its offset roller design and dual-channel tube assembly. With its energy efficiency and low maintenance, the M5 features a fully enclosed design, intuitive touchscreen controls, remote signal compatibility, and a large 5-inch display for advanced metering and transfer applications. (www.blue-white.com)

The PrimeBlend system from Prime Solution Inc. provides a compact self-contained emulsion polymer preparation system that minimizes polymer requirements. The high mixing energy that is required by emulsion polymer activation is achieved through the mixing chamber blade and orifice design. In the preparation of an emulsion polymer solution, two reactions must occur for maximum activation. The product offers quality systems with considerable cost savings, is 100 percent BABA-compliant, and has proven performance and reliability. (www.psirotary.com)

The TB 350 WL portable turbidimeter from Lovibond offers simplistic operation combined with intelligent instrument engineering to provide an unparalleled level of accuracy in turbidity measurement. Ideal for field and environmental testing, this instrument delivers the most reliable measurements for low- to high-range samples without sacrificing accuracy. Featuring the patent-pending Multipath 90-degree BLAC sensor technology, the optical system is engineered with dual detectors to deliver a ratio reading that mitigates common measurement stability issues. The intuitive touchscreen interface makes it easy to perform procedures and interpret results; it also helps eliminate common frustrations and prevents errors. The data logging capabilities allow recordings of the testing location, operator identification, and time and date, along with the measurement. Stored data can be transferred to a computer via USB. It’s EPA compliant for reporting purposes and all units are supplied ready to use with sample cells, silicone oil, and calibration standards in the carrying case. (www.lovibond.com)

The stainless steel range of OZ Lifting Products includes chain hoists, lever hoists, trolleys, and beam clamps, all of which all designed for use in corrosive environments. The centerpiece of the line is the stainless steel chain hoist, which is lightweight— meaning minimal effort is required to lift loads—yet durable enough for industry’s most demanding applications. The hoists feature fully enclosed gearing, fully machined lift wheel, weather-proof holding brake, roller bearings on all gears and shafts, and forged stainless steel hooks with safety latches. Chain hoists, like the trolleys, are available in 1/2, 1- and 2-ton capacities. The stainless push beam trolley fits most I, S, and W beams and has precision ball bearing trolley wheels. The beam clamps are available in 1- and 2-ton capacities. All products in the line are made from 304 stainless steel and come with individual test certificates and serial numbers. (www.ozliftingproducts.com)

The Mega Wolverine 50-lb HDPE Air Pollution Control Barrel from Industrial Odor Control is an economical, ready to use, self-

Continued on page 48

Test Yourself

What Do You Know About Pump Arithmetic?

Charlie Lee Martin Jr., Ph.D.

1. The height of the water level within an elevated water storage tank that is needed to produce 70 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure at the bottom of the tank is approximately

a. 70 feet. b. 150 feet. c. 100 feet. d. 162 feet.

2. The work needed to lift 550 gallons of water 139 feet is

a. 500,000 ft-lbs.

b. 637,593 ft-lbs.

c. 76,450 ft-lbs.

d. none of the above.

3. Ignoring head loss, but considering the average velocity within a 12-inch pipe with a flow of 550 gallons per minute (gpm) Q, the time to pump 550 gallons of water 139 feet is

a. 89 minutes.

b. 0.50 minutes.

c. 1.48 minutes.

d. none of the above.

4. Ignoring the pump’s efficiency, the water horsepower (HP) required to pump water at a flow of 550 gpm to an elevation of 170 feet is

a. 3 HP. b. 24 HP.

c. 80 HP. d. none of the above.

5. The required brake HP for a pump with an efficiency of 70 percent and a flow (Q) of 600 gpm pumping to an elevation of 175 feet is

a. 38 HP.

b. 156 HP.

c. 80 HP.

d. none of the above.

6. The static head on a well pump for a well that is 185 feet deep that must pump 0.800 million gallons per day (mgd) into a 172-foot-tall elevated storage tank is a. 357 feet. b. 185 feet.

c. 172 feet. d. none of the above.

7. Assuming that friction is 10 percent of the static head, the total dynamic head for a pump for a well that is 200 feet deep that must pump 0.750 mgd into a 162-foot-tall elevated storage tank is a. 325.8 feet.

b. 362 feet. c. 398.2 feet.

d. none of the above.

8. Assuming that friction is 10 percent the required motor HP for a pump with an efficiency of 75 percent and a motor efficiency of 90 percent, for a well that is 175 feet deep that must pump 0.900 mgd into a 162-foot-tall elevated storage tank the HP is

a. 70. b. 79.

c. 87. d. none of the above.

9. Given that 61 HP is required to pump 0.750 mgd into an elevated storage tank, the kilowatt-hour usage for the pump is

a. 1074 killowatt-hour/day.

b. 1092 killowatt-hour/day.

c. 1253 killowatt-hour/day.

d. none of the above.

10. Given that the cost of the power consumed per one kilowatt hour is 15 cents, the annual cost for 1253 killowatt-hour/day is a. $187.95.

b. $68,601.75.

c. $58,000.25.

d. none of the above.

Answers on page 54

References used for this quiz:

• Formulas can be found in the appendix of CSUS Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants, Volume I, 7th edition

Continued from page 47

contained air purification unit that can treat air flows of up to 50 CFM. It’s the perfect choice for wastewater storage and collection system tanks, as well as high-capacity lift station vents. Larger pollution control barrels are available for air flows up to 250 CFM as a special order. The PCB-50 comes standard with Sulfursorb Plus (Darco H2S) activated carbon. (industrialodorcontrol.com)

R

The CHEM-FEED CFPS-3-M from BlueWhite Industries is a preassembled triplex skid system designed for municipal chemical feed applications. It’s built from durable, ultravioletresistant polyethylene with threadless, leak-free connections and offers flexible pipe material options. Optional SONIC-PRO flowmeters enable precise chemical measurement and control. Custom configurations are available to meet a company’s specific layout and performance needs. (www.blue-white.com)

R

Rotary lobe pumps from Boerger BLUEline are self-priming, valveless positive displacement pumps used for conveying viscous and abrasive materials. They are resistant to wear and provide pulsation-free operation, which is fully reversible with dry-run capability and flow rates up to 7,000 gpm. They are constructed with maintenance-in-place design, allowing for all wetted parts to be easily replaced through the front cover without removing pipe or drive systems. The pump conveys biosolids (primary, waste activated sludge, return activated sludge, digested, thickened, etc.), grease, sewage, scum, lime slurry, alum sludge, permeate and polymers. (www.boerger.com) R

The Level LODOR from JDV Equipment provides water quality professionals a means to dispose of processed waste, control odors, and limit waste exposure to operators. It uses autoleveling technology to level the waste material. This increases the fill percentage of a dumpster without operator intervention, slide gates, or extensive control strategies, while limiting exposure to potentially hazardous material and working conditions. For indoor or outdoor use, it can save valuable indoor square footage or eliminate the need for additional building space by installing the system outdoors. The covers are custom made to cover standard 20-, 30- and 40-yard dumpsters, with an overall footprint barely larger than a standard dumpster. The shaftless option uses replaceable ultra-high molecular weight liners that will reduce screw wear; the shafted option can be used for increased efficiency and has easily accessible grease points. (www.jdvequipment.com) S

Learning, Leading, and Learning to Lead

Kevin Shopshire President, FWPCOA

Forenote: This column was dreamed up in a hotel pool, while mentally preparing myself to be a student again for a week.

I’ve told you all my story: I parent, I coach, and I volunteer, physically and on volunteer boards. I’ve been in the same work position for 21years now, just in different places. My career is a beneficial, enjoyable one to me in that I can make a difference in the environmental field—and feed my family doing it.

I reached out to you all in the beginning of the year with the challenge to expand your horizons; I am doing that myself now. This week I am attending our FWPCOA Fall Short School in Fort Pierce. I am trying to continue to better myself, taking the weeklong course on facility management. It’s the first class I’ve taken in several years, but I, too, want to continue to learn. Although I may have a sense of humor, sometimes “nonconducive to positive efforts” in the big picture, I try to lead by example.

This school has a little over 200 attendees; normally the number is more than 300. I

understand part of the reduced attendance has to do with the “CEU cycle,” which is the motivating self-improvement factor for many. We do have steady increases in people using our Online Institute, and the many people here this week are also looking to better themselves.

Now, back to my class. Of those 200 students, 33 sit in my class. Facility management is a class comprised of six disciplines: facility management and the supervisory level of water, wastewater, stormwater, reclaimed water, and utility maintenance. Our instructor, Mr. Tom King, is a well-spoken, very experienced pillar of our organization. Sitting in his class is definitely not naptime. He encourages participation, involvement, and seems to hope you’ll enjoy his portrayal of the message: “Be better.” You can see he enjoys volunteering his time teaching us. He truly “leads” us to learn about “leadership.”

As King says: “Be a leader in the community, and you’ll be a leader at work.”

Since our class covers many disciplines, we come from all walks of life. Our common denominator is we want to advance ourselves, whether it’s to be supervisors, superintendents, foremen, or leaders. The class is designed to teach supervision skills as needed for promotion, advancement, etc., but we’re learning leadership skills, which is so much more than “being a boss.”

I’m personally sitting in this class, not as a supervisor, but in an elevated coordinator

position (supervisor without employees). I do hope that by taking this class, if something should become available where I am, I’ll be more likely to be considered. The worst-case scenario is I learn leadership skills so I can recognize why a supervisor made a decision that affected me or those around me.

When’s the last time you’ve attended a weeklong class? Technology and training materials are changing. You might be surprised how much educational material has changed since you took your last course. Ideas and concepts, like supervision, aren’t what they were 10 years ago.

I’ve already made the FWPCOA sales pitch to my classmates. Now that you’re learning about leadership, consider getting more involved; not only at work, but in your region of FWPCOA. We’re hungry for the next generation of torch bearers. We need teachers, we need board members, we need the next generation of leaders—we need you! You’ve already shown you want to learn leadership; now is your chance to lead others to follow your example.

If you were in the class with me this time, reach out. What was your reason for taking this class? How are you going to use these lessons in your world, both personally and professionally?

Now if you’ll excuse me, my instructor wanted me to give one hour of study time, and that hotel pool is beckoning. S

C L A S S I F I E D S

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES - Classified ads are $22 per line for a 60 character line (including spaces and punctuation), $60 minimum. The price includes publication in both the magazine and our Web site. Short positions wanted ads are run one time for no charge and are subject to editing. ads@fwrj.com

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Utilities Plans Examiner Coordinator

$70,245 - $108,725/yr.

Utilities Treatment Plant Operator I or Trainee

$57,208 - $80,496/yr. or $51,889 - $73,012/yr.

Utilities Treatment Plants Mechanic I

$49,418 - $69,536/yr.

Utilities Lift Station Operator I

$49,418 - $69,536/yr.

Utilities Lift Station Operator II

$57,208 - $80,496/yr.

Utilities System Operators I or Trainee

$44,823 - $63,071/yr. or $42,690 - $60,068/yr.

Apply Online At: http://pompanobeachfl.gov Open until filled.

City of Melbourne

Water Treatment Operator C, B, A or Trainee

Class C

Class B

Class A

Trainee

$44,640 – 74,996

$46,649 – 78,371

$48,748 – 81,898

$38,345 – 63,270

Learn more and apply online at www.melbourneflorida.org https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/melbourneflorida

Polk City has an immediate opening for the following position:

Water/Wastewater Plant Operator (Full-Time)

Applicant must possess a valid Florida Driver’s license. Pay is commensurate with education, training and experience. For a complete job description and application, please visit the City’s website at www.mypolkcity.org. Please send your resume and application to the City of Polk City, ATTN: Sheandolen Dunn, ACM/ Human Resources, 123 Broadway Boulevard SE, Polk City, Florida; call or email respectively 863-984-1375 x 238 or sheandolen.dunn@ mypolkcity.org. This position is opened until filled. Veterans Preference Eligible (VPE). Polk City is an Affirmative Action Employer and Equal Opportunity Employer.

Engineer I, II, III: $82,670 - $110,045 Annually

Performs professional engineering work coordinating, planning, developing, drafting, reviewing, inspecting, and managing assigned water, wastewater, and reclaimed water projects.

REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in, Environmental Engineering or Civil Engineering from an Accredited Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited college or university.

Engineer III: Five (5) years of professional experience in engineering related to water and wastewater and which includes two (2) years of post-registration experience.

Engineer II: Five (5) years of experience in engineering related to water and wastewater.

Engineer I: A Board of Professional Engineers (BPE) Certification as an Engineer Intern (EI) or Engineer in Training (EIT) is preferred.

Apply at https://career8.successfactors.com career?company=brevardcou

Positions Available:

Wastewater Plant Operator I or Trainee

Wastewater Plant Operator II

Utility Maintenance Technician

Maintenance & Construction Manager

Apply Online At: https://bcc-jobs.pdsvista.com

NOW HIRING!

Water & Wastewater Positions

• Utilities Director • Operations Manager

• Utilities Maintenance Supervisor

• Chief Operator

• Lift Station Operator

• Plant Operator I -II

• Utilities Field Technician I

Apply Online Today! - www.davie-fl.gov •

City of Melbourne, Operations Supervisor

Reverse Osmosis and Actiflo Surface Water Treatment Plants

Must possess a Class A Drinking Water Treatment Operator License with a minimum of two (2) years in the supervisory capacity of a Class A water treatment facility. Learn more and apply online at www.melbourneflorida.org https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/melbourneflorida

Okeechobee Utility WWTP Supervisor

Information regarding job description, salary, benefits go to www.ouafl.com or email: hrmanager@ouafl.com

City of Belleview –Crew Leader

$56,180.80 – 86,819.20 DOQ

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/belleviewfl

Stircor, a sustainable biosolid processing solutions company, has partnered with the City of Orlando Water Reclamation Division (OWRD) to implement biosolids drying technology at the Water Conserv II (WCII) Water Reclamation Facility.  Stircor will be drying a minimum of 60,000 tons of biosolids from WCII and the Iron Bridge Regional Water Reclamation Facility and has partnered with  Astec Industries to supply state-of-the-art industrial equipment for the facility.

The project, which will be operational in fall 2025, will upgrade Orlando’s biosolids program by converting existing solids into Class A biosolids, in compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Part 503 biosolids regulation. By leveraging Stircor’s onsite drying services the city is advancing its commitment to environmentally responsible biosolids management.

Stircor provides a comprehensive, end-to-end biosolids management service that allows OWRD to focus on its core mission of returning clean water to the city.  Stircor is responsible for designing, building, and operating all necessary equipment, delivering a turnkey solution that minimizes the operational burden on OWRD.  As part of the service, Stircor covers all operating and maintenance costs and provides trained staff to run the system, eliminating the need for the city to allocate internal resources. This fully managed approach gives the city multiple disposal or reuse options while ensuring compliance.

Business Development Representative (BDR) –U.S. Water Services Corporation

Are you passionate about building relationships with water and wastewater system owners? Do you enjoy promoting O&M solutions and helping drive company growth? If so, we’d love to connect!

We’re seeking an independent, people-oriented professional with industry knowledge and the ability to travel. Experience in water/ wastewater is highly valued.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary plus bonus/commission

• Full benefits package, including 401(k) match

• Company vehicle and additional perks

Apply today: https://www.uswatercorp.com/careers/ Questions? Contact Megan at recruiter@uswatercorp.net

NEWS BEAT

“Orlando is a leader in innovative biosolids handling solutions and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with them on this project,” said Lincoln Day of Stircor. “Our mission is to help cities eliminate biosolid disposal challenges with scalable, cost-effective solutions that solve problems quickly and follow EPA regulations.”

Orlando’s wastewater treatment infrastructure serves a growing population with multiple advanced treatment facilities. Integrating Stircor’s drying technology will help streamline biosolids management, lower long-term disposal costs, and align with the city’s broader environmental stewardship goals.

RThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the relaunch of its guidance portal, a streamlined website for accessing important guidance documents related to air quality, water protection, hazardous waste management, and more. The website serves as a resource for all guidance documents managed across EPA’s environmental programs. It’s designed to be a one-stop shop to help users and small businesses easily and quickly locate and follow EPA’s active guidance documents on topics of interest.

“This guidance portal will ensure that we reduce bureaucratic hurdles and increase transparency for everyone seeking information about EPA’s programs by providing centralized access to guidance documents,” said David Fotouhi, EPA deputy administrator. “This will bring

much-needed clarity to small business owners, farmers, and everyday Americans, and it reinforces our commitment to following the law and upholding fundamental fairness. The days of EPA relying on obscure and nonpublic guidance documents are over.”

The guidance documents inform the public how the agency interprets an underlying statute and its regulations, and take the form of memoranda, policy statements, handbooks, manuals, and other documents formally titled as guidance. Guidance documents that have been superseded with newer guidance are not included in the updated website. The launch of portal is the next step in the ongoing overall review of reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.

Guidance documents are agency statements of general applicability, intended to have future effects on the behavior of regulated parties that set forth a policy on a statutory, regulatory, or technical issue, or an interpretation of a statute or regulation, with some exceptions. The portal does not contain documents that are excluded from this definition, such as rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice, and internal executive branch legal advice or legal opinions addressed to executive branch officials, among others. S

and Utilities Management

June ....................Biosolids Management and Bioenergy Production

July .....................Stormwater Management; Emerging Technologies

August ................Disinfection; Water Quality

September..........Emerging Issues; Water Resources Management

October ..............New Facilities, Expansions, and Upgrades

November...........Water Treatment

December ...........Distribution and Collection

Technical articles are usually scheduled several months in advance and are due 60 days before the issue month (for example, January 1 for the March issue).

The closing date for display ad and directory card reservations, notices, announcements, upcoming events, and everything else including classified ads, is 30 days before the issue month (for example, September 1 for the October issue).

For further information on submittal requirements, guidelines for writers, advertising rates and conditions, and ad dimensions, as well as the most recent notices, announcements, and classified advertisements, go to www.fwrj.com or call 352-241-6006.

Continued from page 48

1. D) 162 feet.

The height of the water level within an elevated water storage tank that is needed to produce 70 psi of pressure at the bottom of the tank is approximately 162 feet.

2. B) 637,593 ft-lbs.

The work needed to lift 550 gallons of water 139 feet is 637,593 ft-lbs.

3. C) 1.48 minutes.

Ignoring head loss, but considering the average velocity within a 12-inch pipe with a flow of 550 gpm (Q), the time to pump 550 gallons of water 139 feet is 1.48 minutes.

4. B) 24 HP.

Ignoring the pump’s efficiency, the water HP required to pump water at a flow (Q) of 550 gpm to an elevation of 170 feet is 24 HP.

5. A) 38 HP.

The required brake HP for a pump with an efficiency of 70 percent and a flow (Q) of 600 gpm pumping to an elevation of 175 feet is 38 HP.

6. A) 357 feet.

The static head on a well pump for a well that is 185 feet deep that must pump 0.800 mgd into a 172-foot-tall elevated storage tank is 357 feet.

7. C) 398.2 feet.

Assuming that friction is 10 percent of the static head, the total dynamic head for a pump for a well that is 200 feet deep that must pump 0.750 mgd into a 162-foot-tall elevated storage tank is 398.2 feet.

8. C) 87 HP.

Assuming that friction is 10 percent the required motor HP for a pump with an efficiency of 75 percent and a motor efficiency of 90 percent, for a well that is 175 feet deep that must pump 0.900 mgd into a 162-foot-tall elevated storage tank the HP is 87.

9. B) 1092 killowatt-hour/day.

Given that 61 HP is required to pump 0.750 mgd into an elevated storage tank, the kilowatt-hour usage for the pump is 1092

10. B) $68,601.75.

Given that the cost of the power consumed per one kilowatt hour is 15 cents, the annual cost for 1,253 killowatt-hour/day is $68,601.75.

Biosolids Volume Reduction

Creating Reuse Opportunities

Veolia offers biosolids technologies focused on performance enhancement, renewable energy, beneficial reuse, and the reduction of sludge.

The BioCon™ thermal sludge drying system can reduce the weight and volume of sludge, lowering hauling costs significantly. In addition, the BioCon™ dryer provides beneficial reuse for dried sludge by meeting Class A requirements.

With the addition of the ERS (Energy Recovery System), a biomass gasifier, to the BioCon™, the excess heat from the ERS can be beneficially used for heating the dryer process, and further volume reduction of the sludge.

www.veoliawatertech.com