Built + Beyond

Get ready to dive deep into the world of wastewater treatment. In this episode, we’re tackling how this vital process safeguards both human health and the environment while adapting to the unique challenges faced by regions, specifically the UK and Canada.

What to Expect:

Every wastewater treatment plant has its own story, shaped by the needs and challenges of its community. From aging infrastructure to population growth, we explore the complexities and the tailored approaches that make each plant tick.

Topics Covered:

Technology & Innovation: Discover how integrating technology and innovation with cutting-edge tools like carbon accounting  and supporting trial and testing programs are revolutionizing the water industry.

Climate Change Impact: Explore operational strategies to combat the growing threat of climate change with a focus on mitigating, reducing and eliminating carbon emissions.

Budget Realities: Wastewater treatment is as much about economics as it is about science. We’ll discuss how holistic approaches help balance the books while meeting critical goals.

Emerging Challenges: From aging assets to new contaminants, we unpack the hurdles and the opportunities they bring.

Looking to the Future:

We’ll also share insights on how clients and stakeholders can prepare for a rapidly changing future, keeping sustainability, innovation and resilience at the forefront.

Join us for a compelling conversation that highlights the critical role wastewater treatment plays in building a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable world. 

Tune in now and be part of the conversation.

Joining the discussion:

Nadine Anderson, moderator 

Amber Bullen, Wastewater Treatment Global Technical Authority and Technical Director
 AtkinsRealis, UK
 
 Majid Benabess, Regional water technical lead, global technical authority for pumping systems, Canada

In recent years, the United States has experienced frequent and severe natural disasters, driven in part by climate change, from devastating wildfires to powerful hurricanes, communities across the country are grappling with profound impacts of these events.

The consequences extend beyond immediate destruction, encompassing economic loss, displacement of populations and long-term environmental damage.

As these disasters become more prevalent, there’s a growing urgency for proactive measures in disaster preparedness, mitigation and climate resilience to safeguard lives and livelihoods.

Communities are anxious to recover from disasters. However, the risks have changed. Performing detailed risk studies can take time, but delaying the rebuilding process is not a favorable option. The community wants to recover. How can we rebuild quickly, comply with laws/rules, and in a more resilient manner?

In this episode, we’ll discuss the interaction between wildfires and flooding and how new technology and computing power (timing of event, confluence of technology, LiDAR, alluvial fans, 2D modeling) can make a real difference.

Join Moderator Shirshant Sharma, Senior Project Manager for Water resources, AtkinsRéalis.

Linda Potter, registered professional engineer and certified floodplain manager, AtkinsRéalis with over 30 years of experience. She has worked on risk discovery and mitigation in numerous communities in the southwest and California, including flood and debris flow modeling, mitigation master planning, and infrastructure design solutions. 

Selena Forman has 34 years of experience. She specializes in hydrology, hydraulics, scour analysis, channel design, and contaminant transport at AtkinsRéalis. She is a registered professional engineer, Project Management Professional, and has a Ph.D. in environmental engineering sciences.  

Iwan Thomas has 20 years of experience in a wide range of hydrologic and engineering capacities. He’s a registered professional engineer specializing in two-dimensional modeling, hydrology, and hydraulics. His work at AtkinsRéalis includes post-fire and debris flow evaluations.

The water quality of our waterways is an issue of global concern. The quality of the water in rivers, lakes and coastal environments is affected by a number of challenges including sewage pollution, agriculture and livestock.  

Join our experts as they discuss how to improve water quality monitoring to gain a better understanding of pressures on water quality; how to engage with public and key stakeholders (e.g., campaign groups) to convey the complexity of the issues and harness their passion to protect the environment and local knowledge to lead to improvements and much more.

Joining this discussion:

• Moderator: Nadine Anderson, Business Development, AtkinsRéalis 
• Dr. Vera Jones, Global Technical Authority for Water Quality, AtkinsRéalis 
• Dr. Christoper Yates, Chartered Principal Scientist, AtkinsRéalis 

The Army corps of engineers recently estimated that, historically, roughly 30 percent of dredge volume in the US has been beneficially reused.

Reuse encompasses a wide range of applications including construction materials, beach nourishment, enhancing flood protection, and creating habitats; but it isn’t a common practice.

In this episode we’ll talk about the barriers to reuse – technical, economic, institutional, and regulatory.

We’ll also discuss how the narrative around dredging has shifted in the last decade or so. It’s no longer about just disposal, it’s about how dredge material is adding value to the ecosystem, keeping channels open so that ships can access ports and providing economic and social benefit.

It all comes down to managing dredge material in a cost effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable manner. Encouraging the beneficial use of dredge material is critical. Plus, it’s just good environmental stewardship.
Joining this discussion:
Christin Perkinson, Coastal Practice Director, AtkinsRealis
Justin Bartusek, Coastal Senior Engineer, AtkinsRealis
Jeff Wright, VP, Water Practice Director, AtkinsRealis

Today’s episode is all about biosolids, including gaining insight into global trends and discussing some of the key challenges and opportunities faced by the sector and recognizing that there’s a paradigm shift happening.

Biosolids production continues to grow due to many factors—population growth, increased connectivity to our sewers, increased environmental production level and improved standards of living. It’s a critical part of the wastewater process.

We’ll chat about how managing bioresources in an efficient and effective manner presents an immense opportunity to reduce the carbon impact of the wastewater industry and in the water sector as a whole. We’ll also talk about the benefit of diversifying strategies.

Joining the discussion:

• Rick Lancaster, Global Bioresources Director
• Tyler Hewitt, US Water Market Lead 
• Jeff Wright, VP, Water Practice Director

Why water asset management? Good question. Join us as we talk about the challenges facing water utilities—climate change, financial and commercial pressures, depleting availability of the workforce—and how asset management can help.

Utilities are facing continuing pressure to do more with less. To achieve that, they need greater control and visibility of their assets—how they're performing and how they're deteriorating.

Asset management provides a framework to help you get a good understanding of where your assets are in terms of their lives and their performance.  An asset management risk-based approach means thinking about your assets and continuously prioritizing them. 

We’ll also chat about intergenerational equity, passing on value and equity in your asset portfolio from one generation to another.

Through this discussion, we’ve realized that water asset management is a journey. We’ll discuss Organizational Change Management (OCN) or change transformation and how it’s a big part of that journey. As Peter Drucker says, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” 

Joining this discussion:

•  Shiv Iyer, Technical Director, Asset Management, Atkins
•  Bill Irvine, Technical Director, Water Infrastructure, Atkins
•  Jeff Wright, VP, Water Practice Director, Atkins

Know your risk.There is something you can do to make a difference in your community’s dam risk resilience.

This second-in-a-series of podcast episodes highlighting dam safety focuses on risk associated with dams. We’re talking about the National Inventory of Dams (NID), an essential component in a community’s understanding of risk and a great pre-planning tool.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is in the process of modernizing the NID, which will include inundation mapping that historically has not been available. Understanding the demographics of the downstream community impacted by a potential dam incident through information available via the NID will play a key role in reducing negative impacts.

We’re also talking about the Collaborative Technical Assistance (CTA) program. FEMA is providing leadership in the development and implementation this initiative which is aimed at providing the tools a community needs to effectively plan for and respond in the event of a dam incident. We’ll discuss CTA’s hands-on work with communities to ensure they know their role when an incident occurs.

And you’ll hear about dam risk management and floodplain management, the High Hazard Potential Dams grant program (HHPD), FEMA’s role in the National Dam Safety Program and key initiatives for FEMA in respect to the management of that program.

Take a listen.

Dam safety is a shared responsibility; know your risk, know your role, know the benefits of dams and take action.

Joining the discussion:

• Cathy Carr Clinch, VP, Civilian Sector, Atkins
•  Ann Terranova, Project Director, Atkins
•  Becky Ragon, Program Manager, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) National Inventory of Dams (NID)
•  James Demby, Dam Safety Program Manager, FEMA
•  Ed Beadenkopf, Dam Safety Subject Matter Expert, Atkins
•  Preston Wilson, Dam Safety Program Engineer, FEMA
•  Diana Castro, Dam Safety Subject Matter Expert, Atkins

From hurricanes to heat waves, a 200-mile corridor in North Carolina is facing increasing climate change challenges. 

Stephen Bourne, Atkins resiliency expert, and Matt Lauffer, North Carolina DOT hydraulics design engineer, explain how a City Simulator digital twin helped NCDOT assess vulnerabilities to continued growth and future climate change to help make a 200-mile corridor more resilient. 

This is the second roundtable episode and we’re talking about climate change. Specifically helping communities understand its impacts and the engineering tools to evaluate and respond to it. We’re also discussing equitable water resiliency efforts and more. Tune in right here.

Joining the conversation today:

• Jeff Wright, Atkins Water Practice Director
• Steve Bourne, Atkins Project Director with experience in water resource engineering, climate science and decision support tool development
• Chris Zambito, Atkins Senior Project Manager with a focus on hazard mitigation and emergency management resilience
• Rick Renna, Atkins Water Resources Engineer with a focus on drainage engineering, having been responsible for most of the drainage policies that are included in the Florida Drainage Manual

This is the first episode on climate change and water resilience. We’re talking about the science behind climate change and the water impacts we’re seeing. We’re also discussing the development of policy regulation and how our communities can plan for the future. Tune in right here.
 
Joining the conversation today:

• Jeff Wright, Atkins Water Practice Director
• Shayne Paynter, Atkins Water Resources Senior Technical Director with experience is innovative, regional multidisciplinary water projects
• Christin Perkinson, Atkins Coastal Technical Manager with a focus on improvements to coastal infrastructure for resiliency to climate change
• Ken Hunu, Atkins Water Resources Technical Manager with experience in water resources systems engineering, climate change resiliency analysis, integrated water resources management, and hydrologic and hydraulic analysis
• Phetmano Phannavong, Atkins Water Resources Senior Project Manager with experience in water resources engineering, project and program management and national FEMA flood policies