Water Break

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In The Water Break Podcast Episode 21, Heather Jennings, PE, discusses Excavation and Trenching Safety with Joseph Lanute. Mr. Lanute is the owner of Universal Safety Compliance, LLC., and he is a lead Instructor at the OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Arizona State University. Universal Safety Compliance (phone 602-810-6713) is a full-service safety consulting, training and risk management company providing all aspects of safety and loss control services to companies throughout Arizona and the Southwest.

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In The Water Break Podcast Episode 21, Heather Jennings, PE, discusses Excavation and Trenching Safety with Joseph Lanute. Mr. Lanute is the owner of Universal Safety Compliance, LLC., and he is a lead Instructor at the OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Arizona State University. Universal Safety Compliance (phone 602-810-6713) is a full-service safety consulting, training and risk management company providing all aspects of safety and loss control services to companies throughout Arizona and the Southwest.

Podcast Links

OSHA Publication 2226-10R 2015: Trenching and Excavation Safety

OSHA Trenching and Excavation: Slope It. Shore It. Shield It.

OSHA Standard 1926.651: Specific Excavation Requirements

Wanda’s Water Tidbit Links

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: What Are Atmospheric Rivers?

U.S. Geological Survey: Rivers in the Sky: 6 Facts You Should Know About Atmospheric Rivers

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In The Water Break Podcast Episode 20, Heather Jennings, PE, interviews Paula Jackson, owner of Earth Water Specialists, which provides training for the water and wastewater industry. The interview includes discussion of OSHA requirements, types of confined spaces, common hazards faced by water and wastewater workers, and how to stay safe when confronting common hazards in confined spaces. They emphasize the importance of safety training and preparedness when working in confined spaces.

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In Episode 19, Heather Jennings, PE, interviews Michael Preston, Legislative and Policy Analyst for the National Rural Water Association, regarding the newly passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and what the billions of dollars in new federal funding could mean for the water and wastewater industry.

The bill delivers more than $50 billion to EPA to improve our nation’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure—the single largest investment in water that the federal government has ever made.

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In Episode 19, Heather Jennings, PE, interviews Michael Preston, Legislative and Policy Analyst for the National Rural Water Association, regarding the newly passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and what the billions of dollars in new federal funding could mean for the water and wastewater industry.

The bill delivers more than $50 billion to EPA to improve our nation’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure—the single largest investment in water that the federal government has ever made.

SHOW LINKS

Kentucky Tornado Relief

Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund

Kentucky Agriculture Relief Fund

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)

National Rural Water Association: Congress Passes Historic Infrastructure Bill Including Billions in New Federal Water Funds

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Text: H.R.3684: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The White House: Fact Sheet: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal

EPA 2017: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Eligibility Handbook

Clean Water State Revolving Fund 2015: An Introduction to EPA Clean Water State Revolving Fund

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: EPA PFAS Strategic Roadmap

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Emerging Contaminants and Federal Facility Contaminants of Concern

Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act: Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities Drinking Water Grant Program - Implementation Document

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Strategies to Achieve Full Lead Service Line Replacement

Brookings: America has an infrastructure bill: What happens next?

Wanda’s Water Tidbit

Mental Floss: 16 Cool Facts About Glaciers

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA’s OMG Mission): Oceans Melting Greenland

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In Episode 18, Heather Jennings, PE, explores moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) with her guest, Dan Turner, president of Blue Whale Technologies. MBBRs biologically treat wastewater by incorporating specialized media that increase surface area on which microorganisms can grow and consume organic material. Heather and Dan discuss MBBR applications, equipment, sizing and design, as well as process optimization.

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In Episode 17, Heather Jennings, PE, discusses the aging of the current water and wastewater treatment operations workforce and efforts to recruit, train, and retain new workers. Her guests are Paula Jackson, Apprenticeship Program Coordinator for the Vermont Rural Water Association, and Shea Dunifon, Education Coordinator for Pinellas County Utilities’ South Cross Bayou Education Program.

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In Episode 16, Heather Jennings, PE, discusses Environmental Laboratory Sampling Tips & Tricks with Marci Payne, Sales and Marketing Director at Legend Technical Services of Arizona, Inc. In this podcast, Ms. Payne provides a general overview of best practices for collecting water and wastewater samples for testing at an environmental laboratory.

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In Episode 15, Heather Jennings, PE, leads a panel of 3 guests on a discussion of PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) in the environment, drinking water, and wastewater. The panel includes Marci Payne, Sales and Marketing Director at Legend Technical Services of Arizona, Inc.; Cathy Swanson, West Regional Sales Manager and Groundwater Remediation Specialist at Purolite; and Dr. Rosa Gwinn, Global PFAS Technical Leader at AECOM. Heather and the panel discuss PFAS in terms of what they are, how they impact us, how we test for them, and issues related to removing them from the environment. They also discuss current regulatory requirements and what our level of concern should be in terms of addressing them in our industry.

“Where We Bridge the Gap Between Water Plant Operators and Engineers”

In Episode 14, Heather Jennings, PE, leads a panel of 3 guests who share their lessons learned and wastewater wisdom from almost 100 years of combined wastewater processing experience. The panel guests collectively hold more water and wastewater operator licenses than we can count. The guests are Jim Huchel, City of Flagstaff Water Reclamation Plant Manager; Dave Axton, Owner of Water Resources, Inc.; and Jason Joynes who is Executive Director of Rural Water Association of Arizona and also Process Control and Equipment Specialist for Construction Product Marketing (CPM) in Arizona.