Sustainability:
Big Challenges,
Big Opportunities

By Jennifer Belknap Williamson, P.E., LEED AP, City of Gresham, PNCWA Sustainability Committee Chair

Welcome to the Sustainability focus issue of the PNCWA newsletter! It’s an exciting and challenging time for municipal organizations and consultants in the environmental field. We face daunting challenges for a wide variety of sustainability-related issues, ranging from the financial sustainability of organizations with aging infrastructure and increasing regulatory requirements to the environmental sustainability of rivers receiving pollutants that our wastewater treatment plants are ill-equipped to remove.

However, in the face of these challenges and many others there are also inspiring examples of innovative solutions that are being implemented to make a difference. Many organizations have set far-reaching goals and are taking action to reduce their energy use and carbon emissions, reduce the impacts of their purchasing practices, and continue to improve water quality. Our industry is constantly re-examining and improving how we meet the needs of both society and the environment through our work.

As operators, engineers, scientists and planners, one of our primary roles is solving problems. Sustainability problems are complex and interconnected with many aspects of our infrastructure, how we do our work, and our way of life. True sustainability is a very long-term goal. However, every step we take to become more in alignment with sustainability principles is an important step in the right direction toward the goal of prosperous, healthy communities and a well-functioning environment.

This issue of the PNCWA newsletter is dedicated to showcasing ideas and actions for tackling sustainability problems successfully. Our focus in this issue is on broad sustainability issues, going beyond energy challenges alone. Stay tuned for an excellent newsletter dedicated to energy topics in the Winter 2011 issue.

In this current issue, you will find perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing municipal organizations related to water quality, water availability, climate change, energy, biodiversity and social systems. The focus on sustainability starts off with an overview by Chad Newton of how wastewater utilities can improve their own sustainability and resiliency. Other highlights include:

1. The City of Meridian, ID shares their work integrating sustainability into the Comprehensive Plan and activities of the Public Works Department
2. The City of Yakima, WA describes their holistic approach to meeting TMDLs in the Yakima River
3. The City of Corvallis, OR provides an overview of their nutrient recovery process
4. The Freshwater Trust shares examples of meeting regulatory requirements through innovative approaches such as stream restoration
5. Oregon ACWA summarizes how WWTPs can maximize their positive impact in the community as Big Green Machines
6. The PNCWA Collections Committee shares input on potentially reducing costs by storing in the collection system during wet weather
7. A fascinating look at a new method of providing reclaimed water using pasteurization in Ventura, CA
8. Ideas for integrating sustainability at home as well as at work

We hope this issue is inspiring and encourages your creative passion for developing new solutions to sustainability challenges. The PNCWA Sustainability Committee is currently developing plans for webinars, workshops and other educational activities on sustainability topics to help PNCWA members. Please let us know if there are any topics you would like to learn more about!

(Download the complete Sustainability Focus Section from the Q2 Summer 2011 Newsletter)