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PNCWA 2019: In Their Own Words, PNCWA Board Member, Tony Benavidez

It’s that time of year again — the time when we start planning next year’s conference. But Tony, you say, PNCWA 2019 was just a few weeks ago? It can be hard to keep up the excitement after such an incredible time together, networking with so many dedicated water professionals. Post-conference feels like the time of year we tend to put the cruise control on and coast to the end of the year. Here are some things that I learned through the connections I made at conference and also some of my plans for the coming year to stay motivated. I might even help you keep the energy all the way to PNCWA 2020 in Spokane.

This year’s conference for me was amazing. I saw so many new faces and spoke with a number of both first-time attendees and long-time attendees. There were several commonalities amongst our conversations. First, we are a passionate group of people. We love water and the environment, and we're doing all that we can to improve water quality for as many people as we can reach. Our reach extends far beyond the Pacific Northwest, and we are very proud of that. Second, we have the desire to be a part of something. It might be something local and important to specific communities, or it might be something big. I mean really big—like cleaning up Puget Sound big! The third takeaway was how much talent and knowledge we have. We all bring something to the table that is of value. We have brilliant design engineers, accomplished PhDs, inspired city officials, skilled operators, and many others. 

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By Operators for Operators: A New Training Toolkit to Prep for Exams

A new series of books from the Water Environment Federation gives operators a comprehensive, up-to-date and learner-friendly presentation of wastewater treatment processes.

This article first appeared in the January 2019 issue of TPO magazine, published by COLE Publishing Inc., www.tpomag.com. It is reprinted by permission.

There’s always demand for high-quality wastewater operator training materials. The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is answering the call with a new series of three Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals books, envisioned as “training for the operator of the future.”

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2018 Oregon Operators Conference Early Bird Registration Ends July 26

Oregon Operators Conference Aug 14-16 Canyonville OR

Tuesday, August 14, 2018, 8:00 AM to Thursday, August 16, 2018, 5:00 PM PDT

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Oregon Operator of the Year Featured in TPO Magazine

Cliff Church, who holds Grade II Wastewater Operator and Grade I Water Operator licenses, received the 2016 Oregon Wastewater Operator of the Year Award from the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association. The award announcement calls Church “an operator who exhibits a commitment to learn safe and efficient plant operations. … He is willing to understand the operations of each plant and has shown a mechanical ability by repairing, maintaining and trouble- shooting equipment.”

Church, a reclaim water technician, was nominated by Andrew Albee, former Myrtle Creek Public Works director and now superintendent of the clean-water plant in Roseburg. “Right from the start,” he says, “Cliff struck me as a real square guy who cared, was really interested in his work, and didn’t treat wastewater as a just a job.” Continue