Save the date for the Watershed-Based Water Quality Management webinar, which will be held January 25-26, 2022.

The White House released updated state and territory fact sheets that highlight the nationwide impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the largest long-term investment in our infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. The fact sheets detail how the historic legislation will allow states and territories across the country to repair roads and bridges, improve transportation options, build a network of electric vehicles (EV) chargers to accelerate the adoption of EVs, help connect every American to reliable high-speed internet, eliminate the nation’s lead service lines and pipes for clean drinking water, protect against extreme weather events and cyberattacks, and improve our nation’s airports. You can download the fact sheets by state here: Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

A Message from Vicky Hollingsworth, PNCWA 2022 Conference Chair

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The Racial & Social Justice (RSJ) Subcommittee will be collecting information on current diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) practices that our member associations are implementing. Keep your eyes out for a short survey from the subcommittee in the coming weeks. The next RSJ newsletter is planned for the new year. The subcommittee welcomes your suggestions for content, such as educational materials (i.e. essays, books, podcasts, etc.), membership organization RSJ/DEI programs (i.e. agencies, consulting firms), projects with RSJ elements, and volunteer opportunities. Email Frank Dick with your ideas and suggestions at [email protected].

The PNCWA 2021 Conference undoubtedly made several changes in how we chose to meet. One of the most notable ways the conference evolved was by reallocating the money spent on attendee swag, which often has a high carbon footprint. Instead, we asked attendees to select one of these worthy causes to give the money to:

The Member Services Committee is excited to promote our amazing volunteers in our section of the monthly digest. If you know someone we should feature in the “Member Spotlight,” send an email to committee Vice Chair Jen Murphy. For our next spotlight, we would like to introduce you to Erica Haide. Take it away, Erica.

On October 28, 2021, the Communications and Outreach Committee held its annual communications camp, a one-day specialty conference focused on communications skills, in Springfield, Oregon. This year’s event was a big success, with 13 campers in attendance and a mix of virtual and in-person presenters. Proceeds from the camp help fund PNCWA’s Adopt-a-School grant program.

We are now accepting applications for the 2022 Adopt-a-School grant program! Grants fund K-12 educational projects focused on water and the environment. In the past, this program has funded field trips, sampling kits, garden boxes, stream cleanups, laboratory equipment, and even rubber boots. The average grant award is $500, and the only requirement is that the students involved tour a local treatment facility or watch a presentation from a water professional. Visit here for more information and the online application. Applications are due January 14, 2022. If you know an educator, please share this program info with them. It’s a chance to get tomorrow’s water professionals engaged today.

Join us as a key member of the 2022 conference committee to continue shaping the future of our annual conference.

During this time of year, I’m reminded of the importance of being thankful — or “aware and appreciative of a benefit,” as it’s defined.

Introducing Future Leaders to Opportunities in Water

Autumn is such a vibrant, visual reminder of the changes that inevitably occur in our lives. A great many things have changed over the last couple of years, and our industry is now facing the challenges that have resulted — including how to accomplish the vast amount of work that needs to get done while dealing with worker shortages, supply chain issues, escalating construction costs, and navigating the virtual work environment. We know that some of the most passionate volunteers and members of PNCWA are feeling the strain of these challenges, so I wanted to pause and tell you that we understand, we feel similarly, and we are immensely grateful for those of you who continue to advance the mission of PNCWA.

PNCWA is a nonprofit organization that exists to provide people with top-notch education, opportunities to learn about the ever-changing tools and technology in our industry, and the chance to network and connect with others. Our work is critical, and it cannot be done without the tireless efforts of so many of you.

The Puget Sound Nutrient Reduction Grants Program has available grants. Check out their website for more info.

Download the Report to Congress on Integrated Plans to Comply with the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2019 here.

Congratulations to the City of Boise for being awarded the 2021 PNCWA Excellence in Resource Recovery Award! As one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, the City of Boise knows that protecting natural resources is vital to maintaining livability. The City has embarked on the following efforts that demonstrate their commitment to resource recovery in the Pacific Northwest.

As part of their final project, the Water Leadership Institute (WLI) 2021 cohort has developed a YouTube series focusing on different aspects of Change Leadership in the water sector, where each group focused on a single area of excellence. Presented in the style of a TED-Talk, each group created two videos expanding on each of the nine topics.

Join the WLI groups during the roundtable discussions on Nov. 3, 8, and 10 to delve into the topics further. Click here to sign up.

The Umpqua Basin Operators Section (UBOS) is pleased to host the 2021 Oregon Operators Conference in beautiful Southern Oregon on Nov. 16-18. PNCWA and AWWA have partnered with UBOS to organize an outstanding conference for people to network, receive quality training and education, learn about products and services in the field, and enjoy the Umpqua Valley and Douglas County Fairgrounds. Your three-day registration includes a conference dinner on Wednesday evening, as well as breakfast and lunch on each day of the event. Click here to learn more and to register for the event.

No matter what our daily work looks like as water professionals, clear and effective communication makes us better at getting that work done. The Communications and Outreach Committee’s annual Communications Camp focuses on precisely that. A one-day workshop focused on building skills and sharing knowledge about effective communications strategies, the camp will be held on October 28, 2021 in Springfield, Oregon.

This year, the camp features presentations on crisis communications, virtual outreach, engaging public speaking, and project management. We’ll also tour Springfield’s Mill Race Stormwater Facility. While the event will be solely in person, in 2022, we plan to offer an online version of the event as well.

The Water For People Committee would like to thank all those who participated in our conference fundraising event, Move For Water, and those who helped us “rinse a regulator” (and our Past President, Haley Falconer) at the Monday Night Networking Dunk Tank. Because of you, we were able to raise nearly $1,000 for Water For People! Also, sincere thank yous to Preservation Idaho, who provided a wonderful walking tour of Boise and made it easy and educational to get our steps in, and WaterReuse Pacific Northwest for their wonderful collaboration on the Dunk Tank.

Thank you to everyone who attended and engaged in PNCWA 2021! The annual conference has a way of filling people with hope for the future of our industry and reinvigorating passion for the work we do and the communities we serve. This year was no different. Nearly 400 of you joined us in person in Boise for more than 150 technical presentations. Over 200 of you were involved virtually this year, and for a whopping 167 of you, this was the first time you had attended the conference.

None of this would have been possible without the dedicated support of our sponsors, vendors, and planning teams. Thank you all for making PNCWA 2021 such a success!

As we enter into this new year for PNCWA, I’m incredibly humbled and honored to step into the role of President of the Board of Directors. PNCWA is such a critical nonprofit organization essential to the future of our region and the water industry. The 2021 Conference was an amazing reminder of that, and I personally am feeling reenergized and reminded of the importance of community, geography, and, of course, water.

Thank you to Haley Falconer, Immediate Past President, for her amazing leadership and sacrifice over the past year. Thank you to our conference committee, sponsors, manufacturers and exhibitors, the board, our dedicated committee chairs, section leads, and to the countless dedicated and talented people in the Pacific Northwest that have given so much to PNCWA.