Annual Conference Recap

CASA’s Annual Conference held at the Resort at Squaw Creek was a resounding success! Together with some of the clean water sector’s best and brightest, we focused on the future and prepared for new challenges, staying true to our conference theme “Elevating Excellence”. Thank you to all the speakers, moderators and panelists who joined us to share their knowledge and experiences with CASA members.

For those who were unable to attend, check out our website to view the informative presentations and handouts shared by our speakers and panelists.

CASA 2022 Award of Excellence

Congratulations to the recipients of CASA’s 2022 Awards of Excellence! CASA is proud to recognize the hard work your agencies do to provide an invaluable service to California communities.

Excellence in Innovation and Resiliency

• Small Agency: City of San Luis Obispo

          Ammonia Recovery using Vacuum Stripping & Absorption

Public Outreach and Education

• Small Agency: Castro Valley Sanitary District 

          Only Flush The 3 P’s Campaign 

• Large Agency: Irvine Ranch Water District 

           IRWD 360-degree Virtual Recycled Water Adventure

Organizational Excellence

• Small Agency: Ironhouse Sanitary District

          Strategic Plan 2022-27+

• Large Agency: City of San José 

          San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility Capital Improvement Program

Outstanding Capital Project

• Small Agency: City of Oceanside 

          Pure Water Oceanside

• Large Agency: Irvine Ranch Water District and Black & Veatch

          Michelson Water Recycling Plant Biosolids and Energy Recovery Facility

To see the full list of award applicants and a description of their projects check out the Awards Brochure. Interested in submitting your project? Mark your calendar! We will begin accepting applications for the 2023 Awards of Excellence in March: CASA Awards Program.

CASA Acknowledges 2022 Education Foundation Scholarship Recipients

The CASA Education Foundation was formed to enhance the future of California’s clean water community by attracting new professionals into the clean water sector through scholarships. Students pursuing higher education in engineering, environmental science, public administration, or other related fields, who show an interest in serving the clean water community are eligible to apply. The CASA Education Foundation presented $5,000 scholarships to four worthy students in 2022, including the inaugural Bruce Wolfe scholarship. Learn more about the scholarship recipients and view their thank you videos below.

Mika Mar - University of the Pacific

Rachel Eising - California State University, Sacramento

Ria Jain - University of California, Berkeley

Inaugural Bruce Wolfe Scholarship Recipient

Mackenzie Cin - University of California, Santa Cruz

AB 2247 (Bloom) Heads to the Governor

CASA’s co-sponsored bill, AB 2247 (Bloom) is headed to the Governor! This week the bill was heard on the Senate Floor Monday evening, and passed with a 23-12 vote. On Tuesday afternoon the Assembly voted to concur in Senate amendments, and the next stop is the Governor’s desk. This bill, which is co-sponsored by CASA, Environmental Working Group, and Clean Water Action, requires the disclosure of intentionally added PFAS in products on publicly accessible database beginning in 2026. Amendments taken in the Senate were intended to address opposition concerns and provide implementation authority to the Department of Toxic Substances Control. We appreciate our members that weighed in with their local legislators to support this important bill. In the coming days, we will ask for agencies to send a final letter of support to the Governor’s office, and we will provide a template letter for our members. If you would like more information or have any questions about the bill, please reach out to Jessica Gauger or Spencer Saks.

Sign up for CASA’s Regulatory Updates

CASA’s Regulatory Workgroup regularly puts together a comprehensive e-newsletter to share all regulatory updates on key issues and workgroup initiatives with the CASA membership. If you are interested in receiving these regulatory updates, please contact Jared Voskuhl. Last month’s edition is available here. 

SWB Releases Results of 2021 Volumetric Annual Report 

On August 2, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board/SWB) provided an update summarizing the results of the 2021 Volumetric Annual Report for wastewater and recycled water. SWB staff compiled the 2021 volumetric data from 700+ facilities that submitted the required information by the annual April 30 deadline. This year’s report included analysis of recent trends in California, since there now are three consecutive years of this data, and included a broader discussion about revising our statewide goals for recycled water. 

California’s Next Secretary for Environmental Protection Announced

Governor Gavin Newsom announced that Amelia Yana Garcia Gonzalez will serve as California’s next Secretary for Environmental Protection after Secretary Jared Blumenfeld steps down in September. Garcia Gonzalez previously served in various leadership roles at CalEPA focused on environmental justice and tribal affairs. “Yana’s deep connection to communities, her strong track record as an environmental attorney in holding polluters accountable, and her commitment to bringing diverse interests together make her uniquely matched to the challenges facing California,” said Governor Newsom. View the full press release here.

OC San’s Virtual Wastewater 101 Citizens Academy Coming Soon…

The virtual Wastewater 101 Citizen Academy aims to educate and inform the community on the various programs, initiatives, and efforts led by OC San. The Academy features four workshops over the course of two months and will be hosted and presented by OC San staff. The focus of the workshops are: Who We Are and What We Do, OC San in a Nutshell, Capital Improvement Program, and Environmental Services. The program is available to community members who are 18 years and older with the first session beginning on September 8. Additional information or registration can be found at www.ocsan.gov/wastewater101.

CWA at 50 Webinar

Join CASA and CWEA on Wednesday, October 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for a deep dive into the Clean Water Act and the regulations driving our profession.

The Clean Water Act and Porter-Cologne provided California’s water professionals and regulators the support and funding needed to make monumental clean water achievements. Rivers, bays, and beaches across the Golden State are cleaner than ever and enjoyed by millions of residents and tourists. Now 50 years old, and entering “middle age”, what’s the future of the Clean Water Act? Join our panel of regulatory leaders to explore and celebrate the CWA and learn about their vision for clean water going forward. You’ll learn about:

• CWA achievements and State Water Board priorities.
• Recurring challenges, including: Waters of the US, non-point source pollution, regulatory flexibility and innovation, and more.
• Current enforcement trends and where they’re heading.

Register today!

Save the Date!

Be sure to save the date for CASA’s Winter Conference 2023, on Wednesday, January 25 - Friday, January 27 in Palm Springs! Stay tuned for more details in future editions of Connects.