Happy New Year from CASA!

We are as excited as ever to spend another year working together with you! From all of us here at CASA, we wish you a successful and very Happy New Year.

CASA Winter Conference: Join the Conversation

Kick-off the new year by joining us at the Winter Conference in Palm Springs January 25 – 27. Attending the winter conference is a great way to join the conversation on hot topics of concern and provides an opportunity to engage with peers. Featuring interactive panel discussions and roundtables to facilitate the open sharing of ideas, don’t miss the chance to discover insights on complex challenges facing the wastewater community. Wednesday afternoon features the ever-popular roundtables on topics from microplastics to stormwater programs to citizen academies. Get ready to network on Thursday and hear from keynote speaker Erin Brockovich on her most recent effort on PFAS. Thursday afternoon will feature a future workforce recruitment panel, a panel on energy resiliency as well as a panel focused on cyber-physical security and resilience. Check out the program to get a jump start on your planning.

Registration is still open for our 2023 Winter Conference! CASA’s room block is already full at the Hilton Palm Springs Hotel, but contact Cheryl MacKelvie to get on the waiting list or to find out about hotels near our conference location. We look forward to seeing you in Palm Springs!

Recording Now Available: Citizens Academy 101

The recording for CASA’s recent Citizens Academy 101 webinar is now available. Looking for new ways to engage with your ratepayers? Has your agency considered implementing a Citizens Academy? Check out this webinar to hear from those with first-hand experience developing and running these interactive programs. Citizen Academies are a great way to help engage customers and develop greater public awareness about the incredible activities wastewater agencies engage in every day. Hear from OC San, Napa San and Central San as they share lessons learned, planning tips, materials, budget and all the tools you need to build a successful program. In case you missed it live, view the webinar now! Access the recording and PowerPoint presentations here.

CASA Washington D.C. Policy Forum

Join us at the Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C., for the CASA DC Policy Forum. The event will feature an excellent program with speakers from Congressional staff, reporters, and national water associations providing their perspective on developments of importance to California’s clean water professionals. This year, we have set aside time for agencies to make their own appointments for Congressional visits, with the assistance of our federal advocates Eric and Sarah Sapirstein. Join us in our nation’s capital to strengthen the water community’s  advocacy and promote our collective federal agenda on February 27 - 28, 2023. We hope to see you there!

On Wednesday, January 4, the Legislature returned to Sacramento to officially kick off the 2023-24 Legislative Session. Both the Senate and Assembly met and adopted resolutions establishing protocols and procedures for the two-year session, and some legislators introduced early bills. Key legislative deadlines are already on the horizon with the deadline to submit bill language to Legislative Counsel coming up at the end of January, and all bills must be introduced for the year by February 17. Accordingly, legislative staff are quickly cobbling together bill proposals to fill out their respective legislators’ bill portfolio for the year.

CASA will once again be actively engaged with the Legislature this year, advocating on behalf of the California wastewater community. Join the CASA State Legislative Committee for our next meeting on January 27^th at the CASA Conference in Palm Springs, where we will be discussing the most pressing legislative issues of the year. 

In Memoriam

We are deeply saddened to inform the CASA membership of the passing of Fairfield Mayor, Harry Price. “Mayor Price was just about to complete his fourth term in office but has served the public in one capacity or another for the majority of his life,” the City said in the statement. “Mayor Price truly loved his community and was a great advocate for Travis Air Force Base and quality youth programs. His presence will be keenly missed.” Harry was an integral part of CASA, serving as Board President from 2008 - 2009 and was beloved by all. We will all miss Harry’s welcoming presence and kind heart. CASA extends their deepest condolences and sympathy to Harry’s family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched, especially within the CASA and Fairfield communities. See the news release here.

EMWD Introduces ‘The Drop’ Podcast

Last month the Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) debuted a new podcast, The Drop, where EMWD brings the latest information on the water industry right to customers ears. The Drop debuted in mid-November and weekly episodes are planned. EMWD staff and guests will discuss a wide range of industry topics, including the drought, water quality, planned programs, infrastructure and much more. The episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and online at www.emwd.org/thedrop and will publish weekly on Thursdays. Read more here!

Welcome New CASA Member!

City of Livermore                                   

OC San Selects Next GM

The Orange County Sanitation District’s (OC San) Board of Directors has selected OC San’s Assistant General Manager Robert (Rob) Thompson as the next General Manager, effective February 10, 2023. Thompson will replace James (Jim) D. Herberg who is set to retire on February 9, 2023, after a longstanding career at OC San. Herberg has been with OC San for more than 30 years and served as the General Manager since 2013. Mr. Thompson was selected after an extensive national recruitment effort. “Rob understands the history of the agency and has demonstrated that he is the ideal candidate to continue leading OC San in a direction of innovation and progress,” stated OC San Board Chairman Chad P. Wanke. “The Board is extremely pleased with the decision and looks forward to working with Rob in his new capacity.” Congratulations to Rob and farewell wishes to Jim who is a long time CASA Board Member and friend. Read more here.

OC San Secures Federal Funding for the Supercritical Water Oxidation Project

The Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) will receive $3.45 million from the Federal Government to help support the Supercritical Water Oxidation Project. OC San has partnered with 374Water to build a six-ton-per-day demonstration project called AirSCWO Nix6. This process uses water at a high temperature and pressure to oxidize and break down complex compound materials like PFAS. Once treated, OC San expects that the compounds are transformed into more basic and benign compounds to enhance public health by reducing exposure PFAS and microplastics. Read more in the press release here.

Clean Water Summit Partners SSS WDR Webinar 

On January 11, 2023, the Clean Water Summit Partners will host a free Zoom webinar on the reissued statewide Sanitary Sewer System Waste Discharge Requirements Order that the State Water Resources Control Board adopted on December 6, 2022. The webinar will start at 9 AM and last for 3.5 hours. The new and modified requirements in the new Order become effective in June 2023. This event is designed specifically for collection system LROs, data submitters, managers, and operators to understand the streamlined process for existing enrollees to transfer current Order enrollment to the new Order, from April 4 through June 3, 2023, prior to the new Order becoming effective. The webinar will also cover priority actions to comply with modified spill reporting and updated Spill Emergency Response Plan requirements by June 2023, and clarifications for updating Sewer System Management Plans in 2025 and 2026, based on the current Plan update schedules in the existing Order.

Registration:https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_M0TkeHBuSlG2ha3kte30Qw

CASA and CWEA Wastewater Surveillance Webinar

Join CASA & CWEA for a free national webinar on Wednesday, January 11, to learn of advances, uses, and increasing value for wastewater-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2, its variants, and emerging pathogens. Learn from national public health officials, academia, and national and local representatives of the wastewater sector. Hear speakers from the CDC, Stanford, the Water Environment Federation and the LA County Sanitation Districts. Register for free online.

BB&K's Clean Water, Complicated Laws Webinar Series

Beginning next Thursday, January 12, join BB&K’s leading water quality attorneys for a webinar series as presenters provide practical guidance on water quality issues, laws and regulations. Once a month, they will explore the major concerns wastewater, stormwater, and recycled water managers face, and dive into the many complicated issues that arise regarding water quality. Click here to register for the series and gain access to the live sessions, as well as the on-demand recordings.

When: Every 2nd Thursday of the month in 2023

Time: 10-10:30 a.m.

Wastewater Surveillance Office Hours with CASA and CDPH

For those interested in wastewater-based surveillance for SARS-CoV-2, its variants, MPox and other pathogens, the California Department of Public Health holds monthly office hours to provide updates and answer questions. Interested persons from the public health sector and the wastewater sector are encouraged to attend. CASA’s Greg Kester joined them for their December session (slides available here). For any wastewater utilities that are interested in participating in the CDPH Wastewater Surveillance Program, please fill out this quick survey, and a member from the CDPH team will follow up with you. These resources, along with the meeting recording, will also be shared on CA Public Health Wastewater Forum. We encourage you to join the next Wastewater Office Hours on Wednesday, January 18 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm PT.