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NEWS - November 2017 - Riverbank Filtration - Louisville

MAXIMIZING AMERICA’S ALLUVIAL AQUIFERS

The American Ground Water Trust’s Louisville conference on riverbank filtration and collector wells brought over 50 water experts together to discuss the design, construction, operation and maintenance of unconventional water supply systems, non-traditional wells and riverbank water supply systems. The program was held at the historic Louisville Water Tower Park and was hosted by the Louisville Water Company. The program showcased case studies of design, construction and operation of vertical wells, slant wells, collector wells and galleries. Emphasis was places on how the characteristics of alluvial aquifer hydrogeology influence design options, how site conditions influence construction and installation costs. Photograph shows Greg Slone of Building Crafts Inc. making his presentation on the costs of collector wells.

 

 The principal conference presenters were:
Kay Ball, Engineer, Manager – Advanced Treatment Technology Program, Louisville Water Company, Louisville, KY
Doug Hunter, Senior Scientist, Cox-Colvin & Associates, Inc., Plain City, OH
Martha Silks, Associate/Hydrogeologist, Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc., North Kansas City, MO
Frank Getchell, Senior Vice President, Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ
Greg Slone, Collector Well Services Manager, Building Crafts, Inc., Wilder, KY
Dave Traut, Vice-President, Traut Companies, Waite Park, MN
David Dahlstrom, Senior Hydrogeologist, Barr Engineering, Minneapolis, MN
Sam Stowe, General Manager, Ranney Collector Wells, Layne Christensen Company, Columbus, OH
D. Douglas Haney, Hydrogeologist/Project Manager, HDR, Olathe, KS
Rick Hockett, Geologist, Louisville District, US Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, KY
Scott Riegert, Senior Project Manager, Parsons Engineering, Columbus, OH

Program sponsors were:

 

NEWS - November 2016 - Annual Colorado Groundwater Conference

The American Ground Water Trust’s Annual Colorado Groundwater Conference had a focus this year on private sector involvement in water infrastructure, legal issues related to water management and administration and the potential for increasing groundwater storage in Denver Basin Aquifers. 

            The private sector related presentations included talks by Gary Barber, Water Rights Broker and Consultant, Colorado Springs, CO; Brett Bovee, Intermountain Regional Director, Westwater Research, Fort Collins, CO and  Kevin France, CEO, SWIIM Systems, Partner, Regenesis Management Group, LLC, Denver, CO. 

            The panel on legal issues was convened by Steven Sims, Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, Denver, CO and included Leila C. Behnampour, Associate, Vranesh and Raisch, LLP, Boulder, CO; Brad Grasmick, Attorney, Lawrence Jones Custer Grasmick, LLP, Johnstown, CO and Dan Ault, President, Deere & Ault Consultants, Inc., Longmont, CO. 

            The Denver Basin panel was convened by Dennis McGrane, President, McGrane Water Engineering, Boulder, CO, and included Scott Mefford, Hydrokinetics Inc., Golden, CO; Christopher Sanchez, Principal / Hydrogeologist, Bishop-Brogden Associates, Inc., Englewood, CO and Mark Palumbo, Principal Hydrologist, HRS Water Consultants, Inc., Lakewood, CO.

            The end of conference discussion on water legislation expected or needed for the 2017 session was led by legislators Vicki Marble, Colorado State Senator District 32  and Representative Jeni James Arndt, Colorado House District 53.

The day following the conference, the AGWT held an all-day technical workshop on Water Supply Systems that focused on water well design, pump selection, and operation efficiency.

NEWS – October 2016 - AGWT Invited Presenter in South Africa

Staff from 14 US Embassies attended Groundwater Workshop. 

Andrew Stone, AGWT Executive Director, was an invited presenter at a Johannesburg groundwater workshop held for US Embassy staff from Southern African Countries.  Stone was one of the US experts recruited by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Water Partnership (USWP) who presented a three-day program dealing with water issues faced by southern African countries.  The purpose of American Ground Water Trust involvement was to provide Foreign Service Officers and locally engaged staff from U.S. embassies in the Southern African Development Community (SADAC) region with a basic understanding of groundwater occurrence and water well technology. The long-term objective is to achieve sustainable management of water in SADAC countries. The workshop program included the basics of hydrology, groundwater exploration and development, aquifer storage assessment, drilling and pumping technology, water management governance as well as the implications of changing weather patterns on future water supply availability. 

NEWS – September 2016 – How to Effectively Remove Chrome 6 from Groundwater, Sacramento, California

Chrome 6 is a contaminant found in groundwater at some places in California (and elsewhere). The American Ground Water Trust’s Sacramento workshop program reviewed the scientific background to the occurrence of Chrome 6, outlined the background to regulations aimed at keeping drinking water safe and discussed the economics and technology of Chrome 6 treatment options.  For many communities in California groundwater is the only available supply source, and where Chrome 6 is detected, there are often high costs involved in order to comply with drinking water standards or to find alternative supply sources.  The availability of lower cost Chrome 6 treatment technology that was outlined at the workshop could help large and small communities with achieving drinking water compliance.
Chromium is an odorless and tasteless metallic element found naturally in rocks, plants, soil and volcanic dust. The most common forms of chromium that occur naturally in the environment are Trivalent chromium (Chromium 3) and Hexavalent chromium (Chrome 6). Chromium 3 is essential as an element of human diets and is found in many vegetables, fruits, meats and grains. While Chrome 6 occurs naturally in the environment, it can also be produced by industrial processes and become a contaminant in soil and groundwater. 
Public awareness of Chrome 6 as a contaminant was increased by the portrayal of the consequences of contamination in the community of Hinckley in the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich” starring Julia Roberts. 
The Sacramento workshop presenters were:
~ Andrew Stone, Executive Director, American Ground Water Trust, Concord, NH
~ Dr. Chad Seidel, Vice President, Corona Environmental Consulting, Boulder, CO
~ Dr. John Izbicki, USGS Research Hydrologist, San Diego, CA
~ Ryan Rhoades, Senior Associate, Hazen and Sawyer, Scottsdale, AZ
~ Steve Bigley, Director of Environmental Services, Coachella Valley Water District, Coachella, CA
~ Norman Sendler, Water Treatment Specialist, Layne, Mesa, AZ
~ Bill Brennan, Central Coast Water Authority Executive Director (retired),Santa Barbara, CA
~ Mark Bartson, Chief, Technical Operations Division of Drinking Water, Water Resources Control Board, Sacramento, CA
~ Adán Ortega, Executive Director, California Association of Mutual Water Companies, Fullerton, CA
~ Bill Ketchum, President, ATEC Systems Associates, Seattle WA
~ Lee Odell, Water Treatment Global Technology Lead, CH2M, Portland, OR
~ Terry Foreman, Groundwater Consultant, Camarillo CA
 

NEWS – September 2016 – 16th Annual Conference in Florida, Orlando

 
 
For fifteen years the American Ground Water Trust has held an annual groundwater issues conference in Florida.  In the early years the program alternated between Orlando & Tampa.  For the last decade the conference has been on Orlando every September.
This year was the 16th two-day conference, attracting 150 participants.  Each year the program highlights management issues that are of particular concern.  The 2016 program included presentations about the implications of rising sea level, new impetus for Aquifer Storage Recovery projects and advances in groundwater modeling.
 
 
The program presenters were
~ Bob Verrastro, Lead Hydrogeologist, SFWMD, West Palm Beach, FL
~ Dr. Virginia Walsh, Chief of Hydrogeology, Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Dept., Miami, FL
~ Brian Armstrong, Executive Director, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Tampa, FL
~ Joe Haberfeld, UIC Program, Florida DEP, Tallahassee, FL
~ Dr. June Mirecki, Senior Hydrogeologist, US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, FL
~ Dr. Robert G. Maliva, Principal Hydrogeologist, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, Fort Myers, FL
~ Albert Muniz, Vice-President, Hazen and Sawyer, Boca Raton, FL
~ Dan Ringdahl, President, Florida Design Drilling, West Palm Beach, FL
~ Eric Olsen, Shareholder, Hopping Green & Sams, Tallahassee, FL
~ David MacIntyre, President, AquaSciTech Consulting, PLLC, Ocoee, FL
~ Clint Kromhout, FDEP - Florida Geological Survey, Tallahassee, FL
~ Aaron Collier, Hydrogeologist, Collier Consulting, Stephenville, TX 
~ Mark McNeal, CEO, ASRus, LLC, Tampa, FL
~ Scott Laidlaw, Bureau Chief, St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, FL
~ Donald Ellison, Senior Professional Geologist, SWFWMD, Brooksville, FL 
~ Lisann Morris, Senior Professional, SWFWMD, Brooksville. FL  
~ Michael Alfieri, Director of Hydrogeologic Services, WRA, Tampa, FL
~ Mike Weatherby, CEO, HydroGeo Consulting LLC, Tampa, FL
~ Mike Hancock, Water Resources Division, SWFWMD, Brooksville, FL
~ Greg Munson, Attorney, Shareholder, Gunster Law Firm, Tallahassee, FL
~ Dr. William Hutchings, Senior Hydrogeologist, GHD, Ft Myers, FL
~ Dr. John Lisle, Microbial Ecologist, US Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL
~ Renee Murch, Senior Water Resources Engineer, INTERA, Tampa, FL
~ Dr. Michael Sukop, Professor, Florida International University, Miami, FL
~ Dave Smith, Principal Scientist CDM Smith, Boca Raton, FL
~ Boyd Gunsalus, Manager, Water Farming Pilot Project, SFWMD, West Palm Beach, FL
~ David Pyne, President, ASR Systems, Gainesville, FL
 
These logos represent the companies that provided sponsorship support for the 2016 Orlando Groundwater Conference.  
The day following the groundwater issues conference the American Ground Water Trust held a workshop focused on pump selection, intelligent pump controls and the basics of water well design, operation and performance.
 

 

NEWS – September 2016 – Western Vermont Real Estate Professional go to “Groundwater School” – Middlebury, VT

The September workshop in Middlebury was one of four education workshop programs sponsored this year by the Vermont Realtor™ Association.  The program was held in the Middlebury Ilsley Library.
  The New England States of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are the three top states with the highest percentage of their citizens dependent on private wells for water supply. Because private wells fall below the radar of most water supply regulations it is important for the owners of residential properties with wells to understand the benefits and responsibilities of owning their own water supply system.  The American Ground Water Trust’s workshop program on residential water supply is designed to show real estate professionals the key points about properly designed and maintained water well supply systems.  What to test for in water quality and what equipment is available to effectively treat any problems are important parts of the workshop program.  The time of purchasing a home provides a great “teachable moment” opportunity for providing information about groundwater protection and water well system maintenance.
 

NEWS - August 2016 – Residential Water Wells and Drinking Water, Springfield, Vermont

 

The American Ground Water Trust presented a summer workshop program for Real Estate Professionals from eastern Vermont and western New Hampshire in the border town of Springfield, VT.  In addition to the basics of water wells and water treatment in New England, the workshop covered the recent concerns from well owners about perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a legacy contaminant from past industrial activities in New England states. The American Ground Water Trust’s workshop program “Residential Wells and Drinking Water” is approved for continuing education credits for Realtors™ in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.
 

NEWS – July 2016 – Groundwater Issues in New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

There was no hot air at the American Ground Water Trust New Mexico Groundwater Issues Conference in Albuquerque in July.  The program, held at the HQ of the New Mexico Bar Association, covered topics including Conjunctive management of New Mexico’s water resources; Modeling the effects of groundwater withdrawals on streams; Water markets – trading water rights as a management strategy; Managing groundwater depletions in the middle Rio Grande valley; Water recycling – aquifer recharge projects and, Aquifer storage – a least cost response to the hydrologic vagaries of climate change
The day following the conference the AGWT presented a workshop program that showcased the latest technology on water well design, pump selection and outlined the key indices needed in order to diagnose well performance problems.  
 

NEWS - June 2016 – Residential Property Transactions, Continuing Education for Real Estate Professionals: Water Wells & Drinking Water, North Conway, NH

  Forty five of the North country’s property transaction professionals took part in a three-hour training   program on private water wells at the North Conway Grand Hotel. The program was presented by the   American Ground Water Trust and sponsored by the White Mountain Board of Realtors.  With 3 out of   5 New Hampshire residents dependent of groundwater it is important at the time of property transfer   for the buyer to know about a home’s water supply system.  The program included background on       the state’s geology, how wells are constructed and how to know if equipment for water treatment 
  may be needed.

 
  The American Ground Water Trust’s three-hour training program for Realtors has been held            throughout New England and has been approved for Realtor continuing education. Realtor
 Associations wishing to sign-up for a workshop should call 800 423 7748
 

NEWS - June 2016 – Texas Aquifer Conference, Austin, Texas

The AGWT Annual Texas groundwater conference, attended by 150 people was co sponsored by the Texas Water Development Board. Corporate sponsors of the event were ASR Systems and CDM Smith.
 
A major topic covered at the conference was Aquifer Storage Recovery technology as a water management strategy.  Presentations included an assessment of ASR implementation throughout the US and updates on the status of Texas ASR demonstration projects involving New Braunfels Utilities, The Edwards Aquifer Authority, the City of Victoria and Corpus Christi. 
An afternoon panel of six water attorneys discussed cases and court decisions impacting groundwater management in Texas.
 
 
Conference presenters included:
Robert Mace, Deputy Executive Administrator, Texas Water Development Board, Austin, TX
Sarah Rountree Schlessinger, Executive Director, Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts, Austin, TX 
Stefan Schuster, Water Resources Director, SWCA Environmental Consultants, Austin, TX and 
Jenna Cantwell, Environmental Specialist, SWCA, San Antonio, TX
David Pyne, President, ASR Systems, Gainesville, FL
John Cyrier, TX State Representative (House District17), Lockhart, TX 
Fred M. Blumberg, Project Manager, ARCADIS-U.S. Inc., Austin, TX
Matt Webb, ASR Specialist/Geophysical Well Log Analyst, TX Water Development Board, Austin, TX  
Doug Draeger, Executive Director of Operations, New Braunfels Utilities, New Braunfels, TX
Brock Curry, Deputy General Manager, Edwards Aquifer Authority, San Antonio, TX
Lynn Short, Director of Public Works, City of Victoria, Victoria, TX
Tim Andruss, General Manager, Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District, Victoria, TX
David Pyne, President, ASR Systems, Gainesville, FL
Wm J. Green, Water Resource Management, Development Services, City of Corpus Christi, TX
Kristi Shaw, Integrated Water Planning Project Manager, HDR, Austin, TX
Van Kelley, Sr. Vice President, & John Ewing. Sr. Water Resources Engineer, INTERA, Inc., Austin, TX
John Meyer, Geologist, Texas Water Development Board, Austin, TX
Dave Smith, Principal Scientist CDM Smith, Boca Raton, FL 
Edmond McCarthy Jr., Attorney, Jackson Sjoberg McCarthy & Townsend, L.L.P., Austin, TX 
Russell Johnson, Partner McGinnis Lochridge, Austin TX 
Mike Gershon, Principal, Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C, Austin, TX 
Bill Dugat III, Attorney, Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta, LLP, Austin, TX
Drew Miller, Kemp Smith Law, Austin, TX 
Doug Caroom, Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP, Austin, TX
 

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