June 14 – 17
Professional Program
Monday , June 14 , 2021
Applying Asset Management Practices at Above-Ground and Facility-Based Assets ( VS1 _ 03 )
Track : 21st Century Infrastructure | 9:30 – 10:30 a . m .
While a majority of a water utility ’ s financial asset value tends to lie in horizontal infrastructure ( watermains and associated appurtenances ), aboveground and facility-based assets carry a high degree of social value – their reliable operation is crucial to serving customers . This session explores methods of bettering the management of a variety of asset types , from wells to pumping and treatment facilities to enhance asset reliability and thus reliability of service to water customers .
A . P . Black Research Award ( VS1 _ 04 )
Track : Water Quality : Challenges and Research | 9:30 – 10:30 a . m .
Dr . Issam Najm has focused his 27-year career on strengthening the bridge between the science and engineering of water treatment . His work demonstrates his passion and ability to execute in advancing knowledge of water treatment by innovative applications of fundamental principles of water chemistry and process engineering . Join us for the kick-off to the ACE21 Technical Program as Dr . Najm reflects on Curiosity , Passion , and Kindness : Pillars of a 30-year Adventure in Environmental Engineering & Science .
Using Farm Bill Programs to Deploy Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Into Source Water Protection ( VS1 _ 06 )
Track : Sustainable Water Resources | 9:30 – 10:30 a . m .
The 2018 U . S . Farm Bill prioritized source water protection for the first time , bringing together the water sector with agricultural producers to protect drinking water at the source while benefiting the nation ’ s farmers , ranchers , and nonindustrial forest landowners . This panel discussion will bring together project proponents from two Regional Conservation Partnership Program ( RCPP ) projects : one medium and one large . A speaker from the Natural Resources Conservation Service ( NRCS ) will discuss how utilities can help direct how hundreds of millions of dollars of conservation spending are used each year to help protect sources of drinking water .
Regional Collaboration and Partnerships Builds Resiliency for Smaller Systems ( VS1 _ 07 )
Track : Utility Resilience | 9:30 – 10:15 a . m .
Regional Community Assistance Partnership ’ s extensive experience facilitating and researching regionalization , in its least to most formal shapes , will provide helpful background for small systems in the unique challenges , strategies to overcome them , and the benefits of regionalization . It will also provide helpful background for policymakers . We will have a prerecorded conversation about the regionalization work and research RCAP has done , including lessons learned and policy recommendations for federal , state , and local governments , and will follow with a live Q & A session .
Driving Innovation and Equity ( VS1 _ 08 )
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Track : Innovating the Future of Water | 9:30 – 10:30 a . m .
We ’ ve all had our share of virtual meetings , webinars , conferences so we were inspired to check in with the leaders from AWWA ’ s September Virtual Summit to see how their vision for driving innovation at their utilities has been reshaped by the events of this past year . We ’ re going to get to the heart of how the social , political , economic , and racial themes of this past year have influenced , refocused , reinvigorated , or conversely , delayed their innovation program ambitions . Join us for a conversation where we build off the themes from previous conversations and give a reality check to what it ’ s like to drive innovation in the current times and how the essence of what it means has been reshaped by a year none of us ever expected .
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