Member Spotlight

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA/Agency) developed their ongoing Be Sewer Smart Campaign, which addresses the growing issue of the improper disposal of fats, oils, and greases (FOG), wipes and other hygiene products marketed as ‘flushable’.

The Kletzsch Dam Fish Passage project, led by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Milwaukee County Parks, was intended to address required dam repairs and to provide fish passage for native species within the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC).

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) established its internship program to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities and real-world experience, preparing them for successful careers in the water sector. The program is designed not only to equip students with essential skills for lifelong success but also to build GLWA’s talent pipeline for the future.

In July 2022, Houston Public Works conceived and launched the Give Water a Break campaign – a comprehensive educational and outreach program, carefully tailored to address the city's unique water-related issues and foster a culture of water conservation.

After a decade of meaningful impacts to local communities, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) landmark Social Impact Partnership (SIP) program was codified into local ordinance recently with unanimous support from the SFPUC Commission, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and Mayor London Breed.

In the summer of 2023, the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority (WMUA) embarked on an inspiring journey that not only enriched young minds but also illuminated a path to a brighter, more environmentally conscious future.

LOTT Clean Water Alliance provides wastewater management services for approximately 120,000 people in Thurston County, Washington. Since 1994, LOTT’s Budd Inlet Treatment Plant has employed biological nutrient removal (BNR) to protect water quality in Budd Inlet, where most treated water is discharged. LOTT is recognized as an industry leader in progressive treatment approaches that meet the most stringent discharge limits in the Puget Sound region.

In 2019, the City of Tacoma Environmental Services (ES) launched an art campaign to educate and inspire the community about stormwater. Stormwater flows directly into local waterways from streets, sidewalks, and other outdoor areas. This stormwater can bring toxic pollutants into the Puget Sound and then the Pacific Ocean. The campaign, with the catchy slogan, “If It Hits the Ground, It Hits the Sound,” uses visual, meaningful local art pieces to communicate the impacts of stormwater pollution.

Orange County Utilities in Florida developed the H2O Pipeline Classroom to Career Program as a vocational initiative designed to train high school seniors to become Class C water or wastewater treatment operators. As the water sector experiences a workforce shortage that is only expected to worsen in the coming years, the H2O Pipeline Program provides a way to develop workers who are equipped and committed to providing essential water and wastewater services for their community.

For Arlington, Virginia residents who wonder what happens to wastewater once it leaves their home, they now know it goes to the County’s Water Pollution Control Plant, which treats 23 million gallons of wastewater daily. The Water Pollution Control Bureau (WPCB) plays a pivotal role in Arlington County’s path toward sustainability and their work embodies the philosophy that, “wastewater is not waste.”