See you at Texas Water 2022!
San Antonio | Apr. 04-07
Texas Water, a joint annual conference of the Water Environment Association of Texas (WEAT) and the Texas Section American Water Works Association (AWWA), is the largest regional water conference in the United States. Each year, Texas Water includes technical sessions, exhibits, competitions, networking opportunities, and more. Garver supports the water and wastewater industry by maintaining involvement through WEAT and AWWA, and we’re excited to continue that involvement at this year’s Texas Water.
Congrats, Sulphur Springs!
Congratulations to the City of Sulphur Springs for being named as the Water Environment Association of Texas Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Year for plants 1 MGD - 15 MGD! This award will be presented on Wednesday, April 6, during the Operations Awards Ceremony. The Ceremony will be held at the Henry B. González Convention Center from 2:45-3:45 p.m. at the Awards Celebration stage in the exhibit hall.
Technical Presentations
9-9:30 a.m.
A Balancing Act: Pflugerville’s Colorado River Raw Water Pipeline Expansion
The City of Pflugerville hired Garver to evaluate an expansion of their Colorado River raw water intake system, with the aim of doubling the pumping capacity of the existing pump station and 15-mile, 30-inch pipeline from 12-million gallons per day (MGD) to 24 MGD. The various steps included in this overall evaluation and outlined in this presentation can be applied to other raw water expansion projects throughout Texas.
Speakers: Project Engineer Trey Stewart and Brandon Pritchett (City of Pflugerville)
9:35-10:05 a.m.
What is going on with PFAS regulation? How should utilities select treatment technology if the PFAS levels are elevated in their source water?
This presentation will outline a paper that presents the various steps in the source water sampling, treatment technology selection, and design, along with a systematic approach that can be followed by other water systems who are facing similar challenges around PFAS.
Speaker: Water Practice Leader Zaid Chowdhury, Ph.D., PE, BCEE
9:35-10:05 a.m.
Piloting for Improved Wastewater Treatment Processes
Describes the value and application of pilot and demonstration scale testing to prove out potential wastewater treatment process improvements. Specific examples will include pilots for side stream enhanced biological phosphorus removal, aerobic biomass granulation/densification, simultaneous nitrification/denitrification, and indirect potable reuse.
Speaker: Wastewater Practice Leader Sean Scuras, Ph.D., PE, BCEE
10:10-10:40 a.m.
The Future of Safe Water – How Municipalities Can Prepare
This presentation will discuss the impact of future water shortages if human consumption continues at the present-day rate. The presentation will discuss the ways that water utilities can mitigate impacts using El Paso Water as an example of water supply diversification balanced with affordability.
Speakers: Texas Region Water Director Dan Olson, PE; Project Engineer Kennedy Reyes, and Scott Reinert (El Paso Water)
10:10-10:40 a.m.
Failing Grit Removal at Dallas’s largest plant – how did we get here and how can it be fixed?
A study at the Dallas Central Wastewater Treatment Plant (CWWTP) on the most cost-effective method to improve grit removal through sampling and hydraulic optimization while identifying failure mechanisms of existing equipment.
Speakers: Director of Water Services Jeff Sober, PE, BCEE and Dan Halter (Dallas Water Utilities)
10:45-11:15 a.m.
Elevating Trenchless Pipeline Rehabilitation - Advancements in CIPP Lining Technologies for Water and Wastewater Applications
This presentation will include an overview of the latest technological advancements in trenchless rehabilitation for water and wastewater pipeline applications State-of-the-art, environmentally friendly developments to the CIPP lining process include the emergence of ultra-high strength reinforced lining systems, new curing methods, shelf stable styrene-free resin materials and more will be discussed.
Speaker: Infrastructure Practice Leader Jeff Maier, PE
11:20-11:50 a.m.
Belt Filter Presses at WTPs: A Proactive Approach that Enables Independent and Reliable Residual Solids Handling
This presentation provides an overview of multiple dewatering alternatives for WTPs and discusses the design and construction of new dewatering facilities. The financial benefits, performance data, and process improvements associated with a belt filter press operation for residual solids will also be discussed.
Speakers: Project Manager Ikram Sayed, PE and Brian Smith (City of Denton)
1:10-1:40 p.m.
The Future is Here: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Advanced Pipeline Condition Assessment Technologies
An overview of advanced pipeline inspection methods and the latest breakthroughs in mapping technologies will be presented. Advancements toward artificial intelligence inspection platforms, reliable machine learning capabilities and other emerging trends that provide for highly efficient, more accurate inspection information that ultimately reduces risk, saving money and time.
Speaker: Infrastructure Practice Leader Jeff Maier, PE
1:45-2:15 p.m.
Monitoring Reservoir Water Quality for Cyanobacteria Blooms and Adjusting Treatment to Maintain High Quality Treated Water
The presenter is involved in an on-going study tracking the source water parameters for a water system. A substantial database has been built and is continually being added to. This database has been actively utilized to anticipate any impending cyanobacterial bloom so the water treatment parameters at the plant can be adjusted at the appropriate times. This presentation will utilize the database and the on-going efforts to draw connections between various water quality indicators that can be tracked and responded to, in order to provide great tasting water to drinking water consumers.
Speaker: Water Practice Leader Zaid Chowdhury, Ph.D., PE, BCEE
1:45-2:15 p.m.
How to maximize your aeration basins - improving performance at DWU Central
This presentation will present the benefits of advanced modeling techniques and how the results translate into actual performance enhancements. The presentation will focus on understanding how advanced modeling techniques can be used to optimize treatment performance in activated sludge systems, how implementing simple enhancements can improve process performance and maximize capacity, and what level of process performance may be possible at their facility.
Speakers: North Texas Water Leader Lance Klement, PE; Regina Stencil (Dallas Water Utilities); and Dan Halter (Dallas Water Utilities)
2:20-2:50 p.m.
Top 10 Water-Wastewater Changes Since 1980 & Top Ten Likely Changes in Next 30 Years
Environmental engineering and water-wastewater treatment has changed significantly. This presentation contrasts those changes and improvements in technology, approach, skills and expectations. Realizing these changes, and borrowing from David Letterman’s Top 10 Lists, what is future changes in how we provide engineering, operations, supervision, management and communications.
Speaker: Central Region and Water Technology Director Randy McIntyre, PE, BCEE
3:20-3:50 p.m.
Seeing the Forest from the Trees: A Predictive Model Approach to I&I Reduction in The Woodlands
Discusses the unique approach to I&I mitigation and removal for The Woodlands, Texas. The I&I program focused on individual Municipal Utility District (MUD) collection sewers identified to have excessive I&I utilizing a data analytics and statistical analysis investigation approach with the goal of reducing wet-weather flows.
Speakers: West Texas Infrastructure Team Leader Derek Schwanke, PE and Project Engineer Jared Sienkiewich
3:20-3:50 p.m.
I have a snail problem. What are my options to remove them?!
This presentation will present the process and results of the snail grit removal design to solve a long running problem at the Dallas Plant headworks. The audience will learn to understand how to sample and quantify grit load, gradation and sources; the importance of properly sized grit removal and processing systems, and develop knowledge of available technologies to remove snail grit from the treatment flow.
Speaker: Fayetteville Water Design Center Manager Andy Pruitt, PE and Director of Water Services Jeff Sober, PE
3:55-4:25 p.m.
Four Ways the City of Fort Worth is Preparing for Compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
This presentation will provide an overview of a new drinking water regulation and will provide practical steps that water system management and operations staff can take to prepare for compliance.
Speakers: Water Technology Leader Ashley Pifer, Ph.D., PE and Stacy Walters (City of Fort Worth)
4:30-5 p.m.
Going Green? Optimizing Energy Efficiency of Pump Stations Using Wire-to-Water Testing
This presentation will outline the importance of proactive asset management through the collection of additional electrical and hydraulic data. Wire-to-water testing methodology and how it utilized to derive energy efficiency recommendations for pump stations will be discussed along with supporting data from case studies, such as a 300 million gallon per day pump station owned and operated by Dallas Water Utilities.
Speakers: Project Manager Ikram Sayed, PE and Marc Cottingame (Dallas Water Utilities)
9:05-9:35 a.m.
The Story of the Pfirst WIFIA-Pfunded Water Project in Texas
The City of Pflugerville is currently expanding their surface water treatment plant (SWTP) to 30 MGD, with an estimated project cost to the tune of $83 million. Due to limitations on the availability and structure of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) imposed by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), the City chose to broaden its search for potential low-interest infrastructure financing solutions to assemble a portfolio of funding sources for the project. This led the City to research, apply and be selected for a loan from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Water Infrastructure Financing Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program, the first of its kind to a municipal water utility in Texas.
Speakers: Central Texas Water Infrastructure Team Leader Ian Toohey, PE and Melissa Moore (City of Pflugerville)
9:40-10:10 a.m.
Identifying the best way to mitigate phosphorus recycle and optimize biological nutrient removal design for SAWS Water Recycling Centers
An analysis was conducted to determine the best options for management of total phosphorus in the effluent and internal recycle at all three SAWS WRCs. The audience will be educated on pending nutrient limits, possible basin configurations to meet these limits, as well as operation scenarios for biological nutrient removal. Furthermore, they will learn about the phosphorus cycle in the facility, and how the liquids stream impacts the solids stream which can lead to detrimental scale production.
Speakers: Director of Water Services Jeff Sober, PE, BCEE and Ila E. Drzymala, Ph.D., PE (San Antonio Water System)
10:20-10:50 a.m.
Process Interrupted: Using BOR Funded Desalination Research to Evaluate an Innovative Process Train
This presentation will address the BOR Desalination Pitch to Pilot Program, the thought process behind the EC, UF, GAC, RO with VAED concentrate management treatment train and report on the finding of the research.
Speaker: Water and Energy Practice Leader Eric Dole, PE, PSAP
