Journal AWWA Research Articles

Pages From the Past

Journal AWWA was first published in March 1914, distributed to AWWA members as a quarterly compilation of research, discussion, and conference proceedings. The Journal has evolved into a monthly blend of academic research articles, topical features, and area‐specific columns by industry experts. Each month in 2014, to celebrate 100 years in print, we have run excerpts of Journal articles from 1914, 1964, and 1989 to provide a glimpse of concerns, developments, approaches, and outcomes, and how they were presented on paper.

Sewage Pollution of Boundary Waters

Journal AWWA was first published in March 1914, distributed to AWWA members as a quarterly compilation of research, discussion, and conference proceedings. The Journal has evolved into a monthly blend of academic research articles, topical features, and area‐specific columns by industry experts. Each month in 2014, to celebrate 100 years in print, we will run excerpts of Journal articles from 1914, 1964, and 1989 to provide a glimpse of concerns, developments, approaches, and outcomes, and how they were presented on paper.

2013 Reviewer Recognition

Journal AWWA thanks the many reviewers who gave of their time and expertise.

Choosing the Right Pipe

A Business Brief published in the Industry News department in the September 2013 edition of Journal AWWA announced the availability of a new report from the National Taxpayers Union. This report drew concerned responses from some Journal readers who claimed it presented an incomplete picture in advocating for one pipe material over another. This prompted a review of the report by AWWA, which confirmed our readers' concerns. AWWA maintains an unbiased stance on the selection of pipe materials, provides the water sector with information on all pipe materials used in the industry, and leaves it to purchasers to determine which product best meets the needs of their systems and the communities they serve. Because of the long‐term nature of the necessary investments that will be made in the coming years, pipe selection is critical ‐ especially with regard to reliability and longevity.

Journal Recognizes Additional Honorees in 2013

Recipients of the following awards are recognized by Journal AWWA for their contributions to the Journal, to the association, and to the water profession.

Watershed Perturbations and Water Quality

This column marks a first in Journal AWWA's history: an introduction to the issue written by the guest editor who helped build the issue's companion focus on DOM. The Journal thanks Fernando Rosario‐Ortiz, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, for his time, effort, and diligence in developing the DOM companion focus and encouraging authors to submit peer‐reviewed papers for this issue.

The Path of a Conservation Trailblazer

Liz Gardener, a forerunner in the field of water conservation, has spent the past 35 years raising people's awareness about the need to use water efficiently. She gave birth to Denver Water's conservation program in 1986 and nurtured it to maturity. Through AWWA, which she joined that same year, she reached out to other trailblazers and helped to build a nationwide community of conservation champions. Her contributions to water use efficiency are recognized by water utilities and water conservation experts throughout North America. She recently talked with former Journal AWWA editor Nancy Zeilig Lively about her career and her commitment to wise water use.

I'm Not Oprah, Part 2

In the April 2011 issue of Journal AWWA, LaFrance ventured into uncharted territory by offering a list of recommended reading for water professionals. Since then, the importance of understanding how water shapes our lives and the communities we live in continues to provide inspirational fodder for both the water professional turned author and the author turned water professional. In hopes of helping you narrow down your 2013 reading choices, LaFrance offers several recommendations.

2012 Reviewer Recognition

Journal AWWA thanks the many reviewers who gave of their time and expertise.

In Memoriam

This memorial column pays tribute to Donald J. Reasoner who passed away on May 8, 2012, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a life member of AWWA, a trustee of the AWWA Water Quality & Technology Division between 1994 and 2000, recipient of the AWWA Outstanding Service Award (Water Quality Division), and served on the AWWA Standard Methods Committee since 1980. Reasoner was chair of the Microbiological Contaminants Research Committee, liaison to the Organic Contaminants Control Committee, and a member of the Journal Editorial Advisory Board and of the former 9215 Heterotrophic Plate Count Committee. He was a member of the American Society for Microbiology, served on many Water Research Foundation project committees, and contributed to numerous workshops and seminars. He also published extensively during his career in journals such as Journal AWWA, Water Science & Technology, International Journal of Environmental Health Science, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Emerging Infectious Diseases, and FEMS Microbiology Ecology. Reasoner joined the Cincinnati branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1971, serving as a senior research microbiologist and later chief of the Microbial Contaminants Branch.

The Coming Global Urbanization: What it Means for Freshwater Provision

This article discusses a pair of recent scientific studies that show in stark relief the depth of the challenge of urban water provision in the rapidly urbanizing developing world. Data from a recent Journal AWWA article published by the author is used for considering the implications for water availability of demographic growth and climate change. Another study published by the author this year discovered that even more cities are affected by water quality problems than those affected by demographic growth and climate change. This article suggests two solutions by which cities can deal with these challenges: develop new sources of water, known as the classic “gray” infrastructure solution; and, supplement with “green” solutions that make wiser use of existing water.

In Memoriam

This memorial column pays tribute to John Cromwell, managing economist with Stratus Consulting, who passed away in December of 2010 at the age of 60. He was involved in many key water industry projects, including the Water Industry Technical Action Fund (WITAF), was a regular contributor to JOURNAL AWWA (receiving three best‐paper awards for his work) and presented his work frequently at AWWA conferences. Cromwell was a key consultant for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on cost‐benefit analyses for drinking water regulations, and headed up projects for the Water Research Foundation on competitiveness and reliability. Cromwell designed the Water Industry Database, which has evolved into AWWA's WATERSTATS Database. He is fondly remembered in the article by colleagues and friends.

PREB editors bring decades of experience, expertise to Journal's peer‐review process

This article discusses the Peer Review Editorial Board (PREB), formed in 2006 by the Journal AWWA Editorial Advisory Board (JEAB). At that time, JEAB recommended that the association acquire an online manuscript submission and review process. Since its launch in 2007, the PREB has infused the peer‐review process with the expert knowledge of respected water professionals and strengthened the overall quality of the peer‐review process.

Leveraging Your GIS, Part 2: Optimize Capital Planning and Savings

Leveraging a geographic information system (GIS) to reduce operations and maintenance costs was addressed in Part 1 of this column in the October 2010 issue of the Journal AWWA. This month's column focuses on how to use a GIS to achieve capital savings through optimized decision processes. The article discusses how using a geographic information system (GIS) with full functionality will result in an overall reduction in capital project costs and operations and maintenance costs, and will become the foundation of a lower‐cost enterprise asset management (EAM) system.

Collectively Solving Problems

In his first Journal AWWA column as Executive Director of the American Water Works Association, David LaFrance said that he intends to use the column as a means of discussing the methods by which AWWA will help its members plan for the critical challenges the water industry is facing. He named the column “Open Channel” to combine the name for a water conveyance system with his goal of straightforward discussions about the water industry. The two challenges he discussed in this month's column are infrastructure replacement and workforce management, including the following: a systematic and financially feasible plan from a customer standpoint that balances and communicates the infrastructure replacement necessity against the customer's financial impact while managing service level risks; and, efforts such as partnering with the Water Environment Federation on the Work for Water campaign to recruit new talent into the water field to replace the 30% of water industry workers who are expected to retire over the coming decade.

Erratum

This erratum corrects a number of errors in the article “Water Conditioning for LCR Compliance and Control of Metals Release in San Francisco's Water System” by Andrzej Wilczak et al, in the March 2010 issue of the Journal AWWA.

Errata

This errata corrects an obituary in the People column of the October 2009 issue of the Journal AWWA. South Carolina Section member Robert Winfield is very much alive and well. The South Carolina Section apologizes for this error. This errata also corrects a note at the bottom of Figures 1 and 3 in the article by Edwards et al, “GIS and Hydraulic Model Integration: Implementing Cost‐effective Sustainable Modeling Solutions” (November 2009). Finally, this errata also corrects the spelling of Ronald Koch's last name in the November People column.

Erratum

In the August 2009 “People” column in the Journal AWWA, the organization that Colin Chung has joined was incorrectly identified. Chung has joined MWH's Business Solutions Group.

Assessing the Value of Research

In June 2008, the AWWA Board of Directors approved a new policy statement on research. This policy emphasizes that research is an important function for every utility and that research activities should be a legitimate cost of service to be included in a utility—s water rate structure. At the 2008 Annual Conference, JOURNAL AWWA conducted a roundtable discussion about research and related issues such as the nature of research, why it is important, how it can be benchmarked, customers— views on research, and its perceived value. The participants were Mark LeChevallier, director innovation and environmental stewardship, American Water (moderator), Voorhees, N.J.; Mike Grimm, associate, The Cadmus Group Inc., Watertown, Mass.; Mark Knudson, chief engineer, Tualatin Valley Water District, Beaverton, Ore.; David Rager, director, Greater Cincinnati Water Works, Cincinnati, Ohio; Brian Ramaley, director, Newport News Waterworks, Newport News, Va.; David Rexing, manager, water quality research and development, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Henderson, Nev.; Robert Renner, executive director, Water Research Foundation, Denver, Colo.; Terry Rolan, McKim Creed Engineers, Maxton, N.C.; John Scheltens, consultant, Hot Springs, S.D.

Workforce Strategies to Improve Your Organization's Bottom Line

In the April 2009 issue of the Journal AWWA, the Committee Connection article from the Workforce Strategies Committee outlined eight strategies that support a stronger workforce and a better bottom line. As promised, more detail about those strategies from utilities currently using them is given here. Topics and presenters include: Minimize Recruitment Risk: Create Productive, Engaged Employees with an Onboarding Process, by Denise O'Berry and Stuart Karasik; Getting Creative during a Hiring Freeze, by Julie Hunt; Communication during a Difficult Economy, by Brad Jurkovac; Sustaining a Workforce with the Skills, Knowledge, and Talent Required to Succeed, by Joanne Peterson and Nicki Pozos; Maximizing the Knowledge of Seasoned Veterans, by Jerry Stevens; and, Keep Training Programs Up and Running, by Rhonda Lewis.