Drought Mitigation for Water Utilities

August 23-24, 2022 | Online :: Central Time

0822-drought-mitigation

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that last year Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah had the lowest total precipitation since recorded observations began in 1895. Conditions continue to worsen. Water utilities must update water supply management plans. Utilities need a drought response plan that reflects current risk levels and establishes drought stages, designates readily identifiable drought triggers, sets reduction goals, describes water use restrictions and outlines enforcement provisions. This summit brings together water utility leaders, government agencies, scientists, and thought leaders to discuss up-to-the-minute best practices for drought response and mitigation. Register now to gain insights and practical strategies for drought mitigation & contingency planning.

Learning Outcomes

This virtual forum will provide attendees an opportunity to:

• Develop strategies for meeting water needs in the changing climate
• Examine the legal framework controlling water availability
• Review the drought contingency plan development process
• Identify best practices for implementation of emergency supply plans
• Discover alternative water supply sources
• Recognize regional collaboration opportunities for resource resilience
• Discuss innovative methods of managing ground water supply
• Detail how to utilize state and federal funding opportunities for drought mitigation
• Define actions that can be taken to increase the resilience of water systems in the event of a fire

Tuesday, August 23, 2022 : Central Time

 

1:05 – 2:00 p.m. :: Meeting Water Needs in the Changing Climate

This session will give an overview of recommended activities for drought response and recovery activities for water utilities, as well as the framework for effective drought response plans.

Roger Gorke, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Water, National Drought Resilience Partnership (NDRP), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. :: Legal and Regulatory Responses to Drought

It’s important to understand the legal framework controlling water availability. This session will examine water right curtailments and explore what regulatory restrictions may be on the horizon.

Sarah Klahn, Partner, Somach Simmons & Dunn

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:15 – 4:15 p.m. :: The Impact of Water Conservation on Supply & Cost

Water pricing is complicated. Utilities are facing quite a dilemma – how do they encourage less use of water when their fundamental operations depend on revenue from selling the very resource requiring conservation?

Ashwin Dhanasekar, Research Program Manager, The Water Research Foundation

Richard Luthy, Director, NSF Engineering Research Center for Re-Inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure; Affiliate, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

Liesel Harris, PhD., Alliance for Water Efficiency

4:15 – 4:45 p.m. :: Funding Mitigation Projects

One of the biggest challenges for risk mitigation projects is securing funding. This session will detail how to utilize state and federal funding opportunities. Participants will leave this session with new knowledge of risk mitigation funding opportunities and a toolbox to guide them through the process of funding their next mitigation project.

Sheri Looper, Program Coordinator, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

4:45 – 5:00 p.m. :: Open Q&A and Review

 

Wednesday, August 24, 2022 : Central Time

 

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. :: Planning for Resilience

This session covers various strategies of planning for climate resilience using real results from drought responses. These discussions will explore alternative water supply sources, implementation of emergency supply plans, and innovative methods of managing ground water supply.

Colby Pellegrino, Deputy General Manager, Las Vegas Valley Water

10:00 – 10:45 a.m. :: Regional Collaboration for Resource Resilience & Integrated Regional  Water Management (IRWM)

Collaboration is key so that stakeholders can identify and implement water management solutions on a regional scale that increase regional self-reliance, reduce conflict, and manage water to concurrently achieve social, environmental, and economic objectives.

Lynn Rodriguez, Project Manager, Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County Integrated Regional Water Management Program

10:45 – 11:00 a.m. :: Morning Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Best Practices for Drought Contingency Plans

Given the current drought and increased likelihood of more extreme drought events due to changing hydrologic conditions, the need for water utilities to establish drought resilience through careful planning has never been more critical. This summary of a DCP development process is intended to provide audience members with methods that can be incorporated to their drought planning efforts.

Senior Representative, HDR

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. :: Lunch Break

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. :: Showcase: Technology in Drought Mitigation

2:30 – 2:45 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

2:45 – 3:45 p.m. ::  The Effects of Wildfire on Water Systems

This session will detail lessons learned from Oregon’s most destructive fire and actions to increase the resilience of water systems in the event of a fire. The discussion will also explore the important role of water infrastructure in mitigating fire impacts and supporting fire agencies with suppression efforts, and the need for water purveyors to advocate for wildfire mitigation and emergency response.

Rachel Lanigan, Senior Engineer, Medford Water Commission

3:45 – 4:45 p.m. :: The Future of Drought Mitigation

Continued drought means the threat of shortages and the need for greater conservation and emergency actions will grow. Proactive strategies are needed to address the drought today and prepare for the coming years.

Dr. Cody Knutson, Planning Coordinator, National Drought Mitigation Center

• Ashwin Dhanasekar, Research Program Manager, The Water Research Foundation

• Roger Gorke, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Water, National Drought Resilience Partnership (NDRP), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Liesel Harris, PhD., Director of Programs, Alliance for Water Efficiency

• Sarah Klahn, Partner, Somach Simmons & Dunn

• Dr. Cody Knutson, Planning Coordinator, National Drought Mitigation Center

• Rachel Lanigan, Senior Engineer, Medford Water Commission

• Sheri Looper, Program Coordinator, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

• Richard Luthy, Director, NSF Engineering Research Center for Re-Inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure; Affiliate, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

• Colby Pellegrino, Deputy General Manager, Las Vegas Valley Water

• Lynn Rodriguez, Project Manager, Watersheds Coalition of Ventura county Integrated Regional Water Management Program

We will be using Microsoft Teams to facilitate your participation in the upcoming event. You do not need to have an existing Teams account in order to participate in the broadcast – the course will play in your browser and you will have the option of using a microphone to speak with the room and ask questions, or type any questions in via the chat window and our on-site representative will relay your question to the instructor.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: After November 30 you will not be able to join a Teams meeting using Internet Explorer 11. Microsoft recommends downloading and installing the Teams app if possible. You may also use the Edge browser or Chrome.
• You will receive a meeting invitation will include a link to join the meeting.
• Separate meeting invitations will be sent for the morning and afternoon sessions of the course.
  • You will need to join the appropriate meeting at the appropriate time.
• If you are using a microphone, please ensure that it is muted until such time as you need to ask a question.
• The remote meeting connection will be open approximately 30 minutes before the start of the course. We encourage you to connect as early as possible in case you experience any unforeseen problems.

Please Note: This event is being conducted entirely online. All attendees will connect and attend from their computer, one connection per purchase. For details please see our FAQ

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all attendees for 7 days after the event

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Drought Mitigation for Water Utilities

August 23-24, 2022 | Online

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before July 21, 2022 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 1.0 CEUs for this event

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must sign in/out each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the course to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

Case Studies, Panel Discussions and PowerPoint presentations will be used in the program.

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Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.

Course CPE Credits: 12.0
There is no prerequisite for this Course.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Advanced Preparation: None

EUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org

 

Who Should Attend

• Water Utility Managers
• Water Utility Engineers
• Civil Engineering & Planning Personnel
• Regulators
• Water Network Services
• Water Infrastructure Specialists
• Water Network Professionals
• Associations & Alliances