ILLINOIS WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
Volume 24, No. 1 - Spring 2003

President's Forum

I have been a member of the Illinois Water Environment Association for fifteen years, but never fully realized the amount of support, outreach, cooperation, and volunteer hours members contribute until serving the past three years on the Executive Board.

These contributions were highly visible at our 24th Annual Conference, March 2003. Amanda Withers, the Program Committee Chair, organized an outstanding technical program. However, she did not work alone. Six committees organized sessions on specialty topics. These committees included Biosolids, Collections Systems, Industrial Pretreatment and Hazardous Wastes, Laboratory, Safety, and Watershed Management. In addition, the Local Arrangements Committee provided opportunities for socializing and entertainment. As always, our IWEA Secretary, Herb Anderson, oversaw the dozens of details associated with running the conference.

Member contributions were also highly visible in the number of 2002 public outreach activities. The Public Education Committee worked in the “Watershed Park” booth at the State Fair, gave presentations at the DuPage County Career Fair, and judged projects at the Illinois Junior Academy Science Fair. The Ten-Day Water Environment Curriculum Committee published an updated version of its award winning program and presented it to Chicago area teachers at WEFTEC. The Watershed Management Com-mittee designed citizen guides to non-point source water pollution.

Members helped educate other members and the water environment community. In November, the Plant Operations Committee held its first workshop in Bloomington with the goal of presenting topics of specific interest to the treatment plant operator. The Collection Facilities Committee continued its successful seminar series, plus offered a refresher course for the Voluntary Certification Examination for Collection System Operators. The Government Affairs and Industrial Pretreatment and Hazardous Wastes Committees both held annual specialty seminars. The Newsletter Commit-tee chaired by Eliana Brown, continued to inform us all.

It seems our members never rest. Activities are underway for 2003/2004. Members have already met to review the 2003 Annual Conference and plan improvements for next year. President-Elect John Drake and the Marketing Committee are putting the final touches on an IWEA Brochure that we can distribute to potential members. The The Ten-Day Water Environ-ment Curriculum Committee will present its program to Rockford Area Teachers in June as part of the opening of a water testing lab for students at the Burpee Natural History Museum. The Plant Operations Committee is planning a July seminar focusing on preventing and controlling filamentous bulking problems in the activated sludge process. The Watershed Management Committee is contributing to the development of an Agricultural Watershed Institute, which will focus on inter-disciplinary watershed research to benefit farmers and their communities.

continued on page 2