The Far-Reaching Effects of Drought

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Breakfast with the MSSC Board Members Round Table
Moderator: Ernie Avila, Vice President, Division 3, Contra Costa Water District

Speakers:

• MSSC Board Members

Opening Remarks

• Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water

Keynote Speaker

• Brad Berles, General Manager, Palo Verde Water Resources, Arizona Public Service (APS), “Palo Verde and the Water-Energy Nexus”

Highlights of Bureau of Reclamation Session
Reclamation is the largest wholesaler of water and second largest producer of hydropower in the United States. Established in 1902, Reclamation has over a century of experience helping communities prepare for and respond to drought. Because there is no single action or solution that will adequately address the problem, Reclamation is taking actions on multiple fronts to address the current drought.

Speakers:

Speakers:

Luncheon Keynote Speaker
Michelle Peters, Technical & Compliance Manager, Poseidon Water, “The Carlsbad Desalination Plant’s Path to Being the First Desalination Facility Compliant with the California Ocean Plan Amendment”

Special Recognition & Luncheon
Moderator: Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist/Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water

• Co-Sponsor
  Bureau of Reclamation
• Platinum Sponsors:
  Arizona Public Service
  Carollo Engineers Inc.
  Eastern Municipal Water District
  El Paso Water
  Garver
  John Shomaker & Associates Inc.
  Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
  North America Weather Consultants Inc.
  The Water Research Foundation
• “Salt of the Earth Award”
• Student Scholarship Award

Speakers:

Speakers:

Results of The Great MSSC Bottle Water Taste Test
Moderator: Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water

Speaker:

• Sally Gutiérrez, Acting Director, GCRD, United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Urgent Issue of Proper Groundwater Management as a Result of Climate Change, EPA Groundwater Quality Issues, and a Summary of a Research Project in Ada, Oklahoma on Aquifer Recharge”

Speakers:

Closing Remarks, Summary & Adjourn

Addressing the Challenges in a Time Like No Other

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Breakfast with the MSSC Board Members Round Table
Moderator: Mark Norton, Water Resources & Planning Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority
Speakers:

• MSSC Board Members

Opening Remarks, Taste Test, International Salinity Forum Preview

• Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water

Keynote Speaker

• Brian Biesemeyer,Water Resources Director, Scottsdale Water, “Scottsdale Water, Sustainable Water Management and Salinity. Topics will include Scottsdale Water’s History, its Reliance on and the Importance of Sustainable Water Management Principles,
  and the Relationship between Sustainable Water and Salinity in a Desert City.”

Highlights of Bureau of Reclamation Session
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation declared the first-ever water shortage on the Colorado River basin, including Lake Mead.

Lake Mead is now under a Tier 1 water shortage. The declaration will prompt cuts to water releases to Arizona, Nevada and Mexico in the upcoming year to preserve water in the reservoir so that it can continue to generate power and provide water for essential uses.

Arizona will receive about 18% less water from the Colorado River, Nevada’s releases will be reduced by about 7% and Mexico’s will be reduced by about 5% in 2022.

The reservoir, which is the largest in the country, has reached historic lows this summer. Lake Mead is currently at only 35% of capacity, according to the Lower Colorado Water Supply Report. The Colorado River system as a whole has only 40% of its capacity due to low snowpack and a decades-long, climate change-fueled megadrought in the West.

Currently, the U.S. Drought Monitor lists 87% of the West as under severe drought conditions or worse.
Moderator: Malynda Cappelle, Facility Manager, Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility, Bureau of Reclamation
Speakers:

• Mike Bernardo, Deputy Chief, Boulder Canyon Operations Office (BCOO), Interior Region 8: Lower Colorado Basin, Bureau of Reclamation, “The Colorado River Basin: System Conditions, Outlook, and Drought Response Actions”
• Mike Mickley, President, Mickley & Associates LLC, “4 Bureau Projects, Survey of Municipal Desalination Facilities – 2018; Emerging Technologies for High Recovery Processing – 2021; Information Base for Concentrate Management – in final draft phase; Innovative Electro-Coagulation Membrane Pre-Treatment with Vacuum-Assisted Electro-Distillation Concentrate Management for Cooling Tower Blowdown Management – final testing and report writing phase”

The Great MSSC Bottled Water Taste Test & Break
The global bottled water market is large – the International Bottled Water Association says the U.S. market alone had $19.4 million in sales in 2019 and cites a figure of 13.6 billion gallons of non-sparkling bottled water sold in 2019 (figure is from the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC)). The BMC states the average wholesale price of non-sparkling bottled water is $1.18 per gallon. Tap water is generally less than $10 per 1000 gallons. Customers buy bottled water for number of reasons, including preferred taste, convenience, or perceived health benefits. The 2022 Great Multi State Salinity Taste test will challenge your pallet once again. Come over and taste the samples of bottled water and tap water – do you think you can identify the tap water? Let’s find out who the water sommeliers are in the MSSC!

• Brian Klaes, Vice President, Moreno Cardenas Inc. & Troy Svede, Project Engineer, Moreno Cardenas, Inc.

Salinity in Agriculture Session
This session explores ways to mitigate soil salt accumulation, and related deterioration of crop production, when irrigating with brackish water. It also discusses the impacts of leaching practices on drainage systems and gives an overview of beneficial end uses for saline drainage water.
Moderator: Andrea Zimmer, Water Resources Engineer, CDM Smith
Speakers:

• Manoj Shukla, Director ACES Global Program and Aggies Go Global, Professor of Soil Physics, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, “Reuse of Brackish and Produced Water for Crop Irrigation”
• Dr. Sharon Benes, Professor – Soil Science and Crop Nutrition, Fresno State, “The San Joaquin River Improvement Project (SJRIP) in California: Long Term Reuse of Saline Drainage Water for Forage Production and Water Quality Improvement”
• Ali Montazar, UCCE Irrigation & Water Management Advisor, University of California Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources, “Soil Salinity as a Challenge for Sustainable Agriculture in the Low Desert of California”

Luncheon Keynote Speaker
Patrick Dent, Assistant General Manager, Water Policy, Central Arizona Project, “Impact of Tier 1 Colorado River shortage on Central Arizona Project and the Risks to the Colorado River Basin System, as well as the Salinity Outlook on the Colorado River and the Future of our Water Supplies with Regard to Augmentation, Water Recycling and Technological Innovations”

Special Recognition & Luncheon
Moderator: Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water

• Platinum Sponsors:
  Arizona Public Service
  Carollo Engineers Inc.
  Eastern Municipal Water District
  El Paso Water
  Garver
  HDR
  John Shomaker & Associates Inc.
  Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
  The Water Research Foundation
• “Salt of the Earth Award”
• Student Scholarship Award

Armageddon in the Water Industry, Disaster Declaration Session: Water Industry Challenges Like It Has Never Been Challenged: Winter Storms in South, Wildfires, Mud Slides, Extreme Drought, Record Heat, Flooding, Corona Virus
Moderator: Robert Fowlie, Associate/Client Service Leader, CDM Smith

Speakers:

• Steve Finch, V.P., Principal Hydrogeologist-Geochemist, John Shomacher & Associates, “Overview of the Disasters this Past Year”
• Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water, “Weather – Extreme Cold in Texas, Legislative Response, Senate Bill 3”
• Tim Rynders, Treatment Process and Piloting Discipline Leader, CDM Smith, “Preparing for Wildfires in the Colorado Front Range – City of Westminster Case Study”

PFAS 101 and Then Some
PFAS (Per- and Poly Fluoro Alkyl Substances) are highly fluorinated organic compounds that have been released into the environment due to industrial, commercial, and residential uses of PFAS-containing products. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are the most widely used and studied among the PFAS chemicals because they have been in use since 1950’s; however, these substances are now banned from manufacturing in the US. Many other PFAS have replaced PFOA and PFOS while new ones are still being developed.

PFOS and PFOA are persistent in the environment and resistant to typical environmental degradation processes, often referred to as the “forever chemical”. As a result, they are widely distributed across all trophic levels and are found in soil, air and groundwater at sites across the United States. The toxicity, mobility and bioaccumulation potential of PFOS and PFOA result in potential adverse effects on the environment and human health.

This session will focus on the basics of PFAS, where they come from, mitigation strategies, best management practices, the regulatory framework around PFAS and the legal steps that can be taken to help identify the source of the PFAS, who is responsible and how to get the potentially responsible party (PRP) to pay for mitigation.
Moderator: Eric Dole,Water and Energy Practice Lead, Water Technology Team Leader, Garver
Speakers:

• Dr. Zaid Chowdhury, Water Treatment Practice Lead, Garver, “PFAS Background, Regulatory Horizon, Best Available Technologies (BATs) Including Destructive vs Non-destructive Treatment”
• Bradley Cahoon, Account Manager, Eurofins, “Sample Variability”

PFAS Part 2 Case Study Lightning Round Session
This session will focus on PFAS mitigation case studies where each speaker will give a 5-8 slide executive summary style presentation that touches on the background of the PFAS mitigation project, what was studied and ultimately implemented, was the treatment considered destructive or non-destructive, what were the CAPex and OPex costs (including residual handling) and results to date.
Speakers:

• Jeff Biggs, Administrator, Tucson Water, “Potable & Reclaimed Case Study”
• Lanaya Voelz Alexander, Assistant General Manager of Planning, Engineering, & Construction, Eastern Municipal Water District, “Mitigating PFAS Impacts to EMWD’s Brackish Desalination Operations”
• Jason Dadakis, Executive Director of Water Quality & Technical Resources, Orange County Water District, “Restoring a PFAS-impacted Groundwater Supply for Potable Use”
• Roger Peery, CEO/Principal Hydrogeologist, John Shomaker & Associates, Inc., “Contaminated Groundwater in the Ogallala Aquifer (High Plains Aquifer) Case Study”
• Robert Fowlie, Associate/Client Service Leader, CDM Smith, “Westfield, MA PFAS Treatment Facility – Case Study”
• Eric Dole, Water and Energy Practice Lead, Water Technology Team Leader, Garver, “Electro-coagulation Bench and Pilot Testing Results for PFAS Contaminated Well Water and Landfill Leachate”

Results of The Great MSSC Bottle Water Taste Test
Moderator: Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water

Research and Innovation in Salinity Management Panel Discussion Session
This panel discussion will review and discuss latest research and innovation in salinity management. Panelists will share utility, regional, and national initiatives to accelerate technology development and overcome implementation challenges.
Moderator: Julie Minton, Research Unit Leader, The Water Research Foundation
Speaker:

• Julie Minton, Research Unit Leader, The Water Research Foundation
• Erin Partlan, Innovation Program Manager, The Water Research Foundation
• Jeff Biggs, Administrator, Tucson Water
• Jeff Mosher, General Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority

Legislative Session
Lightning Round: State and National Legislative Overview on Desalination Matters
Speaker:

• Glenn Farrel, Executive Director, CalDesal (joined by colleagues from MSSC States)

MSSC Town Hall with Distinguished Salt of the Earth Alumni Session
Water Supply, Industry, Concentrate, etc.
Fun and Conversational- Wide Range of Water Supply, Policy
Legislative Policy Updates that Promote MSSC Mission and Goals
Moderator: Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water
Speakers:

• Karl Longley, Senior Engineer, California Water Institute & Professor. Emeritus, Lyles College of Engineering, California State University, Fresno, “2018 Salt of the Earth Recipient”
• Mike Mickley, President, Mickley & Associates LLC, “2019 Salt of the Earth Recipient”
• Jeff Biggs, Administrator, Tucson Water, “2020 Salt of the Earth Recipient”
• Mike Hightower, Program Director, New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium, New Mexico State University, “2022 Salt of the Earth Recipient”

Closing Remarks, Summary & Adjourn

One Water…It’s Here

Breakfast with the MSSC Board Members Round Table
Speakers:

• MSSC Board Members

Opening Remarks, Taste Test, International Salinity Forum Preview

• Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water

Keynote Session

• Kip Allander, Acting Deputy Director, Nevada Water Science Center, USGS, “Salinity of Nevada’s Terminal Lakes: History, Mystery, and Restoration”

Highlights of Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) staff will hold an informative session on special projects that they are working on.  Reclamation is well known for its cutting-edge research related to desalination and water purification and alternative energy technologies.
Moderator: Andrew Tiffenbach, Mechanical Engineer/Water Treatment Group, Bureau of Reclamation
Speakers:

• Luis Cruzado, Chemical Engineer, Bureau of Reclamation, “WQIC: Arizona’s One-Stop Shop for Desal Research”
  – Luis will provide a brief overview of the Yuma Desalting Plant and discuss past and present projects of the Water Quality Improvement Center (WQIC). The equipment and capabilities of the WQIC will also be presented.
• Mike Mickley, President, Mickley & Associates, “Updated and Extended Survey of U.S. Municipal Desalination Plants”
  – Mickley & Associates recently completed a project titled Updated and Extended Survey of U.S. Municipal Desalination Plants, which was funded through Reclamation’s Desalination and Water Purification Research Program. For this project, information was gathered and analyzed from U.S. municipal desalination facilities built from 2010 – 2017. This information, along with data gathered from previous surveys, provides a detailed picture of the characteristics and trends over time for the 400+ facilities built since 1969.
• Miguel Arias-Paic, Civil Engineer, Bureau of Reclamation, “Addressing Salinity Accumulation in Agricultural Regions”
  – The San Luis Demonstration Plant was constructed in California’s Central Valley to determine the best ‘in-valley’ solution to agricultural drainage management, implementing biological treatment for selenium, chromium and uranium removal followed by downstream reverse osmosis treatment. It was intended that concentrate would be discharged to evaporation ponds. Recognizing that concentrate management was the largest cost and most challenging component of treating agricultural drainage, Reclamation has implemented research studies at the San Luis Demo Plant to optimize pure water recovery from the RO process, while understanding that select constituents (i.e. selenium, uranium, boron) could derail potential discharge to evaporation ponds. Ongoing work is being conducted to determine the best solution for implementation.

The Great MSSC Water Taste Test: How good is your palate? Different Salinity Levels in Your Water, Can You Really Tell?
Taste Test Information, Taste Test Results

Recycled Water Session
Increasing population and limited water supplies in the drought prone areas of the arid west have greatly increased the interest and use of recycled wastewater effluent as an additional municipal water supply. Case studies presented in this session will describe the benefits of using recycled waste water effluent for landscape irrigation (Albuquerque and Tucson) and as a purified drinking water supply in El Paso and Wichita Falls.
Moderator: Brandon Yallaly, Vice President, Carollo Engineers, Inc.
Speakers:

• Jeff Biggs, Administrator, Tucson Water, “The Tucson Water Reclaimed Water Story”
• Sanaan Villalobos, Client Services Manager, Vice President, Carollo, “El Paso Water – Advanced Water Purification Project”
• Samir Mathur, Senior Vice President, CDM Smith, “Extreme Drought Management and Risk Mitigation – The Wichita Falls Story”

The Water Research Foundation
To meet the desalination research needs of the industry, the Water Research Foundation (WRF) requires an informed desalination research program that recognizes the current state of the science and current knowledge gaps.  By developing a robust list of desalination research needs, WRF can help advance desalination, both ocean and brackish, as a viable and sustainable water supply alternative in the U.S.  This presentation will summarize the approach and status of WRF Project 4834, which was established to develop specific desalination research needs to inform a desalination research program at WRF.
Moderator: Brandon Yallaly, Vice President, Carollo Engineers, Inc.

Speakers:

• Julie Minton, Director of Strategic Initiatives, The Water Research Foundation and Jeff Mosher, Principal Technologist & Vice President, Carollo Engineers, Inc., “Developing Desalination Research Needs for the Water Industry (WRF Project 4834)”

Special Recognition & Luncheon
Moderator: Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water

• Co-Sponsor: Bureau of Reclamation
• Platinum Sponsors:
  John Shomaker & Associates Inc.
  El Paso Water
  Eastern Municipal Water District
  The Water Research Foundation
  Arizona Public Service
  HDR
• “Salt of the Earth Award”
• Student Scholarship Award

Discussion with The Movers and Shakers! Session
The Movers and Shakers session is focused on providing an opportunity to learn from state and industry water leaders from MSSC member states such as AZ, CA, CO, NM, NV, UT, TX in an open forum discussion of the salinity and water challenges faces by their states and plans and directions for future water resiliency and sustainability.  Participants are encouraged to attend to learn insights of the future regional goals and directions of water planning from the Movers and Shakers.
Moderator: Kevin Kluge, Director, Conservation and Innovative Water Technology, Texas Water Development Board

Speakers:

• Jeff Walker, Executive Administrator, Texas Water Development Board
• Timothy Thomure, Director, Tucson Water, “Perspectives from Arizona”
• Dave Johnson, Deputy General Manager, Engineering and Operations, Las Vegas Valley Water District/Southern Nevada Water Authority, “Place Your Bets: Securing Las Vegas’ Water Supplies”

Innovative Technology Update Session
Innovation is shaping the future of water.  Significant improvements in water industry technologies have been occurring as a result of innovation. Technological advances have led to improvements in concentrate management, higher recovery, and reduced energy costs. Water service providers are being provided with more tools in the tool box as a result of innovative technologies. Panelists will discuss their cutting-edge research and emerging technologies and their potential benefits to the future of the water industry.
Moderator: Eric Dole, Water and Energy Practice Lead, Water Technology Team Leader, Garver
Speakers:

• Lee Portillo, Senior Process Technologist, Black and Veatch, “Eastern Municipal Water District’s Financial Case Study of High Recovery RO Technologies Versus Legacy Salinity Management Approaches”
• Ronit Erlitzki, Director of Business Development, Ad Edge Water Technologies, “High-Recovery Desalination to the Rescue: Making an Alternative Water Resource a Reality”
• Mike Mickley, President, Mickley & Associates, “BlueTech Research and Emerging Technologies”
• Pei Xu, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, New Mexico State University, “The Opportunities and Limitations of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) for Scaling Control”

With current technology and advances in “Big Data” applications, the face of 21^st century salinity management is rapidly changing. These changes affect a broad range of resources not just limited to drinking water supplies but also ecosystem restoration, and agricultural management. Our first panel session will cover ongoing efforts to address one of the largest saline lakes in the country, the Salton Sea, two times saltier than the ocean, and a vital nesting habitat for 2/3 of the bird species in the Continental US. This session will also address technological advances in agricultural salinity management using remote sensing. The next session will focus on some of the most recent innovations in reverse osmosis technology highlighting RO projects in San Antonio, Texas and Scottsdale, Arizona. Our last speaker session of the day will cover a special presentation from U.S. Department of Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office and their RAPID Institute and Clean Water Consortia.
Moderator: Mark Norton, Board Director, Southern California Salinity Coalition, and Water Resources & Planning Manager, Santa Ana Watershed

Salton Sea Salinity & Impact of Salinity & Nutrient Management Session
Speakers:

• Phil Rosentrater, General Manager/Executive Director, Salton Sea Authority & Vice President of CalDesal, “Managing Salt Successfully to Create a Healthier, More Prosperous Salton Sea”
• Elia Scudiero, Assistant Research Agronomist, University of California, Environmental Sciences | USDA-ARS, U.S. Salinity “Agricultural Salinity Management via an Integration of Proximal and Remote Sensing with Big Geodata Modeling”

Reverse Osmosis Technology Session
Speakers:

• Ben Lee, Managing Member and David Kopchynski, Senior Engineer & Senior Project Manager, Water Works Engineers, “Advanced Water Treatment with the City of Scottsdale. Design of the City of Scottsdale $27M RO Facility and DPR Project”
• Kevin Morrison, Project Coordinator, San Antonio Water System (SAWS), “San Antonio’s Desalting Adventure“

Department of Energy Session
Speaker:

• Melissa Klembara, Technology Manager, RAPID Institute and Clean Water Consortia, Advanced Manufacturing Office, Department of Energy, “Energy-Water Nexus Activities“

State of the State Legislative Session
Legislative Policy Updates that Promote MSSC Mission and Goals
Moderator: Kevin Kluge, Director, Conservation and Innovative Water Technology, Texas Water Development Board
Speakers:

• State Update – California, Wendy Ridderbusch, Executive Director, CalDesal
• State Update – Colorado, Rebecca Mitchell, Director, Colorado Water Conservation Board
• State Update – Arizona, Chuck Cullom, Colorado River Programs Manager, Central Arizona Project
• State Update – New Mexico, Mike Hightower, Vice President, New Mexico Desalination Association
• State Update – Texas, Kyle Frazier, Executive Director, Texas Desalination Association
• State Update – Nevada, Jim Watrus, Senior Hydrologist, Southern Nevada Water Authority
• State Update – Utah, Jim Watrus, Senior Hydrologist, Southern Nevada Water Authority

Water Taste Test – MSSC Water Taste Test Results
Moderator: Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist /Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water
Speakers:

• Jeff Biggs, Administrator, Tucson Water, “Tucson Water Taste Test Results”
• Results of The Great MSSC Water Taste Test:
  – Malynda Cappelle, Associate Director, University of Texas, El Paso
  – Roger Peery, CEO & Steve Finch, V.P., Principal Hydrogeologist-Geochemist, John Shomacher & Associates
  – Brian Klaes, Vice President, Moreno Cardenas Inc.
  – Brad Cross, Supervising Hydrogeologist, WSP

Keynote Session

• Chuck Cullom, Colorado River Programs Manager, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, “US-Mexico Collaboration for Salinity Management and Desalination”

Legislative Session
National and State Water Reuse Action Plans, and the Salinity Nexus
Moderator: Ron Sullivan, Board Vice-President, Eastern Municipal Water District
Speakers:

• Brad Hiltcher, Executive Legislative Representative, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, “Salinity, Desalination Infrastructure and Water Reuse Issues Pending Before the 116th Congress”
• Amanda Erath, WaterSMART Program Coordinator, US Bureau of Reclamation, “Title XVI and the WIIN Act – Navigating Legislative Constraints”
• Jennifer West, Managing Director, WateReuse Association, California, “The National and California Water Reuse Action Plans”

Salinity Management in Industrial Session
A variety of industries including oil and gas, energy, food, beverage and agriculture generate a saline waste stream.  Management of this waste stream is dependent on a number of factors including flow rate, concentration, geographic location, energy availability, and environmental impacts.  Panelists will describe their best management approaches to managing their waste stream.  Management of the waste stream may be through treatment, blending, and/or reuse.
Moderator: Robert Fowlie, Senior Project Manager, CDM Smith
Speakers:

• Mike Hightower, Vice President, New Mexico Desal and Center for Water & the Environment, University of New Mexico, “Emerging Priorities for Desalination in the Oil and Gas Sector“
• Roger Peery, CEO, John Shomaker and Associate “Industrial Brackish Water Aquifers”
• Karl Longley, Senior Engineer, California Water Institute, Professor Emeritus, Lyles College of Engineering, CSU, Fresno, “Agriculture Drainage: Issues and Challenges“
• Lauren Greenlee, Associate Professor, Greenlee Research Lab, University of Arkansas, “Examples of Directions and Requirement for Industrial Desalination”
• Val Frenkel, VP Process Engineering, Greeley and Hansen, LLC, “Industrial Water Salinity Control: Approach & Treatment”

Closing Remarks, Summary & Adjourn

Salinity Management Accomplished through Learning Together

Opening Remarks & Preview

• Ernesto Avila, Avila & Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc., and Northern California Salinity Coalition

Keynote Lightning Session
Moderator: Mike Hightower, Vice-President, New Mexico Desal and Center for Water & the Environment, University of New Mexico
Speakers:

• Troy Walker, Water Reuse Practice Lead, Hazen and Sawyer, “Operator Readiness for Potable Reuse“
• E. Joaquin Esquivel, California’s State Water Resources Control Board
• Allegra Kyria de Silva, President, WateReuse Colorado and One Water Regional Leader, Brown and Caldwell
• Kristan VandenHeuvel, Research Manager, The Water Research Foundation, “WRF Desalination Research Efforts“
• Brad Cross, Supervising Hydrogeologist, WSP, “Deep Well Injection in Texas as Another Tool in Your Tool Shed”

Bureau of Reclamation Session
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) staff will hold an informative session on Concentrate Management Research, introduce the capabilities of the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Alamogordo, NM, share information on Research Prize Competitions, and their Research Strategy and Programs. Reclamation is on cutting edge of research looking for cost-effective advancements on desalination and water purification, alternative energy technologies; and interest in collaboration and partnerships to enhance research opportunities, materials engineering, testing, and demonstrations.
Moderator: Leslie Cleveland, Water Resources Manager, Bureau of Reclamation
Speakers:

• Saied Delagah, Research Engineer, Technical Services Center, Bureau of Reclamation, “Concentrate Management Toolbox“
• Randy Shaw, Research Facility Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, “BGNDRF and the Capabilities of the Facility”
• Andrew Tiffenbach, Mechanical Engineer, Technical Service Center, Bureau of Reclamation, “Reclamation’s Water Prize Competition Center“
• Yuliana Porras Mendoza, Advanced Water Treatment Research Coordinator, Bureau of Reclamation, “Reclamation Research Strategy and Programs”

Electro-coagulation Demo and Break
Demo – Scott Powell, Powell Water Systems Inc.
Powell Water is one of many electro-coagulation (EC) manufacturers on the market. EC is the art of passing direct current through conductive water to generate a sweep floc from the passivated anode as an alternative to traditional wet chemistry coagulation. The demo will be used as a hands on teaching tool to reveal the multiple unit processes that occur within the EC chamber. Powell Water’s patented atmospheric EC technology is available in 3 gpm to 2,500 gpm skid mounted units, and have been used in treating high strength, challenging wastewater for over 20 years. Until the design of the Coachella Valley Water District’s Central Resin Regeneration Facility Spent Brine Treatment Train and Hydro, Oklahoma’s Municipal Wastewater Treatment Disinfection Train, the large majority of Powell Water’s full scale installations are in the commercial / industrial market such as produced water, centralized commercial wastewater treatment, metal plating facilities, aquaculture, mining, animal processing facilities, superfund remediation, algae treatment and power plant cooling tower ZLD treatment. Powell Water’s 1 liter/minute bench top demo will be used to treat the same spent brine as the Salt Miner to simulate how it can remove the hardness from the spent brine, but not the salt. This application is geared towards centralized regeneration facilities, whereas the Salt Miner is focused on residential / commercial IX treatment system regenerations.

Salinity Management in Industry Session
Industrial water users have their own experiences with respect to salinity management – optimizing operational performance while dealing with discharge constraints can be a challenge. Recent industry trends have moved toward both more stringent limits on discharges as well as zero discharge solutions. Either has implications for how a given industry manages salinity. To learn more about industrial salinity challenges, we’ve assembled a group of experts that will share their salinity management experience in the industrial water supply and treatment sector.
Moderator: Greg Gates, Water Resources Practice Lead, Hazen and Sawyer
Speakers:

• Mike Mickley, President, Mickley & Associates, “An Update on Minimal and Zero Liquid Discharge Technologies”
• John Foley, Vice President, RWS Corporation (dba, Puroserve Water Systems); Past President, Pacific Water Quality Association, “Overview of Commercial/Industrial Softener Brine Discharge”
• Brandon Yallaly, Vice President, Carollo Engineers Inc. “Semi-Conductor Plant, Chandler AZ”
• Guillermo Delgado, Water and Wastewater Process Leader, H2O Terra, “Concentrate Enhanced Recovery Reverse Osmosis: Part Two”

Special Recognition & Luncheon
Moderator: Scott Reinert, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition and Hydrogeologist/Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water

• Co-Sponsor: Yuliana Porras Mendoza, Bureau of Reclamation
• Platinum Sponsor: John Shomaker & Associates Inc.
• Platinum Sponsor: El Paso Water
• Platinum Sponsor: The Water Research Foundation
• Platinum Sponsor: Water Works Engineers
• “Salt of the Earth Award”
• Student Scholarship Award

Tribute to Tom Davis, Bill Steele and Jack Barnett
Moderator: Ernesto Avila, Avila & Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc., and Northern California Salinity Coalition

Plant Operations Session 1
Increasing population and limited water supplies in the drought prone areas of the arid west have greatly increased the interest and use of desalination of brackish groundwater as a drought proof municipal water supply. Desalination is being used more now than ever before. This panel session will address the broader questions of desalination as well present specifics on projects and policy of projects in Texas, New Mexico and two in California.
Moderator: Robert Fowlie, Associate/Client Service Leader, CDM Smith
Speakers:

• Nicole Blute, Vice President, Hazen and Sawyer, “Brine Minimization and Treatment Research”
• Brandon Yallaly, Vice President, Carollo Engineers Inc., “Chino II Concentrate Reduction Facility“
• Steve Finch Jr., V.P., Principal Hydrogeologist-Geochemist, John Shomaker Associates Inc., “The Saga of the Alamogordo Regional Water Supply Project” and Robert Fowlie, Associate/Client Service Leader, CDM Smith, “Alamogordo, New Mexico Desalt Plant – Under Design”
• Scott Reinert, Hydrogeologist, Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water, and Brian Klaes, Vice President/Project Manager, Moreno Cardenas Inc. “Future Plant Improvements at the Kay Bailey Desalination Plant-El Paso, Texas”

The Salt Miner Demo and Break
Demo: Eric Dole, Senior Project Manager, Water & Energy Practice Lead, Garver
The Salt Miner (US Patent No. 8,273,156) proof-of-concept demonstration will reveal the efficacy of the electro-distillation technology in treating the waste spent brine from residential and commercial cation exchange water softeners to distilled water quality; thereby preventing the 100,000 ppm TDS to 120,000 ppm TDS spent brine from entering the sewer. Increased salinity levels from the spent brine discharge during the regeneration of tens of thousands residential and commercial water softeners in Las Vegas alone significantly contributes to salt loading in the watershed. Proactively keeping the spent brine from entering the sewer with electro-distillation technology is one way to achieve effective salinity management from source control, while still allowing the use of ion exchange water softeners. Electro-distillation incorporates alternating current electro-coagulation and multiple effect vacuum distillation into one unit process. The Tuscany Casino commercial water softener’s spent brine will be used for the demo. The high TDS spent brine will be electro-distilled into two streams; a distillate stream less than 500 ppm TDS and an 80% salt slurry by-product at low energy intensities. The calcium chloride and magnesium chloride by product can be used as a feedstock in many markets, such as struvite precipitation for anaerobically digested municipal sludge.

Plant Operations Session 2
With increased emphasis on recycling and reuse of available water supplies, the next generation of advanced recycled water facilities that reflect a multi-treatment train approach including desalination are underway. Many of these facilities in Southern California are now operational or even being expanded. Other major regional water purification facilities, set for San Diego and Los Angeles, are at a pilot scale and set to start construction within the next 5-10 years. The panel session will highlight this transformation of So Cal water supplies with increased use of recycled water to support future water demands. The latest technologies and plant operations to ensure that the highest health and safety standards are met will be covered. Additionally, the panel session will also cover operational challenges and solutions facing the brine disposal components necessary for all these advanced systems.
Moderator: Mark Norton, President, Board of Directors, Southern California Salinity Coalition & Water Resources & Planning Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority
Speakers:

• Mickey Chaudhuri, Assistant Group Manager, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWDSC), “Regional Recycled Water Advanced Purification Center – Developing a New Source of Water for Southern California”
• Greg Woodside, Executive Director of Planning and Natural Resources, Orange County Water District (OCWD), “Water Quality Benefits of Groundwater Replenishment System”
• Douglas Owen, Consultant Team Manager, City of San Diego Public Utilities Department, “San Diego Pure Water Moves into Construction”
• Carlos Quintero, Operations Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, “Brine Line”

Manage Your Salt Session
Salinity management is increasingly important not only on a local scale but also on a regional and global scale. The panel of experts will provide a “30,000 foot” view of their agencies role in the development of policy, funding, regulatory and technologies which will promote the development of additional water supply through salinity management.
Moderator: Brandon Yallaly, Vice President, Carollo Engineers Inc.
Speakers:

• Erik Hanson, Director, Global Product Management and Strategy, SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions, “Managing Salt: Creating Value from High Salinity Water Sources“
• Mark Norton, President, Board of Directors, Southern California Salinity Coalition & Water Resources & Planning Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, “Drought Impact, Water Quality”
• W. Shane Walker, Director, UTEP Center for Inland Desalination Systems, “Advances in Inland Desalination”
• Paul Kelly, Executive Director, Cal Desal, “Regulatory Issues & Opportunities in Desalination“

Keynote Lightning Session
This session is designed to highlight new or emerging desalination thrusts or initiatives – such as new technology efforts or demonstrations, new technology vendors and contacts, local of regional desalination project start-ups or planning efforts, upcoming state and regional desalination associated seminars and workshops, or related topics.
Moderator: Mike Hightower, Vice President, New Mexico Desal and Center for Water & the Environment, University of New Mexico
Speakers:

• Mike Hightower, Vice President, New Mexico Desal and Center for Water & the Environment, University of New Mexico
• Ronit Erlitzki, Director of Business Development, Ad Edge Water Technologies
• Kyle Frazier, Executive Director, Texas Desalination Association

Department of Energy Clean Water Energy Hub Update Session: $100 Million Funding

• Melissa Klembara, Technology Manager, RAPID Institute and Clean Water Consortia, Advanced Manufacturing Office, Department of Energy, “The U.S. Department of Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office’s Mission and Vision for Clean Water”

Legislative Session
Federal Direction in Desal Policy Development, Legislation, Research and Project Funding
Moderator: Ron Sullivan, Board Vice-President, Eastern Municipal Water District
Speakers:

• Patricia Sinicropi, Executive Director, WateReuse Association
• Geoff Bowman, Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates
• Paul Kelly, Executive Director, Cal Desal

Community Engagement for Potable Reuse Success: Panel Discussion on What’s Working, What’s New and What’s Next
More and more water utilities are looking at potable reuse as a valuable addition to their traditional water supply portfolio, and not just in drought-prone areas. But potable reuse comes with a special set of challenges – phrases like “toilet-to-tap” being one of the most enduring ones. This simple phrase has been used in the past to deride and derail projects. But its very simplicity can teach water professionals an important lesson: the public/your ratepayers/voters do not want long-winded, technical-jargon laden explanations for your new water supply solutions. They need to understand in simple terms what you are planning, how your plans impact them, and that purified water is safe for them and their families to drink. Is it possible in an era when the average person’s attention span is eight seconds – less than a goldfish, by the way – to use common and easily understood language to describe potable reuse or purified water topics? This panel discussion will highlight what has worked well for the pioneering projects we can all learn from, what new engagement and outreach techniques have been rolled out to address today’s tech-savvy generation, and what is on the horizon, especially as we see more direct potable reuse projects being planned and implemented.
Moderator/Speaker: Patricia Tennyson, Executive Vice President, Katz & Associates
Speakers:

• Christina Montoya-Halter, Communications & Marketing Manager, El Paso Water Utilities
• Paul Scuito, General Manager, Monterey One Water
• Austa Parker, General Manager, Water Reuse Technologist, Carollo Engineers Inc., representing WateReuse Colorado

Closing Remarks, Summary & Adjourn

Manage the Feast, Feed the Famine

Opening Remarks & Preview

• Ernesto Avila, P.E. Avila & Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc., Program Director, Multi-State Salinity Coalition, Northern California Salinity Coalition

Opening Keynote Presentation

• Dr. Robert Mace, President and Chairman of the Board, Multi-State Salinity Coalition, Chief Water Policy Officer, Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Texas State University “The Future of Salinity and Water in Texas (and the Southwest?)”

Concentrate & Salinity Management Session Part 1
Desalination of brackish groundwater and seawater are technically viable approaches to developing drought resilient water supply projects. Management of the concentrate generated during the desalting process can become a barrier to the overall success of the project. This panel session will provide an overview of various desalination projects and how the concentrate is being managed. In some cases, salts are being removed from the concentrate to create additional water supply.
Moderator: Scott Reinert, Hydrogeologist, Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water
Speakers:

• Brent Alspach, Principal Environmental Engineer, Arcadis, “Water Quality Considerations for Integrating Desalinated Seawater from the Carlsbad SWRO Plant into Existing Regional Supplies”
• Guillermo G. Delgado, Water and Wastewater Process Leader, H2O Terra, CERRO, “Concentrate Enhanced Recovery Reverse Osmosis”
• Robert McCandless, Membrane Technology Specialist, Brown and Caldwell, “NF-RO System”
• Lanaya Voelz, Client Service Manager, CDM Smith, “EMWD’s Purified Water Replenishment Program”

Concentrate & Salinity Management Session Part 2
Effective salinity management typically results in complex programs, particularly when carried out in inland areas. Planning and implementing sustainable strategies for mitigating water and soil degradation from concentrate disposal is an important aspect of these programs. This session will provide information on salinity management programs that are in the planning stage for implementation or are currently in operation.
Moderator: Karl Longley, Professor Emeritus, California Water Institute, California State University, Fresno
Speakers:

• Jim Prairie, Hydraulic Engineer, Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Region, “Salinity Economic Impact Model (SEIM)”
• David Ruhl, Program Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, SAWPA, “Brine Disposal in the Santa Ana Watershed”
• Richard Meyerhoff, Senior Water Quality Specialist, GEI Consultants, Inc., “Preliminary Plans for Brine Concentration and Disposal for CV-SALTS”
• Brandon Yallaly, Vice President, Carollo Engineers, Inc. “Chino II Concentrate Reduction Facility”

Special Recognition & Luncheon
Moderator: Dr. Robert Mace, President, Multi State Salinity Coalition, Chief Water Policy Officer, Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Texas State University

• Diamond Contributor: Jack Simes, Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation
• Platinum Sponsor: John Shomacher & Associates, Inc.
• Platinum Sponsor: El Paso Water
• Platinum Sponsor: Eastern Municipal Water District
• Platinum Sponsor: Water Research Foundation
• “Salt of the Earth Award”
• Student Scholarship Award
• Keynote Luncheon Speaker:
  Making Every Drop Count. Full Recovery Desalination – The Story of How EWM Developed the Concept and the Challenges of Implementing the First Project.
  J. Hubble Hausman, CEO, Enviro Water Minerals Company, EWM, “Update on El Paso’s Enhanced Recovery / Concentrate Processing Plant”

Revenue Stability Session
Water purveyors have had to address the challenges of providing a reliable water supply during the most extreme of climactic events that have impacted southwestern agencies in modern history. These impacts have included dealing with reduced supplies, increased salinity in source water, inconsistent inflows and higher treatment and distribution costs. For most agencies, these realities represent the new “normal” when it comes to water supply planning. Often overlooked is the long-term impact that this shift has had on the other aspect of reliable water supply and service: long-term fiscal soundness. This session discusses what long-term and near-term approaches and opportunities exist to mitigate this potential and real fiscal drought.
Moderator: Ernesto Avila, P.E. Avila & Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc., Program Director, Multi-State Salinity Coalition, Northern California Salinity Coalition
Speakers:

• Paul Jones, General Manager. Eastern Municipal Water District, “Water Shortage Contingency Plan During the California Drought and the Use of “Allocation Based Tiered Rates”
• Amanda Erath, Program Analyst, Bureau of Reclamation, “Denver Policy Office Reclamation’s WaterSMART Title XVI and WINN Act Funding Opportunities”
• Joe Olsen, General Manager, Metro Domestic Water Improvement District, “Ten Steps to Revenue Stability: How One Water Provider Brought Clarity to an Uncertain Future.“

Break & Demo

• Eric Dole, PE, Hazen and Sawyer, “Electro-Distillation Demonstration Using “Salt Miner” Technology on Spent Water Softener Brine”

Eric will demonstrate the patented “Salt Miner” technology electro-distilling spent brine from the Tuscany Inn commercial water softener. The live demo will show how the technology distills the 80,000 mg/L – 120,000 mg/L TDS spent brine (that typically discharges directly to the local sewer) at 30% to 60% the energy than traditional thermal distillation. The salt slurry is evacuated from the unit and stored in a bucket where it can be properly disposed and potentially reused. The distilled water can be reused elsewhere in the house or discharged to the sewer.

Watershed Strategies Session
A watershed approach to salinity management encapsulates a broad range of strategies and issues. It is a recognition that all water supplies are interconnected as aptly described by the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority’s “One Water, One Watershed”, a nationally recognized watershed approach to salinity management in Southern California. For this session, the impacts of drought conditions on water supplies as the “new normal” for the southwest watersheds of the U.S. will be examined. Water resource planners are now recognizing long term droughts are negatively impacting water recycling regulatory compliance and the ability to meet salinity permits. New permits extending over longer hydrologic cycles to account for drought, climate change and salinity fluctuations are being evaluated. For many watersheds that are dependent on groundwater as a significant source of water supply, droughts are impacting groundwater levels, recharge functions and pumping which in turn affect subsurface movement of salinity and contaminant plumes. 21st century groundwater modeling methods and tracking these trends will also be explored in this session.
Moderator/Speaker: Mark Norton, Water Resources & Planning Mgr., Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
Speakers:

• Steve Finch Jr., V.P., Principal Hydrogeologist-Geochemist, John Shomaker Associates Inc., “Ground Water Modeling”
• Scott Reinert, Hydrogeologist, Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water, & Brian Klaes, Vice President – Project Manager, Moreno Cardenas Inc. “Aquifer Recharge”
• Joe LeClaire, Senior Professional II, Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc. “Evaluation of Long-Term Trends and Variations in the Average Total Dissolved Solids Concentrations in Wastewater and Recycled Water”
• Bruce Lytle, President, Lytle Water Solutions. “Numerical and Visual Tracking of Ground Water Flow and Contaminant Movement Using 3D Geologic Modeling.”

International Session
Droughts, global warming, salinity control have no boarders. Many countries around the globe are facing similar challenges that we are facing in the US. To allow learning how salinity challenges are addressed in the different parts of the world, the group of internationally recognized experts will share their global experience.
Moderator: Mark Holmes, Water Resources Manager, City of Goodyear, AZ
Speakers:

• Jim Lozier, Vice President and Global Technologist, CH2M, “Singapore’s Investment in Potable Reuse and Seawater Desalination to Solve Their Water Supply Challenges”
• Sharon Megdal, Professor/Specialist, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, “Israel Plant and Issues”
• John Tonner, CCO & EVP, and Ignacio (Iñaki) Del Campo, Director of Engineering, CONSOLIDATED WATER CO. LTD. “Strategic Diversification of Baja California’s Water Supply Portfolio and the role of the Western Hemisphere’s Largest Desalination Project”

Keynote Session – Florentine AB
“Slowly, yet persistently over the past 40 plus years, federal agencies and state partners along with hundreds of private canal companies and several thousand individual producers have worked tirelessly to reduce the salt load in the Colorado River. This billion dollar effort, in conformance with Clean Water Act requirements, has now reduced the annual salt load in the Colorado River by 1.33 million tons, improved the downstream water quality by a little more than 100 mg/L and reduced the commiserate damages to downstream water users by about $300 million annually. However, salinity levels and associated quantified damages are projected to increases above the current $450 million dollar annual level unless the program continues to be aggressively implemented.”

• Don A. Barnett, Executive Director, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, “The Meal Goes Further on a Low-Salt Diet”

Legislative Session
Federal Direction in Desal Policy Development, Legislation, Research and Project Funding
Moderator: John O’Donnell, Senior Partner, Murray, Montgomery & O’Donnell
Speakers:

• J. Tom Ray, P.E., D-WRE, Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam
• Rob Renner, PE, BCEE, Chief Executive Officer, Water Research Foundation
• Paul Kelley, Acting Executive Director, Association of California Water Agencies
• Hector Gonzalez, Government Affairs Manager, El Paso Water, Legislative Policy and funding related to federal water supply projects (Bureau of Reclamation, Defense, EPA)

Water Reuse/Recycling Session – Florentine AB
Hear from this panel of distinguished water reuse experts discussing the current state of potable reuse. Learn how direct potable reuse went from an option utilities hesitated to consider to a must have water supply option in water portfolios across the country. The story behind potable reuse for each of these southwestern states will be discussed, leaving the audience with an understanding of each states policies, challenges, successes, and what’s in store for the future.
Moderator/Speaker: Gilbert Trejo, Chief Technical Officer, El Paso Water
Speakers:

• John Enloe, Director, Natural Resources Truckee Meadows Water Authority
• Paul Jones, Board of Trustee, WateReuse, California
• Robert McCandless, WateReuse Arizona Vice-President
• Dr. Eva Sheinle-Darling, WateReuse Texas Vice-President

Closing Remarks, Summary & Adjourn

Less Water, More Salt…The New Reality

Opening Remarks & Preview

• Ernesto Avila, P.E. Avila & Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc., Program Director, Multi-State Salinity Coalition, Northern California Salinity Coalition

Opening Keynote Presentation

• Bob Lotts, Water Resources Manager, Arizona Public Service Co., “How Palo Verde NGS Employs Treatment and Air Quality Provisions to Deal with High TDS and Salinity Issues”

Legislative Session
This session is the traditional Summit Kick-Off Session. Federal and legislative representatives will discuss the future prospects of desalination management and water and energy projects and their financing for the future.
Moderator: Jeremy Jungreis, Senior Counsel, Rutan & Tucker, LLP
Speakers:

• William “Bill” Steele, Consultant, Temecula, CA
• Michael Gabaldon, Operations Manager Water Business Line, AECOM, Presentation
• Paul Kelley, Executive Director, CalDesal, Presentation
• Robert Renner, Chief Executive Officer, Water Research Foundation

Lake Mead Presentation

• Orestes Morfin, Central Arizona Project “Protecting Lake Mead – Potential Salinity Implications”

Saving the Colorado Session
Last year, The Discovery Channel aired a documentary titled “Killing the Colorado” which blames “short-sighted policies and poor planning” as the major cause of the current shortage on the river. Contrary to the impression left by recent media coverage, cooperation by the States and water agencies on the Colorado River is at an all-time high now that water levels are near an all-time low. Hear from four leading experts on their efforts to manage the drought’s impacts and save the Colorado.
Moderator: Warren Teitz, Senior Resource Specialist, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Speakers:

• Colby Pellegrino, Colorado River Program Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority, “Drought: A Nevada Prospective”
• Bill Hasencamp, Manager Colorado River Program, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, “Successes and Challenges on the Colorado River“
• Eric Kuhn, General Manager, Colorado River District, “Drought Contingency Planning in the Upper Colorado Basin – a Paradigm Shift”
• Deanna Ikeya, Colorado River Programs Manager, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, “Avoiding Shortages in the Lower Basin – CAP’s Investments to Protect Lake Mead”

Special Recognition & Luncheon
Moderator: Dr. Robert Mace, Deputy Executive Administrator Office of Water Science & Conservation, Texas Water Development Board, President, Multi-State Salinity Coalition

• Diamond Contributor: Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation
• Bureau of Reclamation Water Challenge – Andrew Tiffenbach, Denver Advance Water Treatment Program
• Platinum Sponsor: Water Research Foundation
• Platinum Sponsor: John Shomacher & Associates, Inc.
• Platinum Sponsor: Eastern Municipal Water District
• Platinum Sponsor: Water Works Engineers, LLC
• Platinum Sponsor: El Paso Water
• “Salt of the Earth Award”

Keynote Speakers – Kathleen Ferris, Producer & Michael Schiffer, Producer, Writer and Director

• Documentary Movie – Ground Water Management, “Groundwater – to Enact a Law for the Common Good”. This lively documentary tells the true and inspiring story of the contentious battle between the farms, cities and mines that led, against all odds, to the passage of the celebrated 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Act, a landmark law in the American West.

The Effects of Salinity on Agricultural Session – Florentine AB
Increased demands to support the southwest’s growing population centers and recent droughts have placed greater pressure on agriculture to become more efficient with regards to limited water resources. As a result, agribusiness managers are being compelled to utilize sources of water which were previously considered marginal for crop production. At the same time, regulatory pressures have heightened the need to employ best management practices to minimize irrigation runoff and reduce the impacts of farm operations on streams, lakes, and groundwater resources. This session will review the impacts of salinity on today’s agriculture.
Moderator: Jeff Wall, Assistant General Manager – Operations and Maintenance, Eastern Municipal Water District
Speakers:

• Kib Jacobson, Salinity Control Program Manager, Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, “Impacts on Irrigated Agriculture by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program”
• Dr. Jeffrey Silvertooth, Associate Dean Director for Extension & Economic Development and Associate Director, Arizona Experiment Station College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), University of Arizona “Salinity, Sodicity, & Water Management in Desert Crop Production Systems”
• Josué Medellin-Azuara, Senior Research, Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California – Davis, “Exploring Physical and Behavioral Responses to Salinity in Agriculture: A Case Study from Kern County, California”

Watershed Management Session
In the last decade there have been continuous industry and technology advancements in water treatment, water reclamation, desalination, and direct potable reuse of reclaimed water that continue to lower commodity cost margins and stretch water supplies. However, with the drought, limited and over-stretched water supplies, and new and increasing water supply deficits, and poor-quality water mitigation, there is a new “One-Water” philosophy that has water providers, water users, and environmental stakeholders coming together to better collaborate and manage water from a more holistic philosophy. This “One-Water” approach attempts to think of all water equally regardless of its characterization as vital and integral to all intended and unintended users. Some examples of this are the more holistic approach of engaging stakeholders for better water management at the watershed or basin level. Also, there have been significant shifts at the county or city levels towards better water management through land use planning towards low-impact development (LID), LEED, and more sustainable development. This Panel of experts and practitioners will share their vision, expertise and real life practical experience on how they have embraced collaborative efforts at the watershed or basin level in solving or addressing challenges.
Moderator: Mark Holmes, Water Resources Manager City of Goodyear, AZ
Speakers:

• Mark Holmes, Water Resources Manager, City of Goodyear, AZ, “From Brine to Beautiful” A One-Water Watershed Approach to R/O Brine Disposal”
• Lee Ester, Manager, SRP Water Measurement, Salt River Project, “SRP Flowtography® Evaluating Steamflow Responses Utilizing Time Lapse Photography”
• KayLee Nelson, Planner (Water Resources), Engineering Services Office, Lower Colorado Region, Bureau of Reclamation, “Basin Study Program, Successes of this Program from a Watershed Basin Wide Management Approach”
• Roger Peery, CEO/Principal Hydrogeologist, John Shomaker Associates, Inc., “Impacts on Water Resources Subsequent to Wildfires in the Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico”

International Session
Droughts, global warming, salinity control have no boarders. Many countries around the globe are facing similar challenges that we are facing in the US. To allow learning how salinity challenges are addressed in the different parts of the world, the group of internationally recognized experts will share their global experience.
Moderator: Gilbert Trejo, Chief Technical Officer, El Paso Water
Speakers:

• Jennifer McCloskey, Deputy Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, “Partnering with Mexico on the Colorado River”
• Mike Mickley, President, Mickley & Associates “Permitting Practices for Seawater Concentrate Disposal“
• Brock McEwen, Water Technology Director, CH2M, “Potable Reuse Emergence in Brazil”
• Val Frenkel, VP Process Engineering, Greeley and Hansen, LLC, “Controlling Salinity: Reverse Complimented by Forward Osmosis”

Breakfast with the MSSC Board Member Round Table

• Updates from Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas

Deep Well Injection Session – A Tool in the Tool Box
Deep well injection is a technically viable approach to managing the concentrate that is produced from an inland desalting process. This session will provide an overview of case studies from El Paso and San Antonio where deep well injection is being used for concentrate disposal. Panelists will discuss an assortment of topics related to deep well injection including; geology necessary for successful injection, regulatory requirements, and overview of the costs and construction requirements for injection wells.
Moderator: Scott Reinert, Hydrogeologist, Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water
Speakers:

• Scott Reinert, Hydrogeologist, Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water, “An Overview of Deep Well Injection for the City of El Paso”
• Brad Cross, Associate Vice President/Hydrogeologist, LBG Guyton Associates, “San Antonio Water System, Deep Well Injection for Concentrate Disposal”
• Steve Finch Jr., V.P., Principal Hydrogeologist-Geochemist, John Shomaker & Associates, Inc., “Deep Well Injection in the State of New Mexico”
• Don Barnett, Executive Director, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, “The Paradox Valley Unit: 20 Years – 2.2 Million Tons”

Innovative Salinity Management Strategies Session – Florentine AB
This session focuses on the evolving regulatory challenges of salinity management and opportunities and technologies available to address these challenges. As the regulatory environment evolves, so too must our strategies to successfully manage salinity while maximizing the production of high quality water.
Moderator: Chris Hassert, Planning & Engineering Director, City of Scottsdale
Speakers:

• Karl Longley, Professor Emeritus, California Water Institute, California State University, Fresno, “Salinity Management and Regulatory Issues”
• Paul Kelley, Executive Director, CalDesal, “Regulatory Issues and Opportunities in Desalinization”
• Melissa Meeker, Chief Executive Officer, Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF), “Discuss New Research Opportunities and Innovative Strategies Employed by WE&RF”
• Charlie He, Associate Vice President, & Pei Xu, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering, Carollo Engineers Inc., “EDR Pilot Work and Results, New Mexico State University and Carollo, Scottsdale Water Campus Project”
• J. Hubble Hausman, CEO, Enviro Water Minerals Company, EWM, “Update on El Paso’s Enhanced Recovery / Concentrate Processing Plant“

Closing Remarks, Summary & Adjourn

New Water for Today and Tomorrow

Opening Remarks & Preview

• Ernesto Avila, P.E. Avila & Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc., Program Director, Multi-State Salinity Coalition

Opening Keynote Presentation

• Sally Gutierrez, Director of Environmental Technology Cluster Development & Support Program, EPA, Office of Research & Development (Houston), “Water Technology Innovation”

Legislative Session – This session is the traditional Summit Kick-Off Session. Federal and legislative representatives will discuss the future prospects of desalination management and water and energy projects and their financing for the future.
Moderator: John O’Donnell, Senior Partner, Murray, Montgomery & O’Donnell
Speakers:

• Christopher Kearney, Senior Professional Staff Member, U.S. Senate, Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Presentation
• Brenna Mannion, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Outreach, National Association of Clean Water Agencies
• Steve Via, Regulatory Affairs Manager, American Water Works Association
• Zane Marshall, Director, Water & Environmental Resources Southern Nevada Water Authority

Where Once There Was ‘Waste’, Now There is Water Session – Update on Direct and Indirect Potable Reuse in the Southwestern U.S.
Moderator: Jeremy Jungreis, Senior Counsel, Rutan & Tucker, LLP
Speakers:

• Gilbert Trejo, Chief Technical Officer, El Paso Water Utilities, and Daniel Olson, Senior Project Manager, Arcadis, “Update on the Pilot Testing of the Purified Water (DPR) Project in El Paso“
• Tim Thomure, Associate/Arizona Water Business Group Manager, Water Reuse Practice Lead, HDR Engineering, Inc., “Recycled Water Reuse in AZ“
• Julie Labonte, Senior Vice President, MWH Global, “Losing The IPR- DPR Label – In San Diego, the Pure Water Program Is All About Surface Water Augmentation”
• Mark Holmes, Water Resources Manager, Public Works Department, City of Goodyear, and Deborah Tosline, Hydrologist, Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, “From Brine to Devine – A Story of Waste to Wetlands”
• Greg Thomas, General Manager, Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District, Escondido, CA, “Discussion of IPR Projects for Small Water Agencies and the Role of Regional Partnerships“

Luncheon & Keynote Speaker:

• Estevan Lopez, Commissioner, Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation “New Water for Today & Tomorrow” -USBR’s Perspective”

Climate Change and Drought Impact on Salinity Management Session – Climate change and drought are increasing pressure on salinity control and management, which already had been a challenge for decades. New technologies, strategies and management approaches to control salinity in the rapidly changing and challenging word are vital for our society. Panel of experts and practitioners in the field will share they vision, expertise and real life practical experience on how we can successfully fight and overcome the natural challenges in the current climate.
Moderator: Val Frenkel, Principal PM, CH2M
Speakers:

• Mark Lambert, CEO, IDE Americas, Inc., “Carlsbad & Santa Barbara Desalination“
• Pam John, North Water Treatment Manager, Santa Clara Valley Water District, “The New Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center and its Benefits During Climate Change and Droughts“
• Jim Lozier, Global Technology Leader for Desalination, CH2M, “Water Forever Whatever the Weather: Perth’s Groundwater Replenishment Project”

International Experience Session – Drought and climate variability knows no borders when it comes to its impact to water supply reliability. Many of the challenges faced by domestic agencies are ones that have been around for a long time in the international arena. This session will present examples of how our international partner agencies are responding to these critical challenges in seeking new water.
Moderator: Chuck Cullom, Colorado River Programs Manager, Central Arizona Water Conservation District
Speakers:

• Horacio Juarez, Senior Project Manager, CDM Smith, El Paso “Brackish Groundwater Treatment Facility for EPCWCID #4”
• Malynda Cappelle, Associate Director, The University of Texas at El Paso, “Competing in the Desal Prize & Piloting in Honduras”
• Val Frenkel, Principal PM, CH2M, “Qatar Mega Water Reuse Project, IDRIS Programme – Solution in the Middle East”
• Jennifer McCloskey, Deputy Regional Director, Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, “The US – Mexico Binational Process for implementation of Minute 319 and Potential Development of Desalination Projects with Mexico”
• Rodney Smith, President, Baja Norte Water Resources, LLC, “Desalination Project Development in the State of Baja California, an Innovative Approach to Private/Public Partnerships in Mexico”

Private/Public Partnership in Desalination Session – This session will explore existing, in-development, and in-planning public/private partnership projects with an emphasis on how financing and funding are being handled.
Moderator: Robert Mace, Deputy Executive Administrator Office of Water Science & Conservation, Texas Water Development Board, President, Multi-State Salinity Coalition
Speakers:

• Scott Reinert, Hydrogeologist | Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water Utilities & J Hubble Hausman, CEO, Enviro Water Minerals Company, “Concentrate Recovery of Minerals”, Presentation Part 1, Presentation Part 2
• Bill Swanson, Water Resources Practice Leader, MWH Global, & James Murphy, Executive Manager of Water Resources and Utilities Operations, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, “Water Grid Concepts for Funding Seawater Desalination – The Texas Example“
• James Busby, District Director, Burgess and Niple, “DyVar Thermal Cyclone Desalination, A Very Small Texas Town Leads Innovation Loving County, Mentone, Texas”
• Jorge Arroyo, Water Management Consultant, “A Customers’ Response to Drought: Industrial Seawater Desalination in Corpus Christi“

Opening Keynote Presentation

• Mike Hightower, Distinguished Member Technical Staff, Sandia Laboratories, “Water Resources and Desal – Looking Back and Looking Forward 10 Years”

Desal’s Role in Drought Session – Ocean Desalination Projects & Permitting under the New California Ocean Plan Amendments. This panel will include a review of the May 2015 Ocean Plan Amendments and current implementation efforts, with a particular emphasis on influencing the siting, design and regulatory permitting for ocean desalination projects.
Moderator: Kevin Thomas, Practice Builder, Kimley-Horn Associates, Inc.
Speakers:

• Kevin Thomas, Practice Builder, Kimley-Horn Associates, Inc., “Ocean Desalination Regulatory Permitting Under the New Ocean Plan Amendments”
• Mark Donovan, Doheny Desalination Project Program Manager, GHD International, “South Coast Water District’s Doheny Desalination Facility Demonstration Project”
• Makrom Shatila, Project Manager, Michael Baker International, “Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project – Unique Design & Construction Approaches”

New Developments & Technologies Session – Today as the Southwest and other parts of the world are facing the challenges general water scarcity oftentimes the result of long term drought, brackish waters in inland areas of the Southwest are being increasingly considered for municipal, industrial and agricultural water supply. This use of brackish water sources brings with it a whole new set of challenges ranging from the treatment of complex saline waters to disposal of the resulting brine streams. This session focuses on the development of innovative technology to address the treatment of brackish inland waters and associated regulatory issues.

Moderator: Karl Longley, Professor Emeritus, California Water Institute, California State University, Fresno
Speakers:

• Eric Dole, West Regional Energy Efficiency Lead, Hazen & Sawyer, & Steve Bigley, Director of Environmental Services, Coachella Valley Water District, “Floc and Drop vs. Shock and Drop: Two Treatment Approaches to Spent Brine Management from Ion Exchange Systems”
• Jeremy Anderson, Project Engineer, CDM Smith & Scott Reinert, Hydrogeologist | Water Resources Manager, El Paso Water Utilities, “Proposed Expansion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination”
• Roger Peery, CEO & Steven Finch, Jr., V.P., Principal Hydrogeologist-Geochemist, John Shomaker and Associates, “State of Brackish Water Development in New Mexico: Current Uses, Development and Availability, and Regulatory Challenges”
• Jeff Wall, Assistant General Manager – Operations and Maintenance, Eastern Municipal Water District & Graham Juby, Vice President, Carollo Engineers, “Eastern Municipal Water District’s AquaSel Brine Concentration Pilot Project Update”

Closing Remarks, Summary & Adjourn – Florentine AB