DECEMBER 2024
Drinking water and wastewater systems are an essential community lifeline. It is important to protect your system from cyberattacks to maintain its vital operations. You can reduce the risk of a cyberattack at your utility by externally scanning your networks for vulnerabilities caused by publicly facing devices. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) can help your drinking water and wastewater system identify and address vulnerabilities with a no cost vulnerability scanning service subscription. CISA, the Water Sector Coordinating Council, and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators encourage drinking water and wastewater utilities to use this service.
Benefits
CISA’s vulnerability scanning can help your utility identify and address cybersecurity weaknesses that an attacker could use to impact your system. The benefits of this service include:
- Identifying internet-accessible assets
- Identifying vulnerabilities in your utility’s assets connected to the internet, including Known Exploited Vulnerabilities and internet-exposed services commonly used for initial access by threat actors and some ransomware gangs
- Weekly reports on scanning status and recommendations for mitigating identified vulnerabilities
- Significant reduction in identified vulnerabilities in the first few months of scanning for newly enrolled water utilities
- Ongoing detection and reporting with continuous scanning for new vulnerabilities
How it Works
CISA uses automated tools to conduct vulnerability scanning on your external networks. These tools look for vulnerabilities and weak configurations that adversaries could use to conduct a cyberattack. CISA’s scanning provides an external, non-intrusive review of internet-accessible systems. The scanning does not reach your private network and cannot make any changes. CISA will send you weekly reports with information on known vulnerabilities found on your internet-accessible assets, week-to-week comparisons, and recommended mitigations. You will also receive ad-hoc alerts for any urgent findings.
CISA does not share any attributable information without written and agreed consent from the stakeholder.
How can I get started?
- Email vulnerability@cisa.dhs.gov with the subject line “Requesting Vulnerability Scanning Services.” Include the name of your utility, a point of contact with an email address, and the physical address of your utility’s headquarters.
- CISA will reply with a Service Request Form and Vulnerability Scanning Acceptance Letter to obtain the necessary information about your utility and your authorization to scan your public networks. Scanning typically begins within 10 days of receiving all completed forms.
Cybersecurity resources for the water/wastewater sector can be found at these links:
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Recently the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) approved an Administrative Consent Agreement (ACA) with a general contractor for an illegal discharge of silt laden gravel washwater to a wetland and a stream. The facility must conduct training with other similar businesses on proper washwater management. The facility was fined $12,000 which they agreed to pay to a local land trust for gates, trail work and interpretive signage.
The BEP also approved an ACA for an unlicensed discharge from a car wash to their engineered stormwater management system. In response to a complaint regarding odors, the DEP and local code enforcement investigated a commercial car wash that was not served by public sewer. The investigators found that soapy water resembling car wash effluent was being discharged to the stormwater management system on the property. The car wash was new in 2018 and had installed a recycling system to reduce the amount of wastewater they produced. However, at some point between opening and November 2019, an overflow was installed from the recycling system to the stormwater system as was evidenced by a pavement patch. After reviewing the water use records, it became clear that the car wash had installed the overflow to avoid trucking the excess wastewater to a local treatment plant. Once discovered, the car wash eliminated the overflow and began trucking the washwater to an appropriate disposal facility. During negotiations the owner of the car wash died. The estate was cooperative with the Department. The Department proposed a penalty of $239,000 most of which consisted of avoided trucking and disposal costs. The company requested an ability-to-pay analysis based on financial records and using the Environmental Protection Agency’s ABEL financial modeling program. The results of the analysis reduced the penalty to approximately $55,900, which will be paid over 5 years.
If you have any questions about the DEP’s enforcement program, please do not hesitate to contact Pam Parker at 207-485-3038 or pamela.d.parker@maine.gov.
MeWEA is excited to announce their Peer-to-Peer Training program. The program involves wastewater operators, mechanics, lab techs, and managers getting hands on, one-on-one training on a topic of their choosing at another wastewater facility. The program allows operators to create their own custom training, and pairs them with other people that have expertise and experience on the topic. The visiting operator will earn FREE continuing education training credits needed to maintain their wastewater certification.
To participate in the program:
- Download and complete the training form, choosing between: Operations, Laboratory, or Management. There is also a generic form if the topic you want to learn about falls of the Ops/Lab/Management. This information helps establish the goals and topics of the training session.
- Select the facility you wish to visit and coordinate a time. The MEWEA Treatment Plant Operators Committee is available to assist you in selecting a facility based on your needs.
- Exchanges last a minimum of 1 hour, with a maximum of 3 credit hours per year. Forms are signed by the host.
- Complete all sections of the form and submit to the MEWEA Treatment Plant Operators Committee at meweaTPO@gmail.com. You will receive an emailed training certificate which will be sent to NEIWPCC to record your training credits.
This is an exciting opportunity to see how other plants work, learn new skills, and network with other clean water professionals.
To download the training forms, as well as learn about the Peer-to-Peer program, go to https://www.mewea.org/operator-training.
For more information on the program, contact Alex Buechner, Alex.Buechner@Biddefordmaine.org.
Renewal Letters Mailed for Odd-Numbered Operator Certifications
If your certification number is an odd number, you will need to renew your certification by March 1, 2025. Renewal notices were sent out by mail. If you have moved or changed your address, please contact Spring Connolly, mecertification@neiwpcc.org call 207-253-8020.
You can renew online at https://jetcc.org/index.php.
Not sure if you still need contact hours to renew? Scroll down the page to the blue tab, View TCH Summary, to check your continuing education hours, listed by certification number. This report is updated on the first business day of the month.
Save the date for these Conventions and Trade Shows
- MRWA 44th Annual Conference and Trade Show at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, 12/10 to 12/12/24, registration at https://www.mainerwa.org/.
- NEWEA Industrial Wastewater Seminar & Tour, Portland, MEDecember 10, 2024, https://members.newea.org/events/browse
- MWUA 99th Annual Conference, February 5 & 6, 2025 at the Augusta Civic Center, MWUA Annual Tradeshow & Conference - MWUA
- JETCC’s North Country Convention (NCC), 4/2 to 4/3/25 in Presque Isle, : https://neiwpcc.org/maine/jetcc-training/
Conference Highlights
Maine Rural Water Association (MRWA) 44th Annual Conference and Trade Show
Bangor, ME — December 10-12, 2024 — The Maine Rural Water Association’s (MRWA) 44th Annual Conference and Trade Show is taking place from December 10th to 12th at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, ME. This event is a must-attend for professionals in the water and wastewater industry, offering a unique blend of educational sessions, networking opportunities, and industry insights.
The event will kick off on Tuesday, December 10th, with registration opening at 4:00 PM, coinciding with our Premier Trade Show. The evening will feature a keynote session focusing on climate change, followed by a dinner starting at 5:30 PM. This engaging session will provide valuable insights into the ongoing climate challenges and their impact on the water and wastewater sectors.
On Wednesday, December 11th, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of classes from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. These sessions are designed to provide practical knowledge and skills relevant to the industry. Lunch will be served in the early afternoon, offering further opportunities to explore the Trade Show and connect with industry peers. The day will conclude with an Industry Meet and Greet from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM, an excellent chance to mingle, reconnect, or forge new professional relationships.
The conference will wrap up on Thursday, December 12th, with morning classes, a delicious brunch, and one final chance to visit the Trade Show. In addition to the wealth of knowledge and connections to be gained, attendees will also have the opportunity to earn valuable training contract hours, making this event not just informative but also beneficial for ongoing professional development.
MRWA invites all professionals in the water and wastewater sectors to join us for this informative and networking-rich event. We look forward to seeing you there! Please check our website frequently as we begin to finalize our registration process: www.mainerwa.org.
NEWEA’s 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibit January 26-29, 2025 in Boston, MA
Work for Water: For the Communities. For the Environment
NEWEA is excited to connect in person with our water industry colleagues at the 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibit, taking place at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, Boston, MA, January 26-29, 2025.
NEWEA has always been recognized to convene the brightest minds and the most innovative water quality solutions in one place. These are the people who impact and improve your everyday life. There is no better demonstration of these influential industry leaders than at NEWEA’s Annual Conference.
This prestigious conference, which consistently attracts over 2,300 engineers, consultants, scientists, operators and students features a variety of technical sessions and over 200 exhibitor displays. The conference provides an opportunity for professional exchange of information and state-of-the-art concepts in wastewater treatment and other water environment issues.
The NEWEA Annual Conference is a great forum to meet colleagues, professional allies, make new friends and exchange information. It is a great forum to meet colleagues, professional allies, make new friends and exchange information.
For more information or to register, go to Annual Conference - NEWEA Annual Conference.
MWUA's 99th Annual Tradeshow & Conference February 4th - 6th, 2025 at the Augusta Civic Center
Join us for our Annual Conference and Trade Show at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. Located a short walk from downtown Bangor, the Cross Insurance Center is the perfect place to make new connections in the industry this year. For more information visit: MWUA Annual Tradeshow & Conference - MWUA.
JETCC’s North Country Convention April 2-3. 2025 in Presque Isle
The North Country Convention (NCC) will be held April 2-3, 2025 at Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle.
The NCC is a two-day educational event and trade show designed for wastewater and drinking water operators. It is held biennially in Presque Isle, Maine, and is organized by NEIWPCC-JETCC. The convention features a variety of technical sessions, exhibitor interaction, luncheon speakers, and opportunities to network with others. Water and wastewater operators receive up to six training contact hours (TCHs) for each day attended. Participation in the entire conference offers 12 hours of TCHs.
This conference is held in “The County” to complement similar annual events offered by the Maine Water Environment Association (MeWEA) and the Maine Water Utilities Association (MWUA). Since those events generally take place in the southern region of the state, the NCC is designed to bring the benefits of those events to the people of northern Maine.
The Call for Abstracts is now open. Additional convention details and registration will be announced in early 2025. Go to North Country Convention • NEIWPCC for more info.
NEWEA’s Spring Meeting & Exhibit May 11-14, 2025 in Portland
NEWEA’s Spring Meeting & Exhibit is an annual three-day technical meeting for water quality professionals in the wastewater industry. The next meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland on May 11-14, 2025.
Attendees can:
- Network with colleagues
- Learn the latest trends in technical sessions
- See the latest technologies from exhibitors
- Earn Training Contact Hours (TCHs)
We expect about 300 engineers, consultants, scientists, operators, and students to join us for technical sessions, exhibit displays, networking opportunities, Operations Challenge and more.
For more information, or to submit a presentation abstract (due January 31, 2025), go to NEWEA Spring Meeting - NEWEA Spring Meeting
Training Highlights
RCAP Solutions offers Rate Setting for Capital Improvements Workshops
Join RCAP for the Rate Setting for Capital Improvements Workshop offered on December 4 in Waterville and December 5 in Biddeford.
This training will provide systems of all sizes with an understanding of the importance of rate setting to fund capital improvements. The training will include a description of rate structures through asset management (GIS Mapping, Capital Improvement Planning, Inventory Controls for Asset Management, etc.) as well as billing cycles and finances, budgets, reserve accounts, and financial monitoring. The program will also look at key management areas and maintaining an active Board. Board members, operators, managers, accounting personnel and support staff are encouraged to join.
To register, go to https://www.rcapsolutions.org/events/month/2024-12/.
Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing and Wastewater Lab QA/QC
JETCC presents a Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing and Wastewater Lab QA/QC training at the Haley Ward facilities in Bangor on Thursday, December 12, 2024. The class will be taught by John Tipping, Haley Ward and Brett Goodrich, Maine DEP.
This course will cover the basic procedures for conducting WET testing using examples from their WET laboratory. WET topics include:
- Sample collection, shipment, and documentation
- Testing and SOPs
- Shipment and documentation for associated chemistry samples
- Interpretation of WET and chemistry results
The class includes a tour of the laboratory during a WET test, and participants can observe ongoing Brook Trout, Water Flea, and Sea Urchin tests.
The class will also cover recommended QA/QC procedures for in-house wastewater labs performing BOD, TSS, SS, pH, total residual chlorine, and bacteria testing. The annual DMR-QA proficiency testing program with helpful tips for the most commonly encountered problems and a summary of the 2024 results from participating facilities in Maine will also be discussed.
To register, go to: Registration
JETCC Offers Exam Prep Opportunities
Wastewater Grades 3-5 Exam Prep Class Offered in Hampden and Presque Isle
December 17-19, 2024, F.W. Webb Co. in Hampden and Presque Isle.
Join Patrick Wiley, PhD, SMCC Water Technology instructor, to prepare for the biological grades 3-5 wastewater operator certification exams. This 3-day course will focus on activated sludge process control, biological nutrient removal, solids handling, lab testing, applied math, and other topics. Structured to include hands-on exercises and group discussions. Classes will be held at F.W. Webb in their Hampden and Presque Isle locations as a remote session and will be formatted like a regular in-person JETCC class. Instruction will be streamed to the class and structured to ensure participant engagement.
To register, visit www.neiwpcc.org/maine/jetcc-training.
Prepare for the NEWEA Collection System Exam
January 14-16, 2025, E.J. Prescott, Gardiner
Are you preparing to take the Grades 1 through 4 of the NEWEA Collection Systems Certification exam? Join instructor Don Kennedy to receive instruction on collection system operation and maintenance (O&M), flow characteristics, collection system components, pump stations, safety, math concepts, example problems, and other topics.
To register for the class, visit www.neiwpcc.org/maine/jetcc-training.
Important note: This course includes an optional NEWEA exam at the conclusion of the class on January 16. The deadline to apply through NEWEA was November 15, 2024. If interested in taking the exam, NEWEA encourages you to still apply but they make no guarantees that your application will make it through the process before January 16. Please visit NEWEA’s website at www.newea.org for more information or to apply to take an exam.
For more information on JETTC and/or NEIWPCC course, feel free to contact Spring Connolly at sconnolly@neiwpcc.org, 207-253-8020.
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Congratulations are in order to Howard Carter, director of the Water Resource Recovery Department for the City of Saco, who is serving as the 2024 – 2025 Board of Trustees president for the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international organization of water quality professionals headquartered in Alexandria, Va.
WEF is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of more than 30,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations (MAs) representing water quality professionals around the world. Since 1928, WEF and its members have protected public health and the environment. WEF and its global network of members and member associations provide water quality professionals around the world with the latest in water quality education, training, and business opportunities. WEF’s diverse membership includes scientists, engineers, regulators, academics, utility managers, plant operators, and other professionals. WEF uses this collective knowledge to further a shared goal of improving water quality around the world.
Howard is the director of the Water Resource Recovery Department for the City of Saco, Maine. He is responsible for the daily operations and maintenance, funding, staffing, billing, licensing and construction and of the city’s Resource Recovery Facility and 32 pumping stations. He also oversees the implementation of Combined Sewer Overflow Master Plan, and any separation or construction projects associated with that.
A WEF member since 1998, Howard spent five years in the House of Delegates as a representative of the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) and his last year as the speaker of the House. During that time, he has chaired the House Nominating Committee, served on the House Steering Committee, the CLC Steering Committee, along with the WEFMAX, Outreach and Budget committees, and has been a member of most work groups. Additionally, he was a founding member of the New England Operations Challenge team "Pump Fiction" that went on to compete nationally in both Division 1 and 2 for a number of years.
Howard is also an active member of NEWEA, where he served as president in 2010. He is also a past president of the Maine Water Environment Association in 2002.
In addition to receiving numerous WEF Operations Challenge team awards over the years Howard is also a recipient of the William D. Hatfield Award, the Arthur Sidney Bedell Award, A WEF Fellow, a WEF Service Pin Recipient, and a member of the Select Society of Sanitary Shovelers.
Howard is a graduate of both the U.S. Naval Nuclear Piping/Mechanical Apprenticeship program and the Southern Maine Technical College Wastewater Treatment/ Environmental program.
For more information, go to https://www.wef.org/about/Governance/board-of-trustees/.
DMR-QA Study 44 closed on August 30th and the deadline to send graded results to the DMR-QA coordinator was October 25th.
The latest version of the announcement packet can be found here: DMR-QA Study 44 Announcement.
If your laboratory happens to receive a “Not-Acceptable” score for one or more parameters, you must complete a corrective action and perform retests for all parameters with Not Acceptable results. A copy of the corrective action report and retest results must be sent to the State DMR-QA coordinator by December 6th.
If you have any questions regarding DMR-QA study 44 please contact Brett Goodrich at 207-450-5590 or Brett.A.Goodrich@maine.gov.
1. The common detention time in a primary clarifier is:
A. 30 minutes
B. 1 hour
C. 2 hours
D. 4 hours
2. If an operator notices sludge floating on the primary clarifier, it probably means:
A. There is too much oxygen in the wastewater
B. Too much sludge being removed
C. There is not enough detention time
D. Not enough sludge is being removed
3. If a treatment plant receives a flow of 2 MGD and a BOD concentration of 157 mg/L, how many pounds of BOD enters the treatment plant?
A. 2619 Pounds
B. 2713 Pounds
C. 2819 Pounds
D. 2918 Pounds
4. Disease producing bacteria are called:
A. Parasites
B. Coliforms
C. Saprophytes
D. Pathogens
5. Which of the pH readings indicate an acidic wastewater?
A. 3
B. 7
C. 9
D. 11
6. One mg/L is equivalent to:
A. One ml/L
B. One oz per gallon
C. One cc per liter
D. One part per million
7. Your pump pumped for 24 hours and pumped 302,400 gallons. The capacity
of the pump is:
A. 110 gpm
B. 200 gpm
C. 210 gpm
D. 310 gpm
8. If it is determined that a chlorine dose of 1.2 mg/L would be proper disinfection on an effluent, then how many pounds of chlorine would be needed to treat a flow of 3,600,000 gpd?
A. 3.6 lbs
B. 10 lbs
C. 20 lbs
D. 36 lbs
9. In an activated sludge tank, what would contribute to a higher oxygen
demand?
A. Decrease in pH
B. An increase in BOD to the aeration tank
C. A decrease in BOD to the aeration tank
D. A decrease in microorganisms
10. If the sludge in the secondary clarifier is septic, this could be caused by:
A. Too high of a return sludge rate
B. Too low of a return sludge rate
C. Too high of a hydraulic load
D. Too much septic tank waste
11. Return activated sludge is “returned” to the aeration basin
A. To make sure there is enough water to keep the microorganisms alive
B. So the water can be recycled
C. So there is a good healthy population of microorganisms to treat the waste
D. So the operator can get a better example
12. How many pounds of solids are in an aeration tank that is 50 ft long, 50 ft deep and a water level of 12 ft, the MLSS is 2200 mg/l?
A. 4117
B. 5137
C. 3288
D. 412
Answers
1. C
2. D
3. A 2 MGD X 157 mg/L X 8.34 = 2619 pounds
4. D
5. A
6. D
7. C There are 24X 60 = 1440 minutes per day. 302,400 gal/1440 min = 210 gpm
8. D 1.2 mg/L X 3.6 MGal X 8.34 = 36 pounds
9. B
10. B
11. C
12. A Volume = 50 ft X 50 ft X 12 ft X 7.48 = 224,400 gal = 0.2244 Mgal X 2200 mg/L X 8.34 = 4117 pounds
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