Fall 2009 - Michigan Water Environment Association

2009/10 MWEA Membership 

Directory & Buyers’ Guide 

Expansion Provides Opportunity 

for Village of Sparta WWTP 

Michigan’s Wetlands 

Protection Statute Threatened 

Michigan Water Environment Association 

5815 E. Clark Road, Suite G, Bath, MI 48808 

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

MWEA 

Being and creating stewards for 

Michigan’s water environment since 1925 

VISION: 

The Mission (Aim) of the Michigan Water Environment 

Association is to be the recognized authority on and 

advocate for preserving, restoring and enhancing 

Michigan’s water resources. 

MWEA Matters Editor-in-Chief 

Dave C. Vago, P.E. 

President, 

Wade Trim Operations Services, Inc. 

TO CONTACT THE MWEA: 

Questions or comments regarding this magazine can 

be directed to: 

MWEA 

P.O. Box 397 

Bath, Michigan 48808 

Phone: 517-641-7377 

Fax: 517-641-7388 

Email: mwea@mi-wea.org 

Website: www.mi-wea.org 

Copyright© 2009 


Volume 5, Number 3 - Fall 2009 

FEATURES 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Expansion Provides 

Opportunity for Village of Sparta WWTP..........................................12 

Possible Funding Changes in DEQ Wastewater & 

Drinking Water Operator Certification Program...........................14 


Protection Statute Threatened .........................................................18 

Operator Training a Priority...............................................................20 

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council 

Walks the Talk when it comes to Stormwater.................................22 

2009/10 mwea membership directory........................32 

2009/10 mwea Matters buyers’ guide........................64 

Statements of fact and opinion expressed are those of 

the authors and MWEA assumes no responsibility for 

the content, nor do they represent official policy of the 

Association. 

MWEA in no way endorses the products or services of 

their advertisers. Advertisements are included as an 

educational service to our members and are reviewed 

by the editor before publication to ensure their 

relevance to the water environment and the objectives 

of the Association. 

Membership application available online at 

www.mi-wea.org 

DEPARTMENTS 

MWEA president’s message...................................................................... 4 

Executive Director’s Message................................................................. 6 

committee news......................................................................................... 8 

news in brief...........................................................................................26 

SEMINAR AND EVENT CALENDAR...............................................................30 

professional directory........................................................................68 

advertisers’ index..................................................................................70 

Managing Editor: Cole Kelman 

Layout & Design: Tracy Toutant 

Sales Manager: Al Whalen 

Advertising Coordinator: Lauren Campbell 

Phone: 866-985-9780 

Fax: 866-985-9799 

Email: info@ kelman.ca 

www.kelman.ca 

COVER PHOTO: Lake Superior. Photo taken by Jim Hegarty. 

12 18 

Do your part for the environment – reuse and recycle. 

w w w.mi-wea.org Fall 2009 3

my view - MWEA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 

as fall marches on 

Larry Woodard 

fireplugwood@aol.com 

G 

reetings to all and I hope you had 

a nice summer. As fall marches 

on, MWEA continues it’s busy, full line 

up of seminars and training opportunities 

(please go to the website for a complete 

listing). Who, you may ask comes up 

with the ideas for these seminars and 

training Why our committees of course! 

These dedicated groups of members take 

the initiative to decide on a time, topics, 

locations and speakers to bring quality 

training and informational seminars to 

our members. All of the courses this fall 

have offered CEC’s for recertification 

of our wastewater licenses. The driving 

forces behind our committees are our 

committee chairs and vice chairs. 

These select groups of individuals have 

volunteered to lead our committees to 

accomplish the goals set forth in our 

Constitution and By-Laws, Statements 

of Policy and Mission/Vision Statements, 

and to bring in the dollars needed to 

provide the many services that our 

members have come to enjoy and expect. 

What does it take to be a committee 

chair The person first needs great 

interest, if not passion for the subject 

of the committee and that committee’s 

vision and goals. Second, the person 

must be someone who can guide others 

and get things done! Finally, they must 

be someone who can delegate and set 

deadlines and produce a quality product 

for all of our members. In short, these 

important people must be leaders! 

You may ask yourself, “What if I do not 

feel confident enough in myself to take on 

a committee chairmanship.” Never fear, 

in MWEA’s quest to provide leadership 

training to our members, we provide 

several opportunities for assistance 

needed to reach your goals. Every year 

MWEA hosts a retreat for committee 

chairs, vice chairs and interested 

individuals who aspire to be committee 

leaders. The retreat is a day and a half 

of discussion, direction, training and 

networking with new and seasoned 

professionals, other committee chairs 

and your MWEA Board of Directors. 

Overnight accommodations and meals 

are provided for attendees. Our 2010 

committee chair retreat will be held 

June 24 and 25, at the Soaring Eagle Inn, 

Mt. Pleasant MI. Please consider this 

important part of MWEA membership 

and plan to attend. 

Another big part of our assistance to 

committees is our Board liaison program. 

Each member of the Board of Directors 

volunteers to be liaison to several 

committees each year. The duties of the 

liaisons are to stay in contact with their 

committees by communicating regularly 

with their chairs, requesting to be put on 

“These select groups of individuals have volunteered to 

lead our committees to accomplish the goals set forth 

in our Constitution and By-Laws, Statements of Policy 

and Mission/Vision Statements, and to bring in the dollars 

needed to provide the many services that our members 

have come to enjoy and expect.” 

4 MWEA MATTERS: Fall 2009 

Click here to return to the TABLE OF CONTENTS 

See us on FACEBOOK

their mailing lists, providing guidance on 

committee activities, attending at least 

one meeting of the committee per year 

and reporting the activities and progress 

of the committee to the Board by way 

of liaison reports. We have developed 

a new liaison report form for my term 

as President that we feel will give 

committees and the Board an easier way 

to keep in touch and report to the Board 

in a dynamic document. If current chairs 

have not been contacted by their liaisons, 

they should go the website (www.mi-wea. 

org) and click on Board of Directors for 

a listing of the liaison assignments. They 

should then make contact with their 

liaison and put them on their distribution 

lists. 

We are fortunate to have the MWEA 

office staff as a great source of assistance 

to committees and their chairs. They keep 

the many resource materials listed on the 

website up to date and assist with posting 

information on each of the committees’ 

specific information pages. They assist 

with the preparation of annual committee 

budgets and seminar budgets and 

generally serve as the MWEA information 

‘Please consider joining a committee and keeping an eye on 

becoming a committee chair or vice chair. It is a great 

opportunity to hone your leadership and organizational skills, to 

enhance your self-image and confidence...” 

help desk. These folks also provide a 

major component of the administration 

of our training and seminars. From site 

reservation and coordination, production 

and mailing of brochures, registration of 

attendees and vendors, food selection, site 

coordination, CEC documentation and 

tracking, bill paying and final accounting 

of the event, the office staff is second to 

none. Thank you Stella, Karlyn, Rick and 

Jerry! 

In closing, please consider joining 

a committee and keeping an eye on 

becoming a committee chair or vice chair. 

It is a great opportunity to hone your 

leadership and organizational skills, to 

enhance your self-image and confidence, 

to promote your professionalism to 

your employer and to give back to this 

wonderful industry from which you 

making a living. 

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STERLING HTS., MI 48310 

(586) 274-4100 • Fax (586) 274-4125 

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Knife Gates – Pinch Valves – Mega Lugs/Uni-Flanges – Expansion Joints – Inner Lynx/ 

Mechanical Wall Sleeves – Valve Boxes and Yard Hydrants – Tyco AWWA Valves 

Smith Blair Couplings – Dresser Couplings – Depend-O-Lok (by Victaulic) 

Valve Automation and Repair – On-site or Off-site 

In Michigan Contact – Chris Walter @ 734-261-0700 In Ohio Contact – Doug Ritter @ 740-369-1771 

Sterling Heights, MI 

888-756-4110 

Lansing, MI 

517-342-5000 

Columbus, OH 

740-369-1771 

Flint, MI 

810-743-5111 

Livonia, MI 

734-261-0700 

Toledo, OH 

419-666-6899 

Grand Rapids, MI 

616-531-9600 

Midland, MI 

989-496-1000 

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419-224-1731 

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517-768-0024 

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513-242-7800 

Instrumentation Div. 

734-261-0700 

Kalamazoo, MI 

269-276-9910 

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330-659-4577 

Hose Division 

734-261-0700 

Click here to return to the 



Straight from the Harte - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 

Looking Ahead 

Jerry Harte 

Executive Director - MWEA 

W 

ell, we have not only survived the 

economic downturn thus far, we 

have held our own. I believe this can be in 

great part attributed to the commitment 

to excellence and professionalism by our 

members. Of course it is true that utilities 

are not a discretionary part of our society, 

but the temptation can still exist to skimp 

on the vital component of continuing 

education for the professionals that play 

such an important part in the protection 

of the health of our citizenry and the 

quality of Michigan’s water environment, 

both now and in the future. Sounds easy 

to make the right choice when put in 

that context, doesn’t it At least I hope so 

(please envision my wry smile now). 

I also hope that your commitment to 

training continues and that your training 

of choice continues to be with MWEA. 

We have long felt that the quality and 

variety of training opportunities is second 

to none in our industry. If any of you ever 

have comments (good or bad) about any of 

our events, please contact me immediately. 

This is the only way we can assure that we 

maintain the standards of excellence for 

which we continually strive. 

Looking Ahead to the 

Annual Conference for 2010 

We will once again be joining forces 

with the Michigan Section of AWWA to 

conduct the Annual Conference in 2010. 

While these joint events are unpopular 

to a few of our members, they are an 

important benefit to the water industry 

in general. We will return to our regular 

programming in 2011. Aw c’mon, it won’t 

be that bad (please envision my wry smile 

again). 

This joint effort does allow for the 

opportunity of a larger and more diverse 

agenda of technical sessions, and 

networking and informal idea exchanges 

with so many folks that work on the other 

side of the spigot. Admittedly, this poses a 

few wrinkles for some of our members. 

The last time we ran a joint conference 

(2004) we followed the traditional MWEA 

format for scheduling (Sunday through 

Wednesday). This time we will alternate 

over to the normal MI-AWWA schedule 

(Tuesday through Friday). Please keep in 

mind that to play nice we must take turns 

(yeah, that wry smile thing again). We also 

move the dates of the event from late June 

to early August (a fair compromise – their 

event is usually held in September). This 

causes current President, Larry 

Woodard to be forced 

to serve 

an extra 

six weeks 

in that 



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Straight from the Harte - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 

position (much to his chagrin) and allows 

President Elect, Tim Lynch to be on the 

hook for this important responsibility 

for six fewer weeks than is normal (much 

to his delight). Yes, there is a reasonable 

amount of ribbing taking place. 

Important note regarding the 2010 

Annual conference: There is another, 

more important issue that arises for a 

number of our municipal members. For 

those who operate on a July 1 to June 

30 fiscal year, this change in schedule 

causes two of our Annual Conferences 

to land in the same fiscal year (both 

2010 and 2011). We are trying to address 

that issue somewhat by distributing 

registration materials early enough that 

those individuals can at least pay for the 

registration before the June 30 deadline 

arrives. 

All that being said, we hope (and need) 

to see you all in Mount Pleasant, August 

10 – 13 next year at the Soaring Eagle 

Resort. Start saving your quarters (wry 

smile, yada, yada)! 

News, Notes and Reminders 

MWEA is now on facebook. The 

phenomenon of social networking is not 

going away. It is vital that we participate 

in this media at least to some degree to 

demonstrate to our younger members 

and potential members that we are 

worthy of their investigation and not 

stuck in the dark ages. Although I did 

see somewhere recently that the average 

age of active facebook users is 55. We darn 

Boomers are at it again. We will also be 

active on Flickr soon, which is a place we 

will be able to post lots of pictures from 

our various events and members. 

Don’t forget about the high quality 

Online Training modules we have 

available for CECs. 

Remember how most of you became 

involved with MWEA – at the insistence 

of your boss, right Don’t forget to do 

the same favor for your staff. 

Please see our Call for Instructors 

(page 29) for Basic (101 type) courses 

for which we would like to expand our 

offerings. Many of you might enjoy 

giving back to the industry that has 

provided you with a great career. 

BTW (by the way) my references to the 

“MWEA is now on facebook. The phenomenon of social 

networking is not going away. It is vital that we participate 

in this media at least to some degree.” 

wry smiles replaces the use of one of those 

many little symbols folks use to indicate 

that they are grinning when typing the 

last part of their message, i.e., … ;-}, :o), 

:>), :-], etc. (blah, blah, wry smile). 

Be well and continue to do a great job 

of protecting and preserving Michigan’s 

water environment. 

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committee news 

MWEA government affairs committee 

A Different Way to View Wet Weather Permitting – 

And Still Meet Regulatory Requirements By Pat Bradley, LimnoTech 

D 

ischarges that result from rainfall 

and snowmelt (wet weather events) 

include storm-water runoff, combined 

sewer overflows (CSOs), sanitary sewer 

overflows (SSOs), and peak wet weather 

flows at publicly owned treatment works 

(POTWs). Wet weather discharges are 

intermittent, somewhat unpredictable, 

and not easily characterized. They are 

extremely variable from one wet weather 

event to the next with respect to frequency, 

duration, and volume. Controlling these 

discharges can therefore be extremely 

challenging. Developing NPDES 1 permit 

limits consistent with the regulations and 

protective of water quality standards—at a 

level with which municipal permittees can 

comply—is equally challenging. 

Over the years since the 1972 

amendments to Federal Water Pollution 

Control Act put the NPDES program 

in place, the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) has issued regulations, 

policies and guidance to help permitting 

authorities implement the program. 

Early on these were geared toward 

specific program areas such as the CSO 

program or the storm-water program. 

More recently, EPA has issued policy 

and guidance to help permittees and 

permitting authorities implement 

the NPDES program through use of 

a watershed-based approach. Given 

competing demands for resources at 

the municipal level, local agencies need 

innovative approaches that provide 

flexibility for management of wet weather 

programs in a holistic manner. 

Addressing wet weather discharges in 

a holistic manner can provide for greater 

efficiency, more comprehensive planning, 

and less redundancy among permitting 

requirements. Nontraditional approaches 

may be required to address the challenges 

posed by wet weather discharges. Such 

challenges must be addressed on several 

fronts: 

Ensuring that the existing framework of 

regulation and policy is fully implemented 

for those discharges covered by existing 

programs. 

Adjusting this framework to reflect the 

difficult decisions municipalities face in 

controlling episodic, variable, and largely 

unpredictable wet weather discharges. 

Supporting flexible local decisionmaking 

to achieve watershed objectives in 

the most cost-effective manner. 

The existing regulatory framework is 

actually well suited for implementing 

the NPDES program on a watershed 

basis. The regulations provide a system 

for considering all sources and a process 

for controlling sources as needed. The 

system relies on the development of 

clear performance requirements without 

dictating the actual treatment or processes 

that must be used to control the discharge 

of pollutants. Using this performancebased 

approach and looking from the 

perspective of the watershed can allow 

the permittee to work with the permitting 

authority to determine the best mix of 

actions and to prioritize these actions 

to meet the goals of the watershed. This 

approach is different than the traditional 

approach of going source by source to 

identify individual permit limits that 

will comply with water quality standards. 

It provides more flexibility than the 

traditional approach but also requires 

more initiative and planning. The tradeoff 

can be more environmental benefit and 

wiser use of scarce resources. 

Applying the watershed approach in 

the context of controlling wet weather 

discharges calls for consideration of the 

different types of discharges involved and 

of innovative approaches for developing 

permit limits and requirements. 

Development of technology-based limits 

and the assessment of need for, and 

development of, water quality-based limits 

are also considerations. A full discussion 

of these factors and their potential 

relevance to Michigan will be part of the 

upcoming MWEA Government Affairs 

seminar on December 2, 2009 at the Eagle 

Eye Conference Center in Lansing. 

Pat, a Senior Scientist at LimnoTech, 

previously served as the Assistant Chief of 

the State & Regional Branch in the Water 

Permits Division at US EPA Headquarters. 

1 

NPDES stands for National Pollutant 

Discharge Elimination System. The purpose 

of the NPDES program is to ensure that 

all facilities that discharge to waters of the 

United States meet the technology-based 

and water-quality based requirements of the 

Clean Water Act. 



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MWEA lagoon committee 

Lagoon Love 

By William G. Ribbens, MWEA Lagoon Committee Chair, Belding WWTP 

H 

aving been a wastewater lagoon 

operator for more than 30 years, I 

have grown to realize that there is a lot 

to love about lagoons. In a well-designed 

lagoon system an influent of dirty, polluted 

water can become clean effluent without 

putting much energy or effort into it. When 

I tell people I’m a lagoon operator, they 

usually want to know how lagoons work. I 

explain that it is all ‘nature.’ The ‘waste’ in 

the water is food to many kinds of plants, 

animals, bugs, and organisms that thrive in 

healthy lagoons. They all work together to 

clean up the water before it is discharged 

into the river. As lagoon operator, my job is 

to allow the water to pass through the ponds 

in such a way that it is as clean as it can be 

when it is discharged. That sounds easy, 

but there are many ways to help or hurt 

the process. It is not always clear what you 

should do. So many things affect the health 

of our ponds. The loading, depth, detention 

time, weather, vegetation cover, sludge 

depth, and many other factors all interact 

to affect the final effluent. Some lagoons 

have added aeration and/or chemical feed 

for phosphorus removal. There are over 

450 permitted lagoon systems in Michigan. 

As operators, we have to help optimize the 

conditions in our ponds so they become 

the best ‘living filters’ they can be. We 

struggle to stay in compliance with permit 

limitations while looking forward to having 

our water as clean as we can when it is time 

to discharge. 

I have found it takes constant monitoring 

of conditions and parameters in each 

lagoon to make good operation decisions. 

Our lagoon committee meets at least once 

every other month at a different lagoon 

facility to discuss ideas and share each 

other’s insights. Once a year we gather 

some experts on topics affecting lagoon 

operation to present a seminar for lagoon 

operators. We appreciate vendors of lagoon 

operation and maintenance related services 

and equipment who have attended and 

sponsored our annual seminar. I encourage 

you to participate in these opportunities 

to increase your knowledge and skill as 

a lagoon operator. Whether you love or 

(sometimes) hate your lagoons, we would 

love to have you join us to share your 

experience and stories. For example, have 

you ever had your lagoon turn blood red 

because it is so full of little red bugs, or 

green as pea soup with algae or duckweed 

Have you ever been out there in the evening 

and listened to the sounds of hundreds of 

frogs How about those snapping turtle 

fights, or are they mating Have you ever 

seen a hawk take out a muskrat Whatever 

your experience level working with lagoons, 

we can use you or help you in developing 

more lagoon love. 

Thanks, Bill 





MWEA Nominations 

committee 

L 

ike any business, governmental 

unit or organization, MWEA needs 

effective leaders. Our leaders are selected 

solely from the ranks of our membership. 

During our 84 year history we have 

been very fortunate to have members 

willing and able to ‘step up’ to leadership 

positions in our organization. 

An MWEA leader requires not only 

the traditional qualities of organization, 

communication and vision skills but also 

needs to be able to make a commitment 

of time. While the commitment to 

leadership may appear to be significant 

and daunting, the rewards are 

immeasurable! Personal satisfaction and 

accomplishment, alone, are well worth 

any commitment. Being an MWEA leader 

is an opportunity to make a difference 

and leave an imprint in our water field. 

Your Nominations Committee 

nominates candidates for the Board 

of Directors positions, which include; 

President, President Elect, Vice President, 

Secretary/Treasurer, Assistant Secretary/ 

Treasurer, Federation Delegate, 

Association Director. 

Each year your Nominations 

Committee works diligently to complete a 

slate of candidates for nomination at the 

Annual Business Meeting to positions on 

our Board of Directors. The Committee 

reviews the Leadership Applications 

submitted for the various positions. It 

has been very gratifying these past three 

years because there have been several 

applicants for each open position. 

To be considered for a leadership 

position a member must complete 

and submit a Leadership Application. 

A member may take the initiative, 

be encouraged by other members or 

requested by members to complete 

an application. It is important that 

a member interested in accepting a 

leadership position complete and submit 

an application. 

Applications are found on the MWEA 

website under the Board of Directors 

tab and should be submitted to the 

MWEA office or to Bill Gramlich at 

billrg@stses.com. If you have questions 

or need information, please call Bill at 

269.665.4390. 

MWEA Water For People committee 

By Gary DeKock 

B 

ased on decades of field experience, Water For People (WFP) believes 

that water and sanitation projects can only succeed if they are based 

on a strong business model. This is a departure from the conventional 

approach which uses grants to build and maintain facilities. 

Harnessing the private sector to provide sanitation services to the poor Water For 

People CEO Ned Breslin says this is an idea whose time has come. Government and 

nongovernmental organizations in developing countries have limited bandwidth and their 

focus is—at times—elsewhere. But inadequate sanitation is a proven killer. About 4,000 

children die every day from inadequate sanitation, unsafe water and poor hygiene. 

Enter the private sector. Here is a motivated group who can help deliver solutions for 

water and sanitation problems in a way that also benefits their own livelihood and economic 

well-being. When organizations like WFP help to build and leverage a strong private sector, 

the local economy is fortified, people without services can be supported without endless 

subsidies, innovative ideas blossom, and services can be delivered reliably and quickly due 

to competition. 

Taken from “The Business of Improving Sanitation - Reflections from World Water Week” 

by Eileen Lambert - WFP, Communications Dept. For more on this subject, visit http:// 

www.waterforpeople.org. 

Another site I recommend is http://www.pedalwithpurpose.org. Founded in 1983, El Tour 

de Tucson is the largest perimeter cycling event in America, attracting more than 8,000 

cyclists. In 2008, WFP was an official beneficiary of a portion of the $1,400,000 raised. We 

have a long way to go before we get 8,000 cyclists at an MWEA WFP event but we made a 

good start this year. Stay tuned for more on WFP activities to be held as a part of the Joint 

MWEA/Michigan AWWA Conference next August in Mt. Pleasant. 

Above: 

Ecosar facility in India 

Photo by: Eileen Lambert (WFP) 

Right: 

A local mason builds the walls of a latrine in Quiché, Guatemala. 

Photo by: John Niewoehner (WFP) 



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MWEA Watershed Management Committee 

Tours Ann Arbor BMPs 

O 

n July 14, over 30 committee members, 

consultants, local government employees, 

and concerned citizens participated in 

the Ann Arbor Area Storm Water Best Management 

Practices (BMPs) Tour. Demetria 

Janus of Environmental Consulting & Technology, 

Inc. (ECT) arranged and hosted the 

tour and supplied lunches and transportation 

for the attendees. Molly Wade, Water Quality 

Manager, from the City of Ann Arbor, gave a 

brief presentation on the City’s storm water 

management program and an overview of 

each BMP site during lunch prior to the tour. 

Rod Ginter, JFNew, also provided information 

on the Prairie Street bioswale, a site 

in the City that his firm designed and constructed 

under contract to the Huron River 

Watershed Council. The tour featured: 

Buhr Park Children’s Wet Meadow – A 

meadow established in 1998 and designed to 

capture a 100-year storm event through the 

installation of native plants and shrubs. This 

meadow helps filter runoff, creates habitat 

for wildlife, and reduces maintenance for 

Park staff. 

Easy Street Roadway Bioswales and Permeable 

Paving – This was a pilot project to 

test the effectiveness of permeable paving 

and traffic calming circles in residential 

areas. Easy Street had a history of flooding 

basements, bad drainage, and degrading 

pavement. The street initially had no 

sidewalk and was deemed unsafe by nearby 

residents. Through neighborhood consensus, 

a new sidewalk runs one side of the street 

along with roadside ditch type bioswales and 

permeable pavers to promote storm water 

infiltration, and traffic is slowed with a traffic 

calming circle. 

Millers Creek Streambank Stabilization 

Site – Seven areas along Millers Creek between 

Hubbard and Glazier Way were stabilized 

using a combination of hard and soft 

engineering techniques. Native trees, shrubs, 

grasses, and live staking were incorporated 

to re-vegetate the corridor to both stabilize 

and improve wildlife and aquatic habitat. 

Prior to stabilization, the seven eroding sites 

combined delivered an estimated 262 tons 

of sediment, 262 pounds of phosphorus, and 

524 pounds of nitrogen to Millers Creek 

each year. Streambank erosion at these sites 

also created a public hazards and threatened 

infrastructure including a pedestrian path, 

storm sewers, and a sanitary sewer. 

Washtenaw County Community College 

Health and Fitness Center – This facility has 

obtained Gold LEED Certification for various 

techniques, including a porous asphalt 

parking area, recycled carpet and furniture, 

low flow toilets, recycled tires for the running 

track, LED and natural lighting, and 

many others. 

Prairie Street Bioswale – This was an unused 

street stub at the bottom of a small hill 

in a residential area in northeast Ann Arbor, 

which has been converted to a bioswale. The 

street stub was ripped out, the area graded 

to provide a shallow basin, the soil amended 

to provide for infiltration and plant growth, 

and planted with a variety of native plants. 

The bioswale serves about two blocks of a 

residential street and a parking lot of an elementary 

school. The runoff from the street, 

residential front yards and the parking lot 

enter the bioswale through an enlarged curb 

inlet and is infiltrated/used in the bioswale. 

Any excess flow is directed to a controlled 

overflow outlet to the city storm sewer that 

discharges to Millers Creek. 

If you are interested in joining the 

Watershed Management Committee, please 

contact Bill Stone at: (734) 272-0855, 

wstone@ectinc.com. 




By Brian Hannon, P.E., 

Project Engineer, 

Moore & Bruggink, Inc. 

Provides Opportunity for 

Village of Sparta WWTP to 

Eliminate Final 

Tank Weir Cleaning 

Algae build up 

in final clarifier tank weirs and 

troughs can be a huge time drain for small municipal wastewater 

treatment plants. The final clarifier tank weir and effluent troughs 

must be kept clean and free of algae and other plant growth to 

assure that the plants will not have problems with TSS, low DO, 

and equipment plugging. The Village of Sparta WWTP is no 

exception, but with the installation of final clarifier weir and 

trough covers, they have successfully eliminated the growth of 

algae on the weirs and in the troughs. 

The Village of Sparta Wastewater Treatment Plant is a small 

municipal wastewater treatment plant in western Michigan. It 

is rated at a flow of .8 MGD, and is currently being expanded by 

Moore & Bruggink Consulting Engineers to a rate of 1.2 MGD. 

The plant operates with a full time staff of three people. For a 

plant of this size, the small number of operators keeps everyone 

on their toes with operation and maintenance of the wastewater 

plant, the eight lift stations that feed the plant, and also the 

collection system. With the expansion of the plant, there is now 

almost double the amount of equipment to maintain. There are no 

plans to add any staff members, so the staff will be pressed even 

further to wisely and effectively use their limited time. As in many 

wastewater treatment plants around Michigan, the final clarifier 



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“The trough covers have outperformed our expectations! We have not had to clean 

them once, and that frees up our time to focus on more important operational concerns.” 

tank weirs and troughs required weekly cleaning and maintenance 

to keep the algae from building up and causing problems with 

TSS, low DO, and plugging of their chlorination equipment. See 

the picture located below showing weirs filled with only several 

days worth of algae growth before a cleaning. 

As part of the expansion, Moore & Bruggink saw the chance 

to eliminate the weir and trough cleaning from the maintenance 

schedule and increase reliability of the plant chlorination 

system by putting fiberglass weir covers on the four final clarifier 

effluent weirs and troughs. The fiberglass weir covers were 

supplied by Nefco, and installed by Midwest Power Systems, 

who is the general contractor for the expansion project. The 

fiberglass weir trough covers work to eliminate algae growth 

by locking sunlight from reaching the weirs. Without sunlight, 

the algae are unable to grow. The results after three months of 

operation during the summer months have been amazing. The 

weirs were cleaned thoroughly before the covers were placed, 

and have not had to be cleaned once since that day. As shown in 

the picture below, there is no sign of algae growth on any of the 

weirs that were covered. 

The covers are hinged in six-foot sections, which allow the 

plant staff to inspect the weirs at any point in time. The white 

coloring provides UV resistance, and adds a very clean look to 

the plant. The plant staff is very impressed with the results of the 

trough covers. Denny Pecynski, the Superintendent of the Village 

of Sparta WWTP says “The trough covers have outperformed our 

expectations! We have not had to clean them once, and that frees 

up our time to focus on more important operational concerns.” 

The weir trough covers will also save the plant staff money. 

Consider that the plant staff used to spend at least 10 to 15 hours 

a week cleaning the weirs and troughs of two final clarifiers 

during the spring through early fall. With the addition of two 

new final clarifiers, this could up to 20 to 30 hours per week! 

Assuming wages of approximately $20 per hour, this could save 

the plant $19,000 by allowing them to perform other tasks besides 

weir cleaning. This pays for the installation of the weir trough 

covers in just under four years. 

Other weir and trough cleaning systems were investigated, 

but the fact that covers required no maintenance, and could be 

installed with minimal additional cost compared to the other 

options gave them the edge. This was the first time Moore & 

Bruggink has specified weir and trough covers in a wastewater 

plant, but they said they would definitely consider them for future 

projects. 




Possible Funding Changes 

in DEQ Wastewater & Drinking Water 

Operator Certification Program 

Issue 

The Operator Training and Certification 

Unit (OTCU) in the Michigan Department 

of Environmental Quality Water Bureau 

administers three separate programs for 

the training and certification of individuals 

to operate facilities that treat wastewater 

and treat and distribute drinking water. 

These programs are required by the 

following statutes: 

Part 31, NREPA – Industrial 

Wastewater Treatment (IWW) 

Part 41, NREPA – Municipal 

Wastewater Treatment (MWW) 

Act 399, Safe Drinking Water Act 

(SDWA) – Drinking Water 

Treatment & Distribution (DW) 

The Governor’s proposed FY 2010 Budget 

significantly reduced general fund support 

for the DEQ Operator Certification 

Program. Fortunately, for 2010 the 

reduction in General Fund dollars will be 

bridged by other funding sources within 

DEQ, however, there will be no additional 

monies from this source in subsequent 

years. The challenge for OTCU is to 

determine what, if anything should be 

done to replace the General Fund dollars 

that have been eliminated. 

There is no Federal requirement for 

DEQ to conduct a certification program 

for either of the wastewater programs; 

however there are requirements for these 

certification programs within state law 

and rules. For the drinking water program 

there is also a state law and rules that 

apply, but in addition if EPA determines 

a state does not have a satisfactory 

drinking water operator certification 

program, they may withhold 20% of the 

state’s annual Drinking Water Revolving 

Fund appropriation. This amounts to 

approximately $9 million in FY2010 that 

would not be available for low interest 

loans and to support various program 

activities like source water protection. 

Program Overview 

There are three administrative components 

to the OTCU programs: Operator 

Training, Operator Certification and 

Technical Assistance. Operator Training 

is provided to the municipal wastewater 

operators, industrial wastewater operators 

and drinking water operators. The 

objective of these training programs is to 

provide operators with educational tools 

that will enable them to better operate 

their systems. Additionally, Continuing 

Education Credits (CECs) are required for 

DW and MWW operators to renew their 

certifications. 

Within the certification program, 

applications are reviewed; exams are 

formulated, proctored and graded; 

certificates are issued; databases are 

maintained; and certifications are renewd.. 

Technical assistance is also provided by 

the OTCU to MWW and IWW operators 

by Wastewater Specialis . 

OTCU Staffing 

Currently there are nine Full Time 

Employees (FTE’s) in the OTCU including 

1-Program Manager, 1-Unit Secretary, 

1-Training/Certification Engineer, 

2-Wastewater Specialists, 2-Environmental 

Quality Analysts, 2-Department/ 

Environmental Tec . Each staff person 

has duties and responsibilities in areas 

of operator training & certification; 

some have additional responsibilities in 

providing technical assistance to DW, WW 

plant/facility operators and managers. 

Looking Forward 

To determine what direction the operator 

certification program should take when 

the bridge funding ends, the Water Bureau 

formed a stakeholders group to explore 

options for the program. The stakeholder 

workgroup included representatives from 

many sectors of Drinking Water and 

Wastewater Certification Operations. See 

Table 1. 

Fundamental Questions 

The stakeholder workgroup identified 

three fundamental questions with respect 

to meeting OTCU’s budgetary challenges 

for FY2011. 

1. Should the Operator Training and 

Certification programs (OTCP) be 

eliminated 

2. Should all or portions of the program 

be divested by DEQ to outside 

organizations with OTCU retaining 

oversight 

3. Should the programs be continued in 

a similar format as in the past, with 

current funding supplemented by 

alternate funding 

The workgroup met four times in spring 

2009, discussed the fundamental questions 

and budgetary challenges faced by the 

OTCU and unanimously concluded that: 

All aspects of the OTCP should be 

retained by OTCU in recognition that the 

state has a legitimate role in certification 

Table 1 

Name Organization Representing 

Don Link Mannik & Smith Drinking Water Adv. Board 

Louise Lieberman Retired from DWSD Municipal WW Cert. Board 

Henry Hatter General Motors Industrial WW Cert. Board 

Larry Thomas YCUA Municipal WWTP - Large 

John Dowson Highland Treatment Municipal WWTP - Private 

Todd Luks Elhorn Engineering Drinking Water - Private 

Frank Knowles JBS Packerland Packing Industrial WWTP - Medium 

Rich Beardslee City of Kalamazoo Drinking Water - Large 

Jenny Crawford Consumers Energy Industrial WWTP - Large 

Tracy Miller Delhi Township Industrial WW - Wet Weather 



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Department of Environmental Quality 

and that it can do so at less cost to 

stakeholders and the public. 

The workgroup was united in that 

funding sources must be renewable and 

reliable. 

An alternative funding source to 

continue the OTCP within OTCU should 

be sought and should include fees for 

examinations and/or exam applications 

and certificate renewals. 

Workgroup Analysis 

of a Fee Structure 

It was the workgroup’s desire to keep 

the examination/certificate renewal fee 

structure reasonable for the operator 

and easy and efficient for the state to 

administer. Options discussed by the 

workgroup included: 

1. A single fee for the entire certification 

process and/or an annual certificate fee 

• One fee to include Application, 

Examination and Renewal 

This fee structure is easy to administer, 

however the workgroup felt it to be 

unfair to the operator. Operators would 

be charged a large fee at application 

submittal; however they would be charged 

the fee even if they were not approved to 

write an exam. Also, since renewals are 

required on a 3-yr cycle (DW & MWW) 

or a 5-yr cycle (IWW), how would SOM 

charge operators annually for renewal 

activities that are on three or five year 

cycles 

2. Separate fees for individual tasks-fees 

based on level of effort 

• Application fee - first time applicant 

• Considered higher fees for higher 

level exams 

• Application fee – prior approvals 

• Examination fees 

• Considered higher fees for higher 

level exams 

• Fee for certificate issuance 

• Renewal fees 

This fee structure was deemed too 

complicated and increased the 

administration workload tremendously. 

Not only would the operator have to submit 

different fees for each task, but each fee 

“Fortunately, for 2010 the reduction in General Fund dollars will be 

bridged by other funding sources within DEQ, however, there will 

be no additional monies from this source in subsequent years.” 

would be different depending on whether 

or not they had previously been approved 

to write a certain level of exam as well as 

the level of exam applied for. It would be 

extremely difficult to administer within the 

timelines prescribed by the statutes and 

rules (45 days for DW and MWW and 30 

days for IWW). 

3. Separate fees for application/ 

examination and renewal 

Application/Examination fees 

Renewal fees 

The administration of this fee structure 

is slightly more difficult than a single 

fee (#1 above), but would fairer to the 

operators as they are only paying for the 

portion of the process they complete. If an 

operator submits an application and is not 

approved to write an exam, they do not pay 

any additional fees. They would only pay 

an exam fee if they are approved to write 

an exam. Later, when it’s time to renew a 

certificate, operators would pay a renewal 

fee. The workgroup explored the cost to 

operators by looking at several scenarios 

for typical operators and determined the 

average annual fee would be approximately 

$70.00. The workgroup preferred this 

type of fee structure and recommended 

OTCU explore it further in regard to 

the administration process and revenue 

generation. 

In addition to the discussions about 

application/examination and renewal fees, 

the workgroup discussed and supported fees 

for the application and renewal of courses 

submitted to the Advisory Boards for CEC 

approval. The OTCU provides a service to 

the vendors who offer training programs. 

Course applications are processed and 

presented for Advisory Board consideration 

and a database maintained. A list of 

approved courses is available on the OTCU 

website for the operators’ convenience. This 

fee could recapture our costs for providing 

this service. 

The workgroup supported OTCU 

continuing to offer and administer the 




training, certification and technical 

assistance programs as in the past. They 

also support the exploration of a fee 

structure to meet the challenge presented 

by a reduction in General Fund dollars. 

They asserted that any fees collected from 

the certified operators should go into a 

restricted fund to be used for operator 

certification, training and technical 

assistance activities. 

Fees for certain professions 

The State of Michigan requires fees for 

several professions, including engineers, 

architects, and surveyors, residential 

builders and community planners, barbers, 

auctioneers and foresters among others. 

There is a wide range of fees required, 

including application/examination fee 

for Architects ($102-170), Barbers ($164) 

and Community Planners ($125). Renewal 

fees are also wide ranging, for example: 

Engineers ($80 biennially), Barbers ($30 

annually) and Surveyors ($100 biennially) 

Summary and Conclusion 

The DEQ Water Bureau will provide 

bridge dollars for FY 2010; however this 

funding source will not be available in 

FY2011. To continue the WW & DW 

operator training & certification programs, 

OTCU will need alternate funding for 

FY2011. A workgroup of stakeholders 

met in the spring of 2009 and discussed 

numerous scenarios. 

It was noted that Michigan is one of a 

few states that do not require application/ 

examination or renewal fees for an OTCP. 

Several fee structures were considered 

by the workgroup and a fee structure 

requiring application/examination and 

renewal fees be placed in a dedicated fund 

was determined to be the best option and 

was recommended by the workgroup. The 

fee structure should also include fees for 

training course providers offering approved 

training programs. 

Working with DEQ staff, the workgroup 

recommended to DEQ management that 

a program with application/examination 

fees ranging from $50-95 and certificate 

renewal fees of $80 be developed. 

At the writing of this article, this 

recommendation is being presented 

to the Director of the Department of 

Environmental Quality, with his approval 

to proceed meetings & discussions with 

MWEA members and representatives of 

other interested stakeholders are expected 

to take place starting in October. This will 

put DEQ on track for inclusion as part of 

the FY 11 budget package that comes out 

in December. 

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Protection Statute Threatened 

By Stephen J. David 

Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, City of Jackson WWTP, Member of MWEA Government Affairs Committee 

In 1979 a progressive thinking Michigan 

legislature passed the Goemaere-Anderson 

Wetland Protection Act that provided for “the 

preservation, management, protection, and use 

of wetlands.” Codified as Part 303, Wetlands 

Protection (Part 303) of the Natural Resources 

and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA), 

the legislature had the presence of mind to 

design the statute to allow for Michigan to 

administer the federal wetland-permitting 

program under Section 404 of the federal 

Clean Water Act. In 1984, Michigan became 

the first state in the nation delegated by the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to 

administer the federal Section 404 Permit 

Program. At present, Michigan remains one of 

only two states with this federal delegation. 

Why protect Michigan’s wetlands 

Scientific studies of wetlands have found that 

these natural systems are not only a great 

benefit to humans, but are an integral and 

necessary part of the much larger and more 

complex ecosystems that comprise all of 

Michigan’s water-ways. Armed with empirical 

information and the foresight to see the 

benefit that wetlands provide for Michigan’s 

water resources, the Michigan legislature 

incorporated these findings into Part 303 under 

section 30302 excerpted here: 

(1) The legislature finds that: 

(a) Wetland conservation is a matter of 

state concern since a wetland of one 

county may be affected by acts on a 

river, lake, stream, or wetland of other 

counties. 

(b) A loss of a wetland may deprive the 

people of the state of some or all of the 

following benefits to be derived from the 

wetland: 

(i) Flood and storm control by the 

hydrologic absorption and storage 

capacity of the wetland. 

(ii) Wildlife habitat by providing breeding, 

nesting, and feeding grounds 

and cover for many forms of wildlife, 

“Scientific studies 

of wetlands have 

found that these 

natural systems 

are not only a 

great benefit to 

humans, but are 

an integral and 

necessary part of 

the much larger 

and more complex 

ecosystems that 

comprise all of 

Michigan’s waterways.” 

This photo was taken during a wetland inventory performed in Wixom by 

Laura Gruzwalski- Staff Environmental Analyst, Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 



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waterfowl, including migratory 

waterfowl, and rare, threatened, 

or endangered wildlife species. 

(iii) Protection of subsurface water 

resources and provision of valuable 

watersheds and recharging 

ground water supplies. 

(iv) Pollution treatment by serving 

as a biological and chemical oxidation 

basin. 

(v) Erosion control by serving as a 

sedimentation area and filtering 

basin, absorbing silt and organic 

matter. 

(vi) Sources of nutrients in water 

food cycles and nursery grounds 

and sanctuaries for fish. 

(c) Wetlands are valuable as an agricultural 

resource for the production 

of food and fiber, including certain 

crops which may only be grown on 

sites developed from wetland. 

What is the benefit 

of Michigan administering 

its own wetland Program 

Much like the multiple beneficial services 

that wetlands provide to the people of the 

state, the administration of Part 303 affords 

Michigan residents and businesses with 

a streamlined permit process that also 

provides multiple valuable services. The 

application process not only provides state 

and federal statutory and environmental 

review of proposed impacts to wetlands, 

it also provides review and authorization 

under four other programs: 

• Section 401 Water Quality Certification 

• Coastal Zone Consistency Certification 

• Screening for state and federally 

threatened or endangered species 

• Screening and coordination with the 

State Historic Preservation Program. 

In addition, when a project is proposed that 

impacts natural features that are regulated 

under a statute other than the wetlands 

protection statute, the state reviews the 

project under all environmental protection 

statutes for a single application fee. These 

additional review services save the people of 

the state time and money as they are freed 

from pursuing each of these authorizations 

individually. 

Budget cuts may 

affect the wetland statute 

In her February 3, 2009 State of the State 

address, current Michigan Governor, 

Jennifer Granholm, recommended the 

wetland law be repealed and the program 

be returned to the federal government 

due to budget constraints. On February 

4, bills were presented in both the House 

and Senate to repeal Part 303. Neither of 

these bills left Committee. In an effort to 

save the program, Senator Patty Birkholz, 

chair of the Natural Resources and 

Environmental Affairs committee, and 

Representative Rebecca Warren, chair 

of the Great Lakes and Environment 

committee, formed a work group to 

find alternative funding sources for the 

program. While the problem with the 

program originated as funding, special 

interest groups with members in the work 

group found an opportunity to suggest 

changes to Part 303. At the time of this 

writing, substitute 1 for Senate Bill 785 has 

been approved by the Senate committee 

and has been sent for a vote on the Senate 

floor. Funding was found for the program, 

if it can be approved by both the House 

and the Senate, but additional changes to 

the statute within the bill may modify the 

statute to the point that the EPA may find 

the state’s program no longer meets the 

federal delegation requirements. 

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Operator Training a Priority 

Bill Bertera, WEF Executive Director 

One of the conversations that inevitably occur at any WEF 

gathering involves ‘operators.’ For all the right reasons, 

those who actually run wastewater treatment plants of 

all kinds and sizes are always on our minds. These are 

the members of the water environment profession that actually 

‘do water’ … they are the front line between public health, 

environmental protection and the disease and environmental 

degradation that occurs in the absence of the plants they make 

work. Consequently, the quality of operator credentials and 

knowledge, as well as their recruitment and training, are of 

critical importance to those who supervise them and to the 

communities our utilities serve. 

Conversation, however, gets complicated when it becomes clear 

that when we talk about operators we are not all talking about the 

same people. WEF has a category of membership for operators, 

but a look at that list makes clear that the vast majority of the 

people on it are not front line operators, but their supervisors in 

some cases, and in others, engineers who think of themselves as 

operators. The distinction is important because it is clear there 

are ‘operators’ and then there are ‘operators.’ Programs directed 

at one group do not reach the other. 

Front line operators, for example, are the people who actually 

make our plants work. They are not the supervisors or the 

designers or the utility executives. Front line operators do not 

have the options of travel or time management for purposes of 

education and training that other WEF members do. And in 

smaller plants, they often have duties other than running the 

facility. They may run snowplows, or cut grass or any variety 

of other tasks that municipal employees in small communities 

are called upon to perform … and therein lays the nub of the 

problem. 

That, and of course, the dilemma that lumping all operators 

into a single class (for conversation’s sake) presents in keeping 

us from addressing the issues of operator training and education. 

So long as we mix front line operators up with their supervisors, 

engineers, managers and executives, we are never going to solve 

the ‘operator problem.’ And that is because there is no single or 

universal answer to the subject of operator training. 

Providing access to training is a primary responsibility for 

those who run individual utilities. Even when money for travel 

is not the problem, providing the time is…especially for small 

and mid-sized utilities where the luxury of redundancy is almost 

non-existent and where utility employees are responsible for 

other critical municipal services. And then there are the varying 

requirements for competency of each state, which adds additional 

complexity to issues associated with training operators. 

A new service model is needed for training and educating 

operators. Acknowledging that training is a primary interest 

of the utility itself, there is still an important role for public 

interest associations. That is why professional associations exist 

“The first step is to recognize that every state 

and region is different and that no single 

model is likely to fit every situation.” 

… to serve utilities in their training needs … for both front line 

operators and management. 

The Water Environment Federation has historically been best 

at serving those who can travel. That is still the case much of the 

time, though new distance learning tools and the web are erasing 

some of the distinctions and benefits. For the present, though, it 

is clear that even an organization like WEF with all its resources, 

is disadvantaged in trying to service the needs of the local front 

line operator. State and regional associations, on the other hand, 

are better suited for this role because they are physically closer to 

the utility and can therefore more easily and more economically 

meet their needs. 

This is not to say that even state or regional associations do not 

have challenges in reaching the critical operator community. But 

for many reasons, those obstacles are more easily addressed with 

sufficient resources and planning closer rather than farther from 

home. And that is where WEF can come in. In the complicated 

world of operators, WEF’s job is not to train operators but to 

assist utilities and member associations in training operators. 

How best to do that 

The first step is to recognize that every state and region is 

different and that no single model is likely to fit every situation. 

The second is to recognize that any solution is likely to be heavily 

dependent upon the resources and programs of the local member 

association. The third is to acknowledge that some member 

associations need and would welcome assistance from WEF were 

it available and easily accessed. 

That assistance could take many forms to include curriculum 

development and support, demonstration projects, distribution 

and packaging of MA developed sessions to other member 

associations, introduction of subsidized programming, WEF 

sponsorship of training modules, packaging and distribution of 

cutting edge sessions on emerging topics, and local public service 

messages to suggest just a few possibilities. 

The bottom line is that utilities and their operators need 

access to operator training and member associations and WEF 

exist to provide that training. A little creativity can go a long 

way to meeting the needs of our operators and the utilities they 

serve, but that creativity is dependent upon a close working 

relationship between the member association and WEF. One of 

our Midwestern member associations is working with WEF staff 

on a pilot project to see if we can figure out how best to combine 

what WEF does best with the assets of a state association to meet 

that need. This is a start. 



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Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council 

Walks the Talk when it comes to Stormwater 

Clean water is everybody’s business. 

Reducing stormwater pollution is one 

of the primary goals of Tip of the Mitt 

Watershed Council. Demonstrating how to 

collect and treat stormwater, the Watershed 

Council has installed systems that use 

simple techniques to reduce the impact to 

Little Traverse Bay from our office building 

in Petoskey, Michigan. We encourage you 

to employ these techniques at your place of 

business and/or residence. 

The Freshwater 

Center’s Stormwater System 

When Tip of the Mitt Watershed 

Council moved its office into the urban 

environment of downtown Petoskey, we 

were determined to ‘walk our talk’ and 

create a model stormwater management 

system at the new location. We have 

retrofitted the Freshwater Center with four 

different stormwater management systems 

to help reduce pollution to Little Traverse 

Bay. They are: 

1. Sand filter for parking lot stormwater 

2. Infiltration basin for rooftop stormwater 

3. Rain barrels to use stormwater for 

landscape watering 

4. Rain garden for stormwater from the 

entrance area 

Each one of these techniques plays an 

important role in reducing the pollutants 

and volume of stormwater from our 

facility to help keep adjacent waters clean. 

The sand filter and infiltration basin are 

systems appropriate for businesses and 

public facilities, whereas the rain garden 

and rain barrels can be easily incorporated 

at individual residences as well. 

Sand Filter 

The sand filter was installed to improve 

the quality of parking lot runoff from the 

Freshwater Center. Prior to its creation, 

roughly 64,000 gallons of untreated runoff 

from the parking lot flowed annually 

into Bay Street, down Petoskey’s storm 

sewers, and eventually into Little Traverse 

Bay; carrying with it sediment, nutrients, 

heavy metals, petroleum products, toxins, 

bacteria, and other pollutants. 

Consisting of two basins or chambers, 

parking lot runoff first enters the larger 

chamber, where sand, silt, other coarse 

particles, and the pollutants adhering to 

them are filtered out. It then enters the 

smaller chamber that is filled with sand over 

pea gravel, which filters out tiny particles. 

Yellow flag iris and micro-organisms in the 

sand provide some biological treatment by 

taking up nutrients and toxins. Most of the 

runoff entering the structure soaks into the 

sandy soils underlying both chambers, with 

the remaining runoff discharging to the 

storm sewer system. 

Sand filters require engineered plans 

designed to handle runoff from large 

storms. Although considered to be a lowmaintenance 

design, sand filters require 

a certain amount of space and regular 

maintenance. This structure is designed to 

be cleaned out periodically. 

Infiltration Basin 

Although it may look like an ordinary 

gravel parking lot, this area is a simple yet 

effective stormwater treatment structure 

called an infiltration basin that treats 

stormwater runoff from the Freshwater 

Center’s roof. Our infiltration basin has 

been successfully handling all the runoff 

from our roof (about 51,000 gallons per 

year) since the autumn of 2001. 

Part of the Watershed Council’s roof 

formerly drained onto the parking lot, 

where it joined other runoff from nearby 

hardened surfaces, flowed through the 

storm sewer system, and emptied into 

Little Traverse Bay. Amazingly, we 

discovered that another part of the roof 

was illegally hooked up to Petoskey’s 

sanitary sewer where it annually dumped 

approximately 28,000 gallons of water 

into the already overloaded wastewater 

treatment plant. 

The infiltration basin site was chosen 

because of its sandy underlying soils. 

Construction of the structure began by 

digging a basin-shaped trench about eight 



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feet deep. The basin was then lined with 

sand and a felt-like synthetic geotextile and 

filled within a couple of feet of the surface 

with washed drainstone. Perforated drain 

pipes (similar to what is used in a septic 

system) were laid on top of the drainstone 

and hooked up to the roof drains. After the 

addition of another layer of filter fabric, 

the structure was covered with a layer 

of crushed limestone, forming a stable 

surface. 

Infiltration trenches are suitable 

for relatively sediment-free sources of 

stormwater runoff, like that from rooftops. 

They are not suitable for commercial 

parking lots, because they soon clog up 

with fine sediment. The cost to construct 

infiltration basins is less than sand filters 

and varies depending on the size. 

Rain Garden 

Do you know where excess rain drains 

from your home Part of our excess rain 

(mostly from the building’s entryway) 

drains to a small depression with plants, 

called a rain garden. Our rain garden has 

been specially modified with the addition 

of a filter and is designed to act like a small 

wetland. Similar to the larger filtration 

structures on site, the rain garden absorbs 

and treats stormwater. When excess rain 

drains into the rain garden, sediments 

settle out, nutrients and some other 

pollutants will be taken up by the plants, 

and the volume of water is reduced through 

plant transpiration. 

The rain garden was created by excavating 

a small depression, placing an impervious 

liner, and then partially filling the basin 

Complex 

environmental 

issues 

Ask Golder 

Sand Filter 

Infiltration Basin 

Consulting Engineers and 

Environmental Scientists 

• Environmental Impact and 

Baseline Assessments 

• Environmental Management Plans 

• Public Consultation 

• Social Impact Assessment 

Water Treatment and Permitting 

• Water Treatment and 

Feasibility Studies 

• Treatment Design and Optimization 

• Discharge Permitting Support 

• Receiving Water Body Assessments 

Ecological Services 

• Fisheries and Macro-invertebrate 

Surveys 

• Ecological Baseline Studies 

• Wetland Delineation and Permitting 

• Wetland and Stream Restoration 

• Stormwater and Watershed Planning 

Rain Garden & Rain Barrel 

Water Supply Development 

• Water Supply Source Assessments 

• Groundwater Supply Development 

and Permitting 

Great Lakes Office Locations: 

Columbus, OH 614.899.9288 

Green Bay, WI 920.491.2500 

Lansing, MI 517.482.2262 

Wixom, MI 248.295.0135 

Woodridge, IL 630.783.2195 

w w w. g o l d e r. c o m 




with organic or muck soils. Next, we planted 

wetland-loving wildflowers like joe-pye 

weed, marsh marigold, and blue flag iris. 

Rain gardens are a simple, cost-effective 

option that businesses and residents can use 

to treat stormwater and reduce pollutants to 

neighboring waters. 

Rain Barrel 

The age-old technique of collecting water for 

watering gardens and indoor house plants 

is regaining popularity. Collecting rain water 

with rain barrels not only saves money 

and energy, but also reduces the amount of 

stormwater. Roof top stormwater is relatively 

free of dissolved chemicals such as chlorine 

and lime, which can be harmful to some 

plants. 

These rain barrels collect a portion of the 

roof top stormwater from the Freshwater 

Center. We use them for watering the landscape 

plantings around both the entranceway 

and the infiltration basin during dry 

spells. Each of these barrels holds about 90 

gallons. The water flows via gravity through 

the outlet hose. The barrels are “childproof ” 

and contain screening to keep out debris 

and insects, particularly mosquitoes. 

How does stormwater pollute our waters 

When stormwater flows over roads, sidewalks, lawns, and gardens, it picks up 

substances like dirt, fertilizers, oil, salt, and bacteria. Most stormwater runoff washes 

into nearby water bodies carrying these pollutants from the places where we live and 

work into lakes and streams. Large volumes of runoff can come from areas that have 

curbs and gutters or underground pipes (storm sewers). 

Decreasing the volume of stormwater runoff is important for maintaining the health 

of our waters. Effective stormwater management entails looking at both quality and 

quantity. Improving the quality of stormwater can involve big collection and treatment 

systems like the Freshwater Center’s sand filter, or the simple act of a homeowner 

reducing fertilizer and pesticide use. Decreasing the volume of stormwater runoff is 

also important, particularly where roads and other hard surfaces have increased the 

volume significantly above what would have normally soaked into the ground. 

Your actions can 

positively impact your waters. 

What can you do about stormwater 

• Never dump fluids or yard waste 

into storm drains. 

• Maintain your car (ensure there are 

no leaking fluids). 

• Wash your car on the lawn or at car 

wash locations. 

• Be careful when changing your 

car’s motor oil and dispose of oil 

properly. 

• Dispose of household hazardous 

materials carefully. 

• Move pet waste to a location that 

won’t wash into the water or storm 

drain. 

• Reduce or eliminate the use of 

fertilizer on your lawn. 

• Have your soil tested to determine 

the proper amount of fertilizer. 

• Avoid or minimally use pesticides. 

• Rake leaves and other organic 

materials away from storm drains. 

• Cover areas of bare soil with 

vegetation and mulch. 

• Sweep off the driveway rather than 

hosing it down. 

• Plant a rain garden to absorb runoff 

that drains from your lawn. 

• Mow your lawn at a higher length to 

absorb more runoff. 

• Plant more shrubs, trees, and 

ground covers in your lawn. 

• Collect and use rainwater on site. 

About Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council: 

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council speaks for 

our members including full-time and seasonal 

residents, lake associations, and businesses. 

We work to maintain the environmental 

integrity and economic and aesthetic values of 

lakes, streams, wetlands, and ground water in 

Northern Michigan, as well as statewide and 

throughout the Great Lakes Basin. As the lead 

organization for water resources protection in 

Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Emmet 

Counties, the Watershed Council is working to 

preserve the heritage of Northern Michigan – a 

tradition built around our magnificent waters. 



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Michigan Section American Water Works Association 

& Michigan Water Environment Association 

2010 Annual Conference 

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, August 10 - 13, 2010 

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS 

Abstracts are being sought for the technical 

program of the Michigan Section AWWA and 

MWEA Annual Conference to be held at Soaring 

Eagle Casino & Resort on August 10 - 13, 2010. 

• Topics are requested for the following 

presentation categories: 

- People (includes recruiting, retention, 

training/education, safety.) 

- Energy Management 

- Laboratory Practices 

- Instrumentation and Controls 

- Treatment Innovations 

- Personnel Management 

- Operations and Maintenance 

- Regulatory Issues 

- Water Resources Management 

- Customer Service 

• Presenters shall provide a brief (one page or 

less) written abstract summarizing their talk. 

The abstract shall include the presentation title 

along with other requested information listed 

on the accompanying form. 

• Presentations shall be 20 to 25 minutes in 

length, and allow 5 minutes for questions and 

answers. 

• Presenters are required to utilize MS 

PowerPoint® software for the visual aid. A 

laptop computer and projector will be made 

available. Presentations will be required to be 

submitted electronically three (3) weeks prior 

to the conference. 

• The Michigan Section AWWA and MWEA 

Program Committees will review all abstracts. 

The corresponding author of each abstract will 

be notified of the acceptance or rejection of the 

proposed paper by March 1, 2010. 

• There is no limit to the number of abstracts 

that may be submitted by an individual or 

company/utility. 

• Membership in AWWA or MWEA is not required 

for presentation. 

• Presenters are normally responsible for paying 

their own travel expenses and registration 

fees for the conference. Presenters also do not 

receive honoraria. 

Please Attach one (1) page abstract to this form and send to the following by December 8, 2009. 

Karlyn Wickham, Michigan Water Environment Ass’n. 

PO Box 397, Bath, MI 48808 • karlyn@mi-wea.org • 517-641-7377 

Presentation Information: 

Presentation Title: 

Has this Presentation been given previously Yes / No; When, Where 

Presentation Category from Call for Abstracts: 

Presenter’s Information: 

Name: 

Title: 

Company/Utility: 

Address: 

Phone Number: 

Fax Number: 

e-mail Address: 

If you are submitting an abstract on behalf of someone else, i.e., colleague, student, etc., 

please provide your information below. 

Contact Information: 

Name: 

Title: 

Company/Utility: 

Address: 

Phone Number: 

Fax Number: 

e-mail Address: 

Please direct questions to: 

Tim Lynch (MWEA) 

BHSJ WWTP 

269 Anchors Way, St. Joseph, MI 49085 

269-983-7719 • tlynch@qtm.net 

Mark Coleman (AWWA) 

Wade Trim 

500 Griswold, Suite 2500, Detroit, MI 48226 

313-961-3650 • mcoleman@wadetrim.com 




news in brief 

An Observation About the Importance Of 

Educating the Public about What We Do 

By John P. McCulloch, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner 

A 

s those of us in the public works 

arena know all too well, what we 

do to protect water quality is not well 

known by the public we serve. The 

measures we take to ensure that drinking 

water is safe are not typically the topic 

of casual conversation. Much of our 

infrastructure is underground which 

contributes to the ‘out of sight, out of 

mind’ phenomenon. In fact, unless there 

is a problem, public works often is the 

forgotten municipal service. 

Nevertheless, it is important that 

people understand how they are served 

by their public works agencies. It is 

especially critical that elected officials 

are knowledgeable about public works 

facilities and infrastructure. After all, 

they have been entrusted to make the 

hard decisions during times of limited 

financial resources. 

That is why “Operation Outreach,” the 

promotional program inspired by MWEA 

to encourage us to reach out to decisionmakers 

and stakeholders throughout our 

communities, is so valuable. 

For our part, we have on-going 

educational programs for people of 

Online Training for Water & Wastewater Operators 

• Reasonably priced 

• Available 24/7 

• Instant access 

• Experienced 

Courses Available for: 

• Drinking Water Operators 

• Wastewater Operators 

• Distribution Systems 

• Collection Systems 

all ages, from school-age youngsters to 

senior citizens. We offer tours of our 

facilities and have formed a speakers’ 

bureau to expand our educational reach 

into the communities. Most recently, we 

conducted tours of two retention and 

treatment basins in Birmingham and 

Bloomfield Township. A couple of the 

tours were geared specifically for city and 

township officials to give them a better 

comprehension of the importance of these 

two facilities. The other tours were open 

to the media, the public, to engineers and 

other public works professionals. 

I am happy to report that these tours 

were a success and met the goals of the 

MWEA to raise public awareness of 

critically important clean water facilities. 

I am confident that, as a direct result of 

these tours, the stakeholders have a better 

awareness of our operations and can vote 

with greater confidence on issues that 

impact our facilities. 

I would like to extend my sincere 

thanks and appreciation to the MWEA 

for its leadership role in promoting this 

critically important awareness-raising 

activity. 

• Quality Programs 

• Experienced Instructors 

• State Approved 

• Laboratory Practices 

• Small Community Systems 

• Engineers & Regulatory 

www.CEUplan.com 

Michigan awarded 

national grant for 

Qualifications-Based 

Selection Program 

Educational 

Organization provides free 

information to help owners 

plan safe, high quality, costeffective 

public projects 

Q 

BS Michigan Manager Ronald 

Brenke, PE, today announced that 

the Michigan Qualifications-Based Selection 

(QBS) Coalition has been awarded a QBS 

Facilitator Grant to provide education about 

the QBS process. 

The Michigan QBS Coalition is a nonprofit 

educational organization dedicated 

to providing public agencies/entities with 

information on how to develop procurement 

policies and procedures for selecting design 

professionals, which lead to quality, costeffective 

projects. The services of a QBS 

Program can be instrumental in familiarizing 

owners with the QBS process and broadening 

the use of QBS among state and local agencies. 

In 1989, Michigan was one of four states 

to receive grants to develop and implement 

QBS Facilitator Programs. By 2007, 30 states 

had been allocated funds through the grant 

program. This year, Michigan was one of just 

three states to receive the grants. 

Five national groups have partnered to 

provide funding and program support for 

states seeking to promote the use of QBS: the 

American Council of Engineering Companies 

(ACEC), the American Institute of Architects 

(AIA), the American Public Works Association 

(APWA), the American Society of Civil 

Engineers (ASCE), and the National Society 

of Professional Engineers (NSPE). 

Brenke, who also serves as Executive 

Director of ACEC/Michigan, received the 

good news from Charles Kim, ACEC’s 

Director of Policy & Strategic Planning, in 

Washington D.C. 

“Michigan was one of the first states to 

form a QBS organization and offer free 

assistance to owners, and we are pleased and 

thankful that we can continue to provide this 

valuable service,” Brenke said. “This grant 

will be extremely beneficial in developing 

new resources for use by owners who procure 

design professional services.” 

For more information, please visit www. 

QBS-MI.org. 



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Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) 

CAFO CORNER 

news in brief 

CAFO NPDES permit 

program numbers: 

• There are a total of 217 existing or proposed 

CAFOs in the state of Michigan. 

• Permits have been issued to 190 of those 

and 15 permit applications are in process. 

• 12 CAFOs have successfully achieved a 

No Potential to Discharge (NPTD) Determination. 

• NPTD is a DEQ program where a 

CAFO can demonstrate to DEQ that 

it has no potential to discharge under 

any circumstance or climatic condition. 

If successful, the CAFO does not need 

a NPDES permit. Generally, CAFOs 

granted NPTD do not conduct any land 

application, the production area is not 

located near any surface waters or cannot 

discharge to any conduits to surface waters, 

and the granting of NPTD requires 

an inspection by DEQ. 

• Of the 190 permitted CAFOs, 168 are 

under a general permit and 22 are under 

individual permits. 

CAFO Permits: 

CAFO NPDES permits provide important 

environmental protections for water resources 

of the state. Permit conditions are 

designed to meet technology-based requirements 

and Michigan’s Water Quality Standards. 

In general, the permit is designed 

to control discharges, prevent violations 

of water quality standards, and protect the 

waters of the state. 

CAFO General Permit 

Reissuance Process for 2009 – 2010: 

The current CAFO General Permit must 

be reissued in 2009 to allow time to reissue 

the individual Certificates of Coverage 

prior to the April 1, 2010, expiration date 

of the current general permit. Applications 

for the reissued permit are due 

October 1, 2009. 

Permit Reissuance Process Steps: 

April 2009 DONE! 

Send invitation letters to establish a stakeholders 

group to receive input on potential 

changes to the general permit. We do not 

plan to make major changes but, rather, 

we hope to make minor adjustments that 

simplify compliance, improve water quality 

protection, and comply with new federal 

CAFO rules. 

May 2009 DONE! 

Convene stakeholders group meetings. After 

the first meeting, we will consider input 

and develop tentative permit language, or 

perhaps an entire draft permit. That will be 

sent out to the stakeholders group for discussion 

at a second meeting. 

June 2009 

Prepare a draft permit with consideration of 

all of the input from the stakeholders and 

then public notice the draft permit. 

Due to a recent court ruling we have had 

to hold up processing of the permit at this 

point. We hope to resume processing soon. 

July 2009 

Hold a public hearing. 

July - August 2009 

Review and consider public comment, revise 

the draft permit as needed, and issue 

the general permit with an effective date of 

April 1, 2010. 

August 2009 

Send letters to permittees advising them that 

they need to reapply for permit coverage by 

October 1, 2009. 

November 2009 - March 2010 

Issue Certificates of Coverage. 

Revisions for the reissued CAFO 

general permit: 

We are not planning major changes to the 

permit. Most of the changes are adjustments 

to existing conditions. The need for many of 

these adjustments has been realized because 

of frequent questions or complaints about 

certain regulations or because our field 

staff would find repeated misunderstanding 

of a particular regulation. A couple of 

the changes are due to new US EPA rules. 

A few of the changes include: reducing the 

volume of recordkeeping submittals to DEQ; 

list conservation practices in the CNMP; a 

requirement to better manage heavy use pasture 

areas associated with the CAFO; a better 

description of when the CNMP must be 

revised (i.e. cumulative expansions); revise 

application rate determination requirements 

to be consistent with new EPA CAFO rules; 

public notice new fields added after permit 

issuance; compliance requirements for Total 

Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs); allow 

outside materials to be added to an anaerobic 

digester, along with the manure, to enhance 

energy production; and, to comply with a 

recent court ruling, require the submittal of 

CNMPs with permit applications. 

As mentioned above, we hope to have the 

permit on public notice soon and interested 

parties will have an opportunity to comment 

on these items, and anything else, at that 

time. 

Thank you 

to the following 

people for purchasing 

a Toilet Tie: 

Fred Cowles 

Mary Jane Robinson 

Thank you to the many people who contributed money to the 5S 

Inductees at the MWEA Annual Conference. This money went to the 

Dan Wolz Fund. 




news in brief 

2009 COMMITTEE CHAIR 

RETREAT RECAP 

T 

he 2009 MWEA Committee Chair 

Retreat was held at the Mount Pleasant 

Soaring Eagle Inn on August 27 th & 28 th . 

Approximately 35 committee chairs, board 

members and future leaders converged on 

the facility for a day and a half of bonding, 

brainstorming and committee dynamics 

exercising. 

Tim Lynch and Jerry Harte tag-teamed 

as event hosts. The highlight of the retreat 

was probably the exercise facilitated by 

a specialist in organizational chemistry 

to reveal behavioral attributes of the 

attendees. The results of the exercise were 

quite eye opening and provided valuable 

insight for understanding and working 

with the different personalities of any 

organization. Karlyn Wickham presented 

an informative session on working with the 

MWEA office and she also demonstrated 

the many new benefits of our organization’s 

website. The first day wrapped up with 

networking, dinner and recreational 

activities to suit all attendees’ tastes. 

After breakfast on day two, a vigorous 

discussion on the MWEA Strategic Plan 

was held with all attendees providing their 

thoughts on what the revised plan should 

reflect as we embark upon the future. 

Laura Gruzwalski then provided valuable 

information relating to our organization’s 

awards and nomination process. She 

encouraged all committee chairs to review 

the award criteria and to make an earnest 

effort to participate in the nomination 

process in recognizing the excellent work 

of our association’s members. 

The morning concluded with discussions 

on committee and board liaison 

relationships and a review of preparing 

committee budgets. The host facility 

and retreat dates were reviewed by the 

attendees, and the general consensus 

concluded that the site was a suitable 

facility and location for this type of 

workshop. The date of the 2010 retreat will 

be June 24 and 25 due to the timing of the 

Joint Annual Conference with AWWA. 

A great time was had by all and planning 

for next years retreat is already in progress. 

The MWEA Board of Directors would like 

to thank all who took the time to attend 

this year’s retreat. A positive interaction 

with the Board and its committees will 

only enhance the future success of our 

organization. 

Pumper Cleaner Expo 

Dendra Best, 

MWEA Onsite Committee Chair 

T 

he Pumper & Cleaner Expo WWW. 

PUMPERSHOW.COM will celebrate 

its 30 th anniversary at the 2010 Expo in 

Louisville. A special 30th Anniversary 

admission rate of just $30 per person 

applies when you register by 

January 22, 2010. 

Previously hosted In Nashville, the Expo 

moved to its new home at the Louisville 

Kentucky Exposition Center in 2008. The 

Expo covers more than 500,000 square 

feet while attracting over 12,000 industry 

professionals from more than 4,000 

companies and over 500 exhibits. For the 

sanitation environment professional this 

is the place to discover new tools to work 

better and smarter. 

There is no better opportunity to 

improve your business than to attend 

Education Day at the Pumper & Cleaner 

Environmental Expo. Learn from 

professionals and network with the best 

our industry has to offer. Education Day is 

February 24, 2010 with over 60 educational 

seminars Exhibits Open: February 25-27, 

2010 with additional education seminars 

both days. 

In addition, the National Onsite 

Wastewater Recycling Association 

(NOWRA) is teaming with the 2010 

Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo to 

hold their 5th Annual Installer Academy. 

The Installer Academy will be held prior to 

the show on February 22 & 23. 

NOWRA has secured several onsite 

educators and professionals to share 

valuable knowledge and experience in 

design, installation, inspection and O & M 

of onsite/decentralized systems, as well as 

practical skills needed to do your job and 

run a successful business. There will also 

be manufacturer training rooms for those 

who want ‘hands-on’ instruction on the 

latest products/technologies. 

“There is no better 

opportunity to improve 

your business than to 

attend Education Day at 

the Pumper & Cleaner 

Environmental Expo.” 



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news in brief 

Call for Instructors 

T 

he Michigan Water Environment 

Association is looking for qualified 

individuals to serve as instructors for 

what could be considered basic courses 

for wastewater treatment plant operators. 

Applicants should have extensive 

experience in the waste water 

treatment field and some experience 

as an instructor in a classroom-type 

setting. Having an energetic, out-going 

personality is a big plus. An honorarium 

will be paid for each session that is held. 

The classes for which we are seeking 

instructors will be offered in multiple 

locations (four or five) around the state 

over a two week period. An instructor 

might be called on to conduct a class (not 

always the same one) two to four times a 

year. Opportunities exist for persons to 

contribute to the list of and curriculum 

for new seminars. 

Applications for these positions can be 

found on the MWEA website, mi-wea.org 

under Employment Opportunities. 

MWEA New Professionals Committee 

Wants You! 

Join Us Today! 

Are you a new or young professional working in the water environment Are you 

seeking networking opportunities with other new professionals Are you interested 

in becoming more active in your field Then the MWEA New Professionals 

Committee is the place for you! If you are interested in attending our next meeting 

or function, please contact the Committee Chair, Jennifer Zelski, at: 248-684-1200, 

jzelski@kennedyind.com. 

Upcoming functions include: 

• October 27, 2009, 12pm-3pm – PARCC Side WWTP Tour, Grand Rapids Area 

• November 2009 – Holiday Party 

• February 2010 – Joint Expo After Hours Social, Lansing 

• May 2010 – Golf Outing to support Student Scholarships, Hamburg Township 

We’re on Facebook! Check us out under New Professionals (Michigan Water 

Environment Association). 

Visit 

www.mi-wea.org 




SEMINAR AND EVENT CALENDAR 

OCTOBER 2009 

1 Collections Eagle Eye 

6 Taming the Email Beast Eagle Eye 

10-14 WEFTEC Orlando, FL 

12 WEF President Reception Orlando 

15 IPP Eagle Eye 

22 Health & Safety Eagle Eye 

27 Activated Sludge I Kalamazoo 

28 Activated Sludge I Mason 

29 Green Maintenance YCUA 

NOVEMBER 2009 

5 Green Maintenance Kalamazoo 

10 Activated Sludge I Gaylord 

12 Activated Sludge I YCUA 

DECEMBER 2009 

2 NPDES Permit Compliance Eagle Eye 

9 Watershed Eagle Eye 

10 Process Eagle Eye 

JANUARY 2010 

14-15 WW Admin. Frankenmuth 

february 2010 

2-3 Joint Expo 

25 Lagoon Eagle Eye 

march 2010 

15-17 Biosolids Grand Rapids 

15 Dr. Lee Jacobs Grand Rapids 

AUGUST 2010 

10-13 MWEA Annual Conference Soaring Eagle, Mt. Pleasant (joint with MI-AWWA) 

october 2010 

2-6 WEFTEC New Orleans, LA 

FEBRUARY 2011 

8-9 Joint Expo 

Please call MWEA office 517-641-7377 to confirm dates and locations. 



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• Sewer & Storm Line Cleaning 

• Sewer Line & Pipe Televising 

• Water Main Pre-Cleaning 

• Pipe Lining 

• Hydro Excavating 

• Vacuum Services 

• Power Washing 

Ph: (800) 878-3996 (616) 877-3930 

Fax: (616) 877-3937 

10075 Sedroc Industrial Drive 

• Sewer Structure 

Rehabilitation 

• Emergency Spill 

Response 

• Sewer Pipeline 

Rehabilitation 

Byron Center, MI 49315 

www.plummersenvironmental.com 

Architecture i engineering i PlAnning 

Inspired Solutions 

c2Ae provides in-house analysis and design capabilities to 

our clients for the following project types: 

• Sanitary Sewer Collection Systems 

• CSO/SSO 

• Wastewater Treatment Evaluation & Design 

• Pump Stations 

• Water Supply, Storage & Distribution 

• Storm Sewer Systems 

• Stormwater Management 

www.c2ae.com • 866.454.3923 

Lansing • Gaylord • Grand Rapids • Escanaba 


2009/10 

MWEA 

Matters 

Buyers’ Guide 

Listings by Category 

Our MWEA Matters Buyers’ Guide consists of two sections: 

1. A categorical listing of products and services, including a 

list of the companies that provide them. 

2. An alphabetical listing of the companies appearing in 

the first section. 

This listing includes name, contact info, website and more. 

Listings by Category 

Blowers 

Kerr Pump & Supply 

Employee Monitoring Systems 

UMW Enterprises, LLC 

Cathodic Protection 

Corrpro Companies, Inc. 

Chemical Grouts 

Cretex Specialty Products 

Chemical Processing 

& Feed Systems 


Coatings, Lining & Corrosion Control 



Plummer’s Environmental Services 

Contractors 

Golder Associates 


Utilities Instrumentation Service 

CSO/SSO Controls, Water Resources, 

Distribution & Collection 

Black & Veatch 

C2AE 

Infilco Degremont, Inc. 

Fluid Process Equipment 

Greeley and Hansen 

Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 

Jones & Henry Engineers, Ltd. 

LimnoTech 

Macomb Group 

Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. 

Tetra Tech 

Electrical, Instrumentation/ 

Controls/Generators 

Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. 

Banner Engineering Corporation 


Noren Products, Inc. 

Tetra Tech 


USA Blue Book 


Wade Trim 

Engineers/Consultants 

360water, Inc. 

ARCADIS G&M of Michigan, LLC 


C2AE 


Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc. 





LimnoTech 



Prein&Newhof 

RTI LAboratories, Inc. 

Tetra Tech 

URS Corporation 

Wade Trim 

Williams & Works, Inc. 

Environmental Engineering 

LimnoTech 

Filter Media/Filter Media Installation 

Anthrafilter Media & Coal Ltd. 

Biorem Technologies Inc. 

Dubois-Cooper Associates Inc. 

Filtration 






Financial Services 



Tetra Tech 

FRP Doors and Grating 

JGM Valve Corp 

64 

buyers’ guide fall 2009 

To update your information please call the MWEA office at 517-641-7377

2009/10 MWEA Buyers’ Guide 

General Industrial 




Geographic Information Systems 



LimnoTech 

Prein&Newhof 

Heat Exchangers/Coolers 


Inspector/Locators 


Laboratories - Supplies/ 

Analytical/Testing 

KAR Laboratories Inc. 

Land Application 

Prein&Newhof 


USA Blue Book 

Manhole Rehab 

C2AE 



Meters/Meter Testing 

M.E. Simpson Co., Inc. 


Meter Reading Systems 


Odor Control Solutions 




Online Training 

CEU Plan – online training 

Operation Services 





Tetra Tech 

Wade Trim 

Operator Training 


Process Mechanical 





Macomb Group 

Process Piping and Controls 

Macomb Group 

Pumps/Pump Systems 






Macomb Group 


USA Blue Book 

Wade Trim 

Residuals/Waste Management 


BioTech Agronomics, Inc. 





Safety Products 

USA Blue Book 

Septage Receiving Facility 




Storage Tanks/Reservoir Systems 


C2AE 

Survey 

C2AE 


Prein&Newhof 


Valves 


J&S Valve and Manufacturing - 

AWWA Gate Valves 


Macomb Group 

USA Blue Book 

Valve Assessment, Hydrant Flow 

Testing, Leak Surveys 


Water Circulation Equipment 

SolarBee, Inc. 

Water Treatment Chemicals 

PVS Technologies 

Water/Wastewater 

Treatment Systems 





C2AE 










Prein&Newhof 




Wade Trim 

Wireless Sensor Networks 


Buyers’ guide fall 2009 65

2009/10 

MWEA 

Matters 

Buyers’ Guide 

Alphabetical Listings 

Alphabetical Listings 


965 West Third Avenue 

Columbus, OH 43212 

614-294-3600 Fax: 614-294-3601 

info@360water.com 

www.360water.com 


4992 Sweet Home Rd 

Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14305 

716-285-5680 

swildey@anthrafilter.net 

www.anthrafilter.net 


3550 Green Ct 

Ann Arbor, MI 48105 

734-665-1000 

HarbronRR@bv.com 

www.bv.com 

C2AE 

725 Prudden St 

Lansing, MI 48906 

517-371-1200 

marcie.mccann@c2ae.com 

www.c2ae.com 


6306 N Alpine Rd 

Rockford, IL 61111 

815-654-2501 

solutions@aqua-aerobic.com 

www.aqua-aerobic.com 


65 Cadillac Square, Cadillac Tower, 

Suite 2719 

Detroit, MI 48226 

313-965-8436 ext. 27 

rohit.trivedi@arcadis-us.com 

www.arcadis-us.com 


9714 Tenth Ave North 

Minneapolis, MN 55441 

888-373-6767 Fax: 763-544-3213 

sensors@bannerengineering.com 

www.BannerEngineering.com 

Biorem Technologies Inc 

7496 Wellington Rd 34, RR#3 

Guelph, ON, Canada N1H 6H9 

519-767-9100 

info@biorem.biz 

www.biorem.biz 

BioTech Agronomics, Inc. 

1651 Beulah Hwy 

Beulah, MI 49617 

231-882-7219 

info@biotechag.com 

www.biotechag.com 


18400 Bowman Rd 

Spring Hill, FL 34610 

352-754-0503 

bedgar@ceuplan.org 


1055 West Smith Rd 

Medina, OH 44256 

330-723-5082 

mault@corrpro.com 

www.corrpro.com 


N16 W23390 Stoneridge Dr, Suite A 

Waukesha, WI 53188 

800-345-3764 Fax: 262-542-0301 

lhaessig@cretexseals.com 

www.cretexseals.com 


905 Penniman 

Plymouth, MI 48170 

734-455-6700 

office@duboiscooper.com 

www.duboiscooper.com 

Fishbeck, Thompson, 

Carr & Huber, Inc. 

1515 Arboretum Dr, S.E. 

Grand Rapids, MI 49546 

616-575-3824 

info@ftch.com 

www.ftch.com 

66 

buyers’ guide fall 2009 

To update your information please call the MWEA office at 517-641-7377

2009/10 MWEA Buyers’ Guide 


4797 Campus Dr 


269-345-1923 Fax: 269-345-3333 

dfaurot@fpepumps.com 

www.fpepumps.com 


51229 Century Ct, Wixom, MI 48393 

248-295-0315 

www.golder.com 


211 West Fort St, Suite 710 

Detroit MI, 48226 

313-628-0730 

pretel@greeley-hansen.com 

www.greeley-hansen.com 


555 Hulet Dr 

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0824 

248-454-6300 

kmccormack@hrc-engr.com 

www.hrc-engr.com 



1155 Welch Rd 

Commerce, MI 48390 

248-926-6200 

contact@jgmvalve.com 

www.jgmvalve.com 


4791 Campus Dr 


269-353-9650 

promano@jheng.com 

www.jheng.com 

KAR Laboratories Inc. 

4425 Manchester Rd 


269-381-9666 

jrauch@karlabs.com 

www.karlabs.com 


6624 Clay S.W. 


616-698-2808 

robs@kerrpump.com 

www.kerrpump.com 


3406 Enterprise Ave 

Valparaiso, IN 46383 

800-255-1521 

justinh@mesimpson.com 

www.mesimpson.com 


2020 Monroe Ave. N.W. 


616-363-9801 

bhannon@mbce.com 

www.mbce.com 


1010 O’Brien Dr 

Menlo Park, CA 94025 

650-322-9500 

marketing@norenproducts.com 

www.norenproducts.com/ccc 


10075 Sedroc Ind. Dr. 

Byron Center, MI 49315 

616-877-3930 

davidv@plummersenv.com 

www.plummersenv.com 


3225 Hwy 22 

Dickinson, ND 58601 

866-437-8076 

solarbee@solarbee.com 

www.solarbee.com 

Tetra Tech 

710 Avis Dr 


734-213-5050 

marc.church@tetratech.com 

www.tetratech.com 


1292 S Williams Lake Rd/ #240 

White Lake, MI 48386 

888-240-4UMW 

umwenterprises@comcast.net 

www.omnisite.com 

URS Corporation 

27777 Franklin Rd, Suite #2000 

Southfield, MI 48034 

248-204-5900 

Jan_Hauser@urscorp.com 

www.urscorp.com 

USA Blue Book 

8007 Discovery Dr 

Richmond, VA 23229 

804-756-7600 

sylvie.roy@degremont.com 

www.degremont-technologies.com 

J&S Valve and Manufacturing - 


J&S Valve 


2323 1st St 

Huffman, TX 77336 

281-324-3990 

sales@jandsvalve.com 

www.jandsvalve.com 

LimnoTech 

501 Avis Dr 


734-332-1200 

tslawecki@limno.com 

www.limno.com 

Macomb Group 

34400 Mound Rd 

Sterling Heights, MI 48310 

586-274-4100 Fax: 586-274-4125 

craymond@macombgroup.com 

www.macombgroup.com 


101 S. Washington Square, Suite 400 

Lansing, MI 48933 

517-337-0111 

jscholl@pirnie.com 

www.pirnie.com 

Prein&Newhof 

3355 Evergreen Dr NE 


616-364-8491 Fax: 616-364-6955 

info@preinnewhof.com 

www.preinnewhof.com 

PVS Technologies 

10900 Harper Ave 

Detroit, MI 48213 

800-337-7428 

dbrandt@pvschemicals.com 

www.pvschemicals.com 


31628 Glendale St 

Livonia, MI 48150 

734-422-800 ext:205 

Fax: 730-422-5342 

fhoitash@rtilab.com 

www.rtilab.com 

PO Box 9006 

Gurnee, IL 60031 

800-548-1234 

customerservice@usabluebook.com 

www.usabluebook.com 


306 N River Street – P.O. Box 981123 

Ypsilanti, MI 48198 

734-482-1450 Fax: 734-482-0035 

uiscorp@uiscorp.com 

www.uiscorp.com 

Wade Trim 

25251 Northline Rd, Taylor, MI 48180 

800-482-2864 

dvago@wadetrim.com 

www.wadetrim.com 


549 Ottawa Ave, NW 


616-224-1500 

hourani@williams-works.com 

www.williams-works.com 

buyers’ guide fall 2009 67

professional directory 

Water 

Water is the 

sustaining 

element of 

all life. 

Regardless of where in the 

water cycle our clients’ 

needs fall, Malcolm Pirnie 

provides expertise to 

maintain a clean and safe 

water environment. 

Detroit: (313) 964-5217 

Lansing: (517) 337-0111 

Offices Worldwide 

www.pirnie.com 

SUPPLY 

INSTALLATIONS 

REMOVAL 

& DISPOSAL 

4992 Sweet Home Rd., Niagara Falls, NY 14305 

Tel: (716) 285-5680 • Fax: (716) 285-5681 

E-mail: swildey@anthrafilter.net • Web: www.anthrafilter.net 



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professional directory 


Dave Jackson 

Consultant 

888-240-4UMW 

umwenterprises@comcast.net 

www.omnisite.com 

• Sewage Lift Stations 

• Water Pumping Stations 

• Other Alarm Monitoring 

Made in the USA 

2009/10 MWEA Membership 

Directory & Buyers’ Guide 

ExPAnsion ProvidEs oPPortunity 

for villAgE of sPArtA WWtP 

MichigAn’s WEtlAnds 

ProtEction stAtutE thrEAtEnEd 


5815 E. Clark Road, Suite G, Bath, MI 48808 

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED 




AD INDEX 

COMPANY TELEPHONE WEB SITE 

PAGE 

360water.com 614-294-3600 www.360water.com 29 

Anthrafilter, Inc. 716-285-5680 www.anthrafilter.net 68 

Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. 815-654-2501 www.aqua-aerobic.com 17 

ARCADIS 888-695-8436 www.arcadis-us.com 31 

Banner Engineering Corp. 888-373-6767 www.bannerengineering.com/wireless 7 

Biorem Technologies Inc 519-767-9100 www.biorem.biz 28 

Bio Tech Agronomics, Inc. 231-882-7219 www.biotechag.com 68 

Black & Veatch 313-962-0300 www.bv.com 68 

C2AE 517-371-1200 www.c2ae.com 31 

CEU Plan www.ceuplan.com 26 

Corrpro 800-443-3516 www.corrpro.com 16 

Cretex Specialty Products 800-345-3764 www.cretexseals.com 13 

Degremont Technologies 804-756-7600 www.degremont-technologies.com 71 

Dubois-Cooper Associates 734-455-6700 www.duboiscooper.com 30 

Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc. 616.575.3824 www.ftch.com 65 

Fluid Process Equipment, Inc. 269-345-1923 www.fpepumps.com 19 

Golder Associates 248-295-0135 www.golder.com 23 

GREELEY AND HANSEN LLC 313-628-0730 www.greeley-hansen.com 69 

Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. 248-454-6300 www.hrc-engr.com 69 

J & S Valve and Manufacturing 866-498-4283 www.JandSValve.com 21 

JGM Valve Corporation 248-926-6200 www.jgmvalve.com 2 

Jones & Henry Engineers, Ltd. 269-353-9650 www.jheng.com 69 

KAR Laboratories, Inc. 269-381-9666 www.karlabs.com 24 

Kerr Pump & Supply 248-543-3880 www.kerrpump.com 15 

LimnoTech 734-332-1200 www.limno.com 68 

The Macomb Group 586-274-4100 www.macombgroup.com 5 

Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. 313-964-5217 www.pirnie.com 68 

M.E. Simpson Co. Inc. 800-255-1521 www.mesimpson.com 11 

Moore & Bruggink, Inc. 616-363-9801 www.mbce.com 68 

Noren Products Incorporated 866-936-6736 www.norenproducts.com 9 

Plummer’s Environmental Services, Inc. 616-877-3930 www.plummersenvironmental.com 31 

Prein&Newhof 616-364-8491 www.preinnewhof.com 69 

PVS Technologies Inc 313-903-3397 www.pvstechnologies.com 16 

RTI Laboratories, Inc. 734-422-8000 www.rtilab.com 70 

Tetra Tech 734-665-6000 www.tetratech.com 31 

UIS Programmable Services 734-482-1450 www.UISCORP.com 68 

UMW Enterprises, LLC 888-240-4UMW www.omnisite.com 69 

URS Corporation 313-961-9797 www.urscorp,com 69 

USABlueBook 800-548-1234 www.usabluebook.com 72 

Wade Trim 800-482-2864 www.wadetrim.com 63 

Williams & Works 616-224-1500 www.williams-works.com 68 

MI-AWWA/MWEA JOINT EXPO 2010 

Lansing Center, Lansing February 2 & 3, 2010 

Co-sponsored by the MI-AWWA and the Michigan Water Environment Association, JOINT EXPO 

is an exposition for equipment suppliers, manufacturers and consulting engineers who want an 

effective method to exhibit their products and services to water and wastewater professionals. 

Any company or organization which manufactures 

and/or provides products or 

services to the water and 

wastewater industries is 

eligible to exhibit. 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT EITHER: 

MWEA Karlyn Wickham, Office Manager Jerry Harte, Executive Director 

517-641-7377 or karlyn@mi-wea.org 517-641-7377 or jerry@mi-wea.org 

MI-AWWA Eric Way Matt Tomlinson 

517-373-4752 or waye@michigan.gov 517-241-8913 or tomlinsonm@michigan.gov 

Updated Joint Expo information can be viewed at: www.mi-wea.org or www.mi-water.org 



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#120 

800-548-1234 

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Fall 2009 - Michigan Water Environment Association

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