WCW24

C.E.C. Analytics is addressing the growing worldwide demand for analysis and understanding of water as it relates to One Health. With increasing awareness of the challenges of waterborne pathogens and chemical contaminants, C.E.C. analytics is uniquely positioned to service numerous horizontal and vertical markets and establish itself as the leader in affordable, accessible, science-based solutions for understanding water data. The emphasis on compact, versatile products coupled with advisory services distinguishes C.E.C. Analytics from competitors. Our patented autosamplers allow for targeted wastewater based surveillance (WBS), giving high-quality, actionable data that organizations can leverage to better support community and environmental health. As opposed to WBS at WWTP's, we collect at the source, providing data at the building, dormitory, floor, or ward level. The data obtained allows for tailored interventions, saving our clients time, money, and uncertainty. Similarly, our compact size and ease of use allows for strategic water collection within freshwater systems, with analysis for contaminants of emerging concern. This presentation will provide an overview of our work, including: - Advanced warning to mitigate outbreaks of respiratory virus infections (RSV, Influenza A&B, SARS-CoV-2, etc), including analysis and confirmation within 1 hour; - Early detection of drug poisoning agents to enable harm reduction through preparation and education of staff and residents at homeless facilities. These drug poisoning agents were under limits of detection at the local WWTP; - Environmental monitoring for contaminants, including 6PPD-quinone which has been shown to have devastating effects on salmon and trout populations. Our work has been validated through projects with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta, as well as several First Nations communities across western Canada.

This presentation is an updated version of a briefing Waterfall has provided to a dozen government agencies to date, in Canada, the USA and around the world. We start with the Waterfall Threat Report, the most conservative and incontrovertible OT security incident report on the planet. In spite of its conservatism, the 2023 report shows exponential growth in cyber attacks that impair physical operations, including in the water sector. The 2024 edition is scheduled to release in April of 2024. In this briefing, Rees Machtemes will include a preview of the data and conclusions of the 2024 report-in-progress. The presentation then shifts gears from problem to solution, presenting an overview of the US DOE's initiative at Idaho National Laboratory, developing a Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE) body of knowledge. In layman's terms, CIE positions managing cyber risk to critical infrastructures as "a coin with two sides." One "side" is cybersecurity - teach engineering teams about cyber risks and cybersecurity mitigations - nothing new here. The other "side" is engineering - use powerful engineering tools, such as mechanical overpressure-relief valves and manual operations fallbacks to take entire classes of cyber risk off the table. These tools do not exist in IEC 62443, ISO 27001 or other cybersecurity guidance, the tools are powerful methods of addressing cyber risk, and they need to start being applied much more universally and systematically than they are today. We finish the presentation with an introduction to network engineering from Andrew's new book "Engineering-Grade OT Security: A manager's guide." The book "flies high and slow," introducing in a story-telling style important OT, risk, cybersecurity and engineering concepts that today's business decision-makers need in order to fulfill their due-care responsibilities to their stakeholders and to the public. Network engineering is positioned as living at the boundary between engineering and cybersecurity bodies of knowledge, deterministically protecting reliable operations as well as protecting safe operations in the face of nation-state-grade ransomware and other cyber threats. Free copies of the new book will be available to conference participants, courtesy of Waterfall Security Solutions.

Operational Technologies (OT) networks are faced with new challenges in maintaining and protecting their SCADA networks against modern threats. These critical networks face many threat actors and unapproved access can result in harm to public safety and/or finances. Cloud SCADA offers a modern solution to protect these systems while simultaneously improving operator SCADA access. Migrating your SCADA network to the cloud will streamline your SCADA operations while protecting your most critical assets. Cloud SCADA can provide operators with the ability to access a fully functional SCADA and Historian clients securely on their phones, tablets, or laptops. Managers can now have easy and reliable access to all their data through trending, historical analysis, and custom reports. Many municipalities throughout BC are seeing improved communication uptime in their OT network after swapping to cellular and fiber plans as a backbone of their Cloud SCADA network. We will discuss a high-level overview of how a Cloud SCADA solution can be securely implemented and utilized in your municipal applications.

The City of Winnipeg is trying something new. It is using Progressive Design Build (PDB) as its delivery model for its Biosolids Upgrade which has a budget of $1.035 Billion. This presentation will go over what PDB is, what hurdles the City had to do to switch to PDB, where the City is currently in the PDB process, and lessons learned from trying something new.

Wastewater and water project delivery is changing. Projects are most typically delivered using traditional methods such as Design-Bid-Build as they are the most common, well-understood models that provide perceived stability, certainty and confidence. However, in the aftermath of covid, the pressures have exponentially increased which has resulted in a paradigm shift. Project expectations have accelerated to greater speeds, higher quality and reduced rates, at a time when the risks are much greater as we are still living with the aftershock of unprecedented uncertainty and instability across all supply chains. There continues to be an ongoing desperate struggle to supply materials, equipment and labor to meet specific project schedules, demands and expectations. Regardless of which role any of us plays in our water and wastewater project deliveries, owners, project managers, engineers, and construction experts are all experiencing negative and significant impacts. As a total industry we need to take a step back and objectively view the unique challenges inherent in our projects and consider that we need to consider a different approach to their foundational set up including the delivery method used. The alternative and collaborative delivery methodology includes Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), Alliancing, and even Progressive Design Build (PDB). These methods are all focused on integrated practices that break down silos within our industry, especially between design and construction. They are focused on early contractor involvement to designing in constructability, supply chain availabilities, and increased consideration for innovation. They have an increased focus on proactive, integrated, adaptive, and agile planning systems to reconcile and balance all variables in improved ways to achieve owners' value proposition working within constraints of time and budget. This has also raised increased awareness on the importance of the more humanistic domains and related topics for work team environments including team performance, engagement, behaviors, trust and culture. Lastly and possibly more importantly, these methods also have proven themselves as a way to lower risk, stabilize schedule and navigate our increased complexity. This session will explore the new and emerging methodologies that are playing out in North America in infrastructure and dig into the key aspects and challenges to delivering them. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of how to determine when to consider these models, and how to prepare themselves for successfully implementation.

This presentation will provide a simple process for owners of water / wastewater / conveyance projects to select a Contract Model for their engineering and construction project. The presenter Brian Maksymetz has over 25 years of Project Management experience from employment with the Project Owner, the Design Consultant, and the Construction Contractor. Brian is an expert in procurement for water treatment and conveyance projects in the private and public sectors. In addition to improved risk management and more successful projects, the Right choice of contract model will provide a return on investment to the Owner for the costs of using that model in the first place. And there's nothing wrong with the old way of doing things. The presentation will explain how to optimize the traditional design-bid-build and construction management methods for more successful project outcomes. Brian's company is www.better-projects.ca.

Speaker will outline his journey from establishing a a sole proprietorship in 2006 and becoming incorporated in 2015 as Almaquin Enterprises Limited. The company is a merging of the owners technical background in water treatment and writing responses to Request for Proposals (RFPs). Will cover the following topics: number of certified operators; increasingly stringent regulations driving technology, plant classification, what operators want, what clients want, value of marketing and website, and price-to-win.

Did you know there is a simple way to save money and time while improving the design and construction of a water or wastewater facility upgrade and/or expansion? Understanding the importance and key role of operability and maintainability in the design and construction phase is crucial for the long-term success of a water or wastewater facility upgrade and/or expansion project. By including the expertise of an operation and maintenance specialist into the project team valuable experience is inputted during the planning, design and construction stages resulting in a project that has reduced whole life cycle costs, minimized risks, improved communication with stakeholders and a completed facility that is operable, maintainable, safe, and sustainable over its lifespan.

Teck Coal stands as a beacon of environmental sustainability and development in the global mining industry, exemplifying a steadfast commitment to the responsibility of preserving natural ecosystems in which it operates. Central to this commitment is the Water Quality Management in the Elk Valley, aimed at mitigating the environmental impacts of mining activities. Of particular interest are the residual rocks containing elements such as selenium and nitrate which are a natural byproduct of the mining process. When carried by water runoff, these elements pose a threat to aquatic health in the local watershed. The innovative water quality management approach by Teck includes the development of a breakthrough passive water treatment technology known as a Saturated Rock Fill (SRF) and the utilization of Active Water Treatment Facilities (AWTFs). Such efforts showcase a multifaceted strategy to addressing the complex environmental challenges posed by mining steelmaking coal. Leading by example with state-of-the-art water treatment facilities and diligent monitoring, Teck Coal achieves an impressive 95% removal of selenium and nitrate, marking a monumental stride towards safeguarding water quality in the Elk Valley. With a notable four-fold increase in treatment capacity to 77.5 million liters per day since 2020, Teck anticipates a stabilization and reduction of selenium trends, aligning with the primary objectives of the Elk Valley Water Quality Management Plan. With two facilities in the Elk Valley, Teck's SRFs treat 50 million litres of water per day utilizing naturally occurring biological processes in former mining pits backfilled with spill rock and saturated with water to remove selenium and nitrate. Within the SRFs, the growth of bacteria strains that efficiently convert selenium into solid forms and nitrate into inert nitrogen gas is promoted. This optimization can enhance the process of selenium removal and storage within the SRF. By harnessing the power of biological processes, Teck's SRF technology offers a sustainable and efficient solution for environmental restoration in mining areas, ensuring the safe release of treated water back into the ecosystem. Teck also operates two AWTFs in the Elk Valley Region that treat 27.5 million litres of water per day. Similar to the SRF pit, Bioreactors house anaerobic bacteria proficient in selenium and nitrate removal from water. Bioreactors in these facilities promote denitrification, the process in which nitrates are converted into nitrogen gas, and the removal of selenium through biological reduction processes. Regular monitoring of influent and effluent water parameters, advanced laboratory technologies and the maintenance of appropriate environmental conditions within the bioreactors and SRF are all crucial components for optimized water quality management within the Elk Valley. Teck stands as a global vanguard in driving forward these advancements, exemplifying leadership through its pioneering efforts in enhancing efficiency, capacity and establishing cost-effective treatment solutions.

Engineering has historically been a technical discipline, but water engineers have the unique opportunity to make a lasting social impact. By expanding our perspective beyond pure technical knowledge, we can integrate critical social, cultural, and human factors into our designs. This holistic approach is essential for creating sustainable solutions that address the diverse needs of communities.
In Colombia, water challenges vary widely – from the contamination of Bogotá's rivers to the severe water shortages in La Guajira. These issues stress the importance of understanding not only the technical problems but also the human context, including local infrastructure, trust, and cultural resilience. For example, while urban centers like Bogotá deal with industrial pollution, rural areas such as Anolaima face challenges related to resource limitations and public engagement. In La Guajira, indigenous communities struggle with water scarcity exacerbated by climate change.
By incorporating human factors into technical decision-making, we can develop solutions that are more equitable and enduring. This approach reminds us that clean, accessible water is not just a technical goal but a fundamental human right that connects us all. Through case studies in Colombia, this presentation will demonstrate how water engineers can contribute to resilient, inclusive systems that uplift underserved communities and protect ecosystems.