The ACE12 Agenda: 10 Suggestions For The Show

By Kevin Westerling,
@KevinOnWater

Dallas, TX, is the site of the latest installment of the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA’s) Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE12) — the largest and longest-running water conference in North America, now in its 131st year. “Where Water Leaders Gather” is the very apropos slogan for ACE12, in that the event will unite more than 10,000 water quality professionals and 500 vendors, and features a technical program boasting more than 550 presentations in 100 separate sessions.

As large as the show is (it takes place in the Dallas Convention Center), visitors may need a roadmap to navigate the busy five days of June 10 through 14, especially the exposition days (June 10 to 13). To that end I have highlighted below 10 points of interest worthy of your attention. Of course, every individual and organization is unique in their goals, so be sure to reference the conference program for the full ACE12 schedule.

Notwithstanding the impressively varied and exhaustive nature of ACE12, organizers themselves acknowledge the elephant(s) in the room — failing infrastructure and the shortage of municipal funds — and therefore a significant portion of the technical program is devoted to these and related issues. Cynthia Lane, AWWA’s director of engineering and technical services, noted that much of the program reflects the findings from AWWA’s infrastructure report, "Buried No Longer: Confronting America's Water Infrastructure Challenge," as well as the reality that “financial considerations weave into everything we do at the utility.”

The ACE12 agenda was also informed in large part by AWWA’s annual State of the Industry Report, which details and analyzes survey results from its members. In addition to the aforementioned challenges, the survey revealed major concerns over compliance with EPA regulations and replacing an aging workforce.

“It’s all part of the broader perspective of how a utility remains sustainable — from an infrastructure, economic, environmental, and social perspective,” Lane explained. “Being a sustainable utility means funding and setting up programs that they can support in the decades to come.”

That all-encompassing sustainability may seem a long way off for many utilities, but ACE12 should prove to be a worthy step along the way. Here are 10 considerations for your personal agenda while at the show:

Opening General Session: Monday, June 11, 8:30–10:00 a.m.
Steve Roberts - Leading Political Pundit and Award Winning Journalist

Political discourse always seems to raise the ire in a room, so things are sure to be lively as Roberts promises to predict the outcome of the upcoming presidential election of the United States, as well as the impact it will have on the drinking water sector.

Keynote Address: Tuesday, June 12, 8:00–8:45 a.m.
Dr. Brian Fagan – Author and archaeologist

Taking the long view of water — as in 10,000 years ago to the present — Fagan describes the ever-changing but always vital relationship that humans share with water, based on his new book Elixir: Humans and the History of Water.

Workshops
Full-day workshops will be held on Sunday, June 10 for an additional fee (but they do include lunch!). Here is the full slate to choose from:

• M32 Update: Computer Modeling of Water Distribution Systems
• Ozone in Water Treatment — What You Need to Know!
• Checks & Balances: An Overview of the AWWA Financial Management Handbook
• Investing in Your Career: An AWWA YP Leadership Workshop
• Boil-Water Advisories to Do Not Use Orders
• Desalination of Seawater: Exploring M61

Get more information about the workshops here.

Professional Program
Standard education sessions will run from June 11 to 14 and cover virtually all points of interest in the water industry. Some timely topics that address infrastructure and/or financing include:

• Triple Bottom Line Infrastructure: Sustainability in Implementation
• Creative Project Financing
• Responding to Climate Change: Adaptive Management for Water Resources and Utility Infrastructure
• Techniques and Tools for Maintaining a Distribution System and Its Water Quality
• Communicating the Value of Water (2 Parts)
• Revenue Enhancement, Recovery, and Creative Financial Survival Strategies
• Water Main Rehabilitation — Methods That Work and Save You Money
• Water Utility Wizardry — Adjusting to the New Normal

View the complete schedule of sessions.

Conference Concierge Program
In response to the need for replenishment of an aging water workforce, this new program for 2012 focuses on young professionals. First-time attendees are paired with a mentor — someone with considerable water sector and ACE experience — who will guide them through the exposition hall while imparting tips and wisdom to aid in their development. To get involved, contact Nancy Sullivan at nsullivan@awwa.org or (303)347-6155.

New Product Technology Showcase
On display at Booth 1726 during exposition hours, this showcase features carefully selected products representing a broad cross-section of technologies, such as monitoring equipment, infrastructure hardware, and computer programming equipment. Featured companies include Blue Earth Labs, Cambridge Brass, Cla-Val Company, Fluid Imaging Technologies, HF scientific, PAX Water Technologies/Utility Service Company, SEKISUI NordiTube, SolarBee, and Telog instruments.

H2Open Forum – Leadership In A Shifting Landscape: Wednesday, June 13, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Experts from across the water spectrum tackle the issues that face today’s utilities during this interactive discussion with the audience. The forum panel will include Tuesday’s keynote presenter, Dr. Fagan; Richard B. Holmes, deputy general manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Las Vegas Valley Water District; J. Kevin Ward, general manager of the Trinity River Authority; and AWWA Deputy Executive Director Tom Curtis.

“Best of the Best” Taste Test: Tuesday, June 12, 3:00–4:00 p.m.
This competition pits AWWA Section taste test winners against each other to find out who has the best-tasting water in North America. Section winners interested in competing should contact Deirdre Mueller at dmueller@awwa.org or (303)347-6140.

Operator Contests
The operator competitions always draw good crowds due to the intensity of the participants and the exciting nature of the contests. If you’ve never witnessed Pipe Tapping, Meter Madness, Top Ops, or the World Water Cup, you’re missing out.
Learn more about the contests and see the schedule.

Water Online Radio And iPad Giveaway
Finally, be sure to stop by Booth 1048 to see and hear Water Online Radio in action. We’ll be talking to industry leaders about trends, issues, and the latest technologies in the drinking water industry. We’ll also be handing out copies of Water Online The Magazine and signing up visitors for a chance to win a free Apple iPad.

See you at the show!