BC Water & Waste Association (BCWWA)

Check out this amazing opportunity to get an American Water Works Association Student Membership! Until the end of the year, students can purchase a one-year student membership for only $10 USD! See Nancy Sullivan’s post below for more information.    BC & Yukon students with AWWA membership are also recognized as AWWA BC Section members and can access all of BCWWA’s member benefits.

The BCWWA’s Watermark magazine is looking for article submissions!     Do you have a research project, case study or success story to highlight? Or working on a technical article that you want to share with the water industry? We are currently accepting article pitches for our 2025 editorial calendar.     Watermark magazine is BCWWA’s quarterly magazine and member resource curated to keep water professionals up to date on the latest industry news, research, professional development and best practices.    If you would like to be included in an upcoming edition, please contact communication@bcwwa.org.    View submission guidelines at: https://lnkd.in/gNHUWrCc 

The Operator Challenge is coming back in 2025 to the BCWWA Annual Conference & Trade Show!    Show off your skills and knowledge as a water and/or wastewater professional and work with your team to take on the challenge. Sign up in teams of three (3) to compete in the Pipe Repair Challenge and “Test the Waters” trivia event in a fun and rewarding environment.     The Pipe Repair Challenge is a timed event that tests your safety, speed and teamwork. Can your team complete a pipe repair the most efficiently?    The “Test the Waters” event will focus on trivia from Levels 1 – 3 of Water Distribution, Wastewater Collection and Wastewater Treatment.    Are you and your team ready to register? Visit https://lnkd.in/gZcQHcwd to apply. The online application form closes March 7, 2025. 

Today, teams participating in the 2025 Student Design Competition met in Coquitlam for a site tour of the Nelson Creek Watershed. For this year’s competition, the BCWWA has partnered with the City of Coquitlam to present an exciting project to assess the feasibility of different green and grey infrastructure to improve stormwater runoff quality within the Nelson Creek Watershed, which is downstream of Blue Mountain Park.    Students met with City of Coquitlam staff at City Hall to tour the Hoy Creek Hatchery and park sites. The tour included the opportunity to understand the technical and design aspects of the site and ask staff questions.     Thank you to the City of Coquitlam for hosting a detailed and thorough site tour! We look forward to seeing what students come up with when they present their final projects in spring 2025. Stay tuned!    #Coquitlam #CityofCoquitlam #StudentDesignCompetition 

Join us for Taking Care of Your Small Water Systems, a free virtual workshop designed to equip you with the tools and insights needed to strengthen your system’s resilience. From water treatment basics to regulatory landscapes, this workshop covers it all, with expert guidance tailored to your region.      Update: November 28-29 is now at capacity. Please consider choosing an alternate date.  • December 12 - 13, 2024 (Vancouver Coastal Health)  • January 16 - 17, 2025    Register your team today on smallwaternetwork.org under the Upcoming Events page!     #SmallWaterSystems #VirtualWorkshop #WaterTreatment 

Are you an Indigenous or non-Indigenous organization that supports projects and initiatives focused on creating positive changes in ecosystems and water sector-related work? The Watershed Security Fund’s fall grants intake is currently open until December 11, 2024. There are three (3) streams of available funding ranging from applications less than $50,000 to applications up to $400,000. Eligible organizations include Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations in the following categories:  - Registered Non-profit  - Educational Institution  - Social Enterprise (C3)    And:  - First Nation (including First Nation governments, Tribal Councils and others)  - Local/Regional Government For those interested in learning more, visit https://lnkd.in/gRk7yXdk 

A fantastic opportunity to showcase your research and expertise! Visit wcwea.org to submit an abstract today.

And that wraps our 2024 Leadership Council! Each year, the BCWWA invites the co-leads of our committees and communities of practice to come together for an enriching day dedicated to cross collaboration and connection across these professional networks. It is not often that we see this intersection of leadership, technical knowledge and stakeholder representation from across BC and the Yukon sector in one room! It was a fantastic opportunity for the BCWWA to hear directly from its committees and communities on how to enhance these networks and best serve our membership. The day included a review of BCWWA’s new Strategic Plan, updates on committee and community activities over the year and many discussions on how to optimize our new priorities and activities to best support member networks. We also heard from two special guests, Greg Lyle from Innovative Research Group Inc. and Brian Bedford from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, on the current BC political landscape and what our sector can do to prepare for the incoming provincial government. Thank you to everyone who attended today’s session! If you are interested in learning more about committees and communities at the BCWWA and ways to get involved in upcoming events and activities, visit our “Get Involved” page for more information. https://lnkd.in/gQPtvziN

As British Columbians wind down from a general election, see a majority government hailing from narrow margins and learn of a new cabinet – there is a question of how industry professionals can best communicate and engage with the incoming provincial government.      At today’s Leadership Council – a gathering of BCWWA leadership, committee and community leads and members – we were thrilled to have two special guest speakers join us for a session on the current political landscape in BC, understanding public opinion and how to prepare for a new cabinet.      Thank you to Greg Lyle from Innovative Research Group Inc. and @Brian Bedford from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs for speaking with us and sharing your insights!

Interested in taking a leadership role and representing the interests of all BCWWA members and stakeholders? Have ideas about how to advance BCWWA’s vision of creating a safe water and a healthy water environment for all?    The BCWWA Board Nominations Committee invite all active BCWWA members to apply themselves or nominate a fellow member for one of the three (3) board director positions that will become vacant at the 2025 Annual General Meeting on April 2, 2025.      Get in touch with us to receive an information package and job description created for potential board candidates – it contains information about the role, responsibilities and duties of directors, how the Board operates, and the Association’s strategic direction and general operations. Contact Angelene Fellows at afellows@bcwwa.org to receive copies.      The deadline to submit an application or nomination for a vacant Board director position is January 10, 2025. Visit https://lnkd.in/gAcKnVc8 for more information.