Driving innovation for a resilient, sustainable water future

Session 20: Sustainability

DEP’s Planning Tool for Energy and Carbon Neutrality

February 3, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET

Co-presenting with Brendan Hannon, NYC DEP

DEP’s Energy and Carbon Neutrality Planning Tool is a powerful, custom-built model that enables DEP’s Energy Office to understand how process improvements and changes will impact the energy required to meet its treatment standards. The tool considers every major process at each of the agency’s 14 WRRFs alongside projected flows. Each process can be modified to reflect future improvements such as improved thickening or motor upgrades to understand how that might impact energy consumption. This talk will review the model interface and capabilities.

Session 1: Involving the Community in your Capital Projects

February 2, 2026 at 11 a.m. ET

Co-moderating with Zachary Monge, Jacobs

The Dugway Brook stream restoration project provides a model for how community engagement can drive the successful planning and implementation of resilient and equitable stormwater solutions. This study attempted to identify technically feasible stormwater solutions in Glenview Park, that reflected the voices of the community. This approach to infrastructure design creates more resilient and equitable communities, where access to quality infrastructure is prioritized and community identity is reflected. This presentation will provide valuable insight and best practices for the water industry, highlighting the importance of inclusive and sustainable infrastructure development that creates a future of equitable communities.

Session 16: Regulatory & Government Affairs

Boosting Buffalo’s Wet Weather Resilience: A Collaborative Upgrade at Bird Island

February 3, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET

Co-presenting with Ryan Christopher, TYLin and Tim Blake, Buffalo Sewer Authority

The Buffalo Sewer Authority is undertaking significant improvements at the Bird Island WWTF to increase capacity to be in regulatory compliance with their LTCP. These projects have been split into three phases. In addition to increasing capacity, the Authority is using these projects as an opportunity to improve operations and maintenance, replace aging infrastructure, and strengthen public understanding of water infrastructure. The three phases include multiple stakeholders for design and construction that requires close coordination. The presentation will cover how the Authority is leading this collaborative effort for this once in a generation upgrade at the Bird Island WWTF.

Session 15: PFAS – Concerns and Next Steps 2

Engineering-Driven PFAS Solutions for Sustainable Water Reuse

February 3, 2026 at 11 a.m. ET

As water reuse becomes vital for water security, managing PFAS poses a significant engineering challenge. Conventional treatments generate residual waste streams, creating environmental and regulatory risks. This presentation evaluates a “Concentrate-and-Destroy” framework, integrating advanced separation with destructive technologies. It emphasizes optimizing contaminant mass balance, minimizing waste, and embedding destruction in facility design. Through lifecycle analysis, energy assessments, and risk evaluations, attendees will learn a step-by-step methodology for designing compliant, resilient, and cost-effective PFAS management systems.

Session 27: Collection Systems 1

Master Planning for Hampton Roads Sanitation District Boat Harbor Projects

February 3, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET

Co-presenting with Bohdan Bodniewicz, AECOM

This presentation will discuss early, planning-level decision making process that was followed to decide to close a wastewater treatment plant, to divert the flows to another plant, and to enlarge the destination plant to accommodate the additional flows. Overall utility financial and logistical considerations as well as preliminary technical evaluations will be described.

Session 27: Collection Systems 1

Master Planning for Hampton Roads Sanitation District Boat Harbor Projects

February 3, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET

Co-presenting with David Steele, AECOM

This presentation will discuss early, planning-level decision making process that was followed to decide to close a wastewater treatment plant, to divert the flows to another plant, and to enlarge the destination plant to accommodate the additional flows. Overall utility financial and logistical considerations as well as preliminary technical evaluations will be described.

Session 23: Research & Innovation – Nutrient Reduction

Partial Denitrification Anammox (PdNA): Overview, Design Criteria, and Implementation for the DOE PdNA Project

February 3, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET

Co-presenting with Jim McQuarrie, AECOM

This presentation will provide a general PdNA overview and will describe a $4 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) PdNA study that is implementing PdNA in six water resource recovery facilities nationwide. The study focuses on determining engineering design criteria such as nitrogen loading and removal rates, mixing, headloss, fill ratios, and retrofittability of different media (moving integrated fixed-film activated sludge [IFAS], fixed IFAS, and biological aerated filters [BAFs]) to enable widespread PdNA implementation.

Session 23: Research & Innovation – Nutrient Reduction

Partial Denitrification Anammox (PdNA): Overview, Design Criteria, and Implementation for the DOE PdNA Project

February 3, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET

Co-presenting with Brett Wagner, AECOM

This presentation will provide a general PdNA overview and will describe a $4 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) PdNA study that is implementing PdNA in six water resource recovery facilities nationwide. The study focuses on determining engineering design criteria such as nitrogen loading and removal rates, mixing, headloss, fill ratios, and retrofittability of different media (moving integrated fixed-film activated sludge [IFAS], fixed IFAS, and biological aerated filters [BAFs]) to enable widespread PdNA implementation.

Session 40: Residuals & Biosolids – Emerging Technology

Pilot-to-Full-Scale Demonstration of Advanced Sludge Thickening and Destruction Technologies at Linda County Water District WRRF

February 4, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET

Co-presenting with Terry Goss, AECOM and Derya Dursan and Onder Caliskaner, Caliskaner Water Technologies

Presentation will discuss early, planning-level decision making process that was followed to decide to close a wastewater treatment plant, to divert the flows to another plant, and to enlarge the destination plant to accommodate the additional flows. Overall utility financial and logistical considerations as well as preliminary technical evaluations will be described.

Session 30: Resiliency

Rethinking Pumping Stations: Valveless Independent Discharge Designs for Resilience & Reliability

February 4, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. ET

Independent discharge valveless pumping stations eliminate headers, isolation valves, and check valves, offering a simple, resilient configuration that reduces cost, footprint, and maintenance. Each pump discharges through an elevated pipe above the Design Flood Elevation (DFE), providing passive backflow prevention and improved reliability during extreme events. Conceptual examples from recent large-scale stormwater pumping station designs will be shared to demonstrate how this approach enhances resilience, simplifies O&M, and adapts to challenging hydraulic conditions.

Session 40: Residuals & Biosolids – Emerging Technology

Pilot-to-Full-Scale Demonstration of Advanced Sludge Thickening and Destruction Technologies at Linda County Water District WRRF

February 4, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET

Co-presenting with Ganesh Rajagopalan, AECOM and Derya Dursan and Onder Caliskaner, Caliskaner Water Technologies

This presentation will discuss early, planning-level decision making process that was followed to decide to close a wastewater treatment plant, to divert the flows to another plant, and to enlarge the destination plant to accommodate the additional flows. Overall utility financial and logistical considerations as well as preliminary technical evaluations will be described.

Session 38: NYCDEP Cloudburst – When it Rains, it Pours

NYCDEP Cloudburst: Designing for Deluge – Cloudburst Strategy, Challenges, and Innovations in Kissena, Queens

February 4, 2026 at 4 p.m. ET

Co-presenting with Andres Garcia and Roopesh Joshi, NYCDEP

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) is implementing a Cloudburst Program employing adaptive stormwater management strategies in flood-prone communities. This presentation will discuss constraints and challenges encountered while designing a stormwater management infrastructure project for Kissena, Queens to mitigate the impacts of the intense rainfall events. Key measures include precast porous concrete panels in the right of way and subsurface storage in the redesigned Kissena Corridor Park. This presentation will focus on the complex drainage characteristics of the project area that shaped the final design, and the integration of stormwater management measures into an improved public realm.