OCTOBER 2024 Technical Noon Webinar

Zoom (Registration is Required - Click on ORANGE button above to register)

Wednesday, October 16th, 2024 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Size Does Matter: Technical, Managerial, and Financial Challenges Facing
Small Drinking Water Systems (and some potential solutions) Accessibility

Heather Himmelberger

Director, Southwest Environmental Finance Center
University of New Mexico

ABSTRACT: 

New Mexico has 562 water systems and 94% of the systems can be classified as small by EPA's definition and 88% are very small. Unfortunately, these small systems face challenges in technical, managerial, and financial capacity. They struggle to meet the ever increasing regulations, the myriad of other requirements (e.g., public meetings laws, audits, SEO reporting), hiring qualified and properly certified staff, and how to operate and maintain their assets, In this webinar we will talk about the various ways in which small systems are challenged - because size really does matter - but we will not end our discussion there. We will also talk about ways in which small systems can access help and other resources in this unprecedented time of available technical assistance and funding resources.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY:

Heather Himmelberger received her BS in environmental engineering from Penn State University and MS in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. She is a professional engineer in New Mexico and Pennsylvania and has worked with water and wastewater systems for over 38 years having visited all 50 states, the 5 U.S. territories, and worked with water or wastewater systems in just about all of those places. She has called NM home for over 30 years

REGISTRATION:

Membership in AWWA or WEF is not required. Registration is limited, so please register early. All attendees must pre-register for this webinar by Tuesday evening, 10/15/24 at 5:00 p.m.  Water and wastewater operators will be asked for NM Operator Certification number on the online registration form.

UPCOMING EVENT: 

The November webinar will be offered on Wednesday 11/20/24 and will feature a presentation by Nicole Friedt and Jared Romero of AMAFCA. Their talk will be on updates to the NOAA Atlas 15, rainfall intensity-duration-frequency projections which will include effects of climate warming, updates to FEMA policies regarding stormwater management, and new policies being developed by the National Flood Insurance Program.