How to Find a Water Project for The Community Engineering Corps J. Alan Roberson, P.E.Lindsey Geiger, ENV SP Director of Federal RelationsAssociate Engineer AWWA – Washington, DCAWWA – Denver, CO

Agenda The Alliance Alliance Mission and Vision Opportunities for Members Program Function and Operations Project Examples State/Local Finding a community Building a team Port Royal, VA “The Ask”

The Alliance

A Better World Through Better Water Assist underserved communities Provide planning and engineering services for infrastructure projects Improve quality of life

Alliance Mission Bringing communities and engineering leaders together to advance local infrastructure solutions Alliance Vision A country in which underserved communities have access to the technical expertise required to ensure the infrastructure capacity to meet their needs

Opportunities for Members Volunteer with project teams to work with communities Mentor student project teams Volunteer committees Fundraising

AWWA Section Involvement Local community outreach and awareness Sections will be the catalyst for forming project teams –Sections need to support the projects –Also Project Review Team for each project Fundraising for Section projects

Program Functions Provide planning and engineering services for any type of infrastructure projects –Outputs could be preliminary engineering reports, conceptual designs, and/or final plans and specifications Construction will need to be performed by licensed contractors Photo courtesy of EWB-USA UC Davis Student Chapter

Project Process Community Project Team Application Review Committee (ARC) Technical Review Committee (TRC) Execution and Reporting

The Community and the Team Communities can apply either with or without an affiliated project team Communities without a team are matched according to team’s expertise

Potential Projects Water sources and treatment Distribution systems and storage tanks Wastewater collection and treatment Other infrastructure

Comments from Lindsey Lindsey Geiger is co-managing the AWWA effort for Community Engineering Corps

Finding A Community in Need Start with state primacy agency –Be prepared to make a few calls/ s State agency identifies one/few system(s) –State may want to contact system before you

The Community’s Needs State primacy agency may have a list of needs Talk with the community and listen to understand their needs and priorities

Building a Project Team Team lead (the champion) Team will blend expertise & skills –NOT JUST ENGINEERS! –Operators, laboratory, treatment, distribut9ion systems, finance and rates, etc. –Team needs to fit the community’s needs

Virginia Example Called the regional office of the Virginia Dept. of Health Made contact with the capacity development staffer Identified a community with multiple water system needs - Port Royal

Port Royal, Virginia Historical Rural Agricultural Changing 428 residents +200 people on water system

Port Royal Water System Originally built in the ‘40s Groundwater system –Well produces gpm Single 20,000 gallon elevated storage tank Issues in 1986 survey –55% of households lack adequate pressure –43% report sediment –35% odor issues

Other issues Wastewater – all septic –Pilot decentralized system nearby Other public facilities Transportation Land use and economic development

Ongoing Work with Port Royal Initial meeting with Mayor and system site visit on Monday, June 16 Submitted community application –Projects are community driven –Application review and approval Must be a publicly owned facility Community doesn’t have adequate resources Does not take work from engineering consultants

Next Steps Develop a list of priorities –Many needs – what should be done first? Elevated storage tank replacement top priority Entire distribution system also needs replacement Preliminary cost estimate(s) Also considering sale of water system

Next Steps (cont.) Sign engineering services agreement –Project is then covered by ASCE/EWB/AWWA errors & omissions and liability insurance Provide contract review if system sold If no sale, then complete DWSRF/RUS application(s) –Look for solutions for financial challenges

Next Steps Educate and train the Sections Replicate Virginia case study in several states

“The Ask” Can you find water systems in your state that could use the assistance of the Community Engineering Corps? Please pass on the system information to: –East of the Mississippi Alan Roberson, –West of the Mississippi Lindsey Geiger,