Title
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Assessment for Water Industry Research and Partnerships
Description
This report provides the Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee with a summary of the annual membership dues and fees for the City's participation in water industry-related research programs and memberships and requests the Subcommittee recommend City Council approval of continued participation in these programs and memberships for Fiscal Year 2024-25 at a total cost of $415,087.
THIS ITEM IS FOR CONSENT ACTION
Report
Summary
The Water Services Department participates in and benefits from the research endeavors of the Water Research Foundation (WaterRF). The focus of this research covers all aspects of drinking water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, watershed quality, and non-potable water aspects such as reclaimed and reused water. Participation in these research programs allows the City to access a variety of resources and information to address drinking water, wastewater, water reclamation, watershed quality and stormwater issues. Without these resources, the Water Services Department (WSD) staff would be required to research and develop solutions without the benefit of the larger water community and at a much higher cost.
Additionally, WSD participates in several water industry professional associations: Western Urban Water Coalition (WUWC), and National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). These organizations provide a host of benefits to the City including assistance to improve day-to-day operations, industry standards, metrics and benchmarks, professional development opportunities for staff, public outreach collaboration, and ongoing updates to keep staff informed about regulatory issues well in advance of action being taken.
Some of the resources available from these memberships/programs include:
- Publications - Standards, operator training manuals, books, and monthly publications focused on today’s operational and engineering challenges. Updates of all AWWA Design Standards are included with the yearly fee;
- Training - A variety of training opportunities including specialty conferences and online training classes;
- Public Communications Tools - Public advisories are sent out to all utilities to keep them informed about water-related news that generates media attention. These public advisories often include suggested language or strategies to help Phoenix respond to media inquiries. Utility alerts are provided periodically throughout the year to ensure timely updates on regulatory issues;
- Research Reports - The City is entitled to a free copy of all final products (reports, software, online interactive tools), and has unlimited access to PDF versions of all final reports, workshop proceedings, and online communities of practice;
- Webcasts - Each research organization offers free webinars to subscribers based on current research projects, which allows for timely access to research results, direct interaction with the researchers and the opportunity for professional educational development credits;
- Expert Assistance - Internal and external subject matter experts are available to aid subscribers in acquiring up-to-date information to address issues;
- Research Participating Utility and Project Advisory Committee - The City participates in research projects by providing data to be included in the research or by being used as a case study to validate the research; in some cases, City staff has been invited to participate on a Project Advisory Committee due to the City’s expertise in an area; and
- Tailored Collaboration - Tailored Collaboration Programs allow subscribers to submit a specific research project proposal for funding. These research projects are more specialized or regional in nature. The City has used this program on several occasions in the past to further local water and wastewater research.
Attachment A provides a listing of each membership, its cost, and a brief description of the organization's purpose.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Ginger Spencer and the Water Services Department.