Stormwater | StormCon

StormCon 03

People attend professional conferences for a number of different reasons - to sit in on the courses, get a hands-on look at new products and technologies, meet with others in their field, or achieve professional certification. StormCon, the North American Surface Water Quality Conference & Exposition, took place July 28-31, 2003, at the Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, TX, and offered some of everything, including the largest-ever assembly products specifically related to stormwater management and a keynote address from one of the most recognizable figures in the national water-quality arena.

More Than 100 Exhibitors

StormCon's goal is to bring together people concerned with stormwater and to provide a forum that's tightly focused on stormwater management and the rapidly growing stormwater industry. The exhibit hall, with more than 100 companies and organizations presenting their products, technologies, and services, brought vendors together with the people who need to learn about - and make buying decisions on - the products.

"I liked that the best," Jay Niec, an associate with Greeley and Hansen LLC in South Bend, IN, says of the exhibit hall. "I got a lot of useful information from it. That was one of the better things about the show."

Johnny Barron, a project engineer with Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority in Douglasville, GA, and one of the conference speakers, remarks, "It was informative - seeing models, seeing how they work, asking questions. I think we need more time for the conference so we can see all the displays. I spent eight hours going from booth to booth."

Many of the exhibitors, too, seemed pleased with the turnout. Kelly Dappen from AK Steel Corporation in Middletown, OH, says, "We were at last year's show - this was better. In general, the people we talked to were the audience we were trying to reach." And Kevin Rapp from Advanced Drainage Systems in Hilliard, OH, says, "I thought this year attendees were a little more educated than last year. I think what's happening is, the people who read Stormwater magazine are the ones attending." He adds, "I think it will continue to grow. Being a vendor, it's good for me to have just one show a year; I couldn't justify exhibiting at two shows a year."

Kennedy's Keynote Address

Keynote speaker Robert F. Kennedy Jr. prompted some lively discussions with his speech at the opening session on Tuesday morning. Chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper organization, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and president of the Waterkeeper Alliance, Kennedy is a nationally known figure and passionate advocate of protecting water quality through legal actions. In his speech, he characterized the Hudson Riverkeeper and its clients as "not just a bunch of wild environmentalists," pointing out that the original members of the organization were fishermen seeking to defend their livelihood from corporate polluters. "The founders probably never used the word "environmentalist' to describe themselves. They were fighting to protect their communities." Today there are 115 licensed Riverkeeper organizations in the United States, with hundreds of applications pending to form new ones; Kennedy estimates that within five years, every major river in North America will probably have an associated Riverkeeper. Two of the requirements for forming an organization are having a patrol boat to monitor what's happening in the waterway and a willingness to bring litigation against polluters.

"We have virtually all the technology today to protect our air and water," Kennedy noted in his speech. "Our job is to put pressure on government officials and industry officials to use those technologies.

"In 100% of situations, good environmental policy is synonymous with good economic policy" in the long term, he stated, adding that people tend to create a "false choice between economic prosperity and environmental health," sometimes opting for short-term profit and buying ourselves "a few years of pollution-based prosperity."

Kennedy's is, of course, a recognizable name, and his comments had a political edge to them as he criticized some of the current administration's environmental policies. "I know there were mixed reviews," says Kate Slama, a water-quality specialist with the Santa Clara Valley Water District in San Jose, CA. "I thought he was invigorating."

"I really enjoyed his talk - even got to shake his hand," says Steve Veenis, a stormwater manager with Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. "They did well with getting him, I thought."

"I thought the talk was very political," remarks Barron. "He's a prestigious fellow, but I think the talk was not as good as last year's. Pretty interesting, though."

People who heard the speech offer up some thoughts on next year's keynote speaker as well.

"Whoever is chosen, it should be someone with an environmental conscience," says Niec, "someone who has a good background in [the stormwater] field."

Jennifer Krupowicz, a water-quality educator with the City of Charlotte (NC) Storm Water Services and a conference speaker, comments, "I was really impressed with his speech. I like that caliber of speaker, and I liked having someone outside of the field. [Next year] I'd like to hear someone with an outside perspective, someone on a national level - not necessarily a stormwater professional."

Technical Sessions

Forty sessions, most consisting of three presentations on related topics, took place over two and a half days, dealing with topics ranging from best management practice performance to monitoring water quality and from public education to meeting regulatory requirements, giving attendees a chance to pick and choose relevant topics.

"I didn't do one specific track; I tried to mix it up and pick the ones that were useful to me," says Veenis. "I thought the guy from Georgia did a really good talk about implementation, how they sell their programs to the public and shareholders."

A full-day preconference workshop, "Stormwater Utilities and Program Funding," drew more than 90 participants, taught by Andy Reese and Elizabeth Treadway of AMEC Earth & Environmental and Hector Cyre of Water Resource Associates.

Also preceding the conference, attendees had a chance to attend a full-day exam review course for the Certified Professional in Stormwater Quality (CPSWQ), as well as to take the exam itself. CPSWQ is a professional certification offered through CPESC Inc. (www.cpesc.net).

A Network of Peers

For many people, especially some from municipalities who do not travel often to professional events outside their own state, conferences offer an opportunity to meet and talk face to face with their counterparts from around the country. Morning and afternoon breaks between the conference sessions, as well as luncheons and an opening reception, offered plenty of chances to mix.

"Everyone wanted to pick my brain, and I wanted to pick theirs too!" relates Krupowicz. "StormCon had a whole track on public information but no vendors on the subject. I think networking is very important. It allows us to learn from others doing the same jobs."

Jennifer Hildebrand, a natural resource specialist with Bonestroo & Associates in St. Paul, MN, and a conference speaker, says, "I met some people at the show, which is an important piece of shows - not the most, but it's good to hear how other people in the country are doing and what services they provide."

"I did talk with quite a few people and made quite a few contacts at the end of the conference," remarks Veenis. "It's good to see what folks are doing outside of my little world. It's nice to see what project successes and failures are out in the world and to learn from them."

StormCon '04 will take place July 26-29, 2004, at the Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert, CA. General information about the conference, as well as the call for papers, is available on-line at www.StormCon.com. For information about exhibit space and sponsorships, contact StormCon Director Steve Di Giorgi at SteveDG@forester.net.

SW November/December 2003

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