Monthly Blog

Contributed by Sherry Scaggiari

Sherry Scaggiari is the Water Quality Compliance Coordinator for the City of Brighton. Her chemistry degree afforded her a start as an elementary education teacher. She quickly moved on and has over 17 years in water and wastewater laboratories, regulations, and prior experience in commercial labs. In the end, she still gets to teach regularly through the RMWEA Operator Schools. Sherry is the current Chair for SPCURE, participates in CWUC, LPC, and of course, RMWQAA.

Analysts are so adaptable.  We can pivot and change directions in a split second. Want proof? Well, you should have been at the 2025 Symposium April 18. There we were, listening to some great presentations.

More on that in a minute…

It was break time, time to visit with all of the vendors. When suddenly…the power went out…pitch black conference room!

But here’s the thing, we all just said, hey it’s dark and essentially picked up the conversations we were having from the same point, didn’t miss a beat. Resilient bunch we are.

Behind the scenes, Xcel was consulted, and it was found that the power could be off essentially for the rest of the symposium.

Now, there was still business to be done. So, Adele gathered everyone in the atrium area where, since there were skylights, we could basically see.

Then on to the business of the organization – which was doing the raffle drawings, of course. Lots of people won a gift card of some sort and we are thankful for the vendors who provided them.

I think the power came on about this time, but we had a little more business to do, but lunch was also ready – even though we were all still fairly full from breakfast. OH! Did I mention the BACON? WOW! Best bacon ever! I mean really, it was not that normal soggy, limp bacon you normally get in a breakfast buffet. It was crisp and tasty and amazing! Sorry, I got distracted from that memory! So, we took an important vote – lunch now or after some other business…and the vote was lunch!

Once we got done stuffing ourselves, again, and the power was on…but alas…the video set up wouldn’t boot up. Again, let’s pivot! Let’s do some announcements of award winners!

The people who received the scholarships were announced – Eva Anderson and Guillermo Vizarreta-Luna and the coveted Analyst of the Year was announced – Danny McCausland! Congratulations!

So, the venue brought in a giant screen TV and we used that for the presentations. 

They were all fantastic and very interesting. Here’s a run down of them:

The Powerful Toll of Internal Auditing at SPR’s Wastewater Laboratory
Seirra Potter and Adele Rucker, SPR

From Pandemic Response to Public Health Monitoring
Abby Wharton, CDPHE

Improving Recycling in the Laboratory
Lauren Hervert, Colorado Analytical Labs

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once: Novel Techniques in PFAS Monitoring
Kat Remmerde, Metrohm

From a Lab of Drab to a Lab of Fab: Implementing Continuous Improvement
Melisande Madsen and Muzit Kiflai, Metro Water Recovery

The vendors were great. We had over 10 show off their products or testing.

South Platte Sally presented a poster on the history of RMWQAA! She was great and so informative! It was fun to see our history. Thanks to Michelle Neilson for helping Sally!

Yes, you CAN! We gathered names for various positions the board would like to add. It’s great so many people said they could help in various ways! If you are interested in learning more, reach out!

If you didn’t attend, you missed a great day and should consider coming next year! If you did attend, you will always remember the great Symposium in the Dark, 2025. Networking with all of the resilient, flexible analysts across the state and learning from each other was very worth the time (And the Ba C O N – did I mention the bacon? And did you know you can spell bacon with periodic chart symbols?). Thank you to those who made the symposium happen – especially Adele – she was amazing and kept the ball rolling through all of the adversity! See you next year!

Contributed by Cat Cash

Cat Cash (Laboratory Manager) works at SeaCrest Group, where they focus on conducting Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) tests and culturing Ceriodaphnia dubia and fathead minnow.

Water is one of the most precious resources, and protecting its quality is vital to public health, environmental preservation, and the sustainability of ecosystems. WET testing is a method in which we can utilize to understand the impacts of effluent discharges on aquatic environments.

WET testing or Whole Effluent Toxicity Testing is used to assess the potential toxic effects of discharges on aquatic life. Unlike chemical tests that examine specific pollutants in water, WET Testing looks at a holistic effect of a water sample on living organisms, providing a broader view of the toxicity of effluent discharges.

The test involves exposing aquatic organisms to treated wastewater, or effluent, to observe any harmful effects. The results of WET testing help determine whether the water source meets the environmental standards set by regulatory agencies such as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to protect aquatic ecosystems and human health.

The origin of WET testing can be traced back to the 1970’s, when environmental awareness was on the rise. In 1972 the United States passed the Clean Water Act (CWA), marking a turning point in the environmental regulation. The CWA set forth goals to improve the quality of U.S. waters, and the regulatory framework established for wastewater treatment plants emphasized the importance of testing to ensure that discharges did not harm our aquatic environments.

At that time, most water monitoring focused on detecting specific pollutants, such as heavy metals or pesticides. However, this limited our scope because it didn’t provide a comprehensive picture of the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. Scientists began to realize an integrated approach to testing that considered the combined effects of all pollutants in wastewater on aquatic life was needed.

In 1985, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formalized Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) testing in order to “identify, characterize, and eliminate toxic impacts of discharges on aquatic ecosystems.” The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, authorized under the Clean Water Act, manages water pollution by regulating effluent discharges across the United States.

The EPA published its first WET Testing guidance document, titled "Short-Term Methods for Estimating the Chronic Toxicity of Effluents and Receiving Waters to Freshwater Organisms” in 1991. This document established the standardized protocols for using specific organisms, such as fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and water fleas (Ceriodaphnia dubia), to test the effects of effluents.

A variety of organisms, including both freshwater and marine species, can measure a wide range of toxic effects, from acute lethality to sublethal impacts such as reproductive impairment and behavioral changes.

Since these publications, the regulatory role of WET Testing has also expanded. In the United States, WET Testing is now required under the Clean Water Act for many wastewater treatment facilities that discharge to surface waters. State and federal agencies use WET testing results to set limits on the types and concentrations of pollutants that can be released into the environment, ensuring that water quality is maintained, and aquatic life is protected.

In addition, WET Testing is now used in broader environmental management practices, such as monitoring the health of watersheds, assessing the impact of industrial discharges, and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment technologies i.e. chemical evaluations. It has become an integral part of risk assessment studies for new industrial processes, ensuring that potential environmental hazards are identified and mitigated.

By focusing on the biological effects of pollutants, WET Testing provides invaluable insight into the true impact of wastewater discharges on aquatic ecosystems. As technology advances and the importance of environmental protection grows, the history of WET testing highlights a success story of innovation and scientific collaboration in the pursuit of cleaner, healthier waters for all.

Contributed by Melissa Mimna

Melissa Mimna is Laboratory Manager for the City of Boulder Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) where she has worked in the WRRF Lab for the past 12 years. Melissa is a certified Water Quality Analyst and Wastewater D Operator. When she isn’t in the lab or writing poetry, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets, gardening, and traveling.

Feeling uninspired about topics, I’ve opted to write you a rhyme

About how our industry sometimes feels like it’s stuck in time

“This is how we’ve always done it”- we’ve all heard that phrase

But perhaps that thinking is better for things like hollandaise?

Some techniques from decades ago might be outdated

In fact, many of them maybe even slightly antiquated

So, how do we know when the old techniques have merit?

Or whether it’s a method we should try to disinherit?

Some say the proof is in the pudding, or in the lab- we say in the QC

(We avoid the term pudding in wastewater labs, as you can imagine to be)

If the QC look great and the data make sense

Maybe the old method works fine in the present tense

To question a convention, you might ask “why” 5 times in a row

Why we still analyze for BOD… that we may never know

Why did they decide to sample with that weird dipper cup?

And what would happen if we try to switch it all up?

Why this method, location, frequency, or sample type?

Are these fancy TnTs worth all the hype?

The series of whys might help to decide which changes are worth making

Because a simple method change can be quite an undertaking

And sometimes we need to produce more data to know

If that old ISE probe is still the best way to go

Some old methods might still be quite effective

And each Lab has our own goals and perspective

Try something new, especially if the cost is low

Because, unless you try, you’ll never know

Try a new local vendor- save some money on bottles or gloves

Because saving money and buying local is something most everyone loves

On the other hand, no one has time to reinvent the wheel

Some of these methods are gold standards and might keep their appeal

A key skill to develop is knowing when a change could do more harm

And listening to your gut about the old methods having charm

Like anything in life, it’s a balancing act

And even though it is science, it’s not always exact

The decisions made decades ago might still ring true

(A good reminder to document your changes for the next crew)

While this blog post may not have provided you with any new insight

I hope it reminds you that it’s not black and white

Knowing when to question or just go with the flow

That’s a big part of life and we learn as we go

We’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again

In the end, we’re all doing the best that we can

Contributed by Danny McCausland 
Danny McCausland is a Senior Water Quality Analyst with the City of Thornton. He has 11 years working in the water quality field.

Water is a vital resource, but its distribution is far from even. Here, in the western United States, we understand this well. When looking for solutions, I think it’s important to look at how other parts of the world are tackling this water scarcity. In China, this imbalance has spurred one of the most ambitious engineering projects in history: the South-North Water Transfer Project (SNWTP). This initiative aims to move water from the water-abundant south to the arid north, tackling critical shortages and supporting economic growth. But what exactly is the SNWTP, why is it necessary, and what lessons can we learn from it? Let’s take a closer look.

What is the South-North Water Transfer Project?
The SNWTP is a massive infrastructure project designed to redistribute water across China. It consists of three main routes.

© Asia Pacific Memo

1. The Eastern Route
The Eastern Route is the first of the three routes and is already operational. It leverages the ancient Grand Canal, one of the world’s oldest and longest man-made waterways, to transfer water from the lower Yangtze River to northern regions like Shandong Province and the city of Tianjin.

Source: The route begins at Jiangdu, a city in Jiangsu Province, where water is drawn from the Yangtze River.

Pathway: The water travels northward through the Grand Canal, a network of canals and rivers that has been upgraded and expanded for the project.

Pumping Stations: Because the terrain is relatively flat, the route relies on a series of pumping stations to move water uphill. There are over 50 pumping stations along the route, making it one of the most energy-intensive sections of the project.

Destination: The water is delivered to Shandong Province and Tianjin, two regions that have long struggled with water scarcity.

Challenges
Water Quality: The Eastern Route passes through heavily industrialized and urbanized areas, raising concerns about pollution. Efforts to clean up the Grand Canal and monitor water quality are ongoing.

Energy Use: The reliance on pumping stations makes this route energy-intensive, increasing operational costs and environmental impacts.

2. The Central Route
The Central Route is the most ambitious and impactful of the three routes. It transfers water from the Danjiangkou Reservoir in Hubei Province to major cities like Beijing and Tianjin, as well as other parts of northern China.

Source: The route begins at the Danjiangkou Reservoir, which was expanded to increase its capacity for the project.

Pathway: The water travels over 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) through a combination of canals, tunnels, and aqueducts. It crosses the Yellow River, a significant engineering feat.

Gravity-Fed System: Unlike the Eastern Route, the Central Route primarily relies on gravity to move water, reducing energy consumption.

Destination: The water is delivered to Beijing, Tianjin, and other northern regions, providing a critical water source for over 50 million people.

Challenges
Resettlement: The expansion of the Danjiangkou Reservoir required the relocation of over 300,000 people, creating social and economic challenges.

Environmental Impact: The diversion of water has affected local ecosystems, including reduced water flow in the Han River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River.

Sedimentation and Algae Blooms: The reservoir and canals have faced issues with sedimentation and algae blooms, which can affect water quality.

3. The Western Route
The Western Route is the most complex and challenging of the three routes and is still in the planning stages. It aims to divert water from the Tibetan Plateau to the Yellow River Basin, addressing water shortages in the country’s northwest.

Source: The route would draw water from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, including its tributaries on the Tibetan Plateau.

Pathway: The water would travel through a series of tunnels and pipelines across some of the most rugged and remote terrain in China, including the Himalayas.

High Altitude: The route involves transferring water at extremely high altitudes, presenting significant engineering and logistical challenges.

Destination: The water would be delivered to the Yellow River Basin, supporting regions like Qinghai, Gansu, and Ningxia, which face severe water scarcity.

Challenges
Engineering Complexity: The harsh terrain and high altitude make this route the most technically challenging. Building tunnels and pipelines in such conditions is both difficult and expensive.

Environmental Concerns: The Tibetan Plateau is a fragile ecosystem, and diverting water could have significant environmental impacts, including effects on downstream regions.

Geopolitical Sensitivity: The Tibetan Plateau is a politically sensitive area, and the project could face opposition from local communities and international stakeholders.

Why is the SNWTP Necessary?
The project was born out of necessity due to several critical challenges:

• Northern China is home to over 40% of the country’s population but has only about 20% of its freshwater resources. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have exacerbated water shortages, threatening economic stability and quality of life.
• The south, with its abundant rainfall and extensive river systems, often faces flooding, while the north struggles with droughts. The SNWTP aims to balance these disparities by sharing water resources more equitably.
• Over-extraction of groundwater in the north has led to land subsidence and ecological damage. By providing an alternative water source, the project helps reduce reliance on groundwater and promotes environmental recovery.

The South-North Water Transfer Project is a remarkable example of human ingenuity in tackling resource challenges. While it has provided much-needed relief to water-scarce regions, it also highlights the complexities of large-scale infrastructure projects. For other regions facing similar issues, the SNWTP serves as both an inspiration and a cautionary tale, emphasizing the importance of sustainable and holistic approaches to water management. Could such a project help the western United States with its water scarcity challenges?  

Take a moment to look at the water use trends that Drew Beckwith with the City of Westminster put together. 

Highlights from the analysis:

1. Drinking water production was +15%, and reclaim production +52%, by comparison to 2023.
2. 50% of Westminster’s water was used outdoors in 2024, with the water needs of Kentucky bluegrass measuring at the 2^nd highest level since 1954.
3. A decade ago, average water use for a single-family home was 15,000 gallons in the hottest month, today it’s closer to 12,000.
4. During summer, nearly 40% of our customers never use more than 8,000 gallons of water – the switch to Tier 2 rates.

blog.pdf

Any comments, questions, or ideas of different analyses of data can be sent to dbeckwit@westminsterco.gov. 

Contributed by Michael Hendricks

Michael Hendricks is a Water Quality & Treatment Lead for Denver Water

As the holiday season arrives, we often find ourselves surrounded by the warmth of family gatherings, the sparkle of holiday lights, and the joy of giving and receiving. Yet in the midst of all the festive bustle, it’s easy to overlook something that is fundamental to life itself: water. Water might not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think about the holidays, but it's a reminder of how interconnected we are with the world around us and how we can carry that gratitude into our holiday season.

Think about the moments that define the holiday season: the hot cocoa shared by the fireplace, the warm meals served at family feasts, the soothing baths that help us relax after a long day, or the water used in toasts as we celebrate the year gone by. Water is there in almost every holiday tradition, whether it's a part of a recipe, a decorative element like snowflakes or ice sculptures, or a symbol of renewal and celebration.

While many of us take clean, running water for granted, there are millions of people who do not have easy access to it. In some places, finding safe drinking water is a daily struggle that shapes every aspect of life. During the holiday season, a time that often centers around helping others, this is a poignant reminder of how much we can give to make a difference. Simple acts of kindness, such as donating to water charities or supporting local initiatives that promote water conservation and sustainability, can have a meaningful impact.

The holidays are not only a time to celebrate but also a time to reflect. Water has been a symbol of renewal and purification in various cultures for centuries. From the deep blue oceans that represent the vastness of possibilities to the calming rain that replenishes the earth, water represents a fresh start. It’s a perfect metaphor for the end of the year and the beginning of a new one.

Water is everywhere and in everything. It nourishes us, renews us, and keeps us going through all the seasons. During the holidays, it’s easy to become wrapped up in the excitement of gifts and meals, but taking a moment to remember the importance of water in our lives, and in the lives of others, makes this season not just one of celebration but also of reflection and gratitude. Let’s make a toast—not just to the holiday spirit, but to the water that makes all of it possible. Cheers to the gift that gives life and connects us all.

Contributed by Natalie Love 

Natalie Love is the Laboratory Research Manager at Metro Water Recovery and has enjoyed working with all of Metro’s interns. She is hoping to bring one into the lab this spring.

The Rocky Mountains brought Salina Loer from Wisconsin to Colorado. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2022 and took an internship designing and building an incubation system for hydrogen sulfide metabolizing bacteria. While her biogas internship provided excellent hands-on engineering experience, she was ready for something new. Salina came to Colorado, got a job at a ski shop, and found an internship with Metro Water Recovery. The internship provided her experience working through cool wastewater projects, all while allowing her flexibility to enjoy the Colorado outdoors.

Metro Water Recovery offers a well-established paid internship program through the Technology and Innovation Department (TID). This program has been in place for over six years with most past interns still working in the wastewater sector. Currently TID has three “Temporary Engineers”, each with a unique skillset that is utilized all over the plant. Metro’s Industrial Pretreatment Division also has a formal summer internship program, and the Laboratory Research Team is considering hosting its first intern in 2025.

One common concern among interns in poorly structured programs is being assigned only menial tasks. This is not the case with Metro. Metro TID intern Alex Chavez-Maldonado has taken on projects as diverse as struvite removal from pipes, activity testing to assess nutrient removal kinetics from activated sludge microbiology, to assessing orthophosphate spikes in the secondaries. According to Alex, “From the start, I knew the internship would be a hands-on, highly applicable experience to my career aspirations, and it has lived up to that.” The Lab Research Team is hoping to foster just as much learning as the TID program has supported, while also getting a valuable helping hand.

Our goal would be to train the Lab Research Team intern on some of the daily tasks and projects that would significantly help staff. These tasks include sample collection onsite, sample filtration and preservation, analyses on specialized instrumentation, and data compilation and presentation. In return, the interns would be gaining hands-on lab and wastewater treatment experience. Are you wondering whether your lab could support an intern? Some things to consider include:

• Scheduling does require some flexibility, but most students are still able to block out a few full days each week.
• Training is less intensive than it would be for a full-time, permanent employee who must learn everything in the lab. By focusing on a subset of tasks, interns can still gain valuable experience in less training time.
• Interns often become excellent candidates for open permanent positions allowing both parties to “test the waters” before committing.

Internships are true win-win situations with all parties gaining from the experience. Metro’s third temporary engineer, David Hood, was looking for a career change and hoped for a job that would allow him to get outdoors after many years in medical science labs. Working with instrumentation at Metro provided that along with perspective on the massive quantities of data coming from a large utility. While each day doesn’t always go as planned, David has learned a ton about instrumentation and how to manage all the little quirks and Metro has benefited from his instrumentation knowledge. All three interns have provided incredible value to Metro, significantly contributing their expertise and skills to the projects they have worked on.

Contributed by Adele Rucker 
Adele Rucker is the RMWQAA President and Laboratory Services Manager in South Platte Renew’s Laboratory. 

Where can you see over 55 teams compete in what is called The Wastewater Olympics?

Operations Challenge at WEFTEC of course!

Ops challenge is a competition, organized by WEF, the Water Environment Federation, where teams of wastewater collection and treatment professionals compete and display their skills. 

In the competition, teams compete to earn the highest score in five different events. Each team includes four members and often a coach as well. Each event is designed to test the diverse skills required for the operation and maintenance of water resource recovery facilities, collection systems, and laboratories. The five events are collections systems, laboratory, process control, maintenance and safety. Here is a summary of each event:

Collections Event

The event simulates connecting a 4-inch PVC lateral sewer to an 8-inch PVC sewer pipe; replacing a leaking section of existing 8-inch PVC sewer pipe while in service; and the construction of the Victaulic Pipe Tower per defined procedures.

Safety Event

Scenario: While a facility crew is working, one of the workers collapses inside a manhole.  The coworker is found at the bottom of a lift station (confined space) unconscious.  It is suspected that he/she has been overcome with an unknown gas or lack of oxygen due to a worn 4” check valve gasket in the station.  The in-plant rescue/repair team is immediately called to the scene. The Ops challenge team then safely rescues the coworker.

Maintenance Event

The purpose of this event is to test the skills of a maintenance team in response to issues at a sanitary pumping station. 

Process Control

The Process Control event consists of handwritten and computerized activities and simulations to test the relative process control skills of the teams.  This event highlights skills used to run a wastewater treatment plant. The questions include all areas of wastewater treatment.

Laboratory Event

Laboratory results are valuable as a record of plant operations.  This data lets the operator know how efficiently the plant is running and help predict and prevent troubles that may be developing within the various processes. Laboratory results are required as a record of performance for regulatory agencies and are of value to the operations staff and design engineers for performance optimization, troubleshooting, determination of loadings, and for determining when plant expansions are necessary. For these reasons, laboratory tests should be conducted as carefully and consistently as possible and according to appropriate analytical methods.

The entire event fosters cross training, professional development, leadership and teamwork.  Improve old skills, learn new skills, and prepare for the unexpected that is a win, win situation no matter the outcome of the competition.

Four teams from the Rocky Mountain Region competed in Ops Challenge at WEFTEC this year.  I had the privilege of being a judge in the laboratory event this year.  All of the teams worked hard to compete and we congratulate them all for their hard work and dedication.

Excerpts taken from Water Environment Federation, WEF, www.wef.org and RMWEA, rmwea.org

Contributed by Tyler Eldridge

Tyler Eldridge is a volunteer member of the RMWQAA Board, prior laboratory analyst, and current manager of Greeley’s Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Facility.

My interest in biology as a child helped foster my love for science as I grew older. I used to collect as many books and fact sheets of animals as I could. Growing up, I was fascinated with the nature documentaries, raised on “The Crocodile Hunter,” “Planet Earth,” and “Blue Planet.” You can imagine the older nature books and documentaries didn’t put a whole lot of focus microbial organisms, as all the fun seemed to be in finding which animal was the biggest, heaviest, fastest, strongest. As course work expanded, lab work became more incorporated, and work with microscopy

led to a new interest in microbiology, a study focused on the incredibly diverse microbiological organisms and systems that impact nearly every facet of our day-to-day lives.

I wasn’t sure where exactly my biology degree would take me. I had high hopes of being a marine biologist at one point, but that is tough to do when much of your time is spent a mile above sea level and thousands of miles from the ocean. I certainly didn’t anticipate wastewater treatment as an opportunity to put my degree to the test, and it’s safe to say I was even quite ignorant as to what the process of treating wastewater looked like. Even when I began working in the City of Greeley’s Wastewater lab, the focus seemed to be on the chemistry side, analyzing concentrations of ammonia, phosphorus, and BOD to prove our worth. As I saw how these microscopic entities, such as bacteria, protozoa, and fungi, play a pivotal role in breaking down organic matter and nutrients I started to wonder why the lab didn’t also have a microscope like Operation’s. After all, outside of compliance monitoring, much of the work the lab performs is to help inform how the process is operating overall, and the efficiency of treatment processes largely depends on the microbial communities present. Operational challenges, such as odor complaints or excessive foam, can often be traced back to microbial imbalances. Microscopy provides insights into these issues, enabling teams to pinpoint causes and develop solutions. Why not combine efforts and allow for a more robust chemical and biological focus between Lab and Ops? The more eyes you have on a sample, the better opportunity you have to collaborate, interpret, and understand what microbiology is telling you about your plant.

It wasn’t until recently that we went an entire year without having to replace something expensive in the lab, leaving us with a little extra in the budget as the year closed. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity to see if there was any interest in getting the lab a microscope and some training in microbial analysis. Luckily, that interest was apparent, and a microscope was purchased for the plant’s compliance and process lab. While this was not new to Operations staff, it would be new to the Lab staff, and we felt that including the lab in microbial analysis would be a great opportunity to further develop a collaborative approach to problem-solving across the plant while improving process knowledge amongst those not in Operations. This past year we sent Ian (Operations) and Callie (Lab) to a local two-day Wastewater Microbiology & Process Control course, and the returns were instantaneous. Both came back with a new and refreshed understanding of what we can learn from analyzing the microbial systems in our plant, and the ability to put a numeric value on the biological system based on several factors they can determine from microscopic evaluation. They put in place a more frequent and robust microscopy plan and generate plenty of chatter amongst staff when they find and share new or exciting microbes from the process. Increasing the frequency while expanding the number of analysts able to do the work has allowed for more extensive evaluation of a system that may be more subjective at times than other lab parameters. 

I’ve noticed more process-related discussions occurring between Lab and Operations staff, which ultimately helps build a more informed treatment plant. One thing I struggled with early in my lab career was understanding the process implications from our findings, so helping foster additional communication and collaboration between staff was something I set my sights on. Wastewater is a complex mix of organic and inorganic materials. The efficiency of treatment processes largely depends on the microbial communities present, and it can be challenging to build a full understanding when the processes responsible are invisible to the naked eye. By examining samples under a microscope, we can identify key species that contribute to effective biodegradation, which informs process optimization.

I understand there are likely many places where this overlap between Ops and Lab staff on the microscopy side may be common practice, but for us it was a new adventure. Looking under the microscope has helped break up some of the day-to-day monotony that can build up over time, and the excitement when a particularly large bristle worm or strange looking suctoria is found is palpable. I even have the chance to jump out and grab a sample to look at for myself from time to time, which brings me a calming sense of wonder (assuming no filaments are present) about nature and biology that I often miss. If you don’t often get to see what’s under the scope, reach out to your operations team to get an understanding of just how much they learn from their microscope analysis, or get you a microscope and start fostering additional communication yourself!   

Contributed By Rich MacAlpine

Rich MacAlpine is a volunteer member of the RMWQAA Board, Co-chair of the Laboratory Practices Committee, and a supervisor at Metro Water Recovery.

As water professionals, we spend a lot of time analyzing, verifying, thinking about, and using water quality data. That is good! It is needed, and it can be fun work. I enjoy working in water quality, I enjoy my co-workers, associates in the field, the challenges, and I believe that this work provides a benefit to the world.

Speaking for myself though, sometimes I can get totally wrapped up in the purely scientific qualities of water. Suspended solids, conductivity, BOD, ammonia levels, pH, metals levels, Kjeldahl nitrogen, PFAS, dissolved phosphorous, emerging contaminants, salinity, all of these can become the only way that I view water.

However, I was recently able to go on a trip where I was able to reacquaint myself with other, non-purely scientific qualities of water. Many of these are the qualities of water that attracted me to a career in water quality to begin with. It was great to align myself again with what I will call the more fun qualities of water.

Listening to waves crashing on shore while falling asleep is a wonderfully relaxing experience. Jumping into a cold lake is fun, refreshing, and invigorating. Standing under a waterfall is a powerful feeling. Diving and snorkeling give views into a whole other wonderful world. Listening to a creek is rejuvenating. Watching barges on a river is inspiring and contemplative. Watching birds land on a pond is inspiring (and can also be hilarious!). Kayaking is (somehow, magically) both relaxing and great exercise. Going to an aquarium is still fun and still educational.

I felt a renewed connection with water and with my work by being able to get out of the purely laboratory qualities of water and into the more existential qualities of water. For anyone in the water field feeling a little run down or overwhelmed at work, getting out and enjoying water on a different level (be that physical, emotional, spiritual, visual, etc.) is highly recommended! There are so many great opportunities to enjoy and get out and be amazed again by the resource that you work so hard to preserve. When you find your water outside of the lab, it can inspire your work with water in the lab!