Environmental Finance Center Network

Small systems do not need to be caught off guard when it comes to new regulations! Listen in on this conversation where the whole process is explained and what small systems can do to stay in the knowAdditional Information:
EPA | National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
EFCN Blog | Big Picture: EPA Regulations and NPDES Permits

Learn about the myriad considerations for green schoolyard design from a landscape architect's perspective. Adam De Foor-White, PLA, ASLA shares his insights and experience for those who may be considering a green schoolyard for their school. This podcast is a companion to our three-part webinar series Green Schoolyards as a Stormwater and Community Resilience Strategy, which covers funding strategies and considerations for green schoolyards.
Watch the Environmental Finance Center Network’s, “Green Schoolyards as a Stormwater and Community Resilience Strategy,” webinar series moderated by Greenprint Partners here: 
Part 1: Green Schoolyards as Stormwater & Community Resilience Strategy 
Part 2: Lessons from Milwaukee
Part 3: Lessons from Chicagoland

Every time it rains, water washing off roads and highways carries pollutants into nearby streams, rivers, and estuaries. One of the most concerning pollutants is 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ), a chemical byproduct of a common tire rubber additive that is among the most toxic substances known to aquatic life. This podcast introduces 6PPDQ to planners and technical staff who may be encountering it for the first time and shows what communities can do about it. Speakers from Washington State DOT, Herrera Inc, and Stewardship Partners will share lessons learned from using green stormwater infrastructure as a solution and discuss how municipalities, transportation agencies, and nonprofits can work together to deploy solutions, engage their communities, and access funding.
Speakers:
Tony Bush, Stormwater Branch Manager, Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
Dylan Ahearn, Principal Scientist, Herrera Inc
Soumi Gaddameedi, Grants & Development Manager, Stewardship Partners
Katie Harris, Greenprint Partners (moderator)

Additional Resources:
EFCN Webinar | Cleaning Our Waterways: Green Infrastructure Solutions for 6PPDQ
EFCN Blog | When It Rains, It Runs Off: What Every Community Should Know About 6PPDQ
WSDOT | Stormwater Retrofit Prioritization Web Map
Stewardship Partners | Adopt A Downspout

In this episode, Eva Schwendimann from the SW EFC discusses the basics of sewer smoke testing in sanitary sewer systems with Mike Rivera. Mike is a Water and Wastewater Utility Specialist at the SW EFC and has a background of working with Water and Wastewater in New Mexico systems for over 20 years. This episode walks listeners through why and how a smoke test is conducted, the equipment needed, best case weather conditions for testing, and how to collect and manage data from a smoke test.  
Episode Chapters:
Podcast Intro - 0:00:00
Mike’s experience with smoke testing - 0:01:22 
Summary of smoke test procedure - 0:04:25
What can a smoke test detect? - 0:05:02 
What is Infiltration and Inflow? - 0:05:22 
Equipment needed - 0:08:32 
Step by step procedure - 0:09:38 
How effective is smoke testing?- 0:12:18
Best weather conditions  - 0:13:14 
How to collect and manage data - 0:14:08
Podcast Outro -  0:18:57

Links to additional resources:  
NPDES: Stormwater Best Management Practice, Preventing Stormwater Contamination from Sanitary Sewage 
Sewer Smoke Testing | Fulcrum 
EFCN Blog | The Impacts of Changing Precipitation Patterns on Wastewater and Stormwater Systems

Learn why cybersecurity matters for every water and wastewater utility and how leaders can take simple, proactive steps to safeguard their operations and the communities they serve.
Additional Resources:
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
EFCN | Request Assistance with Cybersecurity or Request a Cybersecurity Training