Industrial Water, Waste & Sewage Group Since 1948……. |
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Happy Tax Day!
It is hard to believe that IWWSG’s 78th Meeting Season is fast coming to its conclusion! The events so far have been successful, and our Steering Committee is working on finalizing plans for the remaining parts of the ’25-’26 Season. We had very successful meetings in February and March (see recaps below), and our April meeting tonight at the Chicago Maritime Museum will be sure to be a great event!
As always, I want to convey our gratitude to our members (especially our meeting attendees!), speakers, Steering Committee members & other volunteers, and everyone else who helps keep IWWSG vibrant, relevant, successful and fun! Our goal is to always strive for a very active, informative & educational year, with great speakers & networking opportunities held at enjoyable venues! We hope to see you at the April meeting! Thank you!!
Cheers! |
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Barb Scapardine '25-'26 Chair - IWWSG Steering Committee membership@IWWSG.org
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On January 21, to lighten up the winter doldrums, IWWSG held a comedy club networking event at Annoyance Theatre & Bar. The networking event was designed for professionals to meet peers, build connections, and learn more about getting involved with IWWSG. |
On February 18, at Chuck’s Southern Comfort Café in Darien, IWWSG & IWEA held their annual joint association dinner meeting, featuring an engaging open-forum panel discussion led by three panelists:
● Chriso Petropoulou, PhD - Senior Principal Environmental Engineer, Geosyntec Consultants
● Tim Briscoe - Associate Attorney, Thompson Coburn LLP
● Stephen B. Peterson - Four Rivers Sanitation Authority, Wastewater Compliance Division Manager
The panelists provided timely and important information on industrial pretreatment topics. The meeting provided a unique opportunity to hear multiple perspectives on pretreatment issues while connecting with control authorities, industrial users, consultants, and legal professionals. Thank you to our panelists!! |
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At our March 18 meeting, held at the Erie Café, we were very fortunate to have Debra Shore, one of the Midwest’s leading environmental protection advocates for more than 30 years, as our speaker. Shore served for nearly three terms on the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and in October 2021, President Biden appointed her to be the Regional Administrator of USEPA Region 5, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and 36 Tribal Nations. Shore served as Regional Administrator until January 20, 2025. In her presentation to IWWSG, she reflected on 18 years on the water (and regulatory) front, both in the greater Chicago region and more broadly in the Midwest, as well as what’s needed for a sustainable future and where the action will be in the future.
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PFAS contamination has emerged as a central concern in the ongoing effort to ensure safe and reliable drinking water. This meeting, which will be held at the Chicago Maritime Museum, will feature two presentations addressing complementary aspects of the PFAS problem: detection and treatment. Together, they offer water and wastewater professionals a look at cutting-edge tools and strategies, from real-time field sensing to upstream industrial pretreatment, that are shaping how the industry approaches PFAS control.
Dr. Junhong Chen, is currently Crown Family Professor of Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and Lead Water Strategist & Senior Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. Dr. Chen will present an innovative approach to real-time water quality monitoring using molecularly engineered 2D nanomaterials in a field-effect transistor platform.
John Dyson, Product Manager at Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc., has over 25 years of experience in the water/wastewater industry. John will address PFAS control at the source, focusing on industrial pretreatment strategies that reduce PFAS loading before contaminated wastewater reaches municipal treatment facilities. REGISTRATION CLOSED TODAY! At the April 15 meeting, the 2026 E. Ted Erickson “Distinguished Environmental Professional Award” recipient will be announced and the award presented!! |
Bring your cash$$$ There will be 2 - Fine Wine Basket Raffles at this event!!!
And, a big thank you to our April 15 meeting sponsor: |
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