The topic for this Lunch and Learn will be announced in the near future. Please send us an email with what you would like to learn! We are here to serve your needs!
An Online Teams Link will be sent to all registrants prior to the Lunch & Learn. more info...
Form your teams and join us throughout the day!
One CEH, Fun, and Food at Shiloh Clays in Calera, Alabama just south of Birmingham off I 65.
Everyone on-site is required to sign two waivers. One for Shiloh Clays and one for AWEA. If you register other participants, please forward them this webpage so they can each click-sign these waivers online. 1.) Shiloh Clays' Waiver here.
2.) AWEA Waiver here.
Let's fill up these teams!
Not up for competing? Please join the fun as a volunteer! Many hands make for light work and a fun event! Please contact Susan.McCrispin@awea-al.com to sign up.
Please see the following links for more information:
This month, AWEA is partnering with the Alabama Water Institute (AWI) and the
Young Water Professionals (YWP) of The University of Alabama.
Please register - parking information will be sent to all registrants!
Tuesday, October 20, at 10:30 am
Smart Communities & Innovation Building (Room 1017)
28 Kirkbride Lane, The University of Alabama
AWEA hosts monthly meetings through a combination of in-person gatherings and online Teams meetings.
This year, our in-person meetings will be hosted at utilities and college campuses, providing opportunities to connect with water professionals and learn more about facilities and programs across Alabama. Other meetings will be held virtually via Teams.
Lunch sponsors are welcome! Sponsors receive approximately 5 minutes to introduce their company, products, and services to attendees.
Cybersecurity Essentials for Water Treatment Operators
Recent cyber incidents targeting U.S. water and wastewater systems have highlighted the growing risks facing critical infrastructure, including attacks against operational technology and control systems used to manage water treatment processes. This training session will provide practical cybersecurity awareness, best practices, and risk mitigation strategies to help water treatment professionals protect their facilities, strengthen resilience, and safeguard the communities they serve.
Doug Smedley, Wastewater Superintendent, City of Prattville, with Grade 4 certification will conduct a tutorial session prior to the plant tour conducted by Napoleon Wilks, Plant Lead Operator, City of Prattville Wastewater Department, with Grade 4 certification.
At Prattville Utilities’ Pine Creek Clean Water Facility, wastewater enters the plant through the collection system and is pumped to the headworks. There, fine mechanical screens remove large debris, followed by a grit-removal system that removes smaller inorganic materials such as sand and grit. The screened and de-gritted wastewater then enters the biological treatment process in the Vertical Loop Reactors (VLR) where it undergoes both anoxic and aerobic treatment phases before going into the aeration basins. The fine-bubble aeration tanks provide additional biological treatment. From there, the flow enters final clarifiers, where biological solids settle and are separated from the treated water. A portion of the settled biomass is returned to the biological process, while excess solids are removed for solids processing. The clarified effluent is then disinfected using ultraviolet (UV) light before the facility discharges it. The removed biosolids are dewatered using screw presses. The dewatered material then undergoes alkaline stabilization using the Schwing Bioset process, in which lime-based chemical treatment raises the pH and temperature to produce Class A biosolids. The resulting Class A biosolids are suitable for beneficial land application and agricultural use. The overall process allows Prattville to recover and beneficially reuse biosolids while producing a highly treated, disinfected effluent for discharge to the Alabama River.
In addition to the 2-hour Tutorial, Plant Tour, and Q & A Session, AWEA will hold its November monthly meeting and lunch. Registered participants are welcome to participate.
Agenda for the day:
9:45 am - Registration
10:00 am - Classroom Tutorial, Tour, and Q & A
12:00 pm - Lunch
12:45 pm - AWEA Monthly Meeting (approximately 1 hour) more info...
AWEA is proud to host the AL/MS Water Joint Annual Conference in conjunction with the AL/MS Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and the Mississippi Water Environment Association (MWEA).
The AL/MS Water Joint Annual Conference is a centralized event for water professionals in Alabama and Mississippi, focused on education, training, and networking. It's a great place to get your CEHs!
This conference in Mobile brings together water professionals and students from Alabama and Mississippi, including operators, equipment manufacturers, service providers, and regulatory experts, to foster collaboration and innovation in the water sector.
Please mark you calendars for April 4 - 7, 2027. Details will be coming soon!
Operator Certification "Crash Course" - Now's your time to ask questions of the pro! Your time to ask questions of Jeremy Creel, Certified Grade IV Operator and Instructor, is coming soon.
The original date of May 6 has been postponed. We will post the new date as soon as it's available. more info...
