Member Spotlight!
Ben Muñoz, Jr
General Manager, Selma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation District

How would you describe your job in a very simple, straightforward way?
Five words: Challenging, stimulating, demanding, satisfying and rewarding.

What attracted you to this type of work?
I was attracted to this work because of the opportunity presented to make a difference as a General Manager. Under my leadership, the Selma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation District (S-K-F CSD) has become an award-winning, innovative and independent wastewater district in Fresno County. Our work directly impacts the cities we operate in.
Legislative & Regulatory Update
Keep It Moving! CASA’s Wipes Legislation Passes Another Committee
AB 1672 (Bloom), CASA’s sponsored legislation on labeling non-flushable and flushable wipes, was heard by the Assembly Judiciary Committee on April 22. The bill passed by a vote of 9 to 2. The bill previously passed the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee and now heads to the assembly floor. Thanks to CASA members who submitted letters of support to these committees!

For updates about the legislation and materials to help spread the word, visit the CASA Wipes  webpage .
Public Policy Institute of California Releases Wastewater Report
On April 22, the PPIC released its new research report entitled Managing Wastewater in a Changing Climate. The  report   focuses on the impact of climate change and water scarcity on wastewater agencies.

To coincide with the release of the report, the PPIC hosted an event in Sacramento on the day of the release. CASA’s Director of Operations Adam Link served as a panelist for the discussion. He spoke about the challenges facing wastewater agencies as a result of drought climate change and the future role of wastewater agencies addressing water scarcity. More than 150 people were in attendance and many more joined on webcast.

The video of the program and a blog summarizing the discussion is available  here .
Registration Deadline Extended: AB 901 Recycling and Disposal Reporting System
May 31st is now the last day for all wastewater facilities that produce biosolids and biosolids managers to report through the new CalRecycle RDRS. The new registration requirements are part of the implementation of AB 901 of 2015.

CalRecycle hosted a related training workshop on April 17. The workshop showed attendees how to create a registration profile and demonstrated registration options for each reporting entity type. For more information and to view the training, please visit:   AB 901: Disposal and Recycling Facility Reporting Program .
Member News
Welcome New Member!
Former President of the West County Wastewater District Board of Directors Passes Away
Leonard R. McNeil, also known as “Mac,” passed away earlier this month.

McNeil was a retired Political Science Professor at Contra Costa College and had been a District Board Member since 2014. He served on numerous committees throughout his tenure. He was extremely proud of the changes made at WCWD during his time on the Board. McNeil also served on the West County Agency Joint Powers of Authority Board and was a member of the CASA communications workgroup. The WCWD Board of Director’s adjourned their April 17 meeting in honor of McNeil.
Angela Lowrey Recognized by the California Association of Public Information Officials as 2019 Communicator of the Year
CASA Communications Committee member Angela Lowrey was named by CAPIO as the state’s Communicator of the Year for 2019. Lowrey was recognized for her dedication to clean water education and resource recovery outreach. Her overall expertise in the communications field and her award-winning creativity were also highlighted.

Lowrey was recognized for her ability to strategically build trust with Delta Diablo customers by executing an extensive government communications public engagement program. This program gave visibility to the challenges and opportunities in wastewater management, water resource development and environmental stewardship.

Congratulations Angela!
The Inland Empire Utilities Agency Co-hosts Two-Day Earth Day Event
The IEUA partnered with the City of Chino to co-host a two-day Earth Day event on April 17 and 18 at the Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park. The annual Earth Day celebration provided water discovery field trips to approximately 2,000 students, parents and teachers. The event provided fun and interactive opportunities for the public to learn how they can be environmental stewards and protect natural resources. Attendees learned about water resources, compost benefits, diversity of the region's habitat and the importance of proper recycling.
Mark Your Calendar
WaterReuse Hosted Webcast: The Next Big Thing in Bioanalytical Screen Tools
In partnership with the Southern California Costal Water Research Project, WaterReuse is offering a webcast on May 15. The webcast will focus on bioanalytical screening tools for recycled water. Bioanalytical screening tools have the potential to become a trusted source for monitoring recycled water quality. In vitro cell-based assays have shown promise as bioscreening tools to assess environmental mixtures and prioritize sites requiring further investigations.

Last Call for 2019 Special Districts Legislative Days
CASA is a proud partner of the 2019 Special Districts Legislative Days which take place May 21-22 at the Sacramento Convention Center. The event is an interactive and informative two-day legislative conference. The event provides an opportunity to learn about policy changes impacting your agency and the ability to exchange ideas with California’s top decision-makers.

CASA Awards Deadline Approaching
CASA seeks to recognize members who provide essential public services and go above and beyond to protect public health and the environment. Member agencies and associates are invited to submit an Award of Excellence application by May 17. More information about the award criteria and categories is available on the website .

Award recipients will be honored at the CASA Annual Conference in San Diego.
Central Valley Clean Water Association Annual Conference Scheduled for May 15
The CVCWA Annual Conference take place on May 15 at the SASD/Regional San Office Building in Sacramento. The conference provides valuable wastewater industry insight and information for city managers, public works directors, regulators, consultants, council and board members and wastewater industry professionals.

The conference “Building Resiliency for the Future,” features eight dynamic speakers addressing building resiliency together for the next decade and beyond.

For more information check out the  CVCWA website .
Aug. 21-23, 2019