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Training Events & Webinars

​Upcoming Training Events & Webinars

 

Rates and Rate Structure Designs for Small Water Systems in Illinois– July 15, 2020, 1:00-2:00 p.m. CT – webinar

How you charge your customers can be as important as how much you charge them. This webinar will describe different elements of water rate structures, and when it is appropriate to favor certain elements or rate structure designs over others based on the unique characteristics and objectives of the utility. Additionally, this webinar will show you how to compare your rates against other systems’ rates by providing a demonstration of the Northeast Illinois Water and Wastewater Rates Dashboard. This webinar is for managers, owners, and Managers, owners, and operators of small water systems serving less than 10,000 people, including local government systems and tribal systems, as well as all other types of water systems (e.g., homeowners associations, mobile home parks, resorts/campgrounds, schools, prisons); decision-makers for water utilities, including mayors, finance officers, utility managers, public works directors, city councilors, board members, tribal council members, and clerks; and consultants and technical assistance providers serving water systems. Attendees are eligible for 1.5 hours of training credit for drinking water certifications in IL; Course # 15324. Instructor: Shadi Eskaf, Director of Research at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Offered in partnership with University of North Carolina School of Government Environmental Finance Center,  the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation, and the Government Finance Officers Association. No cost to attend. For more details or to register, visit https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/932663344895648268.

 

Resilience Planning and Adaptation Training for the Water Utility Sector – Thursday, July 23, 2020, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon – webinar

Back by popular demand! The Minnesota Rural Water Association, Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are hosting a free training for drinking water, stormwater and wastewater utilities on resilience planning and adapting to current and future extreme weather threats. Attendees will learn about how sharing information about how environmental conditions and extreme weather events (such as drought and flooding) could impact drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities in Minnesota; the EPA’s Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) resources and tools, including CREAT, a risk assessment application; how utilities that use EPA’s Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (VSAT) to comply with the risk and resilience assessment requirements in Section 2013 of America’s Water Infrastructure Act can export VSAT results into CREAT to better assess the long-term impacts of their natural disaster threats; how to identify and share information on adaptation strategies to build utility long-term resilience and discuss strategies for making the business case to invest in resilience; how to share utility stories of successful resilience planning efforts and adaptation activities; and how to provide an overview of available resources for financing resilience and adaptation. This webinar is ideally suited for drinking water, wastewater and stormwater utility staff and management involved with planning, operations, sustainability and risk management; technical assistance providers; local, state, federal and tribal government officials; watershed planners; and water sector associations. Attendees can earn 6.0 contact hours for certified water operators and certified wastewater operators are available for participation. No cost to attend. Deadline to register is July 21. For more details, view the flyer at http://gleic.org/sites/efc/files/resources/advertisements/2020resiliencewkshp-webinar.pdf or e-mail Alfredo Lagos (alfredo.lagos@gdit.com). To register, visit https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2206305728875326478.

 

POSTPONED: An Introduction to the Great Lakes Environmental Infrastructure Center, the EPA Region 5 Environmental Finance Center – December 1-3, 2020 April 28, 2020, 2:55-3:55 p.m. – Novi, Michigan

A session at the Great Lakes Water Infrastruture Conference, April 28-30. The Great Lakes Environmental Infrastructure Center (GLEIC) serves as the Environmental Finance Center for the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 5, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The GLEIC's mission is to provide technical, managerial, and financial advice to help small rural communities build innovative, cost-effective, high-quality strategies for environmental improvement. This introduction to the center will give attendees and overview of the GLEIC and provide a mini "Infrastructure Finance Basics" workshop. This mini-workshop covers infrastructure funding, asset management principles, interest rates and loans, municipal notes and bonds, and fees and assessments. Presenter: John Sullivan, PE, Senior Research Engineer, Great Lakes Environmental Infrastructure Center. Register by April 17, 2020. Registration for April 28th only is $95 or for entire three-day conference is $175. For more details or to register, visit https://www.michigan.gov/egle/0,9429,7-135-3308_3333-500683--,00.html.

 

POSTPONED: Setting the Right Rates for Your System Workshop – No new date April 23, 2020, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. – Rockford, Illinois

This intermediate-level workshop will ensure the financial stability of your water system while providing safe, quality drinking water at fair rates. The workshop will focus on how systems can select rate-setting objectives and match those with appropriate rate structures. This workshop is appropriate for any community water system that charges customers for water consumption. It is designed for drinking water system managers, clerks, treasurers, board members, and others who budget and/or set rates. Attendees will learn how to 1) develop rate-setting objectives, 2) determine the cost of providing water service, 3) anticipate changes in revenues year to year by changes in demand, 4) measure the affordability of rates for all of your customers, and 5) create rate structures that promote water conservation or promote water use. Instructor: Shadi Eskaf, Research Director, The Environmental Finance Center at The University of North Carolina. No cost to attend. For more details or to register, visit https://efcnetwork.org/events/illinois-setting-the-right-rates-for-your-....

 

Stay tuned! More events coming soon!

 

Registering for a Training Event

Please note that GLEIC event registration is handled by the Center for Technology & Training at Michigan Technological University; you will be forwarded to their event registration page when clicking on more information or registration links. If you have a question about your registration, you can contact the GLEIC at gleic-support@mtu.edu or (906) 487-2102 or you can contact the Center for Technology & Training at ctt@mtu.edu or (906) 487-2102.

 

Continuing Education Policy

​Please refer to the GLEIC Continuing Education Policy for information on using GLEIC training sessions for professional engineering license continuing education requirements.

 

Past Training Events & Webinars

  • Intro to Asset Management and Lead Service Line Replacement – October 17, 2019 – Maize, Kansas – view event details 
    • In this workshop, you will learn how asset management can benefit your system, and get answers to several important questions relating to lead service line replacement. With limited revenues, aging infrastructure, and regulatory obligations to meet, a comprehensive approach to managing your system is vital. You may have problems related to unknown meter, valve, or hydrant locations. You may not be sure of which asset(s) to replace given limited funds. Asset Management can help you solve these problems, and more. The concerns about lead water pipes were elevated nationally by the problems with lead in the potable water in Flint, Michigan. Lead has been banned in connection with potable water use by Federal law since 1986. This workshop will provide an overview of key information and facts regarding lead service line replacement. You will learn: 1) How to identify the five core components of asset management, 2) How to make decisions about operating, maintaining, repairing, and replacing those assets,  3) How to set goals for level of service at a sustainable cost, 4) Why lead service line replacement is important, 5) How lead gets into drinking water, 6) What the lead service line federal rules and regulations are. Presenters at this workshop are Jerry Blain, PE, project associate at Wichita State University Environmental Finance Center, and John A. Sullivan, PE, senior research engineer at Michigan Technological University Great Lakes Environmental Infrastructure Center.
  • Lead Service Line Replacement Webinar – September 12, 2019
    • The concerns about lead water pipes were elevated nationally by the problems with lead in the potable water in Flint, Michigan. Lead has been banned in connection with potable water use by federal law since 1986. In this webinar, we will answer several importan questions related to lead service line replacement, including: 1) Why is lead a problem? 2) Why is lead service line replacement important? 3) How does lead get into drinking water? 4) What are the federal rules and regulations? This webinar is presented by John A. Sullivan, PE, senior research engineer at the Great Lakes Environmental Infrastructure Center at Michigan Technological University.
  • Minnesota Water Utilities Resilience Planning & Adaptation Training – July 18, 2019 – St. Could, Minnesota – view event flyer
  • How to Start Your Needed Infrastructure Project Webinar – April 23, 2019 – slides
    • Infrastructure upgrades and improvements are a necessary part of operating a small water or wastewater system, but they can often be difficult to get started. In this webinar, the GLEIC's John Sullivian will explain where to look for sources of infrastructure funding, including USDA Rural Development programs and State Revolving Fund programs, and how to assemble and select a team of professionals. He will also detail the services and contributions of financial, legal, and technical project partners; the quality-based selection process for technical engineering services; and the services that engineers provide during the preliminary, design, and construction phases of the project. This event is sponsored by Smart Management for Small Water Systems.
  • Great Lakes Commission des Grands Lacs Integrated Water Asset Management Webinar Series (1: What is Integrated Water Asset Management; 2: Water Infrastructure Financing and IWAM; 3: Technology and IWAM; 4: IWAM Policy and Program Implementation – February-May 2019 – Recordings of all IAMM webinars
  • 2019 EPA Region 5 Water Forum & Pre-forum EFC Network Asset Management for Water Systems Workshop – February 19 & 20 – Mount Pleasant, Michigan 
  • 2018 Infrastructure Finance Basics Workshop – May 23 – St. Cloud, Minnesota 
  • 2017 Infrastructure Finance Basics Workshop – July 26 – Mount Pleasant, Michigan
  • 2017 Strategic Land-Use Planning Webinar – July 25
  • 2017 Infrastructure Finance Basics Workshop – Wausau, Wisconsin

POSTPONED: Setting the Right Rates for Your System Workshop – No new date April 23, 2020, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. – Rockford, Illinois

This intermediate-level workshop will ensure the financial stability of your water system while providing safe, quality drinking water at fair rates. The workshop will focus on how systems can select rate-setting objectives and match those with appropriate rate structures. This workshop is appropriate for any community water system that charges customers for water consumption. It is designed for drinking water system managers, clerks, treasurers, board members, and others who budget and/or set rates. Attendees will learn how to 1) develop rate-setting objectives, 2) determine the cost of providing water service, 3) anticipate changes in revenues year to year by changes in demand, 4) measure the affordability of rates for all of your customers, and 5) create rate structures that promote water conservation or promote water use. Instructor: Shadi Eskaf, Research Director, The Environmental Finance Center at The University of North Carolina. No cost to attend. For more details or to register, visit https://efcnetwork.org/events/illinois-setting-the-right-rates-for-your-....