– The next CASQA General Membership Meeting is May 9, 2008 in Ontario, CA.  The meeting will provide an overview of the BMP strategy of "true source control."  Source controls, one of the two general categories of best management practices (BMPs), work by keeping potential pollutants out of stormwater while the other major category of BMPs – treatment controls work by removing potential pollutants once they are in stormwater.  Most source controls are focused on physically keeping potential pollutants out of contact with rainfall and stormwater runoff through covering, containment, or cleaning.  "True source control," a subset of source controls, focuses on the original source of a potential pollutant by eliminating or significantly reducing the existence of the potential pollutant, thereby negating the need to physically prevent contact with rain or runoff.  

The meeting day is organized as a review of the state of true source control through a series of presentations focused on true source control efforts focused on different pollutants and in different stages of development.  The meeting will also feature Federal and State updates from the State Water Board and USEPA Region IX, and a featured update on the State’s General Construction Permit. 

The deadline for online meeting registration is May 8th, by 5 PM.   Click here for the agenda.

Can’t make it to the meeting?  CASQA is also offering a LIVE Webcast for those who are not able to attend in person.  For the LIVE Webcast, you have the option to purchase "individual use" or "site use" access.  The deadline for online webcast registration is May 7th, by 5 PM.   Click here for the agenda. 

• DATE:  Friday, May 9, 2008; 9 am - 3 pm
• LOCATION:  Doubletree Hotel Ontario Airport, Ontario, CA
• DESCRIPTION:  CASQA General Meeting including special presentations / panel discussions on meeting topic – "True Source Control - Opportunities and Challenges for Stormwater Programs".

Attend first-time workshops on this groundbreaking manual, featuring interactive sessions and hands-on exercises.  Receive a free copy of the CASQA manual with attendance. 

Register now – space is limited to the first 30 registrants per workshop.  Workshops hours: Check-in 8:30 AM; Start 9:00 AM; End: 3:30 PM.  See dates and locations on the attached flyer.

The mission of the CASQA Awards Program is to advance the stormwater quality management profession by identifying and recognizing exemplary leadership, outstanding projects, activities, and contributions to the field of stormwater quality management.

CASQA members are invited to nominate a worthy individual, project, or media item for an award. Nominations will only be accepted from current CASQA members; however, an individual, project, or media item being nominated need not be a member of CASQA or affiliated with a CASQA member.

To be considered, nominations must be received by June 13, 2008 at 5:00 P.M.. Award winners will be notified in July of 2008, and invited to attend the CASQA awards presentation to be held in conjunction with the CASQA 2008 Stormwater Conference at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, California, September 22-24, 2008.

For details on the information needed to include with your nomination, please click here.  For specific submittal instructions, please click here, or available at: casqa.org.

Download the summary.

CASQA will be following up its first three critically acclaimed annual conferences with a three-day 2008 annual conference (September 22-24) at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, California.  Visit the stormwater conference website for the latest information on nominations for awards and registration as it becomes available in the coming months.  Abstracts can only be submitted through the abstract submittal page on CASQA’s conference website by the abstract deadline.  All abstracts must be received by Friday, May 23, 2008.  See Call for Papers and Presentations for details.

CASQA presented its 2007 stormwater awards at its 3rd Annual Stormwater Conference awards luncheon Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at the Hilton Hotel in Costa Mesa. The CASQA awards program identifies and recognizes exemplary leadership, outstanding projects, activities and contributors in the field of stormwater quality management.

“These projects embody the California Stormwater Quality Association’s goals to advance stormwater quality management, science and regulation. We are recognizing these projects because of their success, innovation and dedication to the improvement of stormwater quality in California,” said Jeff Endicott, member of the Board of Directors and Awards Committee Chair.

This year’s four award recipients received recognition for excellence in four categories:

• The Treatment Control/Structural BMP Implementation Award was presented to the City of Santa Monica for its Westside Water Quality Improvement project, which is a two-stage dry and wet weather runoff treatment facility that removes both gross and soluble pollutants.
• The Source Control/Programmatic BMP Implementation Award was presented to the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department for its commercial/industrial stormwater compliance program, which promotes consistency in education, enforcement and reporting throughout the region.
• The Outstanding Stormwater Research Project Award was presented to the Irvine Ranch Water District for the Cienega Selenium and Nitrogen Treatment System Project, which examined the treatability of selenium-rich waters and succeeded in reducing pollutants that are usually difficult to address in urban runoff, such as selenium, nitrates and bacteria.
• The Outstanding Stormwater News, Information, Outreach, and Media Award was presented to the San Mateo County Water Pollution Prevention Program for its Coastal Cleanup Day 2006. The SMCWPPP implemented a community outreach plan in which it educated residents about disposable plastic bag consumption and its effects, and distributed 3,000 reusable shopping bags. SMCWPP also used this outreach to further publicize Cleanup Day 2006, which experienced an increase in volunteer efforts by 60 percent due to its promotion prior to cleanup day.

CASQA’s 2008 Stormwater Conference will be held in Oakland, September 22-24, 2008.  Mark your calendar and make your budget request now.  Almost 600 stormwater quality professionals participated in this year’s 3^rd  annual conference in Costa Mesa and by virtually all accounts the conference was a big success.  The theme for this year’s conference is “Collaboration and Innovation to Achieve Water Quality Goals” (Save-the-Date reminder card attached).