The 2023 Technical Program comprises conference thematic sessions with 136 technical presentations, 15 panels, and 6 training workshops in the tracks listed below, as well as a poster session and offsite field tour.
Poster Session
The posters will be displayed throughout the conference.
Field Tour
Offsite: Monday Sep 11, 11am – 4pm
Tour Locations:
- Estrella Park Biofiltration & Trash Capture Project: This project includes biofiltration basins, trash capture, and EV charging incorporation into the park in an at-risk community
- Mapleview Green Street Project: This retrofit project includes dispersion areas, biofiltration basins, and veg channels (Proposition 1 SWRCB Grant funded)
- Los Coches Low Flow Diversion to Sanitary Sewer: Targeting non-stormwater flows and trash (drive-through/bus discussion)
Additional Information and Requirements:
- Attendance limited to 106 participants; CASQA will confirm the attendance of registered attendees 14 days in advance
- Water and lunch is provided
- Due to tour site access requirements, all field tour attendees must travel via the CASQA-provided transportation
- Will involve getting on and off the bus at various locations, light walking on a combination of paved and unpaved surfaces, and standing for brief periods of time
- Light layered attire, comfortable closed-toe shoes, hats and/or sunglasses are recommended
- Hard hats and safety vests are not required
- Attendees are encouraged to bring cameras
Tracks
BMP Effectiveness
This track will focus on advances in BMP performance and in BMP effectiveness assessment methods for treatment control and source control practices. Assessment methods include performance monitoring, benchtop special studies, innovative assessment methods, operation and maintenance practice assessments, challenges, and solutions, and/or lessons learned/case studies.
Climate Change, Resiliency, and Sustainability
This track will look at climate resiliency, sustainable practices, legal requirements and barriers, opportunities for collaboration, and programs that connect stormwater and other environmental sectors. Important topics will be discussed such as climate change adaptation and mitigation, water supply, water rights, groundwater recharge, energy, watershed management, integrating climate resiliency with green stormwater infrastructure, and wildfire planning.
Construction General Permit
This track will focus on the newly adopted 2022 CGP and will include discussions on permit changes and address construction stormwater challenges including: innovative BMPs and controls; TMDL implementation; passive treatment; challenges and solutions to site management; implementing cost controls; resolving monitoring and sampling issues; dealing with the different challenges of linear underground and overhead projects; and other implementation challenges with the newly adopted permit.
Equity and Environmental Justice
This track will focus on the connections between the business of water management and its direct and indirect impact on underserved communities and will include discussions of current programs; lessons learned; and how to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of our work in stormwater communities.
Funding
This track will address stormwater program and infrastructure funding and financing, including asset management—both tracking for capitalization and schedule for replacing aging infrastructure, its role in full stormwater program integration, and funding and financing mechanisms that may be available to the regulated community.
Industrial General Permit
This track will cover various aspects of the Industrial General Permit such as pollutant source assessments, monitoring and reporting, Exceedance Response Action requirements, Best Management Practices (BMPs), Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), water quality based corrective actions, compliance options, permit participation initiatives (e.g., SB 205), and Clean Water Act citizen lawsuits.
Looking Beyond California
This track will focus on advances and practices developed outside of California that California’s stormwater practitioners may benefit from. Examples include water management practices, climate/coastal resiliency examples, scientific advances, or any other stormwater practice relevant to California!
Modeling and Data Tools
This track will focus on modeling of all types, including hydrologic, water quality, and geographic information systems (GIS). Innovative data collection, visualization, assessment tools, and quantification methods and metrics. This track will also include how data tools from other industries may be repurposed for use in the stormwater arena.
Monitoring and Special Studies
This track will highlight innovations in monitoring methodologies or monitoring programs and the development and implementation of special studies such as those investigating pollutant source, fate, and transport, including how monitoring results can be used to inform stormwater management.
Municipal Programs
This track will focus on the challenges and solutions faced while implementing a municipal stormwater program for Phase I and Phase II agencies, The track will also address emerging issues for municipalities such as planning activities for permit compliance, workforce development, operations and maintenance, permanent post-construction BMPs, monitoring program challenges and unique solutions, and transient encampments.
Outreach, Engagement, and Education
This track will share ideas for creating and implementing innovative stormwater outreach projects/programs that are designed to educate the community about stormwater pollution, actions they can take to protect local waterbodies and their watersheds, and the importance of recognizing and utilizing stormwater as a resource. Projects/programs can include efforts such as media campaigns, social media strategies, educational programs for youth, rebate programs, engaging with underserved communities, and measuring the effectiveness of outreach and education activities.
Pollutants of Concern
This track will focus on statewide priority pollutants, in addition to contaminants of emerging concern: what we know or don’t know or need to learn, upcoming regulatory changes that may impact the stormwater community, and new advances in science that allow us to measure or characterize both human and environmental risk related to emerging contaminants. The topics could include trash, PFAS, mercury, pesticides, microplastics, and other constituents of concern.
Regulatory and Legislation
This track will provide a forum for updates from regulators, discussions of future policy and legislative initiatives, newly enacted legislation and its impacts on stormwater, updates from legal experts, and examples and case studies of legislative engagement and innovative ways that regulatory obligations can be met.
Stormwater Capture, Use, Green Infrastructure, and Nature-Based Solutions
This track will highlight examples of physical infrastructure for improving stormwater runoff quality, protecting natural channels from the effects of hydromodification, preventing flood impacts to property, recharging groundwater supplies, permanent post-construction BMPs, and stormwater capture and use. It will focus on planning efforts, pilot studies, design lessons learned, operation and maintenance challenges / solutions, and adaptive management strategies after installation.
