Update: YWP Committee by Katie Hoek Mentoring Program Chair he Young Water Professionals (YWP) Committee is pleased to report that we are seeing increased participation in the Committee and together we’re brainstorming ways to keep new members excited about the Section and AWWA while providing meaningful opportunities for networking and increased involvement within the Section. The Committee has identified an Action Plan for 2013 aimed at increasing the involvement of young operators on the Committee and our sponsored activities. We are planning a trivia night for the 100th Anniversary Celebration in Rochester in conjunction with the Water for People Committee, as well as planning some regional networking events for 2013. We are hoping these will include a talk or treatment plant tour along with some socializing. On this last item, we’re looking for ideas and volunteers to help identify speakers and tours so please contact me with any leads. In addition, this year the YWP Committee initiated a presentation contest at the Water Event and Expo in Saratoga. Young Water Professionals, Better than Ever T We had four great talks with presenters competing for a chance to win an all expenses paid trip to the Association’s Annual Conference (ACE) in Denver this June. There was a great turnout at this YWP Session and audience members judged the speakers on the timeliness of the topic, presentation skills, and overall value of the talk. All of the presentations were quite good and in the end, I’m pleased to announce that Marc Santos won with his presentation on a project aimed at lifting a NYSDOH ‘Do Not Drink’ order for a small community in Dutchess County. A special thanks to Paul Brandt for his presentation on an Advanced Oxidation Study underway at the Suffolk County Water Authority, Vijesh KarattVellatt on the importance of sequencing repairs for a water transmission main project in Virginia, and Anjali Ganess for her presentation on a comprehensive flushing program for Breezy Point, Queens following Hurricane Sandy. In the future we’d like to have YWP speakers participate from different segments of the Sec- tion’s population – operators, engineers, regulators, municipalities and vendors – so please think about presenting or encouraging a young member to present. Watch for the request for abstracts in advance of next year’s contest! Finally, we’ve had a lot of success this year in forming student chapters and interest groups around the state, most notably the Rochester Institute of Technology and Clarkson University. Several students from both Clarkson and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute were able to join us in Saratoga. It was great networking with these energetic students and we look forward to their continued involvement on the Committee and in the Section. We are always trying to reach new individuals and increase involvement, so if any existing or new YWPs are interested in getting involved, please don’t hesitate to contact me! NYWARN... Continued from Page 11 The steering committee is working hard to improve and promote the WARN program and has some very exciting ideas in the works including a smart phone application that will allow quick and easy access to our network, our resources, our operational plan, and the necessary paperwork that systems may need in an emergency situation. We will also be reviewing and updating our operational plan in the near future to improve our response in future emergency situations. Remember the backbone of the WARN concept is the Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement. It is where provisions for network activation, reimbursement, liability, and other issues are mutually agreed upon by participating utilities. Participation is voluntary; there is no obligation to respond, and there is no direct cost to become a member of the network, and it works! What are you waiting for? Become a member now! For more information on NYWARN or to become a member, go to www.nywarn. org 12 SPRING/SUMMER 2013 AqUARIUS