Philip D. Guerin, MCWRS Executive Director

Ted Henifin, Interim Third-Party Manager for the Jackson Water System

Ted Henifin was appointed the Interim Third-Party Manager (ITPM) for the Jackson Water System by Federal District Judge Henry T. Wingate on November 29, 2022. As the ITPM, Henifin is an officer of the court and responsible for stabilizing the system to ensure safe and reliable water is available for all people served by the Jackson water system. Prior to that, Henifin served as General Manager of the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) for more than 15 years, retiring in 2022. While at HRSD he built a culture of innovation which led to the development of the novel Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT), a large-scale managed aquifer recharge program, unique in the eastern US. He previously served for nine years as Director of Public Works for the City of Hampton. Henifin holds a bachelor's of science in civil engineering from the University of Virginia. He is a registered professional engineer in Mississippi and Virginia

This panel revisits three recent water infrastructure challenges, including a major water transmission main break, a cyber-attack on a large utility and a sewer pumping station failure. Panelists will summarize the incident, describe the response actions to restore systems and offer insights into the impacts on the community served. The panel discussion will focus on lessons learned and steps taken to prevent or better respond to a recurrence.

Panelists:

Peter Hunt, BWSC CIO

Stephen Estes-Smargiassi, MWRA

Dylan Ludy, Worcester Department of Public Works & Parks

Meet with other water resource professionals from around the country!

This panel will offer insights into recent national and state legislation, regulations, policies, legal actions and court decisions that may affect those managing or using water infrastructure systems. Panelists will describe recent and pending legislative, legal and regulatory actions, how they might impact communities, and the current status of these developments. The panel discussion will center on advocacy options to best address these concerns.

Panelists:

Robert D. Cox, Jr., Of Counsel, Bowditch

Beth Card, Senior Policy Advisor, Smith, Costello & Crawford

Nathan Gardner-Andrews, Chief Advocacy & Policy Officer, National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA)

MCWRS President Philip D. Guerin will present the Joseph J. Superneau Leadership Award & the Robert L. Moylan, Jr. Project of the Year Award.

Visit our awards page for more information.

This panel explores the issue of wastewater biosolids disposal given the concern with PFAS and its potential to be spread to various environmental media through standard biosolids disposal practices. Panelists will summarize the biosolids situation in Massachusetts and recent legislation that would curtail disposal options. Panelists will also describe past and present biosolids disposal at representative wastewater treatment facilities and offer a path toward a solution through the Biohub initiative. Panel discussion will focus on the potential impacts of the proposed legislation and what will be needed to ensure that biosolids disposal options continue to be available.

Panelists:

Aaron Fox, Executive Director, Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility

Mickey Nowak, Government Affairs Chairperson, Government Affairs Chairperson, Massachusetts Water Environment Association

Paul J. Ferland, Administrator, Fall River Department of Community Utilities.

Jennifer Lichtensteiger, Environmental Engineer, NEIWPCC

Todd Brown, Senior Consultant, Tighe & Bond

For more information on Biosolids Disposal, visit the Advocacy Priorities page of our website.

This presentation highlights the joint efforts of the Springfield Water & Sewer Commission, Upper Blackstone Clean Water and the Narragansett Bay Commission to investigate the potential for a multi-state, regional incinerator for wastewater biosolids disposal. The presenters will offer their initial findings on the scope of the biosolids disposal issue, the feasibility and costs for this disposal option and identify obstacles to be overcome in order to make this solution a reality.

Presenters:

Joshua Schimmel, Executive Director, Springfield Water & Sewer Commission

Karla Sangrey, Executive Director, Upper Blackstone Clean Water

Jim McCaughey, Deputy Director, Narragansett Bay Commission

Philip D. Guerin, MCWRS Executive Director