American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Orange County, Calif., Water System Wins 2009 OCEA

Orange County wastewater purification
facility, Fountain Valley, Calif.

For its creative, effective solution to water shortage challenges, the Orange County, Calif., Groundwater Replenishment System has been selected as the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement for 2009. With water demand soaring in southern California, Orange County needed a solution that was more cost-effective than importing water or desalination and would satisfy needs for decades to come. The county's Water and Sanitation District opted for a process that recycles and purifies wastewater and returns it to reservoirs and groundwater aquifers – one which also mitigates the impact of droughts. ASCE President Wayne Klotz calls the system "an excellent example of how civil engineering can contribute to a community's economic success, improve residents' quality of life and protect public safety." The award was announced and presented to Orange County water officials at the Society's OPAL Gala Thursday evening.

Find out more about the Groundwater Replenishment System – read about it and watch a 2009 Report Card water systems video that shows how it works. See the five other distinguished projects that were contenders for the 2009 OCEA.
View photos of the OPAL Gala, including the award-winning guests of honor. Watch brief video profiles with background on each of the Outstanding Projects and Leaders winners, the top OCEA project and five other nominees, plus the Pankow Award for Innovation and the Michel Award for Research winners.

New Details of 2009 Report Card's D Grade Released

Get the facts behind the overall D grade announced by ASCE in January. The complete 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure is now available, detailing the rationale behind the grades in 15 categories. Two months ago, with the new president, Congress and the nation debating how much of the economic stimulus package should go toward infrastructure, the Society chose to move up the release of the Report Card to draw more attention to the need for reinvestment. Now, the guidance from professional engineers that informed the grades is available. Visit the upgraded Report Card site for detailed yet easily accessible analysis of each category, an assessment of your state's status, case studies of successful projects, suggestions for actions you can take and ways you can get involved, and more.

Discover the specifics behind the grades at the official 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure site.
Share your comments and track the progress of action in Washington in ASCE's blog, Our Failing Infrastructure.
President Obama has cited the Report Card and ASCE in making a case for infrastructure investment in everything from town hall appearances to his 2010 budget outline. Find out from the official White House blog what he said at a recent town hall. Learn more about the budget's reference to ASCE, and see the actual page (PDF) from the relevant section of the budget outline.

Manage These Times With ASCE's Helpful Resource

Are you feeling the pinch of the recession, or are you fearing that you soon will? ASCE has a one-stop resource of what the Society has to offer that can help you continue to succeed and move forward in your professional and personal life. From assisting you in a job search, to building your professional skills, to making sure your personal finances can withstand the buffeting of the markets, Survive & Thrive includes links to a wide array of help available from ASCE.

Check out the Survive & Thrive guide, and bookmark it for easy reference later.

Pankow CEO Looks Ahead -- Hear His Views in Podcast

Listen to the latest conversation in ASCE's new series of podcasts with noted civil engineering industry leaders, Insights. This month's guest is Richard M. "Rik" Kunnath, P.E., DBIA, the chief executive officer of Pankow Operating, Inc., the holding company for the various construction businesses that constitute the Pankow group of companies. Pankow is internationally recognized for its innovative construction methods, and as one of the industry's foremost practitioners of Design-Build as a project delivery technique. Rik joins Insights to talk about the need for additional creativity and innovation via economic incentives, as well as the challenges presented by existing project delivery methods in the engineering industry. He also touches on both the opportunities and threats that commoditization and globalization present for the future of the industry.

Listen to the Insights podcast now or download it to hear at your convenience on your MP3 player.

ASCE Newslink

U.S. Infrastructure Crumbling, According to Report Card

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