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To submit content or inquire about the newsletter, website, or social media platforms, please contact: Mathias Leiendecker | Managing Editor, Craig Kelman & Associates Email: mathias@kelman.ca
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See You in Kearney
As fall sets in and my children return to school, our household is buzzing with activity and excitement. This season brings familiar traditions, new friendships, and endless opportunities for learning –reminders of the growth that comes with every new beginning.
That same spirit has been alive within NWEA this summer. Our Training and NWOC committees have been especially busy, hosting numerous operator certification courses (Grades I–IV) in May, June, and August. These opportunities provide vital support for operators across the state and reinforce our shared commitment to professional development. We also gathered in July for the Heartland Operators Conference, another highlight of the summer that continues to grow in both participation and impact.
On the lighter side, the 28th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing in August at Iron Horse Golf Course was a tremendous success. Thank you to all who participated, sponsored, and volunteered. Events like these not only raise funds for future water professionals but also strengthen the camaraderie that makes our association so unique.
Looking ahead, I’m especially excited for our annual Joint Fall Conference in Kearney. For me, it carries the same anticipation as the first day of school. It’s a rite of passage –a time to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new colleagues, and learn from one another. Each year, this event reminds us that our greatest strength lies in our collective knowledge and shared experiences.
As you turn the page into this new season, I encourage you to find ways to engage – whether it’s attending training, presenting at a conference, or simply striking up a conversation with someone new. Like education itself, your involvement often gives back more than you expect.
Thank you for being an active part of this community! I look forward to seeing many of you in Kearney, ready to learn, connect, and grow together.
“ AS YOU TURN THE PAGE INTO THIS NEW SEASON, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FIND WAYS TO ENGAGE – WHETHER IT’S ATTENDING TRAINING, PRESENTING AT A CONFERENCE, OR SIMPLY STRIKING UP A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE NEW. LIKE EDUCATION ITSELF, YOUR INVOLVEMENT OFTEN GIVES BACK MORE THAN YOU EXPECT.”
Blake Birkel, PE NWEA President
Join NWEA’s Government A airs Committee –Chair Position Open
Are you interested in shaping water policy and strengthening NWEA’s voice in the region? We are seeking a new Chair for the Government Affairs Committee.
In this role, you will:
• Engage directly with EPA Region 7 officials (NE/IA/KS/MO) and state regulators on issues impacting our industry.
• Share key updates with NWEA members through newsletters, conferences, and trainings, ensuring our community stays informed on evolving policies and regulations.
• Represent NWEA in alignment with the Water Environment Federation’s Government Affairs Committee, connecting Nebraska’s perspective to national-level discussions and initiatives.
• Help contribute to broader policy and regulatory conversations that shape the future of clean water.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Derek Gardels for his many years of leadership as Chair and wish him well in his next chapter.
If you’re ready to step into this important leadership role and continue advancing NWEA’s impact, please reach out to the NWEA Board.
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NWEA 4 W’s Maintenance Committee Award Announcement
Lee Dunn, Chair
It is time to send your submissions for the 4 W’s (Wrenchers – Waiting – to –Wreck – a – Wrench) Maintenance Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize the operators and maintenance technicians throughout Nebraska who work hard to keep the wastewater facilities’ equipment in top operating condition.
The NWEA Maintenance Committee bestows the 4 W’s Maintenance Award each year to individuals who have exceeded expectations in the area of maintenance in the Wastewater Industry. Please help us recognize the hard-working maintenance staff at your facility by nominating them for the 4 W’s Maintenance Award.
This award will be presented at the Joint Fall Conference NWEA Banquet in November of each year. The 4 W’s Maintenance winner will be invited to be a part of the Maintenance Committee. Please see the award nomination form attached to this announcement.
NWEA 4 W’s Maintenance Award –
Nomination Form
The NWEA Maintenance Committee will bestow the 4 W’s Maintenance Award each year to individuals who have exceeded expectations in the area of maintenance in the Wastewater Industry. Do you have a maintenance person in your facility or city who has shown exceptional capabilities in maintaining equipment? Please help the NWEA Maintenance Committee in showing them recognition deserved by nominating the person(s) for the 4 W’s Maintenance Award by using this form.
This award will be presented at the Joint Fall Conference in November each year. The 4 W’s Maintenance winner will be invited to be a part of the Maintenance Committee.
Nominee Name:
Member ID #:
City/Company:
Address:
Phone #:
Number of years as a member of NWEA:
Nominated by:
Phone #:
Nominee is deserving of this award because:
Number of Years at City/Company:
Can be submitted by sending information to Lee Dunn: lee@bgagurney.com
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Public Communications and Outreach Committee
Brittni Stephens, PE, PMP, Chair
CALL FOR NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTIONS!
We invite all NWEA members to submit articles, case studies, and industry insights for the upcoming issues of The Effluent Line. Below are the publication dates and deadlines for 2025:
• Vol 56 | Number 4 | Winter 2025 – Publishes December 19, 2025, Content Due November 14, 2025
If you are interested in contributing, please contact Brittni Stephens at bstephens@olsson.com and Mathias Leiendecker at mathias@kelman.ca, our Managing Editor.
28TH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP
GOLF OUTING
Monday, August 18, 2025 | Iron Horse
Golf Couse
The golf outing was a success again with 33 teams which is a record level of participation (and three teams on the waiting list). It is great to see friends from Nebraska, Iowa, and throughout the Midwest all joining together to support the scholarship fund. With the format of the 10th hole and the dice game, we had a record four albatrosses, which could be an all-time golf record for any scramble. Thank you to Jamie Bausback for doing all the coordination on the brochure, registrations, contracting, and helping get the raffle prizes arranged over the past few months.
Several others helped execute the event.
• Check-in Support – Heather Bernady and Barb Neitzel (HDR)
• Putting Challenge – Dave Beyersdorf (HDR)
• Closest to the Pin (Split the Pot) on Hole 5 – Josh Lossi (Olsson) and Austin Wooward (Olsson)
• 10th Hole Dice Game – Jackson Ceplecha (JEO) and Ann Dvorak (Olsson)
• We were lucky to have two student volunteers from UNL as well. Thank you to Kodiak Robinson and Ethan Chappell. Ethan and Kodiak supported the “Double your Money” hole along with our Veteran Photographer Daryl Kottwitz. Daryl tells us he has been the NWEA official photographer for the golf outing since 2014!
A big thank you for all your help!!!
THANK YOU TO THE “BIG HITTERS” THAT CONTRIBUTED THIS YEAR:
• Benesch
• Custom Truck
• Embris Group
• Electric Pump
• Engineered Equipment Solutions
• HDR
• JEO
• Johnson Service Co.
• Mellen & Associates
• Olsson
• SAK Construction
• Stifel
Thank you to those of you that donated prizes for the raffles! All proceeds were donated to the NWEA Scholarship fund.
The event raised a total of $720.00 in Mulligans ($460.00 with online registration and $260 additional at check-in). Next year we will add a “Venmo” feature to allow for perpetual purchasing of mulligans on the course. The split-the-pot (hole #5) raised $400, which was divided between Matt Hubel and the scholarship fund. The double-your-money (hole #15) raised $495 and the putting green challenge raised $75 which was divided between Zach Hoffman and the scholarship fund. Finally, thanks to all who “rolled the dice” on the 10th hole raising a record amount at $785!
Congratulations to all the flag prize winners and the teams that won in each flight.
FIRST FLIGHT
1st place team (-17): Tyler Doane, Noah Dryden, Tyler Kennan, and Zach Schulz
2nd place team (-16): Cary Shaw, Brent Adams, Jesse Walz, and Connor Munk (scorecard playoff)
SECOND FLIGHT
1st place team (-11): Bret Stark, Steve Noren, Doug Wagner, and Phil Goering (scorecard playoff)
2nd place team (-11): Jim Gray, Seth Gray, Keith Kontor, and Todd Bade
THIRD FLIGHT
1st place team (-7): Joel Jirak, Scott Seelhoff, Aaron Dressel, and Warren Humphrey (scorecard playoff)
2nd place team (-7): Ron Sova, Glenn Dostal, Brian Bakke, and Tony Bilek
FLAG PRIZE WINNERS
1. Longest putt made from on the green: Russell Westergaard
2. Closet to the pin with 1st shot: Bob Czerwinski
3. Closest to the pin with 2nd shot: Mark Palmer
4. Closest to the pin with 2nd shot: Dave Ziola
5. Closest to the pin: Matt Hubel
6. Longest drive in the fairway (women): Kyle Wilmes
7. Longest putt made from on the green: Phil Goering
8. Closest to the pin with 3rd shot: Steve Hanna
9. Closest to the pin with 2nd shot: Howard Huffman
10. Closest to the pin with 3rd shot: Casey Ackerman
11. Closest to the pin with 1st shot: Nick Martin
12. Longest drive in the fairway (men): Tony Bilek
13. Longest putt made form on the green: Terry Schumacher
14. Closest to the pin with 2nd shot: Tyler Doane
15. Double Your Money Hole
16. Closest to the pin with 2nd shot: Steve Huffman
17. Closest to the aiming pole with 1st shot: Doug Wagner
18. Longest drive in the fairway: Josh Wilson
STUDENT VOLUNTEERS
Aiden Trumble – Pursuing a BS degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with an expected graduation in May 2025.
Aida Rashidi – Pursuing a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with an expected graduation in 2028. Her research aims to enhance the predictability of industrial air emissions. Upon graduation, Aida wants to continue her work in industry, by developing innovative solutions that bridge the gap between environmental sustainability and industrial efficiency.
Mahyar Mahdavi – Pursuing a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is currently performing research on air emissions on various projects in western Nebraska.
Staying connected and in the know has never been easier with both print and digital editions of Effluent Line .
Make sure to check out our highly interactive, mobile-optimized edition. Visit nebwea.org
2025 JOINT FALL CONFERENCE
November 4-6, 2025
On behalf of the 2025 Annual Joint Fall Conference Planning Committee, you are cordially invited to participate by exhibiting your products and services at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, Nebraska. Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be showcase opportunities from 10:00-10:30 am during break, and several breaks and events are scheduled in the exhibit hall to promote traffic from 1:30-6:00 pm.
As always, the Social Hour takes place both evenings in the exhibit hall at approximately 4:30 pm. Other activities include Top Ops and Water Tasting competitions.
Vendor extravaganza! We are asking all exhibitors/vendors to bring a gift item of at least $50.00 value. Attendees of the Conference will be required to visit your Booth on Wednesday from 1:30-4:00 pm to be eligible for the raffle of the ‘Vendor Extravaganza’ gift items. A raffle ticket bag will be placed at your booth. Please contact Jamie Bausback at jamie.bausback@hdrinc.com or 402-548-5001 with any questions.
Younes Convention Center - North 707 Talmadge St, Kearney, NE 68845
November 3, 2025
AWWA Pre-Conference Seminar
Asset Management for Nebraska Operators
Share Knowledge
Share knowledge, ideas, and experiences with professionals in your industry.
Educational Opportunities
Earn CEUs/PDHs and discover educational sessions presented by industry experts.
Networking
Connect with like-minded professionals and build your network and potential business partners.
Younes Convention Center – North 707 Talmadge St, Kearney, NE 68845
Conference Registration
Registration can be completed either on-line at nebwea. org, or by scanning the QR code below, and must be completed by October 17, 2025.
Hotel Accommodations
Available hotels can either be found by scanning the QR code below, or visiting nebwea.org. To ensure conference registration rates, reservations must be received by October 13, 2025.
Additional Information
To access sponsorship, exhibitor, and other conference information scan the QR code below.
AWWA, APWA, SWANA, NWEA JOINT FALL CONFERENCE
November 4-6, 2025
Conference Schedule:
MONDAY November 3
TUESDAY November 4
TUESDAY November 4
TUESDAY November 4
WEDNESDAY November 5
AWWA Pre-Conference Workshop (Leadership Development) (no exhibits)
APWA conference sessions begin and will conclude at noon on Wednesday
AWWA sessions begin and conclude at noon on Wednesday
SWANA tour and technical sessions begin and will conclude at the end of day Wednesday
NWEA sessions begin and conclude at noon on Thursday
Presented by: NSAWWA/NWEA Young Professionals Committee at the Nebraska 2025 Fall Joint Conference To Benefit: Engineers Without Borders
14th Annual TEXAS
HOLD'EM Tournament
1st Place: $200
2nd Place: $150
3rd Place: $100
4th Place: $50
5th Place: $25
Plus, Consolation Prizes
Prizes will be awarded to all tournament players. Three Raffles during the Tournament!
Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Location: Younes Conference Center
Time: Following Banquet, 8:00 pm to Midnight
Join us for a night of No-Limit Texas Hold'em to benefit Water For People.
SUGGESTED TOURNAMENT
DONATION: $20
Make checks payable to NWEA.
WALK IN NIGHT OF THE EVENT TO PLAY!
To Sign-Up to Volunteer as a Dealer, Please Contact: Kaden Ellis
Our concern for the environment is more than just talk
Nebwea.org Reboot
Since its inception 15 years ago, NWEA’s website (nebwea.org) has been managed by one member and has served the association well. While the website’s initial mission was to inform NWEA’s membership, it has become a central hub for many of NWEA’s activities. Website maintenance is currently more demanding than one volunteer can manage, and NWEA desires to expand upon its current functionality. In addition, the current platform is not easily conducive to editing or maintenance by multiple individuals. NWEA is in the process of developing a new website for the organization to meet the following goals:
1. A sustainable solution with editing access for several NWEA committee members to contribute by directly maintaining their respective content on the website. Allowing additional contributors to the website promotes collaboration and diversity.
2. Expand outreach to the public to attract interest in the water sector and attract new members to NWEA and WEF.
3. Improve aesthetics and navigability for existing and prospective members to improve the user experience.
The new website will include the following primary functionalities:
1. Member management system (membership status and contact information).
2. Event management system (attendee registrations) for conferences and operator training classes. Integration of event registrations with NWEA’s accounting software (QuickBooks). Integration of membership data from other organizations like AWWA, APWA, and SWANA to improve event registration efficiency, member/ non-member pricing opportunities.
3. Facilitate email communications (via Mailchimp or similar) to membership and licensed Nebraska wastewater operators.
4. Provide member-only content to increase the value of becoming a member.
5. A repository for NWEA’s quarterly newsletter (The Effluent Line) and governing documents. Kelman & Associates was recently hired to publish NWEA’s quarterly newsletter and is the preferred provider
for website development based on their familiarity with WEF’s mission and experience working with other similar member associations. NWEA’s Public Communications & Outreach Committee (PCOC) is responsible for the newsletter and website, and they are currently in negotiations with Kelman & Associates for development of a new website. First-year costs for the new website are estimated to be $18,000-20,000; this is approximately $12,000 for the initial setup and $6,000-8,000 per year for maintenance. In June 2025, NWEA submitted a Membership Grant Application to WEF, and we are excited to share that NWEA was awarded $8,000 from WEF for this initiative! WEF’s Member Association Grant Program is intended to assist member associations like NWEA in providing member value locally and to support local operations, sustainability, and growth. Look for the new website to go live around the end of 2025. If you’d like to help shape the future of NWEA’s website, please contact PCOC chair Brittni Stephens (bstephens@olsson.com).
Leadership and Management Fundamentals for Wastewater Treatment: A Short Course for Operators
Leadership and Management Fundamentals for Wastewater Treatment short course is for operators who are either looking to advance in the future or have recently advanced to a management position. This course provides students with an overview of the non-technical skills to successfully advance in the water industry, including classes on leadership, management, communication, and finance.
The course is designed for working professionals and integrated with trainers from the Water Leadership Institute. Classes are taught by water professionals,
including operators, and will be livestreamed via Zoom. Class recordings will be posted after class, allowing working operators, around the world, to begin to bridge the gaps between supervision, management, and leadership.
Classes will be live-streamed and recorded via Zoom. Recordings will be shared after each class for those who cannot attend live. Live attendance is encouraged but not required. Students attending live are encouraged to have access to a working microphone and camera to fully participate in group discussion.
COST:
WEF Members: $320.00
Non-Members: $400.00
Price includes access to online CliftonStrengths Top 5 Strength Based Leadership Assessment.
SAMPLE COURSE SCHEDULE
• Class 1 – Basics of Leadership and Time Management
• Class 2 – Emotional Intelligence and Leveraging Different Communication Styles
• Class 3 – Are You Ready to Be a Supervisor?
• Class 4 – Finance Basics
• Class 5 – Strategic Planning and Decision Making
• Class 6 – Bridging Perspectives
• Class 7 – Public Communication and Engagement
• Class 8 – Ethics
This course has been adapted from the WEF-University of Colorado joint course Operate with Excellence: Leadership and Management Skills If you have previously enrolled in the Operate with Excellence course, it is not recommended that you take this course unless you are looking for a refresher on leadership and management. Questions? Contact Jessica Rozek, WEF Operator Programs Manager at jrozek@wef.org.
recommended that you take this course unless you are looking for a refresher on
Leadership and Management Fundamentals is offered annually. To be added to the waitlist for future offerings of the course, please add your name to the waitlist and you will be the first to know when registration opens.
Water Leadership Institute
The Water Leadership Institute program educates, trains, and provides opportunities that enable developing and emerging leaders to build strong, lasting relationships within the water industry. This intensive program allows participants the opportunity to engage in management training and leadership development through a blended learning approach that includes the examination of complex challenges facing the water and wastewater industries and networking with public and private sector practitioners. Participants will build skills and knowledge needed to affect change within their organizations.
Participation in this program is determined by a competitive application process.
“The Water Leadership Institute created the ideal environment for me to create lasting connections with other water professionals. It was so useful to discuss meaningful leadership challenges that impact our sector specifically and have a cohort of professionals to bounce ideas off of. I’ve created lasting relationships from many different part of the industry including public, private, non-profit, and academia. WLI not only creates a meaningful leadership training program, but it also builds a foundation to stay engaged with classmates and other WLI alumni in to the future. I would strongly recommend this program to anyone looking to build connections in the water industry while working on your leadership skills.”
– Jenna Beairsto, WLI 2024 Alum
Effluent Line is made possible by the companies below who convey their important messages on our pages. We thank them for their support of NWEA and its publication and encourage you to contact them when making your purchasing decisions. To make it easier to contact these companies, we have included the page number of their advertisement, their phone number, and, where applicable, their website.
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