Short Course


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STORMWATER TREATMENT:
FOR THE PRACTICING ENGINEER
(AND SCIENTIST)

Who Should Attend: Engineers and environmental scientists working for consulting firms and local and state governments involved in selection and design, development review, maintenance, field studies, development of drainage manuals, stormwater permits, and NPDES program management.

I offer two short courses. If you would like me to hold either course in your community let me know at rpathebook@cs.com.

COURSE #1: INTRODUCTION TO STORMWATER TREATMENT

A ONE-DAY course for areas of the US and Canada just getting into the treatment of stormwater. We discuss the reasons for treating stormwater, and important pollutants and their sources. Presented are common design criteria and sizing procedures for treatment systems in the public-domain such as wet ponds, swales, and bioretention filters. We do the same for proprietary systems, both the small vaults and filters. We discuss expected performance and maintenance requirements, and certification for the proprietary products.

UPCOMING SESSIONS FOR THE ONE-DAY COURSE

Bozeman: October 28, 2008.

Missoula: October 31, 2008.

Whitefish: November 3, 2008 (hosted by the City).

Hayden: November 5, 2008.

Anchorage: November 14, 2008 (hosted by the City).
Early bird savings date for the Montana and Idaho sessions is October 10th. It is October 31st for Anchorage. Course fee is $250. Save $75 by registering early. An additional $50 savings for a 2nd person from your agency or company to attend the same session, space available. Download course Syllabus. and Registration Form. The course offers 0.6 CEUs and 6 PDHs.

COURSE #2: STORMWATER TREATMENT: DESIGN TO MEET PERFORMANCE GOALS

The TWO-DAY course is for areas of the US and Canada whose involvement in stormwater treatment is well established. Here our management strategy is shifting to targeting specific pollutants for removal to meet performance goals: as percent removal or effluent concentration. States, provinces, and local governments are establishing performance goals for new developments, numeric limits on industrial dischargers with NPDES permits, and benchmarks for construction sites. TMDL plans with attendant loading allocations also affect the requirements of stormwater treatment in many watersheds.

We focus on sizing commonly used public-domain and proprietary systems to meet specific performance requirements: TSS/SSC, TPH (oil/grease), metals, phosphorus, nitrogen, bacteria, temperature, and gross solids (litter). We do not cover all eight pollutant types in each session. Rather, we focus on the top five that you as attendees identify as priority for your area based on a short questionnaire that you complete with the registration form. The course content reflects your climatic regime: wet, cold, or semi-arid. See the Syllabus. The course offers 1.7 CEUs and 17 PD Hours.

I have given the course about 60 times since 2002 at over 20 locations in the United States and Canada. See Testimonials below from course attendees.

With our tight economy and training budgets the course fee has been reduced by an increase in the early bird reduction, $695 if registered by the early bird date. An additional savings of $300 for a 2nd person from your agency or company to attend the same session - space available. Also, if you attended the course several years ago, and want to attend again, given the substantial change in course structure and content you can attend for $350 - space available.

UPCOMING SESSIONS FOR THE TWO-DAY COURSE

Boise, Idaho: October 21-22, 2008/Early bird date October 3/ SEMI-ARID climate focus.

Anchorage, Alaska (sponsored by the city): November 20-21, 2008/Early bird date October 31/ COLD climate focus.

Portland, Oregon: January 21-22, 2009/Early bird date January 5/WET climate focus.

San Clemente, California: February 3-4, 2009/Early bird date January 9/SEMI-ARID climate focus.

Fife, Washington:February 25-26, 2009/Early bird date January 23/WET climate focus.

Bothell, Washington: March 11-12, 2009/Early bird date February 13/WET climate focus.

The two Washington sessions will focus on the pending adoption of a stormwater BMP manual required of Phase 2 communities by August 2009. Field studies since the completion of the Ecology manual in 2002 indicate that we can make significant adjustments to design criteria resulting in more cost-effective treatment systems while still meeting Ecology's performance goals. In particular wet ponds and wetlands, sand filters, bioretention, swales, and the menus for phosphorus and metals (enhanced). We will also discuss new design concepts for dry extended detention basins currently not allowed in western Washington to meet the 80% TSS goal. ED basins avoid the problems of wet ponds/wetlands such as mosquitoes and thermal warming. Note: this is the last time I will be conducting this course in Washington.

WHY TAKE THIS COURSE SINCE WE HAVE BMP MANUALS? The design criteria compiled in our stormwater manuals were first identified in the 1980s, when our understanding of the relationship between design and performance was limited. We have not updated design criteria to reflect what we have learned from recent and extensive laboratory and field studies. I distill relevant information in an informative two-day course. Most importantly I address your questions. You also benefit from fellow attendees who share their experience.

WHY TAKE THIS COURSE GIVEN THE EMPHASIS ON LID? Bioretention and porous pavement/pavers are treatment systems. I cover each system - performance, new design criteria, maintenance, and some issues. Despite the emphasis on LID most developments continue to use the traditional layout which involves end-of-pipe treatment.

MANY ENGINEERS HAVE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT MANUFACTURED SYSTEMS. I discuss key characteristics of the most commonly used and new "up-and-coming" products that likely will make an impact: performance, benefits and limitations, and the requirements and status of certification programs.

Other short courses accept current design criteria without question. In contrast my two-day course provides the time necessary to examine the origins and technical basis for key design criteria we have been using over that past two decades. This understanding combined with results from recent field studies provides a strong justification for modifying many of the criteria, resulting in more cost-effective design and maintenance. I limit attendance so as to provide plenty of time for your questions. I refer you to the testimonials of previous attendees.Testimonials

Download the Registration Form which includes the brief questionnaire.

Attending my course enables you to:

Relate system design to performance

Decide which design criteria to continue to use based on field studies

Reduce the dead volume of wet ponds and wetlands by at least half or more while still meeting performance goals

Design ED basins to match wet basin performance

Design sand filters more cost-effectively

Consider the latest regarding performance of LID BMPs

Simplify into a common design approach the myriad criteria and methods to size filters (sand,bioretention, dry swale, infiltration)

Determine the most appropriate systems to retrofit permitted industries

Understand manufactured systems, performance, and status of certification

Understand why public BMPs are so large yet manufactured BMPs so small

Integrate source control with treatment to reduce effluent concentrations

Properly sequence Unit Operations ("Treatment Trains")

Understand the long-term performance of filters, wet ponds, and wetlands

Develop a strong maintenance inspection program

Reduce maintenance costs through improved design and inspection

And most importantly your questions and concerns

The course structure is similar for all locations, but the content and emphasis changes to reflect your regulations, BMP manuals, pollutants of concern, and the treatment systems that interest attendees.

Bookowners receive a price reduction on the course fee as do "early-birders". The early-bird date for each session is indicated above.

Please download and use the registration form.

Please also complete the brief questionnaire attached to the registration form to help shape course content for your session.

Course Testimonials

"I was very impressed with the course and outline/manual format. Your course was one of the best I have attended. Thank you."

"Class was an excellent stormwater treatment overview with the perfect amount of detail. I am totally pleased that I attended."

"Dr. Minton provides a refreshing view and summary of what we know, and more importantly, what we dont know about stormwater and currently accepted methods."

"Gary is very a very energetic lecturer, providing his findings along with others in a way that held my attention through the short course."

"This was the most comprehensive and in-depth treatment of stormwater quality I have experienced."

"A great class to introduce landscape architects to treatment theories. Learn enough to have a useful dialogue with engineers"

"Dr. Minton's practical backed course gives engineers the tools to design stormwater systems light years ahead of how we currently implement the methods and processes of stormwater treatment."

"Very informative seminar packed full of solid technical design data and pratical experience. Highly recommended."

"It is great to see engineering and design make sense. Good to question design criteria. Lets make the Department of Ecology let us be engineers."

"It was really nice to finally learn the origins and bases of some of the methods we all use and take for granted."

"I highly recommend Dr. Minton's course to Waterkeepers and technical staff of other environmental groups."

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