Announcements 2026.5.12

[Walker, Jane]

1.) Informational Public Meeting: Application to Modify a Permit that Authorizes the Land Application of Biosolids and Water Treatment Plant Residuals in Spotsylvania County – TODAY, May 12, 2026
2.) Sustainability Matters Events – Various Dates, Starting: May 13, 2026
3.) Value of a View Roundtable -- May 13, 2026
4.) American Water Works Association (AWWA) Events – Various Dates, Starting: May 13, 2026
5.) Webcast: Early Adopters of Stormwater Resilience Strategies – May 13, 2026
6.) Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program Office Hours – May 13, 2026; June 10, 2026; July 8, 2026
7.) Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Events – Various Dates, Next: May 19, 2026
8.) Webinar: Stormwater Innovations in the Southeast -- May 21, 2026
9.) Virginia Environment Endowment (VEE) Grants – Various Application Due Dates, Next: June 15, 2026
10.) Mobile Data Collection
11.) Call for Technical Planning Committee Members: National Watershed & Stormwater Conference
12.) Fish Consumption Advisories
13.) Water Center Jobs Board -- https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/jobs/
++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++
See recent announcements and learn more about the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) at www.VirginiaWMC.org. Feel free to forward these announcements. When forwarding, please acknowledge the VWMC. If you have a water-related announcement of regional or statewide interest, send it to vw...@vt.edu and ask that it be distributed to the VWMC membership. If someone forwarded this message to you, you can join the VWMC for free by sending your name, water-monitoring affiliation (if applicable), and contact information (email address, mailing address, and phone number) to vw...@vt.edu.  Thank you to Julia Porter, VWMC intern, for developing and organizing this week’s set of VWMC announcements.
++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++
1.) Informational Public Meeting: Application to Modify a Permit that Authorizes the Land Application of Biosolids and Water Treatment Plant Residuals in Spotsylvania County – TODAY, May 12, 2026 (6pm) -- Fredericksburg, VA -- The purpose of this meeting is to exchange information with the interested public on technical issues related to proposed permit modification such as: site-specific information that DEQ may consider when drafting the permit; the standard content of permits; and how the public can provide comments on the draft permit. For more information, see https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=43318. Organized by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
++++++++++++++++++++
2.) Sustainability Matters Events -- For more information on these events and to register, visit https://www.sustainabilitymatters.earth/events.
   ++ Nature Walk & Plant ID -- May 13, 2026 (9-11am) -- Amissville, VA
   ++ Meadow Makers -- May 31, 2026 (Winchester, VA); June 13, 2026 (Martinsburg, WV)
   ++ Plant Rescue -- June 6, 2026 (10am-12pm) -- Linton Hall, VA -- Help relocate native plants from a meadow slated to be scraped for a data center.
   ++ Celebration at the Winchester Meadow -- June 20, 2026 (1-3pm) -- Winchester, VA -- Celebrate the success of the Winchester Meadow and remember Sustainability Matters founder Sari Carp.
++++++++++++++++++++
3.) Value of a View Roundtable -- May 13, 2026 (10am-12pm) -- Montpelier Station, VA -- This roundtable is designed to provide background information and explain the tool, the Treasured Views Register. For more information and to purchase a ticket, see https://www.scenicvirginia.org/. Organized by Scenic Virginia.
++++++++++++++++++++
4.) American Water Works Association (AWWA) Events -- For more information about these and other AWWA events and to register, see  https://www.awwa.org/event-calendar/.
   ++ Seismic Strength in Utilities: Global Lessons and Local Strategies -- May 13, 2026 (11am-12:30pm)
   ++ Financing Capital Projects: Virtual Roundtable -- May 20, 2026 (11am-12:30pm)
   ++ AWWA Annual Conference & Expo -- June 21-24, 2026 -- Washington, DC
   ++ Water Project Permits: Virtual Roundtable -- July 15, 2026 (11am-12:30pm)
   ++ Water Infrastructure Conference -- August 30-September 2, 2026 -- Indianapolis, IN
++++++++++++++++++++
5.) Webcast: Early Adopters of Stormwater Resilience Strategies – May 13, 2026 (1:30-3:30pm) -- This free webcast focuses on 12 case studies of “early adopter” communities who are forging ahead with adaptive implementation of stormwater resilience strategies. Learn more about the project findings at https://cwp.org/ and register for the webcast at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2aHrlzy1SZ2frbu3SyZDbg#/registration. Offered by the Center for Watershed Protection.
++++++++++++++++++++
6.) Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program Office Hours – May 13, 2026; June 10, 2026; July 8, 2026 (2-3pm) -- The WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program at EPA. It aims to accelerate investment in water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. For more information about the WIFIA program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia (see “Connect with the WIFIA Program” for information on office hours). Schedule a one-on-one meeting with a WIFIA staff member at https://www.epa.gov/wifia/schedule-meeting-wifia-staff or by emailing wi...@epa.gov.
++++++++++++++++++++
7.) Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Events – Learn more about these events and others at https://serc.si.edu/.
   ++ Life on the Extremes: Why Ocean Acidification Hits Differently on the Coasts -- May 19, 2026 (7-8:30pm)
   ++ Seafood 101: How to Shop Smarter, Eat Better and Rethink Aquaculture -- June 16, 2026 (7-8:30pm)
++++++++++++++++++++
8.) Webinar: Stormwater Innovations in the Southeast -- May 21, 2026 (10:30-11:30am) – This webinar will focus on how field testing and interdisciplinary research at Auburn’s Stormwater Research Facility are advancing best practices and influencing standards. For more information and to register, see https://seswa.memberclicks.net/webinars-state-spotlight. Organized by the Southeast Stormwater Association (SESWA).
++++++++++++++++++++
9.) Virginia Environment Endowment (VEE) Grants – Various Application Due Dates, Next: June 15, 2026 – VEE provides resources with a goal of making a lasting difference in the environment through its partners. VEE recently updated its application forms for the Virginia Program and Community Conservation Program. Learn more at https://www.vee.org/.
   ++ Virginia Program – Applications accepted twice a year, Due: June 15/December 1
   ++ James River Water Quality Improvement Program – Applications accepted once a year, Due: June 15
   ++ Community Conservation Program – Applications accepted once a year, Due: January 15.
++++++++++++++++++++
10.) Mobile Data Collection -- The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) currently uses ArcGIS Survey123 for construction stormwater inspections and intends to use mobile data collection for additional programs over the next several years. DEQ has made available a partial framework for localities and others interested in kick-starting mobile data collection.  To learn more, see https://www.deq.virginia.gov/news-info/mobile-data-collection.
++++++++++++++++++++
11.) Call for Technical Planning Committee Members: National Watershed & Stormwater Conference -- Conference: April 13-17, 2027 -- San Antonio, TX – The Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) is seeking committee members to help shape their conference technical program and session topics, identify and recruit speakers and presenters, review abstracts and proposals, ensure content quality and relevance for the audience, and help identify potential sponsors. For more information and apply to join the committee, contact Karen Titus at k...@cwp.org. Organized by CWP.
++++++++++++++++++++
12.) Fish Consumption Advisories -- The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has issued new fish consumption advisories. A fish consumption advisory is not a prohibition of eating fish, but a warning about the contaminants present in a fish species. Each advisory specifies the waterbody or segment of a waterbody affected, the contaminants present, and meal recommendations for eating specific fish species caught there. The meal recommendations presented were developed to protect the general public. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children are advised not to eat any fish listed in a fish consumption advisory. Learn more at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/public-health-toxicology/fish-consumption-advisory/ (includes a table of current fish consumption advisories in Virginia that is searchable by species, locality, waterbody, or contaminant). New advisories (updated: April 27, 2026) include:
   ++ Chickahominy River for PFOS
   ++ Flannagan Reservoir for PCBs
   ++ Potomac Watershed/ Occoquan River for PFOS
++++++++++++++++++++
13.) Water Center Jobs Board – View a listing of current job opportunities and employment resources on the Jobs Board at https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/jobs/. Developed by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (Water Center).
++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++
The VWMC announcements are provided with support from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Water Resources Research Center with funding from the U.S. Geological Survey. Thank you to our sponsors!

You too can sponsor the VWMC announcements.  Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the VWMC to support information updates and other VWMC activities.  Make checks payable to: “The Virginia Tech Foundation” and on the memo portion of the check include “VWMC Fund #872802.” Mail contributions to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (0444, Attn: Jane Walker) at 210 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech; 310 West Campus Drive; Blacksburg, VA 24061.