The 3 Rivers Wet Weather Eighth Annual Sewer Conference will be held September 27-28 at the Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North in Cranberry Township.

It’s no secret that Allegheny County has problems with sewage overflows during wet weather. The region now is facing the largest public works project in its history—the rehabilitation and long-term maintenance of 4,000 miles of municipal sewer collection systems to address the raw sewage and polluted stormwater that overflow into area waterways each time it rains.

Allegheny County Chief County Executive Dan Onorato will address this issue before more than 350 municipal officials, engineers, managers, public works directors and wastewater industry professionals as the keynote speaker for the Conference.

While 83 County communities in the ALCOSAN service area have begun collaborating to comply with a federal consent order to address the aging and deteriorated sewage system, Onorato will note that collaboration is not enough to ensure the successful and cost-effective implementation of a regional long-term plan for the sewer system. He will share what he has learned from visiting other U.S. regions and discuss the necessity for local municipalities to regionalize the management and operation of this utility to assure the most affordable solutions for the citizens of this region.

The two-day conference also will feature experts who will cover topics, such as a local case study on merging sewer collection systems, the status of the municipal consent orders and their financial impact on municipalities, sustainable stormwater management techniques, private lateral (the pipe leading from the home to the public sewer system) inspections, the WaterQUEST program at Carnegie Mellon University and an overview of the Allegheny County Comprehensive Plan Development.

More than 50 exhibitors will display and demonstrate technologies to help communities find new, cost-effective ways of assessing, restoring, operating and maintaining their sewer systems.

Registration for the event is $65. The fee includes a continental breakfast, buffet lunch and refreshments for both days.

For more information or to register, visit the 3 Rivers Wet Weather conference webpage or call at 412-237-3139.

9/22/2006