Engineers, municipal officials, and others who plan, build or review stormwater management systems should be sure to bring their calculators to this year’s annual design roundtable hosted by the Westmoreland Conservation District, because they’ll have a chance to put them to work.

A big part of the professional development event is a hands-on activity, where attendees will use Pennsylvania’s new stormwater manual and its Chapter 8 worksheets to design a mixed-use, residential, or office park on a real, 100-acre site in the county.

The “Design Roundtable” workshop also will feature new information on and practical applications of conservation-by-design practices and erosion-control materials, presented by Alex Graziani, ACIP, of the Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County; Chris Kriley, PE, and Bob Scheib, PE, of the Bureau of Watershed Management, Department of Environmental Protection; Kevin Weaver, certified installer of Filtrexx InletSoxxTM; and Jim Pillsbury, PE, of the Westmoreland Conservation District.

The event, held at Giannilli’s II on Route 30, is a full day long – from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – and will be offered twice so that interested individuals can choose the date that best suits their schedule March 15 and again on March 16.

The workshop begins at 8 a.m. with a trade show featuring vendors of stormwater management products and services, and includes a continental breakfast, lunch, workshop materials, and a copy of the conservation District’s new stormwater manual. The event concludes at 3:30 p.m. with door prizes.

The Cost is $50, and space is limited.

To register, contact Christie at the Westmoreland Conservation District by telephone at 724-837-5271 or by email at christie@wcdpa.com by March 7.

Effectively managing stormwater runoff is important to everyone because it can reduce flooding, recharge groundwater supplies, and lessen the stress on our storm sewer systems. It also can keep our local streams cleaner and healthier by reducing the amount of pollutants (including motor oil and lawn fertilizers) that wash into our streams.

2/16/2007