Call for Abstracts

AWWA, Southwest Section Annual Conference and Exposition

Working for Water in the Heartland

October 15-17, 2017, Oklahoma City, OK

The Southwest Section of AWWA invites proposals for individual papers for the 2017 Annual Conference and Exposition. Abstracts are due no later than May 1, 2017 and should be submitted via email to or .

Suggested Topics

The Southwest Section would like to focus the technical program on topics that utilities are currently facing as well as upcoming and imminent issues. The papers/presentations should present timely information to attendees regarding how utilities and the water community can successfully address these issues. The following areas are intended as a short list of possible subjects; other areas will be considered. Papers will be grouped into technical session tracks covering these areas.

Source, Treatment, Distribution, Operation and Maintenance

  • Disinfectionand DBPs
  • EDC, PhAC, PPCP, NDMA
  • Innovative Technologies
  • Membrane Fouling
  • WQ Issues (Taste/Odor/Color etc.)
  • Trenchless Technologies
  • Pipeline Assessment and Repair Strategies
  • WTP Waste Streams
  • Extending the Life of Existing Infrastructure
  • On-the-Job Safety and Site Security
  • Addressing heavy metals
  • Pilot Testing
  • Distribution System Operation & Optimization
  • Corrosion Control
  • Cyanotoxins
  • UCMR 4
  • Trace Organics Control

Management, Rates and Funding

  • Succession Planning and Workforce Issues
  • Water Resource Management
  • Holistic Perspectives and Total Water Management
  • Full Cost-Recovery Strategies
  • Rate Structures for Financial Sustainability
  • Meeting Customer Expectations
  • Funding CIP Programs
  • Regulatory Trends
  • Distribution System Losses
  • Cyber Security
  • Strategic Decision Making
  • Leadership & Supervision

  • Climate Change and Carbon Footprint
  • Impacts of Extreme Weather on Water Usage
  • Strategic Water System Planning in Changing Environments
  • Green Projects/Concepts
  • Low Energy Components
  • Water Conserving Fixtures
  • Low Impact Development
  • Pump Efficiency
  • Reducing the Carbon Footprint
  • Reuse and Conservation
  • Information Technology
  • Reclamation & Reuse Operation and Challenges

YP Poster Competition – Young professionals are encouraged to submit abstracts related to the topics above for poster presentations.

Schedule

All abstracts are due by April 15, 2017 and selected authors will be notified by June 1, 2017. Speakers who are selected are required to provide an electronic copy of the presentation, including slides, handouts, and speaker’s notes, by October 7, 2017 for later publication on the Section’s web site.

Content and Submission

All papers should be based on the science of the process and should discuss the process, not the relative merits of one brand of product or service over others. Comparisons must be fair and balanced. Discussion of new advances, new or planned projects, and operational data are encouraged. Additional information regarding the conference may be found at View subject areas still available.