As I write this, I am in Spokane, Washington, for the International Erosion Control Association’s (IECA) Annual Conference. It is my first conference of the year, so it feels like a 2024 kick-off. It is always a great event to connect with our audience and gain insight on what is on their radar for the year. So far, in 2024, a lot of people are concerned with the cost of materials and are weary of regulations given it is an election year. These are two things that were brought up a lot in our 2023 State of the Industry survey, which we published in our January/February issue. We also recently published a digital handbook combining the Stormwater Solutions 2023 State of the Industry Report, with those from our sister publications, WasteWater Digest and WaterWorld. To download and view the handbook, visit bit.ly/SOTIHandbook.
Speaking of events, we, here at Stormwater Solutions, are in the thick of planning for StormCon 2024, which will be held from August 27 to 29 in Reno, Nevada. With our next digital edition, coming out in the middle of May, we will be sharing our preconference guide. It will have information on our speakers, networking events and more. To register for this year’s StormCon, visit bit.ly/ StormCon24. We hope to see you there!
I also would be remiss to not point you to our website this month for our Women in Water coverage. March is Women’s History Month, so to celebrate, we have numerous Q&As and a column from women in the water industry. Each shares insight into their career path, career goals, pressing industry issues and offers advice to fellow women water professionals.
And finally, in this issue we cover trending topics, such as green infrastructure (GI), which is on page 8. In this story, we uncover how communities can use GI to prepare for cloudbursts, which are becoming more common. On page 12, we lay out how to start planning for your MS4, while on page 18, we highlight a collaborative project that converted a quarry into a water resource for eight utilities. Rounding out the issue are our stories on page 22 and 26. On page 22, learn about drainageway vegetation management best practices, and on page 26, we dive into the much talked about issue of PFAS, specifically how PFAS and runoff play into each other. I hope you enjoy this issue and walk away with new knowledge on stormwater trends.
