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Keeping Pace with Evolving Climate Science: Updates on the Philadelphia Water Department's Climate Adaptation Planning Initiatives

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Keeping Pace with Evolving Climate Science: Updates on the Philadelphia Water Department's Climate Adaptation Planning Initiatives

When
10 Jan 2024
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
ONLINE: Zoom link to be provided in registration reminder email
Registered
135 registrants

Registration

(depends on selected options)

Base fee:

Member (Meeting + PDH)
Member (Meeting Only)
Non-Member (Meeting + PDH) – $10.00
Non-Member (Meeting Only) – $3.00
Students (Meeting Only)

Registration is closed

Keeping Pace with Evolving Climate Science: Updates on the Philadelphia Water Department's Climate Adaptation Planning Initiatives

Presented by:

Julia Rockwell and Allison Lau

ABSTRACT:

In 2023, the U.S. Fifth National Climate Assessment was released, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) took place in Dubai, and scientists confirmed that November 2022-October 2023 was the Earth’s hottest 12-month stretch in recorded history. This presentation will focus on the Philadelphia Water Department’s efforts to keep pace with the continuously evolving climate science and deal with deep uncertainty related to the timing and magnitude of climate change impacts. Information will be provided on the work of PWD’s Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) to create actionable science and apply that science to risk assessments and infrastructure planning and design decisions. Specific examples will include a recently developed method to estimate future changes in extreme precipitation events, the application of the latest NASA and NOAA sea level rise and storm surge estimates to quantitative flood risk assessments at PWD’s Water Pollution Control Plants on the tidal Delaware River, and the adoption of adaptative management planning techniques. Additionally, as of January 2024, PWD will serve as co-Chair of the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA), an alliance of twelve of the nation’s largest water providers that work to advance climate change adaptation, planning, and decision-making to ensure that water utilities, and the communities they serve, can thrive in the face of emerging climate challenges. This presentation will briefly highlight recent and upcoming WUCA initiatives and direct attendees to where they can learn more.

SPEAKER BIO:

Julia Rockwell is a water resources management professional with over 10 years of experience working at the Philadelphia Water Department. Julia has a diverse set of experiences at PWD that include serving as a project engineer on the nationally recognized Source Water Protection Program, leading development of a new, department-wide capital planning process, and developing and managing the Department’s Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP). Through her current work, Julia seeks to ensure that PWD’s long-term planning and decision-making processes take into consideration climate change impacts and risks. She participates in a variety of local, regional and national climate resilience projects and initiatives, including through the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA), which PWD joined in 2018. Julia holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Bucknell University and a Master of Environmental Management Degree from Duke University.

Allison Lau is an engineer at the Philadelphia Water Department’s Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP) and is the utility's subject-matter expert on sea level rise, storm surge, and climate change impacts on riverine flooding. In her prior role as a water resources engineer, she specialized in hydraulic and hydrologic modelling to better understand riverine flooding conditions in both urban and rural environments. Allison holds a bachelor's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the George Washington University and is a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM). She received a Masters of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022, where she focused on the intersection of landscape architecture and water resources planning.

Engineers:

This seminar does qualify for 1.0 Professional Development Hour (PDH). A Certificate of Attendance will be available for AWRA-PMAS members only. The meeting price for non-members who wish to receive a Certificate of Attendance for the PDH is $10.00 ($3.00 for meeting + $7.00 for certificate).

Please note:

Presentation Zoom link will be provided in registration reminder email.
Zoom link should only be used by those who register for the event through AWRA directly.
PDHs will be issued through PDFs.
Please allow extra time to register through Zoom and get software set up.
Presentation will start at noon.
Early participants will be in a Waiting Room until noon.
Participants must email AWRA.PMAS@gmail.com to request PDH Certificate after the event.

Thank you!