2026 Q1 CIPCA Monitor
- cipca8
- Mar 31
- 8 min read
VIEW FROM THE CHAIR |
Alright members, settle in, grab your favorite drink (Dr. Peppy for me), and let's kick off this brand new year with CIPCA! After the absolute whirlwind that was our annual conference - seriously, who knew it was going to feel like we were all in college, plus PFAs lab science and we got a real professor! Come on, aren't we all nerds? I love it! I am excited for what's ahead. First, a huge shout-out to everyone who made last year's conference a success! The ideas were flowing and the networking was top notch! I met so many new people - and did anyone see Natalie's toad purse, so funky!!! Building on that momentum, I am thrilled that we have a FULL board and I wanted to welcome all the new faces. Everyone is so excited to be on the board and their expertise and perspectives are going to be invaluable as we navigate some incredibly exciting "wastewaters"! We've got a whole lineup of fantastic new events and the Board wanted to be upfront about all of it in the 2026 Membership Training and Development Agenda, so you know exactly what you are getting from CIPCA! Your time is important, as is budget, and so we are working very hard to ensure the benefits and training we provide you exceed expectations! |
- Ashley Hanel, Colorado Springs Utilities – CIPCA Executive Chair |
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS + FOG 101 TRAINING SERIES BUNDLES DUE MARCH 15, 2026 |
We would like to take the time to reiterate our gratitude to you all for your membership, participation, and support for CIPCA. We truly couldn’t exist without you all, and are working tirelessly to ensure that the opportunities and resources that we provide to you feel valuable and that the cost of your membership feels justified. We want to open this new year’s newsletter with a quick reminder that Membership Renewal Dues are due by March 15, 2026. (Additionally, if you would like to participate in the FOG 101 Training Series by LS Pretreatment Consulting, the deadline for purchase of the discounted bundles is due at the time of your membership renewal.) Please click here to be directed to the Membership Renewal Page Please click here to be directed to the Membership Renewal + FOG 101 Bundles Page |
CIPCA EXECUTIVE BOARD UPDATES |
We are excited to announce that we are beginning 2026 with a fully-staffed CIPCA Executive Board. Each quarterly CIPCA Monitor will contain a “Board Member Spotlight Section,” which will feature a brief write-up of one of our board members to enable you to get to know us better, assign faces to names, and learn more about what each of us contribute and manage. 2026 brought with it a significant change in the make-up of our CIPCA Executive Board. While we look forward to sharing more in-depth introductions through the “Board Member Spotlights,” a summary of our current Board Member makeup is summarized as follows: |
Ashley Hanel, Colorado Springs Utilities Natalie Acosta, Respec Kirsten Alires, Colorado Springs Utilities Nicolas Flesche, Respec NEW Dominic Rodarte, City of Broomfield NEW Heather Hurtado, South Platte Renew NEW Willow Burke, City of Greeley NEW |
We encourage you to reach out to the board if you are interested in learning more about how you can be involved in the future. Board members’ terms are limited, and so we are always looking to cultivate and develop any passionate CIPCA members who are interested in joining our team. |
CIPCA LOGO & BRANDING UPDATES |
Following the release of our new CIPCA logo announced Q1 2025, we have worked to redesign many of our current CIPCA communications and materials to reflect our new branding. You will see this new design language implemented throughout future 2026 CIPCA releases, including this updated CIPCA Monitor. Be on the lookout for the upcoming ribbon-cutting of a newly redesigned webpage. More news to come in future issues, and our board is thoroughly excited to be working with a more modern and intuitive user interface. |
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT |
Heather Hurtado (she/her) CIPCA Treasurer (2025 - 2027) Pretreatment Specialist II South Platte Renew As CIPCA Treasurer, I’m committed to modernizing our financial budgeting and documentation to make processes seamless for future treasurers. My goal is to secure professional sponsorships that will create more opportunities for the CIPCA community to learn, grow, and connect. In just under two years as an Industrial Pretreatment Specialist II at South Platte Renew, I’ve gained diverse experience across the full spectrum of pretreatment responsibilities, including:
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I thrive on using my curiosity to drive positive change - helping Permittees achieve compliance, sharing insights to strengthen our IPT team, and contributing to public and environmental health and safety. Outside of work, I love exploring the outdoors through hiking with my dog, camping, and attending the occasional mountain music festival. I’m an avid reader of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Classic Literature, and Psychology, and a passionate DIYer and woodworking hobbyist (who’s ready to build a deck?). Most importantly, I’m a proud mom to an 11-year-old who keeps me current on slang—apparently, my “drip is NOT on point,” but I’ve got “plenty of rizz!” I look forward to meeting and participating with you all! - Heather Hurtado, South Platte Renew – CIPCA Treasurer |
UPCOMING TRAININGS & EVENTS |
We recently sent you a detailed 2026 CIPCA Membership Training and Development Agenda, also attached here. For the sake of brevity, this newsletter will contain only a higher-level overview of these upcoming events. Please consult the referenced agenda for more details regarding cost, location, etc. Further and finalized details for these events will be sent out closer to the event date. |
FOG 101 TRAINING SERIES BY LS PRETREATMENT CONSULTING: |
For 2026, CIPCA is excited to announce that we are partnering with our colleagues in LS Pretreatment Consulting to provide our members with access to a thorough 5-part FOG 101 Training Series program. In these sessions, LS Pretreatment Consulting will leverage their decades of experience to share real-world pragmatic insights and tools into development, implementation, and sustainment of an effective FOG Control Program. This training series shall consist of 4 virtual 1.5-hour modules and 1 in-person 3-4-hour session including field training. A more detailed overview of these trainings is located in the previously issued “2026 CIPCA Membership Training and Development Agenda.” *As a reminder, if you would like to purchase any of the discounted registration bundles, these are due at the same time and in conjunction with your annual Membership Renewal dues. |
CIPCA MEMBER-ONLY ENFORCEMENT ROUNDTABLE EVENTS: |
Following the positive feedback received on our 2025 Enforcement Roundtable, CIPCA will be hosting 2 in-person roundtable-style training sessions this year focusing on Enforcement. These trainings will be provided at no additional cost to CIPCA members. These trainings will be centered around a particular enforcement-related focus topic, and will be hosted at a central location to provide opportunity for our members across the state. The trainings will be approximately 4 hours, and feature presentations and discussions around the relevant focus topic and breakout sessions for deeper dives into particular aspects, after which attendees will be provided with a free lunch, networking opportunities, and the space for further discussion. Specific dates, focus topics, and location shall be announced at a date closer to the event. An overview of these trainings is located in the previously issued 2026 CIPCA Membership Training and Development Agenda. |
UPCOMING EXTERNAL TRAINING LINKS |
R8PA 2026 ANNUAL CONFERENCE: |
Estes Park, Colorado (Estes Park Holiday Inn) May 11-14, 2026 Optional 'Pretreatment 101 Training' w/ LS Pretreatment Consulting Registration is now open - More information and registration link here |
NACWA 2026 NATIONAL PRETREATMENT WORKSHOP & TRAINING: |
Portland, Maine (The Westin Portland Harborview) May 05-08, 2026 Registration is now open - More information and registration link here |
REGULATORY NEWS |
REGULATION 85 (NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT) UPDATES: |
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WATER QUALITY FEE-SETTING RULE: |
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PERMIT PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT AND REPORTING STEERING COMMITTEE: |
The committee is developing a rationale for Commission consideration in October 2026, focusing on how stakeholder input and Division priorities inform the Permit Action Plan. |
DC CIRCUIT TAKES UP INDUSTRY CHALLENGES TO PFAS CERCLA DESIGNATIONS: |
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit this week heard oral arguments in litigation brought by various industry groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2024 designations of two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – PFOA and PFOS – as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). |
HOW TO STAY UPDATED: |
Want to receive more timely updates than just these quarterly newsletters? Can't keep up with all the policy changes that are happening? Are you interested in keeping current with environmental policies in the clean water sector and environmental issues? The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) is a great resource for environmental professionals and utility companies. |
EDITOR'S EDITORIAL |
Hello world! While I do not have any particularly poignant thoughts or insights to share for this quarter, I do want to express my excitement to join and work alongside a team of passionate professionals to provide members with excellent resources and opportunities. I sincerely look forward to meeting you all at upcoming events! Rise and shine - We’ve got rocks to climb! |
- Willow Burke, City of Greeley – CIPCA Newsletter Editor |
MEMBER POLL |
We value your voices, and want to ensure that we are providing valuable resources to you. To help create and steer a platform for your voices to be heard, we will be implementing various short “Member Polls” in these newsletters to gather your opinions on CIPCA happenings. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to complete this poll and will utilize the opinions shared to shape future CIPCA offerings. In addition to creating a forum for your feedback to be heard, we also want to utilize these polls to boost and monitor engagement from our members. In accordance, we will be tracking accuracy to the “quiz” questions, and consistency of completion to distribute various prizes and swag to our frequent flyers. (i.e. gift cards, CIPCA swag and merch, etc.) This first quarter’s poll will focus on feedback on new CIPCA Branding, Newsletter Formatting and Contents, and feature a “CIPCA Communications Scavenger Hunt.” The first 15 members who answer the quiz/scavenger hunt portion of this quiz accurately will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card for a coffee shop! Click here to access the Q1 Member Poll! |
WRAP-UP |
Thank you all for your continued dedication to the protection of one of our most vital resources. We are here to provide any assistance or guidance you may need, and welcome any feedback, requests, questions, or other comments. Contact CIPCA at cipca.org@gmail.com Happy New Year to all of our wonderful members, and I wish you all a headache-free wrap-up of 2025 as we finalize our Annual Reports! |
- Willow Burke, City of Greeley – CIPCA Newsletter Editor |