Field Flicks
To reduce waterway pollutants, comply with MS4 permits, and meet TMDL goals, communities should regularly inspect and perform proper maintenance on all storm water management devices. Erosion, structure obstructions, and undesirable plant growth can all cause your system to perform poorly and leave you with high maintenance costs. Illicit discharge inspections are critical to identifying unwanted pollutants flowing through your storm sewer system.
Follow along with R/M’s Mark Bruns as he performs a storm water device and illicit discharge inspection, identifies common impairments, and shares best practices for maintenance.
To reduce waterway pollutants, comply with MS4 permits, and meet TMDL goals, communities should regularly inspect and perform proper maintenance on all storm water management devices. Erosion, structure obstructions, and undesirable plant growth can all cause your system to perform poorly and leave you with high maintenance costs. Illicit discharge inspections are critical to identifying unwanted pollutants flowing through your storm sewer system.
Follow along with R/M’s Mark Bruns as he performs a storm water device and illicit discharge inspection, identifies common impairments, and shares best practices for maintenance.
Every two years the Wisconsin DOT requires that local municipalities rate their roadways. This process leads to more accurate and strategic planning for road improvements, capital improvement programs, or cost program for long-term financing. Watch as the experts from R/M show you examples of roads in various conditions and share their best practices for rating your roads!
On-Demand Webinars
Has your community ever considered using a stream to solve flooding and water quality issues? Discover how stream restoration can provide communities with water quality credits, stabilize eroding streams, increase flood storage, and enhance recreational opportunities.
Access to grant funding can make or break important municipal projects. However, the variety of grants and different application processes can be complex and time-consuming. Watch this webinar to learn our experts' tips and best practices for giving your community the best opportunity to secure grant funding.
Facing PFAS contamination in your groundwater drinking water system presents a daunting challenge for municipalities, threatening public health and presenting compliance issues. Attend this webinar where experts from R/M and Water Surplus will explore strategies and technologies for mitigating PFAS to meet regulatory compliance and community needs. Register now to discover how your municipality can transform your PFAS obstacles into a success story for a healthier future.
Topics Include:
• Compliance Options
• Considerations & Planning
• Treatment Methods & Technologies
• Funding Options
Surprises can be the kiss of death for developers, builders, and architects. Unforeseen complications cost you valuable time, financial resources, and lead to unhappy clients. By using due diligence to understand and plan for environmental concerns, permitting requirements, and municipal/agency coordination, you can safeguard your project from these threats to your project schedule. Watch this webinar where experts from civil engineering firm, Ruekert & Mielke, Inc., will share best practices for site selection and project management that minimize surprises, get your project constructed, and get you paid faster!
Could there be an easier way to solve your challenges using GIS? Want to learn how similar municipalities are using GIS in creative ways?
Watch this on-demand webinar where our industry experts will showcase how local municipalities are utilizing GIS strategies and technologies to tackle common infrastructure challenges. We’ll share how communities can map out a successful GIS strategy at various levels - from simple, single-use applications to comprehensive asset management systems.
It’s been more than 20 years since the first TMDL was approved in Wisconsin and more than 10 years since TMDL compliance provisions started appearing in MS4 & WPDES permits. TMDL provisions in municipal storm water permits are driving significant changes to municipal storm water and water quality programs throughout the state. Without an in-depth understanding of all the potential compliance tools available, the cost for municipalities to meet the permit stipulations can be extreme.
Watch this on-demand webinar to learn proactive, creative TMDL compliance techniques which could reduce your future cost of compliance. Attendees will also get insight into what’s coming next for Wisconsin MS4 permits, compliance practices, and enforcement.
With the cost of debt so high, below-market interest rates and grants can save communities a lot of money. Learn about how to fund water and sewer projects through low-interest loans and grants through the state's environmental loan program. Watch this on-demand webinar to learn whether your projects are good candidates for one of these loans and whether you might qualify for a grant/principal forgiveness.
Learn how to transform your 2023 PASER ratings into a powerful communication tool to get support for additional funding for your road program. Our experts share how to evaluate your current pavement conditions, identify the cause of existing inadequacies, and review maintenance methods. We also explore funding solutions and ways to minimize costs and effectively plan your budget.
Funding can make or break a project goal. Understanding potential funding resources and the opportunities available enables your community to be fully prepared to submit applications! This webinar covers upcoming grant and funding opportunities available for your community.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and American Rescue Plan Act provide municipalities with historic funding opportunities to improve infrastructure. In this webinar, our experts explore different strategies for leveraging your funding options to reduce financial stress. Learn how to determine which projects will stretch your funding the furthest and provide the greatest return on investment.
Powering schools, libraries, and municipal buildings is a large expenditure and often one of your top budget expenses. What if you could generate your own electricity from roof-mounted solar power, or secure monthly revenue for the next 30 years by setting up a leasehold for a small solar farm in unused open space?
In this on-demand webinar, R/M’s financial and environmental experts partner with SunVest Solar to provide an overview about site selection, feasibility, and return on investment for municipal solar programs. Start your exploration and find out if it’s time for solar in your community.
Modern technology paired with next-generation methods for data collection and communication can drastically improve data accuracy and completeness while increasing efficiency of the inventory process – all while saving you time, money, and frustration! Watch this video to learn how your municipality can benefit from these new methods and accurate, easy-to-access information.
Pavements are often one of the most valuable assets you must maintain. To protect your roads, parking lots, and other paved surfaces, it is important to plan ahead to extend their life and increase your ROI.
Join R/M’s experts as we share how to evaluate your current pavement conditions, including roads (PASER ratings), parking lots, and trails. We will also explore how to identify and determine the cause of existing inadequacies and review maintenance methods to help you minimize costs and effectively plan your budget.
DPWs and Department Heads have enough to juggle with completing projects on time, managing staff and maintenance tasks, and serving residents. Searching for critical information about your infrastructure should not be something else you have to worry about. By leveraging the latest technology for GIS and data collection, you get instant access to the critical information you need and benefit from digital tools designed to make DPW tasks faster and easier. Watch this webinar to learn how your municipality can work smarter and reduce staff time.
Municipalities across Wisconsin face a gap between their road reconstruction needs and the funding that’s available. Property tax restriction and declining state aid mean vital projects are being postponed. A new option is available to fund these needed projects. Watch this video to learn more about Transportation Utilities.
With the continued aging of infrastructure and the need for rehabilitation not getting the priority it deserves, system owners need to be knowledgeable about all the tools in their toolbox to most effectively utilize their available budget. Join expert presenters form Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. as we explain the different methods for utility rehabilitation and when those methods should be utilized to better stretch your available budget. If you’re involved in the planning and operations of sanitary sewer utilities, then you can’t miss this on-demand webinar.
Drone (Unmanned Aircraft System) technology has become an indispensable data acquisition tool for the modern engineer and surveyor. From simple aerial photography to complex surveying and mapping projects, drone technology adds value to your projects by giving you more information to make critical project decisions. Our experts share new, cutting-edge applications such as vegetation health analysis and explore the future of drone use in our industry.
Navigating the best path to progress towards your community’s MS4 and TMDL goals can be overwhelming. There’s no secret code to storm water permitting success, however, this video will help you decipher the information you need to remain in compliance while simultaneously preparing your community for the future.
Municipalities, developers, and contractors are required to comply with Wisconsin regulations to control runoff from construction sites. To help you manage and report on construction site storm water compliance, this webinar will focus on what to look for and how to inspect construction sites.
Learn tips for construction site inspection and reporting for homesites and commercial projects, as well as projects where common problems may occur during grading, culvert replacement, utility trenching, final stabilization, and more.
We all know that some project delays are unavoidable (erratic weather, contractor availability, and underground surprises can’t always be avoided). However, by performing environmental due diligence early in the planning process of your development project, you can prevent lengthy (and costly) setbacks.
This webinar will cover the importance of Endangered Resources (ER) Reviews and Wetland Delineations during site evaluations.
Waterways are the pride and joy of many municipalities and contribute to the quality of life for residents and business owners. There are numerous approaches to not only beautify waterway features and improve water quality, but also allow a municipality to show progress towards MS4 or TMDL compliance. Having knowledge of the latest regulations and maintenance techniques is the first step in enhancing your community’s waterways. Evaluating funding strategies and navigating the permitting process is the next step. Watch this video for a collection of case studies involving: streambank restoration, pond dredging, and boat launches.
SCADA systems are a vital tool for the day to day operations of water and wastewater utilities. Staying educated on the latest SCADA hardware and software will allow you to better plan for the future of your systems so you can maximize efficiency and return on investment. Watch this video to learn from expert thought-leaders about emerging trends and planning for the future of SCADA. We’ll explain the latest SCADA technologies and trends driving the water and wastewater industry forward.
Your road ratings can be an extremely valuable tool and can be the catalyst for development of strategic, long-term planning efforts. By evaluating current and historical rating data compared to yearly road maintenance efforts within your community, you’ll gain valuable insight into whether your road program is on the right track. Your road system is your most valuable asset, so understanding its current value and how to increase that value is a key component to comprehensive planning.
Municipalities face an ongoing challenge in finding affordable, fair, reliable, and politically popular funding tools for infrastructure. Municipal department heads and finance directors must navigate trade-offs to find the best fit for their community’s needs. This webinar will help you respond to commonly faced funding problems and highlight a variety of manageable options and resources for quality infrastructure funding.
As storm water management requirements become more stringent, the need for strategic, long-term storm water management planning increases. Watch this video to learn about partnership and planning strategies that can help make storm water management more cost-effective.
Watch this video to learn how municipalities of all sizes are benefiting from LED lighting. Explore how standardizing on LED lighting and converting older lighting systems to LED can significantly reduce your municipality’s energy and maintenance costs – not to mention improve safety for your citizens.
Municipalities often feel stressed about determining where their infrastructure spending should be allocated. Watch this video to learn how a long-range capital improvement plan (CIP) balanced with an infrastructure and operations review will help guide where and when spending should occur.
Utilities need rates sized right to keep the lights on and invest in infrastructure. Attend this webinar to learn how utilities can provide high-quality service both now, and in the future, while still making service affordable for all customers.
There are many hurdles that must be overcome to plan, organize, permit, and fund your infrastructure expansions to create a new business park. Watch this video to get ahead of the game through proactive planning so that your next park is ready for business.
Inspecting and digitally tracking the components of a storm water system in GIS provides instant access to system information when needed for maintenance, planning, report generation, and permitting. Learn how you can benefit by tracking, inspecting, and maintaining your individual components of their storm water systems in GIS.
PAST SEMINARS
Access to grant funding can make or break important municipal projects. However, the grant application process can be complex and time consuming, especially when you’re dealing with increasingly limited resources. Join us for an interactive seminar on upcoming grant opportunities for your community. Learn about new funding options and the creative ways grants can help your team support your next project.
As the weather patterns from last summer and this spring have demonstrated, effective floodplain management is a vital component to making a community a great place to live, work, and play. Properly managed drainage systems, flood storage areas, and floodplains can promote economic development and be attractive public amenities. Poorly managed systems operate in an opposite manner, posing safety hazards and causing significant hardships to local residents and business owners.
Join experts from Wisconsin Emergency Management, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. as we discuss what we learned from the 2018 floods, how to efficiently navigate DNR’s floodplain approval process, and how to utilize technology to more efficiently manage this critical infrastructure.
Advances in wastewater treatment facility instrumentation can significantly improve your plant’s efficiency and reliability. Attend this seminar to learn about the latest instrumentation techniques and their benefits to your overall plant operations. This includes sludge blanket level indicators, total suspended solids meters, dissolved oxygen meters, ammonia and phosphorus meters, and oxidation-reduction potential meters.
Biosolids are another significant piece of the overall management of a wastewater treatment facility. Our experts will discuss liquids and cake management of biosolids, along with the different ways to thicken and dewater biosolids and the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
Technology advances in data collection methods, such as drones and 3D laser scanning, can significantly increase accuracy and efficiency. Having knowledge of the latest tools and technologies available allows you to confidently select the best tools and contractors for your municipal projects. In this hands-on seminar experts from Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. and Seiler Geospatial Division (Trimble) will discuss and demonstrate the latest equipment and technology available for collecting field data.
Viable road networks are crucial to the economic development of your community and your residents’ quality of life, as poorly maintained roads pose a safety hazard for drivers and can greatly increase vehicle repair costs. Join R/M experts as we discuss your yearly road ratings requirements, provide guidance on how to properly identify road deterioration, and discuss how to best maintain this critical infrastructure.