Drop Collaborative

I hope to see new and old friends in Albuquerque at RVIPA (Region 6 Pretreatment Association), where I’m presenting “The Top Three Ways to Modernize Your Pretreatment Program” — reach out if you’d like to connect on pretreatment, data management, or the latest DROP software features.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 2nd Annual STEM Networking Event! We’re grateful for the connections made and excited to see what the future holds!

Our 2026 summer interns have completed their first inspections! 🎉

This is an exciting milestone and a great opportunity to gain experience in the field. We're looking forward to watching them make the most of their summer with us.

💧Happy Holidays from DROP Collaborative! Thank you to those who have known us since Kim started her company as KimHEC in 2016 and those we have gotten to know since then! Our rebrand in 2025 to DROP Collaborative reflects our growing team, our fresh approach to using data in new ways for Pretreatment Program management, and the importance of partnerships and collaboration with our clients, our peers, and our pretreatment community overall.

🔗 Click on the link in the comments to read our newsletter; learn the why, how, and what of working with DROP Collaborative! Pretreatment, permitting questions, PFAS, NPDES questions, or data management — we want to hear from you!

📉 Let's talk! Reach out to Kim via [email protected].

🎓 What does Life After College look like for future leaders in the wastewater industry?

This week Claire Wilson, Environmental Specialist, presented with the Missouri Water Environment Association (MWEA) Emerging Leaders Committee to the Washington University in St. Louis student Water Environment Federation (WEF) chapter. The committee shared various wastewater career routes and the benefits of joining a professional organization, like MWEA!

💧 Being an active member of MWEA helps Claire in her role at DROP Collaborative by:
▪️ Gaining a Broader Understanding: Meeting other professionals across wastewater sectors.
▪️ Applying Trend Knowledge: Serving as MWEA Newsletter Chair allows Claire to stay informed with upcoming "trends" and immediately apply that knowledge to her work.
▪️ Inspiring Purpose: Staying active rejuvenates Claire’s passion for her work, and inspires her to remind others of theirs.

🔬 Interested in learning more about the MWEA Emerging Leaders Committee? Contact Claire via [email protected] to learn more!

📈 Are you learning and keeping up with PFAS management? Check out what our own Katie Bruegge, Environmental Program Manager, recently learned and shared at the MWEA Fall Technical & Stormwater Conference.

🗒️ Key Takeaways from the Conference:
1️⃣ Know what you need for upcoming phosphorus limits.
2️⃣ See hope in the future of tech students.
3️⃣ It's always good, to go back to the basics!

✅ Three Tips from Katie Bruegge on PFAS Management:
1️⃣ Utility liability means communication is key.
2️⃣ Stay updated and connect with other Utilities.
3️⃣ Adapt and change with new information.

What is stressing you out about PFAS? Share in the comments below or reach out to Katie Bruegge here on LinkedIn. Ready to connect and let us take the headache out of PFAS management for you and your team? Email Katie at [email protected] and we'll help you get more from your data!

📢 Join Juju Wellemeyer in Newton, Iowa for the IAWEA Operator & Pretreatment specialty conference when she shares her expertise on data trends in wastewater: Modern Trends in Wastewater Monitoring and Operations. Juju manages our proprietary data management platform, DROP, which is a web-based application developed by the DROP Collaborative team to support our consulting services. DROP now supports more than twenty-five utilities to provide a central SQL database for managing water, wastewater, and industrial user data. Juju will talk about the importance of data management, especially in today’s times of tracking pollutants between water, wastewater, and stormwater sources.

📌 Tuesday, October 21, 2025 | 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 | 7:30 AM to 2:25 PM
Iowa Water Environment Association - IAWEA
IAWEA Operators/Pretreatment Conference
DMACC Newton Conference Center
600 N. 2nd Ave. W., Newton, IA, 50208 US

💧 Won’t be in Newton but interested in seeing our DROP software capabilities? DROP us a line! DROP Collaborative can help take your data to a new level for your Utility including smarter data-driven decisions for your Pretreatment Program.



Image credit: https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Jasper/Park/Mariposa-Park

📢 Today! Join Kim Cole, P.E. and Sarah Towle, P.E. for Expect the Unexpected: Preparing for Water and Wastewater Emergencies. In the world of water and wastewater, emergencies rarely announce themselves in advance. Disasters don’t RSVP.

🚨 From power failures to pandemics, every utility faces the challenge of responding quickly and effectively when things go wrong. This session will explore real-world examples and the lessons learned. Participants will learn practical strategies for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. These tools and insights will strengthen your organization's resilience and ensure you're ready for whatever comes next.

🚨🦺 How do you prepare and begin to think about responding in an emergency? How does that look if you are a wastewater operator, utility, government municipality, private industry, university, or other? How do you work together? Join Kim Cole, P.E. and Sarah Towle, P.E. as they help you think about "Expecting the Unexpected” and lead you through a discussion of how to prepare, report, and respond to emergencies for utilities.

📌 Tuesday, October 14
Illinois Association of Water Pollution Control Operators (IAWPCO)
Southern Conference
Environmental Resources Training Center
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
5618 New Poag Rd.
Edwardsville, IL 62025

💧 Going to miss it? Email [email protected] or [email protected] to discuss opportunities to train your team to be prepared. Checkout candcpumps.com for more information regarding 24-hour emergency repair, new pump sales and installation, lift station repair, pump repairs, and much more. Need help tackling pretreatment issues, learn more at www.dropcollab.com.



Photo Credit: SIUE Entry Sign, Tyler Warren