Join SCS Engineers at the 17th Annual KWEA/KsAWWA Water & Wastewater Joint Conference, taking place September 9–11, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency and Century II Expo Center in Wichita, Kansas. This joint event brings together members of the Kansas Water Environment Association and the Kansas Section of the American Water Works Association for a dynamic program focused on the latest developments in water and wastewater.
Attendees can explore a diverse range of technical sessions covering emerging industry topics, regulatory updates, and advancements in equipment and controls, along with an expanded exhibition featuring the newest technologies. The conference also offers valuable networking opportunities, hands-on competitions, and the opportunity to earn continuing education and professional development credits.
Connect with Monte Markley at the event to learn how SCS Engineers supports clients with innovative, practical solutions across water and wastewater systems while helping navigate evolving industry challenges. Register now.
Join SCS Engineers at the Central States Water Environment Association (CSWEA) 99th Annual Meeting, taking place May 19–21, 2026, at the Saint Paul RiverCentre in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This event brings together resource recovery professionals, including facility operators, consulting engineers, regulators, and educators, to explore the latest trends and solutions shaping the water and energy recovery industry.
Connect with Todd DeJournett to learn how SCS Engineers partners with clients to deliver innovative solutions in water, wastewater, and resource recovery. Register now.
Many acres of land in the U.S., including valuable coastal areas, are underutilized due to the presence of active, idle, orphaned, or abandoned oil wells. However, these wells often require manageable remediation to enable development. In the hands of a professional environmental remediation expert, these properties offer opportunities to enhance housing and land values when properly addressed.
He is delivering a presentation at the 2026 Orphan, Idle & Marginal Wells California Conference on March 24-25, 2026. His presentation, “Acquiring and Developing Land with Abandoned Wells in California: Navigating Regulations, Risk, and Practice,” provides insight for landowners and developers to learn more about the support your environmental assessments should cover, including:
In Tim Rathmann’s upcoming article, he examines how to go about the process in California, including:
Additional Resources:
Join SCS Engineers at the Environment, Labor & Safety+ Conference (ELS+), taking place April 20–22, 2026, in Houston, TX. This event brings together safety, environmental, and HR professionals across the meat and poultry industry for three days of practical learning, collaboration, and innovation.
ELS+ focuses on the topics that matter most, workplace safety best practices, environmental sustainability initiatives, and labor relations and HR compliance, delivered through insightful sessions and peer-to-peer discussions. Attendees will gain actionable tools and real-world strategies to navigate evolving challenges, strengthen compliance efforts, and support safer, more efficient operations.
Designed for professionals balancing complex responsibilities, Environment, Labor, Safety+ Conference provides a unique space to openly exchange ideas, learn what’s working across the industry, and build meaningful connections with peers and experts.
Be sure to connect with SCS Engineers to learn how we partner with clients to deliver environmental and infrastructure solutions that support safe, compliant, and sustainable operations. Register now.
Join SCS Engineers April 7–8 at the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) 2026 Spring Conference & Expo in Dalton, GA. This year’s event brings together industry professionals for two days of learning, networking, and a little friendly competition. Earn up to 12 recertification points through informative sessions and engaging tours, explore the exhibit hall, and connect with peers and experts from across the industry.
SCS Engineers’ Steven Freund will be in attendance. Be sure to connect and learn how SCS partners with clients to deliver environmental and infrastructure solutions nationwide. Register now!
SCS Engineers’ National Expert Eric Williams describes in his article how local governments face challenges in attracting investment to urban infill sites due to environmental risks, financial feasibility, and lengthy development timelines. By adopting a developer’s perspective, they can better position these sites for redevelopment and private investment. Read Eric’s article “Think Like a Developer: How Local Government Can Attract Urban Infill Investment.”
In a hurry? Here’s our 30-second summary of the highlights.
Reduce environmental risk: Developers require clear, quantified environmental data to manage risks. Local governments can add value by conducting environmental assessments, mitigating hazards such as asbestos, demolishing obsolete structures, and cleaning up contamination, thereby lowering upfront risks and increasing developer confidence. Even partial mitigation, when paired with clearly defined residual risks, can facilitate project planning.
Enhance financial viability: Urban infill often incurs higher costs than greenfield sites. Local governments have access to financial tools unavailable to private developers, such as EPA and state brownfield grants, Tax Increment Financing, Community Development Block Grants, economic development zones, and utility districts. These resources can close financial gaps, improve project feasibility, and serve as catalysts for investment.
Accelerate project timelines: Time-sensitive market conditions require swift action. Governments can shorten pre-development phases by proactively addressing blight and environmental issues, rezoning to support redevelopment, upgrading infrastructure, utilizing environmental review exemptions, and streamlining permitting and entitlement processes. This reduces delays that might otherwise drive developers to alternate sites.
“Think Like a Developer: How Local Government Can Attract Urban Infill Investment.”
Discover Why Retro-Commissioning is the Key to Sustainable Facility Performance
What Is Retro-Commissioning (RCx)?
Retro-commissioning is a systematic process for evaluating and optimizing the performance of existing buildings and their systems. Unlike initial commissioning, which is performed during new building construction, RCx focuses on improving existing equipment and systems in facilities that have been in use for some time. The goal is to ensure that the building continues to meet the needs of its occupants and operates as efficiently as possible.
Why Is RCx Needed?
Over time, buildings often stray from their original design intent due to changes in usage, aging equipment, and evolving operational requirements. This can lead to inefficient energy consumption, increased utility costs, and discomfort for occupants.
RCx addresses these issues by identifying operational problems, optimizing control strategies, and restoring peak performance, often with a quick payback period, making it a cost-effective choice for facility managers and owners.
Why Is RCx Often Overlooked?
Despite its proven benefits, RCx is frequently neglected. Many facility managers and owners focus on new construction or renovations, overlooking the potential hidden within their current assets.
Limited awareness, budget constraints, and misconceptions about RCx’s complexity can prevent organizations from pursuing these projects. RCx is typically cost-effective, with minimal disruption and often pays for itself in less than two years, reassuring facility managers and owners of its practicality.
When RCx Is Right for You?
Energy Consumption Has Increased
When evaluating energy use, look for gradual drifts or sudden changes. Year-over-year increases of 10% or more suggest operational issues RCx can resolve.
On the other hand, acute changes are marked by a sharp spike in energy consumption, which may then level off or continue to rise. These abrupt increases are usually easier to notice because they stand out more than gradual trends. Acute changes typically indicate that a major piece of equipment, such as a chiller or air handling unit, has suddenly begun operating differently. The root cause may be straightforward or require detailed investigation. What’s clear from such a dramatic rise in energy costs is that immediate attention is needed.
Multiple Operator Overrides
For most buildings, a building automation system (BAS) has been installed to provide a control scheme for the many components of a mechanical system responsible for building climate control and, in some cases, lighting systems. When a facility is newly built and properly commissioned, these controls should be operating efficiently.
However, over time, equipment performance can decline: dampers may break, sensors can drift out of calibration, and complaints from occupants about uncomfortable temperatures or unpleasant odors can surface.
Operations and Maintenance teams, already stretched thin managing a variety of urgent issues, rarely have the capacity to investigate the underlying causes in depth. So when a tenant calls, frustrated that a conference room is sweltering during a crucial meeting, the likely response is to override the setpoint. This quick fix ensures the room cools down, keeps the tenant satisfied, and allows the staff to move on to the many other tasks demanding their attention. However, the additional energy consumed will become noticeable over time.
Equipment Has Useful Life
One of the goals of RCx is to optimize building system performance and lower energy use by fine-tuning control sequences, operational routines, and maintenance practices—without incurring major costs for equipment replacement. For RCx to be effective, the existing equipment must be operating near its original design specifications. However, all equipment ages, and even well-maintained systems will eventually degrade to less-than-ideal performance. If the equipment is so worn out that it can no longer fulfill its intended purpose, there’s little that RCx can do to restore its performance.
For example, an HVAC condensing unit that’s been in service for three decades, with corroded coils and a persistent inability to maintain proper refrigerant temperatures even at full capacity. In such cases, the unit has surpassed its expected useful life, and replacement is likely the only way to achieve the desired comfort and efficiency, followed by commissioning of the new equipment to ensure optimal operation.
Conversely, if your system is only five years old and physically sound but is struggling to meet cooling demands or is running inefficiently, an RCx specialist can help diagnose and resolve the underlying issues, restoring the system’s performance.
The Benefits of RCx
RCx is more than just a maintenance strategy—it’s a proactive approach to unlocking long-term value in existing buildings. The numbers show: substantial savings, improved comfort, and a rapid return on investment make RCx a smart, sustainable choice for any facility owner looking to unlock their building’s performance.
Who Provides RCx Services?
While HVAC maintenance companies can offer some RCx services, choosing specialized energy engineering firms, mechanical contractors, or controls companies ensures effective results and gives facility managers and owners confidence in the process.
Selecting an RCx Provider: Building owners should look for businesses with proven experience in similar facility types and a track record of successful RCx projects. It is wise to request references, review case studies, and ensure the firm follows industry standards such as those set by ASHRAE or the Building Commissioning Association. Owners may also consider issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to compare qualifications, methodologies, and pricing among several firms before making a selection.
Additional Resources:
About the Author. Tony Kriel is a Professional Engineer (PE) and LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C and O+M) with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He serves as SCS Engineers’ National Expert on Facility Energy Management, with decades of consulting experience specializing in commissioning (Cx), retro-commissioning (RCx), ASHRAE Level I-III energy audits, and greenhouse gas/carbon-reduction services. Tony manages multiple large-scale projects exceeding 1 million square feet and works with diverse clients across the industrial, commercial, military, federal, state, municipal, and solid waste sectors. He has implemented and managed commissioning processes for various buildings, providing both fundamental and enhanced commissioning services aligned with the US Green Building Council’s LEED program. Feel free to contact our Author, Tony Kriel, with any questions or use LinkedIn.
What happened at the February 26, 2026, California Air Resources Board (CARB) public hearing and meeting?
On Thursday, February 26, CARB voted to approve regulations implementing California’s two climate disclosure requirements. To implement these laws, the board approved the draft regulation, which provides key definitions, establishes annual compliance fees, and sets deadlines for the first year of reporting.
What are the key elements of the new regulation?
Since these regulations were just issued, what enforcement is expected in 2026?
CARB emphasized that its enforcement guidance remains in effect, which provides accommodation for the first year of reporting. In its press release following the hearing, CARB noted that its priority is to support compliance through stakeholder engagement, and it will exercise enforcement discretion as long as good-faith efforts are made in first-year submissions.
When are climate risk disclosures under SB 261 due?
Enforcement of SB 261 is on a Ninth Circuit injunction, as acknowledged by CARB at the hearing. That injunction does not extend to SB 253. More than 120 climate-related financial risk reports have been voluntarily submitted and are publicly available at CARB’s SB 261 public docket.
What are the plans for future regulations under these laws?
CARB staff noted that additional topics are to be addressed in future guidance, with further SB 253 regulations to be proposed later this year. These are to address Scope 3 GHG emissions reporting, assurance, and reporting deadlines in 2027 and beyond.
CARB SB 253 and SB 261 Resources
See below for links to the notice of staff meeting presentation, the adopted regulatory text, and the press release, along with contact information for subject-matter experts should you require further assistance.
Visit SCS Engineers’ speakers and exhibitors at the CRWA Education & Exhibitor Show, April 27th – 30th, 2026 at Harrah’s Convention Center! The CRWA annual conference is your opportunity to connect, learn, and showcase—all in one unforgettable alpine setting. Throughout the event, attendees can participate in educational sessions led by industry experts, network with peers, and engage with exhibitors showcasing the latest technologies and services supporting rural water systems.
SCS Engineers’ experts Chuck Houser and Jonathan Meronek will present:
Geology Rules: Case Studies in Geo-Sciences of Ground Water Assessment and Supply
Wednesday April 29, 2026 | 9AM – 12PM
Engage with exhibitors offering the latest in rural water technology and collaborate with peers to solve real-world challenges facing your systems. With networking breakfasts, themed receptions, and hands-on demonstrations built into the schedule, you’ll come away with both actionable knowledge and lasting relationships. Between conference hours, enjoy Caesars Republic South Lake Tahoe’s welcoming resort atmosphere and the natural beauty of South Lake Tahoe—a setting that makes connecting, learning, and recharging enjoyable. Register today to join us!
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