Underground Infrastructure - April 2023 - 27

Underground Infrastructure Conference
UI: Did any of that innovation
make its way into other areas?
Howard: Yes, we've done some created
wetlands on the stormwater side, too.
For instance, we've experimented with
packed-bed fi lters where we've taken
some of the wastewater technology and
adapted to stormwater. It's a kind of a
treatment system where we allow water
to enter and then fl ow across the bed
and is collected on the other side aſt er
it's fi ltered through some fi lter media
and aquatic plants. It provides nutrient
removal prior to its outfall into one of
our local lakes. Th en during dry weather
conditions, we had the capability
of pumping water out of the lake and
through the system to remove some of
the nutrients that way.
UI: Of course, innovations like
these over the course of your
career factored into your MVP
Award. Looking back, what would
you say is the biggest change
from your early days at Orlando?
Howard: We've seen a dramatic increase
in regulations. Th e wastewater regulations
have been prett y much in place for a while,
but stormwater is not too far behind.
UI: It might be hard to pick specifi c
lessons learned from your long
career, but what would you pass
along to other public works and
water management leaders?
Howard: You know, I really believe that
people are lucky to work for administrations
that recognize that infrastructure
needs to be maintained and expanded
when it's necessary. I'm sure you're
aware of the ASCE report that comes
out every few years about infrastructure,
and the grades are really low. I think we
have to take that seriously. I just don't
think the funding follows that as much as
it needs to.
We all know money is tight, and the
work we do is not the glamorous stuff .
But it's not very glamorous when something
fails, either. It's kind of forgott en
infrastructure, and when it fails, it fails
big. I would urge everyone to demand
funding, because the failures are going to
show up sooner or later.
UI: Any tips on how to accomplish
that, or is it just persistence?
Howard: For me it was persistence and
trying to make friends with the fi nance
director. And I think that really paid off .
Bring it up to commissioners and your
mayor and make sure they're aware of
these things. A good time to do that is after
you've had a major failure that really
illustrates the need. Like, last August we
had a storm here - it wasn't my problem,
because I already retired - but downtown
literally was fl ooded here for weeks. Th at's
the kind of thing that you point to and say:
" Look, this is what can happen, and does
happen, and you need to pay att ention. " UI
THE JOB.
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Underground Infrastructure - April 2023

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