California Movie Premieres

Wastewater plants across the country are in need of resuscitation. Half a century after the Clean Water Act radically improved how we handle our sewage, our once modern facilities have aged beyond their intended lifespans. Pipes are cracking and growing populations push plants to their limits.

Despite the challenges, a team of wastewater professionals laughs and struggles to keep clean water flowing.  Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong is a buddy comedy about wastewater and the thankless pursuit of making a better world.

This is a celebration of water and wastewater professionals, and you'll discover a bit more about why we love this profession. Water is a great place to work.

The filmmakers are husband and wife team of Alexander Wolf Lewis and Kaitlyn Schwalje. Alex is traveling out to California for these screenings and can answer your questions about the film. Be sure to say hello.

Kaitlyn and I, as filmmakers, were tired of environmental films that make you feel bad. If you take a little bit of a different approach and you say let me make you care about these guys, let me show you what their life is like, I think you end up maybe caring more. The guys [at the plant] are incredible.” - Alexander Wolf Lewis told NBC News Center Maine

Dates and Locations

Thank you Sponsors 

Sponsors help us provide lower cost tickets to students, as well as support them in a networking dinner with working water professionals. Ask us how your organization can become a sponsor >

• Bay Area AWWA
• Municipal Water District of Orange County
• Water Energy Education Alliance (WEEA)
• Yorba Linda Water District

Thank you Promotional Supporters

• BAYWORK
• California-Nevada Section of AWWA
• Clean Water SoCal
• CWEA
• CWEA Santa Ana River Basin Section

Bay Area AWWA Water For People
Annual Reception and Movie Night

You're invited to Water For People’s Bay Area 9th annual reception and movie night. Our annual event to raise funds for Water for People.

Come relax, meet new people and enjoy a film with us. Come watch the Bay Area premier of the documentary UNLESS SOMETHING GOES TERRIBLY WRONG, about a team of water workers in Maine.

Meet Director Alexander Wolf Lewis and join the Director’s Q&A after the movie. Interested in group tickets? Please contact us  |  Download the promo flyer

Sponsors

• BAWWA

• Hazen

• HDR

• East Bay Municipal Utilities District

• Terraphase

• Bartle Wells Associates

• Brown and Caldwell

• CDM Smith

• Water Works Engineers

• Woodard & Curran

Schedule

• 5:00 pm Social with appetizers and drinks
• 6:15 pm Screening
• 7:30 pm Panel Q&A with one of the filmmakers

About the Movie

• Watch the trailer >
• Learn more about the movie >

Promotional Partners

• BAYWORK

• California-Nevada Section of AWWA

Bay Area AWWA Contacts

For more information about available sponsorship opportunities, please contact Sophia Skoda, Sponsorship Chair, at [email protected].

Make checks payable to "BAWWA-Water For People" with "Berkeley movie night" in the memo, and mail to:

EBMUD Attn: Sophia Skoda PO Box 24055 Oakland, CA 94623

BAWWA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization.

Brower Center Info

Parking info: $3/hour weekday parking is available in the Oxford Garage directly below the Brower. Enter on Kittredge St.

Public transit: Downtown Berkeley BART station.

Online Ticketing System

Ticket and sponsorship transactions online are handled by the Water Works Here-NationBuilder system. After credit card transaction fees, funds are transferred to Bay Area AWWA. Credit card transactions appear as WATER WORKS HERE LLC. Similar to an EventBrite transaction, but NationBuilder has much lower fees.

Two emails are sent - your ticket confirmation and your credit card receipt. Please check your JUNK folder for emails if you don't see them and add [email protected] to your safe senders list. 

Discounted tickets are available to students w/current student ID.

Sponsor the Event

• $500.00 Sponsor level - BUDDY
• $1,000.00 Sponsor level - FRIEND
• $2,500.00 Sponsor level - WARRIOR
• $5,000.00 Sponsor level - CHAMPION
• Contact us to sponsor >

Sponsor and support our annual 9th movie night fundraiser with networking reception to benefit Water For People! Water For People works to overcome the world water crisis by providing sustainable, clean drinking water and sanitation systems to people in developing countries with well organized, repeatable, proven delivery systems.

Sponsors will receive complimentary tickets to the event, as well as social media posts and other publicity, such as links on both Water For People and BAWWA websites.

By supporting this event, you support Water For People - a great cause that works to create access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation for everyone!

The new documentary, 𝑼𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝑾𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, is an inspirational buddy comedy about America's crumbling water infrastructure and the unlikely, motely crew of Maine wastewater heroes who keep things afloat. The film dives into the topics of water infrastructure, careers in water, and it's a close-up look at the day-to-day life of water professionals.

Join us after the film for a fun and enlightening Q&A with one of the directors, Alexander Lewis, and a panel of water experts.

Learn more and register on OC San's website >

Schedule

9:30 a.m. - doors open
10:00 a.m. - screening
11:15- panel discussion

Panelists

• Rob Thompson, General Manager
• Alexander Wolf Lewis, Director

About the film

Learn more about the movie >

The new documentary, 𝑼𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝑾𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, is an inspirational buddy comedy about America's crumbling water infrastructure and the unlikely, motely crew of Maine wastewater heroes who keep things afloat. The film dives into the topics of water infrastructure, careers in water, and it's a close-up look at the day-to-day life of water professionals.

Join us after the film for a fun and enlightening Q&A with one of the directors, Alexander Wolf Lewis, and a panel of water experts.

Purchasing general admission tickets helps subsidize low cost student tickets. Thank you for helping the next generation of California water pros!

Getting there

USC Ginsburg Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Vermont Ave > Downey Way entrance into USC
Parking: Downey Way Structure across from Ginsburg $20.50 (follow Text2Park instructions or use kiosk in the garage)
or street parking along Vermont Ave
Public transit: Expo Line, Expo Park stop, 9 minute walk to Ginsburg Hall

Ticketing note

Please check your junk in-box for the confirmation email and add us to the safe senders list. Registrants receive two emails: receipt and an event confirmation email. Group discounts are available, please contact us >

Schedule

5:00 p.m. - Student career networking meeting (invite only)
5:00 p.m. - Social with hors d'oeuvre and drinks
6:15 p.m. - Screening
7:30 p.m. - Panel discussion

USC and LA Trade Tech student tickets

Please contact us for info on registering for your tickets.

About the film

• Watch the trailer >
• Learn more about the movie >

Panelists

• t.b.d.
• Alexander Wolf Lewis, Director
• Dr. Adam Smith, USC Professor and USC ReWater Center

Welcome remarks by Dr. Burçin Becerik-Gerber, Department Chair, CEE, USC Viterbi

Promotional Partners

• California-Nevada Section of AWWA

Want to sponsor this screening?

Help support student participation in this event and we'll feature your agency prominently in pre-event promos as well as at the event. Please contact us >

This screening is now FREE thanks to the support of our sponsors

• DXP Water

• Water Energy Education Alliance (WEEA)

• Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC)

• Moulton Niguel Water District

• Yorba Linda Water District

The new documentary, 𝑼𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝑾𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, is an inspirational buddy comedy about America's crumbling water infrastructure and the unlikely, motely crew of Maine wastewater heroes who keep things afloat. The film dives into the topics of water infrastructure, careers in water, and it's a close-up look at the day-to-day life of water professionals.

Join us after the film for a fun and enlightening Q&A with one of the directors, Alexander Wolf Lewis, and a panel of water experts.

Schedule

5:30 p.m. - social and networking with refreshments
6:15 p.m. - Screening
7:30 p.m. - panel discussion

Students - join a mini-mentoring session from 5:00-6:00 pm and meet with working professionals. We'll send you the room number to join us. Use this form to RSVP for the mentoring session and the film screening >

About the film

• Watch the trailer >
• Learn more about the movie >

Panelists

• Host Tiffany Baca, MWDOC and WEEA
• Alexander Lewis, Director of the film
• Jeffry Dennis, SCC Professor
• Dr. J. Wayne Miller, Researcher, UC Riverside

Help support student participation by sponsoring the event. Please contact us >

Promotional Partners

• California-Nevada Section of AWWA
• Santa Ana River Basin Section of CWEA

About the film

The new documentary, 𝑼𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝑾𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, is an inspirational buddy comedy about America's crumbling water infrastructure and the unlikely, motely crew of Maine wastewater heroes who keep things afloat. The film dives into the topics of water infrastructure, careers in water, and is a close-up look at the day-to-day life of water professionals.

Special screenings will be held across California on February 23-26 including a Q&A with one of the directors, Alexander Wolf Lewis, and a panel of water experts.

Purchasing general admission tickets helps subsidize low cost student tickets. Thank you for helping the next generation of California water pros!

Ticketing note

Please check your junk in-box for the confirmation email and add us to the safe senders list. Registrants receive two emails: receipt and an event confirmation email.

Schedule

5:00 p.m. - Social sponsored by Downstream Services at Panama 66, across the plaza from the museum
6:15 p.m. - Screening
7:30 p.m. - panel discussion with the director

Arrive at 5:00 p.m. for a relaxed social and networking event at Panama 66 in Balboa Park and within walking distance to the theater. Your ticket includes a drink and appetizers.

Students will also be there, giving them an opportunity to network with working professionals.

About the film

• Watch the trailer >
• Learn more about the movie >

About the theater

Learn more about the beautiful Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art.

Promotional Partners

• California-Nevada Section of AWWA
• Clean Water SoCal

Want to sponsor this screening?

Help support student participation in this event and we'll feature your agency prominently. Please contact us >