A colleague mentioned that this is the 10th year anniversary of EPA SWMM 5. I thought this important or noteworthy anniversary was due some sort of belated mention on the SWMM List Server. I also think the CHI List is at least 20 years old so I wish a belated birthday mention for this List Server as well.

The release dates for SWMM 5 are from

http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-10/epaswmm5_updates_0.txt

which is in the download section of the EPA SWMM site

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Build 5.0.003 (11/10/04)
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Engine Updates:

1. Modifications were made to full depth entries of width tables for closed rounded cross-section shapes to improve the numerical stability for dynamic wave flow routing.
2. Error 405 was added to detect if the size of the binary results file would exceed the 2.1 Gbyte system limit.
3. A units problem for RDII inflows under metric flow units was corrected.
4. A problem reading the TEMPDIR option when it contained spaces was corrected.
5. Support for Canadian DLY02 and DLY04 temperature files was added.
6. Rule-based control of crest height for weirs was corrected (previously the control setting adjusted flow rather than the relative distance between weir crest and crown).

GUI Updates:

1. A problem with the Group Editing feature for conduits was corrected (the editor would update the wrong conduit parameter).
2. Execution time for long term simulations on smaller projects was speeded up considerably by only refreshing the progress meter every day rather than every minute.
3. The time to draw time series graphs and perform statistical analyses on large data sets was considerably shortened.

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Build 5.0.002 (11/1/04)
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Engine Updates

1. Modifications made to the Picard method used for dynamic wave flow routing routine.

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Build 5.0.001 (10/29/04)
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First official release of SWMM 5.

since there were 4 releases during a 4 week period, it might be better to consider the whole month the release date for SWMM 5.0.001 to SWMM 5.0.004

Very timely! My memory is hazy, but I believe I started this particular list in 1988, over 25y ago. It formed part of my personal commitment to make up for Ronald Reagan's gutting of the USEPA, including its SWMM support effort, which, if I'm correct, occurred in or about 1985/6. Updated SWMM documentation, training workshops and PCSWMM were other consequences.

At least that's the way I saw it, and in retrospect, avoiding the death of SWMM was a good adventure.

Our next Toronto SWMM conference in Feb '15 might be a good opportunity to celebrate.

So you're saying the costs shifted from the US to Canada. Seems like good deal here! Seriously, though, given the results of what you and others created and have sustained, it seems to me the cut was ultimately very beneficial. Thanks for taking that challenge on at the time and challenging many of us modelers to be honest about how all models are "wrong".

1st Not to be disagreeable but I distinctly remember Allan Goyen of Willings/XP Software mentioning to you in Niagara Falls in 1993 that it would be a good idea to have something like the List Server. I remember the meeting anyway as you, he, your lovely wife and myself were at lunch. I cannot remember if the word List Server was actually mentioned but something was mentioned about helping people globally with SWMM questions. I may be wrong about the dates and I wholeheartedly thank you for starting this List Server no matter what year it may have been started.

2nd The EPA may have discontinued support of SWMM 4 in the late 80's or middle 80's but Wayne Huber and James Heaney of UF continued to support it both at UF and later at OSU and UC. I would also mention CDM was a big supporter and programmer of SWMM 4 throughout the 90's and earlier in the 80's. Thank you Chuck Moore/Ted Burgess, Jim Smullen and many others of now CDMSmith and the previous CDM.

In November of 1993 Tony had the honor of the first (if not the most useful!) SWMM-USERs post:

>Date: 26 Nov 93 19:52:56 EDT >Sender: Storm Water Management Modelling Software Users
>From: KUCH@net2.eos.uoguelph.ca
>Subject: Test Message
>
>Hey all you crazy SWMM users how is it going?

Good memory Bob!

Yep, Bob is quite correct, thanks.

Also, yes, I should have stated my role was insignificant compared to others, sorry about that (but I was talking only about the list). Quite a few folks came up with the suggestion of a list or chat room, even after it had been in existence for some time (clearly many were not early subscribers). I am surprised at the late date and cannot recall what we had instituted when I came to the U of Guelph in 1988 - probably a simpler mailing list. The official record at the U of Guelph may indicate a later date, as their computer systems were changed many times.

Phil mentioned costs, but my Canadian share was much more in-kind and academic than in external real dollars. Certainly the costs associated with a list server are small. While it's true that Canada paid for me (and my approx. 70 grad students not all of whom worked on SWMM-related projects), I merely did what I could. It's also true that we never received US funding, but it was and continues to be a huge privilege to have worked with all the folks that Bob mentioned, and many others. I will never forget them.

I also forgot to mention that in those dark days we also took over the SWMM meetings (now the annual conference), about that time too, and published their papers down the years. The conferences and papers also are still on the go, so don't forget the upcoming conference in Toronto next February!

Bill, you are far too modest. You have made an amazing contribution to a great cause and should be recognized for it.

Hear, Hear!

And while we are at it, I want to give a shout out to Bob, Lew Rossman and Mitch Heinemann. We all are deeply in debt to them for their contributions as well.