Second IKE Session Presents Big Ideas in Short Videos

Proving that groundbreaking ideas need not be presented in extensive papers or full-scale lectures, the second Interactive Knowledge Exchange (IKE) at WEFTEC^® 2016 featured 21 short videos introducing new perspectives for water science, engineering, and education.

The event, established at WEFTEC 2015 as an open forum to showcase ideas in a more casual setting than those presented at other technical sessions, featured two television screens where selected IKE videos were played simultaneously for more than 100 attendees. Videos were required to be less than 5 minutes long. This year’s exchange presented perspectives in six categories, covering all aspects of water management ranging from science and engineering concepts to leadership philosophy.

Photo courtesy of Oscar and Associates.

The IKE Symposium, a group of water sector volunteers from utilities, corporations, and municipalities, judged the submitted IKE videos. They evaluated videos based on the clarity of the message presented, the overall appeal and production quality, the originality, and the soundness of the idea or perspective presented.

Out of the nearly 40 total submissions, a hip-hop music video from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (Calif.) titled, “San Francisco Sewers: You Can’t Live a Day Without Me,” left the exhibition as the winner of the overall and people’s choice categories.

Other 2016 winners included

• “Food Waste to Energy: A Sustainable Design” in the leading edge category;

• “Manchester-by-the-Sea’s Climate Adaptation in Action Using EPA’s Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT)” in the operations category;

• “Why Do I Need to Separate My Home’s Outgoing Water?” in the public outreach category;

• “Phosphorous Recovery Options at Water Resources Recovery Facilities: Stopping the Race Track Effect” in the young professional category;

• “Aerial Imagery Assists Flood Disaster Response in South Carolina, and in Record Time” in the technical category; and

• “Water Utility Saves Hundreds of Thousands per Year with GIS” in the vendor category.

Submit “IKEstracts,” 500-word-maximum pitches for video concepts, for WEFTEC 2017 by Jan. 18.