WEF Highlights

As extreme weather events become more common, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been working to provide the water sector with resources to prepare. The tools are designed to improve the security and resilience of the drinking water supply and wastewater treatment services in the U.S. EPA’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Resilience website provides […]

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved a final consent order with Nice-Pak Products Inc. that requires the company to stop advertising moist toilet tissue and cloth as flushable or safe for sewer or septic systems unless it can substantiate those claims. In May 2015, FTC filed a complaint that Nice-Pak violated the FTC Act […]

The Brunswick (Maine) Sewer District has taken a proactive approach to foster an informed customer base. The district has created a poster that links customers to videos that show how water flows through the district’s systems, according to Leonard Blanchette, general manager. The district is using this interactive education in addition to traditional public outreach […]

At least to some, wastewater treatment personnel are real-life superheroes. Union Sanitary District (USD; Union City, Calif.) Collection Services employees saved the day for Mehvish Tapal and her family after an heirloom was flushed down the toilet in early October 2014. After Tapal realized that her 3-year-old son flushed a ring that had been in […]

On June 17, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) submitted comments to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concerning wipe manufacturers’ claims of their product’s “flushability” and about how these products should be labeled. The comments were related to a proposed FTC consent agreement with Nice-Pak Products Inc. (Orangeburg, N.Y.). WEF’s comments support the […]

University of Michigan sponsors its first urine drive   On any given day, it’s not uncommon to find students at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) out on campus raising awareness for one good cause or another. Until recently, however, their efforts almost never involved porta-potties. That changed on April 1 when researchers from the […]

A recent poll by the Value of Water Coalition asked more than 2000 adults in the U.S. about the importance of water in their lives. Among the results: more than four out of five Americans said they think it is extremely important to invest in strategies and programs to develop sustainable water supplies. Also, more […]

On March 13, Garry Macdonald, member of the Water Environment Federation’s (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) 2014–2015 Board of Trustees, received the 2015 Angus Award for Water, Waste, and Amenities from the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ; Wellington). The award, which falls under the category of Supreme Technical Awards for Engineering Achievers, recognizes Macdonald’s expertise […]