April 2019 Digest

April 30, 2019

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Other News

Poetry in Water: Member Embraces the Creative Side of Science

Blending science with poetry may seem like an odd combination, but it is one of Art Stewart’s favorite activities.

The professional limnologist, who studies inland waters, has built a name for himself in the world of poetry. Read about his journey to publish six books of poems and essays that reflect on science.

Apprenticeship Program: The “Secret Sauce” Behind Hampton Roads’ Success

Faced with the challenge of staffing three new water resource recovery facilities, Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD; Virginia Beach, Va.) launched its wastewater apprenticeship program in 1979.
Since then, the program has grown and become what Ted Henifin, HRSD general manager, calls the “secret sauce” behind HRSD’s long-term success.

Invasion of the Fatbergs Coming to a Screen Near You

Florida outreach campaign centers around spoof horror-movie trailer

The horrors of fatbergs — those accumulations of grease, baby wipes, paper towels, and other trash that combine to block wastewater pipes — are very real for water resource recovery facilities. JEA, a public utility in Jacksonville, Fla., decided to have a little fun bringing these horrors to life with Frederick “Freddy” Fatberg.

WEF Staff Bike To Show Operators Appreciation on World Water Day

On March 22, four Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) staff members strapped on their helmets and pedaled their way around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to celebrate water resource recovery facility operators.

From the President: Advancing Research, the Scientific Capital

Thomas Kunetz, WEF President 2018–2019

Since the end of World War II, the investment of federal money into basic research has led to many advances in engineering, materials science, computer science, medicine, and psychology.

Every public utility — and by extension, its customers — have benefited in many ways over many decades from technological advances that were funded by someone else in some other state. In return, each utility should do its part to make a contribution to the body of scientific knowledge from which all of society benefits.

WEF Releases Why Water’s Worth It Children’s Storybook

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) has released its first children’s storybook, Why Water’s Worth It. This highly anticipated book came from the positive response to the public service announcement video that was released last October as part of the WATER’S WORTH IT^® campaign relaunch.