WEF Highlights

The January 2021 issue of Water Environment & Technology magazine includes sound-offs from water sector leaders around the world, who described how their organizations contend with such universal challenges as climate change, workforce issues, and flood management. Their remarks were abbreviated for space in print. Full comments are presented below. Janett Tapia — The Netherlands In […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has attracted widespread attention to how WRRFs approach biohazard preparedness, worker safety, and personnel management. Staggered schedules, erratic shifts, and stringent safety protocols have become another part of the job for wastewater professionals. Robert Pontau, Jr., a Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Virginia) member and assistant general manager of the Brunswick (Maine) […]

Innovative devices to help clean up oil spills won Washington high-school student Zoe Gotthold the 2020 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) competition, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Virginia) announced in late June. Her project now advances to the international competition in August, where she will represent the U.S. against 28 other countries. Plastics […]

Flushing household products – such as wet wipes for restroom use or cosmetic wipes for removing makeup – is a global issue for the wastewater sector. These products are often mislabeled as “flushable” despite their inability to disperse in conventional collections systems. Flushing them can result in costly and messy septic backups, environmental contamination, and […]

Murder in the Primary is the first mystery novel set at a water resource recovery facility. Written by John Seldon, a Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Life Member, the recently published novel balances the technical aspects of wastewater treatment with the suspense of a murder mystery. Image courtesy of Rock’s Mills Press (Oakville, Ontario) […]

During the coronavirus pandemic, much of the water-sector workforce is working longer hours with smaller operations teams, placing unprecedented pressures on their individual skills and experiences. At the same time, many water professionals are spending more time at home due to social-distancing requirements, providing a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge base and develop as […]

How entrepreneur Kevin Sofen turns untapped craftsmanship into clean-water results Raised along California’s Pacific coast and later settling near Lake Michigan in Chicago, Kevin Sofen has spent much of his life around water. The founder and CEO of the social entrepreneurship business Wristsponsible (Chicago), Sofen’s love for living shoreside goes hand-in-hand with his commitment to […]

For years, the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) and the North East Water Innovation Network (NEWIN) have served two critical segments of the northeastern U.S. water sector. NEWEA, a Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Member Association, supports practitioners on the frontlines of water and wastewater treatment while technology accelerator NEWIN provides resources for […]