December 2013 at a Glance

December 31, 2013

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Operations Challenge 2013 Teams Make History

Terminal Velocity wins fourth-consecutive Division 1 win and is joined on podium by two other Virginia teams

At WEFTEC^® 2013, large crowds gathered to watch Operations Challenge, an event that exemplifies the precision and skill needed to work in the wastewater treatment industry. Expressions of awe and appreciation at competitors’ performances could be heard throughout the audience. And this year, spectators witnessed some notable achievements: the fourth-consecutive Division 1 win by the Virginia Water Environment Association team Terminal Velocity and three Virginia Water Environment Association teams placing in the top three in Divisions 1 and 2.

WEFTEC 2013 Annual Service Project’s Ripple Effect Reaches Hundreds

The WEFTEC^® 2013 annual service project made a big splash this year. Approximately 110 volunteers came out to the Reading, Writing, and Rain Gardens event to help replace pavement with green space at the John C. Haines Elementary School in Chicago.

Stepping Up to the Plate at Home and WEFTEC

The year’s annual Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC^®), attracting more than 22,000 attendees, sparked an unexpected reaction from me. I was intimidated.

Each session I attended featured presentations by some of the best in our industry describing technical and policy marvels. Even at the helm of DC Water (Washington), one of the larger utilities represented at WEFTEC, I still frequently felt that we were inadequate by comparison. Thus, for my final presentation on sustainability, I wrote down eight steps to get started and not be intimidated — as much for me as for the audience. These steps might apply to any subject.

I’ll Drink to That!

Engineers Without Borders student chapter teams up with other engineering students to bring clean water to peers in rural Bolivia

Many universities try to woo prospective students with fancy new dormitories and gourmet dining options. But the Unidad Academica Campesina (UAC) — “United College for the Peasants” — in Carmen Pampa, Bolivia, is taking a more utilitarian approach.

In Memoriam: Charles A. ‘Chuck’ Sorber, WEF President, 1992–1993

Charles A. Sorber, Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) president from 1992 to 1993, died Oct. 28 at the age of 74. Sorber joined both WEF and the Water Environment Association of Texas in 1966 and became a WEF honorary member in 1998.

Leaders of All Kinds Emerge from Water Leadership Institute

The 2013 graduates of the Water Leadership Institute emerged with confidence and a better idea of leadership styles. The program, developed by the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.), helps equip a new generation of water professionals with the latest skills and knowledge needed to take on industry challenges.