December 2018 Digest

December 31, 2018

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Other News

New Operations Challenge Teams Travel the Road to WEFTEC 2018

At WEFTEC, 44 teams of elite wastewater operators met in New Orleans to participate in the 31st-annual Operations Challenge competition. For 11 of those teams, 2018 marked their national-level debut. Meet some of the new teams and learn about how they prepared for the competition.

The Wilfleys: A Family of ‘Water Nerds’ Mixes Business with Pleasure

Growing up in Beaumont, Calif., then a relatively small town in the mountains, Bryan Wilfley didn’t expect to pursue a career in the water sector. But he also remembers shadowing his father, Jay Wilfley, who spent 30 years at the small Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District. Learn how Bryan grew to embrace the sector and even recruited his wife.

From the President: Why Do You Do What You Do?

“What do you do for a living?”

It’s a common question that comes up pretty quickly in a conversation with someone new. This is a great conversation starter that WEF President Thomas Kunetz may ask you someday. Learn how his response ties into WEF’s relaunched WATER’S WORTH IT campaign.

Students Get Enthusiastic About Water at the 2018 Water Palooza

On Sept. 28, before WEFTEC 2018, a group of enthusiastic volunteers from the Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) Student and Young Professionals Committee (SYPC) brought a water-themed fair to St. Mary’s Academy in New Orleans. The 6th annual Water Palooza event included a day full of hands-on activities that engaged the students in learning about the importance of water.

Carol Martinson, co-chair, SYPC Water Palooza subcommittee, describes the excitement of the day and the educational stations students visited.

WEF Commits to Local Stewardship with 2018 Community Service Project

In the historic and culturally vibrant neighborhood of Treme in New Orleans, the 11th annual Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Community Service Project kicked off another record-setting WEFTEC. On the grounds of the Treme Community Center, 175 passionate volunteers donated their time and energy to leave the WEFTEC host city just a little nicer than they found it.

Chris Marschinke, chair of the Students and Young Professionals Committee Community Service Project, shares details about “Detain the Rain: The Treme Center Transformation.”

Five Things WEF’s Water Leadership Institute Taught Me

My relationship with and connection to water is something I hadn’t thought much about until I considered applying for the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Water Leadership Institute. Then it dawned on me: I come from a long line of environmental stewards.