January 2018 Digest

January 31, 2018

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Other News

The Art of the Sewer

Artists from around the world transform manhole covers and wastewater into art

Some artists look to nature for inspiration. Others explore color, light, or shapes. But a few have found their muse in the municipal wastewater system. One group in Europe is inspired by manhole covers, while another in Taiwan is inspired by the unusual appearance of wastewater samples.

Spreading the Reach of Operations Challenge

Orren West rises through the ranks while contributing to the competition

Orren West Jr. believes in Operations Challenge. Staying involved in the competition has helped him rise through the ranks in his career, an experience West wants to pass along to his fellow operators.

“I have experienced, personally, professional growth through Ops Challenge, and I wanted that opportunity for my coworkers,” West said. “I’m very passionate about it.”

Passing Down an Engineering Legacy in Spain

You might call the Reigs the “first family of wastewater” in Spain.

Rafael Reig Armero, co-founder of a Spanish water-sector organization, held multiple leadership roles in the water sector until his death in 1999. His son, Benito Reig Carriedo, picked up the baton and has been an active Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) member and environmental engineer for the past 25 years. And Ricardo Reig, Benito’s cousin, spent most of his career working for the Tagus Water Authority (Madrid).

University Uses Mulch To Fortify River Banks and Protect Water Quality

Efforts by the University of North Georgia (UNG; Dahlonega, Ga.) to identify and restore parts of the Upper Chattahoochee River Basin impaired by bacterial contamination and soil erosion have proven the wisdom of an old maxim: keep it simple. Under an interdisciplinary collaboration, UNG students and faculty repurpose ordinary mulch to redirect runoff, seed green infrastructure measures, and preserve safe water quality throughout the region.

WEF Eco Cycles and Shreds Through Environmental Stewardship Goals

At Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) headquarters, staff members work to plan conferences, provide career development opportunities, and support more than 30,000 members. In addition to these labors, WEF makes time to minimize its footprint on the local environment. In 2017, the WEF Eco team led efforts to reduce carbon emissions and to recycle paper.