WEF Highlights

David Hayden, Irvine Ranch Water District operations supervisor David Hayden has been a member of the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) and Santa Ana River Basin Section of the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) since 1992. He is a Grade III operator in California and was recognized as CWEA Operator of the Year in […]

WEFTEC® 2017, the 90th annual Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) technical exhibition and conference, will be held in Chicago, the location of the first WEFTEC. The event, taking place Sept. 30–Oct. 4, has become the world’s largest annual water quality event that educates attendees on a wide range of topics representing all facets of […]

Often, wastewater treatment services remain out-of-sight and out-of-mind. But 12-year-old Cameron Weeks sought to change that when he decided to learn about local wastewater operators for a school project. Thanking operators for a job well done The seventh-grade Medlin Middle School (Roanoke, Texas) student received an assignment in his language arts class to demonstrate empathy […]

During WEFTEC® 2016, 42 teams vied for first, second, and third place in Division 1 and Division 2 of Operations Challenge. Competitors tested their wastewater treatment skills in five events – Process Control, Laboratory, Collection Systems, Godwin Maintenance, and Safety. The Virginia Water Environment Association team, the Blue Ridge Brawlers, earned first place overall in […]

Christen Wood started a new trend in her family: an intense love of everything water. And she has been shouting from the proverbial mountain tops —  also known as social media — about the importance of wastewater treatment, value of clean water, and significance of working in the water sector. Wood, unit process manager at […]

Laurie Perkins’ interest in civil engineering dates back to a junior high science fair project involving wastewater treatment, balsa wood, and Tupperware. Those last two items were among the materials that Perkins and her father, Charles “Chuck” Terry, had rounded up from around the house to construct a model of a wastewater treatment facility. The […]

Operator accomplishments and skills took center stage the morning of Sept. 28 in the Innovation Pavilion during WEFTEC© 2016. The event, “A Celebration of Operator Innovation, Excellence, and Professionalism,” spanned the breadth of what operators do, from fixing problems to pursuing continuing education to motivating others to serving as core team members in well-run utilities. […]

Alecia Patton’s welcome to the world of wastewater was intense — first, she was asked to lead the Arkansas Water Environment Association (WEA) Young Professionals Committee; then, she was told she was the newest member of the association’s Operations Challenge team. Patton jumped in with both feet when she entered the water sector and the […]