Effectively tackling emerging threats to public health and the environment requires water professionals to be agile; adaptable; and able to develop, implement, and operate new innovations that advance the way the sector approaches its work. In August, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Virginia) announced the winners of its 2020 WEF Awards for Operational and […]
Tag Archives: Operations
Apprenticeship Program: The “Secret Sauce” Behind Hampton Roads’ Success
April 30, 2019
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Faced with the challenge of staffing three new water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs), Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD; Virginia Beach, Va.) launched its wastewater apprenticeship program in 1979. HRSD has grown to operate 13 award-winning WRRFs that provide service to 1.7 million residents across 18 cities and counties. Its apprenticeship program has grown in tandem, […]
Enter the 2019 Operator Ingenuity Contest
April 24, 2019
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The Operator Ingenuity Contest is back for 2019. The contest seeks to recognize the simple, everyday fixes that operators and other water professionals invent to make work easier and safer with the help of summer slot sites. Entries are judged on solution safety, resourcefulness, and transferability. Have a clever fix to share? Draft up a […]
WEF Staff Bike To Show Operators Appreciation on World Water Day
April 17, 2019
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On March 22, four Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) staff members strapped on their helmets and pedaled their way around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to celebrate water resource recovery facility (WRRF) operators. Jessica Rozek, Steve Harrison, Megan Livak, and Brad Lovett celebrated World Water Day by biking to three local WRRFs. The group […]
King County Enhances Diversity Through Operator in Training Program
February 21, 2019
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King County, Washington is becoming more racially diverse as the growth of Asian-, Latin-, and African-American populations outpaces that of the white population, according to 2018 census data. Recognizing its changing demographics, the county is working to recruit a workforce that is fair and inclusive for all. Two years ago, the county Wastewater Treatment Division […]
Operators Without Borders Makes a Lasting Difference in the Caribbean
January 29, 2019
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When Valerie Jenkinson heard about the devastation in the small Caribbean nation of Dominica after Hurricane Maria, she was not content to just make a donation. She started an organization that will make a much larger and lasting difference: Operators Without Borders. Jenkinson knows the Caribbean area well since she spends about 6 month every […]
Wastewater Treatment Fundamental Fact Sheets Prepare Operators for Certification
January 25, 2019
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Operators preparing to take certification exams have new resources at their disposal. The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) released a new series of peer-reviewed fact sheets that will help operators prepare for the first three levels of certification exams and qualify for continuing education credits. WEF’s Wastewater Operations Fact Sheets provide summaries of each […]
WEF Studybook Helps Operators Prepare for Collection System Certification
January 23, 2019
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The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) introduced a study resource to help wastewater collection system operators expand their knowledge and prepare to take certification exams. The second edition of the Wastewater Collection System Operator Certification Studybook provides in-depth information on the topics these professionals need to be familiar with and offers more than 500 […]
October 16, 2020
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