WEF Highlights

When Sylvan Coles first joined the Kansas Water Environment Association (KWEA) in 1979, some of the chapter’s “old-timers” made an impression on him that stuck. “They sold me on the importance of making a substantial commitment [to the profession,]” he said. And commit he did. If you want to visit KWEA’s offices, you’ll need to […]

You never know what might inspire a young person to pursue a career in wastewater. For Joe Bonaccorso, the seeds were planted when he first glimpsed the inner workings of a New Jersey water resource recovery facility (WRRF) as a boy scout in 1961— he was fascinated by what he saw. Joe may not have […]

If you are licensed as a water or wastewater operator in the State of Iowa — or would like to be —  the Environmental Training Center at Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids) could be your one-stop shop for professional development. To remain certified, operators need to complete between 10 and 20 hours of training, which […]

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. […]