WEF Highlights

Although located at least 1 hour from the nearest beach, the Science Museum of Virginia (SMV; Richmond) will feature visions of the ocean until September. A new exhibit unveiled last month, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea, showcases 12 large-scale representations of iconic marine wildlife pieced together from one of the ocean’s deadliest predators […]

Highlights editor participates in blind taste-test to choose winners You may ask yourself how anyone can tell the difference in taste between water, especially when given 20 different samples; but that is exactly the task presented to me as a judge for the 27th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition in West Virginia. Valuing […]

When wastewater treatment professionals noticed an increase in clogged pipes, the City of Carlsbad, Calif., decided to do something about it. City officials released the Wipes Clog Pipes video series to educate the community about the problems wipes can cause for infrastructure. “The goal of our campaign was to inform residents that disposable wipes, even […]

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 […]

The sociological concept of “legitimacy” means that individuals and groups recognize and accept the appropriateness of an authority to lead. This concept becomes even more important to the water sector as communities implement seemingly more complex and controversial projects, particularly those seeking to implement potable reuse. Legitimacy starts with creating an authentic conversation with the communities […]

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) joins the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA; Washington, D.C.), the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF; Alexandria, Va.), and the WateReuse Association (Alexandria, Va.) in celebrating 61 recipients of the inaugural Utility of the Future (UOTF) Today Recognition Program. A peer committee of utility leaders selected […]

Virginia names June 30 as Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day From now on, June 30 will be known as Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Appreciation Day in Virginia. The day celebrate the efforts of water sector professionals to protect public health and the environment. The Virginia General Assembly passed Joint House-Senate Commending Resolution […]

United Utilities (Warrington, England) produced a music video called “Can’t Flush This.” The parody of M.C. Hammer’s 1990 hit “Can’t Touch This,” communicates the negative consequences of flushing items not intended to go down the toilet. In the video, “MC Plumber” and his two assistants rap in a bathroom and breakdance outside while conveying the […]