WEF Task Force Releases Manual for Applying Envision to Wastewater Projects

Click to access the manual.

In 2013, the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (Washington, D.C.) and the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.) introduced the Envision^® guidance manual. A planning and design guidance tool, the manual provides metrics that can be used to compare the strengths of design ideas for
infrastructure projects by awarding points and credits on 60 criteria in five categories related to sustainability.

After the manual was released, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) formed the WEF Envision Task Force to evaluate the applicability and relevance of each Envision credit to the water sector. The group consisted of water sector professionals from WEF’s Biosolids, Collection Systems, Municipal Resource Recovery Facility, Stormwater, and Utility Management committees.

The task force has completed its assessment, releasing the manual, “Applying Envision 1.0 to Wastewater Projects.” The manual rates each of the Envision credits as either

• highly applicable, with many opportunities and pathways to achieve high point levels;
• applicable, with quite a few opportunities and pathways to achieve relative average point levels;
• moderately applicable, with multiple potential opportunities and pathways to achieve sufficient points; or
• limited applicability, with relatively few-to-no opportunities to achieve sufficient points to obtain even the improved level.

The manual also describes each objective, reasons for the relevance rating, potential areas in which to apply credits, as well as additional resources. For more information, contact WEF staff member Bri Nakamura at bnakamura@wef.org.