The Water Environment Federation (WEF) has announced the appointment of Ralph Erik Exton as its new Executive Director, effective July 15, 2024. “The Board of Trustees is excited for Ralph to take the helm of WEF,” said WEF Board President, Aimeé Killeen. “Ralph brings years of strategic leadership and business experience to the organization, which...

A powerful new film exploring humanity’s profound relationship with water launches on Earth Day, 22 April 2024 in New York City. Produced by the team that brought the award-winning documentary, Brave Blue World to audiences globally, Our Blue World reveals how human agency, ingenuity and community spirit can help rebalance the planet’s water systems. Actor Liam...

Application Deadline: February 27, 2024 The Water Environment Federation (WEF) believes that the water workforce should reflect the communities we serve. The WEF InFLOW (Introducing Future Leaders to Opportunities in Water) STEMpath program is a scholarship opportunity that engages undergraduate and graduate students representing historically underrepresented racial and/or ethnic groups and introduces them to career...

The 2024 WEF Award submission period is open now. Seize this opportunity to showcase your innovative projects, educational contributions, and outstanding achievements in water management across multiple categories. Get recognized or nominate a colleague for all of your good work. Submit your nominations today to recognize those who create a life free of water challenges....

Learn to become an extraordinary leader, gain a supportive community of water professionals and mentors, sharpen your networking skills, and grow professionally. The Water Leadership Institute program educates, trains, and provides opportunities that enable developing and emerging leaders to build strong, lasting relationships within the water industry. Will you be among the Water Leadership Institute’s...

Calling all CWEA members: you can provide a lasting memorial for California’s distinguished professor Dr. David Jenkins by donating to the WEF Operator Scholarship Fund. DONATE TO THE DR. JENKINS FUND Professor David Jenkins has left a distinguished and influential legacy in education, research, and scientific advances in the water sector. His hallmark was to...

A long-running local program that benefits the San Luis Obispo community and Cal Poly science and engineering students received international recognition on Oct. 19. San Luis Obispo’s Sustainable Utilities Research and Education (SURE!) program, which is a partnership between City of San Luis Obispo’s Water Resource Recovery Facility and California Polytechnic State University, was awarded the Ralph Fuhrman Medal for Outstanding Water Quality Academic-Practice Collaboration at...

On Friday, November 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (H.R. 3684). This bill will provide nearly $1.2 trillion in funding for the nation’s infrastructure. Approximately, $550 billion of the total is new funding to be spent during the next five years, and almost $51 billion is allocated to...

BREAKING NEWS – On Sept. 2nd, California’s Legislature passed the CASA supported wipes labeling laws and sent the bill (AB 818) to Governor Newsom’s desk. Stay tuned for updates! A preliminary class action lawsuit settlement between the Charleston Water System (Charleston, South Carolina) and wipes manufacturer Kimberly-Clark could affect any entity that owned and/or operated...

This update comes from the Water Environment Federation (WEF) This Week in Washington… The bill includes almost $55 billion in water infrastructure funding and several policy provisions that will benefit the nation’s water infrastructure. The water infrastructure section in the Senate package is fairly similar to what was passed by the Senate in April in...

The new documentary film Brave Blue World examines how new technologies and innovations can create a more sustainable water future. It’s important to convey a sense of hope and spirit of optimism for water. The film includes interviews with a variety of water experts, as well as high-profile advocates Matt Damon and Jaden Smith. By...

Workforce development remains one of WEF’s top priorities, and as we continue to deliver on our commitment to water professionals, we are also working to make sure that the water workforce of the future is one that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. As the conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion magnified after...

The Water Leadership Institute would like to invite you to apply to the 2021 WLI program for the chance to join the next class.  Submit your application to this competitive program for the opportunity to engage in this blended learning program to develop your management training and leadership skills. Here is a snapshot of some...

Congratulations to the 65 Utility of the Future Today honorees for 2020!   This is the fifth year of the Utility of the Future Today (UotFT) program and saw the greatest number of applicants and honorees. These honorees have received a Certificate of Recognition and/or a UotFT banner or a 2020 flag.  This year, as a...

In recent years, PFAS has become a topic of public concern, particularly when found in water supplies. We in the water sector are also concerned about PFAS because protecting public health and the environment and increasing sustainability in our communities is our daily mission. The Water Environment Federation (WEF) and its members always prioritize science,...

Congratulations to Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, winner of the Public Communication and Outreach Award! The utility initiated a sewer science education and outreach program that has reached more than 500 educators and more than 80,000 students, many of whom are advancing the water profession. The utility will be recognized on Oct. 7 at the WEF...

Having diversity, equity, and inclusion in all levels of the workforce is vital to innovation and growth in the water sector. We are excited to update you on the work of the WEF Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, which will be wrapping up in the next month and transforming into a standing board Subcommittee...

Utilities have recognized the value of peracetic acid (PAA) as a wastewater and stormwater disinfectant for years, but limited education and design guidance have impeded its implementation. Aiming to bridge the PAA knowledge gap, Peracetic Acid Disinfection: Implementation Considerations for Water Resource Recovery Facilities, a special publication from the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Virginia),...

Collaboration between WEF and Xylem aims to ensure consistent guidance for water operators. To ensure protection of the health and safety of wastewater workers during the coronavirus pandemic and into the future, Dr. Andrew Sanderson, MD, MPH of Howard University, has been named Chief Medical Officer for the Water Environment Federation. As Chief Medical Officer,...

WEF/AWWA Utility Management Conference 2021 #UMC21 Call for Abstracts Close Friday, June 26 The planning committee is now accepting abstracts, special topic sessions, and pre-conference workshop submissions. Check out the call for abstract topics to be a speaker at this prestigious management conference.  Speaking at UMC 2021 will offer increased networking opportunities, additional company exposure,...

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) announced that Zoe Gotthold is the winner of the 2020 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP), the nation’s most prestigious youth competition for water-related research. Gotthold, a student at Richland High School in Richland, Wash., developed prototypes of devices that promote oil flocculation at the surface and increase the efficacy...

At the Water Environment Federation (WEF), our vision is to create a community of empowered professionals creating a healthy global water environment. A necessary component to achieving that vision is ensuring that every individual within the communities where we live, work, and serve is treated in an inclusive and equitable manner. The recent senseless killings...

View all Coronavirus stories > CASA and CWEA once again brought together leading national and California experts on the coronavirus for a free webinar. Learn the latest scientific information from this webinar recording. The webinar provided an update on the following topics: Reopening guidance and essential workers Testing wastewater for community surveillance Wastewater worker exposure...

This Manual of Practice serves as an injury-reduction tool to all those working in the wastewater field. Safety, Health and Security in Wastewater Systems, MOP 1, 6th Edition, Chapter 8 There are guidelines for creating written programs and procedures as well as guidelines that describe how to perform a confined space entry, lockout/tagout, and chemical...

Wastewater epidemiology has been used for decades to track the presence of infectious diseases such as polio in communities. It has also been used to aid in the response to the opioid epidemic. Currently, it has gained a role in guiding state and local public health responses to COVID-19 outbreaks. This webcast introduces wastewater epidemiology...

View CWEA’s round-up of Coronavirus (COVID-19) worker safety information here > A message from WEF, our national federation… The Water Environment Federation is always focused on the health and safety of our members, whether at our events, in the water workplace, or here in the WEF office. We are closely monitoring the situation with COVID-19,...

WEF Field Guide to COVID-19 >     How to avoid Coronavirus? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are maintaining a webpage on prevention and treatment of coronavirus. In short, the prevention guideance is the same for avoiding the flu. CDC Prevention guidance > Do Wastewater Workers Need to Take Special Precautions? Based...

WEF Field Guide to COVID-19 > View recorded webinar > This webcast aired on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at 2:30 PM Eastern. Please be sure to verify the most current information. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness, referred to as COVID-19. It was first detected in...

Today, at an event at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C., EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhard joined federal, state, tribal, local and water sector partners to announce the National Water Reuse Action Plan: Collaborative Implementation (Version 1). The actions that EPA and its...

Water Amplified: The Communication Revolution This year’s Summit will focus on addressing the critical issue of communications in the water sector, and we’re excited to announce Tom Kunetz and Erin Mosley as featured speakers. They design and conduct interactive workshops and engaging lectures on a variety of personal and professional development topics. Together they open...

Use alkalinity profiling in wastewater operations to control biological activity and optimize process control The Water Environment Federation’s new Operations Challenge laboratory event will determine alkalinity needs to facilitate nitrification. Operators will evaluate alkalinity and ammonia by analyzing a series of samples similar to those observed in water resource recovery facilities. This event will give operators...

Coverage of water workforce topics supported by waterTALENT At WEFTEC 2019 in Chicago, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water Dennis Lee Forsgren Jr., announced a new effort to help American utilities surmount the looming water-sector skills shortage expected in coming years. During WEFTEC Technical Session No. 200: Water Policy Update,...

  With over 22,000 attendees and 992 exhibitors, WEFTEC 2019 in Chicago was one of the largest WEFTEC’s in the last decade. The event is one of the largest conferences and exhibitions for water professionals. The massive gathering of water pros this September (including a few thousand Californians!) was an opportunity for WEF to announce...

CWEA recently selected Shloka Janapaty of San Jose to represent the state of California at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition for the project titled, A Novel, Fast, Low-Cost Approach to Achieve Near 100% LDPE Degradation and Leachate Remediation: Phanerochaete chrysosporium Landfill Bioremediation. Shloka’s project was selected as the first place project for California out...

  View this post on Instagram   Some of SoCal water’s best & brightest gathered today at the City of San Diego’s Utilities Training Center for an EPA Effective Utility Management workshop. We’re building the utilities of the future today! Kicked off by Don Jones, Center for Water Studies @cuyamacacollege & Ed McCormick, Past President...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H8K3foINE4 The annual Ops Challenge competition at WEFTEC is a test of skill, knowledge and endurance. Teams win or lose based on a single question or a fraction of a second in the physical competitions. One of California’s teams, the LA Wrecking Crew from LACSD in Southern California consistently ranks a top contender at WEFTEC....

CWEA is excited to announce that Visala Tallavarjula of Santa Clara, California will once again represent the state of California for her project titled, “Irrigation Water Usage Efficiency Improvement by Modification of Root Zone Soil Properties Using Carbon Sequestration.” Visala was California’s winner in 2016, 2017 and this year! Visala Tallavarjula, one of 57 state winners announced by the Water...

As we build California’s water utilities of the future, one of the most common issues raised is workforce readiness. Where will all of those highly-skilled and experienced water professionals come from?  Particularly since 30-50% of the current workforce is in the process of retiring. To better understand the workforce skills gap, the Water Research Foundation...

At WEFTEC® 2017, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) named James H. Clark, WEF past president, to its latest class of WEF Fellows program honorees. This program celebrates the outstanding contributions WEF members have made to the water and wastewater sectors. Clark, who currently is a Los Angeles-based senior vice president for Black & Veatch (Overland Park, Kan.),...

(Alexandria, VA) – On Tuesday October 3, 2017, during WEFTEC in Chicago, IL, the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF) awarded Shaily Mahendra, Ph.D., with the 2017 Paul L. Busch Award. With the $100,000 prize, Dr. Mahendra proposes to encapsulate enzymes in nanoparticle cages called vaults. Ultimately, if one or more enzymes involved in biodegradation...

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Volunteer Service Recognition Program honors a member’s significant contributions to WEF’s successes and achievements. The WEF Committee Leadership Council and House of Delegates (HOD) created this program to recognize outstanding volunteers who serve WEF through a committee or the HOD. “This program is a token of our deep appreciation for...

From WEF highlights…  Last year, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) formally began using the term, water resource recovery facility (WRRF), in place of wastewater treatment plant and other conventional names. A task force appointed by the WEF Committee Leadership Council was tasked with developing a list of new terms, discussing them, and selecting one to use. Water...