Author Archives: Jessica Rozek

WEFTEC 2025: Where the Water Community Connects

WEFTEC is the largest annual convention and exposition for the water sector. WEFTEC 2025 will take place in Chicago, Illinois from September 27 – October 1 and will offer more than 130 technical sessions, 20 Workshops, 1000 exhibitors, and more than 20,000 water professionals to connect with. Find out more and register at www.weftec.org.

The University-to-Utility Pipeline

It is no secret that the U.S. water sector has a recruitment problem. According to Black & Veatch’s (Overland Park, Kansas) 2024 Water Report, a whopping 47% of water-sector survey respondents ranked the difficulty of attracting early-career staff to replace retiring veterans as their top challenge. And with approximately one-third of the entire water workforce due …

Wrath of the Unflushables: An intrepid utility battled a long-term foe — and influenced flushing behavior— with humorous toilet talk

The flushing of disposable wipes and other products labeled as “flushable” causes serious and costly issues for water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). After experiencing ongoing issues with unflushables in its wastewater system, regional utility Metro Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) worked to shift residents’ flushing habits using behavior-change campaigns. Read the full article in the February …

Apply for the WEF Operator Scholarship

The 2025 WEF Operator Scholarship application period is now through March 31. The scholarship provides up to $5000 per individual for career development within the field of water/wastewater operations. Past recipients have used funds for things like: in person/online training and courses; study books; college courses in water, wastewater, environmental management, etc; attending local meetings; …

Holding Fast Against the ‘Silver Tsunami’

It is no secret that the water sector is grappling with significant workforce challenges. Per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, approximately one-third of U.S. water workers are eligible to retire within the next decade. Coupled with the rapid advancement of technologies in the sector, there is an urgent need to attract, train, and retain specialists …

Relive Operations Challenge 2024

Three divisions; six countries; 56 teams; 37 years. Many numbers can measure the magnitude of Operations Challenge, billed as the water sector’s premier skills competition. But for more than 300 contenders this year, a single number took precedence over any other: first place. Read the full coverage in December Water Environment & Technology.