Happy Veterans Day!
Please check out the story of Chris Moss’ transition from the military to the water sector.
Civilian Water Career Day
Video explaining more about this event: https://vimeo.com/640966816
University OF Hawai’i Program Schools Young Engineers in Stormwater Management
Population density on the Hawaiian Islands is growing rapidly, with figures from the 2020 U.S. Census suggesting more than 100,000 people have immigrated to the state since 2010. At the same time, research from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH; Honolulu) indicates that the effects of climate change are manifesting as lower overall rainfall volumes, but more frequent intense downpours across the archipelago in recent years. For these reasons, attention to stormwater management is growing among Hawaiian conservationists, municipal governments, utilities, and researchers. The City and County of Honolulu, for example, is in the process of establishing a new stormwater utility that would join more than 2,000 U.S. municipalities in charging user fees based on the impervious space of their property, with proceeds funding new stormwater-management improvements.
Getting Ready for Operations Challenge 2021
WEFTEC 2021 will host the 34th annual Operations Challenge. This five-event competition demonstrates the precision, speed, and safety of the wastewater sector’s most elite specialists. Teams of wastewater collection and treatment operators are sponsored by a WEF Member Association or recognized Operator Association. They will face off in the Laboratory and Process Control events on …
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A focus on hiring veterans could help ease the industry’s skilled-labor shortage
Jose Martinez firmly believes that military veterans are great candidates for jobs in the water and sewer industries, which sometimes struggle to attract employees. And the general manager of the Otay Water District should know — he’s a United States Navy veteran himself. Granted, Martinez had an easier path than many veterans when he transitioned from the …
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Jumping into a Wastewater Apprenticeship
Have you read the Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals series published by the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Virginia)? I served as a development editor for the second book in the series. My time researching wastewater operations from a distance eventually compelled me to jump into the trenches. Today, I am an Operator-in-Training (OIT) for Maryland Environmental Services.
Building the Water Workforce Webinar
Building the water workforce creates multiple benefits for utilities and communities alike. The water sector is facing a high retirement rate and utilities need new water workers to close that gap. Without the next generation of water workers, utilities will struggle to offer the same quality of service. In addressing this challenge, utilities have an …
YP Summit Goes Virtual
The AWWA/WEF Young Professionals (YP) Summit is the premier water and wastewater industry workshop for young professionals. Join other future leaders by exploring your role in water and discussing how you can best serve your organization and community.
Water Leadership Institute Builds Better Stormwater Professionals
Read on for perspectives from three stormwater-sector WLI alumni who detail how participating in the program helped enhance their professional aptitude.
Microsoft Systems Academy now free for transitioning service members
By Julia LeDoux February 9, 2021 Transitioning service members will no longer have to use their GI Bill funds to attend the Microsoft Systems Academy. “MSAA is now fully funded by Microsoft and is permanently offered online,” said Chris Cortez, vice president of military affairs at Microsoft. “MSSA is one of only a few corporate-sponsored programs that …
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