Webinar Recording: Veterans in Water: Continue Serving Your Community

How do you get started on a career in water/wastewater? Is there synergy between the military and water sector? What is the municipal/civil service hiring process like? What resources should the water sector build to make transitioning easier for veterans? Check out this very special one hour webinar featuring four veterans who work on the …

From the President: Preparing for Tomorrow’s Workforce Challenges

Working in the water sector, I am constantly learning and being challenged by the people around me. Ours is a profession that, at its core, requires working with others to find solutions that make sense for the future.  I love the spirit of cooperativeness that you can find so often behind the fence of a water resource recovery …

WEF Members Todd Saums and Tom McGrain Aid Bahamas Relief Efforts

Todd Saums and Tom McGrain, who operate and manage water resource recovery facilities for the Northwestern Water and Sewer District (Bowling Green, Ohio) have had a busy year.   Saums and McGrain, members of the Ohio Water Environment Association (OWEA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.), spent the first several months of 2019 practicing for this year’s Operations Challenge competition. Along with teammates Bryan Martikan, Jared Myers, and coach …

Upgrading to a Bio-P Process Required Open Communication and a Proactive, Patient Approach at Wastewater Facility

Military Veteran Chris Rebone, and wastewater division manager of St. Charles, Illinois, speaks about how a total team effort helped an Illinois plant upgrade to a new bio-P process and make other improvements while sustaining operations and permit compliance. By Jim Force September 2020 Cover Story of Treatment Plant Operator magazine which appeared in print as “Wastewater …

Celebrating Women in the Water Workforce

Women of Water Summit recognizes female water-sector changemakers Mazars USA (New York City, N.Y.), a financial consultancy active in the water sector, kicked off 2020 by hosting its inaugural Women of Water Summit in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 9. The daylong summit featured industry leaders speaking in nine segments that celebrated outstanding achievements of female water professionals …

Words on Water podcast highlights stormwater awareness and workforce issues

Two recent podcast episodes detail how Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) stormwater programs are contributing to greater awareness of the stormwater sector’s investment needs and helping to bolster its workforce. The Words on Water podcast, created and hosted by WEF Communications Director Travis Loop, offers listeners firsthand perspectives from the professionals leading positive change across all segments of the water sector.   In December 2019, …

Career Zone — Succeeding in today’s upended job market

 July 1, 2020 By Stuart Karasik Until several months ago, in my world of workforce development, life was good. The water sector offered many appealing job opportunities for new professionals, as well as for those developing successful and meaningful longer-term careers. Suddenly and unpredictably, things have been turned upside down. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has …

Viewpoint: Celebrate the Water Sector Workforce’s Remarkable Qualities

Water facility managers from Houston Water and Grand Bahamas Utility discuss unsung heroism in the water sector Turn on the TV, radio, or log on to social media immediately following a large-scale disaster and you find many words of praise and gratitude handed out as a result of the heroic actions of others. You hear these …

Building Digital Resilience: Remote Work Skills Training for Military Spouses

Hosted by Blue Star Families, Hiring Our Heroes, the USO & Grow with GoogleJoin Blue Star Families, Hiring Our Heroes, and the USO for a conversation about the importance of digital skills for military spouses. In addition, Grow with Google will show you how to discover remote job opportunities using Google Search, and help you …

The Water Professional’s Guide to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus

Disclaimer: The information posted here is a summary of current knowledge about this emerging viral pathogen. The state of knowledge will evolve as additional investigation and research is conducted, so continuous review of reputable sources and websites is advised.   Extent of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak  This virus is a member of the Coronavirus family. On Feb. 5, 2020, the World Health Organization reported 24,554 cases and 492 deaths in 25 …