For Immediate Release
October 15, 2003
Contact: Lori Burkhammer
1(703) 684-2400
WINNERS OF OPERATIONS CHALLENGE ANNOUNCED
Virginia and New Jersey Teams Take Top Honors at Annual Competition
(Alexandria, VA) - More than 200 of the best and brightest wastewater treatment professionals in the world got their chance to shine in Los Angeles, CA yesterday when they competed in Operations Challenge 2003, a unique, fast-paced skills competition for wastewater operations and maintenance professionals. The winners included:
Division I
1st Place - Virginia Water Environment Association Fluid Dynamics
2nd Place - California Water Environment Association L.A. Wrecking Crew
3rd Place - Virginia Water Environment Association Team HRSD Bio-Force
Division II
1st Place- New Jersey Water Environment Association Cape Shore Workers
2nd Place - Florida Water Environment Association Royal Flush
3rd Place - Chesapeake Water Environment Association Centrifugal Force
Now in its 16th year, Operations Challenge is a "wastewater Olympics" that honors the skill and professionalism of wastewater treatment plant operators. Thirty-six teams from across North America competed in this year's event at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The teams trained for months leading up to this national event, many having worked their way up from in-plant and regional competitions.
The teams, all sporting a variety of colored team jerseys and hardhats, were judged on speed and accuracy in five events -- maintenance, laboratory analysis, collection systems, process control, and safety -- that represent different aspects of a wastewater professional's job. On a daily basis at their treatment facilities, these same individuals protect public health and the environment by cleaning the wastewater generated in homes, businesses, and factories.
Los Angeles, host of Operations Challenge 2003, is also the site of WEFTEC.03, the Water Environment Federation's annual conference and exhibition, bringing together more than 16,000 of the world's leading water quality experts and nearly 800 exhibiting companies for five days of technical education and information exchange.
Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization with members from varied disciplines who work toward the WEF vision of preservation and enhancement of the global water environment. The WEF network includes water quality professionals from 79 Member Associations in over 30 countries.