WEF Member Associations Send Aspiring Water Scientists to National Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition

Alexandria, VA – The Water Environment Federation (WEF) proudly announces the 2006 U.S. state winners of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) – the most prestigious youth award for a water-related science project. WEF Member Associations selected and will sponsor state winners and their science teachers to attend the national competition, hosted by the Georgia Association of Water Professionals, June 22-24, 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The purpose of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize is to increase students’ interest in water-related issues and research, and to sensitize them – as future leaders – to global water challenges. The competition for the SJWP award is open to projects aimed at improving the quality of life through improvement of water quality, water resources management, water protection, and water and wastewater treatment.

“Leadership is what separates communities that are successfully addressing water and sanitation needs from those that are not,” said WEF Executive Director Bill Bertera. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize continues to be an excellent program for helping today’s youth become the global leaders we’ll need to protect our water resources into the future.”

The U.S. winner will receive $3,000 and an all expense paid trip to Stockholm, Sweden for the international competition as well as the opportunity to present their research to water quality experts at WEFTEC.06, the Federation’s 79th annual technical exhibition and conference in Dallas, Texas. In addition, the U.S. winner’s school will receive $1,000 toward enhancing science education and up to three finalists will receive $1,000 each.

In the United States, WEF and its Member Associations organize the national, state and regional SJWP competitions with support from the ITT Industries (also the international sponsor) and The Coca-Cola Company. Internationally, HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is the patron of the prize. In a royal ceremony, during World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, August 20-26, the international winner will receive $5,000 (USD).  For more information about the competition visit www.wef.org.

Click here for the complete list of state winners.

About WEF
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 76 Member Associations in 30 countries.