Utilities around the country receive safety award from WEF Member Associations

Each year, select utilities nationwide receive recognition for their safety programs from Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Member Associations (MAs) through the Burke Award. In 2011, 16 of WEF’s 46 MAs presented the Burke Award to a utility.

MAs look closely at nearby utilities to find those that portray exemplary safety practices. If an MA identifies a municipal or industrial wastewater facility with an active and effective safety program, it nominates the utility and presents the award to utility representatives at the MA’s annual meeting. 

Established in 1982, the award honors George W. Burke Jr. for his years of service to the water environment and WEF. Burke was instrumental in developing WEF’s annual safety survey and assisting in the production of several safety training aids and promotional packets.

Woodie Muirhead, operations specialist in the Honolulu office of Brown and Caldwell (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) member, volunteers for Opening Possibilities Asia (OPA). Muirhead had visited Myanmar many times before learning about WEF creative services specialist Jessica Rozek’s volunteer work in the area from the WEF Highlights article “Making a Difference: WEF Employee Takes an Environmental Vacation.” Rozek’s work at a school in Mandalay, Myanmar (formerly Burma), prompted Muirhead to contact her about volunteering at the school as well.

Also, don’t miss the article in the March WE&T, “On the road to Mandalay: Accepting the World Water Monitoring Challenge,” which details water quality testing for children at the school using World Water Monitoring Challenge kits.

 

NRDC provides new metrics for green infrastructure and stormwater practices

During the past decade, green infrastructure has gained more prominence in the United States. In the 2011 report Rooftops to Rivers II: Green strategies for controlling stormwater and combined sewer overflows, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC; New York) highlighted 14 cities (see sidebar) in North America with stellar green infrastructure programs. NRDC developed its list using a six-point “Emerald City scale.”

“The Emerald City metrics is new for this report,” said Jon Devine, senior attorney for the Water Program at NRDC and one of the authors of the report. “We felt that the programs in a number of communities have matured so much that we were able to identify elements that make them successful.” 

NRDC has been studying pollution from stormwater runoff and solutions via green infrastructure for more than a decade, Devine said. NRDC used that experience to help create the list. The organization also shared its metrics withvarious green infrastructure practitioners to get their feedback.

 

Stoner described many of EPA’s educational efforts, which range from informational videos, websites, and fact sheets to grants and training programs. She explained that EPA is doing “lots of different kinds of things with lots of different partners.” She also mentioned that EPA is hoping to draw military veterans into the field and is working on a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Canova, Williams, Scott, and Gamby described local programs designed to draw new talent into the industry. Most of these programs focus on training and education for high school and college students as well as for military veterans and other adults looking to apply technical skills in the wastewater treatment field.

There was consensus among attendees that water leaders need to find and retain new employees to fill various positions as others retire, provide standardized and adequate training for those new to the field, and expand knowledge and use of current programs.

“This is a great time to let people know that water’s worth it, and the jobs are out there,” Radke said. For more information, see the WEF Wastewater Systems Operations Professionals Certification and Training Position Statement or www.wef.org/OperationsResources.

Each year, select utilities nationwide receive recognition for their safety programs from Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Member Associations (MAs) through the Burke Award. In 2011, 16 of WEF’s 46 MAs presented the Burke Award to a utility.

MAs look closely at nearby utilities to find those that portray exemplary safety practices. If an MA identifies a municipal or industrial wastewater facility with an active and effective safety program, it nominates the utility and presents the award to utility representatives at the MA’s annual meeting.

Established in 1982, the award honors George W. Burke Jr. for his years of service to the water environment and WEF. Burke was instrumental in developing WEF’s annual safety survey and assisting in the production of several safety training aids and promotional packets.

Nominations submitted by MAs include documentation illustrating safety programs and the facility’s safety record for the calendar year.

California conducts a thorough search 
The California Water Environment Association (CWEA; Sacramento) also has a process for choosing a winner each year. The Safety Committee presents the award to the applicant with the highest score, said Lorri McAuliffe, CWEA awards program coordinator and president of Utilities Safety Services (Napa, Calif.).

In California, utilities fill out an application describing numerous aspects of their safety programs, including methods of communication, safety training, the process for identifying and correcting unsafe conditions, incident reviews, exceptional safety practices, and elements of the program addressing emergency response, hazardous materials, and U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements.

“It is a very detailed and comprehensive award application and is designed to showcase those agencies who are deeply committed to the safety of their employees,” McAuliffe said.

In 2011, CWEA presented the award to the Union Sanitary District (USD; Union City, Calif.).

“This award recognizes our efforts to make safety the foundation of every workday,” said Mike Marzano, manager of USD’s Environmental Health and Safety Program. “USD’s management and employees have worked hard to create safety strategies that benefit the entire district.”

USD’s program includes comprehensive training, inspections, audits, visits to other exemplary facilities, and employee-designed safe-work strategies. It also facilitates communication among employees and management through monthly safety meetings, a safety blog, and safety inspections that incorporate employee input and observations, Marzano said.

New England seeks utilities devoted to keeping employees safe 
The New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA; Woburn, Mass.) attempts to find utilities that truly care about the safety of their employees, said Lenny Young, NEWEA Safety Committee chairman. And to make sure they see beyond the statistics, NEWEA members try to make site visits to each utility that has applied for the award, he added.

In 2011, NEWEA presented the award to the City of Leominster (Mass.) Water Pollution Control Facility because the facility had gone 25 years without a lost-time accident.

And because NEWEA’s annual conference is held early in the year, it already has chosen the 2012 Burke Award recipient: the Town of Merrimack (N.H.) Wastewater Treatment Facility.

“In the past few years, they [the Merrimack staff members] have worked to reinvent and revitalize their [safety] program,” Young said. “This has been a huge success despite reduction in staff and budgetary restrictions. These changes have been embraced by the entire staff, as is evidenced by the 600-plus days, and counting, of no lost-time accidents.”

Pacific Northwest chooses utility that diversifies its safety practices 
The Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (PNCWA; Hansen, Idaho) accepts nominations for the award online, and its Awards Committee chooses a winner. 

In 2011, PNCWA presented the award to the Gresham (Ore.) Wastewater Treatment Plant “because of their excellent safety record, strict adherence to preventive best practices, including a consistent and robust schedule of well-defined safety training for all employees, and the systems in place to handle any accidents that might occur,” said Nan Cluss, PNCWA association manager. The utility’s safety program features a safety committee, monthly safety training sessions covering various topics from hazard communication to blood-borne pathogens, a monthly safety newsletter, and a yearly safety conference.

The Burke Award encourages utilities to establish and maintain a safety program, recognizing all employees at recipient organizations as integral to a successful program.  

Woodie Muirhead, operations specialist in the Honolulu office of Brown and Caldwell (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) member, volunteers for Opening Possibilities Asia (OPA). Muirhead had visited Myanmar many times before learning about WEF creative services specialist Jessica Rozek’s volunteer work in the area from the WEF Highlights article “Making a Difference: WEF Employee Takes an Environmental Vacation.” Rozek’s work at a school in Mandalay, Myanmar (formerly Burma), prompted Muirhead to contact her about volunteering at the school as well. Muirhead sat down to discuss his volunteer experience.

Also, don’t miss the article in the March WE&T, “On the road to Mandalay: Accepting the World Water Monitoring Challenge,” which details water quality testing for children at the school using World Water Monitoring Challenge kits.

Highlights: How did you learn about the opportunity to do more in the country? 
Woodie: After visiting Myanmar several times over 8 years, some Myanmar friends took me to visit a Buddhist monastic school in Mandalay. After visiting the school, I recalled a WEF Highlights article about Jessica Rozek doing work at a school in Mandalay. I contacted Jessica upon returning home and learned that it was the same school. I asked how I could get involved in the school. Jessica and Margaret Mahoney, OPA executive director, offered me the opportunity to get involved with OPA. Our first trip to Myanmar together was in January 2011. 

Highlights: What did the children learn? 
Woodie: In January 2011, we conducted World Water Monitoring Challenge training for a class of 15-year-old students. When we returned in July 2011, some of those students had become teachers.

Education in Myanmar is essentially rote learning from government textbooks; there is virtually no hands-on, practical education. We are providing practical water quality science for the students, teachers, and staff. As an example, I asked some of the staff if they were familiar with the Periodic Table of the Elements. To my surprise, they started reciting it! I might have 20 elements committed to memory, but certainly not the entire table.

Despite their knowledge, they had never had an opportunity to apply it. We showed them how to practically apply it by calculating how much bleach to add to the drinking water tanks for proper disinfection. When the chlorine residual matched our estimate from the calculation, they saw the value of the Periodic Table.

Highlights: What were some of the most important tools needed for this work? 
Woodie: Though we observed many potential sources of contamination in the water systems, we needed to conduct bacteriological tests of the water to determine if the systems were indeed contaminated. The only previous testing was several years ago by the Myanmar government, immediately after well construction.

We brought bacteria test vials with us but had to make many field decisions and adaptations. For example, we constructed a water-bath incubator onsite using a metal pot and an aquarium heater. When the aquarium heater failed to operate properly, the samples were incubated around our waists for 24 hours. It makes for an uncomfortable night’s sleep and provides tremendous motivation for figuring out how to build a proper incubator.   

Highlights: What were your favorite experiences? 
Woodie: My favorite experience is actually my biggest challenge. I refer to it as “the urban legend of pH 7.” It is a common belief in Mandalay that pH is the most important parameter for drinking water quality and that water with a pH of 7 means it is safe to drink. I encounter it on every visit and continuously try to find new ways to change this belief.

My fondest memory is unrelated to the work I am doing. While assessing the water system at a rural school north of Mandalay, I heard singing coming from one of the bamboo-thatched classrooms. When I peeked in, I saw Margaret and Lwin Oo, another OPA volunteer, teaching the students to sing “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” When we left the school, I saw a little girl in the distance merrily skipping her way up a hill to her village singing “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” I think of that little girl every day. In my heart I hope it portends the future health and happiness of the Myanmar people. 

Highlights: Do you plan to volunteer in the future? If so, what are your plans? 
Woodie: In Myanmar, the concept of volunteerism is referred to as time donation. I have donated time on three separate visits over the past 12 months. The most recent visit was January 2012. Each visit has resulted in improvements to the water systems at three schools, but it is a slow and deliberate process. There is much to do, and we all plan to return in the future. 

Highlights: What do you hope that Myanmar residents gain from OPA? 
Woodie: We are fortunate to live in a country where we can drink from any faucet, eat in any restaurant, and swim in almost any waterbody with minimal risk of getting sick. I believe that every citizen of the world, regardless of his or her country, deserves the same good fortune. The schools OPA is involved with not only provide free education to about 10,000 students but also provide a free clinic for the surrounding community. Students and staff, as well as people outside the schools are now asking how to protect drinking water.  

Highlights: Do you recommend that others get involved?  
Woodie: As water quality professionals, we all have something to contribute, whether at home or abroad. How we contribute is a personal decision. I admire the many volunteers at WEF who improve the quality of our technical resource material, organize workshops, and share their knowledge through presentations and articles. Their involvement contributes significantly to our work. The success we have in Myanmar has a lineage that includes many water quality professionals worldwide.

Learn More About OPA and Get Involved

Opening Possibilities Asia (OPA) is an apolitical organization working to develop sustainable, replicable programs that bolster the infrastructure of nongovernmental schools in Myanmar. By working with the existing civil society, OPA provides programs that promote education, health and sanitation, and environmental responsibility. As these programs expand, networks among Myanmar communities and schools grow, which helps improve opportunities of Myanmar citizens.

Margaret Mahoney, OPA executive director, and Jessica Rozek, a Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) employee and OPA volunteer, have been working in Myanmar for several years. Through their work, they have helped train teachers and improve sanitation practices. They also identified a need for better access to safe drinking water. Based on these needs, OPA’s priority has been to make improvements to the schools’ drinking water systems.

For more information about OPA, send e-mail to OPAinMandalay@gmail.com. 

— Woodie Muirhead, Brown and Caldwell (Walnut Creek, Calif.)

During the past decade, green infrastructure has gained more prominence in the United States. In the 2011 report Rooftops to Rivers II: Green strategies for controlling stormwater and combined sewer overflows, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC; New York) highlighted 14 cities (see the full list at the end of this article) in North America with stellar green infrastructure programs. NRDC developed its list using a six-point “Emerald City scale.”

“The Emerald City metrics is new for this report,” said Jon Devine, senior attorney for the Water Program at NRDC and one of the authors of the report. “We felt that the programs in a number of communities have matured so much that we were able to identify elements that make them successful.”

NRDC has been studying pollution from stormwater runoff and solutions via green infrastructure for more than a decade, Devine said. NRDC used that experience to help create the list. The organization also shared its metrics with various green infrastructure practitioners to get their feedback.

The Emerald City scale includes

• developing a long-term green infrastructure plan;
• developing and enforcing a strong retention standard for stormwater;
• requiring the use of green infrastructure to reduce or manage runoff from some portion of the existing impervious surfaces;
• providing incentives for residential and commercial private-party use of green infrastructure;
• providing guidance or other affirmative assistance to accomplish green infrastructure; and
• ensuring dedicated funding sources for green infrastructure.

Only one city on the list, Philadelphia, meets every metric in the criteria.

“Philadelphia certainly has been a leader in embracing green infrastructure,” Devine said. “But we view all of these cities as leaders.”

Putting conservation first 
Another leader is Aurora, Ill., which meets four of the metrics on the Emerald City scale. Located in the suburbs of Chicago, Aurora is the second-most populous city in the state. According to the Rooftops to Rivers report, Aurora has a combined sewer system that dates back to the 1800s, but the city has spent more than $200 million to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve stormwater conveyance. In 2009, the city began a “stormwater infrastructure project designed to provide a more comprehensive, integrated approach to citywide sustainability planning,” according to the report.

Aurora adheres to the Kane County Stormwater Management Ordinance, and Kane/DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District helps it obtain its stormwater runoff goals. Aurora has a memorandum of understanding with the district whereby the district examines construction projects for the city before and during construction.

These projects included making stormwater improvements in parking lots, naturalizing two parks, and performing shoreline stabilization along the Fox River at the city’s Veterans Memorial Island.

Musich said the district also is responsible for making sure these sites are in compliance with local, state, and federal water quality and Clean Water Act permits. This has helped reduce the effect of stormwater runoff from these sites into the Fox River, which flows through downtown Aurora.

In 2006, the district presented the City of Aurora with the Dedication to Preservation of Natural Resources Award to applaud the city’s conservation efforts.  

Identifying obstacles and payoffs 
Though the number of successful green infrastructure programs is growing, Devine said NRDC sees the biggest challenge as the lack of strong federal regulatory drivers to ensure that all communities are committed to green infrastructure.

The ‘Emerald City’ List

The Natural Resources Defense Council (New York) dubbed 14 cities as “Emerald Cities” in its report, Rooftops to Rivers II: Green strategies for controlling stormwater and combined sewer overflows. The report also provides the six-point “Emerald City scale. Only one city, Philadelphia, met every metric on the scale. The full list of cities and their scores are listed below.

Philadelphia (6 points) Milwaukee (5 points) New York City (5 points) Portland, Ore. (5 points) Syracuse, N.Y. (5 points) Washington, D.C. (5 points) Aurora, Ill. (4 points) Toronto (4 points) Chicago (3 points) Kansas City, Mo. (3 points) Nashville, Tenn. (3 points) Seattle (3 points) Pittsburgh (1 point) Detroit metro area and Rouge River Watershed in Michigan  (1 point)
	Rooftops to Rivers II lists 14 U.S. cities as “Emerald Cities.” Photo courtesy of Natural Resources Defense Council (New York). Click for larger image.

What better way to celebrate World Water Week, held March 19 to 25, and United Nations’ World Water Day, held March 22, than to donate money to improve children’s access to clean water and proper sanitation? This is the thought behind the annual UNICEF (New York) Tap Project campaign that began in 2007 in New York City. 

Funds support projects in Togo, Vietnam, Mauritania, and Cameroon
For the campaign, participating restaurants ask patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually drink for free. All of the funds collected support UNICEF’s efforts in more than 100 countries to improve access to safe water and sanitation in schools and communities, and to promote safe hygiene practices, explained Hazel Cobb, U.S. Fund for UNICEF senior public relations officer. This year’s funds will support four areas, she said.

“The money raised will be used to support and help expand UNICEF's existing water and sanitation programs in Togo, Vietnam, Mauritania, and Cameroon,” Cobb said. “These four countries were chosen based on the current water and sanitation needs of the population and UNICEF program funding needs.”

In Vietnam, the Community-Led Total Sanitation project is sponsored by UNICEF to educate citizens about healthier sanitation practices. In Cameroon, communities are trained to build and use biosand filters, which use several layers of gravel and fine sand to remove contaminants from drinking water. In Togo, water and sanitation infrastructure, such as water tanks, hand-washing stations, and latrines, are provided to local schools; and in Mauritania, UNICEF installs new latrines in schools with separate facilities for girls and boys, according to UNICEF’s website.

Tallying the numbers
UNICEF’s goal is to reduce by half the number of people without access to safe water and basic sanitation by 2015. The Tap Project contributes to this goal because since it began, the program has raised more than $3 million. Last year alone, the campaign raised nearly $900,000, with 704 participating restaurants and 2442 registered volunteers, Cobb said.

“Corporate sponsorships have brought in the most money for the UNICEF Tap Project since its inception in 2007,” Cobb said. This is followed by donations at participating restaurant and at volunteer-held events, but all sources are important elements of the program, she explained.

Participating restaurants utilize UNICEF’s resources
UNICEF provides participating restaurants with a printed and mailed kit that includes informational brochures and fact sheets, as well as a lanyard, volunteer badge, and badge holder.

Restaurants that want to participate this year must sign up by March 12. Beginning March 26, restaurants will submit the amounts they raised to UNICEF.

“Participating restaurants are encouraged to promote the UNICEF Tap Project in their communities, conduct trainings with their wait staffs, display table tents and bill stuffers that describe [the campaign], and invite patrons to donate,” Cobb said. Find a participating restaurant at www.tapproject.org/restaurants/.

Volunteers recruit restaurants and host events
UNICEF also relies on individual volunteers to spread the word about the campaign and raise funds. Volunteers can choose how much time they are able to provide and choose which activities to participate in, including hosting events, recruiting restaurants, and promoting the campaign.

Volunteer activities include social media promotion; personal donations and fundraising with a team; hosting small events, such as bake sales, dinner parties, yard sales, and lemonade stands; hosting larger events, such as happy-hour fundraisers, water trivia nights, silent auctions, benefit concerts, and water walks and runs; and recruiting and supporting restaurants.

Volunteers receive electronic or hard-copy kits with background information on the issue, customizable documents and talking points, such as press releases and radio scripts, and tips needed for the different volunteer activities.

Last year, 85 events were scheduled. Volunteers have made videos of their events, created their own public service announcements about the campaign, and secured local news and radio coverage of the campaign, Cobb added. In Chicago, a group of volunteers secured a proclamation from then-Mayor Richard M. Daley supporting the goals of the UNICEF Tap Project, recruited 86 restaurants to participate, and hosted a launch event that raised nearly $6500. A teacher and her class of third-grade students in Needham, Mass., learned about water issues and recruited more than 20 restaurants for the campaign, and their school held an assembly about the world water crisis, Cobb said.

“There is no deadline to register as a volunteer,” Cobb said. “The U.S. Fund for UNICEF encourages volunteer participation before, during, and after World Water Week. Some volunteers continue to host events throughout the spring.”

Anyone can make a donation anytime to the campaign online at www.tapproject.org/donate or by mobile phone. To donate $10 by phone, text “TAP” to 864233 (UNICEF).  

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) wants to help members spread the word about the importance of water, water-related issues, and the vital work water and wastewater treatment professionals do every day.

To help with this effort, WEF has developed WATER’S WORTH IT™, a new messaging campaign that answers the question about how actions, attitudes, and the things individuals most value are so closely connected with water.

Following a successful pilot launch at WEFTEC^® 2011 and armed with feedback and input, WEF staff has been working hard during the past several months to fully develop the campaign, resources, and, an interactive website, www.WatersWorthIt.org.

As a central component to the official launch on World Water Day, March 22, the website is a one-stop resource that features campaign information, videos, and a tool kit of static and customizable resources to help spread this important message. Designed to be as flexible as the campaign itself, the website will grow as needed with new resources that will help users reach any audience in any location about any water-related issue.

WEF encourages members to think about how the campaign can be applied to local community programs and outreach efforts and asks members to be a voice for water, spreading the word to friends, neighbors, and the world about what water’s worth to you.  

Contact WatersWorthIt@wef.org with any ideas, feedback, requests, and questions.

In addition, WEF and the Water Environment Research Foundation (Alexandria, Va.) collaborated to run a Water’s Worth It public service announcement (PSA) on the CBS (New York) Super Screen in Times Square. The PSA debuted on Feb. 18 and will run through April 18. The 15-second PSA on the value of water will air on an 8-m (26-ft) by 6-m (20-ft) screen twice an hour, 18 hours each day. The screen is located on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues.

Recognizing that the reach of World Water Monitoring Day™ has expanded beyond a single day, the program’s leaders have decided that it’s time for a change that reflects this growth — a name change. Therefore, last month, World Water Monitoring Day became World Water Monitoring Challenge™.

Last year, World Water Monitoring Challenge (WWMC) activities took place from March through December. (The challenge is observed officially on Sept. 18.) Participants sampled their local lakes, streams, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, and other waterbodies for four key water quality indicators: dissolved oxygen, acidity, temperature, and turbidity.

In last year’s activities, 338,959 participants monitored sites worldwide — that’s a 62% increase from 2010. For the third year, Malaysia took top honors for the number of program participants — more than 82,000. Groups and individuals from 81 countries reported WWMC data in 2011.

Leading the effort in the number of sites monitored was the United States, with participants reporting data from the largest number of sites (1755), followed by Spain (1468), Taiwan (997), Romania (396), and India (312). Additionally, in 2011, the program distributed 19,400 WWMC test kits, 2836 more than in 2010.

The Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) and the International Water Association (London), the organizations that coordinate WWMC, received financial and in-kind support in 2011 from six primary sponsors

• the U.S. Geological Survey,
• the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
• PerkinElmer (Waltham, Mass.),
• Xylem Watermark (White Plains, N.Y.),
• Sinclair Knight Merz (Sydney), and
• Smithfield Foods (Smithfield, Va.).

For more information and to learn how to participate, see www.MonitorWater.org.

Upcoming Webcasts: Basic Wastewater Treatment Operations Series

The Basic Wastewater Treatment Operations Series includes four parts covering every stage of the wastewater treatment process, from preliminary and primary treatment to nutrient removal. The series will be led by WEF Immediate Past President Jeanette Brown and sponsored by JWC Environmental (Costa Mesa, Calif.). Some portions of each webcast may be interactive and include homework assignments to be completed voluntarily. Each webcast provides 2.0 Professional Development Hours.

• Basic Wastewater Treatment Operations Series Part 2: Treatments, March 21, 1–3 p.m. (EDT), will cover the topics of preliminary, primary, and secondary treatment; disinfection; and ponds and lagoons. Click here to register.
• Basic Wastewater Treatment Operations Series Part 3: Solids Processing, April 24, 1–3 p.m. (EDT), will cover the topics of conditioning and thickening. Click here to register.
• Basic Wastewater Treatment Operations Series Part 4: Nutrient Removal, June 27, 1–3 p.m. (EDT), will cover the topic of nutrient removal. Click here to register.
• Basic Wastewater Treatment Operations Series Part 1: Fundamentals and Pumps (recording is available).

WEFTEC^® 2012 is approaching quickly. Registration opens March 30. Make sure you don’t forget to sign up early by registering for a Save the Date reminder.

The 85th annual technical exhibition and conference of the Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) will be held Sept. 29–Oct. 3 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

After receiving a near record-breaking 1254 abstract submissions, WEF expects an extremely high caliber of sessions and training opportunities at WEFTEC 2012. 

Need help getting approval to attend? Find tips, benefit worksheets, and video guidance at www.weftec.org/approval.

Science fairs are taking place around the country, and the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) is in search of the next U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize winner.

To be eligible for the state competition, high school students with water-related science projects must complete the online entry form and electronically submit their research paper. Projects should use a research-oriented approach, using scientifically accepted methodologies for experimentation, monitoring, and reporting, including statistical analysis.  

WEF Member Association members are encouraged to attend local high school science fairs and award regional certificates to students who have entered water-science projects. Members also can nominate students who are working on water-science projects by contacting Stevi Hunt–Cottrell at shunt-cottrell@wef.org or (703) 684-2454. The deadline for a student to enter the state competition is April 15.

• Lee J. Beetschen, member since Jan 1., 1972, Chesapeake Water Environment Association.

• William P. Dee, member since Jan. 1, 1974, New York Water Environment Association.

• Louis Giordano, member since Jan. 1, 1970, California Water Environment Association.

• Daniel J. Hinrichs, member since Jan. 1, 1970, California Water Environment Association.

• John R. Marks, member since Jan. 1, 1976, Ohio Water Environment Association.

• Winfield A. Peterson, member since Jan. 1, 1975, New England Water Environment Association.

• Bobby G. Scalf, member since Jan. 1, 1972, Water Environment Association of Texas.

• Ron B. Smith, member since Jan. 1, 1971, British Columbia Water and Waste Association.

• Jerry L. Tullos, member since Jan. 1, 1977, Mississippi Water Environment Association.