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Reading, Writing … and Water?

Look, look!

See Dick paint a picture of a water molecule.

See Jane purify a gallon of dirty water.

See school children all over America learn about the global water crisis and what they can do about it.

We’ve come a long way since the days when first graders spent reading class learning the latest adventures of Dick and Jane. Today’s students are more likely to participate in water conservation “SWAT teams” that check for leaks in water fountains, or write poems about water shortages and carbon footprints. They are more ecologically aware than perhaps any previous generation, thanks in large part to the integration of environmental education into virtually every facet of their studies. Read more

Above: Students at Boulder, Colo.’s Casey Middle School learn about the water cycle and global climate change during an educational program developed by MWH. Photo Courtesy of Will Shanley, account executive, Linhart Public Relations. Click for larger image.	Top and above: Students at Monarch Junior High School in Louisville, Colo., learn about the water cycle and climate change through an educational program developed by the global engineering firm MWH. Photos Courtesy of Will Shanley, account executive, Linhart Public Relations. Click for larger image.

Despite the tone of recent Associated Press news articles and congressional hearings, the presence of low levels of chemicals associated with pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and other consumer products in the nation’s waters is not new. For many years researchers have tested for the presence of these compounds as well as their environmental effects.

In fact, Jordyn Wolfand, one of the four finalists in the 2007 U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) competition, earned that distinction for her research on the effects that residual concentrations of the active ingredient in birth control pills have on minnows. Read more 

From the President: Getting Involved in WEF

I am often asked, “What is the most effective activity someone can participate in to be involved in the Water Environment Federation?” The answer is really quite simple. Join a committee that interests you. The Water Environment Federation (WEF;Alexandria, Va.) is structured in an interesting fashion. By paying dues, we automatically become members of both WEF and the member association where we live or work. We then have the opportunity to become active at both the local and federation level, which is what I did. Read more

LaVene Brenden, vice president and senior project manager for Bartlett & West, Inc. (Topeka, Kan.), has dedicated his career to solving water and wastewater issues in the Midwest. Working in the industry for more than 36 years, Brenden draws on his regulatory knowledge as well as his engineering design and project management skills to improve city, county, and state water quality practices. Read more

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• World Water Monitoring Day to Increase Impact with Soap Partnership
• Parsont Joins WEFTEC® Exhibition Sales Staff
• Water Is Life Offers Free Infrastructure Webcast
• WEFTEC®.08 on the Horizon
• Operations Challenge Registration Opens
• Alexandria Sanitation Authority Becomes 20th NBP EMS-Certified Agency
• Virginia Expert Biosolids Panel Meets
• WERF Seeks Proposals for Decentralized Stormwater Research

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