Continuing Education Credits

WEF offers Continuing Education credits for its events and the successful completion of its training programs, workshops, and seminars in the water-quality field. Both members and non-members can choose from self-paced and classroom courses for entry and advanced-level training; interactive and online courses for wastewater operators; and a variety of self-study training materials in print and electronic format.

Each year, approximately 28,000 people attend WEF educational events. WEF distributes nearly 10,000 continuing education credit certificates and transcripts each year.

WEF stores continuing education credit information for its members and customers according to the type of training or event.

• Webcasts & Online Courses - Access your credits through the WEF Learning Center.
• Live events that occurred more than 1 year ago - Access your credits through the WEF CE Credit Archive.

  (Continuing Education Credits for WEFTEC 2021 and Specialty Conferences held in 2022 will be added to this site starting July 2023)

Recent live WEF events - Access your credit via event-specific CE credit links. These links are emailed to participants and provided here as well 

• Utility Management Conference 2024 CE Credits
• Residuals and Biosolids Conference 2023 CE Credits
• Odors and Air Pollutants Conference 2023 CE Credits 
• Collection Systems Conference 2023 CE Credits 
• Stormwater Summit 2023 CE Credits
• WEF/AWWA Utility Management Conference 2023 CE Credits
• WEF/IWA Innovations in Process Engineering Conference 2023 CE Credits
• Intensification of Resource Recovery Forum 2023 CE Credits
• WEFTEC 2022 CE Credits

Disclaimer

WEF calculates education credits following a standardized method that is widely accepted by many certification and licensing agencies. However, many states differ in the type and/or number of credits they will approve for educational events. Because of this, participants are responsible for exploring their state requirements and for ensuring that WEFTEC credits are accepted. WEF applies for approval in many states and will be happy to work with individuals and Member Association on additional state approvals upon request.

What types of educational credits are available?

WEF offers continuing education units (CEUs), professional development hours (PDHs), and general contact hours as part of our large selection of training events and products. Credits can be attained by participating in training events such as; WEFTEC, Specialty Conferences, and Seminars. Credits may also be earned by participating in Webcasts and utilizing training products available through the WEF Learning Center.

• CEUs — One CEU is the equivalent to 10 clock hours of training or formal instruction. These are distributed for structured, relevant professional training above and beyond that of initial certification or employment in a particular field. The CEU calculation does not include time spent during breaks, meals, meetings or social activities. Most states use the CEU or a variation of this measure for water and wastewater operator license renewal and maintenance. WEF offers CEUs for full participation in workshops and for products available within the Distance Learning Program. Workshops are held as full and half day sessions in a classroom setting conducted by industry-leading professionals. These sessions are most often delivered as part of WEFTEC, Specialty Conferences and Seminars.
• PDHs — A PDH is typically defined as one clock hour that is spent engaged in an activity that contributes to the advancement or enhancement of the professional skills or scientific knowledge of a professional engineer. The PDH is the most widely accepted unit of continuing education measurement for Professional Engineer license renewal and maintenance. WEF offers PDHs for participation in technical sessions held during conferences and for webcasts. These sessions cover diverse topics ranging from the fundamentals to research so there is something for everyone.
• General contact hours — A contact hour is defined as one clock hour spent engaged in an activity that can contribute to the professional skills of the participant. These are given for time spent visiting the exhibition or participating in facility tours. Exhibitions provide the opportunity to see the newest developments in water and wastewater technology and get firsthand demonstrations from industry experts.

How can I earn these credits?

All WEF events require some form of registration, whether it be pre-registration or onsite. Once you have signed up for an event you will be given directions for tracking your participation at the event.

Educational credits will not be recorded and documentation will not be distributed unless the attendee is a confirmed registrant of the event and the session information and attendance verification are complete as indicated in the directions provided.

Certificates and detailed transcripts will be emailed to participants within 8-10 weeks of each training event. All attendance and continuing education participation files are kept by WEF for a minimum of 7 years and can be supplied to attendees and state approval boards upon request.

• At WEFTEC and Specialty Conferences, to receive educational credits an attendee must scan their badge when entering and exiting workshops, technical sessions, facility tours, and the exhibition. A badge will be supplied to each attendee at the registration or sign-in counter onsite.
• At seminars, individuals are required to fill out a Continuing Education Request Form onsite and have a room monitor stamp for each workshop, technical session, and facility tour as they enter and exit those sessions. A Continuing Education Request Form will be supplied to each attendee at the registration or sign-in counter onsite.
• For webcasts, a certificate with recommended professional development hours (PDHs) -- usually 1.5 to 2 for most technical webcasts -- can be obtained for participation in a webcast. Users are responsible for contacting their accrediting body to determine if they are eligible to receive these training credits. Webcast attendees will receive PDH instructions within 24 hours after a webcast has ended.

Continuing Education Credit Program Overview

WEF and its global network of Member Associations (MAs) help provide water quality professionals with the latest in water-quality education and training. WEF's diverse membership includes engineers, scientists, regulators, academics, facility managers and operators, and other professionals working in the United States and around the world. 

WEF follows IACET guidelines along with state-specific regulations to achieve strict policies and procedures regarding its Continuing Education Credit Program. WEF is a founding member of the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) and retains a seat on its Board of Trustees. WEF has received approval on a national level for educational events ranging from our annual conference, WEFTEC, to products available through our distance learning program.

We have also obtained additional approvals for events and products through the APA (American Planning Association), The Florida Board of Professional Engineers, and the New York State Department of Education.

WEF’s diverse Educational Program is open to both members and nonmembers. Most events are attended by national and international audiences.

Certification Agency Contact Information

The Association of Boards of Certification’s (ABC) compilation of U.S. state and Canadian province contacts - includes name, address, phone, fax, email, and website addresses. Access your state or province’s website to review existing regulations for Wastewater Operator certification.