WEF News Hub

Listen to Dr. Andrew Sanderson, WEF Chief Medical Officer, share his views on the scope and vision for the position and how it will support water sector worker safety.

For 2020, the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) will be a fully virtual event held over five days, October 5 to 9. Called WEFTEC Connect, this virtual experience will offer attendees interactive education, an exhibitor showcase, and networking experiences.

Northumbrian Water (Durham, England) is testing several new wipes-related devices invented by its technical staff in an effort to eliminate blockages caused by flushing household products.

“Evaluating Stormwater Infrastructure Funding and Financing” explores the U.S. stormwater funding gap and recommends ways to address it.

By cutting trees, digging canals, and building dams, beaver colonies shape their forest dwellings in ways that transform flooding patterns, the local food chain, and the structure and size of nearby waterways.

Dr. Sanderson, MD, MPH of Howard University, will guide and assist WEF in providing reliable medical information to wastewater utility managers and workers, as well as conduct research and serve as a spokesperson on medical issues for the sector. The CMO position was created in a collaboration between WEF and global water technology company Xylem, which has provided foundational funding.

Take It From The Top, a new series from the Words on Water podcast, features perspectives from past-and-present WEF leaders. 

Ahead of the 2020 update to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Multi-Sector General Permit for industrial stormwater discharges, WEF recommended ways to improve the permitting program.

Jeanette Brown is a past president of the Water Environment Federation and a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Manhattan College. In this episode Jeanette discusses how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted personal communication

Jamie Piziali is the Municipal Ombudsman at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In this episode Jamie explains integrated planning, which offers an opportunity for a municipality to meet multiple Clean Water Act requirements by identifying efficiencies from wastewater and stormwater programs and sequencing investments. She discusses her role as an ombudsman and the importance of integrated planning to EPA. Jamie also talks about the agency’s efforts to raise awareness among municipalities about integrated planning and how local governments should pursue the approach as part of NPDES permitting or enforcement orders.

Create a “storm in a glass” in about 10 minutes using common household materials to help teach children about precipitation and its effects.