WEF News

Water Environment Federation (WEF) experts have reacted swiftly to concerns about monkeypox and compiled critical information for water sector workers and leaders. Get this fact sheet now.

Dr. Edwin Oh is an Associate Professor in the UNLV School of Medicine and the Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine. This presentation from WEFTEC 2021 explores how the decline in diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 is expected to delay the tracking of COVID-19 variants of concern and interest in the U.S. and how wastewater surveillance programs can provide an effective alternative.

By Unanimous Consent on March 2, 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act of 2022.

This bill will strengthen the federal government’s networks again cyberattacksand require critical infrastructure owners and operators, such as water utilities, to report cyber incidents.

Doug Baldessari of Baker Tilly discusses the affordability issue facing water utilities and options and impacts involving recent federal funding.

The federal district court in Charleston, South Carolina, has given “preliminary approval” to a proposed Class Action Settlement regarding wipe products between Plaintiff Charleston Water System and Defendant Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

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On June 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) made available $166.6 million USD in grants to help low-income ratepayers effected by the COVID-19 pandemic pay their drinking water and wastewater utility bills.

This article, originally from Water Environment & Technology, covers the three core tasks to perform effective wastewater-based epidemiology, also known as wastewater surveillance.

Although some states have set early 2021 expirations for their shutoff moratoriums, questions remain and pressure builds about how bills will be paid during a pandemic in which clean water has taken center stage as a public-health necessity. 

Looking for the best ways to build resilient systems and prepare for worst-case scenarios? The new edition of Disaster and Emergency Planning for Preparedness, Response, and Recovery: Promoting Resilient Infrastructure and Community helps utility managers, operators, consulting engineers, emergency response planners and public officials with plans for a range of emergencies, responses when disaster strikes and recovery options.

Watch WEF Chief Medical Officer Dr. Andrew Sanderson discuss the importance and safety of the coronavirus vaccine for water sector workers.

The Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSSC) is urging U.S. water and wastewater utilities to coordinate with state and local health departments to ensure they are included in distribution plans for the COVID-19 vaccine.

A panel of wastewater and public health experts has determined that occupational risk of COVID-19 infection for wastewater workers is low. The panel also found that standard wastewater treatment processes inactivate the virus and additional research should be conducted to further increase understanding of hazards and protections for personnel.

The unprecedented global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the COVID-19 disease prompted the Water Environment Federation (WEF) to conduct a critical review of pathways of potential exposure to this virus associated with the collection and treatment of wastewater. In April 2020, WEF convened a panel of academics and practitioners expert in the science and practice of wastewater collection and treatment to conduct this critical review.

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.

This fifth installment of the Water Environment Federation's Coronavirus Roundtable Discussions brings you discussions with executive leaders from across the water sector examine how this pandemic is affecting operations, business, and people.

The guests for this discussion included Pam Elardo, Deputy Commissioner, New York City DEP; Michael Carlin, Chief Operating Officer, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; John McCarthy, President, Arcadis North America; Charlie Hocking, President and CEO, Hazen and Sawyer; Bill Decker, Vice President and General Manager of the Equipment and Services Group, Aqua-Aerobic; and Bill McDowell, Vice President of Operations, Blue-White Industries.