WEF is a source of high-quality technical resource area featuring the latest research, news, and education. WEF's members and other credible resources have created and compiled this information on these topics of interest to the water quality community.
Biosolids are nutrient-rich organic materials produced through the treatment of local sewage at wastewater treatment facilities. Some of the benefits of recycling and composting biosolids are improving soil quality, reducing erosion, and protecting water quality.
Climate change has contributed to the loss of sea ice, intense heat waves, and unusual weather patterns. Through scientific research and climate policies the altering effect of climate change on the world’s water resource can be minimized.
The system of underground pipes and maintenance structures used to carry wastes from households and commercial establishments to a wastewater treatment facility are called "Collection systems". There has been dramatic improvements to public health in major cities thanks to collection systems.
Small wastewater treatment systems, distributed or decentralized, serve communities of less than 10,000 people and have average daily flows of less than 1 MGD. 72% of public water resource recovery facilities in the United States are classified as small systems. [U.S. EPA Water Research]
Large amounts of electricity are required to obtain, treat and transport water and wastewater. As the cost of fossil fuels rise, utility and operations prices soar. Making reasearch and investement in wind, solar, and hydroelectric power increasingly important.
A significant portion of the total wastewater discharged worldwide are from industries. Industries are faced with the challenge of providing environmentally sustainable wastewater treatment while reducing compliance costs and maintaining value for their businesses.
WEF has made innovation a crucial part of its Strategic Direction. The Innovation Showcase at WEFTEC, WEF’s Annual event, highlights the important areas of innovation through a series of educational sessions, networking events, and exhibits.
Nutrients are needed to sustain life, but too much nutrients in aquatic environments can lead to poor water quality or “dead zones”. Through management of large sources of nutrients, such as wastewater treatment plant effluent and agricultural runoff, eutrophication can be significantly reduced.
Operations Challenge is North America's preeminent showcase of the skills of wastewater collection and treatment personnel. This event is featured at the Water Environment Federation's Technical Exhibition and Conference, WEFTEC®.
WEF has varies tools of water quality professional, practitioners, and regulator communities. WEF provides educational resources such as facts sheets, brochures, stormwaters educational resources, and much more.
WEF has been successful at striving toward those objectives through the use of a “maturity model” approach with the development of three Resource Recovery Roadmaps, on Energy (2012), Nutrient Management (2014), and Water Reuse (2016).
As a member of the Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC), WEF maintains representation for the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector that allows for collaboration and communication with federal agencies regarding security issues.
Stormwater is a heavy quantity of water that falls to the surface of the Earth. In urban areas, there is an increased need for stormwater management because surfaces like rooftops, sidewalks and roadways that do not allow water to absorb. This can cause flooding, sewer overflows, and nonpoint source pollution.
In 2013, the Water Environment Federation assembled a group of water professionals from the Biosolids, Collection Systems, Municipal Resource Recovery Facility, Stormwater, and Utility Management WEF Committee’s to form the WEF Envision Task Force.
To respond to the challenges water and wastewater utility leaders face, WEF is working with its members and partners to develop a variety of management initiatives; resources; and educational, training, and networking opportunities.
With more than 16,000 publicly owned wastewater treatment plants in operation in the USA, continual construction of new plants and the upgrading of older plants create a strong demand for operators and designers.
The reuse of municipal wastewater for beneficial purposes is an important aspect of the world's total water resources management.
A watershed is the land area from which water drains to a particular waterbody. Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes, and they cross county, state, and national boundaries.