Water Environment Federation

Technical Programs, Seminars, and Workshops - As the leading source of water quality expertise, WEF is committed to advancing the professional workforce development of the water sector through educational seminars and workshops that focus on environmental, sustainability, and public health topics. WEF provides education to water professionals from over 70 countries at WEFTEC as well as at WEF's specialty conferences. WEF's educational content includes all areas of water resources management, including utility management and operations, collection systems, stormwater, water and wastewater treatment, and biosolids. WEF's commitment to the sustainable development goals focus on safe, sustainable access to clean water and sanitation, innovation and a circular economy. WEF provides in-depth education on biological hazards to wastewater operators through virtual workshops and public health communications platforms, and provided a free update to a manual of practice on safety and security of water resource recovery facilities.

Publications and Subscriptions - WEF publishes technical and educational magazines, newsletters, books, technical reports, fact sheets, conference proceedings, and training materials. Water Environment & Technology (WE&T) is the publication professionals read to learn about the latest technologies, trends, and news in water quality. Members receive it monthly as a membership benefit. In addition, the publication is sold on a subscription basis to libraries and other water professionals. WEF publishes several digital newsletters: The Stormwater Report, WEFTEC Now, and WEF Smartbrief. WEF also publishes Water Environment Research, a peer-reviewed research journal, in partnership with Wiley. WEF publishes an extensive range of peer-reviewed manuals of practice, textbooks, and supplemental texts for classroom use as well as a comprehensive operator training series titled Wastewater Treatment Fundamentals. This training series includes manuals, trainer's kits, companion online training, and study guides. WEF co-publishes Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater with the American Public Health Association and the American Water Works Association. WEF's conference proceedings, magazine features, technical reports, fact sheets, books, and training materials are published on Access Water, WEF's online library.

Membership Services - Handles customer service operations, membership recruitment and retention, and engagement with customers, members, member associations and affiliated organizations.

Public Outreach & Advocacy - WEF's public outreach and advocacy programs encompass a broad range of activities intended to better inform the public and policy leaders of critical issues and the vital role water resources play in the everyday lives of citizens. These programs include coordinating all interviews and meetings with media/news outlets, writing and dissemination of all Society News releases, training society leaders and members in public communications and effective media relations, providing communications counsel to the Federation's various member associations. WEF's water advocates program empowers WEF members to share knowledge and expertise to inform government decision-makers about the importance of water. Water advocates program helps grassroots communities all of the US speak with a united voice for water to reach out to and connect with elected officials on important water quality issues including aging infrastructure, affordability, and continued economic pressures which have put unprecedented stress on local governments and agencies that provide essential water services.

Grants & Contracts - Includes funds used to provide subject matter expertise in the development and updating of multiple wastewater unified facility criteria and unified facility guide specs. CDC funds were received to set up a community of practice for correctional facility wastewater surveillance.