The 2026 Operations Challenge qualifying season officially kicked off at the South Carolina Environmental Conference (SCEC), co-hosted by the Water Environment Association of South Carolina and the South Carolina Section of the American Water Works Association. Held in March, the competition brought together 15 Operations Challenge teams from nine states and the District of Columbia—making it the largest South Carolina Operations Challenge in history. From the debut of the new safety ev...

Operations Challenge at WEFTEC 2025 wrapped up with a historic Division I sweep by teams from the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association (RMWEA). In this episode of Challenge Accepted: The OC Forum, members of RMWEA’s Elevated Ops, Sewerside Squad, and Double Duty—joined by former competitor and mentor Orren West—reflect on the competition. They dive into how they prepared, what defines a winner’s mindset, and how collaboration across teams and utilities helps elevate performance throug...

What's the best way to avoid stormwater compliance violations? Instead of relying on traditional hard-copy binders, Aqualis offers an electronic system to keep organized, well-maintained records. Listen to our conversation with Lisa Cratty, Director of Compliance with Aqualis, on the challenges and solutions for keeping up with regulatory requirements

Krishna Pagilla is the Chair of the David Jenkins Operator Scholarship. A former student and a Jenkins family friend, Dr. Pagilla talks about the life of Dr. Jenkins and why this $10,000 Operator Scholarship Award is a legacy of love.

Challenge Accepted: The OC Forum is a new podcast from the Water Environment Federation’s Words on Water, dedicated to all things Operations Challenge. Hosted by Operations Challenge legends, Steve Motley and Donnie Cagle, the show features conversations with the people who shape the competition—past, present, and future. Today, we dive into the new Safety Event debuting at WEFTEC 2026!

WEF is launching a new webcast series focused on recruiting more people to the water sector. Senior Director of Workforce Development, Laura Herman, gives us a preview of the first episode, "Leveraging Technology & AI in Workforce Operations".

How can utilities access the funding they need? That's the central question WEF aims to help answer at the upcoming Summit on Financing the Future of the Water Sector. Listen as we talk to Justin Mattingly, WEF's Senior Advisor for Resource Recovery, about the conference and how strategies for securing water infrastructure development will take center stage.

New at WEFTEC 2025 is WEF's Circular Water Economy Theater. Presentations will highlight initiatives that treat water as a renewable asset through the 3Rs (reduce, recover, regenerate). Listen to WEF's Senior Director of Circular Water talk about what attendees have in store.

As AI data centers expand, finding ways to save water is becoming increasingly crucial. Listen to our conversation with Rodolfo Sucre, Principal of RSP Engineers, about how balancing AI growth with sustainable practices is the key to managing the challenge.

We are counting down the days to WEFTEC 2025! Listen to our conversation with WEF's Manager of Operator Programs, Jessica Rozek, as we get ready for Operations Challenge in Chicago.