Operations Challenge Competition Brings Wastewater Treatment to the Surface

More than 200 of the world’s best and brightest wastewater treatment professionals will compete in Operations Challenge 2011, a unique, fast-paced skills competition for wastewater operations and maintenance professionals next month in Los Angeles, Calif. Now in its 24th year, the one-of-a-kind event will take place October 17-18, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Growing from an original 22-team event to this year’s 38-team, two-division format, each four-member team will be judged on the best combination of precision, speed and safety. Winners are determined by a weighted point system for five events including collection systems, laboratory, process control, maintenance and safety. The events are designed to test the diverse skills required for the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities, their collection systems and laboratories.

The Virginia Water Environment Association’s Terminal Velocity will defend their title against the top regional teams (see complete list below) from the United States and Canada, including four from California. In addition, a new pipe defect evaluation test has been added to the collections event. The content will be derived from the National Association of Sewer Service Companies’ (Owings Mill, Md.) Pipeline Assessment Certification Program.

Operations Challenge is presented in conjunction with WEFTEC 2011—the Water Environment Federation’s 84th Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference—from October 15-19, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. As the largest annual water quality conference and exhibition in the world, this year’s event will host thousands of water professionals and nearly exhibitors from around the 1,000 and will feature the latest in water research, training, solutions and cutting-edge technologies.

Visit www.weftec.org for the latest conference details.