ON THE CURVE
Images courtesy of the American Water Works Association
When Alex Whiteway started as utility director at Arlington Water Utilities in Texas in 2024, he knew the utility needed a leak detection dog. It soon found its match in a then-four-month-old husky mix at a local animal shelter. Arlington Water Utilities named the puppy Splash and sent him off to a training program that consisted of three months of general obedience training and three months of specific training to detect chlorine present in underground water main leaks. Splash’s handler, Richard Everhart, joined for portions of the training to build rapport, and now the two are a working duo. The utility keeps data on Splash’s work, including how deep the pipes are when he alerts, the type of pipe and diameter, the outside temperature and whether the alert was accurate to not only keep a record, but also refine training if needed.
WEFTEC26 Recap
The Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) took place in New Orleans from Sept. 26-30. The event brought together a wide cross-section of the water sector to exchange ideas, knowledge and experiences to help drive the future of water quality. Check out some highlights and posts from the event below.
Federation Impact Grant Program
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) unveiled the new Federation Impact Grant Program, a $1 million investment designed to strengthen WEF’s network of member associations through funding over a three-year period that supports innovation, organizations resilience, leadership development and community impact. The application period opens on Nov. 1. To learn more, visit tinyurl.com/wef-grant-program.
Operations Challenge Champions
Division I Winners
- First place—Elevated Ops (Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association)
- Second place—Double Duty (Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association)
- Third place—Controlled Chaos (Water Environment Association of South Carolina)
Division II Winners
- First place—Commode Commandos (Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association)
- Second place—Aquidneck Aqua-Holics (New England Water Environment Association)
- Third place—Diffusers (Chesapeake Water Environment Association)
Division III Winners
- First place—Renewable Renegades (Water Environment Association of South Carolina)
- Second place—SacSewer Warriors (California Water Environment Association)
- Third place—Ft. Worth Funkytown Legends (Water Environment Association of Texas)
Global Division Winner
- Dung Deal (British Columbia Water and Waste Association)
“The Water Environment Federation Operators Challenge concluded today at WEFTEC. Tonight we celebrate their achievements. The competition included 61 teams from the US and internationally. But behind the scenes are the volunteers from the Operations Challenge Community who arrange and judge the competition. Thank you to those volunteers. And congratulations to the competitors who showcased the skills that keep our communities safe every day.”—Christine Hilditch
In This Issue
