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WaterOperator.org Blog

Resilience and Emergency Preparedness Resources for Wastewater Utilities | Recorded on September 24, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "Resilience and Emergency Preparedness Resources for Wastewater Utilities," viewers will be introduced to publicly available resources for wastewater utilities that support emergency preparedness and resilience. The session also includes a demonstration of our free search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional free resources and training events.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay.

Recordings of our previous webinars:

September 28, 2026 By Katelyn McLaughlin Asset Management, Emergency Response, Utility Management, Wastewater, WaterOperator.org emergency preparedness, emergency response, free resources, resilience, waste water, wastewater, wastewater utilities 0 0 Comment Read More »

GIS Resources for POTW Asset Management | Recorded on September 8, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "GIS Resources for POTW Asset Management," viewers will be introduced to how GIS can serve as a powerful asset management tool for public-owned treatment works (POTWs) and wastewater utilities. The webinar also reviews publicly available resources for developing asset inventories, collecting field data, and building maps. Finally, we demo the search tools on WaterOperator.org.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

September 10, 2026 By Laura Schultz Asset Management, Financial Management, Technology, Utility Management, Wastewater asset management, geographic information system, GIS, GIS resources, POTW, utility management, wastewater, wastewater operators, wastewater treatment, wastewater utility, wastewater webinar, webinar 0 0 Comment Read More »

Communication Strategies for Wastewater Compliance and Building Public Trust | Recorded on July 30, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "Communication Strategies for Wastewater Compliance and Building Public Trust," viewers will receive a refresh on public notification requirements for wastewater utilities and a practical overview of communication strategies that wastewater utilities can use to build public trust. The webinar also reviews publicly available resources to support the development of communications at wastewater utilities and demos the search tools on WaterOperator.org.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

July 31, 2026 By Laura Schultz Compliance Monitoring, Public Education, Sanitary Sewers, Utility Management, Wastewater biosolid land application, combined sewer overflow, communication, communication strategy, CSO, NPDES, NPDES compliance, NPDES permitting, NPDES reporting, POTW, public notification, public notification requirements, sanitary sewer overflow, SSO, treatment works, wastewater, wastewater webinar, webinar 0 0 Comment Read More »

Monitoring, Sampling, and Data Management for NPDES Compliance | Recorded on June 30, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "Monitoring, Sampling, and Data Management for NPDES Compliance," viewers will receive a practical overview of wastewater monitoring, sampling, and data management as they relate to NPDES permits. We explored common compliance challenges and reviewed best practices for collecting and managing discharge monitoring data. We also reviewed publicly available resources on NPDES compliance and demo our search tools on WaterOperator.org.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

 

 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

June 30, 2026 By Laura Schultz Compliance Monitoring, Regulations, Wastewater NPDES, NPDES compliance, NPDES monitoring, NPDES sampling, POTW, treatment works, wastewater, wastewater monitoring, wastewater sampling, wastewater treatment, wastewater webinar, webinar 0 0 Comment Read More »

The Latest in FOG News

Hot grease being poured directly from a cooking pan down the drain of a kitchen sink.

It’s long been known that the place to dispose of fats, oil, and grease for private individuals or small businesses is not down the kitchen sink or other plumbing, whether that plumbing is connected to a sewer system or a septic system. And yet, the issue of FOG (fats, oil, and grease) clogging up wastewater systems remains a worldwide issue. 

For those involved in the wastewater field, the unpleasant reality of FOG buildup and the massive fatbergs it can lead to is part of day-to-day life, and it probably isn’t something anyone wants to spend more time thinking about than necessary. But widely sharing the stories of why FOG pollution is such an issue might be one of the best things we can do to help homeowners and industries to reverse the tide of inappropriate substances flushing into wastewater systems. And, as technology advances, more and more technological solutions for FOG management are being explored!

In this post, we’ve collected links to recent news stories covering FOG challenges in municipal sewer systems, both domestically and internationally. Consider sharing them with people you meet who might not know why they shouldn’t put bacon grease down the drain or flush their wet wipes, and find some hope in the pursuit of technological fixes!

What are fatbergs and why are they a problem?

Recent FOG stories in the United States

“Supersized” 2026 fatberg in Sydney

Fatbergs in London

Solutions on the rise

Prior coverage of FOG at the WaterOperator.org blog

 

June 23, 2026 By Laura Schultz Public Education, Sanitary Sewers, Wastewater, Water News fatbergs, fats, fats oil grease, FOG, FOG management, grease, oil, sewer systems, wastewater, wastewater management, wastewater news, wastewater systems 0 0 Comment Read More »

Lagoon Wastewater Systems Practical Tools and Resources for Compliance | Recorded on April 28, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "Lagoon Wastewater Systems Practical Tools and Resources for Compliance," viewers will receive an overview of common lagoon system challenges and best practices for improving compliance. We also review publicly available resources for improving lagoon operations and demo our search tools on WaterOperator.org.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

 

 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

April 30, 2026 By Laura Schultz Operations and Maintenance, Wastewater compliance, lagoon systems, lagoons, POTW, treatment works, wastewater, wastewater operators, wastewater treatment, wastewater utilites, wastewater webinar, wastewater workforce, webinar 0 0 Comment Read More »

Energy Optimization and Cost‑Saving Strategies for Wastewater Utilities | Recorded on March 31, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "Energy Optimization and Cost‑Saving Strategies for Wastewater Utilities," viewers will receive an overview of energy efficiency best practices to reduce operational costs at wastewater facilities. It also includes a review of publicly available resources to explore cost-saving improvements and a demonstration of our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional free resources and training events.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

March 31, 2026 By Laura Schultz Energy, Financial Management, Utility Management, Wastewater cost-saving, energy, energy optimization, financial management, operational costs, POTW, treatment works, utility management, wastewater, wastewater operators, wastewater utilities, wastewater webinar, wastewater workforce, webinar, workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »

Workforce Development & Succession Planning for Wastewater Utilities | Recorded on February 24, 2026

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In this recording of our live webinar "Workforce Development & Succession Planning for Wastewater Utilities," viewers will receive an overview of workforce development and best practices for building a stronger workforce; with a focus on recruitment, training, and retention. They will also learn how to use our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional resources and training events.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

February 26, 2026 By Laura Schultz Utility Management, Wastewater, Workforce POTW, recruitment, succession planning, treatment works, wastewater, wastewater operators, wastewater utilities, wastewater webinar, wastewater workforce, webinar, workforce, workforce development 0 0 Comment Read More »

Essential Safety Resources for Wastewater Operators | Recorded on December 22, 2025

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In this recording of our live webinar "Essential Safety Resources for Wastewater Operators," viewers will explore practical resources to help wastewater operators stay safe in their day to day to work as well as in less common and unexpected scenarios. They will also learn how to use our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional resources and training events.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

December 23, 2025 By Laura Schultz Operator Safety, Wastewater POTW, safety, treatment works, utility safety, wastewater, wastewater operators, wastewater safety, wastewater utilities, wastewater webinar, webinar 0 0 Comment Read More »

Community Engagement Resources for Wastewater Utilities | Recorded on November 4, 2025

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In this recording of our live webinar "Community Engagement Resources for Wastewater Utilities," viewers will discover some of the most helpful resources for learning about effective digital communication strategies, approaches for building public support around capital improvement projects, and methods for promoting transparency during rate-setting processes. They will also learn how to use our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional resources and training events.

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

Recordings of our previous webinars:

November 6, 2025 By Laura Schultz Public Education, Utility Management, Wastewater communication strategy, community engagement, digital communication, POTW, public relations, treatment works, utility management, wastewater, wastewater utilities, wastewater webinar, webinar 0 0 Comment Read More »
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