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WaterOperator.org Blog

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

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In this recording of our live webinar "Community Engagement Resources for Wastewater Utilities," 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 »

Preparing for LCRI Compliance: Key Insights from NRWA

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The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) has published an incredibly useful resource to help water systems navigate the upcoming Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) compliance requirements. With the November 1, 2027 deadline approaching, this article provides clear guidance on what utilities need to do now to stay ahead. It breaks down the complex requirements into actionable steps, helping to ensure compliance and avoid costly penalties to your utility.

Highlights from the article:

  • Regulatory Timeline: Current LCRR requirements remain in effect until 2027, when LCRI submissions are due.
  • Service Line Inventory: Systems must update and verify inventories, including connectors and unknown lines.
  • Annual Notices: Required for locations with lead service lines, galvanized requiring replacement, or unknown materials.
  • Verification Requirements: New rules call for visual validation of non-lead lines and approved methods for confirming materials.
  • Compliance Risks: Unknown lines in the 2027 baseline inventory trigger additional obligations like sampling and replacement plans.
  • Data Management: Digital tools are strongly recommended to handle the data-intensive nature of LCRI compliance.
November 18, 2025 By Katelyn McLaughlin Asset Management, Compliance Monitoring, Drinking Water, Utility Management compliance, LCRI, Lead and Copper 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 »

Registration for VirCon 2026 is Open!

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Our team at WaterOperator.org is excited to announce next year's Virtual Operator Conference! Over three days (February 3-5, 2026) participants can earn up to 12 continuing education hours applicable to their drinking water operator license renewal. We are seeking approval in all relevant operator certification jurisdictions, with the most current updates listed on the event registration page.

This free, virtual training conference offers drinking water operators a chance to learn more about timely topics, improve fundamental skills, and get support for specific challenges while earning up to 12 hours of CEU credit. Below is a list of each course that will be offered to participants of VirCon 2026:

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

  • The History of Water Regulations
  • Small System Water Treatment
  • Fundamentals of Drinking Water Distribution
  • Disinfection Byproducts

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

  • Asset Management Plans
  • Asset Management Framework: Five Core Questions
  • Asset Management that Water Operators Use
  • Hydrant Assessments for Asset Management

Thursday, February 5, 2026

  • GIS and Water System Maintenance
  • Digital Transformation for Operations & Maintenance Task using GIS
  • Corrosion Control and Cathodic Protection
  • Drones
November 6, 2025 By Katelyn McLaughlin Training/CEUs, WaterOperator.org CECs, CEUs, PDHs, training 0 0 Comment Read More »

Tap Talk – The Olympics of Water Quality: WEFTEC’s Operations Challenge

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Were you able to attend this year's WEFTEC in Chicago, or did you have to miss it? Either way, it's worth it to take the time to learn more about the Operations Challenge competition conducted at each WEFTEC — You can relive the excitement, if you were at this year's conference, or hear why you absolutely need to attend next year in New Orleans so you don't miss the fun!

Luckily, we covered the ins and outs of Operations Challenge in one of our first episodes of Season 6 of Tap Talk, the Drinking Water in Rural America Podcast. Our team has been producing this podcast since 2021, with the aim of connecting professionals across the drinking water community with ideas to extend and enhance water work. The podcast is a collaboration between the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and the University of Illinois, with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The show is hosted by Steve and Jennifer Wilson of the Illinois State Water Survey’s WaterOperator.org, PrivateWellClass.org, and DecentralizedWastewater.org programs. Episodes of past seasons have primarily focused on municipal water treatment and private well-related topics, while recent seasons have begun exploring septic/decentralized wastewater topics as well. 

In episode #62, we welcomed Steve Harrison and Jeff Sober to Tap Talk. Steve, a WEF senior manager, and Jeff, Director of Water Services at Garver, are both members of the Operations Challenge Community. Just ahead of WEFTEC 2025, they gave our hosts a complete rundown of the annual showcase of the top water quality operations teams in the country. 

Listen through the audio player below, or, find Tap Talk on audio services such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, or Audible.

And be sure to read about the winners who prevailed in this year's 38th Annual Operations Challenge Competition!


Topics Discussed

  • Meet Steve Harrison | LinkedIn
  • Steve’s Water Hero: Cordell Samuels, Past President of WEF and retired Plant Superintendent at the Region of Durham in Ontario.
  • Meet Jeff Sober | LinkedIn
  • Jeff’s Water Hero: His father, Gary Sober, who gave Jeff his first job in the water industry.
  • What is WEFTEC and what does it represent for the water industry?
  • What is the Operations Challenge and what does the competition include?
  • History of the Operations Challenge
  • How does a team get to WEFTEC?
  • How the challenge affects professionals throughout the industry
  • How the challenge supports the mission of WEF
  • What else to see at WEFTEC
  • Connect with the Water Environment Federation and WEFTEC
 
 

    “You get a better workforce out of this. One that knows how to respond to all challenges and to be more resilient; and one that respects the positions and challenges of all the others as well.”

    Jeff Sober

 

Go Further

You’re invited to discuss the episode in our LinkedIn Group. If you decide to share on Twitter, please use the hashtag #TapTalkPodcast. And, of course, make sure to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Guests

Steve Harrison is Director of Operator Programs at the Water Environment Federation and is coordinator of Operations Challenge, WEFTEC’s award winning professional skills competition. He has contributed to many water sector workforce initiatives, including developing apprenticeship standards, coordinating regional workforce approaches, and launching the workforwater.org website. He holds a B.S. in Natural Resources Management from the University of Maryland, is a Board Certified Environmental Scientist, a Certified Mission Critical Professional, has a NASSCO Pipeline Assessment Certification Program credential, and is a member of the Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers.

Jeff Sober is the Director of Garver’s Water Services. He also sits on Garver’s Board of Directors. Jeff has 23 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry, focusing on large-scale facility master planning, wastewater treatment process design, grit removal science, and biosolids. He is a Past President of the Water Environment Association of Texas and currently serves as Past Chair of the WEF Operations Challenge Committee. He has been responsible for leading operations training and workforce development initiatives in Texas, in addition to leading one of the fastest-growing water and wastewater engineering services firms in the nation.

Jeff holds a B.S. and an M.Eng. in civil engineering, both from Texas A&M University. In 2025, he was named a WEF Fellow, one of the water industry’s most distinguished honors.

 

October 22, 2025 By Laura Schultz Tap Talk Podcast, Wastewater, WaterOperator.org, Workforce operations challenge, podcast, tap talk, wastewater, wastewater treatment, wastewater workforce, water environment federation, water quality, weftec 0 0 Comment Read More »

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

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Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly critical for water and wastewater utilities as digital connectivity becomes more common. Now that more systems are linked than ever before, the threat of cyberattacks continues to grow. Staying informed and proactive is key so we’ve gathered a collection of resources designed to strengthen your cybersecurity awareness.

The list below includes guidance from U.S. EPA and CISA, training recordings, and tools to help utilities assess and improve their cybersecurity knowledge. Explore these links to strengthen your utility’s defenses and ensure the continued safety and reliability of our water systems.

Further Resources...

Throughout October, EPA will host webinars to share sector-specific data and trends, providing tools, best practices, and training opportunities for water utilities, system operators, IT professionals, and local leaders.

October 1, 2025 By Katelyn McLaughlin Emergency Response, Security, Technology cybersecurity, water system cybersecurity 0 0 Comment Read More »

Get Ready for the 13th Annual SepticSmart Week!

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What are you planning to do for this year's SepticSmart Week? This is the perfect time for communities, national organizations, local groups, and governments to come together and bring attention to the importance of caring for and maintaining septic systems through homeowner education and public outreach. 

Now is the time to start planning if you haven't already! You can peruse the SepticSmart Week page at the EPA at your own pace or check out these particular (free!) resources we recommend for reaching and educating homeowners:

We would also recommend everyone to encourage their local government leaders to sign an official SepticSmart Week Proclamation. You can find links to different proclamation templates for governors, mayors, and tribal/community leaders at the EPA webpage!

If you're interested in learning more information about septic systems, check out our sister site, DecentralizedWastewater.org! Our blog is full of resources that focus on the importance of caring for and maintaining septic systems. Check out last year's blog post all about how to prepare for SepticSmart Week!

September 1, 2025 By Katelyn McLaughlin Decentralized Wastewater decentralized wastewater, septic, septicsmart 0 0 Comment Read More »

From Waste to Resource: Biosolids Management References for POTWs | Recorded on August 19, 2025

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In this recording of our live webinar "From Waste to Resource Biosolids Management References for POTWs," viewers will discover some of the most helpful resources for supporting biosolids management and 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:

August 22, 2025 By Laura Schultz Wastewater biosolids, biosolids management, biosolids webinar, POTW, treatment works, wastewater, wastewater webinar, webinar 0 0 Comment Read More »

Unlocking Rural Prosperity: The Rural Funding Guide is Here

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The Rural Funding Guide has been introduced by the Partners for Rural Transformation (PRT) to address the longstanding issue of underinvestment in rural America. This guide offers practical strategies to help public and private funders effectively invest in rural communities. It emphasizes the importance of equitable systems and strong local partnerships to ensure that funding reaches the areas that need it most. The guide aims to inspire funders, policymakers, and advocates to reinvest in rural America and support its prosperity.

Below is a summary of the eight practices that inform how public and private funders can invest in rural prosperity:

  • Put Community Voice First: Ensure that the voices of local community members drive development efforts, rather than generating buy in for a pre-determined idea.
  • Build Community Adaptability: Enhance the ability of communities to adapt and respond to changing circumstances and economic conditions.
  • Support Regional Approaches: Invest in initiatives that benefit multiple communities and leverage regional strengths and assets.
  • Form Trusted Partnerships: Develop strong, trust-based relationships with local communities through direct engagement and collaboration.
  • Make Capital Accessible: Simplify the process of accessing funds to reduce barriers for rural applicants.
  • Increase Flexible Capital: Provide operational funding that allows local leaders to address specific community needs and invest in long-term solutions.
  • Grow Grant Capital: Increase the availability and scale of grants to support comprehensive community development.
  • Provide Multi-Year Support: Offer consistent, long-term funding to enable sustainable development and allow for thorough planning and implementation.

The Rural Funding Guide can help water leaders in rural communities to secure and manage funding more effectively. It promotes equitable investment, strong partnerships, and long-term outcomes. All of which are key principles for sustainable water solutions. The guide encourages funders to simplify access to capital, support regional collaboration, and prioritize community voices, making it easier for water organizations to address infrastructure, climate resilience, and staffing challenges.

By highlighting common funding barriers like complex applications and limited resources, the Rural Funding Guide advocates for flexible, multi-year support that empowers water leaders to plan and implement impactful projects. It also promotes systems-level thinking, encouraging water initiatives to align with broader goals in housing, health, and economic development.

August 22, 2025 By Katelyn McLaughlin Funding funding 0 0 Comment Read More »

Stormwater Management Resources for POTWs | Recorded July 1, 2025

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In this recording of our live webinar "Stormwater Management Resources for POTWs," viewers will discover some of the most helpful stormwater management resources for treatment works operators and 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:

July 8, 2025 By Laura Schultz Sanitary Sewers, Stormwater, Wastewater POTW, stormwater, stormwater management, stormwater webinar, treatment works, wastewater, wastewater webinar, webinar 0 0 Comment Read More »