Wastewater Champions

Competition, advanced technology, and hands-on knowledge are giving rise to value-added wastewater treatments that are poised to eliminate water scarcity

By Anne-Frances Hutchinson

Who gives a crap about wastewater? In the daily lives of those of us in developed nations, not much attention is given to a routine flush until something goes awry. And when something is amiss with wastewater, it can range from a problem remedied with a quick fix to a serious public health or environmental crisis.

As it happens, a fascinating world of scientists, engineers, and water experts bring incredible knowledge, skill, and ingenuity to bear on ameliorating the dangers that poor water management creates, as well as revealing wastewater’s many beneficial secrets.

For 38 years, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) has hosted North America’s largest annual water quality technical expo and conference. This year, Chicago’s McCormick Place was filled to the brim with water quality professionals seeking the finest education and training available in their discipline.

A highlight of the programming is the WEF Operations Challenge Competition, a rigorous two-day professional program cheekily disguised as “the Olympics of wastewater.” Admittedly, there’s plenty of diving (down simulated maintenance shafts) and racing (to fix a broken pump that’s gushing with who knows what).

Fast-paced timed events confront the bold with real-world problems found in wastewater treatment facilities, daring them to make fixes that can stand the ultimate test: reality. This year, participants including entrants from the U.K. and Denmark, took part in the fecal festivities to demonstrate their prowess at all experience levels.

While the Operations Challenge is a serious endeavor that brings together the best of the best wastewater operations pros to share best practices, new ideas, and technologies, it also brings the excitement, drama, camaraderie and rivalries of a major sport. For the challengers it really is a sport: highly respected, grueling, and at times outrageous.

This year’s safety event got real with this scary simulation: A co-worker overcome by noxious fumes has collapsed inside a maintenance shaft. Rescuers must get into the confined space, get the stricken soul out of the shaft and revive them, find and repair the safety hazard inside the tight space, and seal up the maintenance shaft.

In the maintenance challenge, competitors were tasked with clearing a huge (and thankfully imaginary) bolus of fats, oils, and grease known in the biz as FOGs – that have rendered a busy community’s sanitary water treatment plant inoperable.

It’s not all sludge and slime, though. Competitors’ mathematical aptitude and knowledge of sewage treatment processes are evaluated with both written and electronic tests in the process control round. A specialized wastewater treatment process simulator allows contestants to visualize problem scenarios and real-time decisions to fix them in real time.

The laboratory section tasked teams to analyze a range of water quality parameters across a variety of settings faster than their opponents, and display their skills in laboratory-based work, which included sampling, sample preparation, data collection and interpretation, as well as their proficiency in using laboratory equipment.

Congratulations to the first-place winners of the roster’s three divisions: Division I: Elevated Ops (Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association); Division II: Team HRSD (Virginia Water Environment Association), and Division III: Rowdy Rotifers (Chesapeake Water Environment Association).

This year’s winners and hopefuls are already honing their talents for participation in next year’s challenge, so we’ve got time for some serious color commentary about industry trends.

What’s next in wastewater treatment

Wastewater is becoming a core resource as utilities and industries deepen their investments in modern treatment technologies to recover water, nutrients, and its byproducts. According to a recent market report from BCC Research, the sector is expected to grow from $350.7 billion this year to $591.2 billion by the end of 2030, at a CAGR of 11%.

“With developing regions experiencing rapid economic growth, the demand for treated water has surged, driven by both industrial expansion and population needs,” the study noted. “Additionally, stringent regulatory reforms aimed at addressing water scarcity are reshaping industrial practices and infrastructure. These combined factors underscore the urgent need for effective water treatment solutions.”

The water resource tech experts at Canada’s PMAP have assembled a list of emerging technologies in 2025 that are aimed at transforming wastewater from a liability into a vital resource. “Each holds the promise of improving efficiency, lowering environmental footprints, and delivering tangible value for both technical teams and executive decision-makers,” they reported.

They point out that AI-powered treatment optimization and digital twins can optimize treatment processes based on sensor data and predictive modeling. Digital twin simulations allow for accurate forecasts that can prevent costly problems before they happen.

Autonomous in-situ water treatment systems that treat water at its source by unmanned systems are on the cusp of popularity. Traditional treatment at mine sites, for example, can be extremely risky because of the large amounts of hazardous chemicals involved; autonomous solutions can effectively limit those issues without causing harm to people, assets, and the environment. The approach can be used effectively for other industries as well.

Innovations in precision-engineered membrane materials can lessen the burden on freshwater sources by enabling companies to treat and reuse their wastewater for cooling, washing, or feedwater for agricultural use.

Advanced contaminant destruction may finally free societies from the scourge of forever chemicals. “Until recently, PFAS could not be destroyed by conventional wastewater treatment; they would simply pass through or require expensive activated carbon filters and incineration of the waste,” PMAP revealed. At last, emerging technologies such as advanced oxidation are on track to eliminate these harmful chemicals forever.

While still a concern, wastewater disposal is no longer the central issue for water treatment organizations. “The market is innovating in terms of product development, with water treatment technology evolving with sustainability and efficiency as key parameters,” the BCC researchers said. The tremendous potential of this technological revolution is ripe for rapid development, benefiting industries, societies, and the most valuable resource of all, people.

And, as we speed towards this new horizon, the Operations Challenge will continue, showcasing the best minds and strongest muscles of the humans who are envisioning, inventing, and applying cutting edge solutions to transform waste back into water.