Los Angeles to host wastewater "Olympics"

ALEXANDRIA, VA, Sept. 16, 2003 -- Do you ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at a wastewater treatment facility or how operators and technicians overcome flooding, a sewer collapse, and other emergencies?

Well, wonder no more. Over 200 of the world's best and brightest wastewater treatment professionals will compete in Operations Challenge 2003 a unique, fast-paced skills competition for wastewater operations and maintenance professionals.

Now in its 16th year, the one-of-a-kind "Wastewater Olympics" will take place Tuesday, October 14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Growing from an original 22-team event to its current 40-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. Each event is designed to test the diverse skills required for the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities, their collection systems, and laboratories - all vital to the protection of public health and the environment.

The defending champions, HRSD Bio-Force of the Virginia Water Environment Association will be back this year to defend its title against the L.A. Wrecking Crew of the California Water Environment Association, last year's second place Division I winner and previous first place winner two years in a row.

The teams will represent their state water environment association (member affiliates of the Water Environment Federation) in the competition and often have names that are comedic and geographically characteristic. Please see below for the complete list of teams.

Los Angeles, host of Operations Challenge 2003, is also the site of the Water Environment Federation's WEFTEC.03 conference and exhibition. WEFTEC.03 will feature over 15,000 of the world's leading water quality experts and nearly 800 exhibiting companies for five days of technical education, information exchange, and networking opportunities.

For more information about Operations Challenge 2003 or other WEFTEC.03 events, please visit http://www.weftec.org.

Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization with members from varied disciplines who work toward the WEF vision of preservation and enhancement of the global water environment. The WEF network includes water quality professionals from 79 Member Associations in over 30 countries.

Operations Challenge 2003 Teams

AIDIS Argentina Tiburones de Aguas Argentinas

British Columbia Water and Waste Association Canadian Cross Connection

California Water Environment Association L.A. Wrecking Crew

California Water Environment Association Sacramento Wastewater Warriors

Central States Water Environment Association Pumpers

Central States Water Environment Association Shovelers

Chesapeake Water Environment Association Centrifugal Force

Florida Water Environment Association Lauderdale Knights

Florida Water Environment Association Royal Flush

Hawaii Water Environment Association Ali'i 'O Kukai

Indiana Water Environment Association Rowdy Rotifers