FWEA C H A P TE R CO R N E R Welcome to the FWEA Chapter Corner! The Member Relations Committee of the Florida Water EnvironmentvAssociation hosts this article to celebrate the success of recent association chapter activities and inform members of upcoming events. To have information included for your chapter, send details to Melody Gonzalez at gonzalezm@bv.com.
Melody Gonzalez
Operators Versus Engineers: Who Will Survive the Challenge? Operations Challenge demonstration includes engineers Melody Gonzalez and Brad Hayes
D
uring the last FWEA Leadership Workshop, the Operations Challenge Committee members offered a demonstration of their abilities and took the opportunity to show off what hard work and many hours of training can do. To say that we all were impressed is an understatement. This group of operators performed a well synchronized “dance” on the floor—moving equipment, sawing, tightening, rolling, and twisting—while completing the preassigned task.
What is the Operations Challenge? The
Operations
Challenge
is
the
“Wastewater Olympics” for professionals in the wastewater treatment industry, where teams of four compete in five separate events—process, maintenance, laboratory, safety, and collection systems—at the national competition at the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) representing their corresponding state. The Operations Challenge Committee provides support, training, and education for operators and maintenance personnel through involvement in the challenge. The committee helps to organize and implement the competition at the local level, as well as coordinate and channel resources, mostly in the form of sponsorships.
2022 Operations Challenge Team.
54 May 2022 • Florida Water Resources Journal
Turning the Tables This year, the committee had a surprise for our FWEA leaders. After the demonstration, it was the engineers’ turn to form groups and select members to perform some tasks as Operations Challenge participants. In the actual competition, teams compete to earn the highest score in the five different events. Each event is designed to test the diverse skills required for the operation and maintenance of water resource recovery facilities, collection systems, and laboratories. All teams compete in all five events. Winners are determined by a weighted points system. In this light competition the winner was determined by time—the fastest team would win. One by one, each team had the opportunity to perform the tasks, while listening to the loud cheers and words of support from its peers. Just like in the national event, the solidarity was tangible, with the “public” and participants alike. It was very clear the tasks were not easy at all. It takes a lot of physical training and mental discipline to execute the tasks in a safe way and in a timely competitive manner. It’s noteworthy that the Operations Challenge participants train on their own time. Their passion clearly shows in the time they invest outside of their already crowded work and personal schedules. At the end of the demonstration, all FWEA leaders left the room with a much deeper understanding of the work these participants do, the amount of training and dedication involved, and the commitment to their profession. Engineers, operators, and all water professionals play a critical role in providing their communities with the best service possible. The FWEA is proud of the teams and the work the committee does to represent the state of Florida every year at WEFTEC.
