Professional development opportunities abound

As we start a new year many of us have set new goals and resolutions; this is also a good time to consider our professional development requirements. Many professions within the water and wastewater industry require continuing education credits to maintain a designation or to achieve our employment responsibilities. Our association can assist you with achieving your goals and through either through our own education offerings or from one of our member organizations – the American Water Works Association or the Water Environment Federation. This is a good time to plan to attend one of the many conferences offered in 2023 – I have highlighted some of the main ones below.

AWWA ACE – Toronto, ON. This is the premier event for the AWWA highlighting all components of the water industry in a single event, offering both technical sessions and a tradeshow. The last time the event was held in Toronto was in 2007; this is a great chance for Canadians to attend this event without having to travel to the United States or worry about foreign currency exchange. This opportunity does not come along very often and will not be held in Toronto again until 2029 so it is definitely worth considering. The event will be held from June 11–14, 2023. More information is available at www.awwa.org/ace.

WEFTEC – Chicago, IL. Similar to the AWWA, this is the main conference and exhibition for the Water Environment Federation. The event typically rotates between Chicago and New Orleans and the conference and tradeshow focuses on both water and wastewater issues. This is a great opportunity for attendees that work within both fields to learn about the new trends and technology in a single event. The event will be held from September 30 – October 4, 2023. More information can be found at www.weftec.org

ACWWA Annual Conference –Charlottetown, PE. This is our local association’s annual conference and tradeshow, which provides the opportunity to learn about the latest technology and developments in the water and wastewater industry within around region. In 2022 the conference returned to an in-person format which was a great success as everyone enjoyed the social interactions with friends and colleagues. Planning is well underway for this year’s event, and we are hoping to build upon the success of our last conference. The event will be held October 15–17. More information can be found at www.acwwa.ca

In addition to the conferences highlighted above, there are numerous in-person and online training sessions conducted by our organization throughout the year. These sessions range from operator certification exam preparation to water or wastewater operation and maintenance topics. The course offerings are based upon feedback from our members; if you have any requests or ideas for future courses please send us a message at contact@acwwwa.ca

I encourage all members to consider their individual educational needs and requirements for this year and hopefully one of the conferences or courses offered by ACWWA, AWWA, or WEF will satisfy your requirements.