Water, wastewater, and Disney...oh my!

• By Jim DiPeso
• Oct 01, 2000

The Water Environment Federation is celebrating its 73rd annual conference and exposition in Anaheim, Calif. -- home of Disneyland. The 5-day event, from October 14th to the 18th, will feature the latest innovations in water quality technology. More than 800 exhibitors from around the world will appear at WEFTEC 2000, the largest wastewater and environmental technology exposition in North America.

Special events include the Opening General Session, WEFTEC Luncheon, WEF's Night at Disneyland, Operations Challenge 2000, Celebration of Excellence and passing of the WEF Gavel, WEFTEC Golf Tournament, Industry Day Reception, The Fun Run and the Dinner Dance.

When making an itinerary, there are 33 pre-conference workshops and 79 technical sessions to choose from, presented by more than 450 leading experts. Combined, more than 40 hours of technical water quality information will be offered over three days.

WEFTEC 2000 is an exciting opportunity to network with international water quality professionals. The United States-Asian Environmental Partnership (USAEP) experts will be present to offer advice and insight on the dynamic forces in the Asian environmental marketplace, and Asian buyers will be attending as well. There will be several multilingual interpreters and some sessions will have simultaneous translation.

Access to more than 800 information-packed exhibits provides an exceptional arena to participate in demonstrations and to speak directly with manufacturers to resolve any purchasing questions. Designed to complement the technical sessions and workshops will be 11 tours of Anaheim's most interesting facilities such as the California Steel Industries, Inc. Wastewater pretreatment Plant, the Michelson Water Reclamation Plant and Wetlands System and the Orange County Sanitation Districts' (OCSD) Plant Research Programs.

On Sunday, October 15th, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., an Expo Preview Day will take place to give participants a chance to meet with exhibitors before the exposition begins on Monday morning.

Sylvia Earle, world renowned ocean explorer and keynote speaker for this year's Opening General Session will begin the WEFTEC 2000 experience on Monday morning. Included in this session is the debut of WEF's Aqua Venturer CD-ROM educational tool that highlights the role of water quality professionals in preserving and enhancing the global water environment. Opening ceremonies will start at 9:30 a.m.

On Monday, October 16, the excitement of WEF Night at Disneyland will take place -- the entire park will be taken over by WEFTEC attendees. There will be more than 60 shows, parades and attractions to choose from, including the new Tarzan's Treehouse animated adventure. Tuesday is the Second Annual Industry Day -- a full day dedicated to the latest industrial water quality issues -- as well as the 2000 Celebration of Excellence Awards Gala to honor the outstanding achievements of the most dedicated and talented individuals in the water industry. Wednesday's WEFTEC luncheon will feature Fran Tarkenton, entrepreneur, businessman and football legend will share his unique viewpoints on what organizations need to do to remain competitive.

The WEFTEC for families program allows family members attending the show to learn more about the water quality field while experiencing the magic of WEFTEC 2000. This year's WEFTEC for families features the Clean Water Quest -- showing the different components of the wastewater treatment process along with other special offerings. The Lifestyle Program offers an opportunity to participate in activities sure to enhance a family's experience in Anaheim such as unlimited use of the WEFTEC shuttle bus system, as well as a special welcome gift selected by the Anaheim Local Arrangements Committee.

New to WEFTEC this year are University Student Activities. These include a Networking and Career Fair Orientation presenting information on what key items environmental companies in the water quality field look for from a perspective employee. The Career Fair will have top environmental firms meeting informally with students, discussing interview opportunities.

With training and educational opportunities as well as an exciting night at Disneyland and other special events, WEFTEC 2000 is an extraordinary technical conference and exposition with something to offer everyone with an interest in water quality.

For more information visit www.wef.org/weftec

Click here to post comments about this topic and read what others have to say.

This article appeared in Environmental Protection, Volume 11, Number 10, October 2000, Page 73.

This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2000 issue of Environmental Protection.