Words on Water

The Rocky Mountain Rivalry brought together 12 elite Operations Challenge teams from across the country for one of the toughest qualifying competitions of the year. In this episode, competitors and volunteers share their experiences, challenges, and highlights from the 2026 event in Brighton, Colorado, as teams prepare for WEFTEC.

In this episode, we head to IFAT Munich, the world’s largest environmental trade fair, where World Water Skills brings operators from around the globe together for an international skills competition inspired by WEF’s Operations Challenge. 

Since 2016, teams representing WEF and the Operations Challenge community have competed on this global stage. We’ll explore how World Water Skills compares to Operations Challenge, what it takes for two-person teams to prepare, the professional benefits of competing, and how the WEF teams finished in the standings. 

RSP Engineers is improving how to manage and operate infrastructure—everything from water and wastewater systems to utilities and public sector projects. Listen to Rudolfo Sucre, President of RSP Engineers and RSP AI Technologies, discuss an AI platform called Atlas, which brings together data from maps, regulations, engineering systems, and operations into one place.

The 2nd Annual WEF/WateReuse Industrial Water Solutions Conference kicks off June 8-10th in Chicago. Business and utility leaders will come together to collaborate on the latest in the Circular Water Economy. Listen to our discussion with Heather Cheslek, Associate Vice President and Global Industrial Water Solution Leader at Black & Veatch, and Nyima Dansira, Senior Project Manager, specializing in industrial water systems.  

Business and utility leaders come together June 8–10 in Chicago for the 2nd Annual Industrial Water Solutions Conference. Courtney Tripp, Director of Sustainability and Strategy, shares why Grundfos is backing the event—and how water is powering the next economy.

Environmental Engineer and Director of the Southwest Environmental Finance Center at UNM, Heather Himmelberger, discusses her new book on how utilities can develop and implement a robust asset management program without feeling overwhelmed. 

The 2026 Operations Challenge qualifying season officially kicked off at the South Carolina Environmental Conference (SCEC), co-hosted by the Water Environment Association of South Carolina and the South Carolina Section of the American Water Works Association. 

Held in March, the competition brought together 15 Operations Challenge teams from nine states and the District of Columbia—making it the largest South Carolina Operations Challenge in history. From the debut of the new safety event to the high-energy pipe cut relay, this episode features firsthand insights from the competing teams, along with SCEC Operations Challenge Event Coordinator Seth Duncan, as they reflect on the challenges, highlights, and overall success of the event.

Operations Challenge at WEFTEC 2025 wrapped up with a historic Division I sweep by teams from the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association (RMWEA). In this episode of Challenge Accepted: The OC Forum, members of RMWEA’s Elevated Ops, Sewerside Squad, and Double Duty—joined by former competitor and mentor Orren West—reflect on the competition. They dive into how they prepared, what defines a winner’s mindset, and how collaboration across teams and utilities helps elevate performance throughout the wastewater profession.

What's the best way to avoid stormwater compliance violations? Instead of relying on traditional hard-copy binders, Aqualis offers an electronic system to keep organized, well-maintained records. Listen to our conversation with Lisa Cratty, Director of Compliance with Aqualis, on the challenges and solutions for keeping up with regulatory requirements

Krishna Pagilla is the Chair of the David Jenkins Operator Scholarship. A former student and a Jenkins family friend, Dr. Pagilla talks about the life of Dr. Jenkins and why this $10,000 Operator Scholarship Award is a legacy of love.