WEFTEC.05 Set for D.C.

WWD: How many attendees are expected at this year’s WEFTEC.05? Lynn Orphan: As the largest water quality event in North America, WEFTEC draws more than 15,000 water and wastewater professionals each year. WEFTEC.05 will be held in Washington, D.C., for the first time in 15 years and is expected to be one of our best shows to date.

WWD: What type of numbers are you looking at when it comes to exhibitors and booth spaces? Orphan: A lot of business gets done on the exhibition floor. As one of the largest gatherings of water and wastewater products and services in the world, the WEFTEC exhibition has an impressive 75% retention rate from 2004 and is expected to surpass the 800 exhibitors, using over 200,000 sq ft of floor space.

WWD: Do you expect a large number of legislators from the Washington, D.C. area to attend? Orphan: Yes, we do expect a large number of legislators to attend WEFTEC.05. In addition to inspiring a greater national and international policy focus for this year’s program, the Washington, D.C. location offers a wonderful opportunity for lawmakers and other government officials to interact directly with WEF members and learn more about what water professionals do for their communities and country. This exhibit floor by itself is a great educational opportunity. In turn WEF members and WEFTEC attendees are afforded the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill to discuss water issues face-to-face with their representatives in the House and Senate.

WWD: Has the WEFTEC.05 program been tailored to accommodate a “Washington, D.C.-type” crowd? Orphan: In addition to the policy focus, we’re making the most of the location. One of our workshops will use local facilities as training centers and another will focus on communicating with watershed groups using Chesapeake Bay as an example. People have also been telling me of plans to bring their families to this year’s conference. They are excited about the down-town location and its easy access to the Smithsonian, historic monuments and tourist sights.

WWD: What are some of the highlights of WEFTEC.05? Orphan: My favorite is the full-day workshop on watershed-based permitting. Sessions and workshops on membrane bioreactors wet weather issues, and biological nutrient removal are expected to draw standing-room-only crowds again; and of course, endocrine disruptors, personal care products and other emerging contaminants will be hot topics for our attendees. With 110 technical sessions, 24 workshops and 11 facility tours, WEFTEC.05 is the best source of insights into developments, regulations and research, as well as emerging technologies and proven approaches to everyday water quality challenges.

WWD: Who may be offering the keynote address to attendees of WEFTEC.05? Orphan: The Opening General Session at WEFTEC is always an exceptional event, featuring presentations from world renowned thought leaders and artists. While the program for this year is still in development, speakers for the opening session and several of the concurrent technical sessions will correlate with the theme of national and international policy.

WWD: What does WEFTEC.05 offer attendees as a means to distinguish itself from other national meetings? Orphan: I’ve been to a lot of conferences during my career and WEFTEC still offers the most comprehensive forum dedicated to water resource management. With 110 sessions, the program is very strong in wastewater collection, treatment, biosolids, watershed management, water reuse, stormwater management, and sustainable water resources management. The WEFTEC planning committee worked very hard to develop a technical program to enable attendees to design their own learning experience. The program tracks are flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of individual needs.

WWD: Have any facility tours been planned, and if so, where will they take place? Orphan: There are a total of 11 facility tours planned for WEFTEC.05. All tours will take place in the Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan areas including the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Industrial Metal Plating Facility at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C., among others.

WWD: Briefly, can you tell WWD readers a little about WEFTEC.06? Orphan: WEFTEC.06 will be held at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, October 21-25, 2006. As always, WEFTEC will be a high quality event. We are continuing to invest in education and training for the water quality professional. It is very important that WEFTEC continue to grow in the educational product offerings for operators and engineers to meet their continuing educational demands and requirements. Of course, the exhibition will continue to be dynamic, earning the leadership role as the “Largest Water Quality Event in North America”.