Tetra Tech attended the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC), North America’s signature annual water quality event, in Chicago, Illinois, in October 2013. The event drew more than 22,000 professionals from the wastewater, stormwater, and watershed quality sectors.

Tetra Tech experts from the United States and Canada conducted workshops, delivered presentations at technical sessions, served as moderators and on national committees, and shared our experience with clients and prospective clients.

“Since the average municipality uses one-third of its energy for wastewater treatment and water systems, our focus on optimization can be a big differentiator,” says Sean Scuras, Tetra Tech’s national practice leader of wastewater programs. “Tetra Tech is recognized for generating ideas that produce water and energy savings.”

Because of budget constraints, many municipalities are looking for alternatives to constructing new wastewater systems. Operational efficiency can be the solution to controlling costs and generating savings to fund improvements.

“We implement operational changes to optimize existing systems, recommend better equipment and controls, and train operators to recognize the potential that exists,” Scuras says.

Our employees talked to clients about other efficiency improvements, including trenchless pipeline construction that involves micro-tunneling, real-time control of routing wastewater for a steadier flow to the plant, green stormwater management, water reuse, membrane processes, and piloting more efficient process equipment.

Tetra Tech employees delivered eight technical session presentations, moderated two additional technical sessions, and sat on two panel discussions. Tetra Tech’s Ron Schuyler, Chair of WEFTEC’s Microbiology Workshop, delivered a talk on Bacterial Growth and Nutrient Cycles for the twenty-eighth consecutive year. Carol Hufnagel, our national practice leader for wet weather programs, was especially busy as she was involved in three presentations, moderated a session, and attended several committee meetings. She also presented "Current Trends in Green CSO Programs." Megan Yoo Schneider was among our panel presenters, participating in the Facility Operations and Maintenance Panel "Fueling Human Energy to Achieve Operational Excellence."

“With a hectic schedule of introductions, client meetings, and technical and committee meetings, we demonstrated again why we are ‘the optimizers’ in the business and science of water and wastewater,” Scuras says.