The California Stockholm Junior Water Prize is sponsored by ARUP The Water Environment Federation (WEF) has announced the state winners of the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP), and CWEA is proud to recognize California’s top young water scientists for 2025. First Place – CaliforniaAditya and Trisha ShivakumarThe Harker School, San JoseProject Title: HgMAP: Mapping...

Reyna Heredia is CWEA’s new Certification and Membership Coordinator. She has developed experience in talent management, team building, and enhancing the customer experience—skills she now brings to her role in supporting CWEA’s members with their professional growth. Reyna earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Digital Media Studies from Saint Mary’s College of...

CWEA’s new Certification Coordinator in the house!! Please welcome Angelina Chu! Angelina joined CWEA in November 2024, bringing data analytical and customer support experience to the position. Angelina graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a BA in Cognitive Science and a Minor in Data Science. Shortly after completing her Data Science Bootcamp, Angelina worked...

Sue Alexander is CWEA’s new Director of Education, bringing a dynamic blend of experience from higher education, commercial construction, and nonprofit and association leadership to the role. Originally from Connecticut, Sue has traded snow shovels for sunshine as she settles into California life—New England roots and all. With a Bachelor’s degree from Muhlenberg College and...

Sarah Marshall is CWEA’s new Marketing Coordinator, supporting communications that promote and celebrate the vital work of California’s clean water professionals. In her role, she leads social media strategy, develops compelling content, and coordinates campaigns that share the values, impact, and stories of the wastewater industry with members, partners, and the public. Before joining CWEA,...

Congratulations to the University of California, Riverside teams for their outstanding performance at this year’s CWEA Student Design Competition, held virtually on May 24. One team took first place in the Water Environment category with a rigorous remediation plan for a contaminated military fuel site—aimed at transforming it into a safe, livable community space. Their...

CWEA is proud to announce the slate of nominees have been sworn in as 2025-26 CWEA Board Members. NEW CWEA 2025-2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Vogel, Vice President from the North Jerry Barajas, Director from the North on the Treasurer’s track Eric Van Cleave, Director from the South Norm Woods, WEF Delegate Director And appointed...

The California Water Environment Association (CWEA) proudly recognizes fifteen outstanding organizations and ten individuals for their exceptional contributions to safeguarding California’s water resources. The 96th Annual CWEA Awards Ceremony, held on April 24, 2025, in Palm Springs, Calif., celebrated these champions of innovation and dedication, selected from over 250 applications. For nearly a century, the...

Operators are all too aware of the perils of finding birds and other wildlife that slip into drying beds for a treat only to get stuck and perish. It was a lucky day for a great horned owl when Billy Schatz, lead sewer systems operator from the Rio Alto Water District in Cottonwood, noticed something...

Ensuring safety in the wastewater treatment sector requires a comprehensive strategy that includes proper training, personal protective equipment (PPE),  adherence to safety protocols, routine inspections, and clear communication to reduce risks associated with hazardous materials and equipment. The aim of this new column is to provide a toolbox for safety topics with relevant and timely content,...