# 267: Introducing the Ops Challenge Podcast, Challenge Accepted

#274: Black & Veatch Sponsors the 2026 Industrial Water Solutions Conference

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 [https://www.bv.com/en-US], and Nyima Dansira, Senior Project Manager, specializing in industrial water systems.

#273: Grundfos Sponsors the 2026 WEF/WateReuse Industrial Water Solutions Conference

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 [http://www.grundfos.com] is backing the event—and how water is powering the next economy.

#272: New WEF Publication: A Guide to Asset Management: What, Why, and How

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.

#271: 2026 Operations Challenge Kick-Off

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.

#270: Challenge Accepted: The OC Forum Podcast

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.