Promoting talent, also internationally

29 September 2022. Only in May, the national WaterSkills of the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA) took place during the IFAT industrial trade fair in Munich, and now the DWA is sending a German team of wastewater professionals to the professional competition of the American sister organisation Water Environment Federation (WEF) in New Orleans. From 9 to 12 October 2022, the German wastewater professionals will compete with their US colleagues in the Operations Challenge during Weftec, the largest technology trade fair in the USA, in order to draw attention to the various activities in the environmental technology professions, but also to committed employees, and thus to promote the industry.

Partnership in wastewater technology

DWA has been involved in competitive learning since 2010. In 2015, it sent its first team to the American competition, and two US teams have since taken part in WaterSkills in Munich. In return, this year four German professionals will have the opportunity to prove their skills with the Americans. Lukas Kohl and Marco Lederer (Stadtentwässerung und Umweltanalytik Nuremberg), Sophia Nerrether (Berliner Wasserbetriebe) and Achim Ziethen (Stadtentwässerungsbetrieb Düsseldorf) will be accompanied by team captain Michael Dörr and jury member Peter Albrecht (both DWA expert committee "Professional Competitions").

Same goals and learning from each other

The Operations Challenge of the WEF and the Water Skills of the DWA pursue the same goal: they want to promote professional motivation, set quality standards and promote continuous training, because wastewater specialists bear great responsibility for the protection of water bodies. The activities of wastewater specialists are varied and involve a lot of high-tech. This is also reflected in the competition, which takes place in several disciplines: Control of a wastewater treatment plant process, use of virtual reality, wastewater analysis, occupational safety, maintenance of work equipment and connecting pipes (pipe-tapping). The idea of organising professional competitions in wastewater technology came from the Water Environment Federation. The DWA has taken up this idea and brought it to Germany.

Industry support needed

Competitive learning is becoming more and more common in the wastewater sector. Without the support of the sending companies or financial help from sponsors, however, the vocational competitions would not be possible. The DWA would therefore like to thank the companies Huber SE, KSB SE & Co. KGaA, Pallon AG, Reid Lifting and Milwaukee.

Impressions of the Operations Challenge for wastewater technology professionals are also available on the DWA's social media channels: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/berufswettbewerbe), LinkedIn, Twitter (dwa_ev) and Instagram (dwa_waterskills). From 5 October 2022, DWA will publish the competition times and a link to the live stream on its homepage (www.dwa.de/wettbewerbe).

Contact: Ann-Kathrin Braeunig, phone: 02242 872-240, email: braeunig@dwa.de

Editor: Alexandra Bartschat