Water Skills
The professional competitions at IFAT
With the competitions „Water Skills Germany“ for trainees and „World Water Skills“ for professionals with participants from Germany and all over the world, DWA will be hosting one of the central action areas at IFAT Munich.
Young and old show their skills in various disciplines that reflect the everyday life of a wastewater technology specialist. In this way, they not only advertise this important profession, but also motivate each other and grow in their tasks.
Contact Water Skills
Himani Karjala
Education and international cooperation
Tel:
+49 2242 872-240
karjala@dwa.de
Winners of Water Skills Germany 2024
Overall win
Grundfos Station:
Repair and maintenance
Reid Lifting Station:
Occupational safety and health protection
Hach Station:
Measurement, control and regulation operational monitoring
VTA Station:
Process control
Winners World Water Skills 2024
Overall win Sewer professionals
Overall win Wastewater treatment plant professionals
Grundfos Station:
Repair and maintenance
Reid Lifting Station:
Occupational safety and health protection
Hach Station:Measurement, control
and regulation operational monitoring
VTA Station:
Process control
Water Skills 2026
Preparations are underway - the next Water Skills will take place at IFAT in Munich from 4-7 May 2026.
Would you like to take part? Registration is possible from summer/fall 2025.
What is going on?
Station 1: Occupational safety and health protection
The participants carry out work that is defined as "hazardous work" by law. This requires knowledge and skills of the relevant health and safety regulations. The workflow of safe boarding is checked and evaluated.
Station 2: Repair and maintenance
This station will be all about agitators. After reading the data of a vibration, an error has been detected. After professional and safe disassembly the agitator must be repaired and after reassembly correctly to be put into operation. Finally, the data of the vibration sensor have to be checked again.
Station 3: Measurement, control and regulation operational monitoring
1. Installation and commissioning of a pilot plant
The participants set up a pilot plant and take it into operation. The participants set up the test facility, install the sensors, put it into operation, adjust and document the measured values. In addition, various body and area calculations can be queried.
2. Operational monitoring of a wastewater treatment plant
The participants must be able to measure and evaluate an unknown disturbance out of a water or waste water sample. The analysis is carried out by means of a cell test and photometer. In addition, they must be able to produce a dilution series, whereby they must carry out the calculation for this.
Station 4: Process control
Here, the participants demonstrate their knowledge of wastewater treatment plants. A specific wastewater treatment plant is depicted by the magnetic cards. Process flow diagram and measurement setups are described. Operational disruption situations are queried and the sampling is visualised. Through this task, the participants show their competencies in process engineering. They can depict the technical procedures, recognise and solve problems and master difficult situations. Alongside the wastewater treatment, sewage sludge disposal is also handled. Energetic questions and questions on state monitoring values and their compliance are also part of the task. The task is to be processed with within a fixed time limit and then assessed by the jury. The participants are also given tips on how to improve.
For this, the DWA’s training box Wastewater Technology is used also as a special simulation software from Hydromentics.
Sponsors of Water Skills 2024
Our competitions would not be possible without the support of companies from the sector. We would therefore like to sincerely thank all the companies and institutions that are supporting us again or for the first time in this edition of Water Skills!
Special thanks go to our patron, the BMUV and this year's station sponsors.
Station Sponsors
Want to know more?
Here is something to read
Regulations DWA-Professional competition
The regulations for the competitions in 2024 can be found here.