ALEXANDRIA, VA, June 26, 2015 -- The Water Environment Federation (WEF) has announced the establishment of the WEF Stormwater Institute, a new venture to address the growing issue of stormwater and urban runoff. The institute will be housed within WEF to leverage the organization's existing leadership, breadth of membership and varied partnerships with federal, state and local entities responsible for managing stormwater issues.
The WEF Stormwater Institute will serve as a center for excellence and a resource for stormwater practitioners and regulator communities. Stormwater is the only growing source of water pollution in many watersheds throughout North America. As urban areas grow and more severe weather occurs, the issue of stormwater management will only increase in importance.
The growing issue of stormwater pollution coupled with regulatory pressure has created a need for national leadership that the WEF Stormwater Institute aims to provide. The institute will have a strong initial focus on the development of technical tools, professional training and networking opportunities for stormwater practitioners worldwide. Many existing stormwater initiatives within WEF will be brought under the umbrella of the institute, and new programs in key areas such as green infrastructure will be developed.
"The WEF Stormwater Institute has been created in direct to response to a gap in the water resource recovery sector for a central stormwater leadership, information and advocacy hub," said WEF President Ed McCormick."With more than 36,000 members across the globe, we are thrilled to apply our unique strengths to tackle these vital issues and provide effective and efficient solutions to the thousands of water communities that we serve. WEF is very excited about connecting stormwater professionals from both our MAs and regional stormwater organizations as we collaborate to provide leadership across North America."
WEF's commitment to the institute will include dedicated full-time professional staff as well as significant funding for collaborative projects. Additional announcements about the structure and programmatic activities of the WEF Stormwater Institute will be made in the weeks ahead.
See also:
"WERF, WEF launch new LIFT projects to drive innovation in water quality sector"
"AMTA partners with WEF, WateReuse to promote membrane technologies"
About WEF
Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 36,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world. WEF members, Member Associations and staff proudly work to achieve our mission to provide bold leadership, champion innovation, connect water professionals, and leverage knowledge to support clean and safe water worldwide. For more information, visit www.wef.org.
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