John McCool runs the Warren (Ill.) Wastewater Treatment PLANT with an eye toward protecting the trout waters downstream, and the pocketbooks of local residents.

A deep-shaft activated sludge system helps the Homer treatment plant produce consistently good effluent despite Alaska’s chilly climate.

Computerized and digital technology can help operators make their treatment plants run more efficiently. Here is an assortment of technologies that are helping bring wastewater treatment into the digital age.

Operator of the Year Dawn McCoy and her team keep the process humming at a Mississippi plant with a unique biological treatment system.

A science center with interactive exhibits, combined with plant tours led by operators, form a solid education program for a Washington clean-water agency.

Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority aims for energy self-sufficiency as part of a commitment to optimize use of resources on behalf of its customers.

Technology is advancing. Expectations are rising. That’s a challenge and opportunity. Has there ever been a better time to be in the clean-water profession?

A North Carolina treatment plant gains certification under a program that brings industry and wildlife together.

University of Kansas researchers team up with the Lawrence treatment plant to test a new way to remove nitrogen and phosphorus.

A LEED-certified treatment plant in Champaign County has features that improve operations and safety while saving energy and limiting the environmental footprint.

While not blessed with a constant power source like wastewater treatment plants, water plants have numerous ways to cut energy consumption and cost.

Ozone is more effective than chlorine and derivatives and can deactivate chlorine-resistant pathogens — but it is not suitable for residual disinfection.

The AquaDAF high-rate clarifier has proven itself in effective removal of algae and other low-density solids from surface water sources.

Fort Collins teaches conservation to kids and uses property audits to help owners irrigate their landscapes more responsibly.

Cedar Rapids controls electricity costs through careful monitoring, power-saving upgrades and enrollment in the electric utility’s interruptible rate program.

Leslie Gryder’s role as a lab chemist in Lynchburg includes reaching out into the community to help troubleshoot customers’ issues and respond to emergencies.

Water system operators increasingly strive to perform more sustainably and drive down energy costs. Here are some of the latest energy efficient generators, motors, pumps, blowers, drives and renewable energy systems that water utilities are using to help save energy while delivering a high-quality product.

A Massachusetts water district earns accolades for energy and water conservation, while plant operators learn new technologies and skills.