Water Professionals to Gather in Myrtle Beach

Every year, South Carolinian water and wastewater professionals gather for the South Carolina Environmental Conference (SCEC). This year’s conference, held from March 10-13, offers opportunities to network, participate in continuing education, browse the latest water and wastewater technology in the exhibit hall, share their accomplishments during panel sessions, and generally enjoy each other’s company!

The conference includes more than 170 technical sessions, competitions for operators, and an exhibit hall showcasing the latest products and services. MetroConnects representatives are looking forward to learning about cutting edge techniques to protect your pipes and local water sources.

Some Friendly Competition

In addition to the educational panels and talks, the conference includes some friendly fun in the form of operators competitions. The Operations Challenge is an always-popular event in which wastewater collection and treatment operators complete five events to show off their skills: Collections Systems, Laboratory, Process Control, Maintenance, and Safety. Past winners have included teams such as “City of Surprise Turdologists,”  “GUC Smooth Operators” and “Mount Pleasant Controlled Chaos.” Other competitions are Hydrant Hysteria, where competitors dismantle a water hydrant as quickly as they can, the AWWA Meter Challenge, which tests how fast competitors can assemble a water meter, and the Best Tasting Water Contest. Two other exciting events are the Student Poster Session and the Beach Fun Run and Walk for Water. The poster session features undergraduate and graduate student research. Two winners are chosen to represent South Carolina at WFTEC (the national water quality event run by the Water Environment Federation) and ACE (American Water Works Association’s annual conference) later this year. The Beach Fun Run and Walk takes place Sunday morning and supports Water Mission, an organization that has helped bring clean water to more than 7 million people in 57 countries.

To learn more, visit www.scwaters.org/mpage/scec.