ALEXANDRIA, Va.- (Oct. 17, 2016)—The Water Environment Federation (WEF) announced that teams from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities and Southern Methodist University were winners of the 2016 Student Design Competition.
The 15th annual competition happened in September as part of WEFTEC 2016, WEF’s 89th annual technical exhibition and conference.
The University of Minnesota–Twin Cities team’s project, “A New Tool for the Retrieval of Harmful Algae Concentrations Using Multi-Satellite Observations,” won in the environmental design category. Southern Methodist University’s team project, “City of Fort Worth Village Creek Water Reclamation Facility Primary Treatment Upgrades,” won in the wastewater design category.
This award was the first win for the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities (Central States Water Environment Association) and the third win for Southern Methodist University (Water Environment Association of Texas).
As a program of WEF’s Students & Young Professionals Committee, the competition promotes real-world design experience for students interested in pursuing an education and/or career in water/wastewater engineering and sciences.
The competition tasks individuals or teams of students within a WEF student chapter to prepare a design to help solve a local water quality issue. Teams evaluate alternatives, perform calculations and recommend the most practical solution based on experience, economics, and feasibility.
Both teams received certificates and their respective member associations received a $2,500 award.