CHICAGO - WEF is delaying the opening of WEFTEC registration and housing until May 5.

This is the message from the Water Environment Federation (WEF) on its marquee annual event:

As water professionals, you are busy on the front lines of the coronavirus situation by keeping our water and wastewater systems running smoothly and protecting public health. You’re also surely busy taking care of yourself and your family. WEF’s highest priority is the safety and well-being of our members and customers, including how we can best serve your needs. We anticipate that WEFTEC will still be held October 3 to 7, 2020, in New Orleans, Louisiana as planned. But we are delaying the opening of WEFTEC registration and housing to ensure that our WEF community can focus on protecting their communities.

Hitting Pause

WEFTEC registration will open May 5, three weeks later than initially planned. Our hope is that this delay will provide the time for the state of the coronavirus situation to become more stable. We want you to feel confident and safe in registering and making your WEFTEC travel arrangements.

We will continue to monitor this situation and provide you with updates regularly. You can always see our latest information on coronavirus at www.wef.org/coronavirus. We also encourage you to stay up to date with the latest CDC information and best practices.

Continuing to Plan

While we have delayed opening registration and housing, we are continuing to develop the high-quality educational and networking event that you’ve come to expect from us.

In fact, this week we just announced Anna Maria Chávez will deliver the Opening General Session keynote address. Chávez is chief strategy officer and senior vice president of external affairs at the National Council on Aging and one the world’s top experts on women’s leadership, youth development, and aging. Her keen insights and personal stories will inspire water professionals to lead more authentically, work more collaboratively and inclusively, and create dynamic impact across the spectrum.

With 25 workshops, 145 technical sessions, 7 facility tours, and a comprehensive exhibition showing the latest and best water quality equipment, solutions and services, we can’t wait to welcome you to New Orleans this October.

See you at WEFTEC!