FWRC Overview
About FWRC
Florida Water Resources Conference, Inc. (“FWRC”) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, which provides an annual
educational and technical, multi-day conference servicing individuals in the water and wastewater industry.
This forum for presentations and discussions of cutting edge technology development as well as practical case studies of applications of technology in water and wastewater utilities. The conference is unique in that it brings together a broad range of professionals: engineers, scientists, operators, technicians and management, of all water utilities. The FWRC also features one of the largest regional technical exhibitors in the nation with the participation of over 350 manufacturers and services providers.
FWRC is a joint conference of the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association, the Florida Water Environment Association, and the Florida Water and Pollution Control Operators Association.
Mission Statement
The Florida Water Resources Conference mission is to work for the advancement of science and education by distribution of it’s funds, particularly for development of professional continuing education in environmental materials, journals, services, and scholarly activities associated with the water and wastewater industry.
History
The Articles of Incorporation to form the Florida Water Resources Conference Incorporated were signed on April 29, 1989 by E.H. Pearch, Robert L. Claudy and Kenneth M. Drury. The purpose of this non-profit organization was solely for general charitable and educational purposes in accordance with Florida Statutes. It operates for the advancement of science and education by distribution it’s funds, particularly for development of professional continuing education in environmental materials, journals, services, and scholarly activities associated with the water and wastewater industry. In 1990 the first FWRC was held at the Twin Towers (Kirkman Road), Orlando. Room rate was $80/night, with 55 exhibitors and 1,063 attendees. A committee of local volunteers engineered the FWRC for the first 10 years. The conference rotated with the premise of traveling North, South and Central Florida, to include Tampa, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers and Miami.
Programs & Services
Florida Water Resources Conference, Inc. exists to advance the science, practice, and workforce of water and wastewater treatment in Florida. Our programs serve the operators, engineers, scientists, and utility staff responsible for the safety of the state’s drinking water and the protection of its natural waters. All programs are delivered in partnership with our three member organizations: the Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA), the Florida Section American Water Works Association (FSAWWA), and the Florida Water & Pollution Control Operators Association (FWPCOA).
Annual Statewide Conference
Since our first conference in Orlando in 1990, FWRC has convened Florida’s water sector annually for technical exchange, training, and professional collaboration. What began with 1,063 attendees and 55 exhibitors now brings together thousands of water professionals and more than 500 exhibiting manufacturers and service providers each year.
Technical Education and Professional Development
Our conference program includes more than twenty technical session tracks addressing the issues facing Florida utilities — among them biosolids management, PFAS and contaminants of emerging concern, nutrient removal, water reuse and reclamation, distribution and collection systems, and utility funding and finance. Attendees earn Professional Development Hours (PDHs) applicable to maintaining professional credentials in the water industry.
Operator Training Workshops
Each conference opens with a full day of instructional workshops for treatment plant operators and engineers, covering chemical and mechanical safety, membrane treatment, surface water treatment, wastewater collection systems, operational mathematics, and emerging operational technology. Workshops are offered at a reduced single-day rate to keep training accessible to operators whose utilities cannot fund full conference attendance.
Operations Challenge
FWRC hosts Florida’s statewide Operations Challenge, a hands-on skills competition in which four-person teams from utilities across the state compete in five disciplines: operations, maintenance, laboratory analysis, safety, and collection systems. The competition raises the standard of practical operator skill statewide, and the winning Florida team advances to represent the state at the national competition at WEFTEC.
Students and Young Professionals
FWRC invests in the next generation of Florida’s water workforce. Student registration is free. Our program includes the FWEA Student Design Competition, in which university teams design and present real water infrastructure solutions and winning teams advance to national competition, along with resume workshops, a dedicated Young Professionals workshop, mentoring, and structured networking with established practitioners.
Recognition of Service
Working with our member organizations, FWRC presents more than twenty annual awards recognizing outstanding treatment facilities, individual operators, collection system professionals, safety performance, and meritorious service — including the Earle B. Phelps, William D. Hatfield, David B. Lee, and Golden Manhole awards, and the Samuel R. Willis Award for heroism.
Facility Tours
Guided tours of operating Florida water treatment, reclamation, and collection facilities give attendees direct exposure to current design and operational practice, including recently modernized infrastructure.
Free Public Technical Archive
Presentations from our technical sessions are published on our website at no cost, so that operators and utilities across Florida can access current technical knowledge whether or not they attended.
Governance and Transparency
FWRC is governed by a volunteer board of directors and trustees elected from our three member organizations. Our board roster, articles of incorporation, organizational chart, and annual tax filings are published for public inspection on our Board and Trustees page.
