The Water Environment Federation is a not-for-profit association that provides technical education and training for thousands of water quality professionals who clean water and return it safely to the environment. WEF members have proudly protected public health, served their local communities, and supported clean water worldwide since 1928.  Read more about WEF's leadership, governance, and member services >>

By Paul Freedman, 2009-2010 President of WEF

Almost 4 decades ago I decided to become a water quality professional, inspired by my personal experiences growing up in Cleveland. There the Cuyahoga River often caught fire and Lake Erie was truly eerie, not blue as you would expect of a Great Lake but rather turbid brown, with green swirls and dead floating fish.

Name: Pat Bradley
Title: Senior Scientist; LimnoTech
Location: Washington, DC
Years in water quality: 24
Why are you a water quality professional? There were a number of small events and influences that all kind of converged over time.  I grew up by the ocean and spent a lot of vacations in the Adirondack Mountains fishing and swimming in many of the lakes and rivers.  Went to college at SUNY Plattsburgh, which is very close to Lake Champlain and a lot of the coursework is directed toward the lake. Read more...