WEF, IWA Celebrate World Water Day by Announcing Winners of the First Annual World Water Monitoring Day(TM) Awards

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In celebration of World Water Day 2010, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the International Water Association (IWA) proudly announce the winners of the first annual World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) Awards. Today also marks the start of the program's 2010 monitoring period that will run through December 31, 2010.

New in 2009-2010, the WWMD Awards Program recognizes program participants for outstanding achievement in boosting awareness of water quality issues. Featuring two types of awards -- Water Champion: Making a Difference and WWMD Superlatives -- the winners of the first type were chosen by a subcommittee of the WWMD regional panel of judges, which is composed of water industry professionals from around the world.

Water Champion awards recognize superior levels of relevance, educational effort, support, and innovation in the promotion of water quality through the WWMD program. This year's winners include:

Africa

Community Centred Conservation – C3 (Group, Madagascar and Comoros) and Neakoh Mengyi (Individual, Cameroon)

Asia

National Environmental Education and Research Foundation (Group, India) and Kalaimani Supramaniam (Individual, Malaysia)

Australia/Oceania

Wollondilly Anglican College (Group, Australia)

Europe

Apa Canal 2000 (Group, Romania) and Stepanavan Youth Center (Group, Armenia)

North America

Jewish National Fund (Group, United States) and Meg Tabacsko (Individual, United States)

South America

Escuela de Ensenanza Media N° 3007 "FIGHIERA" (Group, Argentina) and Veronica Toledo (Individual, Chile)

Award recipients will receive a commemorative plaque and WWMD materials of their choosing up to a value of US $1,000 for groups and US $750 for individuals. Items selected may include any combination of water monitoring equipment, relevant resources, or promotional materials. Winners of the WWMD Superlatives may be viewed on the program's Web site.

Sponsored by WEF and IWA, WWMD is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. The annual program connects citizens with their local water bodies through a series of simple, hands-on monitoring tests. Officially observed each year on September 18, a total of 122,599 people in six continents participated in last year's program.

For more details about the WWMD award winners and how to participate in WWMD 2010, please visit www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.org. For more details about World Water Day and this year's commemorative activities, please visit www.WorldWaterDay.org and http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday.

About WEF

Formed in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization with 36,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world. WEF and its Member Associations proudly work to achieve our mission of preserving and enhancing the global water environment. www.wef.org

About IWA

The International Water Association (IWA) is a global network of water professionals that spans the continuum between research and practice, covering all facets of the water cycle. IWA membership comprises 10,000 individuals and 400 corporate members, working in 130 countries.  The Association seeks to connect water professionals worldwide to lead the development of effective and sustainable approaches to water management. www.iwahq.org

SOURCE Water Environment Federation