WEFTEC Lab Operations Challenge 2026

Lab technicians rarely get an audience for their work. Accurate testing happens behind the scenes, often under tight deadlines and even tighter regulatory requirements. The WEFTEC Lab Operations Challenge gives that work a stage. Below, we answer the questions most people ask about this event, and why Hach is proud to sponsor it again in 2026.

What Is the WEFTEC Lab Operations Challenge?

The Lab Operations Challenge is one of five events that make up the WEFTEC Operations Challenge, often nicknamed the "Wastewater Olympics." Four-person teams perform timed phosphate and chlorine analyses while judges watch closely for procedural errors. Every mistake adds penalty time to a team's final score, so accuracy matters just as much as speed. A team that rushes through the procedure carelessly will likely finish behind a team that moves deliberately and gets the result right the first time.

That balance mirrors the reality of a working lab, where a misread result can throw off an entire treatment process or trigger a compliance issue.

Who Can Compete in the WEFTEC Operations Challenge?

Teams representing utilities qualify through regional Water Environment Federation member association (MA) competitions. Once qualified, teams compete in one of three divisions based on experience:

• Division III: New teams, generally in their first three years of competition.
• Division II: Returning teams that haven't yet reached the top division.
• Division I: Returning teams that competed at the top level the previous year.

The same four team members compete across all five events, which rewards well-rounded skills as much as specialization.

What Equipment Is Used in the Lab Operations Challenge?

Competitors use a Hach Benchtop VIS Spectrophotometer alongside Hach reagents and standards to complete both analyses:

• Phosphate analysis: Teams dilute a Hach phosphorus standard to a target phosphate concentration, then test it using the Hach Phosphorus TNTplus Vial Test.
• Chlorine analysis: Teams prepare a solution from Hach chlorine standards supplied in vacuum-sealed ampules, then test it using Hach DPD powder pillows.

Each analysis is run in triplicate, and results are averaged for scoring.

How Is the Lab Challenge Scored?

Judges time each team from start to finish, including waste disposal, cleanup, and bench sheet completion. Two factors affect the final score:

• Penalty time: Judges add time for any procedural mistake that could introduce error or deviate from lab best practices.
• Accuracy credit: Teams earn time back based on how close their average result lands to the target concentration.

Choose speed only if accuracy holds up. Choose careful, deliberate technique if a lower time comes at the cost of correct results. The event scores for both.

Where Can I Watch the Lab Operations Challenge at WEFTEC 2026?

The Lab Operations Challenge takes place in Hall I at WEFTEC 2026 in New Orleans, on Monday, September 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A full team schedule is available online, so attendees can find out when their local team competes and show up to cheer them on.

See the Skills Behind Safe Water in Action

The Lab Operations Challenge puts a spotlight on the precision and discipline that keep wastewater treatment plants compliant every day. Hach is proud to sponsor this event again in 2026, supplying the instrumentation and chemistries that anchor the competition floor.

Mark your calendar for September 28, and stop by Hach Booth 3814 while you're at WEFTEC. The team will have a full lineup of lab instrumentation on display, along with hands-on activities where visitors can run a water quality test themselves.