What is Access Water?
Access Water is a powerful platform from WEF with over 20,000 pieces of technical content including Standards, Manuals of Practice (MOPs), Conference Papers, Full Conference Proceedings, Fact Sheets, Technical Reports, Articles, Books, Training Materials and more! Plus, new content is added regularly. The platform allows customers to easily search, discover, cite, customize, and discuss content.
    •Search – The system searches on a variety of options including keyword, topic, title, author, committee, content type, publication source, date, item number and more!
    •Discover – Because of the powerful search capability, it makes discovering content that is specific to the customer’s need, possible!
    •Cite – For those needing to reference the material they find in the system, the cite feature makes it easy! You simply click on the citation icon, and you receive all relevant information on the document that can be used in your research materials. Plus, you have options for Web, Chicago and MLA formats.
    •Customize – Access Water allows you to make notes on content, highlight, cut/ paste into a new document with citations coming with the copy/ paste, and build your own library.
    •Discuss – Each piece of content has the ability to discuss the content. This allows users to connect with others in their community on the various items in the system.
How is Access Water different than how I get my content currently?
The Access Water platform allows customers to find and use content in a variety of new ways. You can search on a multitude of criteria, cite content, make digital notes on content, and create a personal library of content.
Can I still access member content online at WEF.org?
Yes, any content that was free to members on WEF.org is still free on WEF.org.
What is the difference between “My purchases”, “My subscriptions” and “My Library”
“My purchases” are where your most recent purchases are listed. You can retrieve receipts that include the items purchased. “My subscriptions” is where you can find the subscriptions you have purchased. “My library” is where the items you have added to your library are stored.
Can I buy just a chapter of a book?
Yes, all books on Access Water are available to purchase as a whole or at the chapter level.
How do I search the Access Water platform?
The best way to search for content on Access Water is by going to the “Browse” page. Here you have powerful and dynamic options for searching the platform. First, you can use keyword(s), a combination of keywords, or a combination of keywords and phrases. Next, to further refine your search results, you can select from a variety of options including "Practice Areas", "Content Types", "Content Source" and "Publication Date". For more detailed information on how to perform a search, click the "Need help?" link above the Search box. This provides more extensive information on how to search Access Water.
What’s coming to the site?
WEF regularly adds content to the site, including Conference Papers and Full Conference Proceedings which are added at the start of the conference.
Where do I find WEF Publications if I want to purchase a physical book?
You can purchase WEF publications by visiting WEF.org and clicking on the "SHOP" button. In addition, a link to the physical book is included on the detail page of the digital version on Access Water.
What is the difference between an e-book and a digital book?
An e-book is meant to be read on an e-reader device or via the reader’s app. Digital books like those found on Access Water can be purchased as one item or by chapter. They can be added to an online personal library, bookmarked, and organized in a personal folder system. The user can also make notes at all levels including on a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter, etc. Much like e-books, digital books can be read on a desktop, laptop, phone or other digital device.
How do I look up the citation?
Every item on Access Water includes a citation icon in the bottom right corner that looks like quotation marks.
Purchasing and Order Status
What are the purchase options for Access Water?
    •Pay-as-you-go: Customers can purchase items individually on a pay-as-you-go basis. Members receive a discount on all items on Access Water
    •Subscription: Content can be purchased via an Annual Subscription. There is a Basic subscription and a Basic + WEF Digital Books subscription. Additionally, there are three tiers within each subscription. Finally, Utilities, as we as Government and Academic Institutions receive a discount on subscriptions.
    •Member-only content: Select items are free to WEF members including the Proceedings Archive which includes conference papers from WEFTEC and WEF’s Specialty Conferences that are five years or older. Fact Sheets are free to WEF Members as well as most Technical Reports. Use your WEF Member credentials to login and any items free to you as a member will show the 'unlocked' padlock icon.
    •Freely available: Some items are freely available to members and non-members. These are indicated by the ‘unlocked’ padlock icon in the top right corner of the content. Some examples of freely available content include Fact Sheets, select Technical Reports, and the Biosolids Communication Toolkit.
What are the prices for content on the site?
Most items on Access Water can be purchased on a pay-as-you-go basis and range in price. WEF Members receive a discount on all items on Access Water but must be logged in to receive the member discount.
What is the price for a subscription?
Prices are based on the type of subscription you are interested in as well as the number of people that require access to the content on the site. Click on the "Subscriptions" tab for a full list of all subscription types and pricing.
Do I receive a receipt for my purchase?
When you place your order on AccessWater.org. you will receive a receipt via email.
Where do I check my order history?
To see your most recent purchases, you can click on your account drop down menu and then select “My Purchases”.
Do I need to be a WEF member to purchase?
No, anyone can purchase on AccessWater.org. WEF members do receive a discount on items on Access Water as well as on the annual subscription. Plus, there are several items free to WEF members.
What items on the site are free to members?
Fact Sheets, select Technical Reports, and the Proceedings Archive are free to members on Access Water. The Proceedings Archive includes conference papers from WEFTEC and WEF Specialty conferences that are 5 years or older. NOTE: All WEF Members must login to the platform in order to access content that is free to WEF Members.
What items on the site are free to non-WEF members?
Water professionals receive access to all Fact Sheets and a select number of Technical Reports. The items that have a 'unlocked' padlock icon to indicate that they are the ones that are freely available. NOTE: All users must login to the platform in order to access freely available content.
What is included in the Proceedings Archive?
The Conference Proceedings Archive includes all WEFTEC and WEF Specialty Conferences that are five years or older.
How do I change my user name and/ or password?
You can change your user name and/ or password by clicking "Login" and then selecting "Forgot Password".
Do I have to log in in order to receive freely available content?
Yes, you need to log in to view freely available content as well as to use the personalization features of Access Water.
What is the refund policy?
Because the content on Access Water is digital in nature, there are no refunds available. However, for subscriptions, some exceptions will be made based on usage. Your request can be sent to support@accesswater.org.
What is the transfer policy?
If you have a subscription purchased by your organization, you can transfer it to another individual in your organization. Your request can be sent to support@accesswater.org.
Do you offer academic/ corporate subscriptions?
Yes, academic institutions and corporations can purchase subscriptions. Click on the "Subscriptions" tab to view all options and pricing.
Can I pay by credit card?
Yes, WEF accepts AMEX, Visa, and MasterCard. Plus, you can pay by PayPal.
Can I use a Gift Certificate?
At this time, no gift cards or gift certificates are eligible for use on the Access Water platform.
What are your payment methods?
Currently you can purchase via American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and Paypal. We can also issue invoices for orders. Your request can be sent to support@accesswater.org.
What do I get with a subscription?
The type of subscription you have determines what content you have access to on the platform.
How do I renew my subscription?
When you place your subscription order on Access Water, you will automatically be enrolled in the renewal program. You will be alerted 60, 30 and 15 days from your subscription expiration date. You can then renew online or contact support@accesswater.org to request a renewal invoice.