Journal profile · Engineering, Environmental
Water Environment Research
ISSN 1061-4303 · eISSN 1554-7531 · Water Environment Federation · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1992
Water Environment Research: CAS Zone 4 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.77; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,240; median 97 days to acceptance (131 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 277 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Water Environment Research is published by Water Environment Federation and is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal, Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment and Membrane Separation Technologies, together about 29.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Waste Management and Disposal and Water Science and Technology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Published since 1928, Water Environment Research (WER) is an international multidisciplinary water resource management journal for the dissemination of fundamental and applied research in all scientific and technical areas related to water quality and resource recovery. WER's goal is to foster communication and interdisciplinary research between water sciences and related fields such as environmental toxicology, agriculture, public and occupational health, microbiology, and ecology. In addition to original research articles, short communications, case studies, reviews, and perspectives are encouraged.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Environmental
Editor-in-chief Jason HePublisher website
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen RemovalEnvironmental Science14.8%
- Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater TreatmentEnvironmental Science8%
- Membrane Separation TechnologiesEnvironmental Science6.4%
- Water Treatment and DisinfectionEnvironmental Science5.8%
- Water Quality and Pollution AssessmentEnvironmental Science5.5%
- Wastewater Treatment and ReuseEnvironmental Science4.9%
- Urban Stormwater Management SolutionsEnvironmental Science4.4%
- Water Quality Monitoring and AnalysisEnvironmental Science4.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.77LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.65LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.53LetPub ·
- h-index
- 64LetPub ·
- h-index
- 110OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,456OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.02OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 21.39%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 246LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 247Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 325,270Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,162 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 353 | 177 | 137 |
| 2025 | 277 | 113 | 942 |
| 2024 | 204 | 103 | 1,440 |
| 2023 | 140 | 73 | 842 |
| 2022 | 154 | 36 | 1,429 |
| 2021 | 189 | 23 | 2,455 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
97 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 68 days – 149 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 18 days (131 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 123 days
- Sample
- 131 articles with submission and acceptance dates (612 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 13.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 25%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 25%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 133 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 19 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,240 / EUR 2,730 / GBP 2,450 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- case studiesCase Studies are dedicated to full-scale studies, with a strong focus on applied research.Length not stated
- correspondenceAuthors and co-authors may view the status of their manuscripts online. Other correspondence and inquiries should be directed to Elle Cumberbatch, WER’s Managin…Length not stated
- letters to the editorLetters to the Editor on all published papers are strongly encouraged.Length not stated
- perspectivesPerspectives allow experienced researchers the opportunity to provide their view, opinions, and outlook on selected subjects.Length not stated
- research articlesResearch Articles must be fully documented and interpreted accounts of significant findings.Length not stated
- reviewsReviews provide in-depth analysis of important research topics.Length not stated
- short communicationbles. We recommend that manuscripts for Short Communications should be no more than 12 double-spaced (12-point) pages in length (approximately 4000 words) and s…main text ≤ 4,000 words
- short communicationsShort Communications may be short accounts of preliminary but significant findings of work in progress for which full documentation is not yet available or acco…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism, Self-archiving
- Authorship Authorship
On initial submission, the submitting author will be prompted to provide the email address and country for all contributing authors.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of Interest
The journal requires that all authors disclose any potential sources of conflict of interest. Any interest or relationship, financial or otherwise that might be perceived as influencing an author's objectivity is considered a potential source of conflict of interest. These must be disclosed when directly relevant or directly related to the work that the authors describe in their manuscript. Potent…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Accessibility
Expects data sharing; refers to Wiley's data sharing policy. Model summary
Please review Wiley’s policy here. This journal expects data sharing.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Publication Ethics
Member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Model summary
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Read Wiley’s Top 10 Publishing Ethics Tips for Authors here. Wiley’s Publication Ethics Guidelines can be found here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright For authors signing the copyright transfer agreement
If the Open Access option is not selected the corresponding author will be presented with the copyright transfer agreement (CTA) to sign. The terms and conditions of the CTA can be previewed in the samples associated with the Copyright FAQs.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access For authors choosing Open Access
If the Open Access option is selected the corresponding author will have a choice of the following Creative Commons License Open Access Agreements (OAA):
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Offers Free Format submission. Model summary
Water Environment Research now offers Free Format submission for a simplified and streamlined submission process.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
Uses iThenticate's CrossCheck software to detect overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts. Model summary
Note, this journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving Self-Archiving Definitions and Policies
Note that the journal’s standard copyright agreement allows for self-archiving of different versions of the article under specific conditions. Please click here[PS2] for more detailed information about self-archiving definitions and policies.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Water Environment Federation
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1992
- ISSN
- 1061-4303
- Electronic ISSN
- 1554-7531
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 98, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Water Environment Research
What CAS zone is Water Environment Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Water Environment Research is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Engineering, Environmental / Environmental Sciences / Limnology / Water Resources. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Water Environment Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.77; CiteScore 3.8, h-index 110.
How long does peer review take at Water Environment Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 131 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 97 days (interquartile range 68–149 days); authors report an average review time of about 13.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 25% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Water Environment Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Which databases index Water Environment Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Water Environment Research is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Water Environment Research open access, and what is the APC?
Water Environment Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,240.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .