American Liquid Waste Magazine » Associations

Waterjet, Industrial and Municipal Cleaning Expo Geared To Contractors, Municipalities and Industrial Plants

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:18:19 +0000

The 2010 WJTA-IMCA Expo, the inaugural meeting of the WaterJet Technology Association and the Industrial & Municipal Cleaning Association, will be held August 17-19, 2010, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The WJTA-IMCA Expo is dedicated to high pressure waterjet technology and related industries.
“We are bringing together product and equipment manufacturers and suppliers, contractors, and representatives of municipalities, industrial plants, and machine shops to see and compare new and innovative equipment and products for all facets of high pressure waterjet technology and to hear direct, practical information that can improve a company’s bottom line,” says Expo Co-Chair Pat DeBusk, Inland Industrial Services.
High pressure waterjet technology is one of the fastest growing technologies used successfully in a variety of industries, such as industrial and municipal cleaning, precision waterjet cutting, and excavating for the installation of underground utilities.
Waterjet cleaning applications include heat exchangers, reactors, pipes, storage tanks, and other process equipment in the hydrocarbon, chemical production, metal, and power generation industries. Waterjets are also widely used in the construction, pulp and paper, mining, aerospace/aircraft, automotive, quarrying, and shipyard industries. Applications involve manually operated equipment and robotic systems.
Precision waterjet and abrasivejet cutting systems are used for cutting, machining and drilling a variety of materials. Precision waterjets produce complex parts out of virtually any material, including metals, stone, ceramic tile, glass, plastic, rubber, paper, foods, and more. To give machine shop representatives an opportunity to see how effective waterjet cutting can be, Jet Edge, Inc., will be performing live precision waterjet cutting demos on its mid rail gantry waterjet system.

Register now and see an incredible display of products and equipment in the Expo Hall, including:
High pressure waterjet systems and tools for industrial and municipal cleaning and coating removal
High pressure pumps
Environmental and waste management solutions
Wet/dry vacuum trucks
Drain and sewer maintenance
Waterblasting and hydrodemolition equipment
Precision waterjet cutting systems, software, and abrasives
“Live equipment demonstrations are the most effective way to show people how this equipment works,” says Conference Co-Chair Bill McClister, Veolia Environmental Services. “Eleven companies have signed up to demonstrate waterjet pumps, waterblasting, tube and bundle lancing, paint/coating removal, pipe cleaning, industrial vacuuming, and testing the effectiveness of safety equipment.”
Gather practical information, including new business ideas, safety recommendations, tips and techniques to improve workforce productivity and stay competitive in today’s marketplace during the Expo Boot Camp Sessions. Topics include:
DOT Regulations for Trucks/Trailers
Safety in Waterjetting
High Pressure Waterblasting
Reducing Hydroblasting Risks and Incidents Through Partnership and Technology – A Special One-Hour Presentation by Kathy Krupp of Dow Chemical and Sam Harkins of Veolia ES Industrial Services
Hose Fittings, Pressure Testing
Is Cold-Cutting Really Non-explosive?
Waterjet 101 – The Capabilities and Benefits of Precision Waterjet Cutting
Video Inspection of Pipelines
Hydro-Excavation
Nozzle Selection for Sewer Cleaning
Static Electricity – Causes, Effects and Solutions
Plant Safety
“Knowledge really is one of the keys to success. The more contractors and end users shop and compare equipment, learn about safety and business issues, and network with colleagues, the more productive their business operations will be,” says WJTA-IMCA Chairman Bill Gaff, Environmental Solutions Group of Federal Signal Corporation. “The WJTA-IMCA Expo is the only program I know of where so much technology and information is available under one roof for the benefit of contractors and end users.”
To register online or obtain additional information, visit www.wjta.org, or contact WJTA-IMCA by email: wjta-imca@wjta.org, telephone: (314)241-13445, or fax: (314)241-1449.

Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:13:43 +0000

Down in the beautiful state of Alabama, the summers are long and hot, hospitality is part of the culture, and the cities and small towns are chock full of history. Unfortunately for some of Alabama’s residents, “historic” would also be the best way to describe their household sanitation and waste treatment. It has been a long-term problem in this otherwise lovely state and an issue that has been a keystone of the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association.
The association is a non-profit organization that represents the manufacturers, installers, and pumpers of septic tanks, along with those involved in the portable toilet industry. The group conducts training programs that can prepare both members and nonmembers for testing by the state board, explained Executive Director Dave Roll.
The group proudly claims 400 members, but many more individuals participate in the association’s several training and certification programs throughout the year. Testing is conducted by the state-run board, a separate group that is responsible for licensing and enforcing Alabama’s rules on septic tanks, pumping, and related issues.
As an aside, Roll has heard that a handful of AOWA members have moved their equipment to the state’s coastline to help with the massive and ever-expanding Gulf oil spill cleanup. Some of Alabama’s beautiful beaches have been closed, and members of the association are using their pump trucks to suck up oil.
Membership in the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association is voluntary, but its classes and related activities are not limited to members. “If you want to be an installer in Alabama, you might take a class we offer,” Roll explained.
Membership, naturally, comes with several advantages, many of which are relatively common to similar associations around the country. For example, the AOWA can secure group rates for health insurance for its members, a valuable benefit considering that onsite wastewater providers and others in the industry tend to be small companies or family-run businesses with a handful of employees.
Another benefit, Roll said, is that the association has an attorney—formerly an attorney for the state wastewater board—on hand who specializes in onsite wastewater issues. Members can receive one free consultation from him on issues relating to septic systems or similar matters that relate to their business operations. The attorney is also available for hire if the AOWA member so chooses.
AOWA also grants annual scholarships to members, their children, and spouses. Recently, the group awarded sixteen $1,000 scholarships. Because of tight finances this year, the association was able to provide ten $500 scholarships, still an impressive amount for a relatively small group.
Possibly the association’s most remarkable project is the one that battles sewage issues in some of Alabama’s poorest, and mainly, rural areas.
“In Alabama, there are not hundreds, not thousands, but tens of thousands of people who have a septic tank that is not working properly, or they have no septic system at all, i.e., they have a pipe that runs out of the bottom of their trailer onto the ground,” Roll said. To address the problem, several years ago the association began what it calls its TRAC program, which creatively meets the needs of homeowners with a blend of volunteer labor, donated materials, and certification opportunities.
After a homeowner applies to the program and is selected, AOWA finds volunteers to do the work, experts to conduct onsite training that also helps to meet continuing education hours, and manufacturers to donate tanks and related septic field products. With the cost of a new septic system running between $3,000 and $4,000 in Alabama, such an undertaking would be otherwise unattainable for low-income applicants.
AOWA generally installs or upgrades one system per month. Over the past three years, the association has completed 60 such systems throughout the state, Roll said. It’s a community service project of which he is understandably proud and one that relies on the cooperation and generosity of dozens of people each year.
“Their support of us has been magnificent,” Roll said. The need is great. “I have literally 100 applications on my desk for it.”
AOWA has found not only a way to serve its members, but also a way to serve the neediest of Alabama’s residents. It’s an association that works on many levels – through volunteerism coupled with real-world experience by certified instruction in the field.
Said Roll, “At the end of the day, everyone drives off. They can flush their toilet and (our volunteers) can get their education.”

Story by Marie Elium

Idaho Rural Water Association

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:25:10 +0000

For a state famous for its pristine landscape and sprawling vistas, it’s no wonder that an association responsible for supporting Idaho’s small water systems has the word “rural” in its title. No less surprising is that the Idaho Rural Water Association’s employees keep plenty busy serving water and wastewater associations that supply communities or systems with 10,000 or fewer connections.
But this is an inclusive group; the IRWA is also supported by larger municipalities, solid waste systems, and more than fifty industry vendors—although its funding through the federal government limits its professional services to small private or public systems (the reason for the “rural” part of the association’s title).
The IRWA’s primary mission is to protect the public health and environment by providing training and technical assistance to water and wastewater systems throughout the state. They make it relatively easy for members to take advantage of their services: for the price of the yearly association fee, all onsite professional expertise, the use of equipment, and training sessions are free of charge through the non-profit association.
While the association serves a large and relatively sparsely populated area, it offers a wide range of expert services, equipment, and classes to meet its members’ needs. Its experts hit the road weekly, visiting small system operators; classes are held throughout the state to accommodate as many people as possible.
In May, for example, the group had a class in Moscow on the history and techniques of water treatment, and they provided a Department of Environmental Quality recertification opportunity with the topic “Drinking Water Source Protection Plans.” It also offered a third class on fire hydrants and valves. In July, the classes that were held in both Idaho Falls and Caldwell boasted instructors who discussed basic hydraulics, principles of operation, and maintaining control valves.
Association Office Manager, Barbi Burke, said the group has 380 members who are able to take advantage of the group’s seven “circuit riders.” These circuit riders travel from one small water or wastewater system to the next, troubleshooting a variety of problems. They bring equipment and highly trained professionals to operate in a variety of situations, she explained.
The group has three water circuit riders who deal only with water issues. For example, if a system has a leak that the onsite operators cannot repair on their own, they can call on an IRWA circuit rider. Problems with a wastewater system typically result in a call going out to one of the association’s two wastewater circuit riders. One of those individuals may find himself in a boat in the middle of a wastewater lagoon overrun by duck week. Using a PVC pipe, he can draw up the sludge and determine if the lagoon is serving the system effectively.
A third type of circuit rider is relatively new to the association; the group has two additional circuit riders who help operators of small systems get federal money through the recently enacted American Recovery Reinvestment Act.
Because of the rural and sprawling nature of Idaho, it is not unusual for a circuit rider to be gone for a week or ten days at a time, traveling from one small community to another, unblocking a clogged lined, working on a balky filtration system, or helping a public official negotiate the inevitable and complicated federal grant forms, Burke said.
“Some of the services we provide for free can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. For some of our members, such as one with only twenty-nine connections, the membership cost is $200,” Burke said, adding that membership fees are based on the size of the system.
As for the IRWA, membership dues cover only a small portion of the group’s budget. The rest of the funding comes from the federal government through National Rural Water of Duncan, Oklahoma, an agency that operates similar programs in all fifty states.
The IRWA, located in Boise, also has staff members who are based throughout the state, from Weiser to Salmon to Idaho Falls. The group has two staffers who work with members on source-water protection plans that help protect drinking water sources. Another employee is a training specialist who is responsible for all of the IRWA’s training and continuing education opportunities. Last year, for example, the association hosted about 100 such opportunities, with 820 attendees.
The IRWA held its annual conference in Idaho Falls last March. Over a two-and–a-half-day period, about 185 members and 40 vendors gathered to share information, pick up continuing education credits, and do the all-important socializing that is a key component to any successful association.
The group’s next big conference is actually a day-and-a-half mini-conference that will be held at the Couer d’Alene Casino in September.
To learn more about the association, visit its website at http://www.idahoruralwater.com.

Story by Marie Elium

California Water Environment Association

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 00:07:33 +0000

California. Talk to anyone involved in wastewater issues and the regulations that guide them, and sooner or later, the state of California and its cutting edge approach to environmental issues comes up in the conversation.
“Green” technologies, professional certifications, safeguards for groundwater and onsite sewage systems—the West Coast seems to be where many of the innovative guidelines originated. Whether these are perceived as intrusive government intervention or much-needed safeguards, California tends to be at the forefront of environmental issues, especially as they relate to wastewater.
Playing a big role in those guidelines, and assisting its 9,000-plus wastewater professionals, is the California Water Environment Association.
The not-for-profit agency, based in Oakland, trains and certifies its members through a highly structured system of 17 local geographical regions. The association also recently introduced online testing for certification, and it works closely with people in other states, said CWEA President Darren Greenwood.
The group distributes technical information and promotes policies that benefit the community by protecting water sources and their environments. Greenwood concurred that many of the newest safeguards and regulations that seem to be pushing the wastewater industry have originated in California. For that reason, CWEA has worked closely with state officials and has been at the vanguard of industry certification and training. The California Water Environment Association plays a key role in bringing professionalism to the wastewater industry. To meet that goal, the group provides certification and training opportunities to its members throughout the year. Greenwood stated that CWEA is the main training source for people actively working in the wastewater field.
“We train over 6,000 people a year between our annual conference, specialty conferences and our 17 local section levels, each of which offers training,” he shared. “There’s training going on all the time with CWEA.”
The association’s website states: “In the wastewater industry, every employer has a general obligation to perform due diligence in ensuring the competency of the personnel providing services at public facilities. Wastewater certification provides employers with evidence that the certificate holder has demonstrated a certain level of job-related knowledge, skills and abilities.”
The CWEA “Provides a documented level of assurance that employees are competent in safe work practices. Certification provides concrete evidence to board members and citizens that the agency is staffed with people who know what they are doing and [are] competitive in any comparison of quality of service.”
Currently, the CWEA has certification opportunities that include collection system maintenance, wastewater treatment plant maintenance, laboratory analysis, biosolid land application management, environmental compliance inspection, and industrial treatment plant operations.
CWEA, which began in 1927, hosted its annual conference just last month in Sacramento, Greenwood. The event drew about 1,100 wastewater professionals.
This year’s 82nd annual conference was held at the Sacramento Convention Center. With the theme, “Oceans of Opportunities,” the conference was packed full of training opportunities, educational exhibits and the much-anticipated conference socializing.
CWEA had eight pre-conference workshops, along with five technical tours that gave attendees a chance to see innovative projects and pioneering facilities around the Sacramento area. For example, tours included a visit to a biosolids recycling facility and the always-popular tour of the Gladding McBean Company, a leading manufacturer of clay pipe, a mainstay in the industry. The conference also offered more than 150 technical sessions, along with rooms and corridors filled with technical and equipment exhibits.
Greenwood said the conference had many built-in opportunities for attendees to spend informal time networking, an important component of any successful industry get together. “You learn from your peers how to solve the problem you have or are dealing with,” he said.

Story by Marie Elium

Pennsylvania Septage Management Association

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:33 +0000

Members of one Pennsylvania septic industry association kicked off the New Year in a big way with a revamped and relocated trade show in late January.

In an industry that has a patchwork of certification and training guidelines, the Pennsylvania Septage Management Association has taken a leadership role in providing educational opportunities for those in the septic business.

That commitment to quality was demonstrated at the group’s annual trade show, which was held January 24 through January 26 at the new Lancaster County Convention Center & Marriott in Lancaster in central Pennsylvania.

The statewide event, which also draws members from Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey, expanded into a new conference venue for 2010, according to Lisa Heron, PSMA’s Associate Executive Director.

The group has hosted the annual conference and trade show for years, working within the cozy confines of a nearby Holiday Inn. This year, with the opening of the new county convention center, PSMA was able to double its exhibition space to 15,000 square feet, accommodating twenty-two exhibitors. Heron explained that about 150 people had registered to attend the event, with lodging available at the adjoining Marriott Hotel.

PSMA has some 230 members representing a wide span of septic interests including installers, inspectors, and maintenance workers, along with a host of business representatives who provide machines, supplies, and services to septic contractors.

PSMA has a well-established certification program and routinely offers continuing education credits for PSMA certification. This year, the conference offered two opportunities related to certification: an Inspector’s Standards Refresher Course and the opportunity to take exams at the basic and advanced levels for installation of onsite wastewater treatment systems. A goal of the certification is to work toward providing national onsite standards and improving system installations, according to PSMA’s Herron.

To illustrate its commitment to education and certification, an impressive lineup of speakers was present for the conference. Sara Heger of the University of Minnesota presented the topic, Troubleshooting Septic Tanks. Joe Rausa of Orchard Pump & Supply tapped into the growing “green” construction movement with Exploring Rainwater Harvesting. He discussed design concepts, applications, and system components that are used in rainwater storage for gray-water systems.

Throughout the industry, the interest in these systems is growing, in large part due to the Green Building Rating System known as LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The conference also included a presentation by Joyce Hudson of the United States Environmental Protection Agency about the ways states are incorporating the EPA’s decentralized/onsite management guidance into their regulations.

With topics ranging from Biomat: Friend or Foe to Report Writing, the conference had a full slate of relevant topics to get the year started for those in the septic business. However, another important aspect of the conference was the trade show component—when folks get to see all the new equipment and gadgets marketed to the septic industry.

The Lancaster County Convention Center was a perfect location for the trade show. In the past, truck and large equipment displays were relegated to an outdoor parking lot because of space limitations. While conference attendees were able to see the equipment, they had to battle weather conditions typical for a January day in central Pennsylvania. In short, they saw the equipment, but the weather made for a cold outing.

This year, with the expanded exhibit space, trucks and large equipment were comfortably ensconced in the convention center. Among those represented were Advanced Pump and Equipment of Iowa, Heritage Truck Equipment of Ohio, Imperial Industries Inc. of Wisconsin, and Pik Rite Inc. of Pennsylvania.

Other exhibitors included Lely Manufacturing, Polylok, and Poly Portables. In short, just about any service or material that can be used in the septic business was represented at the trade show.

The conference and trade show was only the beginning of PSMA’s focus on education and certification. At the end of March, the group is sponsoring both basic and advanced Onlot Wastewater Treatment System Inspection seminars.

The two-day courses include “hands-on” training covering septic components, report writing, alternate septic systems, problem–solving, and real-life case studies of so-called “difficult” septic systems.

Later in the year, PSMA will hold training classes and certification covering topics such as vacuum truck technicians, confined space entry, and onlot sewage disposal systems. All classes can be held at the member’s site.

PSMA has a clearly defined certification process that details certification hours and continuing education topics. The group’s mission is “To protect Pennsylvania’s citizens and our industry through sound management, proper maintenance, and environmentally conscious disposal of wastewater.”

With an impressive January conference and trade-show lineup and a relevant certification and continuing education program, the Pennsylvania Septage Management Association is on track to become one of the industry’s leaders.

Those interested in learning more about the group, membership, and educational opportunities should visit its website at www.psma.net.

Story by Marie Elium

Contractor Training/Continuing Education Classes January and February 2010

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:40:48 +0000

The University of Georgia and Georgia Onsite Wastewater Association announce additional classes for Installers and Pumpers that will earn you 8 hrs of Continuing Education credit.

Class Date	Class City and Site	MAXSIZE
14 Jan 2010	Hazlehurst, Environmental Health Demo Site	300
19 Jan 2010	Rome, Georgia NorthwesternTech. College	75
25 Jan 2010	Lagrange, Troup County Parks & Recreation	175
2 Feb 2010	Blairsville, UGA Mountain Experiment Station	30
10 Feb 2010	Gainesville, Chicopee Woods Ag Center	125
16 Feb 2010	Dublin, Heart of Georgia Technical College	80
26 Feb 2010	Albany, Dougherty County EH Office	72

If you need additional CEU hours, please register for a class using one of the 3 ways below. To check on your CEU hours, call 404.657.6534 for the State Environmental Health Office.

Please preregister. Class sizes may be large. If so, ATTENDANCE WILL BE LIMITED TO THE NUMBER SHOWN ABOVE. If needed, additional classes will be scheduled
Three ways to register for the class:

Call the Continuing Education Center, UGA – Griffin Campus, at 770.229.3477. Anyone who answers can help you.
Go on-line at www.ugaonsite.com and follow Class Schedules link.
Register at the door on the day of the class.

Cost:

Preregister: $120.00
At the door: $120.00

Call the Continuing Education Center or go to the website above for more details. Exact locations will be posted on the website or available from the Continuing Education Center.

Vaughn E. Berkheiser, UGA Training Coordinator