Your Association at the Pumper & Cleaner Expo

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It was great to see everyone who came to the Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International last month. For the second year, we heard nothing but positive comments about the Expo location in Indianapolis. It was a great event for National Association of Wastewater Technicians members, state associations and contractors who attended. Thank you to COLE Publishing for hosting an event that provides a platform to promote professionalism and integrity through a wide array of education and networking opportunities.

As most of you know, NAWT pre-Expo training began two days before the exhibit hall doors opened. The turnout was great for three courses. There was a one-day Vacuum Truck Technician Training course, the two-day Inspector Training and Certification, and a new, two-day Principles of Septic System Design course. For the second day of each course, participants hopped on a bus to head over to Camp Camby, where a hands-on approach was taken with field demonstrations.

A big thank-you to Crust Busters for making a generous donation for lunch. Last but certainly not least, a thank-you to Jim Anderson, Dave Gustafson, Bob Wright, Kit Rosefield, Bruce Fox and Tom Frank. The two days of pre-Expo courses could not be possible without each of you. They always infuse a strong educational course with a spark of entertainment and indisputable camaraderie that has a long-lasting effect.

The Expo provided three days of exhibits of the latest products and technologies, and a wide variety of educational opportunities. If you didn't attend, consider traveling to Indy next year for the world's largest annual trade show for environmental service professionals.

Waste Treatment Symposium in 2013

The NAWT board of directors recognizes the disposal of septage and grease trap waste is an issue each of us face every day. Land application regulations are in place in many locations, and spreading sites are difficult to find. New disposal options need to be found. Where, how far away, and at what cost are the questions we need answered before we put the material into our trucks.

At the Pumper & Cleaner Expo, we saw more technologies to allow contractors to handle their own disposal. But few vendors offer turnkey operations; most offer components of the treatment process. Individually, as septic system service providers, we are hard-pressed to engineer the complete treatment process. We need to look at the financial end of the business. We need to know if it really makes economic sense to process our own waste, or do we just truck farther and pay more for disposal?

To help the industry with the answers to these questions, NAWT announces a 2013 Waste Treatment Symposium to be held in Indiana later this year. Check the NAWT website or call the office to find out the details. Don't miss out on this opportunity.

Inspector certification clarification

NAWT clarifies that Certified Inspector accreditation will only be conferred upon individuals successfully completing the official NAWT Inspector Certification Training Course. This accreditation shall be maintained by completion of continuing education every two years and payment of an annual certification registration fee. NAWT will maintain a national registry of NAWT Certified Inspectors on its website and notify all NAWT Certified Inspectors of all issues of importance, such as manual updates or NAWT board of directors actions that directly impact inspectors.

Individuals certified under other training organization programs deemed equivalent to NAWT training (such as the Pennsylvania Septage Management Association) can be included as NAWT Certified Inspectors in the registry and receive all the privileges that go with that status by payment of the annual certification registration fee.

The NAWT National Registry will be posted on the www.nawt.org website and will include individual Certified Inspectors contact information including name, company name, address, business phone, email address, service territory and a listing of other certifications the individual might have (health department, NSF, etc.).



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