The WWETT Show is Feb. 20-23 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis and I know many of you are planning to be there. And still other Pumper readers are contemplating making the trip. It’s always been a great experience, and the value goes beyond seeing all the latest tools of your trade.

I can’t tell you how many education seminars I’ve attended at the WWETT Show over the past 20 years. With all of those Education Day tracks of classes, it’s got to be well into the hundreds.

And whether I poked my head in the door for a few minutes or stayed for the whole session, I can say I took away an important lesson from each one. It may have been a single nugget of technical information about septic inspections or several pages of notes of tips and tricks from wastewater professionals.

In sum total, those classes provided me with a broad base of knowledge that has helped me better serve the pumping community as editor of this magazine. And in these seminars, sitting shoulder to shoulder with pumpers from across North America, I often heard the same response. They came to see the shiny new trucks — and found the learning opportunities were the icing on top of the WWETT Show cake!

That’s why I take the time to promote the 100-plus education seminars at the wastewater industry’s biggest event. I am always looking to reach the attendees who spend all their time in the exhibit hall and never make it to classes, as well as the pumpers who never travel to the WWETT Show. You need to know what you are missing in the presentations from the best and brightest in the industry.

This year is no exception. I’ve gone through all the classes and have some suggestions for pumpers. Perhaps a few of these will touch on important topics for your business in 2023:

How to Work With Regulatory Agencies to Promote OWTS Inspections

Time-of-sale onsite inspection requirements are becoming more and more common. A panel of industry experts will discuss pitfalls and lessons learned when introducing the real estate transfer inspections to local regulators. Also taking questions from participants, the panel will include Frank Parker, president of Parker Wastewater Consulting; Jeff Rachlin, owner/partner of OnSite Management Inc.; John Ferdetta, president of Quest 4 Corp. and Advanced Septic Pros; and Kim Seipp, NAWT education coordinator and owner of High Plains Sanitation Service.

Beyond the Raked Bar Screen: A Summary of Septage Screening Methods

Raked bar screens have been employed to remove trash from septage and portable restroom waste for many years. This seminar will review a variety of types of screens available and discuss automating a process that has typically been a manual operation. The presenter is Tim Matheis, business developer at Hydro-Dyne Engineering.

Confined-Space Entry Training

Inadequate safety in confined-space entry has sadly caused deaths in the septic service industry through exposure to toxic gases found in tanks. This training course will help your technicians learn to work safely in these dangerous situations. Topics covered include air monitoring alarm points, exposure to low and high oxygen, toxic gases, sampling with monitoring equipment, ventilation, necessary personal protective equipment and confined-space permits. The presenter will be Ed Fitzgerald, DTI trainer and technical support for Jack Doheny Company.

Leveraging Your Pump Truck by Collecting Yellow and Brown Gold

Yellow and brown grease are high-demand commodities as biodiesel and regenerative diesel technologies continue to grow in usage. This session with speaker Matthew Harrison, manager at Oregon’s Scout Septic, will explain how pumpers can break into grease service. Topics include identifying and defining opportunities in biofuel, marketing to food service businesses, determining the value of grease and reviewing logistics challenges.

Starting an Apprenticeship Program for Your Installing Business

We’re all aware of the shortage of qualified workers in the septic service industry. So finding ways to encourage training programs for young people is a huge topic. Presenter Matthew Harrison will review how his company built an apprenticeship program and share the lessons he learned along the way. Topics will include systemizing the training program, creating recruitment and incentive benchmarks, and embracing regulators, manufacturers and distributors as part of the program.

Portable Sanitation: Preparing for Extremes

Portable restroom route drivers sometimes work in extreme conditions. Bitter cold, intense heat, high winds. How do you prepare for handling these extremes to provide the best possible service? Presenter Joe Payne, a Portable Sanitation Association International trainer and operations manager for Terry’s Pumpin’ and Potties in Nevada, will share key considerations in planning for restroom service in a variety of difficult situations. He will also address best practices for disaster relief work.

Why You’re Losing Your Best People — How to Avoid the Great Resignation

It’s a huge and timely question in this challenging work environment: How do I retain employees? In 2021, companies experienced an employee turnover rate ranging from 30% to 100%, and presenter Lauren Schieffer of 365 Leadership aims to help you avoid a continuation of these unprecedented numbers. Learning objectives include analyzing the cause of worker turnover, the four key things employees seek from their work environment, how good communication practices can help retain workers, and building a plan to meet needs of a post-pandemic workforce.

The Employment Audit: Ensuring Your Organization Is 2023 Compliant From A to Z

We hear it all the time — regulations are becoming burdensome for small businesses. As in other industries, pumpers may be out of compliance with some of the wide array of government rules and regulations. Melanie Griffin, an attorney and founder of Spread Your Sunshine, aims to help your company follow rules concerning employment law to avoid any issues in the future. Topics covered will be creating a self-audit of your organization in common areas of non-compliance, identifying and addressing areas of concern, and highlighting recent changes in employment law.

Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Speaker Christopher Salem, CEO and business adviser at RS Group Holdings, will help your company create an inclusive work environment where all employees feel their voices are welcomed, heard and respected. Among the topics he will cover are explaining active listening techniques to communicate with a diverse workforce, ways to build and enhance a diverse, multigenerational team, and proactive conflict resolution.

PSAI Basic Service Technician Training Series and Certification Exam

The Portable Sanitation Association International offers its Basic Service Technician Training and Certification program in Indianapolis. The day-long course will be conducted by PSAI trainers Joe Payne and Tony Watson, and covers these five topics: transportation and logistics, servicing portable sanitation equipment, safety and hazard management, recordkeeping and professional demeanor and conduct. New restroom route drivers can be tested and certified at the WWETT Show.

NAWT Shootout

The national trade association for pumpers is outfitting a truck for a pre-trip inspection competition to highlight updated federal regulations. Drivers will receive a pre-trip checklist before taking a crack at the inspection. Participants who correctly identify the most problems with the truck will win prizes. The aim is to help experienced CDL holders practice their inspection skills and educate new CDL holders.

WILL YOU BE THERE?

Just like many of you, upon arrival at the WWETT Show I have been immediately drawn to the show floor to see what 500 exhibitors have to offer. The septic trucks, the innovations in tools for the industry; it’s all a principal reason for pumpers to head to Indy. But I have also spent many worthwhile hours in classrooms enhancing my knowledge of the industry and networking with so many pumpers from across the country and beyond.

I guess my message to readers is to take advantage of both sides of this important trade show, see those products and visit with your longtime vendors. But also bring along a notebook and be prepared to take part in these many helpful seminars.