NOWRA Plans 17th Annual Conference
The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association will hold its 17th Annual Technical Education Conference and Expo-sition, April 7-10, 2008, at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tenn.
The conference theme is: Past, Present & Future: Water’s Value is a Constant. Attendees will receive the latest professional education in onsite wastewater practices and skills and take part in sessions that provide current information on research projects and federal and state regulations and policy. Exhibits in Exposition Hall will show the latest technologies in onsite wastewater treatment. For information, visit www.nowra.org.
Training Equals Profits
The August newsletter of the Florida Onsite Wastewater Associa-tion cites an employer who was asked if he was going to fire an employee for making a mistake that cost the company money. “No,” he replied. “That was a lot of money I just invested in training him. Why should someone else benefit at my expense?”
The point is that any form of training is an investment, and the return is long-lasting, positive results. It is especially important when companies make major operating changes. Many employees find adjusting to new environments difficult. Training, however, increases their satisfaction and reduces stress.
The American Management Association found that when companies increased their training after going through significant changes, they reported 63 percent higher productivity, 69 percent higher profits, and 74 percent higher quality. Companies that did not increase training after changes had only 34 percent higher productivity, 40 percent higher profits, and 24 percent higher quality.
Undergraduate Treatment Course
The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Association is supporting the University of Iowa in a new undergraduate course dedicated to onsite and decentralized wastewater collection and treatment systems. Members helped professors Gene Parkin and Craig Just of the civil and environmental engineering department develop semester-long design projects as part of the course. Previously, wastewater courses were limited to sewer collection and large municipal treatment plants. With IOWWA’s support, students were exposed to septic tanks, recirculating sand filters, attached growth filters, constructed wetlands, and other ecological technologies appropriate for small wastewater flows.
Ohio Conference and Trade Show
Ellen Rohr, president of Bare Bones Biz in Rogersville, Mo., presents her common-sense approach to business improvement at the annual conference of the Ohio Onsite Wastewater Association, Jan. 15-17, at the Midwest Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus. Pre-conference activities include a special seminar and roundtable for the Installer Qualified Contractors.
Rohr begins her two-day presentation with “Where Did the Money Go?” The seminar discusses financial reports, balance sheets, income statements, and the industry at large. The next day, she covers “Reward the Right Stuff — Winning Compensation and Bonus Programs for You and Your Team” and “Buying, Selling and Getting Out — Acquisition and Consolida-tion Strategies for Every OOWA Business.”
The second educational track at the conference focuses on technical wastewater topics. Call 866/843-4429 or visit www.ohioonsite.org.
NEHA-Installer Certification in Iowa
The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Association (IOWWA) is holding a two-day training session for the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) installer credential exam during its annual conference at the Des Moines Airport Holiday Inn. Classes run Jan. 21-22 and the test is Jan. 23. Installers must pre-register for the sessions. Applica-tion forms are at www.iowwa.com.
Certification is more vital than ever since the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that it does not consider IOWWA or installers responsible management entities (RME). According to the organization’s Fall newsletter, that thinking has led federal, state, county, and city governments to eliminate installers’ ability to bid on or install onsite systems. It’s happening to president Bob McKinney’s company, which is about to lose 10 percent of its service business to the big pipe.
Part of the solution, he says, is increasing membership to provide the association with the finances to fight the problem. Another element is becoming NEHA-certified and IOWWA-trained installers. McKinney also suggests that the association become a RME so it can receive grants and hire its members to install and service systems that are now being installed and serviced by others.
