Whether you’re reading this issue of Onsite Installer in the weeks leading up to the Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show (Feb. 23-26) or you’re walking the halls of the host Indiana Convention Center and picked up the magazine, I’d like to share what I am looking for at the wastewater industry’s biggest event of the year.

The week of the WWETT Show is my best opportunity to network with readers and learn about the latest technology in onsite systems. Nothing matches the educational benefit I receive through face-to-face meetings with some of the best installers in North America or getting my hands on the latest products to serve those installers.

In short, the WWETT Show rekindles my enthusiasm for covering a dynamic industry. And here are a few things I’ll be looking for as I check out the vast exhibit floor and talk to onsite wastewater professionals along the way:

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

As a trade journalist, one of my jobs is to keep abreast of the newest techniques installers use to solve their customers’ problems. That means attending the WWETT Show’s Education Day and seminars during exhibit days that follow. This year’s seminars of interest to installers (check the show guide for dates and times) include:

• “Environmental Impact Study: Effects of Water Softener on Septic Tank Performance,” by Eric Yeggy, director of technical affairs for the Water Quality Association.
• “A Study of Microbiological Induced Corrosion,” by Claude Goguen, the National Precast Concrete Association’s director of sustainability and technical education.
• “Rules and Regulations with New Technologies and Working with Regulators,” by Anthony Smithson, consultant and former director of environmental health in Lake County, Ill.
• “True Crime Scene Stories: How to Inspect and Troubleshoot Suspect Onsite Systems,” by Dawn Long, owner of American Septic Service.
• “OSHA Regulations and Smart Business,” by Doug Lassiter, executive director and lobbyist for the North Carolina Septic Tank Association.
• “New Trends and Technology in Equipment for Excavation Safety,” by Mike Ross, shoring specialist and national training director at Efficiency Production Inc.
• “System Sizing and Basic Design Principles,” “Pumping to Systems,’’ “Installations of ATUs,’’ “Installing for Management’’ and “Troubleshooting Systems,’’ by Jim Anderson, Ph.D., and Dave Gustafson, P.E.

THE LATEST SMALL-SCALE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SOLUTIONS

Recent years have brought an accelerated introduction of onsite technology that opens up property with substandard soils for development, cuts down on the potential for pollution for systems in sensitive environments and provides great upgrade options for smaller lots. Onsite wastewater products have never been this varied and offer effective solutions in many applications. All of these technologies will be on display at the WWETT Show with the experts who developed them on hand to answer questions. Installers have a unique opportunity to get their hands on these products and find out if they can be the answer to their customers’ typical treatment issues back home. I have the good fortune to see product demonstrations and talk to contractors about the value of new system components.

FEEDBACK FROM ATTENDEES

More than anything, I come to the WWETT Show to meet Onsite Installer readers. The guys and gals on the front lines of the onsite industry are the lifeblood of this magazine. You provide the energy, the drive for professionalism that fuels the direction of our editorial content. I appreciate every valuable minute onsite installers give to me in talking about their work and sharing their views about the industry.

To that end, I invite you to seek me out in Indy. Tell me about your day-to-day business challenges. Show me that dream piece of equipment you’re interested in on the exhibit floor. Let me know where you think the industry is headed in the next year or five years.

I rely on the Onsite Installer community to drive content in the coming year. There are a number of ways you can help me add value for our readers:

Suggest a system profile story. One of our most interesting and highly read stories is the System Profile, where we walk readers step-by-step through an installer’s challenging project. It could be replacing a failed septic system on a postage-stamp-sized lot, building a new system on a property with challenging soils or where wetlands or extreme elevation changes cause problems. It’s inspiring to hear the way designers and installers attack these challenging conditions. Tell me about your toughest job so we can all learn from it.

Talk about your favorite machine. Installers live and die with efficient, reliable equipment, from mini-excavators and skid-steers to service trucks and inspection gear. Show me the product on display that you value the most and use on a daily basis. This year we added an equipment-related feature, called either Machine Matters or Shop Talk, depending on the topic being explored. I’m looking for your feedback on the new feature and your suggestions for new topics we can explore. Are you seeking answers on a particular maintenance issue? Are you looking for a machine to perform a specific task on the job site? Share your questions and we’ll answer them in an upcoming issue.

Ask the onsite experts. The WWETT Show is also a great place to meet the brightest onsite experts in the country. The team that writes our Basic Training feature, Jim Anderson and Dave Gustafson, will be on hand to conduct several training sessions. You can meet them and ask your own questions for them to address in future stories. Share your questions for Jim and Dave with me and I’ll be happy to pass them along. Maybe we can even track down Jim and Dave during the show for an impromptu roundtable discussion about onsite topics.

HOW TO CONTACT ME

While at the WWETT Show, you can reach me several ways. You can use my mobile phone, 920/328-8692; drop me an email at editor@onsiteinstaller.com; or ask anyone wearing a COLE Publishing shirt to track me down. I’m looking forward to seeing you!