Welcome to WWOA.org!

               

 

La Crosse, Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Wastewater Operators' Association is comprised of over 2,000 wastewater treatment plant professionals serving municipalities and industries throughout the State. The organization members pride themselves on the efficient, non-polluting operation of the Wisconsin wastewater treatment facilities.

Since 1967, the WWOA has helped educate the state's treatment plant operators, preparing them to make decisions which will insure harm does not come to the quality of the state's water resources.

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2013 Annual Conference Information Page

The WWOA 47th Annual Conference will be held October 22 - October 25, 2013, at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Stevens Point, WI. Please go directly to the CONFERENCE PAGE for information and updates on housing and technical programs. Registration opens in mid June.

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ELECTIONS:

Elections to the WWOA board of directors will take place at the annual business meeting in Stevens Point, October 24, 2013. A vice president and three directors will be elected. Anyone interested in running for office should contact Randy Thater, rthater@ci.waukesha.wi.us or 262-524-3631. The nomination form is also posted on the Directors/Chairs page.

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LIFE MEMBERSHIP:

Changes to the WWOA Articles of Incorporation regarding Life Members have been proposed. The proposed changes will be published in the June and September 2013 issues of The Clarifier and voted on during the WWOA Annual Business Meeting on October 24, 2013 in Stevens Point.

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ANNUAL AWARDS:

Nominations for the WWOA Annual Awards are due by August 1, 2013. The awards are a great way to honor your fellow operators and WWOA members. The award criteria and nomination forms are available HERE.

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OPERATOR’S COMPETITION:

The deadline to register a team for the Operator’s Competition at the Annual WWOA Conference is August 1, 2013. Please contact Jeff Bratz, Operators Competition Chair, at jab158@tds.net for more information.

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TUITION REIMBURSEMENTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS:

The scholarship criteria have been revised and WWOA scholarships are now open to full time students beyond WWOA member’s children and grandchildren. Please visit the Scholarship Page for complete criteria and application forms.

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WWOA DIRECTORIES:

The WWOA will offer membership directories to be picked up at the Annual Conference. The directories will be available in a printed, hard copy format and an electronic version on a USB drive to members for $10 each. The registration form for the 2013 WWOA Annual Conference will have an option for members to reserve a copy of the directory.

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PROMOTIONS:

New WWOA Logo Shirts available. ANSI rated safety shirts with the WWOA logo are for sale. Please see the WWOA website under the Promotional tab for the WWOA gear available or contact Jim Bergles, Promotional Chair, at assistantdirector@tds.net for more information.

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WWOA BOD MEETING:

The next WWOA BOD meeting will be held in Stevens Point on August 20, 2013.

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WEFTEC 2013:

The North Central WWOA Region is considering the possibility of sponsoring a one day bus trip to WEFTEC 2013 in Chicago. The bus will stop at several pickup points along the I-39 corridor. Anyone interested in busing should contact a steering committee member directly or email . ncr_steering_committee@wwoa.org.

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Advanced Microbiology Training with Toni Glymph, Stevens Point August 13th.

The objective of this class is to teach Managers, Operators, lab personnel and consultants how to optimize Biological Nutrient removal processes. An in depth look at the roles of microorganisms with specific detail in Nitrification and Biological Phosphorus removal will be examined. A portion of the final session will be open to questions and discussion with Toni Glymph. After the course, all attendees are welcome to join in a tour of the new University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Wastewater Education Center.

5.5 hours of Continuing Education Credit for Wastewater are approved by DNR (4.5 for session with Toni Glymph and 1 separate hour for tour)

Download the Registration Form.

Download the Campus Map.

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2013 Classic Collection System Seminar in Watertown

The 2013 Classic Collection System Seminar will be held June 6th, 2013, at the Turner Hall in Watertown.

Download the Brochure & Registration Form.

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WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

Great news for the future wastewater operators of Wisconsin: A Wisconsin Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Apprenticeship Program was implemented in the fall of 2011. The program was developed by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards (DWD-BAS) in partnership with the DNR. The two agencies worked closely with representatives from multiple municipalities, WWOA, and trainers in developing the program. The apprenticeship is a 3 year program that comprises approximately 5,568 hours of on-the-job learning and 432 hours of related instruction (offered online through Moraine Park Technical College). Both the trainee and employer benefit from participation in the apprenticeship program. Apprentices gain valuable on-the-job experience and attend wastewater classes while still earning an income. Upon successful completion of the program, apprentices gain national recognition as a journey-level (highly-skilled) worker. In addition, pending approval of the proposed NR114 revisions, they will earn significant points towards advanced certification (9 of 10 required points). In turn, employers gain an educated and knowledgeable employee with on-the-job experience. For more detailed information on the apprenticeship program, download the following information packet: http://sage.wi.gov/pdf/wwtpo/wwwtpo_apprenticeship_info_packet.pdf For questions or to get started with the program, contact the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards at 608-266-3332 or www.wisconsinapprenticeship.org

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Operator Certification News from the DNR:

NR114 is currently being revised to reflect advancements in treatment technologies along with changes in educational training methods. Please refer to the NR114 Code Revisions Fact Sheet for more information on the proposed changes.

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"The Certified Operator" Goes Digital

The August 2012 edition is available online at: http://dnr.wi.gov/regulations/opcert/documents/CertOp2012.pdf

"The Certified Operator" is the annual newsletter of the Operator Certification Program distributed in August to all certified Wastewater and Municipal Waterworks operators. The newsletter highlights program information and updates. DNR has recently begun emailing the newsletter to all operators who have an email address on file. If you are currently receiving the newsletter via regular mail and would like to receive future copies via email, please email your request to DNROpCert@Wisconsin.gov (please include your name and certification number in the email).

If you still prefer to reveive a hard copy of the newsletter sent to you via US Mail please contact your regional coordinator, or visit the DNR website for more information.
http://dnr.wi.gov/regulations/opcert/wastewater.html

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The Water Environment Federation offers FREE webcasts related to the fundamentals of wastewater operations.
For more information or to register follow this link to the WEF Webcast page
Many webcasts have been pre-recorded and can be scheduled at your convenience. They include: Wastewater Treatment, Biosolids, Collection Systems and Energy just to name a few.

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Moraine Park offers a two year Water Quality Technology Associate of Applied Science Degree program.

This is an online program, so you can complete it in the comfort of your home, or where your computer takes you. This is a great program for those wishing to enter the profession as well as those in the profession that hope to advance their standing within an organization or to increase their potential for desired career placement. Advanced standing is available to those already working in the career field. Our accredited program is also transferable to a number of four year colleges, if you have interest in furthering your education. Water Quality Technology program link: http://www.morainepark.edu/programs-and-courses/programs-of-study/Water+Quality+Technology/

Moraine Park also offers water certification preparatory courses...

Click this link for the schedule and info, http://libs.morainepark.edu/docs/academic-affairs/ww-operator-schedule.pdf. Not only will they prepare you for the exam with specific exam related information, the courses can also be used for continuing education.

If you have problems accessing the links, try the MPTC website at: www.morainepark.edu

To register for a course call 1-800-472-4554 or 920-924-3207.

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RECENT WEB UPDATES:

Check out the Published Papers Page for presentations from this year's Government Affairs Seminar.

The February 2013 issue of "The Clarifier" is now available on our Clarifier Archive Page. Follow the link or find it from the Clarifier page located under the Communicate tab.

Photos from past annual conferences have been uploaded to the Awards Page as well as the Photo Gallery on flickr.com.

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WWOA WEB LINKS

Check out the WWOA Web Links Page HERE You can also submit your favorite links.

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WWOA PHOTO GALLERY

The WWOA Photo Gallery has moved to flickr.com It can still be seen by clicking on "Photo Gallery" located under the "Our Organization" tab. If you have photos you'd like to submit, please contact the webmaster.

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BROWSE PAST CLARIFIER ISSUES

Take a trip down memory lane or see what happened last summer. "The Clarifier" has been digitized and electronified for your iPad reading pleasure. Download past issues HERE.

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CONTACT WWOA:

Karen Harter, WWOA Executive Secretary
PO Box 451
Baraboo, WI 53913-0451
Work 608-355-3081
Fax 608-355-3082
secretary@wwoa.org

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