February 2011 - Dave Carlson

February 2011
Dave Carlson, President

The holidays are over and we look for spring and warmer days. With the weather being extremely cold, in Fond du Lac we have hundreds of ducks that make our final clarifiers their home for about three months. When we check the clarifiers the ducks fly off and create a strong breeze with their wings. It’s nice to have them as visitors but they sure make a mess to clean up in the spring.

Everyone is excited about the Packers making it to the Super Bowl. Only two weeks for the big game. There is a lot of press for Green Bay and the State of Wisconsin. It’s going to be a tough game but if they play on Super Bowl Sunday like they have in the playoffs, the Green Bay Packers should be the Champions. Go Pack Go!

The month of February is loaded with training opportunities. Regional meetings scheduled for February are as follows: North Central – Wausau on February 1st, Southern- Wisconsin Dells on February 8th, Lake Michigan- New Holstein on February 17th, and Southeast- WalCoMet on February 23rd. The Southern Meeting is in conjunction with the Midwest Water Expo and is at the Kalahari Resort again this year.

Other training opportunities are the Government Affairs seminar on February 24th in Middleton. Presentations will cover the new Phosphorus Rule, the Thermal Rule, Air Permitting and the Sanitary Sewer Overflow Rule. Scheduled on March 22nd is the Spring Bio-Solids Symposium that will be held at the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point. Remember to go to the WWOA Website at www.wwoa.org to get more information on these and other training sessions that are being offered.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has received a grant from the Federal Government to develop an apprenticeship program for the occupation of wastewater operator. WWOA Directors Kevin Freber and Kelly Zimmer have been participating in developing the program. This apprenticeship program will coincide with upcoming changes to the Wastewater Operation Certification Program being considered by the WDNR.

Regarding career development, the WWOA will be attending the Wisconsin School Councilor’s Association Conference in February at Stevens Point. WWOA Director Lyle Lutz and I will represent the WWOA displaying a booth and presenting information to the states guidance councilors to generate interest in our profession.

Wade Peterson, 2011 Technical Program Committee Chair, has been working on preparing for the 2011 Annual Conference to be held in La Crosse. Wade has assembled a committee of about 20 people who will meet on February 15th to review the papers received and select the best topics and presentations for our conference this year. Wade is also exploring various options for the keynote address speaker and the entertainment after the banquet.

It’s never too early to start planning for the 2011 Operators Challenge. Regions, please begin to assemble your teams early for this year competition. Kevin Freber is the WWOA Committee Chair again this year.

Randy Thater, WWOA President Elect is the 2011 WWOA Annual Awards Chair. Please consider nominating a deserving person to be recognized for their outstanding work and dedication to our field.

Until next time, all the best to you

Dave Carlson
WWOA President

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