February 2014, Vol. 69 No. 2
Features
NASSCO Continues Growth, Establishing Cooperative Relationships
For NASSCO (the National Association of Sewer Service Companies), 2013 was a year of continuing accomplishments in its 35-year mission to establish industry standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of the sewer pipelines and promote continued acceptance and growth of trenchless technologies in the sewer industry.
NASSCO’s busy year began in January with sponsorship of the RehabZone at the 2013 Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT), said Association President Joan Stone. The next month, record attendance was posted at NASSCO’s 2013 annual meeting.
Joan Stone, 2013 NASSCO President
One highlight of the year was the signing of three international agreements for the use of NASSCO’s PACP (Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program) as the association continues to build cooperation with like-minded organizations.
There was a new agreement with the Colombian Institute for Subterranean Technologies and Techniques which is helping to facilitate ongoing PACP training in Colombia, Stone said. PACP classes and manuals now are available in Spanish, and several classes were held in Columbia and Puerto Rico during the year.
Existing agreements with CERIU (Centre for the Expertise and Research on Infrastructure in Urban Areas) in Quebec and CSA (Canadian Standards Association) were updated to enhance coordination with NASSCO for administering PACP.
Cooperative relationships
Another significant relationship was formalized by a memorandum of agreement between the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and NASSCO.
“I have been involved with WEF at both the local and national levels throughout my career and NASSCO’s formal relationship with WEF – particularly the Collections System Committee – is a natural progression,” said Ted DeBoda, NASSCO executive director. DeBoda currently is a WEF delegate and has served as president and chairman of the Chesapeake Water Environment Association (CWEA).
“Through WEF,” he added, “NASSCO produced two highly-attended webinars; Construction Inspection for Trenchless Technologies and Controlling Infiltration through Chemical Grouting.”
Several ongoing projects progressed through the year.
“A primary task during 2013 has been updating PACP Version 6 to Version 7,” said Stone. “We had a plethora of conference/WebEx calls to review the entire manual. Once that is complete, we will develop updated training materials.
“At the same time, we have been working with the International Pipe Bursting Association (IPBA) to develop ITCP for pipe bursting.
“Another priority project is development of the new website and database. Our consultant and staff have been working very hard to make this operational and we expect to release it early in 2014.”
In March 2014, Stone said the Pima County, AZ, Historic Sewer and Pipe Artifacts Exhibit will be part of the WEF Collections Show Systems Conference in Baltimore under the sponsorship of the CWEA and NASSCO. The popular historical exhibit is a regular feature of the RehabZone at the annual UCT show.
In June, NASSCO relocated its offices from Owings Mills, MD, to Marriottsville, MD. Within two months, said Stone, the NASSCO board of directors visited the new facilities to conduct the first annual Strategic Planning Meeting.
NASSCO is a national association composed of several hundred members representing sewer and rehabilitation industry manufacturers and suppliers, municipalities and utility districts, engineers, and contracting firms dedicated to establishing and implementing standards for rehabilitation of underground utilities.
Stone is president of PipeLogix. Her term as president will end at the association’s 2014 annual meeting in March when Stuart Tillery, Southeast account manager, Duke’s Root Control, will assume office as president.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
NASSCO, (410) 442-7473, www.nassco.org
SIDEBAR
NASSCO To Hold Technical Day In San Diego
The NASSCO Technical Day is one of the most important events planned for the four-day NASSCO Annual Conference, scheduled this year from Feb. 12-15, at the Marriott Gaslight District in San Diego, CA.
This year’s Technical Day, moderated by NASSCO’s Technical Director Gerry Muenchmeyer, will include presentations and discussions on the following technologies:
• Cross-bore – Harley Peterson from Southern California Gas (SCG) will talk about their success in identifying utility pipe cross-bores, where a utility has penetrated a sewer or lateral pipe. He will also discuss technology they are developing for identifying cross-bores.
• Acoustic Sewer Inspection – the city of Cincinnati, OH, is currently testing two inspection technologies using sound to determine blockages in the collection system. This year’s presentation will be made by Jerry Weimer from The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati and will include a follow-up of each technology, the basis of the test project and preliminary findings.
• Pressure Pipe Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation Technologies – during this presentation, Travis Wagner, P.E., Pure Technologies, Norman E. Kampbell, P.E., Rehabilitation Resource Solutions and Kelly Derr, P.E., Brown & Caldwell will discuss pressure pipe assessment, rehabilitation technologies and defect coding recommendations. A discussion forum will follow the presentations for attending members. The afternoon will include a municipal forum comprised of officials from various agencies and municipalities involved in the maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction of underground pipeline infrastructure. This forum, presented by representatives from the city of Los Angeles and Orange County, will allow municipal officials, engineers and contractors to discuss pipeline rehabilitation needs and available solutions.
Technical Day will conclude with a panel discussion and audience participation, with input and recommendations for future technical programs.
The NASSCO Annual Conference is open to all NASSCO members in good standing. For more information, to register for our annual conference or become a NASSCO member, visit nassco.org.
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