NASSCO is dedicated to assuring the continued acceptance and growth of trenchless technologies, and education is a big part of that mission.

Next month NASSCO members will come together for the 2014 Annual Conference in San Diego, which will feature a high-powered day of technical presentations and discussions. This is not a sales event; it is designed to inform and educate our members on everything that’s new in trenchless technologies in a neutral, educational setting. Some highlights of the technical presentations will include:

• A continuation of our program on pressure pipe, with updated presentations on pipeline assessment and rehabilitation followed by an ask-the-experts forum for interactive questions and answers about pressure pipe rehabilitation.
• An update on acoustic sewer tools, including a report by Jerry Weimer of Cincinnati Municipal Sewer District on their findings from the current EPA study.
• A presentation from Southern California Gas (SCG) about using CCTV inspection to locate and eliminate cross bores. This work impacts both our contractor members who perform the work and municipal members who should be educated in the benefits of these investigations. A representative of the organization will provide a presentation and be available for questions and answers.
• Formation of a panel of municipal and utility managers from California who will discuss their experience, challenges and expectations with pipeline rehabilitation technologies for their ongoing programs. The panel will interact with the membership to discuss common issues and solutions.

The Annual Conference, scheduled for Feb. 12-15 at the Marriott Gaslight in San Diego, will include a general meeting where members can learn about everything new at NASSCO. Members will also have the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and experience to one or more of our many influential committees including asset management, CIPP, government relations, health and safety, industry relations, industry standards, infrastructure condition assessment, lateral rehabilitation, Latin America, manholes, pressure pipe, RehabZone, software vendors and more. By participating in one of our committees, NASSCO members have a voice, lend their expertise and make a difference for our industry.

Networking with other professionals can be just as important as the technical aspects of our industry, and the golf tournament, welcome reception and awards banquet associated with the conference will provide plenty of time for networking with your peers. If you are a NASSCO member in good standing, please mark your calendar for this important meeting. If you aren’t yet a NASSCO member, start the year out right. Visit www.nassco.org and apply for membership today.

Ted DeBoda is executive director of NASSCO. He can be reached at director@nassco.org.