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Infrastructure + Get AlertsWe all knew there was a great need for the standardization of pipeline inspection in our industry back in 2001. The only thing we needed was a champion and some guidance. Both came together that year when the Pipeline Assessment and Certification Committee was formed under the leadership of committee chair Rod Thornhill of White Rock Consultants, then-executive director of NASSCO Mike Burkhard, and the Water Research Centre (WRc) in Swindon, England.
We held our first class in January 2002 after many meetings of the minds and some old-fashioned elbow grease. Since that time, PACP has grown steadily, gaining momentum as word spread about the new standard being adopted across the country. PACP has become increasingly more important from coast to coast and is now included in many specifications and EPA consent decrees. Hawaii has been using PACP for several years, and we are now providing training in Alaska.
As the PACP expanded, the Centre for the Expertise and Research on Infrastructure in Urban Areas (CERIU) in Montreal, Quebec, de-termined that it would greatly benefit their asset management programs and aid in the quality and accuracy of the data collected. They translated PACP into French and adopted it as their standard in 2008, followed soon thereafter by the Canadian Standards Association, which sets standards for the rest of Canada.
Once Canada adopted the PACP standard, we turned our sights to the south and created a Latin America Committee to aid in determining the feasibility of expanding PACP into that region. Colombia showed the most interest, although we determined there was a definite need in other areas of the region as well.
In order to meet the demand for PACP in Spanish-speaking areas, the Latin America Committee, under the guidance of Diego Calderon, NASSCO staff engineer, began the process of translating the manual and all of the training materials needed to conduct a successful class in Spanish. After extensive peer review, the materials were ready for prime time.
The first two-day class was held at CDM-Smith's Bogotá office, and was delivered last October by Master PACP Trainer Luis R. León, P.E., BCEE, a project manager at CDM-Smith. An attendance of 12 to 14 students was projected, but 22 sewer professionals ultimately participated in the class, which led to a well-diversified learning experience. Participants included contractors, consulting firms, operators and municipal engineers. In particular, there was a high percentage of attendance of engineers and operators from the three largest municipal sewer service providers in Colombia: Bogotá (EAAB); Medellín (EPM); and Cali (EMCALI). The training in Colombia sparked interest in other South American countries, as well as Puerto Rico.
Our mission at NASSCO continues to meet the current needs of the industry: To set industry standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure, and to assure the continued acceptance and growth of trenchless technologies, now in multiple countries and in multiple languages. If there is a need for PACP in your area, please contact NASSCO.
Ted DeBoda is executive director of NASSCO. He can be reached at director@nassco.org.
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PACP TRAINING
February 13-14, 2013
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Includes Manholes and Laterals!
Trainer: Garret Harvey
For more information or to register contact Jasmine Harvey at 403-243-0276 or jasmine@thuro.ca
March 5-7, 2013
Waterbury, CT
Includes Manholes and Laterals!
For more information or to register contact Laurie Perkins at 603-570-7115 or laurie.perkins
@wright-pierce.com
March 8-10, 2013
Twinsburg (Cleveland), OH
Includes Manholes and Laterals!
Trainer: Brandon Conley
For more information or to register contact Kay Doheny at 248-939-3220 or pacp@dohenysupplies.com
March 13-14, 2013
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Includes Manholes and Laterals!
Trainer: Garret Harvey
For more information or to register contact Garret Harvey at 250-223-8664 or gevanharvey@gmail.com
March 18-20, 2013
Owings Mills, MD
Includes Manholes and Laterals!
For more information or to register contact Dawn Jaworski at 410-486-3500 or dawn@nassco.org
April 15-17, 2013
Owings Mills, MD
Includes Manholes and Laterals!
For more information or to register contact Dawn Jaworski at 410-486-3500 or dawn@nassco.org
May 6-8, 2013
Owings Mills, MD
Includes Manholes and Laterals!
For more information or to register contact Dawn Jaworski at 410-486-3500 or dawn@nassco.org
Northville, MI
Includes Manholes and Laterals!
Jack Doheny Companies Open House Equipment/Training Show
(Thurs. May 9, 2013 - ALL INVITED)
Trainer: Brandon Conley
For more information or to register contact Kay Doheny at 248-939-3220 or pacp@dohenysupplies.com
May 14-16, 2013
Atlantic City, NJ
Includes Manholes and Laterals!
NJ WEA Annual Conference
Trainer: Brandon Conley
For more information or to register contact Kay Doheny at 248-939-3220 or pacp@dohenysupplies.com
PACP RECERTIFICATION
March 7, 2013
Sacramento, CA
PACP User Recertification
For more information or to register contact Dawn Jaworski at 410-486-3500 or dawn@nassco.org
April 9, 2013
Owings Mills, MD
PACP User Recertification
For more information or to register contact Dawn Jaworski at 410-486-3500 or dawn@nassco.org
ITCP TRAINING
If you are interested in having a class at your facility or in your area, contact Gerry Muenchmeyer at 252-626-9930 or gmuenchmeyer@suddenlink.net