NASSCO’s mission to set standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure is accomplished through education, technical resources and industry advocacy. To make the greatest impact, NASSCO needs partners. NASSCO continues to work with other leading industry organizations to improve the success rate of everyone involved in underground infrastructure assessment and rehabilitation.  

In 2013, NASSCO signed a memorandum of understanding with the Water Environment Federation to collaborate on bringing standards and essential training to the industry. NASSCO and WEF continue to collaborate on a series of webinars to inform a wider audience about practical applications of a variety of trenchless technologies including chemical grouting, construction inspection for trenchless rehabilitation, manhole rehabilitation and pipe bursting.  NASSCO will continue to offer workshops in support of WEFTEC and the WEF Collections Specialty Conference, contribute to the WEF Operations Challenge, and work closely with the WEF Collections System Committee to promote essential training and usher in technological advances to our industry.

This year, NASSCO has also formed a partnership with the Trenchless Technology Center at Louisiana Tech University, a university/industry cooperative research center. The technology center’s mission is to advance trenchless technology by serving as an independent source of knowledge, research and education.

NASSCO and the TTC have formally come together to mutually endorse quality maintenance, assessment and rehabilitation standards to sustain wastewater collections systems, and the need for thoroughly trained, qualified and certified practitioners, all of which are critical components of the public health infrastructure. Specific initiatives include extending education and training through webcasts, workshops, manuals and technical presentations at conferences attended by NASSCO and TTC. Additionally, the organizations will work to jointly encourage standardization of pipeline, manhole and lateral assessment training and certification, jointly promote NASSCO’s Sewer History Exhibit and collaborate on specific projects as opportunities arise.

As our industry continues to grow, so do our partnerships and alliances with organizations such as WEF and TTC. For example, NASSCO is currently discussing ways to partner with the Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education at the University of Texas –Arlington. The center was established in 2002 to promote research, development and training in underground infrastructure construction and renewal technologies through research, outreach and education. With an ultimate goal to enhance safety, develop new and cost-effective rehabilitation solutions, create a better-trained and more diverse workforce, develop new modes of technology transfer and create road maps for pipeline inspecting, real-time monitoring, GIS, GPS and renewal integration, its mission aligns well with NASSCO’s.

The ultimate objective in partnering with these highly respected organizations is to disseminate quality information to make the greatest impact on successful trenchless projects, which will benefit the industry and our communities.