Register now for our Drug & Alcohol Employee/Supervisor Training Webinar on Monday, July 17, 2023.

The webinar will address the following:

• The effects of drugs and alcohol on the body
• Recognize the signs, symptoms, and indicators of substance abuse at the workplace
• Comply with federal DOT regulations requiring 2-hour reasonable suspicion training for supervisors
• 60 minutes will be spent on symptoms of alcohol abuse
  
• 60 minutes will be spent on symptoms of drug/controlled substance abuse

***Certificate of Completion will be emailed to registrants upon confirmation of participant's full attendance in webinar***

Questions? Contact Joedy Dennis at jdennis@iamu.org or 515-681-7961

Attention Water Professionals! Don't miss out on the opportunity to enhance your skills and earn valuable CEU's! The Water Distribution Training & Water Leak Detection/Line Locating Workshop is coming up soon!

Join us on May 24th for the Water Distribution Training Workshop and May 25th for the Water Leak Detection/Line Locating Workshop. Each workshop is worth 0.6 CEU's for Water Distribution. Attend one or both workshops and gain valuable insights from industry experts.

Click HERE to get more information and register now!

Have any questions? Contact Steve Marsh at 515.289.1999 or by email at smarsh@iamu.org.

We can't wait to see you there!

Attention All Certified Drinking Water Treatment, Drinking Water Distribution, and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators:

The Iowa DNR is notifying all Certified Drinking Water and Wastewater Operators that their current Iowa certificate will expire on June 30, 2023.

Certificate Renewal Information: On May 1, 2023, renewal applications will be available under each certified operator’s individual details in the Iowa DNR Operator Certification Database at: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/opcertweb/pages/opmenu.aspx

Renewal notifications that include instructions for using our online system will be sent out via the US Postal Service the 3rd and 4th of May. We encourage operators to renew online using a credit card or electronic check. Submission of payment online instantaneously renews a certificate.

Continuing Education Renewal Requirements: Continuing Education (CEU) hours are still being reported to the Iowa DNR. If your CEUs do not show up online on May 1st, please contact us at opcertcustomersupport@dnr.iowa.gov or call 515-725-0463.

For a successful renewal by June 30, 2023, certificate holders must have earned the amount of CEUs required by the certificate(s) you held on April 1, 2021. If you are not required to earn CEUs this renewal period, you still must renew by paying the appropriate fee.

Questions: Contact us at opcertcustomersupport@dnr.iowa.gov or call 515-725-0463 with any questions concerning operator certificate renewal.

Did you miss the Iowa DNR Update and Lead Service Line Inventory Presentations at recent conferences and regional meetings?  Here is your chance to attend the presentations and get the information that was shared.
 
What:  IDNR Lead Service Line Inventory Workshop
When:  Tuesday, May 9th
Time:    9AM-Noon  Classroom Demonstration of IDNR Template & DNR Updates
             Noon-3PM  Optional One-on-One Technical Assistance
Where:    Marr Park Conservation Education Center
                 2943 Highway 92
                 Ainsworth, IA 52201
Cost:  FREE
Registration:  Please email the following information to  opcertcustomersupport@dnr.iowa.gov:

• Name(s) of those attending
• Operator(s) ID# if applicable
• Public Water Supply you are representing
  
  

Three hours of continuing education credit toward an IDNR Water Treatment or Water Distribution Certification will be awarded for completion of the morning workshop. 

Any Questions? Please call the Lead Service Line Hotline at 515.289.5203

The IAMU Electric Training Team and the Electric Safety and Training Committee are excited to announce a change to our workshops.  In recent years we have noticed we were getting many attendees with less than 5 years of experience and many who have over 15 years of experience.  This has created a challenge in keeping everyone engaged with the varying differences in knowledge. 

The IAMU Electric Training Team and the Electric Safety and Training Committee have a solution! 

We now have our Basic Electric Distribution Workshop which will be held in May and replaces the Overhead Electric Workshop.  Our Advanced Electric Distribution Workshop in September will replace the Underground Electric Workshop.  Please read over the topics and see which of your workers should attend the Basic and who should attend the Advanced Workshop.  Some example topics of the Advanced Workshop are: 3 phase transformer connections, hot work, troubleshooting, switching procedures, storm restoration, etc. 

Please feel free to reach out to jmasker@iamu.org with any questions you may have regarding these classes.  
 
To sign up for the Basic Electric Distribution workshop please CLICK HERE. 
The deadline for hotel block reservation is 05/01/2023

Drinking Water Week is May 7-13, 2023. It’s an opportunity to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily life, to your community. The American Water Works has a toolbox that you can get graphics from for social media and newsletters. You can find that here. Drinking Water Week is a perfect time to educate children about their water supply.  And, don’t forget your municipal employees! Drinking Water Week can help reaffirm to your employees the importance of what it is they do – provide clean, safe drinking water for the public.

We have a new employee to introduce--Shannon Sellers joins our team as a Safety Specialist.  Shannon received her Bachelors in Occupational Health and Safety – Safety Management from North Carolina A & T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. 
 
Much of her career has been in a variety of safety related positions at John Deere in Moline, Illinois and Ankeny, Iowa.  This work included conducting safety training for employees, strategic planning initiatives and collaboration with a cross functional team to integrate corrective actions from audits.  Most recently, Shannon analyzed injury and risk data to assist her internal clients with implementation of appropriate safety programs and processes to increase employee engagement and reduce injuries.
 
Shannon’s experience and safety industry knowledge will allow her to provide our members with quality training and be an excellent resource for safety related concerns.

Over the next few weeks, Shannon will be in the office to receive training and work with the Safety Department.  Please introduce yourself and welcome her to the IAMU team.

IAMU members – join us for an information and Q&A Session on the tax implications of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This webinar will be an overview of grants, loans, rebates, and tax credits in the IRA.  We’re pleased to welcome Lucas Jenkins (Vice President: Public Finance - Utilities & Structured Finance) and Jeffrey Schub (Senior Vice President, Sustainable Finance Integration) of Wells Fargo to present on this exciting topic. Did you know that since the passage of the IRA, tax exempt municipal utilities are now able to monetize federal tax credits for renewable energy and other qualifying projects? Jeff and Lucas will give a few examples of how munis can take advantage of these changes to the law. You will not want to miss this webinar!
 
Register today here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElce2qrTssG9FYNK5UpJH2D1NBDI2kNFc0

After a successful inaugural event in 2022, the Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC), in partnership with the Iowa Association for Energy Efficiency (IAEE), will hold the second annual Energy Trends Workshop.
 
With the need for residents and businesses to reduce their use of fossil fuels sooner rather than later, this one-day workshop focuses on current and future energy trends in Iowa. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from and network with energy experts, consultants, industry professionals and government agencies with the goal of elevating the energy conversation in Iowa. Past attendees noted they “...really enjoyed this event…” and “...received a number of calls and emails after the event to connect and share additional information.”
 
The event will open with Keynote Speaker Robert Bryce. Mr. Bryce is the host of the Power Hungry Podcast and has been writing about energy, power, innovation and politics for more than 30 years. The author, journalist, and film producer will present on “Renewable dreams, hydrocarbon realities and the real fuels of the future”. Breakout sessions will occur throughout the day.
 
Date: Thursday, May 4
Time: 8:15 am - 4:00 pm (Registration opens at 8:15 am)
Location: West Des Moines Marriott – 1250 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines, IA 50266
Cost: $75 per person. IAEE members receive discounted tickets at $60 per person.
If cost is a barrier to attendance, scholarships are available on a case-by-case basis. Contact Dan Nickey at daniel.nickey@uni.edu for more information.
 
Register at https://iwrc.uni.edu/iowa-energy-efficiency/workshop

In partnership with the states of Nebraska and Missouri, Gov. Reynolds announced that Iowa has submitted a grant application with the U.S. Department of Energy for funding to establish the Mid-Continent Clean Hydrogen Hub (MCH2) in the tri-state region.  The partnership, created through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the three states, creates a regional partnership around their hydrogen industries and apply for federal funds. The MOU commits the three states to support MCH2 for funding under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 
 
As the agreement indicates, the three participating states are well-situated and uniquely qualified to host a Hydrogen Hub. In addition, they share agricultural and energy assets that are complimentary and will ultimately achieve the collective and individual state goals of clean energy production.  
   
The partnership has many goals, some of which include to drive economic growth and development for each of the participating states and the region, incorporate the latest science, research, and technology for the cost-effective production, transportation, storage, and use of clean hydrogen, among other goals.
 
The full press release can be read in its entirety here:
https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2023-04-13/iowa-nebraska-missouri-partner-application-create-clean-hydrogen-hub
 
The full Memorandum of Understand (MOU) can be read in its entirety here:
https://governor.iowa.gov/media/193/download?inline