The Iowa Department of Revenue will present a no-cost webinar on June 6 at 1 p.m., to help Iowans understand and prepare for the state's Water Service Excise Tax (WET). 
 
Earlier this year, the Iowa legislature passed a new law, SF 512, effective July 1, 2018, which creates the tax.  Prior to the enactment of this law, the sale of water was subject to the 6% state sales tax. The WET exempts the sale of water service from state sales tax, but imposes a 6% excise tax on the sale of water service. This webinar will cover all of the basics of the tax, how to register for a WET permit, when to file returns and deposits, and common Q&A's.   
 
For more details or to register, please visit http://www.iasourcelink.com/resources/business-webinars/iowa-tax-webinars. 
 
The Iowa Department of Revenue has partnered with the Center for Business Growth and Innovation at the University of Northern Iowa to provide free tax webinars on IASourceLink. The presenters for this webinar are:

• Joe Fraioli, Attorney, Iowa Department of Revenue
• Marsha Peterson, Tax Management Division, Iowa Department of Revenue
  

Denison Municipal Utilities (DMU) recently signed a construction contract with John T. Jones Construction of Fargo, ND, for a major maintenance and construction project at the DMU Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The project will make significant improvements to the DMU facility to increase the facility’s operational efficiencies as Denison’s population continues to grow, local industries expand, and new businesses are welcomed to the community. The project will be contained within the current footprint of the wastewater treatment facility. Some of the more significant improvements include:

• Replacing a 40-year-old lift station that takes in all of the City's domestic flow
• Capacity upgrades to the activated sludge process, including 750,000-gallon anoxic basins for nutrient removal
• Remodel Lab Control building constructed in the early 1980s
• Upgrade the force main river crossing to the WWTP
• Installing a fiber ring for SCADA automated controls for maximum plant operation efficiencies
• Efficiency upgrades to aerobic digesters constructed in the early 1980s
• Demolishing older, inefficient WWTP processes
• Constructing two covered anaerobic lagoons with a 13-million-gallon operating capacity

 
DMU is pleased to also announce that the project’s timing will coincide with major wastewater treatment improvements for Smithfield Foods. By coordinating the projects, DMU and Smithfield were able to partner on the construction contract for monetary and mobilization efficiencies. This project will enhance the partnership that DMU has built with all residential, commercial, and industrial customers over the 100-plus years of providing sanitary sewer service to the community.
 
The initial project fieldwork started shortly after a preconstruction meeting held May 16. The project is expected to be completed and fully operational by March 2020.

Sibley Municipal Utilities (SMU) hosted the Sibley Ocheyedan fourth grade class for a visit at the Power Plant on May 24 to help the students learn more about power, safety, and opportunities in the electric field.
 
There were 67 students and four teachers who attended the event. The students were divided into four groups and rotated to four different stations. Each student was given a draw string bag from Northwest Iowa Community College (WICC) with information about the college, student newsletter, coloring sheet, and other items supplied by SMU. There were 67 students and 4 teachers. 

The Sibley area is served by three power providers. It is important that the students and parents are aware of who to contact in case of an outage or electrical emergency. We appreciate the opportunity to have Northwest Iowa Community College be a part of the tour. We want to be sure our students understand there are different career options for them after graduating High School.

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities in conjunction with Wichita State Environmental Finance Center (EFC), encourages representatives from your utility to attend an upcoming asset management workshop. As a water/wastewater system, you are responsible for meeting your customer’s expectations at the right cost while efficiently operating and managing your system. Asset Management can help you get through efficient operation and management. It includes 5 components: asset condition, customer service, asset criticality, life cycle costs, and long-term planning. The session provides participants with an understanding of what to include in an asset management plan, who should be involved and why it’s important to implement a plan. The training will provide classroom instruction as well as interactive participant exercises and discussion.
 
*5 CEU hours available for Water Treatment, Distribution, or Wastewater.

Who Should Attend?
This training would be beneficial for very small systems with populations of 500 or less, as well as Financial/Accounting Staff, Utility Directors, City Managers, City Clerks, Board/City Council Members, and Operators.
 
Cost:
$25.00  (Funding for this workshop is provided by Region 7 EPA.  Charges for the workshop are to cover lunch and administrative costs.)
 
Location:
IAMU Training and Office Complex
1735 NE 70th Avenue
Ankeny, IA  50021

Click HERE for registration and additional information.

Bench grinders, pedestal grinders, and angle grinders are versatile tools that use various blades, brushes, or abrasive wheels to clean, buff, cut, or smooth material. Due to internal damage, abrasive wheels have been known to explode violently while in use. This internal damage can occur when a wheel is dropped, contact with falling material occurs, or during the manufacturing process. This is the reason that OSHA requires that a ring test be conducted on wheels before they are mounted onto grinding equipment.

The ring test is an effective method of detecting a defect in grinding wheels that are
over 4 inches in diameter. The wheels can’t be mounted during as that inhibits the
ring. The grinding wheels should be free from dust or grease buildup, and they should
be dry as water within the wheel’s porous structure also deadens the sound.

How to do the test:

1. Suspend the wheel with a tool handle or your finger through the arbor hole in the
   wheel.
2. Tap the flat side of the wheel with a light nonmetallic
   implement, such as a screw driver handle, at an
   area 45 degrees from the vertical center line on each side
   of the wheel and 1 – 2 inches from the edge of the wheel.
   (see illustration)
   
3. Rotate the wheel 45 degrees and repeat the test until the
   entire wheel has been tested.
   

The wheel passes the test if it gives a clear metallic tone (ring) when tapped at
all four points. If the wheel sounds dead (dull thud) at any of the four points, it is
cracked or damaged internally. Do not use it.

IAMU is once again offering the Electric Utility System Operation Short Course (EUSO) presented by Skip Collier of Professional Training Systems, Inc.
 
Skip is highly regarded and has an extensive background in electric utility design, construction, maintenance and operation.
 
EUSO Short Course:  July 31 – August 2
The EUSO Short Course is designed for any employee whose job performance will benefit from a basic understanding of the operations side of the business.  This includes those from legal, rates, engineering, purchasing, computer application, marketing, customer service, inventory control, finance, accounting, safety, risk analysis as well as those from generating plants.  One goal for this class is to have students leave with the ability to easily identify all of the electrical equipment they see in a substation as they walk by, along with all the equipment found on the poles in a residential area.  Non-electrical engineers are often at a disadvantage in the electric utility environment due to a lack of familiarity with technical issues.  The better you understand the utility’s product – electrical energy – and how it is created and distributed, the better you can serve the utility and your customers.  This course assumes no electrical background, and builds on the basics to provide a comprehensive understanding of the equipment and operations.
 
*Line Maintainer apprentices will receive 21 Basic OJT hours for taking the EUSO Course.*
 
Registration is open.
Registration fees for the course are below.
 
(*If you are planning on sending more than one participant from your organization, please make sure to share this with multiple departments so that you qualify for the reduced cost with the initial registration.)

• EUSO Course - $950 for a single registrant OR $850 each for two or more participants from the same utility/organization

For additional information, brochure, and registration, please click HERE.  The registration deadline for the workshop is Tuesday, July 24, 2018.

IAMU Safety Services will be holding a Drug & Alcohol Employee/Supervisor Training Webinar. This 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

The first half of the webinar will be spent on symptoms of alcohol abuse.  The second half will be spent on the symptoms of drug/controlled substance abuse.

*A Certificate of Completion will be emailed to registrants after the event.

Who Should Attend?
Employees and supervisors involved with CDLs and/or gas operations.

Webinar Time and Length:
Thursday, June 14, 2018 – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Questions?
Contact Paul Kittelson at pkittelson@iamu.org, or (800) 810-4268.

Registration is open.  For additional information and online registration, please click HERE.

Mark your calendars for the IAMU Water Distribution & Leak Detection/Line Locating Workshops.  The workshops will take place May 23 - 24 at the IAMU Training and Office Complex.

Water Distribution Training topics will include:

• Fire hydrant maintenance
• Water main tapping / HydraStop
• Water main installation / repair & fittings
  
  

Water Leak Detection / Line Locating topics will include:

• Water leak detection
• Line locating
• Trenching & shoring
•  Fittings

0.6 CEUs each day for Water Distribution.

Cost:

Early Registration (on or before May 18)

• IAMU Members - $65/day or $115 both days
• Non-Members - $105/day or $190 both days

Late/At-the-Door Registration

• IAMU Members - $75/day or $135 both days
  
• Non-Members - $115/day or $210 both days
  

Registration is open.  For more information about the workshops, brochure, and online registration, click HERE.

Mark your calendars for the Arc Flash & 2018 NFPA 70E Updates class.  This one-day course will take place on Wednesday, May 30 at the IAMU Training & Office Complex.

This course will be taught by Dave Sullivan of Sullivan Training & Consulting, LLC.  Dave has taught electrical training courses for over 25 years covering topics such as National Electrical Code updates, grounding and bonding, power factor correction, arc flash, and the NFPA 70E.  He is a member of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and conducts trainings throughout the Midwest.
This course will cover Arc Flash and explain the rules and changes in the new 2018 NFPA 70E Codebook.  Course highlights will include:

• Short circuit hazards
• Codes and standards
• Steps to upgrade for arc flash
• Future recommendations
• Proper FR PPE
• NFPA 70E 2018 Edition

Who Should Attend:
Managers, safety professionals, water/wastewater supervisors, electric utility engineers & supervisors, designers, technicians, and all field personnel who are responsible for or who make decisions concerning electrical safety and operations. The course is conducted at a practical level and is appropriate for degreed professionals, including engineers and engineering technicians, as well as skilled craft personnel, field supervisors and non-degreed high school graduates with a general knowledge of the electric system.

Need Flexible Credit Hours / PDH?  A certificate good for four (4) contact hours will be awarded.

Where and When:
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
10:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.
IAMU Training Office
1735 NE 70th Avenue
Ankeny, IA  50021

Minimum 20 participants; Maximum 60 participants.

For additional information and registration, please click HERE.