Blog Archives

29th Annual Water and Wastewater Operator's Training Workshop

9/27/2023

Water and wastewater members: Registration is open, plan to attend the annual Water and Wastewater Operators Training Workshop which will be held Nov. 28 – 30.
The workshop will take place at Prairie Meadows – The Meadows Events Center in Altoona.

This three-day workshop is geared toward water and wastewater professionals wanting practical information to help them do their jobs. There will be both basic and advanced topic for water treatment, water distribution, and wastewater. Attendees can earn 1.2 CEUs toward certification.

For more information or to register as an attendee or vendor, visit the event webpage on the IAMU website.

The early registration deadline is November 10.

Incident Investigation Workshop - Last Chance to Sign Up!

9/27/2023

October 5, 2023

This workshop is designed to give basic working knowledge to those conducting incident investigations in the workplace. Employers, supervisors, lead employees or anyone that is part of a safety committee are encouraged to attend. The workshop will include discussion on how to develop a safety and health management system, how to lead an incident investigation, how to conduct effective interviews and how to write the report.

Questions?
Contact Margret Meade at [email protected] or (515) 210-6617

For additional information and online registration, please click HERE

IAMU Energy Conference - February 21 - 23, 2024

9/26/2023

2023 Public Natural Gas Week October 1-7

9/26/2023

Public Natural Gas Week (PNGW) is a nationwide observance that offers the perfect opportunity for you to showcase your public natural gas system and generate enthusiasm about the benefits of public natural gas. We hope that all APGA member utilities join us in this nationwide observance to honor the work and importance of locally-owned public natural gas systems. The American Public Gas Association has a great array of items to help you promote PNGW to your customers – You can find that here.

Public Power Week October 1-7, 2023

9/26/2023

Public power utilities across the U.S. celebrate Public Power Week the first full week of October every year to help customers understand how they can better engage with their community-owned utility and benefit from all its offerings.

The American Public Power Association (APPA) has some tools for communicating with your audience. Check out their website here with various ideas such as social media posts, coloring sheets for kids and handouts to inform your customers.

Wastewater Collection System Workshop - October 10, 2023

9/25/2023

The IAMU Wastewater Collection System Workshop, sponsored by CIT Sewer Solutions, is just around the corner, and it's an event you won't want to miss.

Join us for a day of learning, networking, and hands-on experience. Here's a sneak peek of what's in store:

Training Topics:

Case Study of Defiance, IA
Muffin Monster Grinders and Related Products
Sanitary Sewer Master Plan for City of Bloomfield

Live Demos:

Jet Trailer and Camera Truck (Mid Iowa)
Robotic Cutter (CIT Sewer Solutions)
SITHE Chopper Pump Demo (Electric Pump)
Control Panel and Starnet Building Demo (Electric Pump)

*** 0.5 CEUs available for Wastewater ***

Register Now - Click Here!

Sign Up for Shooting for Scholars!

9/22/2023

Get ready for an unforgettable event this October 13th at the Pioneer Gun Club in Waukee! Join us for our annual "Fun raising" event, Shooting for Scholars.

Imagine spending your day shooting sporting clays while making a positive impact on education. By participating in this event, you'll be contributing to the IAMU Scholarship program, which supports the pursuit of higher education for deserving individuals.

IAMU offers two incredible scholarship programs: one for students aiming for careers in utilities and another for the children or grandchildren of IAMU member employees. By attending Shooting for Scholars, you're directly helping these bright minds achieve their educational dreams.

But that's not all – we're also inviting you to become a sponsor and enhance the impact of this event even further. With various sponsorship options available, you can choose the level of support that suits you best.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to make a difference and have a blast while doing it. Register now or become a sponsor by clicking the links below. October 13th is just around the corner, so secure your spot today! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Utility Pole Climbing Workshop

9/20/2023

Registration is open! CLICK HERE to register
November 1 - 3, 2023
*** Course Limited to 10 Attendees ***

This course will identify the personal protective equipment, pole climbing equipment, inspection process and techniques needed to climb wooden poles. Besides learning about each piece of climbing equipment, participants will learn how to inspect each component to assure it is in good condition and safe to use.

In the hands-on portion of the course, participants will learn how to inspect a pole to ensure it’s safe to climb; this will also include identifying items such as signs attached to poles, or objects (i.e. fence posts, etc.) located near the pole that may pose as a potential hazard.

Participants will learn proper foot placement on the pole, practice using a fall protection safety strap to ascend and descend a pole; learn how to climb a pole (clockwise and counterclockwise) and the proper technique for climbing over attachments on the pole.

The course will conclude with participants learning some basic knots, how to use a hand line and attempting to achieve the climbing certification criteria currently being used by the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities.

This workshop is beneficial for anyone that is interested in learning how to climb. Apprentices in Module A of the IAMU Electric Line Maintainer Program are encouraged to attend.
*** Apprentices will receive 12 Overhead OJT hours for attendance ***

Source Water Protection Week Sept. 24-30, 2023.

9/20/2023

We invite everyone to help "Protect the Source" by spreading the word about the importance of source water protection. American Water Works Association has a nice tool kit for social media posts to celebrate the week, you can find that here.

Encourage people to help protect this resource and help conserve the watersheds that are the source of our water, protect our water from pollution, practice water conservation, become involved in local water issues, and plan to protect water for future community health and economic vitality.

Shooting for Scholars - Sign Up Now!

9/20/2023

October 13 will be here before you know it and how great would it be to spend a Friday afternoon shooting sporting clays? Register now for our annual “Fun raising” – Shooting for Scholars -October 13 at the Pioneer Gun Club in Waukee.
Proceeds from the shoot benefits the IAMU Scholarship program.
IAMU offers 2 scholarship programs –a scholarship program for students pursuing a post-secondary program with a utility focus and a general scholarship program for children or grandchildren of IAMU member employees.
For more information or to register, click here.

Want to be a sponsor?? We have several options available. To sign up as a sponsor, click here!

Shrimp n Bingo Announcement

9/19/2023

Now that the dust has settled, classes are in session and summer is officially coming to a close, we wanted to take the opportunity to THANK YOU for your support of Shrimp & Bingo, the fundraiser for DMACC’s Water Environmental Technology program.

We are excited to announce that the 2023 Shrimp & Bingo event raised nearly $21,400 for Water Environmental Technology Scholarships! Shrimp-ly amazing – pun intended! This event started in 2012 with 80 people in attendance, and now has grown to over 200. We are proud to boast that, since the inception, hundreds of WET scholarships have been awarded to students.

The annual Shrimp and Bingo event is a collaboration between DMACC and several industry groups including the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU), Iowa Association of Water Agencies (IAWA), Iowa Water Environment Association (IAWEA), Iowa Section of American Water Works Association (IA-AWWA) and the Iowa Rural Water Association (IRWA). We couldn’t continue to host this event, or provide the scholarship support that we do, without these partnerships.

And speaking of partnerships, we’d like to give one final shout out to our event sponsors! Their support is making a big difference for our students – and the industry! A BIG thank you to:

Grade 3 Sponsors

John Ringelstein
Dixon Engineering
Water Professionals International
Strand Associates
Bert Gurney and Associates

Grade 2 Sponsors

Iowa Association of Water Agencies
Iowa Pump Works
Black and Veach
Iowa Rural Water Association

Grade 1 Sponsors

Nutri-Ject
Electric Pump
Garden and Associates, Ltd.
McClure
Keith Hobson
Municipal Pipe Tool Co LLC
Steve Gearhart
Stanley Consultants
PeopleService
HDR Inc

Huge kudos also to our PRIZE DONORS with more than $4,500 worth of prizes distributed to bingo and raffle winners throughout the evening.

And that’s not all! During the event, it was announced that IWEA donated $30,000 to be used for scholarships and the Miller family, including Tom, Dick, Deb and John Miller, donated $284,943 to the DMACC Foundation for the creation of a Water Environmental Technology (WET) Program lab on the DMACC Ankeny campus. Tom Miller is the President and CEO at Des Moines-based manufacturer Electric Pump Inc., succeeding his father, Dick Miller. Construction of the new lab on DMACC’s Ankeny campus is expected to be completed by the start of 2024 fall semester classes.

As we look towards next year, please save the date and make plans to join us next year on August 24, 2024! Watch for sponsorship opportunities to be announced this fall.

Sincerely,
-Shrimp & Bingo Committee

52nd Annual Iowa Governor’s Safety & Health Conference

9/19/2023

Early Bird Registration Closes October 1st

October 24th -25th, 2023
Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel

Join us in Altoona for two days of conversation on how best to protect Iowa workers. Network with colleagues, make new contacts, and continue your growth as an OESH professional.

$275 Early bird registration before October 1, 2023
$295 Registration on or after October 1, 2023

CLICK HERE to register!

Only a Few Spots Left - Natural Gas "Boot Camp" Phase 2

9/18/2023

10/3/2023 to 10/5/2023

Workshop is limited to 15 attendees - register now to claim your spot!

Who Should Attend?
This training course is intended for individuals who have at least one or more years of experience in the natural gas industry and/or have already successfully completed Boot Camp for Dispatch and On-CalI Personnel.

This training course is intended to provide "next steps" in the operator qualification process by providing in depth classroom and hands-on training for OQ covered tasks.

All classroom and hands-on training will be conducted according to procedures found in the IAMU Operations & Maintenance Plan - Written Procedures Manual.

Additional information, brochure, and online registration can be found HERE

Last Chance to Sign Up - Fall Broadband Forum

9/18/2023

The Merrill Hotel
119 W Mississippi Dr
Muscatine, IA 52761

September 28 - 29, 2023

Join us for an exciting evening at the Almost Friday Fest with food, music, and fun! Network with other broadband members, vendors, and experts in the field. And you will NOT want to miss Friday's speaker sessions - with the MPW story, member round-tables, and more!

To see the attendee brochure, get more information, and to register, click HERE!

Questions?
Contact Curtis Dean at [email protected] or (515) 650-0251

2023 Safety Group Risk Management Workshop

9/12/2023

Tuesday, October 31
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
***IAMU Safety Group members and their local agents are invited to participate free of charge***

Attached below is a registration form for our fall risk management workshop to be held at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. A video recording of the workshop will be available in November for those unable to attend.

Safety Group representatives will share information and answer your questions on various risk management topics:

Program Update
Coverage Enhancements
Disaster Preparedness/Planning
Attorney Connect
Cyber Coverage Update

Please complete registration by filling out the below form, and emailing to [email protected]
You can also return via mail: Jester Insurance, 303 Watson Powell Jr. Way, Suite 300, Des Moines, IA 50309

2023_registration_form.pdf
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