The Water Quality Association has activated its crisis response blog to assist members and the public with frequent updates about the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and the impact of severe flooding on water supplies. “We wanted to make sure members as well as residents have access to the WQA resources about how water quality can be affected by flooding,” said WQA Executive Director Pauli Undesser. “We also want to keep people informed about what our members are doing to help in the recovery efforts.” The new blog will post videos, podcasts, news releases and photos along with news headlines. The information will be linked to social media posts on WQA’s Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages. A WQA Flood Resources page is also available.
WQA is offering several education and professional certification exam opportunities at upcoming state and regional Water Quality Association events (click on the links below for information and registration):
- Eastern WQA: Modular Education Program (MEP) instruction will be offered September 21 from 8 a.m. to noon, and the Professional Certification exam will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. The EWQA Convention is September 19-21 in Pocono Manor, PA.
- Tri-State Culligan Dealers Association: The Professional Certification Exam will be offered September 19 from 8 to 11 a.m. The Convention and Product Fair will be held September 19-21 in Fort Wayne, IN.
- Pacific WQA: MEP instruction will be offered October 10, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Professional Certification Exam will be offered October 12 from 8 to 11 a.m. PWQA Convention and Trade Show is October 9-12 in Temecula, CA.
- Minnesota WQA: The Professional Certification Exam will be offered October 25 from 1 to 4 p.m., during the MWQA Convention, October 24-25 in Lakeville, MN.
The live MEP workshops are an opportunity to get comfortable using the training website and complete activities in the program. If you’re a mentor, it gives you a great overview of the training your learners will go through. The public exam sessions offer a $60 discount over privately proctored sessions.
Re-certification deadline is September 30
To uphold water quality industry standards and to ensure that certified professionals keep up with current technology, WQA has established mandatory continuing education requirements. Professional certification is valid for three years. If this is your year to re-certify, it’s time to log in to the website and check your credits and completed courses. See what work is needed to keep your certification up to date, and be sure it’s completed by the September 30 deadline. Click here for information and some continuing education credit options.
Women in Industry (WIN)
WQA’s Women in Industry (WIN) Advisory Council is seeking opinions from both women and men in the water treatment industry that will help the council better identify the needs of women professionals and to better prioritize its support efforts. WIN is a standing group of women professionals that:
- Helps advise WQA members and member companies on important topics within the female workforce
- Builds enthusiasm for more women to enter the water treatment industry
- Encourages women to more actively participate in WQA in order to develop leadership and create a diverse environment within the association
Water treatment professionals – whether or not they’re WQA members – are encouraged to devote 10 minutes to answering the questions in the survey: surveymonkey.com/r/womenindustry. Responses are requested by September 28.