More than 330 water and wastewater professionals participated last week in a two-day conference at the Black River Coliseum.
The 11th annual Bootheel Expo was hosted by the Missouri Rural Water Association. Attendees included industry product and service providers, decision-makers, office professionals, and water and wastewater specialists.
Training during the event focused on customer service and water/wastewater utility rates and fees. Attendance office professionals nearly doubled from last year, according to organizers. A one-day seminar for this group concluded with a legal roundtable session given by MRWA Management Circuit Rider Liz Grove and attorney Scott Robbins of Poplar Bluff law firm Kennedy, Kennedy, Robbins & Yarbro.
Water specialists learned about diverse topics, such as drone technology, ultrasonic flow testing, GIS mapping, metering, and fire hydrant maintenance and repairs. Wastewater specialists spent their session time with The Lagoon Doctor, Steve Harris of H & S Environmental Services, LLC. Harris, from Mesa, Arizona, who is globally known for his work in lagoon wastewater treatment.
Vendors also filled the Black River Coliseum's arena floor, organizers said. Whether discussing the latest technology that make work more efficient or a service that helps maintain system compliance, these company representatives provide significant resources for utilities, they said.
In addition to the training sessions and networking opportunities of the event, heavy equipment operators demonstrated their skills with a mini-excavator competition in MRWA's Excavator Rodeo.
Sponsored by Kubota and Baker Implement Company, in this competition, to capture one of the top three spots and win cash rewards, contestants had to prove agility and speed manipulating the machine to their will. Winning first place for his second consecutive year was Shawn Mullins from the city of Dudley; at only 0.7 seconds behind the first place time was Steve Wilson from the City of Ste. Genevieve; and rounding up the rodeo's top 3 was third place winner Jason Burge of the city of Malden.
By capturing the first two spots, Mullins and Wilson will compete at the MRWA Fall Operations and Maintenance Symposium in Lake Ozark during late October. That Grand Masters course will offer the top performer a $1,000 cash prize.
The conference concluded with the registration prize drawing where one lucky attendee, Larry Carlin from McDonald Co. PWSD #2 in southwest Missouri, took home the 55" 4K UHD tv registration prize.