Press Release 06/20/01

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

Camdenton MO-Local Business owners Paul and Kelly Imhoff, of Always Soft Water Conditioners, attended the MWQA (Missouri Water Quality Associations) continuing education seminar for Certified Water Specialist at the Inn of Grand Glaize in Osage Beach.

The seminar offered participants a special Ethics Session presented by Orville Schaefer of Schaefer Water Center. Ethics is a new requirement of the WQA (Water Quality Association, Lisle Illinois) for Certified Water Specialists. Orville Schaefer is a long time member of both the MWQA and the WQA. Two other secessions included Jerry Lane with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Mr. Lane's secession covered changing DNR regulations for small systems operators and Hank Kaufmann with Calgon Carbon offered a secession on Carbon water treatment technologies.

The WQA requires Certified Water Specialist to receive 3 credit hours in continuing education before their renewal date to keep their certification current. The secessions offered at the MWQA summer meetings offered Certified Water Specialist (CWS) .7 credit hours-with the opportunity to receive another 1.5 credit hours for completing the WQA's Ethics Workbook, part of the new Ethics requirement for all CWS.

Paul and Kelly Imhoff attend the semiannual summer and winter meeting with the MWQA and also do independent study through the WQA.

Paul Imhoff says he enjoys learning more about water technology. "Becoming a member of the WQA and the MWQA has been the key to the success of our business. Both associations offer Water Dealerships the education to properly diagnose and treat the water quality issues face by our customers. If we ever run in to something we've never dealt with before, we have instant access to thousands of seasoned professionals in our state and around the world who can help us work through the toughest water problems."