Motor Controls & Variable Frequency Drives - Boise

Please note: This training is offered by Industry Training Associates and is partially supported by the Idaho Workforce Development Council as part of an Industry Sector Grant.  As a requirement of this grant, participants will be asked to provide a Social Security number to the State of Idaho as a participant identifier. This will be asked for at the time of training.

IRWA is excited to bring you this hands-on training, "Motor Controls & Variable Frequency Drives". In this class you will learn:

• The definition of motor controls, the components of a motor control system and motor nameplate information.

• Industrial Safety will be reviewed including NFPA 70E, which is intended to provide guidance with respect to electrical safe work practices, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

• Understanding Diagrams including common symbols, relay logic basics, and documentation.

• Motor Control Trainer Tasks including: construct start/stop, three wire control, multiple start/stop, interlocking contractors, reversing, add indicator lights, timing relays, limit, proximity and photo sensors.

• Advanced Starting and Braking will teach soft starters, variable frequency drives, braking methods, and smart starts/overloads.

• Troubleshooting Motor Control Systems including electrical test equipment, common symptoms and diagnosis, and applied troubleshooting of motor control trainers.

Instructor: Aaron Ball, Industry Training Associates
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 0.6 Drinking Water/Wastewater
Cost: $125 IRWA Members / $215 Non-Members
Lunch is on your own.

Motor Controls & Variable Frequency Drives - Burley/Heyburn

Please note: This training is offered by Industry Training Associates and is partially supported by the Idaho Workforce Development Council as part of an Industry Sector Grant.  As a requirement of this grant, participants will be asked to provide a Social Security number to the State of Idaho as a participant identifier. This will be asked for at the time of training.

IRWA is excited to bring you this hands-on training, "Motor Controls & Variable Frequency Drives". In this class you will learn:

• The definition of motor controls, the components of a motor control system and motor nameplate information.

• Industrial Safety will be reviewed including NFPA 70E, which is intended to provide guidance with respect to electrical safe work practices, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

• Understanding Diagrams including common symbols, relay logic basics, and documentation.

• Motor Control Trainer Tasks including: construct start/stop, three wire control, multiple start/stop, interlocking contractors, reversing, add indicator lights, timing relays, limit, proximity and photo sensors.

• Advanced Starting and Braking will teach soft starters, variable frequency drives, braking methods, and smart starts/overloads.

• Troubleshooting Motor Control Systems including electrical test equipment, common symptoms and diagnosis, and applied troubleshooting of motor control trainers.

Instructor: Aaron Ball, Industry Training Associates
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 0.6 Drinking Water/Wastewater
Cost: $125 IRWA Members / $215 Non-Members
Lunch is on your own.

Motor Controls & Variable Frequency Drives - Ammon

Please note: This training is offered by Industry Training Associates and is partially supported by the Idaho Workforce Development Council as part of an Industry Sector Grant.  As a requirement of this grant, participants will be asked to provide a Social Security number to the State of Idaho as a participant identifier. This will be asked for at the time of training.

IRWA is excited to bring you this hands-on training, "Motor Controls & Variable Frequency Drives". In this class you will learn:

• The definition of motor controls, the components of a motor control system and motor nameplate information.

• Industrial Safety will be reviewed including NFPA 70E, which is intended to provide guidance with respect to electrical safe work practices, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

• Understanding Diagrams including common symbols, relay logic basics, and documentation.

• Motor Control Trainer Tasks including: construct start/stop, three wire control, multiple start/stop, interlocking contractors, reversing, add indicator lights, timing relays, limit, proximity and photo sensors.

• Advanced Starting and Braking will teach soft starters, variable frequency drives, braking methods, and smart starts/overloads.

• Troubleshooting Motor Control Systems including electrical test equipment, common symptoms and diagnosis, and applied troubleshooting of motor control trainers.

Instructor: Aaron Ball, Industry Training Associates
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 0.6 Drinking Water/Wastewater
Cost: $125 IRWA Members / $215 Non-Members
Lunch is on your own.

Wastewater Treatment III/IV Certification Review - Boise & Online

This three-day workshop is designed to prepare operators for the current Association of Board Certification (ABC) test for Level III and Level IV Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator certification examinations. You will be reviewing the following subjects: Secondary Treatment, Solids Characteristics, Secondary Sludge, Headworks, Nitrification, Liquid Treatment, Biological Treatment, Nutrient Removal, Activated Sludge, Wastewater Treatment Ponds, and review test preparation skills.

Instructors: Casey Fisher & Kerry Huss, Idaho Rural Water Association
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 1.8 Wastewater and Treatment
Cost: $375 IRWA Members / $645 Non-Members
Time:  8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Mountain Time or 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM Pacific Time

Backflow Assembly Tester Re-Certification Course - Boise 

Register today for Backflow Assembly Tester (BAT) Recertification Training. This will be hands-on training! Students will have the opportunity to practice on all four assembly types, troubleshoot scenarios, and ask the instructor about common challenges encountered in the field. If you pass the tests, you will earn the needed 0.8 CEUs to keep your BAT license current. The class will be held at Idaho Rural Water Association's Technical Training Center in Boise. 

Instructor: Stacy Stuart, Stuart's Backflow
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 0.8 BAT
Cost: $200
Lunch is on your own.

Flow of Water - Post Falls

This course provides an overall view of the water and wastewater industry using the hydrological cycle as a comparison. It includes discussion on treatment technologies, storage, distribution and collections. This is a great class to inform boards, councils and the public about the importance of your utility’s responsibilities. The course will be divided into three sections:

History of Water Treatment: Part 1
This course addresses when technologies were first discovered and how those technologies are used today. It also discusses whether those technologies can be applied to current treatment requirements. Topics include heat, UV, coagulation and colloidal silver treatments.
History of Water Treatment: Part 2
Explore early storage and distribution technologies and how they have led to today’s systems. This course also examines whether those technologies can be applied to current treatment requirements. Topics include pipe types, corrosion control, valve types, tank and storage issues, and more.
History of Water Treatment: Part 3
Learn when chemical technologies were first discovered and how those technologies are still applied to today’s treatment requirements. Topics include chlorine and its variations, ozone, fluoride, and chemical feed in general.

Instructor: John Schwartz, USABlueBook
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 0.6 Drinking Water/Wastewater
Cost: $125 for IRWA Members / $215 for Non-Members
Lunch is on your own.

Lagoons, Thickening & Anaerobic Digestion Basics - Coeur d'Alene

This training will offer information about lagoons, thickening, and anaerobic digestion basics.

Lagoons: Learn the basics of operation and maintenance for lagoon systems. This course will discuss the food web and nutrient cycles throughout the limited control treatment of the lagoon system and cover the different zones, biology, and chemistry within the lagoon.

Thickening & Anaerobic Digestion Basics: This portion of the training will review common equipment that is used for the thickening process and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Learn the warning signs of digester upsets, why they occur, and what to watch for to avoid them.

Tour: This training will also include a tour of the City of Coeur d'Alene's Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Operator Safety in the Workplace - Post Falls

2026 IRWA Operator Expo - Burley


Join us for the inaugural IRWA Operator Expo on July 28th!  It will be held at the Cassia County Fairgrounds in Burley, Idaho.

There will be inside and outside booths featuring hands-on exhibits, demonstration trailers, and education.

Skid steer and backhoe skills challenges will be held and the top winners will get prizes!

We will have 20-minute and 1-hour long demonstrations and trainings throughout the day. You can earn up to 0.4 continuing education units (CEUs).

Instructors: Various Instructors - Schedule coming after exhibitor registration is complete.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: Up to 0.4 Drinking Water/Wastewater
Cost: $35 Registion includes lunch, snow cone, and hat!

Wastewater Collection I/II Certification Review - Coeur d'Alene & Online

This is a review course for operators preparing to take a Level I or II Wastewater Collections exam. This class is based off the ABC material that the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses uses to create its licensing exams. You will receive handouts showing specific topics to study and go through example test questions for each topic. A breakdown of exam topics will be given.
Topics include:

• Equipment operation, evaluation, and maintenance

• Lift station operation and maintenance

• Collection system monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment

• Wastewater operator safety, security, and administrative procedures

• Test taking tips and procedures

Certification Math Review should be taken in conjunction with this course; this class does not include calculations.
Sacramento State training manuals are a sought-after resource for operators preparing for state certification. This training manual was developed to serve the needs of operators in a variety of ways, including: as a self-paced, independent-study distance learning course, and as a textbook in traditional college and university classes (often taught by experienced operators). The goal is to provide you with an understanding of basic operational and maintenance concepts for wastewater collection systems and with an understanding of basic collection systems and with the ability to analyze and solve problems when they occur. â€‹

If desired, the Operation and Maintenance of Wastewater Collection Systems textbooks - Volume 1 and Volume 2 are available for purchase at checkout for $110 each.


Instructor: Craig Sturman, Idaho Rural Water Association
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 0.6 Wastewater and Collection
Cost: $120 - Sponsored by USDA

Understanding Automatic Control Valves - Preston

This class will give operators a better understanding of the function of the automatic control valves in their system. This class will provide classroom instruction and hands-on training in a specialized hands-on Learning Lab. Basic troubleshooting techniques will be discussed. Participants will also learn how to shut down and start-up the control valves they have. 

Note: The IRWA Training & Events calendar originally scheduled this class for July 23rd. It has been changed to July 29th.

Instructor:  Martin Walker, Prestige Worldwide Technologies
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 0.6 Drinking Water
Cost: $125 IRWA Members/$215 Non-Members
Lunch is on your own.

Water Distribution I/II Certification Review - Coeur d'Alene & Online

This is a review course for operators preparing to take a Level I or II Drinking Water Distribution exam. This class is based on the ABC material that the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses uses to create its licensing exams. You will receive handouts showing specific topics to study and need-to-know criteria for each.

Topics include:
•    Drinking water distribution system components
•    Equipment installation, operation, and maintenance
•    Disinfection, monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment
•    Laboratory process descriptions, sampling technique, and analysis
•    Drinking water operator safety, security, and administrative procedures
•    Public interaction
•    Test-taking tips and procedures
Students may purchase the AWWA training manual WSO Water Distribution, Grades 1 and 2 for $100 at checkout. Manuals are recommended but not required.
This water operator education Series was designed by the American Water Works Association to address core test content on certification exams by operator certification type and certification grade level. 

Instructor: Jeff Cook, Idaho Rural Water Association
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 0.6 Drinking Water
Cost: $125 IRWA Members / $215 Non-Members
Lunch is on your own.

Webinar Wednesday! Integrated Water Management-
Learning from Nampa's "One Water" Approach - Online

Nampa, Idaho, is a full-service water resources utility that includes drinking water, a city-wide pressurized irrigation system, stormwater management and wastewater treatment. It has adopted a “One Water” integrated approach to manage the water in a comprehensive manner to support resilient water supplies. Key highlights of this presentation will include the city's efforts to rebrand Nampa's wastewater treatment facility and promote class A recycled water for irrigation and reuse, showcasing the potential for rural systems to engage stakeholders and enhance community understanding of water resource management. We will also share insights on effective community outreach strategies and educational initiatives, emphasizing the importance of informing ratepayers about the benefits of investing in water infrastructure. 

Control Valves in Action: Hands-On Training for Water Professionals - Ammon

This course gives operators and engineers a practical understanding of Automatic Control Valve function, application, and maintenance. Topics include basic hydraulics, control valve function, pilot systems, common applications, and strategies for operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Participants will disassemble and rebuild valves and pilots, and observe and experiment with live pressures in an interactive flow lab. You’ll leave with a solid grasp of how control valves function in water systems, sharper troubleshooting skills, and the confidence to keep your valves operating at their best.

Instructor: Patrick Miller and Raymond Velasquez, Cimco-GC Systems
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Available: 0.6 Drinking Water
Cost: $125 members / $215 non-members
Lunch is not provided.