NWIOA Officers
Leah Leimbacher, President & IWEA Representative
Leah Leimbacher, President & IWEA Representative
Leah Leimbacher, President & IWEA Representative
Town of Chesterton
Laboratory Chief, Pretreatment Coordinator
Lori Latham, Vice-President
Leah Leimbacher, President & IWEA Representative
Leah Leimbacher, President & IWEA Representative
Business Development Representative, Wessler Engineering, Inc.
Timothy Alston, Treasurer
Timothy Alston, Treasurer
Timothy Alston, Treasurer
Plant Engineer, Gary Sanitary District
Hope Hanford, Secretary
Timothy Alston, Treasurer
Timothy Alston, Treasurer
Pretreatment Coordinator, City of East Chicago Sanitary District
Why Join NWIOA
Earn 1 CEU at Every Meeting!
Monthly meetings include lunch and a Presentation. Earn 1 Technical or General CEU depending on the presentation for Members AND Non-members.
Reasonable Membership Dues
Annual Dues are $25, to be paid in full. Dues include NWIOA Membership and CEU fees. Attendees who are not a member pay a $5 CEU fee.
Professional Networking
Each month Wastewater Professionals meet for a presentation over lunch at various Treatment Facilities about Northwest Indiana. In attendance are local Wastewater Operators, Superintendents, Wastewater Laboratory Analysts, Pretreatment Coordinators, Engineers, and Industrial Operators. A relaxed atmosphere to connect with peers, get free advice, swap stories of success and get support!
IWEA Upcoming Events
2025 Wastewater Challenge
May 19 - May 20 @ 12:00 pm-1:00 pm
Marion Utilities, 1540 N Washington St., Marion, IN
The Wastewater Challenge is a day of hands-on events designed to test and stretch your how-to knowledge of wastewater. It takes a team to rise to the challenges created by the Laboratory, Operations & Maintenance, Residuals & Resource Recovery, Collection Systems, Pretreatment, and Safety committees. Competitive Teams rely on their wits, experience, and diverse members for the high score that will take them to WEFTEC to represent Indiana.
This year, IWEA is excited to announce a TWO-DAY event for 2025! The competition will take place on BOTH May 19th and 20th. Competitors must be present both days to participate. So grab your team and get ready for two full days of excitement!
NWIOA Mission Statement:
The Northwest Indiana Operator Association (NWIOA) provides a venue for the members of the wastewater community in Northwest Indiana to network with their peers in the wastewater field. The NWIOA also provides industry professionals the opportunity to keep up to date with the current technologies and regulation while earning continuing education.
Water treatment in action: A visual journey Chesterton Utility Plant Tour April 2025
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Contact Us
Better yet, see us in person!
NWIOA monthly meetings are held the 4th Thursday of each month from 11:30am - 1:30pm, except for a combined November/December meeting that will be combined and held the 1st Thursday of a full week in December. Locations to be posted monthly.
Northwest Indiana Operators Association
Gary, Indiana, United States
2025 NWIOA Meeting Schedule5
Meet us for meeting/training sessions and lunch!
NWIOA monthly meetings are held the 4th Thursday of each month from NOON - 1:30pm, except for a combined November/December meeting that will be combined and held the 1st Thursday of a full week in December. Locations to be posted monthly. Please refer to our By-Laws for more Association information.
NWIOA By-laws (pdf)
DownloadJoin IWEA, connect with IN water professionals
IWEA Mission Statement:
The Indiana Water Environment Association is dedicated to preserving and protecting Indiana's waterways through educating our members and the citizens of Indiana about the importance of our water environment.
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IWEA Awards
Collection Systems Awards
Operations & Maintenance Awards
Laboratory Excellence Award
- Professional of the Year
- Large Facility (serving a population of 10,000 or more)
- Small Facility (serving a population of 10,000 or less)
Laboratory Excellence Award
Operations & Maintenance Awards
Laboratory Excellence Award
Candidates must complete the Laboratory Excellence Award Application and be inspected by a member of the Laboratory committee to be eligible for the Laboratory Excellence Award.
Operations & Maintenance Awards
Operations & Maintenance Awards
Operations & Maintenance Awards
- Excellence in O&M
- Creation of an Outstanding Device
- Operator of the Year
Pretreatment Award
Besozzi Award and Scholarship
Operations & Maintenance Awards
The John M. Craddock Award, in the form of a plaque, is to be awarded for outstanding contributions in the field of industrial wastewater
Safety Awards
Besozzi Award and Scholarship
Besozzi Award and Scholarship
Excellence in Safety
- Awards of Merit may be given to municipal facilities for Class I, II, III, IV, and industrial facilities.
LL Larson Safety Award
- The award will be made to the person responsible for bringing about safety improvements in the operation of a waste treatment facility.
Besozzi Award and Scholarship
Besozzi Award and Scholarship
Besozzi Award and Scholarship
- The Leo Besozzi Delegate Award is presented by IWEA each year to benefit deserving qualifying wastewater professionals in order for him/her to experience the Annual IWEA Conference and receive the benefit of the educational and networking opportunities the conference offers.
- The Besozzi Scholarship program is in place to assist a student in studying a field related to the water environment in earning their degree.
Employment Opportunities
NWIOA Job Postings coming soon
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