Last Word – NASSCO Advocates to Set Standards Throughout Canada

When NASSCO was formed back in 1976, the acronym stood for National Association of Sewer Service Companies.

Now, 50 years later, I struggle frequently with the use of the full name. The Association’s impact has expanded way beyond U.S. borders. While our primary focus continues to be setting standards for wastewater systems, it has grown. It now includes those for potable water and stormwater, as well.

NASSCO recently expanded its reach through an agreement with ISTT to offer the Inspector Training Certification Program (ITCP) globally. And NASSCO’s Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP) continues to be taught across North, South and Central America. At the same time, we have seen rapid membership growth in Canada. This includes contractors, public agencies, professional engineers, and equipment and material suppliers.

We are supporting these NASSCO members to build awareness of the need to properly assess and maintain underground systems throughout Canada.

In 2022, the replacement value of all public pipes was $609 billion. There are 485,368 km of underground water, sewer and stormwater pipes in Canada. Of that, 12.7 per cent of these pipes are in poor or very poor condition. Worse still, 11 per cent of pipes are in unknown condition.

To advocate for Canadian in-frastructure, on Nov. 27, 2025, members of NASSCO traveled to Ottawa to participate in the Association’s first Canadian Fly-In on Parliament Hill.

Guided by the careful planning of First Lake Solutions, NASSCO’s Canadian government relations consulting firm, NASSCO members came well prepared for a full day of meetings with elected officials and their staff to discuss the importance of trenchless technology, funding and the role of proper assessment of underground infrastructure conditions using NASSCO’s PACP.

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